2026 Pre-Season: Russell

Another great draft in the books to start off 2026! We've got new postseason rules, new lottery rules, a new owner, and a new world of AI to preview our upcoming season. This will be the first preview not written by a human so let's see how BOBY--the name of my Chat GPT--does! [ 2026 Chamberlain | 2025 Midseason Tiers ]

TeamID - Abbrev - Name (2025 Record, 2024 Record)

#1 FJUB Fat Jubas (5-12-1, 10-8)

Once a symbol of SlamNation stability, the Fat Jubas have spent the past few years wandering through a kind of identity fog. They went 10–8 in 2024, then cratered to 5–12–1 last season, a freefall that had longtime rival GMs whispering about whether Eric’s once-pristine build had finally aged out of relevance. This year, though, the Jubas enter with something that feels dangerously close to balance — not contention yet, but coherence.

The six-man keeper group of Karl-Anthony Towns, Trae Young, Isaiah Hartenstein, OG Anunoby, Zaccharie Risacher, and Trey Murphy III neatly captures this team’s dual identity: half veteran continuity, half sleek modern wings. Towns and Trae are still the fulcrum, the league’s favorite “what if?” pairing — elite spacing and playmaking when it clicks, soft on defense when it doesn’t. Hartenstein has become the perfect connective big, OG remains the silent heartbeat of the lineup, and Trey Murphy brings the high-efficiency floor spacing this team once begged Cam Johnson to provide. But the real intrigue lies with Risacher, the elegant French forward who flashed just enough last year to convince everyone he might be the guy to drag this franchise into its next era.

The 2026 draft reflected that same forward-looking philosophy — disciplined, thoughtful, and finally self-aware. Eric didn’t chase names; he targeted wings and guards who can defend, cut, and grow alongside Risacher. Jaylen Wells, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, and Bilal Coulibaly form an all-upside rotation of long athletes who can slide between positions, switch defensively, and theoretically make Trae’s life easier. None are rookies, but all still have time on their developmental clocks. Even Chris Boucher, a late-round depth swing, feels like a smart, low-cost insurance policy rather than a crutch.

This version of the Jubas looks less like a midlife crisis and more like a controlled renovation — new windows, same frame. If Risacher levels up and Murphy stabilizes as a consistent third scorer, this could be one of the quiet risers in the Russell Conference. The glory years aren’t back yet, but for the first time in a while, the fat feels like it’s trimming itself.

#2 CHMK Chunky Monkeys (9-9, 8-12)

The Chunky Monkeys don’t rebuild — they rearm. After a pair of middling seasons, Evan blew the doors off the offseason with the Giannis blockbuster, sending Anthony Edwards and Bam Adebayo to SCRM for the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dyson Daniels, and a pick upgrade. The result? The Monkeys are once again massive, modern, and terrifying.

Their keeper core of new franchise centerpiece Giannis Antetokounmpo, Alperen Şengün, Evan Mobley, Jamal Murray, Dyson Daniels, and Amen Thompson reads like a lab experiment in positional versatility. Giannis is back as the gravitational center of everything, Şengün and Mobley give him two creative frontcourt partners who can pass, shoot, and defend, and Murray provides the stabilizing offensive IQ. Daniels and Amen supply the youthful electricity, the connective tissue, and the chaos that every contender needs.

The 2026 draft served as a master class in depth-building. CHMK’s first selection, VJ Edgecombe, technically belonged to them but was made on behalf of FUNK as part of the Myles Turner swap—one more example of Evan weaponizing the draft board for long-term leverage. From there, the Monkeys filled out their roster with a series of sharp, system-fit players: Christian Braun, a championship-tested role wing; Tari Eason, a relentless defender and energy engine; Cason Wallace, a calm, low-turnover guard tailor-made for their rotation; Jase Richardson, a rookie guard with athletic flair; and Ty Jerome, the veteran stabilizer every deep playoff team eventually leans on.

No flash, no filler — just functional, winning basketball. Every piece either defends, moves, or spaces, which is exactly what Giannis needs around him. After a few seasons of retooling, CHMK are officially back in the contender column, and this time they’ve built something that looks sustainable.

#3 FUNK Funk Coalition (8-10, 8-9-1)

No one plays the long game like FUNK. After slogging through back-to-back middling seasons, Jon’s squad detonated the offseason with a streak of trades so intertwined they might need their own flowchart. Having won the 2025 Toilet Bowl — and the #1 pick that came with it — FUNK already had momentum. Then they flipped that modest leverage into outright draft hegemony, controlling four of the top five selections in 2026.

It’s hard to overstate how wild that is. They began with familiar pillars — Jayson Tatum, Lauri Markkanen, Myles Turner, Jakob Poeltl, Reed Sheppard, and another pre-draft acquisition, Jabari Smith Jr. — and in the span of a week, converted the veteran stability of Markkanen and Turner into future-proof upside, pulling rookies like Dylan Harper and  VJ Edgecombe into their ecosystem while keeping the floor sky-high. (Last year’s number one overall, Reed Sheppard, suddenly looks like the bridge between eras.)

Then came draft night — an event that basically doubled as a FUNK franchise documentary. With their own RD1.1 pick, Jon snagged Cooper Flagg, the generational forward who pairs perfectly with Tatum. Next came Kon Knueppel, a big, smooth-shooting wing who fits their spacing gospel; Khaman Maluach, a developmental rim-protector; Jared McCain, a win-ready guard who slides anywhere in the rotation; Cedric Coward, an athletic wildcard; plus steady veterans Scotty Pippen Jr. and Tyus Jones to keep the engine running.

This is what an organization looks like when every move aligns with its identity. FUNK didn’t rebuild — they regenerated. The core can still compete right now, but the rookie infusion gives them a five-year runway of terrifying potential. Two #1 picks in consecutive years (Flagg and Sheppard) isn’t luck — it’s engineering.

For a team named Funk, they’ve never been so in tune.

#4 MEMM Memphis MonStars (2-16, 1-17)

The Memphis MonStars are a resurrection story wrapped in a redemption arc. After inheriting the smoking crater of the UFOS, new owner Austin wasted no time turning a ghost franchise into a functioning operation. He brought the team home to Memphis, traded for Ja Morant, and instantly gave the league’s worst team something it’s never had before — identity.

The keeper core — Ja Morant, Kawhi Leonard, Onyeka Okongwu, Josh Hart, Keegan Murray, and Nikola Vučević — might be the most competent collection of players ever assembled by a first-year owner. Ja injects energy and star wattage, Kawhi brings gravity and structure, and Hart and Murray round out the wings with the kind of two-way play UFOS fans only dreamed about. Vooch anchors the frontcourt while Okongwu, the lone UFOS holdover, represents the last surviving ember of the old regime. Together, they form a blueprint for sanity.

The 2026 draft was an object lesson in pragmatism over flash. Austin didn’t reach for raw prospects or lottery tickets — he drafted contributors: Jordan Poole, a microwave scorer with actual creation chops; Santi Aldama, a stretchy combo forward with high-IQ floor spacing; Malik Monk, Ja’s perfect pace partner and a proven bench spark; and PJ Washington, a plug-and-play big with switchable defense. Then came the kicker — Buddy Hield and Jeremy Sochan — two bonus pickups awarded through dispersal and owner goodwill, both landing in Memphis like gifts from the fantasy gods. Hield adds elite shooting depth; Sochan, positional chaos and defensive grit. It’s the best kind of rebuild: fast, funny, and fully alive.

In one year, Austin could turn an alien autopsy into something dangerous. This team isn’t just improved — it’s coherent. MEMM doesn’t feel like an orphaned expansion club anymore; it feels like a Memphis team: explosive, tough, a little chaotic, and entirely unafraid to take a swing.

The MonStars aren’t rebuilding. They’re rebooting — and they’ve already hit play.

#5 TRUO Truo Thien (3-13-2, 5-13)

The TRUO franchise is what happens when patience and stubbornness become the same thing. After back-to-back seasons in the basement, it would have been easy to hit the detonate button. Instead, management doubled down — not on stars, but on structure. The result is a roster that finally has a sense of direction, even if it’s not yet at cruising altitude.

The keeper core of De’Aaron Fox, Julius Randle, Jalen Green, Cam Thomas, Kel’el Ware, and Zach Edey reflects that pivot. Fox remains the engine — a pace-pushing guard who drags tempo whether anyone else wants to run or not. Randle provides the ballast, bruising his way to double-doubles while the young scorers orbit around him. Green and Thomas bring microwave offense; when they’re hot, TRUO looks unstoppable, when they’re not, well… at least it’s entertaining. And the two rookie-contract towers, Ware and Edey, represent the long game: vertical rim protection, interior scoring, and some much-needed rebounding on a roster that’s lived in the bottom third of every hustle stat.

The 2026 draft was refreshingly practical. TRUO selected Shaedon Sharpe, a young wing with genuine star upside; Dereck Lively II, a mobile rim-runner who complements both Ware and Edey; Mitchell Robinson, veteran depth for the frontcourt; Bobby Portis, the emotional heartbeat every over-analytical team secretly needs; Brice Sensabaugh, a pure scoring flyer; and Saddiq Bey, a low-usage 3-and-D piece who can guard up. None are rookies — this wasn’t a “swing for the fences” draft — but every name on that list fits into an identifiable role.

In short, this version of TRUO finally feels organized. There’s size, shooting, and at least a couple of ways to win ugly. If Fox can stay upright and the bigs develop on schedule, this team could quietly move out of the bottom tier and into “pesky spoiler” territory. The record still reads rebuilding, but for the first time in years, the game plan reads believable.

#6 SWMP Swamp Dragons (11-6-1, 10-8)

For a franchise that’s been quietly elite for years, the Swamp Dragons keep finding ways to reload without ever stepping backward. After another strong pair of seasons, SWMP has solidified itself as the Russell Conference’s model of sustained excellence — disciplined, balanced, and just mean enough to ruin your Sunday.

The keeper core—Nikola Jokić, Paul George, Deandre Ayton, Zach LaVine, Jalen Williams, and Jalen Johnson—is the rare combination of polish and promise. Jokić remains the sun around which everything orbits, capable of warping matchups on both ends. George still plays with the calculated cool of a veteran who’s seen everything; Ayton provides the interior muscle and midrange touch that keeps this offense humming. LaVine’s scoring punch gives SWMP a perimeter identity, while the twin Jalens—Williams and Johnson—represent the franchise’s evolution: long, switchable, and unafraid to take initiative. It’s the rare keeper group where every player could be a top-three option on any given week.

The 2026 draft was a case study in maintenance. With the core intact, Eddie turned to shoring up the rotation and adding two-way glue. Jalen Suggs leads that group as a tenacious defender and secondary creator, while Toumani Camara slides in as the rugged utility forward every playoff team needs. Devin Vassell brings spacing and poise, Donte DiVincenzo adds connective tissue and shooting, and Taylor Hendricks supplies vertical athleticism and length for future-proofing. Walter Clayton Jr. is the lone rookie dart—an athletic guard with a scorer’s mentality—and last overall pick Aaron Wiggins came aboard via trade, a shrewd low-cost grab for rotation depth.

The result is classic Swamp: pragmatic, precise, and postseason-ready. This is a franchise that never overreacts and always out-executes. While flashier rivals make noise, SWMP quietly keeps stacking wins. With Jokić as the hub and a roster that can toggle between big, small, and switch-heavy lineups, there’s a sense that the Dragons’ best season might still be the one ahead.

#7 MELO My Mind (12-5-1, 5-13)

The MELO transformation wasn’t gradual — it was an eruption. After a 5–13 grind in 2024, Jack’s squad roared into 2025 with a 12–5–1 record and one of the most complete two-way rosters in the conference. This wasn’t luck. It was a masterclass in timing, trades, and finally getting the mix right.

The keeper core — Kevin Durant, Jaylen Brown, Pascal Siakam, RJ Barrett, Brandon Miller, and Stephon Castle — might be the league’s cleanest marriage of timeline balance. Durant still operates as the metronome of this franchise: clinical, ruthless, and capable of single-handedly winning any week. Brown gives them power and drive, Siakam gives them flexibility, and Barrett has blossomed into the dependable third option who glues the offense together. Then there’s the youth: Miller’s rise from promising rookie to foundational wing has been electric, and Castle — the newest keeper — brings poise and defensive bite that make him a perfect long-term guard fit.

The 2026 draft kept that equilibrium intact. MELO grabbed Mark Williams, a traditional rim protector who shores up the frontcourt; Cameron Johnson, one of the league’s most reliable spot-up shooters; De’Andre Hunter, a steady defensive wing with plug-and-play versatility; Isaiah Collier, a fearless rookie guard who can push pace; Obi Toppin, an energy forward who thrives alongside playmakers; and Wendell Carter Jr., a dependable two-way big who adds lineup flexibility. Every pick serves a purpose — no vanity selections, no dead roster spots. Just rotation-ready depth.

For a team that used to live on vibes and volatility, MELO finally feels methodical. Durant gives them instant legitimacy, Brown and Siakam form a hardened core, and the young duo of Miller and Castle future-proofs the build. If 2025 was the breakout, 2026 might be the coronation.

The rebuild’s over. The experiment’s complete. Now they’re hunting trophies.

#8 KSKT Krispy Kreme Team (11-7, 12-5-1)

There’s an old saying about champions falling off the mountain faster than they climb it. KSKT clearly didn’t get the memo. Two seasons removed from their 2024 title, they’ve evolved into the picture of sustainable dominance, and still looking hungry. What was once a brash, boom-or-bust outfit has matured into a perennial power with a clear identity: smart, ruthless, and perfectly balanced.

The keeper core — Tyrese Haliburton, Cade Cunningham, Zion Williamson, Kristaps Porziņģis, Michael Porter Jr., and Anfernee Simons — still reads like an All-NBA think piece. Haliburton’s injury absence leaves a playmaking vacuum that Cunningham must fill; he’s capable, but the rhythm will look different. Zion remains the gravitational centerpiece, forcing mismatches and collapse every possession. Porziņģis and Porter stretch the floor and rain efficiency, while Simons steps into an expanded scoring role that could finally make him the 25-point weapon everyone saw coming.

The 2026 draft was designed for exactly this kind of contingency. Norm Powell adds veteran scoring and toughness, Andrew Nembhard becomes the emergency floor general capable of mimicking Haliburton’s pace, and Nic Claxton anchors the back line as a defensive upgrade. Nique Clifford is the athletic rookie wing who can soak up minutes and learn on the fly. Dennis Schröder offers veteran stability, while Keon Ellis brings defensive disruption and hustle. It’s a rotation built for survival — and maybe surprise.

The Achilles injury might’ve ended Haliburton’s season, but it didn’t end KSKTs. They’re too deep, too cohesive, and too well-coached to crumble. Expect more grind-it-out wins, more bully-ball from Zion, more poise from Cade. Krispy Kreme Team have already proven they can climb the mountain; now they’ll try to defend the crown without their compass.

If they’re still standing in April, the legend only grows.