This much we can say about the 2018-19 season after a quick, surprising and sometimes puzzling summer in the league: There will be 1,230 wins accumulated over the course of nearly six months. It's only a matter of what share of those wins will go to your team.
After considering the changes made and where teams stand now, here's how we see the coming season shaping up for the remade and revamped NBA.
Changes: The big change, of course, was the addition of All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins and his still-rehabbing Achilles tendon. Cousins might not play in the first half of the season, but he will be on the floor with much to prove by the stretch run and into the playoffs.
The team also brought back Kevin Durant, signed coach Steve Kerr to an extension and added versatile veteran Jonas Jerebko.
Changes: With some luck, health will be the big change, with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward expected to join a roster that was within a game of going to last year's Finals without them. Chemistry will be the key here, as last year's postseason stars (Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown) will be forced into lesser roles.
Changes: Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute are gone, and the Rockets don't have a lot on hand to replace them - bringing in shot-happy Carmelo Anthony probably won't help much. But rookie De'Anthony Melton figures to get a chance at a role, and general manager Daryl Morey has a knack for digging up wing talent.
Changes: The Sixers did not lure any big names to Philly, but they'll be in position to do so next summer. In the meantime, J.J. Redick is back on a more team-friendly deal, and the combo of Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala replaces Marco Bellinelli and Ersan Ilyasova.
They'll need a healthy year from Joel Embiid and some production from No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz, who was a washout last year. Four rookies - shooter Furkan Korkmaz, defensive wing Zhaire Smith, forward Jonah Bolden and combo guard Landry Shamet - have a chance to earn depth roles on the team.
Changes: The Jazz added rookie Grayson Allen, but mostly focused on keeping their own pieces - most notably Derrick Favors and Dante Exum - in place. The team overachieved somewhat last year, but can improve on its record if center Rudy Gobert stays healthy.
Changes: Carmelo Anthony is gone, and Paul George is back, so the Thunder should at least be able to maintain the 48 wins they racked up last year, and should be better-suited for the playoffs. The injury to Andre Roberson was costly last year, but he will be back. The team also added guard Dennis Schroder from Atlanta.
Changes: The Pacers improved by six wins last year and would have a challenge just matching that again this year. But the addition of bench pieces Doug McDermott, Tyreke Evans and Kyle O'Quinn helps address their depth issues, and rookie point guard Aaron Holiday will be a rotation player from the get-go.
Changes: The team ditched NBA Coach of the Year Dwane Casey for rookie coach Nick Nurse, then shocked the league by swapping out DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. If it all goes perfectly well, the Raptors can win 60 games.
The guess here is that there will be bumps integrating Leonard (who will need to shake off rust after playing only nine games last year) and that Nurse will have a learning curve. But the East is weak, and the Raps should be a top-three team in the conference.
Changes: The Nuggets shed some excess by moving Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler, and will get Paul Millsap back from injury. The team added Isaiah Thomas, too, and he should help with scoring off the bench.
Denver took a gamble on Michael Porter Jr. in the draft, and figure to bring him along slowly this season. They'll need only a slight uptick from their young players to notch a couple more wins and secure one of the top five seeds in the West.
Changes: Bringing in a competent coach - Mike Budenholzer - who can install a system for a team that too often lacked order should be a big boost. Brook Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova add veteran depth, and the departure of defensively challenged Jabari Parker could be a blessing in disguise.
But the team might still be asking too much of Giannis Antetokounmpo to make a more meaningful move up the standings.
Changes: No team made a bigger change than the Lakers, signing the league's best player, LeBron James. The surprising thing was that the team made few changes around him, losing Julius Randle in free agency, but keeping 2016 and 2017 No. 2 picks Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball.
The Lakers kept their payroll flexible, giving one-year deals to a cast of players whose talent has been weighed down by fits of poor or boneheaded behavior: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lance Stephenson, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee and Michael Beasley. That will keep the Lakers in position for a blockbuster trade during the season, or for a major free-agent signing next summer.
Until then, an 11-game improvement and a No. 6 seed in the West playoffs is a conservative bet.
Changes: The Wolves lost Nemanja Bjelica in free agency, but added two good rookies - Josh Okogie (20th pick) and Keita Bates-Diop (35th) - should coach Tom Thibodeau actually seek to give them minutes.
But the biggest change will have been the airing of dirty laundry in the offseason, with multiple reports emerging about the unhappiness of star guard Jimmy Butler with young Wolves Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Patching relationships could be key to building on last year's playoff appearance.
Changes: The Pelicans lost two key components, DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo, and replaced them with younger and cheaper versions, Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton.
Cousins is recovering from Achilles surgery, and the Pelicans were wise not to go overboard to sign him. The loss of Rondo, a key to New Orleans' surge in the second half and the playoffs, will sting, and the lack of depth (still) will leave the Pels scratching for a playoff spot.
Changes: The Wizards did manage to scrimp together their meager resources to bolster the depth, adding guard Austin Rivers in a trade, signing veteran Jeff Green and drafting summer league standout Troy Brown. But the key will be whether the locker room - which was no comfortable place with Marcin Gortat (traded for Rivers) on hand - can survive the addition of chemistry-killer Dwight Howard.
Changes: Portland added shooters Seth Curry and Nik Stauskas to the bench, but lost key reserves Ed Davis and Shabazz Napier. Seven games is a pretty steep drop from last season, but the Blazers overachieved in the regular season, then were drubbed in a sweep in the playoffs.
Their record likely will drag a bit this year, and should they miss the playoffs, the franchise will have to consider major changes for next year.
Changes: It's going to hurt when you lose LeBron James, of course, but the Cavs had themselves better positioned to withstand such a blow than they did in 2010, when James went to Miami. There's still talent here, and suggestions that this group will struggle to win 30 games seem out of whack.
Kevin Love will be their anchor in the frontcourt, and veterans George Hill, Kyle Korver and Tristan Thompson remain. The season will turn on the play of the young folks, though, with rookie point guard Collin Sexton filling a big role and big men Ante Zizic and Cedi Osman getting opportunities.
Changes: The Pistons did not do much on the free-agent market, adding Glenn Robinson III, plus deep-bench vets Jose Calderon and Zaza Pachulia. The change came at the top, with Dwane Casey taking over as coach after a tumultuous season in which he led Toronto to a franchise-best 59 wins, won Coach of the Year and got fired from the Raptors.
He'll have to bring better organization to a team that badly needs a point guard to set up the frontcourt of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond.
Changes: Not much changed for Miami, except that a few teams in the East should get a bit better. The roster has been stunted by bad contracts, and that won't really change until the summer of 2020.
Changes: Coach Gregg Popovich did what might have been his best-ever coaching job last season, managing the Kawhi Leonard situation. Now, Leonard and Danny Green are in Toronto, Tony Parker is in Charlotte and small forward Kyle Anderson signed with the Grizzlies. The Spurs brought back DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl for Leonard, a pretty good haul considering San Antonio's unenviable situation.
But though a team built around LaMarcus Aldridge and DeRozan will have a shot at the playoffs, the West is too difficult. It's hard to imagine that Popovich can repeat last year's coaching magic.
Changes: A 13-win improvement would be quite a jump for the Mavs, but based on their acquisition of DeAndre Jordan and the drafting of Luka Doncic, it's not unreasonable.
The Mavs will continue to look for moves that can get them into playoff contention throughout the season - possibly the final season for forward Dirk Nowitzki - but it's a longshot that they've done enough to get themselves into the postseason.
Changes: Memphis beefed up its depth with the addition of Garrett Temple and small forward Kyle Anderson, who should fit nicely into new roles with this team. No. 4 pick Jaren Jackson Jr. was impressive this summer, putting to rest some questions about his competitive fire.
But this still has the feel of a thin and stale team, and not having actively sought trades for veterans Marc Gasol (who is 33) and Mike Conley (who turns 31 in October) might be a detriment to the franchise down the line.
Changes: The Hornets fired coach Steve Clifford and overhauled the front office, bringing in coach James Borrego and Lakers veteran executive Mitch Kupchak to oversee the team's next steps. Those steps are still pending. Charlotte did little this offseason, drafting athletic wing Miles Bridges, signing veteran Tony Parker and swapping Timofey Mozgov for Bismack Biyombo.
But payroll relief won't come until 2020, and the challenge of a necessary rebuild is ahead. The Hornets are still sitting on the expiring contract of star guard Kemba Walker going into the season, leaving them in poor position to start over.
Changes: The Nets brought in some credible veterans - Ed Davis, Kenneth Faried, Jared Dudley - and they should help continue to build a good culture and give the team a bump up in the standings. But the focus is still on the future.
The team drafted European projects Dzanan Musa and Rodions Kurucs, and this season will be important toward determining what kind of NBA careers guys like D'Angelo Russell, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Jarrett Allen will have, and how Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert might factor into the plans when the team heads into next offseason with the entire store of draft picks finally in place, as well as an acre of cap space.
FREE AGENCY 2019: Will Nets chase Kyrie Irving?
Changes: The loss of DeAndre Jordan draws the "Lob City" era to a disappointing close, and in his wake, the Clippers added some quality veterans (Luc Mbah a Moute, Marcin Gortat, Mike Scott) while keeping Avery Bradley in place for another year. These are all expiring contracts, meaning LA will have a very clean payroll heading into free agency next summer, with Kawhi Leonard as the top target.
For this year, expect a mix of veterans but some long looks at draftees Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson.
Changes: New coach Steve Clifford will replace Frank Vogel, who did about as well as he could with the pieces on hand. Clifford should give the team a boost, but only because there figures to be continued improvement from forward Aaron Gordon (signed to a new four-year contract) and Jonathan Isaac (who had some eye-opening summer league moments).
The Magic got their man in the draft, selecting shot-blocking center Mo Bamba, and they are hoping that Jerian Grant, acquired from the Bulls, can be a credible point guard.
Changes: New coach David Fizdale will walk into a locker room with low expectations this year, as star big man Kristaps Porzingis recovers from knee surgery. Rookie Kevin Knox, drafted ninth, will come in with heavy scrutiny after an exciting showing in summer league, and second-round pick Mitchell Robinson might have a faster learning curve than originally expected.
The Knicks will hope to dump Courtney Lee's contract in what will most certainly be a rebuilding year.
Changes: It starts with Deandre Ayton, but the Suns had quite a haul in the draft, bringing in Mikal Bridges, Elie Okobo and George King, then signing Trevor Ariza in free agency. That's on top of landing well-respected coach Igor Kokoskov to lead the team.
There's still a raft of young players who need to start making progress, but there's plenty of talent here, and things should start moving in a better direction for Phoenix.
Changes: The Bulls added more young talent to the pile, drafting Wendell Carter Jr., who was outstanding in summer league, and Chandler Hutchinson. They also took a low-risk gamble on Chicago native Jabari Parker, who has a team option on his two-year deal for next season.
This all will help eventually, but the Bulls' fate in the standings is not likely to change much this year.
Changes: Sacramento bet big on Marvin Bagley III in the draft, and for a team badly in need of a featured scorer, that bet had better come in. Bagley struggled in summer league, but he should boost the Kings' offense immediately.
But the Kings are also an awful defensive team, and no one they added this summer - Yogi Ferrell, Nemanja Bjelica, Ben McLemore, Deyonta Davis - is going to change that.
Changes: The Hawks took a gamble on draft night, passing on Luka Doncic and Jaren Jackson Jr. to make Trae Young their offensive centerpiece. They also added shooting guard Kevin Huerter and stretch-4 Omari Spellman in the first round, adding to young prospects John Collins and Taurean Prince.
The team finally moved on from guard Dennis Schroeder, and also lost Mike Muscala.