The 2025-26 NBA season is shaping up to be one about star players who still have time to prove themselves. Across the league, several once-prominent names find their careers teetering between resurgence and decline. Whether it’s a former All-Star fighting back from injuries, a veteran holding onto relevance, or a high draft pick running out of excuses, the 2025-26 campaign offers a final opportunity to silence critics.
Here are five NBA stars who have one last chance to prove themselves this season. These players ‘ next chapters will determine whether they revive their careers or fade into the background, so let’s rank them.
Joel Embiid
Age: 31
2024-25 Season Statistics: 23.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 4.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.9 BPG (19 Appearances)
Joel Embiid enters the 2025-26 season with the weight of a franchise and his legacy on his shoulders. The reigning MVP from just two years ago saw his 2024-25 campaign unravel yet again due to injuries, limiting him to just 19 appearances and another season of disappointment for the Philadelphia 76ers.
At 31, the excuses have run out. The Sixers have built around him for nearly a decade, pairing him with stars like James Harden, Jimmy Butler, and now Paul George, but they’ve never broken through to the Conference Finals. Embiid’s talent has never been in question; his durability and leadership have.
With Tyrese Maxey emerging as the team’s long-term centerpiece, another injury-riddled or underwhelming season could spell the end of “The Process” era in Philly. For Embiid, this year is not only about staying healthy but about proving he can carry a team deep into the postseason.
The window for dominance is closing fast, and front offices across the league are more hesitant than ever to build around a center with availability issues. If he can’t stay on the floor or lead the Sixers to meaningful playoff success, Embiid risks being remembered as a generational talent who never delivered when it mattered most.
Paul George
Age: 35
2024-25 Season Statistics: 16.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG (41 Appearances)
When Paul George signed his lucrative deal with the 76ers, the move was billed as the final piece of a championship puzzle. Instead, the 35-year-old’s first season in Philadelphia was marred by nagging injuries, declining production, and growing questions about his motivation.
Averaging just 16.2 points per game and playing in only 41 contests, George looked more like a fading veteran than the two-way superstar he once was. The Sixers took a massive financial gamble on him, but if he can’t stay healthy and perform at a high level, both he and the organization will face harsh scrutiny.
Fans and analysts alike are beginning to wonder whether George is still chasing greatness or just collecting checks. This season might be George’s last chance to prove he still has something left in the tank.
His reputation has always been defined by flashes of brilliance overshadowed by inconsistency and injury. If his body can’t hold up or his impact continues to fade, teams around the league may finally close the door on the idea of “Playoff P” being a difference-maker. For George, the 2025-26 campaign is a final opportunity to rewrite the narrative before time runs out.
DeMar DeRozan
Age: 36
2024-25 Season Statistics: 22.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG (77 Appearances)
DeMar DeRozan has been one of the NBA’s most consistent scorers for over a decade, but at 36, the clock is ticking. Coming off another strong statistical season, 22.2 points per game in 77 appearances, DeRozan remains a bucket-getter, yet the question persists: Can he still be a winning player?
With one year left on his contract and trade rumors heating up about him once again, this season represents his last real shot to prove he’s more than an old-school scorer in a modern league that prizes spacing and defense. DeRozan’s midrange-heavy style has aged gracefully, but it hasn’t translated into postseason success or deep playoff runs, leaving doubts about whether his game truly impacts winning.
For DeRozan, the 2025-26 season is about redefining how he’s remembered. He will undoubtedly find a role somewhere in the league beyond this year, but whether that’s as a respected veteran contributor or a fading relic depends on his ability to elevate a team’s success.
If he can show that his leadership and experience still translate to victories, DeRozan can close his career with the respect his production deserves. If not, he risks being remembered as one of the NBA’s great scorers who never learned how to win big.
Zion Williamson
Age: 25
2024-25 Season Statistics: 24.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG (30 Appearances)
Few players have tested a franchise’s patience quite like Zion Williamson. Now 25, the former No. 1 pick remains one of the league’s most tantalizing talents, and its greatest frustrations. His per-game numbers last season were stellar once again, but 30 appearances simply aren’t enough.
The Pelicans have poured time, money, and faith into Zion, yet his body continues to betray him. For all his explosive potential, he’s missed more games than he’s played, and New Orleans’ front office has grown weary of waiting for the full version of their supposed franchise cornerstone.
This season might be Zion’s last opportunity to convince the league he can stay on the floor and lead a Pelicans team that he continues to call “home” for now. If he can’t, the Pelicans will likely move on, and other teams won’t be nearly as patient or generous with their trust. The talent is undeniable, but availability is everything in today’s NBA. If Williamson doesn’t turn a corner in 2025-26, he risks becoming one of the biggest “what-ifs” in modern basketball history.
Ben Simmons
Age: 29
2024-25 Season Statistics: 5.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG (51 Appearances)
Ben Simmons’ fall from All-NBA defender and All-Star to borderline roster player has been as steep as any in recent memory. At 29, he’s battled back injuries, confidence issues, and a reputation that has all but destroyed his trade value. Averaging just 5.0 points per game last season while contemplating retirement, Simmons’ NBA situation is dire.
Once viewed as a franchise cornerstone, he’s now fighting simply to remain in the league, and it seems only the Phoenix Suns are on the radar at the moment. His combination of limited scoring, unreliable health, and off-court drama has alienated fans and front offices alike. Still, 2025-26 offers one final shot at redemption. If Simmons can rediscover even a fraction of his former athleticism and defensive skills, he could carve out a valuable role as a playmaker and on-ball defender.
But if the same patterns of injuries and hesitation persist, this might be the end of the road. For a player once compared to Magic Johnson, that would be one of the most stunning declines in NBA history. This season, Ben Simmons must prove he still has the heart and the will to compete, or the league will move on without him.
