Melbourne United coach Jacob Chance insists it isn't a case of "championship or bust" for the NBL heavyweights this season as he ushers in a new era at the helm.
But it's not far from it, as a star-studded and reinvigorated line-up headlined by four players with recent NBA experience enter the 2026/27 campaign as title favourites.
Off-season acquisitions Cole Anthony, Joe Ingles, Luke Travers and Josh Oduro are expected to put United firmly in championship calculations.
"We're going to be in it to win it every year. We want people with big ambitions and we're a club with big ambitions," Chance said.
"We have big goals and we put them out to the world. If we don't get a championship done, it's not the end of the world.
"But that's what we're striving for, and what you hold yourself accountable to is how you go about it every day."
Five-time Olympian Ingles' return after 12 years in the NBA was one of the biggest off-season moves by any NBL club, and a signal of Melbourne's intentions under Chance, who takes over from title-winning coach Dean Vickerman.
Sam Waardenburg has also joined United, linking up with fellow Kiwi Shea ili and veteran sharpshooter Chris Goulding, who have been mainstays.
Melbourne won the NBL Blitz pre-season tournament and open the regular season against the Adelaide 36ers at John Cain Arena on Saturday night.
"There's a new energy around the club," three-time NBL champion Goulding said.
"Everything's going really well at the moment, but it all starts to get a bit more important now.
"It's where we'll test all the things we've been working on, and I'm excited to get in the weeds.
"It's not always going to be beautiful and magnificent. I hope it is more times than not, but that's when you find out about each other and you build trust.
"Hopefully we'll see in a few weeks' time the new direction that this program has taken."
Adelaide, too, have a new coach at the helm, with five-time NBL champion Trevor Gleeson taking over a team that went within a lay-up of the title under Mike Wells last season.
Lethal scorer Bryce Cotton will again lead the Sixers' title charge as he aims to equal Andrew Gaze's record seven NBL MVP crowns.
But Cotton's arch-rival Kendric Davis has declared "it's my time" as he attempts to take the mantle as the league's best player, aiming to lead the Sydney Kings to another championship.
Skylar Mays and NBA-bound Next Star Dash Daniels hope to take Josh King's South East Melbourne Phoenix to new heights, while the addition of former NBA guard Brandon Knight makes the Perth Wildcats a legitimate title threat.
Renowned match-winner Tyler Harvey and new recruit Milton Doyle will form a dangerous combination at the Illawarra Hawks, who have also been bolstered by Sam Froling's return from injury.
The Cairns Taipans should improve, with star Jack McVeigh joined by three-time NBL champion Jaylin Galloway and Next Star Luke Paul.
But scoring weapon Taran Armstrong has departed, now adding potency to the Tasmania JackJumpers' offence.
The New Zealand Breakers will again rely heavily on MVP candidate Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who links up with Dejan Vasiljevic in a potent back-court, while new coach Will Weaver and Lithuanian import Arnas Velicka are out to end the Brisbane Bullets' finals drought.
"Teams all over the league are reloading and stocking up for one purpose, with one goal in mind," Goulding said.
"But it's hard to go past Sydney and Adelaide right now just because of how impressive they were last year."
Paul became the youngest athlete to sign with the increasingly successful Next Stars program, joining Cairns before his 17th birthday.
Paul and projected second-round draft pick Daniels will be players to watch, while Travers and Armstrong are among those hoping to reignite their own NBA aspirations.
