korean Basketball League Sees Dramatic Offseason Shakeup as 2025-2026 Season Opens
Seoul, South Korea – The Korean Basketball League (KBL) is bracing for a season of unprecedented change as the 2025-2026 campaign tips off, marked by a massive player movement and a significant overhaul of team leadership. The opening days of the season follow an offseason defined by star transfers, the influx of NBA-experienced foreign players, and the appointment of five new head coaches across the league’s ten teams.
The player exodus began with Heo Hoon‘s move to the KCC Egis,triggering a ripple effect of trades. KT Sonicboom quickly responded by acquiring Kim Sun-hyung, while SK Knights filled the void left by Kim’s departure with Kim Nak-hyun. KCC, navigating salary cap constraints after securing Heo Hoon, traded Lee Seung-hyun to Hyundai Mobis. Further moves saw Lee Jung-hyun join DB Promy and Lee Kwan-hee land with Samsung Thunders. Veteran players Lee Geun-hui (Samsung) and Kim Kuk-chan (Korea Gas Corporation) also switched teams.
These moves have positioned KCC as an early championship favourite, bolstered by a roster including Heung, Choi Joon-yong, and Song Gyo-chang. The team received four votes as the expected winner at Media Day, tying with defending champion LG Sakers, who are anticipating the arrival of Yang hong-seok in November.
Alongside domestic player shifts, seven of the ten KBL teams opted to replace their entire foreign player contingent. LG Sakers, SK Knights, and Jeonju KCC also each made a single foreign player change. KT Sonicboom’s acquisition of Derek Williams, a former second-round NBA draft pick with 412 NBA games played, is generating significant buzz. “I decided that the damage was excellent.I couldn’t play in the long-term leagues for two years, so there is a gap that is not gap,” said Mungyeong, KT’s General Manager. DB Promy also brought in NBA veteran Henry Ellencon, with Kim Joo-sung noting Ellencon’s shooting ability and breakthrough sense, addressing a weakness from the previous season with chinanu Onuku.
The coaching ranks have also experienced considerable turnover, with five teams entrusting their programs to new leadership. KCC appointed Lee Sang-min, a championship winner as both a player and coach. Hyundai Mobis named yang Dong-geun, a six-time champion as a player, as their new head coach. KT Sonicboom recruited a new manager, while Jeonju KCC prepared for the season with Judo Hoon and Sono Son Chang-hwan.
lee Sang-min expressed his ambition for an integrated championship at Media Day, stating, “I want to win an integrated championship. Players have also ran hard to win the integration.” Newcomer Son Chang-hwan of sono Skycrackers aims to revitalize the team, saying, “We will allow fans and players to enjoy the spring of Goyang and Sono.” Yang Dong-geun of Hyundai Mobis acknowledged the team’s low expectations, stating, “Our team evaluation is very low.”
