Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Posted on

Fantasy basketball Week 1 schedule primer: How much will Joel Embiid play?

At last, the 2025-26 regular season is here. The Thunder will receive their championship rings on Tuesday and then look to remain on top in what's expected to be a loaded Western Conference. Which teams are best equipped to challenge Oklahoma City? Will Cleveland and New York live up to lofty expectations in the East? Are Detroit and Orlando ready to make the next step and establish themselves as true factors? In addition to those questions, there's a lot for fantasy managers to sift through in the days before Tuesday's opener. Here's a look at the Week 1 slate and some key storylines.

Week 1 Games Played

3 Games: ATL, BOS, BRK, CHA, CLE, DAL, DET, GSW, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHX, POR, SAC, SAS, TOR, WAS

2 Games: CHI, DEN, HOU, NOR, PHI, UTA

Week 1 Back-to-backs

Tuesday-Wednesday: None

Wednesday-Thursday: None

Thursday-Friday: GSW

Friday-Saturday: ATL, MEM, ORL, PHX

Saturday-Sunday: CHA, IND

Sunday-Monday (Week 2): BOS, BRK, CLE, DAL, DET, LAL, MIN, POR, SAS, TOR

Week 1 Storylines of Note

- Tuesday and Thursday are the light schedule days for the opening week.

As has become tradition, the NBA regular season opens with a Tuesday night doubleheader. Houston will visit Oklahoma City (6:30 PM Eastern, NBC and Peacock) in the opener as the Thunder, who could be without Jalen Williams, receive their championship rings, with the nightcap being Golden State's trip south to face the Lakers (10 PM Eastern, NBC and Peacock). The most notable injury for the four teams playing on Tuesday is LeBron James' absence due to sciatica. Gabe Vincent was part of the Lakers' starting lineup for Friday's preseason finale and will remain in that role for the foreseeable future. He's primarily an option for managers needing three-pointers. While those who have Luka Donĉić or Austin Reaves rostered should expect their usage numbers to increase.

Thursday's doubleheader opens with a rematch of the NBA Finals, as the Thunder visit the Pacers, followed by the Warriors hosting the Nuggets. Indiana's perimeter situation will grab the attention of many fantasy managers. Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) is out for the year, and backup T.J. McConnell (hamstring) is unlikely to return to action until November. Andrew Nembhard rose up draft boards due to the injuries, as did Bennedict Mathurin, since he will fill the void left in the starting lineup by Haliburton's injury. Fantasy managers may also bet on Pascal Siakam being asked to do even more offensively.

The Pacers must also account for Myles Turner's exit, with Isaiah Jackson set to move into the starting center role. He's coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon, so offseason Jay Huff and power forward Obi Toppin will also be key in the Pacers' frontcourt. As for the other teams in action on Thursday, Denver added Cameron Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanĉiūnas and Bruce Brown during the offseason, with Johnson expected to be the most impactful of the four in fantasy basketball.

- Houston, New Orleans and Utah have the worst Week 1 schedules.

In addition to only playing two games, these teams will be done with their Week 1 slates on Friday. For those playing the new Yahoo! fantasy game High Score, these are the teams to avoid when scouring the waiver wire for potential difference-makers to end the week. This won't be an issue for key contributors like Houston's Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün or New Orleans' Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole and Trey Murphy. But, role players who have the potential to add value off the bench are better off being left on the waiver wire until Sunday evening in preparation for Week 2. All three teams will be active on that Monday as part of an 11-game slate.

- Wednesday, Friday and Sunday are the busiest days of Week 1.

Wednesday and Friday's schedules consist of 12 games, with nine games being played on Sunday to complete Week 1. Among the teams active on all three days are the Celtics, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Pistons, Clippers and Knicks, to name a few. Boston's roster looks far different than the one that began last season, with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out and multiple frontcourt contributors in new places. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White should lead the way, with Anfernee Simons and Payton Pritchard also representing solid fantasy value on the perimeter.

As for the frontcourt, is this the year Chris Boucher emerges as a consistent fantasy option? He'll have every opportunity to step up, as will Luka Garza, Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman Sr. What happens during Week 1 will dictate which Celtics frontcourt player(s) are viewed as reliable fantasy options; Queta (24 percent) and Garza (12 percent) have the highest rostered percentages of those four, and Josh Minott could also emerge.

- Who will be the Grizzlies' starting point guard?

The good news for Memphis is that Jaren Jackson Jr. (foot) made his preseason debut on Friday and looked good. However, the Grizzlies have been hit hard by injuries at point guard. Ja Morant (ankle) did not play during the preseason and is not a lock to be available for Wednesday's season opener against the Pelicans. Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe) is out indefinitely as he needs to undergo surgery, and Ty Jerome (calf) was injured during the first quarter of Friday's win over the Heat.

The best-case scenario would be that Morant is cleared to play on Wednesday and Jerome's calf does not keep him on the sideline. The worst-case scenario would be that Morant and Jerome cannot play against New Orleans, likely resulting in rookie Javon Small being tabbed to fill the void. Small, who's rostered in less than one percent of Yahoo! leagues, did play well during the preseason. Depending on what the Grizzlies reveal on Monday and Tuesday regarding Morant and Jerome, there could be a mad dash to computers to add Small ahead of Wednesday's opener. Also, Memphis' three-game Week 1 includes a Friday/Saturday back-to-back; it isn't difficult to envision an injury management day for Morant (if available) due to the time missed and his overall injury history.

- The schedule breaks well for fantasy managers who have Joel Embiid rostered.

Yes, the 76ers only play two games during Week 1. However, that may be good for Embiid, who's returning from knee surgery and played 19 minutes in his first (and only) preseason action on Friday against the Timberwolves. He recorded 14 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two three-pointers, a reminder that Embiid doesn't need too much time to go off. However, the 76ers will exercise caution in increasing the 2023 MVP's workload.

Hopefully, Embiid can play both Week 1 games, as the 76ers begin Week 2 with a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back. Adem Bona, who's rostered in eight percent of Yahoo! leagues and started alongside Embiid on Friday, would have the most to gain fantasy-wise if the 76ers were to limit their star center's workload or decide to rest him outright at some point.

- Ten teams, including the Celtics, Lakers and Spurs, end Week 1 with a Sunday/Monday back-to-back.

There should not be many concerns regarding player availability for back-to-backs at this point in the season. However, that isn't guaranteed. Boston's back-to-back appears to be the most intensive from a travel standpoint, as they'll play road games against the Pistons (Sunday) and Pelicans (Monday). The aforementioned Tillman may be the one to watch availability-wise, as he only appeared in 33 games last season due to injuries. His moments of fantasy relevance have been rare, and he's rostered in less than one percent of Yahoo! leagues.

- Will Phoenix have Mark Williams for Week 1, and how much will he play?

Williams, who did not play at all during the preseason as the Suns cautiously ramped up his workload, did participate in a controlled scrimmage on Saturday. His status for Week 1 will be determined after the Suns ramp things up in practices on Monday and Tuesday, but he appears to be trending in the right direction. Phoenix's three-game Week 1 slate concludes with a Friday/Saturday road back-to-back against the Clippers and Nuggets, two teams that pose significant challenges at the center position.

Oso Ighodaro (one percent rostered) was the starting center during the preseason, with Nick Richards (three percent) and Khaman Maluach (seven percent) coming off the bench. Even if Williams can play in Wednesday's opener against the Kings, this will likely be a two-game week for him at best.

- The Kings will be down two starters for Week 1.

Keegan Murray (thumb) won't be back until mid-November at the earliest, while Domantas Sabonis (hamstring) will miss at least the first two games. Add Malik Monk missing the end of the preseason due to illness, and head coach Doug Christie won't be working with a full deck when the regular season begins. Drew Eubanks (one percent rostered) started the preseason finale for Sabonis, but Murray's replacement is not as straightforward. Dario Ŝarić (less than one percent) started on Wednesday but came off the bench two nights later, with Isaac Jones (less than one percent) starting on Friday.

Keon Ellis (13 percent) may be the best option with Murray sidelined, especially when factoring in Monk's recent absence. For managers willing to roll the dice, especially in deep leagues, why not kick the tires on rookie Nique Clifford (two percent)? He doesn't offer the size Murray provides, but the first-round pick is a versatile player who can be used at all three perimeter positions. It may not click for Clifford immediately, but he's a rookie who may prove more valuable to fantasy managers as the season progresses.

Posted on

Kevin Durant agrees to 2-year extension, days before Rockets debut: Report

Kevin Durant agrees to 2-year extension, days before Rockets debut: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Kevin Durant is fully committed to the Houston Rockets.

Just two days before the team’s regular-season opener on NBC, the 15-time All-Star reportedly agreed to a two-year, $90 million contract extension.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news Sunday morning.

Durant will have a player option for 2027-28, giving him the choice of reaching free agency in either 2027 or 2028. The deal comes in around $30 million under the maximum extension that he could have signed, saving the team $15 million per season.

The 37-year-old Durant, now with three years and $144.7 million total on his contract, now holds the record over LeBron James for the highest career earnings in NBA history ($598.2 million).

Extending Durant gives the Rockets some security after trading for the former Phoenix Suns forward over this past summer. He was set to hit free agency next summer, with no long-term assurance that he had to stay in Houston.

Durant’s scoring ability and veteran presence should elevate the young Rockets roster, which went 52-30 last season under head coach Ime Udoka. The Rockets then lost a grueling seven-game series to the Golden State Warriors in the first round after a four-year playoff drought.

Durant is a future Hall of Famer looking to add to his legacy, which already includes two championships, two Finals MVP awards, four scoring championships, an MVP, 11 All-NBA teams and more than 30,000 points scored (currently eighth all-time).

The Rockets’ 2025-26 season begins Tuesday, Oct. 21, against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on NBC and Peacock.

Posted on

Grizzlies' Scotty Pippen Jr. out at least three months following left big toe surgery

It's early in the season, but injuries are hitting the Grizzlies hard. Ja Morant is in question for the opener recovering from an ankle sprain, while centers Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke are both out as well due to injuries.

Now add Scotty Pippen Jr. to the mix, with the team announcing he will miss at least three months following surgery on his left big toe.

A Sesamoidectomy is the removal of a small, round bone — maybe the size of a pea or smaller — embedded within tendons around the big toe. Those bones help absorb pressure and facilitate movement, but can lead to pain when chronically stressed.

Ty Jerome will likely see an increase in minutes with Pippen out (as long as Jerome is healthy, he left the final Grizzlies preseason game with a calf issue). With Desmond Bane now in Orlando, more was going to fall on the plate of Pippen and now someone else needs to step up in those minutes.

Memphis has been hit hard by injuries in the past few seasons, an issue that began with Morant, who has played in just 59 games over those two seasons. The Grizzlies need a mostly healthy season to get a sense of just how good this team is and what needs to come next.

Posted on

Landry Shamet gets Knicks' final roster spot as team waives three players

The Knicks make it official.

At Saturday's 5 p.m. deadline, New York announced they have waived Alex Len, Garrison Mathews and Matt Ryan, leaving Landry Shamet as the player to earn the final roster spot ahead of the 2025-26 regular season.

Shamet was the clear-cut favorite to get the final roster spot, especially after the sudden retirement of veteran Malcolm Brogdon earlier this week. 

The 28-year-old guard was a solid bench option for the Knicks last season. Shamet appeared in 50 games and averaged 5.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in 15.2 minutes of play. His usage was lower in the postseason, appearing in 11 games and averaging just 2.4 minutes in 7.5 minutes per game. He was huge in the Knicks' Game 3 win over the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. In that game, Shamet posted just three points and dished two assists in his 11:23 minutes of play, but was a plus-12 when he was on the court as the Knicks avoided an 0-3 hole.

As for those waived, SNY's Ian Begley reported late Friday that the team was set to waive Mathews. Mathews spent the last two seasons with the Hawks while Ryan was on the Knicks a season ago, but only appeared in 19 games and logged just 68 minutes. 

Len spent parts of last season with both the Kings and Lakers. He appeared in 46 games combined and averaged 1.6 points per game.

With the roster set, the Knicks now prepare for the season to start next Wednesday, when they host the Cavaliers for an Eastern Conference showdown.

Posted on

As expected, Warriors waive Seth Curry but will re-sign him in a month or two

This had always been the plan.

From the day the Warriors signed Seth Curry to play alongside his older brother Stephen Curry for the first time professionally, it was made clear that the Warriors were eventually going to cut and waive Curry, only to re-sign him a month or two later. That cut came on Saturday.

Team finances and the tax aprons drove this. The Warriors are hard-capped at the second apron (because they used the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Al Horford). After agreeing to a new contract with Jonathan Kuminga, then soon after deals for Horford and De'Anthony Melton, the Warriors were bumping up against that cap. One of Seth Curry or Gui Santos had to be waived to get under that hard cap to start the season, and Curry was always the guy going to get the time off (this was clearly communicated with everyone, including Stephen).

The Warriors can re-sign Seth Curry on Nov. 15, when they will have the space to sign a pro-rated minimum contract for the rest of the season. However, the Warriors may wait longer than that, maybe into December, just to give themselves more cushion against the tax apron line.

Seth, 35, shot 45.6% on 3-pointers last season on his way to averaging 6.5 points a game in Charlotte. His shooting and style of play mesh well with the Warriors once they re-sign him, in a month or two.

Posted on

Doctor details Moses Moody's calf injury rehab, return timeline for Warriors

Doctor details Moses Moody's calf injury rehab, return timeline for Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

With Warriors guard Moses Moody doubtful for Golden State’s 2025-26 NBA season opener due to a calf strain, when could the fifth-year pro make his debut?

Stanford Medicine orthopedic surgeon Dr. Geoffrey Abrams, MD, provided some expert analysis on what Dub Nation can expect from Moody’s injury — which Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the team isn’t “too concerned” about — as he works his way back to the court.

“If the team is describing it as a minor muscle strain, it’s probably … some microscopic tearing and minor partial tearing,” Abrams told NBC Sports Bay Area on Friday. “The good news about that, obviously, it’s on the lesser severe end of the spectrum, and typical return-to-play timelines are a couple weeks or so for these more minor muscle grade strains.”

Kerr said this past Tuesday, Oct. 14, that Moody would be reevaluated in a week, with the Warriors set to open their new season against the Los Angeles Lakers this Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. A return timeline of a couple weeks, as noted by Abrams, hopefully would put Moody back in Kerr’s rotation by Golden State’s Oct. 28 game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center, their fifth contest of the season.

There are several hurdles Moody will have to clear before that happens, Abrams explained.

“Obviously, the Warriors are a great professional organization and they’ve got top notch medical personnel, so they’re going to run him through the professional protocol and things like that,” Abrams said. “In terms of returning to play, he basically has to be able to participate in full practices 100 percent, and before he even gets to that, he has to demonstrate he’s got strength, range of motion, flexibility of the muscle and be able to do the things that are required for an NBA athlete, of course, before they even throw him into full practices.

“And then, once he’s comfortable with full practices and jumping and running up and down the court, that’s when you start to think about getting back into games. Sometimes … there’s situations where they may limit minutes initially before throwing him back into full pre-injury participation. But that just depends on a variety of different circumstances.”

After entering the Warriors’ starting lineup late last season en route to the NBA playoffs, Moody missed Golden State’s final three preseason contests this month with his calf issue.

As long as the Warriors don’t rush Moody back, Abrams noted, there’s little chance that the calf strain impacts Moody’s play moving forward, and the chance of an Achilles tear, as has been seen in countless NBA stars recently, is minimal.

“Certainly re-injury is also sometimes a possibility, but that’s why you go through the protocol is really to reduce that risk and not put him out there before he’s ready, which I’m sure the staff will do,” Abrams said.

Moody has proven himself as a valuable member of the Warriors’ lineup, and Kerr certainly hopes to have the 23-year-old back sooner rather than later.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Posted on

Fantasy Basketball 2025-26: Building around Victor Wembanyama in High Score

While many prefer more traditional formats when playing fantasy basketball, others are more willing to try new formats. With that in mind, Yahoo! Sports has introduced its new High Score fantasy basketball game. There are some differences between this league and the head-to-head and roto setups we've grown accustomed to over the years. Let's look at how High Score is played, beginning with the rosters.

NBA: Preseason-Charlotte Hornets at Oklahoma City Thunder
2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Draft Prep Guide: Rankings, strategy, sleepers, mock draft results, and more
Your one-stop-shop for Rotoworld’s fantasy basketball draft coverage.

- Each team has ten players, but only six will be active.

Lineups are set at the beginning of the week, with six active players and four on the bench. There are two guard slots for players with the point guard and/or shooting guard designation, three frontcourt slots (small forward, power forward and center) and one utility spot that can be occupied by any player regardless of position. The other four players will be on your bench, and you can slot them in at any point in the week.

However, there is a key factor that you'll need to take into consideration when moving a bench player into the lineup for that week. The points accrued by the player you've decided to bench come off the board and can't be recouped. Returning a benched player to the active lineup later in the week doesn't do the trick; only the points earned in games from that point onward will be eligible. Each player's high score from any game played during that week will count toward your team's score, so targeting players capable of an explosive performance is the best way to approach your draft.

- How does scoring work?

There are only five scoring categories for default High Score leagues, which are weighted.

Points: 1 point each

Rebounds: 1 point each

Assists: 2 points each

Steals: 3 points each

Blocks: 3 points each

For those who have played DFS, those point values will look somewhat similar, although rebounds and assists tend to count for 1.2 per rebound or assist. There are no decimals to deal with in High Score, only whole numbers. For those used to worrying about percentages or turnovers, those won't matter in High Score. That boosts the values of players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young and Zion Williamson, to name a few.

The game also limits some of the risk of drafting injury-prone players in other fantasy formats. Will you still use a first-round pick on Joel Embiid or Ja Morant, to name two players with prior injury issues? Probably not, but managers will be better positioned to compensate for a player missing time in High Score.

While the High Score format will take some getting used to, it's a relatively simple deal from a scoring standpoint. The substitution situation and what that can do to weekly scoring may take many managers the most time to get used to, possibly losing a matchup or two. With these rules in mind, I recently entered a draft, hoping to craft a team that could do some damage in the High Score format.

I picked from the second slot in a 10-round snake draft, kicking things off with San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. Below is how the draft played out.

Round 1
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
F,C
Nikola Jokić
Denver Nuggets
2
F,C
Victor Wembanyama
San Antonio Spurs
3
G
Luka Dončić
Los Angeles Lakers
4
G
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Oklahoma City Thunder
5
F,C
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks
6
G
Cade Cunningham
Detroit Pistons
7
G
Anthony Edwards
Minnesota Timberwolves
8
G 
Devin Booker
Phoenix Suns
9
F,C
Anthony Davis
Dallas Mavericks
10
G
Trae Young
Atlanta Hawks

Round 2
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
G
James Harden
LA Clippers 
2
G
Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors
3
F,C
Kevin Durant
Houston Rockets
4
F,C
Karl-Anthony Towns
New York Knicks
5
G 
Tyrese Maxey
Philadelphia 76ers
6
G
Donovan Mitchell
Cleveland Cavaliers
7
G,F,C
Amen Thompson
Houston Rockets
8
F,C
Jalen Johnson
Atlanta Hawks
9
F,C
Alperen Şengün
Houston Rockets
10
F,C
Evan Mobley
Cleveland Cavaliers

Round 3
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
G
LaMelo Ball
Charlotte Hornets
2
G
Jalen Brunson
New York Knicks
3
F,C
Domantas Sabonis
Sacramento Kings
4
G,F,C
Scottie Barnes
Toronto Raptors
5
G
Josh Giddey
Chicago Bulls
6
F,C
Chet Holmgren
Oklahoma City Thunder
7
F,C
Jaylen Brown
Boston Celtics
8
F,C
Jalen Williams
Oklahoma City Thunder
9
F,C
Pascal Siakam
Indiana Pacers
10
G
Jamal Murray
Denver Nuggets

Round 4
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
F,C
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Memphis Grizzlies
2
F,C
LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers
3
F,C
Bam Adebayo
Miami Heat
4
G 
Derrick White
Boston Celtics 
5
F,C
Paolo Banchero
Orlando Magic
6
F,C
Franz Wagner
Orlando Magic
7
F,C
Trey Murphy
New Orleans Pelicans
8
G 
Austin Reaves
Los Angeles Lakers
9
G,F,C
Dyson Daniels
Atlanta Hawks
10
G 
De’Aaron Fox
San Antonio Spurs 

Round 5
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
F,C
Zion Williamson
New Orleans Pelicans
2
F,C
Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers
3
F,C
Jimmy Butler
Golden State Warriors
4
F,C
Ivica Zubac
LA Clippers
5
G,F,C
Desmond Bane
Orlando Magic
6
F,C
Brandon Miller
Charlotte Hornets
7
F,C
Kawhi Leonard
LA Clippers
8
F,C
Deni Avdija
Portland Trail Blazers
9
F,C
Kristaps Porziņģis
Atlanta Hawks
10
F,C
Cooper Flagg
Dallas Mavericks

NBA: Preseason-San Antonio Spurs at Indiana Pacers
2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Draft Strategy Mega Guide
Rotoworld fantasy basketball staffers offer up all the advice you need going into your fantasy drafts on one page.

Round 6
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
F,C
Myles Turner
Milwaukee Bucks
2
G
Ja Morant
Memphis Grizzlies
3
G,F,C
Brandon Ingram
Toronto Raptors
4
F,C
Miles Bridges
Charlotte Hornets
5
F,C
Walker Kessler
Utah Jazz
6
F,C
Nikola Vučević
Chicago Bulls
7
G
Darius Garland
Cleveland Cavaliers
8
F,C
DeMar DeRozan
Sacramento Kings
9
F,C
OG Anunoby
New York Knicks
10
F,C
Lauri Markkanen
Utah Jazz

Round 7
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
F,C
Jalen Duren
Detroit Pistons
2
G,F,C
Cam Thomas
Brooklyn Nets
3
G 
Zach LaVine
Sacramento Kings
4
F,C
Deandre Ayton
Los Angeles Lakers
5
G 
Coby White
Chicago Bulls
6
F,C
Jarrett Allen
Cleveland Cavaliers
7
G 
Immanuel Quickley
Toronto Raptors
8
G 
Tyler Herro
Miami Heat
9
G 
Jordan Poole
New Orleans Pelicans
10
G 
Payton Pritchard
Boston Celtics

Round 8
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
G
Andrew Nembhard
Indiana Pacers
2
F,C
Julius Randle
Minnesota Timberwolves
3
F,C
Isaiah Hartenstein
Oklahoma City Thunder
4
F,C
Rudy Gobert
Minnesota Timberwolves
5
F,C
Jakob Poeltl
Toronto Raptors
6
F,C
Mark Williams
Phoenix Suns
7
F,C
Matas Buzelis
Chicago Bulls
8
G,F,C
Paul George
Philadelphia 76ers
9
G,F,C
Shaedon Sharpe
Portland Trail Blazers
10
F,C
Michael Porter Jr.
Brooklyn Nets

Round 9
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
G,F,C
Bennedict Mathurin
Indiana Pacers
2
F,C
Ausar Thompson
Detroit Pistons
3
F,C
Donovan Clingan
Portland Trail Blazers
4
F,C
Mikal Bridges
New York Knicks
5
G,F,C
Christian Braun
Denver Nuggets
6
G
Jalen Green
Phoenix Suns
7
G,F,C
Norman Powell
Miami Heat
8
G
Anfernee Simons
Boston Celtics
9
G,F,C
Bradley Beal
LA Clippers
10
G,F,C
Devin Vassell
San Antonio Spurs

Round 10
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
F,C
Cameron Johnson
Denver Nuggets
2
F,C
John Collins
LA Clippers
3
F,C
Draymond Green
Golden State Warriors
4
F,C
Alex Sarr
Washington Wizards
5
F,C
Kel’el Ware
Miami Heat 
6
F,C
Dereck Lively II
Dallas Mavericks
7
G
Kevin Porter Jr.
Milwaukee Bucks
8
F,C
Onyeka Okongwu
Atlanta Hawks
9
F,C
RJ Barrett
Toronto Raptors
10
F,C
Naz Reid
Minnesota Timberwolves

Final team:

F,C Victor Wembanyama
F,C Alperen Şengün
G Jalen Brunson
G,F,C Dyson Daniels
F,C Joel Embiid
F,C OG Anunoby
G,F,C Cam Thomas
G,F,C Shaedon Sharpe
F,C Ausar Thompson
F,C RJ Barrett

Drafting a player of Wembanyama's caliber who can offer elite value in all five scoring categories opens things up regarding crafting your High Score team. I leaned toward offense with Şengün and Brunson, but Daniels was a must-have for me in the fourth round. Even with the second pick of the fifth round, I was unwilling to risk losing out on a defender of his caliber, especially after he racked up 229 steals and 55 blocked shots in 2024-25.

The back half of my draft focused primarily on players capable of putting in an explosive offensive performance, especially Thomas and Sharpe. The former is entering a contract year on a rebuilding team, while the latter is under similar pressure in Portland. Thompson hasn't been an explosive offensive option in Detroit, but I believe in what he brings to the table defensively. And with Jaden Ivey out to begin the regular season, there may be more room for Thompson to spread his wings as a slasher within the Pistons' offense.

Posted on

Steph Curry outlines Warriors' ‘mission' before NBA season opener vs. Lakers

Steph Curry outlines Warriors' ‘mission' before NBA season opener vs. Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry and the Warriors have some unfinished business to take care of as their 2025-26 NBA season tips off Tuesday in Los Angeles.

After Golden State’s preseason finale on Friday night at Chase Center, the team’s star point guard outlined how Opening Night against Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers can set the tone as the Warriors seek a return to the NBA playoffs.

“It’s the same mission every year,” Curry told reporters after the Warriors’ 106-103 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. “Last year we accomplished it, and the wheels fell [off] a little bit. But no matter [what], you don’t really want to fast forward too much or panic if it doesn’t go well to begin with, but you want to have intentionality on how you’re trying to start out both ends of the floor, understanding, again, we’re a team that is building on a foundation we had last year, so want to win the first game.”

Curry and Co. will play their first game of the new campaign against a Lakers team without LeBron James, who is out with sciatica to start the season, at Crypto.com Arena. But after Los Angeles added Dončić in February of this year, Curry knows a steep challenge awaits the Warriors as they enter their first full season with their own recent trade-deadline acquisition in Jimmy Butler.

“It’s exciting knowing we’re starting on the road against a team that — wish LeBron was playing — but is lethal with Luka, so a good test to start out, and hopefully we can hit the ground running.”

The Warriors jumped out to a 12-3 record in their first 15 games last season and certainly hope to do so again this year — but instead, keep that momentum going this time as the season progresses. They hit a wall after their hot start in 2024-25, and Butler’s arrival in February rejuvenated the team and helped Golden State reach the postseason before a second-round exit.

Now, Curry, Butler and the rest of the Warriors will look to begin the new season on a high note in just a few days.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Posted on

Nets' Egor Demin impresses in strong preseason debut: 'He’s going to be a problem'

There were some question marks surrounding Egor Demin's shooting ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, and rightfully so.

Demin shot just 27.3 percent from three during his lone season of college basketball at BYU, causing many scouts to be hesitant about how his shot would translate to the NBA. But that didn't scare the Nets away, as they saw the potential star upside in his game and selected him with the No. 8 overall pick in June. 

While it's still very early in his professional career, Demin demonstrated his skill set Friday night in his preseason debut against the Toronto Raptors. The 19-year-old, who missed the team's first three preseason games due to a plantar fascia tear, scored 14 points with five rebounds and an assist in 19 minutes off the bench.

The performance earned him praise from teammates Michael Porter Jr. (34 points) and Cam Thomas (seven points), who believe the 6-foot-9 rookie can make a real impact in the NBA.

"Oh, yeah, he’s solid. He’s going to be really good," Porter Jr. told the New York Post. "Positionally, for his size, if he can translate all those point guard skills over to the pros, he’s going to be a problem. 

"He makes the right reads and the right plays. So I know it may take time to deal with the physicality of the point guard position in the NBA, but once he gets the hang of it, he’s going to be really, really good."

Demin's 14 points came on 3 of 5 shooting, including 2 of 3 from three-point range, and 6 of 7 on free throws. 11 of his 14 points came in the first half, including all of the foul shots. He also recorded a block and committed two turnovers in the 119-114 loss.

"He was great. He was great. Obviously, it’s preseason, but he was good for his first game," Thomas said. "We’ll see what happens in Charlotte, but it was a great start for him, for sure."

While Demin is still working his way back to full strength from the foot injury, as he only started playing five-on-five while the team was in China, head coach Jordi Fernandez was pleased with what he saw from the guard Friday night.

"He was excellent," Fernandez said. "There’s going to be things he’s going to keep working on. We’ve got to keep building him up physically to be able to sustain more minutes. … But I’m very happy with his presence, how composed he was, how he talked to his teammates, all those things. And made it look easy. 

"He shot the ball every time he was open or halfway open, got to the free-throw line and rebounded. He got five rebounds, made nice plays at the rim. It was good."

Demin added that his first bit of NBA action was a great learning experience, and he'll take those lessons with him into the regular season.

"Yeah, 100 percent. I’ve been told a lot about the Raptors as one of the most physical and longest teams from the standpoint of pressure almost the whole game, and how pesky they are," Demin said. "I don’t want to say I was scared, but I was super aware of what to expect. But I also couldn’t understand what to expect in my first game … so I’m just happy we went through this and had this experience. It’s a huge lesson for all of us, and I can’t wait for the start of the season."

Posted on

Trae Young, Hawks reportedly do not reach contract extension, that's not a surprise

This news is not a surprise. In fact, Trae Young was resigned to this outcome months ago.

Young and the Atlanta Hawks will not reach terms on a contract extension before the start of the season, something confirmed by Joe Varden and Fred Katz at The Athletic. Young will make $46 million this season and has a player option for $48.9 million next season — he could, in theory, leave the team for nothing as a free agent next summer.

Young's extension can be agreed to and signed at any point during this season, and Young has hinted on social media that he wants to sign one. However, Hawks management has built the best team around Young he has ever had, and new GM Onsi Saleh wants to see how all of this looks before extending anyone. On paper, the Hawks appear to be a top-four team in the East, with the potential to be a playoff threat to the Cavaliers and Knicks at the top of the conference. But what will they look like on the court?

Atlanta was aggressive in building out this roster. The Hawks traded for Kristaps Porzingis, who brings much-needed shot blocking on defense as well as a pick-and-pop partner for Young. Atlanta sign-and-traded for Nickeil Alexander-Walker to add shooting and defense on the wing. Speaking of shooting, the Hawks went out and got Luke Kennard.

Then there are the players in house expected to take a step forward. Jalen Johnson is healthy again after what looked to be a breakout season a year ago. Zaccharie Risacher seems poised to make a leap in his second season. Dyson Daniels was the league's Most Improved Player a season ago, while this is a big year for big man Onyeka Okongwu.

That's a lot of talent, but it puts pressure on Young to show he can be the leader of this team, not just a scorer or offensive force but a floor general when the team needs it. If Young can put all the puzzle pieces together, he will get his extension (his max would be four years, $229 million, but the number likely comes in a little below that).

It's just not happening before the season.

Posted on

Domantas Sabonis to miss Kings' season opener with Grade 1 hamstring injury

Domantas Sabonis to miss Kings' season opener with Grade 1 hamstring injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings will begin the 2025-26 NBA season without their star center.

Domantas Sabonis suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain and will miss at least the first two games of the season. The Kings say he will be re-evaluated in one week.

Sabonis exited Wednesday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers and later was ruled out with the hamstring issue. An MRI confirmed a Grade 1 strain.

Sacramento now will be without two starters to begin the new season, as forward Keegan Murray had surgery to repair a UCL tear in his left thumb and will be out for at least three to six weeks.

Sabonis has been instrumental to the Kings over the past couple of seasons, with their offense running through the 6-foot-10 big man.

In Friday’s preseason finale against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Kings started newly acquired Drew Eubanks with Sabonis out. Isaac Jones, Dario Saric, Dylan Cardwell and Maxime Raynaud are options, too.

Through 246 games in just over three seasons with Sacramento, Sabonis has averaged 19.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 34.9 minutes.

Download and follow The Deuce & Mo Podcast

Posted on

Warriors waive Seth Curry, expected to re-sign him later in 2025-26 season

Warriors waive Seth Curry, expected to re-sign him later in 2025-26 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors, as expected, waived guard Seth Curry on Saturday.

Seth Curry, the younger brother of franchise superstar Steph Curry, was in Warriors camp on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract.

Golden State intends to bring him back around mid-November, as the team is hard-capped at the second tax apron and currently not in a position to carry a 15th player.

ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported the Warriors could opt to wait longer than mid-November to give themselves more flexibility for the rest of the season.

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy addressed Seth’s complex contract situation speaking to the media on Oct. 1.

“As far as the season goes, yeah, he’s on a one-year deal, and we’ll figure it out as we go,” Dunleavy said. “There’s some cap and apron stuff that we’ve got to deal with, but that’s something for our strategy team to figure out.”

Golden State also waived guard LJ Cryer.

The Warriors now have 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Posted on

Sloppy Warriors vow to make fixes before 2025-26 NBA season opener vs. Lakers

Sloppy Warriors vow to make fixes before 2025-26 NBA season opener vs. Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Stephen Curry concluded his 2025 NBA preseason Friday night as the best player on the floor, while the rest of the Warriors too often looked like the squad that fumbled and bumbled its way through the heart of last season.

You may recall the days and nights of “mid,” before Jimmy Butler III arrived to fill the role of stabilizing sidekick, helping Curry lift the team to heights it never would have achieved.

After the Warriors’ performance in the preseason, they might welcome back Butler with a kiss.

Their most significant minutes in a 106-103 loss to the diminished Los Angeles Clippers were a festival of turnovers and errant shooting. In what often is considered a dress rehearsal for the regular season, there was more disorder than order.

The first quarter was an utter disaster for the Warriors, with 11 turnovers turning into 16 of LA’s 31 points. Golden State committed 23 turnovers in all, gifting the Clippers 29 points.

“Nine [turnovers] in the first six minutes,” coach Steve Kerr said. “That bothers me.”

Brandin Podziemski committed three giveaways in the first quarter and finished with six. Draymond Green committed two in his first seven minutes and finished with five.

“A lot of turnovers, a lot of careless turnovers,” said Al Horford, who committed one turnover in 20 minutes. “I started with one, I’m going to the post and threw it out of bounds. And I feel like after that, we just kind of snowballed.”

Some chaos is natural, as injuries to Moses Moody and Butler – starters late last season – have Kerr shuffling through a variety of lineups, some of which might never again be seen.

Curry, who committed one turnover in 30 minutes, made no excuses for those who were on the court, no matter the lineups.

“I would say it was more sloppy play in general,” Curry said.

“But preseason is interesting because you’re trying stuff out, but there’s not as much game-plan preparation in the sense of, ‘What do the Clippers do?’ We have a mentality to that kind of approach, and you save a lot of that for the regular season.”

In short, the Warriors were keeping their regular-season plans under wraps. Didn’t matter that the Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Brook Lopez and Chris Paul.

Golden State’s biggest concealment, though, was the absence of Butler. He is among the best in the game at assessing disarray and restoring order. On a night when the Warriors sorely needed that skill, he was missing his third consecutive game after tweaking his left ankle last weekend. He appeared in only two of the five preseason games.

He is, for this roster, a key ballhandler and, also, the cleanup man.

“Some of it [was odd rotations], but some of it is just careless play and lack of fundamentals,” Kerr said. “One-hand passes off the dribble when two hands are available. And if you have two hands on the ball, and the guy cuts as you’re passing, you can pull it back. But one hand, you throw it out of balance. And we had several of those. So, the fundamental stuff has to improve.

“But, you know, I think Jimmy solves a lot of that.”

Said Horford: “I do think that once Jimmy gets back out there and all our guys, I feel like there will be more of an awareness, an urgency and understanding that we have to take care of the ball.”

The Warriors committed 110 turnovers in their five preseason games, averaging 22 per game. That’s about six or seven more than Kerr’s comfort zone.

“We definitely had a turnover problem throughout the preseason,” Kerr said. “But I’m confident that when the lights go on Tuesday, our guys will be locked in.

“We had a lot of mix-and-match lineups, but that’s not an excuse for the careless ones. So, we’ve got to improve. We need a couple of good days of practice before we head out to LA but I’m confident we can. We should be fine.”

Taking care of the ball has been an issue with the Warriors for 11 seasons. It remains one of the points of emphasis for every game. Butler is the antidote. At least they hope he is.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Posted on

Luka Doncic sharp again, but Kings rally to beat Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic, right, is greeted by Lebron James during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, is greeted by LeBron James during a timeout in the second half of the game against the Kings. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

After slow-playing stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, rotating different lineups to accommodate an unreasonably busy six-game preseason schedule and giving their two-way players extended run, the Lakers buttoned up the rotation for a final preseason game Friday that coach JJ Redick called a “dress rehearsal.”

With the curtain finally lifting on Tuesday, the Lakers are not quite ready for showtime.

Doncic dazzled with 31 points, nine assists and five rebounds to lead five double-digit Lakers scorers, but the Kings came back for a 117-116 win at Crypto.com Arena. Despite playing without Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan or Malik Monk, the Kings still shot 54.7% from the field, led by 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting from former Laker Dennis Schroder. Redick lauded the Lakers' 28 assists to 10 turnovers, but lamented that they should have had 35 assists had some lob plays not gone awry. 

The result won’t count, but the energy from the sideline in the final seconds still indicated the tight game mattered to those on the court. When Lakers guard Dalton Knecht hit a game-tying three-pointer with 9.4 seconds remaining, the entire Lakers bench, full of the starters and rotation players who had earned a rest to finish the preseason, jumped in the air to celebrate. 

But Kings forward Isaac Jones made a winning free throw with 0.8 seconds left after he was fouled by Nick Smith Jr. Doncic’s initial thought when asked what the team could take from its final preseason game was that it didn’t win. 

“We have two more practices,” Doncic said, “so we need to clean up some things.”

Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, drives against Kings guard Devin Carter during the first half.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic, driving against Kings guard Devin Carter, finished with 31 points, nine assists and five rebounds on Friday night. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

While Doncic and Austin Reaves (eight points, four rebounds and eight assists) played together in a preseason game for the first time, the Lakers were still without superstar LeBron James, who remains sidelined because of a sciatica issue in his right side. His absence, which is expected to last at least until November, forced the Lakes to re-evaluate their starting lineup.

Redick unveiled his first choice to fill the role, adding guard Gabe Vincent into the starting lineup along with Reaves, Doncic, forward Rui Hachimura and center Deandre Ayton. Vincent, who averaged 17 points in his first three preseason games while shooting 50% from three-point range, continued his incredible preseason with 14 points on five-of-six shooting with four made threes.

The 29-year-old who has struggled with injuries the last two seasons played the majority of the preseason without Doncic or Reaves, but fit into the starting lineup seamlessly Friday as a potential solution to James’ absence.

“His ability to shoot the ball in such tight windows; he takes shots that I would never even think about taking in situations,” Reaves said before the game Friday. “... And it can't happen to a better guy. He's one of our leaders of this team. Lead-by-example kind of guy. Shows up at work every single day, smile on his face.”

Marcus Smart, whose preseason got off to a slow start because of Achilles tendinopathy, came off the bench for 14 points with three rebounds.

It was a classic “Marcus Smart game,” Redick said proudly. The former NBA defensive player of the year dove on the floor for balls. He knocked down shots after a slow first half to score 11 points in the second half and attacked aggressively off the dribble.   

“This is probably the best I felt tonight since I got here,” said Smart, who has played in just 54 regular-season games over the last two seasons because of injuries. “As I continue to get better and get to 100%, you’ll see more nights like tonight where I’m more aggressive and I’m moving really well and just energy on both ends of the floor.” 

Smart was seen as a potential starting option after he signed with the Lakers. The team was desperate for his defense, leadership and toughness, and needs it even more with James sidelined. The team’s initial timeline that he would be re-evaluated in three to four weeks covers the first nine regular-season games. It will be the first time in James’ 23-season NBA career that he misses the season opener.

The 40-year-old superstar sat at the end of the bench Friday on an elevated seat cushion.

The Lakers were also without Bronny James (ankle) and rookie Adou Thiero (knee). Center Jaxson Hayes, who slammed three monstrous dunks in the first half, didn’t play the second half because of a right wrist contusion sustained on a lob dunk. Redick said X-rays were negative. 

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Posted on

Knicks to waive guard Garrison Mathews

The Knicks will waive guard Garrison Mathews ahead of Saturday’s 5 p.m. deadline, league sources told SNY’s NBA Insider Ian Begley.

New York has been impressed by Mathews’ play during the preseason and training camp, but with the club financially restricted by the second apron, there was no space for the 29-year-old veteran.

Mathews, off that strong preseason, is expected to draw interest from teams around the league looking to add shooting ahead of the regular season.

Entering the preseason, the Knicks had veterans Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon battling with Matthews for the final available roster spot. With Brogdon announcing his retirement earlier this week and Matthews' release, the final spot will go to Shamet.

Shamet joined the Knicks last year, appearing in 50 games off the bench, averaging 5.7 points on 46.1 percent shooting (39.7 percent from three) in 15.2 minutes.

Mathews did not play in New York's preseason finale on Friday. Shamet logged 20 minutes off the bench, scoring 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting (all from three) and was a plus-3 in the 113-108 win over Charlotte.

Mathews, undrafted out of Lipscomb in 2019, broke into the league with Washington, where he spent two years before bouncing to Houston for parts of two seasons and spending the last two years in Atlanta. In 314 career games (64 starts), the six-foot-six guard has averaged 6.5 points on 40 percent shooting (38.2 percent from three) in 17.5 minutes.