Four-star shooting guard Devin Cleveland has narrowed his list of schools under consideration to three, a source told Rivals.

Moving forward, the 6-foot-3 rising senior out of La Lumiere School (IN) will consider Michigan, Missouri, and TCU. Cleveland will announce his college commitment on Friday, Oct. 16, and has visited each of his three finalists.

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Cleveland, a Chicago native, is ranked as the No. 32 overall recruit in the 2027 class and the No. 5 ranked shooting guard, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings, an average of all three major recruiting media companies (Rivals, ESPN, 247Sports).

In late July, Cleveland announced a top seven that also included Alabama, Arkansas, Marquette, and Syracuse.

More on Devin Cleveland

Playing on the EYBL Circuit this summer, Cleveland averaged 16.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game for Brad Beal Elite.

“I feel like I’m a winner,” Cleveland previously told Rivals in an interview. “That’s what I’ve been trying to prove this EYBL season. You know, the past couple of years, I haven’t really had much success in winning games, so just coming over here with Bradley Beal, their identity is to win. So, I’m just trying to be a leader. I can score the basketball, and I’m a willing passer. I try to get my teammates involved every game.

“I watch a lot of Devin Booker, Jeremiah Fears, my brother Fred Cleveland, who is a pro overseason. Watching how they score the ball, create contact on the offensive end so I can draw fouls and little things like that.”

Cleveland also discussed what he’s looking for in a program.

“I’m going to be looking a lot at the fit. I want to play for a coach who believes in me and believes in my game, and that it will fit in with their system. Really, I just want to win. That’s all I want to do at the end of the day.”

WASHINGTON — Kyshawn George added eight pounds on lean muscle this offseason to become a more versatile defender.

What he didn’t expect was how much it would help his offensive game as well. Namely, bodying his way into the paint for easy layups or kick-outs to open teammates.

The 22-year-old wing tallied used that muscle to tally 21 points and four assists in the Wizards’ 131-122 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. It’s a sign of things to come for George, who’s entering a possible breakout campaign in Year 3.

“Just more durability, being more confident in my body, what I could do out there,” George said of his added muscle. “I think I always had the skill set, just having the strength and the athleticism to just put it on display on an hourly basis. So having that work being done over the offseason gave me more confidence to go do it in the game.”

George opened the game with a patient step-through move into a mid-range jumper and later skied in for a put-back layup. Isolated on the wing, George drove left and used his added strength to fend off Michael Porter Jr. with his off-arm before drawing contact and making the ensuing free throws.

That ability to muscle inside and draw contact is one of the many perks of added weight, especially against NBA competition.

“My first intention was to be able to add on weight to guard multiple positions, keep that same ability, but guard you know bigger players. And offensively, it’s the same thing,” George said. “I’d be able to get in the paint, draw contact, and then find the open man.”

Then came George’s playmaking — an area the Wizards want him to expand this season. The 6-foot-9 wing received a pass from Alex Sarr before throwing a transition lob to AJ Dybantsa that ignited Capital One Arena.

“I think it’s just getting comfortable [playing point guard],” George said. “I’ve been the point guard for most of my life. It’s just being able to do at this level, and we got a whole ton of support outside of this. So I’m gonna just go out and do it. “

George finished his impressive opening quarter with a 3-point barrage. The Miami product ran the baseline and found space on the wing before drilling his first triple. He followed with another three on the ensuing possession to give him 12 first-quarter points on 4-for-5 shooting.

Throughout his eight-year NBA career, Matisse Thybulle has been tasked with guarding all sorts of stars and offensive archetypes. His foremost traits defensively are his anticipation, timing and ability to cause havoc, which helped him earn consecutive All-Defensive Second Team accolades in 2020-21 and 2021-22 as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

For his career, he’s averaged a staggering 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks per 36 minutes, underscoring his knack for disrupting opposing offenses. Since signing with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, Thybulle has seemingly been imparting whatever wisdom he can upon second-year wing Adou Thiero, whose tremendous athletic gifts suggest significant defensive upside.

“We [were] talking about defense,” Thiero told reporters following an Oct. 6 loss to the Golden State Warriors. “That’s what he’s been helping me with the whole time. Just letting me know to pick my spots when I want to be aggressive, when not to, ways to keep the ball in front and just telling me different things defensively.”

In 55 minutes this preseason, Thiero has collected four steals and two blocks, four of which (two steals, two blocks) came Thursday against the Sacramento Kings. During that game, he authored a handful of eye-popping plays defensively, including a rotation to deflect and steal a Maxime Raynaud short-roll pass, fighting around a screen to stay attached to Darius Acuff Jr. and get a hand on his jumper, and containing a Precious Achiuwa drive before blocking his shot.

Here’s the block on Acuff:

After the Lakers’ preseason opener against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 5, when they forced Sacramento into 27 turnovers, head coach JJ Redick said “clearly, that disruption we talked about carried over.” Across the two ensuing games, the Lakers have forced 51 more turnovers.

The generally sloppy, experimental and shake-off-the-rust nature of preseason presumably inflates turnover numbers across the league. But the Lakers, with plenty of full-court pressure, are clearly trying to be a disruptive group defensively. Thiero’s size and athleticism can help amplify this identity, and it appears the veteran Thybulle is offering his own insights to accelerate the young forward’s development on that end.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.

The Dallas Mavericks are working their way through their preseason schedule in anticipation of the 2026-2027 season tipping off later this month. Fresh off a two-game set in Macau, China, where they split wins and losses with the Houston Rockets, Kyrie Irving was asked about rising star Cooper Flagg. This led Irving to show respect to two former teammates, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, while drawing parallels to Flagg.

“I think Coop falls in line in terms of having that competitive nature at a very young age”

Irving’s choice of comps is well thought out. He has played with Durant, James and now Flagg throughout his career, affording him unique insight beyond what a more casual observer could glean. Also, all three of those players are versatile two-way types and all three were drafted into the NBA at the age of 18. Flagg, of course, is at the beginning of his NBA career, while Durant and James are nearer to the end of theirs, but to be grouped with such company is high praise indeed. If Flagg can grow into that caliber of player, it would make him a sure-fire Hall of Famer and NBA Champion, so let’s hope Irving is correct in what he is seeing.

Already we have seen Flagg develop at a rapid rate across his Rookie of the Year campaign last season, and despite some struggles from the floor in the second game in Macau, Flagg nonetheless showcased the hard work he put in this offseason. Irving echoes this notion when discussing Flagg’s development going into his second year in the league.

“I love that he’s a two-way player… I love that he cares about using his voice as he’s grown into year two”

As viewers, a player growing into a vocal leader can be a bit more difficult to pick up on, but that seems to be part of Flagg’s evolution according to Irving. Flagg certainly led the way with his play last season, especially in the second half, so this next logical step in becoming a leader is a great sign. Joining a team with established veterans means there is a more clearly defined pecking order. Flagg wasn’t necessarily a leader until he earned it with his play, then witnessed a roster overhaul that put him firmly in the spotlight. Now in year two, he is set to be a vocal leader as well. That’s not easy for any player, especially one that is 19 years old, but accordingly to Irving, that time has arrived.

“My first few years in the league were pretty tough on me… I struggled in certain areas, I needed veteran leadership… so now that I’m in this seat…”

While Flagg develops into the player and leader he will one day become, Irving has his back. Encapsulated in Irving’s comments are why it is important to not abandon all veteran presence for the sake of a youth movement. Some are proponents of jettisoning Irving while others want to see him retire a Maverick. The stance of the latter is supported by Irving’s comments simply because you can’t replace experience the likes of which he has. A fellow Duke alum, Irving was also Rookie of the Year and has been through some ups and downs on his road to winning a championship and beyond. Both on the court and off, Irving appears more and more like an ideal running mate and veteran mentor for Flagg.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

The Knicks won the championship and then seemingly forgot how to play basketball.

Only, you know, it’s the preseason, so they might as well go 0-5 for all I care.

Here’s the latest from the first half of a back-to-back series of games ending north of the border later today.

Mike Brown

On the competition for the Knicks’ third-string center position:

“They should all be on a roster this year. There’s no experiments, in my opinion. These guys are all legitimate NBA players. They’re all great guys and in some way, shape or form, I can see each of them contributing this way or that way and it’s not gonna be an easy decision.”

On the quality of the Knicks’ centers in training camp:

“I’ve been in a lot of training camps and collectively, this is probably — now when I say the best, I’m not saying the most talented — this is the best group of centers I’ve been around. All of them bring something different to the table.”

On potentially playing Karl-Anthony Towns more minutes at power forward:

“I’m not sure yet. There’s a chance he may play a little bit more at the four, but what does that equate to? Again, I’m not sure. He has a better feel, and I have a better feel of how to use him when he’s there because we have to make some adjustments to what we do. But I couldn’t give you an exact number.”

On the mentality and energy required from the Knicks’ still-unknown, third-string center:

“You hope that there’s a passion, an energy and a focus coming from that spot because, at times, a person can start; at times they can be the No. 2; and at times, they’ll be the No. 3, and with the minutes fluctuating, you’re gonna have to generate some internal energy at times to go play in a low-minute game, to sit there and maybe not play one or two games in a row, maybe three games in a row. So you look for that and then you just look for somebody that’s gonna play hard at the end of the day, try to do the things that you ask on both sides of the floor and can bring something a little different than the two guys in front of you bring.”

On Andre Drummond’s defensive communication against Minnesota:

“The blocks are great, but I’m not a huge shot-blocking guy. His communication right now is unbelievable. Usually your big is the one that sees everything out in front and so he’s usually your quarterback of your defense. A lot of bigs aren’t great talkers though. Like Draymond [Green] is one of the best in the league… and I thought Andre’s communication tonight – and it’s been good [so far] – but tonight it was off the charts.”

On Drummond’s defensive performance against the Wolves and why it excites him:

“The blocks are good, him defending the pick-and-roll the right way, being big, there are a lot of good things that he did, but just watching him, and more importantly listening to him, man that got me really excited.”

On the development of Pacome Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara:

“I thought [Dadiet] had a pretty good game. I thought he had a pretty good game the game before. … Both [Dadiet and Diawara] are long, they’re obviously young and they’re talented and I’m gonna keep coaching them and they’re gonna keep getting better.”

On intentionally keeping the Knicks’ preseason offense simple to test their execution:

“The truth of the matter is I’m kind of hamstringing our guys offensively. Real generic with what we’re running offensively because I want to see if they can execute when a team gets rhythm and they start denying or putting pressure on us because they know what’s coming. Can we execute our counters? Can we still get to our spots offensively and execute our actions? Can we play fast doing it? Those are little things I’m looking at offensively.”

On prioritizing the process over results in the preseason:

“For me, it’s more about the process, not necessarily the end result. Defensively, are we making sure we’re playing with next-play speed? And, for the most part, I thought we did. We had some breakdowns execution-wise in terms of what our assignments were, but those things can be cleaned up in time. We’ll keep watching film and keep drilling it and all that other stuff.”

On his expectations for when things turn ugly in the regular season:

“I want to see how we react when we lose 3 in a row or 4 in a row and you guys are on us and the fans are on us. Let’s see if we can keep trying to [have an upward trajectory] in tough times.”

Jalen Brunson

On Mike Brown’s personality and authenticity:

“I feel like he’s always genuinely himself. He doesn’t really care what people say or think about him.”

On his first meeting with Mike Brown and how the coach established a relationship with him:

“Honestly, Day 1, he kind of set the tone. I remember, I said this like last year: He came down to Jersey in the summer, and [we] sat, had dinner, talked for two, two and a half, three hours, whatever, and just did not talk about basketball or what we were gonna do.”

Josh Hart

On Mike Brown’s personality:

“He’s super chill. He’s more of a ‘Who Let the Dogs Out’ kind of guy.”

Andre Drummond

On changing his free-throw approach after years of struggling at the line:

“I feel like a lot of people have opinions about what a good free throw looks like, right? So over my career I’ve had different coaches and teams I played for that tried to help me adjust and make it easier for me. Obviously, the stuff they said in practice would work, but when I got in the game, I’d overthink it. So I just simplified it, did a routine I’ve done since a child, and shoot the same shot.”

On simplifying his shooting routine and avoiding overthinking:

“I simplified it and stopped listening to a bunch of people. Just shooting the same shot over and over again and not worrying about the results. Sometimes, in the past, I would get frustrated if I miss, and I would try to overcorrect. Then, it’s a domino effect and more and more misses, and then I’m frustrated and I’m out of whack.”

On why free throws became a struggle throughout his life:

“It’s not something I struggled with growing up. It was more so just having a bunch of people in my ear and not being able to focus on one thing.”

Carmelo Anthony

On the Knicks’ upcoming championship banner ceremony and what it means to him:

“It’s hard to put it into words, especially for me as somebody who’s been a part of that organization. I understand what it was like to have to build something over there, and for them to finally do that, it just makes that journey and those years finally mean something.

“We didn’t win it, but now [Jalen Brunson] and them can kind of take that and elongate that and celebrate just the history of what everybody put in.”

On the significance of raising the Knicks’ championship banner:

“It’s validation and completion. Once we raise that up, we got it forever.”

Reggie Miller

On the Knicks postponing contract negotiations with Karl-Anthony Towns:

“You hope behind closed doors the contract stuff doesn’t become an issue. I like the Knicks coming out publicly and saying we’re going to table discussions until a later date. That doesn’t mean they’re not going to negotiate. It basically means you guys [media] can’t ask the players about their contract situation.”

On Towns’ contract situation potentially affecting the Knicks’ chances of repeating:

“If they want to be successful and they want to have a chance to repeat, you’re going to need a healthy KAT, mentally. You don’t want him being a malcontent, worrying about his contract behind closed doors. Because when KAT is at his best and on board, they’re hard to beat. But if he’s worried about his contract situation . . . I think a deal will get done. It’s going to be between the 200 and the 277. So meet in the middle, sign it, and let’s move on.”

On the Knicks’ championship chances and the improved Eastern Conference:

“They have a great chance of repeating. The problem is the East has gotten so much better and now the Knicks will have a bullseye on their back every single game because they’re the champs. Every night they take the floor, they’ve got to play their best. That wasn’t the case the last few years.”

Chris Finch

On LaMelo Ball’s shot selection after acquiring him from Charlotte:

“It’s something we talked about coming in. He’s been pretty good, and then when you watch it every day, you see — OK, the one-legged thing, he kind of shoots it like that every time, really. Some are a little more exaggerated than others, so it’s not too unusual when you see it every day.”

On Ball becoming more focused on playmaking with Minnesota:

“He’s been deferential here. He’s not looking just to kind of shoot, shoot, shoot. Sometimes, we [the Wolves] forget how good of a scorer he can actually be. We’ve been asking him to be way more into play-making for us, and then the out-of-context shots, he hasn’t had many of those.

“And the deep 3s, he makes them. No one complains about Steph [Curry’s] deep threes, [so we won’t complain about LaMelo’s]. And then he gives us a guy we can close the game with. You can put the ball in his hands, and he can make shots from different spots on then floor.”

On the Timberwolves’ pursuit and acquisition of LaMelo Ball:

“Of course a talent like that doesn’t often come available especially after the year [the Hornets] had. So when it picked up speed it was real exciting to think about, and it’s been pretty exciting to watch it play out in front of us.”

On Ball’s personality and his chemistry with Anthony Edwards:

“[LaMelo] is always in a great mood, always comes in smiling. He and Anthony have this shared quality that they’re really hard to stay mad at, and they do some things that you want to get mad at, but they have a reflective joy and I think that’s important. They tease the joy out of each other as practice goes along, so that kind of adds to the overall spirit of the group which we really needed.

“We’ve referred to ourselves as a moody team at times. We’ve traded moodiness for giddiness, so we’re happy to get back to some sort of equilibrium.”

Kyle Anderson doesn’t want to ruffle any feathers.

At least, that’s what Slo Mo, the 13 year NBA veteran, said during last Wednesday’s practice.

“I don’t want to be like, ‘oh, I’m the old head. 
You gotta do it my way,’” said Anderson. The former Timberwolf understands that he’s from a different era of NBA players. “There’s a whole generation after me that came in,” said Anderson. “These guys are 22 years old. That’s crazy to me.”

33 year old Anderson is one of the Raptors’ latest additions to the roster, making his way from Minnesota to Ontario, and the forward seems to be embracing a mentor role on his new team, while not trying to make everyone see his way.

“I don’t like to impose myself like that,” he said, speaking about the young players on the Raptors.
“They want to come into my world, then yeah, you know, I’ll show you what I’m listening to,” Anderson explained, drawing the line at telling his teammates to “listen to this Jay-Z or [that they] gotta listen to this Lil Wayne. They gonna be looking at me like I’m crazy.”

Asked about how he gelled with his younger peers on the Raptors, Anderson explained that “we spent, you know, more time, more time than NBA teams, usually… uh, spend together in the summer.” Even beforehand, the forward had kept his eyes on some of Toronto’s guards. “I always got like a group of young guys that I enjoy watching in the league,” he noted, “and Jamal, every time I would watch him, he was able to affect the game without scoring… I just enjoyed watching him, like how they played hard, played together, um, always like in the gaps in the passing lanes.”

When asked about the type of role he might take on the Raptors, the veteran described a conversation with coach Darko Rajaković, where the coach described that Anderson “need[s] to be ready to play the 5… maybe handle the ball, you know, things like that… I’m comfortable there and I think the game is shifted to kind of a small ball 5 at times,” the player said.

The Raptors have struggled publicly with depth at the centre position, and ESPN’s depth chart notes that behind Jakob Poeltl and Collin Murray-Boyles lies Trayce Jackson-Davis followed by Jamison Battle, with Kyle Anderson listed as a third string power forward. It seems that there may be situations in which Anderson is lining up at the pivot instead, however, with Rajaković potentially betting on Anderson’s combination of defensive prowess and experience.

“I think he wants me to come in here and use my veteran experience, you know, help out,” said Anderson. “We have a young team, so help out the young guys. Just be there for them. 
It’s a long season.” Indeed. The 82 game stretch is a false finish line, with the Raptors likely to make the playoffs this season. Toronto will use Anderson’s depth and veteran presence to take its young core far, and Slo Mo seems happy to be along for the ride.

The ramp-up to the regular season continues tonight when the World Champion Knicks travel to Scotiabank Arena to face the Raptors. Toronto has split its first two scrimmages, beating the Clippers and falling to Miami, while New York has dropped three straight.

Tonight’s tilt will be a showcase for the reserves, as coach Mike Brown intends to sit his starters. It’s the second night of a back-to-back. How will their bench hold up while, we’re told, Toronto will get its first play from Kawhi Leonard? Methinks trouble be in the cards, prognostication fans.

The two teams last met on April 10 at MSG. The good guys won 112-95. Captain Jalen Brunson dropped 29, Karl-Anthony Towns added 22 and 10. Scottie Barnes and Brandon (no longer with the team) Ingram each posted 15 for Toronto. New York has beaten the Raptors 13 straight times in the regular season! (Probably a good thing that tonight won’t count.)

Last season was a positive step forward for the Toronto. Despite some poorly timed injuries, Darko Rajakovic’s club secured the fifth seed, finished 46-36, and were a top-five defense. Their offense was middle of the pack, a problem addressed with the offseason acquisition of Kawhi (celebrated pitchman) Leonard.

Kawhi was their big move this summer. The blockbuster return of Kawhi Leonard (finalized in mid-September after an NBA investigation delayed a deal originally made inn June) sent Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, second-rounders in 2030 and 2033, and a 2027 first-round swap to the Clippers. He then signed a two-year, $115 million extension. Beyond that, Toronto drafted forward Allen Graves 19th overall and guard Jaden Bradley 50th, added veteran forward Kyle Anderson on a one-year minimum, re-signed Alijah Martin, and extended guard Jamal Shead to a three-year, $24 million deal. They lost Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jonathan Mogbo in free agency.

OAKAAKUYOAKs RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley remain key players in their program, as does Scottie Barnes. A serviceable, but aging, Jakob Poeltl anchors the paint with solid rebounding and rim protection. Leonard, making his preseason debut, will be an upgrade from Ingram, provided he stays healthy.

We’re just as curious as you to see tonight’s starting lineup for New York. Last night, the club fell 122-104 to a Timberwolves team that was determined to pull on Superman’s cape under the bright lights of Broadway. Against the Raps, we should see extended time for Deuce McBride, Tyler Kolek, and Landry Shamet, and hopefully better play from Mohamed Diawara. As for the center battle, James Wiseman, Drew Eubanks, and Tony Bradley will have yet another opportunity to win over coach Brown.

Prediction? Probably a loss, hoss. Enjoy the bonus basketball.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (0-3) at Toronto Raptors (1-1)
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Place: Scotiabank  Arena, Toronto, ON
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky