Latest in Lakers legal saga: Jeanie Buss' siblings file opposition
The five siblings of longtime Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss filed an opposition Wednesday, Oct. 7 to her attempt to block selling their shares of the team, according to ESPN.
The opposition was filed on behalf of the siblings seeking to sell their shares of the team to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, who agreed to buy the team from Mark Walter for $12.5 billion.
ESPN's Shams Charania published a statement on X from the siblings, which read, “Jimmy, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss, the five of six siblings who voted to sell the Trust’s shares in the Lakers, today filed their formal opposition, demonstrating that Jeanie Buss’s petition is legally and factually baseless.
"While discussions among the siblings continue, their focus remains on facilitating the proposed transaction and the Trust’s participation in it, while ensuring that all beneficiaries, including Jeanie, are treated equally. Today’s filing is a necessary step to protect those interests and ensure the transaction proceeds on schedule."
Jeanie Buss needs her siblings to retain at least 15% of the team for her to continue to serve as governor and controlling owner.
Kushner and Iger agreed to the purchase in mid-August.
USA TODAY Sports could not immediately obtain the court filing.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Latest in Lakers legal saga: Jeanie Buss' siblings file opposition
Jazz Notes from Utah’s double-date with Denver
Granny always cautioned me: if you go on enough rides with the devil, eventually he’s going to drive. That’s what happened the second time Denver took Utah’s hand and led her to the dance floor.
The final leg of Utah’s double-date with the Denver Nuggets was much less friendly as the Western Conference contenders wrestled away the series lead in the Delta Center from the rising Jazz. Yes, Utah’s starters took an early lead once again in the rematch — even without the services of Lauri Markkanen or Jusuf Nurkic — but a dominant second quarter gave way to a double-digit lead Denver maintained through each layer of the depth chart.
But this is still the preseason. Win or lose, we really shouldn’t take too much stock of what we see on the court before the results matter.
Unless, of course, what we see on the court makes us clasp our hands together and shout: “Let ‘em know, DP!” without a living soul in earshot. In that case, shout your observations from the rooftops.
Here I sit upon my digital shingles. Notebook in hand, illegible scribbles lining the pages, I’ve got some takeaways from Utah’s first two preseason appearances. For once and only once, I’m sharing a private diary entry for anyone with internet access to read.
This had better not come back to haunt me.
4 notes from the Utah Jazz’s first 2 preseason games
Peterson is assembling the shelf
We’ve all been there. Handiwork to complete, grown adult human in the home, just finished googling the difference between a socket and an Allen wrench. Before you sits the box of disassembled parts that Ikea sold to you at a premium. Free labor; free money. Now the onus is on you; you possess the wherewithal to construct your home’s furniture. You, the competent human person who can read and understand an instruction manual and does not need to pester the YouTube search bar to complete this elementary task.
Before assembling an Ikea shelf, you’ve got to take a second to assess the situation — take a quick scan, gather your temporary tools, and focus on getting the simple steps completed first. Just like when you built the 9,000-piece LEGO Death Star, you’ve got to start brick by brick.
Darryn Peterson spent his first preseason game reading the room. Scanning, deliberating, he wasn’t especially aggressive in his first 19 minutes, scoring 3 points on 5 shots, but that was the recon mission — game 2 was the real deal. For Peterson, assembling the shelf begins via searching for rhythm in the midrange first, and letting the ink bleed into the corners of his stat sheet.
And there ain’t nothing broken about his midrange jumper, that’s for certain. The midrange is making a comeback despite the 3-point revolution’s bloodlust to demolish an institution in the game of basketball. Though these player comparisons are still very premature, Peterson hunts midrange jumpers much like the great shooting guards of old (MJ, Kobe, etc.), and he had his way with the Denver defense there.
He still needs to see more three-pointers fall through the cylinder (he’s 1-8 from 3 through two preseason games), but Darryn Peterson is already acclimating to the cadence of the NBA game. And while his rim pressure leaves some room for improvement, Peterson’s shot-making gift is translating gloriously to the Utah Jazz. He finds and reaches his spots with ease, gingerly flicking his wrist and floating the ball through the nylon irrespective of any contesting hands in the vicinity.
23 points on 10-for-18 shooting is stunning for a player with Peterson’s shot diet, and even more so when considering he was just 1-for-6 from distance. His three-point shooting will recover — most misses seem to be more of a mental block, as he’s still visibly thinking about each attempt as he loads up — I’m confident he’ll recapture his mojo from beyond the arc. He appeared very comfortable knocking through his first successful attempt behind the arc after opening the game 0-5 from distance.
Keep it clean, Key
Keyonte George has gotten even better over the offseason, which is a massive development for those keeping stock in his All-Star candidacy. Confident, steady, mature, Keyonte didn’t force the issue in either of his first two games against Denver and shot the ball with trademark confidence, hitting 3 of his 5 looks from beyond the arc.
Keyonte’s extension was a sign of confidence that the Jazz believed their young point guard would be a foundational piece of their future, and he’s reaffirming their belief. It’s a beautiful thing.
And he’s clearly putting much more attention into evolving as a defender. He addressed his own shortcomings during Media Day, and it’s obvious that he values being an asset, not a liability.
But more effort on the defensive end has created a new problem: foul magnetism.
George collected 4 fouls in 21 minutes in Boulder.
Then 5 fouls in just 13 minutes in the Delta Center.
Utah’s budding star is no good to the team if he’s bound to the bench with foul trouble, and I’m certain Utah’s staff is addressing this issue as we speak.
Ace to the hole
Ace Bailey is primed to make a leap in his second season, thanks in no small part to his effort as a defender. The intangibles and non-stat-stuffing aspects of his game drew immense praise from Will Hardy, who insisted that the first game against Denver was Bailey’s best in a Jazz uniform.
Agree to disagree, with his 37-point eruption in mind, but I understand what his coach is getting at. Praise players for doing the little things, because they pay hefty dividends.
Bailey put on some muscle over the offseason and is playing with immense confidence as the team’s 6th man.
Have we ever seen a player so poorly evaluated in the pre-draft period as Ace Bailey? He dropped from the projected 2nd pick and was projected to plummet even further than 5, where the Jazz picked him up. The reasons for his fall? Selfishness, ego, stubbornness, poor shot selection, and that’s just scratching the surface. Misled media cycles perpetuated the notion that Bailey did not want to play in Utah, and the narrative quickly became that he could never be happy with the Jazz.
They couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Blame his representation, which he’s since severed ties with, because the Jazz and Ace have been a match made in heaven, and I’m very optimistic about his developmental trajectory.
Hayes fever
Jaxson Hayes has been more than serviceable at the center spot. As a rim protector, he’s been exceptional.
He’s blocked four shots through two games — a big need for this team in the vacuum left by Kessler — and has been poised and confident in his role with a new team. Some chemistry wrinkles still need to be ironed out when it comes to timing in the pick-and-roll with his guards, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised to see how well he’s played through two games.
And he’ll see plenty more minutes in the early season.
Will Hardy has made it fairly clear through his lineup constructions that he views JJJ as a power forward, not a center. Now with Jusuf Nurkic out with a toe injury for the next month or so, that means Hayes will see plenty of reps as the starting 5, with apologies to my Mo Bamba truthers out there (Mo Bamba, no problems).
Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.
Buss siblings filing case against Jeanie Buss over Lakers sale
Jeanie Buss’ siblings are formally opposing the Lakers governor’s stance that they can’t sell the family’s ownership stake of the franchise without her permission.
Five of the siblings that make up the Buss Family Trust — Johnny (69), Jim (66), Janie (62), Joey (41) and Jesse (37) — are filing a case against their sister, who’s attempting to block her siblings from selling the remainder of the family’s ownership shares of the Lakers.
“Jimmy, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss, the five of six siblings who voted to sell the Trust’s shares in the Lakers, [on Wednesday] filed their formal opposition, demonstrating that Jeanie Buss’s petition is legally and factually baseless,” the siblings said in a statement issued to ESPN. “While discussions among the siblings continue, their focus remains on facilitating the proposed transaction and the [Buss family] trust’s participation in it, while ensuring that all beneficiaries, including Jeanie, are treated equally.
“[Wednesday’s] filing is a necessary step to protect those interests and ensure the transaction proceeds on schedule.”
The five-non Jeanie Buss siblings voted to sell the rest of the family’s 17.8% ownership stake of the Lakers to soon-to-be majority owners Josh Kushner and Bob Iger.
Kushner and Iger agreed to purchase the majority shares of the Lakers from Mark Walter for a valuation of $12.5 billion, less than a year after Walter bought the Lakers from the Buss family at a valuation of $10 billion.
Jeanie Buss originally filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court in late August to block her siblings’ attempted sale of their minority ownership stake of the franchise.
Jeanie, the third-oldest child of the late Dr. Jerry Buss, first made it clear she opposed her siblings’ vote to sell the family’s share of the Lakers, according to a letter from her lawyer, Adam Streisand, that was obtained by The Post, arguing her siblings can’t legally execute a sale without her approval and that any vote of the Buss family selling would be “void.”
To remain the Lakers governor, Jeanie or the Buss family would need to maintain control of at least 15% of the franchise, per NBA rules.
Jeanie has been the team’s governor since 2013 after Jerry’s death. When Walter purchased the majority ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family, the league announced that Buss would remain the team’s governor for at least five years (through 2030).
Streisand filed a continuation (postponement) in Jeanie’s petition in Los Angeles Superior Court after the hearing was initially scheduled for Nov. 5. The continuation request was granted, with the hearing being rescheduled for Dec. 8.
The biggest storylines to follow during the Spurs’ preseason
The Spurs’ first preseason game is almost here. What are you looking forward to seeing the most?
Mark Barrington: I’m mostly looking forward to having basketball in my life again. It was a short offseason, but it feels like forever since I’ve been able to watch Spurs basketball. But I want to see if Tarris Reed is going to be able to contribute right away, and I want to see the development of the other young players. Will Dylan Harper take another leap in his skills? [yes!] Will Stephon Castle’s outside shooting improve? [I hope so.] What new unbelievable skills will Victor Wembanyama bring this season? [Prepare to be awed.]
Devon Birdsong: Well, I was going to say Tobias Harris, but uh…well, there goes that dream. Outside of that, though, I’m really looking forward to seeing how the young bigs perform. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always jazzed to see what’s going to happen with Dylan Harper, but I already know that he’s great regardless of what lineup he’s in and this backup big-man thing might end up mattering more, especially considering recent big-man injury history. *knocks on wood*
Jeje Gomez: I’m really looking forward to watching how Carter Bryant looks. He played in Summer League but only two games, and he was asked to do more than he’s likely able to right now. I’m interested to see if the shot falls and whether the defense can be less chaotic while keeping the physicality, since those are the two things the 2026/27 Spurs will need from him. There are a lot of interesting storylines to follow, from what happens in the backcourt to how the rookies fare. Wembanyama is always a pleasure to watch, and he’s so spectacular that it’s impossible not to pay attention to him. But in preseason and early in the regular season, I think one of the most interesting arcs to follow will be the battle for power forward minutes and whether Bryant can take advantage of Harris’ absence to carve out a role for himself.
Tobias Harris is expected to miss preseason with a calf injury and might not be ready for opening night. How big of a problem is that for the Spurs?
Barrington: Not a problem at all. He’s there to provide playoff toughness and as long as he’s 100% by midseason, he’ll be there when they need him.
Birdsong: I mean, on-court chemistry-wise it might have some kind of limited and/or brief effect, but it’s so early in the season that I can’t see it being much of a problem. Regular-season matchups will be just fine running Champagnie back out there instead, since that was one of last season’s best lineups in the entire NBA. The Spurs really need Harris for the postseason, so if they take their time bringing him back, it’ll be with that in mind. Bear in mind that even without Harris, this is still a team that won 62 games last year, and there’s still growth worth projecting. The kids will be fine for a bit.
Gomez: It can be seen as a problem or an opportunity. It’s a problem in the sense that the newcomer won’t be able to develop chemistry with his new teammates, which could cause his performance to suffer early in the season. The good news is Harris is a proven commodity, so even if it takes him a while to get going, the Spurs can afford to be patient with him, since they know what he brings to the table and they probably don’t need him to win regular season games.
I’m more interested in the opportunity it presents for the other forwards, as I mentioned before. Minutes will be scarce at the four even with Harris out, and while Julian Champagnie should have a big role locked down, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, and even Harrison Barnes are battling for minutes. Keldon should have the inside track, but Bryant’s defense and Barnes shooting could entice Mitch Johnson if the second-year player and the veteran get playing time to show off their skills. With Harris out, they should get that chance.
What do you want to see change, if anything, from a coaching/system perspective heading into the new season?
Barrington: Billy Donovan will unlock a lot of different offensive sets that the Spurs didn’t have last year. I feel like a lot of the Spurs’ success last year was due to them just out-talenting the opposition. They will still do that against most teams, but in the later rounds of the playoffs when they’re facing elite opposition, they will need a strategic edge, and Donovan can give them that.
Birdsong:Wemby already brought it up this offseason, but the Spurs really need to work on utilizing him as a go-to offensive weapon, especially in isolation. And if they’re going to do that, that means they’ll need to unleash him in the post. The Spurs had their biggest issues in both the regular season and the postseason when Wemby got turned into just a jump-shooter instead of also feasting inside. That’ll be something that both team strategy and Wemby himself will have to emphasise and actively pursue. The game has slowed down for him enough, and the team is deep and talented enough, that Wemby has learned how to let the game come to him. Now they all have to learn how to most effectively impose his will on it as needed, and perhaps, in the process, help Wemby find a go-to move.
Gomez: How the three guard lineups fare will be fascinating, but I think the biggest question mark for the Spurs is their halfcourt offense. There’s so much talent in the roster that they got away with not having a plan or not executing even simple plays quickly and efficiently for long stretches last season, but that needs to change. Whether Donovan or Johnson gets the credit doesn’t really matter as long as the Spurs have an offensive system in place that allows them to create ways to score when games slow down.
Rockets 2026-2027 player previews: Amen Thompson
The Houston Rockets had two constants during several seasons of their rebuild. Multiple seasons of losing a lot and drafting near the top, thanks to those losing seasons. After the Rockets traded away their franchise star, James Harden, in 2021, they knew they had to tear down the entire roster and start from scratch.
That meant a lot of losses and multiple years drafting in the top ten to hopefully get back to contention soon as possible. Since 2021 the Rockets drafted in the top five four different times starting with Jalen Green in the first draft post Harden. The Rockets would go onto draft three other players Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard.
For the most part, the Rockets have had success in those drafts, even though the only All-Star from the group has been Alperen Sengun, who wasn’t drafted in the lottery. Green was part of the Rockets’ blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant; the jury is still out on Sheppard going into his third season; and Smith has improved each season, but the improvement has been slower than some hoped. The one player drafted in the top five who has a chance to become a star in the league is Thompson.
Amen Thompson Player Preview
Thompson came into the league known for his athleticism, and at 6’7 while playing point guard, he was seen as the type of big, playmaking guard every team would love to have. After his first season, he had transformed into one of the NBA’s best defensive players. With the Rockets already having Fred VanVleet, Thompson adjusted his game to fit what the Rockets needed.
After Smith’s injury sidelined him for an extended period, the Rockets had Thompson play at the dunker spot from the power forward position. That is when Thompson’s game took off, as he could play around the basket where his athleticism was on full display. Thompson also showed he was already one of the league’s better defenders.
The rest of the NBA took notice as Thompson made the All NBA Defensive team in only his second season. Even with the Rockets having Dillon Brooks on the roster Thompson took over as the teams primary defender for the opposing teams best perimiter player. Even though Thompson did not make an All NBA Defensive team his third season he did improve across the board on the offensive end.
The rest of the NBA took notice when Thompson made the All-NBA Defensive Team in only his second season. Even with the Rockets having Dillon Brooks on the roster, Thompson took over as the team’s primary defender against the opposing team’s best perimeter player. Even though Thompson did not make an All-NBA Defensive Team in his third season, he improved across the board on the offensive end.
Even though Thompson took a step back on the defensive end last season, he finished with career highs in points, assists, and even free-throw shooting. Now, going into his fourth season on a new five-year, $ 208 millon contract, Thompson hopes to keep building on his offensive success while returning to the All-Defensive Team accolades he earned in his second season.
From day one, Thompson understood he had to improve his offensive game, especially as a jump shooter, and it has become even more evident going into season four. The Rockets brought in renowned shot specialist Chip Engelland, who has built a career improving players on the offensive end, especially as shooters. Now he is tasked with helping Thompson, who has struggled to score away from the basket, add a consistent jump shot that could open up his entire offensive game.
Teams have made it a point to pack the paint against Thompson and force him into that jump shot. If Thompson can add not just a three-point shot but a midrange shot, he could go from an elite two-way young star to a superstar in the league. Thompson has the ability, and now it is about putting it all together in year four.
How Lakers’ Luka Doncic will win NBA MVP this season
Mark my words: This is going to be the best NBA season yet for Luka Doncic.
He should win the MVP award. Or be the runner-up if the Lakers can’t make enough noise in the very- crowded Western Conference.
The pathway is primed. Let’s break it down.
Doncic is mad.
He’s still reeling from the shock of being traded by the Mavericks to the Lakers in February 2025. He was stunned. Humiliated. What other top-four player has been dealt in their prime? He has a vendetta. Something to prove to the league.
He has a sense of ownership.
The Lakers are now his team. LeBron James left in free agency for the 76ers. The success or failure of a 17-time championship franchise now rests squarely on his shoulders. That means something.
He has his fingerprints on everything.
During the offseason, he put his stamp on the squad. He had a big say in who he wanted to play alongside, including the Lakers re-signing Austin Reaves and acquiring center Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade from Utah.
He’s ready.
He’s arguably in the best shape of his career. Lakers coach JJ Redick recently said he “worked his butt off all summer,” adding that he “actually did sprints and stuff.” He’s noticeably slimmer.
He’s acting like a leader.
Doncic recently hosted a four-day minicamp in Slovenia to help build chemistry. He has never done anything like that before in his career. He paid for everyone on the roster to fly to his home country. He really wants this to work.
And in many ways, he was spurned last season.
Let’s not forget that Doncic actually fell in NBA.com’s MVP Ladder in late March from No. 2 to No. 4 following a six-game stretch in which he averaged 40.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.6 steals, becoming the first player to average 40 points over six road games since Michael Jordan in 1986.
“The better I play, the more I go down in ratings,” Doncic said at the time. “So I don’t know what more I can do.”
Over the month of March?
Doncic averaged 37.5 points, 8 rebounds and 7.4 assists, leading the Lakers to a 15-2 record before suffering a strained hamstring on April 2.
And yet, Doncic finished fourth in MVP voting behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic.
The case could’ve been made for him to finish higher. Voters knew that. It was an impossible task trying to rank those guys for the league’s most prestigious individual award, especially considering there are no distinct specifications for it. The bar keeps endlessly moving for how voting is justified.
So, all of this to say, Doncic is next.
The kindling is on the floor. The logs have been stacked. Gasoline has been poured over it all. A lit match is about to be dropped.
Right now, basketball is everything for Doncic. His daughters are in Slovenia. He’s engaged in an ongoing custody battle with his ex-fiancée over them. Pouring himself into his sport is the only thing that’s going to keep him sane.
That’s powerful.
Last season, Doncic declined to advocate for himself to win the MVP award, something Wembanyama successfully did to his advantage.
Doncic led the league in scoring (33.5 points) and finished third in assists (8.3). The only things that could be held against him in such a tight race? The Lakers finished fourth in the West behind the Thunder, Spurs and Nuggets. And Doncic’s defense lags behind Gilgeous-Alexander’s stellar two-way play and Wembanyama’s wizardry on the less glamorous end of the court.
But standings aren’t always taken into consideration for the MVP award. For example, Russell Westbrook won MVP in 2017 even though the Thunder finished sixth in the West. Jokic won the award in 2021 even though the Nuggets finished third in the conference.
Defense isn’t always taken into consideration, either. See guys such as Jokic, Steph Curry and James Harden winning MVP.
In other words, it’s all subjective.
Voters do the best they can, including this one, who voted for Doncic to finish fourth for MVP last season. But we all know when our decision was decided by millimeter margins.
Doncic is primed to have an explosive season.
All of the ingredients are in the pot. We’re all waiting to see how the dish turns out.
But really, we know what to expect.
And it’s going to be nothing short of incredible.
How to watch Warriors vs. Trail Blazers
No rest for the weary, even in the preseason, as the Golden State Warriors travel up north to play against the Portland Trail Blazers for Wednesday’s second night of a back-to-back. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT in Portland and can be watched on NBA TV.
Previously with the Warriors:
The Warriors showcased another starting lineup in Tuesday night’s 124-98 blowout victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. With center Al Horford a late scratch, Golden State opted for size and versatility around guards Steph Curry and Brandin Podziemski, with Draymond Green starting at center alongside rookie Yaxel Lendeborg and Gui Santos to round out the rest of the front court.
Lendeborg impressed once again, leading the team with 17 points in 21 minutes on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting from the field. His nine rebounds also led the Warriors for the second game in a row. After the game, Lendeborg discussed why he believes he’s having so much success crashing the boards in the NBA.
What to watch for tonight:
In perhaps one of the strangest scheduling quirks in recent preseason memory, tonight’s game wraps up a busy stretch of three games in four days for the Warriors, one that began Sunday in Hawaii before taking them back to San Francisco on Tuesday and now up to Portland for the second night of a back-to-back.
If this were the regular season, the Warriors would almost certainly rest several of their veteran players. Given that this is only the preseason, that’s expected to be the case tonight, with a long list of players not even making the trip to Portland. That’s good news for the bottom half of the roster, which should get plenty of opportunities to showcase themselves, but bad news for anyone hoping to see the Warriors’ stars on the court.
Regardless of who’s playing, enjoy the game Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!!
Projected Starters
Warriors: Brandon Williams, LJ Cryer, Will Richard, Malevy Leons, Charles Bassey
Blazers: Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan
How to watch Preseason Game 3
Who: Golden State Warriors (1 – 1) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (0 – 0)
When: Wednesday, October 7th, at 7:00 p.m. PT
Where: Moda Center — Portland, Oregon
TV and Streaming: NBA TV
Lakers’ uneven preseason nothing to worry about for Luka Doncic, teammates
SAN FRANCISCO — The Lakers’ trip to Northern California displayed the duality of preseason basketball.
Because for as good as Monday night felt, Tuesday night was equally as dreadful.
Within 24 hours, the Lakers went from looking like world-beaters against a Kings team that’s expected to finish the 2026-27 season toward the bottom of the NBA standings to getting run out of the gym by a Warriors team that’s fighting to stay relevant behind aging four-time NBA champions Steph Curry and Draymond Green.
The up-and-down nature of the last few days epitomized why making grand conclusions from preseason exhibitions about a team’s full-season outlook is a foolish exercise.
Player availability changes nightly, which was the case for the Lakers when Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle and Collin Sexton sat out against the Warriors.
Both teams only have a handful of training camp practices before having to play against another opponent and are lucky if they’re able to crack a double-digit number of practices before the regular season starts.
In order words, no team is — or at least should be — at its best during preseason.
But what preseason exhibitions should provide is an insight into what a team has been focusing on since putting together its roster over the summer and honing in on since practices officially began as summer turned to fall.
And for the Lakers, proof of concept was provided when they played the Kings. On Monday, LA at least had a reasonable number of players available who’ll play meaningful minutes when the games count.
Yes, Kessler not playing either game meant the Lakers lacked the rim protection they coveted when they acquired the 7-foot-2 big man from the Jazz. And it showed.
Reaves and Sexton being sidelined removed the team’s main ball handlers behind Doncic.
But for at least one game against the Kings — and really just the first half when Doncic played — the Lakers showcased a glimpse of the team’s vision.
Ninety-four feet of full-court defensive pressure, with Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle, Quentin Grimes, Jake LaRavia and Adou Thiero all taking turns.
Increased defensive physicality and aggression, leading to more deflections, steals and forced turnovers.
“Especially with Matisse and Ziaire, [the defense at the beginning] of the game [against the Kings], that’s contagious for everybody,” Doncic said. “It was inspirational.”
The offense will continue to revolve around Doncic — and Reaves once he’s in the lineup.
But the how will look different, with Doncic operating off the ball more to start possessions before using his teammates’ screening to come to the ball, which weaponizes his offensive gravity.
“You can look at any game, or any practice, and find good stuff to build on,” coach JJ Redick said. “So, yes, it’s encouraging.”
An encouraging start to the preseason isn’t the be-all, end-all, but the foundation and expectations are set.
And once they’re able to get more of their main players on the court, those expectations will only rise.
Knicks voice Mike Breen apologizes after LeBron James calls out Joel Embiid story
Legendary broadcaster Mike Breen is walking back a story about LeBron James criticizing Joel Embiid after James called it out as “lies.”
“I’m so disappointed how the story was interpreted,” Breen told ESPN. “The whole intent was praising LeBron for already having an impact on the team’s professionalism and accountability, even something so benign as a player getting on the court for practice a minute or two late.”
During Monday’s preseason Knicks vs. Sixers game broadcast on MSG Networks, Breen explained he’d caught wind of James reaming Embiid for being late to practice.
“Somebody told me before the game that they were out ready to practice, and Joel Embiid walked out on the court a couple of minutes late, and LeBron let him hear it,” Breen said.
The following day, James pushed back, writing on his Instagram, “He ain’t been late so stop the lies.”
“I thought it would be an interesting anecdote to show LeBron’s leadership already on display in Philly,” Breen continued. “For me, the fact that the teammate was Joel was meaningless. In hindsight, I should have realized the fact that it was Joel is what made it a story. I’ve always been a huge fan of Joel and feel awful that it put the focus on him the way that it did.
“I don’t know why the person who told me the story would make it up, but if LeBron says it never happened then I believe him and apologize for putting it out there.”
It’s not the first time Embiid has been at the center of reports about timeliness.
Two years ago, as the 76ers started 2-11, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania that his Philly teammates were calling Embiid out for lateness “for everything” during the skid.
Ayesha Curry cuts off Steph’s drinking for Warriors season
Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry has been known to indulge in an occasional alcoholic beverage. But he’ll need a different means of unwinding while carrying Golden State this offseason.
Before the Warriors’ first preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, Steph’s wife, Ayesha, posted an Instagram photo of them in each other’s arms while poolside. Ayesha put the spotlight on their drinks of choice in the caption.
“Game day tomorrow! 
1 Hugo spritz and a water for the gentleman please,” the post was captioned.
Steph doesn’t need any special urging from Ayesha. He has said in the past that he only drinks during celebrations and in the NBA offseason, which means that this decision for “a water” instead of some boozy drink would have been his to make.
Curry is entering his 18th NBA season and agreed to sign a two-year, $116 million contract extension with the Warriors at the end of September.
That’s definitely worthy of a celebration. Good thing Curry got that deal done before the season began, so that he could toast it with whatever beverage he wanted.
Warriors fans are hoping any alcoholic drinks they have this season will be a cause for celebration rather than for sorrow.
7 training camp battles that could help solve the Sixers’ backup center conundrum
Ariel Hukporti is officially done for the season with a torn Achilles. The Sixers don’t have an easy way to replace him, which is further exposing their already flimsy center depth behind Joel Embiid.
We’ve already covered why the Sixers can’t easily replace Hukporti. The TL;DR version: They’re hard-capped at the first apron and don’t have enough wiggle room under it at the moment to sign anyone other than an undrafted free-agent rookie. They’d have to waive Jabari Walker or dump salary to sign someone to a standard contract.
The good news is that they do still have an open two-way spot, which they could use to sign someone as a stopgap solution. After all, they initially signed both Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker to two-way deals last year before converting both to standard contracts, so there’s recent history of them making good use of those spots.
With that in mind, we’ve taken a brief walk around the league to examine some training camp battles that could help the Sixers solve their backup center problem for now. Fair warning: These are not for the faint of heart.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have two bigs signed to Exhibit 10 deals, Rienk Mast and Keba Keita. Of the two, Mast might be the better bet. Mast is listed at 6’10” and 250 pounds on the Pacers’ training camp roster, while Keita is 6’8″ and 230 pounds.
Mast spent his first three years of college at Bradley before transferring to Nebraska ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. He averaged 12.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 29.5 minutes per game across his 66 games at Nebraska, although he blocked only 26 total shots over those two years. On the bright side, he did shoot 32.5 percent from deep on 4.3 attempts per game, so he could add a floor-spacing element to the Sixers’ frontcourt.
Keita split his college career between Utah and BYU, but he never averaged more than 8.3 points or 7.9 rebounds in any of his four seasons. He was a better shot-blocker than Mast in college, but it’s hard to imagine that translating to the NBA given his height (or lack thereof).
The Pacers do still have one open roster spot, so they could always sign Mast or Keita to a standard contract if either impresses during the preseason. But if both get shipped down to the G League, the Sixers could poach one of them if so desired.
Milwaukee Bucks
Staying in the Central Division, the Milwaukee Bucks also have a pair of centers signed to Exhibit 10 contracts. They just signed Johni Broome (no thank you), but they also added Jake Stephens on an Exhibit 10 in mid-September.
Stephens spent most of his collegiate career at VMI before heading to Chattanooga for his final season. He averaged 22.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 blocks and 2.1 threes during that lone campaign at Chattanooga before heading overseas for the past few years.
Last season, Stephens played for KK Split in the Croatian A-1 League and Adriatic League ABA. He chipped in 9.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.4 blocks and 0.3 threes in 16.1 minutes per game while shooting 54.2 percent overall and 29.4 percent from deep across 61 appearances.
Stephens turns 27 in early November and has a few years of international experience, so he’s more seasoned than a typical NBA rookie. That could be appealing for a Sixers team that’s smack dab in a win-now window.
New York Knicks
Out of any camp battle, this is the one worth keeping an eye on, even if it wouldn’t necessarily provide immediate relief for the Sixers.
The Knicks signed all three of James Wiseman, Tony Bradley and Drew Eubanks to Exhibit 9 contracts leading up to training camp. That’s notable, as Exhibit 10 deals have ties to the G League, whereas Exhibit 9s do not.
The cost-conscious Knicks do have two open roster spots, and Stefan Bondy of the New York Postrecently reported that they’re planning to fill one of them with a center. Wiseman got the most playing time of the three in the Knicks’ preseason opener Monday against the Sixers, finishing with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, five rebounds and one block in nine minutes. Bradley had two points and no other contributions of note in six minutes, while Eubanks had one point, one rebound, one turnover and two fouls in his six minutes.
The Knicks are less than $3.3 million below the second apron, which team owner James Dolan adamantly refuses to cross, so they don’t have enough wiggle room to sign two of Wiseman, Bradley or Eubanks. Regardless of which one they sign, the other two will head back into free agency, where the Sixers can keep tabs on them once the calendar flips to December. (Unfortunately, none of Wiseman, Bradley or Eubanks are eligible for two-way deals since they have more than three years of NBA experience.)
OKC Thunder
The last thing the Oklahoma City Thunder need is another center. They already have Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Thomas Sorber and Aday Mara taking up four of their 15 standard roster spots. That didn’t stop them from signing Christoph Tilly to an Exhibit 10 contract, though.
Tilly spent his first three collegiate seasons at Santa Clara before transferring to Ohio State ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. He averaged 11.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.5 blocks and 0.4 made threes in 26.0 minutes per game with the Buckeyes across 32 outings. He shot only 23.2 percent from deep on low volume, so he isn’t much of a threat from long range, but he’s not a complete non-factor, either.
The Thunder liberally rested starters in their preseason opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, which allowed them—and the rest of the league—to get a long look at Tilly. He finished with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting, four rebounds, two assists, one block, three turnovers and four fouls in 25 minutes.
Tilly is listed on the Thunder’s training camp roster as 7’0″ and 246 pounds, so he at least has the size to fill in behind Embiid and Bona. Stephens might be the more promising option based on his overseas experience, but Tilly could be an intriguing flier.
Phoenix Suns
Finally, someone with actual NBA experience!
After going undrafted in 2023, Duop Reath initially signed a two-way deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers wound up converting him after the 2024 trade deadline to a three-year, $6.2 million minimum contract.
Reath appeared in 146 games for the Blazers during his three seasons in Portland, including 20 starts his rookie year. He finished his tenure there with averages of 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.0 threes and 0.4 blocks in only 13.3 minutes per game. The Blazers wound up trading him and two second-round picks to the Atlanta Hawks for Vít Krejčí ahead of last year’s trade deadline, and the Hawks promptly waived him.
Reath signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Suns this offseason, but they already have 15 players under standard contract and all three of their two-way spots filled. If the Sixers prefer to sign someone with NBA experience to their last two-way spot, the 6’9″, 245-pound Reath might be their best option at center, particularly since he overlapped with Anfernee Simons and Rayan Rupert in Portland.
Toronto Raptors
After spending five seasons at Oregon, Nate Bittle went undrafted this past summer and promptly signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 9.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.8 threes in only 20.6 minutes per game in his four summer-league outings while shooting 50.0 percent overall and 43.8 percent from deep.
That shot-blocking and three-point-shooting ability wasn’t an outlier, either. During his super-senior season at Oregon, Bittle averaged 1.8 blocks and 1.4 threes per game, although he shot only 31.9 percent from distance.
The Raptors do still have one standard roster spot open, although they’re less than $1 million below the first apron. They presumably won’t be willing to cross that and subject themselves to the first-apron restrictions to sign a 15th man, even if it means playing keep-away from a division rival.
Utah Jazz
After going undrafted in 2025, Jonas Aidoo signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Charlotte Hornets, who promptly waived him two days later. He latched on with their G League affiliate in late December and averaged 5.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in only 11.5 minutes per game while shooting 55.2 percent overall.
The 6’11”, 240-pound center signed another Exhibit 10 deal this offseason, albeit with the Utah Jazz this time around. He’s played sparingly over their first two preseason games, although he did chip in six points on 2-of-3 shooting, five rebounds and a block in only eight minutes against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.
The Jazz have plenty of breathing room under the aprons and do have an open roster spot, so they could choose to sign Aidoo to a standard contract or convert one of their two-ways to a standard deal and hand him that open two-way deal instead. But if he does shake loose, he has a year’s worth of G League experience that could give him a leg up on some of the other fresh-out-of-college options whom the Sixers might consider for their last two-way spot.
Again, none of these options are perfect. But the Sixers are desperate for a warm body who’s roughly 7 feet tall in the wake of Hukporti’s injury. Thankfully, they could have some half-decent options available in the next few weeks as long as these Exhibit 10 signees don’t get converted to standard contracts.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.
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LeBron James, Nick Nurse shoot down rumor LeBron called out Embiid for being late to practice
Wherever LeBron James goes, drama follows.
That drama landed in Philadelphia in the last few days, and it started with a guy who is the polar opposite of a rumor monger, Knicks and ESPN/ABC broadcaster Mike Breen. He was calling the Knicks vs. 76ers preseason game and said he had been told LeBron called out Joel Embiid for being late to practice.
Here’s Mike Breen saying it on the broadcast.
— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) October 6, 2026
For the record, I don’t think this is negative at all.
It’s a great representation of the guys willing to hold each other accountable.
It takes this type of open communication to build trust in a new locker room. https://t.co/MlqndduRi0pic.twitter.com/3ONiJrVE2F
LeBron James quickly shot down that report in an Instagram story, saying:
"! He ain't been late so stop the lies."
Wednesday it was coach Nick Nurse's turn to talk about the pointless drama, with the quote via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.
"I'm just surprised by what I was told before, and what you guys are asking me about, because he's been excellent. He's in great shape. He's been on the practice floor. He's worked very hard, and he looks really great. So it just surprises me that something like that came out right now."
Breen told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin he believes LeBron.
“If LeBron says it never happened then I believe him and apologize for putting it out there"
Don't be surprised, this is life with LeBron in the locker room. Fair or not, he is a magnet for drama, and the bright spotlight he brings means things that would be shrugged off on other teams become a multi-day story on his teams. That's life.
Apparently LeBron didn't call out Embiid, but if he had done that for being late to practice, then LeBron would have been justified. That is the kind of thing a team leader should do. It apparently was just not needed here.
NBA Europe plans continue after EuroLeague rejects merger
As the NBA continues to pursue its expansion into Europe, the existing legacy league rejected a formal merger offer earlier this week.
Yet, that isn’t halting any plans for NBA Europe to forge ahead.
Membership groups from EuroLeague, which has been operating in the region since 1958, rejected a merger offer from the NBA that would have lumped operations under the proposed NBA Europe umbrella, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
Despite that, talks are expected to continue as the NBA works toward a collaborative approach with EuroLeague.
The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations, which have not been made public.
Yet, despite the failed merger offer, the NBA will not pause its plan to create the new, 14-to-16-team NBA Europe league across a dozen cities in Europe, some of which do not have permanent EuroLeague teams in place.
NBA plans for Europe: League format
The NBA has maintained that its NBA Europe plan will be a European basketball franchise for European fans, and that its structure would align closely with existing European sports infrastructure.
Ten to 12 of the proposed teams would be permanent, with a merit-based pathway for teams in FIBA-affiliated domestic leagues to have the chance to qualify; the structure is similar to promotions in European soccer leagues, for example.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in September that the NBA would want to start operations for an inaugural season as soon as 2027-28.
NBA Europe hits various issues
The most pressing issue, therefore, now becomes a potential deadline by which the NBA would be forced to move on without EuroLeague.
Given that the NBA would ideally want to begin competition as soon as next year, it is not in the league’s best interest to wait for an agreement with EuroLeague, should merger talks fail to progress. That likely creates a potential hard out of merger talks within the next six months, should an agreement not materialize before then.
Reports out of Europe have been that there’s dissension among the EuroLeague membership groups, with some franchises in favor of the merger and others against. In any case, the measure was put to a vote that did not pass.
One interesting element in all of this is the relationship of EuroLeague Basketball CEO Jesús “Chus” Bueno with executives in the NBA league office; Bueno spent 12 seasons with the NBA as vice president of Europe, Africa and the Middle East and the director of NBA Spain.
Back in April, a person with knowledge of discussions told USA TODAY Sports that the NBA had fielded more than 120 bids from investment groups for non-binding consideration, with some bids surpassing $1 billion.
One issue EuroLeague has had to navigate is that some of its existing benchmark franchises have explored the notion of joining the new NBA Europe league. The rejection of the merger offer isn’t necessarily a surprise, as some EuroLeague membership groups have been at odds with the NBA and FIBA, the NBA’s partner, over the process in forming the new NBA Europe league.
For the benchmark franchises that are interested in joining NBA Europe, there are mechanisms in their membership charters that allow them to exit their contracts with buyout payments.
Front Office Sports was the first to report the news of the merger rejection.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Europe plans continue after EuroLeague rejects merger
Sixers injury updates ahead of 2nd preseason game against Nets
Sixers injury updates ahead of 2nd preseason game against Nets originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
With one preseason game in the books and three to go, the Sixers provided several injury updates Wednesday.
According to a team official, Dominick Barlow, Anfernee Simons and Adem Bona will all miss the Sixers’ upcoming road games Thursday against the Nets and Saturday against the Celtics.
Barlow has a back injury, Simons a hamstring issue. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse had indicated Monday that both injuries are minor, saying he expected Barlow and Simons to play “any time now.” Bona has progressed to on-court activity in his rehab from a left foot sprain.
The Sixers lost another one of their centers to a serious injury in their preseason-opening win over the Knicks. Ariel Hukporti underwent surgery Tuesday on his torn right Achilles tendon.
“It’s super tough. … We were super excited by what we’d seen,” Nurse said. “He’s really active and athletic, really coachable and really engaged. We were really excited by what he could bring to the team. It’s always a bigger blow for him personally, but it’s certainly a blow for the team, especially this early on.
“And he’s somebody that’s still young. The coaching staff was seeing a guy that had an (upward) trajectory … which he’ll get back to, but this kind of delays him for now.”
When healthy, Bona would presumably be the next traditional center in line behind Joel Embiid as things stand. Barlow and Walker both received the occasional center stint last season.
“Dean (Wade) would be another candidate,” Nurse said. “I don’t know if you’d call him a small five; he has pretty good size. I think LeBron (James) is another candidate. He’s played some small-ball five as well. That’s four or five guys. We’ll probably go with that crew unless something else emerges.”
As far as the Sixers’ projected starters, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe were the only two to play vs. the Knicks.
The Sixers plan to ramp up steadily toward opening night on Oct. 20. That will likely mean more players available Thursday night in Brooklyn.
“We should be able to get the majority of the guys out there tomorrow,” Nurse said. “Again, we’ll see. It was pretty rough and physical today at practice, so we’ll see how everybody comes out of it. We should be able to get them out there tomorrow.
“It’s usually first half type of stuff for the first (game). … And then hopefully, if you can in one of them, you can try to get them through the halftime routine, kind of starting the engines again as well, so that hopefully, the next time they’re out there, they’re able to do that.”