Category: NBA

This season, the Jazz will be trying something they haven’t tried for four years: to make the playoffs. There is a real shot for them to make it, too. With the addition of Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Grizzlies and Darryn Peterson from the draft, they’ve added some top-tier talent. Combine that with the leap that Keyonte George made last season, as well as the possibility of an improved Ace Bailey, and the Jazz are looking like one of the most interesting teams entering the season.

Not everything has been perfect for their chances of winning this season. Utah traded Walker Kessler to the Lakers for a treasure trove of picks when the negotiations didn’t go as planned. As impressive as the trade was for the Jazz and how much they received, it did mean losing depth at center.

All that said, how excited are you for the upcoming season?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jazz fans and fans across the country.

Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys:

Russell Westbrook is not known to be in advanced negotiations with Hapoel Tel Aviv. The report suggesting otherwise was a social media hoax.

The false claim originated with an X account presenting itself as basketball reporter “Marc Jacobs.” The account asserted that Westbrook and Hapoel had mutual interest, that negotiations were progressing and that the former MVP was seriously considering playing overseas.

It attributed the information to The Athletic, but no corresponding report from the outlet supported those claims. Journalist Philip Lewis subsequently identified the purported source as a parody account.

The Jerusalem Post published an article based on the post, elevating the claim from “mutual interest” to “advanced talks.” ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel could not corroborate it.

There is currently no credible evidence that Westbrook is negotiating with Hapoel Tel Aviv. No agreement has been announced, and the Israeli club has not confirmed talks with the 37-year-old guard.

The episode made Westbrook the latest athlete caught in a growing ecosystem of sports misinformation on X. Parody accounts increasingly imitate the names, profile pictures and posting styles of established insiders, allowing fabricated reports to appear legitimate to users scrolling quickly.

Accounts such as “NBA Centel” and “SharmsCharania” have built large followings through fictional basketball reports designed to resemble breaking news. Other fake insiders have produced fabricated coaching comments, roster moves and front-office changes that were subsequently repeated by aggregators and media outlets.

The incentive extends beyond the amusement of going viral. Front Office Sports has documented how X’s engagement-based monetization can financially reward accounts for generating viral misinformation. Awful Announcing also reported that some fake insider accounts have promoted prediction markets alongside invented scoops.

Westbrook’s unresolved free agency made this particular fabrication believable.

The former Lakers star remains unsigned after averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals with Sacramento last season. He encountered another quiet market in 2025 before joining the Kings on a one-year contract shortly before opening night.

His next destination remains uncertain. An impending move to Tel Aviv, however, is not among the possibilities.

---

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Judge the two greatest NBA players of this generation by the way they spent their summers.

LeBron James, after his fifth championship, left nothing to chance. The King methodically evaluated the league’s rosters, liked how the Sixers looked after adding Jalen Brown and signed a minuscule contract to secure a new, potentially final home for his throne.

Steph Curry, also looking to join the exclusive five-ring club, has left everything to chance. At least, he put his faith in Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., who in turn decided to leave the twilight years of Curry’s magnificent career resting on a roster that won 37 games a year ago.

The Warriors signed zero free agents this offseason. They made no trades. Steve Kerr is back, albeit with some new assistants and a rookie he will almost certainly have to play big minutes.

Yaxel Lendeborg aside, that’s it. 

Golden State will add a few more players to get its roster to 15, but largely, re-signing Draymond Green to a $28 million deal put a ribbon on its roster moves.

“All in all, pleased with our offseason,” Dunleavy said Tuesday. “We like this team.”

Dunleavy held court on a videoconference with reporters, ostensibly to put a wrap on the Warriors’ summer. But there wasn’t much, if anything, to wrap up.

There’s still no timetable on the returns of Jimmy Butler or Moses Moody; their injuries will keep them out into this season. Still no progress on an extension with Brandin Podziemski, though Dunleavy affirmed the Warriors’ desire to get one done. 

And still little to no hope of Curry getting that fifth ring with the roster currently surrounding him.

“If people knew the cold calls I made offering a lot of stuff for players, I think they’d realize how hard we’re trying,” Dunleavy said. “We’re super aggressive.”

Golden State missed out on Giannis, lost the LeBron sweepstakes and reportedly didn’t try for Brown. Many of the calls Dunleavy made were about players who ended up not being moved.

The end result was the same: Curry enters his age-38 season with the same supporting cast that lost in the play-in to the Suns, who went on to be unceremoniously swept by the Thunder.

The Warriors re-signed Kristaps Porzingis. Re-signed Al Horford. Re-signed De’Anthony Melton. Re-signed Gary Payton. Re-signed Green. Drafted Lendeborg. Let Quinten Post walk.

“We had to make a decision between talent and availability,” Dunleavy said. “There was no perfect solution in terms of the combination of the two. I think we leaned a little more toward talent … and hope that we can get some good luck, but also improving some areas medically.”

That’s placing a lot of eggs in the baskets of the health of Porzingis and Horford, who combined to play 60 games for the Warriors last season. Even Curry, while still at the top of his game, is hardly a bastion of health. He was limited to only 43 games last year with a knee issue that Dunleavy described as “delicate” and “something we have to be mindful of.”

Still, Dunleavy said “I see a path” to a championship with the roster as currently constructed. But he added, “We need to get healthy. We need to stay healthy. And then we need to evaluate and see where we’re at. And if we need to get better, I know we can get better.”

Dunleavy indicated that the Warriors will be active in their attempts to improve the roster during the season. Just like this summer. They’d better hope for different results.

If Curry was any other superstar—LeBron, for one example—he would either already be out the door or at least putting immense pressure on Dunleavy to do more.

That’s typically how it goes in the NBA. But that’s not Curry, who has expressed a desire to play for only one team, unlike James, who will suit up for his fourth franchise this season.

Curry is under contract for one more season, at $62.8 million.

Dunleavy expects a deal to get done when Curry is eligible for another extension later this month. He hasn’t heard anything to indicate otherwise from the superstar’s camp.

But did he also speak the unthinkable into existence?

“I’m pretty confident Steph will finish his career here,” Dunleavy said. “But ultimately that’s his call, his decision. 

“Look, if he comes to me and wants to be moved, Joe [Lacob] and I will talk it through. We wouldn’t love it, but he’s earned the right to be where he wants and do those things. But as far as the messaging or any idea that he would be anywhere else, that’s not a thing we’re looking at or he’s looking at.”

For just the second time in six seasons, the Phoenix Suns will not be playing on Christmas. After trading Kevin Durant and buying out Bradley Beal during the 2025 offseason and once again being projected to go under .500 by the sportsbooks, Phoenix will not be one of the ten teams suiting up on the holiday for the second straight season.

The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25) for the 19th consecutive year, with ABC and ESPN both televising each matchup.

Highlights include the first meeting between the Knicks and Spurs since the 2026 NBA Finals, as well as new 76er LeBron James’ return… pic.twitter.com/CgWdaaFJXN

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 11, 2026

The premier holiday teams play on during the regular season, Phoenix is 13-9 all-time on Christmas, and in their four straight years playing on December 25th from 2021-2024, the Suns went 1-3 with their lone victory coming back in 2024 when Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant combined for 54 points to beat the Denver Nuggets 110-100.

Once Durant was traded and the Suns’ national spotlight dwindled, it was inevitable the team would not be playing on the holiday as often. It’s now been two seasons since Phoenix played on Christmas, and now Durant and Houston are not playing on the holiday as well, as Houston finished last season fifth in the West and lost in the first round to the Lakers. With the emergence of the San Antonio Spurs and a poor season, Houston’s status as a top team in the NBA has diminished, and they are not playing on the holiday despite employing the former Phoenix Suns superstar.

Suns fans will have to wait at least one more year to watch their team on the holiday again.

Just because LeBron James is eating Tastykakes and Wawa sandwiches in the City of Brotherly Love this season, that doesn’t mean the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t still the Golden State Warriors’ biggest rival. The NBA agreed, sending the Dubs down to Los Angeles to open their 2026-27 season against Luka Donic, Austin Reaves, and a revamped Lakers team.

STEPH. LUKA. MUST-SEE TV. 🤩

Stephen Curry and the Warriors meet Luka Dončić and the new-look Lakers in a marquee California showdown during Opening Week of the 2026-27 NBA season!

📅 Wednesday, October 21 on ESPN pic.twitter.com/kU4Sp8VBbG

— NBA (@NBA) August 11, 2026

Lakers-Warriors remains a “marquee” matchup for the NBA, so the clash at the Crypto.com Arena will headline ESPN’s doubleheader on the second night of the season, following Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first game as a member of the Miami Heat and LaMelo Ball, who drives like a Floridian, playing his first game with the Minnesota Timberwolves. It’s the second season in a row for this matchup and the fourth time in the last six years the Warriors have opened the season against the Lakers.

The Warriors battled Doncic and Reaves separately in the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. It’s been entertaining viewing, especially since Doncic is one of the rare NBA players who yells at the referees more than Draymond Green. The Lakers have a big group of new players for 2026-27, including:

• Walker Kessler
• Sandro Mamukelashvili
• Quentin Grimes
• Collin Sexton
• Kevon Looney
• Jaden Hardy
• Matisse Thybulle
• Cameron Carr

They lost

• LeBron James
• Rui Hachimura
• Marcus Smart
• Luke Kennard
• Deandre Ayton
• Jaxson Hayes

They’re also rumored to be interested in adding Jonathan Kuminga, a transaction that will no doubt be perfectly reasonable and easy to complete with his realistic and understanding agent. But Looney should get a lot of hugs, daps, congratulations for escaping the New Orleans Pelicans, and offensive rebounds where he doesn’t jump more than two inches off the ground.

That’s quite a bit of roster turnover, so the Warriors should have a marked advantage in continuity, veteran leadership, Social Security accruals, folksy sayings, ability to whittle, and slipperiness from Ben-Gay cream.

Another Warriors’ California rival will host the Dubs for their home opener as well. The Warriors will head up Interstate 80 to the Golden 1 Center on Oct. 24 for the beginning of the Darius Acuff Era in Sacramento, which Sacramento Kings fans also hope will mark the beginning of the end of the Zach LaVine Era in Sacramento.They’ll either be lighting the beam or lighting themselves on fire in the capital!

The Warriors are opening the season against the Lakers. The world changes, but some things stay the same every year.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic’s generous offer to his teammates is being copied by one of the star’s biggest rivals.

At the end of July, news broke that Doncic was hosting the entire Lakers’ roster in Slovenia for a four-day minicamp. Not only was he inviting them to his home country, but he was also paying for all of their flights to and from Europe.

This was seen as a praiseworthy act of leadership from the Lakers’ best player, even though these flights will barely even register in Doncic’s bank account, given that he’s making nearly $50 million this upcoming season.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is making $49 million in this upcoming season. And he seems to have taken inspiration from Doncic’s flight-booking act, as news broke on Monday that Edwards (and his new teammate LaMelo Ball) have offered to pay for their teammates’ flights to Paris for a team workout overseas.

It appears that Minnesota is trying to create camaraderie with their new-look roster that includes Ball. And they chose Paris as their workout location in part because their French star center, Rudy Gobert, lives there in the offseason.

Doncic and Edwards have had many great battles on the court together. And now they seem to be competing when it comes to treating their teammates to nice flights.

It would be fun to find out which of these two ended up paying more for their teammates’ flights. Then again, Edwards had Ball to help foot the bill while Doncic did so on his own.

That seems like another win for the Lakers guard.

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You'd better finish opening your presents quickly because the NBA is bringing the heat early on Christmas Day, with the New York Knicks hosting the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden at noon ET in an NBA Finals rematch.

I had a strong stance on this matchup during the NBA Finals, and it hasn't changed. Let's dive into my early NBA picks for a loaded slate on Friday, Dec. 25.

NBA Christmas Day predictions

The NBA delivered an incredible Christmas Day slate, starting with an NBA Finals rematch before LeBron James returns to Los Angeles to face Luka Doncic as a 76er. 

And while some questioned Golden State's inclusion, Stephen Curry vs. Nikola Jokic as the nightcap is the perfect way to end Christmas Day.

Spurs vs Knicks (12 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)

Spurs vs Knicks opening odds

Spurs vs Knicks early pick: Knicks -1.5

em-105 at DraftKings/em

The New York Knicks have the matchup advantage against the San Antonio Spurs, just as they did in the NBA Finals, so I'm backing them again on Christmas Day. 

Karl-Anthony Towns' spacing and the starting five's shooting limit Victor Wembanyama's ability to roam defensively. As long as nobody gifts De'Aaron Fox a jumper, New York should cover.

Heat vs Celtics (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)

Heat vs Celtics opening odds

Heat vs Celtics early pick: Celtics -5.5 

em-110 at DraftKings/em

The Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat matchup is fascinating with Giannis Antetokounmpo now in South Beach.

Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo give the Heat one of the NBA's most imposing interior defenses, but that strength doesn't align with Boston's Mazzulla-ball offense, which is built around bombing away from three rather than attacking the paint.

Give me the Celtics -5.5.

76ers vs Lakers (5 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)

76ers vs Lakers opening odds

76ers vs Lakers early pick: 76ers +1.5 

em-115 at DraftKings/em

I'm shocked to see the Philadelphia 76ers as underdogs. I wasn't a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers' free-agent moves, and by Christmas Day, Philadelphia should have plenty of games under its belt to establish roles and usage.

Jaylen Brown was a nightmare for Luka Doncic at the point of attack in the NBA Finals, and I expect more of the same.

Take the Sixers at +1.5.

Thunder vs Timberwolves (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)

Thunder vs Timberwolves opening odds

Thunder vs Timberwolves early pick: Timberwolves +3.5

em-105 at DraftKings/em

The Oklahoma City Thunder lost Lu Dort this offseason, a physical defender who has given Anthony Edwards problems in the past as his primary defender.

Not only did the Thunder lose perimeter depth, but the Minnesota Timberwolves added a major creator in LaMelo Ball. 

That matters here because the Wolves have often forced the ball to Edwards against the Thunder in matchups that aren't favorable for him. Ball can handle the Thunder's pressure and create open looks for the Wolves' secondary scorers. 

Nuggets vs Warriors (10:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN)

Nuggets vs Warriors opening odds

Nuggets vs Warriors early pick: Nuggets -3.5

em-110 at DraftKings/em

I personally have high hopes for the Denver Nuggets next season. I think they caught a ton of bad breaks last season, as they had a hard time integrating Cam Johnson into the offense, while Aaron Gordon missed a ton of time with an injury.

When healthy, this is one of the best starting fives in the NBA. The Golden State Warriors feel like a deflated team heading into next season after missing out on LeBron.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The biggest date on the NBA calendar, at least in the first half of the season, is undoubtedly Christmas Day.

And on Tuesday, Aug. 11, the league revealed the games that will be played December 25. The league historically preserves its best matchups and rivalries, offering a five-game slate that highlights some of the game’s biggest stars. LeBron James has been a fixture. So have Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokić, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and others.

This time, however, things will be a little different, as James will be playing for his fourth different team, the Philadelphia 76ers. Interestingly, their opponent on Christmas happens to be the team where his son and former teammate, Bronny James, plays.

Here’s a ranking of the 2026 Christmas Day NBA games, from worst to first:

MORE: Ranking NBA opening week national TV games from worst to first

NOTE: All games on ABC and ESPN and all times Eastern.

5. Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors

Game time: 10:30 p.m.

Stephen Curry has been a fixture on Christmas Day, but this feels more like a nod to past performance and what has worked in the past. The Warriors, with their age, injury concerns and lack of offseason additions, may struggle to compete this season in the West. Christmas Day can be an opportunity for the league to introduce casual fans to some of the game’s upcoming stars; think of Victor Wembanyama in 2024 at 20 years old, dropping 42 points at Madison Square Garden in a close loss. This felt like a missed opportunity to pass the torch.

4. Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers

Game time: 5 p.m.

The storyline is there: LeBron James is making his return to Los Angeles and will face off against Luka Dončić and the Lakers, presumably for the first time since he signed with the 76ers. His son, Bronny James may play, which would mark the first time a father and son have been opponents in the same game in NBA history. Yet, though James delivered a championship to Los Angeles, fans never held him in the same regard as franchise icons like Magic or Kobe or Shaquille. It should make for compelling theater but there are better basketball matchups out there.

3. Miami Heat at Boston Celtics

Game time: 2:30 p.m.

This was an excellent Eastern Conference rivalry in the early 2020s that lost its luster after Miami languished in recent seasons. The addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat should revive it. Both these teams are gritty and they’ll have contrasting styles; the Heat will look to push pace in transition, while the Celtics slow things down and launch 3s. They’re also superb on defense. This could end up being a low-scoring game more reminiscent of the early 2000s, but that should be taken as a high compliment.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves

Game time: 8 p.m

The Thunder may very well be the best team in the NBA, when fully healthy. And though they lost some key players like Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Joe, they remain deep and talented. The Timberwolves are intriguing because they took a risk in adding LaMelo Ball to give Anthony Edwards another ball handler and shot creator. The Thunder have been the best defensive team each of the last two seasons. What a way to test this new Minnesota offense.

1. San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks

Game time: 12 p.m.

It’s the early game but make no mistake: this should give us the best basketball. You have Wembanyama going back to the Garden, where fans will surely try to make him uncomfortable. You have a Spurs team that is presumably bothered about the way they closed out the NBA Finals. And you have the newly-crowned Knicks trying to prove that they were no fluke. And, if it happens to go down to the wire, expect fireworks because this Knicks team has shown it is no stranger to a good comeback.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking 2026 NBA Christmas games: Where does LeBron vs. Bronny James land?

After carving out Mt. Rushmores for the floor generals and bucket-getters, it is time to move into the paint. The point guards gave the Knicks flash, tempo, and leadership. At the same time, the shooting guards and small forwards provided sheer scoring. However, if you truly want to understand New York Basketball’s DNA, you must look down low. It all starts with the power forward.

To put it simply, the small forwards gave New York the baskets, but the power forwards dished out the bruises.

As Knicks fans, we have grown accustomed to our bigs playing like bouncers at the MSG doors. If your blood isn’t blue and orange and you’re unwilling to dive headfirst into the hardwood or take a few borderline-flagrant fouls for the franchise, you do not belong. The 4-spot in Knicks history is a blend of legendary enforcers, championship glue guys, and offensive engines that pulled the organization out of the mud.

Leaving a few beloved fan favorites off the rock was tough. However, if we are talking about sustained greatness, hardware, and impact, these four names stand all on their own.

Harry “The Horse” Gallatin

To truly understand Knicks history, we have to respect those who poured the foundation. Long before Charles Oakley was throwing elbows, there was Harry Gallatin. “The Horse” was New York’s original iron man, playing 610 consecutive games through the grit and grind of 50s basketball.

A certified Hall of Famer, Gallatin was a seven-time All-Star as a Knick and earned an All-NBA First Team selection in 1954. An absolute terror on the glass, he set a franchise record with 33 rebounds in a single game against the Fort Wayne Pistons. Though he now shares the accolade with Willis Reed, the record still holds today.

The original blueprint for a tough, blue-collar big man, Gallatin proved you could dominate the paint with sheer willpower, a relentless motor, and refusing to be outworked by anyone. In building a mountain representing what it means to play power forward in New York, we have to start with the individual who defined the position. Without “The Horse” laying down the law in the 50s, there is no Oakley of the 90s. A true pioneer, Henry Gallatin deserves a place on our Rushmore.

Dave DeBusschere

The story of New York’s two 70s championships cannot be told without discussing Dave DeBusschere. When Red Holzman and the Knicks front office acquired him for Walt Bellamy during the 1968-69 season, they were receiving the missing piece. That single transaction transformed the team from a fun and highly competitive group to a legendary one that would ingrain itself into the NBA’s history book.

The hardware speaks for itself. During his time in New York, DeBusschere was a six-time All-Star and made the All-Defensive First Team for six consecutive years. Oh, and of course there were the two NBA Championships in 1970 and 1973.

The ultimate glue guy, DeBusschere executed his role on a superstar level. Every game, Holzman tasked him with guarding the opposition’s best frontcourt player. Whether it was battling Elvin Hayes or Wilt Chamberlain, he absorbed physical punishment so Willis Reed didn’t have to. He grabbed heavily contested rebounds, sparked fast-break opportunities, and confidently knocked down open jumpers. A rugged player with a high basketball IQ, DeBusschere was an absolute winner and is the anchor of this mountain. If you try to argue against it, you are just flat-out wrong.

Charles Oakley

For a decade, Charles Oakley provided pure terror in the paint. Not only a player for New York in the 90s, but he was also the Knicks’ bodyguard. Under Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy, Oakley became the physical embodiment of an era that defined a generation of fans.

Statistics back up the intimidation. Pulling down over 12,000 career rebounds, he earned one All-Star appearance in ’94 and was also named to the All-Defensive First Team. An absolute machine that never took a night off, Oakley demonstrated his durability during that ’94 Finals run, starting in all 82 regular-season games and a record-setting 25 playoff games.

His silky-smooth midrange jumper from the baseline will also have a place in our memories, but Oakley’s real legacy lived in his ability to play enforcer. If you planned on driving the lane, you had to prepare to pay a steep price. He consistently had his teammates’ backs through every brawl, hard foul, and intense series against the Bulls, Heat, and Pacers. When you picture a Knicks power forward, you picture #34 as the team’s beating heart, ripping down rebounds in traffic.

(1992) Dennis Rodman gets clobbered by Charles Oakley and then shoved by Patrick Ewing.

No easy buckets. pic.twitter.com/8csKDsIW9y

— Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) August 3, 2018

Julius Randle

This is where I start getting yelled at.

Julius Randle is undeniably a polarizing figure in Knicks basketball. But we have to take a step back for a second and recognize what he actually accomplished in New York. Before Jalen Brunson ascended to basketball immortality and provided us with our modern championship window, Randle pulled the franchise out of a two-decade joke.

The resume is quite staggering. Consistently providing 20-point, 10-rebound, 4-assist production, he made multiple All-NBA and All-Star selections while also winning the 2020-21 Most Improved Player award. Think about the dark ages of the 2010’s filled with characters such as Alexey Shved and Lou Amundson. Randle put the entire city on his back and took the Knicks out of that disaster, breaking the 7-year playoff drought and bringing New York back to relevancy.

Yes, the body language was frustrating when things didn’t go his way. Yes, the playoff shooting slumps were infuriating. But you cannot deny Randle’s talent and the heavy lifting he did for this franchise. He arrived in New York when the organization was a complete laughingstock and built a culture of accountability, toughness, and winning. Whether you like it or not, Julius Randle helped get this new championship era in motion and deserves a spot on our Power Forward Mt. Rushmore.

So there it is. The official Knicks Power Forward Mt. Rushmore includes the pioneer in Gallatin, the champion in DeBusschere, the enforcer in Oakley, and the catalyst in Randle. It is a perfectly balanced representation of what it means to play the 4-spot in New York City.

Now it’s your turn. To me, Gallatin, DeBusschere, and Oakley are complete locks. But how off-base was I including Randle on the rock? Let me know who makes your top four in the comments below.

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The NBA has announced its Opening Night schedule, and it did not disappoint. 

LeBron James makes his Philadelphia 76ers debut on ring night at Madison Square Garden, while several other marquee matchups round out a loaded three-game slate in my early NBA picks for Tuesday, Oct. 20.

NBA Opening Night predictions

The Celtics begin a new era led by Jayson Tatum. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown and LeBron James make their 76ers debuts, the Knicks raise their championship banner, and the nightcap features the two teams with the shortest NBA Finals odds. 

How's that for an opening night?

Celtics vs Pistons (3 p.m. ET, NBC)

Celtics vs Pistons opening odds

Celtics vs Pistons early pick: Celtics +2.5

em-115 at DraftKings/em

I'll gladly take the Boston Celtics as an underdog against the Detroit Pistons. The Jaylen Brown-for-Paul George trade raised eyebrows, but this matchup shows its value.

George gives Boston another versatile perimeter defender who can switch onto Cade Cunningham and hold his own, even if Detroit uses actions to get Derrick White off Cunningham. 

76ers vs Knicks (7 p.m. ET, NBC)

76ers vs Knicks opening odds

76ers vs Knicks early pick: Knicks -4.5

em-110 at DraftKings/em

The Philadelphia 76ers are stacked and rightfully among the favorites to win it all, but I'm not backing them on opening night. 

Too many high-usage players need to mesh, while the New York Knicks bring continuity and familiarity — which is exactly what helped them win the title.

Thunder vs Spurs (9:30 p.m. ET, NBC)

Thunder vs Spurs opening odds

Thunder vs Spurs early pick: Spurs -1.5

em-110 at DraftKings/em

The San Antonio Spurs are a brutal matchup for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and nothing this offseason changed my mind. 

If anything, San Antonio widened the gap by adding Tobias Harris for depth, while Oklahoma City had to sacrifice key role players like Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort, and Aaron Wiggins to create cap space.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Adam Silver and Co., we tip our hat to you. 

The schedule for opening night and Christmas were released Tuesday and there’s no shortage of juicy storylines to anticipate while we’re stuck in the doldrums of August. 

Here are our seven takeaways from the first batch of games that have been posted. 

1. Heck yes on LeBron James and the 76ers vs. the Knicks on opening night

It’s the greatest team in the league versus one of the greatest players of all-time. It’s James facing the team he would’ve joined in free agency if they hadn’t won a championship. It’s the Knicks receiving their rings in front of James, who moved across the country from his family in pursuit of his fifth title in his unprecedented 24th NBA season. 

It’s the face of the league versus a guy who had to claw his way into the national consciousness in Jalen Bruson. It’s the team atop the mountain versus the team with the best chances of usurping their spot. It’s a team that oozes chemistry versus a team that’s desperate to build it.

It’s Madison Square Garden. It’s New York. It’s…why do we have to wait so long for this?

2. A conspicuous absence on opening night 

Opening night features the following slate: Celtics vs. Pistons, Knicks vs. 76ers and Thunder vs. Spurs. 

There’s a notable omission, eh? 

The Lakers have played on opening night seven straight years before James left in free agency this summer. That speaks volumes about James’ star power. The 17-time championship Lakers are the darlings of the league, sitting in one of the biggest media markets. They have Luka Doncic, who finished fourth in MVP voting last season. But without James, none of that mattered. They didn’t secure one of the league’s most coveted windows. 

3. Thunder vs. Spurs should be fun

Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs left us stunned when they eliminated the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals in a thrilling seven-game series. The Thunder were the reigning champions at the time. They had reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. No one expected the Spurs to rise that quickly. 

The joke’s on us. 

Wembanyama has proven that the league is his for the taking. He’s only 22. He’s already smashing through glass ceilings. This will be Gilgeous-Alexander’s turn to respond. 

4. Lakers fans better give LeBron the love he deserves on Christmas

LeBron James will play the Lakers on Christmas, the team with which he spent the longest consecutive stretch of his career in eight seasons.

James put the Lakers back on the map. He snapped a six-season playoff drought. He led them to their first championship in 10 years in 2020. He carried them to two Western Conference Finals appearances. 

This will be Lakers fans’ chance to show him their appreciation. 

While it’s clear they never connected with James on the same level as superstars who spent their entire careers in Los Angeles, such as Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant, James made the franchise relevant again. This will be their opportunity to thank him. 

5. Here’s to guessing Wembanyama plays out of his mind against the Knicks

The anguish was painted all over Wembanyama’s face after his Spurs were eliminated by the Knicks in the Finals. The Spurs blew too many fourth quarter leads. They made too many critical mistakes down the stretch. 

One can only imagine how many times Game 4 has played through his head, you know, when the Spurs squandered a 29-point lead to fall to the Knicks, 107-106. 

Wembanyama has vowed to be better. He has acknowledged he has a lot to learn. When he plays the Knicks next, watch out. It’s no secret how much he wants this. He deeply cares. He’s going to be out for a vengeance.

6. There’s a “what if’ with the Warriors

The Warriors aren’t playing on opening night for the second time since 2019. Steph Curry is the greatest shooter of all time and even though he’s turning 39 next season, he’s still one of the best players in the league. 

So why isn’t the league’s modern day dynasty playing on that coveted day?

It’s clear they’re not championship contenders. Now, if James had gone to the Warriors, things would’ve been very different. Curry and James would’ve been must-watch television, regardless of whether they were competing in June. They won a gold medal together at the 2024 Olympic Games, with James winning MVP of the tournament and Curry stealing the show in the final few games. If they had teamed up again, it would’ve meant an entire season of wide grins and shimmies and incredible basketball. 

It’s hard not to think…what if. 

7.  Glad we get to watch Ant on Christmas

Sure, Gilgeous-Alexander is the MVP. And Wembanyama is the future face of the league. But Anthony Edwards has something else going for him. 

He’s the most charismatic guy in the NBA. 

Edwards and his Timberwolves will play the Thunder on Christmas. That means we get to spend the holiday watching one of the most fun guys in the league. Edwards isn’t only a thrilling scorer, he’s a Class 1A trash talker.

Gilgeous-Alexander likes to let his game do the talking.

Let the fun begin. 

They’ll be stocking the luxury suites and personal wine cellars of the Chase Center with milk and cookies again this year. For the 14th season in a row, Steph Curry and Draymond Green will be working on Christmas Day, as the Golden State Warriors host Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the final game of the NBA’s annual December 25th basketball marathon.

NBA Christmas Day 2026 on ABC and ESPN:

– Spurs @ Knicks
– Heat @ Celtics
– 76ers @ Lakers
– Thunder @ Timberwolves
– Nuggets @ Warriors

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 11, 2026

The NBA generally tries to showcase the best possible matchups and its biggest stars for the annual event, and for over a decade, that’s meant Steph Curry and the Warriors. Curry himself is 5-7 on Christmas, averaging 18.1 points, though the Dubs have gone 3-0 in Curry-era games where the Baby-Faced Assassin sits.

The league almost always opens the holiday slate with a game at Madison Square Garden, a rare place where there’s a guaranteed rabid sellout crowd for a noon game on Christmas. This season, they’re making it an NBA Finals rematch, with the Knicks hosting Harrison “The Black Falcon” Barnes and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs. Tobias Harris fans are pumped!

The Boston Celtics host the Miami Heat in the next game, an intense rivalry that shouldn’t change even with Jaylen Brown gone and Giannis Antetokounmpo in South Beach. The annual LeBron James game has his new tea, the Philadelphia 76ers, visiting his old team, the Los Angeles Lakers, which could feature the first time an NBA player even dunks on his own son!

Just kidding, Bronny isn’t going to play.

Then two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Minnesota Timberwolves in what could be a fun rivalry game but is also slated in the East Coast dinner/West Coast nap slot, traditionally the place reserved for the small-market yuletide game.

Why does Curry underperform on Santa’s big day, scoring 6.7 points below his career averages? It might be the level of competition, as the Warriors tend to be matched up against other powerhouses on the holiday. It could be that Curry tires himself out wrapping presents for four children, not to mention whatever he gets for Ayesha, Dell, Sonia, Sydel, Damion Lee, David Lee, Kent Bazemore, Gary Payton II, Doc Rivers, Mark Jackson, and the rest of the extended Curry clan. Or perhaps it’s the crushing disappointment of knowing that his annual Christmas wish of the Warriors getting him help is once again not going to come true.

We like to think that Curry simply gets too excited about the holiday, finding it hard to fall asleep or snooze past dawn, and thus plays sleep-deprived every Christmas. By contrast, Dec. 25 happens long after the horse racing season ends, so Nikola Jokic won’t be distracted at all by his true favorite sport. And Canadian Jamal Murray should be a calm, cool, and collected since he’s more pumped about all the Boxing Day hockey waiting for him the next day.

Nuggets! Warriors! Christmas! Don’t fall into a turkey coma before it’s over!

We’re deep in the offseason and, well … the Golden State Warriors still really haven’t done anything. Seems like a good time for a mailbag. The community had some great questions!

Warriorrallis:
How to save the NBA

I ain’t streaming sporting events so likely a mute point as my sports fandom is likely nearing its end

On court/screen animation is annoying as hell

The kersey’s are going the way of NASCAR

The NBA, like NASCAR, is in a fantastic place economically. The jersey patches are ugly, the court advertisements are distracting, and it’s infuriating that you have to subscribe to 17 different streaming platforms to watch every game. But the sport is reaching more fans than ever before and making more money than ever before. I don’t think it’s particularly in need of saving, even if it’s at times frustrating.

NorthStateWarrior530:
Is this roster better than their record last season would suggest?

Talent wise, absolutely. There’s no way that you can look at a team with Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler III, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porziņģis, and a solid bench, with Steve Kerr coaching it, and think the true talent level is 37 wins. But the annual question with the Warriors is: how healthy can they be to actualize the talent that’s on the roster?

If the question is, “Will they win more games than last year?” then I’m still saying “yes,” though. Sure, Butler and Moses Moody are going to play fewer games this season than last, but they’ll have a full season of Porziņģis, and even with his many health issues, he should far exceed the 15 games he played with Golden State a year ago. More importantly, Curry should play more than 43 games this year … and, as a reminder, the team went 24-19 when Curry played last year, and 13-26 when he didn’t.

So yeah. Even with Butler’s injury, I think this roster is better than a 37-45 team … there are just abounding questions about actualizing that.

NorthStateWarrior530:
Is 2nd place in the Pacific Division a realistic expectation? With the Clippers clearly sinking to the bottom and the Kings with their general ineptitude, it’s really a 3-way race to the top of the Pacific Division between the Suns, Warriors, and Lakers. I imagine the Lakers will be at the top, but is Bridges really that much of a difference maker for the Suns?

Perhaps this is me being overly semantic, but I would change the word “expectation” to “goal.” The Lakers, Suns, and Warriors could shake out in any combination, and heck, the Clippers could even get into that group depending on how the Kawhi Leonard situation shakes out.

I’m skeptical that Miles Bridges will make a big difference on the Suns (other than making them the easiest team in the league to hate), but Phoenix did win eight more games than the Dubs last season. The goal should be to finish ahead of the Suns — and maybe even the Lakers, depending on how the post-LeBron era goes — but I’m not sure if it’s an expectation, per se. It should be close, though. I would predict Golden State to finish second, but I’m always a little higher on the Warriors than I should be.

ScottWarrior:
1. where do you think JK will end up next season and for how much?
2. Given the Warriors admitted not really contending, just playing hard and with dignity, do you think it is safe to assume they are not going to do any trades during the season?
3. What two teams in the East are you looking forward to see playing against each other next season?
4. What Warriors player will be discussed the most on this blog next season?

Thank you for your answers. Feel free to answer as few or as many as you want, but if other people don’t have much to ask, I may get lucky to see all my questions answered.

I always appreciate the great questions, ScottWarrior! Let’s take them in order…

I think Jonathan Kuminga ends up on the Lakers. That’s where the bulk of the smoke has been, and I tend to believe that, more often than not, things get resolved where the smoke is wafting. Especially since there aren’t exactly teams lining up to sign JK. The Lakers also make the most sense, both for the team and for Kuminga. From LA’s standpoint, they’re in desperate need of athleticism and someone who can replace Rui Hachimura; from Kuminga’s standpoint, there’s a clear opening in the starting lineup and limited options on the bench, meaning he has an avenue towards the playing time he covets.

The biggest hold up has been, as it was last year, a disagreement between Kuminga’s camp and the rest of the basketball world with regards to what he’s worth. Last year Kuminga and his agent held out and won that disagreement, due to Golden State’s unique situation. This year? I don’t think they win, and will have to settle for a modest contract.

One of the big issues, though, is that the Lakers don’t have the cap space to sign Kuminga outright, and would likely have to execute a sign-and-trade. But sign-and-trades have to be for a minimum of three years. It’s a little hard to imagine anyone agreeing with Kuminga on what a fair value over the life of a three-year deal would be. So I’d expect something in the $8-12 million annually range, with opt-outs so that Kuminga can once again test a market that his agent seems eternally convinced will materialize.

As for your second question, Golden State’s openness to making a midseason trade will, I think, depend on two huge facters: how they’re playing, and who is available. The Dubs are open about not being a contending team right now, but getting back to contention as quickly as possible is always the goal. They might be content to go into the season aiming for the back end of the playoffs (what other option do they have?), but they’re not giving up on contending while Curry and Butler are still around.

If the Warriors overachieve and are comfortably above .500 in January as they prepare for Butler’s return, then they’ll be hitting the trade market hard. If a disgruntled star becomes available, they’ll make a run … as they did for LeBron James, and Kevin Durant, and LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James. But I certainly wouldn’t expect any notable trades.

Great question about Eastern Conference matchups. From a theatrical standpoint, the Philadelphia 76ers vs. the Boston Celtics will be the most must-watch games of the season. Two of the best teams in the East, already rivals, both fully revamped for a contending year, and you add in the Jaylen Brown storyline? Might as well get Netfliux there for the documentary.

From a pure basketball standpoint, though, I think I’m most curious about watching the Sixers face the Miami Heat. Seeing how those teams match up against each other is going to be absolutely fascinating, if we’re ever lucky enough to watch them play when everyone is healthy.

And finally, the player that will be discussed most on Golden State of Mind this year: Brandin Podziemski. Between the inconsistent play, the personality that has stans and haters alike, and the large payday that he is coveting (and likely to receive), there will be no shortage of talking points for Podz this year. The discourse will run wild!

greg156:
do you see curry, green or even klay embracing a ginobili-type future (2027-28+) where they sign for peanuts, come off the bench, play 15-20’ and help the team go forward?

Klay yes, Draymond maybe, Steph no.

It’s taken a while for Klay Thompson to get there … his final year with the Warriors was awkward, as was his first with the Mavericks. But last year he started to embrace a smaller role. He started just eight games, and played fewer than 22 minutes per night. His performance, admittedly, was quite poor, but his attitude wasn’t. Klay is the epitome of a basketball lover: every chance he gets, he gushes about how much he loves to play basketball. It’s all he wants to do.

There’s a stark contrast there between he and the other two. Green and Curry have wives, kids, and countless ventures outside of basketball. Klay? He’s basketball first, second, and, now that Rocco is sadly no longer with us, third. There aren’t many players in sports who have made the type of money and amassed the type of accolades that these three have, who still want to squeeze every last drop of basketball out of their life that they can … but I suspect Klay is one of them. He’s the guy who’s still going to be playing pickup at 60. If there’s a ball and a court, he’s lacing up his Antas and hooping … and if someone’s willing to pay him some money to do it, all the better.

Green is a maybe because he’s already trending towards that role. During the brief period where it looked like Kuminga was breaking out, Draymond embraced a bench role. A dip in minutes is not going to come without a few fights with Kerr, but Green is pretty aware of his limitations. I don’t think he’s going to hold on for as long as he can, but he’s enough of a team player to take a smaller role if it means getting to keep competing, especially with Curry.

As for Steph? I just don’t see it. He’s climbed too high on the mountain to have any interest in the view from basecamp. It’s not easy to go from being arguably the best player in the league, and a top-10 all-time player, to someone who comes off the bench for 15-20 minutes. Even if the ego can handle it, the competitive juices often can’t.

And even setting that aside, Curry is a family man with numerous business ventures, more money than anyone will ever know what to do with, philanthropic foundations, and a potential career in golf awaiting him. He’s not gonna waste any years trying to hang on to a career that’s slipping away.

Hamster Ball:
1) There is a contingent of people who want to start the rebuild now vs just running it back each year. I don’t see Lacob trading Steph, unless Steph requests it. So, for fun, let’s say next year Steph signs for 4 million a year, just like LeBron did this year. What moves could the Warriors then do to make it a contending team?

2) Warrior fans are really spoiled. Most years, there is some sort of hope that the Dubs can do a deep run in the playoffs. However, this season, it is harder to come up with a reason to believe. The Dubs only won 37 games in a season where many teams were tanking and are running it back with an old squad. Give us a reason to believe in this team next year.

That hypothetical is fun! The Warriors would have basically no money on the books … Butler and Green will also have reached free agency, while Porziņģis’ deal is only partially guaranteed for $3 million. Golden State’s books will basically be Moody ($13.4 million), Yaxel Lendeborg ($6.4 million) and whatever Podziemski potentially signs for (if he does). So basically, in this hypothetical, the Warriors can throw a bag at absolutely anybody.

Which brings us to the critical part: who is available? Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić can both opt out of the final years of their deals, but, even if they do, it will likely be to sign an extension with their current teams. Those two would represent the surefire way to contention, but it seems deeply unlikely that they would sign with Golden State. Could they sign two players from the next bucket, which includes Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Paul George, and Karl-Anthony Towns (all but Leonard also have player options they’d have to opt out of)?

Probably the best way to get something done would be to have a poor season, get a decent draft pick, and trade a haul of picks + Podziemski for a star, and then sign one other high-caliber player. A lot easier said than done.

As for a reason to believe in the team next year, well … the biggest reason for belief is to look at how good they were at the end of the 2024-25 season. From the time that Butler debuted on February 8, 2025, until the end of the regular season, the Warriors were third in the NBA in both record (23-8) and garbage time adjusted net rating (+9.5), per Cleaning The Glass. They were second in the West in both cases, behind only the eventual champion Thunder. They beat the No. 2 seeded Rockets in the postseason and, had Curry not suffered an injury, likely would have made the Western Conference Finals.

That core is still here, and now they’ve added Porziņģis, with hopes that Lendeborg can be a difference-maker. The cold water, of course, is that Curry, Green, and Butler are all two years older, and Butler is no guarantee to be the same player post-ACL tear. But on paper, this team is more talented than one that spent two months being one of the three-best teams in the NBA. It will take a lot of things going right for that to materialize, but there’s something in there worth dreaming on.

FringyLooneyTic:
With his “runner’s knees,” do you think it is likely that Curry will make it to the playoffs this year? ALSO: Has everybody forgotten that Draymond Green suffered a lower back injury during the 2021-22 NBA season involving a herniated disc at his L5-S1 vertebrae levels, which irritated his sciatic nerve and caused severe calf weakness and leg pain? It seems quite likely that all this speculation about team-building is for naught, with players who are likely to NOT be available for a full season load.

Well, I don’t think you’re breaking any news here, FringyLooneyTic. Even if people have forgotten the specificity of Green’s injury during the championship run, no one is laboring under the disillusion that Green, Curry, Butler, Porziņģis, or Al Horford are young players with sterling health histories. The Warriors will almost surely have multiple players miss significant time this year. How much time — and which players — will answer your question about returning to the playoffs.

oaklandwarrior1:
What’s going on with Demar Derozan? Was he never a target for the Warriors even after the Lebron strike out? Is he too expensive? He seems to be just what we need – a secondary scoring threat.

DeMar DeRozan would definitely be a huge addition for the Warriors. He’s not exactly the prototypical Kerr-ball player — he scores mostly in isolation, isn’t a good three-point shooter, and isn’t much on the defensive side of the ball — but the Dubs are desperate for scoring, especially while Butler is sidelined.

That said, these things usually work very slowly. DeRozan is in no rush, because finances aren’t really an issue here. When players are bought out, they sign for either the minimum or whatever the amount they forfeited in the buyout is, which is always a small amount. Unlike other free agents, DeRozan isn’t trying to create a bidding war or needing to pounce on a team that has cap space. He can basically pick from any team that wants his services.

Which means the Warriors have to convince him to join them, which I’d guess they’ve started the groundwork for. But so often, these types of players wait until deep in the offseason, just in case something changes. If DeRozan has a team he’d like to play for but they don’t need him, it would behoove him to wait a month or so, in case that team has a player suffer a serious injury. I would guess that DeRozan is chasing an opportunity to compete for a championship, and thus will look at other teams before turning to the Dubs.

Cosmo4gsw:
How would you define a successful season for the Warriors?

I just want everyone to get along and have a good time. That seems successful enough to me.

Jokes aside, I think two things need to happen for the season to be successful: they need to be reasonably competitive, and they need to show signs that point to being even more competitive in 2027-28 when, critically, Curry, Green, and Butler will all be a year older … and, as things currently stand, headed for free agency.

On the competitive front, that means making the playoffs and having a competitive showing. I don’t think going 40-42, winning in the play-in tournament, and getting swept in the first round is a successful season. Being the fifth or sixth seed and having a competitive first-round series? Now we’re at least getting somewhere.

On the looking-forward front, that can occur in a few ways. The most straightforward path to envision is that Lendeborg looks like a slam dunk pick. Remember, once upon a time Klay Thompson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were No. 11 picks, too. The Warriors are expecting Lendeborg to be a quality role player, but if he’s a whole lot more? Well, that’s setting the table for future years.

It also could come from Podziemski taking a big step forward, or the team acquiring a star at the deadline. But those are the keys to success: put up a good fight this year, while leaving no doubt that next year will be even better.

Thanks for the really great questions, everyone!