Category: NBA

The NBA is out with its 2026-27 schedule and the Brooklyn Nets will open at Barclays Center on October 21 vs the Charlotte Hornets. Game Time: 7:30 p.m. ET. The two teams opened last season as well with the game in Charlotte.

Here’s the details…

There will be two nationally scheduled games, same as last year as well. The Nets will face the Timberwolves on November 23, the return of Julius Randle to the Twin Cities on Peacock and the Bulls in Brooklyn on January 20, Nic Claxton’s reunion. With two games, the Nets are one of five teams with the minimum number of nationally televised slots. The others are the Pelicans, Bucks, Grizzlies and Kings. By comparison, the Knicks, 76ers, Spurs and Lakers will have 34.

As noted Wednesday, the Nets Emirates Cup games will take place October 30 vs. the Pistons; November 20 vs. the Magic, both at home, and the Bucks November 25 and the Raptors on November 27, both away. (The Magic game will be the first time Nets newcomer Moe Wagner will face his brother Franz in the NBA.)

The Nets will face their crosstown rivals, the defending NBA champion Knicks, four times:

—November 2 at MSG

—December 27 at MSG

—February 1 at Barclays Center

—April 1 at Barclays Center.

Three of the four will be 7:30 p.m. starts with December 27, a Sunday game, starting at 6:00 p.m. ET.

Some hightlights of the schedule release:

• The opening 10 games will be brutal, featuring some of the league’s top teams. In addition to the aforementioned Knicks game at MSG on November 2, the Nets will face the Cavaliers with James Harden and Donovan Mitchell on October 24 in Cleveland; the Pacers with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton on October 25 at home, then again on November 1 in Indianapolis; the Celtics with Jayson Tatum and Paul George on October 27 in Boston and the Mavericks with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving on November 8 in Dallas.
• The 76ers with LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey will make their Brooklyn debut on November 16. Other superstars making their Brooklyn debut in new uniforms will include Ja Morant with the Trailblazers on December 21, Giannis Antetokounmpo with the Heat on January 7, Kawhi Leonard with the Raptors on January 23.
• Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) will play his only game in Brooklyn this season on December 23, Luka Doncic (Lakers) on February 4 and Steph Curry (Golden State) on March 29. Kevin Durant plays his only game on the Barclays Center court January 9.
• As for rookie clashes, Mikel Brown Jr., the No. 6 pick, will face off against Keaton Wagler of the Clippers, the No. 5 pick on January 29 and Darius Acuff of the Kings, the No. 7 pick on March 21. The overall No. 1 pick, A.J. Dybantsa, will first show up in Brooklyn with the Wizards on December 20.
• Brooklyn will host 15 of its home games on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday which includes four Sunday afternoon contests on December 13 and 20 and March 21 and 28.

The Nets will also play four preseason games from October 6 through 14. Only one of the four, vs. the Wizards on October 12 at Barclays Center.

• Brooklyn Nets Season Schedule – Brooklyn Nets
• Nets’ first look at ‘Aura Bros’ headlines brutal 2026-27 opening stretch ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News

The Philadelphia 76ers full regular season schedule for 2026-27 is out!

Earlier this week, a few key dates and matchups were announced by the NBA as a preview to the full schedule release. We learned that the Sixers will open their season on Oct. 20 at Madison Square Garden against the defending-champion New York Knicks and will host their home-opener on Oct. 22 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was also revealed that the Sixers will spend Christmas Day on the west coast with LeBron James and the squad visiting the Los Angeles Lakers that evening. Finally, we learned the Sixers’ NBA Cup group play schedule.

Now, we have the full picture, with the entire schedule below.

Here’s a few things that stand out immediately:

• The Sixers are a hot commodity for the league in 2026-27. They will feature in a maximum-allowed 34 nationally-televised games this season. Guess it comes with the territory of having Lebron James on your team.
• They will play in 13 back-to-backs throughout the season. Last year, they played in 16, tied with a handful of other teams for the highest in the league.
• Jaylen Brown will face off with Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics as a Sixer for the first time on Nov. 10 in South Philadelphia. Brown’s first game back at TD Garden as a member of the away team will not come until Jan. 21, 2027, which will be broadcast on Amazon Prime.
• Speaking of Prime, the Sixers will have 13 games this season that require paid streaming services to watch (Peacock, Amazon Prime).
• The Sixers’ annual west coast trip will take place around the Christmas holiday, including the aforementioned Christmas Day matchup visiting the Los Angeles Lakers. They will be on the road from Christmas Day through January 1st. Gotta get out of the way for Disney on Ice, people!
• Busiest months for the Sixers will be January and March, with 16 games in each.

This is a particularly exciting regular season schedule release with so much anticipation around the new-look Sixers in the wake of the additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. Not only that, but it’s also one of very few summers that Joel Embiid has not been recovering from some sort of major injury or surgery — and he’s looking slimmer to say the least! The prospect of that trio playing alongside Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and the improved bench unit has fans around the city as excited as they’ve been about the team in… quite some time.

Six months (at least) of Sixers basketball awaits! Here’s the breakdown of each month of the upcoming campaign:

OCTOBER: 7 games (4 home, 3 away)

NOVEMBER: 14 games (7 home, 7 away)

DECEMBER: 13 games (5 home, 7 away, *2 to be scheduled)

JANUARY: 16 games (9 home, 7 away)

FEBRUARY: 11 games (6 home, 5 away)

MARCH: 16 games (7 home, 9 away)

APRIL: 5 games (2 home, 3 away)

The Washington Wizards have released their 2026-27 regular season schedule.

The Washington Wizards’ 2026-27 schedule: pic.twitter.com/HAJ7nG9rEe

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) August 13, 2026

Washington opens the season at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.

The Wizards will play six national TV games, which exceeds the five they’ve played over the previous five seasons. The additions of Trae Young and Anthony Davis, plus the popularity of AJ Dybantsa, have made Washington a team to watch entering the 2026-27 campaign.

ESPN (1): @ BOS

NBC (2): vs. BOS, @ PHI

Prime Video (1): @ UTA

Peacock (2): @ DET, @ PHX

AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson will meet for the first time at 1 p.m. on Feb. 27 in Utah on Prime Video. The 2026 No. 1 and No. 2 selections will face off in Washington on March 6.

Washington will play four preseason games — two at home and two on the road.

10/8: @ New York Knicks

10/10: vs. Detroit Pistons

10/12: vs. Brooklyn Nets

10/16: @ New Orleans Pelicans

I released a full breakdown of the team’s schedule on the latest episode of The Wizards Podcast:

The title defense is on!

The NBA released the schedule for the 2026-27 regular season Thursday, as the Knicks, after ending a 53-year title drought, look to be greedy and become the league's first back-to-back champions in seven years.

The season, of course, will open with LeBron James and the new-look 76ers on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m., right after the Knicks raise their championship banner to the rafters at Madison Square Garden. That will be the first of the Knicks' 34 nationally televised games during the regular season.

Mike Brown's team will also play back-to-back games on 12 occasions.

Some other notable matchups include a visit to the Boston Celtics and old friend Mitchell Robinson for the second game of the season on Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. New York will go back to Boston on Jan. 13 before hosting the Celtics on March 14 and April 4.

The Knicks will face off against Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons in the season's fourth game of the season at MSG on Oct. 27. New York then travels to Detroit on Feb. 3 and Feb. 17 before hosting the Pistons in the season's penultimate game on April 9.

The Knicks, who also took home the NBA Cup, will open group play in that competition against Philadelphia on Oct. 30. As they look for back-to-back titles in that, they have an uphill climb in a group with the Sixers, Pacers (Nov. 13), Cavaliers (Nov. 25), and Heat (Nov. 27). The NBA Cup Knockout Rounds will begin on Dec. 4 and 5 with the semifinals on Dec. 8 and 9, before the cup is decided on Dec. 11.

Once again, New York will face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas Day at MSG for a 12 p.m. tip-off in an NBA Finals rematch. The Knicks will visit the Spurs on March 7, in the middle of a four-game road trip that will see them play in Dallas on March 4, and at the Clippers on March 10 and the Lakers on March 11. 

In other Western Conference matchups, the Knicks will be at Minnesota on Nov. 19 and host them on Jan. 18. 

Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets visit MSG on Jan. 11 after hosting the Knicks on Jan. 2.

Here's the rest of New York's 2026-27 schedule:

Knicks’ 2026-27 regular season schedule: pic.twitter.com/nfxwb0rvDy

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) August 13, 2026

Every NBA season is different.

The storylines and the games that matter are constantly changing. With the Lakers overhauling their roster this summer, now contests that might’ve been just one of 82 last year will be some of the biggest hyped matchups this season.

Now that the entire Lakers schedule has been released, here are the five games that are must-see TV.

Lakers vs. Sixers, Dec. 25

LeBron James has left the Lakers and taken his talents to Philadelphia. His first time back in Los Angeles playing for the other side will be cinematic. The hype video will be iconic, the cheers he’ll get from fans will be loud and the game itself should be very competitive.

James made it clear his decision this summer was all about winning another title. The implied jab at the Lakers is that he believes the Sixers give him a better chance at winning ring No. 5.

So, even if Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić have love and respect for LeBron, they’ll want to beat him and prove they are doing just fine. And the same will be true for James, even if neither side will admit it.

Lakers at Spurs, Nov. 27

If you want to win the Western Conference, then you’ll have to go through San Antonio.

So, anytime the Lakers take on the Spurs, the intensity is going to turn up a notch. These matchups will be the closest thing to playoff-level competition we’ll see during the regular season.

How Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler perform in this game will matter more than almost any other contest. Reaves has struggled against the top teams in the West, and Kessler is unproven, having played only for the tanking Jazz during his career.

That will change this year, as the Lakers will have plenty of high-stakes games. But arguably none more important than this one.

Lakers at Knicks, Jan. 30

Madison Square Garden is a magical arena, and LA’s sole trip to New York this year will be one to remember.

The defending champs will get everyone’s best shot this season, and the Lakers are no exception. The stars will certainly come out for this one, and hopefully, Luka and company can put on a show that results in a Lakers win on the road.

Lakers vs. Thunder, Jan. 26

This game is an opportunity for LA to do two things: see how they measure up against another elite Western Conference team and get some revenge for last year’s playoff sweep against the Thunder.

Sure, a regular-season win won’t make up for how things ended last season, but it’s a start.

Even the most optimistic Lakers fans have the Thunder in front of them in the NBA hierarchy, so winning these games would be huge.

Lakers vs. Celtics, Jan.7

This will be Kessler’s first Lakers-Celtics matchup, so this is a great chance for him to establish himself with the franchise by doing what the LA bigs before him have done by dominating against Boston.

Anytime the Lakers play the Celtics, there should be added animosity and an increased desire to win. Last year, the Lakers fell short of that with an embarrassing performance.

Hopefully, this season, they bring the appropriate energy and, more importantly, win.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

The 2026-2027 NBA schedule is out, and it’s filled with must-watch Celtics games. The season tips off on Tuesday, October 20th in Detroit, and concludes at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 11th.

In between those games are 80 regular-season games: 40 home, 40 away. 

The Celtics schedule is out! pic.twitter.com/SldKP3xwCw

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) August 13, 2026

Here are the five games that stand out most from the slate: 

1. January 21: The Jaylen Brown return game

The Celtics will host the Philadelphia 76ers for the first time since the Jaylen Brown trade. Brown will undoubtedly receive a very warm welcome from a TD Garden crowd that watched him lace up as a Celtic for the past 10 years. This game also doubles as the one game 

The one downside is that this game is taking place on the second night of a back-to-back for the Celtics – it would be a massive bummer if Jayson Tatum or any other key player sat for it. 

2. October 23rd: Knicks at Celtics

Just a few days after raising their championship banner, the Knicks will travel to Boston for the Celtics’ home opener. There’s a lot in this match-up: Boston opens up the regular season against the team that won the title last year, and Mitchell Robinson faces his former team for the first time. 

Plus, Celtics-Knicks has felt extra juicy since the 2025 playoffs, when New York eliminated Boston in six games in the second round of the playoffs. 

3. November 10th: Celtics at 76ers

Jaylen Brown will face his former team for the first time on November 10th, a few months before he makes his official return to the Garden. So, we very well could see him matching up against Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and the rest of the gang. 

This game, like the January match-up, is also on the first night of a back-to-back for Boston, so fingers crossed no major players are sidelined. It will also be the first time the Celtics face LeBron James in a 76ers uniform, and seek redemption against the squad they blew a 3-1 lead against in the first round of last year’s playoffs. 

4. December 25th: Celtics vs Heat on Christmas Day

After watching from the sidelines last year, the Celtics are back on the Christmas Day slate and will host the new-look Miami Heat. That will be a chance for fans to watch Giannis Antetokounmpo up close and personal, and envision what could have been, given the fact the team tried to trade for the Greek Freak this past offseason. There’s also the always-fun Celtics-Heat rivalry, which will live on as long as Pat Riley runs the show in Miami. 

5. October 20th: Opening Day in Detroit

I can’t lie: a 3pm tip-off on Tuesday afternoon against the Detroit Pistons is not the most thrilling way for the Celtics to start their regular season. But it’s the regular-season opener regardless, and it’s cool to see the Celtics among the six teams suiting up. Plus, after an extra-long and extra-tumultuous offseason, it will be interesting to see how this new-look squad fares against last year’s Eastern Conference top seed. 

The NBA offseason is a lull with the majority of signings and trades in the rearview window. Yet, this week brought hoops fans a bit of a reprieve with some news.

The league officially unveiled the full 2026-27 NBA schedule Thursday, August 13, after it had revealed its opening week slate, the Christmas Day matchups and other key dates earlier in the week.

That means that even though the start of the season remains a little more than two months away, NBA fans can start to circle dates on the calendar. And since stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo (Miami Heat), LeBron James (Philadelphia 76ers) and Jaylen Brown (76ers) moved teams, there will be plenty of intrigue around the big games of their new teams.

With the 2026-27 schedule officially dropping, here are the 10 NBA matchups we cannot wait to see:

NBA RELEASES 2026-27 SCHEDULE: See which teams take the spotlight this season

Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks

• Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. | NBC and Peacock

The defending champs host the winners of the offseason and newest contenders in the East. And it just so happens to be the second game of the triple-header that opens the regular season, when the Knicks will raise a championship banner for the first time in 53 years. LeBron James tends to have massive games in Madison Square Garden, though he figures to be more of a complementary player in Philadelphia. This gives fans the first opportunity to see what the Sixers offense will look like.

San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat

• Monday, Feb. 15, 2027 at 5 p.m. | NBC and Peacock

The matchups between Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been appointment viewing. Both respect each other, and both typically go all out when competing against each other. In the past, both Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo have sought out the matchup to guard the other. That has led to exceptional individual performances. This time, we get to see what it looks like with Antetokounmpo in Miami.

Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers

• Friday, Dec. 25, 2026 at 5 p.m. | ESPN/ABC

You knew LeBron James was going to play on Christmas Day; now he’ll get to do it in his first game back in Los Angeles, against his former team and his son, Bronny James. By all accounts, James’ departure from the Lakers was cordial and respectful. Despite that, there will clearly be an appetite to stick it to his former squad. Similarly, Luka Dončić and the Lakers – now under new ownership – will want to show they’re better off.

Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets

• Monday, Dec. 28, 2026 at 10:30 p.m. | NBC/Peacock

These two squads have met in the playoffs in three of the past four postseasons, and the series have not disappointed. They’ve been physical and chirpy; as a reminder, in late April, Nuggets star Nikola Jokić took exception to Jaden McDaniels’ layup in the closing seconds of a blowout Minnesota victory and confronted him. More good news here is that these teams play four times this season.

Golden State Warriors vs. Philadelphia 76ers

• Wednesday, March 24, 2027 at 10 p.m. (at Golden State) | ESPN
• Wednesday, March 31, 2027 at 7 p.m. (at Philadelphia) | ESPN

This matchup may have lost some of its luster as both players have continued to age, but it’s another chance to see LeBron James and Stephen Curry compete.

Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs

• Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026 at 9:30 p.m. | NBC/Peacock

After this series went seven games in the Western Conference finals in one of the more physical matchups in recent history, it’s always nice to renew what’s becoming a top rivalry in the league. It’s clear both these teams don’t like each other, as much as there is mutual respect. And after the upstart Spurs upset the Thunder to go to the NBA Finals, the Thunder presumably will come out of the gates with plenty to prove. It will also be interesting to see how a few new faces — Tobias Harrris on the Spurs and rookie Aday Mara on the Thunder, for example — alter the matchup.

Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics

• Thursday, Jan. 21, 2027 at 7:30 p.m. | Amazon Prime

Jaylen Brown will be making his first trip to Boston as a member of another team, so it will be interesting to see how fans receive him at the TD Garden. Brown was the 2024 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player and helped deliver a title to Boston, so it should be (mostly) warm. Brown said during his introductory press conference that he and Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who were teammates for nine seasons, hadn’t really spoken since Brown’s trade. It also gives Paul George a chance to go up against his former side.

Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks

• Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 at 7 p.m. | Amazon Prime

People, for the most part, are sleeping on the Pacers. Yet, with Tyrese Haliburton seemingly poised to return to full health, Indiana should return to its previous levels of offensive proficiency. What better place to see if that proves to be true than Madison Square Garden against the defending champs. Haliburton has shined at the Garden, with no shot bigger than his miracle in Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, a buzzer beater that bounced high off back rim before it swished through the net.

Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks

• Thursday, Jan. 28, 2027 at 9:30 p.m. | Amazon Prime

This might be a game that your turn on for the beginning but then cruise League Pass to see what else is out there, because the Heat should control the game. But it will be Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first trip back to Milwaukee after he spent the first 13 seasons of his career there. It should be an emotional night all around, especially after Heat captain Bam Adebayo struck former teammate Tyler Herro during Summer League. Interestingly, it will be the second time the two play, with the Bucks visiting Miami Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026 at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Washington Wizards at Utah Jazz

• Saturday, Feb. 27, 2027 at 3 p.m. | Amazon Prime

Both AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson felt they were the best overall player in the NBA draft, though it was Dybantsa whom Washington selected with the No. 1 overall pick. This will be the first chance fans get to see the top two draft picks compete in the same NBA game, though they had memorable matchups in college. An added bonus: the Wizards and Jazz should both be significantly improved.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 10 matchups we can't wait to watch on the 2026-2027 NBA schedule

The NBA released the full schedule for the 2026-27 regular season on Aug. 13, highlighted by the Philadelphia 76ers, who will make 34 appearances on national television.

The 76ers' uptick in national exposure is a direct result of their offseason moves, including acquiring All-Star guard Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics and signing LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, to a two-year deal. Philadelphia will begin its quest for its first championship since 1983 when it takes on the defending champions, the New York Knicks, at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 20.

That game is part of an opening-day triple-header, previously announced, with the Celtics taking on the Detroit Pistons in the afternoon, and the Western Conference Finals rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs to cap off the night.

NBA OPENING WEEK: Ranking all the national TV games from worst to first

Other schedule highlights

There are no games on Nov. 3, which is Election Day in the United States, but all 30 teams will play the day before.

Other key dates include the Emirates NBA Cup 2026 Championship taking place at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Dec. 11 and the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 11.

The All-Star Game will take place on Feb. 21, 2027, at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The regular season ends April 11, with all 30 NBA teams in action.

For the first time, outside of Christmas Day, four NBA regular-season games will be televised on national broadcast networks in a single day. The first instance will be Jan. 30, with additional quadrupleheaders on Feb. 28, March 7, and March 14, which will feature two doubleheaders each broadcast by ABC and NBC.

Teams will average 14.2 back-to-backs, a slight decrease from 14.4 last season.

TV appearances

The 76ers, Knicks, Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers will each make 34 appearances on national television.

Some teams you won't see much on the big stage include the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks, who each will make only two appearances on national television. The Chicago Bulls have three such games. Giannis Antetokounmpo's new team, the Miami Heat, will appear 25 times.

Reunions

LeBron James

Along with the Christmas matchup with the Lakers, James will also visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 6 and March 1 and the Miami Heat on Jan. 30 and April 8.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

The two-time MVP returns to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on Jan. 28.

Jaylen Brown

The five-time All-Star returns to Boston to face the Celtics with the 76ers on Jan. 21.

BEST NBA GAMES: 10 NBA matchups we can't wait to watch in 2026-2027 season

Christmas Day games

(all times Eastern)

• San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks, 12 p.m.
• Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics, 2:30 p.m.
• Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 5 p.m.
• Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m.
• Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors, 10:30 p.m.

Martin Luther King Day games

• Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers, 12 p.m.
• Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks, 2:30 p.m.
• Minnesota Timberwolves at New York Knicks, 5 p.m.
• Houston Rockets at Memphis Grizzlies, 7:30 p.m.

President's Day games

• Minnesota Timberwolves at Charlotte Hornets, 12 p.m.
• Philadelphia 76ers at Dallas Mavericks, 2:30 p.m.
• San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat, 5 p.m.
• Indiana Pacers at Golden State Warriors, 7:30 p.m.

International Games

• Nov. 7: Denver Nuggets vs. Indiana Pacers, Mexico City Arena (Arena CDMX), Mexico City, Mexico, 5 p.m.
• Jan. 14, 2027: San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Accor Arena, Paris, France, 2 p.m.
• Jan. 17, 2027: San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Co-op Live, Manchester, England, 10:30 a.m.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks, 76ers, Spurs take spotlight as NBA releases 2026-27 schedule

It’s been over 24 hours since the Los Angeles Lakers were sold to former Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger and businessman Josh Kushner, and there’s already been an update that could prolong the sale.

According to ESPN basketball insider Brian Windhorst, for the sale to officially go through, Kushner will have to sell his minority shares of the Miami Heat in order to become the owner of the Lakers. That may dramatically impact the timeline of the deal.

“The Heat don’t sell shares very often,” Windhorst said on Thursday’s edition of The Hoop Collective podcast.

“That’s a very closely held team. That potentially could take some time.”

In late 2024, Kushner purchased a 5% stake in the Heat, after selling a minority ownership of the Memphis Grizzlies that he had owned since 2019.

As Windhorst mentioned, the Heat don’t sell pieces of the team too often, and it remains undisclosed who he bought his stake in the team from. But it is believed not to be majority owner Micky Arison, who has controlled the franchise since 1995.

Iger and Kushner’s purchase of the Lakers on Wednesday morning came at a record-breaking $12.5 billion sale from Mark Walter, who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Walter previously owned the team for 14 months, after purchasing a majority of the shares from Jeanie Buss, who will remain the team’s governor for five years following the sale.

It took four months for Walter’s purchase of the Lakers to become official, when he was introduced as team’s new owner last October.

With this potential hiccup slowing down the sale, we may be looking well into the winter before an official announcement is concluded.

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For most people, an impulse purchase is a candy on display near the checkout counter. For Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, it’s the Lakers.

In just 72 hours, they went from no affiliation with the franchise to owning a majority stake in it. With Iger and Kushner originally eyeing the Las Vegas expansion team, then pivoting to the Lakers, they haven’t given much thought to how things will go.

In an interview with Khobi Price in the California Post, Iger admitted he has no plans in mind at the moment.

“We’re fans,” Iger said. “We respect the value that’s been created, both on the court and off. Our intention is to build this great franchise from a position of strength in many respects as an organization. We’re smart enough to know what we know and what we don’t know. It’s just premature to speculate at all about what we plan to do, because frankly, we haven’t made any plans yet. Again, we go into this with an appreciation of who the Lakers are. And we just want to build value from today on.”

Iger added: “This is very new.”

The honesty is appreciated, but concerning.

When Iger talks about wanting to “build value from today on,” is he meaning for himself or for the fans that have made the Lakers what they are?

Walter clearly didn’t care much about what the Lakers were, other than that they were “an extraordinary investment.” With no plan in place from Iger, it’s fair to wonder whether the Lakers were just his consolation prize, since the Vegas purchase was far from a foregone conclusion for his ownership group.

Given the speed of this purchase and the lack of any vision, it makes one wonder: What did those conversations with Mark Walter over those three days entail?

Did Walter not discuss Iger and Kushner’s direction or plans? Did Walter explain what he was doing, his vision and how a transition can occur? Or was this all about the money and as long as the check cleared, things were fine?

As long as the NBA Board of Governors approves this sale, Iger, a longtime Clippers fan who couldn’t root for the Lakers because it wasn’t in his DNA, and Kushner will be running things.

Hopefully, they have a plan soon and it entails something worth Lakers fans cheering for.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Dusty May is just two months away from his NBA coaching debut with the Dallas Mavericks.

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It's part of a whirlwind for May the last few months after he left college basketball for the NBA in late June to coach Cooper Flagg on the Dallas Mavericks. His decision came months after he led Michigan to the national championship in April. So why leave after reaching the sport's mountaintop and boasting a preseason top-10 team?

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In an interview with The Athletic, the ex-Wolverines coach cited he changes to college basketball — particularly the ongoing challenges surrounding the transfer portal and NIL — that he saw as "irreversible." The Big Ten meetings, in particular, shined a light on certain aspects of college athletics.

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DUSTY MAY: 'It wasn't an easy decision' to leave Michigan for Mavericks

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"I was so excited for Big Ten meetings, like, 'We’re going to find some solutions,'" May told The Athletic. "I go there and I was just like, ‘Oh my God, nothing’s getting fixed. Ever.'"

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That appeared to be just the tip of the iceberg in May's thinking process that led him to become the first college basketball coach to leave for the NBA since John Beilein. He’ll be the first coach since Larry Brown in 1988 to win a national title and then coach another team the next season.

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He also noted that fundraising and administrative responsibilities were consuming much of his time, pulling his focus away from the aspects of the game he loved.

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"I just spent so much more of my time doing everything but coaching," May said.

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He added on the transfer portal: "Even when you sign, you’re not really signed; to me is the biggest issue."

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TRANSFER PORTAL: Louisville basketball gets Seth Trimble, another high-profile transfer

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May, who led mid-major Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023, led the Wolverines to a 64-13 record in two seasons. He also brought a pair of Big Ten championships, including a conference tournament title in 2025, to Ann Arbor in his short yet successful stint.

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Moore noted that the Mavericks fit May's criteria and boxes for taking an NBA job, including president Masai Ujiri's track record as a championship-winning executive from his days with the Toronto Raptors; his relationship with general manager Mike Schmitz; and, of course, the chance to coach Flagg, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year.

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It's why, when the Wolverines — who had been in talks with May on a contract extension for some time at the end of last season after his name was tossed into the North Carolina head coaching mix — asked what they could do for May to return, he responded: “I don’t think there is anything."

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At the Big Ten spring meetings, May told USA TODAY Sports' Jordan Mendoza there were "minor details" being adjusted between Michigan and his party in terms of his contract extension. He said he was committed to staying with the Wolverines, though a contract had not been signed yet.

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CRAIG MEYER: Dusty May's move to NBA isn't a college basketball crisis. It's a sign of the era

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In his interview with The Athletic, May also offered his suggestions to resolve the issues in college basketball.

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“Collective bargaining in some way, shape or form needs to happen," May said. “And No. 2, figure out a way to make contracts binding.

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"Like, you can’t have a kid sign at this Big Ten school on a Friday and then go on an official visit the next day and sign at another Big Ten school for twice the money on Tuesday. It just can’t be like that. If they are gonna sign rev-share contracts and they’re gonna sign NIL contracts, let’s at least make those binding."

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Finally, May was asked whether he could ever see himself returning to college basketball one day.

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"I hope not, because that would mean I did (expletive) here," May said. "I’d like to win and stay."

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The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dusty May left Michigan tired of 'nothing getting fixed' in college basketball

Playing with Steph Curry means you aren’t going to get a lot of holidays off. This year, the Warriors won’t be part of the league’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day showcase, but they will anchor the league’s inaugural Presidents Day quadruple-header.

An NBC Sports quadrupleheader will highlight the NBA schedule on Presidents' Day (Monday, Feb. 15).

The four-game lineup opens with Minnesota's LaMelo Ball returning to Charlotte to face the Hornets.

NBA Schedule Release presented by @Ticketmasterpic.twitter.com/ASGahOlnpC

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 12, 2026

The NBA does not traditionally have a Presidents Day extravaganza, mainly because it usually falls the day after the All-Star Game. But since the Super Bowl falls on Valentine’s Day this year, the All-Star Game isn’t until Feb. 21. The NBA is seizing the opportunity to finally get out from the massive shadow of the NFL by delivering an orgy of games, in what feels like a conspiracy to create divorces.

Golden State will host the Indiana Pacers, a matchup that’s not exactly a rivalry, though the teams have some connections. The Warriors sent Chris Mullin to the Pacers for Erick Dampier in 1997, and Mullin was a key part of teams that fell just short of a title. The Pacers returned the favor a decade later, sending Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington to the “We Believe” Warriors team, a move that helped them to a first-round upset and thankfully sent Mike Dunleavy, Jr. out of town.

In 2013, the Pacers and Warriors had a scuffle that counts as a brawl by NBA standards. Roy Hibbert shoved David Lee, both teams went at each other, and Steph Curry attacked Hibbert with a lot of enthusiasm and not a lot of success, like a chihuahua throwing himself at a Great Dane. Klay Thompson got involved, Hibbert got shoved into the stands, and David West and Andris Biedrins acted like disappointed parents breaking up the fracas.

After the game, Hibbert claimed he didn’t know which Warriors guard was fighting him.

“I saw some light-skinned guy. I don’t know if it was Klay Thompson or Steph Curry, I just knew there was a light-skinned guy by me,” Hibbert told reporters. At the time, he probably outweighed Curry by 100 pounds.

More recently, Gary Payton II got Goga Bitadze ejected after dunking on him and staring him down. Both players got technical fouls, but Bitadze already had one, so he got tossed.

The highlight of this clip comes after GPII has been staring down Bitadze and scratching his head for a few seconds and Jordan Poole hustles over to stand behind Payton and scratch his head as well. The Warriors would go on to lose in overtime after 2015 NBA champion Justin Holiday hit a clutch shot to tie the game at the regulation buzzer.

Other than that, the main connections between the Pacers and Warriors come from both teams briefly believing in James Wiseman before his injuries ruined everything, and having great pre-draft workouts with Tyrese Haliburton in 2020, with one team making a better decision about him in the draft lottery.

Presidents Day was originally designated to celebrate the birthday of George Washington, which happens on Feb. 22. Now its a federal holiday designated for the third Monday in February, which means it can’t actually occur on the date Washington was born. It now honors all the presidents, which means William Henry Harrison’s 30 days in office are valued exactly as highly as Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s 12 years and change, as one day off of work.

In California, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (Feb. 12) is a separate holiday, and the second February day off is simply known as “the third Monday in February.” Maybe that’s because they want to head off any speeches from Bay Area politicians about how Washington owned slaves, Millard Fillmore was a racist, or Rutherford B. Hayes screwed Samuel Tilden in the 1876 election by agreeing to end Reconstruction, or George H.W. Bush was a tool of the CIA. Those things aren’t incorrect, but this is America. Most of our presidents stunk!

We would like to suggest that California adjust even further and simply designate this holiday as “the Monday after the Super Bowl.” It’s much easier, and we can still imagine George Washington wiping barbecue sauce off his wooden teeth and dragging a hungover Benjamin Franklin out of his wine cellars at Mount Vernon if we want to honor our history.

Times are changing for the Los Angeles Lakers, and they’re changing fast after the team was sold by Mark Walter to former Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Josh Kushner.

With so much happening so fast for the organization, television personalities have offered strong opinions. None stronger than Stephen A. Smith, who believes that Lakers president of basketball operations, Rob Pelinka, may be out the door.

“I think Rob Pelinka will not be there, running basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers,” Smith said on “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”

Smith went on to say he believes the team will have minority owner Jeanie Buss more involved in the team’s operations, and that they will go and try to bring in President of Sports for Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment and former two-time NBA executive of the year, Bob Myers.

Iger himself, in an exclusive with the Post on Wednesday, confirmed the new ownership group intends on keeping Buss in her role. However, no such accommodation was announced for Pelinka.

WIth regard to Myers, it’s a little tricky. In his role as president, Myers oversees operations for the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils.

“I mean, Bob Myers gets on the scene and in a month, he had Jaylen Brown and LeBron James,” Smith said. “…If there is a way to get that man, I think you go get him. This is my belief; I haven’t spoken to anybody about it.”

As Smith said, it’s his “belief” the Lakers will part ways with Pelinka and look to hire Myers. But usually, when new ownership comes, the entire organization becomes revamped.

During Walter’s brief stint as owner, Pelinka’s name was secured from being etched out of the franchise as the team was planning to keep him in his current role.

Pelinka has been in the Lakers’ front office since March 2017, when he was hired as the team’s general manager, and later promoted to his current role in April, 2025.

During his tenure in the Lakers’ front office, Pelinka signed James as a free agent and traded for Anthony Davis in 2019. In February 2025, Davis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic.

Under his guidance, the Lakers have won an NBA title once (2020), and have been perennial regulars in the playoffs.

Yet, Myers is considered one of the top front office names in basketball. He was the architect behind the creation of the Golden Warriors’ dominance for the last 12 years.

In 2011, Myers joined the Warriors front office, and later became the team’s general manager in 2012, helping them win 4 NBA titles from 2015-2022.

In 2023, Myers elected to step down as general manager, when he famously told the media, “It’s just time.”

In 2024, Myers served as an advisor, with the NFL team, the Washington Commanders, helping them restructure their front-office leadership. Last year, Myers was part of the search committee that helped UCLA Football hire head coach Bob Chesney.

Jason Benetti, the voice of NBC's Sunday Night Baseball, will be expanding his network duties this fall to include pro basketball.

NBC Sports announced on Thursday, Aug. 13, that Benetti has joined its NBA play-by-play team for the 2026-27 season.

According to a report by Front Office Sports, Benetti will handle between 10 and 20 regular-season and playoff games for NBC and Peacock. He will not replace any current NBC announcers.

Currently, Mike Tirico, Noah Eagle, Terry Gannon and Michael Grady handle play-by-play duties for NBC-produced games.

Benetti, 42, has previously filled in on local Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers broadcasts, and he called an NBA playoff game last year between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics on Peacock.

NBC regained broadcast rights to the NBA last season and will televise the 2026-27 season-opening tripleheader on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jason Benetti joins NBC's roster of NBA play-by-play announcers