Category: NBA

Who: Phoenix Suns @ Detroit Pistons

When: 4:00pm Arizona Time

Where: Little Caesars Arena — Detroit, Michigan

Watch: Suns+, KTVK, KPHE, AZFS App

Listen: ESPN Phoenix 620 AM, SiriusXM

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Are you ready for lift off? The Phoenix Suns tip off their 2026–27 preseason tonight against the Detroit Pistons. It’s the first of five preseason games before the regular season begins on October 23 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

For Phoenix, it’s an opportunity to begin the position battles that will surely define this preseason and bleed into the regular season. This isn’t a team built around aging veterans competing for relevancy. The oldest player on the roster is Dillon Brooks at 30, and numerous young players will be competing for opportunities to showcase their development while continuing to grow. For them, the preseason serves as a catalyst for what they hope becomes consistent rotational minutes once the games begin to count.

On the other side are the Detroit Pistons, a team that finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference a season ago. That seeding didn’t translate into postseason success as they lost in the second round to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Detroit has made tweaks along the way in an effort to fortify the roster around its budding young star, Cade Cunningham.

Two teams on very different pathways and timelines converge to begin the preseason. And both of those journeys begin tonight.

Tale of the Tape

All of the statistics listed below are from last season.

Probable Starters

With Jalen Duren signing late, here is my best guess:

Injury Report

Suns

• Mark Williams — OUT (Torn Left Labrum)

Pistons

• Jalen Duren — Game Time Decision (Undisclosed)

What to Watch For

There are numerous position battles throughout the roster, but none is more anticipated than the battle for the starting center role. After signing Mark Williams to a multiyear deal this offseason, Williams injured the labrum in his left shoulder and is expected to miss multiple months. That leaves a void and creates an opportunity for third-year center Oso Ighodaro and second-year center Khaman Maluach. Tonight is the first step toward determining who could see that starting role with more frequency.

The chatter coming out of training camp and offseason workouts is that Maluach has become a vocal leader in the frontcourt while growing both physically and mentally. That doesn’t mean the starting role automatically becomes his. Ighodaro was a player who raised all ships when he was on the floor last season and is somebody the coaching staff trusts on both ends.

There are other battles taking place as well. In some ways, it feels like the third-year guys versus the second-year guys. Ryan Dunn is looking to remain relevant within the rotation and secure consistent minutes, something that could be challenged by second-year wing Rasheer Fleming. Both are destined for three-and-D roles, and every opportunity they receive to earn minutes can further their development and fortify their case for a regular place in the rotation.

And that rotation is the biggest thing to watch at this point. Yes, it’s the first game of the preseason, and you can’t put too much stock into everything you see. Head coach Jordan Ott is using this time to pull different levers, experiment with combinations, and learn what works. Because a lever gets pulled tonight doesn’t mean that’s the destiny of the player or the team.

This is trial-and-error time. Tonight should be treated as such.

Key to a Suns Win

Winning in the traditional sense doesn’t matter tonight. Preseason standings mean nothing. I’m looking at winning through the lens of individual battles and specific aspects of the game. Put together quality possessions. Create good habits. Stack repetitions that can translate into long-term success.

Detroit is a great team. The Suns went 1–1 against the Pistons last season and nearly went 2–0, losing their first matchup 108–105. If Phoenix wants to compete with a defense-heavy team like Detroit, the offense needs to be crisp.

The three-point line is one of the mysteries Phoenix needs to solve this season after losing so much quality shooting with the departures of Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale. Luke Kennard and Collin Gillespie can help fill that void, but what kind of three-point production will the Suns get from the starting five?

Ball security will matter as well. Detroit led the league in steals last season. They’re pesky, they’re long, and they’ll pressure you. So if the Suns want to win tonight in the sense that matters, they need to win possessions, and that starts by not giving them up. And that starts with being smart with the basketball.

Prediction

My prediction? We have some fun watching Phoenix Suns basketball again.

There are new faces in Miles Bridges, Luke Kennard, Pat Spencer, and Koa Peat, and tonight is our first opportunity to see them wearing the purple and orange. It’s our first glimpse at how all of these pieces might fit together and what this version of the Suns could ultimately become.

The preseason isn’t about wins and losses. It’s about the development that occurs along the way. Tonight, that development finally begins.

Suns 109, Pistons 102

Editor’s Note: Throughout this season, Jeremy will be providing his reactions to how various NBA Power Rankings list the Wolves on Mondays. Hope you enjoy this series!

The Minnesota Timberwolves hope they can maintain their status as one of the top teams in the Western Conference for the 2026-27 season.

The Wolves have won a playoff series in each of the last three years and have been one of the West’s contenders, but they look a lot different this year. The team traded Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets and Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets, but they also acquired LaMelo Ball and signed Jonathan Kuminga in free agency, giving them a fresh look and a chance to get over the hump in the West this year.

Bleacher Report contributor, Andy Bailey, conducted a recent power rankings, where the Wolves clock in at number six.

Bleacher Report has the Timberwolves ranked at #6 in the NBA Preseason Power Rankings

1. Spurs
2. Thunder
3. Knicks
4. Sixers
5. Celtics
6. Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/md8pOAPGtp

— Wolves Lead (@TWolvesLead) October 2, 2026

“Although Rudy Gobert should uphold much of the defense, losing Julius Randle and Naz Reid means the Minnesota Timberwolves will have a slightly different identity than they’ve had in recent years,” Bailey wrote. “That’ll take some getting used to, but the upside is potentially higher with LaMelo Ball around to make life easier for Anthony Edwards.

“LaMelo is one of the best playmakers and distributors in the league. He commands far more respect as a three-point shooter than Randle did. He and Ant could be the most explosive backcourt in the NBA. If Gobert and McDaniels can keep this team in or around the top 10 on defense and Ball can charge the offense a bit, the Timberwolves will stay in the mix for a championship.”

The only teams that rank ahead of the Wolves are the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. This is pretty standard to where the Wolves have been over the last couple of seasons just behind the league’s top contenders. With only two West teams ahead of them, they definitely have a chance to be the best in the conference this season.

The way the Wolves can move up in the power rankings is if their new players make a large impact. The success of the season will likely be determined by how well Ball and Kuminga work within the rotation. Ball comes to the Wolves as a former All-Star, and Minnesota would need him to play up to that level to form one of the best backcourts in the game alongside Anthony Edwards.

The vision is there for the Wolves to finally take their step into the limelight, but it all starts with putting in the work for training camp.

Canis Hoopus community, how do you feel about Minnesota’s placement in the power rankings? Let us know in the comments section below.

Throughout the first week of Sixers training camp, “sacrifice” has been the main buzzword.

At media day, LeBron James spoke about the need for “collective sacrifice” and how that’s often misconstrued as a negative. Jaylen Brown concurred, saying that sacrifice “has its perks and its benefits.” Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe all echoed the need to be we-first, not me-first.

There’s still widespread skepticism about whether they’ll live up to that pledge, though.

Michael Pina of The Ringer recently described the Sixers as “a talent-packed superteam that has a sky-high ceiling and a floor low enough to knock on the gates of NBA hell.” Joe Vardon of The Athletic, whom Brown shut down on media day when he asked about which player would be the “alpha” of the Sixers this year, wrote that the personalities on this year’s Sixers “makes the situation in Philadelphia a potentially combustible one.”

If media day and the first few days of training camp are any indication, the Sixers will be under far more scrutiny this season than they have been in recent years, which is already a high bar to clear. The typical ups-and-downs of the 82-game regular season will be magnified by local and national media alike. The potential pitfalls are obvious.

Then again, Embiid said something on media day that deserves far more attention than it’s received thus far.

“I’m extremely excited for this team,” he told reporters. “We’ve got the right mix of veteran leadership, younger guys, and everybody being on the same page. I feel like we might have some ups and downs, but we’re gonna get there.”

That might be the secret sauce of this year’s Sixers, who look like a superteam on paper.

On the Mind the Game podcast, LeBron and Steve Nash recently discussed what constitutes a superteam. They agreed on a definition of “a collection of players and personalities that have had a lot of success,” but Nash added that “the reality is, it’s not the names; it’s where are they at this stage of their career?”

Nash continued:

“For example, as great as you are, you’re not going to Philly saying, ‘Give me the ball and everyone watch me.’ Cause you have an understanding, like, I can play whatever role. And there will be times when I’m, ‘OK, I need the ball now.’ And there will be times when you’re like, ‘Tyrese is fine, JB’s fine, Joel is fine.’ And you’re able to accept, control, mentor, direct from a different position. That’s not always the case. That’s a big part of this. Where is a player at mentally in his career? How are the personalities? Who’s the leader? How do it work? Cause I think what happens is, a lot of teams that have had multiple players with success, it’s almost like their personalities are bumping into each other. How do we get someone to declare to be the leader? Are the other guys accepting? Or is it natural? ‘I’m quite happy not to be the leader, he’s a natural leader, he can be leader.’ Whatever it may be. So I think there’s so many variables when you put these things together.”

It’s entirely possible that the “alphas” question is what derails this year’s Sixers. But where each of the starters is in his respective career might also be their saving grace.

At some point, LeBron’s fuckery truly won’t go on for much longer. After all, the man is turning 42 in December. He knows this might be his last chance to win a fifth ring. Embiid has never won a title before, and LeBron said helping to get him over the hump was a main reason why he chose to sign with the Sixers this summer. Embiid also told ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he no longer wants to win a title, he needs to win one.

Brown spent the entire offseason having his on-court impact and his character questioned. He should go into this season eager to prove those critics wrong by being adaptable and willing to embrace whichever role the Sixers need him to fill. Meanwhile, Maxey has already proved his ability to operate both on and off the ball during his time in Philly. And between the Ben Simmons and James Harden sagas, he’s experienced a career’s worth of drama only six years into his NBA tenure.

Some—including Draymond Green—have questioned whether VJ Edgecombe could get lost in the shuffle amidst all of the big names in Philly this year. However, Maxey and LeBron have both downplayed that, saying Edgecombe will be a critical factor for the Sixers, particularly in transition. Edgecombe has also already made it clear that he isn’t afraid to hold his new teammates accountable, particularly on defense.

Perhaps the biggest thing working in the Sixers’ favor this year is LeBron’s gravitas. If one of the greatest players of all time was willing to take a veteran-minimum contract to sign with your team, that is the textbook definition of sacrifice. The 22-time All-Star should be a tone-setter from the jump, particularly since he knows what it takes to win a championship in this league. (Four of them, to be exact.)

He isn’t the only former champion on this roster, though. Brown won a title with the 2023-24 Celtics, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope sports a pair of championship rings, including one that he won with LeBron on the 2019-20 Lakers. They can help instill championship habits from the jump, which the Sixers haven’t always had in years past.

That isn’t to say the Sixers won’t experience bumps in the road. LeBron fully anticipates that they will. In fact, he’s looking forward to it.

“You’ve gotta go through shit,” he said on Mind the Game. “And I hope we go through a three-game losing streak, I hope we go through some of those moments where we get some shit out on the table. We go through a couple games where you know, it was a two-point game and who was taking the shots, who was making the plays, we don’t quite know, we’ve gotta figure it out.

“That’s all part of it. I had the same thing my first year in Miami, I had the same thing the first year when I went back to Cleveland, myself, Kyrie and Kev. Those are some of the moments that we have to be able to go through some real, live battle moments, in the fight, in order to know really who we are and what we want to become. We’ve gotta peel the onion. We have to.”

The New York Knicks went through the same travails last year. A 2-9 stretch from Dec. 31 through Martin Luther King Jr. Day had Karl-Anthony Towns hunting Zillow for houses in Milwaukee just in case the Knicks traded him for Giannis Antetokounmpo, as he later told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. After falling into a 2-1 series deficit against the Atlanta Hawks in the opening round of the playoffs, they turned it around and reeled off one of the most dominant runs in recent playoff history en route to a title.

The Sixers’ journey to a potential championship this year might not look the same as what the Knicks went through last year. But if Nash is correct about what constitutes a superteam, the Sixers might benefit from having landed most of their stars at a time in their respective careers where they’ve already cemented themselves as some of the NBA’s best players.

Individual accolades shouldn’t matter anymore. All that’s left is to win.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

After winning a championship, Karl-Anthony Towns wrongly believed his contract extension negotiations would go smoothly — especially since he’s willing to take a discount.

Instead, he clearly feels disrespected.

“Simply put, I want to do something to keep the team together and can work with the Knicks and also values me,” Towns said Monday before the preseason opener. “And none of those things are close to happening.”

Asked about the possibility of an agreement before the regular season starts, Towns said, “It don’t look good.”

The Knicks and Towns have been far apart in talks since he became eligible for an extension in August. He is eligible for a four-year, $277 million extension and publicly stated his willingness to accept a discount, but obviously not one as drastic as the what the Knicks are offering.

The Knicks, The Post confirmed, offered around four years, $200 million — $77 million less than his max. 

Asked if he’s thinking that he should be rewarded for last season, Towns responded, “No s–t Sherlock. I just won a championship. You’d think it was pretty easy. Unless you guys (reporters) think I have something else to prove.”

Towns, Josh Hart and Miles McBride are all eligible for extensions until June but there appears to be little traction with any of their negotiations.

As mandated by owner James Dolan, the Knicks are trying to remain under the second apron while taking into account an upcoming extension for Jalen Brunson – who is eligible next year.

Welcome to basketball season! For some fans in the ACC, it can't come soon enough (we're looking at you in Chapel Hill and Louisville).

We polled writers within the USA TODAY Network who cover ACC schools for their preseason predictions, all-conference teams and preseason awards ahead of ACC media days, which run Oct. 6-7 in Charlotte.

Duke was a unanimous pick to win the conference and the Blue Devils swept the preseason awards, too. But this is more than just the Duke Invitational.

More: ACC basketball will be defined by these storylines in 2026-27

'This is home': Why Jon Scheyer stayed at Duke amid NBA interest

How will the Mike Malone experiment in Chapel Hill go? Can Gerry McNamara reignite Syracuse? Will Louisville's transfer business make the Cardinals a contender? And can Jai Lucas and Ryan Odom take the next step with Miami and Virginia, respectively?

Here's a look at how our writers think the 2026-27 season will shake out in the ACC:

ACC basketball preseason poll, predicted order of finish

1. Duke (unanimous)
2. Virginia
3. Louisville
4. Miami
5. North Carolina
6. Clemson
7. Virginia Tech
8. Florida State
9. Syracuse
10. NC State
11. SMU
12. Stanford
13. Pitt
14. Cal
15. Wake Forest
16. Notre Dame
17. Boston College
18. Georgia Tech

2026-27 preseason All-ACC basketball team

* denotes unanimous selection

FIRST TEAM

• Thijs DeRidder, Virginia*
• John Blackwell, Duke
• Patrick Ngongba II, Duke
• Flory Bidunga, Louisville
• Shelton Henderson, Miami

SECOND TEAM

• Jackson Shelstad, Louisville
• Dame Sarr, Duke
• Acaden Lewis, Miami
• Chance Mallory, Virginia
• Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Duke

ACC basketball preseason Player of the Year

John Blackwell, Duke

The Wisconsin transfer was one of the top players in the portal this offseason after averaging 19.1 points with 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season, earning all-Big Ten third-team honors.

Also receiving votes: Patrick Ngongba II, Duke; Thijs DeRidder, Virginia; Flory Bidunga, Louisville; Seth Trimble, Louisville.

ACC basketball preseason Newcomer of the Year (non-freshman)

John Blackwell, Duke

Blackwell joins a deep Duke backcourt that returns Cayden Boozer and Caleb Foster and brings in true freshman Deron Rippey Jr., and has ability to play both the point and shooting guard.

Also receiving votes: Flory Bidunga, Louisville.

ACC basketball preseason Freshman of the Year

Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Duke

Just 17, Boumtje Boumtje was originally part of Duke's 2027 recruiting class before skipping a year. At 7-2, he's the tallest player on the Blue Devils' roster and the son of former Georgetown standout Ruben Boumtje Boumtje. Despite his age, his teammates don't think JBB will be fazed by college ball. "He's looked like he's belonged out there," Patrick Ngongba II said. "The physicality doesn't seem like it's been impacting him at all."

Also receiving votes: Caleb Gaskins, Miami; Cameron Williams, Duke; Aziz Olajuwon, Stanford; Maximo Adams, North Carolina.

Poll participants: Tom Noie (South Bend Tribune), Jordan Mendoza (USA TODAY), John Leuzzi (USA TODAY Network), Brooks Holton (Louisville Courier Journal), Nick Coppola (Greenville News), Craig Meyer (USA TODAY Network), Liam Rooney (Tallahassee Democrat), Anna Snyder (Fayetteville Observer), Rodd Baxley (Fayetteville Observer).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Everyone agrees on Duke. Nobody agrees on what comes next in ACC basketball preseason poll

The 2026-27 preseason kicks off for the Knicks tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers in a preview of their regular season opener. While these games usually serve as an exhibition or warm up, especially for teams that have found their identity like New York, there’s still plenty to watch for.

Here are five things fans should watch out for during the preseason:

What’s returning vs what’s new

The Knicks came together in a cohesive and dominant way this past postseason, so expect them to carry what they learned into this new campaign. It will be interesting to watch what they lean on more compared to what new things they try and implement.

Karl-Anthony Towns should see more of his high post reps as a creator, but will head coach Mike Brown build on that in any way? OG Anunoby was an offensive weapon last postseason, and Brown’s already suggested giving him more pick-and-roll reps to build off it. 

Towns’s build and comfort 

One would hope any questions surrounding KAT and his contributions to the Knicks have been answered, but he’s coming into this potential repeat season with more questions than anticipated. He has a player option for next year and reportedly isn’t nearing an extension with New York, opening the door to further friction during the season and in the worst case scenario, a trade.

Fans should keep an eye on that, as well as how he looks in his new frame. Towns came into training camp noticeably skinnier and plans to build up during the season, we’ll see how that impacts his game early in the year.

Jalen Brunson’s wrist 

It’s easy to forget how banged up Brunson was late in the championship run, given he scored the Finals-sealing 45 points in Game 5 following the masterful Game 4 comeback he led. But he ended up needing surgery to repair a soft-tissue tendon injury in his left hand soon after the chip that kept him out of basketball activities for part of the summer.

If he could score 45 through the injury, there shouldn’t be concern as to how he looks post-rehab. But it’s still something worth monitoring for the Knicks savior. 

Young core development

There’s no better time than preseason to bring out the deep bench and see who’s ready to step up this upcoming year. It’s how the Knicks were convinced of Immanuel Quickley’s ability as a rookie, and Landry Shamet’s impact as a veteran, and could mean an opportunity for one of their young guns this year.

New York buried Tyler Kolek deep in the rotation during the home stretch last year, only tried Kevin McCullar Jr. and Pacome Dadiet on sparse occasions, and didn’t give Mohamed Diawara any postseason burn despite his potential. All of these guys, plus new incomer Tyler Nickel, should get their chances in these upcoming games to prove their worth for the regular season. 

Third center position battle 

New York is currently slated to enter the season without a third string center, not a viable approach given they had to lean on Ariel Hukporti at times last playoffs with Towns getting into foul trouble. They’ve brought in two veterans to camp — James Wiseman and Drew Eubanks — to battle it out for that spot. 

Expect preseason to serve as a sort of extended try out to see who of these two will man that reserve slot. Wiseman was a former second overall pick with gifted athleticism but a long injury history, while Eubanks has been a quiet but steady backup for multiple teams. 

Last time I checked, we were celebrating. Turns out, we’re now back to watching games take place again! Not Knicks on Friday Night, but hey, the boys can only play when they tell them to, and I won’t complain. Links and things today, quotes (probably) tomorrow.

• Karl-Anthony Towns made it very clear on Monday morning that he and the New York Knicks aren’t even remotely close to agreeing to a contract extension at this point.

“Simply put, I want to do something to keep the team together and can work with the Knicks and also values me. And none of those things are close to happening.

“(Reaching an agreement before the start of the regular season) doesn’t look good.

“No s–t Sherlock (an extension shouldn’t be understood as a reward for last season). I just won a championship. You’d think it was pretty easy. Unless you guys (reporters) think I have something else to prove.”

JUST IN: Karl-Anthony Towns reiterated that he's not close to an extension agreement.

“Simply put – I want to do something to keep the team together and can work with the Knicks and also values me. And none of those things are close to happening.”

Story coming:

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) October 5, 2026

• Mike Brown is actively welcoming early-season adversity as the Knicks begin their title defense, and he’s “yearning for it.”
• Jose Alvarado got himself a street.
• Free post from Knicks Film School’s Jonathan Macri ahead of the preseason opener, in which he highlighted a bunch of things while discussing whether or not the Knicks can earn that No. 1 spot.
• More on that inside the newsletter, but here’s a summary for the lazy: the Knicks enter the season with the highest preseason over/under win total in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1993, with sportsbooks setting them around 52.5 to 53.5 wins, but New York has finished with the East’s No. 1 seed only four times in franchise history and hasn’t done it since 1993. Something has to give, doesn’t it?
• Nitty-gritty breakdown of KAT’s contract situation by The Athletic’s Fred Katz and how it could eventually have major implications for Miles McBride’s future in New York.

countdown to october starts now ⏳

check out the full schedule 👉 https://t.co/B79yzauVmRpic.twitter.com/DosTUFrXJO

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) August 13, 2026

• Carmelo Anthony believes neither LeBron James, Joel Embiid or Jaylen Brown should remain the central figure in Philadelphia after the Sixers’ blockbuster offseason.
• Speaking of Good Ol’ James, he’s dealing with chronic arthritis in his left foot. I mean, yeah, we all age, you know what I’m saying?
• Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear he still has “five, six good years” remaining in his career, all of which would probably go for nothing while the Heat remain in cap hell without a strong-enough roster around the Greek. Hooray!
• It’s all good, De’Aaron Fox, it’s all good.
• Build Jalen Duren a statue, unless he’s already a walking one, which I can’t rule out.
• Dillon Brooks hopes he has another decade of NBA basketball ahead of him and doesn’t want his “great year” (?) to make him complacent.
• Bronny James for Deuce McBride. Who says no?
• Old-man-yelling-at-a-cloud Cedric Ceballos argued last year that Stephen Curry wouldn’t have been given the same freedom to launch extremely deep 3-pointers in his era and would never have become a great hooper, let alone the man who changed basketball, and recently explained his take. Not sure it convinces me.

Cedric Ceballos got COOKED for saying Steph Curry couldn’t play in the ’90s 😳

Now he’s explaining what he actually meant 👀 pic.twitter.com/VymPDDYXRE

— ALL THE SMOKE (@allthesmokeprod) October 1, 2026

James Harden is arguably the most divisive member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. For all his talent, there is a track record of a player who loses patience quickly with his team. After acquiring him for fan favorite Darius Garland, Cleveland chose to buy into the full Harden experience, with everything that comes with it.

Cleveland and Harden agreed to a three-year, $97 million deal this offseason. It felt like it had been done for a while, but Harden, to his credit, waited to sign until the Cavaliers completed their big offseason swing: acquiring Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade with the Denver Nuggets.

Harden is content when his team is stable, in a state he considers contention-ready, while also having a good contract. Theoretically, he has all of those things now. Cleveland knew the risks that come with him lately and took that swing at last year’s trade deadline anyway. Now, as the Cavaliers and Harden enter their second season together, the question is what the partnership looks like with a full runway.

There wasn’t much time last season for Harden to learn the offense and build rapport with his teammates. Across the regular season and playoffs, he suited up for 44 games. He averaged 20.5 points, 8 assists and 4.8 rebounds in the regular season, and in the playoffs those numbers dipped to roughly 19/5/5.

For all the negativity directed at Harden in the series against the New York Knicks, there is a legitimate case that he was, at worst, the second-best Cavalier of the postseason. His performances in Games 4 and 5 against the Detroit Pistons and Games 2 and 5 against the Toronto Raptors get lost in the conversation, which fixates instead on Jalen Brunson hunting him on defense.

The extension carries Cleveland to Harden’s 39th birthday, and contracts like that rarely age well. But Cleveland has been chasing a championship for the past few years, and for a team in a win-now window, the back end of the deal is a problem for later.

The focus for 2026-27 is whether Cleveland can best use Harden as the offense’s de facto operator. On paper, he has thrived beside other ball-dominant guards, most notably Chris Paul in Houston. The harder question is how Kenny Atkinson fits him next to Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland’s other All-NBA guard. Who initiates the offense? Do they stagger minutes so one is always on the floor creating, or play together and let Mitchell work off the ball? And with two high-usage guards, who takes the toughest backcourt defensive assignment?

If the answers are right, the payoff is significant. By commanding so much attention on the ball, Harden can make life easier not only for Mitchell but also for Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, and he has a long history of elevating teammates and setting up role players.

Cleveland’s best chance to get the most out of Harden is this upcoming season. Whether or not they do — and whether the Cavs can advance at least as far as they did in the playoffs this past season — will go a long way in determining if this trade and contract extension are viewed as a successful gamble.

Warriors' Jimmy Butler believes Steph Curry is greatest he's ever played with originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jimmy Butler has played alongside a lot of talented teammates across 16 NBA seasons, but none of them compare to the one he has now.

Speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke at Warriors Media Day on Sept. 28, Butler was asked to reflect on the kind of longevity most athletes only dream about as he enters his 16th year in the league.

“My knee aches a little bit, but outside of that, I feel amazing,” Butler said, referencing his ongoing recovery from a torn ACL. “I’m super blessed to be able to play for some amazing organizations with some Hall of Fame players, and I can say I am probably with the greatest player that I’ve ever played with right now on this team, for the greatest organization. So, 16 years in, to end up over here with the Warriors — couldn’t ask for a better story.”

The claim carries real weight, given the group Butler is including Curry in. Drafted No. 30 overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2011, Butler shared a locker room with Derrick Rose during his six seasons in Chicago, later played alongside Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, and spent six seasons paired with Bam Adebayo in Miami, reaching two NBA Finals along the way.

Calling Curry the best of that entire group is not a passing compliment — it is Butler ranking him above a roster of All-Stars and franchise cornerstones he has played with across four different organizations.

Butler joined the Warriors via trade during the 2024-25 NBA season and since has become one of Golden State’s most reliable two-way pieces when healthy, pairing with Curry and Draymond Green to form one of the more experienced cores in the league.

As he continues working back from the ACL injury that ended his season prematurely, Butler’s message was clear — of everywhere he has been and everyone he has played with, this is the version of his career he considers the best story yet.

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After about as special an offseason as any Sixers fan can remember, the team will be out on the floor Monday night as they host the defending champion New York Knicks.

It’s hard to preview much of this one because we don’t know who will play. The Sixers are relatively healthy as we saw during the Blue X White Scrimmage on Saturday. Nick Nurse said last week he wanted to see all the starters during the preseason at some point, but he wasn’t sure when that would happen.

The Sixers are in a unique and tricky spot. On one hand, they need as many reps as possible given literally half the roster is new. The starters will especially need time together to see how it all works with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid. Then again, it’s a long season, and they’ll need James and Embiid to be as healthy as possible for when the games start to matter. Perhaps we’ll learn more at shootaround or when Nurse talks pregame.

As we’re all painfully aware, the Knicks are coming off a dominant run to their first championship since 1973. Unlike the Sixers, their group has been together so long, building early chemistry likely isn’t as important as making sure they’re all healthy after a long summer. Jalen Brunson is fully cleared after undergoing left wrist surgery back in July. Again, though, you’d have to imagine the Finals MVP and his shooting wrist will be eased into action.

It should still be a fun night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. You should get to see newcomers like Dean Wade and former Knick Ariel Hukporti, who will both potentially have big roles this season. Rookie Labaron Philon, who could push for minutes this year, will also get a taste of higher level NBA competition.

It does seem more likely we’d get to see the full starting five, including James and Embiid, at home than on the road, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Update: 1:53 p.m. ET: Sixers fans will in fact not see the full new starting five in the preseason opener, but they will see some new faces. Tony Jones of the Athletic has reported that LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Anfernee Simons, Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona are all out for the preseason opener vs. the Knicks.

There is no reason to be concerned about those first three names, they were always going to have a light preseason. Simons and Barlow both sat out the Blue and White scrimmage over the weekend, it seems they’ve picked up some training camp bumps and bruises, but the team hasn’t officially announced any injury for either player. Bona of course sprained his foot over the summer and the team hopes he will be back soon.

So while 60% of the starting lineup will sit this one out, it will be worth tuning in to see Jaylen Brown’s first game as a Sixer. With Simons out as well, rookie Labaron Philon Jr. should get a lot of run in this one as well.

LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Anfernee Simons and Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona are all OUT tonight for the Philadelphia 76ers against the New York Knicks in the Sixers’ preseason opener

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) October 5, 2026

Game Details

When: Monday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBCSP+/NBA TV
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow:@LibertyBallers

Keaton Wagler’s NBA preseason debut did not go exactly according to plan, but the former Illini guard made sure it ended on a high note.

Wagler made his preseason debut Sunday with the Los Angeles Clippers, helping his new team defeat the Golden State Warriors 104-101 in Hawaii.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft finished with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block in 30 minutes off the bench.

Wagler went just 3-for-15 from the field and 1-for-11 from three-point range. But he stayed aggressive all night and delivered the biggest shot of the game.

With the Clippers trailing 101-100, Wagler created space for himself and knocked down a 19-foot step-back jumper with 14 seconds remaining to give Los Angeles the lead for good.

KEATON WAGLER IN THE CLUTCH.

He puts the Clippers ahead by 1 with 12.8 to go 🍿

Watch the final seconds on NBA League Pass. pic.twitter.com/1V3ybJuL0e

— NBA (@NBA) October 5, 2026

It was a fitting moment for the former Illinois star, who earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors and averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists during his lone season in Champaign.