Oct 14, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Fans during a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Cleveland won 34-24. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The recent history of the Cleveland Browns has been full of sadness upon sadness upon embarrassment. Even despite the Browns two playoff appearances under former HC Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland once again embarks on a new coaching staff, hoping to find that elusive winning formula that can last into the next decade and into the new domed stadium.
Browns fans have been a lot like the make believe Richmond soccer team from “Ted Lasso,” in that hope is not found and any time they’ve had it, the hope has killed them:
That uncertainty is reflected in expectations for the season. Nearly two-thirds of Browns fans (65%) predict their team will finish with just four to six wins, while 19% expect seven to nine wins and 15% believe they’ll manage just three wins or fewer.
Of note, only the Baltimore Ravens are found in the Top 10 of hopeful fanbases with the other three AFC North teams ranked 18th or below.
What do you think of these “hope” rankings? Pretty fitting given the talent on the teams near the bottom?
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 29: Head Coach Darko Rajakovic of the Toronto Raptors stands for the National Anthem before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Round One Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 29, 2026 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Serbian tactician fits seamlessly with Toronto’s developmental direction and its win-now aspiration
When Darko Rajakovic took the helm in the summer of 2023, most viewed his hiring as an indication of redirection, given the imminent and eventual departures of franchise favourites, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby. Three years later, the Raptors just made their win-now move and acquired Kawhi Leonard from the Los Angeles Clippers, albeit amid the ongoing investigation. Pairing Scottie Barnes with a generational superstar like Leonard suddenly opened a contention window for Toronto, and it is not one they will be wasting.
Given the immense expectations surrounding this squad’s success, head coach Rajakovic will be subject to as much scrutiny as anyone on this team. History has shown us that tacticians with no prior track record will always incur skepticism from fans and media alike, especially for a team of this calibre. Take Nick Nurse as an example. He was a long-time assistant coach of the Raptors before getting a promotion, but his achievement was overshadowed by the sentiments shared regarding the firing of that year’s Coach of the Year, Dwane Casey – some dismayed, others frustrated.
Nurse’s tactics were unconventional, to say the least, going to the extent of implementing high-school defensive schemes, like the Box-and-One, in an NBA Finals game, which actually paid dividends. Nurse’s hard-nosed, no-nonsense coaching style worked for that Raptors’ iteration, which was composed mostly of seasoned players who were receptive and thick-skinned enough to endure his criticisms.
The Raptors, however, are not constructed the way they used to be anymore, and they needed a new voice to command them. Nurse was let go because of a strained relationship with management and the seemingly unadaptable style that he infused within the young group.
Rajakovic is a well-renowned developmental coach who most notably groomed the newly dispersed Memphis Grizzlies core, with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane being two of them. With an aging Leonard, surrounded by one of the NBA’s youngest rosters, there is no better coach to handle this team than Rajakovic. He is not new when it comes to refining raw talent that’ll fit seamlessly around Leonard, in hopes of winning another championship for Toronto.
Rajakovic’s Committee Approach
The main concern with the impending acquisition of Leonard has been what it has always been since his first stint almost eight years ago, and during his run with the Clippers — his load management. Assuming the trade pushes through, Leonard, now 35, will look to preserve his physical condition for the postseason, given his history with injuries. This creates a perfect scenario wherein Leonard can offload the pressure of playing heavy minutes night-in, night-out, at the same time build familiarity with Rajakovic’s system and chemistry with his teammates.
Rajakovic’s brand of coaching extends beyond his knack of unlocking players’ potential; however, the foundation of his philosophy remains in every facet of commanding a basketball team. From utilizing a deep 10-man rotation to reverting from Nurse’s effective but high-risk defensive tactics, one thing sits at its core — his preference for a committee approach.
The Raptors dished the third most assists, on average, at 29.2 per game, as Rajakovic hammered on making quick decisions with the ball, earning itself the nickname of “0.5 Offence.” Anchored in this philosophy, his players adapted instinctive cutting and constant off-the-ball movement to generate open looks, as this offence prefers high-percentage shots.
Where Nurse went all out, Darko went conservative. While Nurse was known to deploy aggressive defensive schemes, which required well-coordinated on-ball pressure, Rajakovic required only one on-ball defender across the half-court before settling to play half-court defence. It might not generate as many live-ball turnovers as Nurse did, but it also mitigates risks like leaving the corner open and allowing wide-open layups.
Due to availability concerns and player movement, Nurse made use of a traditional nine/ten-man rotation for the regular season, but narrowed it down to a condensed eight-man pool, with the starting five logging heavy minutes for every contest during their 2019 title run. On the contrary, Rajakovic kept a constant nine-man rotation in the postseason to allow himself personnel flexibility on matchups, given the injuries to Immanuel Quickley and Brandon Ingram.
Assuming Kawhi becomes a Raptor, Rajakovic’s committee approach constructs a competitive roster that’ll accompany him in his quest for a second title, given its current state. Unlike seven years ago, this Raptors’ squad is one of the NBA’s youngest, but is also one of its most promising and emerging groups among the bunch. The inclusion of highly touted young talents like Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles meant that a reunion with Kawhi seemed more imminent than not.
Leonard was not who he was when he first got here, so is the team. With the right group of guys, a driving force like Leonard, and a coach to weave the pieces together, the Raptors might just be able to figure out a way to make it work and win the championship a second time.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 26: Head coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics looks over his dry erase board during a timeout during a game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on October 26, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
How do you eat a whale? Well, in this case, the 82-game gauntlet of an NBA season. The old adage is to approach the NBA season game-by-game, but it’s always helpful to look at it in chunks, just like the team’s equipment manager might when planning road trips and homestands. In that spirit, let’s try and predict the Celtics record.
at Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls: The Celtics kick off the entire NBA season with an opener in Motor City on Tuesday, October 20th with an odd 3 pm EST tip-off. Maybe that’s for an international audience. Regardless, that’s the #1 and #2 seed from last year ushering in the new year of hoops. Boston is then rewarded with a four-game homestand that includes a visit from the defending champs and a 4-1 start to get 2026-2027 rolling.
at Orlando Magic, at Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, at Charlotte Hornets, at Milwaukee Bucks, at Philadelphia 76ers, at Toronto Raptors: If you take a 30,000-foot view of the schedule, it’s a lot of long homestands and road trips. Thankfully, the Celtics rank 20th in miles travelled for the entire year. This roadie includes Boston’s first look at Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and the 76ers — after facing them twice in the preseason — and some of the upstarts in the East with Orlando and Toronto on the docket. Going above-.500 would put Boston at around 8-4.
Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, at Denver Nuggets, at Sacramento Kings, at Golden State Warriors, at Washington Wizards: Boston has 16 back-to-backs next season, tied for most in the league with the Nets and Pelicans. Two of them are part of this five-games-in-eight-nights stretch with the team making their first foray into California. 12-6 with nearly a quarter of the season under their belt.
On the flip side, some positives:
👍Lots of holiday games: Black Friday, Xmas, NYD, MLK Day, Valentine's Day, Easter 👍Scheduled to be on road for only 5 days of December 👍2x homestands of 6+ games 👍4 of first 5 are at home 👍C's will be home for Thanksgiving & Xmas!
Atlanta Hawks, at San Antonio Spurs, at Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornets: Hosting the Hawks wraps up the Celtics’ NBA Cup four-game regular season. It’s a group of up-and-comers that also includes the Hornets, Bulls, and Wizards. Boston should rep Group C in the playoff round with a 3-1 record in group play and an overall 15-7.
*Let’s go out on a limb and say the Celtics raise Banner 18.5 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and get to 17-7, too.
at Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers: A seven-game homestand that includes waking up in their own bed for Christmas is such a treat for NBA players. It also has the only home-and-home on the schedule with hometown hero A.J. Dybantsa visiting TD Garden with the Wizards. A strong showing pushes Boston to 24-8 before the new year.
From Dec. 14 until Jan. 29, the Celtics will play:
– Seven straight home games – Then six straight road games – Then nine of their next 10 at home https://t.co/rNRBAA3mgn
at Chicago Bulls, at Utah Jazz, at Portland Trail Blazers, at Phoenix Suns, at Los Angeles Lakers, at Los Angeles Clippers: This marks the Odyssey portion of the schedule. This six-game road trip marks the longest of the year with CelticsBlog’s Noa Dalzell ranking it the most difficult:
The Celtics haven’t had a 6-game road trip since March of 2025, when they became the first team in franchise history to go a perfect 6-0 in one road trip. They’ll look to replicate that success this winter when they face three Western Conference playoff teams from last year, and a Jazz squad that could be much-improved. The Bulls and Clippers should be easier outs, but there’s no telling how competitive this road trip will end up being.
There are some tough outs, but really, their biggest opponent might just be fatigue and monotony as the NBA gauntlet nears the halfway point. A split gets the Celtics to 27-11.
Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, at Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns: Home sweet home with nine of the next ten games at the Garden. Next year, the NBA trade deadline is on February 11th. The Celtics and their front office will have a long runway in January to see just how good this team is and what holes need to be plugged. There’s just one back-to-back that includes Brown’s homecoming on the 21st. 34-14.
at Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, at Charlotte Hornets, at Atlanta Hawks, at Philadelphia 76ers: Boston won’t leave the Eastern Standard Time zone for this road trip, but I’ll predict a bit of a mid-year stumble to drop them to 36-17.
Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors, at Oklahoma City, at Memphis Grizzlies: Another homestand, a few battles against the West’s elite before the All-Star break, and the aforementioned trade deadline.
If the Celtics are 39-20 at this point, it’s most likely that President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens doesn’t make a big move that might disrupt the chemistry of the team…or he’s made a big trade to push them over the top. Let’s operate the rest of the way as if a deal was made on the edges, but nothing big with the team relatively healthy. Fingers crossed.
Celtics will have 27 nationally televised games this season:
Cleveland Cavaliers, at Minnesota Timberwolves, at Indiana Pacers, at Detroit Pistons: The Celtics have their first three-game losing streak of the season. 40-23 has them in the hunt to host a first round series in April.
Philadelphia 76ers, at Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, at New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, New Orleans Pelicans, at Brooklyn Nets, San Antonio Spurs: This might be the most consequential stretch of the year with games against title contenders and bottom feeders. The Celtics will have to at least split games against the 76ers, Knicks, Thunder, and Spurs and take care of business with the Grizzlies, Kings, Pelicans, and Nets to really be considered one of the elites. 47-26.
at Miami Heat, at New Orleans Pelicans, at Indiana Pacers, at Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, at New York Knicks, at Orlando Magic, at Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks: Last season, the Celtics finished with 56 wins to clinch the 2nd seed. Their final kick this year will include seven of their last nine games on the road with visits to Miami, Indiana, Cleveland, New York, Orlando, and Atlanta — all teams predicted to be in the playoff mix. Optimistically, 52-30 would be a strong season for this team which would have made them #4 last year.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 20: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on during the game during Game Two of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 20, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s hard for an NBA rivalry to stand the test of time. Superstars change teams, coaches get fired, and especially in the second apron era, it’s harder than ever to maintain roster continuity year-after-year.
The best rivalry in the NBA felt like the Golden State Warriors vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers for a while after the teams met in four straight NBA Finals matchups. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green remain with the Warriors, but at this point no one is circling that game on the calendar. Unlike in football, it feels like the NBA’s best rivalries change every few years, with a couple of notable exceptions.
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at New York on Nov. 27, at Miami on Dec. 12, at New York on Jan. 14
The Knicks and Heat played in the playoffs four straight years from 1997-2000, and produced an iconic moment when Jeff Van Gundy swung from Alonzo Mourning’s leg during a brawl. The rivalry renewed in the second round of the 2023 playoffs, with the No. 8 seed Heat winning in six games on their way to the NBA Finals. Pat Riley is still going strong in Miami at 81 years old, and he keeps the connection between these two franchises alive after coaching the Knicks for four seasons during their ‘90s heyday before bolting to the Heat. While I don’t expect Miami to push the reigning champion Knicks at the top of the East this season, the Heat do have a tendency to overachieve, and will have a chance to build a contender around Giannis Antetokounmpo in the coming years. Read our full history of the Knicks-Heat rivalry here.
9. Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Houston on Nov. 11, at Golden State on Dec. 30, at Houston on March 1, at Golden State on March 7
Just say “7-for-44” around an NBA fan, and they will immediately know you’re talking about the Rockets’ shooting performance in Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals against the Warriors. It was one of the most memorable playoff series in recent league history, and it’s just a shame Chris Paul couldn’t stay healthy the entire way through. The Rockets and Warriors also met in the playoffs in 2015, 2016, and 2019, then played a tough seven-game series in the first-round of the 2025 playoffs, with Golden State advancing. This rivalry is probably on its last legs these days with the Warriors declining around Curry and Green, but these games still seem to mean a little bit more to Houston, so it stays on the list.
8. Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Dallas on Feb. 28, at Los Angeles Lakers on March 21, at Los Angeles Lakers on April 6
Mavs fans might never get over the Luka Doncic trade, and it’s hard to blame them. Dallas rebounded about as well as possible by cashing in on long-shot odds to win the lottery for Cooper Flagg in the following draft, but until Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz build a sustainable contender, the biggest game on the schedule will be the ones against Luka’s Lakers. As Flagg enters his second season, he should have a chance to begin approaching Luka’s level of greatness in the coming years if he can live up to the hype.
7. Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Boston on Dec. 25, at Miami on March 27, at Boston on April 2
This has been the defining rivalry of the Eastern Conference for the 2020s. The teams played in the Eastern Conference Finals three times in this decade in 2020, 2022, and 2023, and faced off in the first round in 2024. The Heat and Celtics also played a legendary 2012 Eastern Conference Finals series that included one of LeBron’s best playoff performances ever with 45 points in Game 6. It was ultimately the last hurrah for the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce/Ray Allen version of the Celtics. This rivalry has some new juice this year before Boston came in second to Miami in the bidding for Giannis Antetokounmpo. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Boston and Miami play another first-round series again this year.
6. New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Indiana on Nov. 13, at New York on Nov. 22, at Indiana on April 11
Tyrese Haliburton hit an unbelievable buzzer-beater against the Knicks in Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, and then poured salt on the wound by immediately doing the Reggie Miller choking taunt. Miller’s dramatics — eight points in 8.9 seconds — during the 1995 conference semifinals will be replayed for as long as the NBA exists, and Haliburton brought it into the modern era by ripping New York’s heart out again. The fact that the Knicks immediately succeeded the Pacers as Eastern Conference champions and won the championship as soon as Haliburton went down with a torn Achilles only makes the stakes higher going into this year. All of these games are going to be must-see.
5. Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Los Angeles on Jan. 7, at Boston on Feb. 2
This is the biggest rivalry in NBA history, and I just can’t have it any lower than this even in what could be something of a down period. Even after these teams lost Jaylen Brown and LeBron James respectively to the 76ers over the offseason, I still had Boston at No. 6 overall and the Lakers at No. 7 overall in my updated power rankings. Both would qualify as dark horse contenders this season, and that’s not a bad place to be at in the parity era. These two teams have met a whopping 12 games in the NBA Finals. The league might be constantly changing, but the Lakers and Celtics always remain a focal point.
4. Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Philadelphia on Nov. 10, at Boston on Jan. 21, at Philadelphia on Feb. 7, at Boston on March 7
The Celtics and Sixers are both going to feel like they have so much to prove when they play each other this year. The Jaylen Brown trade was truly an event horizon for the NBA’s relationship with analytics, and it feels like nothing will be the same now that it’s complete. Brown will want to show Boston they made a mistake by choosing Jayson Tatum over him. Boston will want to prove its front office made the right move, and that this team never needed Brown to win big. Word on the street is that LeBron James hates the Celtics, and I’m sure the feeling is mutual. There’s not an NBA rivalry this year with better off-court storylines, and the on-court product should be pretty great, too.
3. Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Denver on Dec. 28, at Minnesota on Dec. 31, at Minnesota on Jan. 27, at Denver on March 7
Nikola Jokic will be remembered as the best player of his generation, and it will be impossible to tell his story without mentioning the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Nuggets went through the Wolves in the first-round in 2023 as Jokic led the franchise to its first ever NBA championship, but since then Minnesota has kept Denver away from a second round. The Wolves shocked the Nuggets in the second round of the 2024 playoffs by erasing a 20-point deficit to end Denver’s back-to-back bid. After Minnesota upset the Nuggets in the first round of the 2026 playoffs, many are wondering whether Denver is done competing for championships around Jokic. The Wolves only got better over the offseason by landing LaMelo Ball, and Denver still has a lot up in the air as Peyton Watson continues to linger in restricted free agency. Lead executive Tim Connelly left Denver for Minnesota, and knew exactly how to beat his former team. It feels like these franchises are trending in opposite directions, but it’s never smart to completely count out Jokic.
2. New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at New York on Dec. 25, at San Antonio on March 7
Not every NBA Finals matchup would warrant inclusion in a list of the league’s best rivalries the following year, but Knicks-Spurs was special. From Victor Wembanyama growing into a villain to the Knicks’ ridiculous last second comebacks to New Yorkers jumping Spurs fans on the street, the 2026 Finals matchup feels like it’s going to be a gift that keeps on giving for the NBA. These teams don’t meet again until Christmas, but both matchups this season are going to be awesome theater, and there’s a real chance we have a repeat come June 2027.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at San Antonio on Oct. 20, at OKC on Feb. 11, at OKC on March 14
It felt like the Thunder could be on the precipice of a dynasty until Victor Wembanyama rose to power a little quicker than anyone expected. The Spurs knocked off the Thunder in Game 7 of the 2026 Western Conference Finals, and in the process ignited a rivalry that should define the next decade in the NBA. The Thunder might believe they could have went back-to-back if Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell were healthy for the playoffs, and this season will put that theory to the test. Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enter the season as the league’s leading MVP candidates, but it’s the rivalry between Wemby and Chet Holmgren always takes the spotlight in this matchup. Holmgren looked like a top-10 player in the world before Wembanyama ruined his confidence in the Western Conference Finals. Can Chet punch back? Will Wemby destroy his psyche forever? Just simulate to the 2027 Western Conference Finals right now. Any other matchup would be a massive upset.
The May hiring seemingly came out of nowhere and a recent piece by The Athletic supports the notion of spontaneity. That said, there were underlying motivating factors, the right people in the right places and excellent timing that played big parts in May’s favorable response to the Mavericks.
The spontaneous ask
Mavericks’ GM, Mike Schmitz — himself a new hire in the organization overhaul — has a history with Dusty May, so it was not at all unusual for him to dial the coach’s phone on the morning of May 24. The purpose of the call was to inquire about the various Michigan players who would be available in the NBA Draft taking place just a month from when the call took place – one of whom, Morez Johnson, Jr., was of course selected by Dallas with their 9th pick. During that call, Schmitz took his shot. He asked May if he would be interested in the coaching vacancy in Dallas. May suggested he always had the desire to coach in the NBA, but fully anticipated he would pick up where he left off as the Michigan head coach next season. Then things changed.
What moved the needle for May?
Fresh off the NCAA spring meetings at the time of Schmitz’s call, May recognized there were certain things about the college game that are here to stay, for better or worse. May cited a frustration with the NCAA requiring coaches to partake in fundraising and other non-coaching obligations.
“I just spent so much more of my time doing everything but coaching,”
This notion speaks volumes. May, a well-regarded, well paid NCAA coach at the very top of the game, still found some measure of dissatisfaction with his situation. Why? He was being distracted from what he wanted to do most – coach.
This is extremely good news for Mavericks’ fans who are about to embark on the adventure of a youth movement. May is a player’s coach. One who desires to mentor and develop young players, which the Mavericks are rife with.
May further realized he may not get another opportunity like he could have with Dallas. Coaching Cooper Flagg and teaming up with a longtime friend in Schmitz were major boons, as was the leadership of new team President Masai Ujiri.
“You have to really believe and trust in who’s deciding the team for you.”
May seemingly enjoyed building his own team in Michigan – effectively serving as de facto GM. That scenario would not be a viable option in Dallas. However, with Schmitz and Ujiri running the decision-making show for the team, May was confident he would have the team he needed despite not having final say on the roster.
Once again, this is reason for Mavericks’ fans to feel good. Think what you will of Ujiri and Schmitz at this point, but their names alone build confidence in the world of basketball. May had an inherent trust in the pair – one because of a shared history and the other because of a successful resume. The Mavericks have two legitimate basketball professionals running the organization, something they haven’t had in nearly three decades.
Don’t ask, don’t get
The subtext of how all of this played out is intriguing, and in some ways, ironic. Just a few years ago, Mark Cuban thought wise to hire Nico Harrison largely based on his relationship with players. On the surface, it wasn’t necessary the worst approach, despite now knowing the colossal failure it quickly became. Now, without the glitz and glam of a former Nike executive, Dallas has a President and GM working in tandem, using their own relationships to make moves.
To be clear, this story is not about Nico Harrison, the tumultuous recent past or anything of that era. However, juxtaposing that with the current state of affairs is important. The fact that the unassuming Schmitz and Ujiri have contacts of their own, longstanding basketball pedigree and the ability to close a deal that gets the Mavericks the top college coach for their young team, are important factors in what the front office is capable of doing. Schmitz made a call with a single purpose and ended up getting the Mavericks a new head coach simply by asking the question and letting his relationships and history do the rest.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics talks to the media after the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
To some, the NBA regular season schedule release isn’t very notable. Everyone plays everyone and we just find out when they play. However, I love it and wanted to give some takeaways to it.
1. Jaylen Brown’s return
I was surprised that Jaylen Brown’s return to Boston was not on Christmas and I was even more surprised that it was just on a random Thursday that will be televised on Amazon Prime on the 2nd night of a back-to-back for the Celtics. Clearly, the NBA just did not value that game as much as Celtics fans and a lot of other people who follow the NBA thought they would.
It doesn’t change how emotional that night is going to be for Celtics fans though. Jaylen Brown is a Celtics legend who many thought would retire a Celtic. Instead, he now plays for one of Boston’s biggest rivals and will be out for blood trying to prove that Boston made a bad decision.
2. A lot of back-to-backs
It is not entirely clear on how many back-to-backs the Celtics will play this year.
I count 16 back-to-backs for the Celtics next season.
For what it is worth, my count was 16, which would be tied for the most in the league and, as Daniel Donabedian noted, the most back-to-backs the Celtics have had since 2016-17.
As Sean Grande notes, the Celtics might have a few guys who don’t play in back to backs this season. New center Mitchell Robinson is one example, as he did not play in such games for the Knicks last season.
3. A lot of national TV games in February and early March
From February 2nd to March 14th, the Celtics will play 19 games, 12 of those games will be on national TV.
Boston will play in 27 national TV games this season, meaning 15 of the remaining 63 games are scheduled to be nationally televised. If you take out the first two Celtics games, 13 of 61 games will be on national TV.
Yes, the Celtics are tied for 8th in the league in that category. However, almost half of the games come over a 19-game stretch (which makes sense as the NBA loads up on national TV games between the end of football and beginning of March Madness).
4. A long homestand followedby a long road tripthen another homestand
On December 14th, the Celtics tip off a 7-game, 15-day homestand against the Washington Wizards that caps off against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Then, on December 30th they start a 6-game, 11-day west coast road trip that starts in Chicago against the Bulls and ends in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
After they come home, Boston will play 9 out of 10 games at TD Garden with only a trip to the nation’s capital as their lone road game over that stretch to play against the Wizards.
This is all after a November in which they play 12 of 16 games on the road.
It is a weird scheduling quirk and one that we haven’t seen a lot over the past fews years for Boston. One thing is clear: there are a lot of long road trips and long homestands for the Celtics this season.
5. Atough close to the season
Of the Celtics final 7 games of the season, 4 will come against teams that were in the playoffs last season (that doesn’t include games against the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, who are widely expected to return to the playoffs after missing them last season). Five of the 7 games will also come on the road.
Over their last 7 games, Boston will play at the Pacers, at the Cavs, home against the Heat on a back-to-back, at the Knicks, at the Magic, at the Hawks and they close the regular season home against the Bucks.
If the Celtics are in a tight playoff race as the regular season comes to an end, it will be a grind for them to get the highest seed possible. On the other hand, this could represent a good test for Boston as they get ready for the playoffs.
SAN ANTONIO - MARCH 19: Gregg Popovich, Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs talks with Don Nelson, Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors prior to the game on March 19, 2010 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This post is going to be short and sweet. Here’s the video of Gregg Popovich speaking at Don Nelson’s funeral on Thursday in Dallas. It speaks for itself:
Pop looks and sounds as if he continues to progress in his recovery. Really great words. It was 100% Pop, classic, and still classy given the the depth of the event.
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BOSTON, MA - 1968: Bailey Howell #18 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers circa 1968 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1968 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
NBA history spans 80 seasons, and as CelticsBlog readers well know, the Boston Celtics have won a league-high 18 championships. This month, we are recapping each of those title years.
“Boston is dead! Boston is dead !”
The winning streak ended in 1967. The eight-peat would not be extended. It seemed like the Philadelphia 76ers had emphatically ended the Boston dynasty – but in 1968 the Celtics would have something to say about that.
Red Auerbach had retired from coaching after the 1966 championship and was succeeded by Bill Russell, who took on the role of player-coach. That dual responsibility is unheard of today, but it wasn’t uncommon in the first three decades of the NBA. The league has seen 40 player-coaches, the last one being – fun fact – the Celtics’ Dave Cowens, who had a 27-41 record after coach Satch Sanders was fired a month into the 1978-79 season.
“We’re only dead until October.”
John Havlicek
During 1966-67, Boston and Philly were two giants at the top. The Celtics posted a 60-21 record, which in most years would lead the league, but the 76ers set a league record at 68-13.
Boston beat New York 3-1 in the first-round best-of-five series, then faced Philly, which had surrounded Wilt Chamberlain with the best supporting cast of his career. The Celtics had won the season series, 5-4, but the inspired Sixers took a 3-0 lead in their playoff matchup. Celtics pride delivered a Game 4 win, but Game 5 in Philly let loose emotions that had been building for a decade. The Sixers ran wild, 140-116, and the crowd chanted “Boston is dead!”
John Havlicek’s response: “We’re only dead until October.”
The 1967-68 regular season
Coaching presented a learning curve for Bill Russell, especially as he had no assistant coach (no team did at that time). Fortunately, his roster was filled with veteran players who could help out while Russell was on the court (which he was for roughly 40 minutes per game). Besides all that, Russell was trying to fill the shoes of the most successful coach in basketball, and perhaps all of sports.
Now with one season under his belt, Russell looked to start winning again in 1967-68. There had been some roster changes.
Russell’s longtime teammate, K.C. Jones, had retired – one of the few Celtics to do so without a ring. But K.C. did have the distinction of being the first player to win as many as eight titles without a loss (Havlicek and Sanders would eventually match that 8-0 mark).
A still-new Celtic was Bailey Howell, a seven-year veteran acquired the year before for seven-footer Mel Counts. Howell was a 6-foot-7 forward who’d played with Detroit and Baltimore (now the Washington Wizards), a six-time All-Star, strong rebounder and dependable scorer who rarely missed a game. This turned out to be one of Auerbach’s best-ever deals.
Another new man was Wayne “The Wall” Embry, also called “Wide Wayne” by radio announcer Johnny Most. Embry was a five-time All-Star in Cincinnati who could set a mean pick and was perfect for the backup center role. A third-round pick was all the Celtics gave up in the deal.
The roster was a good mix of young veterans and older guys. They started the season winning nine of their first 10 and finished 54-28 for second place in the East, eight games behind the Sixers.
Eastern playoffs
This was all that mattered this season: the chance to prove they weren’t done. Boston took on the Detroit Pistons in round one and managed to lose Game 3 at home, falling behind 2-1. Detroit was led by Dave Bing, who’d been Rookie of the Year in 1967, and now was the league scoring leader.
Coach Russell adjusted by moving John Havlicek from sixth man to the starting five, which helped Boston close out the series with three straight wins. Hondo scored 35 in Game 4 on the road, and the Celtics blew the game open with an 80-50 second-half margin. Bailey Howell had 30 points in Game 5 and Havlicek 31 in Game 6 to wrap it up.
Now for the Sixers, who were without injured starting forward Billy Cunningham. Game 1 was played the night after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. The teams were offered the opportunity to delay the series for a period of mourning. They decided to play the first game, then pause for five days. Understandably, their minds and hearts weren’t totally involved in Game 1, but Havlicek had 35 and Sam Jones 28 as Boston made a nine-point halftime lead stand up, 127-118.
Philly regrouped and won the next three games, two of them in Boston. Veteran guard Hal Greer led all scorers with 31 and 28 points in Games 3 and 4, respectively. The situation stoked fears that the Celtics were headed for a repeat of last year. Moreover, no NBA team had come back from a 3-1 deficit.
<p>Bill Russell of the Celtics shoots against Wilt Chamberlain (No. 13) of the 76ers during a game played in 1968 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Copyright 1968 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)</p> | NBAE via Getty Images
The Game 5 crowd at Philadelphia was ready to bury Boston again, but Sam Jones wasn’t giving up. His vintage 37-point performance kept the Celts alive, 122-104. Havlicek joined him with a near triple-double, 29/9/10. Boston pulled away in the second half after trailing by one at halftime. In Game 6, Greer was on fire with 40 points, but his teammate Chamberlain was not, shooting 6 of 21 from the field and 8 of 22 at the line. Havlicek, Howell and Jones combined for 70 points in Boston’s 114-106 win, and the series was 3-3.
Game 7 in Philly was close much of the way, with Boston protecting a small lead into the fourth quarter. Guard Wally Jones rallied the Sixers to within four, and later big forward Luke Jackson scored to put them ahead by two with eight minutes left. Havlicek led the Celtics on a 14-7 run over the next five minutes, restoring their lead at 93-88. The Sixers fought back to within three, but in the final seconds Russell blocked forward Chet Walker’s layup. Boston had pulled off the upset, 100-96, and the first-ever comeback from down 3-1.
Boston shot 47.6% from the floor in Game 7 while holding the Sixers to 35.2%. Jones led the Celtics with 22 points while Russell posted 12 points, 26 boards, 5 assists and, according to the Boston Globe game report, unofficially 10 blocks.
Russell said it was the most satisfying victory of his career. Satch Sanders revealed that the pick-and-roll play was the catalyst for the comeback from 3-1.
“We kept running it over and over, again and again…. and Philadelphia just couldn’t deal with it…It forced Wilt into a switching situation and he sort of refused. And when he did switch, he had problems with Sam or Havlicek.”
Chamberlain’s stats were mystifying: 14 points, 4 of 9 field goals, 6 of 15 free throws. He attempted just two shots in the second half. After averaging 24 points in the regular season, that lack of aggression plus missing nine free throws in a four-point loss just didn’t cut it.
In the end, the Celtics were the opposite of dead. They had risen and were heading back to the NBA Finals to meet the Los Angeles Lakers for the sixth time.
NBA Finals
The Celtics were worn down after the Sixers series, and the Lakers were rested, not having the drama in the West that the Cs had in the East. There was a risk of letdown for Boston, as well. Nevertheless, Boston won Game 1 on the parquet, 107-101. The Celtics had a 59-40 second half after trailing at halftime. Then the Lakers, as they always seemed to do in the Finals, regrouped and won Game 2. But the Celtics, as was their habit, won Game 3 in LA and went home tied 2-2.
Turning point
Most of the pivotal Game 5 looked good for the Celtics, who compiled a 30-18 margin in the third quarter and led by 14 with one quarter to go. However, LA rallied to tie, forcing overtime. With 56 seconds left in the OT, Havlicek hit a corner jumper for a two-point lead. Next, Elgin Baylor drove to the rim looking for the tying hoop and got a good look over Don Nelson, but Russell brought the help defense and swatted the shot away.
A Nelson free throw pushed the lead to three. LA was unable to score again and Boston had a 3-2 series lead.
It wasn’t over until…
The Celtics were determined to avoid a Game 7. They made that clear by winning the Game 6 first half, 70-50. The Lakers had no answer.
The heroes we needed
Havlicek was now a full-fledged All-NBA star. He scored a massive 40 points in the closeout Game 6 and for the series led Boston in scoring (27.3) and assists (6.7) per game.
Bailey Howell scored 30 in Game 6. He averaged 21.0 points during the series, second behind Havlicek.
Don Nelson was the hero of Game 5, scoring 26 on 11 of 20 shooting with 12 rebounds and four assists in 43 minutes.
Notable facts and stats
Russell became the first black coach to win a championship.
Boston closed out all three series on the road.
Reserve guard Tom Thacker won a ring this season with Boston. He already had won an NCAA title with the University of Cincinnati, and when he was on the 1968 ABA champion Indiana Pacers, he became he answer to a trivia question.
Howell was acquired in a straight-up trade for Mel Counts, who was now the Lakers’ center.
Nelson was signed by Boston after the Lakers had cut him three years before.
In summary
The Boston Celtics dynasty was revived and flourishing, with 10 banners. Bill Russell got the player-coach job done on both fronts, including playing and winning a Game 7 on the road for the first time. Celtics pride helped them persevere and win against enormous odds. And the Sixers, who a year ago some were calling the greatest team ever, learned how difficult it was to repeat.
Banner Years continues Monday with a review of the 1968-69 season and the road to winning Banner 11.
No, seriously. Russell Westbrook played one season with the Houston Rockets. So why does he feel like such an integral part of their recent past?
There are likely a few reasons. Westbrook leaves a huge impression. It was also, at times (for reasons that were largely not his fault), painful to watch. Perhaps most importantly, his lone 2019-20 season as a Rocket was the final, dying gasp of the James Harden era.
But James Harden didn’t retire (as of this writing) yesterday. Russell Westbrook did. When The Beard’s time comes, expect me to publish a piece that largely amounts to “waaaaaaaa”.
My feelings on Westbrook are, probably much the same as a lot of readers, more complicated. My best friends know not to bring up the 2015-16 MVP race around me unless they’re in the mood for a diatribe. In what world is an extra rebound and a half more important than 10 wins? So if the Rockets had schemed for Harden to get rebounds just a bit more often, he averages the forever arbitrary triple-double and gets his MVP?
Ugh. Blarg, even. Let’s move on. For all of his flaws, Westbrook was a transcendent talent.
That’s the point here.
Westbrook was a force with the Rockets
Let it be said that the trade Daryl Morey made to acquire Westbrook could be the first case study in a textbook called “How to not Make an NBA Trade”.
That’s not Westbrook’s fault – that’s Morey’s fault. When he retires, I’ll write a piece about how he meticulously and brilliantly crafted one of the best teams in the NBA only to knock it over like a petulant child who’d grown tired of playing with a sand castle.
The most egregiously horrendous part of the deal was attaching draft capital to flip Chris Paul for Westbrook. The other issue was that Westbrook couldn’t play alongside Clint Capela, which led to the Rockets’ infamous micro-ball experiment.
When they drew the Lakers in the second round of the 2019-20 postseason, we all knew it was over, whether we were willing to admit it or not. It just made clear, intuitive sense. The Lakers started two guys who were 7’0″ tall. Beating them with zero players over 6’7″ was perhaps literally impossible.
Somewhere in the annals of The Dream Shake, I wrote a piece about how I wish the Rockets had, instead of blowing it up and trading Westbrook for John Wall, gone out and got Marc Gasol, or Dewayne Dedmon, or even Paul Millsap the following summer. The same iteration of the team with a stretch big could have made a real title run in 2020-21. What can you do?
We are now 461 words into this article, and precious little has been done to commemorate Russell Westbrook. Again, this is a player with a complicated legacy.
Overcomplicated, even.
February, 2020. Capela is gone, Robert Covington is in. P.J. Tucker is officially the shortest man to ever start at the 5 in the NBA. Westbrook averages 33.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 54.9% from the field.
We’re too smart in 2026, or at least too knowledgeable. There is always context. Westbrook had limitations that made winning games more difficult than his counting stats suggest.
Yet, there has to be some breaking point where raw statistical output outweighs everything. Westbrook spent his entire career breaking that point. Say what you want about his approach, playstyle, limitations – the man is averaging 30, 10, and 10.
The man was a human singularity. An iconoclast. He was going to do it his way:
And honestly, for the most part, it worked.
It wasn’t Westbrook’s fault that Tucker was 6’5″ (which, to be clear, is not Tucker’s fault either). It’s not even fair to say it’s his fault that he couldn’t shoot. If you’re questioning Westbrook’s work ethic, you’re asking the wrong questions. It is a skill that he tried and failed to hone.
It’s a curse that befalls all superstar zero-time NBA champions. Their legacy is relitigated into the ground. There will be many think pieces about why Westbrook couldn’t get over the hump.
Let’s not forget that getting over the hump requires extraordinary luck. Westbrook is an NBA Finalist. He went to the Conference Finals three times. That’s a lot of winning for a losing player.
Full disclosure: This is not one of my favorite players in NBA history. If anything, this is a man who, to no fault of his own, potentially damaged the career of one of my favorite players in NBA history. Still, we should all remember Westbrook for what he was: One of the most unique talents in NBA history.
It didn’t take more than a season of Rockets basketball to see that.
Everybody is hoping for a healthy Steph Curry on Christmas against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. Curry is the sole reason the Warriors are slated to appear on Christmas for a 14th consecutive year. He’s why the Warriors even have 28 national games in the 2026-27 NBA season, down from 34 last season.
The bigger gamble is a healthy and close to full-strength Curry in the Warriors’ one game at Madison Square Garden this season. The game against the New York Knicks falls on a Saturday night, 5:30 p.m. PT on Feb. 13 at The Mecca. Those few details alone are an appointment for must-see TV and a list of top celebrities sitting along the sidelines.
It’s also the sixth and final game of a Warriors road trip that begins in LA and ends across the country in New York. The Warriors play the LA Clippers, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics and the Knicks, in that order. Fortunately for them, the trip only features one back-to-back when the Warriors play in Chicago on a Tuesday night and Boston on a Wednesday night.
Their game in New York against the Knicks isn’t until that Saturday night, giving Curry and the Warriors two full days off in between. The date and the game hold a much different significance for Golden State than Steph’s yearly showcase under the MSG spotlight.
Why? Because it’s the Warriors’ first game after the Feb. 11 trade deadline.
“We have multiple ways to get better during the season, which is something we’ve done the last few years,” Dunleavy said Tuesday during a video press conference with local media. “Whether it’s adding [Jimmy] Butler, adding [Kristaps] Porzingis, you can go as far back as adding Andrew Wiggins. I’d say we’re pretty good about improving our team in the middle of the year.
“The most important thing right now is we got to get off to a good start. We can’t get in a hole because of the guys that we have out. So we’re gonna have to do some lifting early on to hold down the fort, and then after that, I feel pretty good about our ability. If we need to get better by adding talent, we can and we will.”
Dunleavy is in his third season as Warriors GM. He had a quiet trade deadline his first year when the Warriors were a .500 team at the time and shipped Cory Joseph to the Indiana Pacers for a second-round draft pick. Dunleavy then went star hunting his second year and wound up with Butler in a trade with the Miami Heat. With Curry and Butler both hurt, Dunleavy last season sent Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Porzingis.
After playing in 15 games for the Warriors last season, plus the two play-in tournament games, Porzingis returned this offseason on a two-year, $40 million extension. The Warriors brought back Draymond Green, De’Anthony Melton, Al Horford and Gary Payton II. They’re the only team that hasn’t added any talent outside of the draft, with two current open spots on their 15-man roster.
But that isn’t how the Warriors see it.
“If people see us as running back a 37-win team, I would say we’ve added to that team from the way it started last year with a player like Porzingis,” Dunleavy said. “And then most importantly, we get into the season and we see how our guys come back from injuries like Moses [Moody] and Jimmy.”
The Warriors see Porzingis as identical to an offseason addition, and with the highest upside talent at center on the free agent market outside of Detroit Pistons restricted free agent Jalen Duren. They see Horford as someone who can have a much more normal offseason, working with the training staff and being more available at the start of the season. They see Melton as someone who finally gets to enjoy a healthy summer and is a better fit next to Curry than, say, Anfernee Simons.
They see rookie Yaxel Lenedeborg as a Day 1 starter who can help fill the shoes of Butler and Moody as well as anybody else, especially when it comes to the Warriors’ financial strains.
And yes, the Warriors are going to consider Butler and Moody as in-season additions, even as they face uphill battles coming back from injury.
Between Butler and Green, the Warriors have more than $84.5 million in expiring contracts alone right there. Porzingis has a $20 million player option for the 2027-28 season, but only $3 million is guaranteed until July 7, 2027. The Warriors’ books are being cleared for next summer, yet Dunleavy already is hinting at being players during this upcoming season’s trade deadline.
“If you just look at our books, our assets, all that stuff, we’ve got a lot of ways to entice teams and make things available and worthwhile for them to do a trade with us,” Dunleavy said. “So for those reasons, I feel pretty confident that if we have to improve the roster in the middle of the season we can.”
Looking at the Warriors’ assets, they own their first-round pick in each of the next three years. It belongs to them in 2030 if the pick falls between Nos. 1 and 20, but goes to the Memphis Grizzlies if it’s between Nos. 21 and 30. They then again own their first-round pick in 2031, 2032 and 2033.
Dunleavy says the Warriors have been “super aggressive” in years past, whether it be the offseason or going into the trade deadline. But the Warriors have been holding onto first-round draft picks as if they’re a delicate baby. You’d have to go all the way back to the summer of 2013 to find a time when the Warriors sent two or more first-round picks out in a trade. That brought them Andre Iguodala.
Butler didn’t involve multiple first-round picks. Neither did Wiggins. Most recently, the Warriors have balked at using two or more first-round picks on players like Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard, two aging stars who have their own injury concerns.
The Warriors were 25-24 when they traded for Butler in 2025. Last season, they were 27-24 when they traded for Porzingis. What kind of team will they be when the trade deadline comes around this season?
A total of 53 games will have been played by then. The Warriors will have gone on the road for 27 games and stayed back at home for 26, without including games from the results of the NBA Cup. Those first 53 games going into the trade deadline also include 10 back-to-backs, with two to go in the final 27 games.
The team the Warriors have put together for the season opener has never been how they look coming out of the trade deadline under Dunleavy. Internally, the Warriors don’t view themselves as running it back. Externally, they’re already touting their ability to look different a few months from now.
“If this was the in-season cup that we were solely focused on, yeah, we probably have a different roster right now,” Dunleavy said. “We’d be getting ready for a sprint, but it’s a marathon, and we have a season to get through, and we have the ability to improve our team not only in the offseason but throughout the season. And so that’s something I keep in mind and don’t feel like hey, we have to have our team set come October 21.
“The best version of our team is the most important version. It has to be in April, May and hopefully June.”
That is, as long as the Warriors can first make it through October, November, December and so on, a problem they’re again trying to reverse.
The minute Bradley Beal opted out of his $5.6 million player option for this season — despite playing just six games last season due to hip surgery — it was expected that he would re-sign with the Clippers.
This contract is for two years, $13.2 million, with a player option on the second year (and also a $3 million guarantee), Beal's agent Mark Bartelstein told NBA insider Chris Haynes. This is a small raise off the player option he turned down.
Beal, 33, was a free agent and had been linked to Miami in some reports, but that always seemed to be more smoke than fire.
Beal averaged 8.2 points in 20 minutes per game while shooting 36.8% from 3 last season in the six games he played. The season before, in Phoenix, he averaged 17 points per game at a good 59.8 true shooting percentage. The biggest issue with Beal has been health, he has not played in more than 60 games in a season since 2019.
Beal will be sharing time at the two with No. 5 draft pick Keaton Wagler, and coach Tyronn Lue likely will play them together at points. (Projecting Clippers lineups beyond that is pointless until the Kawhi Leonard trade either goes through or is called off.)
The Warriors will play their first home game Oct. 23 against the Memphis Grizzlies, and it will be the only time they play inside their own arena for the first five games on their schedule.
They also close the season with seven of their final nine games on the road, a stretch that includes two dates with LeBron James and the 76ers as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Stephen Curry show has its tour dates. Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock
The veteran roster will have to travel approximately 46,000 miles and navigate 15 back-to-backs. As long as Curry’s around, so will be the spotlight: Golden State will be featured on national television 28 times, including games on Christmas and Presidents Day.
These are the biggest dates on the Warriors’ 2026-27 schedule:
Oct 21: Opening Night
It’s practically becoming a tradition.
For the second year in a row and the third time since 2021, the Warriors will open their season against the Lakers in Los Angeles. They also hosted their Western Conference rivals to begin the 2022 season. But this year, the matchup comes with a twist.
It won’t involve LeBron James.
These are Luka Doncic’s Lakers now.
Curry went 7-9 in regular-season matchups against the Lakers during James’ run starting in 2018. Now he’ll have a different kind of test in a team built around Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Golden State started strong last season, beating the Lakers on Opening Night and winning four of their first five. It will be more difficult this year for the same reason things fell apart last year.
While all indications are Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are doing well in their recoveries from knee surgeries, the Warriors won’t have either wing for at least the first portion of their schedule.
LeBron James attends Fanatics Fest NYC on Saturday, July 18, 2026, in New York, NY. James was among the marquee attractions during the event. (Copyright ) 2026 BACKGRID, Inc.) BACKGRID
Oct. 23: The home opener
Not only Yaxel Lendeborg’s regular season home debut, the No. 11 overall draft pick’s first showdown with a fellow lottery selection in the Grizzlies’ Cam Boozer, taken fourth overall.
With the Warriors’ injury situation and general age of the roster, they need the 23-year-old rookie — one of the oldest players in the draft class — to be rotation-ready from the jump.
Lendeborg has looked like an instant contributor so far, taking home Summer League MVP, but he’ll have a chance to really prove himself in one of the only one-on-one matchups he’ll get against a big man taken ahead of him this past June.
Nov. 6: Moving up the leaderboards
Entering his 17th season, the Curry money machine keeps whirring and the Warriors keep announcing sellouts. In their fifth home game of the year, they’ll make some history.
It should go down as the 611th consecutive home game they’ve played in front of a sold-out crowd, surpassing the Chicago Bulls for the fifth-longest streak in NBA history.
Fittingly, their opponent will be the Miami Heat, the only team with an active streak that dates back further (683 games, since April 2010).
The Warriors’ streak began on Dec. 18, 2012, at Oracle Arena in Oakland. The Bulls’ spanned the duration of the Michael Jordan-era dynasty, running from Nov. 20, 1987, to Nov. 3, 2000.
Next up: The Boston Celtics’ 662-game streak from 1980 to 1995. The Mavericks hold the all-time record at 1,005 games, which came to an end last season.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic reacts after scoring a basket during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets on Monday, March 16, 2026, at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. (Imagn Images) IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Dec. 4-11: NBA Cup
The Warriors’ competition in the group stage round was announced earlier this week. They’ll host the Lakers in their first NBA Cup qualifier Oct. 30, visit the Spurs on Nov. 13, host Kings on Nov. 25 and meet the Blazers on the road Nov. 27 as part of Group C.
If they advance, they’ll play in the knockout rounds from Dec. 4-9. If they do not, they will play regular season games from Dec. 6-10.
Dec. 25: Christmas Day, Pt. XVI
If there is one upside to the Curry era coming to a close, at least for Warriors staffers, it is that they will finally get to spend Christmas with their families. It’s not that time yet.
For the 14th year in a row and the 16th time in the past 17 seasons, Curry and the Warriors will be featured as one of the five games on the NBA’s biggest day of the regular season.
They will tip off at 7:30 at home against the Nuggets in a redux of their 2023 matchup, which they lost 120-114 in Denver. Golden State is 16-19 all-time on the holiday.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is seen in the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Imagn Images) IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Jan. 30-Feb. 13: A big test
General manager Mike Dunleavy heavily implied that the Warriors will seek to make in-season upgrades to their roster, and they’ll have no better time to evaluate their needs than the stretch immediately leading up to the Feb. 11 trade deadline.
First, they’ll host the defending Western Conference champion Spurs for their only two meetings outside of the NBA Cup on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1. Then, they set out on their longest road trip of the season — six games in three time zones from Feb. 3 to 13 — that ends in a meeting with the defending champion Knicks at Madison Square Garden two days after the deadline.
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The Warriors were spurned in their pursuit of a generational pairing of Steph and LeBron.
Like many love interests gone afoul, space and time just might be the best cure.
In which case, good news: The Warriors won’t have to even think about LeBron until March, and they’ll get their only two matchups out of the way in the span of a week (March 24 at home, March 31 in Philadelphia).
James signed a two-year contract with the Sixers, so hopefully we’ll get to see him and Curry share the court at least two more times next season. But James is 41, Curry is 38 and both players missed a large portion of last season, so you never know when it might be the final time.
Apr. 8-9: A tough close
One of the most daunting stretches of the Warriors’ schedule comes at the very end. That might be good news for a team that will be counting on two key players returning from serious injuries, which could take some time, but it will be a challenge as they attempt to lock down a top-six seed and avoid the play-in tournament in the waning days of the regular season.
The Warriors host the Jazz in Game 82, but they will play seven of their eight games before that on the road, capped off with the final back-to-back of the season — both in Oklahoma City.
They probably won’t be able to unpack their bags for the final two weeks of the season.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 4: Keyonte George #3 of the Utah Jazz reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 4, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Jazz 106-102. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Utah Jazz regular season schedule was released today. The Jazz did a great job with the reveal, with this amazing video featuring Thurl Bailey.
every fan base has challenges, but you don’t have to face them alone 💜
Some quick notes of interest. The return of Walker Kessler is just three games into the season (10/25). It’ll be after their first game in Memphis (10/21) and their home opener against the Pelicans (10/23). The Jazz will have 6 national games: Four on NBC, one on ESPN, and one on Prime. The Prime game is probably the most interesting because it’s the first time Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa will face off. It’s also interesting because it’s the last scheduled national game of the regular season for the Jazz. It’s game 61, and by that time both Peterson and Dybantsa should be acclimated to the league. Personally, that’s the one I’m looking forward to most.
It’s an exciting day for Jazz fans as it’s the first step towards a new season. What are the games you are looking forward to most?
The three-time All-Star has agreed to return to Los Angeles on a two-year, $13.2 million contract with a player option in the second season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The reunion comes after Beal declined his $5.62 million player option earlier this offseason, a somewhat surprising decision considering how little he was able to show during his first year in Los Angeles.
Bradley Beal #0 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts against the Phoenix Suns in the first half at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. (Getty Images North America) Getty Images
Beal appeared in only six games before a hip injury ended his 2025-26 season. He averaged just 8.2 points and 1.7 assists in 20.2 minutes per game, by far the smallest sample of his 14-year NBA career.
That brief stint looked nothing like the player who once averaged 31.3 points per game for Washington or even the version who produced 17.0 points per game during his final season in Phoenix.
The Clippers are betting there is still something useful left.
Beal returns to a roster undergoing significant change. Los Angeles has added Darius Garland and No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler to its backcourt mix, while Kawhi Leonard’s future remains unresolved amid the NBA’s investigation into alleged salary-cap circumvention involving Leonard and the Clippers.
Bradley Beal of the LA Clippers looks on during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 7, 2026, at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. (NBAE) NBAE via Getty Images
That uncertainty makes Beal’s return a relatively low-cost attempt to stabilize the backcourt.
If healthy, the 33-year-old could compete for starting minutes alongside Garland while providing another ball-handler and scorer. His availability remains the larger question, however, as Beal has not played more than 60 regular-season games since 2018-19.
After getting only six games from their investment last season, the Clippers are willing to try again.
This time, both sides will be hoping Beal’s second season in Los Angeles lasts considerably longer than his first.
Beal’s deal is said to be worth $13.2 million and will have a player option for the second year.
The three-time All-Star played in just six games during his debut season in Los Angeles before suffering a season-ending left hip fracture and undergoing surgery in November 2025. He initially left a game against his former team, the Phoenix Suns, during the first half because of hip soreness.
Beal averaged just 8.2 points, 1.7 assists, and 0.8 rebounds in his six games played last season.
He's averaged 21.4 points, 4.3 assists and 4 rebounds per game through the first 14 years of his career.
Grading Bradley Beal signing
Beal will add a veteran presence to the Clippers’ locker room, which could prove beneficial for a fairly young roster.
The Clippers drafted Keaton Wagler with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and he is likely to see significant time as the starting shooting guard, with Beal serving as the primary backup and mentor to Wagler.
