Category: NBA

If you are to believe preseason predictions, this game being a showdown between the East’s top two teams could come as a bit of a surprise. Pistons fans knew this team would be good, but many talking heads predicted a falloff this season while everybody was on board with the 76ers being one of the best teams in the league.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the team that was 1st in the East last season is once again competing for the top seed in the East, but talking heads have to make their money somehow. ESPN at least had the foresight to pickup this game and you get what should be a very fun early-season showdown between two teams that have only lost one game each.

The 76ers and Pistons have played once this season and the Pistons won, but it is tough to draw any conclusions since both teams were missing a couple of starters.

Game Vitals

Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI
When: Wednesday, November 4 at 7 pm EST
Watch: ESPN
Odds: Detroit (-2.5)

Analysis

The Pistons will be without Jalen Duren and Isaiah Joe, who was already ruled out for this game last night. The Pistons were missing Jalen Duren in the last matchup between these teams and also Ausar Thompson, who they will have back. But, Isaiah Joe did suffer the hip injury that is still keeping him out during the 1st quarter of the last matchup, so the Pistons are trading one injured player for another.

With this being a National TV game and the 76ers getting a day of rest, I would suspect that everybody plays for them tonight. In the last matchup, the 76ers did not have Joel Embiid or VJ Edgecombe, which really put their lack of depth to the test.

Joel Embiid’s size and ability on the glass could become a problem for the Pistons, who will continue to start the undersized Paul Reed and likely use John Collins to back him up. Without Jalen Duren, rebounding was already going to be a problem, but the Pistons have been able to overcome it during his absence.

In the last matchup, the Pistons were able to contain Tyrese Maxey through 3 quarters before he started hitting shots in the 4th. It was a bit of shocking development since the Pistons were without Ausar Thompson, but without some of the other stars for the 76ers, they could focus their defense more on stopping Maxey. The 76ers have a lot of star power, but their biggest offensive threat is arguably Maxey, who can hit shots from anywhere on the court and can use his quickness with the ball to get to where he wants. I would expect Ausar Thompson to draw the Tyrese Maxey matchup which will allow Cade Cunningham to guard Jaylen Brown since he has the size to keep up with him.

I am not really sure what the Pistons are going to do about the Joel Embiid matchup. Paul Reed is outsized by him and also can have some issues with fouling and Joel Embiid has made a living off of bating fouls throughout his career. Paul Reed is going to have to stay disciplined, as I don’t think the Pistons can afford to have heavy minutes of John Collins at center or Tolu Smith. I have full confidence in the Pistons’ ability to matchup with the rest of the 76ers starting lineup, but the most concern I have is this matchup and it very well could swing the game.

If there is one certainty for the Pistons, it is that Cade Cunningham is difficult to slow down, especially with how he is playing now. He is coming off a 33 points masterclass against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday in only 27 minutes where he absolutely took over the game and turned a single-digit lead into a 20-plus point blowout. Cade Cunningham always starts off the season slow, but he seems to be hitting his stride now. His 3-ball is consistently falling as he is shooting 37% from beyond the arc, which is a significant development for his offensive creation abilities and efficiency.

He is going to have to put together another masterclass if the Pistons want any hope to win this game. During Jalen Duren’s absence, the Pistons have been able to win games through their high-level defense, but their offense has left a lot to be desired. With Isaiah Joe out and Duncan Robinson going through a bit of a cold stretch, the Pistons shooting fell off a bit and they went four games in a row scoring 110 points or less.

However, everything seemed to get back on track on Monday against the Hornets, so hopefully that continues.

One player the Pistons are hoping gets back on track is John Collins. He had his best game as a Piston in the last game against the 76ers and has proceeded to score single-digit points in every game since then. With Jalen Duren out, he has had to play a lot more center than he was probably planning on playing, but he has also had difficulties finding a consistent offensive role. Another big John Collins game would be a huge help in this matchup

The Joel Embiid matchup concerns me with the Pistons lack of frontcourt size, but if they can defend Tyrese Maxey like they did in the last matchup, they have a shot to takedown the 76ers and claim the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Lineups

Detroit Pistons (6-1): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Paul Reed

Philadelphia 76ers (7-1): Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid

Question of the Day

Which of these teams will finish higher in the Eastern Conference at the end of the season?

The strange saga concerning the playing status of veteran forward Kristaps Porzingis continues, as the Golden State Warriors are reportedly not paying his $20 million salary for the 2025-26 season because he is not playing.

ESPN.com reported on Wednesday, Nov. 4 that the non-payment stems from Porzingis not rendering services to the team or fulfilling his contract. Porzingis has not played yet this season because of an undisclosed illness that the team has yet to clarify.

The Warriors can seek to trade Porzingis before the Feb. 11 trade deadline, as Porzingis has reportedly leaned toward retirement. The salary for the 31-year-old still counts against the salary cap and any tax apron that the Warriors could possibly pay.

Porzingis' two-year, $40 million deal expires at season's end, making him a prime trade candidate and allowing any acquiring team to shed salary on its own roster to create a roster spot, possibly for a playoff push. According to the report, Golden State is not currently entertaining voiding the remainder of his contract.

Porzingis' timeline in Golden State

The Hawks traded Porzingis to Golden State for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield on Feb. 5, 2026. He played only 15 games with the Warriors and 32 games overall in the 2025-26 season.

Golden State saw enough potential to sign him to a two-year, $40 million extension in June, which came with a player option for the 2027-28 season. He was guaranteed $20 million for this season, but only $3 million was guaranteed in the last year of the deal.

Before training camp started, general manager Mike Dunleavy was called by Porzingis, who informed him he was stepping away from the team.

The team then said Porzingis would be around as he recovered from his illness, but he wouldn't play because of that medical condition.

In 12 NBA seasons, Porzingis has averaged 19.5 points and 7.6 rebounds for the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics, along with the Hawks and Warriors.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Report: Warriors withholding payments to Kristaps Porzingis on $20M salary

After a three-game hiatus because of foot soreness, Ziaire Williams returned to the Los Angeles Lakers’ rotation in Monday night’s 138-117 win over the Miami Heat. Although he didn’t rejoin the starting lineup, he played 15 minutes and continued his highly efficient scoring season with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from deep while adding two rebounds, two assists and a steal.

“I don’t [have an idea what caused soreness]. Kind of just flared up out of nowhere,” Williams told reporters following Monday’s victory. “But we got some of the best doctors in the world and I’m in good hands. I’m here to stay [in the rotation], hopefully, as long as I can and I feel great right now. I’ll be back out there on Wednesday.”

Williams’ pestering point-of-attack defense and reliable play-finishing alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves have been rather valuable for the Lakers during his five appearances this season. Throughout his career, however, he has struggled with injuries and never eclipsed more than 63 games in a season, averaging 53.8 games played across his first five years.

Los Angeles will hope he’s fully past this brief injury spell and can continue providing worthwhile contributions on both ends. At the very least, he seems to have full confidence in the Lakers’ training staff. That’s always encouraging.

Although the sample is small, the Lakers have fared very well with their preferred starting five of Dončić, Reaves, Williams, Matisse Thybulle and Walker Kessler on the floor; in 51 minutes, they’ve outscored opponents by 23 points. While Williams was sidelined, Jake LaRavia assumed his starting spot and that quintet has also been dynamite in its limited run, outscoring teams by 42 points in 37 minutes.

Entering the year, Los Angeles’ biggest question mark within its starting group was on the wings. Through two weeks, the likes of Williams, Thybulle and LaRavia have all answered the call. With Williams now back and LaRavia also playing pretty well, it’ll be interesting to see how head coach JJ Redick handles their minutes and the lineup configurations. We’ll get another look when the Sacramento Kings host the Lakers Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.

Kristaps Porziņģis might never play another NBA game. The Golden State Warriors also might not pay a cent of his $20 million contract.

NBA insider Shams Charania made an X post on Tuesday that read, “The Warriors are not delivering payments to Kristaps Porzingis on his $20 million salary, ruling that he is not rendering services”.

Porziņģis has been ruled out indefinitely from the NBA season due to a mystery illness, and he has openly contemplated retirement as he looks to regain his health.

“Golden State is permitted to move his contract at any point before the Feb. 11 deadline even without paying him currently, and will continue exhausting trade avenues as the 31-year-old leans toward ending his NBA career,” Charania added in the X post.

“Absorbing Porzingis’ near-expiring deal would allow a rival team to move a salary out and save money and clear a roster spot via a buyout,” he continued.

The Warriors are still trying to trade the 31-year-old, despite it seeming unlikely that another team would want to trade for a player that is owed $20 million and might decide to retire.

The one element that provides some hope to move the big man is that he is on a juicy expiring contract.

It’s unclear whether Porziņģis will challenge the Warriors’ decision to withhold his salary right now. If he decides to do so, what has already become an ugly saga could get even worse.

The discourse around LeBron James’ decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers in favor of the Philadelphia 76ers is still raging, despite the decision being months old at this point.

James’ agent Rich Paul and Max Kellerman discussed this during a recent episode of their “Game Over” podcast.

“When you’re in years 22, 23, 24, and you still have something left in the tank, it is a beautiful situation where you can position yourself alongside other guys that can play roles at a high level that give you a real chance of winning. And you don’t have to try to be someone that you’re no longer capable of being today,” Paul said.

“What gave rise to that was a change of location. Lakers didn’t have that. They didn’t have that… That’s one of the reasons he picked Philadelphia,” Kellerman said, which Paul agreed with.

Paul did give the Lakers credit at another point in the podcast, saying that they made good moves in free agency to add pieces around Luka Dončić after LeBron’s exit.

LeBron certainly looks to be playing with a lot of joy right now. And the Lakers are arguably playing better basketball right now than they did at any point last season, largely because of these new additions to the roster.

LeBron’s decision seems to have been a win-win for both sides right now. Both teams sit in first place of their respective divisions. But there’s still a lot of basketball to be played that could change whether that remains true.

Warriors reportedly not paying Kristaps Porziņģis as he leans toward retirement originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Kristaps Porziņģis is not receiving a dime from the Warriors right now.

While the veteran center remains away from the team as he deals with a health issue, Golden State is not delivering payments to Porziņģis, ruling that he is not rendering services, ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported Wednesday, citing sources.

The Warriors are not delivering payments to Kristaps Porzingis on his $20 million salary, ruling that he is not rendering services, sources tell me and @anthonyVslater. Golden State is permitted to move his contract at any point before the Feb. 11 deadline even without paying him… https://t.co/o8ZmdcVQOM

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 4, 2026

As Charania mentions, the Warriors are permitted to move his contract at any point before the Feb. 11 trade deadline, even without paying him, and will continue to exhaust trade avenues as Porziņģis leans toward retiring from the NBA.

Charania originally reported on Oct. 21 that the Warriors were exploring trade routes for Porziņģis, and it doesn’t appear that they have had much luck moving the contract in recent weeks.

Porziņģis’ failure to render services early on in the 2026-27 NBA season, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks pointed out on X, is costing him a hefty price.

Failure to render services is costing Kristaps Porzingis $218,341 (1/91.6 per game).

His $20M salary continues to count against the cap/tax/apron.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) November 4, 2026

It’s unclear what the future holds for the 31-year-old center, but it’s clear that the Warriors, at least mentally, have moved on from the former All-Star, even as he remains on their roster.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers won’t have to wait long to avenge the Oklahoma City Thunder for a frustrating loss on Monday night. The Cavs are heading on the road to conclude their two-game season series with them on Wednesday evening.

The Cavs had chances to win on Monday, but they couldn’t come down with a key rebound or hit a clutch shot when they needed it. The margin between winning and losing in the NBA is tight. Right now, the Cavs seem to find themselves on the wrong side of these margins against upper-echelon teams.

Both teams will be without several key players in this rematch. The Cavs are down much of their wing rotation as Peyton Watson, Jaylon Tyson, and Nae’Qwan Tomlin have been ruled out of this game. The Thunder will be getting Alex Caruso back for this matchup, but they will still be without Jaylen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Cason Wallace, and could be without Jaylin Williams as well.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3) at Oklahoma City Thunder (5-2)

Where: Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, OK

When: Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 8 PM

TV: DAZN, NBA League Pass

Point spread: Thunder -3.5

Cavs injury report: Peyton Watson – OUT (hamstring), Jaylon Tyson – OUT (ankle), Nae’Qwan Tomlin – OUT (back), Khalifa Diop – OUT (G League), Ernest Udeh, Jr. – OUT (G League)

Thunder injury report: Chet Holmgren – OUT (knee), Jalen Williams – OUT (ankle), Cason Wallace – OUT (shoulder), Thomas Sorber – OUT (knee), Nikola Topic – OUT (back), Jalin Williams – QUESTIONABLE (back)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Meleek Thomas, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Thunder expected starting lineup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jarden McCain, Ajay Mitchell, Kenrich Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein

Cavs jersey:White Association Edition uniform

Previous matchup: The Thunder have won four-straight games over the Cavs, including Monday’s 117-112 victory.

Here’s a look at both teams’ regular-season impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

	Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	117.5 (5th)	111.7 (13th)	+5.8 (9th)
Thunder	111 (19th)	110.1 (9th)	+0.8 (16th)

Although the Miami Heat are off to a rocky, 2-5 start, they sit a respectable 13th in offensive rating and operate at a breakneck pace. It’s a style that could catch any team off-guard — and it often has over the past year or so — especially one playing the second leg of a back-to-back as the Los Angeles Lakers were Monday night. This season, Miami touts the NBA’s fastest time to shoot at 10.4 seconds per possession, according to inpredictable, and is fourth in transition frequency (18.4%), per Cleaning the Glass.

In the first half of Monday’s duel, the Lakers struggled to corral Miami’s uptempo attack. They surrendered 72 points before the break and led by just seven. After intermission, they held the Heat to 45 points and pulled away for a comfortable, 136-118 victory.

“We really challenged the guys at halftime. The biggest thing for us, the first thing on the scouting report was get back and get set,” head coach JJ Redick told reporters after the win. “We had multiple clips and multiple guys, after makes, running towards our hoop instead of getting back. This was not a pick up, full-court game. They want to make it a track meet. They want to play high volume early offense.”

According to NBA.com, the Lakers posted a 95.7 defensive rating in the second half. Redick attributes much of that success to slowing Miami’s early attacks and containing its half-court offense, the former of which featured starkly different performances between halves.

“We gave up 40 points in the first half in the first eight seconds [of a Heat possession]. We gave up, I think, 16 in the second half in the first eight seconds and they were 0.71 [points per possession] in the half court, which is [the 98th percentile], is as good as you can kind of hope for,” Redick said. “I thought the way they responded in the second half, or at halftime and then in the second half defensively, was awesome.”

Despite being 6-2 with the league’s second-ranked offense and fourth-best net rating, the Lakers are just 18th in defensive rating thus far. Moving forward, they’ll hope they can parlay Monday’s impressive second half into a prolonged stretch of feisty defense to complement their abundantly potent offense.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.

What makes this 76ers team stacked with superstars so unique originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

They’re a team of superstars that don’t play superstar basketball.

That’s the beauty of this 76ers team. They play a brand of unselfish team-first basketball you rarely see from a team loaded with stars.

LeBron James is one of the two or three greatest players in NBA history, a four-time MVP, a four-time NBA champion, a 1^st-ballot Hall of Famer.

Joel Embiid is a seven-time all-star, a former MVP, an Olympic gold medalist and a likely Hall of Famer. 

Jaylen Brown is a five-time all-star, an NBA champion, a career 20 points-per-game scorer. 

Tyrese Maxey is a two-time all-star, one of only two NBA guards averaging 27.0 points per game over the last four years.

Four certified megastars on one team. And somehow they’ve figured out how to leave their egos at the front door and play smart, tough, disciplined team basketball, the style of ball you just never see on these superstar-laden teams.

On offense, they patiently work the ball around, always looking for the open man or a positive matchup. You’ve got this bunch of big-name, high-priced All-Stars who are just as happy to pass the ball as shoot it. That never happens.

The 76ers are sixth in the NBA in assists, and they’re one of only four teams with twice as many assists as turnovers. Smart, unselfish, patient, disciplined.

When an all-timer like LeBron averages 7.3 assists per game that speaks volumes. LeBron is fifth in the NBA in assists per game among forwards, which is wild. You can see the joy on his face when one of his passes leads to a basket. When one of the greatest players in history has that mentality, it rubs off on everyone around him.

Embiid hasn’t really got going yet on offense and still takes too many 3’s, but he’s also embraced the team-first mentality, and his 4.8 assists per game are more than one full assist above his career average and 4^th-most in the NBA among centers or forward-centers. And still one of the most dominating defensive players in the league.

Brown is averaging 27.0 points, which you expect, but he’s also averaging 4.3 assists per game, significantly above his career average of 3.8 coming into the season. He’s fit in so well so fast you forget its his first season here.

And what can you even say about Maxey? Just a beast. He’s averaging nearly 30 points per game but never wastes a possession, always makes the right decision with the ball in his hands and is still finding time to average 4.3 assists per game.

With James, Embiid, Brown and Maxey, the 76ers are the only NBA team with four guys averaging at least 16 points and 4 assists per game. Only the Pacers, Magic and Raptors have three.

But where we’re really seeing this group playing out of their minds is on the defensive end, where this bunch of all-stars, including two newcomers, has been astounding.

The 76ers have the 2^nd-best defensive efficiency rating in the league, behind only the Pistons, who they play Wednesday night, and they’re allowing the 2^nd-fewest points in the league, also behind Detroit. Last year, they allowed 123 points per game through eight games. This year they’re at 111.

They’re holding teams to 43 percent shooting from the field, 3^rd-best in the league and their lowest since 2011-12. Their 9.3 steals per game are 6^th-most.

All five starters are among the top 25 players in the league in defensive rating – James is fourth, Embiid 11^th, Edgecombe 15^th, Maxey 22^nd and Brown 23^rd. How is that even possible?

It’s rare to see superstar-caliber guys play as hard on the defensive end as the offensive end. Everybody on this team embraces it. They hustle, they work, they communicate and most importantly they commit to it.

The biggest concern when the 76ers built this dream team was that it would be a team of individuals out for themselves, but the reality has been the opposite.

In a very short period of time, they’ve learned how to play together. How to play for each other.

And we haven’t even mentioned V.J. Edgecomb, who at 21 years old has figured out how to assimilate into this loaded lineup, never force anything, wait for his opportunities and make huge shots when he gets his turn. Edgecombe is at 12.7 points and 3.0 assists per game, and his numbers are understandably down a bit from last year, but if that bothers him it sure doesn’t show.

And the role players – Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jabari Walker – have each adopted the same ego-free style of basketball, supporting the starters however they need to.

Nick Nurse deserves a ton of credit for getting this bunch to play this brand of hoops. It’s not easy to get any NBA player to put team goals ahead of individual goals. But he’s got Hall of Famers and all-stars doing it and having a blast along the way. They all seem to love playing basketball the right way and they seem to love playing together.

The 76ers are 7-1 and looking like a real threat to win the East, and they’re doing it by playing the game the right way.

By committing to each other and not themselves.

The Philadelphia 76ers begin a three-game road trip on Wednesday with a visit to the Detroit Pistons.

It’ll be a battle of two teams enjoying red-hot starts to their 2026-27 seasons, with the Sixers coming into the matchup 7-1 and the Pistons 6-1. It’s worth noting that the Sixers’ lone loss so far this campaign came at the hands of the Pistons back on Oct. 25.

The Sixers’ injury report is as clean as can be expected for this one, with only Dominick Barlow (back) and Ariel Hukporti (Achilles) on the list. For Detroit, they are still without Jalen Duren, who suffered a right hamstring strain in the second game of the season and has not returned since. They will also be without former 76er Isaiah Joe with a right hip contusion.

The loss of Duren as it happened seemed like it could be something that set the Pistons back a bit, but they’ve managed just fine so far. Cade Cunningham continues to be an effective offensive engine for Detroit, posting 23.7 points and 7.1 assists per game this season and is shooting 37.0% from deep on a 6.6 attempts-per-game clip.

In Duren’s absence, former Sixer Paul Reed has stepped up in taking on the starting five position. Reed has started the last five contests for the Pistons and has averaged 13.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists. 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocks in that stint. Not only that, but Reed is shooting 65.0% from the floor (5.6-for-8.6) to start the year. The Sixers would love a backup center like that…

Looking at team numbers, the Pistons are currently the best in the association in defensive rating at 102.0, but the Sixers are right there with them in third at 105.1. Detroit is holding opposing offenses to shooting just 41.2% from the floor, the lowest mark in the league. The best way to break through that wall for Philly may be to do exactly what they did against the Bulls (who, yes, are a much worse team than the Pistons) in getting out ahead in transition as often and as quickly as possible. Giving them time to set up defensively will only make things harder for the Sixers, who are still admittedly finding their footing at times in the half court offense — something one would hope only gets better and better with more time together on the floor.

As I mentioned, the Sixers’ only loss this season so far came at the hands of this Detroit squad when they faced off in South Philadelphia over a week ago, but the context surrounding that game is worth noting as well. The Sixers went into that matchup on the second leg of a back-to-back (versus the Pistons after a day off), with both Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe sidelined. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that because they’ve had some rest and are at full strength that it’ll be some cakewalk for Philadelphia tonight… but I think it certainly won’t hurt their cause.

Both teams come into Wednesday on a three-game winning streak, but only one can remain near-perfect on the season after tonight.

The Sixers and Pistons tip off at 7 p.m. ET.

Game Details

When: Wednesday, November 4, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Watch: ESPN, NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow:@LibertyBallers

It was reported by Michael Scotto of Hoop Hype that the Cleveland Cavaliers will be signing 6’5”, 25-year-old forward Norchad Omier to a two-way contract.

It was originally reported that Omier had agreed to a two-way deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, however, Scotto reported that Omier has “changed his mind” and instead “plans to sign a two-way deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers.”

This is certainly an unusual situation for obtaining a two-way deal, however, this presents the Cavaliers with another option for backup depth. Omier started last season with the Charge, before signing a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. Omier appeared in 38 G League games last season, averaging 18.3 points and 11.4 rebounds on .592/.291/.787 shooting splits.

Omier spent training camp with the Timberwolves. He played six preseason games with them this season, and averaged 1.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per preseason appearance.

It hasn’t been confirmed as of yet which of the Cavaliers current two-way players (Tristan Enaruna, Riley Minix or Ernest Udeh Jr) will be waived in order to complete this move. Two-way contracts are not guaranteed, which means the team can cut a player at any time without penalty.

Omier has some history with the Charge, in 2025-2026, Omier posted a 20 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game split over 20 regular-season contests. Obviously, both sides had interest in a reunion, and the question remained of which of the Cavaliers’ two-way options will be let go to make room for this transaction.

Before we get into Wednesday night’s matchup, I just wanted to say how great it feels to be back writing for NetsDaily. It’s an honor to be part of this talented group and to have the opportunity to cover this team again.

Now, let’s talk some basketball.

The Brooklyn Nets are back home Wednesday night, and they’ll be looking to do something they haven’t done all season: win a basketball game at Barclays Center.

Baby steps, right?

After finally breaking into the win column against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, the Nets came crashing back down to earth Monday night, falling 103-90 to the New York Knicks. They’ve lost 15 straight games to the crosstown rivals and defending champions.

The good news? Brooklyn’s next opponent isn’t exactly setting the NBA on fire.

Enter the Charlotte Hornets, who have lost four straight, including an ugly 33-point loss to the Detroit Pistons on Monday. Between these two teams, somebody has to walk away feeling good about themselves Wednesday night.

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Game Information

• Who: Charlotte Hornets (3-5) at Brooklyn Nets (1-6)
• When: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• TV: YES Network

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The Game

Look, nobody came into this season expecting the Nets to compete for an NBA championship. Heck, winning games was probably pretty far down the list of expectations.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t ask for a little entertaining basketball along the way. Brooklyn returns to Barclays Center on Wednesday night, hoping to give its home crowd its first win of the season. 

They’re 0-3 at home with losses against the depleted Hornets, Pacers, and Pistons. Two out of three were by double digits.

Brooklyn has struggled to find its offensive rhythm, failing to reach the century mark in three consecutive games. Monday’s fourth quarter against the Knicks was particularly rough, with the Nets managing just 11 points over the final 12 minutes.

Not exactly a recipe for success.

Still, there have been some bright spots. Nolan Traoré poured in 17 points against New York, while Mikel Brown Jr. chipped in 13 off the bench. For a team focused on developing its young talent, those are the kinds of performances worth keeping an eye on.

And if there’s one thing that could help Brooklyn’s offense Wednesday, it’s Charlotte’s generosity with the basketball.

The Hornets committed a whopping 27 turnovers against Detroit and have committed 82 turnovers during their four-game losing streak. That’s a whole lot of extra possessions waiting to be claimed.

In the first matchup between the two teams, Charlotte dominated the inside and defeated Brooklyn 110-103, without Kon Knueppel, Grant Williams and Coby White. 

On the flip side, Brooklyn forced 21 turnovers in that matchup. If the Nets can create that kind of disruption again, they’ll give themselves a much better chance this time around.

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Injury Report

Brooklyn Nets

• Egor Dëmin — OUT (Right Leg Bone Bruise)
• Drake Powell — OUT (G League Assignment)
• Joshua Jefferson — OUT (G League Assignment)
• Ben Saraf — OUT (G League Assignment)
• Tyler Bilodeau — OUT (G League, Two-Way)
• Grant Nelson — OUT (G League, Two-Way)

Charlotte Hornets

• Kon Knueppel — PROBABLE (Left Hamstring Strain)
• Coby White — PROBABLE (Left Calf Injury Management)
• Grant Williams — OUT (Right Hamstring)

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Player to Watch: Brandon Miller

Remember when Brandon Miller was considered a controversial pick over Scoot Henderson in the 2023 NBA Draft?

Yeah, that conversation has aged pretty well for Charlotte.

Miller is averaging 23.5 points per game to begin the season. Even though he’s shooting just 37.8% from the field this season, he’s capable of turning it around in the blink of an eye. Brooklyn is a team he might look to get back on track against. Charlotte won the game but Miller finished with 18 points on 7-of-21 shooting and 3-of-14 from three.  

Since then, he’s connected on just 22 of his last 62 field-goal attempts, so the Nets will certainly be hoping those shooting struggles make the trip to Brooklyn. Of course, knowing how these things tend to go, this would be the night he suddenly can’t miss.

Either way, Wednesday presents a pretty reasonable opportunity for Brooklyn to pick up win No. 2. For those making the trip to Barclays Center, maybe even something to celebrate on the subway ride home. It’s probably overdue.

More reading: At the Hive, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Nets Insider, SNY, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Steve’s Newsletter

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• Charlotte Hornets Game Notes – Charlotte Hornets
• How Nolan Traoré is evolving into a leader the Nets can count on ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• The troubling Nets trend holding them back for yet another year – Howie Kussoy – New York Post
• Nets’ Josh Minott has done ‘nothing wrong,’ but can’t get on the floor ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Sophomore point guard emerging as silver lining for Nets amid disappointing 1-6 start – Erik Slater – Clutch Points

The Washington Wizards are 4-3 to start the 2026-27 NBA season, which is a great thing. And that has also helped them in the NBA Power Rankings where they are no longer simply at the bottom of the totem pole.

On ESPN, they are ranked No. 16. Sure, it’s the best team of the lower tier group. But last year, the Wizards were consistently in the bottom five, so we’ll take the little victories. Here’s the blurb from Zach Kram:

The ADs look great.Anthony Davis has been Washington’s best player, averaging 23.0 points and 9.1 rebounds, and AJ Dybantsa — whose two initials are the same as the veteran big man’s — has averaged 19 points on 50% shooting in his first three games in the NBA. That’s everything Washington could have wanted from the two No. 1 picks so far. 

I agree, both AD’s are great. Hopefully they lead Washington to at least a first round playoff spot. Anyway, how much are you reading into power rankings? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

The Toronto Raptors don’t have a centre problem, and at the same time, they very much do.

When the Raptors take on the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, they’ll match up against the most dynamic offensive big man in the NBA – Nikola Jokic.

Despite Jokic’s dominance, there’s a realistic chance the Raptors produce his kryptonite. Denver currently ranks last in the league in offensive rebounds given up at 14.5 per game. Meanwhile, Toronto ranks first in offensive rebounds (15.3). Through sheer tenacity and effort, it could be enough to negate Jokic’s wizardry.

It’s been quite some time since Toronto’s centre rotation was an undeniable advantage. When former head coach Nick Nurse had the luxury of deploying Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, it resulted in 48 minutes of reliable production.

Since then, the Raptors have failed to find consistency at the five.

This season, while early, has already set the stage for a fascinating narrative.

Jakob Poeltl looks healthier (and more mobile) than last season, and while he’s shown positive signs of returning to form, the injury bug remains obsessed with the Austrian.

After missing the game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Poeltl was listed as questionable (left shoulder bursitis) on Nov. 3 and might be limited should he dress against Denver.

Meanwhile, Collin Murray-Boyles has taken a temporary step back, at least in comparison to what fans saw in the playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers. There was a lot of noise around Murray-Boyles being in even better shape this year. While the sophomore is shooting more threes, he’s still ramping up defensively (and around the basket on offence).

Trayce Jackson-Davis has been a pleasant surprise off the bench, especially against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 28, when he finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds in 20 minutes of action.

In their last three games, the Raptors have both struggled and simultaneously managed their way against opposing bigs. Toronto hasn’t lost the battle on the glass in any of the prior three contests, but centres have either had their way against the frontline or have made an obvious impact.

The Magic’s Wendall Carter recorded 20 points and seven rebounds and Los Angeles Lakers’ centre Walker Kessler finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds. While the Raptors used a historic 47-point fourth quarter to overcome the Los Angeles Clippers, the tide didn’t really turn until Brook Lopez (12 points, six rebounds) fouled out.

With all due respect to the aforementioned centres, Jokic is another type of problem and represents an otherworldly challenge for the Raptors’ energetic but undersized frontcourt.

Jokic is averaging 21.9 points, 11.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists through 21 games against the Raptors in his career. He also has four triple-doubles against Toronto.

The scuttlebutt over the weekend was a series of quasi-nonsense reports about the Dallas Mavericks being open to trading Kyrie Irving. On Sunday, the Mavs Moneyball Slack was on fire at the ridiculousness of such an idea, particularly with the Mavericks sitting pretty at 4-2. Then national media outlets started chiming in on the subject so I asked anyone who really had a take to answer this: what WOULD it take for you to be happy if the Mavericks traded Kyrie Irving?

Tyler: Obviously, the Mavericks shouldn’t trade Kyrie just for the sake of trading Kyrie, but there are plenty of scenarios where they should listen. The two teams in particular that I’d be interested in dealing with are Houston and Detroit. Houston has a treasure trove of draft assets from Brooklyn and Phoenix, and combined with plenty of young talent on the roster, you could easily put together a deal with a couple of those attractive first-rounders and a young player. Detroit is such a perfect Kyrie team, and they have all of their draft capital plus young guys in Ebuka Okorie, Ron Holland, and others. Again, some firsts, and Okorie and Holland and I’d probably go ahead and do that.

That’s not an indictment of this Mavericks team. They’ve gotten off to a very nice start amid a very tough schedule. However, one of the fatal flaws of the Luka Doncic era was accelerating the timeline with the Porzingis deal. The Mavericks in keeping all of these vets around, with a severe lack of assets to properly build around Cooper when he reaches his prime, is far more of a pressing issue than being the eighth seed this year. This is a five-year plan, not a one-year deal. They need to be prudent about this.

Ben: I’m ready to fully move on into the next era of Mavericks basketball. They shouldn’t trade for the sake of trading, but should also be realistic about the value of a soon-to-be 35 year old small guard coming off knee surgery.

If they get an offer of a first-round pick and an expiring salary, they should take it immediately.

Michael: I fully agree we should not trade Irving. I have never been on board with trading the veterans for a bunch of picks and full-on rebuilding in that manner. There is just far too much unknown in doing so. Getting younger and cheaper could just as easily mean “getting much worse” as it could mean “getting better.” NBA teams need veterans, especially Hall of Famers who are willing to play as the second option to a 19-year-old. The Mavs have that almost-impossible-to-obtain scenario, and I don’t think they should let it go.

But that doesn’t answer the question. The question was, “if we do” trade Irving, what does it take for me. My answer to that question is “a lot.” It would take a younger player that is a direct replacement for Irving in terms of production (or a year removed from all but certainly making that jump), along with at least two FIRST-round picks in consecutive drafts no more than one year removed from this offseason. That is simply something I don’t see happening.

Irving is critically important to this team, and I think he gets underestimated by a big margin when it comes to assessing his value. I understand he is currently 34 years old and coming off a major injury, but we’re not in 1996. In this modern era, we have Steph Curry at almost four years older to the day than Irving. Kevin Durant is three-and-a-half years older with a major injury under his belt. LeBron James is another one… Irving is playing at a high level and clearly helping this team win. Also, Irving has a player option next year, then is likely gettable for a reasonable contract thereafter. I don’t feel as though he is hurting the team or the cap in such a way that can’t be solved via other moves (plus the team will drop Klay Thompson’s $17M cap hit after this season by simply doing nothing).

The only way I personally would be willing to trade him is basically if it was the most obvious no-brainer trade imaginable where Dallas is getting back a young but ready player and draft capital. It can’t be something that ushers in a “hope for the best” youth movement and obviously hurts the team right off the bat with hopes of the team improving over time. If the Mavs make moves, it should be with the goal of improving immediately and going forward.

Bryan: To give up Kyrie, the Mavericks would need to be either flailing around the December 15th mark (when most players in the league become available for trade) or to be bowled over with an offer worth 3 or more first-round picks in value if they are above .500 and in good seeding position. Unless Cooper Flagg’s production slows down tremendously or Kyrie gets hurt, there is no reason to tear any of the core pieces of this team off of it for a paltry trade return when they could simply carry a team performing well into the play-in/offs and allow the young players to gain incredibly valuable postseason experience. Everyone is clamoring for Kyrie Irving to be shipped off to a playoff team that could use him more. After a hot early start, the Dallas Mavericks are pounding on their chests asking, “Why not us?”

Salvator: I think for this year barring an obvious overpay, I think they should keep Kyrie at least until the offseason. There is still value in making the postseason and seeing how our guys play in that environment, kinda similar to the one year CP3 played in OKC.

Kirk: I can’t fathom trading him. Any contender making an offer to Dallas has to come through with picks that are from a team that projects badly, like, I’m not interested in a Detroit 2028 first-round pick (well… I guess I am a little, what a draft class). There has to be something there for me to sink my teeth into as a person looking ahead. Right now, Kyrie is too valuable and too fun to consider otherwise. But if I was forced? Two first-round picks, and ones that look good right now.