Category: NBA

The conversation surrounding the NBA, perhaps more than any other North American professional sports league, is usually driven as much by transactions as the games themselves. Trade rumors, contract negotiations and free agency decisions can alter championship races and reshape the landscape of the entire league.

This past offseason saw incredible movement, with some of the biggest stars in the game switching teams via free agency and trades. Though a new NBA season has only just started, another wave of important decisions is already looming for players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant.

From superstars weighing extensions worth hundreds of millions of dollars to veterans trying to secure one final payday, these seven contract situations could play a major role in determining where some of the NBA's most impactful players play next and how the 2026-27 season unfolds.

New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.

After dropping their season-opener against Philadelphia, the New York Knicks are back in action tonight against another team looking for their first win.

The Boston Celtics host the Knicks tonight, Oct. 23, for the first NBA on Prime game of the season.

On Tuesday, the Celtics opened the 2026-27 NBA season with a road loss against Detroit.

Just a few hours later, the Knicks began their title defense against a new-look Philadelphia squad. Despite leading by 10 points three times in the second quarter, the Knicks lost, 106-100, in a game that “put [their] egos in check.”

New Celtics center Mitchell Robinson will face his old team tonight, too; Robinson signed with the Celtics in the offseason after winning the NBA championship as a Knick.

When do the Knicks play again?

The Knicks are back in action tonight, Oct. 23, against the Boston Celtics.

Knicks vs. Celtics start time

Knicks vs. Celtics will tip off at 7 p.m. ET.

How to watch Knicks vs. Celtics for free

Tonight’s Knicks vs. Celtics matchup streams exclusively on Prime Video nationwide, so you’ll have to be an Amazon Prime subscriber to watch the game.

If you aren’t a Prime Video subscriber yet, you can get started with a 30-day Amazon Prime free trial, including Prime perks like the Prime Video streaming service, free two-day shipping, exclusive deals, and more. After the free trial, Amazon Prime costs $14.99/month or $139/year.

All 18- to 24-year-olds, regardless of student status, are eligible for a discounted Prime for Young Adults membership as well, with age verification. After a six-month free trial, you’ll pay 50% off the standard Prime monthly price of $14.99/month — just $7.49/month — for up to six yearsand get all the perks.

NBA on Prime: 2026-27 Knicks schedule

The Knicks have 10 scheduled NBA on Prime games for the 2026-27 season, not including any potential NBA Cup knockout games.

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

The 2026-27 NBA season is here.

The Boston Celtics blew a big lead Tuesday afternoon to open the year 0-1. The Philadelphia 76ers have knocked off last year’s Eastern Conference champs and runner-ups in three days. Tyrese Haliburton dropped 23 points and 12 assists in his return to action. And the Lakers opened the season by blowing out the Warriors and helping make Yaxel Lendeborg’s rookie debut a memorable one.

Here are some of the best stories of the opening week of the season as well as key news you may have missed.

Boston Celtics

• Jayson Tatum’s season debut was far from pristine, but there’s no reason to panic — CelticsBlog
• Celtics’ loss to Pistons had one massive bright spot: ‘He was unbelievable’ — CelticsBlog

Dallas Mavericks

• ‘Not the same NBA I fell in love with as a kid’: Kyrie Irving laments NBA’s evolution — The Athletic

Detroit Pistons

• Pistons vs Celtics final score: Detroit overcomes 22-point deficit, beats Boston in opener — Detroit Bad Boys

Golden State Warriors

• Sources: Warriors exploring options to trade center Kristaps Porzingis — ESPN

Indiana Pacers

• Tyrese Haliburton knows he’s persevered in return to Indiana Pacers — Andscape
• How Haliburton-Siakam 2-man game changed the game in opening win — Basketball, She Wrote Patreon

Los Angeles Lakers

• How the Lakers’ Luka Doncic went from ‘Wonder Boy’ to ‘The Man’ — LA Times

Memphis Grizzlies

• On Ty Jerome’s 45 Point-night! — GrizzliesFilm/Twitter

Miami Heat

• Giannis Antetokounmpo hears ‘MVP’ chants but Heat get season-opening reality check — The Athletic

Minnesota Timberwolves

• The Anthony Edwards-LaMelo Ball partnership opens with chemistry and hope — ESPN
• Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball are talking the talk and walking the walk — The Athletic

New York Knicks

• Knicks coaches didn’t get rings on banner night; MSG staff received phishing email: Sources — The Athletic

Oklahoma City Thunder

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s record 20-point streak ends in Thunder win over Nuggets — ESPN

Philadelphia 76ers

• ‘It’s a good sign’: 76ers stars overcome adversity together in historic comeback win — Yahoo Sports
• How Jaylen Brown remedies a decade-long issue for Sixers — Liberty Ballers

Portland Trail Blazers

• In Moda Center talks, Tom Dundon and city officials are 10 years, $1 billion and one jet ride apart — The Oregonian
• Micah Nori’s First Head Coaching Win Exceeds His ‘Wildest Dreams’ — Blazer’s Edge

Sacramento Kings

• Ben Simmons suffers season-ending torn Achilles days before season opener — Shams Charania, ESPN

Toronto Raptors

• In massacring the Bulls 135-92, the Raptors are trying to tell us something — Raptors Republic
• How Jamal Shead mastered the art of illegal-screen drawing — Raptors in 7 Substack

Washington Wizards

• No. 1 Pick AJ Dybantsa (ankle) to remain sidelined — NBA.com
• Davis on offense, Coulibaly on defense — Wizards thump Bucks in season opener — Bullets Forever

NBA — Contract extensions

• Phoenix Suns center Oso Ighodaro agrees to three-year, $29 million deal
• Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace agrees to five-year, $139 million deal
• Charlotte Hornets wing Brandon Miller agrees to five-year, $209 million deal
• Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels agrees to one-year, $40 million extension — ESPN

The Suns’ 2026-27 season kicked off Wednesday evening with a 124-83 pasting by the Portland Trail Blazers. Booker finished the humiliating night with 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting. It is the beginning of the age-30 season for Suns legend Devin Booker, who reaches that mark on October 30th. Booker will continue his assault on the franchise career leaders this season and likely take the top spot in areas such as career minutes played, field goals, and free throw attempts.

If Booker ends up staying with the Suns throughout his career, he will essentially end up owning that record book.

Records aside, what kind of season can Suns fans expect from the player that undeniably must perform to his fullest capabilities if the Suns want to dream about more than a first-round playoff exit?

Here is a list of other active players during their age-30 seasons. I didn’t include players that had won an MVP (Harden, Westbrook) or that played PF or C. There are wings and guards represented here.

There aren’t a lot of close comparisons to go off. On the list above, Lowry (6), Butler (6), and George (9) have more All-Star appearances than Booker (5). Players like McCollum and White aren’t in that All-Star category but have been solid players throughout their careers. Those players cumulatively averaged 3.8 points, 1.1 assists, and 1.0 rebounds, higher than their career averages in their age-30 season. Every player on that list was above his career scoring average.

Booker’s career averages are 24.6 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game. If he averages those numbers vs. his career totals, he would be at 28.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game. Those numbers would be a career-high scoring average, the 4th-highest assist average, and tied for the highest rebounding average.  

That season would also give him the Suns’ season single-scoring record. Tom Chambers currently holds the record at 27.2 ppg, while Booker averaged 27.1 in his best season. My guess is Booker would be happy to get that one in his portfolio. Tom Chambers set the single-season scoring record in…his age-30 season.

There aren’t really any recent examples from the Suns to use for comparison. For the guards, Kevin Johnson was an All-Star (non-MVP) who spent his age-30 season with the Suns. He averaged 20.1 points, 9.3 assists, and 3.6 rebounds that year. Definitely a good season, but not the best for a player who averaged 20/10 three times in his career. Walter Davis was 40 years ago, and he was injured and barely played in his age 30 season. Steve Nash won the MVP in his 30th season, but I didn’t include MVPs in the table above. It would be less likely than a case of lightning striking twice for Booker to pull off the same feat. Charles Barkley won his MVP in Phoenix in his 29th season, but still made the 2^nd team All-NBA the next year.

Other great guards that played for the Suns didn’t have their age-30 season in Phoenix. Players like Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Stephon Marbury, Connie Hawkins, Jeff Hornacek, Dan Majerle, etc., weren’t Suns at that age. It’s a common theme that the Suns don’t seem to keep players into their 30s. Booker becomes an exception.

Going back to the table and looking at BPM, three of the seven players (Lowry, Holiday, and McCollum) had the highest box plus/minus of their career. White’s was the second highest.

Booker has reached the age where athleticism begins to wane, and experience has to make up the difference. The age 30 season gains importance because the clock begins to tick cacophonously. After the age of 30, only Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Steve Nash, and Wilt Chamberlain have won MVPs. It has been 21 years since Nash achieved the feat.

That would be a bar set too high, but there isn’t any reason to think Booker can’t make a push for the franchise single-season scoring record, return to All-NBA form, and be the leader for a team that is very dangerous come playoff time.

In the first half of their home opener on Thursday night, the Sixers were being serenaded by boos. And they deserved it, as LeBron James later admitted.

After Tyrese Maxey tied the game at 11 early on, the Cleveland Cavaliers rattled off a 24-7 run to finish off the first quarter. The Sixers fell into a 29-point deficit in the second quarter and headed into the locker room down 69-45 at halftime.

At that point, the Sixers had two choices. They could have gone through the motions in the second half and decided it just wasn’t their night, particularly if the Cavs started the third quarter off strong. As Joel Embiid said after the game, past Sixers teams “would have just laid down and tried to move on to the next one.”

Instead, the Sixers opened the third quarter on an 11-0 run and got right back into the game. The end result? The biggest comeback win in LeBron’s career, the Sixers’ biggest comeback win in the past 30 years, and what Embiid first called a “top-five night for me since I’ve been in Philadelphia.” (He later amended that to top-three before admitting that he “just kind of made it up.”)

After the game, reporters naturally asked everyone on the team about the mood in the locker room at halftime. To a man, they responded that they viewed the halftime deficit as an early-season litmus test.

• Nick Nurse: “There’s some veteran guys in there, and the voices at halftime were like, ‘It’s still a game. Settle down, and let’s start playing our game.’ They were pissed. They were down and pissed both. Getting over what just happened, realizing, ‘Oh my God, we’ve gotta snap out of it.’ And then getting ready to go to work.”
• VJ Edgecombe: “We know that we’re gonna face a lot of adversity this year. That was one of them. It’s all about how we respond. That was the main thing when we went in the locker room. How are we gonna respond to being down 30 points, 29 points? How are we gonna respond?”
• Tyrese Maxey: “My only message that I had, I said, ‘Well, it’s time to see what we’re made of.’ We gonna be some frontrunners and give in and only be happy when stuff is good? Or when stuff is bad, are we gonna fight and be resilient? We did that.”
• Jaylen Brown: “I think I said it’s a great opportunity for us to respond to adversity. There’s gonna be ups and downs all year long. How we respond is gonna be 80 percent of the battle. It’s a good sign that we came out, being down 30, we could have been pointing fingers. We got after it, so I like that.”
• LeBron James: “It was basically just saying, ‘Let’s see what we’re made of at this point of the season.’ I don’t think we’ve got a locker room full of lay-down guys, there’s a lot of game to be played. We answered the call.”

They did indeed.

After turning the ball over 14 times in the first half—which led to a 22-3 Cleveland advantage in points off turnovers—the Sixers had only two giveaways in the second half. They completely flipped the script on the Cavs by scoring 19 points off turnovers in the second half compared to zero for Cleveland.

That ball security also allowed the Sixers to get their half-court defense set more often. With Maxey ramping up the ball pressure and hounding James Harden, the Cavaliers’ free-flowing offense from the first half was nowhere to be found in the third quarter. The Sixers trimmed 16 points off their 24-point deficit in that quarter alone, getting the Xfinity Mobile Arena crowd back into the game after their dismal first half.

From there, the Sixers started hunting mismatches.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Embiid went on a personal 7-0 run to put the Sixers ahead for good. Brown then took over with a 6-0 run of his own, as it looked like he took it as a personal slight that the Cavaliers dared to have Sam Merrill try to defend him. (Perhaps he took cues from Luka Dončić’s response to Yaxel Lendeborg on Wednesday?)

As Steve Jones of Yahoo Sports noted after the game, the Sixers figured to show that type of problem-solving in the playoffs, when it’s easier to create opponent-specific game plans. Their ability to figure it out on the fly only two games into the regular season is eye-opening.

For the second straight game, one major adjustment was sticking Embiid on a non-shooting wing on defense and having LeBron and Brown able to guard up. Once Dean Wade is back in the fold, he’ll likely get a crack at those types of assignments as well. That defensive versatility is a tool that few other teams can match.

The Sixers still have plenty to figure out, as they all readily admit. They’re still developing chemistry with one another, still figuring out where everyone should be on offense and still learning how to pick and choose their respective spots. But their refusal to lay down and quit against Cleveland spoke volumes about this team.

“It’s great to know that deep down, we’re not gonna have that quit mentality,” LeBron said after the game. “You never want to feel like that. You never want to look around and be like, ‘OK, guys gave up.’ It’s great to know that we’ve got that. But you don’t want to put yourself in too many of those situations.”

Dating back to media day, they all preached about needing to develop championship habits from day one. As the New York Knicks proved during the 2026 NBA Finals, the ability to stay resilient amidst that type of adversity is the very definition of a championship habit. After all, the Knicks would have headed back to San Antonio tied 2-2 had they not overcome a 29-point deficit in Game 4.

The Sixers once again had a dismal night from long range (7-of-28), but the three-point shot is the great equalizer in the modern NBA. We’ve seen time and again throughout the league that almost no lead is safe. Teams have to run hard through the tape or they risk coughing up leads that once seemed insurmountable.

After Game 4 of the Finals last year, Brunson explained the secret behind the Knicks’ never-quit mentality.

“We just keep fighting,” he told reporters. “And now we’re going to continue giving it everything we got. Regardless, even if we don’t win Game 4, I feel like the habits that got us back into the game could have carried over into Game 5.”

On Thursday, the Sixers showed that exact type of resilience against the Cavaliers. Although they’d be far better off not falling into a nearly 30-point hole in the first half, their ability to battle back from that and emerge victorious bodes well for this group moving forward.

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

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BOSTON — The Knicks are handing out 275 championship rings to employees worth almost $4 million, The Post has learned.

The news comes on the heels of a report from The Athletic revealing that the Knicks handed empty boxes to the top assistant coaches – Chris Jent, Rick Brunson and Brendan O’Connor – during Tuesday’s ceremony.

Jent, Brunson and O’Connor will get their real rings “shortly,” said a league source, who added that the distribution of 275 championship rings was always the plan. All the Knicks assistant coaches will eventually receive championship rings, league sources said. 

“The company is gifting more than 275 championship rings and jewelry to players, coaches, employees and other members of the Knicks family, worth more than $3.7 million, in recognition of their contributions and celebrating this achievement,” an MSG spokesman told The Post. 

The Garden also acknowledged an error involving a mass email sent to MSG corporate staffers several weeks before the ceremony. The email asked the staffers to click on a link to be fitted for a championship ring, sources confirmed. However, the link led to a mandatory cybersecurity class – a tactic the Garden deployed as response to a hacking incident. 

An MSG spokesman called the use of rings an error. 

“The company had previously sent out an email to its corporate team as a simulation of a phishing attack designed to strengthen our security against hackers,” an MSG spokesman told The Post. “MSG was recently hacked and extorted using an employee login and password obtained through a similar phishing attack. Using the rings as a lure to gain employees attention was an unfortunate mistake.”

All current Knicks players received championship rings before Tuesday’s home opener against the Sixers, as did former Knick center Ariel Hukporti, who was at the arena with his new Philadelphia teammates. Team executives Leon Rose and William Wesley also got their rings Tuesday. 

Sixers list James and Wade as questionable for 1st leg of back-to-back  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

All things considered, the Sixers’ injury report was not a lengthy one Friday night ahead of the team’s first back-to-back this season.

LeBron James was listed as questionable for Saturday’s game vs. the Bucks with an official designation of “low back/sciatica management.” The Sixers plan to be cognizant of the 41-year-old James’ load during the regular season with the playoffs in mind. 

Dean Wade was also questionable with a left ankle sprain. Wade worked out on the Xfinity Mobile Arena floor Thursday prior to the 2-0 Sixers’ comeback win over the Cavaliers, but he ultimately did not make his regular-season Sixers debut. The 29-year-old forward injured his ankle a week ago in the team’s preseason finale. 

Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction), Tacko Fall (left quadriceps strain) and Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendor tear) remained out.

As of Friday night, Joel Embiid was absent from the Sixers’ injury report. Speaking late Thursday evening, Embiid’s expectation was that he’d sit against either the Bucks or the Pistons on Sunday. He logged 34 minutes vs. Cleveland and posted 24 points on 8-for-16 shooting and seven rebounds. 

“I’m not playing both games,” Embiid said. “I’m playing one of them. I don’t know. They’re going to tell me. But I feel good. Whatever they tell me, I’ll do it. 

“I might not agree with it, I might fight it, but I might not win. I kind of give them the freedom to do whatever they want.”

Grizzlies' Quinten Post wants to ‘kill' Warriors in first game vs. former team originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Arguably the biggest departure from the Warriors during this past NBA offseason was big man Quinten Post.

The 26-year-old from the Netherlands signed a three-year, $30 million offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies in July as a restricted free agent, and Golden State opted not to match.

On Friday, Post is set to make a very quick return to Chase Center to face his old team for the first time. He spoke with Michael Wallace of Grind City earlier in the day to discuss the emotions of coming back to the Bay.

“Yeah, I mean, I was always very grateful to the Warriors organization,” Post explained. “You know, they drafted me, they gave me a chance out of the G League. I didn’t start up [in the NBA]; I started in their G League system. And so it’ll always be a place that’s special to me. The city of San Francisco is great and great organization, but now we’re here.

“I’m really happy to be here, and tonight I just want to kill them, to be honest.”

Now, does that mean Post actually harbors some serious animosity toward the Warriors for letting him go, or is he just excited to compete with his new squad? Who knows.

Post spent two seasons with Golden State after being selected at No. 52 overall in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft and proved he could be a more-than-capable rotation option after spending some time with the G League Santa Cruz Warriors.

The 7-footer averaged 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 36.5 percent from 3-point range in 16.9 minutes across 109 games (49 starts). In his first appearance with the Grizzlies on Wednesday, Post had seven points and a rebound on 3-of-4 shooting (1 of 2 from deep) in 19 minutes during Memphis’ win over the Utah Jazz.

Post likely will come off the bench again Friday behind starter Zach Edey, but it will be interesting to see how the former Warrior performs in this “revenge game” of sorts.

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While we are 10 days away from the start of the 2026-27 college basketball season, the new NBA season also tipped off this week.

In past iterations of Mountain West in the NBA, we have detailed several different alums representing current Mountain West programs. However, as we continue to be reminded, the cupboard is fairly empty this year with conference realignment, with only a handful of representatives.

So, who will be those faces in the NBA from current MW programs? Let’s examine!

Nevada:

Caleb Martin, Dallas Mavericks:

Skinny: Entering his age-31 season, Martin appears to be entering the tail-end of his NBA career. He appeared in just 58 games (12 starts) with the Dallas Mavericks last year, averaging 3.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 45.0 percent shooting and 35.1 percent from 3-point range. The Mavericks don’t have aspirations of competing, but Martin, who has battled several lower-body injuries over the last three seasons, is a far cry from where he was during the Miami Heat’s miraculous NBA Finals run in 2022-23.

Kobe Sanders, Los Angeles Clippers:

Skinny: Sanders, who was the Clippers’ No. 50 overall draft pick in 2025, carved out a role in the Clippers’ rotation upon signing a two-way contract as a rookie. Sanders eventually parlayed that two-way contract — which paid him roughly $636K into a two-year minimum salary, essentially doubling his average annual value. Though the Clippers re-upped Sanders once again this summer to a four-year, $11.2 million contract.

After how he played for an up-and-down Clippers squad, he deserved it. Sanders, 24, averaged 7.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 46.6 percent shooting from the floor and 40.8 percent from 3-point range on 2.9 triple tries. He also has way more juice defensively than he showed at Nevada, in part because his role on-ball is minimized compared to what it was in college.

UNLV:

Derrick Jones Jr., Clippers:

Skinny: Jones has long been one of the more respected wing defenders across the NBA. Last year, the 6-foot-6 forward averaged 0.9 steals and one block, in addition tying a career high in points (10.1) on 49.9 percent shooting and a career-best 35.9 percent from 3-point range. Jones, in his age-29 season, is already off to a good start to begin 2026-27, scoring eight points with six rebounds and five assists in the Clippers’ blowout win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

Elijah Harkless, Detroit Pistons:

Skinny: After spending his first two years with the Utah Jazz, Harkless, 26, signed a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons this offseason. In 36 career games (9 starts), Harkless has averaged 5.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals on 33.2/24.8/74.3 shooting splits. He has torn up the nylon in the G-League, however, scoring 18.5 points across 26 minutes on 46.1 percent shooting and 38.6 percent from deep.

Wyoming:

Larry Nance Jr., Indiana Pacers:

Skinny: Nance has bounced around the NBA, now playing for his sixth organization in 12 seasons. Last year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Nnance averaged just 3.7 points and 2.7 rebounds on 41.9 percent shooting. Nance, 33, has carved out a very strong career, but his days of making a legitimate impact in an NBA realm are pretty much over, unfortunately. He is a very good vet to have in the locker room, though.

After an equal parts defeating yet somewhat inspiring 128-110 loss to the Houston Rockets, the Dallas Mavericks (0-1) remain on the road as they are set to square off against the Indiana Pacers (1-0). The Mavs found themselves down by as many as 37 points against Houston on Wednesday, before somewhat reeling Houston back in throughout the second half.

Indiana, for their part, snagged a road win to start the year in New Orleans against the Pelicans. Tyrese Haliburton made his return from the torn achilles he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals and picked up right where he left off. This Pacers team, now with Ivica Zubac in the fold at center, figures to be right back where they were two seasons ago. It will be a tall task for Dallas to get this one home.

Game intangibles

Dallas Mavericks (0-1) at Indiana Pacers (1-0)

Tipoff: We’re set for tip just after 6:10 p.m. from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana

How to watch: MavsTV, KFAA Channel 29, or NBA League Pass for those out of market will have you covered on this one

Game lines

Odds via the Fanduel Sportsbook and are subject to change

Spread: Pacers -7.5 (-110)

Moneyline: Dallas is +225 to pull off the upset

Total: Over/Under is set at 239.5 points (-110/-110)

Game plays

• Indiana -7.5 (-110)
• Ivica Zubac over 27.5 points + rebounds (-110)
• Obi Toppin under 12.5 points (-118)
• Zaccharie Risacher over 8.5 points (-132)

This is an awful spot for the Mavericks to walk into. This is the Pacers home opener, and it will be a very charged up atmosphere with Tyrese Haliburton playing his first home game since Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals. I just don’t know how Dallas finds a way here, especially given Rick Carlisle’s voodoo magic he holds over the Mavs. Ivica Zubac has a wonderful matchup here against Daniel Gafford, who simply doesn’t rebound the ball at all. I also would like to fade Obi Toppin, who scored 20 off the bench against the Pelicans on great shooting. Finally, maybe in that second half of the Houston game, Risacher found something. I’ll go over the point total here.

Other games on the card:

The Brooklyn Nets lead the league in future draft picks with 32, and their cache of future firsts — 13 — is second only to the Oklahoma City Thunder who have two more. But of OKC’s 15 firsts over the next seven years, only one is their own. So you can argue, if you wish, that the Nets have the better quality.

That said, the Nets need to make good picks … and after Wednesday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets, their most recent efforts have to be called into question. In 2025, said to be a generational draft, Brooklyn had five firsts, at Nos. 8, 19, 22, 26 and 27, a record. But a look at the boxscore Wednesday might lead to concern.

Of the five, only the No. 8 (Egor Demin) and No. 19 (Nolan Traore) played and even by their own estimates, they played poorly. The two combined for only seven points on 2-of-14 shooting. Demin and Traore, both playing the points, had only two assists (both Demin) and three turnovers in a combined total of 42 minutes. Forty divided by five is not exactly what fans and the organization had to be thinking would be the optimum for the first game of the Flatbush 5’s second year.

What may have been a more telling piece of data was that of the record five firsts in 2025, they were the only two who actually stepped on the court. The No. 22 (Drake Powell,) No. 26 (Ben Saraf) and No. 27 (Danny Wolf) didn’t touch the court. It was among the several demoralizing aspects of the Opening Night loss. If you’re building through the draft, you better succeed.

“I’m confident that, especially these two kids, we’re going to have no problem with their playmaking, their scoring and their willingness to get better every day,” Fernández said.

Dëmin said after the game he was aware of his subpar play. 

“I’m not very happy with how I ended up playing the game,’’ Dëmin said. “I started with two [made] buckets but then kind of just got slower from a standpoint of my intensity, and I’ve definitely got to bring the energy, higher energy.’

 “Opportunities are there, everything is given to me, and I just got to be able to execute on the level that I want to be at,” he said.

Traore too.

I think I didn’t play my best. That wasn’t the best game I did, for sure,“ said Demin’s fellow 20-year-old. I think I have to bring more pace to the game. That’s my strength so I got to use it more. But, it’ll be all right.”

Yes, it’s only one game and yes, four of the five (other than Wolf) were among the 20 youngest players in the NBA last season with Traore and Saraf among the 10 youngers and yes, getting a rotational player at the end of the Draft is unlikely. Still, the very core idea of the Nets rebuild — building through the draft — has to be questioned if this continues. Fernandez professes he is not worried.

“I think their intentions were great and can clean up a lot of different things, turnovers, setup, calling plays, all those things,’’ Fernández said. “But we’ll watch film with them, and we’ll make them better… One day you don’t make them, another day they go in, and you’ve just got to stay ready for the next game.”

And of course, the Nets’ highest pick in the last 16 years — Mikel Brown Jr. at No. 6 in 2026 — looked promising, indeed very good — in his limited minutes (19:48) following his left ankle injury. (The No. 28 pick in 2026, Joshua Jefferson, was cleared for action after some back soreness in training camp but was not activated.)

The organization’s confidence in their 2025 picks doesn’t appear to be faltering, but Sean Marks & co. have to decide by November 2 whether to extend all five beyond this season. Of course, we could see change Saturday in Cleveland vs. the Cavaliers.

• Nets’ prized 2025 draft class offers little hope in ugly season-opening loss – Dan Martin with Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Egor Dëmin knows Nets need more than his jumper after rough opener ($) – C.J. Holmes –

“Here we go,” said Darko Rajaković, igniting peals of laughter, after being asked about an inefficient night from Kawhi Leonard. Usually, such a thing isn’t necessarily a laughing matter for the Raptors. But when Toronto’s starters combine for 92 points to beat the Chicago Bulls by 43 points, there’s room for humour in Scotiabank Arena.

Wednesday night’s performance against the Bulls was one of the most lopsided contests in franchise history, and certainly, will be remembered as one of the most notable opening nights for Toronto sports. The Raptors did more than silence any doubt that they were a team capable of serious contention, rather, showed early flashes of what the new identity of the Toronto Raptors might be.

Fast. Defensive. Forcing turnovers. And shooting threes. Lots of threes. Take Immanuel Quickley, who attempted nine of his own, making four of them, looking like the shooter that he’s been paid so handsomely to be. Up from an average of nearly seven last year, it seems like volume could be the name of the game for getting the Raps to the promised land. Still, the Raptors were below average for the league, based on last year’s figures of threes attempted, so pumping those numbers is going to continue to be a priority.

As heartening as watching the Raptors make mincemeat out of the Chicago Bulls was, this game serves as an example of both an extreme outlier, and some established ideas about how the Raptors might look for the rest of the season.

While the Raptors won the night, the Chicago Bulls put in a lot of work to lose in such a spectacular fashion. After all, shooting 32% from the field and 11% from three isn’t something that happens without a lot of effort being put in from the other side.

Both teams shot under 50% from the field that night, something the Raptors will hopefully not be replicating too often down the line. Shooting efficiency varied across the board. While Quickley was lights out from three, Ja’Kobe Walter, for example, played 23 minutes, as much as many of the starters, but was one for five from three.

The Raptors are now at a point with their depth that they’re able to stagger their starters and leave none of them hanging out to dry with an impotent second unit. Subbing out Scottie Barnes for Collin Murray-Boyles isn’t exactly giving the other team a huge leg up on the defensive end, and benching RJ Barrett to get a three-point shooting specialist like Jamison Battle in doesn’t kill momentum offensively.

This brings back memories of the Raptors’ reserves in the late 2010s, the original Bench Mob, that lives so dearly in the hearts of Raptors fans. Jamison Battle, Allen Graves, Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Collin Murray-Boyles are a fearsome fivesome that combine defence, playmaking, and shooting in the exact manner that both compliments that Raptors’ starters. The Mob serves to target the issues that can sway a game most heavily in tight moments, and will undoubtedly be a key piece in the Raptors’ victories down the line.

But unfortunately, it’s not all just a matter of good cheer in Toronto. Jakob Poeltl is a $19 million dollar man who is about to be a $27 million dollar man, and he scored three points in 22 minutes. Not great. Collin Murray-Boyles is a sophomore coming off the bench, and he out-rebounded Poeltl, eight boards to six. It’s fair to note that the other starters were heavily ball-dominant throughout the game, but in a contest where the Bulls were playing a backup centre, Toronto’s starter at the pivot should blossom, not wilt.

Today’s matchup against the Washington Wizards will see the Raptors play a reinvigorated Anthony Davis, in which our Noah Curitti projected a Raptors win. He wrote that “Anthony Davis presents the biggest matchup concern after his performance in the season opener,” and that “his interior scoring and rim protection could challenge Toronto on both ends of the floor.”

Davis had 34 points, 12 boards, and four stocks against the Milwaukee Bucks, who fielded Myles Turner against him. Poeltl is roughly in the same tier of centre as Turner, and when factoring in the type of game that the Brow had against him, major concerns arise. While the Raptors have excellent defensive personnel in Barnes and Boyles, they’re not true rim protecting centres, and expecting them to bang in the paint with the likes of Davis, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic verges on the unreasonable.

The next few games will tell viewers a lot about what they can expect from Jakob Poeltl, who, by all accounts, was cleared for regular play. A month ago, Bobby Webster said that Poeltl was in “good spirits, good shape,” but if there aren’t significant improvements from Poeltl — especially in matchups like tonight — “good shape” from him might not be good enough anymore.

The Raptors twin stars in Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes both looked fantastic – and, looked a bit like one another. During Wednesday’s game Scottie took some of these turnaround midrange jumpers that showed he had certainly picked up a trick or two from working with Leonard all summer. Barnes taking that motion, and echoing the greats like Jordan and Nowitzki, will hopefully be a herald of even more offensive prowess from the young player.

Leonard looked healthy last game, playing 24 minutes, but shot an ugly five of 17 attempts from the field. A lot of shots from him that looked like they would go in just didn’t materialize. This is something that fans shouldn’t be concerned about, however.

“I just need more reps, to learn plays,” said Leonard. “This is where you get better. You get better on the floor, and trying things, and shooting the ball when you open. You can’t wait ‘til practice and, you know, just shoot 100 shots. You need game reps, so, you know, that’s what I was looking for.”

William Lou on the Hello and Welcome Show pointed to Leonard’s delayed trade impacting his meshing with the team, and argued that even this incomplete version of the Klaw was someone who could deliver, bringing four steals and 11-11 free throws made. “This is probably gonna be the worst Kawhi we’ll ever see for the season,” said Lou. “How blessed are we, man?”

Indeed, Raptors fans were blessed with an impressive first win for the season, a look at a hyper-competent bench, and the first meaningful sample of what second-stint Kawhi Leonard can do on the Raptors. However, all that can’t mean that a severe deficiency at centre should be ignored. Tonight’s game will be a major diagnostic about how concerning that issue really will be for the Raptors, going forward. It’ll be matchups like the one against Davis that will dictate trade priorities and potentially even new starting lineups for the team.

But; the Raptors look good, and they look ready for the season ahead. A new normal for Toronto fans is set to begin this season, and those who stuck around throughout the down years are already having their patience rewarded.

The Washington Wizards are 1-0. We are looking forward to seeing the team go 2-0 tonight against the Toronto Raptors. But in the meantime, this home opener’s atmosphere was solid. While there wasn’t a sold out crowd, it was close and Anthony Davis was pleased.

But there’s more to opening night than game intros and the basketball. What about the halftime show?

Rapper Waka Flocka performed at halftime for the crowd. You can watch some of the highlights below.

In past years, the Wizards had their Concert Series which has often been a positive experience for fans though these concerts are typically held after the game. Hopefully we’ll have more of those (and halftime concerts) as the Wizards’ 2026-27 season continues.