NBA News
The Utah Jazz won the 2nd pick in the NBA lottery and now have Darryn Peterson on their roster. He’s looked incredible in Summer League and in preseason when he’s had the chance to play. How will Will Hardy and the Utah Jazz use Darryn Peterson this upcoming season? Here’s a look at the secret strategy from Will Hardy for this upcoming season.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Warriors fans and fans across the country.
On Saturday, exciting news broke: the Golden State Warriors had reached an agreement on an extension with fourth-year guard Brandin Podziemski, paying the Santa Clara alum $110 million over five years, starting with the 2027-28 season (he’ll play out this year on the final season of his base rookie-scale contract).
It’s a middle of the road extension, which pays the southpaw like a quality starter, but not like a star. At first glance, it feels like a deal that’s a win for both the team and the player. Podziemski gets a massive pay increase over his rookie deal (four years, $16.2 million), and gets some security should he suffer an injury or a down year ahead of what would have been his first foray into free agency next summer. And the Warriors get a quality player they love for a reasonable price, and don’t have to worry about the market boosting Podziemski’s price tag in restricted free agency.
But, as is always the case with long term contracts, reasonable minds can disagree. So I’m curious how Dub Nation views Podziemski’s extension. From a team standpoint, how would you grade the deal?
We know the headliners in Philadelphia: LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid. What too often gets overlooked is that Mike Gansey didn't just recruit stars, he brought in talent around them for a quality bench, guys such as Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
That's a lot of mouths for coach Nick Nurse to feed. What is the key to making it all work? Caldwell-Pope — who has won two rings — said the key is the chemistry the roster is building now. Here is what he told Kris Rhim of ESPN.
"Our chemistry is gonna be the biggest part for us," Caldwell-Pope said Monday. "Us liking each other, being able to be around each other and have fun on and off the court...
"We have so much talent from one through 12, or 15, however many guys we've got, and it's talent everywhere," he said. "So, I think our biggest thing is just communicating with each other, learning each other's tendencies, and just trying to implement that on and off the court."
Chemistry takes time. It can start in training camps and with team dinners, but what it really takes is real games with the core guys healthy and playing together — we saw that for one half this preseason, which is about right — and it will take some road trips. Team dinners on the road where LeBron spluges on good wines. Bus trips. Locker room jokes.
Bringing in LeBron changes a team's culture — he is a brand and culture unto himself. Not in a bad way, but he's the most famous player in the world, an icon, a guy in the GOAT conversation, and his off-court presence is huge. He's also still the first guy in the gym and he puts in the work, that's a big part of his culture, too, and it rubs off on teammates.
It may take some time, but the 76ers culture is going to come together. They are going to figure out how to play best together, Nurse is going to figure out rotations that work. The basketball side of this will come together. Then it just comes back to those core 76ers guys with lengthy injury histories being available when it matters most.
Get a look at the 76ers' early-season chemistry on opening night, next Tuesday, Oct. 20, when they travel to Madison Square Garden and try to spoil the Knicks' ring night. Watch that game on NBC and Peacock as part of our opening day triple-header, with the ring ceremony starting at 6:30 Eastern and the game tipping off at 7 p.m.
Through four preseason appearances, the initial in-game returns for Bronny James Jr. aren’t ideal. He’s gone 4-of-15 from the floor (1-of-7 beyond the arc) and dished out 13 assists to 12 turnovers. While Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick acknowledged James’s struggles, he added some context to help explain the slow start.
“I thought he had a really nice September and a good summer with us. I don’t think he’s played well in the four preseason games, but he’s had good practices. Some of it’s just rhythm. Some of it’s who he’s playing with, right?” Redick told reporters after Tuesday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors. “He’s played a lot of minutes, especially in the second half of games, with our two-way guys and tonight we played with Rafael [Castro], who’s who’s been with us for three days. So some of it is like the group he’s with. I think that is not necessarily setting him up for success.”
Aside from James, who did not score (0-of-2 shooting) and committed four turnovers (zero assists), his fellow backend bench guards, Jaden Hardy and Chris Mañon, also labored during Tuesday’s defeat. Hardy scored 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting (1-of-6 from deep) and had two assists to three turnovers. Mañon scored five points on perfect 2-of-2 shooting but logged one assist to four turnovers.
Redick recognized the poor performance of those three, which contributed to a dismal second half offensively (26 total points), and knows they’ll be needed throughout the regular season when injuries to other backcourt members occur. But he didn’t place the blame solely on their shoulders and made clear the coaching staff has to find ways to simplify the game for them as well.
“We’ve talked to those guys. I mean, the reality is, again, if one of our three primary handlers are out, one of those guys…one of those guys is going to play,” Redick said. “It’s too taxing with full-court pressure for [Reaves] and [Luka] to just do that solely. We’ll keep trying to get better and those guys, their intent is there…Overall, it just was not a good offensive product in the second half and I’ll look at what I can do better with that too.”
You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country.
This is to piggyback off of James’ post. Y’all know how I feel about KD. Great one-on-one scorer, horrible leader and teammate, negative locker room presence, and I’d rather have just about anyone else on my favorite team. Many of you are a little more nebulus on KD. Yet the fact remains, the team was no better and went no further with Durant in the lineup than they did without him.
In addition, a recent report by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon cites Durant as the source of Houston’s obvious locker room issues last year. It was referred to as “turmoil”. Here’s what MacMahon said:
“There were issues of connectivity in the Rockets’ locker room. [Fred] VanVleet directly and significantly impacts both of those issues,” said Tim MacMahon. “Kevin Durant was part of both of those problems. I would say you could even say Kevin Durant was at the top of the list of both of those problems. At the same time, KD was kind of thrust into — I’m not going to say unfair — but a position that didn’t play to his strengths, having to be the primary initiator down the stretch of games, having to be the default leader, the guy most responsible for the mood of the locker room. Those don’t play to his strengths. Those do play to Fred VanVleet’s strengths, and kind of take those burdens off of KD’s shoulders this year.”
If things go south this season or even don’t improve, we all know KD could easily want out. He has a player options next season, so he could opt out and the Rockets lose him for nothing. In that scenario, they would need to trade him by this year’s deadline to avoid losing him for zilch.
So what do you guys think? Do they trade KD at this year’s deadline?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results.
New Warriors teammates Brandon Williams, De'Anthony Melton have cousin-like bond originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
High school teammates rarely get the chance to play in the NBA together, but for De’Anthony Melton and Brandon Williams, that opportunity arose when Williams signed a one-year contract with the Warriors in August.
Williams and Melton’s relationship dates back to their shared time at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, where the two won consecutive CIF state titles in 2015 and 2016. A decade later, the close friends are reunited in blue and gold, where their bond remains airtight.
“I’m probably over at his house too much,” Wiliams told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke. “I think our families are really close and even though we’re not cousins, we kind of look at each other as cousins.”
Melton originally signed a one-year, $12.8 million deal with the Warriors in July 2024 before suffering a torn ACL just six games into the season. During his rehab process, he reached out to Williams, who dealt with knee injuries of his own during his high school and college career the University of Arizona.
Williams, who calls himself a “sponge” when learning from Melton, now was in the position he usually put his friend in.
“He recently had it two years ago and I had mine in 2019, so it felt kind of weird because I’m giving him how I felt when I went through it, and he has all the top doctors looking at it and treating him,” Williams said.
Melton went on to get traded to the Brooklyn Nets in an exchange involving Dennis Schröder before re-signing with Golden State last year and restructuring his contract in July 2026 to a two-year, $12.4 million deal that includes a player option in 2027-2028.
Williams, meanwhile, had a career year, averaging 13 points per game in 66 appearances for the Dallas Mavericks
When asked what he told Williams about the Warriors, Melton said it was time to work.
“I told him one, be ready to be in the gym because we definitely work over here,” Melton said. “We’re definitely striving for something greater than ourselves so be ready to be in the gym and work, and I think that it’s the greatest organization.”
The way the Sixers’ practice facility in Camden is designed, the media only gets to interact with players on the practice floor — by design, of course.
The players have their own parking lot (with a roof for their super nice cars) and entrance on the far end of the building. The media members park amongst the regular people outside the facility gates and our exit is on the opposite end of the building.
So, you could imagine my surprise when I encountered Tyrese Maxey walking out in the same direction I was.
“You lost?” I asked.
“Nah, I’m getting on LeBron’s helicopter,” Maxey said with a laugh.
He proceeded to walk out of the gated space, awaiting a ride. As I drove away, there was Maxey, an All-NBA performer on a max contract, sitting on the curb, waiting for a ride.
It was quite the dichotomy after seeing James take off from managing partner Josh Harris’ helipad atop the franchise’s business building.
“One of us left on the helicopter,” Maxey said, “the other one sitting on the curb.”
Helicopter or not, James has acknowledged not every organization and player can handle what comes with rostering arguably the greatest player of all time. We’ve already gotten small tastes of it, with a recent notable example over the whole rumored (and debunked) LeBron-Joel Embiid situation.
There’s attention. There’s scrutiny. It can absolutely become a circus.
But there might not be a better player built for the current situation than Maxey.
Think about all Maxey has been through since he was drafted in 2020. He missed the bulk of training camp that year because he got COVID. He had a weird rookie season. He was too good for Doc Rivers to leave on the bench, but the Hall of Fame coach’s reticence to play young players led to Maxey getting inconsistent minutes. He was also in trade rumors for James Harden and Kyle Lowry, both of whom would eventually become his teammates.
He saw Ben Simmons hold out and his role increase with the ball in his hands more. He was here for the Harden trade and moved back into an off-ball role. And remember the next year when Rivers told everyone it was Maxey’s idea to come off the bench after returning from injury? Hilarious. Harden’s ensuing holdout vaulted Maxey to second in the pecking order, leading to his first All-Star appearance and the league’s Most Improved Player Award.
With Tobias Harris and his exorbitant contract gone, Maxey was able to welcome Paul George aboard — and we all remember how 2024-25 went. It was a nightmare for Maxey, Joel Embiid, the Sixers and the entire Delaware Valley. He grew from it and had an outstanding 2025-26 campaign, culminating in his first All-NBA nod.
This offseason he became a dad, without question the most important thing to happen to him, but the second-most important thing was nothing to sneeze at. Maxey successfully recruited James to join the Sixers to play alongside newcomer Jaylen Brown and a ridiculously star-studded starting five.
James hasn’t stopped heaping praise on Maxey since he got here. Brown, too, has lauded Maxey for making a difficult transition much easier by welcoming him with open arms. Labaron Philon Jr. has frequently mentioned how much Maxey is helping the rookie’s assimilation to the NBA.
Mike Gansey did a hell of a job assembling this roster, but Maxey’s fingerprints are all over it. It’s not hyperbolic to say Maxey has changed the entire trajectory of this organization. Imagine if he hadn’t become the player he is after being selected 21st overall. The Sixers would’ve likely been stuck in NBA purgatory. And if not for the positive culture he’s created in the locker room, this franchise could’ve gone sideways at multiple points over the last seven years.
James has acknowledged it’s not always easy being his teammate. Not because of anything on the court, but with the scrutiny and attention that comes with a team he’s on.
If any player can manage it, it’s Maxey.
He was asked on media day what it’s like to be in this position, where he’s been LeBron James’ workout partner and now teammate.
“What if I said LeBron was my workout partner?” he joked.
Maxey was asked about the extra attention LeBron brings.
“I wanted Bron, I didn’t want y’all,” he joked again.
Then, he got serious.
“Listen, with me, I’m focused on basketball, a job,” he said. “The rest of that, I’m not really worried about it. That doesn’t really bother me, honestly. I’ve been blessed to play in Philadelphia for my entire career so far. I played in Kentucky. I’m kind of used to the noise and all those different things, so that doesn’t bother me.
“My biggest thing is I want to help my teammates, this organization, try to win basketball games and try to win at the highest level. So the rest of that, the hoopla, all that, all y’all people being here, that doesn’t bother me.”
Holdouts, drama, injuries, mismanaged rosters, coaching malpractice, losing, media scrutiny, a fan base that expects nothing short of greatness — Maxey has handled it all.
LeBron’s helicopter flying overhead while he sits on a curb is worth nothing more than a chuckle.
“I ain’t gonna lie,” he said, “that was funny.“
The Los Angeles Lakers are expecting big things of Walker Kessler this season. They love both his skill-set and how it fits alongside their star duo of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. It’s why they were willing to send a pair of first-round picks and first-round pick swaps to the Utah Jazz while inking Kessler to a four-year, $130 million deal this summer. To help achieve those big things, Kessler and Lakers head coach JJ Redick are latching onto a singular word, one they think should reverberate through Kessler’s approach all over the floor.
“The word I’ve used with him, the challenge is just being relentless. Just in terms of the motor on both ends, running the floor, diving, screening, crashing the glass, playing off Luka and [Reaves],” Redick told reporters Tuesday after Kessler made his preseason debut. “He’s going to have opportunities to playmake in the pocket. That’s just the nature of how teams guard those two guys. His stats are going to naturally come just from playing hard. I thought he did a great job of that. Again, that’s like a very encouraging thing when you have multiple guys on the team that you feel like are going to do the little stuff that maybe doesn’t always show up in a box score, but helps the team.”
Kessler left a positive impression to open his Lakers tenure, with 11 points (4-of-6 shooting), nine rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors. He knows if he plays relentlessly, high-level impact should follow, so he intends to try and maximize every single possession, which will manifest in array of ways that benefit Los Angeles.
“JJ and I talked and that’s kind of what we came up with this year is relentless,” Kessler said. “For me, that means just crashing every time, trying to be a presence in the paint, run, play hard, don’t take plays off on the offensive end, defensive end. So that’s going to be my goal for this year.”
Kessler’s next opportunity to embody that relentless mantra comes Friday against the Denver Nuggets in the Lakers’ preseason finale before their regular season kicks off Oct. 21 at home facing the Warriors.
You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.
Bronny James is eager to prove he can thrive in the NBA outside of father LeBron’s shadow this season.
But he has looked exposed without his father so far in the Lakers’ preseason.
The 22-year-old went scoreless on two field-goal attempts, along with one rebound and four turnovers in 11 minutes against the Warriors on Tuesday night.
Through four preseason games, James has averaged 2.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 17.5 minutes per game.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was asked how he assesses James’ “confidence and aggression” throughout this preseason, given how last season ended for him.
“Yeah. I thought he had a really nice September and a good summer. I don’t think he has played well in the four preseason games, but he has had good practices,” Redick said.
“Again, some of it is just rhythm; some of it is who he’s playing with. He’s playing a lot of minutes, especially in the second half of games, with our two-way guys. And tonight, he played with Rafael [Castro], who has been with us for three days,” he continued.
“Some of it is the group he’s with; I think that is not necessarily setting him up for success,” Redick added.
Redick’s answer about James has gotten a lot of attention on social media, as many fans feel like he’s trying to excuse James’ poor play on the teammates he has been playing with.
There might be some truth to James’ supporting cast doing him no favors. But those who are watching the Lakers this preseason can clearly see James is struggling, regardless of who he’s on the court with.
In Minneapolis on Monday night, Timberwolves coach Chris Finish made a veiled criticism that seemed to be directed at Julius Randle. He said that Minny had traded “moodiness for giddiness.” Although Finch didn’t name names, the general belief was he was talking about exchanging Randle (moodiness) for LaMelo Ball (giddiness.)
The two were not traded directly for one another. The Nets got Randle along with a late first for Nic Claxton and a high second in what was a salary dump just before the Draft. Then that deal was folded into a previously agreed trade that brought Ball over from Charlotte for Naz Reid and picks.
And as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reported, two other players Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels were also seen as moody and were also dispatched. Moreover, Finch had noted a week ago that he had mismanaged Randle’s role in the Minnesota offense. “That was on me,” he admitted.
Still the message was clear … and controversial. Finch is happy with the exchange. Randle, who has yet to have an opportunity to respond, is happy too in Brooklyn. He’s said so more than once. Despite what others might think of his personality, Randle is a force to be reckoned with. As we’ve noted, over the past eight seasons, he’s averaged 21.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and played in an average of 68 games, including 79 last season. No NBA player can match that distinction. Moreover, during that span, the 31-year-old was voted Most Improved Player (2021), selected to the All-Star Game three times (2021, 2023, 2024) and was named All-NBA twice (2021 and 2023.)
A big reason for the difference between Minnesota and Brooklyn is that the player and team need each other and his head coach here makes no excuses. Jordi Fernandez likes Julius Randle.
“Yeah, absolutely. It’s incredible, man,” Randle told The Post about his reception in Brooklyn. “Everybody knows it’s a business and things happen. But when you’re somewhere where you’re really wanted, and you have that validation with an organization really appreciating you and what you bring to the table, it’s an incredible feeling.
“It just drops the anxiety and just the worry or the pressure. You just feel like you can be your best self. So, from Day 1, I felt that: the support. I damn near get goose bumps just thinking about it, because the support has been amazing. I’m loving every part of it. I appreciate them just as much as they appreciate me.”
Randle also told Brian Lewis that he believes he is in his prime, capable of a career year like the ones Fernandez has coaxed out of Dennis Schroder, Cam Johnson and of course he current teammate and frontcourt partner, Michael Porter Jr.
“Yeah, I feel like I’m the best I’ve ever been in my career. I’m in a perfect situation to play my best under Jordi,” Randle said. “Accumulation of wisdom and continuing to improve every year, I’m at my best version of myself that I’ve been in my career, and I’m excited to be able to utilize that under Jordi and help this team.”
Fernandez already sees just how he can take advantage of Randle’s game, particularly his passing ability.
“I think that this could be [Julius’] best playmaking year,” Fernandez has said. “He’s proven that he’s a very efficient player at very different levels. Seasons with the Knicks when he shot eight-plus threes, seasons where he’s isolated more, been in the pick-and-roll more, [he’s shown] his ability to playmake. And you put all those things together, for me as a coach, being able to use somebody in many different ways, it makes my life easier. I think that he will make his teammates better.”
Indeed, in the Nets win over the Wizards two nights ago, he racked up nine assists in the first half.
“[Julius’] ability to throw the ball on time and on target to his teammates is unbelievable,” Fernandez said post-game, as Erik Slater wrote Wednesday. “Nine assists in one half of basketball is not something many players can do. I haven’t seen it many times in my life. I think the only one I’ve seen is Nikola [Jokic].”
Fernandez doesn’t seem to be bothered by any perceived moodiness.
The Kentucky product and Plano, Texas native is also just happy to be back in New York City. He didn’t want to be traded after beforc he was traded two years ago for Karl-Anthony Towns, he was a big piece for the Knicks. Prior to his arrival in 2019-20, the Knicks had not made the play-offs since 2012-13. He missed out on a ring but was a big part of the Manhattanites’ return to relevance.
Now, he says, he wants to do it again in the Big Apple, this time across the river.
“Sean [Marks] brought me here because of that, because it was time to win. So, that’s just what it is,” Randle said. “I’m not here to lose. I don’t think anybody’s here to lose this year. So, yeah.
“We definitely want to be a team that goes out there and competes every single night. We’re playing to win. That’s as simple as I can put it. I don’t play to lose. … At this point in my career I’m playing to win and give ourselves a chance to win every single night, take the right steps every single day and see where that takes us.”
And of course his pre-season comment to rookie Mikel Jones Jr. that the Nets will “shock the world” has been adopted as the team mantra.
In his story on Finch’s comments, Kaczynski noted that one big issue for Randle in Minny was the constant rumors that he was on the block, specifically in proposals that would have brought Giannis Antetokounmpo to the T’Wolves. He told Lewis that was not the case. Instead, he said it was more the fatigue of 2,610 minutes —12th in the league — over 79 games and a late hand injury (two broken fingers) that was the big issue.
“The trade stuff is always tough,” Randle said. “But it’s at a point in my career where I’m used to it. You know every year it’s going to be something or some type of rumor, so that really wasn’t it. More than anything for me, I tried to challenge myself last year, playing every game.”
As for moodiness vs. giddiness debate, Randle will get his chance to respond to Finch on the court early in the season. The Nets will travel to Minneapolis on November 23.
Last year’s Toronto Raptors exceeded expectations, as the young and athletic squad racked up 46 wins, their most since the 2021-22 season, and finished fifth in the Eastern Conference before pushing the fourth-seed Cleveland Cavaliers to the brink in the first round of the playoffs.
The Cavs’ second-half surge in Game 7 highlighted the importance of homecourt advantage (and experience) in the postseason. With the addition of former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, growth from the teams’ young core, and the scars of playoff battles, can the Raps win enough games to finish in the top four in a brutal Eastern Conference?
Last year’s team was a pain for opponents to play against, especially in front of raucous Scotiabank Arena crowds. Toronto had a top-five defence that refused to let opponents get comfortable in their offensive sets, thanks to intense ball pressure from bulldogs like Scottie Barnes and Jamal Shead, but their offence was squarely in the middle of the pack (15th in offensive efficiency) and struggled to generate clean looks in the fourth quarters of tight games. Adding a two-way superstar like Kawhi should only bolster an already-strong defence, while adding a proven late-game scorer who can help get them unstuck in late-game situations. Still, though, a few question marks remain.
The ‘25-’26 Raptors were a below-average three-point shooting team, which restricted the spacing that Barnes, a slasher who thrives in transition, needs to dominate, and they were in the bottom half of the league in both offensive and defensive rebounding. Their ability to address those two weaknesses will go a long way toward helping them shoot further up the standings.
The current squad is replete with quality guards and wings, but few are plus shooters. Leonard’s an excellent three-point shooter (38.7% last season and above 41% each of the three seasons before that), but he’s a medium-volume guy from deep. The big question isn’t so much whether or not he can space the floor for Scottie (he can), but how the spacing will look for Kawhi when he’s doing work in the midrange, which could be tricky given that neither of the team’s top two bigs (Jacob Poeltl and Collin Murray-Boyles) are threats from outside.
They may go to some lineups late in games with no traditional big on the floor, perhaps with Barnes as the nominal centres, but they suffer on the glass when Poeltl is on the bench, given that CMB is on the smaller side and only averaged 4.4 defensive boards per 36 minutes last year. That might not hurt them against the league’s smaller teams, but giants like Karl Anthony-Towns and Joel Embiid, both in the Raptors’ division, can take advantage.
On the plus side, better health from Immanuel Quickley and a potential mini-leap from Ja’Kobe Walter (40.9% from three last year), could offset their shooting deficiency and they have plenty of assets to pursue another big man should they feel they need one.
Who else is in the race?
The race for a top-four spot will be hotly contested, but the Raptors should be considered among the strong favorites. Kawhi has a long injury history, but suited up 65 times last season, and something similar should be plenty for a team that has plenty of depth on the wings, with Barnes and RJ Barrett both capable of scoring around 20 a night for a season. The East’s other contenders all have star-studded units but some concerns heading into the season.
The Philadelphia 76ers vaulted themselves into the NBA title race with the acquisitions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, but even with those two and Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in the starting lineup, Embiid is absolutely central to what they do, and he’s only averaging a paltry 32 games played over the last three campaigns. And on top of that, their backup centre, former Knick Ariel Hukporti tore his Achilles in the preseason opener, leaving them dangerously thin in the frontcourt. The Sixers may still be dangerous when the postseason comes around, but you should expect a fair amount of missed games from Bron and Embiid. It wouldn’t be shocking to see them outside of the top four when the season ends.
Detroit felt like they overachieved with 60 wins last year, but John Collins could do a lot to help raise their offensive ceiling, especially if Cade Cunningham can help him look like he did back in Atlanta, where he scored 21.6 points per game on 58-40-80 shooting splits at just 22 years old. Few are as skilled at setting the table as Trae Young, but Cunningham draws a ton of defensive attention and there should be opportunities for him to feast. They might also get another year of improvement from an allegedly very disgruntled Jalen Duren.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been a strong regular season team as of late, and Peyton Watson is a nice addition, especially if he maintains his improvement as a shooter, but they’re asking for a lot out of a lead ballhandler who was born in the 80s, even if he was super efficient after landing in Cleveland last season. James Harden’s been healthy and available consistently, their all-offence backcourt could wear down as the season progresses.
It feels like you can pencil in the Boston Celtics to win 50-plus games every season. Just as they managed to win 56 last year with Jayson Tatum missing most of the season, swapping Jaylen Brown for the older (but better-shooting) Paul George will likely do little to slow them down….if he can stay on the court. George hasn’t played 82 games in the last two years combined and rostering him instead of the consistently healthy Brown might be what drops them below 50 this season, but great depth and good coaching could keep them near the top regardless.
The Knicks smacked their Eastern Conference foes en route to a historic NBA championship, but they were mostly fine in the regular season, looking discombobulated at points during a 53-win campaign. Star player Jalen Brunson is coming off of a surgery and head coach Mike Brown is unafraid to experiment with both the playbook and the rotation during the regular season, even if it costs them some regular season wins. Despite their playoff dominance, it’s unlikely they’ll go full throttle to chase the one-seed. Finishing somewhere around third again sounds about right for them, especially if some of their contract disputes lead to a shakeup, or even a distraction.
Orlando has plenty of talent, but the Magic will be adjusting to a new head coach, while still dealing with a somewhat misshapen roster that has crashed and burned in the playoffs amidst a lack of shooting and creation. They should be in the playoff hunt again thanks to their defence, but likely not in the upper tier. Meanwhile, the Hawks (tied with the Raptors at 46 wins last year) added to their fearsome wing defence, but still lack a true offensive engine, despite strong production from Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Charlotte is in a similar space without a true star, reorienting themselves after the departure of LaMelo Ball, and the Heat added major star power in Giannis Antetokounmpo but lack any real depth outside of him and 83-point scorer Bam Adebayo. As for the Washington Wizards, they are the Washington Wizards until proven otherwise.
I think ultimately, the East will shake out something like this:
Many people expected both the Pistons and Timberwolves’ rosters to look drastically different after ending their season at the same point in the Playoffs. Both teams are led by young stars in Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards that are still looking to break through to the NBA Finals.
For the Pistons, the clock isn’t ticking as much with their young core locked in an Cunningham seemingly in support of everything going on. For the Timberwolves, rumblings have started about the possibility of Anthony Edwards trying to find a new team to play for, which means that the Timberwolves had to try to do something bold.
They did just that with the acquisition of LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets. We now get our first look at the new-look Timberwolves even if we may not see their usual rotation for long since this is a preseason game.
Where: Target Center in Minneapolis, MN
When: Wednesday, October 14 at 8 pm EST
Watch: My TV 20 (Scripps Sports Network)
Odds: Timberwolves (-2.5)
It is difficult to analyze a preseason basketball game given all the uncertainty around who will and won’t play and how long regular rotation players will play. There is also the whole other issue of players trying out new things they may not necessarily do in the regular season.
The biggest point of intrigue for the Pistons is whether or not Jalen Duren will play. He sat out the first two preseason games as he gets reacclimated with the team after sitting out most of Training Camp over his contract negotiation. He is not necessarily in need of preseason given his status with the team, but it would probably be beneficial to at least play a few minutes in the preseason.
Cade Cunningham sat last game, so he is another player that has uncertainty around whether or not they play. I would assume the Pistons want to get him on the court at least one more time, but could wait to do that until the final preseason game on Friday against the Raptors.
If Jalen Duren and Cunningham do not play, I once again expect Daniss Jenkins and Paul Reed to get the start with a heavy dose of Ebuka Okorie and Tolu Smith off the bench. Both players had their moments in the overtime loss to the Washington Wizards on Saturday. Tolu Smith had a team-high 13 rebounds and Okorie led the Pistons in scoring with 14 points.
Okorie has impressed with his ability to run the offense and although he may not get many opportunities to play early-on in the season, if he keeps up how he has been playing, it may force JB Bickerstaff’s hand to give him more minutes.
For the Timberwolves, it appears we will at least get a short look at Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball together, as they have played in 3 of the 4 games for the Timberwolves during the preseason. However, the Timberwolves do have one more preseason game on Friday against the Bulls, so maybe they rest tonight and get in one final game on Friday.
It is very strange that the Wolves will play 6 preseason games while the Pistons only have 4, but I guess the team does have some say in it and they may have wanted a few more to integrate some of the new additions.
Hopefully this game doesn’t go to overtime for the Pistons. It took a last-second shot by Ebuka Okorie to seal the win against the Phoenix Suns in the first preseason game and prevent overtime and then the Pistons had the aforementioned overtime loss against the Wizards on Saturday. We shouldn’t have to be subjected to close games during the preseason.
Whoever plays tonight, let’s hope for no injuries and hopefully no scuffle like the Pistons have had in both preseason games. Given some of the history between these two teams, I am not getting my hopes up.
I am going to put down what I would expect the starting lineups to be if this were a regular season game, since there is no way to know who will or won’t play or what kind of experimenting either coach will do.
DetroitPistons(1-1): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Jalen Duren
Minnesota Timberwolves (3-1): LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, Rudy Gobert
Do you think we will see Jalen Duren play during the preseason?
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.
The road to the repeat begins now.
On Oct. 20, Jalen Brunson and the defending NBA champion New York Knicks kick off their 2026-27 season at Madison Square Garden against LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid’s new-look Philadelphia 76ers.
After that momentous occasion — that will include a pre-game ceremony where a championship banner is lifted to the rafters — Brunson, KAT, Mikal, OG and Hart of the City have a number of huge games scheduled on their home court.
Just a few of the most notable contests on the calendar include showdowns with Donovan Mitchell’s Cleveland Cavaliers (Nov. 11), Tyrese Haliburton’s Indiana Pacers (Nov. 22), a Finals rematch with Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs (Dec. 25), Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors (Feb. 13, 2027) and former Knick Mitchell Robinson’s Boston Celtics (March 14, 2027).
Plus, don’t forget Julius Randle and the Brooklyn Nets drop in on Sunday, Dec. 27.
If you’d like to catch these games or any others, tickets are officially available for all 41 Knicks 2026-27 home games at MSG (as well as a few NBA Cup battles).
At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats for any one regular season home game was $169 including fees on Vivid Seats (that’s for the Oct. 25 game against Paolo Banchero’s Magic).
Other hardwood battles at the Garden have tickets starting anywhere from $182 to $1,149 including fees.
And, they’ll need you there.
According to The Post, Reggie Miller said the Knicks have a “great chance of repeating” but warned that the Eastern Conference has gotten better and the Knicks have a bullseye on their back.
“It won’t be easy for the Knicks to reclaim home court advantage [in the playoffs], but they have the players (and coaching staff) to make it happen in an uber-competitive East,” Daily Knicks wrote. “It’ll be key to their chances of defending the 2026 NBA Championship.”
Don’t sleep on the team and take the season for granted- help make “Knicks in 5” happen all over again this year.
For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about seeing the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in 2026-27 below.
A complete calendar including all home game dates, opponents, start times and links to buy tickets are listed here:
| Knicks October 2026 preseason games | Ticket prices start at |
|---|---|
| Toronto Raptors vs. Knicks Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. | $85(including fees) |
| Knicks October 2026 regular season games | Ticket prices start at |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia 76ers vs. Knicks Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. | $1,149(including fees) |
| Orlando Magic vs. KnicksSunday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. | $169(including fees) |
| Detroit Pistons vs. Knicks Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. | $193(including fees) |
| Knicks November 2026 regular season games | Ticket prices start at |
|---|---|
| Brooklyn Nets vs. Knicks Monday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. | $194(including fees) |
| Chicago Bulls vs. KnicksWednesday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. | $199(including fees) |
| Milwaukee Bucks vs. Knicks Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. | $165(including fees) |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs. KnicksWednesday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. | $234(including fees) |
| Portland Trail Blazers vs. KnicksSaturday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. | $239(including fees) |
| Indiana Pacers vs. KnicksSunday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. | $190(including fees) |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Knicks NBA Cup Game Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. | $290(including fees) |
| Miami Heat vs. KnicksNBA Cup Game Friday, Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. | $365(including fees) |
| Atlanta Hawks vs. KnicksSunday, Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. | $197(including fees) |
*Games listed as “NBA Cup Game” are part of the NBA in-season tournament.
| Knicks December 2026 regular season games | Ticket prices start at |
|---|---|
| Utah Jazz vs. KnicksWednesday, Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m. | $280(including fees) |
| San Antonio Spurs vs. KnicksFriday, Dec. 25 at 12 p.m. | $519(including fees) |
| Brooklyn Nets vs. KnicksSunday, Dec. 27 at 6 p.m. | $346(including fees) |
| Knicks January 2027 regular season games | Ticket prices start at |
|---|---|
| Denver Nuggets vs. KnicksMonday, Jan. 11 at 7:30 p.m. | $204(including fees) |
| Miami Heat vs. KnicksThursday, Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m. | $259(including fees) |
| Dallas Mavericks vs. KnicksSaturday, Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m. | $272(including fees) |
| Minnesota Timberwolves vs. KnicksMonday, Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. | $208(including fees) |
| Toronto Raptors vs. KnicksWednesday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. | $199(including fees) |
| LA Clippers vs. KnicksSunday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. | $205(including fees) |
| Phoenix Suns vs. KnicksTuesday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. | $182(including fees) |
| Atlanta Hawks vs. KnicksThursday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. | $188(including fees) |
| Los Angeles Lakers vs. KnicksSaturday, Jan. 30 at 8:30 p.m. | $385(including fees) |
| Knicks February 2027 regular season games | Ticket prices start at |
|---|---|
| Toronto Raptors vs. KnicksThursday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. | $216(including fees) |
| Charlotte Hornets vs. KnicksTuesday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. | $202(including fees) |
| Golden State Warriors vs. KnicksSaturday, Feb. 13 at 8:30 p.m. | $343(including fees) |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs. KnicksThursday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. | $297(including fees) |
| Philadelphia 76ers vs. KnicksSaturday, Feb. 27 at 8:30 p.m. | $392(including fees) |
| Milwaukee Bucks vs. KnicksSunday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. | $199(including fees) |
| Knicks March 2027 regular season games | Ticket prices start at |
|---|---|
| Memphis Grizzlies vs. KnicksTuesday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. | $188(including fees) |
| Boston Celtics vs. KnicksSunday, March 14 at 12 p.m. | $331(including fees) |
| Sacramento Kings vs. KnicksWednesday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m. | $199(including fees) |
| Washington Wizards vs. KnicksSaturday, March 20 at 1 p.m. | $297(including fees) |
| New Orleans Pelicans vs. KnicksTuesday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. | $193(including fees) |
| Houston Rockets vs. KnicksWednesday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. | $209(including fees) |
| Knicks April 2027 regular season games | Ticket prices start at |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Hornets vs. KnicksThursday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. | $193(including fees) |
| Boston Celtics vs. KnicksSunday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. | $298(including fees) |
| Detroit Pistons vs. KnicksFriday, April 9 at 7 p.m. | $237(including fees) |
| Indiana Pacers vs. KnicksSunday, April 11 at 6 p.m. | $230(including fees) |
Here’s where you can find Brunson, Towns and the team when they’re not at MSG from October 2026 through April 2027.
There are a number of options for fans who prefer to watch games from the comfort of their own home.
MSG Network, ABC, ESPN, NBC, Amazon Prime Video and NBA TV are likely your best bets.
For cord cutters, we recommend looking into Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling or YouTube TV.
Just make sure to check local listings before tuning in.
Want to catch a show at the Big Apple’s one-of-a-kind entertainment epicenter?
Here are just five of the biggest acts headed to the Garden these next few months.
• Dave Chappelle (Nov. 6-7)
• Dave Matthews Band (Nov. 12-13)
• Stevie Wonder (Nov. 19)
• Doja Cat with Latto (Dec. 1)
• Andrea Bocelli (Dec. 16-17)
Who else is headed to the Garden? Take a look at this list of all the biggest events at MSG these next few months to find the show or game for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
New Warriors addition Brandon Williams addresses his viral meme with Steph Curry originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
New Warriors addition Brandon Williams spent last year trying to get under Steph Curry’s skin. Now he spends his days trying to learn from him.
The two share a strange history built almost entirely on viral moments. In a February 2025 Dallas Mavericks win over the Warriors, Williams shrugged on an imaginary backpack and flexed his muscles directly at Curry near the free-throw line — timed perfectly so Curry’s back was turned the entire time. A separate graphic comparing their career three-point totals made the rounds too, showing Williams with one made three in his career against Curry’s more than 3,000 — a gap wide enough to become a running joke of its own.
Speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke, Williams was asked what stands out to him now that he has actually studied Curry as a teammate rather than an opponent.
“Besides the bizarre threes and everything like that, I think it’s how he comes into work every day,” Williams said. “His preparation is very detailed — he knows exactly what he’s getting out of it. I’m a sponge, so I take anything I can. If it’s Steph, if it’s the last guy, it doesn’t matter who it is. I try to learn something from everybody.”
Williams said the part of Curry’s game that impresses him most is not even the shooting itself.
“It’s obvious when he has the ball he’s dangerous, but I think even more when he doesn’t — he’s just flying around without the ball,” Williams said. “You have to be so alert and aware of where he is at all times.”
Reflecting on the shift from rival to teammate, Williams did not shy away from the moments that made him briefly infamous around the league.
“It’s crazy, it’s crazy. Me and Steph have had our run-ins, especially last year,” Williams said. “They made a funny little graphic when I hit my first career three. It was good meme stuff, but it’s good to be compared to him in terms of threes.”
The player who once flexed on Curry from behind now studies him from the next locker over — proof that even a viral grudge can turn into one of the better basketball educations in the league.
The headline on Brian Windhorst’s latest column for ESPN reads: “Why Cooper Flagg’s ascension is starting to feel inevitable.”
In it, Windhorst argues that the NBA media ecosystem has been a little slow in recognizing Flagg’s ascension, stopping just short of declaring the second-year stud ready to “take the NBA by storm.”
That he penned a column to that effect is notable, as Windy’s time is spent to a greater and greater degree behind a microphone or in front of a camera these days. He simply doesn’t write as many columns now, so Monday’s look is evidence that Windhorst thinks Flagg’s development and potential in year two is a particularly important story, league-wide.
It makes sense. A lot of the big-name star power in the NBA has been shipped out east. The Mavericks as a franchise, remain, shovel in hand, digging their way out of a mountain of their own make, and are not particularly attractive to a national television audience as currently constructed. All this leads to a downward pressure on Flagg’s media attention.
But Windy (and others, to be fair) stays beating the Cooper Flagg drum this preseason.
On Sept. 25, it was a segment on ESPN’s NBA Today, where Windy issued it glowingly and effusively:
“I feel like there’s not enough hype around Cooper Flagg,” he said. “I know it’s hard to say because he was tracked at Duke very closely, but because Victor Wembanyama took that giant step forward last year, and really took the league by the throat, and because there was so much attention to the tanking teams going for the 2026 Draft, and the Mavericks themselves became one of the tanking teams at the end, I don’t think people realized how breathtaking Cooper Flagg’s performance was last season. He absolutely reminded me, on an almost nightly basis, of LeBron as a rookie. All the way back to the fact that LeBron was forced to play point guard as a rookie, and that kind of took him out of his game a little bit like it did with Cooper last year. The ability for someone of his size to play multi positions, to grab a rebound and then to go down and start the offense, to guard up and down the lineup, I mean, and really, his shot is way better than I thought it’d be. I think it’s going to keep developing, and I couldn’t be higher on Cooper Flagg. I really believe that he’s going to enter the top-10 of the best players in the league sooner rather than later, and that his trajectory is really right there alongside Victor Wembanyama’s in terms of the future of the NBA.”
The direct parallels with James, whom Windhorst built the early part of his career reporting on, and his rookie year, are startling. To think that Mavs fans could be watching the next LeBron in his ascendency is a beautiful thought to think. Just don’t let those thoughts wander into morbid reflection about how ownership might screw this one up.
Then, on the team’s trip to Macau, China, Windy echoed his own sentiments, and if it’s even possible, amplified them in an interview with DLLS.
“I am extraordinarily bullish on his future and I am really excited about his present,” Windy said. “Because of the dynamics of the league, because LeBron is in Philadelphia, and Giannis is in Miami and the Knicks are the champions, and the Celtics are the Celtics, and Wembanyama’s Wembanyama, and Luka is now separate from LeBron, the Mavericks are not on national TV that much. It’s a good and a bad thing. Number one, it means Cooper is not getting the attention he deserves. … Grab onto Cooper. Get in early. Be there, because the league is overlooking him a little bit right now. Again, it’s not like they’re looking at him and going, ‘Ehh, he’s not that good.’ There is a set of circumstances that is depressing him a little bit. Mistake. And look, at ESPN, we’re going to put LeBron and Luka on, you know? We’re going to put Giannis and we’re going to put Victor on. We’re going to put Durant on. We’re going to put Ant Edwards on, but I’m telling you, if Cooper was a stock, I would buy it all. That’s how I feel about him.”
Windhorst isn’t the only one who’s comparing Flagg to James at this early juncture in his career. Flagg’s teammate Kyrie Irving did the same in some of his postgame comments after the Mavs’ second preseason game in Macao.
“I give my respect to KD and Bron and they are on their own separate categories and trajectories and careers but I would say this, I think Coop falls in line in terms of having that competitive nature at a very young age,” Irving said. “He’s displaying in front of you guys what’s capable of and he’s only going to continue to get better.”
It’s moments like these when I love being associated with this Little Fan Site That Could, because Windy, we outchea. We been here. We’ve been banging on the Cooper Flagg drum since jump. We made room for you, and we are here to declare that there is still room on the train for all of the lapsed Mavericks fans who had to take some time away from the team after the injustices suffered under the previous administration.
Glory awaits. The team is the laundry, not the financiers behind the building the team plays in. It’s become clear before his 20th birthday that Flagg is not only generational, but an all-time great in the making.
With a week to go before the Mavs’ first game of Flagg’s second year, it’s getting hard to contain the excitement surrounding the meteoric rise that this young man is about to embark on.