The stars will be out on Oct. 21 as the NBA tips off its season and makes its long-awaited return to NBC — plus the games are now streaming on Peacock.
The NBA opens its season on that October Tuesday with tip-off doubleheader on NBC and Peacock: The Houston Rockets at the Oklahoma City Thunder on the night that OKC raises its championship banner; then, one of the NBA's great rivalries resumes as Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors travel to Los Angeles to take on LeBron James and the Lakers. Those games were announced this morning by NBC Sports and the NBA on the TODAY show (another six games coming to Peacock and NBC also were announced).
In the season opener, starting at 7:30 ET, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates will get their championship rings from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before the game, then watch the first championship banner in Oklahoma City get raised to the rafters. In a bit of dramatic irony, the Thunder will then start the defense of their title against the Houston Rockets and Kevin Durant — a player who was arguably the best player ever to put on a Thunder uniform, but someone unable to get OKC that final step to a title (he left the Thunder to win two rings with the Warriors). This game is also a showdown of the top two seeds in the Western Conference from a season ago.
In the second game of the evening, scheduled for 10 p.m. ET, Curry and LeBron renew their rivalry that includes four NBA Finals series (and 22 total Finals games). While those two aging stars remain some of the biggest draws in the league, a lot of attention will be on their team's other powerhouses — the Lakers' Luka Doncic and the Warriors' Jimmy Butler. Doncic, in particular, will pique the interest of a lot of fans after his offseason conditioning and diet — photos of him looking much thinner and in better shape went viral.
Peacock NBA Monday
NBC Sports and the NBA also announced today the debut games for Peacock NBA Monday — weekly games exclusively streaming on Peacock — as well as the four games for a quadrupleheader on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 19, 2026.
Peacock NBA Monday will debut Oct. 27 with an exclusive streaming doubleheader, starting with Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons from Detroit, starting at 7 p.m. ET. That will be followed by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves hosting Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets in Minneapolis at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Quadrupleheader
NBC Sports will present a quadrupleheader on Martin Luther King Jr. Day — Jan. 19, 2026 — featuring some of the biggest names in the league, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young, Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell, Cooper Flagg, Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown and more. The games are:
• 1:00 p.m. ET: Milwaukee Bucks at Atlanta Hawks (Peacock exclusive) • 2:30 p.m. ET: Oklahoma City Thunder at Cleveland Cavaliers (NBC/Peacock) • 5:00 p.m. ET: Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks (NBC/Peacock) • 8:00 p.m. ET: Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons (NBC/Peacock)
All season long, every NBA game presented by NBC Sports will stream nationwide on Peacock. The complete schedule for the 2025-26 NBA on NBC and Peacock slate will be released this Thursday.
The NBA is returning to NBC this fall, and the league is celebrating the reunion by putting two marquee matchups on the network from the opening tip.
The league announced Tuesday that the 2025-26 season will tip-off on Tuesday, Oct. 21, with two games on NBC and Peacock: Rockets-Thunder and Warriors-Lakers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will raise their 2024-25 NBA championship banner as Kevin Durant makes his Houston Rockets debut against his former team at 7:30 p.m. ET.
NBC last had NBA broadcasting rights from 1990 to 2002. The network, along with Peacock, is returning as part of the league’s new media rights deal through 2036.
NBA on NBC has a star-studded list of commentators, analysts and studio talent for its return. Mike Tirico will serve as the lead play-by-play announcer with Reggie Miller as the lead game analyst. Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Jamal Crawford (game analyst), Grant Hill (game analyst), Zora Stephenson (sideline), Ashley ShahAhmadi (sideline), Maria Taylor (studio host), Ahmed Fareed (studio host), Carmelo Anthony (studio analyst), Vince Carter (studio analyst), Tracy McGrady (studio analyst) and Michael Jordan (special contributor) will also be featured in NBC’s coverage.
Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 21 with a one-hour, on-site studio show featuring Taylor, Anthony and Carter. Tirico, Miller, Crawford and Stephenson will be on the call for when Rockets-Thunder, while Eagle, Hill and ShahAhmadi will announce Warriors-Lakers with additional on-site coverage from Fareed and McGrady.
The NBA also announced the debut of Peacock NBA Monday with an exclusive streaming doubleheader on Monday, Oct. 27. The Cleveland Cavaliers will visit the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the Denver Nuggets at the Minnesota Timberwolves at 9:30 p.m. ET.
NBC Sports will also present the NBA’s first Martin Luther King Jr. Day quadrupleheader on Jan. 19, 2026. The slate includes Bucks-Hawks (1 p.m. ET, Peacock exclusive), Thunder-Cavaliers (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock), Mavericks–Knicks (5 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) and Celtics-Pistons (8 p.m., NBC/Peacock).
NBC and Peacock will also have a couple other staples during the 2025-26 season.
Coast 2 Coast Tuesday will begin on Oct. 28. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be presented to NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game will be presented to stations in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. Both games will stream nationwide on Peacock.
NBC will also launch Sunday Night Basketball on Feb. 1, 2026. It will pause on Feb. 8 and Feb. 15, due to NBC Sports’ coverage of Super Bowl LX, the NBA All-Star Game and the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. From there, it will resume from Feb. 22 and run through April 5.
All games presented by NBC Sports during the 2025-26 season will stream nationwide on Peacock.
The NBA will release the full schedule for the 2025-26 season on Thursday.
The NBA is returning to NBC this fall, and the league is celebrating the reunion by putting two marquee matchups on the network from the opening tip.
The league announced Tuesday that the 2025-26 season will tip-off on Tuesday, Oct. 21, with two games on NBC and Peacock: Rockets-Thunder and Warriors-Lakers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will raise their 2024-25 NBA championship banner as Kevin Durant makes his Houston Rockets debut against his former team at 7:30 p.m. ET.
NBC last had NBA broadcasting rights from 1990 to 2002. The network, along with Peacock, is returning as part of the league’s new media rights deal through 2036.
NBA on NBC has a star-studded list of commentators, analysts and studio talent for its return. Mike Tirico will serve as the lead play-by-play announcer with Reggie Miller as the lead game analyst. Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Jamal Crawford (game analyst), Grant Hill (game analyst), Zora Stephenson (sideline), Ashley ShahAhmadi (sideline), Maria Taylor (studio host), Ahmed Fareed (studio host), Carmelo Anthony (studio analyst), Vince Carter (studio analyst), Tracy McGrady (studio analyst) and Michael Jordan (special contributor) will also be featured in NBC’s coverage.
Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 21 with a one-hour, on-site studio show featuring Taylor, Anthony and Carter. Tirico, Miller, Crawford and Stephenson will be on the call for when Rockets-Thunder, while Eagle, Hill and ShahAhmadi will announce Warriors-Lakers with additional on-site coverage from Fareed and McGrady.
The NBA also announced the debut of Peacock NBA Monday with an exclusive streaming doubleheader on Monday, Oct. 27. The Cleveland Cavaliers will visit the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the Denver Nuggets at the Minnesota Timberwolves at 9:30 p.m. ET.
NBC Sports will also present the NBA’s first Martin Luther King Jr. Day quadrupleheader on Jan. 19, 2026. The slate includes Bucks-Hawks (1 p.m. ET, Peacock exclusive), Thunder-Cavaliers (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock), Mavericks–Knicks (5 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) and Celtics-Pistons (8 p.m., NBC/Peacock).
NBC and Peacock will also have a couple other staples during the 2025-26 season.
Coast 2 Coast Tuesday will begin on Oct. 28. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be presented to NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game will be presented to stations in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. Both games will stream nationwide on Peacock.
NBC will also launch Sunday Night Basketball on Feb. 1, 2026. It will pause on Feb. 8 and Feb. 15, due to NBC Sports’ coverage of Super Bowl LX, the NBA All-Star Game and the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. From there, it will resume from Feb. 22 and run through April 5.
All games presented by NBC Sports during the 2025-26 season will stream nationwide on Peacock.
The NBA will release the full schedule for the 2025-26 season on Thursday.
The NBA is returning to NBC this fall, and the league is celebrating the reunion by putting two marquee matchups on the network from the opening tip.
The league announced Tuesday that the 2025-26 season will tip-off on Tuesday, Oct. 21, with two games on NBC and Peacock: Rockets-Thunder and Warriors-Lakers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will raise their 2024-25 NBA championship banner as Kevin Durant makes his Houston Rockets debut against his former team at 7:30 p.m. ET.
NBC last had NBA broadcasting rights from 1990 to 2002. The network, along with Peacock, is returning as part of the league’s new media rights deal through 2036.
NBA on NBC has a star-studded list of commentators, analysts and studio talent for its return. Mike Tirico will serve as the lead play-by-play announcer with Reggie Miller as the lead game analyst. Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Jamal Crawford (game analyst), Grant Hill (game analyst), Zora Stephenson (sideline), Ashley ShahAhmadi (sideline), Maria Taylor (studio host), Ahmed Fareed (studio host), Carmelo Anthony (studio analyst), Vince Carter (studio analyst), Tracy McGrady (studio analyst) and Michael Jordan (special contributor) will also be featured in NBC’s coverage.
Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 21 with a one-hour, on-site studio show featuring Taylor, Anthony and Carter. Tirico, Miller, Crawford and Stephenson will be on the call for when Rockets-Thunder, while Eagle, Hill and ShahAhmadi will announce Warriors-Lakers with additional on-site coverage from Fareed and McGrady.
The NBA also announced the debut of Peacock NBA Monday with an exclusive streaming doubleheader on Monday, Oct. 27. The Cleveland Cavaliers will visit the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the Denver Nuggets at the Minnesota Timberwolves at 9:30 p.m. ET.
NBC Sports will also present the NBA’s first Martin Luther King Jr. Day quadrupleheader on Jan. 19, 2026. The slate includes Bucks-Hawks (1 p.m. ET, Peacock exclusive), Thunder-Cavaliers (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock), Mavericks–Knicks (5 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock) and Celtics-Pistons (8 p.m., NBC/Peacock).
NBC and Peacock will also have a couple other staples during the 2025-26 season.
Coast 2 Coast Tuesday will begin on Oct. 28. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be presented to NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game will be presented to stations in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. Both games will stream nationwide on Peacock.
NBC will also launch Sunday Night Basketball on Feb. 1, 2026. It will pause on Feb. 8 and Feb. 15, due to NBC Sports’ coverage of Super Bowl LX, the NBA All-Star Game and the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. From there, it will resume from Feb. 22 and run through April 5.
All games presented by NBC Sports during the 2025-26 season will stream nationwide on Peacock.
The NBA will release the full schedule for the 2025-26 season on Thursday.
The Kings don’t know how their 2025-26 NBA season will end, but the beginning of their journey has been revealed.
Sacramento will kick off their regular season on the road against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 22, KCRA’s Sean Cunningham reported Monday, citing sources.
Cunningham also reported that Sacramento’s home opener will be against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 24, followed by another game at Golden 1 Center against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 26.
According to sources, the Sacramento Kings will open the 2025-26 season on Wednesday, Oct. 22 in Phoenix against the Suns.
The Kings home opener at Golden 1 Center vs. the Utah Jazz is Friday, Oct. 24.
The Kings’ next home game will be Sunday, Oct. 26 vs. Los Angeles Lakers.
ESPN Sacramento’s Damien Barling also reported that former coach Mike Brown’s return to Sacramento will be on Jan. 14, when the Kings host his new team, the New York Knicks.
Mike Brown will return to the Golden One Center when the New York Knicks take on the Kings on Jan 14.
Brown coached the Kings for nearly three seasons before being fired in Dec. 2024 after Sacramento began last season with a 13-18 record. Brown famously coached the beloved “Beam Team,” which broke Sacramento’s 16-year playoff drought by earning the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed during the 2022-23 NBA season.
After losing in the NBA play-in tournament in back-to-back seasons, the Kings are seeking a better result in the upcoming campaign, Sacramento’s first with coach Doug Christie serving in a full-time capacity.
The Detroit Pistons just added some defense and toughness to their already impressive wing rotation for next season.
Detroit has signed veteran Javonte Green to a one-year contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. Green becomes the 14th player on the Pistons roster for next season, although it's not yet known if this is a fully guaranteed contract.
Green, 32, is known for his defense and averaged 5.1 points and 3.2 rebounds a game last season, splitting time between the Pelicans (who bought him out) and the Cavaliers (who jumped at the chance to sign him as a free agent).
Green joins a deep wing rotation that likely sees Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson starting, with new additions in Detroit Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson coming off the bench behind them. Marcus Sasser and Ron Holland II also should be in the mix. For a Detroit team that wants to see its defense move into the top 10 in the league this season (it finished last season 11th), adding Green to the mix on the wing is a plus, giving coach J.B. Bickerstaff another solid option in his rotation.
If it hadn’t been done already, Jimmy Butler and Buddy Hield’s frenemyship is being immortalized for good.
On Monday, as is customary every year, the Warriors revealed the unique bobblehead giveaways to the first 10,000 fans entering Chase Center throughout the 2025 NBA preseason.
And, of course, Butler and Hield’s “Best Buddies” bobblehead stands out, scheduled to be handed out on Oct. 17 when the Warriors host the Los Angeles Clippers.
As a result, the pair has hilariously established itself as the iconic duo Dub Nation never knew it needed.
Before the Butler-Hield bobblehead giveaway, on Oct. 8 ahead of a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State also will give out a Steph Curry bobblehead, commemorating the star guard’s 2025 Kia NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP award.
Given it’s the first of its kind and the lore behind it, Butler and Hield’s bobblehead will send Dub Nation running to the arena come mid-October.
Kevin Durant believes he lives rent-free in the minds of some Warriors fans for this particular reason.
The superstar forward took to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, to respond to numerous users about a variety of topics, including where he ranked in Golden State’s hierarchy during its dynastic run, claiming some Warriors fans are “scarred” by him winning the NBA Finals MVP award in 2017 and 2018, rather than, for example, Steph Curry.
Them finals mvps I won hurt you. Scarred alot of warrior fans when my name was announced
After veteran forward Andre Iguodala famously — and perhaps controversially — won Finals MVP over Curry in 2015, Durant was awarded the honor over Curry in each of the Warriors’ next two championships, which fueled, fairly or unfairly, a narrative about the superstar point guard’s impact on the biggest stage before Curry finally secured the accolade for Golden State’s fourth championship in 2022.
Durant, based on his post, seems to believe that some Warriors fans might harbor some resentment for Curry not winning the award for each of the first three championships.
“League sources consider the Sacramento Kings the most likely destination for Westbrook, who will turn 37 during the first month of the season,” MacMahon wrote.
“If that’s the case, Westbrook would likely come off the bench again and share ballhandling duties with free agency addition Dennis Schroder.”
The nine-time NBA All-Star is coming off a fluctuant season with the Denver Nuggets, averaging 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game.
That said, the Kings, looking to retool their backcourt this offseason after trading star De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs before the trade deadline last season, continue to look for veteran ball-handling experience in addition to Schröder.
Surely, a 36-year-old Westbrook could provide a good spark off the bench in addition to serving as a legitimate scoring threat alongside Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.
If the move were to finalize, the Kings would be the future Hall of Fame guard’s sixth team in the last seven seasons.
The Celtics now have one available two-way slot that could be utilized to sign second-round draft pick Amari Williams. The Celtics previously signed fellow second-round pick Max Shulga to a two-way deal, and combined with a recent trade that delivered two-way forward RJ Luis Jr. from Utah, Boston was facing a temporary two-way log jam.
Boston signed Norris in March, and he appeared in three regular-season games. The 25-year-old forward brought an intriguing blend of size (6-foot-10) and shooting ability, but the Celtics were forced to trim after acquiring Luis Jr. from the Jazz as part of the Georges Niang deal last week.
The Celtics selected 6-foot-11 Williams with the 46th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 23-year-old big man showed some intriguing potential at NBA Summer League with his blend of playmaking and shot-blocking. Williams must show he can improve as a finisher around the basket at the pro level.
Shulga was the 57th pick in this year’s draft. Luis Jr., the Big East Player of the Year out of St. John’s, went undrafted in June but latched on with the Jazz in the aftermath.
Two-way slots are important as Boston looks to develop young, cost-efficient talent for the back end of the roster. The Celtics have utilized 2-way deals in the past to mold current roster players like Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta, both of whom could see big minutes during the 2025-26 season.
With all the departures this offseason, the Celtics could have ample opportunity for younger players to show their potential. Williams, especially with a thinned frontcourt, seems particularly important for depth purposes.
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The charges against former NBA player Marcus Morris Sr. for fraud involving outstanding debts to two Las Vegas casinos have been dropped after the markers were paid off, according to court documents reviewed by KLAS television 8 in Las Vegas.
Morris was arrested in Florida late last month on what were officially fraud charges related to insufficient funds to cover a total of $265,000 in lines of credit to gamble at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel and Casino and the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, with these issues dating back to 2024. The casinos simply wanted their money back, and once the lines of credit were repaid, the charges were dismissed.
"Don't ever put my name with nothing but fraud. This is not fraud activity. I have never wrote a check to no casinos in exchange for money that I can put in my pocket. I wrote exchange for credit thinking that you know the source of the income and you know what I've done in the past years to pay it back plus put the money back that I chose to take from y'all to gamble with. So you know I want to just clear that up and then you could take it how you want."
This case is now in the past. Morris played 13 seasons in the NBA for the Rockets, Suns, Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, Clippers, 76ers and most recently, the Cavaliers. Morris did not play in the league last season and does not have a contract for the upcoming season.
Atlanta was aggressive this offseason in retooling its roster. They traded for Kristaps Porzingis, who brings much-needed shot blocking to Atlanta. The Hawks sign-and-traded for Nickeil Alexander-Walker to add shooting and more defense on the wing. The Hawks went out and got Luke Kennard. Add in Jalen Johnson's return to health, along with the potential of a Zaccharie Risacher leap in his second season, and the Hawks look like a potential top-four team in the East.
The one area Atlanta was not aggressive this summer: Talking contract extension with Trae Young. While that may leave Young frustrated, both sides appear resigned to the idea of Young playing out this season on his current contract and figuring out the future next summer, reports Jake Fischer at The Stein Line.
"Yet league sources tell me there are no plans for Young and the Hawks to engage in extension talks this summer. This, though, does not necessarily come as a surprise... Sources say Young's side has actually been resigned for some time to the prospect of seeing out the final guaranteed year on his current contract rather than securing an extension, like his current contract, worth in excess of $200 million. He'd then have to make a decision about his $49 million player option for 2026-27."
To be clear, Young isn't looking to leave the Hawks and they aren't looking to trade him.
This is a matter of the Atlanta organization wanting to play this season out with this improved roster, see what things look like and how it all meshes, and then make financial commitments next summer, when Porzingis will be a free agent and Young can opt out of the $48.9 million final year of his contract and hit the market as well. The risk for the Hawks is that Young opts out and signs elsewhere, and they lose him for nothing. However, considering how tight the free agent market has been in the apron era, Atlanta may be willing to take that risk.
Next June, the Hawks also have the Pelicans' first-round pick unprotected (part of New Orleans trading up in this year's draft to get Derik Queen). If New Orleans struggles this season — a genuine possibility — this could end up being a high draft pick in a deep draft at the top, which could have Atlanta tweaking its vision for the future.
For Young, he can turn his frustration into an opportunity — if the four-time All-Star can spark the Hawks' offense and lead this team to a high seed and a playoff run, his value goes up heading into the next round of negotiations (with the threat of him becoming a free agent and just walking away looming). However it plays out, it looks more and more like Young will not be joining Luka Doncic, De'Aaron Fox and other stars who signed extensions this summer.
Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan was in Poland training with the nation's national team when he suffered a calf injury that will keep him out of EuroBasket, the Polish Basketball Federation announced.
"I am very disappointed, but due to a calf muscle injury, unfortunately, I will not be able to play for Poland at this year's EuroBasket," Sochan said in a statement accompanying the announcement. "I've been working hard for this over the last few months, and the time I trained and played with the national team was amazing. It's a special group and I really enjoyed being a part of this team. Fortunately, the doctors predict that I will be fully healthy by the time the start of the preparation camp before the upcoming NBA season. I want to thank my teammates, coaches and the whole staff, especially the fans in Poland, for their support. I appreciate it very much and know that although I will not be able to be with you, I will support Poland with all my heart."
Sochan is headed back to San Antonio to continue his recovery, which, as he said, is not expected to keep him out of training camp.
"In the face of injury, Jeremy received professional help in Poland," Spurs GM Brian Wright said in the statement. "Cooperation with the staff and management of KoszKadry has always been exemplary. In this situation, however, the best option is to return to San Antonio."
Sochan's mother is from Poland, which led to his connection with their national team. Sochan was the only full-time NBA player on the Polish roster, but they also have Igor Milicic, who played last season at Tennessee and is set to be in the Philadelphia 76ers training camp on an Exhibit 10 contract.
Sochan, 22, averaged 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds a game for the Spurs last season and is extension eligible before the season starts (if no deal is reached, the former No. 9 pick will hit restricted free agency next summer).
Kevin Durant in Houston feels like a hand-in-glove fit. The Rockets wanted Durant, and Houston was on his short list of places he wanted to be traded. When asked about the organization, Durant praised the Rockets. He fills the need for a half-court scoring threat that will open up their offense.
The only question is the money on Durant's contract extension.
Durant is in the final year of his current contract at $57.4 million. The Rockets can offer him a max two-year, $122.1 million extension (no team can offer Durant more than two years because of the over 38 rule). There was always an expectation that Durant would take a bit of a haircut off that max number, but that cut may be deeper than just a haircut, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip Hoopshype).
MacMahon: "By all appearances and by what I've heard, they're not going all in on an extension for Kevin Durant. Now, doesn't mean it won't happen, but there've been rumblings of KD not going to push for the full max. I don't know that the Rockets are going to put anything on the table that's close to the max."
Windhorst: "I think the Rockets are like it's not ideal, but I don't think they would panic if they go into the season with Kevin Durant just on the contract that he's on just on the on the expiring deal... I'll say this, Rafael Stone, since he's been the GM of the of the Rockets, he's signed quite a few giant contracts, but a lot most of them have been short."
The contract has to be short in this case, but what is a fair number for the future Hall of Famer? One source who spoke to NBC Sports during Summer League suggested KD might dip to about the $100 million mark for two years, around $10 million a season below the max but still $50 million a season. However, maybe that number is too high. Maybe Durant will take less — he has the right to make whatever choice he thinks is best for him, his legacy and his family.
Maybe everyone is comfortable going into the season without an extension and seeing how things play out. That said, we are more than a month out from the start of training camps, and a lot of deals get done right around the beginning of camp. This is all just something to watch.
The offseason appears all but wrapped up for the Knicks, coming off some housekeeping items in filling out their coaching staff and signing Mikal Bridges to an extension.
They still don’t have a full roster, however, with an open spot to sign one of their second-round picks and another to add a veteran on a minimum deal. The latter has been cause for speculation, with a few intriguing targets available and multiple needs the Knicks could potentially address.
Here are their options for the last veteran’s minimum spot and who might be the most valuable this season...
Ben Simmons
According to ClutchPoints’s Brett Siegel, the Knicks are favorites to land Simmons, the former first overall pick, Rookie of the Year and perennial All-NBA Defensive First Team selection.
Unfortunately, fans expecting that level of production are likely to be disappointed, as Simmons hasn’t been the same since his back issues and holdout season.
In fact, he hasn’t been a fraction of his former effectiveness. In his three seasons since, Simmons hasn’t eclipsed 51 games played or seven points per game in those games, totaling twice as many turnovers as free throws.
Simmons can still push the ball off a defensive rebound and bring it up in the half-court, but has lost all aggressiveness on offense. He rarely looks to drive and when he does, it’s rare he actually attacks the rim with any real intent to score or draw in the defense.
He can screen and make connective plays from there, a tantalizing prospect under Mike Brown’s Domantas Sabonis playbook -- but this and some decent defense won’t make him anything more than a spot minutes specialist.
Even his defense has slid off a cliff, lacking the foot speed to stay with quicker guards and the verticality and imposition around the rim to protect it. There’s a reason his playoff minutes quickly descended to multiple DNP’s as the Clippers learned of his decline the hard way.
That said, none of the available options are the swing piece between the Knicks winning a championship and falling short, and Simmons represents the highest upside and biggest frame of the bunch, which makes his case viable.
Malcolm Brogdon
New York beefed up its guard position with the addition of Jordan Clarkson, rounding out their rotation of Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride and Tyler Kolek. Kolek looked the part as a break-glass-in-emergency point guard last season, and is in line to fill that role as the team’s fourth guard this year.
If the Knicks have any reservations, signing Brogdon would be a nice insurance policy on their backcourt options. Like Simmons, he’s likely past his prime but can provide some reliable playmaking.
Unlike Simmons, he’s only two years removed from winning Sixth Man of the Year and currently has some more credible NBA skills. Brogdon is a career 38.8 percent shooter from three and has evolved into more of a distributor in his last few seasons.
His numbers have been otherwise unimpressive as of late, but he’s spent two years mired in unclear roles in rebuilding situations. Putting him in position to help more sporadically for a championship chaser may be just the thing he needs to have a strong year.
This minimum contract may be better utilized at a position of more value or need, as the Knicks can always lean on Kolek or their non-guards to facilitate. If they’re dead-set on a guard, Brogdon isn’t their only option.
May 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) runs down the court after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half during game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Russell Westbrook
Westbrook looks like a long shot, given rumors don’t tie him to New York and there’s no clear path to consistent minutes in this rotation. With that being said, he’s proven much more impactful than Brogdon or Simmons in recent years, and would be an absolute firecracker of an add if the Knicks pulled it off.
What Westbrook’s lost in athleticism and scoring efficiency, he’s learned to make up for with his defensive tenacity and high-motor play. He does not take a play, let alone a game, off, and is always full tempo when he’s on the court.
These are valuable things to bring off your bench, especially in a limited role on a small deal, it’s just unlikely Westbrook takes one with three guards ahead of him on the depth chart. Fun to think about, especially in the context of a slower Knicks team, but not much else to consider here.
Thomas Bryant
One position the Knicks may want to heavily consider using this spot for is the center spot. Their current rotation is made up of Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti, and if they start the double-big lineup, this essentially leaves them one backup five to start the year.
They have interesting alternative options at the center like sliding newly-signed Guerschon Yabusele down a position or playing OG Anunoby there, and can always move Robinson back to the bench. However, signing a depth piece at the position like Thomas Bryant gives them more security in case injuries hit.
Fans will remember Bryant from his timely threes against the Knicks in the conference finals. He’s now bounced between five teams in his eight-year NBA career, but can step in in a pinch with some offensive rebounding and rim deterrence.
A report from Kevin Martorano of Sportando stated that Bryant may be packing his bags for Greece, in which case the Knicks may need to turn to another center option. Other names they can target are Bol Bol and Bismack Biyombo.
Landry Shamet
Another thing this roster could use is some pure shooting, as their two offensive hubs are also their best shooters, and their role players could sometimes be iffy from range. Their two bench pickups this offseason are reliable, but nothing extraordinary from there either.
Enter Shamet, who was one of New York’s best bench pieces in 2024-25.
If he’s interested in returning on a veteran’s minimum without assured playing time, the Knicks would happily welcome back his career 38.5 percent clip from deep.
Unlike some of these other options, Shamet has some positional flexibility, with the ability to play and guard one through three. He was clutch in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, shooting 7-15 from three in the series and playing some stifling defense after not playing for essentially the entire postseason.
There’s also Delon Wright, who’s still a free agent after giving the Knicks dependable spot minutes in last year’s regular season and playoffs. He’d be another worthwhile signing if they’re looking to go smaller and more defensive.
