Category: NBA

Yaxel Lendeborg credits big performance to Steph Curry, Draymond Green advice originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steve Kerr and Steph Curry’s message to Yaxel Lendeborg after his first preseason game was simple: be more aggressive.

The Warriors rookie received the message, scoring a game-high 17 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting from the field in Golden State’s blowout preseason win Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Lendeborg, speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike in a postgame interview, credited the veteran leadership of Curry and Draymond Green. 

“After last game, I texted Steph and Draymond both to just ask for some advice and some guidance,” Lendeborg recalled. “I was a little scared first game to be aggressive. I was a little shell-shocked and all.

“But getting the word of advice from both of those guys telling me that they believe in me and I have room to make mistakes, just gave me the extra confidence I needed tonight.”

It’s hard to imagine a better motivator than two future Hall of Famers offering validation.

Lendeborg made the most of the gained confidence. He attacked the basket early and scored his first three field goals deep inside the paint, exactly what Kerr wants from his 6-foot-9 rookie. 

“We need him to be a scorer,” Kerr told reporters in his postgame press conference. “We need him to get us easy buckets at the rim. And he did a great job of that tonight.” 

The Warriors desperately need scoring outside of Curry. Golden State’s two leading scorers behind their superstar last season were Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porziņģis. 

With Butler continuing rehab on his surgically repaired knee and the uncertainty surrounding Porziņģis’ availability, Lendeborg is presented with the opportunity to establish himself as a true second option. 

And despite being the leading scorer for the national champion Michigan Wolverines last season, Lendeborg says the need for that aggression will require adjustment. 

“It’s hard to learn,” Lendeborg told reporters during his postgame press conference. “I’ve been an unselfish player my whole life. And just coming here and hearing I got to [have a] score first mindset — it’s going to be something that I got to get adjusted to.” 

Lendeborg showed his scoring ability earlier this offseason by winning the 2026 NBA Summer League MVP, but his performance Tuesday night proved he has the potential to do it against NBA-level talent. 

Kerr will look for that production on a consistent basis. With the support of Curry and Green, Lendeborg will have the boost of confidence he needs to strive for that.

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Peyton Watson isn’t the first player that the Cleveland Cavaliers have tried to use to fill this gap.

A long list of names, from Cedi Osman and Isaac Okoro — to Dean Wade and De’Andre Hunter. This team has searched for a starting-caliber wing throughout the decade. And while Max Strus fit the build better than anyone, he was perpetually playing out of position on a team that needed size and athleticism in his place.

This is what made Watson the ideal trade target.

Trading Strus wasn’t easy. He was far and away Cleveland’s best option at small forward during this era. But Watson offers a younger, bigger, and more exciting prospect to ring the bell once and for all. If all goes to plan. Cleveland won’t have to search for another wing for a long time.

Let’s get into why that’s the case.

The Glue

The Cavs’ starting lineup features a dynamic that has led to much success.

The backcourt duo of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell makes for one of the best shot-creating backcourts in basketball. Meanwhile, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley form an elite defensive frontcourt.

Connecting those two duos with the perfect small forward has been the issue.

Allow me to oversimplify things:

Dean Wade was a versatile defender. His skills on that end made him a fantastic fit in the starting lineup. But Wade’s lack of offense ultimately made him a liability once the playoffs began. The bridge between the backcourt and frontcourt was flawed.

Max Strus, on the other hand, brought all of the offensive skills you’d want from the fifth starter. He just wasn’t tall or athletic enough to defend opposing wings.

Cleveland needed someone who could combine the skills of Wade and Strus. Someone who was better on offense than Wade, and more equipped to defend wings than Strus.

This is where Watson has a chance to succeed.

Watson has a 6’8” frame and 7’1” wingspan. He packages that length with elite mobility, placing him in the 97th percentile as a perimeter isolation defender last season — and in the 86th percentile as a screen navigator (according to BBall Index).

On paper, Watson has all of the tools needed to replicate Wade’s success in the starting lineup.

Dawg look at Peyton Watson speed and his quick playmaking decision holy shit pic.twitter.com/tpmyHMzfX0

— ¹⁰ (@HoodiGarland) October 4, 2026

As for replacing Strus, this will be more difficult.

Watson doesn’t attempt three-pointers at nearly the same rate — but he did shoot more efficiently than Strus last season. He was automatic from the corners and should provide a valuable kick-out option to either of Cleveland’s guards.

There’s also potential for Watson to build off a career-best season shooting the ball. He could become a more dynamic perimeter threat, and has flashed some on-ball creation and three-level scoring. This makes Watson a fun player to bet on at 24 years old.

Finally, Watson is a vertical athlete who is more of a threat to get downhill and attack in transition. He can finish above the rim and has a wider catch radius for his teammates to find him on cuts. Overall, this should add a new layer to Cleveland’s offense, as they haven’t had anyone who can be shot out of a cannon like this at small forward

Things to Prove

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson insists that the starting lineup is not solidified. Watson isn’t walking into this without earning it.

What would that take?

Watson is facing pressure to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke. His 41% three-point shooting is an outlier despite consistent growth throughout his career. He needs to sustain that leap, while also showing he can improve on it even further.

The Cavs would also like to see Watson polish the rest of his game. He has raw potential on defense, some of which came to light last season. But it still wasn’t perfect. His overall game needs some fine-tuning. It’s one thing to feel optimistic; it’s another to have blind faith. Watson needs to show that Cleveland was correct in betting on his development.

Other areas that need buffing include his playmaking and finishing. Watson has consistently ranked high in rim frequency but has never finished above the 50th percentile in accuracy. That’s a lot of looks at the basket that aren’t being converted.

(Note: Watson shot 65% at the rim last season, placing him in the 49th percentile. For comparison, Max Strus shot 59%.)

It feels like Watson is at the tip of the iceberg in terms of his potential. Realizing that is the next step, or Cavs fans could be left feeling like they were promised more than they got.

Conclusion

Barring a disastrous performance, Watson will be the fifth starter. Atkinson would have to be a mad genius to believe otherwise.

From there, this will be Watson’s job to lose. His athletic profile makes him a no-brainer to solve Cleveland’s needs. He provides the blend of offense and defense they’ve been searching for.

Watson’s ripe potential makes him someone the Cavs could rely on long-term, possibly even into a second rebuilding era after Mitchell and Harden are gone. It’s hard to look that far ahead, but it’s something to consider. This was part of the calculation in trading for him.

In the meantime, Watson has the opportunity of a lifetime in front of him. He’s joining a team that has been begging for a player like him to arrive. The only thing left is to save the day and become the hero.

After one season with the San Antonio Spurs, big man Kelly Olynyk is heading to Italy. He joins BC Roma, a club recently founded by Donnie Nelson. Nelson spent twenty-four years with the Dallas Mavericks starting in 1998 when he served as an assistant coach to his father, Hall of Famer Don Nelson. The junior Nelson was essential to the drafting of Dirk Nowitzki and was with the franchise as an executive when they won their 2011 NBA Championship. He also was key in the acquisition of Luka Doncic and drafting Jalen Brunson in 2018, widely considered one of the best draft moves in the modern era. Luka Doncic is also involved in the development of the BC Roma franchise.

Olynyk stayed close to the Spurs this summer traveling to Europe with members to visit Victor Wembanyama in France. He was seen in photos with the Spurs sightseeing and taking in art at the Louvre.

Olynyk joins former NBA and G-League players Nico Mannion, Trentyn Flowers, Erik Stevenson, and Marko Simonović on the fledgling team. The club will compete in the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) as well as in the EuroCup.

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EuroLeague teams reject NBA offer to merge into single European operation originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

EuroLeague basketball owners have rejected a formal offer from the NBA to merge into a single European operation following a meeting in Italy, Barcelona confirmed Wednesday.

The decision not to accept the NBA’s proposal of a single Europe entity was made Tuesday in Cernobbio during a gathering of the EuroLeague’s 13 shareholder clubs. They include Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Olympiakos, Milan, Tony Parker-owned ASVEL in France and two Istanbul-based clubs.

A statement on the EuroLeague’s website said they met to “discuss and align on key strategic decisions regarding the future of their collective property,” without mentioning the NBA.

Barcelona told The Associated Press in an emailed response that a formal merger offer from the NBA had been rejected. In a statement, the club confirmed that Barcelona president Joan Laporta attended the meeting and that club owners “took several decisions regarding the future of the competition.”

“Among those decisions was the rejection of the NBA’s proposal as it currently stands. Should that proposal be amended in the future, the clubs and the EuroLeague will reconsider it,” the statement read.

It’s not clear how each club voted. The EuroLeague declined to comment and pointed to its initial statement.

The NBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The 20-team EuroLeague is comprised of 13 shareholder clubs immune from relegation. The rest either qualify through their domestic leagues or through invitation.

The NBA, in partnership with FIBA, is eying a 16-team model.

French sports daily L’Equipe reported that the NBA offered each future member 400 million euros ($448 million).

At Tuesday’s EuroLeague meeting, club owners agreed to move forward with converting the current 10-year licenses into franchises for the shareholder clubs. They also agreed to continue plans to increase the number of franchises.

European ambition

France’s Victor Wembanyama, Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic are among the biggest basketball stars worldwide.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver reaffirmed in January that the league was pressing forward on plans to bring a new league to Europe.

The NBA was targeting October 2027 as a potential launch date, with franchises paying what is expected to be a substantial entry fee. Media reports indicated the NBA was looking for at least a $500 million fee.

Many European basketball teams, including some in the EuroLeague, have struggled financially. The system has often relied on wealthy owners to cover team debts each year.

We missed this on Tuesday, but Cameron Boozer had a successful debut in NBA pre-season play, helping the Memphis Grizzlies to defeat the Atlanta Hawks, 132-123.

Boozer scored 11 points, pulled down five rebounds and passed out four assists in 18 minutes. He also shot 5-9, though he missed his three three-point attempts.

Take the threes out though, and Boozer hit 5-6 from the floor, which is impressive for a rookie in his first game. It’s not that hitting threes is easy, but scoring inside against NBA veterans is no day at the beach either.

Memphis plays Orlando Wednesday night, which could be interesting. Aside from Wendell Carter and Paolo Banchero, the Magic features Franz Wagner and some other bigs who will probably give Boozer a bigger challenge than the Hawks did.

• Breaking Down Cam Boozer’s NBA Preseason Debut
• Duke’s Cameron Boozer stuffs stat sheet during NBA preseason debut
• Boozer shows ‘poise,’ Grizzlies impress in preseason opener at Atlanta
• Cameron Boozer Grizzlies Debut: No. 3 Pick Flashes All-Around Game
• Cameron Boozer throws down the big one-hand jam
• 3 Takeaways From Grizzlies’ Preseason Win Over Hawks

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Remember last year? When the sunshine pumpers swore up and down that Kyrie Irving would be back on the court for the Dallas Mavericks by the New Year? Well, as it turns out, it was always going to be closer to March, which would have given the 33-year-old at the time the standard full-year recovery window after he tore his left ACL on March 3, 2025, in a game against the Sacramento Kings. But then, much to the compounding chagrin of an already scorned fanbase, when March rolled around, the Mavericks were in such rough shape that it made no sense to risk any sort of re-aggravation of Irving’s knee.

So, 2025-26 was a maddening punt. Irving had no age-33 season at all, and the Mavericks slogged through a 26-56 disaster in Cooper Flagg’s rookie campaign. The team couldn’t even lose enough to net another top-five draft pick for its considerable trouble.

But here we are. We’ve come out the other side, sans Nico Harrison, sans Jason Kidd, sans Anthony Davis — with a young roster surrounding a healthy Irving, now 34, who’s been itching to get back to work. He said during the team’s media day on Sept. 26 that he’s moving, working out and playing with no restriction of movement.

“I’m ready to go out there and kick some butt,” Irving said during his media day press conference, the first time that he has addressed reporters since crumpling to the ground with his latest knee injury. “I know that naysayers or some of the questions around where I’m going to be are going to be inevitable. But for me, I have the confidence of a champion. … This is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately type of league, and everybody wants to see it up close. So I’m looking forward to being able to lace up my shoes and being on the court with my teammates and show everybody what I’ve got again. It’s just like riding a bike.”

Each new workout video this offseason has gifted Mavs fans with one more talking point — one more piece of leading testimony toward our own confirmation bias. Because we all — even those of us who try to remain measured in our expectations — want to see Irving torch young whipper-snappers the league over for 25 a night as soon as the clock strikes 7:30 CST on Oct. 21, when the Mavs’ season tips off at the Houston Rockets.

Dusty May gives a Kyrie Irving injury update:

“I have no reference point of seeing him practice before but I can’t imagine that this is a ls close to 100% as he can be. He played well. He was engaged.” pic.twitter.com/zNQETNzb9K

— Ron Harrod Jr. (@RonKnowsSports) September 26, 2026

Big question

Which brings us to the biggest, most glaring compound question facing Irving as the 2026-27 season looms. Can Old Man River return to form to start the season, and to that end, what kind of minute load will he be in line for in the first game of the season?

There are so many considerations. Irving is all of 34, firmly in the age range where the on-court returns can start to become not only diminishing but rapidly diminishing. Yes, there’s that, but, his body at 34 has also missed a significant portion of wear and tear along the way. Irving has famously missed more than 300 games so far in his career due to injury, rest and personal and/or team protocol reasons. Will that essentially allow him to play younger this year, having most recently Rip van Winkled his way through 2025-26? Or, does the overall body of injury over the course of his career so far make his body older than the average 34-year-old baller’s?

Will first-year head coach Dusty May limit Irving’s minutes in an attempt not to break him? Or will May let go of the reins after what essentially ballooned into a 19-month recovery window after Irving’s ACL tear?

I have a feeling we will know the answers to most of these questions within the first couple of weeks of the season, and those answers will go a long way to feed the next inevitable quandary that comes along with a star player who doesn’t fit the rest of the roster’s timeline. Will Irving be in Dallas past the 2027 NBA Trade Deadline, or will he be moved so the Mavericks can finally lean into the youth movement in earnest?

The market for Irving appears to have remained healthy, even as the season approaches. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that both the Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets could be potential trade destinations for Irving, as recently as Sept. 29.

Best-case scenario

The Kyrie Irving dream season probably includes minimal drop-off from Irving’s production in 2024-25, when he averaged 24.7 points per game on 3-point shooting just north of 40%, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest. If Dallas gets anything close to 23 points on 39% 3-point shooting, four assists and four rebounds per game from Irving this season over 60 games, pinch yourself. You may be in a fever dream.

But a dream season isn’t just about production for Irving on this team. Part of his best-case scenario has to be cohesion with Flagg. Irving did a great job of this while playing with another young stud for his first two-plus years in Dallas. Can Irving’s gravity with the ball in his hands give Flagg a little room to see some open 3-pointers begin to fall in year two? Can his immaculate handle relieve Flagg of the need to always be the on-ball man with the plan? Can Irving impart some of that crunchy brand of NBA wisdom he’s become known for over the last few years?

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to grow with [Flagg],” Irving said at Mavericks media day. “High-level basketball players, no matter the age — you put us out there, we’re going to win some ballgames.”

“Having somebody like that out there on the court with you at all times is going to be amazing,” Flagg added. “The time that we’ve been able to spend in the summer on the court together has been good for both of us to kind of build that connection. I’m really excited. I think it’s going to be really fun to share the court.”

If he can do most of these things, the Mavs could flirt with 40 wins and a play-in spot. More importantly, if he can do most of these things, he’ll make himself too valuable to lose at the trade deadline for what other teams will want to offer for a player about to turn 35.

Worst-case scenario

The worst of all outcomes would be a re-aggravation of the left knee injury early in the season. The Mavericks were deliberate in hanging onto Irving in the midst of an otherwise straightforward youth movement this offseason. They could have gotten something nice for Irving before the 2026 NBA Draft or even in a draft-day trade this summer.

If the Mavs have another aging albatross hanging around their neck for a second consecutive trade deadline, it could have the effect of further stalling the rebuild around Flagg.

Season goal

The goal is clear this year for Irving. Be a part of something. I’ll stop short of saying “something special.” Ultimately, the overarching team goal this year is geared toward building something that Irving will not have a part in. But that doesn’t mean Irving doesn’t have a meaningful part to play in Dallas this season.

Hope needs to be restored in Dallas. The concept of fun, watchable basketball needs to be restored in Dallas. Even simpler, the Mavs need an effective point guard. Irving can and should play an outsized role in those goals. He can rally the locker room toward a common vision of something north of mediocrity. And if he can do those things for 50 or more games this season, you’d have to consider that a successful year, regardless of play-in or playoff positioning.

Overall

A word of caution. It’s going to be a smoother ride for you this season if you can divorce your excitement for watching Irving’s return to form from your expectations for short-term team postseason results. The Mavericks are likely not a playoff team this year, with or without Irving at the point.

But that’s not going to stop fans from being excited to see him hit the floor once more.

Heading into the 2026-2027 season, the NBA Competition Committee identified four areas of focus: off-arm push offs by offensive players, push-offs from screeners, hand-checking off-ball offensive players, and impeding straight line drives. There should be an increased freedom of movement for offenses coming from those points of emphasis which the Celtics have hinted at throughout training camp and we’ll see tomorrow in Cleveland how that side of the ball looks in action.

Defense might be where we see some differences in how the Celtics play. Mazzulla noted on Monday that over the last couple of years, the team focused on offensive rebounding and backcourt pressure, all things meant to win the possession battle in the margins. He said that the coaching staff won’t really know what’s working and what they can lean into until 10-15 games into the regular season, but considering the additions to the roster, so much is more available to Mazzulla, particularly on defense.

Mitchell Robinson’s offensive rebounding has become his calling card, but those 4.2 extra possessions per game isn’t why Boston signed him to a three-year, $47.4 million deal this summer. As CelticsBlog’s Nik Land points out, the defense is the thing:

Robinson is simply a high-impact defender. When he isn’t blocking shots at the rim, he is deterring attempts altogether, forcing rushed kick-outs, using his size to hold his own in the post and displaying excellent timing as a help defender. His +2.7 Defensive DPM last season ranked in the 99th percentile, while his 23.2% defensive rebound rate allowed him to consistently finish possessions on the glass.

And there’s domino effect on the rest of the defense. Having an anchor like that patrolling the paint means that the perimeter defenders can take a few more liberties — that could mean putting more pressure on ball handlers, taking risks in passing lanes, and switching more.

But there’s that pesky POE promoting freedom of movement. Defenders won’t be able to lock arms with off-ball players like offensive linemen blocking for their running back. Also, if a player has a straight-line drive at the rim, they’ll have to shade them with limited contact and avoid bumping them off their path.

For the most part, those hand checking rules won’t affect the Celtics too much. They were 9th in fouls committed last season and didn’t give up a ton of free throws either (4th at 21.2 trips to the line). Instead, with Robinson in tow (not to mention Neemias Queta), what you might see more of is anticipation and jumping passing lanes.

I’ll be watching this for the next 3 hours thank you pic.twitter.com/zAwUVWcEqC

— Karan (@ksenguptaa) October 6, 2026

Enjoy the Celtics’ Instagram story of practice highlights in full, but more specifically 50 seconds in, you’ll see Hugo Gonzalez jump a Paul George pass for an easy transition layup. That’s where Boston could make a big change this season. Last year, they were 25th in deflections (15.2 per game) and naturally 25th in points off turnovers (15.8 per game).

As former CelticsBlogger Jack Simone points out, Robinson averaged 5.5 deflections per 100 possessions, ranking him in the 96th percentile. Adding the rangy George to a wings group with Jayson Tatum (6’11 wingspan), Jordan Walsh (7’3), Ron Harper Jr. (7’1), and Gonzalez (6’11) gives the Celtics enough length to cover sideline to sideline.

Boston’s fourth ranked defense last year did not rely on steals (28th) or generating turnovers (29th). Instead, they bent and didn’t break, keeping teams out of the restricted area and around the rim, and forcing them to shoot mid-range and long-2s. All those principles should still stay mostly intact, but for the margin-obsessed Mazzulla, squeezing a few more points out of their transition game by turning defense into easy offense might be an internal point of emphasis for the Celtics.

Forwards are a goldmine in fantasy basketball, and the 2026-27 season is loaded with versatile wings and bigs who can swing your league. Veteran stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard are in new uniforms, while rookies AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson and Yaxel Lendeborg could make an immediate fantasy impact. Before your fantasy basketball draft, use this guide to find the top breakout forwards, under-the-radar sleepers and overvalued fades. From Cooper Flagg's second-year leap to value picks like Naz Reid and Jaime Jaquez, here are the forwards to target and avoid.

5 Fantasy Basketball Forward Breakouts

AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards

As the rookie first overall pick, Dybantsa is going to be given all the opportunity he can handle on what should be a fast-paced and exciting Wizards team. Washington is suddenly stacked with some intriguing veteran talent in the form of Trae Young and Anthony Davis, as well as ascendant young pieces in Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr. 

That collection of names offers Dybantsa some excellent insulation as he begins his pro career. Defenses won't come close to having the luxury of focusing on the former BYU star, and Dybantsa's talent will therefore have plenty of chances to shine through in some one-on-one scenarios. 

He should also have the benefit of a healthy amount of extra possessions most nights, and his ability to check off every box on the stat sheet should make him an indispensable fantasy star from Day 1. 

Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies

Boozer should be right up there with Dybantsa in terms of making headlines throughout his rookie season, although in the former Duke star's case, he won't exactly have the same wealth of talent surrounding him on Memphis' first unit. However, that should also give Boozer the benefit of more responsibility to shoulder, which should result in some full stat lines as the season unfolds.

Boozer will have an underrated facilitator in Ty Jerome helping feed him the ball, and he should also benefit from playing alongside a massive 7-foot-3 frontcourt mate in Zach Edey. Boozer already comes into the NBA as an accomplished shooter that drained 55.6% of his attempts, including 39.1% of his shots from 3-point range, during his one college season. Assuming his efficiency holds his own as he acclimates to the next level, Boozer should pay big dividends for fantasy managers throughout his first season.

Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks

An argument could be made that Flagg already broke out during his 2025-26 rookie campaign, but he could put up numbers this season that will make those pale in comparison. There are multiple reasons that support the notion of an MVP-worthy second season for the 2025 first overall pick, not the least is the valuable experience he gained as a rookie while averaging 33.5 minutes per contest across 70 games.

One could see Flagg's development happen in real time as last season unfolded. After an uneven start that saw him average 15.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals per contest over his first 19 regular-season games, Flagg finished the season by putting up 23.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks over the next 50 games before playing just 10 minutes in Dallas' regular-season finale. 

Flagg accomplished all of that progress without the benefit of having Kyrie Irving on the floor with him, but the veteran guard is finally fully recovered from his ACL tear two seasons ago. Kyrie's presence will take plenty of pressure off Flagg while setting up for his fair share of one-on-one opportunities, meaning exponential improvement is very much a possibility.

Naz Reid, Charlotte Hornets

After years spent as one of the most reliable floor-stretching second-unit bigs in either conference, Reid is projected to finally get his opportunity to help headline a frontcourt in his eighth NBA season. Despite his wealth of experience, Reid is still only 27, and the Hornets could prove to be the perfect platform for him to put together a career-best season.

The departed Miles Bridges averaged 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists across 31.4 minutes per game in the same starting power forward role in Charlotte over the last two seasons. Reid is arguably just as good a rebounder and a better 3-point shooter than the player he's replacing, and he also won't have LaMelo Ball to contend with for usage the way Bridges did.

It remains to be seen how Reid will adjust to a starting role, but he proved capable in multiple spot starts over the years with the T-Wolves.

Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Clippers

Hachimura is another veteran floor-spacing forward that could thrive to the tune of career-best numbers thanks to the circumstances on his new squad. Hachimura switched LA jerseys this offseason, and he lands on a team that traded Kawhi Leonard this offseason and won't have one of the centerpieces of that transaction, Brandon Ingram, available for the start of the season due to his Achilles injury.

Hachimura has been a solid but not special fantasy asset in past starting opportunities, but he could be set for a fairly large offensive role to start the season. Darius Garland will make his fair share of scoring contributions, but Bradley Beal also may not be ready for the start of the season and rookie Keaton Wagler may take some time to acclimate to the pro game. 

Meanwhile, fellow forward Derrick Jones has never been more than a complementary source of points, and the same holds true for projected starting center Isaiah Jackson. Hachimura has always spaced the floor effectively, and an aggressive approach combined with more usage than he's usually enjoyed could lead to career-best offensive success.

5 Fantasy Basketball Sleepers at Forward

Jaime Jaquez, Milwaukee Bucks

Jaquez was part of the Bucks' significant haul in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, and the fourth-year forward will have an opportunity to serve as a key piece in Milwaukee's rebuild. Jaquez is arguably primed to shoulder the added responsibility after a productive first three seasons in Miami during which he garnered plenty of valuable experience.

Jaquez is coming off a career-best season, as he averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting a career-high 50.7% in the 2025-26 campaign. Jaquez averaged a career-high 28.3 minutes per contest as well, and while he logged just one start, the 2023 first-round pick ran with the first unit on 17 occasions during the 2024-25 season. 

Jaquez has the experience and well-rounded skill set to offer fantasy utility across the stat sheet with a presumptive starter's workload. He'll also have a familiar face alongside him in Tyler Herro, and with Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis both off the roster, there will be plenty of usage for the taking.

Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls

Buzelis may be a borderline sleeper considering he already took a big Year 2 leap in the 2025-26 campaign, when he averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks across 29.2 minutes per contest. The 2024 11th overall pick shot a slightly improved 46.3 percent as well, and Buzelis averaged a relatively robust 15.6 field-goal + free-throw attempts per contest.

Buzelis will have just turned 22 a week before the regular season starts, so there's still plenty of room for his game to expand yet again. The Bulls made two big offseason additions in Norman Powell and rookie Caleb Wilson, but Buzelis' increasing comfort level at the pro level and his versatile skill set should ensure he remains heavily involved in multiple facets during his third season.

Ronald Holland, Detroit Pistons

Holland isn't ticketed for a starting role to open the 2026-27 season, but the third-year forward could be primed for another step forward after already improving in nearly every major category as an NBA sophomore. Holland finished the 2025-26 campaign with averages of 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 steals across 19.9 minutes per contest.

Holland did see a downturn in offensive efficiency – he drained just 43.2% of his shots from the field, as opposed to 47.4% during his rookie 2024-25 campaign – but he's well-suited to bounce back in what should be a bigger role in his third season. Holland will be backing up veteran offseason addition John Collins, yet it wouldn't be entirely out of the question for the former to see it all start to click for him on a talented Pistons squad as the season unfolds.

Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors

Murray-Boyles already opened eyes as a rookie last season, putting up 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists across 21.9 minutes per game while shooting 57.9% from the field. The South Carolina product picked up some valuable experience with 22 starts, and Murray-Boyles contributed 30 double-digit scoring efforts overall, including five double-doubles.

Murray-Boyles is projected to open the season as the primary backup to Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl at power forward and center, respectively, which should help lock him into a dependable and fairly expansive second-unit role. The Raptors swapped out Brandon Ingram for Kawhi Leonard this offseason, but Murray-Boyles' outlook remains bright, especially with a year of experience now under his belt.

Ayo Dosunmu, Minnesota Timberwolves

Dosunmu won't necessarily fly under the radar after some of his performances last season following his trade to the Timberwolves, but the veteran wing isn't expected to enter the new campaign as a member of the first unit. Therefore, there may be some apprehension about how much opportunity he'll see following the arrival of LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga this offseason, yet Dosunmu should offer plenty of fantasy value as a pivotal part of the second unit.

Dosunmu averaged 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals across 28.9 minutes per contest over the 34 regular-season and postseason games he played with Minnesota following his trade from the Bulls. That sample included 13 starts, including his memorable 43-point game against the Nuggets on a 13-for-17 shooting night. There's no questioning Dosunmu's upside, even when he's coming off the bench at either guard spot or at small forward.

5 Fantasy Basketball Busts at Forward

Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls

Dosunmu's old Bulls teammate leads off our list of five fade-worthy forwards. The 2020 fourth overall pick has never come close to living up to his draft pedigree, and Williams is coming off a 2025-26 campaign in which he averaged a career-low 20.5 minutes per contest while also shooting a career-worst 37.2%. Williams' second-string role appears safe for now, but Chicago appears ready to roll with rookie No. 4 overall selection Caleb Wilson at power forward and Williams is therefore unlikely to be worth investing a draft pick on. 

Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies

Wells is expected to open the season as the starting small forward for the Grizzlies, but the third-year pro doesn't necessarily bring anything extraordinary to the table fantasy-wise. Before a toe injury ended his second season in late March, Wells averaged just 7.5 points and 1.8 rebounds over his last four games, and on the season, he delivered very little besides some modest scoring (12.5 points) that came despite some middling shooting (43.1%). Although Ja Morant is now in Portland, Wells never consistently took advantage of his former teammates' frequent absences, and Memphis figures to run a significant chunk of its offense through rookie Cameron Boozer this coming season.

Jordan Clarkson, New York Knicks

Clarkson surprisingly had a minimal role in the Knicks' championship 2025-26 season, despite his well-earned reputation as a valuable second-unit asset throughout the years for multiple teams. Clarkson never hit his stride in New York, averaging a career-worst 8.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists across a career-low 17.8 minutes per game. Now 34 years old, Clarkson's prospects are far from bright, despite the fact he may open the campaign as Mikal Bridges' primary backup at small forward.

Matisse Thybulle, Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James' departure does open up plenty of usage in Los Angeles, but there isn't any aspect of Thybulle's career resume that suggests he'll be able to take advantage on the offensive end in particular. Thybulle has averaged just 5.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game over his seven seasons, and despite a projected starting role at power forward, Thybulle's primary fantasy value will still stem from his above-average defensive skills. 

Noah Clowney, Brooklyn Nets

Clowney put some good play on film last season while capitalizing on the most extensive opportunity of his career, but Brooklyn's big offseason move for Julius Randle knocks the former back down to the second unit. Clowney averaged 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists over 27.0 minutes per contest last season – all career-best figures – yet he shot only 39.6% and needed 60 starts to get there. He's projected to see a notable playing time/usage hit this coming season, and if his offensive inefficiency persists, Clowney will struggle to deliver consistent fantasy value.

In the Rockets player stock market, there’s a lot of buzz around AMEN, and REED shares, and controversy around SGUN, but the hidden gem in that selection of Rockets growth stocks might turn out to be JABS. (Full disclosure, I own a great number of entirely fictional REED shares.)

Quick, who is older, Jabari Smith or Amen Thompson? Yep, it’s Amen, by a little. If we can believe Amen will continue to improve, we can believe it of Jabari Smith Jr., too, I think. Now, whose upside do I think is greater? Well, that’s obviously Amen With A Jump Shot, but that’s not to damn Jabari with faint praise. Amen With A Jump Shot is likely First Team All NBA and possibly an MVP candidate.

Jabari already has a jumpshot, and it’s getting better. It might get better still now that the Rockets have hired the consensus best shooting coach in the NBA.

Let’s do a player comparison, so you can see where Jabari might really be in terms of another player we think about maybe a lot more than we should around here.

	PTS	RBS	AST	TOV	BLK	STL	FGA	EFG%	3PTA	3PT%	Career 3pt%
Player A	18	9	3.6	2	1.7	.7	13	.582	3.2	.30	.309
Player B	16	7	1.9	1.4	.9	.7	12.6	.542	6.3	.36	.347

I didn’t include it, for space reasons, but each shoots about 3FT a game. Player B shoots FTs at 80% and Player A at 67%. True shooting for A is .596 and True Shooting for B is .570.

I think we’d say player A is better than player B, but how much better? Not a lot in my opinion of traditional box score stats, and maybe not any, depending on what you’re looking for the player to do. The compared seasons are the 5th for Player A, and the 4th for Player B.

But what about defense? Well, let’s go one metric. Player A had 2.9 defensive win shares last season, Player B had 3.3. VORP sees A at 2.3 and B at .9.

Now let’s talk salary. Player A will get paid $50 million this season. Player B will get paid $23 million.

Have you guess who we’re comparing. Well, obviously Jabari Smith is one player, he’s Player B. Player A is…Rocket bete noir, Even Mobley. Mobley plays some center, but he’s still a power forward, just like Jabari.

I won’t argue that Mobley isn’t a better defender than Jabari, he is. Is he $27 million better? I don’t think he is. Remember, that salary will also likely go to fewer games for Mobley. Jabari played in 77 games last season, Mobley 65, and those look like the career trends so far.

Jabari is also a better shooter from three, for last season, and for his career, on higher volume. Despite Mobley playing inside more, he draws about the same number of FTs as Jabari, and has a close TS%.

A lot of people, angry about the Jalen Green draft pick, think of Evan Mobley as a superstar. If he’s a superstar, so is Jabari Smith Jr. I don’t think either one is, but whatever they are, they’re very close in performance as I see it. One is getting paid like a superstar, and isn’t one, and one is getting paid like a good starter, and is.

I think there’s reason to continue seeing the steady improvement we’ve seen thus far with Jabari Smith Jr. I don’t think he’s every going to be your lead scorer, or the #1 player on a contender, but he’s certainly a good player, with a chance to be better still.

I think it’s time to stop thinking of Jabari as some sort of disappointment. He’s very good, he’s arguably better or, more strongly arguable as about as good as Evan Mobley at less than half the price. That enables the Rockets overall to be better, as well. I also think it’s time to just let Evan Mobley go. I am relieved we’re not paying the guy $50 million for the next four years (topping at $60 million in 2029 – JABS is $27 in 2031). This is also a place to give Rafael Stone some flowers, with an apology, but also a request to quit making excuses about things he controls. Kind of a passive-aggressive apology, I guess.

Jabari is, still, somehow, about 23 1/2 years old at the time of this writing. He came into the NBA very young. He has, in fact, grown as a player, and I think should be counted as a development success story, if maybe not the one everyone wanted. There’s a chance he ends up shooting about 40% from three on 7-8 shots a game as soon as this season. His usage is low on the Rockets, at 18%. He probably should get more usage, based on the stats here. Some of it could come from Sengun, or Amen, honestly, and it would do the Rockets more good on the scoreboard. Perhaps FVV can make that happen a bit better than, say, Kevin Durant.

I feel as though Jabari is the Forgotten Man when we talk about the young Rockets, but he’s the one who is pretty clearly a very good NBA small forward, right now, with room to grow.

I believe JABS shares remain undervalued, with significant upside, and the recommendation is BUY.

PS – A note on Chip Engelland. I think I’ve got the way to describe Chip Engelland. He’s like a specialist physician. A shot doctor. Most people, with most illnesses, can be treated successfully by an internist, or GP. Occasionally there are tougher cases, ones that regular internists can’t treat. For those you need the specialist, the narrower focus, and advanced knowledge. That’s what Engelland is with shooting. So imagine Amen Thompson more as a case where the conventional methods of treatment haven’t worked, and it’s time to call in the specialist.

There is no question the Heat are better than they were last season.

They added Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That alone raises their ceiling.

The harder question is whether it raises their regular-season floor enough to comfortably clear 44.5 wins.

I am not sure it does.

Miami Heat: Over/Under 44.5 wins

Over: -105
Under: -120
To win NBA Championship: +4000
To win Eastern Conference: +1500
To win Southeast Division: +195

Last season: 43-39, 10th in the East, lost in the Play-In Tournament

Key additions: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Klay Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Nick Richards, Ryan Conwell
Key losses: Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakučionis, Norman Powell, Nate Ament

The case for the under

This Heat team reminds me a little bit of what Dallas tried to do with Anthony Davis and a bunch of bigger wings.

The defense makes sense immediately.

The offense does not.

Miami could absolutely be one of those teams that holds opponents around 100 points, forces miserable half-court possessions and still somehow finds itself in a tie game with four minutes left because it cannot consistently create clean offense.

Giannis is obviously a massive upgrade, but the spacing around him is questionable.

Bam is not a high-volume shooter. Wiggins has always been streaky. Mitchell does not command respect behind the line. Klay and Hardaway Jr. were clearly brought in to address that issue, but both are older and neither should be carrying a major offensive burden at this point in their careers. Miami also lost a lot of actual shot creation in Herro and Norman Powell.

That matters over 82 games. The Heat may be built better for a seven-game series than they are for consistently beating mediocre teams in January.

There is also the age factor. Giannis is 31. Bam is 29. Wiggins is 31. Portis is 31. Klay is 36. Hardaway is 34. This isn’t a young roster you expect to sprint through the regular season. There will probably be maintenance nights, random injuries, and stretches where Spoelstra cares much more about getting everyone right for April than chasing a top seed.

And the East is crowded. Philadelphia loaded up. New York is defending a championship. Atlanta got deeper. Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando, Boston and Toronto all expect to be competitive. Even the Southeast Division itself is not a walkover with Atlanta and Orlando sitting there.

Miami can absolutely be dangerous in the postseason and still finish with 42 or 43 wins.

I actually think that is a very realistic outcome.

They are going to defend. They are going to make teams miserable. They are going to have nights where Giannis simply overwhelms people.

But I also think there will be a lot of ugly 104-100 games where Miami’s lack of shooting and clean half-court creation becomes obvious.

That sounds a lot more like a play-in-range regular-season team than a 50-win one.

Prediction: Under 44.5 wins (-120)

Uncertain Kristaps Porziņģis situation has a domino effect on Warriors roster originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Two hours before tipoff against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, Warriors coach Steve Kerr was sitting at a podium giving a false answer to a routine question.

Question: Is everyone good to go?

Answer: Everyone’s good to go.

Not true. Everyone on Golden State’s roster is NOT ‘good to go.’

The projected starting center, Kristaps Porziņģis, is good but unable to go. He was not on the bench at Chase Center to watch a 124-98 preseason rout over a B squad of Lakers. The skilled 7-foot-2 Latvian missed training camp last week with a “health issue,” and there is no prognosis for his return.

Which results in an unwanted domino effect. With Porziņģis unavailable Sunday in Honolulu for the preseason opener, Kerr moved Al Horford into the starting slot. On this night, the coach moved Draymond Green to center.

“We’re going to get a look at our smaller lineup,” Kerr said. “A different combination and bring Al off the bench, which he’s most likely to do in the regular season.”

Horford, who projects as Porziņģis’ primary backup, was ruled out against the Lakers after a pregame workout. Kerr has said for two years that he would like to severely limit Green’s minutes at center because of the price his 36-year-old body has paid over the years battling much larger opponents.

The Warriors hoped Porziņģis would be up to some of that warfare this season, and maybe he might. After trading for him in February and studying him through a two-month audition, they re-signed him in June. They are familiar with his checkered health history but hoping he could overcome it.

And here they are now, eight days into camp and 15 days before the regular-season opener, still hoping for Porziņģis to be cleared to play.

“We want him back,” Kerr said. “He’s a really talented player, and so we thought that he was in a pretty good place. So . . . definitely concerning. And so, as I said, all we’re going to do is support him, give him every bit of medical help he can get, and emotional support and hope that he’s back soon.”

Knowing the odds are against it, Kerr longs for a healthy Porziņģis. Someone who can play maybe 60 of the 82 games on the schedule. Someone who is an ideal component for the offensive adjustment the coaching staff is making this season.

The Warriors are joining the trend that has been in place for the better part of this decade. Spread the floor on offense and create space for five capable shooters from beyond the arc. Porziņģis, 31, is a career 36.4-percent shooter from deep but has posted five seasons above 37 percent. He demands a long defender, which opens driving lanes for his teammates.

“We were going to play this way anyway,” Kerr said, “but it’s absolutely enhanced by a shooting center. And it’s one of the reasons we traded for him. It’s one of the reasons we signed Al Horford last year. The ability to space the defense out, it just changes everything.”

With Porziņģis out indefinitely, Horford already feeling some negative effects and Green designated to play mostly at forward, the Warriors could be forced to turn to young big Charles Bassey (25) and Graham Ike (24). Both bring a potent presence in the paint, but neither is an ideal floor-spacer.

The domino effect could, maybe likely will, lead to promising rookie Yaxel Lendeborg playing not only at both forward positions but also some center.

“I think it’ll help out help me out for sure offensively,” Lendeborg said after producing 17 points and nine rebounds against the Lakers. “I don’t know on a defensive side yet. I feel like me and Draymond would have to probably switch matchups because he defends the 5 better than I would.”

Kerr is very open to the idea of Lendeborg playing some small-ball center.

“If he’s a 5, we’ve got the ability to spread the floor,” Kerr said. “He can put it on the floor, we can put shooters with him, and it could be a pretty dynamic offensive lineup.

“But you have to be able to get stops. We’ve got to figure out can we do that. Sometimes, we might have to do it out of necessity this year. We’ll see.”

That he will. All while hoping for Porziņģis, the practically perfect starter, to find his way to the lineup.

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Steph Curry may have reminded us on Sunday that preseason results don’t matter, but there’s still an expectation to handle business. And for the Golden State Warriors, that meant there was an expectation that they would easily beat a Los Angeles Lakers squad that was playing without their three core, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler.

And handle business they did. It was Nellie Night at the Chase Center on Tuesday night, and the Dubs paid a perfect homage to the late, great coach, but getting out and running, and scoring, scoring, and scoring some more.

Golden State’s starting five of Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Gui Santos, and Draymond Green put on an absolute show on offense. They jumped out to an 11-2 lead within the first two minutes, and at the 6:55 mark Curry made his first of two four-point plays to give the Dubs a 27-13 advantage.

27 points in just over five minutes? Yep, Nellie surely would have been proud of that performance.

In all, the Warriors poured in 45 first-quarter points against a helpless Los Angeles squad, and then added 36 more in the second quarter, and hit the halftime lockers with an 81-53 advantage. It was a score reminiscent of the Run TMC Warriors or the We Believe squad. A fitting tribute.

Not surprisingly, given that it was just the second preseason game of the year, the Warriors pulled Curry and Green at the half, but those two had only needed a partial game to impress. Curry had more points (16) than minutes played (14), while shooting 4-for-7 from the field and 3-for-6 from deep, dishing out five assists with no turnovers, and finishing with a game-high +26. As for Green, he only took one shot (a three, which he made), but played spirited defense, whipped eight assists, and was +25 in just 15 minutes.

Steve Kerr also called it a night at halftime for Podziemski, who continues to be one of the stars of camp. The lefty shot 7-for-11 from the field en route to 16 points in just 19 minutes.

The bench never risked giving up the lead in the second half, but certainly didn’t pick up where the starters left off. After 81 first-half points, the second unit only had 15 points in the third quarter. But thanks to a strong defensive performance, they never let the Lakers, who only had 22 in the quarter, get close.

Lendeborg was the star outside the Curry/Green/Podz trio, as the rookie continues to impress. Like Podziemski, Lendeborg shot 7-for-11 from the field, and finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. He certainly looks very likely to earn a starting spot come opening night in two weeks.

While the second half wasn’t the high-flying offensive display that the first was, the Warriors still managed to separate themselves from the Lakers, thanks to a late 22-4 run. And with that, the buzzer rang on a festive night with the Dubs winning 124-98, moving their preseason record to 1-1.

Golden State has a rare preseason back-to-back, as they travel up to Oregon to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. PT. You can expect Curry and Green to rest rather than play on consecutive days.

The first, inevitable dent to the good vibes has occurred – the Jazz lose a frustrating, hard-to-watch game to the Nuggets in their home opener, 106-117. We all knew that this was not the perfect team, but still… it’s never fun to be reminded like this.

The first quarter was more in-line with the strong quality of play we saw from the preseason opener in Boulder, Colorado; the shots were falling, the players were vibing, and the defense seemed even a bit improved. After this strong start, however, the game was exhaustingly ugly until the bitter end. Part of this was the fault of the Jazz and their sloppy play, but the 64 combined fouls from both teams led to a stilted gameplay experience – if I hadn’t signed on to write the recap, there’s no chance I would’ve dedicated nearly 2 hours and 45 minutes to a meaningless preseason game. To be sure, most of these were valid calls; it appears to me that the coaching staff have been preaching defensive intensity to a group of players inexperienced with that aspect of the game. They’re trying, but often by putting their arms all over their assignment (the zone defense which often put a guard against Jokic in the post didn’t help) instead of mastering defensive fundamentals.

What made this game more of a struggle to sit through was the lack of truly impressive performances from anyone on the Jazz roster. Darryn led the team in scoring, but I think he played far from a perfect game. I came away from this performance wowed by his talent in shot-making (and, less obviously, impressed by some neat passes), but slightly worried regarding how limited he looks as an athlete when matched up with NBA players. Some of this can be attributed to his handle, sure, but frequently he had to settle for very difficult shots because his preferred driving lane was stone-walled by one of the Nuggets wings. Without the burst to get by or the strength to muscle through, Darryn will be very reliant on screening actions and off-ball movement to begin his career… which is fine! Those are valuable skills for him to learn, and will provide the foundations of stardom if he truly is a Tier-1 difficult shot maker (a cool archetype, but one with very low margin for err0r). However, the way Peterson gets to his buckets is something that I will be monitoring as he continues to develop.

It was the bench unit that really sunk the Jazz in this one. Now, this really isn’t fair to them. 4 key rotation players were out with injury, which led to a few guys being really overtasked. Still, it was a bad look for the bench, because not only did they really struggle on both ends, but it felt like, in the middle of the third quarter, that the frustration overtook them and they gave up. Now, it’s better to give up in the preseason than the regular season, and I’m sure the effort level would’ve been higher if they began falling behind in the middle of December instead of the beginning of October. Nevertheless, when things started to go wrong, the team started to fray at the seams, and that deserves mention regardless of the time of year. I found the main culprit to Isaiah Collier. He began to really force things offensively and take plays off defensively. I’ve been a Collier advocate throughout the Summer, because his particular set of skills is really unique in the greater context of the Jazz roster, but when there are injuries, there may be too much of a creation burden placed on him when he’s playing with bench units.

Ace Bailey was once again impressive to me. The efficiency wasn’t great, but he found ways to provide value even on possessions when the shot wasn’t falling. Defensively, Ace seems to have realized that he is enormous and freakishly athletic. He was flying around the court, grabbing rebounds and generally mucking things up. There was one possession in particular where he was switched onto Jamal Murray and moved his feet like an All-Defense type of player. It would’ve been nice for the shots to drop, but Project MPJ+Defense is still going according to plan.

Among the deep bench players, Harrison Ingram was a breath of fresh air. He brought a burst of energy immediately when he stepped on the court, and demonstrated all of the skills that have the potential of earning him minutes as the year progresses. His rebounding was the loudest positive that he brought to the team – 3 offensive rebounds in 8 minutes is nothing to scoff at, especially from the 3rd largest player in the lineup. His passing was crisp, his hustle was evident, his feet were zooming; this is the skill-based forward archetype that, in theory, the Jazz could really use. No player has ever won regular season playing time off of 8 minutes of preseason garbage time, but it certainly isn’t a bad thing that Harrison Ingram appeared to be the best player on the court for those 8 minutes. His performance in the G-League is something that I’ll monitor closely this year.

Poor defense and stunted offense made this a tough watch, but the young guys showed flashes, which is one of the more valuable data points that we can take from the preseason. What stood out to you after this one? Comment below!

Down seven rotation players, the Lakers did their best impression of the Kings as they were blown out by the Warriors on Tuesday, 124-98.

Along with the same four players who missed Monday’s game, LA also sat Luka Dončić, Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle. The result was a pretty barebones roster, by preseason standards, that was immediately overwhelmed by a Golden State side playing its starters.

The game began with Brandin Podziemski getting fouled from behind the arc for a four-point play. It led to coach JJ Redick calling a timeout less than a minute into the game.

LA fell behind by nine as they struggled to find offense.

Bronny James got Los Angeles on the board with a jump shot. Sando rectified his earlier missed shot by scoring seven points. Golden State’s rookie Yaxel Lendeborg was cooking with five points. 

As expected, the Lakers continued to struggle. They did get some decent bench production from Jaden Hardy Cameron Carr with six and five points, respectively. 

Still, LA was down by 14 at the end of the first.

Mamu with the clean fade 😮‍💨 #Lakerspic.twitter.com/h8YgT7Z2Rv

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 7, 2026

Podz opened the second period with an easy layup. Quentin Grimes helped jump start the offense by scoring five points, giving him eight in total. After a triple from Mamu, the Warriors called a timeout as their lead shrank to 14. 

Out of the break, Podz scored on another easy layup. He continued to cook for Golden State, adding another four points.

It was Lendeborg, though, who was leading Golden State with 15 points. Adou Thiero was fouled during a massive highlight play, dunking the ball with authority before completing the 3-point play. 

ADOU, THAT WAS FEROCIOUS! 😤 #Lakerspic.twitter.com/wm2ufXhhVt

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 7, 2026

Golden State was still up big with five minutes left in the half.

After a triple, Grimes now had 11 points. He was one of only two players for Los Angeles, Mamu the other, in double figures.

Steph Curry completed his second four-point play. He ended the half with 16 points, going 3-6 from behind the arc. At halftime, the purple and gold were down by 28. 

Mamu picked up his first assist of the night, passing to Thiero for a dunk to open the third period. He scored two more soon after, bringing his total to seven before knocking down his third triple.

Both teams played chaotic, sloppy basketball as the benches got most of the playing time. Hardy did get into double figures with 10 points, a nice spark off the bench despite the rough score. 

At the end of the third, the Lakers were down by 21. 

The final frame was mostly cardio. We did get some Cole Swider minutes, as he made three of his four attempts from behind the arc, finishing with nine points. Chris Mañon scored four points and Dalton Knecht had extended minutes to end the night with seven points.

Key Player Stats

Mamu finished with 15 points, two rebounds and two assists. Grimes ended with 12 points and three assists. Hardy had 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals off the bench. 

Carr pitched in five points and two steals. Thiero tallied seven points with four rebounds. Bronny scored four points with five assists. Jake LaRavia had nine points with three rebounds and three steals. 

The Lakers’ next preseason matchup will be against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday at 7:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

This was never going to be a game for the Lakers to remember. But with nearly half of the roster sidelined because of injuries or resting, Adou Thiero at least tried to inject some life into a sleepy preseason back-to-back.

Thiero’s towering one-handed dunk over two Golden State defenders provided a highlight in the Lakers’ otherwise forgettable 124-98 preseason loss to the Warriors at Chase Center on Tuesday. The Lakers leaned on their depth to get through their second short-handed preseason game in as many nights.

Guard Quentin Grimes, the only player starting a second consecutive game for the Lakers, had 12 points and three assists. Forward Sandro Mamukelashvili started at center and had 15 points and a trio of three-pointers. Thiero, getting a rare starting moment, scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds while Bronny James had four points and five assists in a starting role.

Read more:Luka Doncic scores 21 as Lakers unveil new defense in preseason win over Kings

Star guard Luka Doncic sat out after scoring 21 points in one half Monday against the Sacramento Kings. After setting the tone defensively against the Kings, forwards Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle watched from the sideline Tuesday. The Lakers were also without center Walker Kessler (finger), guards Austin Reaves (ankle) and Collin Sexton (lower body) and two-way forward Arthur Kaluma (lower body), who all missed their second consecutive preseason game.

Thiero has been prepared for this type of opportunity. The second-year forward is trying to take advantage of his first true NBA preseason after knee injuries marred his rookie season. He played in his first summer league games, showing incremental progress during games in San Francisco and Las Vegas.

Thiero started the summer moving too quickly through games, crashing into the lane and flying recklessly toward the rim. He even missed time from a minor wrist injury suffered during a fall. But as the summer progressed, he settled into the pace of the game. During a Las Vegas Summer League game, Thiero flashed his potential with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks with zero turnovers in 30 minutes.

Read more:Lakers newsletter: Intriguing preseason battles will help shape team

“I feel like that just came with playing more, and just understanding what I was supposed to do, understanding my role,” Thiero said this week of his progress during the summer. “I feel like my role during summer league is very different compared to my role during the season. I was on-ball more. Even creating the offense in summer league. And I didn’t have much experience with that at the time, but as summer league kept going on, I got more comfortable with it and realizing when to speed up and everything.”

Thiero is fighting for minutes in a deep wing group led by Williams and Thybulle. The Lakers have stocked their team with versatile perimeter defenders to help complement their offensive-minded backcourt of Doncic and Reaves. Thiero, whom Reaves described as “a freak-of-nature” athlete, could add a unique quality to the rotation.

“Our ceiling rises if he’s able to [contribute defensively] and be an impactful offensive player with crashing, with cutting, with touching the paint, playing off two feet,” coach JJ Redick said before Monday’s preseason game. “I’ve seen a lot of growth there from him over the last six, seven weeks. That’s exciting.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.