Category: NBA

Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell thought he had already taken one of the wildest games of the season to another level by hitting a corner 3 to tie the game 138-138 with 0.4 seconds left in the first overtime.

Then a brilliant play design by Heat assistant Chris Quinn — one Erik Spoelstra has been waiting to use — set up Andrew Wiggins to end it with an alley-oop.

It may not have made up for Cleveland sweeping Miami in the playoffs last season, but the Heat will take the 140-138 win.

"That's a chess game. Chess match. You've got to give them credit," Mitchell said (via the Associated Press). "They made an excellent read, an excellent call and you learn from these things."

Norman Powell once again led the Heat with 33 points, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. continued his hot start with 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists off the bench. Wiggins' dunk gave him 23 points on the night.

Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, while De'Andre Hunter added 23, and Evan Robles scored 21 points with 10 boards. Calvaliers coach Kenny Atkinson got ejected in the third quarter, arguing with officials when the Heat got 21 free throw attempts in the frame to the Cavs' four.

Orlando brought in Desmond Bane to give them some much-needed shooting. He has struggled to do that so far this season, shooting 29.3% from beyond the arc, and then he started 0-of-5 from 3-point range on Monday against the Trail Blazers.

However, his sixth attempt was exactly what the Magic have been hoping for.

That shot spoiled a wild Trail Blazers comeback from nine points down with 2:32 left in the game behind an 11-0 run behind Devi Avdija, who hit a couple of 3-pointers and finished with 27 points on the night. Shaedon Sharpe led Portland with 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting on the night.

Orlando gets the win behind 22 points and seven assists from Bane, plus 28 points from Paolo Banchero.

Milwaukee forward Taurean Prince is out indefinitely and is expected to miss significant time after an MRI revealed a herniated disc in his neck, the team announced Monday.

Prince came off the bench for 21 minutes a night across Milwaukee's first eight games, averaging 6.1 points a night, but sat out the last two games due to an injury. Prince started 73 games for the Bucks last season, averaging 8.1 points per night, although his primary skill has been his defense and switchability on that end of the court.

With Prince out, look for Kyle Kuzma and Amir Coffey to get more run behind starters A.J. Green and Gary Trent Jr.

A few weeks into the season and we're starting to get a clearer picture of where teams stand, and at the top of these rankings it is as expected with Oklahoma City and Denver. But then things get interesting.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

(10-1, last week No. 1)
Why does it feel like the Thunder took a step forward this season, coming off a title? It's how they approached the season. "Offensively, we've tried to look at the season as if we lost in the second round, if we lost Game 7 against Denver. How would we be approaching this?" Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "Rather than allowing the fact that we won it to bias us coming in, it was kind of more if we didn't win it and we fell short, how would we have been looking at this? And we tried to look at it like that. So we're pushing ourselves to evolve." Has it worked? Well, the Thunder set NBA regular season records for scoring margin (+12.87) and wins by double digits (54) last season, this season the scoring margin is at +13.5 and six of their 10 wins are by double digits.

2. Denver Nuggets

(7-2, last week No. 3)
Nuggets coach David Adelman nailed it when he said of Nikola Jokic, "I'll keep saying, just enjoy this. You know, while you get to have it." The three-time MVP is off to his best start ever, averaging 25.2 points, 13 rebounds and 11.9 assists a game. With better spacing around him, he is shooting 76.8% on two-pointers this season, and his true shooting percentage so far this season of 73.3 would have led the league a season ago. Behind him, the Nuggets are in the top three in offensive and defensive rating this season.

3. San Antonio Spurs

(7-2, last week No. 2)
Back-to-back losses for the Spurs in back-to-back "meh" games from Victor Wembanyama. The book is out on him: The Suns and Lakers were physical with him when he tried to get position in the paint, and doubled him at times on the perimeter to get the ball out of his hands. The Spurs needed someone to take advantage of the spaces Wemby creates on the court, so the return of De'Aaron Fox on Saturday could not have come at a better time. He drives and cuts into those open spaces, putting the offense in another gear, and is clutch. It all showed when he dropped 24 in his return.

4. Detroit Pistons

(8-2, last week No. 9)
Detroit has won six in a row and found its formula: A top-three defense and a lot of Cade Cunningham. While it's Cade who gets the headlines, it's the improvement of the defense that makes what is happening with the Pistons sustainable and makes them a postseason threat. Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff gives a lot of credit for the defense to the rim protection of Isaiah Stewart: "He's the best rim protector in the league. His timing, anticipation, always being early to the spot. It's a fearlessness, right?"

5. Los Angeles Lakers

(7-3, last week No. 5)
LeBron James is not with the Lakers on their current five-game road trip (which they started 0-1 with an ugly loss in Atlanta), but he could return not long after they return to Los Angeles (which includes a key NBA Cup game against the Clippers on Nov. 25, a matchup you can catch on Coast 2 Coast Tuesday on NBC and Peacock). LeBron is known as one of the game's legendary clutch players, but behind Luka Doncic, this team is 5-0 in clutch games this season. That's a promising sign (although those stats tend to balance out over the course of a long season).

6. Houston Rockets

(6-3, last week No. 4)
This ranking is probably going to prove too low for Houston. No Fred VanVleet, but the Rockets still have the top-ranked offense in the NBA. They have won six of their last seven games behind that offense, including an impressive 22-point comeback against the Bucks on Sunday, where we learned the Rockets have two closers: Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun. Also, because the rumors have popped up: The Rockets have no interest in Ja Morant (if anything, they want an FVV-style floor general and that is not Morant).

7. Cleveland Cavaliers

(7-3, last week No. 12)
Through seven games, the Cavaliers had a 112 offensive rating, bottom five in the league and nearly 10 points per 100 possessions off last season's pace. Then Darius Garland returned, Donovan Mitchell continued to be dominant, and in the last three games the Cavaliers are 3-0 with a 130.8 offensive rating. Cleveland is finding its footing. Also, let's not forget what De'Andre Hunter did to Josh Giddey over the weekend.

8. New York Knicks

(6-3, last week No. 14)
New York has found its footing at Madison Square Garden, going 4-0 so far on a seven-game home stand. Karl-Anthony Towns, in particular, has looked better, although going through a soft part of the schedule helps (he scored 33 on the Wizards and 28 on the Nets). Towns is getting to the rim more (42% of his shots are inside the restricted area this season) and he's playing with more of an edge. Interesting NBA Cup game to close out this homestead on Sunday against the Heat.

9. Milwaukee Bucks

(6-4, last week No. 8)
Sunday's loss to Houston ended the week on a sour note for Milwaukee because it was a reminder of the team's biggest issue: It cannot get consistent stops. The Bucks have the 23rd-ranked defense in the league overall, and allowing the Rockets to score 40 in the fourth quarter decided that game. The week started on a much better note with Giannis Antetokounmpo's game-winner against Indiana.

10. Chicago Bulls

(6-3, last week No. 7)
Josh Giddey is looking like an All-Star, maybe even an All-NBA player — and suddenly his contract this summer was a steal. As evidence, I present this: He is now the first Bull since Michael Jordan to have back-to-back triple-doubles (doing it against the Knicks and 76ers). That second one came on the night Nikola Vucevic drained the game-winner off a Giddey assist, but it was the Bulls' defense holding Philly scoreless for the final 4:26 that gave them a chance to beat the 76ers last week.

11. Miami Heat

(6-4, last week No. 13)
Norman Powell has now scored more points through his first six games with the Miami Heat (144) than any player in franchise history through six (yes, including that LeBron James guy, who had 122). Maybe the best sign of how well the Heat are playing is that they won two games in a row without Bam Adebayo (toe sprain). Tough week ahead with a home-and-home against Cleveland, then facing New York.

12. Minnesota Timberwolves

(6-4, last week No. 15)
The Timberwolves kept their heads above water, going 2-2 while Anthony Edwards was out (they are 2-1 since his return, but the wins are over the Jazz and Kings, so not exactly a big test). For all the talk of needing a point guard (and the Ja Morant rumors), the Timberwolves have the fourth-ranked offense in the NBA. That has not been the side of the court that has been the issue early; it's the fact that their defense fell from sixth a season ago to 17th this season, giving up 4.5 more points per 100 possessions.

13. Philadelphia 76ers

(6-4, last week No. 6)
Last week proved to be a bit of a reality check for the 76ers, who faced some of the best of the East — Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit — and dropped all three games. The good news is Jared McCain is back (a thumb injury and surgery kept him out of training camp and the start of the season), which may take some of the load off Tyrese Maxey, who has been brilliant (averaging 33.2 points and 8.2 assists a game) but is playing a league-leading 41.1 minutes a night.

14. Golden State Warriors

(6-5, last week No. 10)
You want high praise for rookie Will Richard, the No. 56 pick last June, who had a 30+ point game for the Warriors last week? Look at the role Steve Kerr said he fills on the team — the same one he has said Jimmy Butler fills — and who Kerr compared him to: "I've said this to you guys a million times. Who are those stabilizers in our run over the last decade? It's Andre Iguodala. It's Shaun Livingston. It's David West. You need them at different positions because [Stephen Curry] and [Draymond Green] need stability around them to get them organized and to help them navigate the game and to get Steph the ball. So Will Richard checks all those boxes. The whole team, the whole organization, recognizes this — which means everybody's on notice. Take care of the ball, because we've got people who will do that. And they're ready to step in."

15. Toronto Raptors

(5-5, last week No. 20)
It's concerning that when Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley share the court, the Raptors have a -10.5 net rating. The Raptors are picking up wins because when their pressure defense works and turns their opponents over — letting the Raptors get out and run — they are a force. It's just that the success of that pressure defense has been very inconsistent.

16. Portland Trail Blazers

(5-4, last week No. 11)
At the top of the list of positives in Portland: This team has beaten Denver and Oklahoma City this season. The Trail Blazers' pressure defense can be hit-and-miss — it was a miss against Luka Doncic and the Lakers last week — but it's hitting more often than not. Portland is on the road this week, visiting Orlando, New Orleans, Houston, and Dallas.

17. Boston Celtics

(5-6, last week No. 17)
Remember when Jaylen Brown said he was "sacrificing" for the team last season? He wasn't kidding. Brown has demonstrated that he can handle being the No. 1 option, averaging 28 points per game with an impressive 61 true shooting percentage — he is playing at an All-NBA level. All of last season he scored 30+ nine times, he's already done it six times this season. Brown has proven the doubters wrong. The only challenge Brown faces is his hairline. The biggest challenge Boston faces is that there is not enough around him — especially not enough shooting. Boston is second in the league in 3-point attempts a game but 27th in shooting percentage (32.7%).

18. Orlando Magic

(4-6, last week No. 18)
The Magic's continued offensive struggles are grabbing the headlines (and they should), but those of us high on Orlando coming into the season pictured an improved offense on top of an already elite defense. That defense hasn't shown up this season. The Magic have a defensive rating of 114.1, well off their 109.1 rating from last season (in the last five games, the Magic's defensive rating is 109.1, but that is still ninth in the league). If the Magic aren't locking teams down, nothing else matters, although Desmond Bane taking just one 3-pointer Sunday vs. Boston is an issue.

19. Phoenix Suns

(5-5, last week No. 21)
Give new head coach Jordan Ott his flowers — this team is better than expected and part of it is that they play hard every night. You'd like to think that's a given in the NBA, but Suns fans who watched the past two seasons will tell you that it is not. Devin Booker is looking like an All-NBA player, averaging 29.3 points a game while shooting 41% from 3-point range and dishing out 7.2 assists a game. Booker is getting real help from Grayson Allen, averaging 16.3 points a game.

20. Atlanta Hawks

(5-5, last week No. 22)
The Hawks have kept their heads above water, going 3-2 since Trae Young went out (and they won the game he left in the first quarter, too). One thing I have come to love watching from the Hawks is when Mo Gueye and Onyeka Okongwu are both in off the bench — Atlanta has a +8.5 net rating in those minutes. The Hawks are out on the road for 6-of-7, swinging through the Western Conference.

21. Charlotte Hornets

(3-6, last week No. 19)
Since Brandon Miller went out injured, the Hornets are 2-5, and the last three of those games also came without LaMelo Ball, who had an ankle impingement. This roster simply lacks the depth to survive without its stars, especially with three rookies starting: Ryan Kalkbrenner, Kon Knueppel, and Sion James. Rough week ahead, hosting the Lakers, then a home-and-home against the Bucks, then the Thunder.

22. Memphis Grizzlies

(4-7, last week No. 23)
Cedric Coward may be the steal of the Desmond Bane trade. He fell to No. 11 in the draft because he played just six games at Washington State due to a shoulder issue (which also kept him out of Summer League), but he has been a revelation, averaging 15 points and 5.8 rebounds a game, shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc, and he's better than most rookies on the defensive end. He's done as well as he could filling in the absences of Scottie Pippen Jr. and Ty Jerome that this team feels so acutely. Starting Tuesday, Memphis has nine of its next 11 games on the road.

23. Los Angeles Clippers

(3-6, last week No. 16)
Back-to-back home losses to Miami and Oklahoma City last week highlighted how much teams are trying to run on the Clippers, the league's oldest team. "Our half-court defense is pretty good, so teams are going to play fast against us," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. "They're going to try to beat us up and down the floor, because, you know, we are an older, slower team." Those two home losses also highlight something else: Last season, LAC was 30-11 at home – the 4th-best home record in the NBA. That has not been the case this season, where the Clippers are 3-3 at Intuit Dome (and 0-3 on the road). Dropping both ends of a home-and-home with Phoenix by double digits last weekend was ugly.

24. Sacramento Kings

(3-7, last week No. 24)
When Domantas Sabonis was out last week, it was fun to see Russell Westbrook hop in the hot tub Time Machine and put up the 204th triple-double of his career. The positives for Kings fans are that the team has played the toughest schedule in the league so far, things will get easier, and eventually Keegan Murray will return from thumb surgery (this team needs him badly).

25. Utah Jazz

(3-6, last week No. 25)
Losing Walker Kessler for the season to shoulder surgery is a real blow, both to the Jazz and him because this is a contract year. Jusuf Nurkic is starting now, but the Utah offense doesn't feel sharp with him out there. Is it too early to talk about the Lauri Markkanen trade market? Not really.

26. Dallas Mavericks

(3-7, last week No. 26)
Dallas' mistake integrating Cooper Flagg wasn't simply asking him to play out of position as a point guard, it was asking the rookie to do that while not putting the right players around him to make it work (there is a serious lack of shooting on this roster: Dallas is 25th in 3-point attempts a game and 29th in 3-point shooting percentage). Flagg is going to be great — he's averaging 13.9 points and 6.6 rebounds a game — just give him time and a better-fitting roster. Along those lines, Klay Thompson was moved to the bench last week in a move Jason Kidd said was temporary, but likely will not be.

27. New Orleans Pelicans

(2-7, last week No. 30)
Hamstring injuries are literally an annual occurrence now for Zion, who has missed time each of the past four seasons due to a hamstring issue, and is out again. New Orleans is 2-1 without him during this stretch (and the lone loss was to the Spurs on a night Trey Murphy III put up 41). As noted by Dan Feldman at Dunc'd On, three of the Pelicans' first six losses were by 30+ points, an NBA record for fastest to that number (the record had been nine games by the 90-91 Nuggets, who went on to win 20 games for the season). The record for fewest games to four 30+ point losses is 17, for those who want to keep track

28. Indiana Pacers

(1-9, last week No. 27)
There may not be enough sage to burn in Indianapolis to ward off whatever evil spirits have befallen this team and the rash of injuries (Rick Carlisle has played hardship signing Jeremiah Robinson-Earl in late-game clutch minutes this week, a sign of where things stand). On the bright side, Andrew Nembhard made his return over the weekend, although his shot looked rusty (33% across two games).

29. Brooklyn Nets

(1-9, last week No. 29)
No Cam Thomas for the next 3-4 weeks due to a hamstring strain. Losing one of the few pure shot creators on the team, as well as a guy scoring 21.4 points a game for the 25th-ranked offense in the league, is not good. Also, because the rumors have started: Brooklyn needs to find a young star on the rise, and that is not Ja Morant.

30. Washington Wizards

(1-9, last week No. 29)
Bilal Coulibaly returned for four games and averaged 10.5 points a game, although his shot was off (38.6% from the floor), and then he missed a couple more games with a leg issue. While Coulibaly was out, Kyshawn George proved he was too good to bench, which means Bub Carrington's minutes may get squeezed. Be sure to check out Eric Samulski’s feature on George from last week here at NBC Sports.

How to Watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones. Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

Minnesota needs help at point guard if they are going to take the next step and reach the NBA Finals. Ja Morant is disgruntled playing in Memphis. That has led people to connect the dots and speculate about a Morant trade to Memphis.

It's not pure speculation, Minnesota has contacted Memphis to "test the waters" of a Morant trade, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. However, the sides are nowhere close to a deal, he added. This is something that would come together closer to the trade deadline. Here is what Krawczynski said (hat tip to SportsKeeda).

"There's no real point guard on the roster. They're asking Anthony Edwards to do it. They're asking Julius Randle to do a lot of point forward stuff. They certainly have checked in with Memphis on Ja ...

"They're testing the waters a little bit. I don't get the sense that there's anything real close. I do think that, if we get to late December and the Wolves are still treading water and that point guard position still has not solidified ... I do think that they could explore at least looking harder at Ja Morant."

A few thoughts about any potential Morant to Minnesota deal:

• This is not the first time the Timberwolves have been mentioned as a team with interest in Morant. That said, league sources have told NBC Sports the market for Morant league-wide is not that strong, at least not as strong as Memphis would want considering the haul it will ask for in a trade.

• Morant is a guy who sells tickets and sells jerseys in a small market in Memphis, trading him is a massive shift for the franchise (and would lead to questions about whether they should also trade Jaren Jackson Jr., who would have a strong market). If Memphis decides to trade Morant, it's going to want either another star player to sell tickets (could we see a your-problem-for-my-problem trade?) or a boatload of picks and young players to jump-start a rebuild. The market for that may not exist, at least not to the level Memphis hopes.

• Minnesota still has the No. 4 offense in the NBA this season. Even with Mike Conley no longer being the point guard they need, the offensive end of the floor has not been the issue behind a sluggish 6-4 start. The bigger concern is that last season's top-10 defense is now in the middle of the NBA pack, and Morant is not going to fix that.

• Is Morant's ball-dominant style really a great fit on a Minnesota team that needs more of a classic floor general?

• If a mid-season trade happens it will be after the calendar flips to 2026 and closer to the February trade deadline. However, the most likely outcome is a trade next offseason.

It's the Washington Wizards vs Detroit Pistons tonight on Peacock. Live coverage begins at 6:30 PM. See below for additional information on how to watch tonight's game and follow all of the NBA action on NBC and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.

Click here to sign up for Peacock!

RELATED:Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire - Kon Knueppel steps up for Charlotte

Wizards at Pistons predictions: odds, recent stats trends and best bets for November 10

Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons Game Preview on Peacock!

• Vaughn Dalzell,

Washington Wizards:

The Wizards (1-9) are off to their worst start since the 2012-2013 season, when they started 0-12. The team has now lost 8 consecutive games, most recently falling 111-105 to the Mavericks on Saturday. The Wizards currently have the worst scoring margin in the NBA (-16.9 per game) and are allowing the most points per game in the league (128.4).

Washington has the second-youngest team in the league, behind only the Brooklyn Nets. The Wizards roster includes eight first-round picks from the last three drafts, including four from the 2024 NBA Draft.

Detroit Pistons:

Detroit (8-2) is off to its best start since the 2005-2006 season. The Pistons defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 111-108 last night, earning their sixth straight victory, which is currently the longest active win streak in the league.

Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 26 points and 11 assists in the win, while Jalen Duren added 21 points and 16 rebounds. Duren leads the NBA in total offensive rebounds (43).

Cunningham struggled with turnovers early in the season, committing 24 turnovers in his first four games, but since then, he has found his footing. He is currently second in the NBA in assists per game (9.8) among qualified players.

"It's been a hell of a ride. There's been a lot of ups and downs, but it's still early." Cunningham said after the win. "I'm not [getting] above myself because we're 8-2. I think this is something that we all wanted, but we want something bigger than this. We just want to keep our heads down and keep working."

How to watch Washington Wizards vs Detroit Pistons:

• When: Tonight, Monday, November 10
• Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
• Time: 7:00 PM ET
• Live Stream:Peacock

2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Top 200 Rankings: Tyrese Maxey continues to shine in Philadelphia

Many fantasy managers had high hopes for Maxey before the season began, and he’s lived up to the hype thus far.

• Raphielle Johnson,

How to watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock:

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.

Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

How to sign up for Peacock:

Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.

NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule

Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.

What devices does Peacock support?

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The NBA is a results-based business. That applies on the court, with the scoreboard and standings, and it also applies off the court, in terms of fan loyalty and the amount of money they spend on tickets, jerseys, and more.

The Dallas Mavericks are 3-7 to start the season, which has stirred up frustration and resentment in the Dallas fan base that goes back to the Luka Doncic trade last season. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that Doncic is averaging a near triple-double — 37 points, 10 rebounds and 9.5 assists a game — leading the Lakers to a 7-3 record and a top-10 offense in the league.

The slow start has fueled negativity around the Mavericks and is adding to the pressure on general manager Nico Harrison and questions about whether he could be fired. Dallas-based NBA insider Marc Stein added to the discussion at his Substack.

"With the Mavericks already in a significant hole when it comes to simply reaching the playoffs, league sources tell The Stein Line that the rising and virtually ceaseless negativity that surrounds the franchise is indeed wearing on and troubling ownership."

Part of the challenge for ownership is that "it is by no means clear at this juncture" to whom they would turn to run the team, Stein adds.

One major question hangs over this entire saga: Can owner/governor Patrick Dumont admit his mistake? Owners are notoriously poor at that, and firing Harrison would be a tacit admission that the Doncic trade was a mistake — a trade Dumont signed off on and backed.

Dallas picked up a road win over the lowly Wizards on Saturday, but now returns home for a tough stretch of games: the Bucks, the surprisingly strong Suns, the Clippers, and the athletic Trail Blazers. How much does the team's performance in this home stand impact ownership's decision?

One other interesting note from Stein: Despite the poor start to the season, Dallas has no plans at this point to trade center Daniel Gafford. That shouldn't be a huge surprise with third-year center Dereck Lively III having played just three games this season due to injury after playing just 36 games a season ago. Dallas signed Gafford to a three-year, $54.4 million contract extension this past offseason.

However, if Dallas continues to struggle after Christmas, the Mavericks might pivot — they control their 2026 first-round draft pick, which is considered a deep class at the top, and Dallas may instead consider adding another lottery pick to pair with No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. If that happens, Gafford might become available, but the Mavs are not yet close to making that decision.

And we're not sure who might be the GM making that decision.

Another exciting week has come and gone in the Association. Giannis Antetokounmpo hit a game-winner on the Pacers last Monday, the Lakers kept finding ways to win, Oklahoma City remained dominant, and the Pistons moved into first place in the Eastern Conference.

Injuries, new opportunities and stellar play have given us a new group of preferred pickups heading into Week 4 of the NBA season. Here they are!

→ Watch the NBA on Peacock on Monday night, as the Washington Wizards take on the Pistons in Detroit. The action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET!

Fantasy Basketball Week 4 Schedule Primer: Avoid the 76ers

Philadelphia has a two-game week, which lowers the fantasy value of its deep-league options.

• Raphielle Johnson,

Priority Adds

1. Kon Knueppel
2. Ajay Mitchell
3. Noah Clowney
4. Jusuf Nurkic
5. Ryan Kalkbrenner
6. Jeremiah Fears
7. Derik Queen
8. Jaylon Tyson
9. Jake LaRavia
10. Trendon Watford

Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder (36 percent rostered)

Mitchell’s wildly productive run may come to an end once Jalen Williams and Lu Dort get healthy, but for now, we’re going to let the good times roll! To start the season, Mitchell has been electric with averages of 17 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 triples. He’s started each of Charlotte’s last three games, averaging 20/5/5 with a pair of steals, and fantasy managers need to be on high alert. Even when the Thunder are back to full strength, Mitchell has played far too well to be phased out of the lineup.

Jusuf Nurkic, Utah Jazz (35 percent rostered)

With Walker Kessler (shoulder) out for the season, Nurkic is expected to occupy Utah’s starting center gig moving forward. Over the last four games (all starts), Nurkic has averaged 5.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.5 dimes, 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocked shots across 26.3 minutes. His production was a bit sporadic in those games as two of them were blowouts, so fantasy managers should be ready for some peaks and valleys.

Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets (34 percent rostered)

Over the last three games, the rookie has erupted with 24.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and four triples, and he now leads all rookies with 16.4 points per game. He posted a season-best 30 points on Saturday against the Heat, and he’ll look to carry momentum forward into Week 4. With Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball and Collin Sexton banged up, opportunities should continue to be available for Knueppel, making him a strong waiver wire add. Fellow Hornet Tre Mann has also made the most of his increased opportunities, but his fantasy value is more closely tied to the availability of Ball and Sexton. Knueppel will still see plenty of run even when both Ball and Sexton are healthy.

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte Hornets (31 percent rostered)

Kalkbrenner hasn’t been electric as a scorer or rebounder this season, but he’s been tremendous as a defender. Over his last five, Kalkbrenner has recorded one three-block game and four straight four-block performances, averaging 1.2 steals and 3.8 blocks in that span while shooting 74.1% from the field.

Jake LaRavia, Los Angeles Lakers (26 percent rostered)

Over the last two weeks, LaRavia has shown why he was such an important offseason acquisition of the Lakers. Across his last six games, LaRavia has averaged 16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.7 triples across 32 minutes. His numbers will likely take a hit when Austin Reaves (and eventually LeBron James) return, but even then, LaRavia should remain a key part of LA’s rotation off the bench.

Trendon Watford, Philadelphia 76ers (19 percent rostered)

Over a four-game stretch leading into Sunday, Watford was a beast with averages of 15 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and a triple. On Saturday, Watford recorded his first career triple-double, posting a monster 20/17/10 line across 36 minutes against the Raptors. He finished with just 7/3/2/1 on Sunday, but Philadelphia will likely keep starting him at the four or at least give him plenty of run off the bench until Paul George returns.

Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans (18 percent rostered)

Over his last six games, the rookie has averaged a healthy 15.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.5 triples across 26.3 minutes per game. With Jordan Poole (quad) out for at least another week and Zion Williamson on the shelf for the same amount of time, expect Fears to see plenty of run for the foreseeable future.

Noah Clowney, Brooklyn Nets (10 percent rostered)

Cam Thomas is dealing with a hamstring injury that will keep him out for an extended period of time. Guys like Terance Mann and Tyrese Martin should see additional minutes, but Clowney looks like the biggest beneficiary from a fantasy standpoint. Clowney has started three straight games while averaging 17 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.3 triples. He should continue to pick up the slack for Thomas on offense.

Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans (12 percent rostered)

With Zion Williamson out at least a week due to a left hamstring injury, Queen should see increased minutes until he returns. Over his last three with additional playing time, Queen averaged 12 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.7 blocks. He’s seeing minutes in the low 20s right now, but that should be enough to keep him viable in standard leagues. A bump in playing time would just be the cherry on top.

Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers (10 percent rostered)

Tyson has scored in double figures in each of his last six games, averaging 15.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and a block in that span. He’s logged 28 minutes a game in that span with five starts, and while he may not stick in the starting lineup, the return of Darius Garland won’t knock Tyson completely out of the rotation. He’s done enough to remain a viable contributor off the bench, and he’s worth a look in standard fantasy leagues.

Others to consider: Tari Eason (36%), Zaccharie Risacher (23%), Isaiah Stewart (23%), Isaiah Jackson (17%), Jarace Walker (15%), Keaton Wallace (1%)

The Washington Wizards (1-9) go to Detroit to face the Pistons (8-2) on Peacock Monday night! it is a battle of two teams trending in different directions, but both with so much to prove.

The Pistons have won six consecutive games, including yesterday's 111-108 thriller over the 76ers in Philadelphia. This will be the third game in four days for the Pistons, which is the same for the Wizards, except Washington had Sunday off.

Washington has lost eight straight games and only two of those have come by single digits. The Wizards will have four nationally televised games, starting with this one, so I expect a hearty-effort from Washington after narrowly losing to Dallas on Saturday (111-105).

Let’s dive into tonight’s matchup and find a potential sweat or two! We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff. Odds courtesy of DraftKingsrecent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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Game Details and How to watch the Wizards vs. Pistons live

• Date: Monday, November 10, 2025
• Time: 7 PM EST
• Site: Little Caesars Arena
• City: Detroit, MI
• Network/Streaming: Peacock

Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Game odds for the Wizards at the Pistons

The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:

• Moneyline: Pistons (-650), Wizards (+470)
• Spread: Pistons -11.5
• Total: 235.5

That gives the Pistons an implied team point total of 123.5 and the Wizards 110.5.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

Expected Starting Lineups for the Pistons and the Wizards

Pistons

PG Cade Cunningham

SG Duncan Robinson

SF Ausar Thompson

PF Tobis Harris (OUT) — Isaiah Stewart is questionable

C Jalen Duren

Wizards

PG CJ McCollum

SG Kyshawn George

SF Khris Middleton

PF Julian Champagnie

C Alex Sarr

Injuries for the Pistons and the Wizards

Pistons

F Tobias Harris (ankle) was OUT for Sunday's game

C Isaiah Stewart (ankle) was OUT for Sunday's game and is listed as day-to-day

G Marcus Sasser (hip) was on the inactive list Sunday

G Jaden Ivey (surgery) is OUT for at least another week

Wizards

G Bilal Coulibaly (calf) is OUT for Monday's game

Important stats, trends and insights ahead of Wizards at Pistons on Monday.

• Washington is an NBA-worst 1-9 ATS
• Washington is 1-4 ATS as a road underdog
• Washington is 6-4 to the Over, ranking tied 10th-best to the Over
• Detroit is 7-3 ATS, ranking tied for 3rd-best
• Detroit is 5-2 ATS as a favorite, ranking 8th-best
• Detroit is 2-0 ATS as a home favorite
• Detroit is 4-3 to the Under as a favorite
• Detroit is 5-4-1 to the Under, ranking 5th-best to the Under

Rotoworld Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the Wizards to cover the first quarter spread in Detroit:

"Washington has trailed by 11 and 13 points in the last two games, but before that, led three straight first quarters over the Magic, Knicks, and Celtics. Teams don't get excited to play the Wizards, understandably, which means Washington sometimes gets out to quick starts.

Detroit is one of the worst ATS teams in the first quarter at 3-7 on the season, one spot worse than the Wizards (4-6). This is a nationally televised game for the Wizards, which is a bigger deal to them than the Pistons, since Washington will get less than five nationally televised games this season.

I expect Washington to come out, similar to the Nets on Peacock against the Timberwolves, and cover the first quarter spread of +3.5 to +4.5."

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Pistons & Wizards game:

• Moneyline: Pistons ML (high confidence)
• Spread: Pistons -11.5 (medium confidence)
• Total: Under 235.5 (low confidence)

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)

- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)

- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)

- Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)