Category: NBA

Continuation of the “What If” Wolves series. In this series, I play the role of Timberwolves Overlord and go back in time and right some of the wrongs of our favorite franchise. Since this is the Timberwolves, there are a lot of wrongs. This series may go on forever.

Let me start by saying that unlike my wife, I do not believe conspiracy theories. Second shooter during the JFK assassination – doubtful. The Moon landing was fake – that would be the most expensive joke ever. Frozen envelope for the Ewing draft – seems like it could have been done, but come on.

There is however one conspiracy theory that I wholeheartedly believe, but this one has some backing.

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Going into the 1992 NBA Draft Lottery, the Minnesota Timberwolves had the worst record in the NBA at 15-67. Just 15 wins! I have no idea how Head Coach Jimmy Rodgers was allowed near a basketball court after that (He was fired after starting the next season with a 6-23 record). That terrible finish to the season meant that the Wolves had the best odds (16.67%) to land the number one overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. The prize of that draft being Shaquille O’Neal, a monster center from LSU.

Every team wanted Shaq, even teams with All-NBA centers wanted this guy. I was no different.

So where does the conspiracy theory enter the story?

While being interviewed by Ashley Nevel of the Ashley Nevel Show, Shaq let the conspiracy bomb drop and basically confirmed my belief that the NBA was out to screw me and my fandom over and over again. Shaq goes on to tell the story of meeting NBA Commissioner David Stern in March of 1992. During this meeting, Stern asked Shaq “Do you want to play where it’s cold or where it’s hot?” Shaq, being from Louisiana obviously said “hot”.

Stern gave a wry smile after the answer.

A few days pass and the lottery is held. Well guess what kids? Wolves got screwed. The “cold” Wolves dropped down to third overall and the “hot” Orlando Magic move up to #1. Tears. Literal tears. Not tears of sadness, this was pure rage tears.

I’m still fuming over this as I type. Let’s refocus…

So, the Wolves dropped a couple of spots down to the #3 overall pick. Not too bad (even though it was the lowest they could go). This was a three-player draft by most accounts. Shaq was the consensus #1 pick. Alonzo Mouning, a defensive stud from Georgetown, was slotted for #2. Naismith College Player of the Year and future Dream Team member, Christian Laettner, was the easy third pick.

And that is exactly how the draft played out for the first three picks. O’Neal to Orlando Magic at #1, Mourning to the Charlotte Hornets at #2, and Laettner to the Minnesota Timberwolves at #3. Now you may be thinking, “Back-to-Back NCAA Championships, College Player of the Year, and a Dream Teamer? Sign me up!” If you think that, you are wrong and I hate you.

Man, I hated Duke.

In the 90’s I loved watching two college basketball teams, the UNLV Running Rebels and the Michigan Wolverines, also known as the “Fab Five”. I hated Duke at the time. Duke was boring and fundamentally sound. Plain vanilla. UNLV and the Fab Five were exciting. They played fast and were crazy aggressive. The players all had flair and an attitude to them. They even had cool nicknames. Stacey Augmon was “The Plastic Man”! Is there a better nickname than that? What was Bobby Hurley’s nickname, Bounce Pass Bobby? Plus, the Rebels and “Fab Five” looked awesome with their baggy shorts and black Nikes/black sock combination.

Basically, the opposite of Duke.

Laettner was the lone college player selected to the Dream Team. Now Laettner did not play much in the Olympics, despite the Dream Team beating everybody by 200 points. But who cares? After all, he is in the Basketball Hall of Fame…for being on the Olympic roster. His NBA career had more playing time, but his output would not lead to another Olympic roster spot.

Let me just state that Laettner was okay for the Wolves. He was the best player on the team right away, which isn’t saying much. For his Wolves career, Laettner averaged 17.2 points and 8.1 rebound per game. But the Timberwolves ended up trading him halfway through his fourth year in the league to Atlanta (traded Laettner along with Sean Rooks for Andrew Lang and SPUD WEBB!!!). Those were decent stats, so why trade him?

Well, from what I have read, he was a terrible teammate. There is a story of his time with the Wolves where he went into the locker room and started pointing at each of his teammates nameplates above their respective stalls, calling them all losers, before calling himself a winner.

“Loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… winner.”

True asshole move, but it would have been awesome to have seen him do that if front of his teammates.

Now I can’t even imagine the scrutiny that Laettner was dealing with at the time. He went from being a back-to-back national champion, winning every individual award at the college level, and winning a gold medal with the Dream Team, to being on the worst team in the NBA.

But still, screw that guy.

Shaq on the Wolves would have been amazing. He was dominant from day one in the league. He was an athletic giant that dunked EVERYTHING. He was a runaway train when he decided to take a rebound from one end of the court to another. He was the definition of must see television.

My two favorite moments are when he broke two backboards. Not the rims. Backboards. One was in New Jersey where he dunked so hard that the metal frame holding the backboard broke and came crashing onto the parquet court. The shot clock even hit Shaq on the head when this happened. Shaq just smiled at the shot clock.

The second was in Phoenix. This time he dunked the ball with such force that he broke the hydraulic system that kept the backboard vertical. After he dunked the ball, the backboard station shook for a bit then slowly wheezed as it lowered itself to the ground. It was hilarious and awesome.

Shaq went on to win an MVP award, four NBA championships, multiple All-NBA teams, named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and is in multiple Hall of Fames. The Magic got the number one pick the following year as well (1.5% chance), while the Wolves dropped to number five (second-best odds at #1 pick, 15.15%). The Magic selected Chris Webber from the “Fab Five”, then traded him to Golden State for Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway and three first round picks. Great trade at the time, but injuries derailed Penny’s career.

The Wolves ended up going with Isaiah “JR” Rider at fifth. I loved watching JR play. He was the most exciting player that the Wolves had ever had up to that point. Rider would get into some legal trouble here and there, so the Wolves shipped him to Portland for a bag of pure hot trash (Bill Curley, James Robinson, and a pick that would turn into Paul Grant. Like I said, pure hot trash).

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Since I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, except the Shaq to “where it’s hot,” I’ll have to rely on the Wayback Machine to change this history for the “What if” Wolves.

Dream Team selects Shaq instead of Laettner. Shaq along with Charles Barkley start a war with Angola (Chuck elbowed a guy from Angola. I think the announcer, maybe Bill Walton, said that Barkley shouldn’t be handing out elbows, he should hand out sandwiches to the skinnier Angolan players.)

Shaq wants a change of pace from hot Louisiana and tells Stern he wants to be “cold”. Minnesota wins the lottery and takes O’Neal #1 overall. Wolves then trade center Luc Longley, Tony Campbell, and a future second round pick to Orlando for their 1993 first round pick and Sam Vincent (In this history, the Magic are acting how the real Wolves would have and did not protect their first round pick).

Shaq goes on to wreak havoc throughout the league. Spalding stock slides because Shaq breaks an average of 1.25 backboards per game. Wolves win their first title by going 68-10-4 (the “4” represents games that could not be finished due to no rims remaining).

The Magic pick lands at spot number three. Wolves draft Penny Hardaway, who enjoys a relatively injury-free career. Back-to-back titles. Shaq and Penny go on to lead the Wolves to 10 NBA titles before Shaq retires to focus on his movie career, where he wins an Oscar for his work starring in the Fast and Furious franchise (Bonus, Vin Diesel never happens).

And if it makes you feel better about the Laettner bashing. Let’s say he goes to the Charlotte Hornets at number two and gets to stay in North Carolina. The Duke fans shower him with praise during a 15-year career as a lifelong Hornet.

But I still hate him.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a vacancy in their depth chart, and Tyrese Proctor might develop into the backup point guard they need to address it.

Given Cleveland’s offseason moves, which include trading both Max Strus and Dennis Schroder, the team will need someone who can handle the ball off the bench. As of now, Proctor is one of a few young guards jockeying for the position.

Craig Porter Jr. and rookie Meleek Thomas are his (friendly) competition. We’ll talk more about them as our season previews continue. For now, we’re all about Proctor.

Proctor was drafted 49th in the 2025 NBA Draft and enters his sophomore season with Cleveland. He played 50 games last year, averaging 5.4 points on 41.3% shooting from the floor. Nothing overly impressive, but he showed enough to make you wonder what might come next.

This leads us to our big question:

What would it take for Proctor to cement himself as Cleveland’s backup point guard?

A perfect fit, on paper

Proctor theoretically has all of the skills you’d want from a modern combo guard.

He has positional size at 6’4” and is comfortable playing with or without the ball. He’s got solid jump-shot mechanics and the physical tools to become a quality team defender. All of which makes him comfortable playing alongside anyone.

Yall don’t wanna see sophomore year Tyrese Proctor. pic.twitter.com/g5bh8iuNvh

— ¹⁰ (@HoodiGarland) February 5, 2026

Versatility is a good skill to have. But it’s even more important in Cleveland, where the star-studded backcourt of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell will bury anyone who can’t play alongside them.

Proctor’s game pairs well next to either Harden or Mitchell.

With Harden, you need to space the floor and serve as a threat to knockdown jumpers. Proctor can check that box. He has experience playing without the rock and projects to be someone who can eventually nail jumpers at a high clip.

If paired with Mitchell, then Proctor has to lean into being a floor general. This means running the offense and being a creator. This skill is less refined, as of now, but something that’s still potentially in the cards for Proctor.

Above all else, Proctor has to put the full package together by being a stout defender at the point of attack. Covering for Harden and Mitchell defensively is arguably more important than coexisting with them offensively.

Proctor again seems to be the type of player who can accomplish this.

Doing so would not only make Proctor a contributor throughout the regular season, but also someone who can help stagger lineups in the playoffs.

Of course, this all has to be proven first.

Hurdles to clear

Proctor has shown flashes of everything that I listed above. But the full picture remains unclear. He’ll have to clear a few hurdles before officially being in the rotation.

So what’s holding him back?

For starters, his inexperience. Proctor is only 22 years old and hasn’t had much time in the league. Many of his minutes came in garbage time last season, and his most valuable reps were short-lived. That doesn’t give us a lot to work with.

Even with the limited sample size, it’s clear that Proctor has room to grow. All of his most exciting skills remain as untapped potential.

His jumper looks sweet, but he only shot 35% from deep last season. That won’t be good enough. Proctor will need to be closer to 40% for this to be the skill that he hangs his hat on.

On defense, Proctor seems like he can develop into a productive player. But how impactful can he be on a nightly basis? Can he fortify the point of attack? And can he make the correct rotations to fit into a team system? Consistency will be key.

Finally, what more can Proctor give as a creator?

He isn’t an elite dribbler or passer. Those skills feel tertiary right now — they aren’t at the core of his game. Creating advantages and causing defensive breakdowns will be the skill that ultimately determines Proctor’s ceiling.

Proctor’s sophomore season shouldn’t be sink or swim. He still has years of development on the table. But piecing some things together and being part of Cleveland’s rotation should be a serious goal for him. He might not get a clearer path towards playing time than this current season.

It was inevitable that the NBA games being played overseas were going to sell out. Of course European basketball fans come out in droves to catch a glimpse of NBA stars. But what wasn’t a certainty was the demand for the tickets to the games.

The NBA Paris Game 2027 presented by Tissot and The NBA Manchester Game 2027 are officially sold out. Approximately one million fans registered their interest in tickets – the highest level of demand ever recorded for NBA games in Europe.

The New Orleans Pelicans and the San… pic.twitter.com/yfkDrJf9ei

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) September 22, 2026

“The NBA Paris Game 2027 presented by Tissot and The NBA Manchester Game 2027 are officially sold out. Approximately one million fans registered their interest in tickets – the highest level of demand ever recorded for NBA games in Europe.

The New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs will play regular-season games at Accor Arena in Paris, France, on Thursday, Jan. 14, and at Co-op Live in Manchester, England, on Sunday, Jan. 17, as part of the league’s multiyear slate of regular-season games in Europe. Both games will stream live on Amazon Prime Video.”

Yep, you read that right – a million fans registered for tickets. That’s like Taylor Swift Super Bowl Halftime Show type of demand. Understandably, fans are champing at the bit to watch Victor Wembanyama in person. He’s become a global superstar and the face of the NBA. Fresh off elevating his team into a Finals appearance, the world is clearly watching.

And if we’re being real, there’s not a million requests for a Spurs/Pelicans game on U. S. soil, especially considering the season New Orleans had.

It’s the destination that makes this an event. And if everyone is healthy, the games promise to be two heavy duty competitions featuring marquee centers.

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It’s that time of the year.

A hectic NBA offseason full of blockbuster trades and player movement has concluded as training camps have started to slowly open. Teams playing international preseason games are already reporting to camps. Practices will soon follow, and then preseason games, and soon enough we will be tipping off the regular season openers in a month.

This also means that it’s time to turn the page on last season. So while the New York Knicks are indeed the reigning NBA champions, every team is starting with a clean slate, and last year’s results really don’t matter all that much. It’s all about who is set up to win the 2027 NBA Finals.

With NBA training camps opening within the next week, here are the USA TODY Sports NBA preseason power rankings:

NBA offseason power rankings: Nos. 30-21

30. Milwaukee Bucks, 32-50 (regular-season record in 2025-26)

What will life look like post-Giannis? Probably some early pain, but Milwaukee will need to see which of its young players are pieces for the long haul.

29. Sacramento Kings, 22-60

Sacramento still seemingly lacks a clear direction. It's not quite building for the future or in position to compete. And perimeter defense is still projected to be a nightmare.

28. Brooklyn Nets, 20-62

Julius Randle adds another veteran presence to a roster that badly needs it, but the Nets won’t compete unless young, recent draft picks take serious steps forward.

27. New Orleans Pelicans, 26-56

Another team that doubled down on its current roster construction, the Pels could take a jump … but they need health and cohesion to do so. And those, right now, are big ifs.

26. Memphis Grizzlies, 25-57

It’s a new day in Memphis, with culture-shifting moves now complete. This youth movement may take some time.

25. Los Angeles Clippers, 42-40

Now with the Kawhi Leonard drama behind them, the Clippers can move forward. But because they’ve been stripped of draft picks, it could be years before this team seriously competes in a tough Western Conference.

24. Washington Wizards, 17-65

The Wizards could see a bump this season, but they’re unconventionally constructed. A lot will depend on Trae Young and Anthony Davis, and whether they can complement the rising stars on the roster, namely No. 1 overall selection AJ Dybantsa and Alex Sarr.

23. Dallas Mavericks, 26-56

It’s Cooper Flagg’s team, and a full season of growth and stability at point guard with Kyrie Irving returning should elevate his game even further.

22. Charlotte Hornets, 44-38

The Hornets are a little tricky to interpret and project. They posted something of a breakout season last year, but traded away two of their top performers, LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, in culture-shifting moves. They’re all-in on shooting, but they could potentially see a regression if attempts don’t drop.

21. Golden State Warriors, 37-45

The Warriors had a stagnant offseason, but they still have Stephen Curry, and Jimmy Butler should eventually return from his torn anterior cruciate ligament. Load management will be crucial for this team full of aging vets.

NBA offseason power rankings: Nos. 20-11

20.  Chicago Bulls, 31-51

This is a team that could surprise. New coach Tiago Splitter should inject plenty of speed and versatility into Chicago’s offense, which is suddenly balanced with Norman Powell offering some scoring punch, Josh Giddey anchoring creation and No. 4 overall rookie Caleb Wilson potentially emerging as a star.

19. Portland Trail Blazers, 42-40

What this team needs is stability. Three different coaches since the start of last season is not a recipe for success. But the Blazers are looking to revive the career of Ja Morant and Damian Lillard is a veteran presence.

18. Utah Jazz, 22-60

The Jazz are no longer in tank formation and have an intriguing blend of young talent and veteran leadership. Utah is a candidate to post the biggest differential in wins this year versus last, and No. 2 overall selection Darryn Peterson should bring plenty of play-making.

17. Phoenix Suns, 45-37

The Suns are flying under the radar and will hope to see the full benefits of a Devin Booker-Jalen Green backcourt, now that Green is once again healthy.

16. Orlando Magic, 45-37

New coach Sean Sweeney’s main task will be to revitalize an offense that struggled at times to cohere with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as its stars. Consistency with perimeter shooting is also paramount.

15. Atlanta Hawks, 46-36

Atlanta was the biggest surprise in the East last season. Now with an identity and core in place, a bump in perimeter scoring could be the key to go even further.

14. Indiana Pacers, 19-63

The team to watch here is the Pacers. They’re returning Tyrese Haliburton, will have Ivica Zubac anchoring the middle and should be plenty motivated. They could even rise to the top of the conference if coach Rick Carlisle allows the offense to flow with pace and efficiency.

13. Detroit Pistons, 60-22

They led the East in the regular season but collapsed in the playoffs because Cade Cunningham simply didn’t have help on offense. It doesn’t help that Jalen Duren’s contract dispute is stretching this deep into the offseason.

12. Toronto Raptors, 46-36

Toronto feels like a team that could creep into the top third of the East if Kawhi Leonard stays healthy. He and Scottie Barnes create an intriguing duo that excel on both offense and defense.

11. Cleveland Cavaliers, 52-30

The Cavaliers’ addition of Peyton Watson boosts their chances, but this feels like the last shot for this build to prove it can compete for a championship. The Cavs finally got out of the second round of the postseason but were swept in the conference finals. With jobs on the line, perhaps even including coach Kenny Atkinson’s, that alone won’t be enough.

NBA offseason power rankings: Top 10

10. Boston Celtics, 56-26

The Celtics took a calculated gamble. But there’s no way to spin that Jaylen Brown is a massive loss, even if Boston didn’t want to pay him long-term. Either way, the Celtics need Derrick White to bounce back from his down season.

9. Denver Nuggets, 54-28

Strapped for salary cap space, the Nuggets had to make some difficult choices. Losing Peyton Watson will sting, but Denver looked slow and old during the playoffs, when it was bounced in the first round. The Nuggets absolutely need Christian Braun to bounce back and players like Spencer Jones and Cameron Johnson to develop further. This is a window to win that may be shrinking — and quickly.

8. Miami Heat, 43-39

The defense will be the identity and the Heat should continue their emphasis of fast-break offense. But any time you add a top-10 player (top-5?) there are plenty of reasons to be excited. No team has been better at reinventing itself on the fly than the Heat, who have one of the game’s premier tacticians in Erik Spoelstra.

7. Los Angeles Lakers, 53-29

It’s now Luka Dončić’s team, and Austin Reaves will be the clear No. 2. But can the role players provide enough of a spark to keep the Lakers competitive?

6. Houston Rockets, 52-30

The Rockets are an interesting case; they’re getting Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams back from injury, and VanVleet is the key piece. Houston could not find consistent play at point guard, and he should fill that void instantly.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves, 49-33

Credit the Timberwolves for understanding that running it back simply wasn’t going to get it done. Now, Anthony Edwards has a sidekick who can create his own offense in LaMelo Ball. And with Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota has enough to mask Ball’s defensive deficiencies.

4. Philadelphia 76ers, 45-37

The clear winners of the offseason, the 76ers suddenly have the best starting five in all of basketball. Getting LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to assimilate and the health of Joel Embiid will be the big priorities in training camp and beyond.

3. San Antonio Spurs, 62-20

They have all the talent in the world and are young enough to keep improving, provided they learn from their mistakes in the NBA Finals. Mistakes like relying far too much on the perimeter shot and taking their foot off the gas. But with Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper all 22 years old or younger, the future is incredibly bright in San Antonio.

2. New York Knicks, 53-29

The Knicks are the kings of the NBA, but recent history shows how challenging it is to repeat; the last team to do so was the Warriors in 2018. New York does have its core in place, but the East got much deeper.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 64-18

Out West, the conference does feel top-heavy, with Oklahoma City and San Antonio as the clear, established threats. But the Thunder are entering the season healthy, after injuries derailed them in the Western Conference finals. While key role players like Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins have moved on, no team has been better than the Thunder at getting young players to step up.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA power rankings as training camps open for 2026-27 season: Who will compete for Finals?

Ramp to Camp: Record and 2026-27 season prediction for Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens routinely points out that his team’s north star is winning championships. Every decision that Stevens makes is geared towards delivering the Celtics to a place where they can truly contend with the NBA’s elite with the ultimate goal of adding to their league-leading banner collection.

Most years, the season goal is simple: Banner or bust. With only maybe last season an outlier while Jayson Tatum rehabbed from Achilles surgery, the Celtics have entered most recent campaigns with a clearly defined goal of playing on the title stage.

So what happens this year, especially in the aftermath of the Jaylen Brown trade? And how do we define a successful season for Boston?

For the final installment in our 2026 Ramp to Camp series, we asked our panel to 1) Predict Boston’s final regular-season record, then 2) Offer a summary of how the season ended and whether that checked the boxes for a successful campaign.

Our six-member panel nearly unanimously had Boston crossing 50+ wins (there was a single dissenting vote) but the team’s playoff success, and how the season was ultimately viewed, varied by respondent.

We typically scoff at the annual suggestions that, “The East got so much better,” and the way that might increase the degree of difficulty for teams like Boston. But that’s pretty undeniable this season. The Raptors reacquired Kawhi Leonard, the Heat added Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Pacers have a healthier Tyrese Haliburton. The Pistons have plenty of motivation after fizzling in the playoffs after topping the East with a 60-win season last year and Cade Cunningham is only going to get better. The Knicks are the defending champs. There will almost certainly be at least one very good team in the East that lands in the play-in because of the depth of the conference.

What’s more, lottery reform will eliminate motivation for less talented teams to let their foot off the accelerator and tank, which takes away at least a couple of layups for the league’s elite.

So our prediction is going to drag down Boston’s regular-season win total a bit from last season, even if it’s not a full reflection of how the team ultimately remains afloat following the Brown trade. We’ll peg the Celtics at 50-32 overall, a six-win decrease from a season ago, but still securing a top 4 spot in a deeper East.

It’d be jarring to us if, after how last season ended, the Celtics didn’t win at least one playoff round. The overall success of the team, however, will be judged by the progress made over the course of this season’s journey.

* Did Jayson Tatum look like Jayson Tatum again? Did he entrench himself in the MVP conversation while taking on more responsibility in Brown’s absence?

* Did Derrick White find his shot on the offensive end, and can he maintain his All-Defense impact in his age 32 season?

* Did 36-year-old Paul George stay healthy and either maintain his trade value as the Celtics explore future roster options, or make the team ponder a longer-term extension that could defray his overall cap hit if he were to opt out of the final season of his current deal?

* Did Payton Pritchard grasp the opportunity in front of him and make another climb up the NBA hierarchy?

* Did Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson combine to be one of the most impactful frontcourts in the league, with both players able to stay on the court in key spots (Queta avoiding foul trouble; Robinson being healthy)?

* Did Hugo Gonzalez and/or any of the other young wings make the sort of leap that solidifies their status as either a long-term starter or key rotation presence moving forward?

If the answers to these questions are more yesses than nos, then the Celtics had a successful season. It won’t matter, in our mind, if that ends in Round 1 or Round 3.

It would help, too, if chaos on other rosters created opportunity for Boston to cash in on its newfound optionality. The Brown trade was maybe the most painful step in what’s become a pretty robust overhaul of the 2024 title roster. Stevens’ hope is to assemble a new collection of talent around Tatum that allows Boston to more aggressively hunt Banner 19.

It’s all about shimmying a little closer to that north star, even if we’re incredibly impatient in Boston. The Celtics need to make their own internal progress while Stevens plots the next steps for the roster. The Celtics could emerge from this season having reset repeater penalties, while the draft picks acquired from the Brown trade gives Boston all sorts of pathways to adding impact talent and potentially slingshotting them into their next title window.

Josh Canu: Editor

45-37. The rest of the conference got a lot better this offseason. Teams that were behind them in the standings all added major pieces to improve their rosters. The Celtics traded one of their top two players for an aging, constantly injured player. I think the Celtics are a play-in team and lose in the first round. I think the ceiling for this team, without making another blockbuster move, is the second round of the playoffs, so this result would constitute a disappointing season.

Justin Leger: Producer, Multi-Platform Content

The C’s finish 55-27 and earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference for the third consecutive season. Even without Jaylen Brown, this is a team that should compete for an NBA Finals berth as long as Jayson Tatum is healthy. I’d go as far as to say that anything less than an East finals appearance would be a failure. I predict they’ll reach the East finals to check that “successful” box, but they’ll fall to — you guessed it — Brown and the Sixers in an epic seven-game series.

Nick Goss: Producer, Multi-Platform Content

56-26. The Celtics will field another great regular-season team and could finish second in the East. They have depth and a ton of young players who will play hard in the regular season. Ultimately, success will be determined by playoff results. Getting to the second round and Tatum regaining his All-NBA form would qualify as a successful season. I’m more optimistic about the Tatum objective than I am about the team making Round 2.

Michael Hurley: Producer, Multi-Platform Content

51-31. A successful regular season would be a top-four seed in the East, but they’ll have to win at least a playoff series for the year to feel like a success. Jayson Tatum only gets one prime of his career, so you’d ideally prefer him to be fighting for titles for each of the next four seasons. Given the roster construction, though, it feels like he and the Celtics are realistically not getting there this year. In the meantime, they can make a run and add some more playoff experience for the younger part of the roster to have a reasonably successful season.

Kevin Miller: Vice President, Content Creation & Strategy

52-30. A first-round playoff series win and a full season of seeing Jayson Tatum stir the drink — I think that would constitute success.

Jason Levine: Executive Producer, Content Integrations

54-28. The record is not as good as last year but I think that’s strategic to save themselves more for the playoffs. As long as they go deep in a series in the second round, it will be a success.

David Robinson was never supposed to be a star. A high school nerd, Robinson was one of the last great sleepers. His college coach, Paul Evans, recruited him to Navy because he was 6-6 and had big feet.

Seriously. He thought Robinson’s feet suggested that he was going to grow some more, and at the time, Navy had a height limit. Getting a taller player in would have been a real coup.

He never expected to get a 7-1 Hall of Famer, but that’s what Robinson turned into.

He soon emerged as a surprise talent at Navy, and in 1986, only Duke kept the Middies from the Final Four, knocking Navy out in the Elite Eight.

In the NBA, he went toe-to-toe with players like Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O’Neal, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Ultimately, he also played on the Dream Team and won two NBA championships before having his #50 retired by the San Antonio Spurs.

Later, his son Justin became a preferred walk-on at Duke, where he was a fan favorite and was emerging as a critical player for the Blue Devils just as Covid hit.

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Do you have to play sports to understand them?

It’s a question at the center of too many bad internet debates. “I bet you don’t even play ball.”

Does that matter?

Where is the line? Is the worth of an opinion weighed by the level of basketball? A D1 rec league player is allowed to comment on the NBA, but D3 is out?

It’s an ad hominem. The opinion is independent of the opinion holder. Still, we plebeians ought to remember that we don’t always know. There’s something strange, optically, about a high school social studies teacher publicly declaring that an NBA head coach ought to have one more season to prove his worth. Yet, here goes:

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka should only have one more season to prove his worth.

Rockets’ Ime Udoka has been a strong coach

It won’t be an unpopular opinion in these quarters!

You guys really, really don’t like Udoka. Opinions vary, yes, but the consensus leans heavily in one direction.

Perhaps my eyes don’t work so well. I’m not as low on Udoka. I think he’s, at a minimum, a top-15 coach in the NBA:

But creeping into the upper half isn’t a sound approach to job security as an NBA head coach.

We should all agree that Udoka is a strong defensive coach. There’s been some dispute over the extent to which he relies on lineups to bolster that defense. It’s been argued that if he can’t scheme around Alperen Sengun and Reed Sheppard, his defensive success is less about acumen and more about putting good defenders on the floor.

It could also be argued that God his -or-her self could not design a scheme that protects Sengun and Sheppard at the same time. Udoka has proven his ability to maximize Sengun on that end of the floor. His inability to draw blood from a stone should not discredit his ability to smelt iron from one.

It’s Udoka’s offensive know-how that’s rightly questioned; however, the numbers do not support that line of questioning. In Udoka’s two seasons at the helm, the Rockets ranked twelfth (114.9) and eighth (117.5) in Offensive Rating.

So, on paper, the question becomes “What are we even talking about?” Udoka has hovered around a top-ten offense in two consecutive seasons, and a top-five defense in each (sixth in 2024-25, fifth in 2025-26). If that’s enough to get his seat hot, almost every coach in the NBA should be developing back problems from constantly standing.

So what are we doing?

Rockets’ Ime Udoka’s seat should be getting hot

For Udoka critics, it’s less about the offensive results and more about the process.

Last year’s 36.3% Offensive Rebounding % was the highest in the NBA by a country mile. The gap between Houston and the second-place Portland Trail Blazers (33.2%) was roughly the same as the gap between the Blazers and the eighth-ranked Charlotte Hornets (30.8%).

In 2024-25, the recipe was rebounding and turnover repression – in the vernacular of the youth, “possession maxxing”. Last year, Fred VanVleet was out, but Kevin Durant replaced Jalen Green offensively, so the recipe was tweaked – more turnovers, but better shots, and the same offensive rebounding dominance.

In theory, 2026-27 could combine the best of both worlds. The Rockets will be formidable:

But if they don’t escape the first round, it’s a moot point.

That’s the real reality of Udoka’s situation. If a coach is eliminated in the first round in three straight seasons, the “why” is less relevant than the “what” – you fire them.

Those process-focused critics will argue that Udoka’s approach is not playoff-viable. The data is on their side, although the causation is unclear. It could easily be argued that other variables have hurt the Rockets’ playoff success.

In 2024-25, it made sense for an aging dynasty to beat an unproven upstart. The Rockets ran into the Warriors, triggering PTSD for every Rockets fan who was not born roughly yesterday.

Last year was both simpler and more complicated. Durant played one game. That’s worth noting, but injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves mitigate that excuse. Getting beat by Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart was a bad look. At least Smart is a Rocket now:

So prepare yourself for his shooting regression.

What if everyone had been healthy? Could Houston have exploited Reaves defensively to such an extent as to offset his offensive ability? Would Doncic have carried the day, or would Durant overcome him down the stretch? We don’t know; we can’t know; we won’t know.

Here’s what we do know: Udoka has one more season. It doesn’t matter where you land on him. It doesn’t matter if his offensive approach has playoff viability.

Frankly, his iso-heavy approach, paired with an insistence that his team outworks the other team, feels more playoff-friendly than some kind of elaborate system anyway, but if it doesn’t yield playoff results, it doesn’t matter. When you lose in the first round for three consecutive seasons, you lose your job:

It doesn’t matter what any of us think.

The Golden State Warriors enter the 2026-27 season as an afterthought to some but are one of the more profound sleeper teams in the league. Golden State returns with practically the same roster from last season, only adding their 2026 draft picks and a couple free agent signings.

The Warriors battled extensive injuries throughout the previous season and managed to sneak into the NBA Play-In Tournament, but failed to make the playoffs, losing in an elimination game for the No. 8-seed to the Phoenix Suns. It was just the second time since their 2022 championship that they missed the postseason which brought questions whether it was the last dance.

The only players remaining from their four-title dynasty that began in 2015 are Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr and all could have been gone this offseason after expiring contracts. Kerr contemplated retirement last year, but he's in for two more years. Green is back for another season and talks to ensure Curry retires a Warrior have already started. It might not be the last dance, but this is surely, the final act.

With an eerily similar roster, Golden State are putting emphasis on team-chemistry but they remain one of the deadlier threats on one contingency – maintaining health. Jimmy Butler missed 44 games with a torn ACL injury last season, while Moses Moody is recovering from a patellar tendon tear in his left knee that caused him to miss the final 22 games. Curry was out 27 games last year with jumper's knee. They answered questions at center by acquiring versatile big man Kristaps Porzingis in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks, but he played on minute-restrictions as he recovered from earlier injuries and illness. Still, his natural fit, and the need to fill the position, was every reason for the Warriors to sign him to an extension this offseason.

Golden State has perennial "what-if" potential and there's belief within the organization that – if healthy – there is a path to a championship.

Here's a breakdown of the Golden State Warriors' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS SCHEDULE: Dates, times and opponents for 2026-27 season

Golden State Warriors offseason review

• Record last season: 37-45 (10th in Western Conference)
• Playoff finish: Lost in NBA Play-In Tournament, No. 8-seed elimination game
• Coach: Steve Kerr (13th season)
• 2026-27 title odds: +6600 (per BetMGM)
• Projected record : 41-41
• Offseason grade : F

Key roster additions

• G Brandon Williams (free agent signing)
• F Georges Niang (free agent signing)
• F Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 11 pick in 2026 NBA Draft)
• F Lajae Jones (No. 56 pick in 2026 NBA Draft)

Key roster losses

• C Quinten Post (free agent, Warriors decline offer)
• F Pat Spencer (free agent)

Biggest question entering training camp

Can the Warriors remain healthy enough to compete?

• The Warriors have a variety of questions to answer: will rookie Yaxel Lendeborg have an immediate impact? will Brandin Podziemski get a new contract? how will new additions fit-in? how consistent can this supporting cast be? However none of those questions the Golden States faces are larger than the question of their health. Last year, despite all the setbacks, they managed to squeak into the Play-In tournament. The likelihood of aging superstars being 100% by April takes some luck, simply put. If the Warriors are healthy, you can place them on the court with anyone and there's belief they have a chance to win.

Projected starting lineup and rotation

Starters

• G Stephen Curry
• G Jimmy Butler (ACL) - Expected by early 2027
• F Yaxel Lendborg
• F Draymond Green
• C Kristaps Porzingis

Rotation players

• G Brandon Williams
• G Brandin Podziemski
• G Gary Payton II
• G De'Anthony Melton
• F Gui Santos
• F Georges Niang
• C Charles Bassey
• C Al Horford

What to expect in 2026-27 season

The Warriors have potential to be in the mix for a Western Conference postseason berth on the strength of returning players and building on team chemistry. But first they have to get there through enduring a grueling 82-game season that's already starting without key guys, Butler and Moody. It expected that Curry will do what he's capable of doing, even still at 38. The Warriors will only go as far as Curry can take them but their focus will be on everyone else. How guys acclimate to Kerr's system, where else offensive production comes from and the little details defensively is how success will appear in the Bay Area. In the meantime, getting – and staying – healthy is the Warriors' No. 1 priority.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden State Warriors season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction

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There’s something to be said about a team that understands a change, one potentially with risks, needs to happen.

The alternative would be stagnation, and the Minnesota Timberwolves went into this offseason clearly determined to avoid that at all costs.

The focus was on generating more offensive creation and shot opportunities outside of All-NBA shooting guard Anthony Edwards, who has been the face of the franchise. So Minnesota traded away Julius Randle and Naz Reid in separate deals, both clearing up cap space and adding former Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, who will have to embrace efficiency in Minnesota.

Will that be enough for the Timberwolves to get over the hump?

Here's a breakdown of the Minnesota Timberwolves' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:

TIMBERWOLVES: Sign free agent Jonathan Kuminga. What deal means

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES SCHEDULE: Dates, times and opponents for 2026-27 season

Minnesota Timberwolves offseason review

• Record last season: 49-33 (6th in Western Conference)
• Playoff finish: Eliminated in conference semifinals (2-4, against Spurs)
• Coach: Chris Finch (sixth season)
• 2026-27 title odds: +2500 (per BetMGM)
• Projected record: 55-27
• Offseason grade: B

Key roster additions

• G LaMelo Ball (trade)
• F Jonathan Kuminga (free agent signing)
• F Cody Williams (trade)
• F Trey Lyles (free agent signing)
• G Isaiah Evans (NBA draft)

Key roster losses

• F Julius Randle (trade)
• F Naz Reid (trade)
• G Mike Conley (free agency)
• F Kyle Anderson (free agency)
• G/F John Konchar (waived)

Biggest question entering training camp

How will LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga reshape Minnesota’s offense?

In the past three seasons, the Timberwolves have reached the conference finals twice. Last year, they failed to get out of the second round. Each time, the opposing team did the same thing: they threw extra bodies and double teams at Anthony Edwards, forcing him to be more of a facilitator than a pure scorer. Minnesota’s other players, however, could never generate enough offense to propel the Timberwolves through. Now, Edwards will have other outlets who can create offense, most notably LaMelo Ball, who should take over ball-handling duties. Ball can also create his own shot, though he was a high-volume option in Charlotte. Here, he’ll need to be more selective, and free agent addition Jonathan Kuminga is another threat who can slash to the rim. Both players are defensive liabilities, though the Timberwolves have enough in Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels to mask those deficiencies. The big question, however, lies on offense, and whether Ball and Kuminga (and guard Ayo Dosunmu, who shined in the playoffs) can take enough pressure off of Edwards.

Projected starting lineup and rotation

Starters

• G LaMelo Ball
• G Anthony Edwards
• F Jonathan Kuminga
• F Jaden McDaniels
• C Rudy Gobert

Rotation players

• G Ayo Dosunmu
• G Terrence Shannon Jr.
• F Joan Beringer
• G Donte DiVincenzo (injured)
• G Isaiah Evans
• G Bones Hyland
• F Cody Williams
• F Enrique Freeman
• C Rocco Zikarsky
• F Jaylen Clark

What to expect in 2026-27 season

A team taking chances to break through. Look for Minnesota to scheme up ways for LaMelo Ball, Jonathan Kuminga, Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu to get easy offense. In theory, that should allow Anthony Edwards to both conserve energy and pick his spots. Furthermore, if teams continue to double Edwards, that should give him plenty of viable options to knock down shots. Minnesota’s defense may take a bit of a step back, but an increase in shooting productivity makes the Timberwolves an interesting team to watch. But with the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and other teams looming in the West, the path won’t be easy. The Timberwolves do deserve some credit, however, for understanding they needed to make tweaks to stay competitive, especially if they were unwilling to pay Julius Randle. One role that remains up for grabs is sixth man, where Naz Reid had shined. Could that become a spot for Dosunmu? Or, perhaps Kuminga, if he becomes a reserve? Either way, the Timberwolves will need a spark off the bench.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Minnesota Timberwolves season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction

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It’s a new era for the Philadelphia 76ers.

After making the playoffs eight of the last nine seasons — but failing to get past the second round in each of those trips — the Sixers overhauled their front office and roster to seriously contend for an NBA championship.

It started with the May 12 dismissal of former president of basketball operations Darryl Morey. Then came Morey’s replacement, Mike Gansey, who had plenty of experience with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was Gansey’s ties to LeBron James — and the team’s splash acquisition of Jaylen Brown — that lured James away from Los Angeles for the chance to compete for a title.

The Sixers were the clear winners of the offseason. What comes next?

Here's a breakdown of the Philadelphia 76ers' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:

PHILADELPHIA 76ers SCHEDULE: Dates, times and opponents for 2026-27 season

Philadelphia 76ers offseason review

• Record last season: 45-37 (7th in Eastern Conference)
• Playoff finish: Eliminated in conference semifinals (0-4, against Knicks)
• Coach: Nick Nurse (fourth season)
• 2026-27 title odds: +850 (per BetMGM)
• Projected record : 62-20
• Offseason grade : A

Key roster additions

• F Jaylen Brown (trade)
• F LeBron James (free agent signing)
• F Dean Wade (free agent signing)
• G Anfernee Simons (free agent signing)
• G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (free agent signing)
• C Ariel Hukporti (free agent signing)
• G Labaron Philon Jr. (NBA draft)

Key roster losses

• F Paul George (trade)
• C Andre Drummond (free agency)
• G Quentin Grimes (free agency)
• F Kelly Oubre Jr. (free agency)
• C Johni Broome (trade)
• F Trendon Watford (free agency)
• G Dalen Terry (waived)

Biggest question entering training camp

Will this superteam gel, and is it built to win a title?

• If there was one team that went all-in this offseason, it was the 76ers, who made massive splashes with their trade for five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown and their signing of NBA icon LeBron James. And with that, suddenly, the Sixers have the best starting lineup in the Eastern Conference, from top to bottom. The issue with superteams is that players are forced to sacrifice and alter their traditional styles of play. That might mean Brown taking on a far smaller usage share, or James limiting his jumpshot attempts in favor of play-making. The reality is that there may be a learning curve and period of assimilation. To be clear: this is a good problem for coach Nick Nurse and the Sixers to have. But expectations — both internal and external — will be sky-high, as these moves were clearly made to deliver a championship, which would be Philadelphia’s first in 44 years. The other question lingering within this larger question is whether star center and former MVP Joel Embiid, who has played just 96 of a possible 246 games (39%) across the last three seasons, can stay healthy.

Projected starting lineup and rotation

Starters

• G Tyrese Maxey
• G VJ Edgecombe
• F Jaylen Brown
• F LeBron James
• C Joel Embiid

Rotation players

• F Dean Wade
• G Anfernee Simons
• G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
• G Labaron Philon Jr.
• C Adem Bona
• C Ariel Hukporti
• F Dominick Barlow
• F Justin Edwards

What to expect in 2026-27 season

A team that is making a push for a championship. The 76ers are all-in and will have to incorporate new star players Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. It will also be interesting to see how Tyrese Maxey’s role changes with all this; in the games Embiid missed last season, Maxey took on a massive offensive responsibility. As long as the Sixers embrace movement and sharing the ball, the offense should prove to be incredibly difficult to defend. The issue for Philadelphia will be on the other side of the court; the 76ers may struggle to defend opposing offenses. Another thing the 76ers should do is limit the regular-season workloads of James and Embiid, the latter of whom seemingly has worked to get in excellent shape this offseason. Philadelphia may very well end up with the top seed in the East. The real test will be what the Sixers do in the postseason.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Philadelphia 76ers season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction

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The Detroit Pistons were an overwhelming success last season, finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference. But a discouraging playoff exit in the conference semifinals and an unnerving offseason have tempered expectations heading into the 2026-27 NBA season.

Cade Cunningham is back as a legitimate MVP candidate capable of carrying the Pistons to another strong regular season. The front office also tinkered with his supporting cast while embroiled in a prolonged contract standoff with All-Star center Jalen Duren. Detroit addressed its lack of outside shooting by trading for former Oklahoma City Thunder sharpshooter Isaiah Joe and added forward John Collins as a replacement for veteran Tobias Harris.

There are lingering questions after the Pistons couldn't replicate their regular-season performance in the playoffs as to whether the roster is good enough to match or even approach what they did a season ago, reaching 60 wins for the first time in 20 years. Duren's status looms large for the franchise's trajectory, but Detroit should remain a dangerous threat in the Eastern Conference as long as Cunningham is healthy.

Here's a breakdown of the Detroit Pistons' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:

DETROIT PISTONS SCHEDULE: Dates, times and opponents for 2026-27 season

Detroit Pistons offseason review

• Record last season: 60-22 (1st in Eastern Conference)
• Playoff finish: Lost to Cleveland Cavaliers in conference semifinals
• Coach: J.B. Bickerstaff (3rd season)
• 2026-27 title odds: +3000 (per BetMGM)
• Projected record: 45-37
• Offseason grade: B-

Key roster additions

• G Ebuka Okorie (No. 17 pick in 2026 NBA Draft)
• G Isaiah Joe (trade)
• G Gary Harris (trade)
• F John Collins (trade)
• F Taurean Prince (trade)
• C Ugonna Onyenso (No. 53 pick in 2026 NBA Draft)

Key roster losses

• G Caris LeVert (trade)
• G Marcus Sasser (trade)
• F Tobias Harris (free agent)
• F Isaiah Stewart (trade)

Biggest question entering training camp

Can the Pistons find common ground with Jalen Duren?

• Jalen Duren's playoff performance last year failed to match his breakthrough 2025-26 regular season and that dynamic has complicated contract extension negotiations with the Pistons. Duren is a restricted free agent who, as of Sept. 17, had yet to even sign a qualifying offer from Detroit, with reports indicating mutual interest with the Sacramento Kings. The Pistons are taking an understandable approach with Duren given his limitations, but their ceiling this season and beyond is considerably lower without their All-Star center.

Projected starting lineup and rotation

Starters

• G Cade Cunningham
• G Isaiah Joe
• G Ausar Thompson
• F John Collins
• C Jalen Duren

Rotation players

• G Daniss Jenkins
• G Duncan Robinson
• G/F Kevin Huerter
• F Ron Holland III
• F Taurean Prince
• C Paul Reed

What to expect in 2026-27 season

The Pistons have the fifth-best NBA title odds among Eastern Conference teams entering the preseason, but there remain doubts about whether their offseason moves improved the team enough. Cunningham's emergence as one of the league's best players gives this team a high floor and should keep Detroit among the top six in the East. Advancing past the conference semifinals this year will depend on how the front office sorts out its differences with Duren and whether Joe or Collins emerges as a viable third option.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Detroit Pistons season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction

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Paolo Banchero hit an overtime game-winner in Brooklyn in January. Three months later he dropped 38 points on 14-for-25 shooting in a Game 7, and the Orlando Magic still lost by 22.

That gap, between what Banchero can do alone and what happens when nobody else shows up, cost coach Jamahl Mosley his job.

Orlando let Mosley go in May and hired Sean Sweeney, who arrived with a defensive reputation and a mandate to fix an offense that has finished 19th or worse in efficiency three consecutive years. Then the Magic did essentially nothing else. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in the spring that the summer would be quiet, and it was. Nikola Vucevic came back on a minimum deal. Jonathan Isaac and Jevon Carter re-signed on minimums. Moritz Wagner left. That's the offseason.

Weltman's position is that Orlando was a top-five defensive and top-10 offensive team when healthy, and that the roster already contains everything it needs.

Here's a breakdown of the Orlando Magic's offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:

ORLANDO MAGIC SCHEDULE: Dates, times and opponents for 2026-27 season

Orlando Magic offseason review

• Record last season: 45-37 (8th in Eastern Conference)
• Playoff finish: Eliminated in the first round (4-3 by Pistons)
• Coach: Sean Sweeney (first season)
• 2026-27 title odds: +8000 (per BetMGM)
• Projected record : 36-46
• Offseason grade : C-

Key roster additions

• C Nikola Vucevic (free agent signing)
• Izaiyah Nelson (trade)

Key roster losses

• F Moritz Wagner (free agency)
• G Jett Howard (trade)

Biggest question entering training camp

Can a new voice fix the shooting?

• Orlando shot 39.7% from the field across seven playoff games against the Pistons and scored 97.7 points per game in that series. Five players in the rotation were top-eight draft picks, and Banchero's 53% career effective field goal percentage is lower than every top-five pick taken since 2018 except Cooper Flagg. Sweeney inherits the best young defensive personnel in the East and a shot diet that has never once worked in a playoff game. He has one summer of tape and no new players to blame.

Projected starting lineup and rotation

Starters

• G Jalen Suggs
• G Desmond Bane
• F Franz Wagner
• F Paolo Banchero
• C Wendell Carter Jr.

Rotation players

• G Anthony Black
• G Jase Richardson
• F Tristan da Silva
• F Noah Penda
• C Goga Bitadze
• C Nikola Vucevic

What to expect in 2026-27 season

Health is the bet. Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs have each missed significant time in back-to-back seasons, and Suggs has admitted his playing style is part of why. The Suggs-Bane-Wagner-Banchero-Carter group was a plus-13.5 in 272 minutes last season, including the postseason, which is both encouraging and a reminder of how rarely they were all upright at once.

Vucevic gives Sweeney a backup center who can shoot, which Orlando badly needed and got for the minimum.

Nothing else about this team changed. The Magic are running back a 45-win roster with a rookie head coach in a conference that added two former NBA Finals MVPs during the summer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Orlando Magic season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction

Information in this article was imported automatically into a template written and reviewed by a USA TODAY Sports editor. You can send feedback using this form.

The Memphis Grizzlies officially moved on from one era of the franchise and began a new one this offseason.

First came the selection of Cameron Boozer with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and soon thereafter, the Grizzlies finally executed a trade of star Ja Morant after looking for a deal to unload him at last year's trade deadline. Combined with the trades of Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. over the past year, Memphis has effectively flipped its roster.

The core is filled with compelling young pieces, with Boozer joined by recent first-round picks Cedric Coward and Zach Edey. Jerami Grant, who arrived via the Morant trade, as well as returning guard Ty Jerome give Memphis some experience and should help avoid finishing in the Western Conference cellar.

Though this team isn't expected to be a contender, there's intrigue that this rebuild could come together quicker than expected.

Here's a breakdown of the Memphis Grizzlies' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES SCHEDULE: Dates, times and opponents for 2026-27 season

Memphis Grizzlies offseason review

• Record last season: 25-57 (13th in Western Conference)
• Playoff finish: Did not qualify
• Coach: Tuomas Iisalo (3rd season)
• 2026-27 title odds: +75,000 (per BetMGM)
• Projected record: 20-62
• Offseason grade: B+

Key roster additions

• F Cameron Boozer (No. 3 pick, 2026 NBA Draft)
• F Karim Lopez (No. 21 pick, 2026 NBA Draft)
• F Jerami Grant (trade)
• C Isaiah Stewart (trade)
• C Quentin Post (free agent signing)
• F Kris Murray (trade)
• G De'Angelo Russell (trade)

Key roster losses

• G Ja Morant (trade)
• F Santi Aldama (trade)
• G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (contract buyout)
• F Brandon Clarke (death)

Biggest question entering training camp

How much will Zach Edey play?

• The Grizzlies’ 2024 first-round pick has been an effective anchor in the paint when healthy, and Memphis drafted Boozer, in part, because of his potential long-term fit alongside the 7-foot-3 Edey. But the 24-year old from Purdue played in just 11 games due to a lingering foot injury that required a second surgery in March. How quickly the Grizzlies’ rebuilding plans take shape depends on Edey’s availability and whether the double-double he averaged last year is sustainable over an entire season.

Projected starting lineup and rotation

Starters

• G Ty Jerome
• G Cedric Coward
• F Jerami Grant
• F Cameron Boozer
• C Zach Edey

Rotation players

• G Scotty Pippen Jr.
• G/F Jaylen Wells
• F Karim Lopez
• F/C Quinten Post
• C Isaiah Stewart

What to expect in 2026-27 season

The Memphis Grizzlies are a candidate to exceed expectations and challenge for a postseason berth in the West if their young core can come together quickly this season. The full-time return of Jerome, as well as the consistent presence of Edey and the health of guard Scotty Pippen Jr., are crucial for the team's chances of approaching a .500 record. The bet here is the Memphis front office's strong draft track record pays off again, and this group is battling for one of the final play-in spots by the end of this season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Memphis Grizzlies season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction

Steph Curry watching, waiting as he makes Warriors contract extension decision originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

OAKLAND – As summer ends with the Warriors responding to a forgettable season with marginal moves, forming twin clouds of disappointment and despair above Dub Nation. The outlook for next season would seem to be gloomy.

But the brightest star in Golden State’s solar system remains cool and analytical. Stephen Curry, observing the franchise from views both panoramic and microscopic, straddles encouragement with anticipation.

Which is partly why Curry’s contract extension – he has been eligible for almost four weeks – remains on hold not because of complications but by choice.

“This is a very unique situation,” Curry said late Wednesday afternoon after visiting a school in east Oakland. “I’ve been pretty straightforward and honest about it: I’m not going anywhere. There are just dynamics of where we’ve been the last four years, where we’re trying to go, and things that are related to my contract that can determine a lot of different things.”

The abiding sense is that Curry longs for reasons to believe with his entire soul that the Warriors are headed up rather than staying relatively flat. He’s not entirely there yet. He is, for now, leaning on hope.

Curry joined the rest of his teammates earlier this week for a sort of conclave arranged by Jimmy Butler III in San Diego. It’s the same way the Warriors closed last summer, the group gathering to spend time together, equal parts re-bonding and sharpening focus as training camp begins next week.

“We just had a great little minicamp as a team and got together for the whole team for the first time,” Curry said. “It was great to see everybody and get prepared for the year, which is where my mind is at really.”

Curry, 38, wants to play with a quality roster, one capable of crashing the postseason party and playing well beyond April. He absolutely wants it to be in Golden State, partly out of loyalty and partly out of stability. He has spent 80 percent of his adult life living and playing in the Bay Area, enjoying the highs and enduring the lows while remaining steadfast to the belief there will be more highs.

How can Steph know? He can’t.

The Warriors are drifting toward a season steeped in trepidation. Last season went south after Butler and Curry went down 11 days apart. Butler, the starting small forward, is expected to miss at least three months. The status of starting center Kristaps Porziņģis is questionable until confirmed otherwise. Al Horford, who missed 37 games last season, returns as a 40-year-old backup to Porziņģis. Draymond Green, 36, is being asked to adjust his role in the offense. Coach Steve Kerr took a month off before deciding to return.

And the youngsters, while showing shades of promise last season, ultimately proved not ready to shine without the veterans.

So, please understand if Curry is in no hurry to sign an extension. He is studying Golden State’s landscape before pinning himself – or the franchise – into an inflexible position.

“I’m pretty sure . . . just know the dynamics of our team, where we’re at, and all that,” Curry said. “It’s not really an obvious type of ‘Let’s just do this and keep it moving’ type situation. This is one of the rare ones in my career (where) you’re trying to make sure you have peace of mind with it all. I don’t know if there’s any more new information. It’s just the conviction of I’m doing the right thing for me, for the team, for now, for the future, like all those things.

“And it’s obvious I don’t have that many more bats at the plate. So just want to make sure I’m doing right by me and by the team.”

Curry never has been a free agent. Never wanted to be. His goal is to retire with the same franchise that brought him into the NBA. To represent one franchise, like Kobe Bryant with the Lakers and Tim Duncan with the Spurs and Dirk Nowitzki with the Mavericks.

That desire, while admirable, has given Golden State’s shot-callers enough comfort to feel less urgency than they otherwise might. The longshot pursuit of LeBron James deep into July was, in a sense, a desperate attempt to upgrade the roster. A belated effort to assuage Curry’s aspirations.

It failed, and now Curry is in observation mode. A contract extension is the least of his worries. He’s preparing to play basketball at an All-Star level while also inspecting potential organizational moves up close and from a distance. 

Whether Steph or Stephen or Wardell, he is a skilled multitasker. Don’t doubt he can do that and still get buckets.

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Late Wednesday night, the Lakers announced that longtime PA announcer and voice of the Lakers and Staples Center and Crypto.com Arena, Lawrence Tanter, had passed away.

Lawrence Tanter, forever in our hearts as a member of the Lakers family 💜 pic.twitter.com/IOmRECqu8m

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 24, 2026

We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of legendary Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter. For 43 years, LT’s voice served as the soundtrack to Lakers games at the arena. He will be remembered as a cherished member of the Lakers family.

In June, Tanter resigned from his role following a stroke suffered earlier in the year. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Tanter entered hospice care in August with a strong message via text.

“Quote me,” he wrote, “‘It’s been a blessing.'”

With a career that began in 1982, Tanter saw countless players, teams, dynasties and Hall of Fame careers come and go through multiple arenas. As a result, Tanter is one of those people who everyone has a positive story about.

A true original that added his unique style to Showtime. Rest in peace, LT. https://t.co/GTDopukHGs

— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) September 24, 2026

I am so sad to hear. He was a great vibe dude, always engaged me in conversation about jazz, he was a music lover and the best announcer in the nba. I realized when attending many other nba arenas that noone else came close. Bless his beautiful heart. https://t.co/8gVC9YmFPL

— Flea (@flea333) September 24, 2026

On top of being a great person, LT took his job very seriously, truly understanding his critical role for fans.

He’d come up to me before every game and inquire – with that glorious baritone – about the starting lineup and any changes for either team.

True legend. 💛💜 https://t.co/I8vLeYjZqi

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) September 24, 2026

For me, the moment I associate with and remember the most from Tanter was when he announced every Laker as Kobe Bryant in the first game after his passing.

From 2020…

Lawrence Tanter announcing every Laker starter as Kobe 😢pic.twitter.com/ZwqdsxPZ4ehttps://t.co/wOwYrYMqQK

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) September 24, 2026

“He’s an iconic voice,” head coach JJ Redick said back in March when Tanter initially stepped away from the team. “Playing against the Lakers for 15 years…just playing against them in the Finals, it’s almost a comfort with him being in this arena.”

I think I speak for all Lakers fans when I say that Lakers games are never goign to be the same without him.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.