Category: NBA

There are only so many spots available on any NBA roster. That’s especially true for a young team like the Brooklyn Nets — average age 24.31 years, with rookie contracts accounting for eight of their 15 standard deals.

That’s why Summer League, training camp, and the preseason are so valuable for those Exhibit 10 and two-way players hoping to make their way up the totem pole. For Exhibit 10’s, the goal could be to show enough to eventually earn a two-way spot, while those already on two-way deals look to prove they deserve a standard contract.

As Chaney Johnson and Grant Nelson enter their second year with the Nets organization, and their first full seasons on two-way contracts, proving themselves is exactly what they sought to do all offseason.

Both have a different, tougher background than many of their teammates. They are natives of small town America — Johnson from Alabaster, Alabama, Nelson from Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. They were passed over by big schools, winding up at smaller schools, the University of Alabama at Huntsville and North Dakota State before, ironically, joining rivals Auburn and Alabama.

Now, even after going undrafted, they’ve almost made it as NBA two-ways. The problem, however, is that with so many young players and established veterans competing for minutes on a team now looking to win, playing time is already limited.

Regardless of the minutes available, Johnson and Nelseon have done everything they can to show Sean Marks 7 organization they can perform at the NBA level.

Chaney Johnson

Let’s start with Johnson, 24, who has, quite literally, done just about everything the Nets could have asked of him since joining the organization as a two-way in December.

After starting his college career at Division II University of Alabama Huntsville, going undrafted out of Auburn, and spending time with the Cleveland Cavaliers on an Exhibit 10 deal, Johnson made an immediate impact in the G League for the Nets.

Across 24 outings for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, he averaged 14.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals before earning an opportunity to contribute in Brooklyn late in the season. He capitalized on that end-of-season chance, averaging 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in 17 games, while playing with grit and competitiveness. That’s the fire Jordi Fernández loves to see in his players.

That continued into Summer League, where he led the Las Vegas portion in steals, and most recently, the preseason, which wrapped up on Wednesday. What stands out about Johnson is that he does the dirty work. He crashes the boards and has even held his own at the center position despite being just 6’7” and change, a byproduct of knowing how to use his physicality to his advantage.

Johnson also seems to have emerged as a favorite in the team’s locker room, largely because of his relentless work ethic. Speaking with reporters during the preseason, Egor Dëmin had some high praise for the Alabaman.

“[Chaney] is the hardest working guy in the gym,” he said. “He’s going to develop into a [standard] contract at some point. He’s going to be amazing. I’m glad to have him as a teammate. He does the work that not many people want to do on the court. And he’s grateful for having that opportunity. I think that’s rare and I appreciate him a lot.”

With defensive concerns, particularly in the frontcourt this season, someone like Johnson, who brings a kind of defensive intensity, could be valuable. Johnson’s work so far may indeed warrant a standard contract. The issue, though, is finding room for him.

The Nets already have 15 players on standard deals, and it doesn’t look like they’ll make any cuts from that group. Eight of their 15 players on standard deals are still on rookie contracts, while the others are veteran locks to make the roster when it’s finalized at day’s end.

That leaves Johnson in a tough spot. The numbers just don’t work in his favor for a standard deal. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds his way into Brooklyn’s rotation this season, especially with injuries. Keep in mind, two-way players can dress for 50 NBA games before they need to be converted to standard contracts.

Johnson told ND last season that his ambitions are lofty, but considering where he’s come from, one shouldn’t dismiss them.

“I want to be one of the better players in the NBA,” Johnson said of his aspirations. “All-Defensive First Team or Second Team and possibly have an NBA championship, I want to be one of the greatest players to ever touch the ball.”

On Monday, a blogger who tracks the G League and two-ways described C.J. as the NBA two-way player most likely to break out this season…

The best thing Johnson can do is keep impressing his teammates and coaches with his work ethic while showing his defensive value. If he could flash as a defensive chip this season, that would be a huge win for the Nets.

Grant Nelson

Nelson has taken somewhat the same path, starting out in North Dakota where his combination of shooting and athleticism later earned him the nickname, “Dakota Durant”. North Dakota’s Mr. Basketball, he eventually found his way to a bigger school as well, Alabama. Both wound up taking their adopted Division I schools to the NCAA Final Four.

The 7-footer dealt with knee issues for much of last season with the Nets, just as he had his last season in Tuscaloosa, making it difficult for him to produce consistently. But when he was healthy, there were some encouraging results. In 15 G League starts, he averaged 24 points and 12 rebounds per 36 minutes. That was following a seven-week rehab program with Long Island’s player performance team.

After that strong stretch on Long Island, he earned a 10-day contract with Brooklyn, where he played 35 minutes and tallied 17 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. However, after his 10-day deal wasn’t renewed, it was revealed that his season would be cut short due to patellar tendinitis, commonly known as “jumper’s knee.”

As he continued to rehab, the Alabama product missed all of Summer League, though he remained on the team’s roster and traveled to both Sacramento and Las Vegas with the squad before getting converted to a two-way deal.

“I spent the whole summer rehabbing,” Nelson told reporters on Media Day. “I was pretty much getting my quad strength back after my tendon and I think the staff here did a great job helping me achieve 100 percent which I haven’t been at for a while.” .

After recovering, Nelson averaged 6.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in four preseason games. He particularly stood out in the Nets’ preseason win over the Washington Wizards, where he didn’t enter until the fourth quarter but had nine points in nine minutes, while also grabbing four rebounds, including three on offense, and shooting 4-of-5 (80%), including 1-of-2 from deep (50%).

That improve shooting, he said, was a benefit of having all that time rehabbing.

“My shooting, definitely,” he told NetsDaily when asked what’s better about his game. “It was a big emphasis knowing I was going to be out at the end of last season, this gives me a chance to hone in on my shooting mechanics and work with the great staff we have here. So I think my shooting has become much better. So I’m excited to show that this season coming up.”

At 7 feet, the 24-year-old moves well for his size and brings offensive versatility that isn’t common for someone his size. He is also highly athletic, setting the NBA Combine’s record for the shuttle run at 2.58 seconds and recording a 35.5” max vertical. He also has shown off good timing. Ask Cooper Flagg who once tried to get him on a poster…

What we mentioned with Johnson is even more applicable to Nelson: the Nets’ lack of frontcourt defense, especially rim protection in Nelson’s case, could lead to opportunities.

After losing Nic Claxton this offseason, the Nets don’t currently have a consistent, proven rim protector on their roster. Day’Ron Sharpe is a great offensive rebounder and Noah Clowney can block shots, but is more of forward. That’s where Nelson could potentially find an opportunity. He isn’t built like a traditional rim protector, but is very athletic and offers size, solid mobility… and an offensive game. At the very least, Nelson is another piece for Fernández to experiment with.

Could both earn a rotation spot?

Unlike the prior two years, Brooklyn is actually looking to win games this season. Yes, player development is still a priority, but the squad also needs to put players on the floor who can contribute to wins.

Johnson probably has the better chance right now, given his sample size in the pros last year and his strong Summer. He also offers positional size and versatility, which the Nets value.

Nelson is more of a developmental project, but again, injuries and the Nets’ lack of established frontcourt depth could create chances for him as well. Most likely, both players will spend ample time on Long Island, and those are valuable minutes.

Long Island’s season kicks off on November 6, which means if both players aren’t yet breaking through in Brooklyn by then, they will have a chance to get valuable playing time in the G League and make their presence felt. Nelson alluded to that on Media Day. “I’m super excited to get out there and play in Long Island or hopefully with this top team and getting more experience.” Better than sitting on the bench or showing up to NBA games in street clothes or watching from Alabaster or Devil’s Lake.

In the winter of 2014, I was struggling through my freshman year of college. After spending my entire childhood in the North Texas suburbs, I made the reckless and ill-advised decision to attend a private university in central Illinois. Things weren’t going well for me— my mental health was in the gutter, I was abusing substances and failing my classes, and couldn’t stop feeling desperately, pathetically homesick.

Mavericks’ basketball was a lifeline during this time. Through my angst and depression, I could always look forward to locking in with Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis, and Tyson Chandler during the early days of that infamous 2014-2015 season. That team was incredibly fun to watch, and for the first time since winning the title in 2011, it seemed like they could make a serious run. After all, Dallas had the best offensive rating in league history during those first few months.

We all know what happened next: Dallas made the Rajon Rondo trade and nuked their season. I remember being home for winter break when the news broke. My friend and I got the notification and celebrated, sure that our contending team was adding the final piece to the puzzle. Despite concerns about fit (with both the roster and coach Rick Carlisle), bringing in a talent like Rondo was a risk worth taking.

It didn’t work out. Rondo fit horribly, clashed with Carlisle and Dirk, and quit on the team as the Mavericks flamed out in the first round of the playoffs. It was a disastrous trade, one that destroyed a promising season with added potential to set the franchise back for years to come.

But it didn’t. When Dallas made that fateful trade with the Boston Celtics, they tossed a young, undersized big man into the deal. His name was Dwight Harlan Powell, and he became one of the most important Dallas Mavericks in team history.

When Powell first came to Dallas, no one was really sure what he was. Drafted 45th overall in 2014 by the Hornets, Powell bounced from Charlotte to Cleveland before eventually settling with the Celtics to start his rookie season. The Stanford product played just nine total minutes for Boston before the Rondo deal, so Maverick fans didn’t have many reference points. Powell worked his way into a depth role for Dallas that season, appearing in a handful of games and mostly shooting pick-and-pop midrange jumpers. I remember thinking, “This guy can shoot a bit, and he moves pretty well, too.”

But that was never going to be a viable role for a player of Powell’s size and skill level. A classic tweener prospect, Powell was too small to handle traditional center responsibilities at the NBA level. Unfortunately, he also wasn’t a good enough shooter or scorer to play the four spot. To get out of tweener jail and make an impact for Dallas, Powell had to get creative. He understood that a player like him needed to do the little things better than anyone else. Screen setting, dribble-handoff facilitation, offensive rebounding, positioning, and defensive mobility became his calling cards. Through sharpening these tools, Powell turned himself into one of the most proficient pick-and-roll centers in the NBA. Powell leveraged his one big NBA skill (athleticism) into elite finishing as a lob threat, a feat that looks a lot simpler than it really is.

In 2018, the Mavericks drafted Luka Doncic and changed Powell’s life. Doncic, arguably the best pick-and-roll ball handler of all time, formed a beautiful, symbiotic relationship with the 6’10 pogo stick. Powell’s strong, physical screens created so much space for Doncic to operate. His perfectly executed rolls to the rim provided crucial vertical spacing for Dallas offense. All Doncic had to do was read the defense and exploit whatever advantage they created. From 2018-2020, the Doncic/Powell two-man combo posted a 120.1 offensive rating in 1,430 shared minutes. People wanted to give Doncic sole credit for this success, but Powell was absolutely essential in unlocking the lethal Mavericks offense during the Luka era.

In January of 2020, when he was at the peak of his powers, Powell tore his Achilles, ending his season and beyond. As a 29-year-old center whose entire game was predicated on plus athleticism and jumping ability, this was a devastating blow to Powell’s career. Losing even a bit of the juice that made Powell such a dynamic lob threat had disastrous implications, and it was fair to wonder if he’d even be able to hang around the NBA for much longer.

But Powell didn’t let those daunting prospects detour him. Instead, he did what he’s always done: work harder than everyone else. Not content to accept taking a backseat in his career, Powell attacked his rehab relentlessly and returned to the floor in December of 2020, less than a calendar year removed from sustaining the injury. Though he struggled through that season, he was able to reclaim his starting role and play all 82 games during the 2021-2022 run to the Western Conference Finals. Powell remained essential to the Maverick offense, but when Dallas flamed out in the Conference Finals against the Warriors, he was scapegoated for their failure. Kevon Looney, Golden State’s starting center, had a career series and punished Dallas on the offensive glass, where Powell has always struggled. You heard the refrain everywhere you went: Dwight Powell is not good enough to start at center on a contending team.

And you know what? That’s probably always been true. Powell is far from a perfect player, and his deficiencies are obvious to the casual basketball fan. He’s one of the worst rim-protecting bigs you’ll ever see. He struggles to control the defensive glass. He can’t shoot, he can’t dribble, and he can’t post up. All of these things stick out like a sore thumb when things aren’t going well.

But the things Powell does well aren’t as obvious to the naked eye. The average fan might not clock how the timing and cadence of a Powell screen creates an easy shot for a teammate. It’s hard for people to understand how knowing where to be on the floor, when to flow into a different action, and how to move can help an offense. It’s not sexy to always make the right, simple read whenever the ball ends up in your hands. When Powell gets scored on at the rim, it’s easy to deride him. But when he perfectly executes a blitz, recovers to his man, cuts off a drive, and closes out to a shooter, there’s no box score stat to reflect the impact.

This has always been the story of Dwight Powell. Because of his clear weaknesses, modest box score production, and middling team success, Powell has long been the subject of fan proxy wars. Many simply couldn’t understand why Dallas kept wasting their time and resources on the guy. For years and years, folks seemed to think that if the Dwight Powell spot could be upgraded, everything else would fall into place. People pined for far worse players like Andre Drummond and DeAndre Jordan. Whoever the Mavericks brought in to take his place, Powell proved to be a better option.

This was true until the 2023-2024 season, when the Mavericks added the two-headed monster of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. By this point in Powell’s career, he was rightfully transitioned to third-string, vibes-based backup. It was the perfect role for him at this time, and Dallas rode their improved frontcourt rotation all the way to the NBA Finals.

It was never Powell’s fault that he was often overtasked as a starting center; all he did was play his role to the absolute best of his abilities. This remained true even in his final years, when Powell was deployed as a sparkplug depth option when the team needed energy and competence. Because if there’s one thing Dwight Powell is going to do, it’s play harder than the guys in front of him. Even with his skills and athleticism severely diminished, Powell swung countless sleepy regular season games by injecting life into the team.

And apart from all of the genuine impact Powell had on the basketball court, his greatest success in Dallas has to be what he brought to both the organization and community away from it. Ask any teammate Powell has ever had, and they will gush with praise. He leads by example with his work ethic and unselfishness, showing every young player what it means to be a pro. Despite being openly derided by much of the fanbase and constantly having his role in flux, Powell never complained a single time. When Dereck Lively took his starting spot, Powell embraced the rookie with class and elegance, offering nothing but support and guidance. During every single game, no matter how much he was playing, Powell was always the most active and energetic member of the bench. These things matter.

Powell also recognized the importance of making an impact in the community. He cared deeply for Dallas, the fans, and everyone else he came into contact with. Powell devoted a ton of time and effort to community work, the extent of which we really can’t know, because Powell didn’t do these things for show. Like Dirk Nowitzki before him, Powell operated away from cameras and the spotlight. The only time you heard about his charitable exploits was when other people talked about them. Because Powell doesn’t care about attention, he doesn’t care about fame, and he doesn’t care what others think. He tries to show up for others as often as he can. That’s the most admirable quality a professional athlete can have.

Dwight Powell spent 12 years on the periphery of my life as someone I always supported and appreciated. During that time, I went through countless personal ups and downs and became a man. While I am going to miss Powell in Dallas terribly, no one is going to miss him more than my mother, Powell’s biggest fan. She dubbed him “Super Dwight” and was always so happy any time he checked into a game. A couple of years ago, after a particularly good Powell performance, I texted my mom to talk about him. After discussing his game, I asked her to name her top three Dwight Powell qualities. Her response: “Hustle, setting screens, and attitude on the court. Humility, generosity, and charity off the court.” I can’t think of any better way to sum up everything that Powell is about. Best of luck to Dwight in his next endeavor— he will always, always be a Maverick.

The Los Angeles Lakers have come to a decision on their roster to open the season.

Dalton Knecht has been waived, the team announced Monday afternoon. The move puts the Lakers roster at 15 players, the limit under NBA rules.

The Lakers, who carried 16 players through the preseason, had a choice to make between Knecht and Bronny James. Both players were held out of practice ahead of Monday's 2 p.m. cut deadline, with head coach JJ Redick saying the two cut candidates were "under the weather." And despite rumors over the weekend of trade talks centered around Knecht, it appears president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka ultimately decided to make a clean break.

The Golden State Warriors can finally take a moment to breathe.

After Steph Curry left Sunday’s open practice early due to an ankle injury, head coach Steve Kerr said on Monday that Curry is fine and he expects him to play in their season opener on Wednesday night, against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“He’s fine. Yeah, he practiced full today,” Kerr said to Kendzo Fukuda of Clutch Points.

The potential loss of Curry came after he was seen gingerly limping off the court with a non-contact injury during an open practice at the Chase Center.

Kerr said that initially, it gave him a bit of a scare seeing Curry exit early, but after he went and checked on him in the training room, he knew everything was okay.

“He told me immediately that he was fine,” Kerr said.

Last season, Curry appeared in only 43 games for Golden State after missing an extensive amount of time due to runner’s knee.

When he was on the court, the Warriors were 24-19. When he wasn’t, they were 13-26.

Last season, Curry averaged 26.6 points, while having a 46.8 shooting percentage from the field and 39.3% from downtown.

When he wasn’t scoring points, Curry was also averaging 3.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.1 steals while playing an average of 30.9 minutes per game.

Last month, Curry and the Warriors agreed to a two-year $116 million contract extension that includes a player option after the 2028-2029 season.

While the NBA season has yet to start, Golden State is already being impacted by injuries.

Both Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis won’t be available for the season opener as Butler is returning from a torn ACL and is expected to return to action around late January or early February next year.

Porzingis’ timeline is currently unknown, as he’s out indefinitely.

Kerr said that while his center is out, he won’t be traveling with the team and that he wanted to give him space so that he can focus on the rest of the team.

Once a draft steal for the Lakers, Dalton Knecht’s drastic fall has bottomed out.

On Monday, the Lakers made official a move many had speculated this preseason in waiving Knecht, bringing their roster to 15 players.

Prior to Friday’s preseason finale for LA, head coach JJ Redick spoke about Knecht’s situation and what changed from his rookie year to this season.

“I think the biggest thing is the team changed,” Redick said. “The team changed. The needs changed. The fit changed. I think he got better as a player over the last two years. I think each guy has, particularly last year, each guy got plenty of opportunities with the amount of injuries we had. I just think, coming into this year, we got a lot of wings and he’s in a tough spot right now.”

For a brief moment in his rookie career, Knecht looked not only like a diamond in the rough but also a potential Rookie of the Year. But as fast as he burst onto the scene, he faded into the background.

The lasting memory of his tenure in LA will be the failed trade for Mark Williams. After the team acquired Luka Dončić, they immediately moved to bring in a lob-catching center, sending Knecht in a trade package to the Hornets.

That trade, though, was rescinded days later after the deadline. Although he was already on a downward trajectory before then, that moment seemed to seal his fate.

He was given various opportunities throughout his remaining time with the team, but was never able to make an impression. Much of that was due to his continued defensive shortcomings with little progress made on that end of the floor throughout his time in the league.

Coming into training camp, the Lakers had 16 guaranteed contracts with only 15 players allowed on a roster, meaning there was a competition for the final spot. Knecht’s lack of presence throughout the preseason, whether that be in quotes from head coach JJ Redick or actual playing time, showed where he stood.

The limited time he did get on the court offered little reason for optimism. He didn’t make much of an argument to keep him on the roster, bringing us to this decision.

The Lakers now are at 15 players on the roster.

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

After months of anticipation, the Lakers finally made the necessary move to become compliant with the league’s roster rules. 

The team waived Dalton Knecht on Monday ahead of the league’s 2 p.m. deadline to trim their roster from 16 to 15 players signed to standard contracts. 

The Lakers have been needing to trim their roster since signing Matisse Thybulle to a veteran’s minimum contract in late July.

When asked after the team’s practice on Monday whether a decision had been made, coach JJ Redick responded, “those decisions will be made at 2 [p.m.].”

After nearly three months of deliberation, and less than a couple of hours after Redick spoke with reporters, the Lakers decided to part ways with the third-year wing whose role with the team has diminished over the last couple of years. 

Knecht and third-year guard Bronny James were excused from Monday’s practice.

The franchise selected Knecht with the No. 17 pick in the 2024, with the former Tennessee Volunteer making a big splash early on as a rookie.   

He was in the rotation from the start of the 2024-25 season, stepping into the starting lineup in mid-November amid injuries — which produced the best stretch of his brief NBA career: Knecht averaged 18.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in the final nine games of November 2024 (nine starts). 

Even when he hit a shooting slump in January and December, the 6-foot-5 wing was still getting consistent playing time as a part of the rotation. 

It looked like Knecht was going to come out of the slump after scoring 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the Lakers’ win over the Clippers on Feb. 4, 2025. 

But his career hasn’t been the same since. 

The Lakers included him in the trade for Mark Williams that was rescinded, and Knecht’s playing time for the Lakers wasn’t the same after he returned to the team. 

That was still true during his second season with the Lakers in 2025-26: He played 553 total minutes during the regular season across 54 games after recording 1,494 minutes in 78 regular-season games as a rookie. 

“The biggest thing is the team changed,” coach JJ Redick said last week when asked where things went wrong for Knecht. “The team changed. The needs changed, the fit changed. I think he got better as a player over the last two years. I think each guy has, particularly last year, each guy got plenty of opportunities with the amount of injuries we had. So I just think coming into this year, we added a lot of wings and he’s in a tough spot right now.”

Knecht averaged just 2.8 points (11.8 minutes per game) in four of the Lakers’ five preseason games.

As rumors swirl about their pending roster crunch, the Lakers were without two players during Monday’s practice. 

Third-year wing Dalton Knecht and third-year guard Bronny James were excused from the session, according to Lakers coach JJ Redick. 

The Lakers have until 2 p.m. to trim their roster from 16 players signed to standard NBA deals to the maximum of 15 today. 

Redick said the Lakers had a couple of players who were “under the weather” before adding that James and Knecht were excused from practice. 

Redick added that the Lakers hadn’t made a decision about their roster crunch as of the time of post-practice media availability.

“Those decisions will be made at 2 [p.m.],” Redick added.

Knecht’s name has swirled in Lakers’ roster crunch rumors for the last several weeks.

And, as of an hour ago and after nearly three months of deliberation, the team decided to part ways with the third-year wing whose role has diminished over the last couple of weeks. 

The No. 17 pick in the 2024 draft, the former Tennessee Volunteer made a big splash early on as a rookie with the Lakers before his role with the team lessened.

He was in the rotation from the start of the 2024–25 season, stepping into the starting lineup in mid-November amid injuries — which produced the best stretch of his brief NBA career: Knecht averaged 18.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in the final nine games of November 2024 with nine starts.

Even when he hit a shooting slump in January and December, the 6-foot-5 wing was still getting consistent playing time as part of the rotation. It looked like Knecht was going to come out of the slump after scoring 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the Lakers’ win over the Clippers on Feb. 4, 2025. 

But his career hasn’t been the same since. 

The Lakers included him in the trade for Mark Williams that was rescinded, and Knecht’s playing time for the Lakers wasn’t the same after he returned to the team. 

That was still true during his second season with the Lakers in 2025–26: He played 553 total minutes during the regular season across 54 games after recording 1,494 minutes in 78 regular-season games as a rookie. 

“The biggest thing is the team changed,” coach JJ Redick said last week when asked where things went wrong for Knecht. “The team changed. The needs changed, the fit changed. I think he got better as a player over the last two years.”

He continued, :I think each guy has, particularly last year, each guy got plenty of opportunities with the amount of injuries we had. So I just think coming into this year, we added a lot of wings and he’s in a tough spot right now.”

Knecht averaged just 2.8 points (11.8 minutes per game) in four of the Lakers’ five preseason games.

James, the oldest son of former Lakers superstar LeBron James, has struggled during the preseason after taking significant strides in his development to close out last season. He’s averaged just 2.2 points on 25% shooting in the Lakers’ five preseason games.

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In his latest Stein Line newsletter, Marc Stein reported that the Knicks “did not shop reserve guard Tyler Kolek to try to make roster room for Bruce Brown.”

According to Stein, only a trade for a center would have pried Kolek from New York’s bench.

Prior to the recent release of the veteran Brown on October 17, there were reports that the team was shopping both Pacome Dadiet and Kolek. Of the two, we assumed there would be more interest in Kolek, who is the more polished player. The third-year, third-string point guard might be a little old for a development project (he’ll turn 26 in March), but he logged one triple-double last season and was key in a 114–113 win over Indiana, posting 16 points and 11 assists.

Dadiet and Kolek appear set to be in uniform for opening night—as will James Wiseman, who beat out Brown and a few others for the 14th roster spot. To stay below the second apron, the Knicks are carrying only 14 players into the season. Signing Wiseman allowed the them to add another center without sacrificing Kolek.

Coach Mike Brown is reported to be a fan of Wiseman and was an assistant coach on the Warriors when they drafted the 6’11” center in 2020. Stein quoted Brown as saying, “[Karl-Anthony Towns is] not athletic like that and Andre [Drummond] was once that—he still has some of it… [Wiseman’s] vertical threat at the rim, the vertical threat defensively, how good he runs, you welcome that at his size and age and athleticism.”

Coincidentally, Wiseman will also turn 26 in March, four days after Kolek.

Go Knicks.

After practice Monday, Knicks coach Mike Brown, as well as guards Jalen Brunsonand Landry Shamet, spoke about what it means to turn the page on their championship berth and enter a new campaign with largely the same group.

Turning the page on a title

The Knicks will kick off their 2026-27 campaign with one last celebration of their historic NBA title: a ring presentation and banner raising ceremony hosted at MSG ahead of their season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night. 

As fun as it's been to revel in their success the last few months, much of the team is already trying to move forward.

"Every year, it's a new year to attack something,"Brunsonsaid. "When people say we're defending the title — I mean, that's one way to look at it, but it's something we won. We've put in our past, and now we're just trying to attack another."

Shamet added that although fans across New York City are still riding the high of the championship, once the new season starts, everyone will be more focused what lies ahead.

"I think the fascinating part about sports is that starting tomorrow, no one cares [about the championship],"Shametadded. "After the ceremony's over, it's 0-0. We're a competitive bunch, and by no means is anybody expecting to just coast or anything like that. That's definitely not the tone of our group."

Between the ring presentation, the roar of the home crowd, and the excitement of a new season, having a ceremony immediately before the opener against Philly could be distracting. But Brown said he trusts his players to compartmentalize.

"It's hard, because they're human, and there's a part of you that wants to keep celebrating, but we've got to turn it off," he said. "The challenge is to try to get them enjoy the moment, but not fully. You have to try to supress all that early, before the ceremony, so that you can quickly get not just your body, but your mind and your emotions into the task in front of you."

The hard part, Shamet said, is to not get so wrapped up in what they've already accomplished that they become cocky or complacent. 

"I think that's maybe some of the challenge that I've read about and seen in the past that championship teams have," Shamet added. "How do you take the high in the celebration at the beginning of the game, and still go out and perform, play the brand of basketball that you'd want to play?" 

Jalen Brunson on Knicks fans seeing a new banner raised tomorrow night: "They deserve it. This is something that's been brewing for a long time...to share this moment with them is definitely going to be special." https://t.co/IlRiUGpGil

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) October 19, 2026

Shamet grateful for another year in New York

For the first time in his eight-year career, Shamet is spending a third-straight season with the same team. 

After splitting his freshman season between the 76ers and the Clippers, he floated from the Nets, to the Suns, to the Wizards, until finally landing in the Knicks organization in 2024. He then dislocated his shoulder, got waived by the Knicks, spent a few months recovering, and worked his way from New York's' G-League affiliate back onto the major league bench.

Shamet ended up a crucial piece of the Knicks bench late in the playoffs, shooting 55.6 percent and 41.7 percent from the field in Games 1 and 2 of the Finals, respectively. In June, he inked a four-year deal with the team worth $24 million, marking Shamet's first long-term commitment with a team.

"It's not lost on me. I feel like I try and do a good job of not taking much for granted," Shamet said of his tenure with the Knicks. "[I've] never spent three consecutive training camps with the same organization, so feels really good ... to be here and have a familiar group and feel comfortable and confident with the people I'm around. I feel like they feel the same way about me, so I don't take that for granted at all."

He's one of several key players the Knicks were able to retain in the offseason — a fact that should give them a boost against many of their Eastern Conference rivals, whose rosters saw major shakeups over the summer: Boston got Paul George and former Knick Mitchell Robinson, Philadelphia added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, Toronto welcomed Kawhi Leonard back after seven years away from the team, and Miami acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo after a lengthy trade battle with Boston.

While those teams spend the early months of the season working out the kinks that come with a roster rebrand, the Knicks are hoping to lean on their well-established system to get ahead early.

"[It's] very valuable," Brunson said of returning so many key players. "For us to come back, it's good to have our chemistry continue to grow, understanding that we've done it, but are we still hungry, are we still satisfied? Do we continue to get better every single day, or are we just content? That's our big question that's going to be answered within the first couple weeks of the season. However we answer it, we're going to attack it and get better every single day after that."

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The King is about to meet the champs.

On Tuesday, Oct. 20, LeBron James will play his first regular season game as a Philadelphia 76er (along with fellow splashy acquisition Jaylen Brown) when his new-look club visits Madison Square Garden to take on Jalen Brunson’s defending champion New York Knicks.

This won’t be just a high-profile opening night game, though.

Prior to tip-off, Mike Brown’s squad is celebrating their 2025-26 Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs with a pregame ceremony where a) players and coaches will receive championship rings, b) the championship banner will be risen to the rafters and c) a special video looking back at the team’s first title in 53 years will play.

“It’s gonna be a great night,” Brunson smiled.

If you’d like to be there for the momentous occasion, last-minute tickets are still available.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats for opening night was $1,063 including fees on StubHub.

While not exactly cheap — this is reportedly the most expensive regular season game in NBA history after all — ticket prices have dropped over the past week. When our team last reported on how much it cost to get in to this contest on Oct. 14, prices started at $1,149 including fees on Vivid Seats.

In the off chance you don’t have a calculator on hand, they’re now $86 less than they were five days ago.

And, prices may continue to drop leading to tip-off. We recommend refreshing this link to see if any surprise deals pop up.

Still too rich for your blood?

That’s OK. Other Knicks home games at MSG have tickets going for as low as $178 including fees on Vivid Seats (that’s actually for the Oct. 25 showdown with the Magic at the Garden).

For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the Knicks’ 2026-27 MSG home opener against the 76ers below.

How much are tickets for the Knicks opening night game against the 76ers?

A complete breakdown of all the best prices on seats by section at Madison Square Garden for the Oct. 20 Knicks vs. 76ers game are listed here:

What do tickets cost for the Knicks’ other 2026-27 home games at MSG?

All Knicks home game dates, opponents, start times and links to the cheapest tickets available are listed below.

October 2026 regular season games at MSG

November 2026 regular season games at MSG

*Games listed as “NBA Cup Game” are part of the NBA in-season tournament.

December 2026 regular season games at MSG

January 2027 regular season games at MSG

February 2027 regular season games at MSG

March 2027 regular season games at MSG

April 2027 regular season games at MSG

Where are the Knicks playing on the road in 2026-27?

Here’s where you can find Brunson, Towns and the team when they’re not at MSG from October 2026 through April 2027.

How can I watch the Knicks on TV in 2026-27?

There are a number of options for fans who prefer to watch games from the comfort of their own home.

MSG Network, ABC, ESPN, NBC, Amazon Prime Video and NBA TV are likely your best bets.

For cord cutters, we recommend looking into Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling or YouTube TV.

Just make sure to check local listings before tuning in.

Huge shows at MSG in 2026-27

Want to catch a show at the Big Apple’s one-of-a-kind entertainment epicenter?

Here are just five of the biggest acts headed to the Garden these next few months.

• Dave Chappelle (Nov. 6-7)

• Dave Matthews Band (Nov. 12-13)

• Stevie Wonder (Nov. 19)

• Doja Cat with Latto (Dec. 1)

• Andrea Bocelli (Dec. 16-17)

Who else is headed to the Garden? Take a look at this list of all the biggest events at MSG these next few months to find the show or game for you.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

DETROIT — The Celtics will be at near-full strength when they face the Detroit Pistons for their first game of the year on Tuesday at 3pm ET.

The only exception is Devin Carter, who is listed as out with an illness. Carter, who signed a two-way contract with the Celtics on Sunday after beginning the year on an Exhibit 10 contract, was diagnosed with mononucleosis and could miss several weeks.

The rest of the roster is good to go. In the two preseason games in which the Celtics were at full strength, they started Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, Jayson Tatum, Paul George and Mitchell Robinson, though it remains to be seen if that will be their go-to starting lineup when the regular season begins.

The Celtics went 4-0 in preseason, racking up two wins against the Philadelphia 76ers, a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and a win against the Charlotte Hornets.

The Celtics face the reigning No. 1 seed in the season opener

The Celtics went 1-3 against the Pistons during the regular season last year. The Pistons finished the season with the Eastern Conference’s best record at 60-22; the Celtics’ finished with the second-best record at 56-26. Detroit’s season ended at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

This Pistons team is different than the one that dominated last year’s regular season; they lost two key rotation pieces in Tobias Harris, who left in free agency to join the San Antonion Spurs, and Isaiah Stewart, who was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Their biggest additions are forward John Collins, who they acquired via trade from the Los Angeles Clippers, and Isaiah Joe, who they acquired via trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Pistons, who went 3-1 in the preseason, are expected to start Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins and Jalen Duren when the two teams face off on Tuesday.

With direct access to Lakers memorabilia, the franchise’s global fan base and eBay’s live-commerce infrastructure, Goldin is drawing on decades of auction expertise to bring sports history to mainstream fans and established collectors alike.

Magic Johnson signed his name three times across a purple Los Angeles Lakers jersey before Ken Goldin brought it to auction.

The five-time NBA champion was among the Lakers legends participating in an invitation-only gathering at a private residence in West Hollywood on October 13. Public figures, private collectors, athletes, and industry figures, including Rob Veres of Burbank Sports Cards and members of the Trove Media team, gathered for an evening of live signings, historical memorabilia and auctions streamed through eBay Live.

 

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Johnson’s signed jersey was auctioned, with proceeds benefiting the Magic Johnson Foundation. Lakers legends Kurt Rambis and Derek Fisher also participated in the evening, while Goldin presented an assortment of collectibles spanning generations of Lakers history.

Elsewhere in the residence, a Wilt Chamberlain jersey photo-matched to Game 3 of the 1972 NBA Finals stood alongside a Magic Johnson jersey worn during his 1989–90 MVP season. Kobe Bryant’s twice-signed Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 sneakers, worn during his 42-point playoff performance against the San Antonio Spurs in 2004, were also on display. Five championship rings belonging to longtime Lakers public-address announcer Lawrence Tanter represented the franchise’s championship runs from 2000 to 2002 and 2009 to 2010.

The evening marked the first major activation of Goldin’s multiyear partnership with the Lakers, announced in July, which named the eBay-owned company the franchise’s official auction house sponsor. Beginning October 28, Goldin will introduce weekly Wednesday auctions on eBay Live, bringing together historical memorabilia and equipment used during the current NBA season.

For Ken Goldin, the choice of partner was deliberate.

“Look, for me, I wanted to start at the top,” Goldin told Sam Goodman, Mantel contributor and founder of SOMOS Index, pointing to the Lakers’ championship history, international recognition and generations of culturally significant players.

The agreement represents more than an opportunity to sell memorabilia associated with one of basketball’s most recognizable franchises. It connects Goldin directly with the organization producing and preserving those objects, while opening access to the global audience that gives them cultural and commercial significance.

The Goldin Advantage

Auction houses have traditionally relied on private collectors, dealers and consignors to bring valuable memorabilia to market. A historically significant jersey might remain in a personal collection for decades before its owner decides to sell.

Goldin’s Lakers partnership introduces a different approach, establishing a direct relationship with the franchise rather than depending exclusively on owners bringing memorabilia to auction.

“How does working with professional sports organizations change your approach to sourcing inventory?” Goodman asked.

“For us, it gives us a guaranteed supply without competition,” Goldin responded.

The agreement gives Goldin access to selected memorabilia from the Lakers’ historical archives alongside contemporary game-used equipment, including jerseys, basketballs and nets. Rather than competing for those objects once they enter private collections, the auction house can source them through the organization itself.

That relationship is particularly important in a market where an object’s value depends not only on who used it, but also on the ability to establish its history.

“To us, provenance and authenticity is the number one thing,” Goldin explained. “Is it real? Is it authentic? We are getting it from the source.”

Acquiring memorabilia directly from the franchise provides a clearer chain of custody, connecting an item’s documented use to its eventual sale. For collectors, that provenance can be as important as the athlete or performance associated with it.

Direct sourcing also changes how quickly memorabilia can reach the market.

Goldin described how equipment associated with a significant performance could potentially reach auction as soon as the following day, rather than spending years circulating through private collections. The same relationship could allow collectors to pursue objects before their significance has even been established.

He outlined plans for a service allowing fans to arrange the purchase of game-worn memorabilia before an upcoming matchup. A collector, for example, could request an Austin Reaves jersey without knowing whether the player will deliver an ordinary performance or a career-defining night.

The distinction is significant. Historically, collectors have often pursued memorabilia after an athlete or moment has become important. Goldin’s approach could allow them to acquire objects tied to moments whose place in sports history has yet to be determined.

For an auction house built around bringing desirable collectibles to market, the Lakers relationship provides a closer connection to the athletes, games and organizations responsible for creating them.

The Power of the Purple and Gold

The Lakers offer Goldin something beyond a collection of historic jerseys and game-used equipment.

Few professional sports franchises have a cultural identity as recognizable as the Lakers. From Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant to LeBron James and Luka Dončić, the team’s history extends across generations of basketball, entertainment and popular culture.

That recognition also gives Goldin access to an audience far larger than the established sports memorabilia market.

“Part of our deal is that this is going to be promoted to the millions of fans that are in the Lakers database and maybe not in my auction database,” Goldin explained.

For an auction house accustomed to reaching customers through collectors, dealers and existing marketplace participants, the franchise relationship creates another path to potential buyers.

A lifelong Lakers fan may have attended games, purchased jerseys and followed the team’s biggest moments without ever participating in a memorabilia auction. Through the partnership, that same fan could encounter an opportunity to own an object directly connected to a favorite player or memorable performance.

Goldin has previously used entertainment to introduce collecting to audiences outside the traditional hobby.

Why Season 3 of Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch, is Ken Goldin’s Biggest Statement Yet

Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch, which premiered in 2023, brought viewers inside the auction house, following the personalities, historic objects and competitive transactions that define its business.

The Lakers partnership approaches audience development from another direction.

Where Netflix introduced collecting through entertainment, the franchise relationship allows Goldin to reach potential customers through their existing attachment to a team and its players. Rather than asking viewers to become interested in collectibles generally, Goldin can introduce memorabilia connected to athletes and moments they already care about.

The inventory itself is intended to serve a broader range of buyers.

 

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“We’re going to have something for everybody and we’re going to have something from every player,” Goldin said.

Alongside premium game-worn jerseys and historically significant artifacts, Goldin plans to offer more accessible collectibles and unusual objects connected to players throughout the roster. Potential offerings include media-day jerseys, game-used basketballs, locker-room nameplates and equipment associated with the franchise.

For established collectors, that creates another source of rare and historically significant memorabilia. For Lakers fans unfamiliar with auctions, it introduces collecting through a relationship they already have with the team.

Exposure to the Lakers’ global audience does not guarantee that those fans will become collectors. But it gives Goldin a direct channel to potential customers beyond the people who already participate in its auctions, expanding the audience for the memorabilia the partnership brings to market.

Beyond the Auction Block

Ken Goldin’s experience with live selling dates back decades. Long before the rise of livestream shopping, he sold sports memorabilia to television audiences through QVC and the Home Shopping Network.

In 2024, eBay acquired Goldin, connecting its established auction business with a global marketplace and digital commerce infrastructure.

The Lakers partnership brings those capabilities together with something traditional auction houses cannot always count on: a continuing source of memorabilia tied to a franchise whose history is still being written.

Beginning October 28, Goldin will introduce weekly Wednesday Lakers auctions through Goldin on eBay Live, offering historical collectibles alongside contemporary game-used equipment throughout the NBA season.

 

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“We’re doing so much more than an auction; we’re creating a real show each week that is entertaining, fast-paced, and interactive,” Goldin said in the company’s October announcement.

For an auction business historically organized around consignments and scheduled sales, recurring programming introduces a different rhythm.

Rather than waiting for individual collections to become available, Goldin can organize regular auctions around memorabilia sourced through the franchise. The NBA season provides a natural calendar, with each game creating the possibility of another significant performance, while the Lakers’ archives offer decades of material beyond the current roster.

The October 13 activation offered an early example of how those elements could work together.

 

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Magic Johnson’s live jersey signing placed one of basketball’s most recognizable figures directly into the presentation of an object associated with his career. Ken Goldin brought the jersey to auction, while eBay Live extended participation beyond the collectors and guests gathered in West Hollywood.

The athlete, the memorabilia and the transaction became part of the same event.

Goldin’s traditional auction platform will continue offering Lakers memorabilia alongside its eBay Live programming, allowing the partnership to serve established collectors while developing a recurring format for new audiences.

For Ken Goldin, whose career has spanned televised selling, high-end auctions and digital marketplaces, live commerce represents another way to connect collectors with the objects and stories that have long defined his business.

The difference now is that Goldin has a direct relationship with the franchise supplying those stories.

A League of Opportunities

The Lakers are not the only professional sports organization Goldin is pursuing.

 

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The company has also announced a partnership with the Detroit Pistons, reflecting a broader effort to establish direct relationships with teams rather than relying solely on traditional consignment channels.

During his conversation with Mantel, Goldin discussed the possibility of expanding the model across major professional sports leagues. But he made clear that the company is not interested in accumulating partnerships simply for the sake of increasing their number.

 

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“We’re not looking to sign 100 teams,” he said.

Instead, Goldin described a selective approach focused on franchises with established histories, strong fan communities, recognizable identities and championship potential.

The Lakers provide a particularly compelling starting point. Their decades of championships, internationally recognized players and extensive historical archives offer valuable inventory, while the team’s global audience creates opportunities to reach collectors and fans well beyond the existing auction market.

Whether other franchise relationships can deliver similar results remains an open question.

For Goldin, the success of the Lakers partnership will depend on more than the number of objects brought to auction.

“I think success is going to not only be determined by sales,” he explained. “Success is going to be determined by selling prices. Are we getting good prices?”

The company is also looking at whether the partnership attracts new bidders, increases Goldin’s visibility and generates interest from other professional sports organizations.

“How much do we raise our profile? Did we gain X number of tens of thousands new bidders?”

Those measures offer a clearer picture of the company’s ambitions. Strong auction results would demonstrate demand for the memorabilia itself. New bidders would suggest that access to the Lakers’ fan base is translating into customers. Additional franchise relationships could indicate that the model has applications beyond one of basketball’s most recognizable teams.

None of those outcomes is guaranteed. But the partnership gives Goldin an opportunity to test how direct access to professional sports organizations can change both the supply of memorabilia and the audience participating in its sale.

Goldin has spent decades building a business around bringing pieces of sports history to auction. Its partnership with the Lakers creates an opportunity to connect that business more directly with history as it unfolds.

More roster transactions have occurred for the Phoenix Suns. On a day in which the organization waived two-way player Koby Brea, the team has opted to move on from CJ Huntley as well.

Huntley originally joined Phoenix on a two-way contract after going undrafted out of Appalachian State in 2025. In November of last year, the Suns terminated that contract, making him a free agent. He continued playing with the Valley Suns, however, and following the conversion of Jamaree Bouyea’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal in March, Huntley was brought back on another two-way contract.

Hamstring issues prevented Huntley from participating in the Summer League, but he put together a productive season with the Valley Suns last year. In 42 appearances, the 6’11” big man averaged 15.4 points and 7.9 rebounds in 27 minutes per game, shooting 63% from the field, 34% from beyond the arc, and 67% from the free throw line.

Despite that production, Phoenix has decided to move on from Huntley as it continues adjusting its roster ahead of the regular season. His departure, along with Brea’s, leaves the Suns with one open two-way contract spot and one standard roster spot.

Ben Simmons’ comeback attempt with the Sacramento Kings generated more than one blip on the basketball radar during the preseason before it came to an abrupt end Sunday when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon during practice.

Injuries had restricted the former No. 1 overall draft pick to appearing in only 107 games the last five seasons, but his return on a one-year $3.5-million, non-guaranteed contract had gone well enough that he was set to start in the regular-season opener Wednesday against the Clippers.

Simmons, considered the greatest player to come out of Australia, made news in August by taking part in the national team’s player-driven minicamp in Melbourne, a precursor to the 2027 FIBA World Cup and 2028 Olympics. Simmons, 30, has never played in a major tournament for his home country.

He also became an unwitting part of an embarrassing episode three weeks ago at Kings media day when open microphones captured an off-air conversation between female reporters discussing the physical appearance and personalities of Simmons and teammates.

A woman’s voice said, “That’s what comes with being Ben Simmons. He is cringe, cringe,” and another woman added that he is “lucky he’s so fine.” The first media member agrees, saying, “He’s a good-looking dude. His skin is, like, so smooth, I was like, damn, no tattoos?” The media members have yet to be identified.

Read more:Hot mic catches Sacramento Kings reporters calling Ben Simmons ‘cringe’ and Zach LaVine ‘hella fine’

He refrained from commenting on the exchange except to back teammate Zach LaVine, whose personality also was criticized by the reporters. But Simmons will be in street clothes from now on. The Kings said he will undergo surgery to repair the tear, which normally requires a recovery period of six to 12 months.

“I’ve faced challenges before that tested me mentally, physically, and emotionally, and I’ve found a way through every single one of them,” Simmons said in a statement posted to his Instagram Stories.

Being sidelined is nothing new for Simmons. He missed his entire first NBA season with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016-2017 with a foot injury, missed the entire 2021-2022 season with a back injury and the entire 2025-2026 season to focus on his physical recovery from back and leg issues as well as his mental well-being. He last played for the Clippers in the spring of 2025, averaging 16.4 minutes and 2.9 points over 18 games.

That production was a far cry from the promise he displayed coming out of Louisiana State, where in his one season was a consensus All-American after averaging 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists a game. A 6-foot-10 point guard, Simmons was NBA rookie of the year in 2017-2018, joining Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson as the only rookies to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. And Simmons was an All-Star the next three seasons before injuries began mounting.

His return this preseason was intentionally low-key, sliding onto the roster of the last-place Kings (22-60 last season) without much fanfare. Simmons was quietly repairing a reputation marred by his succession of injuries and the performance anxiety and emotional burnout he has openly discussed.

He also seemed keen on representing Australia for the first time. Simmons was forced to miss the 2024 Paris Olympics with a back injury after passing on the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021 Games even when relatively healthy. Now any sort of return is again in jeopardy.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.