Category: NBA

Per a Spurs press release:

“The San Antonio Spurs announced the launch of @LosSpurs, a dedicated Spanish-language Instagram account for the organization. The platform will serve as a digital space catered to Spanish-speaking Spurs fans, with curated content, storytelling and fan engagement efforts. Fans are encouraged to follow the @LosSpurs account to catch the latest news from the team, view exclusive content in collaboration with the Spurs main social accounts and receive information on watch parties, giveaways and more.”

The San Antonio Spurs have made concerted efforts to take the NBA to global heights. They invest time, resources, and energy into efforts in Mexico — everything from basketball camps to community initiatives. And a large percentage of their fanbase back here in San Antonio identify as “crazy Hispanic Fans.”

Said Jordan Mandelkorn, vice president of marketing, creative and retail for Spurs Sports & Entertainment,

“Our Spanish-speaking fans are a big part of what makes the Spurs family so special, and we want them to feel connected to the team in the language they call their own. Los Spurs gives us a new way to celebrate their passion, share stories that resonate with them and bring fans across San Antonio, Mexico and beyond closer to the Silver & Black.”

The team’s @LesSpurs account, launched in 2025 to cater to French-speaking fans, is the most followed French NBA team account in the league.

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I just want to put this out there right up front. Something about the way the Dallas Mavericks are handling Santi Aldama’s recovery from an undisclosed(?) injury is telling me we should be more patient than we think we must with the player and more skeptical than we usually are about anything the team says about his status as the season approaches.

Something smells awfully funny here. Even under the Masai Ujiri/Gina Miller administration (campaign slogan: “You can trust us this time. We promise.”), this team will find a way to remain somewhere on the spectrum between coy and disingenuous about injuries like these, and that “undisclosed” designation is our first clue.

What exactly is not being disclosed here? Everyone knows about the knee issues that limited Aldama to 43 games last season. Everyone knows about the arthroscopic stem cell shot procedure he underwent in March to try to relieve prolonged pain in that knee. Did Aldama injure something else after arriving in Dallas? Is the knee issue still nagging, six months after the procedure? Either way, the outlook is murky at best.

The Dallas Morning News reported recently that “it appears they’ll take the same [patient] approach with Aldama [as they are with Dereck Lively II’s recovery timeline].” He did not suit up for either of the two preseason games in Macao, China, and it seems less and less likely that Aldama will be ready to go when the regular season starts.

The Mavericks sent AJ Johnson, a top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick via Golden State, and two future second-round picks to Memphis for Aldama. The deal was folded into a six-team trade that became official on July 8.

Big question

Which brings us to the biggest question surrounding Aldama’s arrival in Dallas for the upcoming season. With such a vague recovery timeline in place, when can Aldama realistically be expected to be a meaningful contributor for the Mavericks, and what role does he fill when that time comes?

The question lurking behind the question is, did the Mavericks trade for someone destined to become the second broken seven-footer taking up a roster space, or is this actually going to work? The fact that so much is being kept under wraps does not portend well at this point. Again, we’re going on seven months with this knee issue at this point.

Aldama brings shooting and size, the ability to stretch the floor and be a weapon along the perimeter. He scored 14 points per game last year in the 43 games he managed before the knee issues flared up. He shot nearly 48% from the floor and 35% from 3-point range. He can be dangerous, but will it pan out in any sort of meaningful way for the Mavericks? It’s hard to say when the team won’r say anything about him.

Best case scenario

The dream season for Aldama is only missing the first five games of the year, taking the next step offensively and getting more than seven rebounds per game this year. He played in a career-best 77 games in 2022-23, his second year in the league, so getting to 70 this year would be amazing. Forcing his way into the lineup for around 25 minutes a night would be ideal, too. Under those circumstances, Aldama would maximize his potential without being exposed as a potential liability against bigger, more physical frontcourts.

“Lineup versatility: He gives us a different dimension if we want to go with it,” first-year Mavericks head coach Dusty May said of Aldama. “An elite shooting lineup. But Santi’s not just a shooter. He can really close out. He’s learned to play against perimeter guys — shotmaking, driving, getting to the paint. That will be one of the many pieces we have to put together if we’re going to be really good.”

Worst case scenario

The worst case for Aldama is if the knee injury is something larger than the Mavericks have disclosed and it limits him from playing in half the games this season. He’s a role player on the rise, but only if he gets in enough games to make an impact. If he doesn’t, sure, that leaves more minutes for Morez Johnson Jr., but it makes the Mavericks’ second unit more one-dimensional. It limits the threat from beyond the arc, which is something this team drastically needs to be better at this season. Adding one or two shooters in Kyrie Irving and Sergio de Larrea is nice — much needed. But building a roster with shooting depth is really what the doctor ordered.

Season goal

Can Aldama make himself an indispensable part of the Mavericks’ rotation? Can he continue the upward statistical trajectory his career arc has assumed through his first five years? Can he space the floor and be a part of the equation that keeps opposing defenses from sticking two defenders on Cooper Flagg? These are the things we want to see. He has the ability to be more than just “a guy.” But he’s also a guy who could easily get relegated to the role of “a guy” if things swing a certain way this season.

If he can inch closer to 40% from 3-point range and score at a rate similar to what he did across his 43 games last year with the Memphis Grizzlies, he’ll be a meaningful contributor. If not, he’ll make it easier for the team to avoid picking up his option next season.

Overall

Everything hinges on Aldama’s health, and it’s an uncomfortable place to be as the regular season approaches. Truly, any outcome is on the table for what is essentially a one-year rental with a team option for a second year. You can squint and see whatever you want with this relationship: a chance to step into a meaningful, much-needed role on a team with a chance to improve vastly in Flagg’s second year, or someone who needs two months to get right before settling into a diminished role on a new team.

Hope for the best, sure, but this team’s recent history has also taught fans to prepare for the worst.

Every yea, all the NBA general managers are given 48 questions in an annual survey about their predictions on the new season. This year is a special occasion as it is the 25th anniversary of the survey. These questions range from best teams, players, coaches, offseason moves and more. The Celtics show up a good amount in this year’s survey, so lets go over it.

Standings Predictions

Starting in the predictions portion of the survey, we have the Eastern Conference standings predictions. With 60% of the vote, the GMs predicted that the New York Knicks would be the first place in the East. This was followed by the new look Philadelphia 76ers in second place and the Cleveland Cavaliers in third. The Boston Celtics find themselves as the fourth best team in the East with 27% of the voters predicting them to finish there. This ranking is an improvement from last year’s survey where the Celtics finished eighth. Boston only received a 7% chance to finish in first place at the top of the East, tied with Cleveland.

Coaching

Out of all the categories in the survey, coaching was the one that saw the Celtics appear the most. When asked which head coach was the best manager/motivator, Joe Mazzulla was tied for first place in the voting along with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra at 23%. When it comes to which head coach makes the best in game adjustments, Mazzulla was voted in fifth place at 7% of the vote while Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was number one at 30%.

Mazzulla also received votes in the categories of which head coach runs the best offense and the best defensive schemes. The craziest thing to me is out of all the things Joe Mazzulla was voted for, the reigning Coach of the Year in the NBA received zero votes for the best coach in the NBA. Although if you asked Joe, I don’t think he would care.

When asked who the best assistant coach in the NBA was, Sam Cassell finished tied for 5th place at 7% while former Celtics senior consultant and current Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy finished first with 17% of the vote. Cassell has been seen as a hot head coach candidate in the NBA for a while now and has been with Boston since 2023 so its cool to see him get respect from around the league.

When asked which active player will make the best head coach someday, Celtics guard Mike Conley was the winner by a big margin, finishing with 50% of the votes while Derrick White also received votes. Conley was brought in to Boston to be a veteran presence for the young guys on this team and has gotten glowing reviews from every player and coach so far. He also seems to have a great relationship with Payton Pritchard and that is a dynamic I can’t wait to see this season.

Players

Next up we have the players portion of the survey where the GMs were asked to name their MVP pick, breakout candidates, and the best player at each position. For MVP, the Spurs Victor Wembanyama is an overwhelming favorite, finishing with 77% of the vote. Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards followed him in the rankings but we also saw Jayson Tatum received votes as well.

Coming back from his torn Achilles last season, Tatum looked just as good as he did before the injury, averaging 21.8 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 16 games played last year. This season, Tatum said he had a full offseason of rest and recovery and with Jaylen Brown being traded, we could realistically see Jayson Tatum take a run at the MVP.

When asked “Which player is likely to have a breakout season in 2026-27,” the Spurs young guard Dylan Harper was voted number one with 27% of the vote. There was a tie for second place between Maine native and Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Raptors forward Collin-Murray Boyles, the Rockets guard Amen Thompson, and Thunder guard Cason Wallace at 17%.

Payton Pritchard was also recognized. Pritchard is coming off a career season last year with career highs of 17.0 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 79 games between starting and coming off of the bench. He was also just awarded with a contract extension of 2 years and $44.2 million on October 13th, showing the Celtics strengthened belief in the guard. There is a chance we could see Pritchard running away with the Most Improved Player Award this year and maybe even take a leap into being an All-Star in 2027.

In the position rankings portion of the survey, when asked who the best small forward in the NBA was, it was a tight battle between Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic of the Los Angles Lakers. Sadly, Doncic was voted the favorite at 37% while Tatum finished with 33%. Tatum did also receive votes for the best power forward in the NBA, but that was dominated by new Miami Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo at 70%.

Offseason Moves

When it comes to offseason moves, it feels right the Boston appears a lot throughout this section in one way or another. Boston received some votes when it came to which team made the best offseason moves overall with former Celtic and current 76er Jaylen Brown being voted as the second best player when it comes to making an impact on their new team. Paul George did not receive any votes for any of the categories, which is a little disappointing because he could make a real impact for Boston this season.

The question that was the most interesting to me in this section was the most underrated player acquisition of the offseason. In that ranking, Mitchell Robinson finished in second place with 17% of the vote, only beat of by Tobias Harris of the Spurs at 20% of the vote. Robinson signed with the Celtics back in July after spending 8 seasons with the New York Knicks and even winning a championship with them in 2026. In 60 games last year Robinson finished with averages of 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks while being a major presence on the glass and finished 8th in Sixth Man of the Year Voting. We have seen Robinson’s impact on the Celtics throughout the preseason so far and baring any major injury, will be the defensive anchor of this team moving forward.

Other Notable Mentions

Starting with the rookies and international portion, Chris Cenac Jr. was tied for fifth place with the Grizzlies Cameron Boozer, the Lakers Cameron Carr, the Warriors Yaxel Lendeborg, and the Bulls Caleb Wilson when it came to the biggest steal of the draft at 7%. The Milwaukee Bucks 30th overall pick Brayden Burries was voted number one at 30%.

Cenac Jr. was the 27th overall pick by Boston out of Houston and it was a surprise that he fell that far. In his freshman season at Houston, Cenac Jr. averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in 37 games. At only 19 years old, he has a chance to develop into a legit piece for the Celtics moving forward, especially with Boston’s reputation at developing big men in Big Fella University.

When it comes to defense, Derrick White received votes in the category of best perimeter defender in the NBA but no other Celtics appeared on the list in any category. In the miscellaneous section, the Celtics finished in fourth place when it came to which team was going to have the leagues most efficient offense at 13%. Boston also received some votes in the category most fun team to watch but didn’t get any votes for best home court advantage. Finally, Jayson Tatum got some votes when it came to the best leader in the NBA while Jalen Brunson of the Knicks finished number one at 53%.

Takeaways

The biggest takeaway I have from the 2026-27 NBA GM Survey is that almost everyone believes there are maybe four contenders in the NBA: the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Antonio Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder. Almost every category had one of those four teams as the number one answer.

In a way, it feels like other great teams like the Celtics are getting outshined a little bit. It makes sense in a way but I feel like we will look back on these answers next year and laugh at some of these answers.

For the Celtics, I definitely think they are getting underrated by the league as a whole. Not being voted for almost any defensive categories seems really weird given they were the fourth best defense in the NBA last year in defensive rating and added George and Robinson alongside White who was on the All Defensive 1st Team. I guess just like last season, no one really knows what to expect from Boston, and I hope it works in their advantage to sneak up on teams once again.

After seemingly being held hostage by Giannis Antetokounpo ever since they won the NBA finals in 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks have finally decided to send Giannis to his long rumored destination on the beaches of Miami. The package that the Bucks got in return was probably less than what a player of his caliber should command, but admittedly they did alright given the circumstances. It’s most definitely a rebuild in Milwaukee, but the real question is: For how long?

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Milwaukee Bucks: Over/Under 25.5 wins (-120/-105)

To win Central Division: 100/1

To win Eastern Conference: 500/1

To win Finals: 1000/1

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Last season: 32-50, 11^th in the Eastern Conference

Key additions: Most of last year’s Miami Heat rotation, Brayden Burries (10^th pick in Draft), Nate Ament (13^th pick in Draft)

Key losses: Thanasis Antetokounmpo and his slightly better brother, Giannis

Coaching change: Doc Rivers OUT (now analyst for NBC), Taylor Jenkins IN (previously fired by Memphis in March 2025)

Correctly, this Bucks franchise has given new coach Taylor Jenkins a clean slate to work with. This roster is very young, and there is a lot of promise with the players that they drafted, along with the guys they acquired via the Giannis trade. Kasparas Jakucionis, Kel’el Ware and Jamie Jacquez Jr. all need reps to continue their development after some uneven seasons in South Beach. While Brayden Burries is seemingly ready to be a plug and play combo guard in the NBA, Jenkins might want to poke and prod at his abilities as an on-ball creator throughout the season.

Perhaps most importantly, Nate Ament needs to have his development and role prioritized. He was one of the best prospects in the country coming out of high school, but an up and down year at Tennessee sent him falling further in the draft than many thought. The talent and skillset are still there, and still remarkable for someone who is nearly seven-feet tall. However, Ament is closer to a ball of Play-Doh than he is a finished NBA product. If the Bucks are going to be good in the future, it’s likely because Ament is who many think he can be.

Development, not wins, will be at the forefront of the Bucks year. I expect the record to show that accordingly.

Prediction: under 25.5 wins (+100)

Jumping the gun after three games can be a bit over the top, especially when those games are preseason exhibitions.

But the Boston Celtics are earning every bit of the hype and anticipation surrounding them after a near-flawless three-game stretch entering the regular season — and that’s no exaggeration.

Both behind the scenes and on the court during their preseason trail runs, the restructured Celtics are starting to click. It’s only been two weeks since training camp began, but head coach Joe Mazzulla’s crew is already taking shape. By now, the newcomers have a strong feel for Mazzulla’s world and what it takes to thrive in it.

“He gets on my ass a lot,” Mitchell Robinson told reporters after Wednesday night’s 114-93 win over the Charlotte Hornets, improving their perfect 3-0 preseason record.

“The way that he takes everything in and gives us all the information, literally down to a T, those are things that can help us be successful,” Robinson continued.

For the team’s preseason home finale, Mazzulla unexpectedly paired Robinson with Neemias Queta, introducing an intriguing double-big combination. Together, Robinson and Queta showed flashes of their potential as a co-existing option Mazzulla can lean on. They challenged Charlotte on both ends of the floor, particularly with their rotations, helping Boston’s offense operate more efficiently.

“Mitch is one of the smartest players I’ve been around,” Mazzulla told reporters.

Robinson and Queta combined for 28 points, unlocking a new option for a team already built on flexibility.

The Celtics, much like last season, aren’t committed to a fixed rotation night in and night out. Rather, as they’ve shown throughout the preseason, they’ll attack in a variety of ways to maximize their roster’s strengths and wear down opponents.

Experimenting with the clipboard is a strong suit for Mazzulla that made last year’s counted-out Celtics into winners of 56 games, good for second-most in the Eastern Conference.

Getting Robinson and Queta accustomed to playing alongside each other wasn’t the end of Mazzulla’s trail runs with Boston’s big men. Queta, who attempted eight 3-pointers all of last season, totaled three attempts against the Hornets, each with plenty of room but off the mark.

Nevertheless, the 7-footer is confident he’ll turn those attempts into a reliable source of offense.

“I think it can help us,” Queta told reporters postgame. “It can be a weapon that we can use at certain points. Obviously, it’s not gonna derail my attention span off what I do best on the court, but it can still be used as a weapon and a strength.”

Needing to adjust and get a new group going comes with pressure, but Mazzulla doesn’t see it that way. Giving Queta and Robinson an audition in the preseason is just a snippet of Boston’s preparation and philosophy. There’s a buy-in that all Mazzulla-led teams, including the 2024 championship group, need to invest in. And so far, that’s exactly what last season’s Coach of the Year winner has received with less than a week until Opening Night.

Paul George, the organization’s return piece for Jaylen Brown, too, has bought in.

Poised for a role with greater responsibility than was demanded in Philadelphia, George has passed the eye test. Outside of shooting a combined 5-for-20 from the floor in two preseason appearances, George has played the part needed from him.

He’s allowed team leader Jayson Tatum to shine while complementing the rest of the group seamlessly. George’s shooting slump hasn’t deterred him from grabbing six rebounds against the Hornets or five steals Saturday night against the Sixers.

George and Tatum have challenged each other during training camp, avoiding playing together during scrimmages to make their preseason debuts their first official time sharing the court as teammates.

Tatum and Mazzulla have already expressed their excitement to acclimate George to the team, aware that a nine-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer still has plenty left to offer, even at 36 years old. In return, George has also expressed his excitement to be a Celtic.

“It definitely fuels you,” George told reporters after debuting on Saturday night. “It makes you play hard. It makes you want to win for everyone in that arena, and it is like a badge of honor to wear that green.”

Once the shots start to fall, George’s contribution will carry even more weight.

In the background, the reserve unit has made plenty of noise this preseason.

Devin Carter made an immediate impression, scoring 17 points in the team’s preseason opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hugo González has attacked the basket with greater confidence. Baylor Scheierman has experimented with his range while slinging passes that channel his inner Jason Williams, and Luka Garza has remained a lead-by-example presence, always ready to step in and deliver.

Mazzulla also made note of Jordan Walsh’s defensive strides, which made him integral at points last season.

“Jordan continues to be really good at the start of games, guarding the team’s best player, getting off to a good start defensively, something he’s done well for us those last couple of games,” Mazzulla told reporters on Wednesday night. “It’s a huge role for him that we’re going to need from him.”

With one final preseason game left against the Sixers on Friday night, the Celtics have checked every box.

Turning their scrutinized offseason into a contender capable of a deep playoff push will require everything the Celtics have shown so far. Getting the fanbase on board after a heartbreaking front office decision is difficult — and a challenge much deserved — but Mazzulla’s group has proved it’s possible.

There’s a lot to unlock in the versatile Celtics.

Whether they can sustain that promise over 82 games is the bigger challenge ahead.

Folks, we’ve got a full plate of news in today’s edition of Heard ‘em Say, including fresh intel on how the Bucks are trying to whittle down their roster to 15, another draft-related horror story, and a Bucks fan favourite has started a podcast. Let’s rip into it!

Roster developments

On Wednesday, Jake Fischer reported on social media that Milwaukee is exploring trades to address its roster crunch, as I noted in The Feed. We now have more specifics on how the Bucks plan (or hope) to make those trades happen via another edition of The Stein Line.

Bucks, Lakers discuss Jericho Sims-Dalton Knecht swap

Per Fischer, the Bucks and Lakers have held “exploratory trade discussions” about a deal that would send former first-round pick Dalton Knecht to the Cream City, along with second-round draft capital, in exchange for Jericho Sims. However, Fischer also points out that he’d heard some pessemism that such a trade will actually eventuate.

The Lakers have had interest in Sims for a while now, which I mentioned in my Bucks trade value rankings for 2026-27, where I ranked the bouncy big 11th and said he could fetch an early-to-mid second-round pick. Apparently, he’s worth more than that.

Granted, Sims’ value is somewhat inflated because, well, the Lakers need a viable backup big. Milwaukee’s own Kevon Looney currently occupies that spot, and he isn’t exactly playable anymore. In short, Horst would have the upper hand in negotiations, which I can only assume is why the reported deal is Knecht plus picks.

Fischer notes that if no deal materialises, LA might have to waive the former Tennessee wing before Monday’s deadline. Knecht is guaranteed $4.2m for the 2026-27 season after the Lakers picked up his third-year team option, so they would have to absorb that money if they waived him instead of trading him.

Interestingly, Fischer also reports that Sims is a name to monitor for the Philadelphia 76ers after their original backup centre, Ariel Hukporti, tore his Achilles in the opening minutes of the preseason.

Bucks weigh deals involving Kevin Porter Jr. and Caris LeVert

The other Bucks-related tidbit from Fischer is that Milwaukee has weighed potential deals involving Caris LeVert and Kevin Porter Jr.—along with possible Sims trades—to avoid waiving contracted players. Crucially, Fischer states that the Bucks want to keep fan-favourite Pete Nance and know they risk losing him to another team if they waive him in hopes of re-signing him to their final two-way contract.

(Another) draft-related Horst horror story

Folks, we have another “close, but no cigar” story relating to Jon Horst’s drafting. Last year, I wrote about Washington Wizards wing Kyshawn George’s appearance on the Old Man And The Three podcast, where he revealed he was shocked the Bucks didn’t pick him at 23 in the 2024 NBA Draft after strong workouts and feedback.

Well, it appears the same thing happened (in that same draft!) with OKC Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell. Even more ironically, Mitchell appeared on the same podcast this year to detail his draft story and Milwaukee’s interest in him during the pre-draft process.

“My agents were like, ‘There’s a chance you get picked late first.’ Milwaukee had the 23rd pick. I went in there, they really liked me. My sister lived in Wisconsin, so I could see that connection. My whole family was like, ‘You might be in Milwaukee, and that would be great.’”

Instead, Milwaukee selected AJ Johnson, not Ajay Mitchell. However, Horst still had a chance to save himself: Mitchell wasn’t taken until pick 38, and the Bucks also had pick 33, but as we all know, they used it on Tyler Smith.

But wait, there’s more! In the same article above where I detail the Kyshawn George story, I also share a tidbit from Zach Lowe: the Bucks were basically deciding between Andrew Nembhard and MarJon Beauchamp for pick 24 in the 2022 draft. In the end, they went with Beauchamp, who quickly flamed out. Sigh.

I want to curl up into a ball.

Kyle Kuzma starts a podcast (just like everyone was asking for)

To top it all off, Kyle Kuzma has announced he is starting his own podcast, Read the Room, where he will “sit down with founders, investors, athletes, and creators to talk about the boldest moves, the pivots, and what they learned along the way.”

Do with that information what you will.

I had thought that both the Rockets and Thunder might not play their starters at all tonight. Both teams had a hefty number of “Game Time Decisions” and “Day To Day” players. It seemed like it might be a slightly nonsensical clash of deep benches, and guys who are likely headed to the GLeague.

This was not to be. We certainly saw some deep roster players in action tonight, but the first quarter, and much of the second was more or less starters and rotational players, minus a couple of absences. We didn’t see Steven Adams for the Rockets, nor Chet Holmgren or Jaylin The Other Williams for the Thunder.

The first quarter went the Rockets way, as neither team could really hit jumpers, but Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun could dunk the ball at the rim pretty easily. The R0ckets ended up winning the quarter 33-15. The beginning of this game, the Rockets offense was basically just dunks by Amen on cuts, and clever passes from Sengun. Nice to see that again.

The Thunder came back in the second quarter, winning it 32 to 21, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen The Main Williams got going a bit.

The third quarter saw a switch from starting players (Durant came out at the half in street clothes.) to rotational players, and the Rockets Bogdan Bogdanovich, Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard all made shots, particularly BogBog, who was 5-8 from three, and looked to be moving very well.

We also saw minutes with Marcus Smart, but he wasn’t particularly effective tonight, going 0-3 and notching 2 assists to 2 turnovers. Fred VanVleet was the primary point, and in the distribution role he was again a sight for sore eyes, logging 8 assists and 0 turnovers. His shooting was not as good as the first game, as he went 3-13 overall. He needs to keep shooting, though, as he’s been away from basketball for a year, and we need to see if some consistency will return to his shooting.

We’re also going to have to see if the idea of Marcus Smart being the secondary point guard is a good one. There are other players who might do as well, and offer better shooting.

The fourth quarter was basically the deep benches, but the Rockets deep bench could hit 3pt shots, and the Thunder couldn’t. The Rockets put up 53 three pointers tonight, which is far beyond their average of 31.6 last season. We’ll see if that holds up in any way.

I’m not sure there are any particularly surprising takeaways from individual play, but there were some changes in approach from the Rockets we might hope to see continue.

The first is, not setting up in the same spot every time, and very few screens being called up anywhere, and certainly not as a reliable certainty. Last year screens mainly served to drag another defender into the area of the ballhandler, congesting their movement. Right now the Rockets are staying spread out. They don’t move, but they do actually space the court, forcing defenses from the paint.

The second is, the Rockets are attacking on offense early in the clock, with very little surveying and pounding the ball. Certainly some of this is attributable to Fred VanVleet, but the set up is simply different as well, from the past two seasons. I’m cautiously optimistic. Attacking a defense like the Thunder early is the way to go. The Thunder want to swarm and slap on defense, and the longer a team holds the ball, the worse it gets. They’re good at it. What they aren’t, in general, is big and powerful, or even especially quick. Decisive attacks that force reactions, and might lead to passes off cuts, like Sengun to Amen, are a way to break them down. Sure, it’s preseason, but that’s a good recipe no matter when.

Third, we’re seeing an actual fast break attack. Despite the Rockets size and athleticism, they were one of the lower ranked fast break teams in the league last season.

Finally, are they going to shoot more threes? They might well have better personnel to do it than anytime since The Harden Centuries.

Anyhow, preseason is now over, and the Rockets start the real season at home, against Dallas, on Wednesday the 21st. See you there.

Karl-Anthony Towns was facilitating like it was the 2026 playoffs. 

The All-Star center collected six assists and five points in the first 7 ½ minutes of Thursday’s 122-120 preseason finale victory over the Raptors, setting the tone for a stat-stuffing evening while using his height and vision to create from the top of the key. 

It was a flashback to the dominant postseason run from Towns, who unlocked a dominant Knicks offense by transforming into a triple-double threat midway the first round. 

Coach Mike Brown said he would revisit Towns as the hub this season and Thursday’s evidence was on display early. Towns, whose stagnant extension negotiations have hovered ominously over preseason, finished one assist shy of a triple-double with 15 rebounds and 13 points in 28 minutes. 

“Yeah, I feel good,” said Towns when asked about his rhythm. “I feel really, really good.” 

It represented KAT’s best performance of preseason, and also New York’s as a team as it finished 1-3. But the lone win arrived with a caveat. 

Towns was unstoppable unless guarded by Toronto’s top defender, Scottie Barnes, who drew the assignment in the third quarter and subsequently shut down KAT. 

It was the type of adjustment that is sure to define the start of the Knicks season. Towns as the hub was a new wrinkle in the playoffs, and the opponents are equipped with enough film to discover ways to counter. 

The Knicks start the real games against the Sixers on Tuesday’s Banner Night, when Towns as the hub will resurface as a strategy that the opponent will have to deal with. 

Thursday showed it can work again. 

“I thought today was a good dress rehearsal,” Towns said. “It was cool, it was very nice to get back out there and get back into our flow and be really good. Obviously we have a lot of things to work on. But it was a good way to end the preseason.” 

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Josh Hart was the only starter who did not play in Thursday’s preseason finale. He had a sore right ankle but Brown said it shouldn’t impact Hart for the season opener Tuesday.

The Knicks’ regular-season roster is taking shape. The only remaining question is: will there be room for Bruce Brown?

Brown and James Wiseman have made it through preseason cuts. The Knicks clearly like both players. But New York only has room under the second apron in team salary to keep one player. In order to keep both Brown and Wiseman, the Knicks would need to trade a player on a standard contract without taking back salary.

My read heading into the weekend: Wiseman is a lock to make the roster. There is strong support to add Brown as well. The Knicks would need to make a trade by Monday afternoon if they want to keep Brown. I think they will explore all avenues to make that happen.

It's logical to assume that the Knicks will move third-year wing Pacome Dadiet. But I believe New York will explore other deals — including trades involving third-year guard Tyler Kolek — this weekend and Monday.

The Knicks will be asking teams to take on a player without sending back salary. To get a deal done, New York may need to attach its own second-round picks (New York will have at least 11 second-round picks in the next seven drafts).

Something worth noting here: multiple teams (Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers and others) are trying to attach second-round picks to work through a roster crunch. So the Knicks have competition in that regard. But given their plethora of second-rounders, they have the draft capital to get a deal done.

Here's what Knicks head coach Mike Brown likes about the veteran combo guard:

“Bruce has been through a lot with a lot of different teams at a pretty high level,” Brown said of the NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets. “His toughness, his experience, his feel, all those things — he's a winner. It seems like every place he's gone, he's won, but all those things can add a lot to the program, and then he's versatile both ends of the floor. He could play a few different positions offensively; he can guard a few different positions defensively. So a guy like that, especially a veteran winner, can be helpful to any team.”

Here’s what Brown likes about Wiseman:

“He's young, he's talented, you know, he's raw, still. I think he's still trying to establish a foothold in this league,” Brown said of the former No. 2 overall pick. “But with the God-given attributes he has, in terms of athleticism and length and quickness, [they] can bode well for him on both ends of the floor. And at 25 years old, he hasn't even reached his prime, especially knowing he hadn't played a ton of basketball; having a vertical threat at the rim will help [the Knicks], or could help everybody else play the game a little bit easier, whether it's driving the basketball or playing pick and roll.” 

The Lakers are down to one last preseason game which will be against the Denver Nuggets on Friday. The purple and gold will be back on their home floor for this one.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

When: 7:30 p.m. PT, Oct 16

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch:  ESPN, Spectrum Sportsnet

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Just like that, the Lakers are just one preseason game away from the real thing that is the regular season.

The preseason has provided plenty of early clues about what lies ahead for the Lakers this season. Clues like which lineups work and don’t, what some of the role players can bring to the table alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves and even how the overall Lakers game experience — from the new PA announcer to broadcast — team — will look like this season.

But if there’s one thing that we haven’t seen yet in the last four games, it’s a complete Lakers team on the floor.

We saw perhaps the biggest signing of the offseason, Walker Kessler, finally take the floor in Tuesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors in Las Vegas. Kessler, who had 16 minutes of burn, recorded 11 points and nine rebounds.

Besides Kessler’s sensational defense, the highlight was witnessing him already running plays with Reaves, who had himself a night with 28 points and seven assists.

Just the beginning for these two 💪 pic.twitter.com/EiC5OdmJ30

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 14, 2026

The Lakers may have come up short after resting their key players in the second half but this one was still arguably their most entertaining preseason game yet. Now the question is, will the fun continue in Friday’s dress rehearsal against the Nuggets?

Hopefully we see even just a few minutes of Dončić, Kessler and Reaves together on the floor. If those three indeed suit up, it’ll be interesting to see who takes the last two slots in the starting five as well as head coach JJ Redick’s substitution patterns.

Quentin Grimes when asked if anyone on the Lakers knows who the other two LAL starters will be next to Doncic/Reaves/Kessler: “I don’t know. I guess you’re going to find out next Wednesday!”
Grimes said the process to identify the starters created “healthy competition” in camp pic.twitter.com/NlmOyl4hP5

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 15, 2026

Speaking of Redick, yes, it may be preseason but it’s hard to imagine him not having a game plan against Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets. Note that this will also be the Nuggets’ last preseason game, so it’s fair to assume that they’ll treat this one like a dress rehearsal as well. All of Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon played minimal minutes in their previous game so they could possibly suit up and do the same on Friday.

It may be preseason, but it sure will be nice to see how these two projected playoff teams in the Western Conference match up. Remember, the purple and gold have won four of their last six matches against the Nuggets since Dončić arrived in Los Angeles. Facing a reenergized Nuggets team is a great test for the Lakers ahead of the season opener.

Let’s see if LA can get that win on Friday.

Notes and Updates

• Collin Sexton has yet to play in any preseason game as he continues to recover from a lower leg injury. There is optimism that he could play on opening night.

JJ Redick said Collin Sexton is “trending in the right direction” for Opening Night against the Warriors on Oct. 21.

Collin, who had kinesio tape on his lower right leg, went through individual drills post-practice. https://t.co/YkgCcdgUNPpic.twitter.com/wG3S6ydqfv

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) October 15, 2026

• One thing to look at for in Friday’s game is how the Lakers perform in the rebounding department, something they worked on in practice on Thursday.

After getting out rebounded in three out of of four preseason games, JJ Redick said the Lakers did “three different box-out drills” Thursday. How did they go? “They went.” pic.twitter.com/X3qByXC4kY

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 15, 2026

• We have an exciting new feature in our app this season. It’s easier than ever to chat in our game threads. Each game, this post will become a live chat and will be easy to find at the top of the Lakers community page, so be sure to download the app and give it a try this preseason.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

The Clippers are trying to rebuild its relationship with the fanbase.

The team’s latest announcement allows the first 4,000 fans that attend Opening Night to swap an old Clippers jersey for a new one. The home opener on Oct. 21 will have a special twist for fans as the team kicks off a new era.

The summer was not kind to the organization as the NBA punished the Clippers for violating its salary cap circumvention rules. The team was stripped of five first-round picks, fined $30 million and owner Steve Ballmer was handed a year-long suspension.

The Clippers just announced that on opening night the first 4,000 fans can swap an old jersey for a new one. pic.twitter.com/QLTRJt90p1

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) October 15, 2026

At Clippers media day, interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden opened the event with an apology to fans.

“Our fans deserve to hear from us before this, and for that we’re sorry,” Redden said Monday. “We’ve been listening to the thoughts, the concerns, and feeling the emotions of our fan base. They mean everything to us. … We hope to fulfill our promises to them, to build their trust and move forward through this time.

“This franchise often has done its best work with its back against the wall … We hope to represent our fans the same way we always have in dark times, by coming out fighting.”

It appears the latest announcement by the time is another effort by the Clippers to regain the trust of its fans. It’ll be interesting to see how many Kawhi Leonard jerseys are swapped for new ones on Opening Night.

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Two former New York basketball stars are joining ESPN this season. 

Former Nets legend and coach Jason Kidd and ex-Knicks phenom Jeremy Lin will join the Worldwide Leader’s rotation of NBA commentators, the network revealed on Thursday. 

Kidd moves over to the broadcast side of the game after five seasons as head coach of the Mavericks.

The Hall-of-Fame point guard was relieved of his post after Dallas went 26-56 in Cooper Flagg’s rookie season and now finds himself part of the ESPN family. 

“Excited to join @ESPN for the 2026–27 season!” Kidd wrote on X after the news was announced. “Looking forward to working with some amazing colleagues and legends of the game, and providing my perspective in the studio for @ESPNNBA Countdown!”

Kidd will be part of the “new-look” team for “NBA Countdown,” and he will serve as an analyst on select games carried by ESPN. 

The addition of Kidd on “NBA Countdown” will add him to a program that includes Malika Andrews, Kendrick Perkins, Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst. 

Lin had appeared part-time for ESPN during the 2025-26 season, appearing in March and then being part of the network’s coverage of the Knicks’ run during the NBA Finals. 

He will be a regular contributor on “NBA Today” and serve as a game analyst. 

Kidd and Linn join a rotation of analysts that includes Richard Jefferson, Tim Legler, Doris Burke, and P.J. Carlesimo. 

Kidd was a 10-time All-Star and reached the Finals twice in New Jersey before being a key part Dallas’ championship-winning team in 2010-11. 

Lin became a household name during the 2011-12 season during “Linsanity” when he led the Knicks to a surprise winning streak that February. 

The 2026-27 season will mark the 25th consecutive NBA campaign that ESPN has had coverage of.

Tonight at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks played their final preseason game—a rematch with a Toronto team that clobbered the reserves on Tuesday. This time, the fight was fairer. The visitors played their starters (Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Kawhi Leonard, and Jakob Poeltl), but so did the Knicks (mostly: Mohamed Diawara took Josh Hart’s spot). Determined to not lay a complete goose egg this preseason, coach Mike Brown returned to his starters in the fourth quarter, and that gave them just enough juice to win, 122-120.

The game started on the right foot. Resuming their championship ways, Karl-Anthony Towns took turns with Jalen Brunson on give-and-go sequences that were money in the bank. When KAT sat around the three-minute mark, he had five points, five boards, and six dimes on perfect shooting. Included in those buckets was a laser from deep. Every time he swishes the net this season will sound like a whispered, “Pay the man.”

Across the aisle, Barnes converted his first four shots for an early nine points. That’s what has Toronto fans excited: four scoring options in their starting lineup to complement a top-ten defense. Neither team lived up to their defensive potential in the first frame, however. They allowed each other to shoot over 60% from all areas of the floor by the midway mark.

Even Diawara (carrying two fouls) laced a corner three. Not to be outdone, Miles McBride (who had two triples through four preseason games) dropped three threes in his first four minutes. Those were positives. What wasn’t: Pacome Dadiet checking in and promptly getting stripped while over-dribbling. Soon after, he flushed a pass from Brunson, but there was nothing to change our minds about the youngster. In preseason form, the two teams traded buckets, but by the quarter’s end, the good guys were up, 35-32.

Miles McBride knocks down 3 threes in 67 seconds of play 🎯

Knicks lead after Q1 in preseason action! pic.twitter.com/qlGOziHtCF

— NBA (@NBA) October 16, 2026

Andre Drummond provided a steady hand off the bench, hoovering up rebounds (seven in seven minutes), rattling in a jump hook, tipping in a putback, and making a free throw or two. That softened the sting of seeing Mitchell Robinson doing his best Bill Russell impersonation at TD Garden. Also off the bench, Landry Shamet picked Jamal Shead’s pocket and, on a fast break, fed the trailing Jordan Clarkson. Just a few pros giving the team solid minutes.

Toronto fell behind by 10, but clawed their way back by disrupting New York’s offense. Shead and Jamison Battle hit threes; the former is a defensive pest and blocked two perimeter shots (Diawara, Shamet), while Collin Murray-Boyles intercepted two Brunson passes. Towns had lost the touch, missing two threes and coughing up the rock twice. Nonetheless, New York won the quarter 28–26, and entered intermission ahead, 63-58.

The hosts had shot 55% overall, 47% from deep, and had a 32-18 advantage in the paint. They’d out-bounded the Raps, 26-16, but turned the ball over 12 times, which kept them from running up the score. Top scorers through the half were Barnes (15 points) and Mikal Bridges (14 points, two blocks, 6-of-8 shooting). Bridges made all five of his two-point attempts and canned a Brunson-assisted three, but his jump-out-of-the-seat play was the block of Barrett’s three at the buzzer. I’d say Mikal is ready for opening night.

With our team fumbling and bumbling after the break, the guests gained ground and overran the score, 69-66, with scores from Leonard, Quickley, Barrett, and Murray-Boyles. For the Knicks, Anunoby continued to struggle from yard, having made just 1-of-11 through the preason after his miss early in the third. Diawara committed another foul trying to grab a board, and his fourth infraction in 13 minutes earned him a quick hook.

Remember when Brunson joked that his SNL episode would be like a Knicks playoff game: crappy through three quarters with a big finish at the end? The Knicks still feel like a team that can’t play a complete game. We cheered when Towns dished to a cutting Shamet for a dunk (yes, Shamet!), but no one boxed out Barrett at the other end for an easy response.

🚨 LANDRY SHAMET DUNK ALERT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/67j4K224x7

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 16, 2026

Coach Mike Brown wanted this win, we gather, as he left Brunson and Towns on the floor late in the third quarter. Brunson steadied the offense, scoring seven points and dishing two dimes to fuel a 9–0 run. Dadiet made a hook to tie it at 74 (then missed a dunk), and KAT connected from deep to regain the lead. With a 19-5 run—including OG’s first basket after missing seven shots—our heroes finished the frame up, 87-79.

A few times tonight, we saw Jose Alvarado and Drummond playing a nice two-man game. When Andre drove to the cup for a finger-roll, it gave the home team double-digit lead. Alvarado made his first three dingers from deep, too. We’re eager to see more of this dynamic duo. The Dinos went on a Barnes-heavy run and scored eight unanswered to tie the game around the 9:30 mark, but then Alvarado, Anunoby, and Shamet stimulated a seven-point swing to stop the insanity.

The toughest move of the night was Mike Brown refusing to go winless this preseason. At 8:28, he subbed Brunson, Towns, and Diawara in to hold the lead alongside Shamet and Anunoby. OAKAAKUYOAKs Barrett and Quickley would not willingly roll over on their old home court, however, scoring their 21st and 18th points respectively. For a scrimmage, this one was competitive late.

When Towns sat at 5:15, his box score read 13 points, 15 boards, and nine assists and his team clung to a six-point advantage. It would be up to the reserves to close out the dub: Tyler Kolek, Tyler Nickel, Dadiet, Diawara, and James Wiseman.

JAMES WISEMAN TAKES FLIGHT ✈️ pic.twitter.com/zdQiyYAqND

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 16, 2026

Tonight we got just four minutes of Wiseman, who seems to have secured the third-string center spot with today’s annoucement that Drew Eubanks has a torn pectoral.

With a minute to go, Jaden Bradley had tied the score at 117. From there, though, the Tylers combined for five points (including a trey for Kolek) that offset a late bucket by Malachi Smith. These games don’t count, but this one sure had some fun moments.

oh yeahhhhhh 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/IcsEHMVJy1

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 16, 2026

Up Next

Opening night is Tuesday, with a banner and the Sixers. Rest up, Knickerbockers.

It’s no secret the connection that Knicks fans of a certain generation feel toward the 1972-73 championship-winning squad. But a pair of stars from that team share a deeper connection that was on display Thursday morning in the South Bronx. 

Speaking before a packed gymnasium at the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School, two-time NBA champion and former U.S. senator Bill Bradley spoke from the heart about his friend, one-time on-court rival and eventual Knicks teammate, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe. 

“The fact that it has Earl Monroe on the [school] name, that might be a little reason why I’m here, but you guys are the reason that makes my heart full. Earl is the reason of my heart, because he is in my heart,” Bradley said with Monroe sitting off to his left and drawing an audible reaction from the school’s students in the crowd. “When you are a teammate and you go to the top, it’s a forever bond, and we did that twice.” 

Bradley, 83, added that his appearance Thursday was “one small way for me to say to my friend, I love you.” 

The two Knicks legends were side by side once again to celebrate the opening of the new 69,000-square-foot facility for the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School, a specialized charter school in The Bronx whose curriculum is based around basketball and careers beyond the court. 

The school opened in 2021 and provides its 440 students from grades 9-12 with an education in topics ranging from broadcast, print and digital media to law and marketing. 

“Everybody can’t play basketball, even though everybody wants to, but there’s so many other aspects of the sports and the game that you can be involved in without being the sports person,” Monroe, 81, said after the event. “I think that this is an excellent way for people to be involved in the sport and still get the same satisfaction as scoring a basket.” 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony drew a star-studded list of guests, including former Knicks stars John Starks and Stephon Marbury, Knicks celebrity superfan Tracy Morgan, ESPN personality Mike Greenberg, who hosted the event, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver. 

Silver noted how fitting it was that Thursday’s ceremony was taking place after the Knicks ended their 53-year championship drought this past summer, making them the first Knicks title squad since Monroe’s 1973 team. 

“It felt great,” Monroe said about seeing the Knicks win another title. “We’ve had some great players come through over the years, and finally getting over the hump. Not only just for me, just for the city itself. We’re a city of champs, so we deserve it.” 

But the Knicks will have a target on their back this season as defending champions, and repeating is no small task. 

Monroe was part of the Baltimore Bullets team that prevented the Knicks from repeating in 1971, knocking them out in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer didn’t seem too worried about the Knicks’ mindset going into this season. 

“Certainly, the fact that you’ve won, obviously, it makes it so that you understand that you can win again,” Monroe said. “So I’m quite sure that they’re coming into this thinking that we’re No. 1, and I’ll tell other people to prove that we’re not.” 

While Monroe and Bradley are forever tied together on the court, from their days playing in the Baker League in Philadelphia through college and into the NBA, Bradley’s lasting memory of Monroe reflected more from what he saw Thursday than on the court. 

“This is the Earl Monroe that I know,” Bradley said prior to the start of the ceremony. “From the first day I met him, when we had a shootout at Bry Pope Baptist Church in Philadelphia in the summertime, Earl Monroe was interested in the community, and this is the epitome of being interested in the community.”