It was hard to get much of a read on No. 5 pick Ace Bailey at the Salt Lake City Summer League because he played in just two games due to a hip injury (he did not play in Las Vegas). After struggling in his initial outing, Bailey looked better in his second game.
No. 5 pick Ace Bailey was impressive in the @utahjazz Salt Lake City Summer League W
Bailey is going to get plenty of chances with the Jazz this season, the ball will be in his hands. What will be the key to his success and, more importantly, growth as a rookie? Developing a routine, Jazz coach Will Hardy told Andy Larson of the Salt Lake Tribune.
"For Ace, first and foremost, it's going to be about building a routine. The NBA is a lot. The number of appearances is far more than he used to. That's practice, shootaround, games, but it's going to be about sort of him finding his routine, because I think the routine saves you during the season, you don't have to think that much."
This is where having veterans on the roster, such as Georges Niang, Kyle Anderson, and Lauri Markkanen, is beneficial for Bailey — he can see firsthand how experienced players who have stuck and thrived in the league prepare themselves physically and mentally for the grind of the NBA season. Having mentors matters.
My main positive takeaway from Summer League for Bailey was that he showed improvement between his two games, although Hardy noted he saw more things he liked.
"I think Ace showed he was really active in Summer League. He's a good cutter. He can play in off-ball screens. And then defensively, while his body is continuing to get stronger, it's going to be about using his length, because I think that is a real strength of his right now. I think that's how he can survive on the defensive end right now."
Utah has enough talent on the roster to be respectable this season — although every one of those veterans mentioned above is available via trade — but the Jazz are rebuilding and this is a team that is looking for its star to build around. While Jazz fans may be looking ahead to the upcoming draft that player, Bailey will get a chance this season to show he can be that guy.
“Labubus” come in a range of sizes as figurines. The most popular come in blind boxes and are beloved among young adults and considered a popular fashion trend.
The plush dolls are described as kind-hearted and eager to help — though their good intentions can sometimes lead to chaos.
The four-time NBA champion took his Curry Camp to China for the first time, and so far it’s been a hit. He has been touring the nation and promoting the Curry Brand there since 2014.
china did a whole drone show for steph… they know who the real goat is 😴
If you ever thought Steph Curry didn’t have motion, think again.
The Warriors superstar kicked off his Curry Brand tour in Chongqing, China, on Sunday, and the city went all out to welcome the nine-time NBA All-Star with a magnificent drone show.
Curry, who has promoted his Under Armor line in China since 2014, shared his gratitude for the eye-popping sights with fans.
“That [show] was crazy, probably my favorite thing right now,” Curry said. “We have our camp and ‘CurryCon’ going on across the city, which is pretty awesome. But I just appreciate the fans and the love and energy that’s here; you can hear all the people down, just celebrating and enjoying being a part of my journey with me.
steph on the drone light spectacle last night at 'curry meets chongqing':
"that show was crazy, probably my favorite. you can hear all the people down just celebrating and enjoying being part of my journey with me, so i'm excited to be back here."
After his visits to the country over the years, Curry has amassed a massive following throughout his 17-year NBA career, hence why he brought his camp to China for the first time.
It is no wonder that Curry was greeted with such an impressive, personal show.
The exchange took place after the Miami Heat traded forward Haywood Highsmith to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. The trade sent Highsmith and a 2032 second-round pick to the Nets in exchange for a protected 2026 second-round pick.
Highsmith was looked at as a key piece to Miami’s future while Butler still was with the team before the Feb. 5 trade to the Warriors, but Green appears to believe the praise, by some, was exaggerated.
Highsmith averaged 24.6 minutes per game last season with the Heat, while scoring only 6.5 PPG.
Butler averaged 17.5 PPG last season, which puts these two in completely different categories.
The Heat reportedly made offers to the Phoenix Suns for now-Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant this offseason, but Miami team president Pat Riley was unwilling to include young assets like Highsmith.
The complexities of Butler’s relationship with the Heat organization ultimately were unreconcilable in the end, but he seems much more at home now with the Warriors and isn’t too excited to contribute to Green’s social media banter.
“They’re a very experienced team,” Şengün explained. “They fouled a lot. In the playoffs, they don’t call it. But they were the ones crying all series about fouls not being called.”
Physicality was at an extreme all series, but the foul differential actually was in favor of the Rockets. The Warriors had 150 fouls throughout the series, while the Rockets were called for only 124.
The Turkish All-Star also praised his head coach for the discipline he instills in his players.
“When it comes to us, we’re not really allowed to complain,” Şengün added. “It’s more of an internal thing. Ime Udoka doesn’t allow it. He loses his mind if we complain.”
The series was decided in a pivotal Game 7, in which Golden State blew out Houston 103-89. Buddy Hield had his best game as a Warrior, scoring 33 points along with nine 3-pointers.
Both teams ended that game with 14 personal fouls. Şengün went on to mention how the two teams matched up.
“The Warriors were probably the one team that would have gave us the most trouble, and we drew them,” Şengün stated.
Houston revamped this offseason by trading for Kevin Durant, which makes for an even more entertaining matchup next season, where the physical play will remain a constant.
This looked like it could have been much worse in the moment, with Luka Doncic's Slovenian teammate Gregor Hrovat falling and crashing into his knee during an exhibition game against Latvia.
Luka Doncic’s teammate fell into him and the Lakers star appeared to injure his knee.
While Doncic limped back to the locker room after this, he was diagnosed with just a knee contusion, reports Marc Stein. Doncic will return to practice with the Slovenian team on Monday as they gear up for the start of EuroBasket at the end of the month, adds Dan Woike of The Athletic.
A source tells me Luka Dončić escaped today without any significant injury and will remain with the Slovenian national team and continue to compete in EuroBasket this summer.
With Doncic, Slovenia has a chance to medal at the European championships (they are sixth in betting odds to win the entire thing, according to Bet MGM). He is the heart and soul of their team, as evidenced by his 26 points, five rebounds and five assists against Latvia in the first half. With Doncic out, Latvia went on an 18-0 run and went on to win the exhibition, behind 20 points from Kristaps Porzingis and 16 from Davis Bertans.
Dru Smith's perseverance has won him a lot of fans in the Miami Heat front office. The Heat liked him enough that right as the 2023-24 season was starting, they converted his two-way contract to a regular one, but then he ended up missing most of that season with a right knee injury (and was waived at the trade deadline). Smith bounced back and signed another two-way contract with the Heat for last season and in 14 games with the big club averaged 6.2 points a game off the bench as a sniper from 3 and strong on-ball defender, then in December he tore his Achilles and missed the remainder of last season.
Miami is bringing Smith back for this season and hoping he stays healthy.
This was announced as a three-year contract by ESPN's Shams Charania, but only the first year is fully guaranteed. All three years are at the league minimum.
Smith's recovery is reportedly going so well that there is optimism he will be ready for the start of the NBA season. Smith is going to have to earn rotation minutes on a team that is expected to start Tyler Herro and Norman Powell at the guard spots, with Terry Rozier and just-drafted Kasparas Jakucionis in the rotation behind them.
Smith is Miami's 14th contract. It's interesting that after the reports of reserve big men working out for the team recently — Kai Jones and Trey Lyles — and now will enter the season with just Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware as centers on the roster.
Doncic limped back to the locker room but has avoided serious injury, reports Dan Woike of The Athletic. Doncic did not return to the game, however, he did return to the bench to watch the end of the exhibition against Latvia. We'll see what the diagnosis is once the doctors do more tests (LCL sprain?).
Doncic impressed in the first half, scoring 26 points with five assists and five boards.
Lakers fans will be watching the rest of EuroBasket with concern... just like Bucks fans are watching the Greek side with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nuggets fans with Serbia and Nikola Jokic, and the list goes on and on.
With Jrue Holiday traded away to Portland, a starting guard spot opens up in Boston next to Derrick White.
Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard is going to be handed that starting spot, which means Anfernee Simons would come off the bench as the sixth man, reports Grant Afseth at FastbreakJournal.com.
The Celtics believe Pritchard has earned the starting job through years of steady development. His familiarity with the system and readiness to handle expanded responsibilities have made him the preferred option to open games at point guard.
This shouldn't come as a surprise, although Pritchard is going to have to solidify this in training camp (Simons may fit better with the other starters, such as Jaylen Brown). Pritchard averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game while shooting 40.7% from beyond the arc last season, but in the three games he started those numbers jumped up to 21.7 points and 7.3 assists per game.
Simons should thrive in a sixth-man role where he is asked to come in and just get buckets. He averaged 19.3 points and 4.8 assists a game last season in Portland, shooting 36.3% from beyond the arc. This is a contract year for Simons (he's on an expiring contract at $27.7 million), and he'll be looking to put up numbers and raise his value for that next contract.
Could Simons make it back-to-back Sixth Men of the Year in Boston? It's something to watch in what could be a crowded field this year.
We’re still over two months away from the NBA’s 2025-26 regular season tipping off, but the hype train’s left the station with the release of the schedule. Let’s dive into all 82 games and give fans a glimpse of what’s to come for their Brooklyn Nets…
Key dates
Sept. 29: NBA Training Camp opens for the Brooklyn Nets
Oct. 10 & 12: 2025 Preseason: NBA China Games | Nets vs. Suns | The Venetian Arena in Macao
Oct. 21: Start of the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season – Opening Night
Dec. 9-10: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Knockout Rounds (Quarterfinals)
Dec. 13: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Semifinals (Las Vegas, NV)
Dec. 16: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Championship (Las Vegas, NV)
Feb. 5: NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)
Feb. 13-15: 2026 NBA All-Star in Los Angeles, CA
April 12: Regular season ends
Top matchups
Fri. Oct. 10 and Sun. Oct. 12 against the Phoenix Suns - NBA China Games
The borough continues to go global as Brooklyn kicks off its preseason as one of the NBA’s two representatives in their China Games, taking place over two nights in Macao. Just one and a half seasons after their massive blockbuster trade, these two teams meet without the major players they swapped, but with refreshed and intriguing rosters ready to hit the court.
Wed. Oct. 22 @ Charlotte Hornets
The 2025-26 Nets regular season opens on the road as they take on LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and the upstart Hornets. This should be a winnable and exciting game for Brooklyn against another rebuilding team in the conference.
Fri. Oct. 24 vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Their home opener takes place a couple days later against a much stronger foe, as the reigning top-seeded Cavs led by Donovan Mitchell (and former Net Jarrett Allen) come to town.
Mon. Oct. 27 @ Houston Rockets
The Nets face Kevin Durant in his (latest) new uniform for the first time when they travel south to Houston early in the season.
Mon. Dec. 29 vs Golden State Warriors
When Stephen Curry visits, you know you’re going to get a show.
Sun. Jan. 4 vs Denver Nuggets
It’s always special to watch one of the best NBA players of his era come to Barclays to perform, and Nikola Jokic is as generational as they come. The Nets faithful also get to see Cameron Johnson return for the first time in a Denver uniform.
Tue. Feb. 3 v Los Angeles Lakers
In what could be one of his final visits to Barclays, LeBron James comes to Brooklyn alongside star Luka Doncic.
Tue. Feb. 24 vs Dallas Mavericks
Number one overall pick Cooper Flagg makes his professional Barclays Center debut, alongside former Net Kyrie Irving, making his second return to Brooklyn.
NBA Cup games
Fri. Nov. 7 vs Detroit Pistons
Fri. Nov. 14 @ Orlando Magic
Fri. Nov. 21 @ Boston Celtics
Fri. Nov. 28 vs Philadelphia 76ers
Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) drives to the basket against Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Easiest stretches
Brooklyn has a pretty soft December, opening it up against Charlotte at home, Chicago on the road, Utah at home and New Orleans at home. They then take off for the NBA Cup Tournament or a mid-season reprieve, to come back and face the Heat and Raptors at home.
The Nets’ best stretch of games comes down the stretch of their season, timely if they’re in the Play-In hunt. Beginning Sun. Mar. 29, they get a six-game home stint featuring Sacramento, Charlotte, Atlanta, Washington, Milwaukee and Indiana.
Toughest stretches
Brooklyn has to suffer through a pretty brutal winter, beginning Dec. 23 when they take on Philly then Minny on the road before going home to play Golden State.
They then have a back-to-back beginning on New Year’s day against the Rockets and at the Wizards, before playing the Nuggets, Magic and Clippers at home and hitting another back-to-back in Memphis and Dallas.
Not two weeks later, the Nets embark on their longest road trip of the season, visiting the Clippers, Suns, Nuggets and Jazz on a back-to-back before flying out to Detroit. They return home to be greeted by LeBron and the Lakers before taking off to play the Magic in Orlando.
Playoff seeding
If the Nets can find themselves in the Play-In race come the home stretch of the season, their last eight games provide them a decent run at making a play. They have to survive a four-game west coast swing against the Kings, Blazers, Warriors and Lakers first.
Then they go into their late-season home stand mentioned above before closing the year with road games against the Bucks and Raptors.
We’re still over two months away from the NBA’s 2025-26 regular season tipping off, but the hype train’s left the station with the release of the schedule. Let’s dive into all 82 games and give fans a glimpse of what’s to come for their New York Knicks…
Key dates
Sept. 24: Training Camp opens for the New York Knicks
Oct. 2 & 4: 2025 Preseason: NBA Abu Dhabi Games | Knicks vs. 76ers | Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi
Oct. 21: Start of the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season – Opening Night
Dec. 9-10: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Knockout Rounds (Quarterfinals)
Dec. 13: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Semifinals (Las Vegas, NV)
Dec. 16: Emirates NBA Cup 2025 – Championship (Las Vegas, NV)
Thu. Oct 2 and Sat. Oct. 4 against Philadelphia 76ers (Abu Dhabi Games)
It’s been a minute since Knicks fans got to see their team before any others took the court, and this year they’ll have that chance with the team participating in the NBA’s Global Games in Abu Dhabi.
Not only is it a chance to see the team early, but in a neutral ground site for some fun mid-day action -- unfortunately the hiring of Mike Brown might mean more development time for the deep bench and less overexposure of the starters, for those who want to see the stars.
Wed. Oct. 22 vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Opening night at Madison Square Garden against your (most healthy) top rival in the East, what could be better? The Knicks get a true test right out of the gates in what will be a raucous, can’t-miss environment to kick off the highest expectation-laden season in decades.
Thu. Dec. 25 vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Tired of chain snatching Donovan Mitchell? Better be ready to do it twice on a national stage before the New Year’s, as New York gets Cleveland again for their Christmas Day game.
Mon. Jan. 19 vs Dallas Mavericks
The highly-anticipated number one overall pick of this year’s NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg, comes to town in a MLK Day matinee that should make for an awesome matchup.
Sun. Feb. 1 vs Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James in the Garden - maybe for the final time?
Wed. Feb. 4 vs Denver Nuggets
The Knicks have played one of the NBA’s perennial contenders and best players well over the past few seasons, setting the stage for hopefully another strong outing vs. Nikola Jokic and his new-look Nuggets.
Wed. Mar. 4 vs Oklahoma City Thunder
Unfortunately the Knicks don’t get to test themselves against the reigning NBA champions until late in the season, with their second matchup coming just before April, when load management takes over the locked-in seeds.
Sun. Mar 15 vs Golden State Warriors
Whenever Stephen Curry comes to the Garden you know it’s going to be a show, and this game adds some real sizzle to the dog days of the season.
NBA Cup games
Fri. Oct. 31 @ Chicago Bulls
Fri. Nov. 14 vs Miami Heat
Wed. Nov. 26 @ Charlotte Hornets
Fri. Nov. 38 vs Milwaukee Bucks
May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) dunks against Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) in the fourth quarter during game five of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
Easiest stretches
The Knicks' schedule doesn’t pull many punches, perhaps because there’s some front-loading or partially due to the West having a total of one true pushover team. They have a seven-game homestand from November 2 to November 14, and even that includes two back-to-backs.
They face a mix of lottery teams in Chicago, Washington and Brooklyn and tougher teams in Minnesota, Memphis, Orlando and Miami. They don’t have a home stand longer than three games for the rest of the season, with some big West coast trips in between.
There’s one stretch loaded with middling opponents, once again coming in the early part of the season however. From November 24 to December 5, New York plays Brooklyn, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Toronto, Boston, Charlotte and Utah.
Toughest stretches
Talk about your brutal holiday travel plans, the Knicks kick off a back-to-back on December 18-19 before playing every other night through New Year’s Eve, which include two road trips and the Christmas Day game. After an NYE bout in San Antonio, they fly back for another back-to-back beginning on January 2, wrapping up 10 games and six cities and in 17 days.
They only have a couple larger West Coach swings, but one falls in a bruising stretch.
They fly from Toronto back home to face Oklahoma City for a back-to-back on March 3-4, before embarking on a five-game, eight-night road trip against Denver, both LA teams, Utah and Indiana, all to play Golden State at home after a day of rest.
Playoff seeding
If the Knicks haven’t locked in a top two seed before the final weeks of the season, something went terribly wrong or the East showed much greater strength than advertised. In the case of either scenario, the home stretch of their season doesn’t look too bad.
New York plays @ Brooklyn on March 20, followed by vs Washington, vs New Orleans, @ Charlotte, @ Oklahoma City, @ Houston, vs Chicago, @ Atlanta, vs Boston, vs Toronto and vs Charlotte. Those are mostly beatable teams with a couple high-level contenders that could be resting up.
Haywood Highsmith has been traded to the Brooklyn Nets in what essentially is a salary dump for the Miami Heat.
Haysmith and the Heat's 2032 second-round pick go to the Nets in exchange for Brooklyn's 2026 second-round pick, top-55 protected. Both the Nets and Heat have confirmed the trade.
OFFICIAL: The Miami HEAT have traded Haywood Highsmith and a 2032 second round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a protected 2026 second round pick.
Highsmith is on an expiring $5.6 million contract that Brooklyn can absorb into its cap space.
For Miami, this is about getting out of the luxury tax. The Heat entered the day $1.4 million over the luxury tax line. With this trade, they are now more than $4 million under that mark, giving them some flexibility at the trade deadline, if needed.
Highsmith can fit into the Nets' rotation (and could get traded again at the deadline). Last season in Miami he played in 72 games (starting 42) and averaged 6.5 points and 3.4 rebounds a night, plus shot 38.2% from beyond the arc.
It appears that one of Jonathan Kuminga’s top priorities regarding a potential return to the Warriors is security.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported Friday on “NBA Today” that the fifth-year NBA veteran forward will not be returning to Golden State if he doesn’t believe he is in the organization’s long-term plans.
“Kuminga wants more of a player-friendly deal — more of a signal that he’s a building block and not just a trade asset; the word I’ve heard from the Kuminga side is ‘pawn,’” Slater said. “He doesn’t want to sign this two-year, $45 million deal with a team option where he is clearly just being used to be traded mid-season.
The Bay has been just that for the 22-year-old, since the Warriors selected Kuminga with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. But Golden State and Kuminga have yet to strike a deal.
Slater explained what aspects could change Kuminga’s mind.
“Now, if you’re talking about a three-year deal (or) something with a player option that shows him a little bit more commitment, that’s something he’d be interested in,” Slater said.
Time is running out for the Warriors to extend the hypothetical player-friendly deal to Kuminga. In the same breath, the forward must not love what offers he has seen from other teams, considering the restricted free agent is yet to agree to an offer.
Slater concluded by saying that neither side — Kuminga and the Warriors — has budged this summer.
“As of now, the Warriors have been hesitant to do that,” Slater said. “Kuminga is signaling to those around him that he’s very willing and prefers the qualifying offer over the two-year, $45 million deal, and that’s dangerous for the Warriors.
“They could try to call his bluff, but right now, it seems to be trending toward the qualifying offer.”
Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors have reestablished contract negotiations.
Golden State’s front office has remained at an impasse with the 22-year-old restricted free agent this offseason over a new deal, though both sides are trying to work through their issues.
“Well, there’s been renewed conversations between the two sides,” NBA insider Anthony Slater said Friday on ESPN’s “NBA Today.” “There’s dialogue, but as you all know, talking doesn’t necessarily equal movement. They’ve shared contract concepts and opinions about the whole thing between each other this last week, dating back to last weekend.
“Kuminga wants more of a player-friendly deal, more of a signal that he’s a building block, not a trade asset.”
After trading for Jimmy Butler last season, Kuminga fell out of Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s regular rotation. The lack of meaningful playing time, coupled with his free agency status, has led to both sides looking into trade possibilities. While a potential trade framework was in place with the Sacramento Kings, nothing materialized.
Both sides appear willing to work out a deal to keep Kuminga in Golden State, but the 22-year-old still is not sold on being what amounts to a backup for games when Butler and Steph Curry can’t carry the offensive load.
Kuminga was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, with Golden State expecting the raw but talented forward to develop into an All-Star caliber player. While he has shown flashes of brilliance, it hasn’t been enough to win a spot in the starting rotation with Butler in the fold.
The 22-year-old has few other options given the lack of interest from other teams and his restricted free agent status.
Hopefully, both sides can work through their differences and figure out a resolution before the start of official team training camp next month.
Now let's dive into the details of the schedule and talk about who has the advantage and disadvantage in back-to-backs, nationally televised games and more — including the most bobblehead nights.
Which teams have the most nationally televised games?
Four teams are maxed out at 34 games on national television:
• Lakers • Warriors • Knicks • Thunder
The Timberwolves and Rockets follow those four with 28 each. Rounding out the top 10 are the Nuggets (26), Celtics (25), Cavaliers (24) and Mavericks (23).
Every team has at least two nationally televised games.
With the addition of Peacock NBA Mondays and many NBA Cup games being broadcast on Amazon Prime exclusively, the number of national broadcast games jumped this season to 244, up from 172 a season ago. Once the NFL season nears its end, the NBA will ramp up with nationally televised games nightly.
Where to watch NBA action this season ⬇️
Season-long national games: ▪️ Mon: Peacock ▪️ Tue: NBC/Peacock ▪️ Wed: ESPN ▪️ Fri: Prime Video
Additional weekly national games starting midseason: ▪️ Thu: Prime Video ▪️ Sat: ABC | ESPN | Prime Video ▪️ Sun: ABC | ESPN | NBC/Peacock pic.twitter.com/eZgo8viuEX
If you remove the games exclusively on streaming platforms from the national broadcast game list, only counting the games on NBC, ABC and ESPN, the teams with the most games are: Knicks (21), Lakers (20), Thunder (20), Warriors (19) and Nuggets (18). Worth noting that both the Rockets and Timberwolves will have 17 of those games. It's also worth noting that all those games on over-the-air broadcasts also will be available on streaming services such as Peacock for the NBC games as well.
Which teams have the most back-to-backs?
Every team has between 13 and 16 back-to-backs, with the average being 14.4 (down slightly from 14.9 a season ago). The five teams with the most (16) are:
• Hornets • Nuggets • 76ers • Suns • Wizards
Just as interesting is the number of times a team faces an opponent on a back-to-back. At the top of the list, the 76ers face 18 teams on the second night of a back-to-back, while the Nuggets are at the low end of that scale with 12.
Utah, Philadelphia, and Sacramento each have 14 rest advantage games, tied for the most in the league, according to Positive Residual.
There are no four games in five nights in the schedule.
Other schedule notes
• Getting rest before big games. The NBA noted that teams do not play the day before these games:
*All opening-week national TV games *All Emirates NBA Cup games *All Christmas Day games *The four-game Peacock/NBC schedule on Martin Luther King Jr. Day *The 10-game ABC Saturday schedule and eight-game ABC Sunday schedule *The 11-game NBC Sunday schedule
• Pelicans have toughest NBA schedule. Remember when the Pelicans traded their 2026 first-round pick to Atlanta so they could move up and draft Derik Queen in this year's draft? Keep that in mind as you check out Positive Residual's projections for the most difficult schedule in the NBA this season:
Note that an older team in the Warriors is fourth on that list, with the Mavericks fifth.
• Impact of Clippers' new arena. Interesting note from The Athletic's Law Murray:
• Clippers lead the league in bobblehead nights. Clippers fans love bobbleheads?
LA Clippers have six different bobblehead nights this upcoming season for home games.
Jan. 12: Kris Dunn Bobblehead Feb. 2: Chris Paul Bobblehead Feb. 22: James Harden Bobblehead Mar. 4: Bradley Beal Bobblehead Mar. 16: Nicolas Batum Bobblehead Mar. 25: Kawhi Leonard Bobblehead
