Category: Basketball

The Philadelphia 76ers already have LeBron James’ position set, or so it seems.

A week ago, the team wasn’t certain James would be joining their ranks. Now, the 76ers have reportedly established James’ role for the upcoming season.

According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the 76ers are expected to utilize the 41-year-old as their point guard. While ESPN’s post on X has since been deleted, Charania discussed James running point for Philadelphia on NBA Today.

“The Sixers, I’m told, are expecting LeBron James to play a good amount of time and period of time at the point guard position, on offense, initiating the game, the offense, for Nick Nurse,” Charania said on Monday.

“Tyrese Maxey, last season, played a lot on the ball at point guard, and we know his prowess off the ball as a scorer. Think of a better player that can set the table for Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe. There’s all these players that can score, that can get the ball from LeBron James.”

This wouldn’t be a first for James as he most notably facilitated the ball throughout the 2019-20 season, where he averaged a career-high 10.2 assists with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Coincidentally, or maybe not so much, the Lakers won the NBA Championship that season.

Despite being 41 years old, James being the floor general in Philadelphia makes perfect sense since the team lacked a true point guard.

LeBron signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers, and now that the free agency saga is over, basketball fans will turn their attention to the veteran’s performance.

The 76ers will do everything in their power to ensure James has a smooth transition to the Eastern Conference and running the offense is one of his many talents. Throughout his storied career, James has often been compared to Magic Johnson because of his court vision.

The 76ers’ starting roster is absolutely stacked. But the question remains, are there too many cooks in the kitchen?

LeBron James no longer has the Los Angeles Lakers, and a significant chunk of the NBA, in a holding pattern.

James is now officially with the Philadelphia 76ers after leaving the Lakers in free agency. 

His other potential suitors — the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves — are no longer in the dark about his next destination. And the free agents and teams contingently connected to those franchises are free to continue their offseason work now that one of the biggest dominoes of the offseason in James is accounted for. 

Among those teams include the Lakers, who swiftly underwent their offseason reconstruction around superstar Luka Dončić after James made it clear on June 29 he wasn’t going to return to the franchise for his unprecedented 24th NBA season.

Eight players that ended last season with the Lakers won’t return for 2026-27, including James, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton and Luke Kennard — the starting lineup from the first four games of their first-round playoffs series victory over the Houston Rockets in the spring. 

The Lakers’ free-agency newcomers: Walker Kessler (four years, $130 million), Quentin Grimes (four years, $60 million), Sandro Mamukelashvili (four years, $52 million), Collin Sexton (two years, $19 million), Kevon Looney (one year, $3.9 million), Ziaire Williams (one year, $2.8 million) and Matisse Thybulle (one year, $3.3 million). 

This doesn’t include Cameron Carr (the No. 24 pick in June’s NBA draft) or Jaden Hardy (who the Lakers acquired from the Wizards in the trade that sent Ayton to Washington). Or Austin Reaves, who re-signed with the Lakers on a four-year, $180 million deal.

And the Lakers still aren’t done making moves.

By league rules, they can’t be done, having to trim their roster from 16 players to 15 by the time the regular season starts in October. 

But they’re also actively looking to add to their roster to put a bow on their offseason before training camp starts in two months. 

What must happen between now and then for the Lakers’ offseason to be considered even more successful? A starting-level forward? Another backup big man? 

Here’s where the Lakers’ offseason stands, and the directions it’s moving in. 

Kuminga pursuit 

The Lakers and Cavaliers remain connected even after James’ decision. 

As previously reported by the California Post, both franchises are pursuing unrestricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga, who had his $24.3 million team option declined by the Hawks on June 29. 

The Lakers met with Kuminga the following day and have stayed in touch with his side over the last few weeks, but they haven’t been able to find a deal.

The holdup has been centered around financial terms of a potential contract that would bring the 23-year-old Kuminga to L.A. – a source told the Post in mid-July the Lakers were offering around $10 annually – and the details of a sign-and-trade the Lakers would need to execute with the Hawks to acquire Kuminga. 

As told to the Post last week, there hadn’t been significant progress in a deal that would bring Kuminga to L.A., but that was before James’ decision was made. 

A sign-and-trade – which must be for at least three seasons without contract options – is the most realistic way for Kuminga to join the Lakers. 

The Post previously reported the Hawks are willing to send Kuminga to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade in a deal that would involve the framework of Atlanta taking back Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap – the lone option the Lakers have of trading a first-round pick this offseason. But that was before the Hawks acquired Lu Dort from the Thunder in a three-team deal and had 17 players under contract on standard deals – meaning they’ll also have to trim their roster over the next few months. 

Even after agreeing to terms with Mario Hezonja on a one-year deal, the Cavaliers remain a viable option for Kuminga via sign-and-trade. How much they’ll be able, or willing, to offer him Kuminga depends, in part, on how much of a pay cut James Harden is willing to take to return to the Cavaliers after declining his $42.3 million player option. The Cavaliers are reportedly also interested in DeMar DeRozan. 

Good enough roster?

Without Kuminga, the Lakers’ roster has an evident hole for a starting-caliber wing alongside Doncic, Reaves, Grimes and Kessler.

If they don’t land Kuminga, their paths to a backup option appear to be murky. 

The same is true for the Lakers’ quest for another big man, with their rotation currently being Kessler, Looney and Mamukelashvili.

Multiple front office personnel who spoke with the Post on the condition of anonymity throughout July overall liked the moves the Lakers made during the offseason.

But the moves weren’t lauded to the point where they’re viewed as a contender to come out of the Western Conference. The Lakers remain viewed as at least a tier below the Spurs and Thunder – along with most of the West.

Landing Kuminga – or another starting-level forward – would help the Lakers close the gap between themselves and the top of the West. 

But realistically, there aren’t enough big moves for the Lakers to make this offseason to transform their outlook for 2026-27 outside of what they’ve already done.

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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Suns fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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This past week, I found myself roaming the streets of social media once again, searching for inspiration on what to write about. Such is life in late July when you cover the Phoenix Suns. It didn’t take long before I came across a conversation where I firmly stand on one side of the fence.

The topic? Whether Devin Booker is a star or a superstar.

I believe it’s well documented that, at this moment, I view him as a star. There’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t hand out the superstar designation simply because I’m a fan of the player, a fan of the team, and want nothing more than to see him succeed. I try my best to approach these conversations logically and consider every side.

In my opinion, at this point in his career, Devin Booker is not a superstar. Why? While it’s a subjective term, I believe you can set some parameters around it. Being an All-Star, earning All-NBA honors, and winning multiple rounds in the postseason are the types of accomplishments that place a player in the rare air reserved for superstars. It is fluid. Just because you were in the club for a couple of years does not mean you have a table reserved. 

Fun fact: not every team has one. If every team had a superstar, there would be more than 30 of them in the league, and that simply isn’t the case. Calling everyone a superstar devalues the word.

Devin Booker is a star. He is someone you can build a team around, and he has also held the superstar designation in the past. Look back at 2021 and 2022. There’s no doubt Booker belonged in the conversation as one of the best players in the league. He finished fourth in MVP voting in 2022, and there was a legitimate argument about whether he was the best shooting guard in basketball at the time.

But as time has passed and the production has declined, he has found himself in that strange space between superstar and star. I understand why some people still consider him a superstar. It simply isn’t a designation I currently subscribe to.

That leads to the question I’d like to ask the Bright Side community. Is there a world where Devin Booker can regain that superstar status?

The organization has pivoted over the past two seasons, moving from a roster that was incredibly top-heavy on salary to one that is much more balanced. Outside of the $36 million Jalen Green is making, the contract that stands out is the supermax money attached to Booker. Why does he make it? Because he has been loyal to the organization, and there are financial rewards that come with that loyalty, especially when you reach the heights he has. When you begin earning All-NBA honors, your contract increases. Booker accomplished those things in the past, and that is why he is paid like a superstar.

Can he once again earn the compensation he is being provided? Has the organization constructed a roster that puts him in a position to reclaim that superstar status? And what does the word superstar mean to you?

Take your time voting in the poll, then let me know in the comments how you define a superstar and whether you believe Devin Booker can reach that level again.

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It turns out the Heat’s YouTube blunder was just someone trying to go on vacation.

During the height of the LeBron James drama, NBA fans noticed the Heat had a livestream scheduled for July 27 titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference.” 

According to ESPN, the Heat staffer who posted the press conference, “had scheduled vacation for this week and was trying to get ahead of work that could come up if James indeed chose the Heat.”

Miami took down the mistake quickly and released a statement calling it a mistake, but that didn’t stop fans from believing James had made his decision and was returning to the Heat.

In fact, a number of factors leading up to James signing with the 76ers pointed to a second stint in Miami, including ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter and former NBA player Gilbert Arenas saying it was most likely.

Heat president Pat Riley recently said on the “Dan Le Batard Show” that his relationship with James had “thawed.”

The odds followed the trends and DraftKings sportsbook dropped the Heat as the final destination of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer to -200 from the +1000 odds they had at the start of free agency.

While James’ agent Rich Paul said he thought Miami would end up as “the spot,” he was amused by the YouTube debacle because at the time, James had not made his decision.

Another league source close to the decision told ESPN he questioned why people thought James would even do a press conference.

When he signed with the Lakers in 2018, he didn’t make his first appearance to the media until training camp in the fall.

James used up all 24 days to process every factor imaginable, admitting he had thought about retirement after last season.

In the end, Paul said James signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the 76ers at 1 a.m. on Friday, just a few hours before ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the deal.

He will join the likes of Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey in the pursuit of one last championship. 

Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2025-26 player reviews! The series will look at the players who finished the season with the San Antonio Spurs on guaranteed contracts and who played consequential minutes and/or a vital role (so no two-way players because we hardly saw them this year, no players who were traded away, and none of the deep bench centers, since they were both irrelevant and are now all gone).

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Jordan McLaughlin

2025-26 stats: 44 games played, 6.4 MPG, 2 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 42.5 3FG%

Contract Status: 1 year, minimum contract

Age: 30

There’s not much that can be asked about journeymen on minimum contracts. They are simply expected to suit up when needed, likely due to injury to a rotation player, and mostly blend in, helping when possible but mostly just not hurting the team too much.

The Silver and Black, who couldn’t find a veteran big who could live up to those modest expectations, mostly got that from their fourth-string point guard. Jordan McLaughlin only played a total of 282 minutes in the regular season, fewer than Jeremy Sochan, as a comparison point, spread over 44 games, so it’s hard to consider him an impact player. The good news is that he didn’t try to be one when his number was called, even in his handful of playoff minutes.

At this point, McLaughlin knows that the reason he’s still in the league is that he plays within himself. The veteran guard took decent care of the ball, played disruptive defense, and was happy to pass to a more talented creator while spotting up from beyond the arc. He brought the same level of professionalism in garbage time as he did in the Conference Finals, which is what you want from your 11th guy.

Delving into the numbers from someone who played so little and so often in low-leverage situations isn’t really helpful, so any judgement of McLaughlin has to rely on the eye test, which is kind to him. As a break-in-case-of-emergency ball handler and veteran stabilizer, he looked the part. He never impressed, but he rarely looked out of place or helpless when he was on the floor, as others in the deep bench did.

Looking ahead

While McLaughlin was fine in his role last season, he benefits from the comparison to the horrendous platoon of veteran centers and an underwhelming Lindy Waters III, who showed some intriguing flashes but couldn’t crack the rotation. The expectations from everyone on the periphery of the roster were low, so McLaughlin meeting them doesn’t feel like a significant achievement.

There was a case to be made for a change in the fourth guard spot heading into 2026/27. Knowing what you are going to get from someone can be comforting, and the still youngish and supremely talented Spurs need veterans who will be fine with little to no minutes, but taking the long view, finding someone with more oomph to their game than McLaughlin might have been a good idea. After all, at some point the logjam at point guard will eventually disappear as a result of the increasing cost of the roster, and San Antonio will need actual production from a backup.

For now, though, McLaughlin (and the two-way guards) will do. The vet won’t complain about the many, many games in which he won’t get to see the floor and hopefully will continue to hit open threes to complement his solid floor game and tenacious defense.

If this is, as it probably should be, J-Mack’s last season in San Antonio, he has the opportunity to leave a good impression just by being ordinary instead of a liability in the few minutes he gets, which seems like something he should be able to accomplish.

Top performance

6 points, 1 assist in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against OKC. McLaughlin got few but important minutes in De’Aaron Fox’s absence and did well enough under the bright lights.

Final grade: C+

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Next up: Carter Bryant

LeBron James’ move to Philadelphia may have been billed as his “last decision,” but one small detail buried inside his new two-year, $8 million contract with the 76ers leaves the door open for an unexpected plot twist. 

Unlike his contracts with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers, James’ new deal with the Sixers does not include a no-trade clause because under NBA rules it legally couldn’t. 

James wasn’t eligible for a no-trade clause because players must have at least eight years of NBA service and four consecutive seasons with the team they are signing a contract with. James will embark upon a record-breaking 24th season this fall, making the former part of the rules not a problem, but because he has never played with the Sixers before, the latter was the issue. Had James re-signed with the Lakers he would have been eligible for a full no-trade clause. 

James was able to negotiate a player option for the second year of the contract, and added a 15% trade kicker, which guarantees James a 15% bonus on the remaining guaranteed salary should he be dealt during the first year of the contract. With the veteran minimum salary James is making, that should not deter any team from wanting to acquire him. 

LeBron James has officially signed his two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers with a player option — plus a full 15% trade kicker, per sources. https://t.co/mXZspfkTug

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 26, 2026

Without James’ power to veto a trade, Philadelphia retains the right to trade the four-time NBA Champion should their season go sideways. 

Realistically, the Sixers trading LeBron is a long shot. At just under $4 million dollars this season, James is the biggest bargain in professional sports. His value off the floor in ticket sales, television ratings, jersey sales, merchandise, and sponsorships will far exceed his salary. Even if his production on the court falls off a cliff, he’s still worth more to the Sixers than almost any other player in NBA history making the veteran minimum. 

Still, Philadelphia’s fan base has a history of turning on their stars quickly. If injuries or dysfunction derail the Sixers season, and they suddenly find themselves staring at the lottery instead of the playoffs come the All-Star break, then James’ contract gives them an escape hatch. 

pic.twitter.com/YFR01TviVw

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 27, 2026

There’s a precedent as well. Many teams have hit the eject button on their experiments with “untouchable” stars. The Golden State Warriors traded D’Angelo Russell just 33 games after signing him to a four-year contract. The Brooklyn Nets dismantled the Kevin Durant-James Harden-Kyrie Irving experiment faster than you’d remove a bandage. Even the Lakers moved on from their Russell Westbrook experiment after one year. 

LeBron says this is his final chapter and it most likely is, but without a no-trade clause, the ending isn’t entirely his to write.

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There is no question that LeBron James isn’t the same level of player heading into this season as he was for most of his career. In fact, it would be absurd to think he would be. But with that being said, he’s still a high-end player who can do things on the court that few others in the history of the game ever could.

Last week LeBron James announced he would be signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, immediately making them possibly the most interesting team in the NBA. But what does that mean on the court? In addition to James, the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown over the offseason, adding both All-Star players to a roster that already includes Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey. There is no reason this team can’t compete with anyone in the league. But it doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best team in the league, or even the Eastern Conference for that matter.

With the defending world champion New York Knicks right down the road, a still intriguing Boston Celtics, a revamped Miami Heat, and a challenging Cleveland Cavaliers, the East is anything but a cake walk. So for this week’s NBA Reacts survey, we want to know who you think is the best team in the Eastern Conference.

Get your votes in now and be on the lookout for results later this week!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Celtics fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Despite all the player movement this summer — including Jaylen Brown and now LeBron James landing in Philadelphia — the Celtics are still squarely in the Eastern Conference mix.

Think of it this way: Boston finished unexpectedly with 56 wins last seasons. Since then, they’ve effectively traded Jaylen Brown for a healthy Jayson Tatum, now more than a year removed from his Achilles injury, and added veterans Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley Jr. to shore up some holes in their lineup. With another year of development for their wing depth, they should fare better next year.

Sure, James and Kawhi Leonard are back in the East. Giannis Antetokounmpo is now in Miami. The Pacers are getting back Tyrese Haliburton and added Ivica Zubac. The Hawks and Hornets retooled their rosters, too. And the defending champs will have Madison Square Garden rocking again.

But if you’re a betting man or woman, our friends at FanDuel still have the Celtics just behind the Knicks and 76ers and ahead of the Raptors in the East for the Eastern Conference title. Analytics-based prediction models like Sporting News’ Stephen Noh’s WinProjectionModel.com has Boston in a three-way tie with Toronto and New York with 54 wins; Cleveland and Philly trail behind at 51 and 47 respectively.

Are you buying the hype behind this Boston team?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Washington Wizards fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

In this week’s SB Nation Reacts survey, we revisit a topic that Kevin Broom wrote over the weekend: the fact that AJ Dybantsa played just two games during the 2026 NBA Summer League.

With that in mind, should the Wizards have played Dybantsa more? Let us now in the survey below. We will share results this weekend!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Mavs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

I suppose your answer to this question will largely depend on if you think the front office is done. But even if nothing else happens and the guys roll into the regular season with this group, there’s a lot to be happy about.

More on this as we work through the week!

With the addition of LeBron James to Philadelphia, the Eastern Conference looks to be as competitive as it ever has been in recent memory. Assuming the Kawhi Leonard trade will send him to Toronto and Jalen Duren re-signs with Detroit, it’s time to see where the Pistons could fall by the end of the upcoming NBA season.

15. Milwaukee Bucks

Record last year: 32-50 (11th)

Key departures: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis

Key additions: Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr, Kasparas Jakucionis, Brayden Burries, Nate Ament

Analysis: The post-Giannis era has begun in Milwaukee. Tyler Herro might average 30 PPG, but this team is terrible. Ryan Rollins is fun, and I’ll continue to dream about Myles Turner if Detroit actually moves on from Duren, but any team with Kyle Kuzma in the lineup is going to lose games. Remember, Kuzma: “don’t be that team!”

14. Brooklyn Nets

Record last year: 20-62 (13th)

Key departures: Nic Claxton

Key additions: Julius Randle, Keon Ellis, Mo Wagner, Mikel Brown Jr.

Analysis: I like Brooklyn’s draft by selecting Mikel Brown Jr. and Joshua Jefferson. Egor Demin is an exciting prospect, but who are the Nets building around? Are Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle the kind of vets you’d want leading your locker room? They need one of their young guys to step up as a centerpiece, otheriwse, they’re waiting on the next draft lottery.

13. Chicago Bulls

Record last year: 31-51 (12th)

Key departures: n/a

Key additions: Nic Claxton, Norman Powell, Caleb Wilson

Analysis: The team of consistent mediocrity! Chicago moved on from two of their best players, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, to build around Josh Giddey. Matas Buzelis is fun and should make an intruiging pair with Caleb Wilson. Yet, I can’t help but feel this team is destined to miss the play-in once again.

12. Washington Wizards

Record last year: 17-65 (15th)

Key departures: D’Angelo Russell

Key additions: Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Deandre Ayton, AJ Dybantsa

Analysis: If there’s a compliment I can give the Wizards, it’s that their front office is at least trying to be exciting. They gave Trae Young one of the worst contracts in the NBA and have to pay Anthony “Street Clothes” Davis $120 million over the next two seasons. I’m excited about AJ Dybantsa, but it’s hard to have faith in a team highlighted by Trae, AD, and Ayton.

11. Orlando Magic

Record last year: 45-37 (8th)

Key departures: Mo Wagner

Key additions: Nikola Vucevic

Analysis: Orlando is basically running back the same team as last year in an Eastern Conference that is way more competitive now. Detroit and Orlando had similar team builds, but Orlando didn’t acquire any real shooting on a team that has one real threat from beyond the arc in their starting lineup. Put the DBB staff in a 2-3 zone against the Magic and we might stand a chance.

10. Miami Heat

Record last year: 43-39 (10th)

Key departures: Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis

Key additions: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis

Analysis: I’m not sure I can put much faith into Miami yet. The Giannis and Bam pairing is exciting on paper, but Bam’s no Brook Lopez from deep. I think you clog the paint against the Heat and force Davion Mitchell or Tim Hardaway Jr to beat you. They feel a year away and another move (or two) from competing deep into the postseason.

9. Charlotte Hornets

Record last year: 44-38 (9th)

Key departures: LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Josh Green

Key additions: Naz Reid, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith

Analysis: I’m a believer that the Hornets will be a better team without LaMelo Ball. Where Orlando doesn’t have any shooting, Charlotte has a ton of it. I love the additions of Reid and Allen. I’d put the Hornets at the top of exciting teams to watch on NBA League Pass.

8. Indiana Pacers

Record last year: 19-63 (14th)

Key departures: n/a

Key additions: Kelly Oubre Jr, Larry Nance Jr

Analysis: Indiana punted last season away after Tyrese Haliburton ruptured his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2024-2025 NBA Finals against the Thunder. This is a well-built team with depth at all positions, but I’ll have to see them produce on the court before I can feel comfortable moving them up the list.

7. Atlanta Hawks

Record last year: 46-36 (6th)

Key departures: Zaccharie Risacher

Key additions: Aaron Wiggins, Lu Dort, Devin Carter, Kingston Flemings

Analysis: If Charlotte weren’t at the top of my “most exciting offseason” teams, Atlanta would be it. Just getting Trae Young off the roster is a plus in itself, but they’ve improved their depth across the board. Jalen Johnson is their most expensive player at only $30 million, and they’re primed to take a big swing at the deadline. Rudy Gobert, anyone?

6. Toronto Raptors

Record last year: 46-36 (5th)

Key departures: Brandon Ingram*, Gradey Dick*, Sandro Mamukelashvili

Key additions: Kawhi Leonard*, Kyle Anderson, Allen Graves

Analysis: Their whole offseason hinges on the league finishing its investigation on Kawhi Leonard. Scottie Barnes is amazing, but the Jakob Poeltl contract is up there with the worst in the league. What happens when this trade gets reversed? Does anyone have any Aspiration inspiration to move them higher?

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

Record last year: 52-30 (4th)

Key departures: Keon Ellis, Dean Wade

Key additions: Mario Hezonja, Meleek Thomas

Analysis: I mean, what are we doing, Cleveland? You whiffed on a homecoming with LeBron and lost your two best defenders. Your two stars in Donovan Mitchell and James Harden can’t defend a traffic cone, and you play in a division with Cade Cunningham. Don’t forget, you have to pay Mitchell $75 million in 2030-2031!

4. Boston Celtics

Record last year: 56-26 (2nd)

Key departures: Jaylen Brown

Key additions: Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, Mike Conley

Analysis: A healthy Jayson Tatum is back and has a new friend riding shotgun. Paul George isn’t better than Jaylen Brown, but maybe he’s a better fit for this roster. They’ve had a Mitchell Robinson-sized hole at center for the past few seasons that is now filled. Boston is always good and I don’t see that changing. Put me down for Payton Pritchard as Most Improved Player of the Year.

3. Detroit Pistons

Record last year: 60-22 (1st)

Key departures: Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, Caris LeVert, Marcus Sasser

Key additions: John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Ebuka Okorie

Analysis: Detroit should most certainly be a better team offensively. Collins, Joe, and Prince are all 40%+ three-pointer shooters, and they hung onto Robinson and Huerter. While Beef Stew’s rim protection will be missed, I’m excited about having a more fluid offensive backup center in Paul Reed. The Cade/Ausar/Duren trio will be surrounded by the most shooting it has ever had. I’m happy to see what Ausar and Duren can do sharing the secondary playmaker role until Trajan makes the big trade at February’s trade deadline.

2. Philadelphia 76ers

Record last year: 45-37 (7th)

Key departures: Paul George, Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond

Key additions: LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Analysis: Look, this is the best starting five in the NBA. I mean, their fourth-best player is LeBron James, maybe? This was a great offseason for Philly and there’s no doubt they’re gunning for the Larry O’Brien trophy. I worry about their depth in the playoffs if this team has injury issues, and it feels like someone in their top four will be upset about their lower usage. We’ll see if they can make it work.

1. New York Knicks

Record last year: 53-29 (3rd)

Key departures: Mitchell Robinson

Key additions: Andre Drummond

Analysis: Running it back with the same team after winning the NBA championship? Sounds good to me.

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Go Stones.

NBA fans are going to be seeing a lot more of the 76ers whether they like it or not.

Philadelphia is expected to get the maximum amount of national television games allowed after the team signed LeBron James to a two-year, $8 million deal, sources have told Front Office Sports.

The 76ers played in 14 national TV games last season — a total they’ll more than double in 2026-27 at 34 games.

Following along the NBA’s current 11-year, $76 billion media right deal, each of the league’s 30 teams is given at least two national game broadcasts per season.

Each year those with the biggest stars see more come their way, including hitting the 34-game maximum.

In 2025, one of those teams proved to be the eventual NBA champion Knicks, who play in the country’s biggest TV market. Behind them were James’ former team, the Lakers, Steph Curry and the Warriors and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s defending champion Thunder.

At the bottom of the barrel with the minimum two-game requirement sat the Nets, Raptors, Wizards, Jazz and Pelicans.

Additionally, the 76ers should be at the forefront of big events throughout the season including opening week and in the NBA’s five-game slate on Christmas Day.

At a CNBC press conference, league commissioner Adam Silver stated the NBA couldn’t nail down the upcoming schedule without knowing where James would land.

The 41-year-old made his long-awaited decision to head to Philly on Friday, calling it his “last decision” and one that he made because he wanted to “work” and “sacrifice” towards another championship with a fourth team.

Last year, the 76ers finished with a 45-37 record and were swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Now with James, the 76ers have elevated their threat level in the East, adding Jaylen Brown to a core of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe.

What’s up y’all? Last weekend, the NBA Summer League concluded, so I thought I’d take a look at how some former Ducks ended up playing.

Player	Games played	Minutes per game	Points per game	Shooting % (FG/3/FT)	Assists per game	Rebounds per game	Steals per game	Blocks per game
TJ Bamba	3	12.8	4	21.1%/18.2%/50%	1	1.3	0.3	0
Brandon Angel	4	12	4.5	53%/66.7%/0%	0	3	0.2	0.5
Nate Bittle	4	20.6	9.8	50%/43.8%/100%	2.2	6.8	0.8	2.8

Now, I know these results aren’t very surprising. But I was legitimately impressed watching Bittle go out and do work. He looked healthy, and played the same style of ball we got to watch him play the last few seasons. Honestly, with how well he performed in Summer League, I have even more confidence he’ll be able to carve out a legitimate career as an NBA role player. Especially considering that you NEED to be able to shoot to survive more than 2-3 years these days. I don’t know if he’ll stay on the Raptors, but I think someone will give him a shot. And when they do, I’m confident he’ll make the most of it.

As always, ‘Sco Ducks

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NBA teams want their top two players to pair well together and have a ton of chemistry.

Ideally, the two working as a unit makes them far greater than they are individually, and that bond results in a ton of winning.

Sure, we’ve seen duos who don’t always get along win. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal are probably the most famous example of this. However, it’s always better if everyone is happy with each other.

The Lakers have experienced good vibes with duos turning into titles. Kobe and Pau Gasol won back-to-back championships this way, and LeBron James and Antony Davis are the most recent example of this, winning it all during the 2019-20 season.

Whether Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves can be the next title-winning duo is still to be determined, but their friendship is clearly strong.

There are myriad examples of Luka and Austin getting along. On social media, Reaves and Dončić have both joked with each other in ways only friends can. During media availability, that playful banter, with smiles ear to ear, has also been as clear as day.

Their friendship isn’t just one of convenience. Their bond and conversations don’t come to a halt once the NBA season is over.

In an article by Dave McMenamin on ESPN, Reaves mentioned how he remains in constant contact with his backcourt partner.

“Luka,” Reaves said, “I mean, he’s one of my best friends on this planet. Talk to him almost every single day. He sends me videos of his golf swing and asks me what he can do to get better, and I tell him I’m not a coach.”

It’s amazing that Dončić and Reaves have quickly become so close. There are few people any of us talk to on a near-daily basis, and the fact that LA’s guards do should warm even the coldest hearts.

Seasons are long, and adversity presents itself in different ways. Having a friend by your side to take on those challenges makes that path just a bit easier and hopefully flips things from bad to good faster.

So, expect the Luka and Austin chemistry to only get better from here. With Reaves re-signing and Luka also locked up long-term with the Lakers, they are the present and future of this franchise.

This is their era, and they’ll succeed or fail together as friends.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.