SAN FRANCISCO – The NBA preseason is a learning experience for youngsters and veterans alike, and the Warriors will have plenty of positives and negatives to review after what turned into a wild 129-123 win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night at Chase Center.
Behind the 3-point prowess of Quinten Post (20 points) and LJ Cryer (14 points), and rookie Will Richard’s constant activity, the Warriors rallied for a spirited comeback where they outscored the Blazers 51-26 in the fourth quarter.
Steph Curry in his one half of action played 16 minutes and scored 11 points, going 3 of 7 overall and 2 of 5 on threes. Draymond Green also played 16 minutes, and also hit a pair of threes on his way to nine points. Jimmy Butler was the leading scorer of the three, and the only to have a positive plus/minus.
Butler, a plus-3 in 17 minutes, scored 12 points to go with two rebounds, three assists and two steals. He was 3 of 6 from the field, and 6 of 8 on free throws.
The Warriors again play the Blazers in the preseason next Tuesday, as well as the third game of the 2025-26 NBA regular season in what will be the second night of a back-to-back.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ second win to start their five-game preseason schedule.
Horford Gets Starting Nod
After opening the preseason with a small-ball lineup in the Warriors’ first game, coach Steve Kerr switched gears and went big against the Blazers. Al Horford moved into the starting lineup, with the real decision being Moses Moody staying and Brandin Podziemski coming off the bench. Horford and Moody accompanied Curry, Butler and Green.
“Al gives us the ability to play bigger with shooting,” Kerr explained at his pregame press conference. “Portland’s got a pretty big team and I would anticipate they’ll start [Donovan] Clingan. I think I mentioned last game, I don’t want to throw Draymond out there constantly against these big centers. So this is a good night to take a look at that lineup and see what we do.”
The Warriors trailed 18-15 when Kerr first turned to his bench, replacing Moody and Horford with Buddy Hield and Post with a little more than five minutes left in the first quarter. Moody blocked two shots in the first minute, and Horford already had two rebounds and one assist. He should have had two assists by then if Moody would have converted an open layup.
But Horford’s first assist was an eye-opening dime. The 39-year-old center grabbed a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast, finding Butler in transition for an easy layup at the rim.
The starters didn’t play together again all night. Like the preseason opener, Curry, Butler, Green and Horford all sat the second half. Horford was scoreless in 11 minutes while missing his four shot attempts. Moody didn’t start the second half and was a minus-10 in 20 minutes, scoring 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
Second Unit Struggles
Once Kerr turned to his bench, the game flipped in favor of the Blazers. The Warriors used a 10-man rotation in the first quarter, using Podziemski, Hield, Post, Jonathan Kuminga and Gary Payton II off the bench. That unit lost its run 19-4 in the first quarter alone.
The Blazers’ bench outscored the Warriors’ reserves 18-7 in the first quarter, and Portland went on a 13-0 run to hold a 14-point 39-25 lead going into the second quarter.
By halftime, the Warriors were losing the bench battle 25-20. All of the Warriors’ bench players had a negative plus/minus, and Deni Avdija, who was up to 13 points, was the lone Blazers bench player in the negative.
Seth Curry eventually will be an option off the bench for Kerr, and should at least provide more outside shooting. Curry “is still ramping up,” per Kerr, and has yet to play in the preseason. He will be waived by Oct. 18 and is eligible to be re-signed starting Nov. 11.
Podziemski and Kuminga each were a game-low minus-17.
Defensive Work In Progress
If Toumani Camara starts making threes like he did against the Warriors, the rest of the league could have a problem on its hands. The Second Team All-Defensive selection from last season was part of the reason the Warriors were buried from long distance on their home court.
Camara went 4 of 7 from 3-point range in the first half before missing his two attempts in the second half. Shaedon Sharpe also was 4 of 7 beyond the arc in the first half as the Blazers went 12 of 28 on threes through the first two quarters. The Warriors were losing the long distance battle, and were being beaten by speed.
Most of the Blazers’ threes were open shots, and the Warriors were late to rotate. The Blazers shot 46.3 percent in the first half, including a 42.9 3-point percentage. The Warriors also only had two steals compared to six by the Blazers going into halftime, and they turned the ball over three times more than them – 12 to three.
Effort and resiliency from the back of the bench deserves tons of positivity. First, the defensive miscues will have to be cleaned up ahead of Sunday’s game in LA against the Lakers.
Louisville guard J’Vonne Hadley remembers walking into a grocery store near campus last fall and some Cardinals fans politely encouraging him to go win some games. This year they clearly want more.
Despite the impact of the second apron and the restrictions on teams trying to make deals, there were still 25 trades during the last NBA season — and 20 of them landed in February, just before the trade deadline (stat via Bobby Marx of ESPN). Maybe the blockbuster trades have to be put on hold until the summer now, but trades still happen. And there will be a flurry of trades this year as well.
Who are the players most likely to be traded this season? Let's break it down.
[Note: This list does not include the blockbusters that could come, mainly because they are unlikely. Giannis Antetokounmpo might finally get frustrated enough to ask out, but his $54.1 million salary makes an in-season trade for him very difficult to pull off. The same goes for the idea of trading Zion Williamson out of New Orleans. For those moves, stay tuned next offseason.] As for guys likely to be traded this season:
Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors)
This is the low-hanging fruit in compiling this list, it's no secret he will be available via trade after Jan 15 (the first day he's eligible). Both Kuminga and Golden State are ready to part ways, and the Warriors played hardball with the restricted free agent this summer, pushing him into a very tradable contract construction (two years, $45.6 million, with the second year a team option).
Kuminga has skills and can get buckets — 15.3 points per game last season (but shot 30.5% on 3-pointers, pretty much in line with his career average) — but is not a comfortable fit on a Golden State roster where Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green play the four. Additionally, Kuminga's style of play is not a natural fit with Steve Kerr's ball-and-player movement system, which has led to friction between the two in the past.
Barring an unforeseen change, the Warriors likely will move on from Kuminga at the deadline. The only question is where he lands.
Anfernee Simons (Celtics)
Simons came to Boston as part of the Jrue Holiday salary dump trade with Portland, but he is not part of the long-term plan in Boston. Plus, if the Celtics want to get below the luxury tax line this season — and they do — trading Simons and his $27.7 million salary for someone making around $15 million does it.
Simons also brings value, averaging 19.3 points and 4.8 assists per game as a two-guard/wing in Portland last season. He's athletic and just 26. He will help Boston on the court this season with Jayson Tatum out, then help them get under the tax at the deadline (so the Celtics can reload next season with a healthy Tatum and make another title push).
Lauri Markkanen (Jazz)
Markkanen has made it clear: He likes Utah and would like to stay there. He's also a 28-year-old All-Star on a rebuilding team that doesn't really need him. Put Markkanen on an up-and-coming team that is a piece away — Hello Detroit! — and he can vault a team up to contender status. Utah is reportedly willing to listen to offers.
The challenge, and the reason Markkanen may get his wish to stay put, is his contract: Markkanen will make $46.4 million this season, the first year of a four-year, $195.9 million extension. For the same reason it would be tough to move Antetokounmpo during the season, a Markkanen trade will be a challenge to put together. Utah would just be more willing than Milwaukee to figure out how to get it done (although the Ainge family never makes it easy on the other side).
CJ McCollum (Wizards)
The Wizards are in the midst of a rebuild, and both McCollum and Khris Middleton are veterans on the roster that the Wizards will look to send out to a team seeking veteran guard help, so long as it receives picks/a quality young player in return. McCollum, 34, averaged 21.1 points and 4.1 assists a game last season for the Pelicans and is a career nearly 40% shooter from beyond the arc. Other teams will call the Wizards to at least kick the tires on a trade.
Nikola Vucevic (Bulls)
The Bulls finally seem to have chosen a direction and are leaning into their youth (Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, etc) and with that, they are looking to move on from their veterans, which includes Vucevic.
Vucevic, 35, will still get a team buckets and rebounds at center, averaging 18.5 points and 10.1 rebounds while shooting 40.2% from 3-point range in 73 games last season. He's an expiring $21.5 million contract, and for a playoff team trying to add some depth for the playoffs, Vucevic is a quality pick-up.
Gabe Vincent (Lakers)
Saying Vincent is "likely" to be traded is a little harsh to one of the only two UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in the NBA (Ajay Mitchell).
That said, the tone of Lakers GM Rob Pelinka changed at the start of training camp. Out is the talk of preserving cap space for 2027, in seems to be capitalizing now on having Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the same team now. If Pelinka sees a need that needs filling (wing defense?), he will dangle Vincent and his expiring $11.5 million contract. Some teams might like a solid rotation guard in a deal, and Vincent is that.
Kyle Kuzma (Bucks)
If things start slowly in Milwaukee and Antetokounmpo is getting anxious — something absolutely on the table — Bucks' GM Jon Horst's first instinct isn't going to be to trade the face of the franchise. It's going to be to make a bold trade, trying to upgrade the roster in Milwaukee.
That would mean testing the market for Kuzma. The problem is that Horst has been doing this for a while now, and there hasn't been much interest. Despite Kuzma averaging 14.8 points a game last season, he's a forward who doesn't space the floor and is not a great defender, making $22.4 million this season (but on a descending contract). Eventually, the market will be there. Horst will work to find it.
Terry Rozier (Heat)
Miami tried to trade him all summer, does anyone expect that to stop? Any trade talk is on hold until Tyler Herro returns from injury, but by the time we reach February, Erik Spoelstra will have showcased Rozier plenty, and the Heat are hoping the market heats up for the veteran guard.
Jusuf Nurkic (Jazz)
Much like Lauri Markkanen above, Nurkic is not part of Utah's long-term plan and they are betting on other teams that need depth at the five heading into the playoffs will give them a call. Nurkic is solid on both ends of the floor, averaged 8.9 points and 7.8 rebounds a game last season in Charlotte, and is on an expiring $19.4 million contract. It feels like there is a deal to be done.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (76ers)
This would be a salary dump for Philadelphia, but it could help another team because Oubre can flat out play — 15.1 points a game for the Sixers last season. The 76ers enter the season $7 million into the luxury tax, if things start slowly (or maybe even if they start fast), ownership will likely want to get below the tax line. The easiest way to do that is a salary dump trade of Oubre, who is set to make $8.4 million.
Philly also could get below the tax line by trading Andre Drummond ($5 million) and someone with a veteran minimum contract. One way or another, expect a deal.
For every player a fantasy manager deems worthy of reaching for in fantasy drafts, there's another they'll actively look to avoid, especially if their average draft position (ADP) is too high.
With that in mind, Rotoworld basketball analysts Cole Huff, Noah Rubin, Raphielle Johnson and Zak Hanshew each picked two players they are fading at ADP for this season. Check it out below.
Cole Huff’s picks: G James Harden (LA Clippers) and C Ivica Zubac (LA Clippers)
This is not meant to be a knock on Harden — I trust that he will continue to lead the Clippers and could record one of his more efficient seasons shooting the basketball in quite some time, due to a presumably lighter load throughout the season. Given Kawhi Leonard's good health to start the season, the additions of John Collins and Bradley Beal as potential scoring boosts to the starting lineup, and an actual reliable point guard in Chris Paul now on the roster to prevent Harden from being overworked, the scoring and overall usage should probably come down a bit for the former league MVP.
This could all change quickly if age is a factor for this veteran team and Harden is forced to shoulder the load again out of necessity. But if health is not a concern, I'd expect The Beard to finish more closely to a top-10 point guard finish than a top-5.
As for Zubac, I'm not as high on him this season from a fantasy standpoint; I'm expecting his production to dip a bit, like Harden. He cracked 30.0 minutes per game for the first time in his career last season and set career-bests in points, rebounds, and assists per game by a comfortable margin. But context is essential — Zubac missed only two games all season and saw increased opportunities (which he took advantage of) due to the roster's clear lack of a second reliable big.
With Brook Lopez backing him up as arguably one of the best reserve centers in the NBA, and John Collins able to offer small-ball center looks, there's a good chance we see Zubac on the court less throughout the 82-game slate.
Noah Rubin’s picks: G Jalen Green (Phoenix Suns) and F DeMar DeRozan (Sacramento Kings)
I'm happy Green is getting the opportunity to start fresh in Phoenix. I think it is the best thing for his career. However, I don't know why anyone would expect a dramatic change in production in his first year away from Houston. According to NBA.com, Green's usage rate last season was 26.7, the highest mark on the Rockets. Sure, Devin Booker (28.5) and Kevin Durant (28.3) both boasted higher usage rates, and Green is set to replace Durant's touches, but do we really expect Green to get the same opportunities as KD? And even if he does see a bump in usage, does that mean he will magically get more efficient or impact the game in new ways?
I'm not saying Green is going to take a step back, but the idea that he's worth a top-75 pick just because he's in Phoenix isn't something I'm on board with. He certainly has a stronger case in points leagues, but I'm not expecting a dramatic jump in production, and he finished 79th in Yahoo! standard scoring last season.
It might just be time for DeMar. He's been one of the more consistently available players in the league for the past decade, but his athleticism isn't where it used to be. That's entirely understandable for a 36-year-old, but it just means he isn't as effective as he used to be, and he's on a team with multiple ball-dominant players. One stat that showcases athleticism is rim attempts, and he only took 9.3 percent of his shots last year in the restricted area after being at 22.2 percent the year before and at least 18 percent each of the three years before that.
DeRozan is typically a player who creates most of his shots on his own. Still, he created his fewest shots per possession since 2015 and took more shots off passes from his teammates per possession than he has in any individual season for the past decade. That's basically nerdspeak for "DeRozan is getting old." I don't see a world where he's better than last season, especially with the lack of changes the Kings made, other than bringing in Dennis Schröder to take even more touches away from DeMar.
Raphielle Johnson’s picks: C Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings) and F RJ Barrett (Toronto Raptors)
Average draft position analysis can be tricky this time of year, as there isn't much data to rely on. However, Sabonis's first-round ADP in 12-team leagues is a bit concerning. While he's undoubtedly been a fantasy stud in the past, I think his value will take another hit this season. After last season's trade deadline, Sabonis averaged 16.4 points, 13.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 three-pointers per game. While the Kings have addressed the point guard position by adding Dennis Schröder, Sabonis will still have to exist in a lineup that includes two ball-dominant perimeter players in Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. The Kings' center's rebounding production may not suffer, but the scoring is a concern.
As for my other pick, there are also ADP concerns regarding Barrett. As of Tuesday night, he had an ADP of 82.4 in Yahoo! leagues. Barrett has never been a top-100 fantasy player in totals or per-game value, and he's had just one top-150 season in his NBA career. For him to have an ADP comfortably within the top 100 at this juncture is wild. And even though Barrett looked good in Toronto's preseason opener on Monday, he's in a starting lineup that will include three other players who need to have the ball in their hands in Immanuel Quickley, Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. Will there be enough touches available for Barrett to threaten top-100 value, much less finish within that threshold? I say no.
Zak Hanshew’s picks: C Alperen Şengün (Houston Rockets) and G Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)
Şengün finished with 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks and 0.3 triples while shooting 49.6% from the floor and 69.2% from the charity stripe. Despite productive numbers as a scorer, rebounder and facilitator, the points, assists, steals and shooting percentages were all steps down from his 2023-24 numbers. With Amen Thompson expected to continue his ascension as a playmaker, Kevin Durant ready to come on board as a scorer and rebounder and guys like newcomer Clint Capela and breakout candidate Tari Eason on track to eat up minutes and usage, how can Sengun be expected to take a step forward in 2025-26?
He's Nikola Jokić and Domantas Sabonis lite, but he doesn't rebound as effectively as Sabonis, score as prolifically as Jokic, and pass as well as either. Sengun is being overvalued and overdrafted, and I won't be rostering him anywhere.
Brunson enjoyed another productive season in 2024-25, finishing with averages of 26 points, 2.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.3 triples across 34.5 minutes. The superstar guard has offered elite scoring and strong playmaking in his time with the Knicks, though his big numbers have come at the cost of heavy minutes and high usage. With Tom Thibodeau out in New York and Mike Brown in, expect the Knicks to limit minutes across the board consciously.
Brunson finished 50th in per-game fantasy value a season ago, but there's no way he approaches that production level moving forward. With a new game plan and additional role players - Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson, Landry Shamet, Malcolm Brogdon - look for Brunson's playing time and statistical output to decrease.
Amazon’s advertising unit on Wednesday introduced its roster of presenting sponsors for the opening season of Prime Video’s NBA coverage, a clutch of top-tier sports spenders that includes the likes of AT&T, Mercedes-Benz and State Farm.
As part of a series of signings that will help defray Amazon’s annual $1.8 billion rights payment to the NBA, the online retailer/streamer has landed AT&T as the title sponsor of its new halftime show (The Half). The telco, which for years has functioned in a similar capacity for CBS and TNT Sports’ annual coverage of March Madness, will also serve as the tech partner for Prime Video’s LED court and Amazon Studios’ production hub in Culver City, Calif.
AT&T is one of the biggest sports advertisers on the TV dial, with total U.S. ad spend reaching $2.46 billion in 2023. The company is also an official NBA sponsor, signing on with the league (and the WNBA) in 2019 as part of a multiyear deal worth some $30 million per season.
Joining AT&T for Amazon’s first shootaround with the NBA is the quick-service restaurant Wingstop, which is entering its second season as the league’s official chicken partner. (With more than 50 certified marketing tie-ups locked in for 2025-26, the NBA has carve-outs for every conceivable sub-category from “official salty snacks” to “official dress shirts.”) As Wingstop expands its sports-first marketing strategy, an initiative that includes heavy in-game spending on the NFL and NBA, the brand will serve as the presenting sponsor of Prime’s Thursday and Friday games.
Wingstop will be all but inescapable this season, as it is also sponsoring the Monday night installments of NBC’s new studio show, NBA Showtime.
Mercedes-Benz is sponsoring Prime’s Saturday NBA telecasts. The luxury automaker invested $614 million in U.S. advertising in 2023.
Also in the mix is CarMax, which will serve as the title sponsor of the self-explanatory NBA on Prime Pregame, while Wayfair will provide the matching bookend at the end of the night with its NBA Nightcap deal. On days when Prime has a scheduled doubleheader in the hopper, Universal Orlando Resort will prop up a new segue program titled The Crossover.
Looking further down the road, the insurance juggernaut State Farm will be sponsoring Prime’s coverage of the second round of the NBA playoffs once May rolls around. State Farm is also backing the Tuesday night edition of NBC’s NBA Showtime.
Since Amazon first rolled out 30-second spots on Prime Video in January 2024, the streaming platform has slowly begun siphoning ad revenue from the linear TV market. In its first year as an ad-supported service, Prime generated some $433 million in ad dollars, and is projected to double that this year.
Now in its fourth season as the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football, Prime is taking in some $575,000 per unit in its live NFL coverage. Through the first four games, TNF on Prime is averaging 15.7 million viewers, up 11% versus the year-ago mark (14.2 million). And that audience is significantly younger than those who watch via the tube, as the games are drawing an audience with a median age of 47.5 years, or nearly eight years junior to the NFL’s TV crowd (55.3). That ability to attract a more demographically viable fan base is a big part of why the NBA is eager to tip off its new streaming deal.
Per the terms of Amazon’s NBA contract Prime will stream 67 regular-season games, beginning with a Celtics-Knicks/Lakers-Timberwolves doubleheader on Friday, Oct. 24. The platform will also host the NBA Cup in-game tourney, which gets rolling on Halloween, as well as the year-end play-in tournament and select first- and second-round playoff dates.
The NCAA moved a step closer Wednesday to allowing athletes and athletic department staff members to bet on professional sports. “The Administrative Committee was clear in its discussion today that it remains concerned about the risks associated with all forms of sports gambling but ultimately voted to reduce restrictions on student-athletes in this area to better align with their campus peers,” said Josh Whitman, athletics director at Illinois and chair of the committee. “This change allows the NCAA, the conferences, and the member schools to focus on protecting the integrity of college games while, at the same time, encouraging healthy habits for student-athletes who choose to engage in betting activities on professional sports.”
Mazzulla was incensed in the moment; he started barking at Boucher and needed to be restrained by then-Celtics big man Robert Williams III. But when asked to reflect on the incident more than two years later, Mazzulla gave a very on-brand response.
“That was cool. I appreciated that,” Mazzulla told Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg at Celtics Media Day. “In the arena, we’re all competing to win, so I love that.”
Mazzulla admitted he probably wouldn’t have escalated the situation if Williams didn’t restrain him — “It’s a classic hold-me-back moment,” Mazzulla told Forsberg — but Boucher says he was ready for whatever the C’s head coach had in store for him.
“It probably would’ve gotten real,” Boucher told Forsberg at Celtics Media Day.
“To be honest with you, I probably would do that again and again and again,” Boucher added about his bump of Mazzulla. “I mean, it’s just who I am.”
For some head coaches, Boucher’s apparent willingness to make physical contact with them might be a red flag. Mazzulla, of course, isn’t like most head coaches — in fact, Boucher’s mindset was part of what made him appealing for this Celtics roster.
“The world is soft. The league is soft. And when you can have interactions and moments, I think those things test your competitive nature,” Mazzulla said.
“So, I appreciated the fact that he did that. I respect that he did it, and when we signed him I told him that, ‘We only signed you to get payback for what you did two years ago — and to watch your back.'”
Boucher confirmed that, yes, their 2023 run-in was one of the first things Mazzulla mentioned to him when he joined the Celtics in August.
“Yeah, that was the first thing he said,” Boucher recalled. “He was like, ‘I remember when you bumped me. And I didn’t know where he was taking it from, but he said that’s like the type of guy that he likes. He wants the guys (who are) like, ‘It’s us against everybody,’ and I think that it is just like a mentality that I have, and I think Joe has it too.”
“We’re not here to make friends. We’re not here to be buddy-buddy with anybody. We’re trying to win, we’re trying to get to the goal.”
Mazzulla and Boucher will partake in their first game together on the same sideline Wednesday night when the Celtics take on the Grizzlies in their preseason opener (8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston).
Coming off an adverse 2024-25 NBA season full of change and instability, the Kings are excited to get the ball rolling with welcomed change under new general manager Scott Perry and coach Doug Christie.
But with newness comes a level of uncertainty, as questions and concerns likely will continue to be addressed throughout the preseason and over the course of the 2025-26 regular season.
In the latest edition of “Ask Tristi,” we address Kings fans’ biggest questions entering Wednesday night’s preseason opener against the Toronto Raptors at Golden 1 Center.
What’s your biggest concern for the season? (@BrookeUhlenhop)
The addition of Dennis Schroder took care of Sacramento’s biggest issue since trading De’Aaron Fox last season. He instantly fills the point guard void and will help facilitate the offense.
The combination of Malik Monk, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis simply didn’t work in the life-after-Fox experiment. Keon Ellis replaced Monk in the starting lineup toward the end of the regular season, and that didn’t work either.
While Schroder will do his job to fly the plane safely, there still is plenty of turbulence in the way of Sacramento’s offense. Aside from the point guard position, the other four presumed starters still don’t seem to make sense together, at least to seriously compete in the Western Conference.
On the other hand, a full offseason, training camp and preseason together could help with off- and on-court chemistry, rather than the position they were in last season of trying to figure it out on the fly.
Only time will tell.
Who is your pick for a breakout season? (@motiong0d)
Entering a pivotal Year 4 and contract season, all eyes will be on Murray — both in Sacramento and around the league.
After Sacramento selected the Iowa product No. 4 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Murray had a phenomenal, record-breaking rookie season, averaging 12.2 points on 45.3-percent shooting from the field and 41.4 percent from 3-point range.
Defensively, the 25-year-old has blossomed into the team’s best all-around defender, earning himself the tall task of defending the opposing team’s best player on most nights.
Offensively, however, he hasn’t been able to build upon his impressive rookie showing. At least not consistently. Part of that is due to who he shares the majority of the time on the court with, and part of it is him having to be more aggressive in creating his own shot.
Since LaVine entered Sacramento’s lineup on Feb. 5, Murray’s field-goal attempts went down by nearly five attempts per game. That’s not a knock on LaVine, who continued one of the best campaigns of his career with the Kings last season, but more so the reality of having multiple guys who need the ball in their hand on the floor at the same time.
All that to say Murray needs to have a breakout season, and the Kings need him to, too.
Even if that means fewer touches for themselves, the Kings’ offensive stars know how vital Murray is to their overall success.
“A key component to our success is Keegan — on both ends of the ball,” DeRozan told reporters after practice last week. “We won’t be able to go nowhere if we don’t get the best out of him every single night.”
Murray said his agent will take care of the business side of things throughout his contract year, while his focus will remain on playing the best basketball he can as he aims for two-way stardom in the league.
That time could come sooner than some might think.
** Honorable mention: Isaac Jones
What would you consider to be a “good season” for the Kings in your eyes? (@gullyblanchard)
No one likes moral victories. No one likes liars, either.
Sacramento likely won’t finish as a top-six seed in the stacked West, but the Kings are the only ones in the Kings’ way of finishing just below there.
The No. 7 to No. 10 seeds could be up for grabs for Sacramento.
The Kings finished 48-34 (third in the West) during their magical “Beam Team” 2022-23 season. They finished with two fewer wins (46-36) the following year and dropped all the way to ninth, which is the same place they finished last season with a 40-42 record.
The West is weird, we know that. But that’s why Sacramento must attack every game — whether it’s versus a No. 3 seed or No. 13 seed — with the same aggressive, disciplined approach.
So, if we want to talk wins, 40 seems doable and fair. In terms of standings and the bigger picture, a NBA play-in tournament spot — with a play-in win and then whatever happens thereafter — would feel like a good season given Sacramento’s circumstances of incorporating all the newness.
Some fans and media view this season as the beginning of a rebuild for Sacramento. While the Kings likely won’t be hoisting the Larry O’Brien in June, I think they also might surprise a lot of people.
Who is the X-factor for the Kings this season? (@deucemason on IG)
Schroder won’t ever replace what Fox did in his eight years with the Kings. But he doesn’t have to.
LaVine helps close the gap on that offensive void, while Schroder does everything else that Fox did well, plus maybe a little bit more.
Schroder is a 12-year veteran with plenty of playoff experience. He’s fresh off leading Germany to EuroBasket gold and was named the EuroBasket MVP for his efforts. He was hand-selected by Christie and Perry this offseason, and the Kings are thrilled they got their guy.
The 32-year-old is exactly the kind of player Christie wants on his team, with certain traits and characteristics that are reminiscent of the coach during his playing career.
Schroder won’t have flashy stat lines every night, but his presence alone can help elevate this team after a down year last season.
What’s the vibe been like at media day and training camp? (@momoragan on IG)
When the media were let into the first practice on Day 1 of training camp, the sound of sneakers squeaking, aggressive clapping and loud cheering were echoed on the Kings’ practice facility walls.
But don’t take my word for it.
“Fun” and “energetic” were the words consistently repeated by several players throughout the first week of camp, who credited the atmosphere Christie and Perry have established heading into the new season.
The new pair, in a short time together, already have made major changes within the organization — both on and off the court.
Players seem to be well-receptive to those changes thus far.
More than anything, players appear to be committed to Christie and his coaching style, largely due to his relatability as a former player.
Few people love the city of Sacramento and Kings organization more than Christie. Winning is important to him, but so is remembering to have fun.
That mentality hopes not to get lost in the mix of the season.
After giving away Fox last season, I’ve lost a lot of interest in this team. Is there anything to truly be excited about this season? (@Steve_Tuck)
Short answer: YES.
I know, I know. If there’s anything worse than losing, it’s watching others do it, repeatedly.
But there is plenty to look forward to in Sacramento this season. Key players such as Murray and Ellis enter contract seasons, so it will be interesting to monitor how they handle that “pressure” and grow throughout the season.
Both players should be instrumental to Christie’s rotations.
Also, if you watched summer league, you would know that the Kings rookies Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud could make an impact with Sacramento sooner rather than later.
Clifford’s versatility should earn him a role, or at least an opportunity to play with the big boys in Year 1. Meanwhile, Raynaud’s 7-foot presence could be a welcome sight for Sacramento’s center depth.
Isaac Jones isn’t a rookie, but his dominant summer league showing could set him up for a big 2025-26 season.
Finally, if Doug Christie and his smelling salt rituals don’t excite you, I don’t know what will. Christie is entering his first full year as the official coach of the team he loves and adores. He won’t be perfect, no coach is, especially not in Year 1. But his passion and love for the game — and city — will at least be worth the watch.
Even as an opponent in the NBA Finals, Warriors center Al Horford was a fan of his new team.
Speaking to assembled media on Tuesday, Horford expressed his longtime admiration for the Warriors’ organization and explained what drew him to sign with Golden State in the offseason.
“The two things that I saw [were] consistency—with this group, they’ve been great for so long—and then just the way that they play,” Horford said. “You know, that ball movement…and how these guys are getting to their spots, their positions, and really trying to play team basketball. It’s something that I’ve always respected and enjoyed watching them.”
No NBA team has recorded more assists since the start of Steve Kerr’s tenure as coach than the Warriors. Having lost the 2022 NBA Finals to Golden State in six games while playing for the Boston Celtics, Horford knew how effective that approach could be.
“It’s so difficult to defend, that type of style,” Horford said. “And that’s the one thing that really got my attention here.”
Of course, it isn’t just the offensive system itself that Horford feels is a fit. It’s also the players that make the system go.
“When you have guys that are just such smart basketball players…Draymond [Green]…Steph [Curry]…making reads and the passes, they’re already anticipating before the defense is even [ready],” Horford said. “Just all those things, it was really attractive to me to come here.”
Horford, a 6-foot-10 center who can pass and shoot well from 3-point range, is expected to play a significant role in Kerr’s motion offense this season, which tips off Oct. 21 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
More than 75 Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball games will stream exclusively on Peacock for the 2025-26 season, including regular-season and early round Big Ten Tournament games.
Part of the draft process for fantasy managers is to identify their "guys," players they may be higher on than the consensus.
With that in mind, Rotoworld basketball staffers Cole Huff, Noah Rubin, Raphielle Johnson and Zak Hanshew have decided to identify their guys, picking two players each that they're high on for the 2025-26 season.
We'll be doing a similar exercise with players we're fading this season, so stay tuned.
Cole Huff’s picks: C Myles Turner (Milwaukee Bucks) and F Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)
In his 11th NBA season, Turner will be playing for an organization that isn't the Indiana Pacers for the first time in his career. While he thrived as a floor-spacing center alongside Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam in the Pacers' recent deep postseason run, those same opportunities to flourish should present themselves with Giannis Antetokounmpo consistently attracting multiple defenders and finding open shooters. He'll essentially play the Brook Lopez role for the Bucks this year. With his sustained abilities to shoot near 50.0 percent from the field, make threes on high volume, and consistently erase shots at the rim, I think Turner will perform even better than where he's being projected as a top 45-50 fantasy player in nine-category leagues.
As for Zion, this isn't so much about me buying into his physical transformation during training camp as it is about me understanding that he's an elite talent when he's on the court, regardless. The former first-overall pick saw his points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals per game all increase from the 2023-24 season to the 2024-25 campaign, despite averaging fewer than 30.0 minutes for the first time since his rookie season. I'd expect the numbers to climb once again as Williamson presumably logs more minutes per game than he did a season ago, which leaves me incredibly optimistic on how high he could rank come season's end, if healthy. There has to be some good injury luck at some point, right?
Noah Rubin’s picks: F Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons) and G Brandin Podziemski (Golden State Warriors)
I'm all aboard the hype train for an Ausar breakout season. Last year, we enjoyed his brother Amen Thompson's breakout, and when comparing the twins' per-possession stats, Amen got the slight edge in most categories, but Ausar was a much better source of steals. The difference is that Ausar only played 22.5 minutes per game, while Amen got 32.3. Ausar is now locked in as a starter and should see a bump in minutes. Foul trouble was an issue for him last season, which could be a frustrating factor at times, but I think his production when he is on the floor will outweigh that. The shot will likely continue to be an issue, but he does more than enough as a defender, passer and cutter to compensate for it.
Podziemski was in and out of the starting lineup early last season and struggled to find his footing while battling injuries. However, he became a fixture of the starting unit in February and averaged 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.7 three-pointers per game over the rest of the season. Golden State took a while to fill out the rest of the roster, but they didn't add anyone who should impact Podz's place in the rotation. The Warriors have a ton of old guys on their roster, so the spry 22-year-old should be relied on often to help keep the veterans fresh.
Nikola Jokić headlines Rotoworld’s Preseason Top 200, but key injuries across the league make this one of the most unpredictable fantasy seasons in years.
Raphielle Johnson’s picks: F Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic) and F OG Anunoby (New York Knicks)
While Magic forward Paolo Banchero has been tabbed by many as a breakout candidate this season, I think there's a better fantasy option on his team's roster. That would be Wagner, who offered top-40 per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats last season. In 60 games, he averaged 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 three-pointers, posting career-high marks in each category. If there's a concern regarding Wagner, who shot 46.3 percent from the field and 87.1 percent from the foul line, it's the three-point shooting. He only made 29.5 percent of his attempts last season and has shot below 30 percent each of the last two years. However, three-point percentage isn't a scoring category in default fantasy leagues, so there's no need to lose sleep over this.
Anunoby is my other choice, due mainly to the change that brought in Mike Brown to serve as the Knicks' new head coach. In Brown's two full seasons in Sacramento, the Kings were ranked in the top half of the NBA in offensive rating and pace, leading the league in the former category in 2022-23. While the Knicks were fifth in offensive rating last season, they were 26th in pace. Brown has vowed to speed things up, which may benefit a wing like Anunoby. A top-40 fantasy player last season, he averaged 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.9 blocks and 2.3 three-pointers in 74 appearances. If Brown successfully combined a faster pace with allowing his wings to make more plays on the ball, Anunoby should exceed his Yahoo! ADP (66.1) easily.
Zak Hanshew’s picks: G Cam Thomas (Brooklyn Nets) and G/F Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards)
Come on, what's not to like about Cam Thomas? Over the final 18 games of the 2023-24 season, he broke out with averages of 26.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.7 triples on 45/37/89 shooting splits. He got off to a blistering start in 2024-25 before injuries derailed a promising season. Coming off a shortened campaign in which he averaged 24 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 triples, Thomas will look to continue his ascension. After lengthy contract negotiations, he ultimately took a qualifying offer from Brooklyn, so he'll be playing for pride and a new contract. Expect a monster season from a guy still looking to prove that he's more than just "empty stats." He's my favorite fantasy player for the 2025-26 campaign, and I'll be looking to roster him wherever I can.
As for George, he played solid rotation minutes for Washington as a rookie, logging 26.5 per night and starting 38 of 68 appearances. He took only eight shots a night, but 5.2 came from beyond the arc, highlighting his love of the deep ball. At 6-foot-9, George can play on the wing and at either forward position, and he's equally versatile on the defensive end. His stats got a noticeable bump in games where he played at least 30 minutes, and he could see plenty of those this season. The former Miami Hurricane could open the season as a starter due to Bilal Coulibaly's thumb injury, but even as a reserve, George should be one of the first guys off the bench. He can provide meaningful stats in several categories, and improvements in shooting percentages would be huge for his fantasy value.
Of all the storylines lingering over the 2025-26 season, perhaps none carries more intrigue than what lies in front of the Milwaukee Bucks: Do they trade Giannis Antetokounmpo or not?
By almost all accounts, Antetokounmpo represents one of the three-best players in the NBA. He ranks third best in the Estimated Plus-Minus prediction metric, behind only reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and three-time MVP Nikola Jokić.
SGA plays for the defending champion and title favorite Thunder. Jokić’s Nuggets are close behind them. Antetokounmpo’s team, on the other hand, is … closer to the bottom. His supporting cast is among the worst in the sport. According to BetMGM, the Bucks’ win total sits at 42.5 for the 2025-26 season, a pitiful mark for an Eastern Conference team with an MVP candidate in his prime. It’s the least-confident betting forecast for a Giannis-manned squad since 2016-17, when the Bucks, coached by Jason Kidd, were expected to win just 36.5 games.
The Bucks are understandably reluctant to part with the all-time great whom they drafted in 2013. According to ESPN reports on Tuesday, the Knicks weren’t able to get traction in Giannis talks this summer. But it’s time for Milwaukee to pull the plug and seek a trade package in which a team throws the kitchen sink at it: multiple first-round picks and players who can step in right away.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, kitchen-sink deals work out more often for the seller than the buyer. The past three NBA champions (OKC, Boston and Denver) were built in large part due to unloading superstars at the right time.
In order to get back to title contention, it’s time for the Bucks to trade Giannis to the highest bidder.
(Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
OKC is the model
In the summer of 2019, Thunder president of basketball operations Sam Presti faced a similar situation as the one in front of Bucks general manager Jon Horst. Then, when the Los Angeles Clippers came calling about Paul George, Presti took a pragmatic look at the franchise. Like Antetokounmpo, George finished third in the MVP race that season. But Presti saw an opportunity to build through the draft and traded him for a king’s ransom, the package including a boatload of picks and Gilgeous-Alexander, the future MVP and Finals MVP.
And Presti didn’t stop there. Less than a week later, he traded the team’s other version of Antetokounmpo, OKC’s face of the franchise, Russell Westbrook, whom it also drafted and developed into an MVP. It would be easy to think the Thunder could have tried to convince Westbrook they could still contend for a title, but the franchise did right by Westbrook, emotional ties and all. The Thunder moved him to Houston for Chris Paul, two first-round picks and two first-round swaps.
“We recently had conversations with Russell about the team, his career, and how he sees the future,” Presti said in a statement after the trade. “Through those conversations we came to the understanding that looking at some alternative situations would be something that made sense for him. As a result, and due to his history with the Thunder, we worked together to accommodate this.”
Six years later, it’s the Thunder who are the reigning champs — not George’s Clippers or Westbrook’s Rockets. In fact, neither George nor Westbrook — the stars in the OKC trades — is still with his respective team. Meanwhile, OKC is the envy of the league, landing at No. 1 in ESPN’s Future Power Rankings and the heavy favorite to win the 2025-26 championship.
The team currently with the next-rosiest future, the Rockets, finds itself there because it followed Presti’s playbook and also decided to pivot and sell its superstars to the highest bidders. Westbrook lasted just one season in Houston before he was traded to Washington for John Wall and a protected first-round pick. A few months later, the Rockets unloaded their franchise cornerstone, James Harden, and sent him to Brooklyn for another kitchen-sink deal. Now, with a young core of Amen Thompson, Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr., they’ve built a growing powerhouse in the Western Conference.
Not every superstar seller can climb to title contention so quickly. Utah and Brooklyn are still pulling themselves out of the league cellar after each hit the reset button in 2022 and 2023, respectively. But the team with the darkest timeline of them all, the Suns, is the cautionary tale of being on the other side of a kitchen-sink deal.
The Gut Tax
It was a little over two years ago when then-new Suns owner Mat Ishbia traded for Kevin Durant in February 2023. The KD trade wasn’t a cannonball leap into a pool; this was a meteor hitting an ocean.
Ishbia and his front office decided to go all-in for Durant, giving up not one but four unprotected first-round picks, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and a 2028 first-round pick swap in order to add the 34-year-old who was sidelined with a knee injury at the time.
How risky was the deal? In the wake of the trade, Ishbia told Sports Illustrated, “I think there is no risk. I don’t look at it as a risk at all.”
Gulp. In ESPN’s annual Future Power Rankings, the Suns now rank dead-last among all 30 teams. After paying a league-high $152 million in luxury tax payments and missing the playoffs in Durant’s third season with the club, the Suns pulled the plug and traded Durant to Houston in July. The Suns now have a middling, mishmash roster and still almost no draft assets. They have the worst of both worlds, with little hope now or down the line.
There’s no such thing as a risk-free trade no matter what your exuberant new owner might claim. Kitchen-sink deals have the potential to doom the star-chasing franchise for a cocktail of reasons, but primarily because of a very obvious, yet overlooked reason:
You have to give up a lot to get said star. Call it the Gut Tax.
The nice thing about free agency is that teams don’t have to pay the Gut Tax to get their star. The Warriors didn’t have to trade Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in order to land Durant in the summer of 2016. They took advantage of a cap spike that summer and added him to an existing championship core.
What would the Knicks have looked like if they had waited for Carmelo Anthony in free agency instead of trading the farm for him? In 2011, the Knicks gutted their team by sending Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton and Timofey Mozgov to Denver along with two first-round picks. As luck would have it, Denver posted a better record than the Knicks during their Melo era. Making matters worse, in 2016, Denver used one of those Knicks first-round picks to select Jamal Murray, the team’s second-best player on the 2023 title team. With Anthony, the Knicks never got past the second round.
Looking at recent champions is a study in how teams benefited by selling their stars at the right time. OKC moved off Westbrook and George in 2019 and won a title in six years. The Boston Celtics drafted their championship-winning duo, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, thanks to the infamous 2013 Nets trade that netted the Celtics four future first-round picks for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Another big reason why the blockbuster deal doesn’t always pan out for the higher-profile star: star veterans are injury-riddled more than ever. In win-now situations, Durant’s recent superteams struggled to stay healthy. It was the same for the Antetokounmpo/Damian Lillard/Khris Middleton Bucks.
Khris Middleton, Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't win a playoff series together. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
Cole Burston via Getty Images
This is not to say that teams haven’t won it all after trading for a big fish. The Los Angeles Lakers won the 2020 championship in the first season following the Anthony Davis trade with New Orleans. Other teams seemed to follow their lead, with mixed results.
In a span beginning with the summer of 2019, when Davis and George were traded from their small-market clubs, to 2023, we’ve seen 11 kitchen-sink deals, which I’m defining as trades involving multiple first-round picks and at least one player.
The 11 Superstar “Kitchen Sink” Trades, 2019-23
2023 POR trades Damian Lillard to MIL
2023 BRK trades Kevin Durant to PHX
2022 BRK trades James Harden to PHI
2022 UTA trades Donovan Mitchell to CLE
2022 UTA trades Rudy Gobert to MIN
2022 SAS trades Dejounte Murray to ATL
2021 HOU trades James Harden to BRK
2020 NOP trades Jrue Holiday to MIL
2019 OKC trades Russell Westbrook to HOU
2019 OKC trades Paul George to LAC
2019 NOP trades Anthony Davis to LAL
While the superstar-acquiring teams have had dynastic dreams, none of those 11 blockbuster deals has resulted in more than one championship. Only two — Milwaukee trading for Jrue Holiday and the Lakers getting Davis — resulted in even one title banner. The nine other deals haven’t even resulted in a Finals appearance at any point for the teams that acquired new superstars. Cleveland with Donovan Mitchell and Minnesota with Rudy Gobert would like to change that.
Perhaps even more troubling is that many of these star acquisitions have ended up being little more than a rental. The Durant era in Phoenix didn’t even last three full seasons. Was there even a Harden era in Brooklyn? Or Philly? You’d be forgiven if you didn’t remember Dejounte Murray making the playoffs in Atlanta during any of his two seasons. All in all, six of the 11 star tenures lasted fewer than three seasons with the acquiring team. The majority of them had little staying power.
On the other side of the ledger, the rebuilding teams may have to wait longer to win their titles, but it’s hard to say they’re definitively worse off. Both of Presti’s kitchen-sink deals in moving off of Westbrook and George helped them build the 2025 Finals team; Gilgeous-Alexander, 2025 All-NBA member Jalen Williams and Aaron Wiggins were directly or indirectly acquired in those trades.
Houston learned the hard way that superteams aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, and its homegrown talent was essential to demonstrate leverage in this summer’s Durant trade talks with Phoenix. The Rockets gave up just one first-round pick, locked at No. 10 in a down draft, to get KD. Sure, Houston may end up trading for Giannis this season, but there’s no indication the Rockets have chased him at all up to this point. As is, they project to be title contenders for years to come.
What will Milwaukee do? First, it has to look in the mirror.
Where Milwaukee goes from here
The Bucks should heed the lesson of the Suns and how doubling down can doom their franchise. But one thing Phoenix did manage to do was trade Durant while he was still healthy. Antetokounmpo, who is turning 31 in December, has missed 14 games on average over the last five seasons and battled injuries in postseasons’ past. Moving a healthy Antetokounmpo sooner than later could help them extract maximum value.
Injuries are a variable that Milwaukee has struggled to control. Part of the overall cynicism around the Bucks is a result of the blockbuster trade for Lillard that went awry. In the summer of 2023, the Bucks traded Holiday, a 2029 unprotected first-round pick and two swaps (2028 and 2030) to the Trail Blazers only to waive him less than two years later following a devastating Achilles tear.
The irony of the Blazers-Bucks deal is that a player of Lillard’s offensively tilted skill set would be perfectly paired with a defensive-minded guard like Holiday. As it happens, Holiday and Lillard are now on Portland’s roster, not Milwaukee’s, this upcoming season.
Not only did the Bucks give up a key player from their 2021 championship squad, they also gave up their opportunity to pivot. By giving up tons of draft capital, the Bucks pushed themselves into a corner with almost nowhere to go.
Like Durant and the Suns, the Bucks never reached the heights they envisioned when they gave up the farm for the superstar. Lillard was supposed to be the missing piece, but the Bucks failed to get out of the first round in each of Lillard’s two seasons due to injuries to both Lillard and Antetokounmpo (and Middleton).
Unlike Durant and the Suns, the Bucks had little recourse but to waive-and-stretch Lillard’s deal once he suffered a career-altering injury and eat the dead money left on his contract for the next five seasons. If Lillard were healthy, they could have pivoted more easily if Antetokounmpo asked out. Instructively, the Suns traded Durant for much less than they got him for, but they did net Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 pick (Khaman Maluach) in this year’s draft.
The Bucks don’t have a proper co-pilot for Antetokounmpo. The team wants Myles Turner to be that guy after he played in the NBA Finals, but the former Pacers center averaged a measly 13.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in the team’s Cinderella run to the Finals. Without Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam’s heroics in late-game situations, would we think of Turner the same way?
Because of the weak supporting cast, Antetokounmpo may have been wise to wait for any sort of trade demand. If the Bucks do sputter out of the gate, he’ll have more justification for asking out. In addition, as ESPN reported Tuesday, his monster $200-million-plus extension can be signed up until October 1, 2026, only if his team has employed him for at least six months. Teams will be motivated to acquire him ahead of the trade deadline rather than wait for this summer.
Though the Knicks undoubtedly would love to have a player like Antetokounmpo, they don’t have an unprotected first-round pick to offer until this summer when their 2033 pick is unlocked. Like the Anthony deal in 2011, the Knicks would have to cannibalize their own team in order to meet Milwaukee’s asking price. Barring the Knicks trading Karl-Anthony Towns or OG Anunoby for longer-term assets, it’s hard to see how the Knicks and Bucks check off each other’s boxes.
The Warriors could get in the mix with three unprotected first-round picks (2026, 2028 and 2032) at their disposal, but a third team would likely have to be involved in order to make the money work. After Phoenix chased Jimmy Butler last season, could a three-way deal involving Giannis to Golden State and Butler finally going to Phoenix work? In this scenario, Phoenix would reroute the bulk of the KD haul — Green and Brooks — to Milwaukee along with Golden State’s picks.
The Cavaliers may be another team to watch. After another disappointing finish to the season, would Cleveland put Evan Mobley in a deal for Antetokounmpo if it got off to a slow start? The Bucks undoubtedly would covet the 24-year-old Defensive Player of the Year as the future of their franchise. The Cavs would also have two unprotected first-round picks in 2030 and 2032 at the ready if the Bucks were at all uneasy about Mobley’s five-year, $224 million contract.
If suitors are willing to commit multiple unprotected first-round picks and a young player, the Bucks have to listen. Milwaukee might think it’s unthinkable for a small-market team to trade the face of its franchise in his prime. But the other side can bring a much brighter horizon. Just ask Sam Presti.
Much has been made of the Warriors core’s age heading into the 2025-26 NBA season, but 39-year-old center Al Horford is not concerned.
The four featured Golden State players, Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Horford, all are age 35 or older. Maintaining health throughout an 82-game regular season is a key concern this season, just as it has been in the recent past.
“The way that I see our group, we have a lot of depth. I see a lot of guys that are working really hard and guys who are very capable in our group,” Horford told reporters Tuesday. “So, I’m not worried about it just because of our depth.”
But key role players such as Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Gui Santos and Quinten Post are all under 25.
Both Podziemski and Moody played in at least 64 games last season. Post saw a significant increase in playing time in the second half of last season. Kuminga, despite fluctuations in playing time due to injury and rotation changes, has solidified himself as perhaps the Warriors’ most explosive athlete.
“I feel like we have guys here that can step in and contribute and have big nights,” Horford said. “It’s a very long season, and as you know in the NBA, the teams that usually have more depth are the teams that are going to be more successful.”
The depth in youth, whose experience will only continue to grow, will be key for Golden State’s regular-season success as older players will inevitably need more rest.
“I feel like we don’t have to hold back with any of them. We can just go, and they’re going to get a lot of opportunities and a lot of chances. And for them, they have to be ready for that,” Horford said.
The Warriors’ new stretch-big has been a steady presence in recent years. Horford has played at least 60 games in each of his last four seasons with the Boston Celtics.
“The priority for me is to make sure that I stay healthy throughout the regular season and that’s my focus right now. And when we get to the postseason, that’s a whole other level,” Horford said.
Curry and Green played in 70 and 68 games, respectively, last season. The two stars being available in the regular season helped the Warriors reach the playoffs for the 10th time in the last 13 seasons.
But Curry’s hamstring injury in the Western Conference Semifinals doomed Golden State to a second-round exit at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Maintaining tip-top health heading into the postseason is not just a priority for Horford, but for the Warriors’ old guard at large.
Raphielle Johnson
