The saga between the Detroit Pistons and Jalen Duren has finally ended as the disgruntled center agreed to a new five-year, $200 million contract to return to Detroit, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the terms of the deal and because it was not yet publicly announced.
The agreement came in ahead of Thursday's 11:59 p.m. ET deadline to decide on a $9.6 million qualifying offer.
Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in 70 games in 2025-26 and was named an All-Star for the first time in his four-year career.
After being named to the All-NBA third team, Duren was eligible to sign a five-year deal, worth up to around $287 million, or 30% of the salary cap.
But Duren's dreadful playoff performance made any team, especially the Pistons, reluctant to pay that much. Duren's per-game production dipped to 10.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on 51.4% shooting. The top-seeded Pistons were eliminated in the second round in seven games by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Pistons had maintained they were not going to trade Duren, as few teams had the salary cap space available to take on the maximum contract Duren was seeking. He did not get the max, but is now set to make $200 million over the next five seasons.
Jalen Duren contract details
Duren became a restricted free agent this offseason upon completion of his four-year, $19.4 million rookie-scale contract. He could have become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he had accepted the $9.6 million qualifying offer from Detroit.
Agreeing to a five-year, $200 million deal, Duren is slated to be on the Pistons for the forseeable future.
Jalen Duren age
Duren is 22 years old. He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft after one season of college ball at Memphis. Duren was traded to Detroit in a three-way draft-night deal that also involved the New York Knicks.
Jalen Duren career stats
In four NBA seasons, Duren has averaged 13.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 65% from the field. During the 2025-26 season, Duren averaged a career-high 19.5 points, along with 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shot 65% from the field.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - SEPTEMBER 28: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz speaks during the Utah Jazz media day at Zions Bank Basketball Campus on September 28, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’ve got a really bad feeling about Darryn Peterson.
It’s nothing that he did — certainly not. When he lit the Salt Lake City leg of the Summer League ablaze, I thought I had witnessed the spirit of Kobe Bryant descend from the sky and possess the body of Utah’s highly touted youngster.
In all my life, I’ve never seen a more velvety shooting touch. A silent determination to put in the work and let the results follow. The defensive instincts and basketball intellect to impact the game within a variety of roles on the court.
Even when he struggled with efficiency in Las Vegas, I felt confident chalking that up to needlessly aggressive defense (thank you, pointless 10-foul rule!) and a lack of competent help from his NBA-quality teammates (thank you, Cody Williams!). Even when his three-pointers didn’t fall, he reliably reached the foul line. He got his teammates involved, he made an impact on the defensive end, and looked like the most obvious superstar who has joined the Jazz since… Donovan Mitchell?
He’s the caliber of player the Jazz ushered in the tanking era in order to acquire.
He’s the caliber of player the Jazz ushered in the tanking era in order to acquire. He’s the final piece, now in place to shed Utah of their restricting shackles. Simply put, now that Utah has Peterson, the team has no use for losing. In the immortal words of Ignacio, “I don’t want to get paid to lose — I wanna win!”
And win they shall. Built upon a roster that includes veteran star power via Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., supplemented by the emergence of Keyonte George and the tantalizing talent of Ace Bailey, this is a team certainly capable of reaching the Play-In Tournament stages, if not arriving in the playoffs outright as a top-6 seed in the West.
If Darryn Peterson is as good as everyone says, perhaps home-court advantage could be in the cards in Utah’s first-round matchup.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
In fact, I think everybody might be getting ahead of themselves. Is there something in the water, because DP’s legend seems to grow with every passing day — and he hasn’t played a moment of true NBA basketball.
This is why I’ve got a bad feeling about Peterson — we’re already building emotional monuments to his legacy. Monuments so mammoth that they may have no chance but to topple through his long professional career.
At what point does the hype swell beyond the point of believability? Are we reaching the end of the line for Darryn Peterson’s hype train? Is this locomotive moving too fast to stay on the rails?
At what point does the hype swell beyond the point of believability? Are we reaching the end of the line for Darryn Peterson’s hype train?
Of Peterson, The Ringer’s Michael Pina said: “He could honestly be the story of the season—that’s how high Peterson’s year-one ceiling could be.”
He’s already being listed among the NBA’s best players, ranked 83rd overall in ESPN’s recent top 100 list.
During a media availability, Mo Bamba compared his rookie teammate to Kawhi Leonard and Damian Lillard — two of the defining superstars in the last decade of NBA history.
Perhaps instead of highlighting the rookie Peterson for what he could become, we should anchor our excitement to what he is today. Jusuf Nurkic shrugged off the comparisons Lillard, his teammate while in Portland. He instead insisted that he, as a 13-year NBA veteran, believes Peterson is the most mature young player he’s every shared a court with.
“I’ve never seen in my 13 years a kid coming into the league and be that mature for his age,” he said. “When I see a person like that and a player like that, I really want to help him. I think so far, he’s been nothing but great. … Everyone loves him.”
“I’ve never seen in my 13 years…”
Utah Jazz big man Jusuf Nurkic has been pleasantly surprised by rookie guard Darryn Peterson. 👀 pic.twitter.com/jJu3Gqz8ib
Will Hardy was quoted praising Peterson for his work ethic — a trait many of his Jazz teammates have been quick to recognize. “He’s competitive, tough, excited to be here and a great teammate. His transition to our Utah family has been pretty seamless.”
Get excited about Darryn Peterson — basketball is supposed to be fun, and he’s the player this community has been waiting to witness for what feels like eons — but don’t set your hopes too high. You’ll be delighted to have your hopes shattered in a positive way.
Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.
That doesn’t bode well for Dalton Knecht, who could find himself on the outside looking in.
Knecht, the third-year wing the Lakers selected with the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, made a big splash as a rookie.
The Lakers’ roster crunch doesn’t bode well for Dalton Knecht. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He was in the rotation from the start of the 2024-25 season, stepping into the starting lineup in mid-November amid injuries — which produced the best stretch of his brief NBA career: Knecht averaged 18.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in the final nine games of November 2024 (nine starts).
Even when he hit a shooting slump in January and December, Knecht was still getting consistent playing time as a part of the rotation.
It looked like Knecht was going to come out of the slump after scoring 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the Lakers’ win over the Clippers on Feb. 4, 2025.
That was still true during Knecht’s second season with the Lakers in 2025-26: He played 553 total minutes during the regular season across 54 games after recording 1,494 minutes in 78 regular-season games as a rookie.
Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick commended Dalton Knecht for his approach to training camp. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
But with a significant roster reconstruction around star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, there’s plenty of playing time to go around.
“It’s a whole new opportunity for all of us,” Knecht said on media day this week. “Like [coach] JJ [Redick] said, there’s a lot of minutes open.”
But it’s unlikely Knecht will soak up those minutes.
The Lakers still have time before they need to make decisions on trimming their roster. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Until Thursday, Knecht wasn’t mentioned — directly or indirectly — by Redick or president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka during any of their media availabilities.
Other wing players such as free agent additions Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, second-year forward Adou Thiero or rookie wing Cameron Carr had gotten significantly more attention as discussion points.
JJ Redick on Dalton Knecht, who's entering his 3rd season with the Lakers, and his approach to training camp: "First of all, he's been a pro. He's been in the gym. Like he has since Day 1, he has worked his butt off all offseason. And he's had a good three days of practice. So I… pic.twitter.com/heNsCTg6px
Not a good sign for Knecht, whom multiple rival executives expect to be the odd man out as the Lakers look to trim their roster from 16 players on standard NBA deals to the league maximum of 15.
“First of all, he’s been a pro,” Redick said of Knecht on Thursday. “He’s been in the gym. Like he has since Day 1, he has worked his butt off all offseason. And he’s had a good three days of practice. So I don’t think his approach changes. I know he’s hungry to play and hungry to earn a spot in the rotation.”
The Lakers still have time to sort out the roster crunch.
As Pelinka pointed out, they don’t have to make a decision until the regular season starts. Remaining practices will determine who’ll stay with the team. And it will give the team time to survey the NBA landscape for consolidation trades.
Even with the minimal things the Lakers have said about Knecht, it’s been what they haven’t said that’s stood out the most.
Derrin Horton has been hired as the Los Angeles Lakers' next public address announcer on Thursday, Oct. 1.
Horton will take over the role at the Lakers’ home games at Crypto.com Arena. He will be a familiar face to some, having worked as a sports broadcaster for more than 35 years.
Horton has served as an anchor, reporter, host and play-by-play announcer covering a variety of sports during his career.
He will announce his first Lakers’ game – a preseason contest against the Sacramento Kings – on Thursday, Oct. 8.
“There’s no way you can fill his shoes,” Horton told the media. “And so you just come here with a passion and a goal to be informative and entertaining and be a part of Showtime.”
Tanter spent more than 43 seasons with the Lakers. He suffered a stroke on March 17 and missed the last six regular-season home games and the postseason. He announced his retirement in June and was expected to transition to a game-day advisory role.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Draymond Green #23 (R) of the Golden State Warriors stands with head coach Steve Kerr during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Warriors 111-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are a lot of questions facing the Golden State Warriors ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season. Some of them are complex and nuanced, but some of them are as simple as can be. Such as: who starts?
Golden State kicked off training camp on Monday in Hawaii, and that question is one that likely won’t be answered for weeks. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Steve Kerr revealed that three-time All-Star Draymond Green will definitively be in the starting lineup. Add in the obvious starter — Steph Curry — and that leaves three spots up for grabs.
And according to Kerr, all three of those spots are there for the taking. After emphasizing that Green would be a starter, the team’s coach — who re-signed for two years this offseason — was asked if there’s an open competition for the other three positions. “Yeah. For sure. Yeah,” Kerr said while nodding his head. “Nothing has been decided at this point.” Because the prior question had been about Gui Santos, Kerr added, “Gui’s right in there, in the mix for being a starter.”
Steve Kerr made it clear yesterday that Draymond Green will remain in the starting lineup with Steph Curry
Today, I asked if the other three spots are an open competition: “Yeah, for sure. Nothing has been decided.” pic.twitter.com/6uDSwFHkcf
There are lots of good options for Kerr to choose from, including Santos, newcomer Brandon Williams, and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, among many others. Choosing a starting lineup, however, is made more difficult due to the serious injuries that will sideline Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody for the first few months of the season, the constant injuries and ailments that Kristaps Porziņģis (who is currently out indefinitely) deals with, and the fact that Al Horford doesn’t play back-to-backs. As such, it seems likely that the Warriors will not have a set starting lineup this season, and will rotate through a few different options.
While it will likely be a while before we know who suits up when the season begins on October 21, Kerr did reveal the starting five for Sunday’s preseason opener: Curry, Green, Lendeborg, Horford, and Brandin Podziemski.
DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 4: Scoot Henderson #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers, Player Development Coach Pooh Jeter of the Portland Trail Blazers, & Assistant Coach Scott Brooks of the Portland Trail Blazers look at film before the game on February 4, 2024 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
On Thursday, Marc Spears of Andscape reported that the team had hired Pooh Jeter as the new Director of Pro Scouting, a move made by Amsler.
Pooh Jeter has been hired as the Lakers’ new Director of Pro Scouting, source told @andscape. The LA native previously worked with the Trail Blazers as Player Development Coach and Assistant GM of NBA G League Rip City Remix. Jeter was hired by new Lakers asst GM Eric Amsler. pic.twitter.com/Jkc11MiJtD
Jeter had a lengthy professional career overseas with stops in Ukraine, Spain and China, among other countries. He had a brief stint with the Sacramento Kings and spent some time with the shortly-lived G League Ignite.
After retiring, Jeter joined the Blazers as a player development coach and assistant GM of the team’s G League franchise, Rip City Remix. Shortly after being hired, he spoke with SLAM about his new role and his career in basketball up to that point in an informative interview for fans looking for more insight into him.
While Amsler’s hiring already dispelled the notion, this further pushes back against the idea that the team was in a hiring freeze during the transition from Mark Walter to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner. And the quicker the team can build out its scouting department, the better it is for everyone involved.
Obviously, everyone is going to bring with them an inherent knowledge of the league, few more so than Amsler himself, but the quicker the staff can be built out, the quicker the franchise and this year’s Lakers can reap the benefits of having a fully fleshed-out scouting department.
Lakers coach JJ Redick had a meeting with Luka Doncic on Wednesday, something he plans to do with each player.
What did they talk about?
Leadership.
“It’s something he’s really excited about,” Redick said at Lakers practice Thursday.
The Lakers belong to Doncic after LeBron James left for the 76ers in free agency after eight seasons in Los Angeles, including leading the Purple-and-Gold to their first championship in 10 years in 2020.
It has now been six long years since the Lakers sat atop the league.
For a 17-time championship franchise, that’s an agonizingly long stretch. Doncic is next in line to carry them back to that lofty position. And to do so, he’s going to have to get a bit uncomfortable.
See, Doncic leads by example. He’s never going to be the loudest guy in the locker room. That’s just not him.
But the Lakers need more out of him.
He needs to be aware of how he carries himself. How he reacts to things. How he responds in tough moments.
Los Angeles Lakers player Luka Doncic (77) poses during media day at UCLA Health Training Center on Monday, September 28, 2026, in El Segundo, Calif. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I think as a leader you can always grow,” Redick said. “That’s part of most good leaders that I know at least — they have that growth mentality. I think Luka has a growth mentality as a player. And I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that it won’t extend that to leadership.
“He recognizes that the vocal side of things is one thing, the body language — both positive and negative— is another thing. That’s a focus is just having great body language. This group of guys is going to follow him and AR [Austin Reaves]. That’s just the reality. They’re going to follow those two guys, and that’s a huge responsibility for both of those guys.”
Obviously, being the head of a team is nothing new for Doncic. He became the youngest player in EuroLeague history to win the MVP award at age 19 while playing for Real Madrid en route to carrying it to the championship. He led the Mavericks to the Finals in 2024.
But everything is different with the Lakers.
They’re one of the biggest teams in the world. The spotlight is blinding. The microscope is unforgiving.
Doncic is aware of that. He says he’s ready for it.
When asked now that James is gone, how it feels to be the Lakers’ torchbearer, he didn’t hesitate.
“I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me,” Doncic said. “But I feel great. I feel excited. And like I said, I’m ready to go.”
Austin Reaves, Head Coach JJ Redick, and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers pose for a portrait during NBA Media Day at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California, Monday, September 28, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Doncic wants to win his first championship. He wants to make the Mavericks deeply regret stunningly trading him to the Lakers in February 2025. He wants to prove that he’s the best player in the league.
Now is his chance.
He had his fingerprints all over the roster this offseason.
Doncic wanted to keep playing with Reaves. The Lakers signed him to a four-year, $180 million deal, the richest contract in NBA history for a player who went undrafted.
Doncic wanted Walker Kessler as the team’s franchise center. They sent two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to Utah to acquire him, signing him to a four-year, $130 million deal.
When asked if Redick has seen anything extra from Doncic in terms of how badly he wants to win this year and his focus on leadership, he flashed a smile.
“I mean, he paid for a private plane for 14 guys or 16 guys to fly to Slovenia,” Redick said, referring to Doncic hosting a four-day minicamp in Slovenia for the first time in his career. “That’s pretty extra.”
Redick said that ever since Doncic came to the Lakers, he has been in a leadership role of sorts, even when he was playing alongside James.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers attends Los Angeles Lakers Media Day at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. Getty Images
“The idea that he wasn’t in a leadership position or didn’t have moments of leadership over the last season and a half that we had him is just false,” Redick said. “I think it’s different without certain people on the team. Naturally, there’s a void. We talked about that all summer.”
Things are different now. And Doncic needs to fill that hole fast.
The Lakers not not only need him to be an offensive wizard, but they need him to pay attention to the small things. He needs to complain less to officials. He needs to hustle on defense. All eyes are going to be on him. The small moments matter the most.
And above all, he needs to be the leader of one of the most heralded franchises in sports.
There’s a long line of superstars who came before him, including Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and James.
He’s next. He’s now.
And Redick believes, he’s ready.
“He’s pretty much seen everything in the NBA at this point,” Redick said. “Beyond just being a vocal leader and being a great teammate, he has a wealth of knowledge to share.”
PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 2: Ryan Dunn #0 and Khaman Maluach #10 of the Phoenix Suns high five during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on November 2, 2025 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns announced Thursday they are picking up the team options for Khaman Maluach and Ryan Dunn for the 2027-28 season. Dunn will be entering the fourth and final year of his rookie deal, while it’ll be the third for Maluach.
OFFICIAL: The Phoenix Suns have exercised the team’s third-year option on center Khaman Maluach pic.twitter.com/0gd6J92RRz
The decisions do not come as a surprise. Along with 2026 first-round pick Koa Peat, second-year forward Rasheer Fleming, and third-year big Oso Ighodaro, the two are considered the team’s best prospects with the highest upside. Maluach, Dunn, and Ighodaro were all drafted by the team and had opportunities to start and play meaningful minutes at various points in their young careers.
While Ighodaro has had the most opportunity so far, starting in all of the team’s playoff games and 26 regular-season contests last season, Maluach is considered the prospect with the most upside. The two are competing for the starting center spot with Mark Williams out for at least the first few months of the season. This summer, Maluach dominated in Summer League, averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds per game on 40% shooting from three.
With him being the lone lottery pick out of the five, his 7’1” height, 7’7” wingspan, and willingness and improvement to shoot the three, many view him as a potential long-term fit next to Devin Booker in the starting lineup. He saw limited minutes for most of last season until the end of the year, when he played a backup big role behind Ighodaro with Williams out with a foot injury.
Despite a letdown sophomore season in which his minutes, field-goal percentage, and three-point percentage declined from his rookie year, the Suns remain invested in Dunn, their 2024 first-rounder. A below-average three-point shooter for his position, the forward is a dynamic rim-runner who has started alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and has the physical attributes to guard other teams’ best forwards. Dunn’s minutes decreased in the second half of last season, but he started the year in the starting five.
With the Suns limited on draft picks for the foreseeable future, the Suns continue to choose to retain their young talent on the roster beyond this season.
LAIE, Hawaii – Students of BYU-Hawaii lined up for what felt like miles to get a glimpse of the Warriors’ third day of NBA training camp.
They, as well as Warriors families and team sponsors, watched from the bleachers at the George Q. Cannon Activities Center. Traveling media members also got their first real look at this season’s squad, and there was a lot to digest. Thursday was the Warriors’ liveliest and most physical scrimmage of training camp, just a few days from Sunday’s preseason opener against the LA Clippers.
The first sight that stood out was who was wearing which colored jersey. On the floor was a group in blue jerseys, and a group in yellow. The blue group featured Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Draymond Green and Al Horford. Wearing yellow were Brandon Williams, De’Anthony Melton, Gui Santos, Gary Payton II and Georges Niang.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr confirmed after practice that those wearing blue on Thursday will be his starting five on Sunday.
“Really good size on the front line,” Kerr first said about what he likes from that five-man lineup. “Good playmaking from obviously Steph and Dray together, but also spacing from Al. All three of those guys – Al, Yaxel and BP – can shoot the three but also make plays.
“It’s a good, well balanced lineup. The question will be, can we do that opening night given the age of Al and the minutes and all that stuff, who knows. But for now, that’s how we’ll start.”
Steve Kerr announces Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Draymond Green and Al Horford will start the preseason opener on Sunday @NBCSWarriors
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ scrimmage on their third day of training camp, featuring comments from Kerr and Lendeborg.
Podz Pops
Those who waited in the rain and braced tropical humidity surely were there to see Curry. They saw one 3-pointer go down, a few rattle in and out, a handful of cutting layups fall off the rim and a halfcourt heave barely miss at the buzzer.
The standout player of the day offensively was Podziemski. There wasn’t a close second. Podziemski looked like the player the Warriors are looking to take another leap in Year 4 as he waits on his second contract.
“Three days in, he’s had a great camp,” Kerr said.
Podziemski was loud and vocal defensively and offensively. He was directing traffic with the ball in his hands and found multiple ways to score without hesitation. Podziemski drew four fouls, including two three-point plays, and only missed one free throw.
On back-to-back possessions, Podziemski got a frustrated Charles Bassey to foul him at the rim. Immediately after getting a whistle called on his teammates for the fourth time, Podziemski blew past Dalen Terry on the run for a layup.
“That’s what we like about Brandin: His ability to see the game, attack angles and he understands the officiating,” Kerr said. “He can dribble, pass, shoot. You can put him at any spot out of a timeout. Really versatile and obviously crucial to make the whole thing go.”
His day wasn’t only a display around the rim. Podziemski also hit a step-back three off the dribble and knocked down a buzzer-beating three at the top of the arc after a Curry miss to end the day for the starters.
Podz has been really aggressive in this scrimmage with the starters
“Oh, he’s an elite scorer,” Lendeborg said of Podziemski. “Pretty much every time we’re in a fastbreak drill, he can easily get in there and manipulate the defense, get an and-1, get a couple free throws easily. That’s something I’ve been noticing really, really quickly.”
Lightning Quick
The Warriors saw up close and personal what a difference-maker Brandon Williams’ speed with the ball in his hands can be last season when he dropped 26 points against them on Christmas and 19 a few weeks later. Watching him during Thursday’s scrimmage was quite the reminder.
Williams was blowing by defenders and getting into the teeth of the defense as a playmaker. He dropped dimes to Bassey and Santos, and used his speed cutting to the hoop for layups. That’s a huge part of the Warriors’ new 5-out offense, too.
All five players are aligned around the 3-point line: One at the top, two on the wings and two in the corners. The concept doesn’t call for all five to chuck threes. The goal is to get organized and put the defense at a disadvantage.
Williams’ speed also will be key to the Warriors getting out in transition. When Williams caught an errant pass by Curry, he zoomed down the court in three dribbles and found Santos with a bounce pass for a layup.
He’s quick as a hiccup, and the Warriors badly needed a new wrinkle.
Learning Curve
Bringing in new concepts means teaching moments and adjustments for youngsters and veterans alike. Within the first minute or two of watching practice, a spirited Kerr walked on the court and yelled, “What the f–k are we doing?! Wake the f–k up!” to his starters. Message received.
There were moments where Curry went to run baseline and yelled “Ahh!” as the spacing was wrong. Even he has to rewire his brain to make everything eventually come second nature. So does his longest-tenured teammate.
Kerr has preached how he wants Green to shoot more, and the pass-first forward has been very receptive to the idea. Yet on Thursday, at least in the moments the media was let in, Green didn’t shoot once. Not a layup, not a runner, not a jumper and not a three. Green didn’t pass shots up, but he didn’t let it fly.
“We’re really still chaotic offensively, so we’re nowhere close to where we will be,” Kerr said. “I think the biggest adjustment offensively will come for Draymond, Gary, even for Steph, because we are putting such an emphasis on being better spaced, better organized, playing less out of chaos.
“Steph and Draymond have been here for 12 years, doing things a certain way. We’re asking them to do some different things, so bigger adjustment for them. But once once we’re through these first couple of weeks, I think it’s all going to make a lot of sense because the whole thing is designed for us to still do the things we do best: The ball movement, the spacing, split cuts, high pick and roll, but with much more emphasis on our organization. We have to get organized before we get to that stuff, and that’s what we’re working on.”
Of course, Lendeborg also will go through a handful of learning curves too. His physicality and length on the wing was hard to miss offensively. As was his ability to stretch the floor at his size.
But defensively, Lendeborg is going to be thrown into the fire. Georges Niang hit two corner threes on Green, and the second was a coaching moment for the rookie. Green instantly started talking to him about where he should have been. So did Kerr, assistant coach Anthony Vereen and others.
Once the starters were done, Lendeborg, Green and Vereen all sat together. Even from a distance, it was clear Green and Vereen had a lot to go over with Lendeborg, who was attentive as could be.
“I was talking to Draymond a little bit later on after the scrimmage and stuff, and he was telling me, ‘I need to be a lot more aggressive this year,’” Lendeborg explained. “Just having the confidence to believe in myself and go out there and make the extra play, and not always worry about being a playmaker.”
Through the ups and downs of a rookie year, Lendeborg is guaranteed to be a breath of fresh air.
That was evident as ever when reporters, not coaches, were the ones to break the news to him that the group he was part of will be the starters on Sunday.
“That’s going to be the starting lineup?” Lendeborg replied. “Oh god damn, that’s got me nervous man. No, it’s definitely going to be nice for me to be able to play with them in my first game, learn so much, because I feel like I was a little bit sloppy today. It’s definitely going to be something where I can keep asking questions in live action play, which will definitely help me out a lot more going forward.”
Sep 28, 2026; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez and general manager Sean Marks talk with media at Brooklyn Nets HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Brooklyn Nets are getting bigger without getting slower. At least that’s how it appears Sean Marks and Jordi Fernández will build in Brooklyn.
Say it with us: No more small ball!
The Nets have spent the past year finding and adding players who can handle the rock, shoot the three, pass and create from “positions” that traditionally haven’t demanded all of those skills. They believe that maintaining size — and versatility — without sacrificing some skill or athleticism can give them an advantage.
At Media Day, Fernández offered a glimpse into how that could look with Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin in the backcourt this season:
“You guys know that I don’t like to give you my secrets, but I’m pretty sure we’ll see that,” the third year coach said when asked if the two high picks will be starting together. “Going back to the skill set, right? Like, you know, the ability to shoot from both of them, real ability to create, and the positional size… They have been brought here for a reason.”
Surrounding those two ball-handlers, Brooklyn’s roster construction shows a clear prioritization of positional size, versatility, skill … and quick decision-making. Emphasis on quick decision-making. We constantly circle back to this quote from Sean Marks in June 2025:
“It’s 0.5-second basketball, you catch and make a decision. You don’t hold the ball… It’s also where the NBA is going: guys who can play multiple positions, guard multiple positions, and make it hard on the defense,” said the Nets GM.
On the cloudy Monday in Brooklyn, NetsDaily’s Lucas Kaplan asked Marks if Brooklyn’s positional size represented an organizational shift, a goal shift, or simply a case of the players fitting a certain type of mold.
“It’s a combination of all the above,” answered Marks.
“What becomes available, where you’re picking in the draft and so forth, I do think positional size is a factor we look at. Jordi and I are hand-in-hand in that when we discuss who we want to bring in, and what position, and what needs we look for. Sometimes size can make up for some other deficiencies. It’s certainly a factor.”
What’s certain, though, is that the Nets roster for 2026-27 is historically big. At 6’4” in bare feet, Keon Ellis and Nolan Traore are the only players players under 6’6”. The roster also features 13 players, out of the 20 in camp, who top out at more than 6’8”.
Thus, the franchise have a pretty specific idea of the type of player they want. And he and Jordi are “hand-in-hand” on the plan, Marks emphasized. Positional size is the starting point, and Fernández was already a couple steps ahead of the game when he said this in over a year ago:
“Positional size is very important and you guys can see here with your eye test,” Fernández told the New York Daily News in July 2025. “I would play these guys almost 1 through 4, 1 through 5. So that’s a good thing for us. You’ll see length, athleticism, and we’ll keep working on that physicality and communication.”
Brooklyn isn’t collecting tall players for the sake of being tall. It’s giving more players responsibilities that traditionally belonged to a specific position. More versatility. So, it doesn’t necessarily make it “easy” for defenses to adjust. There is an obvious drawback to building around size: size alone doesn’t create an offense. Players need to turn into stars.
Ultimately, everyone has to be able to create with the ball in and out of their hands if they’re operating in this type of system. Moving the ball now becomes more important than the tyranny of 1 through 5.
The importance of Egor Dëmin
The 6’9” sophomore has the physical profile of a wing but the instincts of a lead ball handler. He probably isn’t going to be handling the rock every single possession, but the possession will begin in his hands. Vision — and setting players up for the best look possible — is going to become the identity of the Nets. Fernández has already pointed to the way his size and passing can influence the team’s pace.
“His positional size and his playmaking,” Fernández said in July 2025 about what excited him most about his first lottery pick. “It’s very important that we help each other and we give each other the best shot possible, and we believe that he can do it. Whether playing pick-and-roll or simply making the right play. That’s who he is, and if you watch him play and you get to know him, you can see that right away.”
Dëmin isn’t the only example.
Brown Jr., Nolan Traoré, and Ben Saraf all bring different versions of the same concept — players who can initiate, create or make plays without necessarily fitting the traditional profile of a point guard. Danny Wolf offers it from an entirely different place on the floor, with the challenge now being how quickly his skill set translates to the NBA.
A D’Antoni Connection… and a Euro one
It’s hard not to think about former Nets assistant and Hall-of-Fame head coach Mike D’Antoni when hearing Fernández speak about playing his guys “one through four, one through five.”
“You set up a system where the ball movement and the opposing defense will lead to the option… Everybody’s the No. 1 option. Everybody has the ability to be able to score, pass, and move. That’s when it’s the best. When you single out a person and it’s constantly them, it gets kind of bogged down. It’s easier for the opposing defense to load up.”
The Nets aren’t recreating D’Antoni’s Seven Seconds or Less Suns. But some of the underlying ideas are familiar, and D’Antoni had already begun testing versions of that philosophy in Italy more than two decades ago.
“I was just trying to maximize the point guard, trying to maximize spacing, use the three. And I just went with it. You tweak it every year, you do a little bit different. You have different personnel. But the basics were there. It started in Italy and I just kind of ran with it,” D’Antoni told NBA.com. “I was insecure as a coach coming back to the NBA whether it would work or not.”
That’s where the international piece comes in.
Six players on the Nets roster have significant international backgrounds, giving Fernández, a native of Spain himself, a group that has developed through basketball systems outside the traditional American college-to-NBA pipeline.
Dëmin, born and raised in Russia, developed through Real Madrid’s famous youth academy before playing at BYU.
Nolan Traoré came through France’s famed INSEP developmental system and LNB Pro A.
Ben Saraf, born and raised in Israel, was an MVP at the FIBA U18 European Championship.
Danny Wolf is a 7-foot hybrid big with dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship, having played FIBA ball with Israel’s youth national team.
The team also added Moritz Wagner, a 2023 FIBA World Cup gold medalist with Germany who brings physicality and versatility to Brooklyn.
Finally, there’s Josh Minott, an explosive 6’8” forward who represents the Jamaican national team internationally.
Before taking over in Brooklyn, Fernández built his reputation in international basketball, most notably leading Canada to a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Before that, he was an assistant coach of the Nigerian national team under Mike Brown. That Canadian roster also reflected the philosophy: only one player stood shorter than 6’5” on that Fernandez squad as well — 6’4” Andrew Nembhard.
Fernández understands the international game, but he also understands that international experience alone doesn’t guarantee NBA success.
At Media Day, the Nets coach was asked whether this strategy inherently favors the European developmental pipelines.
“I would not say it favors Europeans, it just tells you how, you know, [how] global this league is, just finding talent everywhere in the world… You got to come here and then you got to prove that you can play. With our international players, obviously we don’t see passports, and our team we see great players with a possibility to develop and so forth.”
… But there is an adjustment which is any job requires time.
“I think we have all been brought here for a reason. You can bring your talents, but at the same time you have to adjust. You have to adjust to a league, you have to adjust to a culture, you have to adjust to many other things. I think that, you know, right now you look at the NBA and, you know, that international power part may be a little loud, but you still got to go through the steps. And once again, I just see good players out there.”
The NBA’s talent pool has never been more global than it is now with 135 players from 43 countries last year, but where those players came from matters less than what they can do. Brooklyn wants players who can handle, pass, shoot, defend and make decisions without being confined to one position.
The blueprint isn’t a secret
Marks has talked about positional size. Fernández has talked about playing players almost “1 through 4, 1 through 5.” Now the roster is starting to reflect it. The Nets want to put five of their best players on the court, with each capable of doing enough different things that the defense can’t easily predict where the advantage is coming from or where the ball will move next.
Mike D’Antoni helped push the league toward five skilled players who could stretch the floor and make decisions. Fernández and Marks appear to be betting on the next step. Expect to see all that flexibility Marks loves to talk about be put to use in bigger and better players.
Derrin Horton’s first job was in public address announcing. His first passion was the Lakers. The longtime sports broadcaster’s new job is the marriage of both.
Horton will take over the mic as the Lakers’ home public-address announcer, the team announced Thursday, stepping into the role for legendary Lakers announcer Lawrence Tanter, who died last week.
“There’s no way you can fill his shoes,” Horton said in an interview with local reporters. “And so you just come here with a passion and a goal to be informative and entertaining and be a part of Showtime.”
Tanter, who provided the smooth, baritone soundtrack for Lakers home games for 43 seasons, suffered a stroke on March 17 and missed the final six regular-season home games and the playoffs last season. Tanter announced his retirement in June, transitioning to a game-day advisory role with the team. Horton, a former KTLA broadcaster who has worked as an anchor, reporter, host, play-by-play announcer and voice actor, reached out to the team about the opportunity.
Horton showed up to his audition and instinctively tried to emulate Tanter’s signature baritone voice. He wanted to sound like what he thought the classic PA announcers should sound like. Lakers president and chief business officer Lon Rosen stopped the tryout in mid-sentence.
“He said, ‘Hey! Knock it off! I want to hear your voice,’” Horton said. “And so I just was myself.”
Horton’s new role is a return to his roots. Before carving out a career in sports broadcasting and voice acting, Horton was just a teenaged high school basketball reject. Not good enough to play on the team, he found his first job in communications as the PA announcer for Holy Cross High in Queens. The New York City-raised Syracuse alumnus has been enamored with the Lakers since the Showtime era. He doesn’t think enthusiasm will be a problem; Horton considers himself a diehard Lakers fan.
And he knows what Lakers fans want at a game.
“They’re there to see the Lakers,” Horton said. “So what I do is just try to enhance the experience like a little salt and pepper. Season it up a little bit.”
The Lakers have their first home preseason game Oct. 8 against the Sacramento Kings. Horton said he is focused on informing fans and mastering the fundamentals. He has been working on player names and practiced at several Sparks games to understand the rhythm of professional basketball. The broadcaster said he favors understated and professional PA announcing. The style that made Tanter famous.
Horton considered the Lakers announcing legend a friend. Tanter even recorded an introduction for Horton’s wedding, announcing the newlyweds as they entered the reception: “‘For the very first time,’” Horton said, dropping his voice low like Tanter’s “‘Mr. Derrin and Elise Horton!’”
Horton wished he could have spoken to Tanter ahead of the first game.
“We’re going to miss him,” Horton said, “and I hope I do him proud.”
Scouting department change
The Lakers hired Pooh Jeter as director of pro scouting, The Times confirmed Thursday. The L.A. native was the Portland Trail Blazers’ player development coach and the assistant general manager of the team’s G League affiliate Rip City Remix.
After an ownership change in 2025, the Lakers have worked to build out their front office, following the lead of the Dodgers. After adding more than 15 people to the front office, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said, the Lakers were still focused on adding more scouts.
Staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 13: The sneakers worn by Jalen Crutcher #40 of the Orlando Magic during the game against the Toronto Raptors during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 13, 2025 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
On Thursday, the Spurs superstar spoke to reporters at training camp and answered whether he’d ever sign a deal with a sports betting company.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama answers questions from the media during Media Day. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Absolutely not. I will never do that. Honestly, I think it’s very sad to see some players promote it,” Wembanyama said. “Everybody does whatever they want, but without me.”
The 23-year-old revealed he’s turned down endorsement deals in the past because values don’t align.
“Obviously, we earn millions and millions. This is not our biggest strength. Our biggest strength is inspiring, and we can inspire in a good way or a bad way. I want to inspire in a good way. That’s the strongest thing I can do,” Wembanyama added.
LeBron James warms up before the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4. Getty ImagesA Polymarket logo is seen in this illustration. REUTERS
Kevin Durant has a partnership with FanDuel and Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Kalshi shareholder. James became the newest athlete to headline a commercial for a sports betting company.
The deal calls into question how the NBA will navigate partnerships with sports betting companies in the foreseeable future as athletes tap into the sports betting market.
CAMDEN, NJ - SEPTEMBER 28: Jaylen Brown #7, Joel Embiid #21, LeBron James #23, Tyrese Maxey #0, and VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers pose for a portrait on NBA media day on September 28, 2026 at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex in Camden, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Jabari Walker is unlikely to be in the Sixers’ rotation to start the 2026-27 season.
As a guy who had to work his way up from a two-way spot to a standard deal last season, he understands his role is simply to be ready, no matter what the team asks of him.
“I’m more in the mindset of just doing what I can every day to be an asset to this team,” Walker said. “These are my brothers at the end of the day. … I have a relationship with all of them, so it’s something bigger than just being a teammate.”
While Walker’s mentality is ideal for the 14th guy on the roster, it was a sentiment shared by many on media day Monday — including from arguably the best player to ever walk the earth, LeBron James.
VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft who was named to the All-Rookie First Team, has been a topic of conversation. How will Edgecombe adjust his game while still developing alongside such a star-studded team?
James made a simple point — everyone will have to adjust.
Including the 41-year-old, 22-time All-Star.
“I think with the group of guys, no one mentioned that everybody’s role will probably be different,” James said. “And that’s for the greater good, if we want to accomplish something that’s really, really important. Like if we say that we want to be something special, there will be a collective sacrificing in a good way. Sometimes in sports, people hear sacrificing … people start thinking negatively about it. It’s not a negative thing.”
Every player, including the team’s stars, shared that sentiment. When Jaylen Brown was asked who would be the “alpha” on this Sixers team by a national reporter, Brown dismissed the question immediately. After all, even the person who came up with the theory of the “alpha wolf” has since debunked his own research. In fact, we’ve learned wolf packs are simply regular families, doing whatever is necessary for survival.
Maybe not an apples-to-apples comparison to a professional basketball team, but everyone has to eat. In the case of the Sixers, they’ll be looking to wins over stats for nourishment.
“Like [James] said, sacrifice has a negative connotation, but has its perks and its benefits,” Brown said. “Anytime you’re going for something great, something of high metric, it’s going to take a level of sacrifice. So that’s just the understanding that someone like him, who has been great all his life, he understands sacrifice at a high level, and I agree with him.”
Nobody has felt the pain of the Sixers’ recent failures more than Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Embiid is by far the longest-tenured Sixer. In fact, he’s the third longest-tenured athlete in Philadelphia after the Flyers’ Sean Couturier and Eagles’ Lane Johnson. After Embiid is Maxey. The drop-off to the third longest-tenured Sixer is quite steep.
It’s obvious they’re willing to scale back in any capacity in order to finally get over the second-round hump and win the franchise’s first championship since before LeBron was born.
“One through 17, 18, we got the talent. Whatever,” Maxey said. “But if we’re not willing to sacrifice, we’re not willing to put in the work, it ain’t gonna mean nothing.”
“I think it’s hard to win,” Embiid said. “I haven’t done it. Feel like I know what it takes, but it is hard to win, man. You need that consistency. You need to get guys on the same page. But feel like this year we have that.”
After the first day of training camp, the team’s first full practice together, head coach Nick Nurse didn’t like the use of the word “sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice just seems like such a negative term to me,” Nurse said at practice Monday, “and I’d rather like really emphasize being who you are, right? But maybe we need you to do something super special for our team at this moment, and you have the abilities to do it. Then let’s do it.”
But luckily for him, his players don’t see it that way.
James’ perspective was a little different. Instead of viewing the word “sacrifice” as a negative, why can’t it be a positive?
“So many guys that’s been in our league over the course of my career that’s never made a sacrifice in their career,” James said, “and they average 20, 22 points per game and they’ve had one or two postseason appearances and zero postseason wins. If that’s the way you want your career to be then, that’s fine, everyone has different goals. But I don’t think anybody downstairs or I don’t think anybody in the locker room, have that feeling, or want their career to be like that, or we wouldn’t be here.”
Sacrificing for a greater good is not only positive, but laudable.
From LeBron James to Jabari Walker and every player in between, it’s what the Sixers will have to do to accomplish their ultimate goal.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 28: TristanVukcevic #00 of the Washington Wizards poses for a portrait during NBA media day on September 28, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Wizards forward/center Tristan Vukčević sustained a left hip impingement and will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks, the Wizards announced Thursday.
The Washington Wizards announced today that forward/center Tristan Vukčević has sustained a left hip impingement.
Vukčević will remain a partial participant in training camp as he continues his rehabilitation work. He will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks.
Vukcevic had been a partial participant during the first two days of training camp. He’ll continue to be a partial participant throughout the remainder of camp.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.0 points and 3.0 rebounds across 49 appearances last season. He shot 47.9% from the field and 34.7% from 3-point range.
Vukcevic projected as Washington’s third-string center behind Alex Sarr and Deandre Ayton. He can play some forward as well, as showcased by his impressive shooting touch for a 7-footer.
