The Knicks are planning to decline former first-round pick Pacome Dadiet's fourth-year option, SNY's NBA Insider Ian Begley confirms.
New York's move will make Dadiet an unrestricted free agent next June and create salary space heading into the 2027-28 season.
Dadiet, who was selected 25th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, has been unable to carve out playing time with the Knicks since he arrived. The French national appeared in 18 games his rookie season, where he averaged 1.7 points on 32 percent shooting. He averaged the same amount of points on 33 percent shooting across 29 games last season.
This season, the 21-year-old has appeared in one game, grabbing one board in his one minute on the court.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 28: Dejounte Murray #5 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts to a call during the second half of the game against the Denver Nuggets at Smoothie King Center on October 28, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the Suns not off to a good start and reports from the locker room that frustration over a certain role has grown, things haven’t looked great for Phoenix so far. That said, it is still early in the year, and last season this team took early losses and still made the playoffs. Anything can happen, and this team could very well bounce back, but with the discourse so negative so early on, it does seem like an uphill battle.
Haynes Headlines: Growing frustration in Phoenix Suns’ locker room due to lack of point guard on roster to organize the offense, sources tell me. @NBATVpic.twitter.com/pM2mwCVqx5
It’s too early to talk about trades, but for some reason, this season, that discourse has already begun among multiple teams. For the Suns, it is not that they are looking to make a move, but they definitely feel the lack of playmaking on their roster and want a true point guard. For fans and the team, that seems like the best move. Even if Devin Booker likes to be the point guard and playmaker, he needs another creator and play initiator alongside him. This would ease the playmaking load and still let Booker hunt his shots and create off-ball for the team.
A big reason for Minnesota’s early success, and why everyone thought they could dominate (before the Ant injury), is how well LaMelo Ball fit alongside Anthony Edwards. That is what many Suns fans saw with Chris Paul, and it proves that having an all-caliber playmaker alongside a solid off-ball scorer makes offense 1000 times easier. So who could solve this issue? Well, it is someone I did write about earlier this offseason, and someone fans are gravitating toward as well with the latest news.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the trade candidate would be Dejounte Murray, known for his defensive identity in San Antonio before bouncing around to Atlanta and now New Orleans. Murray, unfortunately, hasn’t had it great since leaving SA. A backcourt that couldn’t work in Atlanta, plus injuries and a dysfunctional front office in NO, have left him stuck in the mud. With his value at its lowest ever, and him stuck on a bad team coming off injuries, this is the time for the Suns to strike.
REPORT: The belief around the league is that the Pelicans and Dejounte Murray are working together to find him a “better situation”, per @FearTheBrown. pic.twitter.com/Hg4TdjDZvL
The easiest and best way to make this deal is a one-for-one trade involving Jalen Green and Dejounte Murray. The swap would give both teams a path to the better solution they are looking for. For the Suns, it is easy: they get someone who can help playmake and be a solid defender in their scheme. The six-year age gap may make you worry the Suns are giving up on Green too early, but with that contract and an extension looming, this could be the get-out-of-jail-free card the Suns can capitalize on.
With Green making a bit more than Murray, you also save 6M in next year’s deal, and with both having a $30 million player option, you are forced to get it picked up regardless. At least with Murray, your extension can be more team-friendly, since Green is looking to maximize his next payday.
Green also makes sense for the Pelicans, as they are a young team just looking for talent. With no true number one option, Green could come in and try to take the shine as the dominant on-ball scorer he wants to be. Since high school, he’s been the top guy, and he was drafted in Houston as well. This “PG” movement and working with Steve Nash is never going to be his game, so let’s get him to a spot where he can be his best at what he does, not force him to be another player. We saw that with our last coach trying to make Bradley Beal the next Jrue Holiday, and look how that turned out.
Ultimately, I think this solves a major headache for both parties. In my eyes, the Pelicans are bad and have no chance of going anywhere in the near future in the West. So take a flyer on Green, who has potential and gives you more room in your guard rotation for Jeremiah Fears to take off, especially if you can salary dump Jordan Poole somewhere else (not Phoenix). For the Suns, this gives them a true secondary creator and someone who will make the smart, right play for Booker. Murray isn’t coming here to become Phoenix’s next-best player and get a payday; he is looking to be a complementary piece for a championship run, which is what this front office needs alongside Booker in this starting lineup.
There are other guards the Suns could look at, too, guys like Kyrie Irving, Jrue Holiday, and Darius Garland, and ones they missed out on, like Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball, and Trae Young, so maybe Dejounte Murray isn’t the end-all, be-all option. Though the sentiment is out there that they need a new playmaker and fast, does that mean the quick solution is to start Collin Gillespie and move Green to the bench? Or is that just a precursor to a bigger move? Only time will tell, but I trust the front office to reevaluate what went wrong and make an educated decision by the trade deadline.
LeBron James is essentially outlasting every elite athlete in the history of sports by playing his 24th season for the Philadelphia 76ers this year. James turns 42 years old in Dec., and if he fulfills the second year of his contract next season, he will have played 10 more seasons than Michael Jordan. James’ peak wasn’t as high as MJ’s by most models, but he’s trying to win the GOAT debate on longevity, and he’s certainly made it a worthwhile discussion.
Father Time doesn’t lose, and that’s even the case against a freak of nature like LeBron. James showed some signs of age on Wednesday night as his 76ers needed a big fourth quarter comeback just to get by the Indiana Pacers without Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac. James was solid in the win with 13 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, and three stocks, but he was also on the wrong end of two highlight plays that the internet is still talking about a day later.
Early in the second quarter, James was speeding down the court for what should have been a fastbreak dunk. Instead, Indiana’s Jalen Slawson, who is only on a two-way contract, beat him to the rim for the chasedown block. He did a LeBron to LeBron! Watch the play here:
LeBron was never caught from behind for years and years and years. There’s only so much he can do before he turns 42, though, and this time another super athlete like Slawson got the best of him. Look at Slawson talk trash to LeBron at the end of that clip. Have some respect for your elders, young man! I say this as a big Slawson fan, he was on my ‘too good for Summer League’ list this year.
As if that wasn’t ba enough, LeBron got got even worse late in the fourth quarter. Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard squared up James and hit him with a dirty crossover that sent the 40-something tumbling. Nembhard missed the shot, so this clip isn’t as humiliating as it could have been.
The Sixers came back and won to improve to 4-1 on the year. That’s great. LeBron has stayed durable while so many other players have gone down with injuries early this season, and he’s poised to be a key piece of a team with championship aspirations come playoff time.
Everything LeBron is doing at this age is crazy, but he’s still showing plenty of signs of slowing down. The end is near, but LeBron is fighting for his athletic life unlike anyone we’ve ever seen before.
Ben Simmons won’t appear in a game for the Kings this NBA season, but he still managed to deliver some good-natured trash talk to one of their Western Conference rivals.
The Warriors were interested in Simmons’ services before the former No. 1 overall pick eventually inked a contract with Sacramento this offseason, Spears reported, citing a source, but apparently not interested enough to send a representative to Simmons’ August workout in Miami.
The 30-year-old Simmons last played for the Los Angeles Clippers, at the end of the 2024-25 NBA season, before going unsigned for the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign due to lingering back injuries.
“I said something to Steve [Kerr],” Simmons told Spears regarding Golden State’s Oct. 10 preseason game against the Kings. “I said, ‘Y’all didn’t want me?’ That was in the first quarter. And [Kerr] said, ‘I didn’t know if you were healthy.’
“And I was like, ‘OK. That’s why you have people that do their job and go fly out and see.’ But it is what it is. That’s just me being competitive. It wasn’t personal.”
Simmons also relayed to Spears his brief interaction with Curry the same day.
The Kings bet on Simmons’ talent to provide veteran production this offseason, signing him to a one-year, $3.5 million deal in September after attending the August workout, the only NBA team to do so.
At first, the move looked brilliant. Simmons impressed in his two preseason games with the Kings and appeared as though he’d flawlessly fill the role Sacramento envisioned for him as a starter and captain.
Then came Oct. 18, and a season-ending torn right Achilles suffered in a practice drill. Now, rehabbing in Sacramento, Simmons says he is more determined than ever to step back on an NBA floor.
“My mentality is that I’ll be back,” Simmons told Spears from his home on Tuesday. “I’ll do everything in my power to get back, get healthy and be better than I was before. There is nothing but time and opportunity to do so. So, I’m going to attack it the way I am now.”
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 28: Jarred Vanderbilt #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers battles Baba Miller #18 of the LA Clippers for position during the second half of a game at Intuit Dome on October 28, 2026 in Inglewood, California. 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 Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Across the first four games of the regular season, Jarred Vanderbilt found himself entirely outside of the Los Angeles Lakers’ rotation, with head coach JJ Redick opting for Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney as his backup big men behind Walker Kessler. But Looney struggled mightily in those appearances. His insufficient scoring and passing were stunting the offense while his lack of size and declining mobility rendered him an issue defensively.
So, Redick gave Looney’s rotation spot to Vanderbilt against the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night and the veteran forward, in his first minutes of the season, delivered. His motor, range and quickness defensively caused problems and the Lakers outscored the Clippers by 22 points during his 21 minutes. In particular, Redick cited Vanderbilt’s ability to front the post against Brook Lopez as a crucial contribution.
Following the victory, Collin Sexton — who previously spent half a season alongside Vanderbilt with the Utah Jazz in 2022-23 before Vanderbilt was dealt to Los Angeles — praised Vanderbilt’s even-keeled mentality while he rode the bench early on and how his approach benefits the whole team.
“Vando is somebody that is always going to stay ready … You never see any bad days for Vando. He’s always going to be a leader,” Sexton told reporters. “He’s always going to come in and be that vet and be that good person whether he plays no minutes or he plays 48 minutes. He’s always going to be the same person and I feel like that’s one of the things that helps in the locker room is we’re all for the team and tonight, he was definitely for the team. He came in and he brought that juice right away and I feel like he was a huge, huge impact in us winning.”
Given Vanderbilt’s impressive 2026-27 debut and Looney’s poor showing through four games, it seems pretty likely Vanderbilt will continue garnering rotation minutes for the time being. His next chance comes Friday on the road when the Lakers kick off their NBA Cup Group Play against the Golden State Warriors at 7 p.m.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 7: Trayce Jackson-Davis #32, Jakob Poeltl #19 and Head Coach Darko Rajakovic of the Toronto Raptors participates in an all access practice on March 7 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
“Yak is our starter. We’re number one defence in the league at this time, and he, Yak, has a lot to do with that.”
This is the stance of Raptors coach Darko Rajaković after the Toronto team’s first four games in the season. In them, Jakob Poeltl, that Raptors’ starting centre, has averaged three points, four and a half rebounds, and less than one block per game, in just under 20 minutes a game.
This is a far cry from Yak’s near 15-10 season back in ‘24-’25, and the injuries that have plagued Poeltl in the years since have contributed heavily to two seasons (thus far) of very limited production from the big man. Nevertheless, Rajaković refuses to publicly condemn his player.
“Yak does so many things on defensive end of the ball that it helps us tremendously,” the coach said at today’s presser. “And lot of those things, they will not show up in the box-score you know, and the way he’s presenting himself in the paint, the way he’s controlling screener, the way he rotates and helps our guys… Offensively, I think his rhythm is gonna come.”
While overreacting to a small sample size is unhelpful, it is clear as day that some type of issues are present. Whether lingering injuries remain a concern, or something else is keeping Poeltl at bay, something needs to change for the Raptors if they want to win games in the modern NBA. And, while Rajaković remains steadfast, standing by the Austrian big man, he has also insinuated that he is not burying his head in the sand, and may be choosing to address this issue from a rotational perspective at this juncture.
the raps can keep starting jak if they want to, i don't care too much about that. but the minutes distribution at centre is gonna have to change. soon.
Journalist Joe Wolfond seems to have cleanly summed up the direction the Raptors may be taking the team, as the coach indicated that the Raptors’ current arrangement of centre minutes was not set in stone.
“Everything is on the table, you know?” Rajaković said when asked about Trayce Jackson-Davis getting more minutes at the 5. “Obviously, I love to have as many players as possible to be ready to help us and to step on the floor. It’s just finding those right moments, right minutes and the right rotations to maximize that.”
While relatively non-committal, this statement suggests that Rajaković may be exploring what having the 6’9” centre play a bigger part in the Raps’ rotation could look like. And if last night is any indication, that looks good. In a game where both Jakob Poeltl and Collin Murray Boyles got into f0ul trouble, Jackson-Davis stepped up to grab 11 rebounds, and looked like a ray of hope for the Raptors.
TORONTO, CANADA – OCTOBER 21: Caleb Wilson #8 of the Chicago Bulls drives to the basket against Trayce Jackson-Davis #32 of the Toronto Raptors in the second half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on October 21, 2026 in Toronto, Canada. 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 Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jackson-Davis is two inches taller than Collin Murray-Boyles, and the two of them off the bench may combine to give the Raptors that extra support at the 5 that is so necessary, but cannot be sustained at this juncture by Poeltl and Boyles alone.
With the Raptors facing off against the Orlando Magic again this Friday, the team will have another opportunity, both to give Jakob Poeltl time to demonstrate that he is a starting-calibre centre, and for Trayce Jackson-Davis to show both the organization and the fans that he needs more minutes.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 27: The shoes of Paul George #13 of the Boston Celtics during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden on October 27, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Reaves acknowledged he didn’t even think they would become friends.
“I wasn’t joking,” Reaves told the California Post in an exclusive interview. “There were times when the trade first happened where we would walk by each other in the locker room and not say anything to each other because I didn’t know what to say to him. That was the first reaction: ‘What is this guy going to be like?'”
It’s hard to believe that was just a year and a half ago.
Nowadays they often spend their afternoons together on golf courses. They jokingly take shots at each other during interviews. And they have each other’s backs.
Their chemistry has translated onto the court, where they’re the NBA’s best offensive duo.
Dončić leads the league in scoring (36 points per game). Reaves is 16th (24.4 points per game). Dončić and Reaves are the highest-scoring duo in the league (60.4 points per game) by a landslide, averaging nine points more than Steph Curry and Yaxel Lendeborg (51.4 points per game) who are second.
They’re averaging more combined points per game than the Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O’Neal duo ever did, including when they averaged a combined-high of 57.5 points in 2001-2002 en route to leading the Lakers to three straight championships.
Luka Doncic (77) and Austin Reaves (15) of the Los Angeles Lakers high-five during a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
When Dončić was dealt to the Lakers, he was shellshocked.
He was coming off a 2023-2024 campaign in which he led the Mavericks to the Finals and finished third in MVP voting before Dallas ripped the rug out from under him. Dončić had wanted to spend his entire career with the Mavericks. Instead he was left feeling betrayed and mortified as the only NBA superstar of his caliber to be jettisoned against his will in his prime in the modern era.
When he first arrived in Los Angeles, his head was spinning.
“For me, it’s hard to speak when I come to a new team, new people,” Dončić told The Post. “It’s kind of hard for me to speak. I had some people I knew from before, so I kind of hung out with them. But after that, in [next season’s] training camp, [Austin and I] got really close. That’s when it probably started.”
***
It was obvious everything had changed between Dončić and Reaves last season.
Their awkward silence had morphed into brotherly teasing.
Dončić joked that Reaves wanted to be his friend, but he’s “not allowing it.” Reaves pointed out that he had more dunks than Dončić. Dončić lovingly called Reaves “a hater.” Reaves tenderly called his teammate an “A-hole.”
Dončić was happy.
He needed the summer to wrap his mind around the trade. After having some space, his hurt transformed into determination. He realized he had an opportunity of a lifetime ahead of him: He was the face of the 17-time champion Lakers, a globally celebrated brand. As soon as Dončić fully bought in, his personality began to show.
Reaves saw who he really was.
Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Draymond Green are seen at the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Golden State Warriors season opener at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. London Entertainment
“Once we came back for the next year, right off the bat we had similar interests,” Reaves told The Post. “We kind of act the same, which is kind of sad to say for me. But we both love joking around, having a good time.”
Reaves and Dončić are both funny. They’re understated. They’re humble. They prefer spending time with their loved ones over the LA scene. Golf is their meditation.
As soon as they developed a bond, their chemistry started bleeding onto the court.
When LeBron James was out at the top of last season because of sciatica, Dončić and Reaves led the Lakers to a 15-4 start. Then last March, when James was struggling with multiple ailments and sidelined for three games, the duo led the Lakers to wins over the Pacers, Knicks and Timberwolves, sparking a 15-2 run.
There was a synergistic dance between the guards. They reacted off one another as though they were musical instruments in an orchestra.
“Having him come out of his shell and just be himself is the best thing that can happen, not just for the organization, but for him, for us, for everybody,” Reaves told The Post.
***
Last season was challenging for both stars, who tried to support each other through their speedbumps.
Dončić was in a custody battle with his ex-fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, over their two daughters who were living with her in Slovenia.
Reaves knew he was going to turn down his $14.9 million player option in June to become a free agent, and he hoped he could return to the Lakers.
In a bit of poetic cruelty, Dončić and Reaves both suffered injuries in a game against the Thunder on April 2 that derailed the Lakers’ playoff hopes.
Dončić suffered a strained hamstring that sidelined him the entire postseason. Reaves sustained a strained oblique, an injury that would keep him out the first four games of the team’s first-round series against the Rockets.
They were there for each other through everything.
“It’s very interesting how life works, and there’s certain things that happen in people’s life where you kind of create a bond over things,” Reaves told The Post. “We’re all around each other 95 percent of the time throughout the year, especially when [basketball is] in season. We might get an off-day every week or two weeks.
“But you travel together and you know the things people are going through. And you just want to be there for him. And there were a couple of things on both sides where we were both going through things and having each other’s company was the best thing that could’ve happened. And it’s grown into a real relationship after that.”
***
Dončić and Reaves banter like brothers, but they also have each other’s backs as though they were family.
Last summer, Dončić made it clear to Lakers brass that a few things were very important to him. He wanted a franchise center. And he wanted Reaves to remain his teammate.
The Lakers were Doncic’s team after James left in free agency for the 76ers in July, and the franchise’s top priority was to make its superstar happy.
In Reaves’ first public comments after agreeing to the deal, he let it be known how much Dončić meant to him.
“Luka,” Reaves said in Las Vegas in July, “I mean, he’s one of my best friends on this planet. Talk to him almost every single day. He sends me videos of his golf swing and asks me what he can do to get better, and I tell him I’m not a coach.”
Austin Reaves, left, and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers pose for a portrait during NBA Media Day on Monday, September 28, 2026, at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. NBAE via Getty Images
Reaves went from viewing Dončić as a shy enigma with whom he didn’t know if he could relate, to letting him into his inner circle.
And Dončić went from feeling devastated that he was traded to the Lakers, to wanting to spend his entire career in a purple-and-gold jersey — and wanting Reaves in one alongside him.
“Hopefully, yeah,” Doncic told The Post when asked if he wants to retire as a Laker.
Doncic and Reaves won each other over.
They have one of the most amusing bromances in the league, which has led to them becoming the NBA’s most potent offensive duo.
Just a year and a half ago, this seemed far-fetched.
The Sixers added Jaylen Brown to their injury report Thursday night ahead of a second matchup with the defending champion Knicks.
The team listed Brown as questionable with left knee soreness for Friday night’s contest at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The game will be the Sixers’ first of four in East Group B of the 2026 NBA Cup.
Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction), Jabari Walker (left knee patellar tendinopathy), Tacko Fall (left quadriceps strain) and Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear) were all still listed as out.
For the first leg of the Sixers’ back-to-back, neither Joel Embiid nor LeBron James appeared on the team’s injury report. The two stars had split injury management nights on the Sixers’ back-to-back last weekend. The Sixers will head to Charlotte on Saturday to play the Hornets.
The Sixers earned their first victory of the season by beating the Knicks on opening night. New York started 0-3 but has won its last two games, topping the Pistons and Bulls.
Charlotte Hornets forward Naz Reid talking with head coach Charles Lee during the second quarter of an eventual 97-89 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee said star forward Naz Reid was benched in the second half of a 97-89 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday because he “didn’t meet our standard” of play.
Reid is currently in the second season of a five-year, $125 million contract he signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in July 2025 before being traded to the Hornets in June.
“Unfortunately, Naz didn’t meet our standards in the first half and at halftime we made the decision that he wouldn’t play in the second half,” Lee said after the game. “But I look forward to him meeting those standards come next game.”
Charlotte Hornets’ Naz Reid shoots a free throw during an NBA game against the Detroit Pistons in Detroit on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
The Hornets led 51-44 at the half, but were outscored 53-38 in the second half without Reid.
With less than five minutes in the first half, Reid looked confused when Lee appeared to communicate play signals.
Reid, who was talking with Hornets center Moussa Diabaté before Lee chimed in, seemed lost on the next possession.
He finished with seven points on 2-of-6 shooting in 13 minutes. Reid also had one block.
Naz Reid Benching: Watch the full clip below.
At 4:49 in the 2nd quarter, Naz appears to be explaining something to Moussa before Charles Lee steps in and shows Reid two different play signals. Was Naz explaining it incorrectly?
Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee watches the game against the Washington Wizards on Monday, October 26, 2026, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. NBAE via Getty Images
In five games played for Charlotte, Reid is averaging 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.
Reid, the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year, was a part of the trade that sent NBA All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves.
Charlotte Hornets center Naz Reid drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, in Detroit. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In addition to Reid, the Hornets received a 2033 unprotected first-round pick and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033), as well as first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 28: Kingston Flemings #4 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after a dunk past Dru Smith #12 of the Miami Heat during fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on October 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last night, the Hawks were looking to end their back-to-back losses to the Houston Rockets and extend the offensive funk for the Miami Heat, who hadn’t won a game heading into the matchup. Rather than reclaiming a winning record however, the Hawks became the Heat’s first win of the season and fell to 2-3, with all three losses coming one after another.
This game also officially concluded the first week of the season for the Hawks. While a season is certainly not won or lost in the first week, there are several positives and negatives for the Hawks to take away from their first week of action.
Positive: Turning steals into points
Thanks in large part to the expected defensive brilliance of Dyson Daniels, the Hawks rank fourth in the league in total steals. Not only are the Hawks ending possessions, but they are converting forced turnovers to points on the other end. The team ranks fourth in points off turnovers as well.
A large part of the scoring is their ability to push in transition and convert, ranking in the top five in fastbreak points. The Hawks are composed of tenacious defenders and talented ball handlers, which are ingredients in the perfect recipe for pushing the envelope in transition. This trend being a part of their identity will make them a dangerous team going forward.
Negative: Interior Play
If you’ve watched any of the three losses for the Hawks this season, you’ve probably noticed they are putting on their best matador impression in the painted area. In the three losses, they’ve been significantly outrebounded (147-117) and outscored in the paint (172 versus 164). At one point, in the second matchup against the Rockets, the Hawks were being outrebounded 14-4.
The Heat scored 70 points in the paint, which was more than half of their total scoring output. Averaging the third fewest blocks in the league, the Hawks offer defensive resistance down low that is similar to using a piece of scotch tape to prevent a truck from driving through your house. If this trend continues throughout the season, the Hawks will put a heavy burden on their offense that may not be sustainable.
Positive: Emergence of Kingston Flemings
After losing Trae Young last season, the Hawks greatly needed another point guard. That need led to drafting Kingston Flemings with the eighth overall pick in the draft. Coming off the bench, Flemings struggled in his first game, going scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting.
Despite the early woes, his performance against the Heat was just the beginning of what the former five-star is capable of. Flemings scored 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting, which included shooting 3-of-5 from deep. Along with the scoring output, Flemings grabbed five boards, dished five assists, along with a steal and a block.
He had a sequence of back-to-back buckets, which included an “and-one” finish, a block on a much taller Giannis Antetokounmpo, and an even more impressive finish over the future first-ballot hall of gamer. Flemings also found himself in the game down the stretch as the Hawks tried to rally a fourth quarter comeback before the effort eventually flamed out.
Though it’s early in the season, it seems that Flemings could be the point guard of the future for Atlanta.
Negative: Slow start for Jalen Johnson
If you looked at only points, rebounds, and assists for Jalen Johnson, it would be fair to assume he was continuing his dominance from last season. In their first matchup against Houston, Johnson channeled his inner John Stockton and tallied a staggering 16 assists along with 26 points and nine boards. However, the averages have not translated to impacting winning in the same way.
The biggest detractor for the former Duke Blue Devil is his less-than-ideal shooting percentages. He is shooting 42.8% from the field, which is well below the area a team’s number one option should be. Johnson has only posted a field goal percentage above 45% once, which was his 19 points on 9-for-16 shooting in their huge win over Charlotte. His past two outings featured shooting 35.7% and 33.3%. Despite these poor numbers, his three-point efficiency is the most frightening part. Johnson’s career high in assists against mentioned above is higher than his three-point percentage, which currently sits at 15.8%.
If the Hawks want to make another playoff push, Johnson has put the ball in the basket at a more efficient clip.
Positive: Productive scoring back court
Despite Jalen Johnson’s slow start, the Hawks are still receiving great support from their back court. Nickiel Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum once again are proving to be the Hawks’ go to options for offense. ‘NAW’ is the team’s only guy to score 30 so far, which was in the opening game against the Magic. He’s also shooting 38% from three, proving to be a reliable option from behind the arc and seems to convert when his team needs it most.
McCollum is the Hawks’ undisputed microwave scorer, seeming to get hot quickly and put up points in a hurry. The 14-year veteran is shooting an impressive 53% from the field and 44% from three. There are times when it seems like McCollum simply cannot miss, which provides a huge boost to the Hawks. The duo averages a combined 36.1 points per game, which is more than ideal for second and third scoring options.
Aaron Wiggins has also been critical off the bench. Whether it be catch-and-shoot opportunities or creating his own shot off the dribble, Wiggins is averaging 15.8 points per game on 53.5%/48% shooting splits, which is the perfect spark of the bench for Atlanta.
Negative: Three-point shooting
In today’s NBA, three-point shooting is undoubtedly a team’s biggest weapon. For the Hawks, the three-point shot is one of their biggest deficiencies. In their last games, which again, are all losses, they have the second lowest three-point percentage in the entire league.
In the second Houston matchup, the Hawks shot 28% as a team, which included their bench only shooting 3-for-15 for the game. One of the most startling revelations of their three-performance comes from the center position. Ideally, teams with bigs shooting at a high frequency spread out a defense and open up opportunities for an offense to execute at all levels of the floor.
However, when your centers are shooting 4-for-32 on the season from behind the arc, that vision is difficult to achieve. With their defensive and rebounding issues, the Hawks will have to counter with big scoring outputs, which can only be achieved with improved three-point shooting.
An hour and a half before the Lakers started their win over the Clippers at Intuit Dome, the team officially added a player to its roster to hopefully address its glaring big-man problem.
And it sounds like JJ Redick will have some homework to do coming out of the back-to-back set on the latest addition.
Lakers coach JJ Redick had a quick response when asked about the team’s latest addition. Getty Images
When asked for a scouting report on the Lakers’ newest addition and how the 7-footer can help the team’s frontcourt in light of the Lakers having a desperate need of another big man behind starter Walker Kessler, Redick had a comical seven-word response.
The Lakers were in need of another big man as Kevon Looney’s role diminishes. NBAE via Getty Images
“I know his name is Lawson Lovering,” Redick said before laughing, adding that he found out about the team adding the big man when reporters did.
Lovering spent 2025-26 with the Grizzlies, playing for the organization’s G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, and NBA team.
He averaged 7.7 points (59.2% shooting), 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocked shots in the G League last season.
Lovering played in two NBA games for the Grizzlies last season.
The Lakers added more depth behind Walker Kessler. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
He went undrafted in 2025 after spending his collegiate career at Colorado (2021–2023) and Utah (2023–2025).
A front office member of another NBA team described the big man to the California Post as a center with good size, a really good screener, an underrated passer and a player who knows their role.
“To me,” the front office member said, “he’s one of the better G League bigs that’s two-way eligible.”
For Redick and the Lakers’ sake, hopefully that’s the first impression Lovering makes.
INGLEWOOD, CA - OCTOBER 28: Sandro Mamukelashvili #54 and Jarred Vanderbilt #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for the rebound during the game against the LA Clippers on October 28, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Playing the second night of a back-to-back following a narrow loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Luka Dončić-less Los Angeles Lakers were going to need some unsung heroes to help them topple the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night. That became even more apparent as Austin Reaves struggled through his worst outing of the season, going 6-of-16 from the floor, scoring 16 points and committing eight turnovers — the first time in five games he’d shot worse than 54.5% or tallied fewer than 23 points.
Reaves and the shorthanded Lakers found reinforcements from their bench trio, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jarred Vanderbilt, all of whom helped Los Angeles handle the Clippers, 103-87, for a fourth win in five tries this season.
Sexton recorded a season-high 21 points (6-of-11 shooting, 4-of-7 from deep), four rebounds and two assists. Mamukelashvili filled up the box score with 13 points (6-of-15 shooting), eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. Vanderbilt made his regular season debut, chipping in seven rebounds and two assists; although he did not score, his motor and range defensively helped stymie the Clippers’ frontline.
“I think the guys, Vando, Sexton, Mamu, those guys, you can’t always read into like the single-game plus-minus, but very apparent in our good stretches of the game, just the impact that those guys had,” head coach JJ Redick told reporters postgame. “They ended up with [a plus-minus of] +21, + 23 + 22, those three guys off the bench. They were great. They helped us win.
In particular, the Mamukelashvili-Vanderbilt tandem produced good results for the Lakers, which outscored the Clippers by 27 points (51-24) across the 20 minutes those two played together. Redick acknowledged their complementary skill-sets — Vanderbilt’s defensive signature and Mamukelashvili’s offensive versatility — as the driving force behind that success.
“It was good. We had Vando on Lopez. He did a great job. We showed a clip at halftime of fronting him in the post and not allowing him to get the basketball,” Redick said. “Vando’s always going to play hard. He’s always going to impact the game with just his effort and I thought he did that tonight. The pairing with Mamu, it’s probably the best pairing in terms of having another big out there that can space and shoot and playmake.”
Collin Sexton comes across as polite and understated.
… Until you watch him play.
The 27-year-old guard transforms from someone who speaks in hushed tones and politely nods in the locker room into someone who more closely resembles a rabid animal when he’s on the court.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Cam Christie, left, tries to get past Los Angeles Lakers guard Collin Sexton during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
In a viral video of him guarding Cam Christie in the Lakers’ 103-87 win over the Clippers on Wednesday, Sexton’s eyes were bulging. His jaw was clenched, except for his tongue poking out. It almost appears as though he was roaring.
When his on-court vs. off-court dichotomy was brought to Sexton’s attention after the game, he chuckled.
“Honestly, I would say when I step between those lines, it’s us against them,” said Sexton, who had 21 points on 6-for-11 shooting, four rebounds and two assists as the Lakers improved to 4-1.
“I’m going to do whatever my team needs for me. I feel like I turn into a different person when it’s time to go. And I think my teammates know that, so they try to talk to me a little bit, but they know I’m in the zone and ready to go to war. And that’s how I look at it. Whenever I step between those lines, it’s war time. So, that’s how I look at it, for sure.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Collin Sexton, right, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
On a night when the Lakers were missing two starters in Luka Doncic (back tightness) and Ziaire Williams (left foot soreness), Sexton had the highest plus-minus of anyone on the court (+23).
The Lakers acquired Sexton on a two-year, $19 million deal in July, hoping the veteran could be a secondary ball-handler and give the Lakers a scoring punch off the bench. He has career averages of 18.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists over eight seasons with the Cavaliers, Jazz, Hornets and Bulls.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Collin Sexton reacts after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
So far, the Lakers have appreciated what he’s bringing to the team on both ends of the court. Austin Reaves has described him as a “pest” defensively. Lakers coach JJ Redick called him “intense.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to get his attention, you know, because he gets locked in, he gets in the zone,” Redick said. “I love the competitive fire.”
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 19: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers talk after the game on January 19, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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
Barely one week into the 2026-27 NBA season, a handful of teams are dealing with season-altering injuries.
Those are the major ones, although other teams throughout the league are dealing with various bumps and bruises as well. The Pacers, whom the Sixers faced on Wednesday, were without both Haliburton and starting center Ivica Zubac (ankle), which helped the Sixers escape with a 114-109 road win.
The Sixers are dealing with a handful of injuries as well, although all five of their starters are healthy for now. As long as that remains the case, they’re poised to take advantage of these other absences throughout the league.
The Sixers don’t play the Thunder, Jazz or Timberwolves until the calendar flips to 2027, so Edwards and Jackson might be back by then. (J-Dub and Wallace likely won’t be back for either of the two Sixers-Thunder games in January and February.) However, the Sixers will host the Raptors on Nov. 12 and head to Orlando six days later, which means they could avoid Leonard and Banchero in those games. They also host the Pacers on Nov. 15 and face them again on the first night of a back-to-back in late November, so they might dodge Haliburton in at least one of those games if not both.
Head-to-head results aside, those injuries could prove costly to their respective teams in terms of their win-loss record. And with the East looking especially cutthroat this year, an early-season slide from the Magic and/or Raptors might leave the Sixers with fewer competitors for a top playoff seed. That would be a welcome development, particularly given how much the Sixers might need to load-manage Joel Embiid and LeBron James throughout the regular season.
However, the leaguewide wave of injuries could have one notable long-term consequence for the Sixers.
After this season, Tyrese Maxey will have seven years of NBA experience and will have two years left on his contract. If he doesn’t make an All-NBA team this year, he’ll be eligible to sign a three-year extension next summer starting at 30 percent of the 2029-30 salary cap. If he does make an All-NBA team, he’ll be eligible to sign a four-year extension starting at 35 percent of the 2029-30 salary cap. Those back-to-back All-NBA nods would also automatically qualify him for a five-year supermax extension in 2028, too.
Maxey made the All-NBA third team last year, in part because stars like Edwards, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo weren’t eligible for end-of-season awards since they played in fewer than 65 games. Edwards will likely be ineligible again this season, and Leonard and Haliburton are already in danger of losing their eligibility as well. And again, it’s only the first week of the season. More All-NBA candidates are bound to miss time moving forward.
Heading into the season, it was fair to wonder whether the Sixers’ new star-studded starting five would all cannibalize one another’s production, jeopardizing their chances at All-Star and All-NBA nods. However, through the first five games of the season, Maxey is averaging 28.4 points on 46.2 percent shooting, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game.He’s doing all of that while shooting only 32.4 percent from deep, a figure which is bound to come up in the near future.
Maxey was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the first week of the season. He was the only player in the NBA to average at least 25 points, two steals and one block per game over that span, according to the Sixers. If he maintains anywhere near that level of production moving forward and plays in the requisite 65 games, he’ll be in strong contention for an All-NBA nod, if not an outright lock.
Luckily, Maxey is already on a guaranteed contract through 2028-29, so his supermax eligibility wouldn’t impact the Sixers until 2029 at the earliest. However, both Embiid and Jaylen Brown’s contracts are set to expire after the 2028-29 campaign as well—provided, of course, that Embiid picks up his $67.3 million player option for 2028-29—while VJ Edgecombe will become a restricted free agent in 2029 if the Sixers don’t sign him to an extension by the rookie-scale extension deadline in October 2028. That’s a lot of overlapping pieces to juggle.
Again, none of that is a concern this season. All the Sixers need to focus on this year is coalescing and getting 1 percent better every day, as Maxey is fond of saying. But if this early-season wave of injuries does increase Maxey’s probability of earning his second straight All-NBA nod, it could create some long-term financial consequences for the Sixers as early as next summer. How they navigate those will help shape the next era of Sixers basketball after LeBron either leaves or retires.
