Category: Basketball

Training camp is almost here. You can feel the palpable tension in the air. We’re going to have Celtics basketball back.

And none too soon, I tell ya. I miss quality sports podcasts. I’ve enjoyed searching for new music to listen to in the car but if I hear one more Spotify commercial about LiMu Emu and Doug I’m going to drive my car right into a river. Or maybe I’ll lock myself into a dark room and write emo songs about big ego emus in the ER. Yep, I need some basketball back in my life.

One way you can always tell that basketball is near is the preseason power rankings start coming out. That’s always a fun discussion driving topic, so let’s start there.

Blog favorite Michael Pina at The Ringer posted his rankings and had Boston ranked #4. It is worth noting that he puts them at the top of the 2nd tier, titled “Title Contenders With a Puncher’s Chance”

Assuming Jayson Tatum is back to his All-NBA self (not a given, but fair enough to presume), the 28-year-old’s presence should offset Jaylen Brown’s departure on a team that essentially replaced him with Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, and the great Mike Conley Jr. Defense, depth, athleticism, and lots and lots and lots of outside shooting are winning ingredients, all belonging to a group that happens to also be too disciplined to ever deviate beyond the periphery of their head coach’s pragmatic vision.

Next we have old friend Kevin O’Connor writing for Yahoo! Sports where he has the Celtics ranked #9.

The big concern in Boston entering last season was the center position. Even though Robinson was signed, that’s still the case now. Queta had a good season but really struggled against Joel Embiid in the first round by logging 4.1 fouls in 21.7 minutes per game. Robinson is a historically injury-prone player and had his minutes managed by the Knicks. I have no concerns about Joe Mazzulla finding the best ways to replace Brown, but the center spot remains a question.

I did a quick Google search to see if there were more that I missed and I came up with this one at USA Today that has the Celtics down to 10th.

The Celtics took a calculated gamble. But there’s no way to spin that Jaylen Brown is a massive loss, even if Boston didn’t want to pay him long-term. Either way, the Celtics need Derrick White to bounce back from his down season.

ESPN doesn’t have traditional power rankings posted yet (or at least I couldn’t find them) but they did put the Celtics at #3 in their Future Power Rankings list.

Tatum will be the only member of the Celtics’ 2024 championship team still on the roster entering the 2029-30 season. After trading Brown this summer, Boston is down to just six members of its title team: Tatum, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh. With Boston’s new ownership making sharp cuts in the second apron era, the only constant has been change.

That’s quite the range of potential landing spots. So I leave the discussion open to you. Where would you have the Celtics ranked in the NBA headed into preseason? Bonus points if you name the teams ahead of them. Or feel free to rank the whole league if you want to. We’ve still got time to kill. Its better than listening to emu emo songs.

Ongoing Warriors contract negotiations once again will be the focus of media day originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry has made his rounds through the media carwash. 

The message has been the same, whether it’s to us (NBC Sports Bay Area), ESPN, The Athletic, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Standard, ABC 7, MSNBC and anybody else who has been there for a quote: Don’t worry about when he signs his contract extension. 

Curry says he wants to be with the Warriors for the rest of his career, and he will be. He couldn’t be clearer there. As he enters Year 18, all with the Warriors, Curry is yet to ever be a free agent. Waiting to put pen to paper with one year left on his current contract, Curry stated he doesn’t want to go through free agency next offseason. 

Even if he technically becomes a free agent, Curry, according to him, will still be wearing a Warriors jersey. 

Curry is speaking with more conviction each time he talks to the press. His hope has to be that the noise will come to a halt after making his intentions as obvious as can be. He doesn’t want any drama, and he’s equipped to avoid it. 

And Curry also has to know that, barring a change, there still will be more questions about his unsigned contract Monday at Warriors Media Day. 

When they do come, Curry probably will give the same answers he has continued to give. That is, if he’s asked the same questions he has been asked. Then we will hear about how he’s not going anywhere and wants to retire as a Warrior. All that would be is Curry regurgitating the same words he has always said. 

The most noteworthy comments he has made regarding his contract extension were to ESPN’s Anthony Slater when Curry said, “All the different salary cap conditions of whether I sign for a max or less or whatever it is, I want to be on a competitive team. I want to have an opportunity to have some flexibility because we haven’t had that in years past, the recent past. … This team should have flexibility to make necessary moves if things happen. Those are always just the considerations. For me, information and patience is key.” 

Curry is the NBA’s highest-paid player at $62.59 million for the 2026-27 season. The 38-year-old, who will be 39 in March, is eligible for a two-year, $136.7 million max contract extension. He has until June 30 to sign. 

The Warriors are projected to have over $100 million in salary cap space next offseason with a handful of expiring contracts coming off their books. Curry signing another max contract would significantly cut into the Warriors’ salary cap space. An acknowledgement that he’s thinking at all about taking less should spark everyone’s attention as Curry still seeks a fifth championship ring. 

But Curry knows, if a contract isn’t somehow signed by Monday, more questions are coming at media day. Maybe not as many as Brandin Podziemski will get, though. 

Podziemski has until Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. PT to sign a rookie contract extension. Failing to do so would make him a restricted free agent next offseason. For a number of reasons, Podziemski finds himself in a much more interesting place than Curry. 

This offseason, a growing list of players from his 2023 draft class have signed their rookie extensions. Victor Wembanyama signed for five years and $255.2 million. Amen Thompson signed a five-year, $208 million contract, and his twin, Ausar, signed for five years and $155 million. Keyonte George, taken three picks ahead of Podziemski, also was given five years and $155 million from the Utah Jazz. 

Pinpointing exactly where Podziemski is placed in dollar figures isn’t an easy exercise as a unique player whose best qualities are his ability to be a connector. Toumani Camara, the No. 52 pick in the 2023 draft, signed a four-year, $81 million contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers last offseason. Podziemski’s contract likely will come much closer to Camara than the four players above. 

Peyton Watson’s four-year, $88 million contract he inked this summer is another to look at in terms of Podziemski’s next deal. What if Podziemski believes he deserves something more like Ayo Dosunmu’s five-year, $112 million contract he signed in July? 

Then Podziemski’s best route might be betting on himself to have a money-making Year 4 leap while the Warriors continue to preach their optionality. 

Draymond Green playing on a one-year contract will be a talking point, too. The same can be said if Jimmy Butler speaks. Kristaps Porziņģis might also field some questions about his contract as well. Just not to the level of Curry and Podziemski. 

Last year’s media day can only be described as bizarre. The Warriors were held up all offseason by Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency. He remained unsigned, as did a few other Warriors who were waiting on Kuminga. The vibe shift will be felt, and some similar questions will be asked. 

Whether the Warriors like it or not, contract talks again can’t be ignored this year.

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Is Western Conference superiority over in the NBA? For the first time in two decades, there’s an argument to be made that the Eastern Conference is stronger 1-10 heading into the season. The bottom end of the West playoff picture feels a little softer than normal, but that shouldn’t detract from the fact that the top-6 of the conference is absolutely loaded, led by perhaps the two best teams in the NBA.

The West has some upstart contenders this season who didn’t feel like threats at this time last year. The Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers are coming off overachieving seasons, and will be looking to make the next step. The Utah Jazz are finally done tanking, and they want to start winning right now with star rookie Darryn Peterson on board. The Golden State Warriors may or may not have one more run left in them. If any of these teams can breakup the conference’s top-six teams from last year, it would be a major accomplishment.

Let’s rank every team in the Western Conference heading into the 2026-27 NBA season. These projections are for the regular season only. For more NBA preview content, check out my list of the 25 most explosive athletes in the league today.

1. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs arrived ahead of schedule last year to jump from 34 to 62 wins, but they’re not catching anyone by surprise going forward. San Antonio should be well positioned to be one of the best teams in the league for the next decade around 7’5 superstar Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama is by far the best defensive player in the game, and there’s not many offensive players better than him, either. I still think Wemby needs a mid-range game, but he might be the best player in the league regardless. I’m fascinated to see how the Spurs will manage the De’Aaron Fox/Dylan Harper situation. Harper feels like he should be ready for primetime entering his second season, but Fox can still be a very good player when he’s not hampered by a sprained ankle like he was in the NBA Finals. While Wemby will get all of the attention, I really like the Spurs’ collection of role players too, led by Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell, and the newly signed Tobias Harris. Harper’s ascent will only make the Spurs more terrifying. If Wembanyama stays healthy, there’s no way this team finishes below the No. 2 seed.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

I still think the Thunder probably would have gone back-to-back if Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell weren’t hurt in the playoffs. There’s a ton of pressure on Williams in particular to regain his top form as he starts a new max contract, and coming back from a hamstring strain is always tricky. The Thunder lost some key pieces over the offseason including Lu Dort, but the formula for this team remains unchanged with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s on-ball creation brilliance plus an elite defense. Assuming Chet Holmgren’s Western Conference Finals yips only come out in the matchup with Victor Wembanyama, OKC should be a monster regular season team once again.

3. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have won 103 regular season games in their two seasons under JJ Redick, and while this year’s team loses LeBron James, it also significantly upgrades its rim protection. While I don’t think Walker Kessler is worth what the Lakers gave up for him, he does give LA a starting center who can cover up for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves’ defensive deficiencies a bit while also providing extra possessions on the offensive glass. Los Angeles’ forward room is potentially pretty bad, I can talk myself into one or two of Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Adou Thiero, and Chris Mannon suddenly becoming a key piece for their defense and play-finishing. Ultimately, the case for the Lakers starts and ends with Luka Doncic’s ability to be one of the five best players in the league, and I feel comfortable taking that bet. Luka + a good coach + better rim protection has me believing in the Lakers’ floor if not their ceiling.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves

I’ve talked myself in the Wolves’ potential playoff ceiling with Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball providing a degree of pull-up shooting significant enough to add variance into a potential matchup with the Spurs or Thunder. The regular season might be a different story. The Wolves are heavily banking on Rudy Gobert to stay healthy and effective at age-34, but it does seem like he keeps himself in great shape. The trio of Gobert, Edwards, and Jaden McDaniels has consistently produced winning basketball for Minnesota, and the addition of Ball could take them to the next level. If Ball’s ankles can stay in one piece, he’s one of the league’s best handlers and passers who can also take over a game as a scorer when he has it going. I kind of like the addition of Jonathan Kuminga even if I should know better, and I feel like the bench will be pretty solid with Ayo Dosunmu, Jaylen Clark, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Joan Beringer. There’s definitely some risk in being high on the Wolves this year, but their potential upside is still too sweet to ignore.

5. Houston Rockets

The Rockets didn’t just miss Fred VanVleet last season, they also didn’t have Steven Adams for the stretch run. Adams’ injury took away Houston’s greatest strength (offensive rebounding), and returning both players should make this team a lot stronger than it was during their first-round playoff loss to the Lakers last season. Houston is full of young players who could take another step forward this year, with Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard all 24 years old or younger. Ime Udoka has proven to be a high floor coach throughout his time in the NBA. Oh yeah, Kevin Durant is here too, and he’s still really good. Houston could get as high as the No. 3 seed and it wouldn’t surprise me.

6. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets had a terrible and frustrating offseason, but their core is still rock solid. Nikoka Jokic still has a case as the best player in the world, and his offensive creation and defensive rebounding will give this team a high floor as long he’s healthy. Jokic has special chemistry with Jamal Murray, who was really good last year in finally making his first All-Star team. Aaron Gordon is quietly one of the league’s most important injury stories this year. It felt like Gordon was still peaking as a player with his recent three-point shooting improvements, but he just can’t stay healthy. If Gordon is fully available, the Nuggets will still be really good. The issue for Denver is everyone else. Christian Braun has one of the worst contracts in the league if he keeps playing like he did last year, and the bold trade for Cameron Johnson immediately backfired. DeMar DeRoza can probably still eat some innings off the bench, but he’s a weird fit with Jokic and won’t factor into the team’s best lineups. The backup center behind Jokic is .. Marvin Bagley III, which feels troubling. I’m always waiting for a Julian Strawther breakthrough that never comes, and it’s hard to keep holding onto my DaRon Holmes’ stock after a quiet year coming off a torn ACL. The Nuggets could be in big trouble, but they still have Jokic, so they probably won’t be.

7. Phoenix Suns

I thought the Suns were pretty screwed after they traded Kevin Durant, but they nailed multiple margin moves to become a legitimate playoff threat at the bottom end of the Western Conference. I’m buying Jordan Ott as a good head coach after a 45-win debut a year ago fueled by aggressive schemes to force turnovers defensively and crash the offensive glass. Devin Booker is surrounded by some pretty solid role players now, and a few of them should have even more to offer. I was sky high on Khaman Maluach coming out of Duke, and my optimism remains despite essentially getting redshirted as a rookie after a strong summer league showing. Collin Gillespie is one of the league’s great hidden gem findings, and I fully expect him to out-play the $48 million deal he’s starting this season. I hated the Miles Bridges trade, but I liked drafting Koa Peat and bringing back Jordan Goodwin to add toughness. Phoenix is going to play really hard every night and give their fanbase a team it can be proud of. That feels like the best they could have done climbing out of the Durant and Bradley Beal era.

8. Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers feel like they’re in a turbulent place as new governor Tom Dundan gains contract for his first full season. Dundon’s cost-cutting moves were alarming as soon as he got power, and it’s no surprise he pushed out head coach Tiago Splitter after making the playoffs under tough circumstances because he didn’t to pay him. Micah Nori might actually be an upgrade on the bench, but it’s not right that he’s working with a one-year deal to start the year. The on-court product is every bit as fascinating. Damian Lillard is back off a torn Achilles at age-36, and his backcourt mate is suddenly Ja Morant. Both former stars need to learn how to play off Deni Avdija, who emerged as the best player on the team last year by being an on-ball battering ram who consistently got to the foul line. Donovan Clingan is one of the best young defensive bigs in the game, but does he have another step offensively? Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara provide a strong defensive foundation next to Clingan, which could turn this into a top-10 unit despite Lillard and Morant being clear negatives on that end. Where does Scoot Henderson fit in entering his third season after missing much of last year with injury? I think the Blazers are going to struggle to put out lineups that can compete on both ends, but there’s enough of a foundation here that the bottom shouldn’t totally drop out.

9. Utah Jazz

The Jazz are finally exiting their tanking strategy, but it’s still hard to know what to make of their roster. Utah definitely has a lot of talent with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen in their prime joined by young players with varying degrees of upside in Darryn Peterson, Keyonte George, and Ace Bailey. There are a lot of bucket-getters here, but the playmaking and defense remains a question. I have always thought Will Hardy was a good coach who couldn’t show the full scope of his abilities during the tanking years, and that makes this season a big test for him. The Jazz don’t have to be a finished product yet after a great heist in the Walker Kessler trade, but the overall roster improvement is admirable and could land them in the playoffs.

10. Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies turned one promising young core into another totally new one in the matter of just a few years. I think Memphis landed the best player in the draft with the third overall pick, and fully expect Cameron Boozer to be really good from day one. I love the potential pairing of Boozer’s high IQ passing and shooting alongside 300 pounds of Zach Edey bully ball at the rim, provided the 7’3 center can finally stay healthy. Cedric Coward could be in for a sophomore leap, and the backcourt has tons of interesting upside candidates even without an established headline name. Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Cam Spencer are all underrated players with room to keep getting better, while the trade for Isaiah Stewart will raise the team’s level of competitiveness for just a couple second round picks. If Edey stays healthy, I could see Memphis getting into the top-8, even if their best player is literally the youngest guy in the league this year.

11. Golden State Warriors

Hope for the Warriors took a huge hit when Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in January, dooming Golden State’s bid for relevance last season and probably this season, too. Butler will push himself to come back quick, but at age-37 without a reliable outside jumper to fall back on, a speedy return to form feels like a lot to ask. The downfall of the Warriors is a bit depressing if only because Stephen Curry is still good enough to compete for championships in his golden years. Curry turns 39 at the end of this season, and while he can still be a top-5 player alive in short bursts, it’s hard to count on him to make it through a long regular season physically. I like some of the Warriors’ role players. I really believe Brandin Podziemski is underrated as a good three-point shooter who always seems to know where to be on both ends of the floor. Gui Santos is a legitimate diamond-in-the-rough find for this franchise as a 3-and-D wing, and I love Yaxel Lendeborg, who I had as a top-5 prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft. This team is just really old, and pretty unreliable injury-wise. I would have them way higher if Butler was totally healthy to start the season, but I just can’t get there for now.

12. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs put Masai Uriji and Mike Schmitz in charge this past summer, and they immediately made some big changes. The Mavs shocked the world by pulling Dusty May from Michigan, and then they took his former player Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick. The front office also traded for Santi Aldama and former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. The aggressive mindset makes this year even more intriguing given all of the big questions tied to the roster. Kyrie Irving is back after missing last season with a torn ACL: what does he look like coming off major surgery at age-34? Dereck Lively II looked like one of the West’s best young centers, but he had foot injury in Dec. and still hasn’t been cleared to run. Cooper Flagg was pretty damn good for being the youngest player in the league last year, but he still has plenty of room to grow on both ends of the court before he fulfills his considerable expectations. The Mavs are in a tough place because they traded all of their future first-round picks to build around Luka Doncic, which leaves the cupboard bare for the start of the Flagg era. Their best move is feels like fully orienting around Flagg’s timeline, and that means trading Kyrie, as well as veterans like P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall. It’s hard to see a ton of upside in this Mavs season unless Flagg somehow morphs into an All-NBA player at age-19. He’ll get there eventually, and I can’t wait to see what the team around him looks like then.

13. New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans have threaded the needle between having some actual talent and lacking any sensible direction. New Orleans brings in Jamahl Mosley from Orlando to take over at head coach, and he’ll have some interesting pieces to work with. Herb Jones is one of the NBA’s best defensive forwards, Trey Murphy III is one of the league’s best big shooters, and Zion Williamson finally played a decent amount of games (62) while averaging 21 points on +6.7% rTS (true shooting percentage over league average). The Pelicans also have two 2025 lottery picks in Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen entering their second season, and they can tell themselves their bold trade for Queen didn’t burn them as badly as it could have. I’m just not sure how the Pelicans can put out lineups that are competitive on both ends, especially in the always unforgiving West. New Orleans got killed on the defensive glass last season, they were among the lowest-volume three-point shooting teams in the league, and they were below-average at forcing turnovers. These are things that tend to lose basketball games, and I don’t see them completely flipping with a similar roster this year. A Zion trade feels inevitable, and at this point it would be nice to see him get a change of scenery.

14. Los Angeles Clippers

The bad news for the Clippers is their future has been totally decimated. The good news (?) is that most of the pain will take place beyond this season. The Clippers still have a decent collection of talent, and I’m interested to see what a very good head coach in Ty Lue can do with it. Kawhi Leonard is out (did you hear about this?), and Keaton Wagler, Brandon Ingram, Max Strus, and Rui Hachimura are in. Darius Garland is starting his first full year with the keys to the offense, and could be in for a huge season with so much offensive freedom. Garland’s pairing with No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler will be fascinating to watch. Wagler is about as low on athleticism as possible for a guard picked in the top-5, but his deadly off-the-dribble shooting and solid feel for the game gives him enticing upside. Brook Lopez is still here at age-38. That’s cool. Why the hell is Bradley Beal still on this roster? More cap circumvention? The Clippers owe their 2027 draft pick to the Thunder of all teams, and then the real pain begins. I’m sorry, Clippers fans. Please make the tickets really cheap, Ballmer.

15. Sacramento Kings

It’s easy to overlook all the misfortune that was cast upon the Sacramento Kings last season, because this franchise permanently exists in an unfortunate state. Domantas Sabonis (19 games), Keegan Murray (23 games), and Zach LaVine (39 games) all played less than half the season. If those guys stay healthy this year, the Kings can’t be so bad again, right? I’m not sure. Sacramento still feels like it’s stuck between two eras, but at least the rebuild got a promising young piece in Darius Acuff in this year’s draft. I have some skepticism about how Acuff’s game translates to the league, but he was such a warrior last year at Arkansas, and the Kings badly need someone like that who the fanbase can rally behind. I like Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell as young bigs with polar opposite skill sets, and I’m interested to see what Nique Clifford can do in year two. It just feels like the Kings are biding their time to blow up this roster, and I just don’t think it’s going anywhere before that happens.

Every day, we’re previewing another member of the 2026-27 Phoenix Suns to get you ready for training camp and the preseason.

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Mark Williams

Center, 7’1”, 240 pounds, 24 years old, 5th season

This season was going to be big for Williams to see if last year’s off-court strengthening work and rest management would pay off in the form of healthy feet and back, allowing him to demonstrate his full potential. Entering his age-25 season, ready to hit his prime and more consistently deliver the strengths seen in the highlight video below. That plan took a major detour when he injured his left labrum in a training pickup game earlier this month, having repair surgery on September 10. Recovery has been estimated at five months.

This accelerated Khaman Maluach’s timeline, which could prove to be a good thing. Undoubtedly, it reduced the Suns’ center depth for at least 3/4 of the regular season. He contributed a career-best 6.3 win shares, most of that on the offensive side, and, by all accounts, was a good teammate, often injecting himself into post-game TV interviews. The team believed in his value, signing him to a guaranteed three-year $38 million contract in the offseason.

I think he’ll find a way to have a valuable role later this year…more to come in the “Prediction” section below.

Last Season

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	BLK	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
60	23.6	11.7	8.0	1.0	0.9	64.4%	1.000%	77.1%	111.3	113.3	-42

Williams started 55 of the 60 games played. He rested back-to-back games as part of injury management on the back and foot. This worked well much of the season, but then he had recurrences of left foot injuries in March and April.

He had a field goal percentage over 64%, making good on a shot chart-dense area near the basket. But he continues to show good touch on free throws, with a career make rate of 76% and over 78% the past two seasons. This suggests some untapped ability to shoot. His shot volume limited points to 11.7 per game.

Rebounding of 8.0 per game seems a bit low until you account for this coming on under 24 minutes (or half a game). Offensive rebounding was strong, ranking 13th in the NBA at 4.7 per 36 minutes.

There were some flashy blocks, but overall rim protection was less than ideal. Better offensive performance is reflected in higher offensive win shares (4.0) compared to defensive win shares (2.3), per Basketball Reference.

Contract and Roster Context

Mark begins the season inactive due to the injury. This season’s Salary is $11,728,395, ramping to $12,666,667 in 2027-28 and $13,604,938 in 2028-2029.

All three years are guaranteed. He is not eligible to be traded until after January 15, 2027. He is expected to still be in recovery from the labral injury at that point, likely into March. Even then, to be traded would require passing a physical and demonstrating on some level that his skills have not diminished.

What He Brings

Williams is elite as a finisher, shooting 67.2% at the rim per BBALL Index. He has good hands and is somewhat aggressive running the floor and rolling on half-court possessions. Watching games, it felt like there was an unusually high rate of rim rolls where the pass never came. If trust is further developed with Book and the playmakers, this strength could be magnified.

As mentioned in the review of last season, he is particularly effective as an offensive rebounder. Part of this involves his positioning, which was rarely toward the perimeter. Only 12 players in the NBA were better per minute at grabbing them; it’s a skill, and he has it.

Something long-time Suns fans craved was a center with real size and skill. When healthy, Williams provided this. In addition to the height/weight combination at the top of this article, he has a wingspan over 7’6” and a 9’9” standing reach! On defense, this helps as a rim deterrent and also allows some big lineups when matchups call for it.

What Needs to Improve

The obvious thing is availability. We know he will miss the majority of the regular season. Upon that return, can he string together a stretch of games with no setbacks or new injuries? Will all the strength training and extra rest during labrum recovery benefit foot and back health?

There is potential for him to be a more consistent force on defense. Better lower-body strength and conditioning may help with this. Being around the system for a second year could lead to better defensive positioning, specifically avoiding dropping too low in the post.

To be fully effective in the Suns’ offense, he needs to provide the occasional threat of an outside shot. He only got up one three-pointer last year (making it). Can he get up on a game and make some of those, even if below average?

Prediction

The line below is lower than Williams’ prior four seasons. I expect there will be some low-minute games as he works his way back, which will skew the per-game averages downward. There are 14 games from the five-month timetable post-surgery. Two of those are back-to-back, and I suspect he’ll be held out of those.

I expect a different role, backing up Maluach, unless spot starts are needed due to injuries there. He could provide good value here in the limited minutes, crashing the glass and providing some post presence. Note, I’ve projected 28% three-point percentage. My hot take is that he’ll use the left shoulder rehab time working on his long-range shooting (which is right-handed), and use the late-season minutes to test this in real games. The free-throw percentages project a chance at developing a three-ball, which Ott likes to see from his big men.

The Boston Celtics alone provide three examples of injured bigs returning for a playoff run and making a big difference: Bill Walton (’86), Kevin McHale (’87), and Robert Williams (’22). The best hope this year is to return and make a real difference off the bench in the playoffs.

Stat Prediction: 12 Games, 6.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 0.4 APG, 63/28/78 shooting

Final Word

Some have probably written off Williams after yet another injury. Given the health history, it would be unwise to go into a future season counting on him as a nightly starter. I suggest we view his contributions as an added bonus, one that could help the Suns take it to another level if Maluach has asserted himself as the starter.

The Duke of York isn’t done with Toronto yet. At least, if everything goes according to plan.

After being traded from the Knicks, RJ Barrett went on to have his best scoring season in 2024-25 , where he stepped up in a big way to give the Raptors momentum with Scottie Barnes out for a chunk of the season.

Then, in the 2025-26 season, Barrett helped get the Raptors back to the playoffs as the team’s second-highest scorer (ahead of Barnes), and in the playoffs, emerged as the team’s second-best player. Then, in game six of the first round, he makes what is perhaps the second clutch-est shot in Raptors team history to beat the Cavaliers and forcing a game seven. All together, this sounds like the recipe for a great career ahead in Toronto. Add in the fact that he’s Canadian, and the Raptors should be chomping at the bit for a chance to keep him on the team. But, there is some reluctance from the Raptors to buy-in on the Maple Mamba. Here’s an examination of why that might be.

On the court

RJ Barrett fills an important role on the team, being able to get buckets with his downhill momentum, scoring at the rim while both rebounding and passing a respectable amount. While his shooting is not a remarkable part of his game, it’s not completely without value, and Barrett’s utility as an offensive creator had been sorely needed on the Raptors squads of the past two years.

From a less tangible standpoint, Barrett has been willing to take on primary roles, as well as secondary and tertiary positions on the team, and demonstrates a general lack of ego on a roster with a great deal of personalities in its locker room. In regards to the Canadian now playing alongside Raptors legend Kawhi Leonard, RJ spoke on how it felt to share a team with the Klaw, saying that “it’s surreal…” and that he has “been a Raptors fan [his] whole life…” and “from being a fan, to now being able to play with him, it’s going to be so special.”

RJ Barrett on waiting on the Kawhi Leonard trade to finalize all summer long/now playing alongside him:

“When it first happened, I was like, ‘Let me just not try to think about it, and just wait for it to happen.’”

“It was easy until we got to September, because in September we… https://t.co/q3Aka1C7yWpic.twitter.com/7sVjYiJ2ll

— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) September 20, 2026

There is also the matter of Canadian identity. Barrett is one of the most prominent Canadians in the NBA, and this part of who he is (while under-explored by the franchise) is something that should be factored in to his desire to be on his country’s only team.

All together, RJ Barrett has not only proved his capabilities, but has shown dedication to the Raptors, and a desire to mold himself to the Raptors’ new lineup. However, that may not be enough to ensure his place on the team. More could be asked of Barrett, with the team requesting a price that is not always easy to pay.

The salary question

Potential problems emerge when the Raptors’ circumstances are examined from a financial perspective. The Raps are already in a position where they are paying the luxury tax, but real consequences arise when the first and second tax aprons are hit, where severe financial and operational penalties involving trades are accrued. This is a less than ideal situation, but one that might become a frightening reality going forward.

Barrett is now in the final year of his deal, and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year, unless a deal can be reached to extend his contract. This is coming at a time when the team has just taken on a Kawhi Leonard extension, Jakob Poeltl is set to get a raise, and all together, costs will rise for the Raptors, even factoring out a hypothetical RJ Barrett contract.

Barrett is currently coming off of a deal where he will make north of $29 million in the 2026-27 season. The season after, the Raptors are currently projected to have a salary of $181,907,409. This is well above the current salary cap of  $164,961,000, and and if Barrett were to simply continue taking his current salary, this would bring the Raptors to more than $211 million dollars in pay, taking them into the first apron. Generally speaking, discounts from players are not given lightly to teams, and with RJ having put in real work for the Raps, he would, under usual circumstances, be in the position to make some demands of the team.

Fire and desire

Barrett spoke candidly about his feelings in May, putting things plainly: “I want to be here,” he said. “I want to be here for the rest of my career. I don’t ever want to leave. I don’t have any problems openly saying that.”

RJ Barrett on dealing with the business-side going into a contract year:

“What do you think?”

“I think that this is an easier question for me to answer, because I’m from here, and who doesn’t want to play at home? I’m trying to stay here.”

“I understand the business, but I… pic.twitter.com/IbAK9tQJKl

— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) May 4, 2026

This puts both parties in an uneven position. Barrett clearly has a desire to remain in the red and black, but would very possibly have to take a pay cut to do so. General Manager Bobby Webster gave no indication of whether or not an extension was in the works, noting that such conversations would be taking place out of the public eye, stating that “he is under contract, and so, that decision can also happen at the end of the summer.”

While Barrett’s desire to stay in Toronto seems unwavering, the team’s desire to keep Barrett on the roster seems like anything but. Insider Jake Fischer raised the point over the summer that throughout the past two years, RJ Barrett’s name had been floating in trade talks, with the Maple Mamba’s future on the team seeming rather insecure. Michael Scotto reported in February that Barrett could very well have been shipped off to the Sacramento Kings in a deal for Domantas Sabonis.

Barrett is in some regards the black sheep of the Raptors. He does not shoot like Immanuel Quickley, nor does he pass and defend like Scottie Barnes, and while his scoring is certainly important to team success, score-first players are becoming less and less valued outside of the upper echelons of production in this league. Kawhi Leonard does exactly that, at a level higher than almost anyone in the league. Barrett might be too good to underpay, but lacking a niche on a team too cash-strapped to give him a raise, putting him in an awkward position that could result in him accepting less pay than he deserves.

Throughout this year, it seems likely that the Raptors will continue to explore trade options for Barrett to improve the team’s gaps at the centre position, and, for better or worse, the swingman will be playing with a level of uncertainty in this year ahead. Barrett shows no indication of causing a fuss. “I’ve done my part on the court this year,” he said at the same press conference where he announced his desire to stay in Toronto. “And I will continue to do my part, and just hope things work out that way.”

Coming in at #10, Kyle Kuzma has certainly been one of the more controversial additions to the roster in recent memory. He was brought in as a versatile forward who could reasonably play next to Giannis, but it was at the expense of franchise legend Khris Middleton, who, despite never getting over the injury bug, still played a crucial role for the Bucks. Kuzma had huge expectations upon his arrival, but through the rest of that regular season, he never really seemed to click with the team. In the 2025 playoffs, Kuz had one of the worst postseason performances we have seen from a starter, which led to him being benched and barely seeing the floor after his goose-egg game against the Pacers. He did not get a playoff redo last season, so despite having won a ring with the Lakers (the reason why LeBron has his ring in LA (please Google this meme before killing me in the comments)), he finds himself near the bottom of the list for postseason importance on a young roster.

Okay, controversial tweets and fashion choices notwithstanding, let’s look at the good perfectly cromulent aspects of Kuzma’s game to look forward to this year. For starters, he came into the season last year as a backup to Giannis. In a league where players often want the ball (and the attention), Kuzma took a team-first approach that meant he entered the year in a role he hadn’t had in several seasons at that point in his career. While it’s easy to critique Kuzma’s game, it’s worth giving him credit for the presence he brought to that role. Throughout the season, you could see him with his arm around other players at various points, offering advice and trying to lead in his own right. As we learned about the locker room fallout as the season dragged on, we heard that Kuzma specifically went to Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. after they were put on blast during a team meeting and told them to ignore the unfair way Doc handled the situation. Having a veteran presence like this can greatly benefit younger players and the overall locker room culture—Kuzma’s willingness to be a team player could help the team find its identity this season.

Now, for readers who just gasped at that thought, here are the perfectly cromulent aspects of Kuzma’s game that should hopefully quell some of those fears. For starters, Kuzma had a 14.1 player efficiency rating (PER) last season, which is by no means great but puts him firmly in the “decent rotational player” category. That also means he is right around his career average, and in the ballpark of one of his most efficient years overall. If you felt like he was more efficient off the bench last year, that’s because he was. For the season, Kuzma averaged 26.2 minutes for 13.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.7 APG, but off the bench he averaged 22.4 minutes and slashed 11.8/3.4/2.2, meaning he was more efficient in smaller bursts. Finally, last season Kuzma hit his career high in true shooting at 58.1%, which is exactly league average and only slightly behind the league average for power forwards (58.6%), meaning he found his spots and converted opportunities better than ever.

For those still with me and who haven’t either wretched themselves onto another page or left to buy themselves a Kuzma jersey, I think, taken together, this all means a few things: first, Kuzma is a decent player, and likely a decent veteran presence to have in the locker room, which, if we ignore the price point for this year, does present some opportunities for the Bucks. If Kuzma continues to be this efficient, some team will certainly be interested in him around the trade deadline. While the playoff goose egg game may still be fresh in the minds of Bucks fans, another half season or more of him 1) taking on the role of big brother Kuz to the younger guys and 2) being a league-average player means that a team in need of frontcourt depth would certainly consider adding Kuzma at the trade deadline. Of course, in a contract year, Kuzma knows he is auditioning for his next role and payday around the league. On top of remaining a reasonably efficient shooter, he can help himself and the Bucks by using his size to get downhill more and clean the glass at a better rate. While Kuzma is many things to many people, he is a lifelong hooper. From what we saw last year, he is willing to play a selfless brand of basketball, which, at this point in his career, is his most likely path to staying a rotational player in the league for years to come. That selflessness can also help elevate the young Bucks roster this season as he auditions for his next contract. So all in all, I think we can expect at least one more greatgood perfectly cromulent year out of Kuz.

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And we’ve reached single digits! Who goes at nine?

Continuation of the “What If” Wolves series. In this series, I play the role of Timberwolves Overlord and go back in time and right some of the wrongs of our favorite franchise. Since this is the Timberwolves, there are a lot of wrongs. This series may go on forever.

Let me start by saying that unlike my wife, I do not believe conspiracy theories. Second shooter during the JFK assassination – doubtful. The Moon landing was fake – that would be the most expensive joke ever. Frozen envelope for the Ewing draft – seems like it could have been done, but come on.

There is however one conspiracy theory that I wholeheartedly believe, but this one has some backing.

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Going into the 1992 NBA Draft Lottery, the Minnesota Timberwolves had the worst record in the NBA at 15-67. Just 15 wins! I have no idea how Head Coach Jimmy Rodgers was allowed near a basketball court after that (He was fired after starting the next season with a 6-23 record). That terrible finish to the season meant that the Wolves had the best odds (16.67%) to land the number one overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. The prize of that draft being Shaquille O’Neal, a monster center from LSU.

Every team wanted Shaq, even teams with All-NBA centers wanted this guy. I was no different.

So where does the conspiracy theory enter the story?

While being interviewed by Ashley Nevel of the Ashley Nevel Show, Shaq let the conspiracy bomb drop and basically confirmed my belief that the NBA was out to screw me and my fandom over and over again. Shaq goes on to tell the story of meeting NBA Commissioner David Stern in March of 1992. During this meeting, Stern asked Shaq “Do you want to play where it’s cold or where it’s hot?” Shaq, being from Louisiana obviously said “hot”.

Stern gave a wry smile after the answer.

A few days pass and the lottery is held. Well guess what kids? Wolves got screwed. The “cold” Wolves dropped down to third overall and the “hot” Orlando Magic move up to #1. Tears. Literal tears. Not tears of sadness, this was pure rage tears.

I’m still fuming over this as I type. Let’s refocus…

So, the Wolves dropped a couple of spots down to the #3 overall pick. Not too bad (even though it was the lowest they could go). This was a three-player draft by most accounts. Shaq was the consensus #1 pick. Alonzo Mouning, a defensive stud from Georgetown, was slotted for #2. Naismith College Player of the Year and future Dream Team member, Christian Laettner, was the easy third pick.

And that is exactly how the draft played out for the first three picks. O’Neal to Orlando Magic at #1, Mourning to the Charlotte Hornets at #2, and Laettner to the Minnesota Timberwolves at #3. Now you may be thinking, “Back-to-Back NCAA Championships, College Player of the Year, and a Dream Teamer? Sign me up!” If you think that, you are wrong and I hate you.

Man, I hated Duke.

In the 90’s I loved watching two college basketball teams, the UNLV Running Rebels and the Michigan Wolverines, also known as the “Fab Five”. I hated Duke at the time. Duke was boring and fundamentally sound. Plain vanilla. UNLV and the Fab Five were exciting. They played fast and were crazy aggressive. The players all had flair and an attitude to them. They even had cool nicknames. Stacey Augmon was “The Plastic Man”! Is there a better nickname than that? What was Bobby Hurley’s nickname, Bounce Pass Bobby? Plus, the Rebels and “Fab Five” looked awesome with their baggy shorts and black Nikes/black sock combination.

Basically, the opposite of Duke.

Laettner was the lone college player selected to the Dream Team. Now Laettner did not play much in the Olympics, despite the Dream Team beating everybody by 200 points. But who cares? After all, he is in the Basketball Hall of Fame…for being on the Olympic roster. His NBA career had more playing time, but his output would not lead to another Olympic roster spot.

Let me just state that Laettner was okay for the Wolves. He was the best player on the team right away, which isn’t saying much. For his Wolves career, Laettner averaged 17.2 points and 8.1 rebound per game. But the Timberwolves ended up trading him halfway through his fourth year in the league to Atlanta (traded Laettner along with Sean Rooks for Andrew Lang and SPUD WEBB!!!). Those were decent stats, so why trade him?

Well, from what I have read, he was a terrible teammate. There is a story of his time with the Wolves where he went into the locker room and started pointing at each of his teammates nameplates above their respective stalls, calling them all losers, before calling himself a winner.

“Loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… loser… winner.”

True asshole move, but it would have been awesome to have seen him do that if front of his teammates.

Now I can’t even imagine the scrutiny that Laettner was dealing with at the time. He went from being a back-to-back national champion, winning every individual award at the college level, and winning a gold medal with the Dream Team, to being on the worst team in the NBA.

But still, screw that guy.

Shaq on the Wolves would have been amazing. He was dominant from day one in the league. He was an athletic giant that dunked EVERYTHING. He was a runaway train when he decided to take a rebound from one end of the court to another. He was the definition of must see television.

My two favorite moments are when he broke two backboards. Not the rims. Backboards. One was in New Jersey where he dunked so hard that the metal frame holding the backboard broke and came crashing onto the parquet court. The shot clock even hit Shaq on the head when this happened. Shaq just smiled at the shot clock.

The second was in Phoenix. This time he dunked the ball with such force that he broke the hydraulic system that kept the backboard vertical. After he dunked the ball, the backboard station shook for a bit then slowly wheezed as it lowered itself to the ground. It was hilarious and awesome.

Shaq went on to win an MVP award, four NBA championships, multiple All-NBA teams, named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and is in multiple Hall of Fames. The Magic got the number one pick the following year as well (1.5% chance), while the Wolves dropped to number five (second-best odds at #1 pick, 15.15%). The Magic selected Chris Webber from the “Fab Five”, then traded him to Golden State for Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway and three first round picks. Great trade at the time, but injuries derailed Penny’s career.

The Wolves ended up going with Isaiah “JR” Rider at fifth. I loved watching JR play. He was the most exciting player that the Wolves had ever had up to that point. Rider would get into some legal trouble here and there, so the Wolves shipped him to Portland for a bag of pure hot trash (Bill Curley, James Robinson, and a pick that would turn into Paul Grant. Like I said, pure hot trash).

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Since I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, except the Shaq to “where it’s hot,” I’ll have to rely on the Wayback Machine to change this history for the “What if” Wolves.

Dream Team selects Shaq instead of Laettner. Shaq along with Charles Barkley start a war with Angola (Chuck elbowed a guy from Angola. I think the announcer, maybe Bill Walton, said that Barkley shouldn’t be handing out elbows, he should hand out sandwiches to the skinnier Angolan players.)

Shaq wants a change of pace from hot Louisiana and tells Stern he wants to be “cold”. Minnesota wins the lottery and takes O’Neal #1 overall. Wolves then trade center Luc Longley, Tony Campbell, and a future second round pick to Orlando for their 1993 first round pick and Sam Vincent (In this history, the Magic are acting how the real Wolves would have and did not protect their first round pick).

Shaq goes on to wreak havoc throughout the league. Spalding stock slides because Shaq breaks an average of 1.25 backboards per game. Wolves win their first title by going 68-10-4 (the “4” represents games that could not be finished due to no rims remaining).

The Magic pick lands at spot number three. Wolves draft Penny Hardaway, who enjoys a relatively injury-free career. Back-to-back titles. Shaq and Penny go on to lead the Wolves to 10 NBA titles before Shaq retires to focus on his movie career, where he wins an Oscar for his work starring in the Fast and Furious franchise (Bonus, Vin Diesel never happens).

And if it makes you feel better about the Laettner bashing. Let’s say he goes to the Charlotte Hornets at number two and gets to stay in North Carolina. The Duke fans shower him with praise during a 15-year career as a lifelong Hornet.

But I still hate him.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a vacancy in their depth chart, and Tyrese Proctor might develop into the backup point guard they need to address it.

Given Cleveland’s offseason moves, which include trading both Max Strus and Dennis Schroder, the team will need someone who can handle the ball off the bench. As of now, Proctor is one of a few young guards jockeying for the position.

Craig Porter Jr. and rookie Meleek Thomas are his (friendly) competition. We’ll talk more about them as our season previews continue. For now, we’re all about Proctor.

Proctor was drafted 49th in the 2025 NBA Draft and enters his sophomore season with Cleveland. He played 50 games last year, averaging 5.4 points on 41.3% shooting from the floor. Nothing overly impressive, but he showed enough to make you wonder what might come next.

This leads us to our big question:

What would it take for Proctor to cement himself as Cleveland’s backup point guard?

A perfect fit, on paper

Proctor theoretically has all of the skills you’d want from a modern combo guard.

He has positional size at 6’4” and is comfortable playing with or without the ball. He’s got solid jump-shot mechanics and the physical tools to become a quality team defender. All of which makes him comfortable playing alongside anyone.

Yall don’t wanna see sophomore year Tyrese Proctor. pic.twitter.com/g5bh8iuNvh

— ¹⁰ (@HoodiGarland) February 5, 2026

Versatility is a good skill to have. But it’s even more important in Cleveland, where the star-studded backcourt of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell will bury anyone who can’t play alongside them.

Proctor’s game pairs well next to either Harden or Mitchell.

With Harden, you need to space the floor and serve as a threat to knockdown jumpers. Proctor can check that box. He has experience playing without the rock and projects to be someone who can eventually nail jumpers at a high clip.

If paired with Mitchell, then Proctor has to lean into being a floor general. This means running the offense and being a creator. This skill is less refined, as of now, but something that’s still potentially in the cards for Proctor.

Above all else, Proctor has to put the full package together by being a stout defender at the point of attack. Covering for Harden and Mitchell defensively is arguably more important than coexisting with them offensively.

Proctor again seems to be the type of player who can accomplish this.

Doing so would not only make Proctor a contributor throughout the regular season, but also someone who can help stagger lineups in the playoffs.

Of course, this all has to be proven first.

Hurdles to clear

Proctor has shown flashes of everything that I listed above. But the full picture remains unclear. He’ll have to clear a few hurdles before officially being in the rotation.

So what’s holding him back?

For starters, his inexperience. Proctor is only 22 years old and hasn’t had much time in the league. Many of his minutes came in garbage time last season, and his most valuable reps were short-lived. That doesn’t give us a lot to work with.

Even with the limited sample size, it’s clear that Proctor has room to grow. All of his most exciting skills remain as untapped potential.

His jumper looks sweet, but he only shot 35% from deep last season. That won’t be good enough. Proctor will need to be closer to 40% for this to be the skill that he hangs his hat on.

On defense, Proctor seems like he can develop into a productive player. But how impactful can he be on a nightly basis? Can he fortify the point of attack? And can he make the correct rotations to fit into a team system? Consistency will be key.

Finally, what more can Proctor give as a creator?

He isn’t an elite dribbler or passer. Those skills feel tertiary right now — they aren’t at the core of his game. Creating advantages and causing defensive breakdowns will be the skill that ultimately determines Proctor’s ceiling.

Proctor’s sophomore season shouldn’t be sink or swim. He still has years of development on the table. But piecing some things together and being part of Cleveland’s rotation should be a serious goal for him. He might not get a clearer path towards playing time than this current season.

It was inevitable that the NBA games being played overseas were going to sell out. Of course European basketball fans come out in droves to catch a glimpse of NBA stars. But what wasn’t a certainty was the demand for the tickets to the games.

The NBA Paris Game 2027 presented by Tissot and The NBA Manchester Game 2027 are officially sold out. Approximately one million fans registered their interest in tickets – the highest level of demand ever recorded for NBA games in Europe.

The New Orleans Pelicans and the San… pic.twitter.com/yfkDrJf9ei

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) September 22, 2026

“The NBA Paris Game 2027 presented by Tissot and The NBA Manchester Game 2027 are officially sold out. Approximately one million fans registered their interest in tickets – the highest level of demand ever recorded for NBA games in Europe.

The New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs will play regular-season games at Accor Arena in Paris, France, on Thursday, Jan. 14, and at Co-op Live in Manchester, England, on Sunday, Jan. 17, as part of the league’s multiyear slate of regular-season games in Europe. Both games will stream live on Amazon Prime Video.”

Yep, you read that right – a million fans registered for tickets. That’s like Taylor Swift Super Bowl Halftime Show type of demand. Understandably, fans are champing at the bit to watch Victor Wembanyama in person. He’s become a global superstar and the face of the NBA. Fresh off elevating his team into a Finals appearance, the world is clearly watching.

And if we’re being real, there’s not a million requests for a Spurs/Pelicans game on U. S. soil, especially considering the season New Orleans had.

It’s the destination that makes this an event. And if everyone is healthy, the games promise to be two heavy duty competitions featuring marquee centers.

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It’s that time of the year.

A hectic NBA offseason full of blockbuster trades and player movement has concluded as training camps have started to slowly open. Teams playing international preseason games are already reporting to camps. Practices will soon follow, and then preseason games, and soon enough we will be tipping off the regular season openers in a month.

This also means that it’s time to turn the page on last season. So while the New York Knicks are indeed the reigning NBA champions, every team is starting with a clean slate, and last year’s results really don’t matter all that much. It’s all about who is set up to win the 2027 NBA Finals.

With NBA training camps opening within the next week, here are the USA TODY Sports NBA preseason power rankings:

NBA offseason power rankings: Nos. 30-21

30. Milwaukee Bucks, 32-50 (regular-season record in 2025-26)

What will life look like post-Giannis? Probably some early pain, but Milwaukee will need to see which of its young players are pieces for the long haul.

29. Sacramento Kings, 22-60

Sacramento still seemingly lacks a clear direction. It's not quite building for the future or in position to compete. And perimeter defense is still projected to be a nightmare.

28. Brooklyn Nets, 20-62

Julius Randle adds another veteran presence to a roster that badly needs it, but the Nets won’t compete unless young, recent draft picks take serious steps forward.

27. New Orleans Pelicans, 26-56

Another team that doubled down on its current roster construction, the Pels could take a jump … but they need health and cohesion to do so. And those, right now, are big ifs.

26. Memphis Grizzlies, 25-57

It’s a new day in Memphis, with culture-shifting moves now complete. This youth movement may take some time.

25. Los Angeles Clippers, 42-40

Now with the Kawhi Leonard drama behind them, the Clippers can move forward. But because they’ve been stripped of draft picks, it could be years before this team seriously competes in a tough Western Conference.

24. Washington Wizards, 17-65

The Wizards could see a bump this season, but they’re unconventionally constructed. A lot will depend on Trae Young and Anthony Davis, and whether they can complement the rising stars on the roster, namely No. 1 overall selection AJ Dybantsa and Alex Sarr.

23. Dallas Mavericks, 26-56

It’s Cooper Flagg’s team, and a full season of growth and stability at point guard with Kyrie Irving returning should elevate his game even further.

22. Charlotte Hornets, 44-38

The Hornets are a little tricky to interpret and project. They posted something of a breakout season last year, but traded away two of their top performers, LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, in culture-shifting moves. They’re all-in on shooting, but they could potentially see a regression if attempts don’t drop.

21. Golden State Warriors, 37-45

The Warriors had a stagnant offseason, but they still have Stephen Curry, and Jimmy Butler should eventually return from his torn anterior cruciate ligament. Load management will be crucial for this team full of aging vets.

NBA offseason power rankings: Nos. 20-11

20.  Chicago Bulls, 31-51

This is a team that could surprise. New coach Tiago Splitter should inject plenty of speed and versatility into Chicago’s offense, which is suddenly balanced with Norman Powell offering some scoring punch, Josh Giddey anchoring creation and No. 4 overall rookie Caleb Wilson potentially emerging as a star.

19. Portland Trail Blazers, 42-40

What this team needs is stability. Three different coaches since the start of last season is not a recipe for success. But the Blazers are looking to revive the career of Ja Morant and Damian Lillard is a veteran presence.

18. Utah Jazz, 22-60

The Jazz are no longer in tank formation and have an intriguing blend of young talent and veteran leadership. Utah is a candidate to post the biggest differential in wins this year versus last, and No. 2 overall selection Darryn Peterson should bring plenty of play-making.

17. Phoenix Suns, 45-37

The Suns are flying under the radar and will hope to see the full benefits of a Devin Booker-Jalen Green backcourt, now that Green is once again healthy.

16. Orlando Magic, 45-37

New coach Sean Sweeney’s main task will be to revitalize an offense that struggled at times to cohere with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as its stars. Consistency with perimeter shooting is also paramount.

15. Atlanta Hawks, 46-36

Atlanta was the biggest surprise in the East last season. Now with an identity and core in place, a bump in perimeter scoring could be the key to go even further.

14. Indiana Pacers, 19-63

The team to watch here is the Pacers. They’re returning Tyrese Haliburton, will have Ivica Zubac anchoring the middle and should be plenty motivated. They could even rise to the top of the conference if coach Rick Carlisle allows the offense to flow with pace and efficiency.

13. Detroit Pistons, 60-22

They led the East in the regular season but collapsed in the playoffs because Cade Cunningham simply didn’t have help on offense. It doesn’t help that Jalen Duren’s contract dispute is stretching this deep into the offseason.

12. Toronto Raptors, 46-36

Toronto feels like a team that could creep into the top third of the East if Kawhi Leonard stays healthy. He and Scottie Barnes create an intriguing duo that excel on both offense and defense.

11. Cleveland Cavaliers, 52-30

The Cavaliers’ addition of Peyton Watson boosts their chances, but this feels like the last shot for this build to prove it can compete for a championship. The Cavs finally got out of the second round of the postseason but were swept in the conference finals. With jobs on the line, perhaps even including coach Kenny Atkinson’s, that alone won’t be enough.

NBA offseason power rankings: Top 10

10. Boston Celtics, 56-26

The Celtics took a calculated gamble. But there’s no way to spin that Jaylen Brown is a massive loss, even if Boston didn’t want to pay him long-term. Either way, the Celtics need Derrick White to bounce back from his down season.

9. Denver Nuggets, 54-28

Strapped for salary cap space, the Nuggets had to make some difficult choices. Losing Peyton Watson will sting, but Denver looked slow and old during the playoffs, when it was bounced in the first round. The Nuggets absolutely need Christian Braun to bounce back and players like Spencer Jones and Cameron Johnson to develop further. This is a window to win that may be shrinking — and quickly.

8. Miami Heat, 43-39

The defense will be the identity and the Heat should continue their emphasis of fast-break offense. But any time you add a top-10 player (top-5?) there are plenty of reasons to be excited. No team has been better at reinventing itself on the fly than the Heat, who have one of the game’s premier tacticians in Erik Spoelstra.

7. Los Angeles Lakers, 53-29

It’s now Luka Dončić’s team, and Austin Reaves will be the clear No. 2. But can the role players provide enough of a spark to keep the Lakers competitive?

6. Houston Rockets, 52-30

The Rockets are an interesting case; they’re getting Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams back from injury, and VanVleet is the key piece. Houston could not find consistent play at point guard, and he should fill that void instantly.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves, 49-33

Credit the Timberwolves for understanding that running it back simply wasn’t going to get it done. Now, Anthony Edwards has a sidekick who can create his own offense in LaMelo Ball. And with Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota has enough to mask Ball’s defensive deficiencies.

4. Philadelphia 76ers, 45-37

The clear winners of the offseason, the 76ers suddenly have the best starting five in all of basketball. Getting LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to assimilate and the health of Joel Embiid will be the big priorities in training camp and beyond.

3. San Antonio Spurs, 62-20

They have all the talent in the world and are young enough to keep improving, provided they learn from their mistakes in the NBA Finals. Mistakes like relying far too much on the perimeter shot and taking their foot off the gas. But with Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper all 22 years old or younger, the future is incredibly bright in San Antonio.

2. New York Knicks, 53-29

The Knicks are the kings of the NBA, but recent history shows how challenging it is to repeat; the last team to do so was the Warriors in 2018. New York does have its core in place, but the East got much deeper.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 64-18

Out West, the conference does feel top-heavy, with Oklahoma City and San Antonio as the clear, established threats. But the Thunder are entering the season healthy, after injuries derailed them in the Western Conference finals. While key role players like Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins have moved on, no team has been better than the Thunder at getting young players to step up.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA power rankings as training camps open for 2026-27 season: Who will compete for Finals?

Ramp to Camp: Record and 2026-27 season prediction for Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens routinely points out that his team’s north star is winning championships. Every decision that Stevens makes is geared towards delivering the Celtics to a place where they can truly contend with the NBA’s elite with the ultimate goal of adding to their league-leading banner collection.

Most years, the season goal is simple: Banner or bust. With only maybe last season an outlier while Jayson Tatum rehabbed from Achilles surgery, the Celtics have entered most recent campaigns with a clearly defined goal of playing on the title stage.

So what happens this year, especially in the aftermath of the Jaylen Brown trade? And how do we define a successful season for Boston?

For the final installment in our 2026 Ramp to Camp series, we asked our panel to 1) Predict Boston’s final regular-season record, then 2) Offer a summary of how the season ended and whether that checked the boxes for a successful campaign.

Our six-member panel nearly unanimously had Boston crossing 50+ wins (there was a single dissenting vote) but the team’s playoff success, and how the season was ultimately viewed, varied by respondent.

We typically scoff at the annual suggestions that, “The East got so much better,” and the way that might increase the degree of difficulty for teams like Boston. But that’s pretty undeniable this season. The Raptors reacquired Kawhi Leonard, the Heat added Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Pacers have a healthier Tyrese Haliburton. The Pistons have plenty of motivation after fizzling in the playoffs after topping the East with a 60-win season last year and Cade Cunningham is only going to get better. The Knicks are the defending champs. There will almost certainly be at least one very good team in the East that lands in the play-in because of the depth of the conference.

What’s more, lottery reform will eliminate motivation for less talented teams to let their foot off the accelerator and tank, which takes away at least a couple of layups for the league’s elite.

So our prediction is going to drag down Boston’s regular-season win total a bit from last season, even if it’s not a full reflection of how the team ultimately remains afloat following the Brown trade. We’ll peg the Celtics at 50-32 overall, a six-win decrease from a season ago, but still securing a top 4 spot in a deeper East.

It’d be jarring to us if, after how last season ended, the Celtics didn’t win at least one playoff round. The overall success of the team, however, will be judged by the progress made over the course of this season’s journey.

* Did Jayson Tatum look like Jayson Tatum again? Did he entrench himself in the MVP conversation while taking on more responsibility in Brown’s absence?

* Did Derrick White find his shot on the offensive end, and can he maintain his All-Defense impact in his age 32 season?

* Did 36-year-old Paul George stay healthy and either maintain his trade value as the Celtics explore future roster options, or make the team ponder a longer-term extension that could defray his overall cap hit if he were to opt out of the final season of his current deal?

* Did Payton Pritchard grasp the opportunity in front of him and make another climb up the NBA hierarchy?

* Did Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson combine to be one of the most impactful frontcourts in the league, with both players able to stay on the court in key spots (Queta avoiding foul trouble; Robinson being healthy)?

* Did Hugo Gonzalez and/or any of the other young wings make the sort of leap that solidifies their status as either a long-term starter or key rotation presence moving forward?

If the answers to these questions are more yesses than nos, then the Celtics had a successful season. It won’t matter, in our mind, if that ends in Round 1 or Round 3.

It would help, too, if chaos on other rosters created opportunity for Boston to cash in on its newfound optionality. The Brown trade was maybe the most painful step in what’s become a pretty robust overhaul of the 2024 title roster. Stevens’ hope is to assemble a new collection of talent around Tatum that allows Boston to more aggressively hunt Banner 19.

It’s all about shimmying a little closer to that north star, even if we’re incredibly impatient in Boston. The Celtics need to make their own internal progress while Stevens plots the next steps for the roster. The Celtics could emerge from this season having reset repeater penalties, while the draft picks acquired from the Brown trade gives Boston all sorts of pathways to adding impact talent and potentially slingshotting them into their next title window.

Josh Canu: Editor

45-37. The rest of the conference got a lot better this offseason. Teams that were behind them in the standings all added major pieces to improve their rosters. The Celtics traded one of their top two players for an aging, constantly injured player. I think the Celtics are a play-in team and lose in the first round. I think the ceiling for this team, without making another blockbuster move, is the second round of the playoffs, so this result would constitute a disappointing season.

Justin Leger: Producer, Multi-Platform Content

The C’s finish 55-27 and earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference for the third consecutive season. Even without Jaylen Brown, this is a team that should compete for an NBA Finals berth as long as Jayson Tatum is healthy. I’d go as far as to say that anything less than an East finals appearance would be a failure. I predict they’ll reach the East finals to check that “successful” box, but they’ll fall to — you guessed it — Brown and the Sixers in an epic seven-game series.

Nick Goss: Producer, Multi-Platform Content

56-26. The Celtics will field another great regular-season team and could finish second in the East. They have depth and a ton of young players who will play hard in the regular season. Ultimately, success will be determined by playoff results. Getting to the second round and Tatum regaining his All-NBA form would qualify as a successful season. I’m more optimistic about the Tatum objective than I am about the team making Round 2.

Michael Hurley: Producer, Multi-Platform Content

51-31. A successful regular season would be a top-four seed in the East, but they’ll have to win at least a playoff series for the year to feel like a success. Jayson Tatum only gets one prime of his career, so you’d ideally prefer him to be fighting for titles for each of the next four seasons. Given the roster construction, though, it feels like he and the Celtics are realistically not getting there this year. In the meantime, they can make a run and add some more playoff experience for the younger part of the roster to have a reasonably successful season.

Kevin Miller: Vice President, Content Creation & Strategy

52-30. A first-round playoff series win and a full season of seeing Jayson Tatum stir the drink — I think that would constitute success.

Jason Levine: Executive Producer, Content Integrations

54-28. The record is not as good as last year but I think that’s strategic to save themselves more for the playoffs. As long as they go deep in a series in the second round, it will be a success.

David Robinson was never supposed to be a star. A high school nerd, Robinson was one of the last great sleepers. His college coach, Paul Evans, recruited him to Navy because he was 6-6 and had big feet.

Seriously. He thought Robinson’s feet suggested that he was going to grow some more, and at the time, Navy had a height limit. Getting a taller player in would have been a real coup.

He never expected to get a 7-1 Hall of Famer, but that’s what Robinson turned into.

He soon emerged as a surprise talent at Navy, and in 1986, only Duke kept the Middies from the Final Four, knocking Navy out in the Elite Eight.

In the NBA, he went toe-to-toe with players like Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O’Neal, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Ultimately, he also played on the Dream Team and won two NBA championships before having his #50 retired by the San Antonio Spurs.

Later, his son Justin became a preferred walk-on at Duke, where he was a fan favorite and was emerging as a critical player for the Blue Devils just as Covid hit.

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Do you have to play sports to understand them?

It’s a question at the center of too many bad internet debates. “I bet you don’t even play ball.”

Does that matter?

Where is the line? Is the worth of an opinion weighed by the level of basketball? A D1 rec league player is allowed to comment on the NBA, but D3 is out?

It’s an ad hominem. The opinion is independent of the opinion holder. Still, we plebeians ought to remember that we don’t always know. There’s something strange, optically, about a high school social studies teacher publicly declaring that an NBA head coach ought to have one more season to prove his worth. Yet, here goes:

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka should only have one more season to prove his worth.

Rockets’ Ime Udoka has been a strong coach

It won’t be an unpopular opinion in these quarters!

You guys really, really don’t like Udoka. Opinions vary, yes, but the consensus leans heavily in one direction.

Perhaps my eyes don’t work so well. I’m not as low on Udoka. I think he’s, at a minimum, a top-15 coach in the NBA:

But creeping into the upper half isn’t a sound approach to job security as an NBA head coach.

We should all agree that Udoka is a strong defensive coach. There’s been some dispute over the extent to which he relies on lineups to bolster that defense. It’s been argued that if he can’t scheme around Alperen Sengun and Reed Sheppard, his defensive success is less about acumen and more about putting good defenders on the floor.

It could also be argued that God his -or-her self could not design a scheme that protects Sengun and Sheppard at the same time. Udoka has proven his ability to maximize Sengun on that end of the floor. His inability to draw blood from a stone should not discredit his ability to smelt iron from one.

It’s Udoka’s offensive know-how that’s rightly questioned; however, the numbers do not support that line of questioning. In Udoka’s two seasons at the helm, the Rockets ranked twelfth (114.9) and eighth (117.5) in Offensive Rating.

So, on paper, the question becomes “What are we even talking about?” Udoka has hovered around a top-ten offense in two consecutive seasons, and a top-five defense in each (sixth in 2024-25, fifth in 2025-26). If that’s enough to get his seat hot, almost every coach in the NBA should be developing back problems from constantly standing.

So what are we doing?

Rockets’ Ime Udoka’s seat should be getting hot

For Udoka critics, it’s less about the offensive results and more about the process.

Last year’s 36.3% Offensive Rebounding % was the highest in the NBA by a country mile. The gap between Houston and the second-place Portland Trail Blazers (33.2%) was roughly the same as the gap between the Blazers and the eighth-ranked Charlotte Hornets (30.8%).

In 2024-25, the recipe was rebounding and turnover repression – in the vernacular of the youth, “possession maxxing”. Last year, Fred VanVleet was out, but Kevin Durant replaced Jalen Green offensively, so the recipe was tweaked – more turnovers, but better shots, and the same offensive rebounding dominance.

In theory, 2026-27 could combine the best of both worlds. The Rockets will be formidable:

But if they don’t escape the first round, it’s a moot point.

That’s the real reality of Udoka’s situation. If a coach is eliminated in the first round in three straight seasons, the “why” is less relevant than the “what” – you fire them.

Those process-focused critics will argue that Udoka’s approach is not playoff-viable. The data is on their side, although the causation is unclear. It could easily be argued that other variables have hurt the Rockets’ playoff success.

In 2024-25, it made sense for an aging dynasty to beat an unproven upstart. The Rockets ran into the Warriors, triggering PTSD for every Rockets fan who was not born roughly yesterday.

Last year was both simpler and more complicated. Durant played one game. That’s worth noting, but injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves mitigate that excuse. Getting beat by Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart was a bad look. At least Smart is a Rocket now:

So prepare yourself for his shooting regression.

What if everyone had been healthy? Could Houston have exploited Reaves defensively to such an extent as to offset his offensive ability? Would Doncic have carried the day, or would Durant overcome him down the stretch? We don’t know; we can’t know; we won’t know.

Here’s what we do know: Udoka has one more season. It doesn’t matter where you land on him. It doesn’t matter if his offensive approach has playoff viability.

Frankly, his iso-heavy approach, paired with an insistence that his team outworks the other team, feels more playoff-friendly than some kind of elaborate system anyway, but if it doesn’t yield playoff results, it doesn’t matter. When you lose in the first round for three consecutive seasons, you lose your job:

It doesn’t matter what any of us think.

The Golden State Warriors enter the 2026-27 season as an afterthought to some but are one of the more profound sleeper teams in the league. Golden State returns with practically the same roster from last season, only adding their 2026 draft picks and a couple free agent signings.

The Warriors battled extensive injuries throughout the previous season and managed to sneak into the NBA Play-In Tournament, but failed to make the playoffs, losing in an elimination game for the No. 8-seed to the Phoenix Suns. It was just the second time since their 2022 championship that they missed the postseason which brought questions whether it was the last dance.

The only players remaining from their four-title dynasty that began in 2015 are Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr and all could have been gone this offseason after expiring contracts. Kerr contemplated retirement last year, but he's in for two more years. Green is back for another season and talks to ensure Curry retires a Warrior have already started. It might not be the last dance, but this is surely, the final act.

With an eerily similar roster, Golden State are putting emphasis on team-chemistry but they remain one of the deadlier threats on one contingency – maintaining health. Jimmy Butler missed 44 games with a torn ACL injury last season, while Moses Moody is recovering from a patellar tendon tear in his left knee that caused him to miss the final 22 games. Curry was out 27 games last year with jumper's knee. They answered questions at center by acquiring versatile big man Kristaps Porzingis in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks, but he played on minute-restrictions as he recovered from earlier injuries and illness. Still, his natural fit, and the need to fill the position, was every reason for the Warriors to sign him to an extension this offseason.

Golden State has perennial "what-if" potential and there's belief within the organization that – if healthy – there is a path to a championship.

Here's a breakdown of the Golden State Warriors' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS SCHEDULE: Dates, times and opponents for 2026-27 season

Golden State Warriors offseason review

• Record last season: 37-45 (10th in Western Conference)
• Playoff finish: Lost in NBA Play-In Tournament, No. 8-seed elimination game
• Coach: Steve Kerr (13th season)
• 2026-27 title odds: +6600 (per BetMGM)
• Projected record : 41-41
• Offseason grade : F

Key roster additions

• G Brandon Williams (free agent signing)
• F Georges Niang (free agent signing)
• F Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 11 pick in 2026 NBA Draft)
• F Lajae Jones (No. 56 pick in 2026 NBA Draft)

Key roster losses

• C Quinten Post (free agent, Warriors decline offer)
• F Pat Spencer (free agent)

Biggest question entering training camp

Can the Warriors remain healthy enough to compete?

• The Warriors have a variety of questions to answer: will rookie Yaxel Lendeborg have an immediate impact? will Brandin Podziemski get a new contract? how will new additions fit-in? how consistent can this supporting cast be? However none of those questions the Golden States faces are larger than the question of their health. Last year, despite all the setbacks, they managed to squeak into the Play-In tournament. The likelihood of aging superstars being 100% by April takes some luck, simply put. If the Warriors are healthy, you can place them on the court with anyone and there's belief they have a chance to win.

Projected starting lineup and rotation

Starters

• G Stephen Curry
• G Jimmy Butler (ACL) - Expected by early 2027
• F Yaxel Lendborg
• F Draymond Green
• C Kristaps Porzingis

Rotation players

• G Brandon Williams
• G Brandin Podziemski
• G Gary Payton II
• G De'Anthony Melton
• F Gui Santos
• F Georges Niang
• C Charles Bassey
• C Al Horford

What to expect in 2026-27 season

The Warriors have potential to be in the mix for a Western Conference postseason berth on the strength of returning players and building on team chemistry. But first they have to get there through enduring a grueling 82-game season that's already starting without key guys, Butler and Moody. It expected that Curry will do what he's capable of doing, even still at 38. The Warriors will only go as far as Curry can take them but their focus will be on everyone else. How guys acclimate to Kerr's system, where else offensive production comes from and the little details defensively is how success will appear in the Bay Area. In the meantime, getting – and staying – healthy is the Warriors' No. 1 priority.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden State Warriors season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction

Information in this article was imported automatically into a template written and reviewed by a USA TODAY Sports editor. You can send feedback using this form.

There’s something to be said about a team that understands a change, one potentially with risks, needs to happen.

The alternative would be stagnation, and the Minnesota Timberwolves went into this offseason clearly determined to avoid that at all costs.

The focus was on generating more offensive creation and shot opportunities outside of All-NBA shooting guard Anthony Edwards, who has been the face of the franchise. So Minnesota traded away Julius Randle and Naz Reid in separate deals, both clearing up cap space and adding former Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, who will have to embrace efficiency in Minnesota.

Will that be enough for the Timberwolves to get over the hump?

Here's a breakdown of the Minnesota Timberwolves' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NBA season:

TIMBERWOLVES: Sign free agent Jonathan Kuminga. What deal means

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES SCHEDULE: Dates, times and opponents for 2026-27 season

Minnesota Timberwolves offseason review

• Record last season: 49-33 (6th in Western Conference)
• Playoff finish: Eliminated in conference semifinals (2-4, against Spurs)
• Coach: Chris Finch (sixth season)
• 2026-27 title odds: +2500 (per BetMGM)
• Projected record: 55-27
• Offseason grade: B

Key roster additions

• G LaMelo Ball (trade)
• F Jonathan Kuminga (free agent signing)
• F Cody Williams (trade)
• F Trey Lyles (free agent signing)
• G Isaiah Evans (NBA draft)

Key roster losses

• F Julius Randle (trade)
• F Naz Reid (trade)
• G Mike Conley (free agency)
• F Kyle Anderson (free agency)
• G/F John Konchar (waived)

Biggest question entering training camp

How will LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga reshape Minnesota’s offense?

In the past three seasons, the Timberwolves have reached the conference finals twice. Last year, they failed to get out of the second round. Each time, the opposing team did the same thing: they threw extra bodies and double teams at Anthony Edwards, forcing him to be more of a facilitator than a pure scorer. Minnesota’s other players, however, could never generate enough offense to propel the Timberwolves through. Now, Edwards will have other outlets who can create offense, most notably LaMelo Ball, who should take over ball-handling duties. Ball can also create his own shot, though he was a high-volume option in Charlotte. Here, he’ll need to be more selective, and free agent addition Jonathan Kuminga is another threat who can slash to the rim. Both players are defensive liabilities, though the Timberwolves have enough in Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels to mask those deficiencies. The big question, however, lies on offense, and whether Ball and Kuminga (and guard Ayo Dosunmu, who shined in the playoffs) can take enough pressure off of Edwards.

Projected starting lineup and rotation

Starters

• G LaMelo Ball
• G Anthony Edwards
• F Jonathan Kuminga
• F Jaden McDaniels
• C Rudy Gobert

Rotation players

• G Ayo Dosunmu
• G Terrence Shannon Jr.
• F Joan Beringer
• G Donte DiVincenzo (injured)
• G Isaiah Evans
• G Bones Hyland
• F Cody Williams
• F Enrique Freeman
• C Rocco Zikarsky
• F Jaylen Clark

What to expect in 2026-27 season

A team taking chances to break through. Look for Minnesota to scheme up ways for LaMelo Ball, Jonathan Kuminga, Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu to get easy offense. In theory, that should allow Anthony Edwards to both conserve energy and pick his spots. Furthermore, if teams continue to double Edwards, that should give him plenty of viable options to knock down shots. Minnesota’s defense may take a bit of a step back, but an increase in shooting productivity makes the Timberwolves an interesting team to watch. But with the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and other teams looming in the West, the path won’t be easy. The Timberwolves do deserve some credit, however, for understanding they needed to make tweaks to stay competitive, especially if they were unwilling to pay Julius Randle. One role that remains up for grabs is sixth man, where Naz Reid had shined. Could that become a spot for Dosunmu? Or, perhaps Kuminga, if he becomes a reserve? Either way, the Timberwolves will need a spark off the bench.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Minnesota Timberwolves season preview: Lineup, roster and prediction

Information in this article was imported automatically into a template written and reviewed by a USA TODAY Sports editor. You can send feedback using this form.