Worldwide Sports News
Location: American Airlines Center — Dallas, Texas
Time: 7:00 PM CST
TV: Space City Home Network
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Rockets: Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Tari Eason
Mavericks: Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford
Can the Rockets stay undefeated? Tune in tonight and come chat with us at TDS on on the SB Nation App!
Yaxel Lendeborg had an eventful first full week in the NBA, and it appears it will stay that way.
Lendeborg spoke with Luca Evans of the San Francisco Chronicle and told him he is “going to stay true to myself” when asked about potentially taking media training.
“I’m not doing that, man. I’m going to stay true to myself and be honest. I’ve seen plenty of interviews where people are talking and it’s like, ‘Man, I don’t want to watch this,’ you know what I mean? And it’s not like I’m click-baiting or click-farming or whatever the heck people are saying. But it’s like, that’s honestly how I feel.”
Lendeborg continued, “I’m not gonna lie about it. I’ve never been a liar. So, just tell the truth.”
After Lendeborg finished playing his first NBA game against the Lakers last week, he told the California Post’s Evan Webeck and other reporters that he “lost all respect” for Luka Doncic.
Lendeborg claimed that during the Warriors’ 127-105 loss, Doncic was “flopping, a lot of foul baiting, a lot of praying to the ref.”
As the dust started to settle, Lendeborg said the following day that he went “overboard” with the trash talk toward Doncic.
This isn’t the first time Lendeborg has made some questionable comments as well.
After he was selected with the 11th pick in the NBA draft last summer, Lendeborg told reporters that he grew up hating Warriors icon Steph Curry.
During the 2010s, Lendeborg grew up as a Cavaliers fan and was a “big Kyrie [Irving] guy.”
His early teenage years saw Irving’s Cavaliers face off against Curry’s Warriors four times in the NBA Finals (2014-2018), which included Golden State winning three of those matchups.
Since his comments toward Curry, Lendeborg has grown accustomed to playing beside him, including on Wednesday night when he scored 26 points. Curry tallied 44 points, tying him with LeBron James at 15 games for players to score 40 points past the age of 35.
On Friday night, Lendeborg will get a chance to redeem himself against Doncic at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
The Calgary Wranglers announced that forward Connor Zary has undergone successful knee surgery and is now considered week-to-week.
It’s been a difficult season for Zary, who was assigned to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers after appearing in just three games with the Flames.
The 25-year-old has recorded one goal and four points in six games with the Wranglers this season, but has missed the team’s past two games.
Injury Report presented by @MFradiology :
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) October 30, 2026
Calgary Wranglers forward Connor Zary underwent successful knee surgery yesterday and will be out week-to-week. pic.twitter.com/Th163gdLlI
Selected by Calgary in the first round (No. 24 overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Zary has dealt with a history of knee injuries dating back two seasons, which have significantly impacted his development and progression.
While the surgery was successful, another extended recovery raises questions about Zary’s ability to get back on track and establish himself as a consistent NHL contributor.
For now, the focus will be on recovery and getting healthy. Zary remains under contract and within the Flames organization, but his long-term future in Calgary is becoming increasingly uncertain.
If he can return healthy and regain his previous form, he could eventually become a trade candidate. However, his recent injury history and dip in production may make it difficult for the Flames to find a suitable market.
The Senators are getting some much-needed reinforcements for their forward lines.
According to the AHL transactions page, the Sens have called up forwards Philip Tomasino and Xavier Bourgault from their American Hockey League affiliate ahead of Saturday afternoon's road game against the San Jose Sharks (4pm Eastern).
The callups come after the Senators lost Warren Foegele to a lower-body injury Tuesday in Vegas, followed by Andre Burakovsky in Thursday's wild 6-5 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
Making matters worse, Hayden Hodgson is likely to be suspended for a bad hit on Kings defenceman Brandt Clarke on Thursday night.
Hodgson's ejection, combined with Burakovsky's first-period departure, has left the Senators with just 10 forwards as they get ready for back to back games in San Jose and Anaheim this weekend.
The situation has become a nightly game of roster whack-a-mole for Green. Just when the Senators appear to be getting healthy, another player goes down.
Foegele is expected to miss an extended period with his injury, while the severity of Burakovsky's latest setback is still unclear. Burakovsky had already missed four games earlier this season with an upper-body injury.
The Senators are also without William Eklund, who remains sidelined following ankle surgery.
Tomasino and Bourgault have been fantastic in the AHL this season. Both are former NHL first-rounders and have combined for 20 points in 10 games in Belleville. With Burakovsky scuffling again this season with zero points in 8 games, the duo must have been wondering if an NHL opportunity might be looming.
Tomasino is certainly one to watch. Not only does he have 11 points in 10 games with Belleville, but he also has 218 games of NHL experience with Nashville and Pittsburgh.
In a corresponding move, the B-Sens have signed Ottawa native Kyle McDonald to a PTO. The 6-foot-5, 210 pound winger spent the past three years with the AHL's Texas Stars.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
The Detroit Pistons have run quite a gauntlet to start the season, playing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat, the title-seeking Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, the defending champion New York Knicks, and the frisky Charlotte Hornets. Today, they play one of the only two winless teams in the NBA in the Brooklyn Nets. I’m not saying the Pistons can’t lose — every team in the NBA is capable of beating every other team in the NBA on any given night. But hopefully, tonight is the kind of game where the Pistons find plenty of time for rookie Ebuka Okorie, and it is because there is plenty of garbage time in the fourth quarter, and that garbage time is because the Pistons are way ahead. It’s also technically the start of NBA Cup play, which, I guess, matters to some people for some reason.
When: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Watch: TV: TV20 Detroit | Streaming: DAZN-Det
Odds: Pistons -7.5
Detroit Pistons (4-1)
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Jalen Duren
Brooklyn Nets (0-4)
Mikel Brown Jr, Nolan Traore, Michael Porter Jr, Julius Randle, Day’Ron Sharpe
The Chicago Blackhawks are a lousy 4-9-0 to open the 2026-27 season, and it looks like another year destined for last place in the Central Division. This was supposed to be a year in which they took a step, and they show no sign of doing that.
They have tons of young talent, but that talent isn't growing together into a winning team. It still could, and should, happen, but they need a spark. Whether it's a coach, front office executive, or a roster move, change is likely coming at some point.
One change that could save their rebuild is the addition of a generational forward. One of them may be available, as Nikita Kucherov has requested a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning. He informed them that he would be re-signing with them once his contract is up, and his preferred choice is to be traded.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 30, 2026
It may be 100% impossible, as Kucherov has a 10-team list of approved destinations, but that doesn't mean the Blackhawks shouldn't check in on the situation. He is also a free agent with the right to sign with any of the other 31 teams on July 1st. His age may keep him from being the highest-paid forward in the league on his next contract, but he will certainly be paid handsomely.
Although he isn't 25, Kucherov is still a top-tier NHL player. At 33 years old, he is coming off his second career Hart Trophy-winning season. During that campaign, he had 44 goals and 86 assists for 130 points. His career high in assists is 100, which puts him in elite company in terms of NHL history, as very few players have ever reached that number.
In Kucherov's 891-game NHL career, he has 405 goals and 734 assists for 1139 points. He is dangerous as both a shooter and playmaker, which has allowed him to put up such prolific numbers. Kucherov has won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer three times in total and is a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
A player like this, with such a rich resume, would be a great veteran for young players like Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, and Oliver Moore, among others, to have around. As a winger who could line up next to any one of those centers, Kucherov would help them become prolific during a very important time in their development.
There is also the Roman Kantserov factor. Russian players do enjoy having a countryman to work with, which is exactly what this duo would be. Kucherov has an incredible ability to make plays, which would help a sniper like Kantserov get even better if given the chance.
Besides the Kantserov factor, the Blackhawks are a young team with a lot of talent trying to come together. Kucherov has been a part of a franchise dealing with the same motions as the Lightning were coming up in the mid-2010s. If he saw the potential there, he may think he could be of help. You never know what a player who has already won and made money is thinking.
Again, it's a hope and a prayer for an idea. However, if it somehow happened, it would potentially be a "rebuild-saving" move. Would not getting a trade like this done mean that they can't save their rebuild? No, absolutely not, but they have to think about big moves to get back on track.
It's hard to gauge what a trade for Kucherov would look like. With him being a pending UFA and the news of his request being out, it's not the typical value that a player of his caliber should have. The market will become more clear as reports start to come out in the coming days, weeks, or months.
At the end of this saga, someone is going to get one of the five best forwards to walk the earth during his era.
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Yaxel Lendeborg is exactly who the Warriors needed.
They didn’t get Giannis Antetokounmpo. They didn’t get LeBron James. Their offseason was widely viewed as underwhelming.
But Lendeborg has surpassed expectations and is helping prop the window open for Steph Curry and Draymond Green to play meaningful basketball this season.
The Warriors chose to draft Lendeborg with the No. 11 pick because they needed someone who could contribute right away. He had just carried Michigan to an NCAA championship. They hoped the 24-year-old would be NBA-ready.
Their gamble paid off.
Lendeborg is averaging 22 points on 47.5% shooting, 9.2 rebounds, four assists and one steal for the Warriors, who have won two games in a row to improve to 2-3 before Friday night’s game against the Lakers.
The 6-foot-9 forward is the first player since Shaquille O’Neal to average at least 20 points and nine rebounds in his first five games.
He joined Patrick Ewing, David Robinson and O’Neal as the only players in the draft lottery era to have at least 85 points and 35 rebounds in their first four games.
“The Golden State Warriors [have] found the next face of the franchise,” Draymond Green recently said on his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show.”
With Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody sidelined for the first few months of the season because of injuries and Kristaps Porzingis out indefinitely because of an undisclosed health-related issue, the Warriors have desperately needed Lendeborg.
He has answered the call with an early Rookie of the Year campaign, giving Curry a reliable second scorer.
When Butler returns, the Warriors could be a formidable team. If they can make the playoffs, a lineup of Curry, Green, Lendeborg and Butler could make some noise.
Lendeborg is skilled. He’s unafraid, so much so that he’s willing to trash talk Luka Doncic and then say that he “lost all respect for him” because of his “whining.” And he’s meeting the moment.
It’s a giant sigh of relief for Curry, who’s turning 39 this season and wants to play competitive basketball after carrying the Warriors to four championships over eight years from 2015-2022 before they failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs the last four seasons.
Lendeborg is quickly making a name for himself.
And he’s making things interesting for Curry, who scored 44 points, including a 19-point second quarter, to carry the Warriors to a 119-114 win over the Timberwolves on Wednesday.
Lendeborg wants to help make those stunning performances matter.
He wants to make sure the league’s modern-day dynasty remains relevant.
He wants to be Curry’s wingman, especially after witnessing his magic in person for the first time.
“I caught myself shaking my head like, wow, a couple times,” Lendeborg told reporters Wednesday. “But once he got out the game, it’s like this is my opportunity to help him out. Help his [greatness] be worthwhile.”
The Dallas Mavericks (3-2) host the Houston Rockets (5-0) in the first game of NBA Cup Group Play on Friday night. The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a dominating win on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets are undefeated through five games, most recently dismantling the Milwaukee Bucks by over 30 points. This is the first game of Group Play for the NBA Cup. Here is what else you need to know!
As of the 3pm CST injury report, Dallas will be without what’s become the regular group of guys. Santi Aldama and Tarik Biberovic are listed as doubtful, which all but rules them out. It is a positive change from the usual “out”, but they still won’t play. Sergio De Larrea will miss the game with his knee sprain. Naji Marshall is questionable after missing the last two games due to illness.
For the Rockets, Steven Adams and Reed Shepard will miss this game due to injury. Alperen Sengun and Marcus Smart are both listed as questionable for this game.
It’s difficult for me to give an assessment here on what might happen. Houston is the better team, one of the last two undefeated teams in the league, but Dallas has been punchy since losing to the Rockets in game one. Adams being out gives Dallas a better chance, but the Mavericks must play better defense on Kevin Durant. If Durant has an off game and Flagg and Kyrie play well, Dallas has a very good chance. Either way, this team has become must watch TV.
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World No 10 defeats Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in quarter-final
27-year-old becomes ninth Australian man to reach 350 tour-level wins
Alex de Minaur has enjoyed a landmark 350th tour-level win of his career at the Vienna Open, downing an old rival to set up a semi-final date with the world No 1-elect Alexander Zverev.
Australia’s main man defeated Matteo Berrettini, the Italian he’s had plenty of trouble with down the years, for the second successive year in the quarter-final of the ATP 500 event at the Wiener Stadthalle.
Continue reading...
Ja Morant’s first season with the Trail Blazers is already on hold.
Add him to the list.
The two-time All-Star suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain during Thursday’s 124-103 loss to his former team, the Grizzlies, on Thursday and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, the Blazers confirmed.
Morant, 27, sustained the injury midway through the fourth quarter as the game began to get away from Portland. He was seen grabbing at the back of his left leg mid-action.
He exited with 7:46 remaining and was examined on the bench before being ruled out.
An MRI subsequently confirmed the injury, which will likely hold him out of action for at least another month.
Morant finished with 14 points, three assists and went 2-for-5 from 3-point range in 23 minutes.
Morant’s latest setback follows several injury-plagued seasons that contributed to Memphis trading him to Portland — along with the fact that he’s due about $97 million over this and next season.
He underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in January 2024 after tearing his labrum. He subsequently dealt with hip, ankle and other injuries before a left elbow sprain ended his 2025-26 season.
Morant appeared in just 79 games across his final three seasons in Memphis, a total also affected by suspensions due to his off-court conduct.
His availability, declining production, expensive contract and previous off-court issues complicated the Grizzlies’ efforts to trade him, and reportedly, there wasn’t much of a robust market available prior to the 2026 trade deadline, nor this past offseason.
Morant signed a five-year, $197 million extension in 2022 and received NBA suspensions of eight and 25 games in 2023 following separate incidents involving firearms displayed on social media.
He was suspended for another game last November by the Grizzlies due to conduct detrimental to the team.
He averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists in 20 games last season. The assists matched a career high, but the scoring was his lowest since the 2020-21 season, Morant’s second year in the NBA.
Through four games with Portland, Morant averaged 15.8 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range, which would be a career-best tally if it stands.
His injury adds to a growing list of significant absences barely a week into the NBA season.
Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams suffered a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle that will sideline him for at least most of the NBA regular season, while teammate Cason Wallace is expected to miss several months with a torn shoulder labrum.
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and is expected to miss approximately two months.
Magic cornerstone Paolo Banchero is also sidelined for at least a month with a high ankle sprain.
And Pacers leader Tyrese Haliburton is out at least two weeks with a hamstring strain.
Daniel Vogelbach has got it going on.
The Brewers’ hitting coach might not have starred on the field as the team won its first World Series, but he certainly starred on stage at the team’s championship rally after the parade.
Presumably after several hours of drinking, Vogelbach, 33, grabbed the mic for a bit of karaoke. He rolled his eyes after hearing the opening chords to “Stacy’s Mom,” the 2003 classic by Fountains of Wayne, which is beloved by millions of millennials.
“All right, if you guys really want this, we’re going to do it,” Vogelbach said with a hoarse, cracking voice.
With a microphone in one hand and Miller Lite in the other, Vogelbach hilariously slurred his way through the first verse while pacing back and forth in front of thousands of fans shown smiling, clapping and dancing along to his off-key rendition.
As it turns out, this may not have been an impromptu karaoke session. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Vogelbach was following through on a pledge he made to sing “Stacy’s Mom” during the Game 5 celebration once the Brewers left the stadium.
In addition to being a good clubhouse personality, something he was lauded for during his playing career that included a stop with the Mets, Vogelbach coached the Brewers to one of the top offenses in the league. Despite finishing 28th in baseball in home runs, Milwaukee was second in runs scored and third in OPS.
Their hitting mantra this year was similar to how Vogelbach found success during his eight-year career. His career .340 OBP — including a stunning .363 in two abbreviated seasons with the Brewers — was well above league average, and, outside of a 30-homer 2019, he never hit for much power but found other ways to get on base.
The rally took place at a lakeside park in Milwaukee following the Brewers’ World Series parade through the city. According to ace Jacob Misiorowski, the team has slept “probably two, three hours.” since winning the title in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Wednesday.
Among other parade-day escapades, Misiorowski chugged a beer tossed from the sidewalk by a fan, and outfielder Garrett Mitchell grabbed a baby from the crowd and posed for a photo. Robin Yount, the 71-year-old Hall of Famer, rode onto the stage on a Harley.
The regular season may just be 10 days old, but the first night of the NBA Cup is upon us.
The fourth iteration of the league’s annual in-season tournament tips off Friday, Oct. 30, with a slate of 10 games, all of which are part of the Cup.
Among the highlights are a rematch of the marquee regular season opener between the defending NBA champion and defending NBA Cup champion New York Knicks and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers. Just 10 days ago, the Sixers won that matchup, 106-100, in Madison Square Garden, but Friday’s game will be played at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
The nightcap features another rematch of a season opener between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s also the re-up of a feisty matchup between Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg and Lakers star Luka Dončić, both of whom were engaged in a battle of words during the opener.
Follow along below for live scores from the 10 games, as well as winners and losers from the first night of NBA Cup action:
Stream select NBA Cup games on Prime Video
After dropping the first four games of the Giannis Antetokounmpo era, the Heat have course corrected. Miami has leaned into pick-and-rolls some more, though it hasn’t abandoned its desire to play in transition. But the biggest development for the Heat is that they are making their perimeter shots.
Klay Thompson erupted Friday night, making 9-of-14 attempts, including 7-of-12 from 3-point range, en route to a season-high 25 points. The Heat shot 18-of-40 (45%) from beyond the arc, and Antetokounmpo recorded his second triple-double of the season, on a 31-17-10 stat line. Antetokounmpo is averaging 16.3 rebounds per game over his last three, but Miami is allowing captain Bam Adebayo to play more to his strengths; whereas he was hanging around the perimeter in the first week of the season, Adebayo is operating far more with the ball in his hands and is getting to his preferred spots in the paint and at the elbow. The Heat need to sustain this, but dropping 145 points is a very good sign.
For the first time this season, Philadelphia was without forward Jaylen Brown, whom it acquired in a blockbuster trade this offseason with the Boston Celtics. It was not an issue, not even against the defending NBA (and NBA Cup) champion Knicks.
The Sixers withstood New York’s late attempt at a comeback, which is notable because the Knicks last season became known for their ability to erase massive deficits. It was also notable because Philadelphia got big contributions from its other stars; LeBron James put in a huge tip-in with 12 seconds left that put the game out of reach. Joel Embiid had several solid defensive possessions against Karl-Anthony Towns. Tyrese Maxey led all players with 27 points. The 76ers (5-1) have shown they can beat the best teams in the East. They’ve also showed they can do that with key players sidelined.
There could be a case made for West B (Thunder, Timberwolves, Clippers, Pelicans, Grizzlies) being the lightest group in the NBA Cup, particularly with the injuries facing Oklahoma City and Minnesota, but the Celtics – and the Hawks, to an extent – have the luck of the draw. East C also features the Hornets, Bulls and Wizards, unproven teams that do lack some elite star-level talent. Boston, however, should capitalize and come out on top, perhaps comfortably, which is nice for the Celtics, considering they’re also still incorporating new pieces into the lineup.
Once the Warriors dropped their first three games, there was concern over what type of season they would have. It was an early overreaction. They have since rattled off three consecutive wins and are beginning to look like a team that can compete down the line.
The Warriors will go as far as Stephen Curry will go. He's turned it up in the previous three games, scoring 24 points in a win against Denver while shooting 100% from the floor; scoring 44 points against the Timberwolves; and adding in a 31-point flurry against the Lakers.
But even when Curry is on, it's a team game and the Warriors' strength is in their depth. Other Warriors have stepped up in the previous games. They've leaned on Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, De'Anthony Melton and Georges Niang. There's now a chance to build consistency and capitalize on their momentum. − Marcus D. Smith
And a key absence was a big reason why. Houston was without Alperen Şengün, who was managing lower back soreness. Making matters worse, the Rockets held an 11-point lead late in the third quarter, but the offense collapsed as Dallas’ defensive intensity ratcheted up and as Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving made clutch shot after clutch shot.
The return of Fred VanVleet at point guard was a massive boost to stabilize the offense and the point guard position. But Şengün has been Houston’s anchor and is averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. He can orchestrate the offense from the top of the key and find open teammates. As the Mavericks closed the gap and eventually took the lead, they could’ve used exactly that.
It has now been three games that Toronto has been without Kawhi Leonard, who is battling knee inflammation. The Raptors have lost two of those, and the latest came against an Orlando Magic team that’s without its best player: Paolo Banchero.
Toronto needed a 41-point showing from forward Scottie Barnes, and yet, they could barely stay in this one. The Raptors held a lead for just 2:10, but the offense simply could not find a steady rhythm. Barnes took 34 shots. And while he did connect on 55.9% of them, the offense was disjointed as Toronto tried to sustain scoring. Leonard was averaging 19.5 points per game before he got hurt, so it’s not like he was dropping massive scoring numbers. But without his presence, Toronto loses its offensive complexity.
If there’s one group in the entire NBA Cup that is overly stacked, it’s easily East B. Not only does it feature the defending NBA champion New York Knicks, it also showcases the runners up in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers, as well as the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.
Philly, of course, retooled this offseason and added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, making the Sixers a popular preseason pick for the NBA title. Miami acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and has struggled to start the season, but a victory Oct. 28 against the Hawks showed that the Heat have plenty of potential if they lean into pick-and-rolls. And the Pacers may be without Tyrese Haliburton, who is nursing a hamstring injury, but Indiana still has plenty of talent. If there’s a group of death in the NBA Cup, it’s this one.
Brooks was tossed from the Phoenix Suns' game against the Denver Nuggets during the third quarter after he received a flagrant 2 foul.
The longtime NBA pest "overtly" − in the words of official Tyler Ford − kicked the Nuggets' Jamal Murray in the groin area while attempting a shot. Initially Brooks was just assessed an offensive foul but it was upgraded upon review.
Status alert: Dillon Brooks has been ejected Friday after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul.pic.twitter.com/83wU9AMKxo
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) October 31, 2026
It was the Lakers' game to win after building a 23-point lead after 12 minutes. Instead, they crumbled and Golden State's momentum carried the Warriors through the remainder of the game. It's early, so there's no need to get worked up, but there's a pattern developing with the Lakers. They have lacked the focus to keep their foot on the gas in multiple games where leads have slipped.
Los Angeles has high expectations but will be its own worst enemy if it has lapses during games. Leads evaporate quick in the NBA. The Lakers got a dose of that on Friday. − Marcus D. Smith
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Cup winners, losers: Dillon Brooks ejected for groin kick; Giannis, Heat get hot
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While most expected a new-look Lakers team heading into this season, few expected the team to move on from nearly every free agent on the roster heading into the summer.
Legitimately, Austin Reaves is the only player who elected for free agency that the Lakers re-signed. One of the more surprising players the team let walk away was Rui Hachimura.
While he was a player who had his flaws, he was also someone who wanted to stay with the Lakers and stepped up for the team in the playoffs. Despite that, LA didn’t show much interest in retaining him, effectively viewing Sandro Mamukelashvili as an upgrade at the position.
Rui’s desire to stay in Los Angeles led to him signing with the Clippers. After his early return to Crypto.com Arena this season, Rui reflected on his free agency with Khobi Price of the California Post.
“It was tough,” Hachimura told The Post about his free agency. “That’s my second free agency. Of course I was trying to get the extension from [the Lakers]. It didn’t work out, but it is what it is. We have to move on at some point.”
He later reiterated to Price that the decision was ‘on them’ and that ‘It wasn’t me. It was them.’ It’s very clear, then, that he wanted to stay in the purple and gold and the Lakers did not want to continue that partnership.
As much as he became a fan favorite — and was a favorite teammate of multiple Lakers still on the roster — the job of a front office is to make tough decisions separate from how fans may feel. They need to be objective in their decision-making and not let feelings get in the way.
The team’s desire to go the route of players who can dribble, pass and shoot means Rui didn’t fit their needs as much anymore. Would he have been a nice player to keep around? Certainly. But even through five games, it’s clear he doesn’t fit what the Lakers want to do this season.
Perhaps the only surprise is that the Lakers weren’t interested in working out a sign-and-trade, which Price reported that Rui’s camp pursued. It was also initially reported by Shams Charania of ESPN when the news of Rui signing with the Clippers. The team wasn’t interested in the cap gymnastics, so they let Rui go across the proverbial hall to the Clippers.
It was a tough call by the Lakers and a tough moment for Rui, but one that the team believes will make them better in the long run.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
Nine days ago in Los Angeles, Walker Kessler went 12-for-12 in his debut. The only cleaner perfect night in Lakers history belongs to Wilt Chamberlain, who went 14-for-14 back in March 1969. Tonight the Lakers bring that problem to Chase Center, along with the two guards who keep feeding him, and the Warriors get a second crack at the team that ran them out of the building 127-105 on opening night.
Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors
When: Friday, October 30, 2026 | 7:00 PM PT
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco
TV: Prime Video
Radio: 95.7 The Game
Stakes: NBA Cup group play opener (West Group C)
Everything starts with Luka, so we’ll start there too. Through four games he’s averaging 36.0 points, 8.3 assists and a league-leading 5.3 made threes a night. He does all of it at the pace of a man strolling through his own living room while five defenders sprint around him. He sat out Wednesday with back tightness on the second night of a back-to-back, and he’s off the injury report tonight. For the Warriors, this is a chance for Yaxel Lendeborg and Co. to get their revenge on the phenom.
Then there’s Austin Reaves, who the Lakers paid $185 million to stick around. He has spent five games proving the check cleared for good reason. He’s putting up 24.4 points and 5.4 assists a night, and he dropped 23 on the Warriors in the opener while everyone was busy watching Luka bicker with a rookie. Together Reaves and Doncic have pushed the Lakers to 123.2 points per game, second in the league, on 39.2% from three.
But let’s get back to the big man Kessler. The Lakers have never been shy about going out and getting the biggest man on the market. They traded for Wilt in 1968 and Kareem in 1975. They handed Shaq a free-agent deal in 1996, pried Pau Gasol out of Memphis in 2008, rolled the dice on Dwight Howard in 2012 and pushed every chip to the middle for Anthony Davis in 2019.
Kessler is the newest name on that wall. Luka reportedly told the front office he wanted an “A-list center,” and the Lakers paid like they believed him. They sent Utah two unprotected first-rounders and two pick swaps, then handed Kessler a four-year, $130 million deal.
What I keep coming back to is the recipe. Wilt had Jerry West, Kareem had Magic, and Shaq and Pau had Kobe. The best versions of the Lakers have almost always come down to an elite guard who knew exactly where to put the ball and a giant who knew what to do with it. Kessler hasn’t earned a seat at that table, but he’s inheriting the assignment and he’s doing it with two of those guards at the same time. He’s averaging 14.8 points on 75% shooting with 8.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. He’s available tonight despite playing through a splint on his finger.
The Warriors’ best answer so far has been the rookie with the loudest mouth in the building. Yaxel Lendeborg said he “lost all respect” for Luka after the opener, and he had the receipts to talk. He held Doncic to 1-of-6 shooting as the primary defender, and the lone make was a half-court banker at the halftime buzzer.
Since then he’s put up 31 and 12 against Denver and 26 more in Minnesota, where Steph dropped 44 points on a perfect 16-of-16 from the line to give the Warriors two straight wins. Five games into his career, Golden State is asking him to chase the league’s leading scorer on one end and carry the second-biggest scoring load on the roster on the other. Most rookies don’t get handed that kind of double duty until they’ve at least learned where the team bus parks.
The problem is everything around those two. Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porzingis are all still out, and Gui Santos is doubtful. That leaves Draymond Green and Al Horford to deal with a 7-foot-2 lob target who hasn’t missed a shot against this team yet.
Luka is going to spend all night looking for Lendeborg out of the corner of his eye. Reaves is going to punish anybody who helps, and Kessler is going to be floating at the rim waiting for the ball to drop out of the sky. The Warriors don’t have the bodies to solve all three, so they have to decide which problem they can live with losing to.
That’s the old argument again. The Lakers have spent generations finding giants for their guards to throw the ball to, and the Warriors have spent the last decade asking their guards to make giants irrelevant. Nine days ago, Kessler made Golden State’s side of that argument look awfully expensive. Tonight the Warriors get another chance to prove they were right.
Observations after Sixers beat Knicks again, move to 5-1 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Six games in, the Sixers have a single loss and two victories over the defending champion Knicks.
They moved to 5-1 on Friday night with a 98-93 win over New York in their NBA Cup opener. The Knicks, who also lost to the Sixers on opening night, fell to 2-4.
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting. LeBron James posted 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Anfernee Simons poured in 21 points off the bench.
Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson had 24 points and six assists. Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 22 points and 12 boards.
The Sixers will wrap up their back-to-back Saturday night in Charlotte against the Hornets. Their second NBA Cup game on the calendar is next Friday against the Cavaliers.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ win over the Knicks:
The Sixers racked up 39 fourth-quarter points on Wednesday in their comeback victory over the Pacers.
While they didn’t come close to matching that in Friday’s first quarter, the Sixers read the action and reacted in encouraging fashion. The Knicks often denied the Sixers’ first option, but the stars worked together well to unlock the defense.
Embiid was effective all over the floor in his first stint. He teamed up with James on a sharp two-man game late in the shot clock, leading to a layup for the 22-time All-Star. James nailed a wide-open three-pointer in the first quarter after Embiid freed him up with a strong ball screen.
Maxey sunk a catch-and-shoot three assisted by James off a designed double drag action. Embiid drove along the baseline and threw a nifty jumping pass to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a layup.
Across the board, the Sixers made sensible, intuitive plays in the first quarter. They had eight assists and zero turnovers over the first 12 minutes.
Dean Wade moved into the starting lineup, replacing Brown.
The Sixers used a nine-man rotation, adding rookie Labaron Philon Jr. to their usual early-season crew of Simons, Caldwell-Pope and Adem Bona.
The second unit had a nice stretch late in the first quarter. Bona swatted away OG Anunoby’s layup attempt. Simons knocked down a three to put the Sixers up 29-19.
The Knicks settled for plenty of jumpers in the first half. Still, the Sixers competed hard on defense and on the boards. They held New York to 44 first-half points. VJ Edgecombe was excellent on Brunson.
Wade was solid against Anunoby and nabbed three steals in the first half. Much of the focus on the Sixers’ defensive potential naturally centers on the stars, but Wade is a key piece who’s got ample experience guarding big names.
Embiid took an apparent hit to the face from Josh Hart’s arm and subbed out with 1:05 left in the second quarter holding his face. However, he was good to go for the start of the third quarter.
The Sixers extended their lead to 58-44 early in the third, prompting a timeout by Knicks head coach Mike Brown.
New York found the required response. Regular turnovers began to pop up for the Sixers. Brunson drilled a corner three and drove in for a layup that cut the Knicks’ deficit to five points.
The Sixers’ bench then stepped up. James threw a beautiful skip pass from the post to assist a Caldwell-Pope three. Simons buried three triples in the third quarter and swished a pure baseline jumper. He’s gotten hot and made a massive impact the last two games.
Bona struggled in the second half, which helped the Knicks keep the game tight. Embiid subbed back in with 8:42 remaining in the fourth quarter after Bona was whistled for his fourth foul on a Jordan Clarkson and-one layup. The Knicks trimmed the Sixers’ lead to 85-82 on a Clarkson put-back lay-in. New York wound up with a 20-7 edge in second-chance points.
Embiid’s re-entry did not create an automatic reversal in momentum. A Brunson jumper pulled the Knicks within two points and the visiting fans were very vocal.
The Sixers played ultra-aggressive defense on Brunson in the closing minutes, sending several full-on blitzes at the reigning NBA Finals MVP. They still couldn’t stop him from making a tightly contested corner three over Edgecombe that gave the Knicks a 90-89 lead.
James replied with a mid-range jumper. Following a stop, the Sixers were truly back in business when Edgecombe drained a top-of-the-key three.
Brunson then split a pair of free throws. Maxey tossed up a heavily guarded shot inside on the ensuing trip and missed it wide left, but James was there to snatch the ball and lay it in.
Not the smoothest finish in the world for the Sixers, but they ultimately notched another high-quality win against a projected Eastern Conference contender and deserve their 5-1 record.