The Washington Wizards announced Sunday they have picked up the fourth-year team options for Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George and picked up the third-year team options for Tre Johnson and Will Riley.

Washington’s entire 2024 draft class is now under contract through the 2027-28 season: Sarr: $15.6 million; Carrington: $7.3 million; George: $5.4 million.

On July 1, Sarr, Carrington and George will become eligible to sign rookie-scale extensions. The Wizards just passed on the chance to extend Bilal Coulibaly.

Johnson, the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, will make $9.06 million next season. Riley is owed $3.86 million next season.

Any team that rosters Luka Dončić is going to have to learn how to adjust to defenses blitzing ball screens.

Few players in the league, if any, are as dangerous in the pick and roll as Luka. The easiest way for opponents to keep him from doing damage is to stop him before it can really start. That typically manifests itself in blitzing Luka with two defenders on ball screens.

When things are clicking, the Lakers can quickly turn that into an advantageous 4-on-3 scenario. Things have not been clicking for them yet this season, though, and they certainly weren’t in the team’s loss to the Warriors.

While Luka had a huge night with 37 points, the rest of the Lakers struggled as they blew a big early lead and dropped their second game of the season. After the contest, Luka spoke about teams doubling him in the pick and roll and how the team needs to adjust.

“We just need to do better with that,” Luka said. “You create an advantage with two on the ball and you got to go score. It’s four on three so we have to be better there. …We have to be aggressive to score. It’s an advantage, four on three, and I think we have to be way better at this.”

At the beginning of that process is the chemistry with Luka and Walker Kessler. But nearly every aspect of the process is a work in progress, including making good on the opportunities they create when they have an advantage.

“I think the biggest thing is just shooting the shots that we get,” Jake LaRavia said postgame on Friday. “A lot of times when you pass up open shot opportunities, it turns into a disadvantage for us and it ends up into either a missed shot or a turnover and we’d much rather take the good shot over that. It’s just something that we’re going to learn more as the season goes on and as we see this more often.”

The irony of LaRavia being the one saying they can’t turn down shots considering how he ended last season. Even on Friday, there were multiple open looks he did not take from three. But, if nothing else, that just means he’s the one who has heard the most about the need to take advantage of those opportunities.

The good news is that it’s only just November and this isn’t a surprise that the team needs to build chemistry. But once they are able to get things to click out of the pick and roll, then it feels like things will really take off to another level.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

I feel as if much of my focus lately has been doom and gloom as the Phoenix Suns have stumbled out of the gate to a 1–3 record, doing so in a manner that has been particularly frustrating. If there’s one thing I appreciate when watching any sport, and one of the primary reasons last year’s team resonated with the fan base as a whole, it’s defense. I value the ability to stop the opposition from executing its game plan.

Defense travels. Defense wins championships. Defense changes the outcomes of games. And thus far, the Suns’ defense has more holes than Swiss cheese. Yes, I spent about as much time putting together that analogy as the Suns have spent playing defense through their first four games.

As I sit here looking out my window at the literal gloom hanging over the Valley, I can’t remember a time in my life when we’ve experienced rain this consistently. And rather than allowing the weather to dictate my mood, I’ve decided to do what the motto of this very site encourages us to do. I’m going to look at the bright side. That’s right. Here are three things I’ve appreciated about the Phoenix Suns through the early portion of this season.

1. Three-Point Shooting

One of my biggest fears about this team entering the season was how they would perform from beyond the arc. When you ship off Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, who are currently shooting a combined 41% from deep with the Charlotte Hornets, there’s a legitimate concern that your team might end up sucking from three-point range.

When you look at it holistically, the Suns rank 17th in the NBA, shooting 34.8% from deep. They’re certainly maintaining their three-point volume, however, ranking seventh in the league with 40.3 attempts per game. But like so many things early in this season, those numbers are being dragged down by one particularly ugly game.

In the season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix shot 6-of-31 from beyond the arc, a miserable 19.4%. Since that game? The Suns are shooting 38.8%, connecting on 50-of-129 attempts. That 38.8% would rank fifth in the NBA. Damn you, Portland game. Damn you! It feels like we’re going to spend the next 15 games waiting for that statistical disaster to work its way out of the numbers.

Even when you include the Portland game, the Suns are doing something that shouldn’t surprise anybody. They’re getting quality three-point shooting from their bench. Phoenix’s reserves are shooting 38.8% from beyond the arc, the sixth-best mark in the league. Remove that Portland game from the equation, and the Suns possess the best shooting bench in the NBA at 45.9%.

Luke Kennard is shooting 53.8% from deep this season, Ryan Dunn is at 40%, Dillon Brooks is connecting at 42.9%, and Jordan Goodwin is shooting 39.1%. And if Collin Gillespie hadn’t gone 0-of-8 in that Portland game, he’d be sitting at 42.9% himself.

All of this bodes well for Phoenix moving forward. The Suns have demonstrated that they possess the ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc, and as the season progresses, those numbers should begin to better reflect what we’ve seen since opening night.

2. Miles Bridges

Yeah, Miles Bridges.

Don’t get me wrong, his defense has left plenty to be desired as he continues trying to understand where he needs to be positioned and how to properly support those around him. His missed assignments have been atrocious, and there’s no world in which I’m going to sit here and consistently defend his defensive performance throughout the early portion of this season. But holistically, I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him thus far.

He’s third on the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game, leads the Suns in blocks, and is their top rebounder. Yes, that 22.2% shooting from beyond the arc sucks, and it certainly doesn’t help the argument I made earlier about the team’s three-point shooting. My assumption, however, is that those numbers will begin to normalize with time.

What I’ve appreciated most about Miles Bridges is that he reminds me a little bit of Shawn Marion, somebody you don’t necessarily have to draw up offensive plays for. His offense is generated through effort, whether that’s putbacks, hustle points, or simply finding opportunities within the flow of the game. Every roster needs somebody like that. Somebody who can generate those junkyard points without demanding the basketball, yet still provide meaningful offensive production.

Think about it. Dillon Brooks is averaging 16.5 points per night, but he has to be incredibly ball dominant for those points to materialize. Those are proactive points, whereas much of what Bridges provides comes reactively, taking advantage of opportunities that develop around him. And through that lens, I can see the vision of what Miles Bridges is designed to be within the context of this Suns lineup.

The shooting absolutely needs to improve, as does the defense, but there’s something valuable about having a player who can contribute offensively without requiring the entire offense to revolve around him.

3. The Bench Unit

Without a doubt, the bench has been the bright spot for the Phoenix Suns. The connectivity that this group possesses is something the starting unit should envy, and a big part of that comes from the continuity the organization talked about throughout the offseason. Much of that continuity has manifested itself within the second unit, where the only new addition to the rotation has been Luke Kennard, who has stepped into the Grayson Allen role pretty seamlessly.

The Phoenix Suns’ bench ranks 10th in the league with a +2.2 net rating, third with a 72.5% assist percentage, and fourth with a 1.94 assist-to-turnover ratio. And that’s where, as a Suns fan, you begin to realize that this team might not be as far away from being successful as it feels after watching those first four games.

The starting unit certainly needs to pick up the slack, and those players need to learn how to play together. But with 40% of that group being new to the lineup, it’s going to take some time for that chemistry to develop. Meanwhile, the backbone of this team has been the bench and the way it operates.

So even as I sit here pounding the table for Collin Gillespie to become a starter, perhaps the stability he provides to the second unit is something that needs to be considered as part of that equation. Because if the starting unit can figure things out, the bench can continue delivering punch after punch after punch when it enters the game, beating the opposition into submission.

Of course, there are multiple issues with that starting unit, and we don’t know whether time will ultimately solve them. But you know it, and I know it, because we’ve seen it with our own eyes while watching these games. When the second unit checks in, you immediately feel a sense of responsibility entering the game.

The Suns have legitimate problems, particularly defensively, and those aren’t going to disappear because I decided to write something positive. But the shooting is encouraging, Bridges is finding ways to contribute, and the bench has established an identity worth building upon. There’s work to be done, plenty of it. But even with the clouds hanging over the Valley, there’s still a little sunshine breaking through.

The Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers both played in their ABA-inspired uniforms tonight. Their offensive performances looked like they were straight out of the 60s and 70s, but so was Brooklyn’s defense, and it got them their first win of the season.

So, if you ask us, old is gold.

The Nets were led by their two high-scoring vets, Michael Porter Jr. (23) and Julius Randle (20) as well two of the team’s younger set, Day’Ron Sharpe who finished with his first double double of the season (15 and 13) and the fast-developing Nolan Traore (16 points, four 3-pointers and six assists.)

Chaney Johnson started beside Nolan Traoré at the top of the key for a second straight game this evening, but the rotation was more fluid than what we’ve seen so far this year. The Nets went nine men deep in the first period. Terance Mann, who has only gotten burn during garbage time so far this year, even logged some first quarter minutes as the backup point guard with Mikel Brown Jr. sitting.

But with both teams looking to run early, and this being the first of a back-to-back for Brooklyn, those extra bodies were needed. There weren’t a lot of statistical fast break points, but both teams moved up the floor with a sense of urgency off misses in the first. Michael Porter Jr., who had a quiet night vs Detroit, was aggressive there and in the halfcourt, pitching in seven points while shooting 2-5 from deep in the opening frame. He ended up as our leading scorer by the end of the game with 23 points on 7-16 shooting from the field and 3-10 from deep. He also pulled down nine rebounds and dished three assists.

But outside of what MPJ provided early on, makes from beyond the arc came at a premium. When Indiana smoked Brooklyn last week, the triple was their primary weapon, as they shot 23-41 from downtown. But today, the Nets kept the safety on, limiting the Pacers to a 2-15 start from deep.

Nobody shot well from the other parts of the floor early either. In the first half, Brooklyn posted .385/.250 splits while Indiana put up .324/.200 marks. Both teams also combined to miss 10 free throws between the first two periods.

“We took good shots and they were not falling,” Fernández said. “A lot of times, the anxiety hits, but the team stayed together and won the first quarter, stayed together and won the second quarter, stayed together and won the third quarter, and I think that’s what matters the most.”

Indeed, even as eager participants in the rock fight, the Nets led after one. Despite their 0-5 record going into tonight, they’ve now won the first quarter in four straight games, and are 4-2 in the period on the season. They maintained that advantage heading into the break too, up by a 43-40 score. Porter Jr led the team offensively at that point with 13 points on 5-10 shooting, followed by Mo Wagner, who added 10 after a perfect 4-4 start.

“Just taking what the game gives me,” Wagner said at halftime. “I think we’re playing really hard. We really need one.”

Get one, they did. After another string of misses, Porter Jr. began the scoring for both teams in the second half with a four point play…

Then, Traoré hit his first triple of the game off a back-tapped offensive board from Day’Ron Sharpe. That gave Brooklyn their first double digit lead of the ball game. Day’Ron finished tonight with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Fernández called his effort tonight “unbelievable” postgame.

“I mean, he he was big on the boards,” Fernández said. “He did a little bit of everything. He made his three. He set screens. Very happy for him. We don’t win this game without him, and the reality is how much he cares about winning and impacting winning. And this game, 5-7, 13 rebounds, four assists, two turnovers? I think that line is impressive. So, all his energy and willingness to do the right things, it paid off.”

“Day’Ron’s a beast, for real,” Traoré added. “Like, he’s so strong, and when he’s playing like that he’s unstoppable. Me and him in the pick-and-roll is a really great thing for us, and if I keep finding him like that, he’s gonna be great like that every time.”

However, that make from MPJ seemed to open the floodgates for everyone. Sharpe buried his own three from the corner a few minutes later. He’s now shooting 3-7 from deep on the season. But the Pacers also nailed three triples in the third after making just four in the entire first half. That kept Indiana in striking distance, and with Porter Jr. picking up his fourth foul with 4:39 to go, Brooklyn’s lead, which already felt like something out of a dream, looked at risk of fading. It might’ve too if not for Traoré and Randle, who continued to hit shots with MPJ on the bench.

But while the Nets went into the fourth up nine, the Pacers wouldn’t go away. Triples from Andrew Nembhard and Larry Nance Jr. made it a three point game with 9:29 to go.

And, Randle and Traoré stiff armed Indiana again, closing out the game in the process as well.

After two made triples from Quenton Johnson, Julius Randle swung back with an isolation three from the top of the key before driving and assisting on two for Traoré during back-to-back possessions. That reestablished a 10-point lead for Brooklyn with about two and a half to play.

Traoré finished with 16 points and six assists while shooting 6-14 from the field and 4-8 from deep with just one turnover. Randle added 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds while shooting 5-of-15 from the field and 4-of-9 from deep. He was also a +17 for the game. Over the past four games, the 6’4” 20-year-old is averaging 14.3 points on 46/39/72 splits along with four assists and a steal in 26 minutes a game.

“Great spacing,” Traoré said. “I know they want to double Julius, so we take advantage of this and make shots. I’m happy and proud of my teammates.”

“I thought Nolan had great moments, especially in that second half,” Fernández added. “You know, he shot the three well, but those were very good threes. I think that all of them are like Julius spraying the ball, and I think that’s huge.”

They didn’t have the strongest competition with Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin, Ivica Zubac and T.J. McConnell out, but the Nets defense was stout all night, and it stayed that way down the stretch. After those makes from Traoré, the Nets forced Indiana to miss four of their next five shots. It was tough, disciplined, and a crafty effort, as Noah Clowney sold an offensive “push off” foul on Nembhard to get a final stop 52 seconds to go.

Already up seven, that gave the Nets a technical free throw, as Nembhard got hit with a technical with after arguing against the call, and eventually, their first win of the season.

Final: Brooklyn Nets 98, Indiana Pacers 90

Milestone Watch

• With 15 points and 13 rebounds in tonight’s win vs. Indiana, Day’Ron Sharpe recorded his fourth career game with 13+ PTS and 13+ REB, two of which have now come against the Pacers (16 PTS, 13 REB on 1/5/25 at home). It was also his 20th career double double, and his first since February 26th of last year.

Next Up

For the first time this season, the Nets will play the defending champs on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. New York’s title defense hasn’t gotten off to a great start with the team 2-4. The Nets have their unprotected first rounder this year, so a win here helps increase the value there. Also, it’s just good to win against the Knicks. The Nets haven’t done that since January 2023, a rivalry record of 14 straight.

“We need to get a win,” Traoré said of the matchup. “I think it’s been a long time since we’ve won against the Knicks, so we got to do it.”

This one tips off at 7:30 p.m. EST.

• Boxscore: Brooklyn Nets 98, Indiana Pacers 90 – NBA.com
• Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 98, Indiana Pacers 90 (Video) – NBA.com
• Day’Ron Sharpe records double-double in Indiana (Video) – Meghan Triplett – YES Network
• Jordi Fernandez on Nets 98-90 win over Indiana Pacers (Video) – YES Network
• Nolan Traore records 16 points and 6 assists in win over Indiana (Video) – YES Network
• Michael Porter Jr. scores 23 points in win over Pacers (Video) – YES Network
• Porter, Randle help Nets to 98-90 victory over Pacers – Marc Ambrogi – AP
• Nets get revenge on short-handed Pacers for first win of season – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets find first win in familiar place, ride second-half surge past Pacers ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets’ troubling start raises bigger questions about competitiveness, accountability and the future ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets’ win vs. Pacers leaves just 1 team winless in 2026-27 NBA season – Brad Taningo – Clutch Points

The Knicks could be getting a needed injury boost.

Jose Alvarado is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Nets at Madison Square Garden. He missed the last four games with an ankle sprain.

Alvarado was able to go through practice on Sunday, coach Mike Brown said, though he didn’t have much of an update otherwise.

Tyler Kolek has gotten a shot in the rotation in Alvarado’s place. After two DNPs to start the year, Kolek played 57 minutes the last four games, notably recording 25 assists to just two turnovers.

Now, if Alvarado returns, Brown will have a decision to make — whether to keep Kolek in the rotation at the expense of some of Alvarado’s minutes or not.

“Tyler is definitely going to keep playing while Jose is out,” Brown said last week. “When he comes back, we’ll figure it out.”

Brown has been making analogies to other sports recently to explain the Knicks’ struggles.

This time around, he used football to explain why the Knicks haven’t shot well at the rim.

“If you think about it, if you’re shooting the way we’re shooting the ball at the perimeter, it’s like in football, if you’re not able to pass the ball, they’re gonna put eight guys in the box,” Brown said. “It’s the same thing. If we’re not making shots, they’re going to do this [collapse in the paint] and it’s gonna be harder to finish in the paint.

“And so eventually, at least the green [high-quality] 3s, we’re gonna have to continue generating green threes but we’re gonna have to make some green threes. But in the same breath, while we’re not doing that, we gotta be better in other areas to compensate for our ability to shoot the ball right now.” 

The Washington Wizards go on a brief one-game road trip, heading down south to Orlando, to face the Magic. After an impressive NBA Cup win over the Hornets, holding the opponent to only 79 (!) points, they now face arguably a hungry Orlando team that hasn’t had a great start to their season (2-3 record so far).

In fact, the Wizards are coming with a better record (3-3).

Here’s the preview!

Game info

When: : Monday, November 2, 2026, 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Kia Center, Orlando, FL

How to watch: LeaguePass

How to listen: The Team 980 AM, 106.7-2 FM

Wizards: Jamir Watkins, Justin Champagnie, and Tristan Vukcevic.

Injury Report

Magic: Izaiyah Nelson, Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Noah Penda, and Paolo Banchero.

Pregame notes

The Wizards are at .500 — The Wizards are back, after a good number of years to being a league average team. You can see that in many of their stats (defensive and offensive) and you can also see it from their split record 3-3. This is a big improvement already, although obviously there is still a lot of room for progress.

This is a must win for the Magic — The Magic consider themselves as a borderline contender, and so given the lukewarm start to their season (for instance, a 30 point loss to the Raptors) they are definitely looking to win this one, and not enter into a 2-4 record hole. Their potential for explosiveness is there, as was on display in their relative easy win over the champions, the Knicks, last week.

Defense — The Wizards have dramatically improved their defense. This was on full display against the Hornets, that were not able to cross the 80 point line. Can they keep it up against the very dynamic Magic?

Let us know your thoughts!

When the Celtics shoot somewhere in the neighborhood of 44 percent from the floor and 27 percent from 3-point range, as they did Sunday against the Magic, that is often an indicator that perhaps it simply isn’t their night.

In this particular game, though, those numbers didn’t tell the whole story. Boston made crucial hustle plays, extra passes and played excellent defense, leaning on intangibles and collective grit to outlast Orlando, 108-97, and move to 5-1 on the season.

Jayson Tatum led the way with 32 points (15 of 17 from the free-throw line) and seven assists. Paul George added 17 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

The Magic (2-4) jumped out to a 13-4 edge, as the Celtics looked a step slow in the opening minutes and Orlando burned Boston from the outside.

Hugo González and Tatum responded with conviction, with González contributing an and-one and a crafty lefty finish in traffic and Tatum doing damage all over. González finished with 7 points in first start of the season.

A Luka Garza and-one in the final minute gave the Celtics the lead, and they took that 24-23 edge into the second quarter despite shooting just 9 percent from 3-point range in the first. Orlando shot 50 percent from 3 but had eight turnovers, and Boston’s ability to turn defense into offense paid dividends.

Tatum took a hit to the head, started bleeding and briefly went to the locker room before returning.

The Celtics’ shooting woes continued into the second, as they started the game 1 for 15 from distance despite getting decent looks. But, they continued to make timely plays, as Payton Pritchard found Baylor Scheierman in the corner, Garza connected with Tatum for two more and Jordan Walsh sprayed it to Derrick White for a triple. Neemias Queta added a thunderous dunk, Pritchard kept Orlando off balance and Tatum was terrific defensively.

Boston shot 23 percent from 3 in the half, yet won the turnover battle, 9-3, and built a 55-50 halftime advantage behind 17 points from Tatum.

George helped Boston push the lead to double digits early in the third, stymying Orlando on one end feeding Queta (who got the start with Mitchell Robinson resting) for a lob on the other. George continues to mesh well stylistically with the Celtics and look like he has been in Boston all along.

White buried a 3 to extend the margin to 69-54, and a diving hustle play and silky side-step 3 from Sam Hauser kept the energy high late in the quarter.

The Magic, playing without Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs, answered with a 12-0 run behind shotmaking from Tristan da Silva (23 points). They tied it at 72 on an Anthony Black (23 points as well) corner 3, then Tatum hit two five free throws late to give Boston a 77-74 edge through three.

A Pritchard and-1 that Brian Scalabrine referred to as “Michael Jordan vibes,” and Garza 3 gave Boston an 85-79 advantage with 9:48 remaining. George extended it to 90-83 with a corner triple of his own two-plus minutes later.

Scheierman splashed another 3 to push it back to double digits. Orlando answered with an 8-0 flurry, then Tatum calmly canned back-to-back jumpers to create a bit of breathing room. A timely Queta swat and George dagger 3 helped seal it.

The Celtics (29 assists Sunday) have racked up 25-plus assists in all six of their games so far, which is the longest streak to start a season in franchise history.

This was Boston’s first of 12 road games in November. Next up is a matchup at Houston on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The early-season success might’ve masked the reality of where the Lakers are at in their team-building journey. 

But they returned to Southern California for their back-to-back set against the Raptors and Heat with a renewed perspective on what needs to happen for them to grow into the championship-caliber team they’re hoping to become.

And how the process isn’t as easy or linear as they made it look early on.

“We want to become a great team,” coach JJ Redick said. “You don’t become a great team in six games. We want to become a great team after 82 games and have a chance to go compete for a championship in April, May and June. It’s a process to get there.”

There was a hitch in the process during Friday’s blowout loss to the Warriors at Chase Center. 

The Lakers went from looking like worldbeaters when they took a 25-point lead early in the second quarter to unrecognizable by the time the Warriors completed the 42-point turnaround.

Their offense fell off a cliff when the Warriors blitzed or put two on the ball against Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The Lakers star guards created the types of advantages teams strive for.

But they didn’t cash in on the openings, with it being clear that the role players are still learning how to operate when playing four-on-three basketball.

“We just need to do better with that,” Doncic said. “You create [an] advantage, you put two on the ball. And you got to go score. It’s a four on three, so we gotta be better at that.”

It sounds easy.

But the small sample the Lakers have when playing against teams deploying more aggressive defensive coverages makes it clear it isn’t as easy as it appears.

There’s a rhythm to playing advantage basketball. 

Spacing principles need to be mastered.

Decision-making needs to be quick and crisp before those advantages disappear and evaporate just as quickly as they were created. 

With so many new faces, the nuances haven’t set in yet.

“Obviously, it’s a new team, so a lot of guys have different roles,” Walker Kessler said. “It’s different because guys aren’t necessarily comfortable yet, like talking to each other during tough times or calling each other out or taking coaching or taking a response. That just builds with time. We have a lot of talent on this team and a lot of good players. Everyone has seen it. When we’re playing well, playing connected, so continue to build that.”

With the Lakers entering Week 3 of the season, there’s plenty of time for these intricacies to be learned. 

“We know we are going to be patient,” Redick said. “There’s also, along with patience, doing what you’re supposed to do. As we play more games together, we do more walk-throughs together, we do more film together, we do more practices together, that we’ll all get better.”

The Sacramento Kings have enjoyed watching Darius Acuff Jr. take off, but are facing an internal problem with their roster as Domantas Sabonis isn’t too keen on playing alongside him.

According to Sean Deveney, of Heavy.com, Sabonis doesn’t appear to enjoy Acuff Jr.’s play style and the Kings could be willing to part ways with Sabonis via trade this season or during the summer.

“Sabonis has some hope, because teams always need size, and if he is not traded this season, he should be dealt off next summer. The Kings have no interest in keeping him there, and he is not enthused about playing with a ball-dominant guard like Acuff,” Deveney reported.

Deveney added that while teams could be looking to acquire Sabonis, the likelihood of Sacramento receiving a first-round pick for him is unlikely, and would be considered “a major score, and a long shot.”

Denevy added that due to Sacramento’s 0-6 start to the season, moving off from their star center could make it easier for them, as they could embrace tanking this season.

For the last five seasons, Sabonis has been a mainstay in the Kings lineup and is one of the last remaining players from the team’s 2022-2023 playoff appearance, which snapped a 16-year drought.

While the Kings ended up losing the opening series against the Warriors, they took the reigning NBA champions to the limit by going seven games.

Since then, the Kings have found themselves rebuilding from the ground up, yet again.

Acuff Jr. appears to be part of the Kings’ future, as he was taken with the No.7 pick of the NBA Draft this past summer and has had a promising start to the season, averaging 26 points through six games.