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The 2027-28 season is a year away from starting, and yet, there may already be something to be hopeful about for Raptors fans.

On Sunday, Twitter account ProLine Mockups has announced that according to their sources, the Toronto Raptors will be among four NBA teams to receive major overhauls to their jersey lineups.

The Raptors in particular are described as about to change the colour of their Statement Edition jerseys from black, to purple. Most recently worn during Game 5 of the playoffs last year (which the Raptors lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers), these jerseys with the staggered letters were first introduced in 2020.

Meant to merge old and new design elements, combining the team’s modern look with the pinstripes of their original dinosaur jerseys, these jerseys have been a mainstay of Toronto’s look for the entirety of the 2020s.

However, it seems that this jersey’s darkness will be giving way to the traditional royal purple. And while it’s not new for the Raptors to wear purple jerseys as alternates, making Toronto’s Statement Edition purple means that the colour will yet again become a semi-permanent part of the team’s brand. NBA’s LockerVision site explains this, noting that Statement jerseys are “core uniforms… on-court for multiple seasons.” This means that Purple Fever could be hear to stay.

Journalist Zulfi Sheikh posted a mockup of the potential jerseys, showing what a simple colour swap would look like. ProLine, the originators of this rumour, did not suggest that the Raptors would fully reincorporate new branding centred around a dinosaur of any kind, so this conservative approximation is the most realistic concept of new jerseys based on the most up-to-date information.

This would be a step in the right direction for the Raptors, who have retained the “chevron” jerseys as their main look for multiple years, despite some very popular City Editions coming and going, with both the 2024-25 and 2025-26 looks bringing back the Raptor mascot in a prominent fashion.

There seems to be overwhelming public admiration for the purple dinosaur jerseys of the 1990s, which the Raptors are resistant to embrace despite a resurgence of throwback looks across the league. And while ProLine’s reporting does not suggest that fans will get to see that look back in a major way anytime soon, this is certainly an improvement over more red and black.

Regarding the veracity of these claims, ProLine refused to name their source of information, but, have a record of accuracy regarding such information. In 2025, they correctly predicted the revamped Rockets and Timberwolves jerseys for the 2026-27 season. While the return of the Hawk’s classic bird logo was incorrectly suggested, ProLine explained that the idea ended up going unused, despite a leak of the jerseys in the 2K video games.

So, it seems that the Raptors are likely to make a big switch next season. How are you feeling about those new jerseys? Excited? Bored? Happy? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Charlotte Hornets. Tyler Herro led all Bucks scorers with 18 points in 23 minutes, followed by Ryan Rollins (12 in 23) and Kyle Kuzma (12 in 22). Brandon Miller—marked as day-to-day before the game—showed out, dropping 18 points in 23 minutes. Brayden Burries, Nate Ament, Ousmane Dieng, Kasparas Jakucionis, and new acquisition Johni Broome were all inactive for the Bucks, among a few others.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

The Bucks began the game on the right foot, with Tyler Herro converting a midrange floater to open the scoring. Soon, led by triples from Ryan Rollins and Jaime Jaquez Jr., the Bucks jumped to a 10-2 lead. However, the up-tempo Hornets offense worked wonders, getting the home team back into it and tying the game at 13—Bucks timeout. Royce O’Neale took the lead with 4:17 remaining, but AJ Green answered with a 28-foot three-pointer to tie it. Triples from Tidjane Salaun (he can shoot now!) and Sion James, however, pushed Charlotte’s lead to six shortly thereafter. Kevin Porter Jr. rose over Ryan Kalkbrenner to throw down a contact dunk, and Jericho Sims had a nice reverse layup to narrow the lead, but Charlotte held on to end the quarter, up 29-26.

Although Kyle Kuzma connected early in the second quarter, the Hornets kept rolling over Milwaukee—mostly in transition. A Brandon Miller three widened Charlotte’s lead to six, forcing a Milwaukee timeout. From there, the Hornets clicked as the Bucks’ offense stalled. Miller had 11 second-quarter points, while key scorers like Herro remained muted. The Bucks also struggled with ball handling, committing seven first-half turnovers. That said, Milwaukee ran a 10-3 stretch to cut Charlotte’s lead to two with three minutes left in the half, but Charlotte answered with 13 unanswered points—led by Naz Reid and Sion James—to close out the half up 60-45.

The Bucks struggled to find their footing from long range, while the Hornets kept dancing around Milwaukee’s defense. Without Kel’el Ware on the court, Milwaukee’s bigs looked slow to switch on the perimeter. They also looked especially vulnerable on screens, where Charlotte could either find an open corner shooter when the defense collapsed or trap the Bucks big in a favourable two-on-one. Charlotte’s advantage stayed steady, led by their small-ball pairing of Naz Reid and Moussa Diabaté. A thunderous Ryan Kalkbrenner lob put the home team up 20 with just over two minutes remaining. The Bucks’ offense looked unresponsive to anything the Hornets’ defense gave it; they didn’t shoot well from three, and they weren’t good at banging it out in the post. The Hornets had a big lead at the end of third quarter, up 87-67.

The game was all but over as the final frame began. Charlotte put in a reserve lineup led by first-round draft pick Hannes Steinbach and two-way center PJ Hall, while Herro, Kuzma, and Porter tried to close the Hornets’ 20-point lead. The Hornets scrapped against the Bucks’ starters, taking charges, grappling for offensive rebounds, and making extra passes to find open teammates on the perimeter. Eventually, he Bucks threw in the towel and trotted out Pete Nance, Kam Jones, and Jake Stephens, who made his preseason debut. Despite Stephens’ late three-pointer to close out the game, it was too little, too late as the Hornets strolled out of Spectrum Center with the win.

Stat That Stood Out

The Bucks shot 3/17 from three during the second quarter. That shooting slump let the Hornets build a large lead and eventually run away with the game. It seemed like no one, including the Bucks’ sharpshooters, could find the net.

Obscene Overreaction

Will Kevin Porter Jr. struggle heavily this season? He hasn’t scored double digits in the preseason, and his performance today—six points on 1/6 shooting—was particularly underwhelming. With so much guard depth on the roster, KPJ could quickly fall out of Milwaukee’s rotation.

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic 119-105. The Cavs are now 1-1 in the preseason.

James Harden led all scorers with 24 points. This was Harden’s first game of the preseason after missing Cleveland’s previous game with ankle soreness. He looked like he hadn’t missed a step, easing into a rhythym and making his first five shots.

Cleveland traded for Harden in the middle of last season, giving them minimal time to practice and gel with their new star. A full summer and training camp should allow them to hit the ground running this season. So far, so good. Harden had complete control of the offense and showed that he can still score in bunches even at 37 years old.

Evan Mobley added 14 points and 7 rebounds. He struggled from the floor (3-10 shooting) but made up for it by getting to the free throw line and nailing 8-of-9 attempts.

Jaylon Tyson drilled three three-pointers for 13 points in 16 minutes. The third-year wing is expected to play a key role on Cleveland’s bench this season.

The Cavs weren’t happy with their defensive effort last week when they lost to the Boston Celtics. They wanted to shore up their efforts on the glass and do a better job of containing the perimeter tonight. And, they picked the right opponent to set that goal, as Orlando’s lack of offensive firepower made it easier to shrink the floor. The Magic shot just 13-of-36 from downtown and weren’t able to consistently create advantages against a more active Cavs defense at the point of attack.

Mario Hezonja had a nice bounce-back game with 13 points on 5-9 shooting. Hezonja looked a step slow in his previous game but was able to break free in transition and serve as a floor-spacer tonight. He also added 5 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals.

The Cavs play their final game of the preseason on Tuesday before beginning the regular season on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 22.

The Washington Wizards host the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.

Game Info

When: Monday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Capital One Arena

How to watch: Monumental Sports Network

Injury Report

Wizards: Jamir Watkins and Tristan Vukcevic are out. Khris Middleton and Tre Mann are day-to-day.

What to watch for

The Wizards and Nets enter their preseason tussle with identical 2-0 records. Washington squeaked by two Eastern Conference powerhouses in its first two games, while Brooklyn beat the revamped Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets.

Fans can get a third look at AJ Dybantsa against NBA-level competition. The No. 1 overall pick showed flashes of excellence in his first two preseason outings with lethal transition attacks and high defensive activity. Hopefully, he can get his shooting stroke going, as he remains 0-for-5 from three-point range and 6-for-13 from the free-throw line.

The new-look starting five of Dybantsa, Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Kyshawn George, and Alex Sarr needs all the reps it can get. Expect that unit to see a little more run tomorrow night with opening night just over a week away.

I don’t know if Grayson Allen’s departure would necessarily be described as a big shoes to fill. But when you look at the production he provided over three seasons with the Phoenix Suns, it might be one of the more underrated stories surrounding the organization during that stretch.

Allen appeared in 190 games for Phoenix, starting 108 of them, while averaging 13.3 points on 41.0% shooting from beyond the arc. Add in 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, along with the fact that he led the NBA in three-point shooting three seasons ago at 46.1% while starting 74 of the 75 games in which he appeared, and you begin to appreciate how valuable his contributions were. That’s a role that won’t be easy to replicate, and it’s essentially the one Luke Kennard is stepping into as he arrives in Phoenix.

Kennard carries much of the same stigma that followed Allen prior to his arrival in the Valley, particularly when it comes to his archetype as a player. He’s viewed primarily as a three-point shooter, somebody whose value is largely defined by his ability to knock down shots from the perimeter. But what Kennard has showcased thus far in the preseason is an ability to contribute in ways beyond his shooting.

Of course, shooting the basketball remains his calling card, and through three preseason appearances, he’s demonstrated why. In 17.8 minutes per game, Kennard is averaging 12.3 points while shooting 35.7% from beyond the arc. He’s attempting 4.7 three-pointers per game, which is where much of his offensive impact is expected to come from.

Throughout his career, Kennard has posted a three-point attempt rate of 58.4%, meaning the majority of his field goal attempts have come from beyond the arc. That trend has continued through the preseason, with 56% of his shots, 14 of his 25 attempts, coming from deep. If he’s going to replicate the role Allen occupied in Phoenix, he still has ground to cover in that area. Allen attempted 68% of his shots from beyond the three-point line, showcasing how heavily his offensive role was built around perimeter shooting.

But what Kennard has showcased this preseason is a much more layered and complex ability to handle the basketball than I think I was prepared for. Much like I didn’t fully appreciate how effective Grayson Allen was at putting the ball on the floor and attacking the cylinder, I wasn’t nearly as aware of Kennard’s ability to use his handle to create opportunities for himself while also facilitating and finding his teammates.

Through three preseason appearances, Kennard has recorded 10 assists against only three turnovers, adding another dimension to what he can provide the second unit. His ability to create offense beyond simply catching and shooting makes that group more versatile and potentially more potent.

Will he become the volume shooter that Allen was last season? Allen averaged 8.9 three-point attempts per game in the 24 games he came off the bench, so Kennard still has some ground to cover if he’s going to replicate that level of opportunity and production. He’ll need to demonstrate that he can remain effective while taking on a larger role as a perimeter shooter. And the Suns are going to need that production, especially considering they project to be among the bottom tier of NBA teams in three-point shooting percentage this season.

What Kennard has demonstrated thus far is a much more layered offensive skill set than I initially anticipated, one that was on full display Saturday night when he scored 20 points against the San Antonio Spurs.

That’s what makes Kennard’s early performances so encouraging. Phoenix acquired him to replace a significant portion of the shooting it lost, but he’s beginning to demonstrate that his value could extend beyond the three-point line. The ball-handling, decision-making, and ability to create opportunities for others provide Jordan Ott with additional flexibility. Kennard doesn’t need to become Grayson Allen 2.0. He needs to make his own impact. And through three preseason games, he’s showing us that there’s more to his game than we anticipated.