Browsing: NBA

Nearly three weeks after signing him to a one-year deal, the Golden State Warriors have waived guard Seth Curry.

The 35-year-old journeyman, and brother of Stephen, isn’t expected to be gone too long from the Bay Area. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, there is an expectation that Curry will be back with the Warriors at some point early in the NBA season.

Advertisement

Curry was waived due to the Warriors’ lack of flexibility with their salary cap. They have $206.3 million committed to their roster, just below the second apron of $207.8 million and cannot fit Curry’s veteran minimum contract.

[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]

That means the 15th spot on the Golden State roster will be empty to start the season.

During the preseason, Curry practiced with the team and traveled with them on their only road trip, but he was inactive for games.

Curry spent the 2024-25 season with the Charlotte Hornets, where he averaged 6.5 points and 1.7 rebounds largely off the bench. He became a free agent at the end of the season. Should he end up back with the Warriors it would mark the fifth team that he’s played for in the past five seasons.

Advertisement

[Get more Warriors news: Golden State team feed]

It would also mark the first time that the Curry brothers will be together on an NBA team. Stephen has been with the Warriors for his entire career after they took him with the No. 7 overall pick in 2009. The two-time MVP and two-time scoring champ been a centerpiece in their dynasty run that won four NBA championships. He averaged 24.5 points and six assists last season with the Warriors while averaging a league-high 4.4 made 3-pointers per game.

The Warriors went 48-34 last season and fell in the Western Conference semifinals for the second time in the past three seasons

Golden State opens the regular season Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Source link

How far can your NBA squad go this season? What if everything falls apart? Here are the best- and worst-case scenarios for all 30 teams.

East: Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Detroit Pistons • Indiana Pacers • Miami Heat • Milwaukee Bucks • New York Knicks • Orlando Magic • Philadelphia 76ers • Toronto Raptors • Washington Wizards

Advertisement

West: Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets • Golden State Warriors • Houston Rockets • LA Clippers • Los Angeles Lakers • Memphis Grizzlies • Minnesota Timberwolves • New Orleans Pelicans • Oklahoma City Thunder • Phoenix Suns • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs • Utah Jazz

Atlanta Hawks

Best-case scenario:Trae Young is everything the Hawks imagined him to be, getting off the ball a little more on offense and digging deep on defense, and his effort on both ends sets a tone: The Hawks are here to compete. Jalen Johnson is an absolute star, maybe even an All-Star. They get a healthy season from Kristaps Porziņģis. Zaccharie Risacher takes a step forward. Dyson Daniels is a menace. Everyone else is rock solid, and Atlanta has a real shot at winning the East. That’s right. They could win this Eastern Conference. Whether or not they can beat whoever emerges from the West is another matter, but who cares, for Atlanta hasn’t seen a Finals … ever.

If everything falls apart:Young is nothing the Hawks imagined him to be, prioritizing his own success over the team’s. His business as usual on both ends stagnates the development of the young wings at his side — Johnson, Daniels and Risacher — and no amount of rim protection can guard against Young’s carelessness on defense. Bad vibes permeate the locker room, and a trade is necessary, only Atlanta cannot find much more than nickels on the dollar. The Hawks take another step back in order to move forward behind a young core, which is not the worst of options, except that they’ll need another point guard. And who is that guy? This is the catch-22: The Hawks may be damned to never win if they do keep Young and damned if they don’t.

Advertisement

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

Boston Celtics

Best-case scenario:Jayson Tatumâ€s rehab goes off without a hitch. Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard look fantastic, taking advantage of the opportunity to assume more ball-handling and scoring responsibility by continuing to develop their games … which, as luck would have it, does not preclude the Celtics from being bad! The Câ€s slip out of the postseason picture, landing a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and Brad Stevens moves Anfernee Simons and/or Sam Hauser, avoiding the apron and loosening up the roster-building restrictions to give himself some wiggle room for wheeling and dealing as Boston prepares to mount a return to contention in 2026-27.

If everything falls apart:Honestly, it feels like the only “everything falls apart†possibility would include Tatumâ€s rehab not going off without a hitch, and I donâ€t want to entertain that possibility. This portion is over!

Advertisement

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Brooklyn Nets

Best-case scenario:Jordi Fernández continues to coax meaningful development out of the gaggle of 22-and-under players under his care, with one (or more) of Egor Dëmin, Nolan Traoré, Ben Saraf or Kobe Bufkin popping enough on the ball to inspire confidence that Brooklynâ€s got a real path to a point guard of the future. That development, however, isnâ€t meaningful enough to produce anything more than the worst record in the NBA, guaranteeing a top-five pick and a chance at the type of potentially transformational homegrown talent the Nets have lacked since before Barclays Center even opened. Michael Porter Jr.â€s podcast mic breaks and he canâ€t find another one, no matter how many thousands of dollars he spends on Ubers.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:None of the rookies look like difference-makers, but Fernández once again makes chicken salad out of chicken feathers to the degree that sicko NBA podcasters are putting guys like Tyrese Martin and Jalen Wilson on their 58-Name Most Improved Player long lists. Brooklyn once again wins more games than is clinically recommended, once again drops into the bottom half of the lottery, and once again enters the summer wondering if thereâ€s any reason to believe in, well, anything.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Charlotte Hornets

Best-case scenario:LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller play more minutes together this season than they have over the last two, and they look great doing it, with Ball marrying his gaudy numbers with more temperate shot selection and ball control, and Miller showing the kind of all-around growth that validates some of those eyebrow-raising Paul George comps. Kon Knueppel hits the ground running as a central-casting, high-floor complementary piece capable of spacing the floor and shouldering some shot-creation workload.

Advertisement

[High Score is a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring. Create or join a league]

With LaMelo at the wheel and those bright young things running the wing, the Hornets become one of the leagueâ€s most fearsome transition outfits, sending them rocketing up the offensive efficiency rankings and sending play-by-play man Eric Collins into frankly uncomfortable fits of broadcasting ecstasy. Charles Lee continues to coax the defense toward respectability; in a shattered and shaken-up Eastern Conference, thatâ€s enough to get back into the play-in picture, and to give Hornets fans a reason to believe thereâ€s an actual plan at work, and that itâ€s starting to work.

If everything falls apart:Ball canâ€t stay on the floor. None of the failsafe options can keep the offense out of the depths of the NBA basement without him. Miller and Knueppel strain under the weight of the additional offensive workload they have to shoulder in LaMeloâ€s absence. Despite Leeâ€s best efforts, neither the offense nor the defense can climb out of the bottom 10, leaving the Hornets once again mucking about in the lottery and once again wondering what, if anything, they can build with this collection of pieces.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Chicago Bulls

Best-case scenario: Everything works just the way they drew it up around Josh Giddey — fastest pace in the league, launching 3-pointers like the Celtics, elite transition game and a top-eight offense, with Giddey and Coby White flirting with All-Star nods and Matas Buzelis stamping himself as a rising star, all of which is enough to earn a top-six seed and the opportunity to make actual playoff noise in a shuffled-up East.

Advertisement

Or, conversely: Things disintegrate spectacularly, resulting in one of the worst records in the NBA, the franchiseâ€s first top-three pick since Derrick Rose, and the chance to potentially land the sort of transformative talent that can actually spark a renaissance in one of the leagueâ€s longest-languishing markets.

One direction or the other. Either way.

If everything falls apart:Honestly? Another year of “We kind of muddle around between 15th and 21st on both ends of the ball, nobody looks like an All-Star, we win 38 games and donâ€t make it out of the play-in†seems like falling apart to me.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Cleveland Cavaliers

Best-case scenario:Donovan Mitchell plays as he did last season, using fewer possessions and maximizing the opportunities he does create. That allows Darius Garland to excel, and the two guards carry their chemistry into the postseason. Meanwhile, Evan Mobley is an absolute menace, wreaking havoc on both ends of the floor, even offensively, where his development is the ceiling raiser for this team. With another season in the system, De’Andre Hunter fills Cleveland’s hole on the wing, and the Cavs win the East, giving themselves a real shot at a championship.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:Same old status quo. Mitchell reverts to the player he was before, dominating the ball, and Garland cannot be maximized as a result. The ceiling for Mobley is lower than we think. He is still a top-flight defender but a work in progress on the offensive end, and that overlaps with Jarrett Allen. Hunter is not the answer on the wing, and Cleveland feels the pain of losing Ty Jerome more than it imagined, whether or not Lonzo Ball can stay healthy. The Cavs fall short of playoff expectations again, and changes are on the horizon.

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

Detroit Pistons

Best-case scenario:Cade Cunningham cements himself as an All-NBA mainstay, Ausar Thompson makes that leap, Jaden Ivey picks up right where he left off, and Jalen Duren looks more comfortable commanding the backline of the defense. The vets keep making shots, J.B. Bickerstaff manages the rotation well, and Detroit wins 50 games and hosts a playoff series for the first time since Flip Saunders was coaching Chauncey, Rip, Rasheed and Big Ben.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart: It turns out that Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. were load-bearing walls; even if Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson make for a wash talent-wise, their impact on the overall ecosystem isnâ€t as positive or additive. Slightly worse spacing, slightly worse shooting, slightly less juice and slightly more questions make the margins in which Detroit thrived last year a little bit tighter. That makes it harder for Cade to cook and all the other youngsters to bloom, resulting in a team that dips back toward .500 and the play-in mix — an opportunity squandered in an East in upheaval, and an underwhelming result that muddies the waters a bit when it comes to figuring out which pieces these Pistons should be prioritizing moving forward.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Indiana Pacers

Best-case scenario:Pascal Siakam performs to an All-NBA level. Andrew Nembhard makes an All-Star leap. Johnny Furphy, Ben Sheppard and Indiana’s recent first-round picks continue to develop. Rick Carlisle coaches them up, and the offense — even though it feels different without Tyrese Haliburton — is still marked by an up-tempo style that can keep pace with most other teams. The defense is just as stout, even in Myles Turner’s absence, and they are right back in the playoff hunt, primed to contend again once Haliburton returns for the 2026-27 campaign.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:In the absences of Haliburton and Turner, it becomes apparent Indiana does not have the firepower to compete with more complete teams, and the season begins to spiral. Bennedict Mathurin is playing for his next contract, Nembhard is nowhere near the playmaker that Haliburton is, and everyone suffers as a result. The Pacers struggle to recreate their identity and instead develop a new one: tanking for a draft pick.

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

Miami Heat

Best-case scenario:Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Norman Powell form the foundation of a competitive team. Maybe not one that can contend. But competitiveness is key, and they always seem to have it in Miami. That competitiveness is contagious, and the Heat enjoy the fruits in the form of progression from more than one of Kasparas JakuÄionis, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez and Nikola Jović. They are more than just prospects. They are pieces that can both help the Heat win games in the near-term and sweeten any pot for whenever the next superstar becomes available.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:The defense craters in the long-term absence of Jimmy Butler. The offense is no better, even in the presence of Powell, and the Heat are just meh. That meh extends to the younger generation, and there is little more than mediocrity from JakuÄionis, Ware, Jaquez and Jović. Maybe they make another play-in tournament. Maybe they get a lottery pick out of the deal. But it’s not a group that inspires a superstar to say, “Hey, I’ve been wanting to play in Miami, and now’s the time. I could win a championship with that roster.”

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

Milwaukee Bucks

Best-case scenario:Myles Turner proves precisely the hand-in-glove fit Jon Horst and Co. hoped for, preparing the path for Point Giannis, who absolutely incinerates everything in front of him. The shooters make shots, the wings guard their yard, Myles cleans up the messes at the rim, and Antetokounmpo takes care of everything else, carrying the Bucks to 50-plus wins — winning his third MVP trophy in the process — and that long-awaited return to the late stages of the playoffs.

Advertisement

Pleased by the state of affairs, Antetokounmpo signs a new max extension next summer. Everybody in Wisconsin exhales.

If everything falls apart:None of the guards and wings look like championship-caliber pieces, and Doc Rivers canâ€t perform triage effectively enough to find workable combinations. Giannis picks up a soft-tissue injury that costs him 15 or so games, and Milwaukee absolutely craters in his absence. The Bucks spend the season skulking around .500 and sputter out early — either in the play-in tournament or in yet another first-round disappointment — and, when itâ€s offered, Giannis doesnâ€t sign the extension. Everybody in Wisconsin holds their breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

New York Knicks

Best-case scenario:Mike Brown coaches the Knicks up as one of the league’s elite offenses and finds a way to field a serviceable defense, perhaps benefitting from the presence of Mitchell Robinson, who missed a good chunk of last season with an injury. Jalen Brunson maintains as one of the league’s elite playmakers. Karl-Anthony Towns, who has reached the finals of both conferences the last two years, carries that confidence into this season. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby find some consistency as reliable two-way performers, and the Knicks are the class of the East.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:Brunson steps back from the MVP race. He and Towns cannot scrape together a top-10 defense. Bridges and Anunoby are as inconsistent as ever. Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson are not playoff difference-makers. Brown is no better than Tom Thibodeau. The Knicks slam their heads against a sub-Finals ceiling once again, even in a watered-down Eastern Conference, and the outlook for the 2026-27 season is no better. Maybe they take another crack at trying to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but do they have the assets to get him?

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

Orlando Magic

Best-case scenario:All of the health questions break Orlandoâ€s way, giving Jamahl Mosley the time, reps and raw materials with which to build a two-way monster; the Magic finish top five in defensive efficiency and top 10 on the other end, exorcising all the demons of terrible offenses past. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane all make the All-Star team; Paolo (who takes a leap in his scoring efficiency and inside-out passing) and Franz (who finally irons out the kink in that jumper) make All-NBA; Mosley wins Coach of the Year. Orlando blows past 55 wins, takes the No. 1 seed in the East, and rides a miracle season to the NBA Finals, as Kevin Peltonâ€s Simulation No. 620 becomes blissful reality.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:Jalen Suggs†knee is never right and, as a result, neither are the Magic. Banchero, Bane and Wagner all put up good numbers, but without Suggs†combination of elite point-of-attack defense, secondary playmaking and knockdown spot-up shooting, Mosley canâ€t quite find the right combinations to be able to field consistently potent two-way lineups without exploitable shortcomings on one end or the other. The offense improves a little, but the defense slips more, and Orlando again finds itself futzing around .500, unable to break through in a conference that once seemed ripe for the taking — and wondering if itâ€s gone all-in with a hand that ultimately might not be good enough to drag the pot.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Philadelphia 76ers

Best-case scenario:Joel Embiid returns to (most of) his MVP form, Paul George returns to (most of) his All-NBA self, and Tyrese Maxey makes the next leap in line, giving the Sixers the kind of bona fide Big Three theyâ€d been banking on. With VJ Edgecombe and Jared McCain providing thunder, lightning and impeccable vibes in the backcourt, and Quentin Grimes connecting the dots on the wing, Philly soars back into the top 10 in offensive efficiency, and Nick Nurse schemes up enough advantages for the team to get back to league-average on the other end (and elite when Joelâ€s manning the middle). The Sixers make everyone who loved their 2024 offseason look like geniuses, rocketing to a top-four seed in the East and entering April mostly healthy, setting Embiid up to make the kind of run weâ€ve all been waiting for.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:Embiid barely plays, and barely looks like himself in the process. George looks less like the fire of old and more like the fireâ€s gone out, that contract growing heavier and more burdensome by the minute. The young side dishes canâ€t add up to a main course. Nurseâ€s mad-scientist act fails to produce results, growing stale quickly. The Sixers suck again, but not enough, and hand something like the sixth pick in the draft to Oklahoma City. Night falls on an era in Philadelphia basketball; whatever and whoever is around to start the 2026-27 season will look very, very different.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Toronto Raptors

Best-case scenario:Brandon Ingram remains healthy and drives the offense from the bottom of the rankings. Scottie Barnes’ development pushes the roster further forward, and everyone starts to believe in the ability of this group. Gradey Dick improves in his third season, and this year’s first-round draft pick, Collin Murray-Boyles, is a revelation. The Raptors compete for a guaranteed playoff spot, and fans can believe in the future of this team again.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:Barnes’ development continues to stagnate. Ingram’s impact is not what Toronto pictured when it traded for him, and the pick it dealt for him — the Indiana Pacers’ first-round selection in 2026 — yields real value. Meanwhile, the Raptors are bad enough to make the lottery but too good to secure an elite pick. They are stuck in the NBA’s middle, and that is not even enough to emerge from the play-in tournament.

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

Washington Wizards

Best-case scenario:Alex Sarr is a true floor-spacing, rim-protecting big man. Tre Johnson is the smooth-shooting scorer they imagine. Both are potential stars. Bilal Coulibaly is a complementary 3-and-D wing. Everyone settles into his role. And enough of them fulfill those roles admirably enough to think this roster could do some damage in a year’s time. And in the meantime the Wizards cruise into another lottery pick to join them.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:Nobody was worth his draft status. Not one of them. Years into their rebuild the Wizards are without a star in the making. Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum fail in their attempts to fill the void. Everything becomes about the next great hope in the draft, and that is no place a franchise wants to be, where there is no internal development and no hope for the next guy in need of it. It can get real bad, real quick in Washington.

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

Dallas Mavericks

Best-case scenario:Cooper Flagg is a franchise savior, prepared to declare himself among the league’s elite. We know Anthony Davis is great. He just has to stay healthy. Kyrie Irving returns at some point midseason and plays himself into fighting shape. Klay Thompson is still a contributor. Dereck Lively II furthers his development and establishes himself among the league’s best rim-protecting and rim-running big men. And the Mavericks are a real threat in the West, capable of beating anybody in a seven-game series. Whether they can do it four times is another matter.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:Davis cannot stay healthy, and Irving never returns. The Mavs lose faith in their ability to compete in a loaded Western Conference, only D’Angelo Russell believes otherwise. A malaise in Dallas hinders Flagg’s progress. And we emerge from this season unsure of both Flagg’s ceiling and the direction of these Mavericks. Big moves are on the horizon, and Nico Harrison is at the helm. At least they own their first-round pick in 2026.

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

Denver Nuggets

Best-case scenario:Nikola Jokić remains the class of the NBA, winning that historic fourth MVP. Jamal Murray plays a full healthy season at the level weâ€ve seen him reach for stretches, finally earning that long-awaited first All-Star berth. David Adelman plays the right notes in the second unit, turning whatâ€s long been a glaring weakness into a defined strength. The Nuggets form like Voltron into an absolute war machine, turning in the NBAâ€s No. 1 offense, winning 60 games, snatching the No. 1 seed away from the Thunder and storming to a second NBA championship.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:Turns out JV, THJ and Bruce Brown arenâ€t, like, league-shaking additions. Denverâ€s still good in the regular season, but the same bugaboos persist: Murray starts slow and misses time, the non-Braun young guys donâ€t pop, and the team still largely bleeds points whenever Jokić sits. The Nuggets struggle to rise above the din in the loud and crowded West, failing to get out of the second round yet again, with all the moves theyâ€ve made ostensibly tantamount to just rearranging deck chairs; the front office starts to think seriously about whether bigger moves are required, and what kind of market they might find for Murray or Aaron Gordon.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Golden State Warriors

Best-case scenario:None of Steph, Draymond, Jimmy or Al miss extended periods, resulting in the Warriors finishing in the top 10 on both ends of the floor. GPII and De’Anthony Melton combine for something like a full season of havoc-wreaking, the supplemental youth — Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Gui Santos, young bigs Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post — gets in where it fits in around the aging tentpoles, and Mike Dunleavy finds a Jonathan Kuminga deal that bolsters the core. The Warriors finish with home-court advantage in Round 1 and, with a healthy Steph, a puncherâ€s chance against anybody they draw in the West.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:A roster carefully constructed around four of the NBAâ€s oldest players crumbles when those guys do what old guys do: get hurt and miss time. Golden State looks brilliant for stretches, but only for stretches, and none of that supplemental youth proves capable of shouldering a heavier load. No Kuminga deal materializes, and the bad taste of this summer lingers over an underwhelming season spent scuffling for a play-in berth and that ends before Aprilâ€s out … and with Steph staring down his age-38 season, the end of the line looks to be approaching faster than anybody wants it to.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Houston Rockets

Best-case scenario:Alperen Åžengün takes “The Leap.†The Turkish big man has worked tirelessly this summer, working on becoming more comfortable around the perimeter, and gives the Rockets an additional weapon in the half-court. Houstonâ€s next-man-up point guard approach isnâ€t Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard or even Kevin Durant with all due respect. Itâ€s Åžengün as a half-court hub. The Nikola Jokić comparisons become less of a faint possibility and more of a reality. The tandem with Durant — along with improvement from Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Sheppard — carries the Rockets all the way to the NBA Finals in June.

Advertisement

If everything falls apart:The Durant adjustment takes longer than expected, causing a negative trickle-down effect. Houstonâ€s half-court woes become exacerbated with Durant attempting to establish himself as the lead dog at the expense of Thompson and Åžengün. The Rockets†lack of a true point guard continues to punish them through December, when they are forced to look for outside help at the cost of a key piece. Their talent is enough to get them to the playoffs, but a swift first-round exit has management reevaluating everything.

Alternatively, Durant missing a significant amount of time puts Houstonâ€s spacing issues back at square one. Opposing teams now have enough film and data on Ime Udokaâ€s double-big lineups and can use their perceived strength as a glaring weakness.

— Read Kelly Iko’s full preview

LA Clippers

Best-case scenario: An utterly unfazed and unbothered Kawhi Leonard plays 70 games for the first time since San Antonio at an All-NBA First Team level, allowing everybody else to fit comfortably into their complementary roles. James Harden remains one of the gameâ€s premier orchestrators, and Chris Paul ably serves as an understudy in his absence. Bradley Beal bounces back, John Collins seizes the opportunity, everybody else stars in their role, and Tyronn Lue pulls all the right levers. The Clippers win 55 games, finish with a top-two seed in the West and home-court advantage in Round 1 … and a healthy Kawhi leads them back to the Western Conference finals.

If everything falls apart: Kawhi gets hurt, and Beal thinks the cure for what ails the Clipper offense is more Beal. (It isnâ€t.) Old guys do what old guys do: namely, miss time, and lots of it. Lueâ€s press conferences start carrying a considerable amount of existential dread, as he tries without success to describe the frustration and hopelessness of coaching a roster that is just never going to have all the pieces there. The defense splinters, the offense sputters and the Clips miss the playoffs …

… at which point the NBA announces the results of its investigation. Which, since theyâ€re coming in this section, are really, really bad.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Los Angeles Lakers

Best-case scenario: Skinny Luka DonÄić is the frontrunner for MVP. LeBron James remains healthy and conditioned when he returns, and in the playoffs. Marcus Smart is the Smart of old, wreaking havoc on both ends of the court. Deandre Ayton reverts to the player he was for the Phoenix Suns, anchoring a contender. The Lakers find some gems among the hodgepodge of Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber and Jarred Vanderbilt. And they are capable of actually challenging anyone in the West (and, as such, anyone in the league) in a seven-game series. This is LeBron James and Luka DonÄić, after all.

If everything falls apart: It becomes immediately clear that this version of the Lakers — the one with defensive holes throughout its roster — is no contender. JJ Redick cannot coach this team up. James recognizes that and makes it known through his intermediaries. He wants out, the Lakers concede, only it is difficult to find a team that a) wants to acquire a max-salaried 40-year-old and b) is willing to give up real assets to get him. Chemistry frays, and the Lakers fail to make the playoffs in a crowded Western Conference. Back to square one at season’s end, which is not such a bad place to be when DonÄić is your starting point.

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

Memphis Grizzlies

Best-case scenario:Ja Morant submits the most impressive (and healthiest) season of his career. Jaren Jackson Jr.’s defense returns, and his offense remains. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope enjoys a resurgence after a disappointing year for the Orlando Magic. Santi Aldama earns the three-year, $52.5 million extension he just signed. The Grizzlies continue to mine gems throughout the roster, and Tuomas Iisalo finds a way to field a top-10 unit on both sides of the ball. The Grizzlies believe so much in this group that they package their newfound cache of picks for another piece and find themselves right back on the fringes of contention in the Western Conference.

If everything falls apart: Morant either can’t stay healthy or can’t stay consistent enough to serve as the head of the snake. Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey stagnate or take a step back from their impressive debuts. Those gems throughout the roster lose their shine. Iisalo doesn’t have a grasp on the Desmond Bane-less Grizzlies, and they lose faith in themselves as a competitive team, much less a contender. The Grizzlies fail to make the playoffs, and Morant becomes available via trade.

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

Minnesota Timberwolves

Best-case scenario: Anthony Edwards makes the full leap, establishing himself as a serious MVP candidate. Julius Randle’s inconsistency yields one of his better seasons. Rudy Gobert is Rudy Gobert. Mike Conley is Mike Conley. Jaden McDaniels rises along with Edwards. One of, if not all of, Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon and Joan Beringer show real promise as potential impact playoff guys, masking the departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker. And the Wolves are capable of winning the West.

If everything falls apart: Edwards shows little signs of progress as a playmaker. Randle endures one of his tottering seasons. That in itself could be enough to drop the Timberwolves a tier below the West’s elite, especially as the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets have improved. It might be time to consider trading Gobert, if there are any takers, embracing Naz Reid as the center of the future and building for the time when Edwards is ready.

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

New Orleans Pelicans

Best-case scenario:Lucy finally lets Charlie Brown kick the football. Zion Williamson puts it all together, playing 70-plus games, making All-NBA First Team, finishing on or just outside the MVP ballot and returning to the All-Star team … where heâ€s joined by Trey Murphy, who builds on the leap he took last season before tearing his labrum. After playing a grand total of zero minutes together last season, Williamson, Herb Jones and Murphy form one of the leagueâ€s most frequently used and potent trios, providing an elevated baseline and support structure that allows youngsters Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen and Yves Missi to get in where they fit in. Jordan Poole continues last seasonâ€s resurgence, Dejounte Murray comes back looking like the star they traded for him to be, and the Pelicans ride a top-10 offense to a top-10 seed in the West — postseason participation that makes the pick debt to Atlanta less onerous.

If everything falls apart:Williamson canâ€t stay healthy, the house of cards crumbles, the Pelicans took on $65.9 million worth of Poole for no tangible benefit, and they watch the Hawks take a top-five pick off their hands.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Oklahoma City Thunder

Best-case scenario:The Thunder remain healthy and roll through the regular season once again, becoming even more formidable in the playoffs. They cruise to a second straight title, and it is hard to imagine them not three-peating, all as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander establishes himself as one of the greatest players in history. His ceiling knows no bounds, nor does Oklahoma City’s. The league belongs to OKC for the foreseeable future.

If everything falls apart:Simple: The Thunder do not repeat. The second apron comes for Oklahoma City, too, and the new extensions for Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams squeeze out some of that depth. They are not as formidable a trio without all those reinforcements, and the Thunder become just another contender.

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

Phoenix Suns

Best-case scenario:Devin Booker turns the page on the failed experiments of the last two seasons and turns in the kind of full-tilt scoring and playmaking season that us “Point Book†heads have been clamoring for, vying for the league lead in scoring while putting up career-best assist numbers and vaulting back into the conversation for an All-NBA spot. Jalen Green finds shot-selection and rim-pressure religion, blossoming into an increasingly efficient and exciting second banana for a better-than-expected offense. Mark Williams finally stays healthy, turning those flashes he showed in Charlotte into consistent two-way impact. The Suns grind their way to play-in contention; this time, that doesnâ€t feel like a disappointment.

If everything falls apart:The vibe shift is short-lived. New coach Jordan Ott looks overmatched, the defense doesnâ€t come together, and Booker and Green mesh about as well as Book/KD/Beal did — which is to say, very badly. Add it all up, and the Suns, elevated levels of scrappiness aside, look like one of the worst teams in the West. And with their 2026 first-rounder leveraged to all hell, no tradable firsts through 2032 and $23 million worth of waived-and-stretched salary on their books for the next half-decade, they canâ€t even enjoy the fruits of the badness; the long walk through the desert is just starting.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Portland Trail Blazers

Best-case scenario:Scoot Henderson is the star the Blazers need him to be. Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe develop alongside him. Yang Hansen does, indeed, show flashes of his promise as the “Chinese Jokic.” Jrue Holiday is a stabilizing force. Maybe he and Jerami Grant fetch something on the trade market. Either way, Portland has its young core and enjoys its rise, which may include the pursuit of a play-in tournament berth.

If everything falls apart:Henderson is not a prospect Portland prefers to build around. (Oh, man, what a killer that would be.) And there is the very real possibility that his pairing with Sharpe is one that can never yield high-end results. What, then, do the Blazers do? That they would have to figure out. Tank back to the bottom, where they can score another superstar prospect, or continue to build from the NBA’s lower middle quadrant. Neither is much fun.

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

Sacramento Kings

Best-case scenario:Everyone jells and plays to the best of his ability, and the Kings are a surprisingly exciting offense — one that moves the ball and scores from all three levels, including the midrange, where DeMar DeRozan is still king. They remain committed to defense, even if they are not that talented on that end, and they squeeze out another play-in tournament bid, with a real chance to emerge for a first playoff appearance since 2023.

If everything falls apart:The defense is so bad that the Kings stop playing the sort of offense that can win games and start playing hero ball. Everyone is vying for his next contract, only we can all see that, and none of their top pieces — Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine or DeRozan — holds any trade value. They hinder the development of Sacramento’s recent draft picks, and there is little hope next season will be any different, save for another lottery pick.

— Read Ben Rohrbach’s full preview

San Antonio Spurs

Best-case scenario:Victor Wembanyama stays healthy for the full season, muscling his way onto the MVP ballot and All-NBA First Team. De’Aaron Fox finds his flow alongside the big fella, returning to the All-Star team and providing San Antonio with the battery of a top-10 offense. Stephon Castle cements himself as the kind of 16-game two-way player with which the Spurs will need to surround Wemby; Dylan Harper wows enough in a limited role to keep everybody convinced heâ€s the right long-term running buddy, and that whatever issues the Spurs have to navigate in the backcourt are high-class, champagne problems. San Antonio builds on last seasonâ€s 12-win jump, surging to 50 wins and home-court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs, making it abundantly clear to all parties that the future is here, and itâ€s French.

If everything falls apart:The expected reinforcements donâ€t keep the wheels from falling off when Wembanyama hits the bench, drastically lowering San Antonioâ€s ceiling. Foxâ€s jumper and fit alongside Vic look shaky, leading to no small amount of grumbling over whether that 30% max mightâ€ve been a tad hasty. None of the young perimeter pieces look quite ready for prime time, leaving fans wondering just how many bona fide blue-chippers theyâ€ve actually got on hand. A season that begins with postseason expectations ends with another sub-.500 finish shy of the play-in tournament, and with the hotly anticipated coronation of the next big thing stalled once again.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Utah Jazz

Best-case scenario:Lauri Markkanen carries over his EuroBasket form long enough to remind a league desperate for difference-makers that thereâ€s one available in Salt Lake City, and the Jazz command a kingâ€s ransom for his services. The newcomer vets spend the seasonâ€s opening months showing the kids the ropes before heading off to sunnier climes come February, in exchange for whatever pick compensation Danny Ainge can scrounge up.

Ace Bailey hits the ground running, looking like a no-back-injuries variant of Michael Porter Jr. — high-end tough shot-making, real juice as a finisher on the interior and in transition, complementary rebounding and rim protection — to establish himself as Utahâ€s premier bona fide building block. Several other members of the 22-and-under crew — including, ideally, at least one of the guards — seize the opportunity to join him, allowing the Jazz to hit mid-April with both a bad enough record to keep their 2026 first-round pick and legitimate reason to hope theyâ€ve drawn meaningfully closer to a return to competitive basketball.

If everything falls apart:Markkanen stumbles, gets hurt or both, scuttling any ideas of turning him into a bounty of picks and/or higher-upside young talent. Bailey struggles to get shots off against bigger, stronger, more athletic defenders, effectively neutering his impact. The rising sophomores and third-year pros all underwhelm, leaving lingering questions about whether any of the prospects Utah has drafted of late can be part of the next competitive iteration of the Jazz.

— Read Dan Devine’s full preview

Source link

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra isn’t dwelling on the fact that his team went 0-6 during the preseason.

After the Heat lost 141-125 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday to close out the preseason with a winless record, Spoelstra told reporters, “We’re not going to focus on what the record was in the preseason. We’ll focus on the sum of the things that were consistent to how we want to play.”

According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, this year marks only the second time the Heat have failed to win a game during the preseason. The only other instance occurred in 2007, and Miami went on to post a 15-67 record during the regular season.

It seems unlikely that Miami will bottom to that degree in 2025-26, as the team has reached the playoffs in six straight seasons, which is tied for the longest streak in franchise history.

However, the Heat are coming off what was largely a disappointing 2024-25 season, as their 37-45 record was their worst since 2014-15 when they also went 37-45.

Miami finished with the 10th-best record in the Eastern Conference last season, but it managed to advance through the postseason play-in tournament before getting swept out of the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Since reaching the NBA Finals in two out of four seasons, the Heat have experienced back-to-back exits in the first round of the playoffs, raising questions about whether they can compete with the projected top teams in the East, such as the Cavs, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.

The Heat are led by a pair of All-Stars in guard Tyler Herro and center Bam Adebayo, and Herro is coming off a career year that saw him average 23.9 points per game.

Herro underwent foot surgery last month, though, and he is expected to miss at least the Heat’s first 12 games.

Perhaps the biggest question surrounding the Heat is whether they have enough in addition to Adebayo to weather the storm until Herro returns.

Some of the players Miami will lean on during that time include newly acquired guard Norman Powell, veteran wing Andrew Wiggins, guards Davion Mitchell and Terry Rozier, wing Jaime Jaquez Jr. and center Kel’el Ware.

The Heat will get their regular season started on Wednesday with a road game against the Magic.

Source link

Oct 18, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

Coming into NBA training camp, optimism abounds. Staffers and players are excited. Seemingly everyone has had the best summer of their lives. It takes a lot more than a preseason loss to dampen anyone’s spirits.

No, dampening spirits is what happens when a team gets punked in the regular season.

Or perhaps when BPI — ESPN’s Basketball Power Index — says a team might not win quite as much as all the optimism suggests.

This year, BPI’s win-total predictions aren’t radically different from what Las Vegas projects, so we’re going to clue you in on what Vegas doesn’t really tell you — things such as the chances your team will gets a top-six seed in the playoffs, its likelihood of making the Finals, and maybe even the reason.

From the No. 1 team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, down to a few squads ranked in the 20s, here’s what BPI forecasts. The complete set of numbers is here and updated daily during the season.

BPI’s top six in the Western Conference

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 1 overall)

OKC has a 98% chance of earning a top-four seed. For perspective, that’s like having an eight-point lead with two minutes left in a game.

I’m not sure whether people realize how deep OKC is. Last season, the net points metric we use to evaluate players was positive for everyone in the Thunder’s rotation and a couple of guys outside of their rotation — 12 team members in total. In contrast, the Thunder’s Finals’ opponents, the Pacers, had just five players positive in the regular season.

No. 2 Denver Nuggets (No. 3)

The Nuggets have a 67% chance of earning a top-four seed, which brings home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The gap between the Nuggets’ starters and their bench was the biggest in the NBA last season. The starters added 7.6 points to their scoring margin per game, and the bench took away 3.8. That pattern has been true for years. But this past summer, the net points metric suggests the team improved — from Michael Porter Jr. to Cam Johnson, from Russell Westbrook to Tim Hardaway Jr., and from DeAndre Jordan to Jonas Valanciunas.

No. 3 Houston Rockets (No. 4)

Houston has a 49% chance to take a top-three seed.

This accounts for Fred VanVleet’s season-ending injury, but BPI sees pretty good depth to compensate. The net points metric had these Rockets as the bottom four players on the roster last season: Cam Whitmore, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and Reed Sheppard. Of those, only the second-year point guard Sheppard returns.

Oh, and they got Kevin Durant.

No. 4 LA Clippers (No. 6)

The Clippers have a 21% chance of progressing to the Western Conference finals, lower than they’d like with all their veterans.

The Clippers are the oldest team in the NBA heading into the season, with eight of their rotation players over 30: Nic Batum, Bradley Beal, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kris Dunn, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Brook Lopez and Chris Paul.

But with those guys plus three regulars under 30 — Ivica Zubac, John Collins and Derrick Jones Jr. — that’s a lot of quality players to step in if or when Leonard is out.

No. 5 Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 9)

The Wolves are in the same division as OKC and Denver, so their chance to win it all is small (3%), but their shot at getting a top-six seed is 63%.

Anthony Edwards’ combination of scoring from 3-point range and from the foul line was worth plus-5.2 net points per 48 minutes last year, second only to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who wasn’t as balanced.

Edwards added only plus-1.9 net points from those two areas as a rookie, but he has gotten better every season. Shooting almost 40% from 3 last season helped him improve so much year-over-year. Is that sustainable? Probably not.

No. 6 Golden State Warriors (No. 11)

The Warriors have only a 25% chance at a top-four seed, but a 51% shot to land in the top six.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

One of the things that distinguished the glory days of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson was that they all played better when they were together on the court. That hasn’t happened with Jimmy Butler … yet.

Some of that has to do with getting familiar with each other, a real effect that should show itself this season. BPI doesn’t factor that in right now (machines still have plenty to learn), so it is still a bit skeptical based on what the Warriors did last season.

BPI’s play-in candidates in the West

No. 7 Memphis Grizzlies (No. 14)

BPI is a little more optimistic on Memphis’ playoff chances than Vegas, pegging the Grizzlies at 51%, compared with 43%.

Memphis won 48 games last year with Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, Santi Aldama and Desmond Bane. Bane is gone, but they picked up more depth with Ty Jerome, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a great team guy.

Morant and Jackson always project to miss games, which BPI acknowledges, but Morant can be dominant when he is playing. The Grizzlies won 48 last year with both of them missing games, so BPI sees a similar season in 2025-26.

No. 8 Los Angeles Lakers (No. 15)

The Lakers have a 70% chance to avoid a play-in and make the playoffs straight up, thus saving LeBron James’ legs for a week. That 70% is like a four- or five-point lead entering the fourth quarter.

The Lakers’ stars are still building chemistry. Luka Doncic averaged plus-3.1 offensive net points per 48 minutes with James in the game, but plus-8.3 with him out, a number right up there with Nikola Jokic or SGA.

With iconic stories, hit Originals and live sports, there’s something for everyone on Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Get all three for a price you’ll love.

Currently, James is slated to be sidelined until mid-November. He’s still a star (though his impact is probably 5-6 points worse than it was at peak LeBron), so missing time hurts, but it’s only a few games so it doesn’t kill the team’s projection.

One big reason is that Doncic is so good on his own — playing at that plus-8.3 level or even plus-5 over longer periods of time.

No. 9 Dallas Mavericks (No. 17)

BPI gives the Mavs a 7% chance of reaching the West finals — and a 51% shot at making the playoffs.

BPI doesn’t like rookies. Most coaches don’t like most rookies. Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis were No. 1 picks, but as rookies their teams won about one-third of their games. This year’s No. 1 pick is Cooper Flagg, though, and he doesn’t project to be a normal No. 1 pick, but to be good right away.

What if he plays at plus-2 net points per 48 minutes, which is essentially the bottom of All-Star level?

If Flagg is that good, which very few rookies are (Jokic and Chris Paul come to mind), Dallas moves up to fourth in the West in projected BPI, with a better chance at those conference finals.

No. 10 San Antonio Spurs (No. 18)

Per BPI, the Spurs have around a 50-50 chance at the playoffs.

It’s remarkable that Victor Wembanyama has a legitimate chance to go three years into his career without even making the playoffs.

He looks like a superstar with the most intimidating presence on defense we’ve seen in decades. But he has averaged 58 games in two seasons, and big men tend to have a hard time staying healthy.

His offensive versatility looks good too, but he turns the ball over a lot. He has 19 turnovers in 79 minutes of preseason action and had the lowest assist-to-turnover rate among the 40 players with the highest turnover rates last year.

It took Steph Curry until his fourth season to make the playoffs, so it won’t be a terrible sign if Wemby also takes that long.

play

0:21

Paolo Banchero elevates for alley-oop

Paolo Banchero gets up for alley-oop slam vs. New Orleans Pelicans

BPI’s top six in the Eastern Conference

No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 2 overall)

Despite missing the conference finals the past two years, BPI gives Cleveland a 51% chance of making it this year.

Donovan Mitchell was incredibly important to the Cavaliers last year. In their wins, he averaged plus-6.1 net points per 48 minutes. In their losses, he was negative at minus-2.4 net points per 48 minutes. That difference was one of the top 10 biggest last year. Not that stopping Mitchell is easy, but it suggests a fairly straightforward key for opponents to limit the Cavs.

The Cavs also got the most benefit of injuries of any team last year, between their own injuries and opponent injuries, gaining 5.7 wins relative to average.

No. 2 New York Knicks (No. 5)

The Knicks have a 95% chance of having a top-six seed at playoff time. They have a 49% chance of being in the top two in the East.

Jalen Brunson was indeed Clutch Player of the Year last year, adding plus-13 offensive net points per 100 possessions of clutch time, which, of course, ignores his defense. To a significant degree, BPI sees much of the same as last year, which makes sense given the returns of the Knicks’ top six to seven players.

But that also assumes the coaching change doesn’t hurt them.

No. 3 Orlando Magic (No. 7)

The Magic have a 56% chance of a top-four seed in the weak Eastern Conference. That’s like starting the fourth quarter with a two-point lead, so the injury bug had better not hit them like it did last year.

For the Magic to take a leap, they need Paolo Banchero to play like he did after the trade deadline last year when he was a top-20 player, posting plus-3.2 net points per 48 minutes.

In the month before the trade deadline, he was quite poor, at minus-3.3 net points per 48 minutes.

No. 4 Atlanta Hawks (No. 8)

The Hawks have a 24% chance at a top-two seed in the East. That’s like pulling out a win when entering the fourth quarter down five or six points, so not at all impossible. They have an 85% chance at landing in the top six.

Atlanta was 18th in defense last year. The team hasn’t sniffed the top half of the defensive rankings since before COVID. That happens to correspond to how long Trae Young has been in Atlanta.

But with 50 or 60 games of Kristaps Porzingis and a full season of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, BPI projects the Hawks to be a top-10 defense (just barely).

No. 5 Philadelphia 76ers (No. 10)

BPI projects Joel Embiid will play 64 games, which is part of what gives the 76ersa 90% chance to make the playoffs, something they’ve done every season in which Embiid has played 50 games.

Embiid has always been a high-risk, high-reward player. When he has played, he has been great.

But last year was different. Even when he played, he wasn’t great, posting a career-low shooting percentage among other statistical duds. He was still an above-average player, but not the dominant force he has been. Usually, that kind of change is a blip, not a trend.

The 76ers’ immediate future might depend on that.

No. 6 Detroit Pistons (No. 12)

The Pistons went from 14 wins to 44 in a single season. That kind of bump can mean a regression the following year, but BPI sees them replicating last year, with a projected win total of 44 and about a 30% chance of advancing to the second round of the playoffs.

Cade Cunningham jumped into All-Star range last season, in part by creating very high-quality shots for teammates (fifth in the league, per GeniusIQ).

He was looking for and finding guys like Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson, all of whom got better from 2024 to 2025.

That’s a young core to go with steady veteran Tobias Harris.

play

0:47

Perk: Celtics will make the playoffs

Kendrick Perkins joins “NBA Today” to break down what a successful season looks like for the Celtics.

BPI’s play-in candidates in the East

No. 7 Milwaukee Bucks (No. 13)

BPI can’t predict whether Milwaukee trades Giannis Antetokounmpo away, but that does probably depend on how close the team comes to the Finals. And BPI only gives the Bucks a 13% chance at the Eastern Conference finals.

Here are three reasons BPI is generally skeptical of Milwaukee’s chances:

1. Milwaukee lost Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez, two consistently good players.

2. Newly acquired Myles Turner played terribly the first two months of last season before playing well, and he has a pattern of playing half-seasons well.

3. Kevin Porter Jr. played the best 30 games of his career for the Bucks at the end of the season. A repeat is unlikely.

No. 8 Boston Celtics (No. 16)

Supposedly, the Celtics aren’t taking a gap year, and BPI does give them a 50% chance to make the playoffs. But they could easily decide midway into the season to take a gap semester.

Jayson Tatum’s absence means more shots for the Celtics who remain. Jaylen Brown will get some, but he will lose efficiency in doing so, probably just enough that his overall productivity will drop some.

Payton Pritchard will get some shots, too, but, per GeniusIQ, he has outshot his personalized shot quality by over 3% the past three years, behind only two other players with a thousand shots in that time period.

Derrick White probably can’t take more shots and retain his great efficiency, either. BPI projects an average offense this year. We’ll see.

No. 9 Indiana Pacers (No. 19)

With Tyrese Haliburton out for the season, BPI gives the Pacers a 36% chance to make the playoffs.

It’s ironic now, but the Pacers had the second biggest injury advantage last year in the regular season, gaining plus-5.6 wins due to their own injuries relative to opponents’. Some regression from that was bound to happen, and they obviously won’t replicate that with Haliburton out for the year.

The Pacers play fast, in general, which helps Pascal Siakam, and it should help Bennedict Mathurin. Siakam projects well with BPI, Mathurin not as much.

I’ve been a Mathurin advocate for a while, so I want to believe in the generally high level of play he has shown in the preseason. If he continues that, and the remaining Pacers stay healthy, their postseason chances are clearly higher.

No. 10 Toronto Raptors (No. 20)

The Raptors sit at the eighth or ninth best team in the East, per BPI, and with the highest chance of landing in a play-in, at 57%.

Play Fantasy Basketball this season

• Sign up and play for free!
• Fantasy draft guide: rankings, mock drafts, more
• Ultimate Draft Board: Best picks for every round
• Sleepers, breakouts and busts
• “Do Draft” list | “Do Not Draft” list

At some point after the trade deadline last year, there was a statistic floating around that said the Raptors had the easiest stretch of 20 games in NBA history, based on the records of the teams they were to face. BPI can’t do all of NBA history, but it does confirm that they had the weakest schedule after the trade deadline by a pretty good margin.

So the fact that Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl, Scottie Barnes and Ja’Kobe Walter were all pretty good in that time frame should be put in context.

For this season, Walter drops to “average” instead of good, especially in light of how poor he was before then, but the others guys remain in the good range.

For what it’s worth, though, BPI doesn’t think any of them are particularly special (or Brandon Ingram, whom the Raptors acquired last year).

Three teams with high-variance players

West No. 11 Portland Trail Blazers (No. 23)

BPI gives the Blazers a 15% chance to make the play-in. Not impossible, but it’s like them being down four with two minutes left.

Through games in November, Deni Avdija posted minus-1.1 net points per 48 minutes, primarily driven by his first quarters, which ranked among the worst in the league.

Over the remainder of the year, though, Avdija got better and better. After the trade deadline, Avdija was putting up plus-3.7 net points per 48 minutes, a number that had him in the top 20 to 30 players in that stretch.

East No. 12 Chicago Bulls (No. 24)

BPI doesn’t like the Bulls’ chances at the playoffs, about 6%, below the 16% that Vegas sees. Maybe it’s because …

Josh Giddey was a wildly different player before the trade deadline last year and after. So what if Giddey played at a better level throughout the coming year, say plus-2 net points per 48 minutes?

When BPI does those calculations, it would push the Bulls past the Heat and make them a legitimate play-in possibility, but not a top-six seed.

East No. 13 Charlotte Hornets (No. 27)

BPI really doesn’t think much of Charlotte, sadly, with a 1.4% chance at the playoffs.

This is one team that BPI ranks poorly, but I’m intrigued by the talent. LaMelo Ball has been good (not great) when healthy. Miles Bridges has athleticism and occasionally really good games. Brandon Miller has shown real improvement in two years. And Kon Knueppel had a great freshman year on the college court.

But Charlotte’s bench, to be generous, has limitations. If that core stays healthy, it should be able to score better than the 28th-ranked offense that BPI projects.

If Knueppel plays well, posting, say, plus-1 net points per 48 minutes, BPI sees a 1.5-points improvement as a team, which would put it on the fringe of the play-in.

Source link

Oct 18, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

The third iteration of the Emirates NBA Cup is set to start on Halloween night, Oct. 31 — a little over a week after the 2025-26 NBA regular season tips off.

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were able to win the inaugural in-season tournament trophy in 2023, with James claiming the honors of tournament MVP. Last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks raised their NBA Cup banner over the eventual NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

But which team will claim its stake over the hardware in Las Vegas this year, and can it continue that tournament momentum into the postseason?

Here’s what you need to know about the in-season tournament, including rule changes for this year and the schedule.

Jump to a section:
FAQ |Schedule

FAQ (by Tim Bontemps)

The NBA unveiled the six groups for the third edition of its in-season tournament — now called the Emirates NBA Cup. Here’s a look at everything you’ll need to know about the return of the competition.

What is the format?

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has had a long-standing fascination with European soccer. Establishing an in-season cup competition within the NBA schedule came from soccer leagues having both a regular-season title, won by the team with the most points over the full year, and a separate tournament (or, in some leagues, multiple tournaments) that runs concurrently with the league season. In England, for example, there are the various divisions — led by the Premier League — and also the FA Cup competition. But unlike those European leagues, which play their cup competitions outside of their league schedules, the NBA Cup is built into the regular-season slate. The 30 NBA teams are split into six five-team groups — three featuring Eastern Conference teams, and three comprising Western Conference teams — with each team then playing one game against the other four in its group. The winner of each group, plus the team with the best record among the non-group winners, will then advance to the knockout stage of the competition.

How will this impact the regular-season schedule and standings?

Typically, the NBA sends out a full 82-game schedule in mid-August. Now, the league sends out only 80 games and leaves a gap for roughly a week to fill in later, depending on how the group stage of the NBA Cup plays out.

The two teams from the East and West that lose in the quarterfinals will play their 82nd game against one another on one of four dates: Dec. 11, 12, 14 or 15. Meanwhile, the 22 teams that fail to qualify for the knockout rounds will have their final two games scheduled — one at home and one on the road — on Dec. 11 or 12 and 14 or 15 against others eliminated in the group stage.

Breaking News from Shams Charania

Download the ESPN app and enable Shams Charania’s news alerts to receive push notifications for the latest updates first. Opt in by tapping the alerts bell in the top right corner. For more information, click here.

The teams that reach the NBA Cup’s finale will actually play 83 games — though the championship game won’t count toward the standings or any statistical markers. All four teams that make it to Las Vegas for the semifinals will have completed their 82 games, and won’t need anything else added. The additional wrinkle added to this year’s schedule is the possibility that a few dates on the calendar may move around. On Dec. 8, there are currently three games scheduled: the Sacramento Kings at the Indiana Pacers; the Phoenix Suns at the Minnesota Timberwolves; and the San Antonio Spurs at the New Orleans Pelicans. If any of those teams are playing in the quarterfinals, taking place on Dec. 9 and 10, those games would move to Dec. 7 (a decision that would be made by Nov. 29, the day after the end of the group stage). This also would only be an issue if one of the teams were playing on Dec. 9. If they’re playing Dec. 10, nothing will change. The other scheduling quirk is that there are currently eight teams — the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards — scheduled to play on Dec. 17, the day after the championship game in Las Vegas.

Any team that makes it to the semifinals in Las Vegas would have that game moved later into the schedule to avoid back-to-back games. The NBA made this change in an effort to avoid having empty days on the calendar while attempting to minimize back-to-back games for all teams as much as possible.

Are the semifinals and finals still being played in Las Vegas?

For this season, yes. Next year, however, the semifinals — like the quarterfinals — will be played at home sites. Having teams go to Sin City for a week (and, more importantly, trying to get fans there for two games over several days on short notice) hasn’t gone the way the league initially believed that it would.

What is new about the tournament this year?

Most of the games are being shown on Amazon Prime, including the knockout rounds. The schedule is also primarily on Fridays, beginning on Halloween, rather than bouncing back and forth from Tuesday to Friday throughout November as it did during the first two years of the tournament.

Why does the NBA Cup include regular-season games?

Before its launch, one of the main questions surrounding the in-season tournament was why any team would be incentivized to compete in it. The NBA ensured teams will be motivated by making every game part of the season — and, being in-conference, potentially important from a playoff-tiebreaker standpoint. If this had been set up like the cup tournaments in European soccer, there would have been nothing stopping NBA teams from opting out, literally or figuratively — sitting their top players for extra rest.

What teams make up the groups?

To create the groups, the NBA put all 15 teams in each conference into five pots, separated by their finish in last season’s standings. Pot 1 included the teams that finished 1-3 in regular-season record, teams 4-6 went into Pot 2, teams 7-9 into Pot 3, teams 10-12 into Pot 4, and teams 13-15 into Pot 5. As a result, the following groups were drawn:

• East A: Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards

• East B: Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers

• East C: New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets

• West A:Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz

• West B: Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans

• West C: Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs

Does one group stand out the most from the others?

This one is easy: West Group C. Three of the top four teams in the Western Conference — Houston, Denver and Golden State — are in the group, plus a Blazers team that excelled down the stretch last season. Oh, and don’t forget about Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, too. West Group B is also competitive, but Memphis is already dealing with injuries, Dallas is missing Kyrie Irving and the Pelicans are expected to be well outside the playoff picture.

What do players get for winning?

Play Fantasy Basketball this season

• Sign up and play for free!
• Fantasy draft guide: rankings, mock drafts, more
• Ultimate Draft Board: Best picks for every round
• Sleepers, breakouts and busts
• “Do Draft” list | “Do Not Draft” list

In 2023, the first year the tournament was held, the players on the winning team received $500,000 each, while those on the runners-up got $200,000. The losing players of the semifinals each got $100,000, and those ousted in the quarterfinals each got $50,000. Now, in each subsequent year, the prizes will be slightly higher, as a result of negotiated raises year over year to keep pace with increases in the salary cap and basketball-related income as part of the most recent collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.

Will anyone earn individual honors for their play in NBA Cup games?

There will be an MVP award, as well as an all-tournament team.

Will this have any impact on the playoffs?

Not beyond the games counting in the regular-season standings (and toward tiebreakers). The only playoff impact comes from the wins and losses accrued throughout the tournament. Though there was debate among league insiders about guaranteeing a playoff berth for winning the tournament, ultimately, that idea (or any other to further incentivize teams) was not enacted.

Why is it called the Emirates NBA Cup?

The league struck a sponsorship deal with Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, to sponsor the tournament after its initial run. The NBA said last year that it went with the most basic titles for both the tournament and its trophy — the “in-season tournament” and “NBA Cup” — as a way to introduce the concept to fans. However, using such nondescript names had another clear advantage: It gave the league a blank slate in case the tournament and cup became properties it ended up selling to a sponsor, and avoided the complications that could arise by naming them after someone (for example, the late NBA commissioner David Stern, one possibility that had been floated before the tournament was officially unveiled).

2025 Emirates NBA Cup schedule:

All times Eastern

Group Play

Oct. 31

• Atlanta Hawks at Indiana Pacers, 7:00 p.m.

• Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers, 7:00 p.m. (Prime)

• Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m.

• New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.

• Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis Grizzlies, 9:30 p.m. (Prime)

• Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns, 10:00 p.m.

• Denver Nuggets at Portland Trail Blazers, 10:00 p.m.

• New Orleans Pelicans at LA Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

Nov. 7

• Cleveland Cavaliers at Washington Wizards, 7:00 p.m.

• Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic, 7:00 p.m.

• Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m.

• Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs, 7:30 p.m. (Prime)

• Toronto Raptors at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m.

• Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat, 8:00 p.m.

• Utah Jazz at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8:00 p.m.

• Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies, 8:00 p.m.

• Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks, 8:00 p.m.

• Oklahoma City Thunder at Sacramento Kings, 10:00 p.m.

• Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets, 10:00 p.m. (Prime)

Nov. 14

• Brooklyn Nets at Orlando Magic, 7:00 p.m.

• Miami Heat at New York Knicks, 7:00 p.m. (Prime)

• Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m.

• Charlotte Hornets at Milwaukee Bucks, 8:00 p.m.

• Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets, 8:00 p.m.

• Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans, 8:00 p.m.

• Sacramento Kings at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8:00 p.m.

• LA Clippers at Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m.

• Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs, 9:30 p.m. (Prime)

Nov. 21

• Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:00 p.m. (Prime)

• Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m.

• Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m.

• Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.

• New Orleans Pelicans at Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m.

• Minnesota Timberwolves at Phoenix Suns, 9:00 p.m.

• Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets, 9:30 p.m. (Prime)

• Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors, 10:00 p.m.

• Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz, 10:00 p.m.

Nov. 25

• Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards, 7:00 p.m.

• Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers, 8:00 p.m. (Peacock)

• LA Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers, 11:00 p.m. (Peacock)

Nov. 26

• Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics, 5:00 p.m. (ESPN)

• New York Knicks at Charlotte Hornets, 7:00 p.m.

• Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m.

• Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

• Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m.

• Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Pelicans, 8:00 p.m.

• Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors, 10:00 p.m. (ESPN)

• San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers, 10:00 p.m.

• Phoenix Suns at Sacramento Kings, 10:00 p.m.

Nov. 28

• Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks, 7:30 p.m.

• Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets, 7:30 p.m.

• Milwaukee Bucks at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. (Prime)

• Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m.

• Philadelphia 76ers at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m.

• Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers, 7:30 p.m.

• Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 p.m.

• Sacramento Kings at Utah Jazz, 9:30 p.m.

• San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets, 9:30 p.m.

• Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:00 p.m. (Prime)

• Memphis Grizzlies at LA Clippers, 10:00 p.m.

Knockout

Dec. 9 and 10: Quarterfinals

• TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)

• TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)

• TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)

• TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)

Dec. 13: Semifinals

• TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)

• TBD vs. TBD, (Prime)

Dec. 16: Championship

Source link

• Tim Bontemps

  Close

  Tim Bontemps

  ESPN Senior Writer

  Tim Bontemps is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com who covers the league and what’s impacting it on and off the court, including trade deadline intel, expansion and his MVP Straw Polls. You can find Tim alongside Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.

• Brian Windhorst

  Close

  Brian Windhorst

  ESPN Senior Writer

  • ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010
  • Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years
  • Author of two books

Oct 17, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

This is peak extension season in the NBA.

Or, as one agent told ESPN this week: “The torture chamber.”

The deadline for extensions for most eligible players is Monday at 6 p.m. ET. At this point, it’s commonplace for there to be pessimism about deals getting done. But compromises — and deals, along with them — do happen regularly.

That said, even by normal standards, there is a lot of pessimism right now.

Here’s why: There’s the continued adaptation to the apron system, which has caused teams to be even more careful about long-term spending. And then there’s also a star-studded free agent class in the summer of 2027, when Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Davis and others could all be available to sign with any team.

The deals that do — and don’t — happen over the next few days set the stage for future negotiations, and they’ll signal what free agency could look like next summer.

So here’s a look at several of those situations, including an extension that, surprisingly, still isn’t done involving a future inner-circle Hall of Famer who changed teams this summer.

Will Kevin Durant extension talks have liftoff in Houston?

Tim Bontemps: The Rockets, under general manager Rafael Stone, have done an excellent job of managing their salary structure — and that will no doubt play a role in how Durant’s contract situation plays out, but also rookie scale extension candidate Tari Eason’s.

With Fred VanVleet now likely to opt into his $25 million deal for next season after tearing his ACL last month, the Rockets have roughly $70 million to get both Durant and Eason signed and remain under the dreaded second luxury tax apron — which will allow Houston to continue adding to a roster it hopes is good enough to compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference.

If these negotiations were as simple as, “Give Kevin all the possible money” — like the Jimmy Butler III extension with the Golden State Warriors was after his acquisition via trade in February — the deal probably would have been done already. As a result, the expectation from rival teams is that Houston is trying to get deals done with both players and stay below the second apron next summer.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Brian Windhorst: First off, the Butler extension with Golden State happened before the trade. It wasn’t until the Warriors raised their monetary offer that Butler acquiesced on his position that he didn’t want to go to the Warriors. An improved offer at the 11th hour, though it came without a player option, got the trade done.

As for Durant, who himself blocked a trade to the Warriors last winter, he and business partner/agent Rich Kleiman have been optimistic there will be a deal done eventually with the Rockets. As Tim implied, it is clear the Rockets are not offering Durant the two-year, $120 million max he is eligible for, otherwise the deal would be done. Durant has said on the record he sees himself staying in Houston.

There is clearly some haggling going on beneath the max, and the number could very well be predicated on what happens with Eason as the Rockets manage the apron. There probably isn’t drama here, but it is worth pointing out Durant probably doesn’t fear unrestricted free agency either.

The present and future balancing act for the Miami Heat

Windhorst: Tyler Herro is coming off an All-Star season and is definitely interested in extending with the Heat, but there haven’t been substantive talks to his point and a deal is doubtful, sources say.

In a vacuum, Herro is the player the Heat probably should be most interested in extending, and Herro saw former All-Star Bam Adebayo get a large extension last year. But it doesn’t appear to be in the offing.

As for two other extension candidates, recently acquired Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins, long-term deals are also unlikely. Powell, whom the LA Clippers traded to Miami in part because they were dodging their own extension issue with him, could get a short deal, if anything. Wiggins, for his part, has a player option for $30 million in 2026-27, and while it’s possible the Heat might hope to negotiate a different number, they also might not.

And Tim about to tell you why …

Bontemps:The answer to what will happen with Miami’s top extension candidates can be found in the extension that Miami did sign at the start of training camp with forward Nikola Jovic, the No. 27 pick in the 2022 NBA draft. That four-year pact worth a little over $60 million starts out at $16.2 million in 2026-27, before dipping to $14.9 million in 2027-28 and then going back up again.

And why did Miami do that? Because, sources say, the Heat — like many other teams around the league — are planning for that aforementioned 2027 free agent class.

Will Jokic, Antetokounmpo, Jokic, Mitchell and Davis all hit unrestricted free agency that summer? It’s unlikely. Whether they do or not, several other star names could join them, including Stephen Curry, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kawhi Leonard, Trae Young, Zach LaVine, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.

Play Fantasy Basketball this season

• Sign up and play for free!
• Fantasy draft guide: rankings, mock drafts, more
• Ultimate Draft Board: Best picks for every round
• Sleepers, breakouts and busts
• “Do Draft” list | “Do Not Draft” list

The fact that Paul George is the only All-Star to change teams via free agency in recent years is a sign this path is far less fruitful than it has been in the past (and look at how things have gone for Philadelphia since landing George last summer). And with the new extension rules that have made it more lucrative to re-sign with current teams, plenty of those players could be off the board by the time free agency arrives that summer.

But Miami will always be a destination for players. And, by maintaining flexibility for the 2027 offseason, the Heat are giving themselves the ability to retool their roster around Adebayo, and attempt to return to title contention. So while that doesn’t necessarily preclude a deal getting done with Herro or Powell, it’s hard to see Miami passing on its cap space until it knows it has a good reason to.

When a team signing a good contract makes it hard to get an extension done …

Windhorst: There is a 0.0% chance Austin Reaves signs a contract extension — and a 99.9% chance he opts out of his $14.8 million player option for next season. We could say “sources say” here because we did check on it, but it’s also a no-brainer.

Reaves has one of the best value contracts in the NBA because of contract extension rules. Players can get only 140% of their current salary in an extension, which means Reaves is up for a deal worth roughly $89 million over four years, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. His market will be much higher. The Lakers have his full rights and are favorites to re-sign him, but everyone understands why he’s not signing now.

While we’re here, let’s also address Bulls’ guard Coby White, who will not be extending now either. White will earn $12.8 million this season and has outperformed his deal. Like Reaves, he is limited to how much he can sign for now. His extension number is capped at around $18 million if he were to re-sign in Chicago now. His market is also certain to be higher.

With iconic stories, hit Originals and live sports, there’s something for everyone on Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Get all three for a price you’ll love.

Bontemps: There obviously has been an inordinate amount of attention paid to the upcoming free agency of LeBron James. But it might be even more interesting to see what happens with Reaves when he hits free agency next summer. If Reaves waits, he could get an annual salary starting at more than $40 million next season, after making less than that much combined over the first three seasons of his current deal.

The 6-foot-5 guard has been a huge success story since joining the Lakers as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He has steadily improved, averaging career-bests of 20.2 points and 5.8 assists last season while shooting 37.7% from 3-point range on more than seven attempts per game.

There were 10 players who qualified for the scoring title who averaged at least 20, 5 and shot 37% from the field: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Darius Garland, Damian Lillard, Jamal Murray, Jokic, Curry, James and Herro.

Not bad company for a guy who will be an unrestricted free agent at 28, and therefore will have plenty of suitors.

Ditto for White, for all the reasons Brian said. Even after the Bulls got Josh Giddey’s four-year, $100 million deal done earlier this summer, they still have roughly $75 million in cap space available next summer, per Bobby Marks, to both keep White and retool the roster around him, Giddey and the team’s past two lottery picks, forwards Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue.

A busy offseason could lead to a busy in-season in Atlanta

Windhorst:There is mutual interest between the Hawks and Kristaps Porzingis in extending his deal, sources said. But with Porzingis’ injury history and a radical change in circumstance following the offseason trade that brought him from Boston — and after Porzingis spent much of the summer in Europe playing for the Latvian national team — and both sides are comfortable seeing how the season progresses.

Unlike some others, Porzingis isn’t facing a Monday deadline to extend. With one season at $30.7 million left on his deal, he can extend any time between now and June 30.

The same timeline goes for franchise player Trae Young, whose situation is more intriguing. Unlike Porzingis, whose contract is up after the season, Young has a $49 million player option for next season that he’d prefer not to pick up and instead replace with a lucrative new deal.

In a different era, a multitime All-Star coming off his first max contract could expect to have his contract extended again at the max. But in the apron era and with the Hawks having to invest in younger players, Young is a bit of a tweener.

He’s a star but he’s not a superstar, and a new max contract at 30% of the salary cap would be superstar money. We probably will see this situation more often over the next few years with this class of sub-superstar players looking for their second max deal.

All of ESPN. All in one place.

Watch your favorite events in the newly enhanced ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. Sign Up Now

Bontemps: The Hawks are also negotiating with reigning Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels, who does face the Monday extension deadline to extend his rookie contract.

Last fall, the Hawks got such a deal done at the buzzer with Jalen Johnson, a five-year, $150 million deal that, moving forward, looks like a very good piece of business for Atlanta.

For the much discussed, failed “two timelines” approach in Golden State, a similar situation is developing in Atlanta. The Hawks are excited about their young core of Johnson, Daniels, last year’s No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, rookie Asa Newell and potentially a very high pick coming in next year’s draft via the New Orleans Pelicans.

But Young and Porzingis are the two best players on the current roster, and fit extremely well with the young players the Hawks have around them. Because of how the Hawks have managed their books over the past year, there’s a world in which the Hawks could get a Daniels deal done, figure out deals for Young and Porzingis next summer, and stay below the aprons.

That could give the Hawks the opportunity to do the thing every team in the league is trying to do and what few teams other than the Oklahoma City Thunder have successfully done under the new CBA: develop, and keep, depth on the roster.

An update on the expensive balancing act in New York

Windhorst: The Knicks have had some discussions about extending center Mitchell Robinson, sources say, but there hasn’t yet been traction toward a deal. Robinson is in the last year of a contract that pays him $13 million this season.

Towns has three years left on his deal, including this season, though 2027-28 is a $61 million player option. He has expressed a desire to stay in New York long term, but there’s no urgency from either side to get a new deal done.

Bontemps: One of a few reasons why the Knicks would be unlikely to do an extension with either Towns or Robinson is because they’re already playing a complicated game of limbo with the second apron.

Does that mean some sort of blockbuster trade is inevitable? Not at all. But the Knicks have repeatedly shown under team president Leon Rose that they are going to maintain as much roster flexibility as possible. Even the extension they did sign this summer, with Mikal Bridges, allows him to be traded before the trade deadline on Feb. 5, if the Knicks choose to.

play

0:44

Charles Barkley: If the 76ers are healthy, they can win the East

Charles Barkley joins “The Rich Eisen Show” and explains why the 76ers can win the Eastern Conference this season.

And then there’s the guy who extended last year …

Bontemps: Yes, Joel Embiid participated in Sunday’s open-to-the-public scrimmage and could make his preseason debut in the Philadelphia 76ers’ final exhibition game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. But we learned long ago it is foolish to plan much in 76ers’ land beyond the next 24 hours.

That being said, Embiid playing in the scrimmage Sunday was a pleasant surprise, and falls in line with the general contours of how this preseason has played out for him and the 76ers: with Embiid regularly participating in practice, and seemingly building toward playing in next week’s season opener in Boston.

That’s a far cry from how his season began last fall, when Embiid signed a four-year, $240 million extension with Philadelphia only to then go through a disastrous campaign that ended with knee surgery in February.

Windhorst: The 76ers operate in a different world than much of the rest of the league. They’re so scarred from injury setbacks and so cognizant of the venom from fans that, as a defense mechanism, they’ve learned to make no promises and lower expectations.

That being said, Embiid is doing far more now than he was a year ago at this time. And while he hasn’t begun to practice fully yet, George’s participation level has also taken meaningful steps forward since training camp began.

More immediately, though, they are over-the-moon excited about the potential of rookie VJ Edgecombe.

Bontemps: To Brian’s point, it’s remarkable how different expectations are surrounding Embiid, George and the 76ers now compared to just a year ago. Then, the talk was about it being a “championship-or-bust” season, and how it was finally going to be the breakthrough season Embiid, the 76ers and Philadelphia had been waiting over a decade to witness.

But after the calamitous way last season played out, there are virtually no expectations this season. The league’s GMs, by a wide margin, voted Philadelphia as the league’s hardest team to project. Embiid being relatively healthy, and the 76ers returning to the playoffs, would be seen as at least somewhat of a success in the wake of how poorly the past 12 months have gone.

All of that is why rival scouts and executives are eager for Embiid in live action, to see whether he looks anything like the player he was before last season, or the one who struggled through those 19 games a year ago.

Source link

Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid is reportedly set to see some game action before the start of the 2025-26 NBA regular season.

According to NBA TV’s Chris Haynes, Embiid has been cleared to play in Friday’s preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which is also the Sixers’ preseason finale.

PHLY’s Kyle Neubeck reported on Oct. 8 that Embiid had resumed 5v5 activity but “still needs to check more boxes” before he could be designated game ready.

The following week, Embiid showed off his progress when he joined the Sixers for a team scrimmage.

The Sixers are hoping to have Embiid back for the 2025-26 campaign after the knee injuries that have cut short his last two seasons.

Embiid was limited by multiple injuries to appearing in just 19 games during his 2024-25 season, which ended when he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April.

The procedure took place just over one year after Embiid underwent surgery to repair the meniscus in the same knee the February prior.

The former NBA MVP saw his offense drop during his limited availability between those two procedures, averaging 23.8 points one season after racking up 34.7 points per game.

The Sixers will hope to see Embiid return to his previous All-Star production levels when he returns.

Although Embiid didn’t commit to a recovery timeline during season-opening media availability in September, he told reporters his recovery was “on schedule” and that he hoped to play “consistently” in his 10th NBA season.

Whether or not Embiid is available for the Oct. 22 season opener against the host Boston Celtics, the Sixers will hope he can help the team bounce back from a disappointing 24-win season by remaining healthy and available for a significant part of the upcoming campaign.

Source link

Bob Myers is leaving his role as an NBA analyst for ESPN to join Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment as its president of sports, HBSE announced on Friday.

“Our goal has been to hire, grow, and retain the best and brightest executives in the world and we are a stronger, more dynamic organization with the addition of Bob Myers,” Josh Harris and David Blitzer said in a statement. “His experience as an architect of championship teams will complement our existing leadership structure, while also allowing HBSE to maximize opportunities across our portfolio. We’re excited to have Bob continue his storied career here at HBSE.”

Myers will work “goal of maximizing opportunities and bolstering processes” across the company, whose portfolio of teams includes the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, NHL’s New Jersey Devils, NASCAR team Joe Gibbs Racing, and Crystal Palace of the Premier League.

Advertisement

[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]

Myers, 50, was the general manager for the Golden State Warriors from 2012-2023, helping the franchise win four NBA titles. He also won two NBA Executive of the Year awards during his tenure with the franchise.

Myers stepped down as Warriors president and GM in May 2023 and joined ESPN three months later. He worked as a studio and game analyst across the network’s NBA coverage. He also serves as a special advisor for Harris with the Washington Commanders after taking on the role in Jan. 2024 and helping in the hirings of GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn.

“I have been fortunate to know Josh and David for a long time, and I’ve always greatly admired them and respected how they’ve built such an impressive global sports portfolio,” Myers said. “This role was intriguing because it provides the opportunity to work with some of the industry’s most talented leaders and executives across the world’s biggest sports leagues.

“By leveraging HBSE’s global presence in sports, we can create competitive advantages for our athletes and teams that enhance our ability to win. This is the type of challenge and opportunity I was looking for, and I’m grateful to Josh and David for the chance to be a part of HBSE.”

Source link

• André Snellings

  Close

  André Snellings

  ESPN Senior Writer

  Dr. André Snellings is a senior writer for men’s and women’s fantasy basketball and sports betting at ESPN. André has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Michigan. He joined ESPN in 2017 after a 16-year career as a neural engineer, during which time he was also a writer and analyst for Rotowire.

• Eric Moody

  Close

  Eric Moody

  ESPN Writer

  Eric Moody is a writer for fantasy football, men’s and women’s basketball, and sports betting at ESPN. Eric joined ESPN in 2021 after working as a senior fantasy analyst at Pro Football Network. Prior to that, he spent much of his career as a manager at a Fortune 100 financial services company.

Oct 17, 2025, 07:30 AM ET

The 2025-26 NBA season tips off on Tuesday, October 21 with the Oklahoma City Thunder raising their NBA championship banner against the Houston Rockets, who now feature Kevin Durant.

The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to take the crown in the Eastern Conference, as the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers will need others to step up to replace injured stars. Cooper Flagg looks to make a splash in his rookie year with the Dallas Stars, while teams like the Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings look to take another step forward.

Every team has a betting angle — from player props to team futures — and that’s why we’re here to help you find the best futures bet from each of the NBA’s 30 teams.

André Snellings made his picks for the Eastern Conference, Eric Moody did the same for the Western Conference.Odds as of publication. For the most up to date odds, visit ESPN BET.

Jump ahead
Eastern Conference: Hawks | Nets | Celtics | Hornets | Bulls |
Cavaliers | Pistons | Pacers | Heat | Bucks |
Knicks | Magic | 76ers | Raptors | Wizards
Western Conference: Mavericks | Nuggets | Warriors | Rockets | Clippers |
Lakers | Grizzlies | Timberwolves | Pelicans | Thunder |
Suns | Trail Blazers | Kings | Spurs | Jazz

Eastern conference

Atlanta Hawks

Trae Young 12-plus Assists Per Game (+225), Trae Young Assists Per Game Leader (-130)

In last season’s preview, I noted that Young’s career trajectory suggested he would break 11 assists per game and lead the league in assists. Sure enough, he averaged 11.6 APG and led the league. Rinse and repeat. Entering his eighth NBA season, Young has increased his assists average every season of his career, from 8.1 APG as a rookie up to 11.6 APG in his recently concluded seventh season. In addition, the Hawks have surrounded him with finishers this season, including a new pick-and-roll/pop partner in Kristaps Porzingis.

Boston Celtics

Jaylen Brown to average 28-plus PPG (+225)

Brown will be Boston’s top scoring option this season with Jayson Tatum out injured. Over the past two seasons, when Brown played without Tatum his scoring average increased from 22.2 PPG to 26.8 PPG. Expect Brown to take a good chunk of Tatum’s 20.3 field goal attempts per game this season, and with the team featuring him, those looks should come from advantageous spots. Brown has averaged as many as 26.6 PPG over a season (2023-24) while playing next to Tatum, and he has a good chance to set new career marks this season. At plus money, Brown over 28 PPG is solid value.

Brooklyn Nets

Fewest regular season wins in the NBA (+180)

The Nets enter the season in a three-way near-virtual tie in the projections for the worst record in the league, according to BPI. The Nets and Utah Jazz (+165 for fewest wins) both have a BPI of -6.9, tied for the second lowest mark in the league just ahead of the Washington Wizards’ BPI of -7.4. The Nets drafted five rookies in the first round of this year’s draft and plan to feature them in their rotation, and that much youth could be a ticket more for building for the future than present-day success. At plus money, there is value in betting them for the fewest wins in the league.

Charlotte Hornets

Over 26.5 wins (-120)

The Hornets won only 19 games last season and 23 the season before, but those struggles are strongly correlated with the injury absences of their perimeter players. Last season, the Hornets went 16-31 with LaMelo Ball in the lineup, for a 28 win pace, but only 3-32 without him. Ball has struggled with injuries for three straight seasons, but this offseason the Hornets seemed to prepare for that by bringing in several quality guards. With this added depth on the perimeter, in addition to growth among their young stars like Ball and Brandon Miller, the Hornets project to more success. Per BPI, they project to 29.6 wins this season.

Chicago Bulls

Josh Giddey to average 8-plus APG (+115), Giddey to win Most Improved Player (18-1)

Editor’s Picks

• 
• 

1 Related

The Bulls traded away Zach LaVine last season, giving the reins of the franchise to Giddey and Coby White. In the last 19 games of the season, after the LaVine trade, Giddey averaged 21.2 PPG, 9.3 APG and 10.7 RPG. With the offense running through him, Giddey has a strong chance to average 8-plus APG over the course of this season. If he comes anywhere near his stats from the last quarter of last season, he will be firmly in the MIP mix as well.

Cleveland Cavaliers

To be Eastern Conference No. 1 seed (+115)

The Cavaliers exploded for 64 wins with a +9.5 point average scoring margin last season to finish as the top seed in the East, three games ahead of the Boston Celtics and 13 games ahead of the New York Knicks. The Cavaliers return all of their primary players and their coach from last season, while the Celtics will be without Jayson Tatum and the Knicks will feature a new head coach. The Cavaliers will be without Darius Garland for roughly the first month of the season, but still have plenty of talent to replicate their level from last season. According to BPI, the Cavs project to comfortably win the most games in the East, with more than a four-game cushion in projected wins of the second seed (Knicks).

Detroit Pistons

Cade Cunningham to average 28-plus PPG (+185)

Cunningham has significantly increased his scoring average in every season of his career, from 17.4 PPG as a rookie up to 26.1 PPG in his fourth season. Cunningham is still only 24 years old, and the Pistons are built for him to be the clear-cut top creator on offense. He is high usage, will have the ball in his hands on every possession, and continues to improve as both a finisher in the paint and a 3-point shooter. Cunningham averaged 28.1 PPG over his last 40 games last season, giving this bet strong value at plus money.

Indiana Pacers

Andrew Nembhard (12-1) or Bennedict Mathurin (16-1) to win Most Improved Player

Play the No. 1 fantasy game for free

Create or join a fantasy basketball league on ESPN. Your championship run starts today!

Sign up today!

With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined (Achilles) and Myles Turner traded away, plus T.J. McConnell dealing with injury, the Pacers will be depending on Nembhard and Mathurin to create the lion share of their offense from the perimeter. Both could be in line to see significant jumps in production over their previous career, with Nembhard as a strong source of points and assists and Mathurin as a potentially dominant scorer. This is a recipe for a potential MIP bid in a field that tends to be wide open every season.

Miami Heat

Heat to participate in Play-In Tournament (-110)

The Heat have been in the Play-in Tournament in three straight seasons, continuing the tradition last season despite the Jimmy Butler availability saga that ended with his in-season trade to the Warriors. The Heat enter this season, again featuring a roster strong enough to compete each night but unlikely to contend. According to BPI, the Heat project to a three-way tie for the ninth-best record in the East, more than five games behind the projected sixth seed and more than five games ahead of the projected 12th seed.

Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo to average 7-plus APG (+110)

play

1:20

Barkley: ‘I wish a person loved me as much as the Bucks love Giannis.’

Charles Barkley weighs in on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks after Milwaukee had trade conversations with the Knicks earlier in the offseason.

Antetokounmpo averaged a career-best 6.5 APG last season, but in the 13 games he played without Damian Lillard he averaged 7.9 APG. With Lillard no longer on the roster, Giannis should see an uptick in his usage, perhaps to the level of the career-high 38.8 USG% from 2022-23 — the season before Lillard’s arrival. With the makeup of the Bucks, Antetokounmpo will be tasked with creating the majority of the offense for himself and his teammate. He has a strong chance to generate a career-best in assists for the third straight season.

New York Knicks

To make Eastern Conference Finals (+130)

The Knicks made the Eastern Conference Finals last season, going through the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the semi-finals before losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Finals. But both the Celtics and Pacers lost their best players to torn Achilles tendons in the playoffs, dramatically lowering their likelihood to return to those levels this season. The Knicks changed coaches in the offseason, but otherwise return their primary rotation players with the goal of getting even better this season. Per BPI, the Knicks project to the second-most wins in the Eastern Conference this season, and have the second-highest odds to reach the Conference Finals this season.

Orlando Magic

Paolo Banchero to average 26-plus PPG (+110)

Banchero increased his scoring average in each of his first three seasons, from 20.0 PPG as a rookie up to 25.9 PPG last season. The Magic brought in another volume scorer this offseason in Desmond Bane, one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. While Bane’s shots will have to come from somewhere, I think Banchero’s scoring volume actually increases because Bane’s shooting ability will stretch opposing defenses in ways the Magic haven’t been able to do in recent years. Banchero loves to operate from the mid-range and inside off the dribble, and he should have more room to get the shots he wants this season.

Philadelphia 76ers

Tyrese Maxey to average 26-plus PPG (+150)

play

0:44

Charles Barkley: If the 76ers are healthy, they can win the East

Charles Barkley joins “The Rich Eisen Show” and explains why the 76ers can win the Eastern Conference this season.

Maxey has averaged 26.1 PPG in 122 total games over the past two seasons. He has consistently scored at that level, and at only 24 years old he still has significant upside to improve. Maxey is one of three All Stars in the 76ers starting lineup, but both Joel Embiid and Paul George have significant injury histories that have kept them out of large amounts of games for the past several seasons. Maxey will be relied upon even more heavily if his teammates are out, and he has the game to support higher usage when called upon.

Toronto Raptors

To participate in Play-in Tournament (Even)

The Raptors are an enigmatic team because they lost so many games to injury last season, but they are a team full of young veterans that have each proven themselves productive when on the court. If It all meshes, they could be one of the more talented young teams in the Eastern Conference. According to BPI, the Raptors project to a three-way tie for the ninth-best record in the Eastern Conference, more than five games behind the projected sixth seed and 5.5 games ahead of the 12th seed.

Washington Wizards

Fewest regular season wins in NBA (+375)

The Wizards are a rebuilding team that plans to feature their young prospects this season, though they also currently roster two veteran starters in CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton. This season should be more about developing their young players and establishing a professional culture than wins and losses. According to BPI, the Wizards project to the lowest score in the NBA at -7.4, with only the Brooklyn Nets (-6.9) and Utah Jazz (-6.9) joining them below -5.0. With significant plus money, there is value in betting the Wizards for the fewest wins in the league this season.

Western conference

play

0:21

Cooper Flagg throws down a wide-open dunk

Anthony Davis passes to Cooper Flagg, who flies to the rack for a two-handed jam.

Dallas Mavericks

Cooper Flagg over 16.5 points per game (-110)

Flagg is a solid bet because the No. 1 overall pick enters a high-usage role in Dallas alongside Anthony Davis while Kyrie Irving recovers from a torn ACL. His versatile scoring, size, and competitive mindset make him a primary offensive option from day one. We project Flagg to average 19.5 PPG in 33.2 MPG on 14.6 shots per game.

Denver Nuggets

55-plus wins (+105)

All of ESPN. All in one place.

Watch your favorite events in the newly enhanced ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. Sign Up Now

Denver is positioned for success thanks to roster upgrades and depth. Trading Michael Porter Jr. for sharpshooter Cameron Johnson (19.0 PPG, 47.5% FG, 39% 3PT) improves floor spacing for Nikola Jokic. Adding Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas strengthens bench scoring and brings veteran toughness. Meanwhile, young wings Christian Braun, Julian Strawther, and Jalen Pickett have all shown progression, giving the Nuggets a complete roster ready for a division-title push.

Golden State Warriors

Over 46.5 regular season wins (-115)

The Warriors return a proven core led by Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and midseason addition Jimmy Butler III. Golden State went 28-15 following Butler’s arrival. With veterans healthy and role players like Al Horford, Seth Curry, and Brandin Podziemski adding depth, Golden State is set to exceed its win total. Built to contend, don’t overlook them to make the Western Conference Finals (+625) or NBA Finals (16-1) if everyone stays healthy.

Houston Rockets

Under 53.5 wins (-120)

play

1:26

Perk: The Rockets are going to be the NBA’s best offensive team

Kendrick Perkins breaks down his optimism for the Rockets’ offense after an impressive performance vs. the Jazz.

The Rockets lost Fred VanVleet for the season to an ACL tear, leaving Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Aaron Holiday, and Josh Okogie to shoulder the backcourt. Even with Kevin Durant (37) added, his injury history limits consistency as he’s averaged just 49 games per season over the past five years. Combined with limited bench scoring, it’s hard to see Houston matching last year’s 52 wins. Expect them more as a play-in team than a division contender.

LA Clippers

To finish as the Western Conference No. 5 Seed (+500)

The Clippers boast a star-studded roster with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Ivica Zubac, supported by veterans Bradley Beal, John Collins, Chris Paul, and Brook Lopez. Their offense and defense are elite, but age and past injuries-especially Leonard’s-could affect consistency. If the core stays healthy and meshes well, the Clippers have the depth and talent to finish near the No. 5 seed in the West, with postseason availability prioritized over seeding.

Los Angeles Lakers

To win the NBA championship (15-1)

The Lakers have two generational stars in Luka Doncic and LeBron James, and they went 15-8 together last season despite Doncic joining midyear. With a full offseason to build chemistry, new additions like Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart to bolster defense, and head coach JJ Redick entering Year 2 with more time to craft his system, this roster has the firepower and leadership to make a serious title run.

Memphis Grizzlies

Over 40.5 wins (-115)

Memphis returns its core of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., who combine for elite scoring and playmaking when healthy. With new additions like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ty Jerome bolstering depth, and promising young players like Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey taking the next step, the Grizzlies are well-positioned for success. They are poised to exceed 40.5 wins, provided Morant stays on the court.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Over 49.5 wins (-115)

The Timberwolves have averaged 52.5 wins over the past two seasons and return every key piece outside Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert and Donte DiVincenzo form a potent core, now bolstered by sharpshooter Johnny Juzang and 6-foot-11 rookie Joan Beringer. With continuity, proven growth, and added depth, 50-plus wins are well within reach.

New Orleans Pelicans

Over 30.5 wins (-110)

A healthy Zion Williamson transforms this team. Now add in Jordan Poole’s scoring, Trey Murphy III’s two-way growth, and Dejounte Murray returning from injury. With veterans like Kevon Looney and defensive anchor Herbert Jones, the Pelicans have the depth and talent to compete. If Zion stays on the court, 31-plus wins are easily within reach.

Oklahoma City Thunder

NBA Championship Winner (+200)

play

1:30

Are the Nuggets the biggest threat to Thunder this season?

Marc Spears and Brian Windhorst break down the Nuggets vs. Clippers preseason game and how much of a threat both teams are to the Thunder.

Oklahoma City returns virtually its entire championship roster, led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star Jalen Williams, and defensive anchor Chet Holmgren. Last season, they dominated with a record-setting point differential and suffocating defense. Youth, continuity, and a proven ability to turn defense into offense make OKC a powerhouse poised to become the first team in seven years to win back-to-back titles.

Phoenix Suns

Over 31.5 wins (-115)

The Suns’ roster overhaul gives Devin Booker a balanced backcourt alongside Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, both reliable three-point threats (Brooks shot 39.7% on 6.3 attempts per game last season). Rookie Khaman Maluach and Mark Williams bolster the frontcourt, while new coach Jordan Ott brings offensive innovation. Even without Durant or Beal, this revamped Suns squad should comfortably surpass 32 wins.

Portland Trail Blazers

Under 33.5 wins (+110)

Play the No. 1 fantasy game for free

Create or join a fantasy basketball league on ESPN. Your championship run starts today!

Sign up today!

Portland’s offseason is all about potential and hype, not proven production. Damian Lillard will miss the full season with a torn Achilles, Jrue Holiday is on the decline, while young centers Yang Hansen and Donovan Clingan need time to develop. Even with flashes from Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Deni Avdija, the team lacks consistency and depth, making another suboptimal season likely.

Sacramento Kings

To Participate In The Western Conference Play-In Tournament (+195)

Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis form a veteran core capable of scoring in bunches, while Dennis Schroder adds experience at point guard. Young talent like Keegan Murray and Nique Clifford provide upside. If the roster gels under head coach Doug Christie and stays healthy, the Kings have the firepower to sneak into the Play-In.

San Antonio Spurs

Victor Wembanyama to record 1-plus blocks in every regular season game (+130)

Wemby is cleared to play this season following a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder that prematurely ended his second season. The 7-foot-3 generational talent dominated defensively last season, averaging 3.8 BPG. Wemby is primed to control the paint again, and we project him to average 4.0 blocks a game.

Utah Jazz

Over 19.5 wins (-110)

Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler, when healthy, form a promising frontcourt duo, with Markkanen coming off a strong EuroBasket. Rookie Ace Bailey and Summer League MVP Kyle Filipowski bring scoring and versatility, while young guards like Cody Williams, Keyonte George, and Walter Clayton Jr. could develop into reliable contributors. With health and growth, the Jazz should edge past 20 wins, but not by much.

Source link

The National Basketball Association, or the NBA is a professional basketball league in North America comprising 30 teams, 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. The leagueâ€s headquarters are located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

The NBA is a member of USA Basketball (USAB), the national governing body recognized by FIBA. It is the second-wealthiest sports league in the world, behind the NFL, and its players have the highest average annual salaries globally.

The regular season, which lasts from October to April, consists of 82 games for each team. The NBA Playoffs, which conclude in June, culminate in the NBA Finals, which decide the league champion.

The Boston Celtics, who last won in 2024, currently own the record for the most championships (18). The Oklahoma City Thunder are the current NBA champions after defeating the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals.

How to watch the NBA Live in India?

Fans in India can watch NBA live with the NBA League Pass. The standard League Pass costs ₹1,499 per season and lets you watch on one device with commercials, multiview for up to four games, and alternative broadcasts. The League Pass Premium costs ₹2,099 per season and allows streaming on up to three devices, offline viewing, no commercials, in-arena streams during breaks, multiview, and alternative broadcasts.

You can also get a Team Pass for ₹199/month if you follow only one out-of-market team, or a Commercial Plan for business use to stream on 10+ devices. Students get a 40% discount on League Pass.

Games can be streamed on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Hisense, Comcast, PlayStation 4 and 5, or online at NBA.com. Premium subscribers can download full games, recaps, or condensed games on mobile for offline viewing.

Live streams include home/away broadcasts, Mobile View optimized for phones, alternate camera angles, and multiple languages. Premium also offers in-arena streams during halftime and breaks. Subscriptions can be paused or canceled depending on your plan.

Where to watch NBA Live via streaming Apps?

Starting October 2025, Prime members in India will get live coverage of NBA games at no extra cost. This includes 67 regular-season games, all seven Knockout Rounds of the Emirates NBA Cup, the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, first and second round playoff games, and Conference Finals in six of the 11 years of the deal. From 2026, Prime Video will also stream WNBA games, including 30 regular-season games, the Commissioner’s Cup Championship, and selected postseason games.

When will the 2025-26 NBA season start?

The 2025–26 NBA regular season will start on October 21, 2025, and end on April 12, 2026. It will be the 80th season of the National Basketball Association. The third edition of the in-season NBA Cup will take place from October 31 to December 16, 2025.

The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be hosted on February 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The playoffs will start on April 18, and the play-in tournament will take place from April 14 to April 17, 2026. The NBA Finals are scheduled to start June 4, with a possible Game 7 on June 21.

FAQs

Q. Where can I watch NBA live in India?
A. You can watch NBA live in India on NBA League Pass or Prime Video. League Pass subscribers can link their accounts and watch directly on Prime Video.

Q. Can I watch NBA live for free?
A. Some games can be streamed for free on Fubo during its free trial. For full access, you need a League Pass subscription.

Q. Is NBA TV included in Amazon Prime?

A. Prime Video and the NBA have an 11-year rights agreement that permits live game and highlight streaming.

Q. Who has NBA rights in India?
A. In India, NBA games are streamed live on the NBAâ€s official YouTube channel during the 2024–25 season.

Get the Latest NBA Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.

Source link