Cleveland Cavaliers forward Peyton Watson (hamstring) is in line for ample rotation minutes in 2026-27, according to NBA.com's Shaun Powell. Cleveland landed Watson from Denver in a five-team sign-and-trade in August, with ESPN's Shams Charania reporting a four-year, $88 million deal. Watson broke out with the Nuggets last season, averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 […]

Free-agent guard/forward John Konchar has drawn interest from at least four Eastern Conference teams, with Marc Stein of The Stein Line reporting that the Heat, Magic, Raptors, and Knicks are keeping an eye on him. A deal is not straightforward, as all four teams are operating above the luxury-tax line, Toronto has first-apron concerns, and […]

Free-agent forward Cam Whitmore (shoulder) has emerged as a possible target for the Denver Nuggets, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Cleveland waived Whitmore in late August after acquiring him from Washington in the five-team deal that sent Peyton Watson from Denver to the Cavaliers. The 22-year-old averaged 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds […]

The Los Angeles Clippers have officially acquired guard/forward Gradey Dick from the Toronto Raptors in the completed Kawhi Leonard trade, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Toronto sent Dick, Brandon Ingram, two unprotected first-round picks, one first-round swap, and two second-rounders to Los Angeles for Leonard after the deal sat on hold during the NBA's salary-cap […]

The Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors have completed the trade, sending forward Brandon Ingram (heel), Gradey Dick, and draft compensation to Los Angeles for Kawhi Leonard, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. The deal was first agreed to on June 30 but sat on hold for more than two months during the league's salary-cap investigation involving […]

Constructing a 9-category fantasy basketball roster is an abstract puzzle that requires a lot of planning both during the draft and afterwards. The edges are your first few rounds. After that, play to your star players' strengths. Punt a category, maybe two. No roster will be perfect, but remember that you just need to win […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed center Christoph Tilly to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Andrew Schlecht. The 7-foot German went undrafted out of Ohio State after a 118-game college career between Santa Clara and the Buckeyes, averaging 9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 20.6 minutes. Tilly also played six Summer League […]

The Boston Celtics have signed guard Caleb Grill to a training camp contract, according to Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot. The deal gives Grill another NBA look after he played for Boston's Summer League team, though his likely path runs through the Maine Celtics if he is waived before the regular season. The […]

The Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors have completed the trade, sending forward Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Leonard waived his $7.45 million trade kicker to help push the deal through after the NBA's cap-circumvention investigation delayed the June 30 agreement. The seven-time All-Star returns to Toronto after averaging a […]

Former forward/center Taj Gibson is retiring after 17 NBA seasons and returning to the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach under Tiago Splitter, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The 41-year-old was the 26th overall pick in 2009 and spent his first eight seasons in Chicago, where he ranks fifth in franchise history with 695 blocks. […]

The Boston Celtics have signed guard Devin Carter to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to the Boston Globe. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported that Carter will compete for an NBA roster spot or a two-way opening in camp, while Spotrac's Keith Smith noted the deal can become a standard non-guaranteed contract, convert to a two-way, or […]

Phoenix Suns forward Haywood Highsmith (knee) enters training camp without a guaranteed roster spot after the team waived and re-signed him in August, according to Holden Sherman of Bright Side of the Sun. Highsmith is on a one-year, $3 million deal that does not become fully guaranteed until Jan. 10, 2027, and he cannot be […]

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (knee) has taken another step in his ramp-up before training camp, according to Brian Barefield of Big Sarge Media. Head coach Ime Udoka said VanVleet has "really ramped it up" while rehabbing in San Diego and has progressed to back-to-back work and contact activity. That builds on VanVleet's earlier expectation […]

Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer will comply with the NBA's salary-cap circumvention penalties and will not pursue legal action, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. Ballmer apologized to fans, employees, and fellow owners in a statement, saying, "Team owners should support, not distract." The decision reverses the Clippers' Sept. 2 stance, when the franchise said it […]

Denver Nuggets forward/center Aaron Gordon (hamstring, calf) told Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports that his offseason helped reset him physically and mentally. Speaking at his youth camp, Gordon said he did a lot of "soul-searching" and training before adding, "I'm ready to go." The 30-year-old was limited to 36 regular-season games by hamstring issues, then […]

The Atlanta Hawks are adding Ettore Messina as a consultant, according to Eurohoops' Aris Barkas, who relayed a report from Walter Fuochi of La Repubblica. Messina reunites with Quin Snyder, who worked under him as an assistant at CSKA Moscow before becoming an NBA head coach. The 66-year-old previously consulted for the Lakers and spent […]

Miami Heat forward/center Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf, knee) enters his first season in Miami with immediate pressure, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel used Sunday's Ask Ira column to weigh whether his Heat debut can top Shaquille O'Neal's 2004-05 arrival. The framing says plenty about Miami's expectations. Antetokounmpo should operate as the offensive […]

Phoenix Suns guard Koby Brea is back on a one-year two-way contract after signing his qualifying offer in July, but Kevin Humpherys of Bright Side of the Sun does not see a clean path to NBA minutes. The 23-year-old is trying to stick in a crowded backcourt and wing mix, with shooting serving as his […]

Philadelphia 76ers forward Dean Wade is expected to open the season with the second unit behind LeBron James, according to Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice. Wade originally signed a four-year, nearly $40 million deal with the expectation of starting at power forward, but Philadelphia's summer shakeup pushed him into a bench role. That does not mean […]

The Boston Celtics signed and waived forward Hank Morgan, according to the NBA's official transaction log. The move was almost certainly Exhibit 10 housekeeping, making Morgan eligible for a bonus worth up to $91,000 if he reports to the Maine Celtics, Boston's G-League affiliate. The 24-year-old went undrafted out of Division III Hamilton College in […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Christian Shumate to a training camp contract, according to Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot. Shumate went undrafted in 2025 after four seasons at McNeese State, where he earned All-Southland honors each year and won Southland Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 and 2025. He also […]

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard should be worth about $22 million per year on his next contract, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe said on the Big 3 NBA podcast. Washburn called Pritchard one of the league's biggest bargains, and the 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year has a three-year extension window worth roughly $67 […]

Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward Ziaire Williams believes he has a real chance to win the team's open starting spot, according to Ron Gutterman of LakersNation.com, who cited Williams' comments to Ryan Ward of Lakers On SI. Asked whether Jonathan Kuminga's move to Minnesota created a real opportunity in Los Angeles, Williams said, "Yeah, I do," […]

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) could see his offensive role shrink in 2026-27, according to PhillyVoice's Adam Aaronson. Embiid's usage rate has dropped from 39.6 percent in 2023-24 to 34.2 percent and 33.5 percent over the last two seasons, and Aaronson sees a real chance it falls below his career-low 32.9 percent with LeBron […]

Philadelphia 76ers guard Labaron Philon Jr. has a tougher path to rookie-year minutes than he appeared to have on draft night, according to PhillyVoice's Adam Aaronson. The No. 22 overall pick's best current NBA skill is creating with the ball, but Tyrese Maxey, LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid (knee) all sit […]

Brooklyn Nets forward Julius Randle is not treating his first season in Brooklyn like another rebuilding year, according to Andrew Crane of the New York Post. Speaking Saturday at the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center, Randle leaned into the team's "shock the world" framing and said, "Whatever your expectations are, whatever expectations that are put upon […]

New York Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart said the defending champions still view themselves as the hunters entering 2026-27, according to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. "I don't think we have a big target because I don't think anyone's picking us to win again," Hart said. "We're using it as fuel; we're still the hunters. We're not […]

Free-agent guard Nick Smith Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with Real Madrid, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. The 22-year-old reached the open market in late June when the Lakers declined their team option, and Scotto reports that he will serve as Real Madrid's lead guard. Smith averaged 7.6 points in 17.5 minutes across […]

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry can choose his own extension path, with Spotrac's Keith Smith outlining a one-year max, a two-year max worth roughly $136.7 million, or a wait until 2027 free agency, when a three-year deal could become possible. Curry has already said there is "no question" he wants to finish his career […]

Restricted free-agent center Jalen Duren has turned down a five-year offer in the $190 million range from the Detroit Pistons and is seriously considering his $9.6 million qualifying offer, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson. Taking that route would put the 22-year-old on track for unrestricted free agency in 2027, with Sacramento […]