NBA Season 2025-26

[BringToughnessBack]

Wow.

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
?
47s
Just in: After nine NBA seasons, New York Knicks guard Malcolm Brogdon has decided to retire from basketball, he tells ESPN. Brogdon became the 2017 Rookie of the Year and 2023 Sixth Man of the Year after being drafted No. 36 in 2016.

Apparently he must have met Mr. Dolan and got a taste of that franchise.

[slamtheking]

Wow.

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
?
47s
Just in: After nine NBA seasons, New York Knicks guard Malcolm Brogdon has decided to retire from basketball, he tells ESPN. Brogdon became the 2017 Rookie of the Year and 2023 Sixth Man of the Year after being drafted No. 36 in 2016.

Apparently he must have met Mr. Dolan and got a taste of that franchise.

did not see this coming.

[Phantom255x]

Apparently Lebron is going to take a "cautionary approach" with his injury and may not return until mid to late November. I sort of think he's checked out in LA and will take a relaxed approach all year. I mean he clearly didn't like the whole "LA is moving forward with Luka, Luka's our #1 guy" sentiments all offseason either through his own actions or Rich Paul on his behalf.

Worth monitoring. I still have LAL as a 5 seed in the West and they did improve in the offseason especially with some defensive additions. But make no mistake that team is going to need a healthy and engaged Luka AND Lebron to really make a deep run ultimately.

[Who]

Keegan Murray and the Sacramento Kings have agreed to a five-year, $140 million rookie contract extension. Murray becomes the sixth player from his draft class to sign an extension.

Murray averaged 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 34.3 minutes in 76 games last season. Murray was the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NBA draft.

Wow, what a ridiculous contract!

Sacramento continuing to make terrible decision after terrible decision.

[Who]

The LA Clippers have 8 players over 30yo

* CP3 = 40yo
* B Lopez = 37yo
* J Harden = 36yo
* Nic Batum = 36yo
* Kawhi = 34yo
* Bogdanovic = 33yo
* Beal = 32yo
* K Dunn = 31yo

That is almost their entire rotation. John Collins at PF and Ivica Zubac are their only rotation guys under 30 years of age. Oh, Derrick Jones Jr as well. 8 of their top 11 guys over 30.

I am surprised Kawhi is 34yo. I would have no idea how old he was given how much time he has missed with injury. I would have guessed he was younger. Same draft as Kyrie, Klay and Kemba Walker.

[Birdman]

The LA Clippers have 8 players over 30yo

* CP3 = 40yo
* B Lopez = 37yo
* J Harden = 36yo
* Nic Batum = 36yo
* Kawhi = 34yo
* Bogdanovic = 33yo
* Beal = 32yo
* K Dunn = 31yo

That is almost their entire rotation. John Collins at PF and Ivica Zubac are their only rotation guys under 30 years of age. Oh, Derrick Jones Jr as well. 8 of their top 11 guys over 30.

I am surprised Kawhi is 34yo. I would have no idea how old he was given how much time he has missed with injury. I would have guessed he was younger. Same draft as Kyrie, Klay and Kemba Walker.

If they can be healthy during playoffs they can win it all

[Phantom255x]

The LA Clippers have 8 players over 30yo

* CP3 = 40yo
* B Lopez = 37yo
* J Harden = 36yo
* Nic Batum = 36yo
* Kawhi = 34yo
* Bogdanovic = 33yo
* Beal = 32yo
* K Dunn = 31yo

That is almost their entire rotation. John Collins at PF and Ivica Zubac are their only rotation guys under 30 years of age. Oh, Derrick Jones Jr as well. 8 of their top 11 guys over 30.

I am surprised Kawhi is 34yo. I would have no idea how old he was given how much time he has missed with injury. I would have guessed he was younger. Same draft as Kyrie, Klay and Kemba Walker.

If they can be healthy during playoffs they can win it all

Problem is they never are 

[Goldstar88]

The Charlotte Hornets are waiving veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie, the team announced Thursday.

Dinwiddie signed a one-year, $3.6 million deal with the Hornets in early July amid free agency, but Charlotte had to release a guaranteed salary ahead of next week's regular-season opener and chose his.

[Who]

The Charlotte Hornets are waiving veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie, the team announced Thursday.

Dinwiddie signed a one-year, $3.6 million deal with the Hornets in early July amid free agency, but Charlotte had to release a guaranteed salary ahead of next week's regular-season opener and chose his.

What a strange decision. And waste of money.

[Donoghus]

Michael Scotto
@MikeAScotto
Mac McClung, a G League MVP and three-time Slam Dunk Contest champion, has agreed to a deal with the Chicago Bulls, league sources told
@hoopshype
.

[Donoghus]

Michael Scotto
@MikeAScotto
Mac McClung, a G League MVP and three-time Slam Dunk Contest champion, has agreed to a deal with the Chicago Bulls, league sources told
@hoopshype
.

And apparently got waived 3 hours later. [dang].

[Phantom255x]

Michael Scotto
@MikeAScotto
Mac McClung, a G League MVP and three-time Slam Dunk Contest champion, has agreed to a deal with the Chicago Bulls, league sources told
@hoopshype
.

And apparently got waived 3 hours later. [dang].

End of an era!

[Goldstar88]

Hate seeing Smart in Lakers yellow. 

[keevsnick]

The LA Clippers have 8 players over 30yo

* CP3 = 40yo
* B Lopez = 37yo
* J Harden = 36yo
* Nic Batum = 36yo
* Kawhi = 34yo
* Bogdanovic = 33yo
* Beal = 32yo
* K Dunn = 31yo

That is almost their entire rotation. John Collins at PF and Ivica Zubac are their only rotation guys under 30 years of age. Oh, Derrick Jones Jr as well. 8 of their top 11 guys over 30.

I am surprised Kawhi is 34yo. I would have no idea how old he was given how much time he has missed with injury. I would have guessed he was younger. Same draft as Kyrie, Klay and Kemba Walker.

LAC and GSW in fierce competition to see who can field the oldest team.

[Who]

Interesting Lakers starting unit while LeBron is out

G: G Vincent
G: A Reaves
F: Luka
F: Hachimura
C: Ayton

I like Gabe Vincent getting the nod as the 5th starter. They have three combo guards. Defensive guards who need to hit open jump-shots. Gabe has done that the best during pre-season. He finished last season well after struggling prior to that. The others are Marcus Smart and Bronny. Smart has an uphill battle to prove he can still be a difference maker on a winning team (he hasn't been for 2yrs now).

Loss of DFS

Interesting to think about last year's squad and how Donney Finney Smith would have gotten the nod here. So they would have had a big wing defender who can cover 2 through 4. Maybe even some PGs. Also a more reliable shooter. Compare that to this season and LAL has no reliable wing defender that can step in if one of their wings are out injured (LeBron currently). All they can do this season is put in a small sized guard. A substantial downgrade.

Talent Level with LeBron

It is also interesting to look at the three players alongside Luka and A Reaves. How talented are they? Gabe Vincent is a bottom 5 starting PG. Hachimura is probably somewhere around the 20th best starting PF. Ayton also around the 20th best starting center. So just how talented is this team without LeBron? Is it a .500 team?

Do they lack wings?

Another interesting note is that A Reaves and Luka are the two wings. They are both negative defenders. LAL has no plus wing defender in their starting group without LeBron. They have a small guard defender in G Vincent and a big forward defender in Rui Hachimura.

They also lack wing defenders off their bench. Dalton Knecht is the next wing player up. An offense-only player. Then they have more versions of Rui Hachimura - big forwards who can play defense in Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia.

So lots of big forwards. No quick wings. Small guards & big (slower) forwards (including Luka & LeBron).