Basketball news

• Preseason Game Thread: Knicks at 76ers, October 5, 2026

  06-10-2026 00:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 10: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers wrestle for a loose ball during the second quarter in Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 10, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agr
  
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• Could LeBron James help solve the 76ers' depth problem at center? Here's what the numbers say

  08-10-2026 21:21 via cbssports.com
  
  LeBron at the 5? The 76ers might need to try it after their backup center was hurt in their preseason opener
  
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• LeBron James to reportedly make 76ers preseason debut with rest of starting five Thursday vs. Nets

  08-10-2026 21:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The biggest signing of the NBA offseason is ready for his debut. LeBron James will reportedly make his first preseason appearance with the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, according to ESPN.James, 41, is expected to play against the Brooklyn Nets and will be joined by the rest of the 76ers’ projected starting lineup..@mcten reports that LeBron James will make his preseason debut for the 76ers against the Nets 🏀 pic.twitter.com/LokeIhh8hL— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 8, 2026
  
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• LeBron James to reportedly make 76ers preseason debut with rest of starting 5 Thursday vs. Nets

  08-10-2026 21:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The biggest signing of the NBA offseason is ready for his debut. LeBron James will reportedly make his first preseason appearance with the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, according to ESPN.James, 41, is expected to play against the Brooklyn Nets and will be joined by the rest of the 76ers' projected starting lineup..@mcten reports that LeBron James will make his preseason debut for the 76ers against the Nets 🏀 pic.twitter.com/LokeIhh8hL— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 8, 2026That's
  
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• LeBron James to reportedly make 76ers preseason debut Thursday vs. Nets

  08-10-2026 21:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  The biggest NBA signing of the offseason is ready for his debut. LeBron James will reportedly make his first preseason appearance with the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, according to ESPN.James, 41, is expected to play against the Brooklyn Nets and will be joined by the rest of the 76ers’ projected starting lineup..@mcten reports that LeBron James will make his preseason debut for the 76ers against the Nets 🏀 pic.twitter.com/LokeIhh8hL— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 8, 2026
  
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• How will the NBA’s new focus on push-offs impact the Lakers?

  08-10-2026 20:09 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  This preseason, the NBA and its officials released their Points of Emphasis for the 2026-27 season and one of the most-discussed sections was off-arm push-offs by offensive players.A move popularized by some of the league’s most dynamic offensive players, like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaylen Brown, has become one of the more natural moves in modern basketball, as polarizing as it is. League officials are beginning to crack down on the space it creates and, most importantly, the disadvan
  
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• Highlights from Damian Lillard's return to court, first game with Ja Morant

  08-10-2026 19:53 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  For the first time since April 27, 2025, Damian Lillard stepped on an NBA court on Wednesday night. He said it felt like home.Lillard, coming off a torn left Achilles, played 19 minutes and finished with 15 points in his first game back — and his first game as a starting backcourt with Ja Morant. Those two found a little chemistry.Ja ➡️ DameMorant saves the ball from going out of bounds and throws it to his new teammate cutting to the rim for the layuphttps://t.co/yjzquXRQMUp
  
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• Adou Thiero’s focus on his decision-making, patience is paying off early in preseason

  08-10-2026 19:21 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Adou Thiero #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers passes around Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors during their preseason game at Chase Center on October 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images Through two preseason ap
  
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• Question Marks: The first look at a new era with Celtics-Cavaliers

  08-10-2026 19:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 28: Jayson Tatum #0 and Paul George #13 of the Boston Celtics pose for photos during Boston Celtics Media Day at Auerbach Center on September 28, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images Celtics basketball, how we’ve missed you. It’s been a long, strange offseason, so it feels good to turn the page and learn about a new team and, maybe more fittingly, a new era.I love preseason because it’s the first re
  
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• Trying to repeat last season’s over/under predictions success: Western Conference

  08-10-2026 18:49 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 30: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball against Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty I
  
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• Luka Dončić sounds thrilled to have Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle on the Lakers

  08-10-2026 18:41 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  SACRAMENTO, CA - OCTOBER 5: Ziaire Williams #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers plays defense during the game against the Sacramento Kings during a 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 5, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via
  
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• Kyrie Irving to return for Mavericks preseason game in China after ACL tear, calf-strain 'setback'

  08-10-2026 18:31 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Kyrie Irving will return to the court when the Dallas Mavericks take on the Houston Rockets in China this weekend, more than 19 months after a torn left ACL put him on the shelf — and some 10 months after suffering a previously undisclosed calf strain that the nine-time All-Star says derailed his efforts to come back during the 2025-26 NBA season.New Mavericks head coach Dusty May told reporters in Macao that Irving will play in one of the two games scheduled as part of the NBA's preseason
  
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• Early NBA preseason surprises, standout rookie performances + KOC Show mailbag

  08-10-2026 18:06 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Subscribe to The Kevin O'Connor ShowApple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeKevin O'Connor dives into early NBA preseason insights including Tyrese Haliburton’s much-anticipated return, Minnesota’s evolving offense with LaMelo Ball and what Zion Williamson’s new 3-point shot could mean for the Pelicans. KOC also explores the Knicks’ bumpy start after their Finals win, the Sixers’ intriguing rotation options (now without Ariel Hukporti), why OKC’s roster shakeup make
  
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• NBA Rookie of the Year Predictions 2026-27: Will it be Cameron Boozer? AJ Dybantsa? Darryn Peterson?

  08-10-2026 18:03 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  This season is shaping up to be the most interesting Rookie of the Year race in a long time. The intense debate about who should have been the top pick in last June's NBA Draft now carries over to the Rookie of the Year race.Will No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa in Washington win? Darryn Peterson in Utah? Cameron Boozer in Memphis? Or could we see Caleb Wilson in Chicago, Darius Acuff Jr. in Sacramento or Brayden Burries in Milwaukee rise up and grab the award? It's going to be a fascinating race, and we
  
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• Luka Dončić said LeBron James reached out when he left the Lakers

  08-10-2026 17:57 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  After spending seven years as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James departed in free agency this summer and signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on a veteran minimum contract worth $7.9 million total over two seasons. For the last 1.5 years of his tenure with the Lakers, James shared the court alongside Luka Dončić. They appeared in 72 regular-season games together and Los Angeles posted a 47-25 record in those contests. When James left the Lakers, he contacted Dončić
  
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• Ranking every NBA team's offense entering the 2026-27 season: Knicks at No. 1, Lakers and Celtics in top five

  08-10-2026 17:34 via cbssports.com
  
  Who will have the best -- and the worst -- offenses in the NBA this season? We're projecting each team
  
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• Labaron Philon is ready to learn in transition to NBA

  08-10-2026 17:15 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 5: Labaron Philon Jr. #00 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball against the New York Knicks during a preseason game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Knicks 120-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) |
  
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• Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic to miss start of season due to toe injury

  08-10-2026 17:15 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Trading away Walker Kessler this summer meant the Utah Jazz were going to lean heavily on veteran center Jusuf Nurkic this season to anchor a team a lot of people are high on (*raises hand*).That's now on hold. Nurkic has "sustained a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe of his right foot during Utah's first preseason game against Denver on Oct. 4," the team announced. He will be reevaluated in four weeks, meaning he will miss at least the first few weeks of the season.The plantar plate
  
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• ICE detains Mississippi Valley State men's basketball player over visa

  08-10-2026 17:15 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  A Mississippi Valley State men’s basketball player has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Qingfang Pang, a junior power forward on the Delta Devils, is in ICE custody at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana, according to the ICE database.Pang is from China, with a listed hometown of Queens, New York on the official Mississippi Valley State roster. Before enrolling in college, Pang played high school basketball at Christ the King High School in Quee
  
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• Joe Mazzulla reveals a twist before Celtics’ first preseason game

  08-10-2026 17:07 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Boston, MA - November 3: Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla talks with assistant coach Tony Dobbins in the third quarter at TD Garden on November 3, 2025. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images CLEVELAND — Joe Mazzulla doesn’t typically speak at Celtics shootaround. But standing by the court at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Mazzulla had something he wanted to share: for the first time in his head-coaching tenure, he decided to gi
  
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• Knicks Bulletin: ‘At the end of the day, everybody has a short-term memory’

  08-10-2026 17:03 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 5: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during a 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 5, 2026 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nat
  
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• Jazz center Jusuf Nurkić to miss at least a month with right foot injury

  08-10-2026 16:25 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkić will be sidelined for at least four weeks after suffering a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe of his right foot, the team announced Wednesday — a tough blow for a team hoping to make a significant leap up the Western Conference standings this season. The Jazz say Nurkić sustained the injury during Utah's preseason opener against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. It’s unclear exactly when the 32-year-old center got hurt; he checked out wi
  
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• Cavs vs. Celtics preseason preview: How to watch, odds, and injury report

  08-10-2026 16:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 08: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket around Baylor Scheierman #55 of the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter at Rocket Arena on March 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 109-98. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty
  
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• Sixers continue building chemistry in preseason play as they head to Brooklyn

  08-10-2026 15:17 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 5: Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball against the New York Knicks during a preseason game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Knicks 120-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty
  
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• Roundtable: The gang makes some season predictions (Part I)

  08-10-2026 14:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 23: (L-R) Actors Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito and Charlie Day act during a dance scene on the set of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" on May 23, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images) | Getty Images With the preseason already up and running, it’s time for our signature Roundtable, where Brew Hoop staff put their meteorologist hats on and forecast the future, hoping their words don’t come back to
  
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• Forget the losses, the Suns’ second unit is stealing the show

  08-10-2026 14:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 07: Luke Kennard #8 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball as Buddy Hield #7 of the Chicago Bulls defends during the first half of the preseason game at the United Center on October 07, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images) | Getty Images It was the second los
  
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• Tarik Biberović is poised to make a splashy impact with Mavericks

  08-10-2026 13:03 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  DALLAS, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 25: Tarik Biberovic #13 of the Dallas Mavericks poses for portraits at Mavericks Media Day at American Airlines Center on September 25, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Dallas Mavericks had a few holes last season that had them stuck near
  
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• 10 things I’m looking forward to this Celtics season

  08-10-2026 13:01 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  Derrick White is poised to improve his offensive efficiency this season. | NBAE via Getty Images There’s nothing quite like basketball season. Turning on the TV whenever we want and marveling as the best players in the world put on a show is a treat. Watching the Celtics play never gets old, and each season brings a new flavor.This year is particularly intriguing, for obvious reasons, as they enter a new era with Just the Jay. Here are 10 things I’m looking forward to as the action b
  
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• Open Thread: NBA is exploring use of new technology throughout the preseason

  08-10-2026 13:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 4: Generic photo of the official NBA Wilson basketball during the NBA preseason on October 4, 2026 at CU Events Center, Boulder, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images On Monday, the NBA announced
  
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• Cavs season preview: Evan Mobley – Will Cleveland’s faith be rewarded?

  08-10-2026 13:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  
  CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 08: Evan Mobley #4 celebrates with James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during player introductions before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Rocket Arena on April 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Cleveland Cavaliers had oppo
  
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