Central Notes: Haliburton, Zubac, Watson, Buzelis, Swain
The Pacers were encouraged by the first game star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and new starting center Ivica Zubac played together, writes Chloe Peterson of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link).
Haliburton, who missed all of last season due to a torn Achilles tendon, returned to action on Wednesday for the first time since he suffered the major lower leg injury. Zubac, meanwhile, was limited to five games played with Indiana after he was acquired in February due to ankle and rib injuries.
“You can practice as much as you want, but game reps are always going to be different,” Zubac said Friday. “Just getting on the floor for the first time with him, with P(ascal Siakam), the whole starting unit felt good, just to see what looks were gonna get out there, how other teams are gonna guard us, how we use our offense.”
According to Peterson, Zubac admitted he was a little surprised at how fast Haliburton was playing, but said he was looking forward to improving their timing and pick-and-roll chemistry. Haliburton said he’d settle down over time and is already enjoying the process of learning to play with the Croatian big man.
“It’ll come in time, but I’m really confident in it,” Haliburton said Wednesday. “I know how good of a player he is, and we all are, but I mean, we all were at halftime like, ‘This is going to be a lot of fun.’ We know we all got to get a lot better, and we will as the season goes on, but it’s been enjoyable.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Sign-and-trade addition Peyton Watson showed flashes of the upside that made the Cavaliers so determined to acquire him in Thursday’s preseason opener, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). The former Nuggets forward had seven points, four rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 17 first-half minutes before sitting out the final two quarters. As Fedor details, Watson’s new teammates and coaches have raved about the 24-year-old’s “energy, activity, athleticism and versatility” during training camp. “He’s a dynamic player,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I want to see him in the short roll. I want to see him not just floating on the perimeter. I want to see him rebound and push the ball. Then cutting and offensive rebounding. He’s an active offensive player. He’s not just a spot-up guy.”
- Third-year Bulls forward Matas Buzelis suffered a right ankle injury in Friday’s preseason contest vs. Memphis after a “highlight reel block” and was later ruled out for the remainder of the game, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter links). However, Buzelis downplayed the severity of the injury after the game and said he would be traveling with the team for Sunday’s contest at Denver, as Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic relays (Twitter video link). “Just a little sore, nothing crazy,” Buzelis. “ … I think I’ll be ready for Sunday.” Big man Jalen Smith (left foot soreness) was out Friday, Lorenzi adds (via Twitter), but head coach Tiago Splitter expects it to be a short-term injury.
- Prior to Friday’s game, Splitter said he eventually envisions first-round pick Dailyn Swain becoming a “primary ball-handler” for the Bulls, Lorenzi tweets. “He’s still getting used to that role, but I think in the future, I see him as a primary ball-handler, creating for us,” Splitter said. Swain, a 6’8″ guard/forward, recorded six points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes on Friday.
Cavaliers Sign Jaxson Robinson, Noam Yaacov To Camp Deals
The Cavaliers have officially signed Jaxson Robinson and Noam Yaacov to training camp contracts, according to Paul Garcia of Spot Up Shot (Twitter link).
It’s unclear who Cleveland waived to make space for Robinson and Yaacov, since the team’s roster was full. But the most likely candidates to be released are Kadary Richmond, Zack Austin, Rashaun Agee and Curtis Jones, each of whom signed a non-guaranteed camp deal with the Cavs in late September.
Robinson played five college seasons with Texas, Arkansas, BYU and Kentucky from 2020-25. The 6’7″ guard/forward signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Cleveland after going undrafted in 2025, was waived before 2025/26 began to earn a bonus for playing for the Cavs’ G league affiliate, and spent his first professional season with the Cleveland Charge.
After struggling during the NBAGL’s Tip-Off Tournament last year, Robinson had a decent regular season with the Charge. In 33 regular season contests, the 23-year-old averaged 10.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 21.0 minutes per game while shooting 37.3% from three-point range.
Yaacov, who turns 22 later this month, went undrafted in June.. The Israeli-Danish point guard spent last season in Belgium with Oostende, averaging 17.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, 3.9 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .454/.370/.772 shooting in 46 appearances (25.6 MPG).
Yaacov reportedly committed to play college basketball at Utah over the summer. It’s possible he could instead be headed to the G League to play for the Charge in 2026/27.
Southwest Notes: Harper, Spurs, Vassell, VanVleet, Mavs
Head coach Mitch Johnson was prepared to unveil a new starting lineup during the Spurs’ preseason opener against Atlanta on Thursday, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic, with Dylan Harper replacing Julian Champagnie in the starting five.
It would have marked the first time that guards De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Harper all started together, with playoff star Harper only making six total starts in 92 appearances (regular season and postseason combined) as a rookie in 2025/26. Wing Devin Vassell and Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama were the other two starters.
However, Fox was sore from practicing on Thursday morning and was held out for rest purposes, so Champagnie started in his place. Harper thrived in his 2026 preseason debut, according to Weiss, recording 16 points (on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three-point range), four rebounds, four assists (against zero turnovers) and one steal in 19 first-half minutes.
Johnson was noncommittal about whether he planned to use the anticipated starting lineup going forward, but it would be pretty surprising if Harper isn’t part of the group, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Last year’s No. 2 overall pick was announced first during pre-game introductions, McDonald notes.
For his part, Harper is optimistic about how the guard trio will fit together, according to Weiss.
“We’re going to be really hard to guard. When me and Steph get downhill, Fox has the same ability,” Harper said. “So, I mean, I think all three of us can be hard to guard, and there’s going to be a whole lot of mismatches on the floor and just playing with each other. And we’re all unselfish, and we all understand where we’re going to get our shots from.
“… We understand what we all have to do to win. So I mean, it’s going to be great.”
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- Both Johnson and Wembanyama praised Vassell’s growth as a leader prior to Thursday’s contest, as Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News writes. “Devin’s in a place where we’ve kind of seen him mature from young player to young veteran, and he’s established himself as a veteran on this team in the way he played last year and through the playoffs and the way he’s held himself and conducted himself in the offseason and into camp,” the Spurs’ coach said. “He is a leader now without question.”
- In his first game since May 2025, veteran guard Fred VanVleet showed no signs of rust, according to Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle. VanVleet, who missed all of last season while recovering from a torn ACL, helped lead the Rockets to a 135-117 victory over Dallas in their preseason opener, recording 17 points (5-of-12 shooting, all threes) and seven assists in 24 minutes. More important than his individual statistics was the smooth manner in which Houston’s offense flowed with VanVleet acting as both a distributor and floor spacer, Shankar writes. Multiple players — including Alperen Sengun (16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists in 22 minutes) — benefited from VanVleet’s presence.
- Mavericks forward P.J. Washington has been acting as a veteran mentor for lottery pick Morez Johnson Jr. Grant Afseth of Dallas Sports Journal has the story and the quotes.
Lakers Sign Rafael Castro, Waive William Kyle III
The Lakers announced Friday that they have waived William Kyle III in order to sign Rafael Castro (Twitter link Khobi Price of The California Post). It’s an Exhibit 10 deal for Castro, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Castro signed a two-way contract with Houston in late August, but the Rockets waived him eight days ago. The 23-year-old big man didn’t hear his name called in June’s NBA draft after being ranked No. 68 on Jeremy Woo of ESPN’s final pre-draft big board.
Castro, who struggled to gain playing time in two seasons at Providence from 2022-24, transferred to George Washington for his junior season and became the team’s full-time starting center. He was named to the All-Atlantic 10 second team and the conference’s All-Defensive team during each of his two years with the Revolutionaries.
As a senior in 2025/26, Castro averaged 15.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.7 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game across 27 appearances. He shot 62.7% from the field and 66.1% from the free throw line.
Kyle spent training camp and part of the preseason with Los Angeles after signing an Exhibit 10 contract on September 27. The 6’9″ center/forward averaged 8.4 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 2.5 BPG in 32 games (28.1 MPG) with Syracuse last season.
An Exhibit 10 contract enables a player to earn a bonus worth up to $91K if he’s waived before the season and spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate. In this case, that would be the Coachella Valley Lakers, formerly known as the South Bay Lakers.
Grizzlies’ Isaiah Stewart (Ankle) Out At Least Two Weeks
Big man Isaiah Stewart suffered a moderate left ankle sprain in the first quarter of Monday’s preseason game in Atlanta and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter).
Based on that reevaluation timeline, Stewart will miss not only the rest of the preseason but also the start of the regular season. Memphis’ regular season opener is on Oct. 21, with the team’s second game set for Oct. 23 — exactly two weeks from today.
The Grizzlies acquired Stewart from the Pistons in July as part of a six-team trade. The former first-round pick (16th overall in 2020) is entering his seventh season in the league and his first outside of Detroit.
Stewart averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 58 regular season appearances in 2025/26 (22.7 minutes per game). The 25-year-old center/forward is one of the NBA’s premier rim protectors, as opponents shot just 40.1% near the basket against him last season.
Stewart said last month that he was “excited” to join a young Memphis team after helping the formerly rebuilding Pistons rise dramatically up the standings the past two seasons.
“It’s an experience I can bring here to this group,” Stewart said. “And also just letting them know it’s about patience. We have to stack days. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
The Grizzlies, who are dealing with a roster crunch this fall, have several frontcourt players who could receive more minutes with Stewart sidelined. That group includes Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey, Quinten Post and Taylor Hendricks, among others.
Pelicans Waive Christian Koloko
The Pelicans have waived center Christian Koloko, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Koloko was on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract with New Orleans, so the team won’t carry his salary on its books after releasing him. The 26-year-old played four minutes in the Pelicans’ preseason loss at Miami on Thursday, and finished with two rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
The Cameroonian big man was selected 33rd overall in the 2022 draft after three college seasons with Arizona. He showed some promise as a rookie with Toronto in 2022/23, but was forced to miss the entire ’23/24 season due to a blood clot issue.
Koloko spent the ’24/25 campaign on a two-way deal with the Lakers, and he bounced around the NBA in ’25/26, suiting up for the Lakers, Grizzlies and Hawks. In 27 total games last season, he averaged 2.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 13.2 minutes per contest.
Despite only technically playing in three separate NBA seasons, Koloko has accumulated four years of service. That means he’s no longer eligible for a two-way contract.
The Pelicans now have an opening on their preseason roster.
Eastern Notes: Coulibaly, Giannis, Powell, M. Thomas
Forward Bilal Coulibaly has been a full-time starter each of the past two seasons for the Wizards, but the team wasn’t exactly going all out to win over that span, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
Now that Washington is attempting to be more competitive, Coulibaly’s spot in the rotation is a little unclear. He came off the bench in the team’s preseason opener, finishing with two points (on 1-of-7) shooting and five rebounds in 19 minutes.
Coulibaly, the seventh overall pick in the 2023 draft, is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 19. While the 22-year-old is a talented defensive player, his offensive game remains a work in progress, Robbins notes, and that could depress his value in extension talks.
Robbins speculates that if the two sides are able to reach an agreement in the next 10 days, Coulibaly is unlikely to exceed the annual average salaries the Wizards gave to Deni Avdija ($13.8MM per year) and Corey Kispert ($13.5MM) when they signed those players to rookie scale extensions in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra compared Giannis Antetokounmpo’s play-making to that of Magic Johnson after the team’s preseason opener vs. Toronto. The superstar forward faced consistent double- and triple-teams in that victory, but New Orleans didn’t crowd the paint as often on Thursday, and the 31-year-old poured in 18 points in 17 first-half minutes in the Heat’s second straight preseason win, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “You could feel more of his force tonight,” Spoelstra said. “I think he could sense that it was a slightly different coverage. And night to night, it could be that. That’s what the great players require when you’re scouting against them. Usually, it’s something different or different little nuanced schemes and scouting reports. But he was definitely assertive, getting to his spots quickly, downhill. So that’s more of what we were expecting than making plays to wide-open shooters time and time again.”
- Veteran guard Norman Powell has quickly become a leader for the Bulls, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Rookie forward Caleb Wilson referred to Powell as a “vocal leader” who “holds everybody accountable and pushes everybody to be better.” “He’s talked to me a lot about just his journey,” Wilson said. “It’s impressive to me, I mean coming from playing in a couple G League games to winning a championship, and also just playing in the NBA and becoming an All-Star last year, he’s told me a lot of good things. A lot of tricks and tips both mentally and physically.”
- While he acknowledged it may not be wise to read too much into a preseason game, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com pointed out (via Twitter) on Thursday evening that Cavaliers guard Meleek Thomas — the 34th overall pick in June’s draft — got early rotation minutes ahead of fellow backup guards Tyrese Proctor and Craig Porter Jr. For what it’s worth, Thomas finished with 11 points, two rebounds, two assists and three steals in 23 minutes; Proctor had five points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 21 minutes; and Porter recorded five points, three rebounds, 10 assists and two steals in 16 minutes during the 11-point loss to Boston.
Warriors Notes: Porzingis, Williams, Lendeborg
The Warriors still aren’t sure when Kristaps Porzingis will be able to make it back from his health issue, writes Nick Friedell of The Athletic. Head coach Steve Kerr said on Thursday that he doesn’t have any details on Porzingis’ condition and that there’s no timetable for his return.
“He’s not here today,” Kerr said following the team’s practice. “We’ve obviously been busy in Hawaii and Portland. … So, I’ll reach out to KP today and check in with him, but nothing new to report.”
As Fridell notes, Porzingis has been impacted during the past two seasons by postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), but there has been no confirmation one way or the other about whether the health issue currently sidelining him is related to that diagnosis. Warriors officials have consistently declined to discuss Porzingis’ health in specific terms since he was acquired from Atlanta at last season’s trade deadline.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter video link) hears that the Warriors are “bracing” for Porzingis to miss the start of the regular season.
Here are a few more notes related to the Warriors:
- With virtually all of their starters and rotation players inactive for Wednesday’s preseason game vs. Portland, the Warriors got an impressive outing from guard Brandon Williams, who is on a non-guaranteed contract and is vying for a roster spot. Williams racked up 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 18 minutes of action while also contributing four assists and three rebounds. The fifth-year guard is showing he’s capable of being a microwave scorer off the bench, writes Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, and is making a case this preseason not just for a spot on the roster but potentially a place in the rotation as well.
- In an in-depth story for ESPN.com, Anthony Slater explores how Yaxel Lendeborg became a key piece of Golden State’s future and shares the early impression that the rookie forward has made on his teammates and coaches. “He’s going to play a ton,” Kerr said of Lendeborg. “Frankly, he deserves it. He’s one of our best players already.”
- As excited as the Warriors are about Lendeborg’s potential, they want to temper expectations to some extent for the sort of impact he’ll have as a rookie, Slater notes. “The nature of our league, social media and all the microscope is that they’ll expect him to be a 20-8-6 guy right out the gate or whatever number you put on him,” Stephen Curry said. “But his job is to block all that out. He will know if he’s impactful. He will know if he’s helping win games. The stats and the numbers will follow. It’s our job to protect him in that.”
- In case you missed it, the Warriors once again sit atop Sportico’s annual list of the NBA’s most valuable franchises, with the team’s estimated value soaring to $14.5 billion.
NBA Disputes Notion That Second Apron Is Hurting ‘Middle’ Class
The NBA pushed back on Friday on the idea that the second tax apron has had a detrimental effect on the league’s middle class, putting out a statement on social media to dispute that claim. That statement (via Twitter) reads as follows:
“Recent reports asserted that the second apron is hurting ‘lower’ and ‘middle’ class players. That’s untrue. Since the implementation of the second apron, the number of players on team rosters has remained the same and annual salaries have increased by nearly $1.3 billion, resulting in pay increases of approximately 30% for all classes of players.”
The league’s statement appears to be a response to remarks made this week by veteran guard Bruce Brown, who is in camp with the Knicks on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract. Speaking to reporters, including Ian Begley of SNY.tv, Brown expressed surprise that he was unable to secure a guaranteed deal after playing a significant role off the bench for the Nuggets last season and suggested the CBA and the second apron are to blame.
“The new CBA is good for certain players, right? Max guys, top free agents and maybe rookie extension guys,” Brown said. “But other than that, like the middle guys, it kind of sucks for us. As you see, there’s not that many people getting that full mid-level (exception) anymore – or even the tax mid-level (exception). It’s tough, but that’s just the way it is right now. So each time you’re out there, you’ve just got to play your best and hope for the best.”
While the apron-related roster building restrictions included in the league’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement have certainly curbed certain teams’ spending to some extent, overall player salaries have continued to increase at roughly the same rate as the salary cap, and the NBA’s “middle class” hasn’t been the only group impacted by clubs’ evolving spending habits.
A player like Pistons center Jalen Duren, for instance, likely would’ve been a lock for a maximum-salary contract starting at 25% of the cap under the old CBA after making an All-NBA team at age 22, but he ended up getting a five-year, $200MM contract that is worth about $8MM per year below that 25% max (and roughly $17MM per year below the 30% max he qualified for by meeting the Rose rule criteria).
ESPN’s Bobby Marks laid out data last summer showing that salaries for the so-called middle class have continued to rise during the latest CBA, which was a point reiterated by both commissioner Adam Silver and former NBPA president CJ McCollum at the time.
So far during the 2026/27 league year, 17 players who have been signed using some form of the mid-level exception negotiated a 2026/27 salary worth at least $6MM, including four who will earn $14MM or more. By comparison, in 2023/24, before the new apron penalties went into effect, 10 players signed using the mid-level exception received at least $5MM, which was the amount of the taxpayer MLE at the time, and only three of those players locked in a salary of $9MM+.
Brown’s former team, the Nuggets, is the only NBA team currently operating over the second tax apron. Denver filled out its roster this offseason by signing Marvin Bagley III, DeMar DeRozan, Tyus Jones, and Alpha Diallo to guaranteed minimum-salary contracts, but didn’t work out a new deal with Brown.
Atlantic Notes: Clarkson, Embiid, D. Jones, K. Anderson
Jordan Clarkson averaged a career-low 17.8 minutes per game with the Knicks last season and occasionally fell out of Mike Brown’s rotation, but the veteran guard didn’t take any meetings or field any offers from rival suitors as a free agent during the offseason, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
“It was pretty chill, honestly,” Clarkson said of his latest foray into free agency. “I knew I wanted to come back here, so it was easy. We really didn’t listen to anything else. I told my agent (Rich Paul) and everybody that I wanted to come back here, and if the money situation worked out, I wanted to come back. Not do anything else.”
Bondy hears from sources that the Knicks appreciated Clarkson’s presence in the locker room and the fact that he maintained a positive attitude despite playing an inconsistent role. The 34-year-old, who is back on a minimum-salary contract, figures to be behind Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, and Miles McBride on the backcourt depth chart, but he’s comfortable with what the team expects from him.
“I know it’s not my regular role that I’ve played before I got here,” Clarkson said. “But it’s something I’ve fallen in love with, and I love playing my role and playing for this team and playing for each other. I think that was the biggest thing last year that I’ve learned.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- After LeBron James denied a Mike Breen report that he “let (Joel Embiid) hear it” after the Sixers big man was a couple minutes late for a practice, Embiid also disputed Breen’s account, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “It sucks, but what can you do? It’s unfortunate,” Embiid said following his preseason debut on Thursday. “I don’t know where that came from. It never happened.” The star center added that he felt like an “easy target” for criticism and vowed that the 76ers would block out “outside noise” and stick together.
- The Delaware Blue Coats – the Sixers’ G League affiliate – acquired Dillon Jones’ returning rights from the Rip City Remix in a three-team trade, the team announced on Thursday (Twitter link). Jones is currently in camp with the 76ers on an Exhibit 10 deal, so the Blue Coats acquiring his returning rights ensures he’ll receive his $91K bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with Philadelphia’s G League team.
- The Raptors didn’t make any major roster moves outside of the Kawhi Leonard trade this offseason, but they did sign veteran forward Kyle Anderson to a minimum-salary contract. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca and Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca both take a closer look at the addition of Anderson, whom Toronto’s front office has targeted for the better part of a decade. The 33-year-old played with Leonard in San Antonio and worked with Darko Rajakovic when the Raptors head coach was an assistant in Memphis. “He’s not shying away of from talking to the guys, and you can call that mentorship, leadership, you can call that keeping each other accountable, whatever it is,” Rajakovic said. “Kyle has always been about the right things.”