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Knicks, Raptors Agree To Dismiss Lawsuit

October 10th, 2025 at 6:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Knicks and Raptors have agreed to voluntarily dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Knicks in 2023, reports Baxter Holmes for ESPN.

The lawsuit alleged that former Knicks employee Ikechukwu Azotam “illegally took thousands of proprietary files with him to his new position” in Toronto at the behest of the Raptors, who looked to gain a competitive advantage.

“The Knicks and (Raptors ownership group) Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment withdrew their respective claims and the matter is resolved. The Parties are focused on the future,” the two teams said in identical statements to ESPN.

The Knicks sought over $10MM in damages, while the Raptors filed a motion aimed at dismissing the charges and called upon league commissioner Adam Silver to adjudicate the proceedings. The Knicks then questioned Silver’s impartiality based on his close relationship with Raptors minority owner Larry Tanenbaum. In response, the Raptors accused the Knicks of dragging out the case for publicity and threatened to counter-sue.

Ultimately, a judge agreed with the Raptors that the matter should be resolved by Silver.

Along with Azotam and the Raptors organization, head coach Darko Rajakovic was listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, along with player development coach Noah Lewis and 10 unidentified employees.

Holmes notes that the case has now been voluntarily dismissed with prejudice, which means the decision is permanent.

Knicks Made Brunson ‘Untouchable’ In Giannis Trade Talks

October 10th, 2025 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Knicks and Bucks discussed the possibility of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade in August, New York made Jalen Brunson “untouchable,” team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.

The news comes as no surprise, given that the goal of an Antetokounmpo trade for the Knicks would be to pair him with Brunson, not have him replace the star point guard.

With Brunson off limits and Mikal Bridges not eligible to be moved at that time due to his recently signed extension, it stands to reason that Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson were likely among the players discussed by the two sides, Amick writes.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier this week that the Knicks and Bucks spoke about Antetokounmpo over the summer after the star forward expressed some concerns about his team’s championship upside and conveyed that New York would be the only team he’d be interested in if he were to leave Milwaukee.

However, Charania stressed that those discussions didn’t gain any traction, with the Bucks making it clear they wanted to hang onto the two-time MVP and New York not making a compelling enough pitch to force them to reconsider that stance.

The Knicks have already traded away several future first-round picks, so any offer they made for a star like Antetokounmpo would have to be player-heavy in terms of value. And even if the Bucks had interest in some of those players, New York has concerns about the potential roster imbalance that sort of blockbuster trade would create, according to Amick.

While subsequent reports, including this one from The Athletic, have confirmed that those trade talks generated no momentum, Amick says this development was definitely “not nothing.” He refers to it as “nothing short of an escalation,” since it’s the strongest signal yet that Antetokounmpo is considering options outside of Milwaukee.

Although the Knicks were the only team to have a conversation with the Bucks about Giannis this offseason, many more teams around the league would be ready to pursue him if he were ever to be made available, according to Amick, who suggests that the 30-year-old’s future in Milwaukee could be largely determined by what happens this coming season. Giannis only has one more guaranteed year on his contract beyond 2025/26, with a player option for ’27/28.

Spurs’ Harper Expected To Make Preseason Debut On Friday

October 10th, 2025 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

Dylan Harper, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, is expected to make his preseason debut on Friday night when the Spurs take on the Jazz at Frost Bank Center, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Bluesky link). Harper will play limited minutes on Friday, McDonald adds.

Harper underwent surgery in early September to repair a partially torn ligament in his left thumb. Reporting at the time indicated that there was optimism about the rookie guard’s ability to return in time for San Antonio’s regular season opener. Today’s update suggests there have been no setbacks in his recovery process.

Widely considered the best prospect in the 2025 draft class behind Cooper Flagg, Harper was drafted second overall by the Spurs even though they already had former All-Star De’Aaron Fox and reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle in their backcourt.

Fox is recovering from a hamstring injury and may not be available when the Spurs’ regular season tips off, but it looks like Castle and Harper are both on track to be ready for opening night.

Harper was highly productive during his first and only college season at Rutgers, averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 32.6 minutes per contest across 29 games, with a shooting line of .484/.333/.750. He appeared in two games for the Spurs’ Summer League team in July, averaging 16.0 PPG and 22.1 MPG, though he struggled with his shot in the very limited sample (.357 FG%, .125 3PT%).

Latest On Lauri Markkanen

October 10th, 2025 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, a standout for Finland during the team’s run to the EuroBasket semifinals last month, sustained a left wrist contusion during the tournament that has sidelined him through training camp and the first part of the preseason.

However, the injury is considered a minor one, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, who writes that Markkanen has still been doing workouts, is dribbling with both hands, and isn’t wearing any sort of visible protection on the affected wrist.

“It’s more maintenance,” head coach Will Hardy explained. “I’m lucky that I got to see this in San Antonio a bunch when guys were playing EuroBasket. They just competed really hard for a month and laid it all on the line. It’s nothing that we’re concerned about, but it’s just some bumps and bruises that we want to manage in this moment as he’s coming off of that. There’s nothing to be concerned about at all.”

For his part, Markkanen said that he expects to be available for opening night, though he doesn’t know how much he’ll play in any of Utah’s remaining three preseason games on Friday, Monday, and next Thursday.

“I’m not sure what the exact date is when I’m going to start, but [I’ve] been doing rehab every day and working out and feeling better,” he said.

As Larsen observes, most of the speculation involving Markkanen as of late has been centered around the possibility of a trade, rather than his health. Writing about potential players to watch at this year’s trade deadline, Chris Mannix of SI.com said earlier this week that Markkanen is the name he hears “most frequently” when he talks to people around the league, adding that Utah is thought to be “very” open for business on the Finnish forward.

The Ringer’s Zach Lowe, meanwhile, said in a recent podcast that he has a hard time imagining a scenario in which Markkanen is still on Utah’s roster in a year. New Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge pushed back on that prediction, according to Larsen.

“I don’t agree with that,” Ainge said. “And I love Zach, but look, (I’m a) huge fan of Lauri. Lauri’s awesome. He’s really good, and Lauri could and hopefully is part of our next team when we’re going up.”

Still, Ainge didn’t entirely rule out the possibility of a deal involving the 2023 All-Star.

“I joke that, obviously, no one is untradeable,” Ainge said. “If a trade came in for me, I would convince (Jazz owner) Ryan (Smith) to take it. You know, this is how it goes.”

Markkanen was considered a prime trade candidate during the 2024 offseason, but signed a renegotiated and extended contract last August that made him ineligible to be moved during the 2024/25 season. He’s trade-eligible again now, but has continued to express a desire to stick with the Jazz, stating this fall, “I love to be in Utah.” Nonetheless, he acknowledged that he expects the trade speculation to continue.

“The rumors (have) already started, but I don’t pay attention to that. Pretty much anybody can get traded in this league,” Markkanen said, per Larsen. “So you just play to the best of your abilities, and enjoy the practices and games and time I get to spend in this facility and with these guys. And if something happens, then we adjust.”

According to Larsen, when the Jazz have received inquiries on Markkanen in the past, they’ve sought multiple draft picks and quality young players, but haven’t gotten a compelling offer that included both.

LeBron James To Miss Start Of 2025/26 Season

October 9th, 2025 at 4:53pm CST by Earnest Marshall

LeBron James will miss the beginning of the 2025/26 season, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), who reports that the Lakers star is dealing with sciatica on his left side that will keep him out for at least three to four weeks.

The Lakers open the season in 12 days, on Oct. 21 against the Warriors. If he returned at the very earliest of his projected timeline, James could be back for the team’s first NBA Cup game on Oct. 31. However, his return seems more likely to occur in early- to mid-November, barring any setbacks.

James, who has appeared in 1,884 total regular season and playoff games, played 71 regular season games in 2023/24 and 70 in his age-40 season in ’24/25. NBA insider Marc Stein adds that this will be the first time in James’ career that he’ll be out for opening night. He was previously 22 for 22 in that regard.

The 21-time All-Star kept up with his elite production in his age-40 season last year, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per contest.

James missed the Lakers’ first two preseason games and all of training camp with what coach JJ Redick referred to as nerve irritation in his glute. Jake LaRavia started both of L.A.’s first two preseason games and is a candidate to fill in for James and keep an extended role once he returns.

NBA GMs Expect Thunder To Repeat, Jokic To Win Fourth MVP

October 9th, 2025 at 3:04pm CST by Rory Maher

NBA general managers view the Thunder as the overwhelming favorite to repeat as champions this season, according to the 24th annual GM survey conducted by John Schuhmann of NBA.com. GMs were not allowed to vote for their own team or personnel.

Eighty percent of general managers predicted Oklahoma City to win the 2026 NBA Finals, with the Cavaliers and Nuggets tied for second at 7% each. The Rockets and Knicks were the only other teams to receive votes.

If the Thunder do go back-to-back, they would be the first repeat champions since Golden State in 2018.

Still, it’s worth noting that 83% of GMs thought Boston would win its second consecutive title in 2025 during last year’s edition of the survey, and the Celtics wound up being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is heavily favored to win his fourth award in 2025/26. The Nuggets superstar received 67% of the vote and was also tabbed as the league’s best center (maximum possible 97%), best international player (93%), best passer (80%), the player with the best basketball IQ (80%), and the player who forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments (57%).

NBA GMs view Rockets guard/forward Amen Thompson as the league’s most athletic player (58%) and most versatile defender (18%), as well as the player most likely to have a breakout season (30%).

For the second straight year, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was tabbed as the best player to build a franchise around, receiving 83% of the vote. The French center was also voted the league’s best defender (80%) and tied with Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for the league’s most versatile player (30% apiece).

Unsurprisingly, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg is the runaway favorite to win Rookie of the Year, claiming the maximum 97% of the vote. General managers also think he’s the rookie who will be the best player five years from now (93%).

Fifty-three percent of GMs surveyed think the Hawks made the best offseason moves, while 47% believe the Magic will be the most improved team this season.

According to general managers, Milwaukee made by far the two most surprising offseason moves: waiving and stretching Damian Lillard (43%), and subsequently signing Myles Turner in free agency (30%).

Schuhmann’s survey is worth checking out in full and can be found right here.

T.J. McConnell Out At Least One Month With Hamstring Strain

October 9th, 2025 at 12:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell will be sidelined for at least one month after suffering a left hamstring strain, head coach Rick Carlisle announced today (Twitter link via the team).

McConnell was forced to leave Tuesday’s preseason opener in the second quarter due to the injury.

Obviously, it’s a disappointing development for the Pacers, who will be without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season after he sustained a torn Achilles tendon in the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Second-round pick Kam Jones, another guard, is expected to miss multiple weeks with a back injury.

McConnell, 33, is entering his 11th NBA season and seventh with Indiana.

The veteran backup appeared in 79 regular season contests in 2024/25, averaging 9.1 points, 4.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 17.9 minutes per game. He also had a strong playoff showing, with very similar averages — 9.5 PPG, 4.0 APG, 3.3 RPG, 0.9 SPG — in 23 games (17.5 MPG).

Indiana originally intended to sign Monte Morris to compete for a spot as the third-string point guard behind Andrew Nembhard and McConnell, but the deal fell through when Morris suffered a calf strain. Veteran Delon Wright was signed instead, but was released Thursday morning in favor of Cameron Payne after Wright took two brutal blows to the head during Tuesday’s preseason opener.

Wright announced on social media (Twitter link) that he needed 10 stitches above his right eye and four on his right elbow, but is “doing good” otherwise.

According to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, Payne will likely be the second-string point guard while McConnell recovers. Carlisle discussed the transactions this afternoon.

“It just didn’t work out with Delon,” Carlisle said, per Dopirak. “Cam’s here. We’ve seen a lot of Cam the last two years with Milwaukee and New York. He’s a guy we always had to account for in scouts and what not. It’s a great opportunity for him.”

“His speed, his long-range shooting ability is high level,” Carlisle said when asked what he likes about Payne’s game. “He’s experienced, knows the game, has good feel, and he’s a play-maker.”

Pacers Sign Cameron Payne, Waive Delon Wright

October 9th, 2025 at 9:39am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers have signed veteran point guard Cameron Payne and waived Delon Wright, the team announced in a press release.

Payne, who appeared in 72 regular season games with the Knicks last season, was one of the top free agents still on the market. Payne was signed to a training camp contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Payne averaged 6.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 15.1 minutes per night last season with .401/.363/.907 shooting numbers. He scored 14 points off the bench and was a plus-23 overall in the opener of the Knicks’ first-round series against Detroit. However, his shooting numbers declined throughout the playoffs, and he was removed from the rotation during the Eastern Conference Finals.

The New York Post reported last month the Knicks were not interested in re-signing him.

Payne was selected by Oklahoma City with the 14th pick in the 2015 draft. He was traded to Chicago at the 2017 deadline and later spent time with Cleveland, Phoenix, Milwaukee and Philadelphia before signing with New York. He has appeared in 477 regular season games.

Ironically, Payne and Wright were teammates with the Knicks. Wright began last season with the Bucks before being traded to the Knicks ahead of the deadline. He averaged 3.1 points per game across 40 appearances with both teams and was a bit more productive in New York, averaging 4.3 points and 2.1 assists per night and making six playoff appearances. Wright has appeared in 548 regular season contests for 10 different NBA teams in a career that also began in 2015.

Wright was signed to an Exhibit 9 contract late last month. Exhibit 9 deals are standard, non-guaranteed contracts that protect an NBA team in the event that a player suffers a significant injury in training camp.

He played four minutes in the team’s preseason opener on Tuesday but was forced to exit after a head-to-head collision.

Rockets Believe Extension Deal With Kevin Durant Is Close

October 8th, 2025 at 5:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s “optimism” that the Rockets will have an extension in place with Kevin Durant before the regular season begins on October 21, ESPN’s Shams Charania said Wednesday on NBA Today (Twitter video link).

Speculation about a new contract with Durant has been ongoing since Houston reached an agreement to acquire him from Phoenix in June. He’s currently on a $54.7MM expiring deal and will become a free agent next summer unless a new contract can be worked out.

Durant stated at media day that he expects to sign an extension with the Rockets, although he told reporters he wasn’t sure when it might happen. It has been suggested that the team would like to work out a rookie scale extension with Tari Eason first so it has a better grasp on its finances before finalizing a deal with Durant.

With a projected $166MM salary cap for 2026/27, Durant is currently eligible for an extension worth up to $119.1MM over two years. That number would increase to $120.85MM on January 6, which is six months after the trade was finalized.

A report in August indicated that the Rockets are hesitant to give Durant a maximum-salary deal, noting that the extension will cover his age-38 and -39 seasons. That was accompanied by speculation that he might be willing to accept $100MM over two years, which would be a slight decrease from his current salary.

Durant and the Rockets aren’t necessarily under any pressure to finalize a new deal before the regular season begins, since he’ll remain extension-eligible for the entire season, through June 30, 2026.

In an interview on Tuesday with Kay Adams of FanDuel TV (Twitter video link), Durant confirmed that he will make his Rockets preseason debut in tonight’s game against Utah.

“Just get some good run up and down the floor, just to get your wind right,” Durant responded when asked about he hopes to accomplish. “It’s a different feel when you’re underneath the lights, and the whistle and the real game.”

Bucks’ Antetokounmpo, Rivers Address Giannis Trade Rumors

October 8th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked on Wednesday about an ESPN report that stated the Bucks and Knicks had offseason discussions about Giannis Antetokounmpo after he expressed some concerns about Milwaukee’s ability to contend for a title, the two-time MVP said he hadn’t read the story, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, Antetokounmpo spoke in more general terms about the trade speculation that has swirled around him in recent months and years.

“I’ve said this many times, I want to be in a situation that I can win and now I’m here,” Antetokounmpo said. “I believe in this team. I believe in my teammates. I’m here to lead this team to wherever we can go, and it’s definitely going to be hard. We’re going to take it day by day, but I’m here. So all the other extra stuff does not matter. I think I’ve communicated with my teammates, communicated with the people I respect and love, that the moment I step on this court or in this facility, I wear this jersey, the rest does not matter. I’m locked into whatever I have in front of me.”

Despite expressing confidence in the Bucks’ revamped roster and making it clear he’s not seeking a change of scenery at this point, Antetokounmpo stopped short of stating that he’s committed to Milwaukee for the long term.

“If in six, seven months, I change my mind, I think that’s human too,” he continued. “You’re allowed to make any decision you want. But I’m locked in. I’m locked in to this team. I’m locked in to these guys, to this group, and to this coaching staff and myself.”

Bucks head coach Doc Rivers was also asked on Wednesday about ESPN’s report and made more of an effort to downplay it, framing the discussions Milwaukee reportedly had with the Knicks as a single conversation that was instigated by New York and didn’t go anywhere.

“I’ve been coaching 26, 27 years and one thing that I know is that 30 teams call 30 teams, all right?” Rivers said, per Nehm (Twitter link). “‘Hey, would you like to trade Chris Paul?’ And you say no. That does not constitute a conversation, all right? I read where it said ‘several conversations.’ Well, that never happened. It was a conversation where a team called and (general manager) Jon (Horst) has been saying no now for 11 years. I don’t know why this is a new story, but I guess it is.

“… I can tell you Jon has never called a team about Giannis. That has never happened. And until that happens, you really don’t have a story.”

Antetokounmpo has two more guaranteed years left on his current maximum-salary contract, with a player option for the 2027/28 season. Speculation about his future has intensified as of late because the Bucks have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past years and are coming off their worst regular season since 2017/18.

For his part, Antetokounmpo continues to perform at an MVP level, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 34.2 minutes per game while shooting 60.1% from the floor in 67 outings last season.