2026 NBA Season

[dwyane36]

Yeah, they should give Cooper Flagg a few more seasons before we really see his potential. The problem with being a 1st pick is the high expectations, especially if that pick was hyped even before the draft. We shouldn’t judge based on draft or summer league performances alone. Sometimes, there are players who perform well in the summer league or even in their rookie season, but end up getting washed later on.

You're right that the average rookie needs a few seasons to get used to it and reach his full potential. However, it's worth noting that there have been several cases in NBA history when players selected with the first pick were frankly weak, i.e., didn't show the results that were expected of them.

[Beparanf]

Yeah, they should give Cooper Flagg a few more seasons before we really see his potential. The problem with being a 1st pick is the high expectations, especially if that pick was hyped even before the draft. We shouldn’t judge based on draft or summer league performances alone. Sometimes, there are players who perform well in the summer league or even in their rookie season, but end up getting washed later on.

You're right that the average rookie needs a few seasons to get used to it and reach his full potential. However, it's worth noting that there have been several cases in NBA history when players selected with the first pick were frankly weak, i.e., didn't show the results that were expected of them.

Exactly because NBA draft pick is based on their pre NBA records which is much easier environment than NBA that full of players with much experience.

It’s to set same phase of the game if you are the leading scorer in college basketball but on NBA you have less ball time because there’s already star player leading the team.

This is why rookie needs more time to adjust while some top picks can’t even handle being humble at the start of their NBA career.

[Wapfika]

Honestly I don't think Pacers will have this opportunity again next season. Like you guys also mentioned, they won't have Haliburton in the first place because of achilles injury. 

With whom they are going to fill his space? Siakam can't take full responsibility there. He is good but not enough to carry the team by himself. We saw it in the finals while Haliburton was injured.

Being beaten by OKC had nothing to do with Haliburton being injured, just look at game 6 where he had 4 points in 34 minutes. 
I think they can still be a good team, even without him. He is solid but not yet the guy you can rely on all the time, he showed it in the finals where in 7 games (or 6 because of the injury) he only had more than 20 points 1 single time.

You’re right when it comes to overall stats of Haliburton. However is heavily guarded by the best defender of OKC while giving his teammates an opportunity to play well against their defender.

His clutch shots that often lead to game winning and creating play to assist or score is what Haliburton main weapon.

Losing Miles Turner for me personally will have a bigger impact and unless they find a good replacement for him it MIGHT become a long season.

Agreed. This what I don’t understand to Pacers. They don’t have Haliburton anymore this season while they allow to let go their good center that has can do 3.

[Webetcoins]

Haliburton has already been ruled out for the entire 2025 season. Rehabbing an achilles tear takes a long time and players aren't confident doing the same movements they were doing before the tear. Fear of reinjuring themselves usually. He will be doing physical therapy for a few months minimum after it heals. If the Pacers went deep in the playoffs there would be a small chance he could play, but I doubt they go to the playoffs with the roster changes currently.

Which makes sense, it is a smart decision if you have a star player to just rule him out completely.

They could have rushed him back for like lets say last week of regular season, get him play 2-3 games at regular season to get back in game shape, and then first round should be easier, and hope that he does well during playoffs, so it was a possibility. But that would have also carried the risk of injuring him back again, and there is no need for that.

The risk is, after this new season ends, will they have enough team around Haliburton to build around yet again, they lost Miles already at centre, god knows what else will happen in the next 1+ year before they start a new season, so when Haliburton returns, it might be a totally new team.

[Ziskinberg]

Agreed. This what I don’t understand to Pacers. They don’t have Haliburton anymore this season while they allow to let go their good center that has can do 3.

According to the report, they didn't let him go, it was Turner who are really willing to leave the team.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45690444/pacers-were-fully-prepared-go-tax-myles-turner

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said the team was "fully prepared" to go into the luxury tax to retain longtime starting center Myles Turner and was "surprised" by the Milwaukee Bucks' offer to lure him away.

So it looks like there’s nothing the Pacers can do at this point, Turner is gone, and they just have to move on. The good thing is they still have the budget to sign a solid replacement. Ideally, someone who can deliver consistently both in the regular season and especially in the playoffs.

[LogitechMouse]

Honestly I don't think Pacers will have this opportunity again next season. Like you guys also mentioned, they won't have Haliburton in the first place because of achilles injury. 

With whom they are going to fill his space? Siakam can't take full responsibility there. He is good but not enough to carry the team by himself. We saw it in the finals while Haliburton was injured.

Being beaten by OKC had nothing to do with Haliburton being injured, just look at game 6 where he had 4 points in 34 minutes. 
I think they can still be a good team, even without him. He is solid but not yet the guy you can rely on all the time, he showed it in the finals where in 7 games (or 6 because of the injury) he only had more than 20 points 1 single time.

Losing Miles Turner for me personally will have a bigger impact and unless they find a good replacement for him it MIGHT become a long season.

The East looks weaker right now after those Achilles injury that happened on Tatum, Haliburton and Lillard, so I believe the East is up for grabs still, and teams like Cleveland, New York and even the Pacers might still compete for a playoff spot. They can be a good team still like you said, but a title contender team and not without Hali and Turner.

Speaking of Turner, I also believe that losing him has a great impact as well. Losing Hali for a season because of injury is already a bad thing, but losing your main center and has been in your team for a decade, and going to your "rival" team makes it even worse. On the flip side, they signed Isaiah Jackson to a 3-year $21M deal to fill Turner's shoes and he will be their starting center next season, but I don't know if he can do it TBH. As for Siakam, I expect him to be their number one guy next season in terms of offense, but the Pacers are pretty much balanced as a team so many will help him still.

[Shinpako09]

It seems like the Lakers are ready to move on from LeBron James. They didn’t offer him an extension or even give him a heads-up about the sale, which makes it clear they’re shifting their focus toward building around Luka and a younger roster. Luka specifically requested Mark Williams, but reports say Williams failed his physical test with the Lakers. Still, they managed to get Ayton. Once LeBron officially announces his retirement, it could drive ticket sales up, especially if it's a game against the Warriors. But it looks like the decision has already been made: Luka is now the new face of the Lakers franchise. I used to think LeBron was untouchable, that he would always have a say in team decisions, but it seems that’s no longer the case.

[stadus]

Speaking of Turner, I also believe that losing him has a great impact as well. Losing Hali for a season because of injury is already a bad thing, but losing your main center and has been in your team for a decade, and going to your "rival" team makes it even worse. On the flip side, they signed Isaiah Jackson to a 3-year $21M deal to fill Turner's shoes and he will be their starting center next season, but I don't know if he can do it TBH. As for Siakam, I expect him to be their number one guy next season in terms of offense, but the Pacers are pretty much balanced as a team so many will help him still.

One thing’s for sure, he doesn't have the outside shooting that Turner had. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing, since he can focus more on defense. What really exposed Indiana in the finals was their lack of interior defense. OKC wasn’t even that hot from the outside, but they played smart  using two bigs and attacking the paint hard. That’s something the Pacers need to learn from. They have to adjust and exploit mismatches better.

On paper, Turner’s numbers look good, but this change was bound to happen. When a player has already made up his mind to leave, even a high contract won’t stop it. So might as well accept the transition and build around what they really need now.

[livingfree]

The NBA Summer league match of Mavs and Spurs, with the #1 and #2 pick went well.

Cooper Flagg went with 31 points. While Dylan Harper made 16 points playing 17 minutes. These two really good picks for both teams.

It seems like the Lakers are ready to move on from LeBron James. They didn’t offer him an extension or even give him a heads-up about the sale,

Are you sure? I thought that the contract he's signed last year includes this season.

[LogitechMouse]

It seems like the Lakers are ready to move on from LeBron James. They didn’t offer him an extension or even give him a heads-up about the sale, which makes it clear they’re shifting their focus toward building around Luka and a younger roster. Luka specifically requested Mark Williams, but reports say Williams failed his physical test with the Lakers. Still, they managed to get Ayton. Once LeBron officially announces his retirement, it could drive ticket sales up, especially if it's a game against the Warriors. But it looks like the decision has already been made: Luka is now the new face of the Lakers franchise. I used to think LeBron was untouchable, that he would always have a say in team decisions, but it seems that’s no longer the case.

After how many seasons, the Lakers already have found their NEW franchise player in Luka Doncic and they're ready to give him a contract extension this August 2, but the question is will Luka accept that contract extension, and because they already got Luka, they will move on from a 40-year old Le-GM already which is good TBH because Le-GM held the management as hostages for many years. Doing trades with his desire, doing what he wants to do. The management lets Le-GM do what he wants to do especially in those trades in the past.

No player especially a 40-year old one will be untouchable because despite the achievements that he got, despite the accolades that he got, let's not forget the fact that he's aging and his performance declines as his age goes up and TBH, I'm kind of expected it already that they will not give him a contract extension. I mean no management wants a 40-year old player to be their franchise player, right? It's good that the management let him go already. They're done with him.

It seems like the Lakers are ready to move on from LeBron James. They didn’t offer him an extension or even give him a heads-up about the sale,

Are you sure? I thought that the contract he's signed last year includes this season.

What he means is that, this might be his final year as a Laker and there's a huge chance that it's either he will become a free agent in the 2026-2027 season if he decides to play again for the 24th season, or he will retire after this 2025-2026 season. That's what "didn't offer an extension" means.

[dwyane36]

It seems like the Lakers are ready to move on from LeBron James. They didn’t offer him an extension or even give him a heads-up about the sale,

Are you sure? I thought that the contract he's signed last year includes this season.

In LeBron's current contract, the upcoming season is a player option.
It is worth noting that recently, there have indeed been a lot of rumors that LeBron may leave the Lakers. As far as I know, the Warriors are very interested in LeBron, and it seems like they are already making attempts to get him.

[btc_angela]

Yeah, they should give Cooper Flagg a few more seasons before we really see his potential. The problem with being a 1st pick is the high expectations, especially if that pick was hyped even before the draft. We shouldn’t judge based on draft or summer league performances alone. Sometimes, there are players who perform well in the summer league or even in their rookie season, but end up getting washed later on.

You're right that the average rookie needs a few seasons to get used to it and reach his full potential. However, it's worth noting that there have been several cases in NBA history when players selected with the first pick were frankly weak, i.e., didn't show the results that were expected of them.

Wemby from last season really shows signs of greatness already. But your argument has some weight though, not all number 1 pick became a great player, there are some that are really bust because of injuries or wasn't able to adjust to NBA playing style.

But for Cooper, it seems that this kid is ready, but it's not like Wemby or Lebron during their first year. So yeah, maybe he needs a couple of years to developed and reach his prime before we can truly see if he is really that number 1 pick that everyone is talking about him.

[OgNasty]

The Bucks said they would only resign Thanasis if Giannis resigns with them. Lol

[Beparanf]

The Bucks said they would only resign Thanasis if Giannis resigns with them. Lol

LoL. It’s a buy 1 take 1 deal that they are willing to risk just to hold Giannis. 

To be fair, Thanasis makes Bucks relevant and noisy on social media due to his quirkiness and meme for sense of humor to the public.

Bucks is paying Thanasis same amount like typical bench players. I think they have nothing to lose by keeping the bros. Haha

[avp2306]

The Bucks said they would only resign Thanasis if Giannis resigns with them. Lol

Bucks always use Thanasis to bribe Giannis to sign on their team. Its crazy deal and it seems that Giannis can't resist that offer since somehow it can affect his brother if he decide to go out on Bucks.

The management is so smart to use that tactics since it can force Giannis to sign back again on Bucks. Thanasis NBA career would end up if his Brother will decide to go out since for sure that Bucks would also throw him because he don't have any use for his team anymore.

Giannis is already lock in on Bucks and as long as Thanasis is there, for sure that he won't do any selfish action that can affect the career of his brother.

[Webetcoins]

Wemby from last season really shows signs of greatness already. But your argument has some weight though, not all number 1 pick became a great player, there are some that are really bust because of injuries or wasn't able to adjust to NBA playing style.

But for Cooper, it seems that this kid is ready, but it's not like Wemby or Lebron during their first year. So yeah, maybe he needs a couple of years to developed and reach his prime before we can truly see if he is really that number 1 pick that everyone is talking about him.

I would say he is not going to be a bust, but he is not going to be a superstar neither. I think he is going to be just a good player ,and there is no shame in that. For example, Dame Lillard had a great career right? Could you say he is not a good player? Of course not, he was a great player and he played greatly all his career, I would say we are at the back end of his career now but that doesn't mean we are going to end up with anyone saying he was bad.

I would say that is the level of career Cooper probably will have, not some Giannis Jokic level player, but could be good enough to be part of something bigger, or just carry his team wherever he can. These are all important stuff and could make him be a lot better over course of long time.

[batang_bitcoin]

The Bucks said they would only resign Thanasis if Giannis resigns with them. Lol

Thanasis is their lucky so they should sign him. But to be honest, I think that Giannis said that he's going to stay with the Bucks. I forgot who was with him that influencer in the US asked him if which team he's coming next. He's said that he's staying with the Bucks. Maybe that's a real thing because he's not the typical guy that likes to joke a lot.

[AHOYBRAUSE]

The Bucks said they would only resign Thanasis if Giannis resigns with them. Lol

Thanasis is their lucky so they should sign him. But to be honest, I think that Giannis said that he's going to stay with the Bucks. I forgot who was with him that influencer in the US asked him if which team he's coming next. He's said that he's staying with the Bucks. Maybe that's a real thing because he's not the typical guy that likes to joke a lot.

I mean, that's the only reasonable reply, why else employing a second mascot for the team? Same with the Lakers, imagine Lebron will leave soon, what will they do about Bronny? No other team would ever take him on their roster, unless it7s a package deal with LBJ. The only option for the Lakers that would make sense is waiving his contract so you get him off the roster immediately. All those nepotism roster spots are are just a joke.

[xzone]

It seems like the Lakers are ready to move on from LeBron James. They didn’t offer him an extension or even give him a heads-up about the sale, which makes it clear they’re shifting their focus toward building around Luka and a younger roster. Luka specifically requested Mark Williams, but reports say Williams failed his physical test with the Lakers. Still, they managed to get Ayton. Once LeBron officially announces his retirement, it could drive ticket sales up, especially if it's a game against the Warriors. But it looks like the decision has already been made: Luka is now the new face of the Lakers franchise. I used to think LeBron was untouchable, that he would always have a say in team decisions, but it seems that’s no longer the case.

LeBron and Lakers management aren't on good terms, and I've read that he's currently training in Cleveland. I think it's almost certain that we won't be able to watch him play for the Lakers next season; this might be the last time we'll see him play for a new team.
According to some reporters, there are rumors about the Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, and GSW. He might even join one of those teams.
It's not nice that the NBA's greatest player is stuck in such limbo

[OgNasty]

It seems like the Lakers are ready to move on from LeBron James. They didn’t offer him an extension or even give him a heads-up about the sale, which makes it clear they’re shifting their focus toward building around Luka and a younger roster. Luka specifically requested Mark Williams, but reports say Williams failed his physical test with the Lakers. Still, they managed to get Ayton. Once LeBron officially announces his retirement, it could drive ticket sales up, especially if it's a game against the Warriors. But it looks like the decision has already been made: Luka is now the new face of the Lakers franchise. I used to think LeBron was untouchable, that he would always have a say in team decisions, but it seems that’s no longer the case.

LeBron and Lakers management aren't on good terms, and I've read that he's currently training in Cleveland. I think it's almost certain that we won't be able to watch him play for the Lakers next season; this might be the last time we'll see him play for a new team.
According to some reporters, there are rumors about the Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, and GSW. He might even join one of those teams.
It's not nice that the NBA's greatest player is stuck in such limbo

I doubt he would go to the Clippers, but he does live in Los Angeles.  Golden State is close to home and I know he wants to play with Steph and Draymond, so that is a real possibility.  Dallas has always wanted him and they have Cooper Flagg they could dish for him, reuniting Kyrie, AD, and Bron again.  I think Cleveland would take him back too, but they would probably need to wait and pick him up as a free agent next year.

Dallas and Golden State seem like real possibilities.  Golden State might be a stretch because they don't have a ton to give up for him, but that's what I'd like to see.