Annual NBA survey: OKC repeats, Jokic as MVP
The NBA’s annual offseason survey envisions the Thunder repeating as league champions, with Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic predicted to win his fourth Most Valuable Player honor, according to the poll conducted of all 30 teams’ front offices.
Iverson discusses sobriety, lowest point in life
Allen Iverson discussed his life, basketball career and new memoir “Misunderstood” with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s “First Take” on Wednesday.
Pacers say McConnell to miss at least a month
Pacers backup point guard T.J. McConnell will miss at least a month due to a hamstring injury he suffered in Indiana’s first preseason game, coach Rick Carlisle said Thursday.
Sources: Spoelstra to be next Team USA coach
USA Basketball is expected to hire the Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra as the next head coach of the men’s national team, sources told ESPN.
Thunder PG Topic out 4-6 weeks after procedure
Thunder guard Nikola Topic had a testicular procedure on Monday and will be reevaluated in approximately four to six weeks.
Kung Fu, meditation and a ‘Dream Shake’: Inside Victor Wembanyama’s return
A ‘traumatic experience’ with deep vein thrombosis prompted a summer of exploration for the Spurs star.
Natalia Bryant credited as creative director for Lakers’ preseason hype video
The eldest daughter of Kobe Bryant graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in May.
Dalano Banton Signs With Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have signed Dalano Banton. Banton had received considerable interest from overseas teams.
The Mavericks likely won’t have a roster spot for Banton, but they will retain his G League rights. Banton appeared in 67 games last season with the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 8.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 16.7 minutes.
Dallas is also working to acquire the G League rights of Dennis Smith Jr. from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Blazers Sign Sean Pedulla; Waive MarJon Beauchamp, Andrew Carr, Liam Robbins
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed guard Sean Pedulla.
Pedulla (6-2, 190), a member of the 2025 Trail Blazers Summer League roster, averaged 15.4 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 36 games (all starts) and was named All-SEC Third Team during his final collegiate season at Ole Miss in 2024-25.
In a subsequent move, the Trail Blazers have requested waivers on forward MarJon Beauchamp, forward Andrew Carr and center Liam Robbins.
LeBron James will reportedly sit out Lakers' preseason with 'goal' of being ready for opener against Warriors
LeBron James seems to have made another decision, one that does not involve selling cognac.
As he deals with a nerve irritation in the glute, the 40-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star will reportedly sit out the rest of preseason to prepare for the team’s season opener, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]
James, who is about to begin his 23rd NBA season, has been doing on-court work and is slowly ramping up his preparation.
Shams: “Lebron James has started to ramp up here. He’s doing a little bit on the court. But I’m told the expectation is still he’s likely gonna be out for the preseason the goal being to be ready for opening night” pic.twitter.com/y3JQRPmekr
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) October 7, 2025
Last week, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said that James would slowly build towards the regular season opener and wouldn’t be available when training camp opened.
“It’s probably a little bit longer of a ramp-up leading up to opening night for him,” Redick told reporters. “In year 23, uncharted territory here.”
Redick then admitted the team may not have managed James’ game management properly last preseason, saying they felt like James did “too much” during training camp in 2024. But it didn’t seem to affect the four-time NBA MVP during the regular season as he played 70 games and averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds in nearly 35 minutes of action per night.
Yet those games he missed were due to foot and ankle soreness, which kept him out of the All-Star Game. James later suffered a sprained MCL during Game 5 of the Lakers’ playoff series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, an injury that would have kept him out for weeks had it not been the final game of their season.
James has yet to say whether this will be his final NBA season, but at age 40, there aren’t many left for him and the Lakers are eager to see what sort of title run the team can make as he plays alongside Luka Dončić. They don’t necessarily need him in late October as they would prefer James to be 100% healthy when playoff time rolls around.
The Lakers have four more preseason games before they open the 2025-26 campaign on Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors.