NBA Player News

Queta has looked much improved on the offensive end to open camp, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.

Coach Joe Mazzulla has been impressed by the strides that the big man has taken over the summer, noting that Queta has looked comfortable on the offensive end. "Just making plays. Whether he's in the seam, catching it in the paint versus a small, or just when he has the ball in his hands, something happening and not just getting rid of it because we want something else to go to," said Mazzulla. "So I think just the comfort level of when he has the ball in his hands, making the right play. That's something that I've seen him work on, something we worked on together in Portugal, and something that he's been confident in." Queta has a major opportunity in front of him, as he's in a battle with Mitchell Robinson for the starting job at center with the 2026-27 season looming.

Bane feels confident entering his second year with the Magic, Philip Rossman-Reish of Orlando Magic Daily reports.

Bane navigated an entirely new team and coach a season ago after being traded from Memphis to Orlando in June of 2025. However, that won't be the case entering the 2026-27 campaign. Bane has voiced his confidence in the team and staff around him, and he's also been impressed with one of his new teammates, Nikola Vucevic, stating that Vucevic has a serious approach and makes it clear that he's in Orlando to win, per Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. Bane averaged 20.1 points while shooting 48.3 percent from the field over 82 regular-season appearances a year ago, and he'll have a good chance to inflict more damage on the offensive end heading into the new season.

Risacher is adjusting well to his new team and is looking forward to playing alongside Cooper Flagg, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Sports Journal reports.

Risacher has been adjusting well after being traded from the Hawks to the Mavericks in July, and he noted Thursday that he's confident his style will mesh well with Flagg. "I feel like we're going to be a good fit, especially in this team. We're going to play fast. We want to go," said Risacher. "We're going to play physical, and I feel like that's going to be a good fit. I like to play off-ball too, so I feel like just me being able to get to the right spot, get space, and finish those actions, that's going to be a big thing."

Washington is being considered for a spot in the starting lineup, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Washington is expected to have a key role for the Mavs heading into the 2026-27 season, though coach Dusty May is not yet ready to commit to the Kentucky product being a mainstay in the starting five. It's worth noting that Washington has only come off the bench four times in 113 regular-season appearances for Dallas over the last two years. However, the addition of rookie Morez Johnson could complicate the frontcourt.

The Lakers believe that James can earn a spot in the rotation heading into the 2026-27 season, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.

Coach JJ Redick has been a believer in James since he was drafted in 2024, and he's been impressed by the 21-year-old's continued development over the last few years. While roles have not yet been decided at this point in camp, it seems as though James could factor into the Lakers' plans for the 2026-27 season, as the team intends to play hard, fast and with physicality, per Woike.

Doncic has yet to share the floor with Austin Reaves in scrimmages, and coach JJ Redick said he anticipates staggering the two during the regular season, Jovan Buha of The Athleticreports.

Doncic is set to enter the 2026-27 season healthy after a hamstring injury forced him to miss time down the stretch of the regular season and the entire postseason a year ago. Redick's comments suggest Los Angeles intends to separate on-ball stretches for Doncic and Reaves, while also relying on the likes of Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Bronny James and Jaden Hardy to produce.

Leonard has yet to participate in contact drills and is unlikely to play in Toronto's preseason opener Saturday against Miami, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports.

The team has been content with a phased ramp up for Leonard to start training camp, and while coach Darko Rajakovic stated Thursday that the team will consider playing the star forward Saturday, it seems more likely that he'll sit out. Toronto has also indicated that a load management plan has been developed for Leonard ahead of the 2026-27 campaign to keep him healthy over the course of the season, which is something he hasn't been able to accomplish in recent years.

Lendeborg will start Golden State's preseason opener against the Clippers on Sunday, Luca Evans of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Lendeborg appears to be in a position to take on a substantial role right from the start of the 2026-27 season, and the Warriors are eager to see what he can do alongside the likes of Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski. He figures to see his share of work during the preseason to prepare him for his first NBA campaign.

Curry is expected to start Golden State's preseason opener against the Clippers on Sunday, Danny Emerman of SFStandard.com reports.

Curry was also spotted with the first unit Thursday during 5-on-5 work, so it appears the 38-year-old is feeling strong heading into the preseason. The star point guard signed a two-year, $116 million contract extension in late September, and while concerns remain about his right knee, the Warriors don't appear to be overly concerned with his workload at this point, though he's sure to sit a few games of the preseason to ensure he enters the 2026-27 campaign as fresh as possible.

Simmons drew strong praise from coach Doug Christie on Thursday, Brenden Nunes of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.

Christie has had nothing but positive things to say about Simmons so far in camp. "Nothing I read was true," said Christie. "I really enjoy being around the kid. He speaks. He enjoys basketball. He loves coaching, and he's special." Simmons is coming off a missed 2025-26 season, though he appears to be off to a strong start with his new squad. He's also been spotted getting in extra work with members of the Kings' coaching staff, per Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento.