Category: Sports

The 2025 MLB division series matchups are starting to take shape after the Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team to advance out of the wild-card round.

L.A.’s sweep sets up a division series showdown with the Philadelphia Phillies starting Saturday in Philadelphia.

What have we learned about each team so far? What does each remaining team need to do to move on to the league championship series? Which players could be October difference-makers? And which favorites should be on upset watch in the round ahead?

ESPN MLB experts Jorge Castillo, Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield are here to break it all down as every division series matchup is set.

Key links: Mega-preview | Bracket | Schedule

Jump to a matchup:
LAD-PHI

NLDS: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Upset forecast: (Dodgers win more simulations) Why no number in that parenthetical information? We’d have to use too many decimals! The Dodgers did win more sims, but their edge was four — out of 10,000 runs of the forecasting machinery. In that sense, there can’t possibly be an upset in this matchup between, quite possibly, the two strongest teams left in the bracket.

This feels like a matchup that the bullpens will decide, and even that is a toss-up. The Dodgers led the majors in blown saves during the second half, but their bullpen numbers are better than Philadelphia’s since the start of September. Maybe it’s as simple as this: When in doubt, pick the team that has Shohei Ohtani.

Phillies concern level: Nonexistent. Look, the Phillies know who they are playing. But with Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Cristopher Sanchez and Jhoan Duran on their side, this is not a team that is going to fret about anything. They will just wait for the adrenaline to flow. — Doolittle

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Los Angeles Dodgers

What impressed you most about them in the wild-card round?

The Dodgers haven’t really run out their “A” team for most of the season as they babied their starters for much of the season, but now we can see how good this team can be with a healthy rotation. Blake Snell was dominant in the first game until finally tiring in the seventh. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the seasonlong ace for the Dodgers, was solid in Game 2, escaping a bases-loaded no-outs jam in the sixth. The Dodgers were confident enough in those two that they saved Ohtani for what would have been Game 3 — and now is Game 1 of the NLDS. Oh, Ohtani can hit a little, too. Remember, the Dodgers won it all last season with Ohtani having a good-but-not-great postseason at the plate. After his two-homer game in Game 1, watch out.

Why will/won’t it continue against the Phillies?

The Dodgers certainly have to love where they are. Ohtani slowly worked his way up to a normal workload and pitched six innings in his final start, throwing 91 pitches. He allowed just one run over his final four appearances and surrendered just three home runs in 47 innings. Thanks to having three potential off days to play five games in this series, Ohtani could start Game 5 on six days of rest.

After his initial one-inning appearances in June, Ohtani was given at least six days off between starts, and his three starts in September came with eight, 10 and six days of rest, and he will have 10 days before his Game 1 NLDS appearance. The Dodgers will worry about the NLCS if they get there.

Which one player must deliver for L.A. to move on?

This is clearly about players, plural — as in relief pitchers. The sketchy Dodgers bullpen didn’t ease the confidence of Dodgers fans — or Dave Roberts — with a poor showing in Game 1 against Cincinnati, when the Dodgers had a 10-2 lead only to see the bullpen start walking everybody and the Reds load the bases and have the tying run on deck. Who Roberts trusts in the highest-leverage situations — and can deliver — remains a question. — Schoenfield

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Philadelphia Phillies

What carried the Phillies to an October bye?

The starting rotation and a monster season from Kyle Schwarber. The rotation led the NL in ERA and led the majors — by 51 innings — in innings pitched. Cristopher Sanchez led the way with an absolute monster season of his own — in fact, it was Sanchez, and not Paul Skenes or Tarik Skubal, who led the majors in Baseball-Reference WAR. Meanwhile, Schwarber led the NL with 56 home runs and 132 RBIs, including setting a major league record with 23 home runs as a left-handed batter against left-handed pitchers.

Will it continue against the Dodgers?

Of course, a large part of that rotation success was Zack Wheeler, but he’s out for the postseason. Ranger Suarez had a terrific season but wasn’t great his final three starts, allowing 12 runs and four home runs in 14⅓ innings. And the fourth starter after Jesus Luzardo is either Aaron Nola, who doesn’t exactly inspire confidence given his 6.01 ERA and mediocre postseason results in his career, or Walker Buehler, who was signed at the end of August after the Red Sox released him. In other words: There are at least some slight concerns here for a rotation that was so good.

As for Schwarber: He has proved before he’s a tough out in October, and coming off his best season, he’s primed for a big postseason.

Which one player must deliver to put Philadelphia in the NLCS?

Trea Turner feels like the key guy here. Schwarber and Bryce Harper have been clutch playoff performers throughout their careers, but the Phillies will need offense from more than just those two — and that’s been a problem the past two postseasons. Turner had his best season with the Phillies but missed most of September with a hamstring injury, returning only for two at-bats in the final game of the regular season. He sets the table for Schwarber and Harper. If he’s getting on base, that’s a very good thing. — Schoenfield

Lennox Lewis has advised his successor as undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Oleksandr Usyk, to “retire on top. Like I did.”

Last year Usyk became the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

Usyk, an Olympic gold medallist like Lewis too, is unbeaten as a professional fighter but has suggested he expects to have only one more fight in boxing before he closes out his career.

Lewis went out at the summit of the sport, regarded as the best heavyweight on the planet still after his last fight when he beat Vitali Klitschko, who would later go on to become a dominant heavyweight world champion himself.

Reflecting on when Usyk should hang up the gloves, Lewis told Sky Sports: “When a guy retires, it’s really down to him. He’s got to feel that push that he wants to retire, but he can teach a lot of young boxers a lot of different things: dedication, hard work, sacrifice, because he’s been through that.

“So I would say to him to retire at your own time, but retire on top. Like I did.”

He commended Usyk for moving up from cruiserweight where he had had previously been undisputed too, to rule the heavyweight division – a reign that has encompassed two victories over Tyson Fury as well as Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.

The boxing legend suggested the Ukrainian would have been threat in Lewis’ era as well.

“I think he would have fared really good because he’s doing something Evander Holyfield did [move up from cruiser successfully]. In this era he’s beaten all the big guys and all the guys that were in front of him. So he’s done a great job,” Lewis said.

Only Lewis and Usyk really understand what it takes to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, an accomplishment like no other.

“It’s definitely the hardest thing to do because you basically want to be the best in boxing and take all the belts for yourself and be the number one guy,” Lewis said.

“There’s always other boxers out there that don’t want you to achieve that. They’re standing by, they want to be beat you, they want to be the first boxer to beat you. That’s why you’ve got to make sure that you retire on top.”

It’s difficult enough to conquer one opponent inside an MMA cage, but Alex Pereira will have two obstacles to overcome in his attempt to regain the UFC light heavyweight championship on Saturday at UFC 320 (ESPN PPV, 10 p.m. ET).

His primary focus, of course, will be on champion Magomed Ankalaev, who dethroned Pereira when they met in March. The other stumbling block Pereira will be up against is UFC championship history.

Ankalaev-Pereira 2 will be the first bout for both fighters since the belt changed hands, and toppled UFC champions have not fared well in immediate rematches. In the 16 such matchups in the fight promotion’s modern era (since November 2000, when the UFC first utilized the Unified Rules of mixed martial arts), four ex-champions have succeeded in regaining the title.

Pereira might be familiar with that daunting statistic, because he was a participant in one of those four triumphant rematches. Then again, maybe he has tried to forget the night in April 2023 when he was on the wrong end of the UFC’s most recent ex-champ success story.

Five months after taking away the middleweight title from Israel Adesanya in November 2022, Pereira had abundant reason to be confident going into the rematch. His title-winning knockout at UFC 281 had actually been his third victory over Adesanya across a couple of combat sports. Pereira defeated Adesanya twice in kickboxing, including the only knockout loss of Adesanya’s 80-fight kickboxing career.

“I do know how to beat him,” Pereira told reporters through an interpreter in the leadup to UFC 287. “I do know how he fights, I do know how he works. … I believe that me beating him this Saturday, I will never face him again.”

Adesanya, for his part, embraced the role of challenger in the encore. Ignoring that he was again the betting favorite, he knew the fans had seen him get stopped in the first meeting.

“This fight, I feel like the underdog,” he said during fight week. “I feel like everyone’s counting me out. I feel like, because of the result of the last fight, people are like goldfish memories. They’ve forgotten what I’ve done in this game. They forgot who I am. And it’s time to remind people how great I am.”

Adesanya certainly reminded Pereira. Late in Round 2 of a back-and-forth, all-standup battle, while covering up against the cage as Pereira swarmed him, Adesanya suddenly blasted two counter right hands that stopped Pereira in his tracks. Just when “The Last Stylebender” appeared to be in trouble, he became the trouble. The knockout win made Adesanya a champion again, and he felt like a new man.

“Beating me, he made me a better fighter, a better person,” Adesanya said in his postfight interview, referring to the consecutive Pereira pairings. “In this camp, I didn’t f— around. If you know me, you know I like to vacation, but … I stayed on the grind and I put myself through it.”

This weekend is Pereira’s opportunity to show off what he took away from the first Ankalaev fight. Conventional wisdom going into the first meeting said he would be in trouble against Ankalaev’s smothering wrestling, but Pereira stuffed all 12 of the Russian’s takedown attempts. Conventional wisdom also held that a standup fight would be to Pereira’s advantage, but Ankalaev got stronger in the striking exchanges as the fight wore on and was rewarded with a unanimous decision in his favor.

What did Pereira learn from the loss? Less than seven months later, has he had sufficient time to implement the adjustments necessary to turn the tide in the rematch? Is his confidence still bruised and needing more time to rejuvenate? Pereira might think he knows the answers to those questions, but he doesn’t yet. He and the fans will find out Saturday.

Ankalaev doesn’t know the answers, either, but he said the only thing that will change in the rematch is that it will be an easier win for him. Calling the 38-year-old Pereira “too old to make substantial changes,” Ankalaev told reporters through an interpreter last Thursday in Las Vegas, “I don’t think even he believes that if he finds a different game plan or changes something, then he could beat me. I just think he’s going out there to make good money, just for the check.”

The first dethroned UFC champion to fight in an immediate rematch was Randy Couture, who has made his mark in innumerable chapters of UFC history. In 2004, having already reigned twice at heavyweight and in his first run as light heavyweight champion, Couture headlined UFC 46 against Vitor Belfort, whom he had knocked out seven years earlier, when Belfort was just 20 years old. Belfort was a seasoned veteran entering their second fight and was on a hot streak, a winner in seven of his past eight fights. This was a highly anticipated, long-time-coming title clash.

Expectations fizzled in the opening seconds, when a Belfort punch grazed Couture’s left eye and inflicted a corneal abrasion. The referee noticed the compromised fighter and ended the bout in an unsatisfying 49 seconds, putting Belfort into a spin cycle of emotions. He was the new champion, which was something to celebrate, but this was not the way he wanted to win the belt. When the subject of a rematch came up in his postfight interview, Belfort was all for it. “He deserves a rematch,” Belfort said, sounding almost apologetic. “Randy’s still a champion for me. He always will be a champion.”

That gesture, as humble and gracious as it was, ultimately got filed away in the “be careful what you wish for” department.

Seven months later, at UFC 49, Couture mauled Belfort from start to brutal finish, amassing 14 minutes, 6 seconds of control time in a fight that lasted just 15 minutes. Couture landed 50 significant strikes to Belfort’s three, battering and bloodying the resilient but sagging Brazilian. And when the referee, at the advice of the cageside doctor, waved off the drubbing at the end of Round 3, Couture was a champion once again, at 41 years old.

“Thankfully, we get smarter as we get older,” he quipped during the postfight interview, his white shorts covered in Belfort’s blood. “I don’t do a lot of things I used to do when I was younger. … I feel better than I’ve felt my whole life.”

For 18 years, Couture would remain the only deposed UFC champion to win back the belt in an immediate rematch. Ten other ex-champs — including legends Anderson Silva and José Aldo — tried to be like “The Natural” but failed. Finally, Deiveson Figueiredo broke through in 2022, regaining the men’s flyweight title by winning a unanimous decision in a rematch with Brandon Moreno, who had choked him out seven months earlier.

By matching Couture’s accomplishment, Figueredo apparently opened the floodgates. In the 3½ years since he became the second fighter in modern UFC history to regain a title in an immediate rematch, four others have attempted it and two have succeeded: Adesanya and Amanda Nunes, both in 2022. “The Lioness” took back the women’s bantamweight title from Julianna Peña at UFC 277, knocking her down three times and scoring six takedowns in a one-sided beatdown that one judge scored a stark 50-43.

But there have been far more failures than successes, often shockingly so. After Frankie Edgar upset 11-to-1 betting favorite BJ Penn in 2010 to capture the lightweight belt, you just knew they weren’t finished with each other. It had been a closely contested fight that went the distance, and Penn was a two-division titlist with the mystique of an MMA legend. A rematch was booked for four months later at UFC 118, and Penn, despite being the challenger this time, was once again the oddsmakers’ favorite.

Edgar didn’t fight like an underdog, though, because he knew better.

“For the rematch, my mindset was different,” Edgar wrote for ESPN.com before his retirement bout in 2022, recapping a glorious career highlight. “Going into the first fight, I believed I could beat BJ. I didn’t know, but I believed. Going into the second fight, I knew I could. I think that’s why the gap between us was a lot bigger the second time.”

The gap was enormous. Edgar nearly tripled Penn’s output of total strikes and won every round on all three scorecards, keeping his title and ensuring that, as he later said, “the lightweight division was going to continue without BJ Penn.”

Several other once-dominant former champions have had cruel reckonings while trying to regain their mojo immediately afterward.

The most recent dethroned titlist to fight in an immediate rematch was Valentina Shevchenko, who lost the women’s flyweight championship to Alexa Grasso in 2023 in a huge upset. Shevchenko, the longest-reigning champion in the UFC at the time, was a better than 6-to-1 betting favorite, and she fought like it. Through three rounds, Shevchenko led on all scorecards. But late in the fourth, she spun for a kick, and Grasso secured Shevchenko’s back and quickly locked in a choke. The shocking finish, the third-largest upset in a UFC women’s championship fight, ended Shevchenko’s run of seven consecutive title defenses.

“Definitely immediate rematch,” Shevchenko said afterward, “because I know I was winning the fight.”

She definitely was ahead according to the judges, but that didn’t help her in the rematch six months later. Shevchenko had her moments, but so did Grasso, and the fight ended in a split draw, with Grasso keeping the title. But not for long. The matchmakers booked a third consecutive meeting at UFC 306 last September, and Shevchenko won a unanimous decision to take back the gold.

True, redemption didn’t come for Shevchenko in the fight immediately after losing the belt. But at least she returned to the promised land eventually. That has not been the case for others.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk was an undefeated strawweight champion and a 6-to-1 betting favorite for her 2017 title defense against Rose Namajunas. But the challenger was undaunted by Jedrzejczyk’s intimidating scowl. Namajunas dropped her with a right hand less than two minutes into the fight, then finished Jedrzejczyk with a left hook knockdown and ground-and-pound (eliciting the famous Daniel Cormier commentary exclamation, “Thug Rose! Thug Rose! Thug Rose!”).

When they fought again five months later at UFC 223, Namajunas was again an underdog. But she also was again a winner, this time going five rounds and taking a clear decision to retain the belt.

Jedrzejczyk, like some other once-lofty ex-champs, had a difficult time coming to grips with the two-part come-down. After the rematch, she had harsh words not simply for “Thug Rose” but for the 115-pound division as a whole. “They cannot compare themselves to me,” she said. “They are all only jealous and talking too much all the time. I’m telling them: Bow down. I’m the queen.”

The wounded self-worth of a dethroned champion feels like part of what’s behind the drive for immediate rematches. Not everyone is as vocal as Jedrzejczyk, but there’s something disorienting about being on top of the game, then getting knocked down a peg. An immediate rematch can set the record straight. Or not.

Despite the dismal track record for redemption seekers, the immediate championship rematches keep on coming. It makes sense in a sport in which contendership is ephemeral. If an ex-champ is offered the opportunity to regain the belt, there’s no time like the present. Within the MMA attention span, one can be here today and gone tomorrow.

So while Ankalaev will be the one putting the belt up for grabs on Saturday, Pereira will have something on the line as well: his aura. After eight of his 10 previous UFC bouts ended by finish, including several worthy of highlight reels, the first Ankalaev fight was relatively tame. There were no knockdowns, no takedowns, no clear supremacy established beyond the close scorecards.

Running it back right away, can Pereira make it look more like a Pereira fight? And can he overcome both the new champion and 4-11-1?

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill likely will miss at least the remainder of the 2025 regular season after suffering a dislocated left knee in Monday night’s 27-21 win over the New York Jets.

It’s a massive blow to a Dolphins team that picked up its first win of the season but now must claw back from a 1-3 record without a player who has been the NFL’s preeminent home run threat for the past decade.

“Next man up,” Miami running back De’Von Achane said of losing Hill after Monday’s game. “We’ve just got to make sure we stay ahead of the sticks. I feel like anybody on this team, when they got the ball in their hands, they can make plays. We just got to practice and just got to face the fact that we might not have him.”

This is unfamiliar territory for a Dolphins team that since 2022 has played only one game without Hill — around whom coach Mike McDaniel’s offense is built. (Miami did spend most of the offseason and training camp without Hill as he rehabbed from multiple injuries.)

So, what does his knee injury mean for Hill’s season and his time in Miami? And how will it impact the Dolphins, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa? Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPN senior writer and injury analyst Stephania Bell, and NFL analytics writer Seth Walder answer the biggest questions.

How long should we expect Hill to be out? What is the usual timetable for a dislocated knee?

All we can say at this point is that Hill’s 2025 season is over. The timetable for recovery is dependent on which structures are specifically involved and the extent of surgical repair.

The term “knee dislocation” simply describes the base result of the injury: The knee has been forced into a position that exceeds its normal range of motion, and the bones are no longer in their proper alignment. Dislocations can happen in different directions, and the extent of injury can vary depending on the forces through the joint at the time of injury.

With a knee dislocation, there is typically trauma to some of the main stabilizing ligaments: anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and lateral collateral ligament. Other associated tissues in the area can be injured, such as the meniscus, bone and cartilage. But there are two particular structures of critical importance: the peroneal nerve and the popliteal artery.

The peroneal nerve travels from the back of the knee toward the outer aspect of the knee before it dives deeper into the muscles of the lower leg. It is responsible for both sensation and muscular control in the lower leg. If damaged during a traumatic injury such as a knee dislocation, it can lead to loss of motor control at the foot and ankle as well as regional sensory loss in the area.

The popliteal artery is located behind the knee. Trauma to the knee can injure the artery and threaten blood flow to the lower leg. If the artery is damaged, prompt surgical repair is critical. Concern for the artery in particular is the reason athletes suffering knee dislocations are immediately transported to the hospital for further imaging and evaluation. Vascular (blood vessel) surgery, if required, is performed promptly.

Surgical reconstruction for ligaments is secondary and often is delayed. The rehab and recovery process takes multiple months or up to a year and in some cases beyond; however, each case is unique depending on the extent of injury/surgery along with the individual’s health history and rehab course. — Bell

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Should we expect Hill to make a full recovery? Who are some other players to have suffered the same injury?

The expectations for recovery are predicated on the specifics of the injury and the surgery or surgeries. There have been athletes who have returned to their sport following a knee dislocation, but it is hard to compare one player’s situation to another’s given the variance between injuries.

Marcus Lattimore comes to mind as a player who suffered a memorable in-game knee dislocation that resulted in his leg being visibly repositioned. Lattimore, a running back at South Carolina at the time, took a helmet to the knee against Tennessee in 2012 that resulted in an immediate dislocation. He was fortunate to not suffer either arterial or nerve damage, but it was still a complex multiple-ligament injury that required months of rehabilitation. Prior to getting hurt, Lattimore was expected to be a first-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft. He fell to the fourth round, where the San Francisco 49ers selected him, but would never play in an NFL game.

Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb also dislocated his knee in college. In 2015, as a sophomore at Georgia, Chubb dislocated his left knee, tearing the MCL, LCL and PCL — three of the four primary stabilizing ligaments of the knee — and sustaining cartilage damage. As devastating as that injury was, Chubb also was fortunate to not suffer nerve or arterial damage. He had reconstructive surgery, rehabbed his knee and returned to play the 2016 season, during which he posted over 1,000 yards rushing for the Bulldogs. After another 1,000-yard season as a senior, Chubb was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. In his sixth season with the Browns, Chubb suffered a similarly devastating injury to the same knee, this time sustaining damage to the ACL, MCL, medial meniscus and medial joint capsule. The second injury required two surgeries to repair, but Chubb again was fortunate to escape nerve and artery damage. Remarkably, he returned to limited action in 2024 for the Browns then signed with the Texans in 2025 as a free agent.

While these two players’ injuries illustrate the range of outcomes that exists with knee dislocations, neither should be used as a barometer of comparison for Hill, as the extent of his injuries is not yet known. — Bell

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What is Hill’s future with the Dolphins? Has he played his last game?

Hill agreed to a restructured contract last offseason that added $65 million in guaranteed money to the four-year, $120 deal he signed in 2022. Without knowing his recovery timetable, it’s tricky to speculate on his future with the team — but there is a digestible out for the team next offseason.

A post-June 1 cut or trade would save Miami $36 million in salary cap space, while creating roughly $15.9 million in dead cap in 2026 and $12.4 million in 2027. Hill will be 32 years old when the 2026 campaign begins and coming off the worst two-year stretch of his career (1,224 yards and seven TDs in 21 games). He was playing well before Monday night’s injury — catching all six of his targets for 67 yards — but he is an obvious starting point if the team decides to fully reset the roster after this season. Bear in mind, also, that the NFL is investigating recent allegations against Hill of domestic violence. — Louis-Jacques

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How will the Dolphins’ offense cope without its focal point? Who will the team look at to get more touches?

Only Justin Jefferson has more receiving yards than Hill since 2022, and only Malik Nabers, A.J. Brown and Davante Adams have commanded a higher percentage of his team’s targets. So, Hill’s injury likely will have a massive impact not only on the Dolphins’ offense but on how opposing defenses prepare for it.

Jaylen Waddle caught eight passes for 142 yards and a touchdown in Miami’s lone game without Hill since 2022 — and with a worse supporting cast in the wide receivers room.

Second-year wideout Malik Washington (eight catches for 47 yards in 2025) steps into an increased role and will have to give teams a reason not to hyperfocus on Waddle.

Although he has been a healthy scratch in all four games this season, Tahj Washington had a strong training camp and could be in line for more work in Hill’s absence. Tight end Darren Waller‘s role likely will increase, as well. And De’Von Achane, who leads all NFL running backs in receptions and receiving yards since the start of last season, will be even more involved in the passing game than he is already. — Louis-Jacques

What do FPI and Miami’s remaining schedule strength say about the Dolphins’ chances without Hill?

It’s bleak. The Dolphins have the 11th-easiest schedule the rest of the way, but FPI sees them as the eighth-worst team in football going forward. The result? Just a 7% chance to make the playoffs (and less than a 1% chance to win the AFC East). The worst part: FPI only explicitly considers in-season quarterback injuries, so that number isn’t even fully accounting for Hill’s injury. That dispiriting forecast is based on the fact that Miami entered the season with relatively low expectations and has underperformed them with a 1-3 record and a defense that ranks 31st in EPA per play. This was probably true prior to Hill’s injury, but especially after it: The Dolphins should prioritize future seasons as they approach the trade deadline. — Walder

TEMPE, Ariz. — For the second time in 10 days, the Arizona Cardinals need to retool their running back rotation after another injury to their primary ball carrier.

With Trey Benson going on short-term IR with a knee injury on Wednesday, the Cardinals are now down to their third-string running back. James Conner, who started the first three games, was lost for the season with a foot injury after Arizona’s Week 3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

As the Cardinals’ roster stands now, the running back rotation will consist of Emari Demercado, Michael Carter and Bam Knight.

“It’s tough to lose any of them,” quarterback Kyler Murray said. “You never want to see any of your boys, teammates go out. But he’ll be back. We’ll be back. I’m confident in that next man up. I have full faith in the running back room.

“Those guys have to step up and I know that they will.”

How that rotation unfolds is still yet to be seen.

Coach Jonathan Gannon said even though Arizona knows it has to fill the RB1 role, he’ll see how the week goes before deciding who gets that title. But, he said, he feels good about all three options.

However, Gannon said there won’t be many changes to the offense.

“Not a ton to me,” Gannon said. “We will make some tweaks no matter who’s back there moving forward, but to your guys’ eye it probably won’t look a ton different.

EMARI DEMERCADO 53-YARD TD!

📺: #CHIvsAZ on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/B7dXbOt3Fu

— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024

“Hopefully, we have some more efficiency and run the ball a little bit better. But with saying that, knowing that the guys that are going to be carrying the ball, their skill set is different than [Conner] and [Benson]. We have to put them in good spots that they feel really comfortable in and they can execute what’s being asked of them.”

While Arizona knew what it had in Conner and Benson, it hasn’t seen as much out of Demercado, Knight and Carter.

The three have combined for only 92 snaps this season, with 73 belonging to Demercado. Last season, Demercado accounted for 15.1% of of Arizona’s snaps from running backs while Carter came in at 8.9%.

Murray sees versatility in Demercado, Knight and Carter.

“I’m excited,” Murray said. “These three guys, they get an opportunity to prove themselves, show their skill set and show that they can play the game more than what they were getting. I’m excited for those guys. I know they’re looking forward to the opportunity.”

Murray doesn’t think the added responsibility will phase Demercado.

Gannon said there’s a reason why Arizona kept Knight on the 53-man roster during final cuts.

“I think he’s been working on his game,” Gannon said. “He’s playing on fourth down, as well, but I think he’s a big, strong, explosive guy that can run the rock. He’ll get his touches.”

And Arizona knows what it has in Carter, who didn’t make Arizona’s initial 53-man roster but was signed to the practice squad. That’s why he was elevated to the active roster last Thursday night and then signed to the 53 on Monday.

Going through the roller coaster of emotions of being cut, then signed to the practice squad, and then promoted and then signed has “been a lot,” Carter said.

“I’m not going to lie, because you go from [wearing the] Pat Tillman [jersey as the practice player of the week] one week to starting to next. It’s a lot,” Carter said. “You can say and act like it’s not, but that’s kind of a lot.”

Even though he said he’s “thankful” and “grateful” for the opportunity to play Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, Carter said he hates that it happened because of injuries.

He’s prepared on the practice squad like he’s the starter because he could be an injury away from getting called up to the 53 and if he doesn’t know what he’s doing then he’s “cooked.”

Carter’s isn’t trying to look too far ahead or in the past. He’s trying to stay in the present and “put my best foot forward every day.”

“My chip on my shoulder is gigantic,” he said.

To be in this position is a product of patience for Carter.

Midway through last season, he debated retiring. He wasn’t getting the kind of playing time he wanted and felt he was better than other running backs around the league. Then his friends as family told him he was “stupid as hell’ and to “shut up.”

So, he did.

It was a fleeting moment but he’s powered through the ups and downs to this weekend.

“I don’t think about it anymore, but there was a time where I kind of was like, I don’t know, bro. Maybe I don’t got it,” he said. “But, that’s more like a mental barrier I got.

“It is just a blessing to even be here.”

TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson underwent arthroscopic surgery on his meniscus and is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.

The Cardinals placed Benson on injured reserve Wednesday, with coach Jonathan Gannon telling reporters that Benson is expected to return this season. A source also told ESPN that Benson will “for sure” play again this season.

Benson must miss at least four games while on injured reserve. The Cardinals have three games until their bye week, putting his return at Week 10 at the earliest.

Gannon said he wasn’t sure when exactly Benson was injured during Thursday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks but that he believed the running back played through the injury for some portion of the contest. Benson’s knee was sore when he came in for his day-after treatment Friday, and that’s when the Cardinals’ medical team took a deeper look at it.

Benson had assumed the starting role in Week 4 after James Conner suffered a season-ending foot injury the prior week against the San Francisco 49ers. Benson rushed for 35 yards on eight carries and had five catches for 19 yards against the Seahawks.

Next up on Arizona’s depth chart is Emari Demercado, but Gannon wouldn’t commit to him being the team’s primary ball carrier. The coach said he expects Demercado, Michael Carter and Bam Knight all to play Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Those three have combined for five carries for the Cardinals this season.

“I don’t know,” Gannon said. “We’ll see how kind of the week goes, but we obviously know we got to pick up that role but feel good about Bam and Emari and Mike Carter.”

Benson was the Cardinals’ leading rusher with 160 yards on 29 carries for an average of 5.5 yards per carry. He had not scored a touchdown.

Arizona also signed running back Jermar Jefferson to their practice squad Wednesday.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens remain tight-lipped about whether injured quarterback Lamar Jackson has a chance to play in Sunday’s pivotal game against the Houston Texans.

On Wednesday, Jackson did not practice because of a hamstring injury that he suffered in Sunday’s 37-20 loss in Kansas City.

When asked if there was a determination on Jackson’s availability for Sunday, coach John Harbaugh said the team is taking all of the numerous injuries day-by-day. Then, when asked if Jackson is considered “day-to-day,” Harbaugh replied, “How about I just don’t say anything? That’s what I would do. Why don’t we just leave it alone.”

Harbaugh said he spoke to Jackson at length Tuesday. Jackson has also been attending all of the meetings, as well.

“Lamar’s working,” Harbaugh said. “He is doing a great job.”

Jackson, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, has not missed a game due to injury since the end of the 2022 season. Since 2018, Baltimore is 4-10 without Jackson.

If Jackson is sidelined Sunday, the Ravens would turn to Cooper Rush, the former Dallas Cowboys backup who signed with Baltimore this offseason.

“He’s a pros pro,” tight end Mark Andrews said of Rush. “He really dove into this offense [and] understands it extremely well. He’s going to know what to do, and I know he’s fired up for the opportunity to go show what he is all about.”

In addition to Jackson, the Ravens were without seven injured players at Wednesday’s practice, including starters like offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle), middle linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), cornerbacks Nate Wiggins (elbow) and Marlon Humphrey (calf) and fullback Patrick Ricard (calf).

“Everybody here in this organization is all fighters,” Andrews said. “We’ve been through adversity. We know what that looks like and there’s no quit in this group. I’m excited to show the world that.”

The Ravens are off to their worst start in 10 years at 1-3. With the uncertainty surrounding Jackson, Baltimore is a 1.5-point home underdog against the Texans.

Manchester City’s awayday blues haunted them again as Monaco snatched a late 2-2 draw in their Champions League league phase clash through Eric Dier’s controversial late penalty.

City were seemingly heading for a deserved victory in the dying minutes when referee Jesus Gil Manzano was sent to the VAR monitor to review Nico Gonzalez’s high boot on Dier at a free-kick, which he eventually ruled a foul – with a number of visiting backroom staff sent off as tensions boiled over.

Even without wanting to directly criticise the decision, Pep Guardiola took clear issue with the referee’s call, later telling TNT Sports: “We didn’t defend [the free-kick] perfectly, we conceded a penalty despite touching the ball first, it touched the opponent but touched the ball too.”

Dier stepped up from 12 yards to send Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way, and stretch Man City’s winless away run in the tournament into a second year – 12 months to the day since they last won a game on the road at Slovan Bratislava.

Even with that decision, City should have been out of sight after twice hitting the crossbar and racking up 18 shots without managing to add to their first-half Erling Haaland double.

The big Norwegian was in fine form again to score twice before the break from just seven touches – with one a kick-off.

A deft flick on Josko Gvardiol’s lofted pass after 14 minutes was his first touch of the night, but the intrigue about his efficiency was shortlived when Jordan Teze rifled a fine 20-yard equaliser into the top corner three minutes later.

Phil Foden hit the bar amid City’s increasing domination before Haaland finally powered a header from Nico O’Reilly’s cross beyond Philipp Kohn for his second just before the break.

“I still think I’m involved in the game with my movements, giving space to others. It’s not only about touching the ball as to if you’re in the game or not,” he told TNT Sports after the game.

City should have added to their lead with Tijjani Reijnders also denied by the woodwork after the interval, and Haaland spurning a fine chance for his hat-trick soon after.

The visitors looked certain to emerge victorious but, without managing to increase their fragile lead, were made to pay late on when Gonzalez’s challenge was punished in the harshest terms.

Guardiola: Many things were against us

Man City manager Pep Guardiola to TNT Sports:

“I haven’t seen the stats or the chances, but I think we were much more energetic than them, sometimes that isn’t possible. Many things was against us in situations.

“Haaland played really good. He plays to score goals, to have chances. The team was really, really good.”

On taking Rodri off after an hour: “It’s step by step, we have to do that. Ninety minutes is too much.”

Haaland: We didn’t deserve to win

Double goalscorer Erling Haaland to TNT Sports:

“I don’t think we played good enough. We don’t deserve to win. We need more energy. We needed to do more of what we did in the first half. We dominated much more and then in the second half they took the lead much more. It’s not good enough.

“I didn’t see [the penalty]. I don’t know, if you kick someone in the face I guess it’s a penalty.”

Story of the match in stats…

What’s coming up for Man City?

Ash Gardner smashed the third-fastest century in Women’s Cricket World Cup history as Australia launched their title defence with an 89-run win over New Zealand.

Gardner’s 115 off 83 balls featured 16 fours and a six as she became the first player to score a World Cup century from sixth in the batting order.

It inspired Australia to post 326 in 49.3 overs, the highest total ever against New Zealand in the tournament, surpassing England’s 284-9 in 2017.

Phoebe Litchfield set the tone with a brisk 45 off 31 balls, striking six fours and two sixes on her World Cup debut, but her dismissal left Australia on 81-2 as New Zealand triggered a middle-order wobble.

Lea Tahuhu (3-42) removed Ellyse Perry (33) and Beth Mooney (12) in quick succession, later returning to dismiss Tahlia McGrath (26), while Amelia Kerr chipped in with the wicket of Annabel Sutherland (5), reducing Australia to 128-5.

But Gardner steadied the ship, adding 64 with McGrath for the sixth wicket. Her first 50 came off 43 balls; the second off just 34, as Australia’s aggressive approach lit up Holkar Stadium, staging its first women’s ODI.

New Zealand’s chase faltered early with the loss of two wickets in nine balls without a run on the board, as Georgia Plimmer was run out and Suzie Bates was bowled by Sophie Molineux, both dismissed for ducks.

Despite Sophie Devine’s valiant 111 off 107 balls, the Kiwis were bowled out for 237 in 43.2 overs. Devine, at 36 years and 30 days, became the third-oldest centurion in Women’s World Cup history.

Kerr (33) partnered Devine for a 75-run stand, followed by key contributions from Brooke Halliday (28) and Isabella Gaze (28 off 18), but after Gaze’s dismissal at 218-6, New Zealand collapsed, losing their final four wickets for just 19 runs.

Molineux (3-25) and Sutherland (3-26) shared six wickets to seal Australia’s 16th straight ODI win over New Zealand.

Watch the Women’s Cricket World Cup live on Sky Sports Cricket in full, up to and including the final on Sunday November 2. Stream contract-free with NOW.

The Baltimore Ravens entered this season as the betting Super Bowl favorite, boasting a Pro Bowl-filled roster that seemed primed to help quarterback Lamar Jackson capture that elusive championship.

One month later, Baltimore has gone from a contender to an early-season catastrophe. After Sunday’s painful 37-20 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens have tied the worst start in the franchise’s 30-year history and have watched their playoff aspirations take a hit with a 1-3 record.

With Baltimore getting pushed around by similar championship-caliber teams, its struggles on both sides of the ball are only matched by its list of injured starters which includes Jackson, who left Sunday’s game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. Inside the quiet postgame locker rooms, the players have repeatedly looked stunned about the surprising meltdowns on defense and the problems to protect Jackson.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh faces the challenge of digging his team out of a hole that few have been able to climb out from. In the Super Bowl era (since 1966), only 10.6% of teams that started 1-3 were able to rebound and make the playoffs (43 of 405 teams).

“I’m concerned, but I’m not overwhelmed by it,” Harbaugh said of the disappointing start.

The way the Ravens have lost this season has been cause for concern. In the season opener, Baltimore failed to hold a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost at the Buffalo Bills 41-40. In Week 3, the Ravens allowed their most rushing yards (224) in eight years in a 38-30 loss to the Detroit Lions. And, on Sunday, Baltimore fell apart as five starters left with injuries in its most lopsided loss in four seasons.

“We have issues that we’re dealing with,” Harbaugh said, “and we have to deal with them in a real smart way.”

Since the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978, the Ravens are the third preseason Super Bowl favorite to start 1-3 or worse through the first four games. The other teams — the 1987 New York Giants and the 2002 St. Louis, now Los Angeles Rams — both missed the postseason.

But the Ravens aren’t panicking because they have a more favorable schedule the rest of the way, beginning with Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans (1-3) (1 p.m. ET, CBS). Baltimore remains the favorite to win the AFC North and has a 69.7% chance to reach the playoffs, according to ESPN Analytics.

Despite how much has gone wrong in September, the Ravens don’t appear daunted by what lies ahead.

“Bring it on,” running back Derrick Henry said. “I look at it with a positive mindset. We are 1-3. Nobody is going to come out and do it for us. We have to go back to work.”

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THE RAVENS’ CHANCES of bouncing back depend on the health of Jackson, who was last seen limping out of the locker room, and their ability to protect him.

On Monday, Harbaugh declined to say whether Jackson would play Sunday but made it clear that the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player was in no condition to return after injuring his hamstring.

“There was no way he was going to go back into the game,” Harbaugh said. “The injury precluded it.”

If Jackson can’t play, Cooper Rush is expected to fill in for him. In the past, the Ravens have faltered without Jackson.

Since Jackson became the starting quarterback in the middle of the 2018 season, the Ravens are 74-32 (.698) with him, averaging 28.1 points per game. Without Jackson over that span, Baltimore is 4-10, averaging 16.6 points per game with the likes of Tyler Huntley, Robert Griffin III, Josh Johnson and Anthony Brown Jr.

“It’s definitely a big impact,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “Losing Lamar is losing Lamar.”

With Jackson, the Ravens have shown they can go on a run. In Jackson’s previous seven seasons, Baltimore has put together six winning streaks where the Ravens have won five or more games in a row.

The key is keeping Jackson healthy. He has been sacked 15 times in four games this season. This comes after Jackson was sacked 23 times in 17 games last season.

Before he was knocked out of Sunday’s game, Jackson was under duress on 56% of his dropbacks, which was the highest pressure rate he has ever faced in a game with at least 10 dropbacks, according to ESPN Research. Harbaugh was critical of how offensive coordinator Todd Monken handled the blitzes by the Chiefs.

“I think we didn’t stick to the plan that we had,” Harbaugh said. “We had an idea of how we wanted to approach their defense, and we didn’t stick to it. I’m not happy about it, and neither is anybody, none of our coaches are happy about it, especially — I’m talking about the coaches right now. That was us. So, it was not a good job.”

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HAMILTON, A TWO-TIME Pro Bowl safety, began his postgame media session by apologizing to the fans.

“The product that we’re putting on the field right now is not up to par with what the Ravens have been in the past and have been in the recent past,” he said. “I think we know that. We’re trying our best to correct it, but obviously, something is wrong, so it’s up to all of us to try and fix that.”

The Ravens’ underachieving defense has been a big reason for the slow start. Baltimore has given up 37 or more points in all three losses. The Ravens rank 31st in total yards allowed, 27th against the run and 31st against the pass.

Harbaugh supported defensive coordinator Zach Orr on Monday when asked if Orr was the right coach to turn the defense around.

“I have confidence in all of our guys, including Zach, our players, our coaches, and I watch our guys every day,” Harbaugh said, “watch how they work. I watch how well they coach. I’m in meetings, I watch the meetings, I know the schemes that we’re running. I know the soundness of what we’re doing. I understand what we’re up against from week to week and play to play even in this game. This is a challenging game against a good offense.”

Harbaugh then added, “I really feel confident that we’re going to play really good defense this year. I really am. I know the fans hear that, and I hope they have a little bit of confidence in us that we’ve been down this road before a little bit. We do need to get healthy, for sure.”

Of Baltimore’s 11 starters on defense, seven of them are dealing with injuries, including four Pro Bowl defenders. The most significant loss is defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who has been ruled out for the season with a neck injury.

The Ravens also placed defensive end Broderick Washington Jr. (ankle) on injured reserve and had two other starters — outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) and nose tackle Travis Jones (knee) inactive on Sunday. Then, three more starters left Sunday’s game with an injury: middle linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) and cornerbacks Nate Wiggins (elbow) and Marlon Humphrey (calf).

“Obviously, you’re losing multiple All-Pro guys, and that’s not going to help a defense,” Hamilton said. “But again, I think guys came in [and] had the right mindset. Anybody who’s out there could make a play, could do their jobs to the best of their abilities and just play hard. That’s the price of entry – just playing hard. We’ll deal with the result later, but obviously, we want a better one. But if you play hard, then you can play for us.”

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AT THE START of training camp, the Ravens tried to downplay one of the toughest starts to a schedule in team history. In September, Baltimore had to face the Bills, Lions and Chiefs, all of whom were a combined 43-8 last season.

“It’s the nature of the beast,” offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley said in July. “You’re going to go against tough opponents here and there, and it’s going to come in clusters. You just kind have to roll with it.”

Even though the Ravens were favored in every game, Baltimore fell to 1-3 for the third time, equaling the poor starts in 2005 and 2015.

“The three losses are against probably three of the top teams in the league, for sure,” Harbaugh said. “That’s just the hand we’ve been dealt, but it doesn’t really matter. We have to win the next game. And then once you win the next game, then you have a chance to start stacking some wins.”

The Ravens’ remaining games get much easier. Over the final 14 weeks, Baltimore’s strength of schedule ranks 25th in the NFL.

The Ravens have home games against the Texans and the Rams before their bye. After the week off, Baltimore doesn’t play a team currently with a winning record over a five-game stretch (the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets).

Then, the Ravens head into the final stretch, where Jackson is often at his best. Jackson is 22-4 (.846) in regular season games in December and January, which is the best among quarterbacks with at least 10 starts.

But the players are taking a more short-sighted approach in trying to get their season back on track.

“I’m trying to focus on here and now,” Hamilton said. “In Week 16, if we’re 12-4, we’d be like, ‘Damn, we would’ve been 15-1 if we didn’t lose those games.’ We can’t think like that. We have to think about the Texans this week and focus on getting that win, getting to 2-3. You can’t get to 3-3 without getting to 2-3. [We need to] focus on them. Don’t even want to worry about who we play after that. Don’t even worry about when our bye week is. Just focus on the Houston Texans coming to the Ravens and us beating them.”

NBA training camps have officially begun!

Monday marked the arrival of media day for most of the league’s 30 teams, with on-court practice beginning Tuesday — exactly three weeks before the Oklahoma City Thunder will raise their 2024-25 NBA championship banner.

We’ve got you covered as you dig into the 2025-26 season, with roster breakdowns for every team, top storylines, looming decisions and lingering issues to keep an eye on for the next few weeks.

Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WSH

Guaranteed contracts: 10
Partial/Non: 3
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Managing expectations, Trae Young and Dyson Daniels

No extension for All-Star Trae Young and a possible new deal for All-NBA defender Dyson Daniels are the two biggest storylines coming out of Atlanta’s offseason. However, how this revamped team manages expectations will play a huge role in how we determine its success this season..

The Hawks added Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard and Asa Newell to a roster that lost to the Magic in the play-in, and according to ESPN BET, Atlanta now has the fourth-best odds to win the Eastern Conference. Keep in mind that since the 2017-18 season, Atlanta has missed the playoffs five times and has advanced past the first round only once.

As for the two extension candidates, Young is eligible to sign up to a four-year, $229 million deal through June 30, and Daniels is eligible up until Oct. 20. The Hawks last season signed Jalen Johnson to a five-year, $150 million rookie extension on the last day before the start of the regular season.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The last day to extend Dyson Daniels

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option for Zaccharie Risacher

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 12
Partial/Non: 2
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Frontcourt minutes

In a period of six weeks, the Celtics lost Jayson Tatum to an Achilles injury, traded Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta and saw Luke Kornet sign in San Antonio. Plus, last week, veteran Al Horford signed with Golden State. Those five players combined to start 184 games last season, averaging 61.3 points per game.

This past postseason, the Celtics gave 99.5% of their center minutes outside garbage time to Horford, Porzingis and Kornet, per Cleaning the Glass.

How the Celtics replace their production will come down to the committee of Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, Chris Boucher, Xavier Tillman and Josh Minott. In six starts last season, Queta averaged 9.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. He recently averaged 15.5 points per game for Portugal at the FIBA EuroBasket.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The contract of Neemias Queta becomes guaranteed

• Oct. 21: The salary protection of Jordan Walsh increases from $200K to $1.1 million

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Baylor Scheierman

Extension candidates:

• Jordan Walsh

• Anfernee Simons

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Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 3
Exhibit 10: 1
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: Player development, the minimum salary floor and roster cuts

From a development perspective, Brooklyn has eight players on first-round rookie contracts, including Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf and Drake Powell. The Nets also became the first team in history to select five players in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft. This offseason, they traded for former top-15 pick Kobe Bufkin and returned Dariq Whitehead and Noah Clowney for their third years.

Sixteen players on the current roster are 26 years old or younger, and Brooklyn will have to reduce its roster to 15 players by the start of the season.

With 15 players already on guaranteed contracts, the easy answer is to waive the three players on partial or non-guaranteed contracts: Jalen Wilson, Tyrese Martin and Drew Timme. Brooklyn has to spend 90% of the salary cap by the first day of the regular season, and by waiving all three, the Nets would fall below the minimum floor. They are currently $1.9 million over it.

To reach the floor, Brooklyn can either guarantee each of the three players and then waive them, keep all three but at the expense of a guaranteed contract, or use some of the available $13.6 million in cap space in a trade.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The last day to extend the contract of Michael Porter Jr.

• Oct. 21: The contract of Jalen Wilson ($88K to $382K) increases in protection

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the fourth-year team options of Kobe Bufkin, Dariq Whitehead and Noah Clowney

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Roster availability, player development and final roster cuts

Expect the words “availability” and “player development” to be repeated often during training camp.

Last season, the Hornets ranked second in missed shots and used 36 different starting lineups. LaMelo Ball has played more than 60 games only once in five seasons and has missed at least 25 in the past three. Brandon Miller played only 27 games last season, missing the remainder of the season recovering from right wrist surgery. The trio of Ball, Miller and Miles Bridges started just seven games last campaign.

From a development standpoint, the Hornets have seven players on first- or second-round rookie contracts, including Tidjane Salaun, the sixth pick in the 2024 draft. Last season, Salaun averaged 21 minutes per game and shot 33% from the field and 28.3% on 3-pointers.

The Hornets also have decisions to make with their roster. They currently have 15 players with guaranteed contracts — and Moussa Diabate with no protection. Diabate started eight games at center last season and is expected to be part of the Hornets’ rotation.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 22: The protection of Moussa Diabate increases from $0 to $250K

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Tidjane Salaun and fourth-year team option of Brandon Miller

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 1
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Who will start at small forward?

The Bulls eliminated a preseason distraction when restricted free agent Josh Giddey signed a four-year, $100 million contract in early September.

With Giddey signed, the focus in training camp is the open competition at small forward between Kevin Huerter and Isaac Okoro.

Since March 1, Huerter averaged 32.3 minutes per game and averaged a team-high plus-7.9, as the Bulls went 15-3 in their final 18 games when Huerter was on the floor. Okoro was acquired in the swap for Lonzo Ball, and he gives Chicago a physical defender but less spacing offensively when he is on the court.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The last day to extend the contract of Dalen Terry

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Matas Buzelis

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 11
Partial/Non: 3
Exhibit 10: 5
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: Donovan Mitchell‘s workload and Lonzo Ball

It was no coincidence that Mitchell playing the fewest minutes in his career played a role in the All-Star playing 71 games last season, his most since 2018-19.

But because of injuries to Darius Garland and Max Strus at the end of the season, how the Cavaliers continue to manage the workload of Mitchell comes with questions.

Garland underwent toe surgery on June 9 and has resumed basketball activities. Strus underwent surgery on Aug. 26 for a Jones fracture in his left foot and will be reevaluated in three to four months.

The Cavaliers did acquire Ball in the offseason as a replacement for Ty Jerome and insurance while Garland is recovering. After missing two seasons recovering from multiple left knee surgeries, Ball played 35 games last season with Chicago but missed the last 23 games with a right wrist injury and played more than 30 minutes just once.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The last day to extend the contracts of Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Jaylon Tyson

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 2
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: The first starting lineup

What a difference six months make.

Last spring, injuries decimated the Mavericks’ roster, leaving them with the league minimum of eight players available for games at times.

Head coach Jason Kidd now has the welcome challenge of selecting a starting lineup from one of the deepest teams in the NBA as the Mavericks enter training camp. Out of the 15 players on the roster, only rookie Cooper Flagg did not start an NBA game last season.

D’Angelo Russell and Klay Thompson will likely form the backcourt, but Kidd has a decision on which two players complement Anthony Davis in the frontcourt.

The candidates are Flagg, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 22: The salary protection of Brandon Williams increases from $200K to $850K

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the fourth-year team option of Dereck Lively II

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Ben Tenzer’s first season and future finances

Tenzer was elevated to executive vice president of basketball operations after GM Calvin Booth was fired along with head coach Michael Malone on April 9.

Since his promotion, Tenzer and his staff have reshaped the Nuggets, trading for Cameron Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas while signing Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr.

The next task on the to-do list? Navigating rookie extensions for Christian Braun and Peyton Watson.

Braun averaged a career-high 33.9 minutes and started 77 of the 79 games he played. This is the third year in a row that Braun has played more than 75 games (he played all 82 in the 2023-24 season). He also joined Dyson Daniels as the only two players in the past two seasons to increase their scoring by more than eight points per game.

Watson averaged career highs in minutes played, field goal percentage and points per game last season. He also posted a plus-11.7 points per 100 possessions in the minutes played with Jamal Murray, Braun, Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokic.

Since the 2022 offseason, Denver has been aggressive in extending its own players, signing Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Murray and former players Porter and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The last day to extend the contracts of Jokic, Johnson, Braun and Watson

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the fourth-year team option of Julian Strawther and third-year team option of DaRon Holmes II

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Continued player development

The Pistons, after going 14-68 to land at the bottom of the East in 2023-24, were one of the great comeback stories last season.

Detroit became the first team to triple its win total in one season and became only the sixth team in league history to increase its win total by at least 30 games.

The obvious question entering this season is whether Detroit can be more than a first-round team, one that could potentially contend with the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

“I don’t think we truly understand who our players can be at this point,” GM Trajan Langdon told The Athletic. “I just think it’s too early for us to truly understand what the best way to press the proverbial gas pedal is right now. So we’re gonna try to be patient with that and let our young guys continue to develop.” One area of success for Detroit last season was improving its 3-point shooting percentage from last in the league in 2023-24 to a respectable 17th.

The Pistons replaced Malik Beasley, Dennis Schroder and Tim Hardaway Jr. with a healthy Jaden Ivey and free agents Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson and Javonte Green this offseason. They also return four of the five starters on a roster that lost to New York in the first round, including All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The last day to extend the contracts of Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Ron Holland and fourth-year team options of Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 12
Partial/Non: 3
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: The role of Jonathan Kuminga and final roster spot

The Warriors avoided a training camp headache when Kuminga signed a two-year contract, 24 hours before his qualifying offer was set to expire.

With Kuminga now under contract and ineligible to be traded until Jan. 15, the goal for training camp and the early part of the season is carving out a role not only off the bench but with the starting unit.

Kuminga started 56 games the past two seasons, averaging at least 15 points in each, but his role was reduced at the end of last season and first round of the playoffs. “The lineup with Jimmy, Jonathan and Draymond doesn’t fit real well, frankly. It just doesn’t,” Kerr told 95.7 The Game in April. The Warriors were minus-28.2 points per 100 possessions when Kuminga, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green were on the court together. That lineup did improve in the second-round loss to Minnesota. The Warriors were plus-9.4 points when all three were on the court, and Kuminga averaged 19.5 points, shooting better than 50% in the second round.

As for the final roster spot, the Al Horford signing leaves Golden State $2 million below the second apron. Barring a trade to clear out money, the Warriors cannot have 15 players on their roster to start the season. They are allowed to sign a player to the prorated veteran minimum starting on Nov. 11.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 1
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Who starts at point guard and the big lineups

The Rockets were already thin at the guard position before starter Fred VanVleet tore his right ACL in an offseason workout.

Now with VanVleet out indefinitely, the burden falls on Aaron Holiday, Reed Sheppard and potentially Amen Thompson. Since the Rockets are $1.2 million below the first apron, they are not allowed to sign a player to their final roster spot unless they make a trade because they are hard capped at the first apron.

Holiday has played 140 games, including four starts, since Houston signed him in 2023. In his lone start last season, he had a season-high 25 points. Meanwhile, Sheppard averaged 12.6 minutes per game and shot 33.8% on 3-pointers. The addition of Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela also gives coach Ime Udoka options in the frontcourt. “It’s to be determined,” Udoka told Ben DuBose of RocketsWire, referring to who will start alongside Durant and Alperen Sengun. “I do think Jabari [Smith Jr.] showed tremendous growth this offseason, and obviously he started the majority of his time here, before the injury. But we’ll take a look at everything. We feel we have incredible depth this year and a lot of versatility, so we could go a number of different ways, as far as that. I think some of that will be proven in training camp.”

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The deadline to extend the contract of Tari Eason

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Reed Sheppard and fourth-year team option of Amen Thompson

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 3
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Life without Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner

There was a strong case entering Game 7 of the NBA Finals that Indiana would have been one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference this upcoming season.

Then, in a period of 10 days, All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles and the Pacers’ longest-tenured player, Myles Turner, defected to the Milwaukee Bucks. Indiana was plus-8.0 per 100 possessions when the two players shared the court in the regular season, and they led the team to average 118.9 points per 100 possessions.

How the Pacers fill the Haliburton void is by expanding the roles of Andrew Nembhard, T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin. Over the past two seasons, McConnell averaged 18.2 and 17.9 minutes per game, respectively. Nembhard has never averaged more than 29 minutes in his career.

Mathurin averaged 16 points for a second time in his three seasons and led all reserves in postseason points. He started 49 games last season, averaging 16.7 points and six rebounds.

Expect the center position to be filled by a rotation of Jay Huff, James Wiseman and Tony Bradley.

Huff started two games last season with Memphis, and Wiseman is coming off an Achilles injury.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Kawhi Leonard and buy-in from the veterans

It is highly unlikely there will be a resolution to the alleged salary cap circumvention the Clippers are under investigation for, but that does not mean Leonard and the team are not under the microscope.

The Clippers have been adamant, both publicly and privately, that Leonard was not paid additional compensation for a sponsorship deal, despite owner Steve Ballmer and minority owner Dennis Wong investing in the company, Aspiration. Blocking out the public noise from the Leonard investigation and most importantly, getting buy-in from their veterans, could determine if the Clippers advance past the first round for the first time since 2021.

The Clippers signed veterans Brook Lopez, Chris Paul and John Collins in the offseason. The trio started 96% of their games played last season and are now likely to come off the bench.

The addition of Paul and Bradley Beal could also impact the role of Kris Dunn. Last season, Dunn started 58 games and averaged 24.1 minutes.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: LeBron James

The last time we saw LeBron James playing basketball, the 40-year-old was limping off the court in a first-round series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was eventually revealed that James suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee.

“I have a lot of time to take care of my injury, my knee, the rest of my body and make sure I’m as close to 100 percent as possible when training camp begins in late September,” James told The Associated Press in June.

James is set to enter an unprecedented 23rd training camp. Where he is healthwise will still play a big role in the Lakers’ success this season.

“It remains to be seen,” James told ESPN when asked about his planned participation in training camp and the preseason. “Obviously I want to be out there as much as I can … but we know where I’m at and the coaching staff knows where I’m at as far as getting to a place where we’re all good as far as getting on the court.”

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Frontcourt depth

Memphis over the past two seasons has been besieged by injuries.

And it hasn’t gotten any better, with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey undergoing surgery in the offseason. Edey had surgery on June 10 on his left ankle and Jackson on July 2 for turf toe.

Jackson was cleared to begin ramping up basketball activities and is expected to play in four to six weeks. Edey, meanwhile, is expected to return in six to nine weeks.

Without either player on the court, Memphis is left with a frontcourt of Santi Aldama, Brandon Clarke and Jock Landale. Clarke had a high-grade PCL sprain in March and missed 18 games, including the first round of the playoffs. He will have another procedure to address knee synovitis and will be reevaluated in six weeks.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The last day to extend the contracts of Ja Morant, John Konchar and Brandon Clarke

• Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the third-year team option of Zach Edey

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 12
Partial/Non: 3
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: Tyler Herro and the offense

The Heat are in a unique situation with Herro.

The All-Star answered the call last season, playing a career-high 77 games and averaging at least 20 points for a fourth straight season. He shot a career-high 47.2% from the field and averaged a career-high 5.5 assists per game.

His production should warrant discussion on a long-term extension. He has two years left on his contract and is eligible starting on Oct. 1 to sign a three-year, $149.7 million extension. The first year of the extension in 2027-28 starts at $46.2 million, nearly $6 million less than the maximum allowed.

“Pay me now or pay me later, whatever it is,” Heat president Pat Riley said after the season. “We’ve already talked about it. I talked about it with Tyler, and so we’ll see what happens as we plan. The numbers are getting pretty big for a lot of guys. Max salaries in this league, who do they go to? I mean, who do they go to and who is really? If you’re going to make $70 million a year, who are those five or 10 guys that deserve that? But Tyler definitely is deserving of the thought of an extension. But are we going to do it? We haven’t committed to it, but we’re going to discuss it and I’ve already talked to him about it. He’s cool.”

Paying Herro now comes with risk, considering the six-year veteran underwent surgery on his left ankle and is expected to miss the start of the regular season.

If an extension is not reached, both sides would then be eligible to negotiate a four-year extension next summer for up to $207 million.

As for the offense, Miami traded for Norman Powell in the offseason, but there is still a void to fill with Herro now sidelined for the early part of the season. The Heat were minus-8.6 points per 100 possessions when Herro was off the court and went 12-21 after the Jimmy Butler trade, ranking in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency. They were 14-26 in clutch games (3-12 after the trade) and lost a league-high nine games when leading by at least 15 points.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The last day to extend the contracts of Tyler Herro and Nikola Jovic

• Oct. 22: The $978K salary protection of Pelle Larsson increases to full

Extension candidates:

• Nikola Jovic

• Norman Powell

• Tyler Herro (as of Oct. 1)

• Andrew Wiggins (as of Oct. 1)

• Terry Rozier

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Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 2
Exhibit 10: 1
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Who starts at point guard, Kyle Kuzma and the final roster spot

There were already questions about who the Bucks’ starting point guard would be this season, long before Damian Lillard was waived and stretched in July due to his Achilles injury

Who starts in his place could come down to Ryan Rollins, AJ Green or Kevin Porter Jr. Rollins started 19 regular-season games and Game 4 of the first-round series, and averaged 10.1 points and 3 assists, and shot 48.6% from the field and 45.2% on 3-pointers in those starts. Green, on the other hand, might be better suited for the sixth man role having started only seven of his 73 games last season. For a third straight season, he shot greater than 40% on 3-pointers. Porter has the most career starts (150) of the three players, mostly during his time with the Rockets.

There is no denying Kuzma was a disappointment, and especially in the postseason. In the first round, he shot 34.3% from the field and 20% on 3s. Prior to that, in the 2021 postseason with the Lakers, he shot 29.2% and 17.4%, respectively.

The final roster spot in Milwaukee was thought to come down to Andre Jackson Jr. or Amir Coffey, but then Milwaukee signed Thanasis Antetokounmpo to a one-year guaranteed contract.

The Bucks could still keep Jackson or Coffey, but likely at the cost of former second-round pick Tyler Smith.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

• AJ Green

• Andre Jackson Jr.

• Kyle Kuzma

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Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: The growth and development of Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Joan Beringer.

The Timberwolves gave up a future unprotected first-round pick to San Antonio with the hope that Dillingham would be the replacement for Mike Conley Jr. Dillingham is coming off an uneven rookie season in which he appeared in only 49 games and averaged just 10.5 minutes per game. With Conley in the last year of his contract, can Dillingham become a reliable rotational player and eventual starter?

Dillingham and Shannon will be relied on more with Nickeil Alexander-Walker departing for Atlanta. In the 12 regular-season games Shannon was in the rotation, he averaged eight points and shot 51.4% from the field. He followed up the 2024-25 season by averaging 22.7 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in three summer league games.

In just the first game of summer league, team executives took notice of Joan Beringer. He blocked 10 shots and has the ability to crack the rotation as a backup to Rudy Gobert.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The deadline to extend the contract of Donte DiVincenzo

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team options of Terrence Shannon Jr. and Rob Dillingham

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 2
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Health and perimeter defense

The Pelicans went through an injury-plagued season, losing Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones and Zion Williamson for extended periods of time.

The injuries led New Orleans to start 47 different lineups and win just 21 games.

All four players are under contract, but, once again, health will play a role if the Pelicans want to compete in the Western Conference.

Williamson has played in just 46% of regular-season games since being drafted No. 1 in 2019 and has never appeared in the playoffs. Murray tore his right ACL on Feb. 1 and had surgery four days later. Murphy and Jones will play in the preseason and are expected to be ready for the season opener. The Pelicans also got help at the guard position by drafting Jeremiah Fears and trading for Jordan Poole.

On the court, will the Pelicans’ weakness be perimeter defense?

After All-NBA defender Jones, coach Willie Greene is relying on Poole, Murphy, Williams, Jordan Hawkins and rookie Micah Peavy.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The deadline to extend the contracts of Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole

• Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the third-year team option of Yves Missi and fourth-year team option of Jordan Hawkins

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 11
Partial/Non: 5
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Bench depth

After the Knicks were eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals, the priority this offseason was improving a bench that ranked last in minutes per game. Their starters, on the other hand, averaged 94 points, the second most since the 1986-87 season.

The quest to strengthen their reserves ranged from internal development of their former draft picks, Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek, to exploring trades and seeking lower-cost options in free agency.

Although Dadiet, Kolek, Miles McBride and Mitchell Robinson remain, New York went out and signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele in early July and also signed Malcolm Brogdon, Garrison Mathews, Landry Shamet and Alex Len to non-guaranteed contracts.

On the surface it looks as if New York’s bench has improved.

But because Yabusele signed for part of the tax midlevel exception, New York is hard-capped at the second apron. If the Knicks want to keep two of the players on non-guaranteed contracts, they’ll have to trade either Dadiet, Kolek or McBride.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The deadline to extend the contract of Karl-Anthony Towns

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Pacome Dadiet

Extension candidates:

• Karl-Anthony Towns

• Mitchell Robinson

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Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: Expectations, Nikola Topic and Ousmane Dieng

With any team coming off a championship, there is always the risk of a letdown.

But Oklahoma City does not fit the mold of the usual defending champion after handing out nearly $800 million in new contracts to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell.

Though the Thunder return 14 out of 15 players from last season (Dillon Jones was traded to Washington), there is room to improve, with 12 of the returning players at 26 years old or younger.

One of those players is 2024 lottery pick Topic. The guard sat out last season rehabbing from a torn left ACL but averaged 10.8 points and 5.8 assists over six summer league games.

With such a deep roster, there is also the question of whether time has run out on Dieng. After landing at the 11th pick in the 2022 draft, Dieng has averaged just 14.6, 11.1 and 10.9 minutes in his three seasons, respectively. He had four games of double-digit points last season, including 21 against Milwaukee. He is extension eligible until Oct. 20 and will be a free agent next offseason.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The deadline to extend Ousmane Dieng

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Nikola Topic and fourth-year team option of Cason Wallace

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 5
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: Desmond Bane and health

When you trade four first-round picks for Bane and then extend Paolo Banchero on a $239 million contract, the goal is to compete for the playoffs — and not just the final spot. The Bane addition has not only shifted the odds in the Eastern Conference but also addressed a weakness on the court for the Magic. Bane improves a roster that ranked last in 3-point shooting the previous two seasons. He shot greater than 38% from 3 the past five seasons.

Despite losing in the first round in consecutive seasons and not advancing to the second round since 2008-09, Orlando has the third-best odds to win the East, according to ESPN BET.

Last season, the Magic lost Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner to season-ending injuries. Suggs underwent surgery on March 2 to remove cartilage in his left knee and has played fewer than 54 games in three out of his first four seasons. Wagner was in consideration for Sixth Man of the Year before he tore his left ACL in December. He was averaging 12.8 points and 4.9 rebounds at the time.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

None

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Guaranteed contracts: 12
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Joel Embiid, Paul George and Quentin Grimes

The physical and emotional state of Embiid is one of the bigger storylines in training camp.

From a health perspective, Embiid has played 58 games the past two seasons, including 19 in 2024-25. He underwent surgery on his left knee in February 2024 and this past April.

Embiid also recently gave a lengthy interview to ESPN and talked about his distrust with the organization. “That goes back to the trust thing,” he said. “Once you cross that — you can’t expect me to be part of a team meeting again. That’s just not going to happen.” Embiid was referring to information leaked after a team meeting last season.

The addition of George was supposed to help Philadelphia contend in the East. Instead, George played 41 games and averaged his fewest points since 2014-15. Since the 2019-20 season, George has played more than 60 games only once. He had left knee surgery on July 14 and his status to start the regular season is unclear. “I don’t think there’s a timeline,” George said at media day, “just how the body is doing as we’re ramping up the work.”

The 76ers and Grimes continue to be at an impasse over their negotiations for a long-term contract. He has until Oct. 1 to sign a one-year $8.7 million qualifying offer and will remain a restricted free agent if the deadline passes. In the 28 games after he was traded, Grimes averaged 21.9 points on a career-high 46.9% shooting from the field. He had 16 games of 25-plus points or more.

Grimes continues to be affected by a lack of teams with money to spend, the 76ers’ current finances and the logjam in the backcourt. In consecutive years, Philadelphia has drafted guards Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe. But McCain recently suffered a torn UCL in his right thumb and is out indefinitely.

Not including the qualifying offer, Philadelphia is $21.7 million below the second apron.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 1: The deadline for Quentin Grimes to sign a qualifying offer

• Oct. 20: The contract of Adem Bona becomes guaranteed

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third year team option of Jared McCain

Extension candidates:

None

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Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 2
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: The organizational reset and Mark Williams

There is a shift in roster-building philosophy under Suns owner Mat Ishbia.

Gone are the days of a championship-or-bust mindset, trades for high-priced veterans (Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal) at the cost of draft capital, limited financial flexibility and veteran coach hires (Frank Vogel, Mike Budenholzer).

Those principles are now replaced with a first-year head coach (Jordan Ott), a revamped front office, nine players age 26 years old or younger and roster optionality. The Suns are no longer a first- or second-apron team.

“We have young players that are ascending instead of players that are descending,” Ishbia told the local “Burns & Gambo Show.” “We have players that want to be here, that are buying into the Phoenix Suns’ culture.” One of those players Ishbia is referring to is Williams. Acquired in a draft-night trade with Charlotte, Williams is rookie-extension eligible until Oct. 20. After the All-Star break, Williams averaged 28.6 minutes, 15.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and a career-high 1.3 blocks. His 44 games played were a career high.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The last day to extend the contracts of Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams

• Oct. 31: The deadline to exercise the third-year team option of Ryan Dunn

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 2

What to watch for: The starting five and future financial flexibility

With the emergence of Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara, does Portland shift Jerami Grant to a sixth-man role?

Since he was acquired from Detroit in 2022, Grant has never come off the bench in Portland.

He played fewer than 50 games last season for only the second time in his career and shot below 40% for the first time since his rookie season. He also saw his point production decline from 21.0 to 14.4. Avdija averaged a career-high 16.9 points last season and started 54 games while Camara was named All-NBA second team defense last season. He had 11 games of three steals or more and started 78 games. Sharpe started 52 games last season and averaged 18.5 points.

The Jrue Holiday $34.8 million salary next season took a significant bite out of the Trail Blazers’ cap flexibility. Portland could still have room next season but only if Sharpe and Camara do not sign extensions.

Sharpe is eligible through Oct. 20 and Camara June 30.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 4
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Defense

The Kings went through an uneven 2024-25 season, firing head coach Mike Brown and then trading De’Aaron Fox for Zach LaVine.

Doug Christie, Brown’s replacement, has a full training camp to evaluate a roster that struggled defensively, most noticeably after the trade deadline.

The Kings gave up 121 points per 100 possessions and were minus-7.1 when LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis shared the court. For comparison, Sacramento was plus-14.0 per 100 possessions when former King Jonas Valanciunas replaced Sabonis. The Kings also had the league’s worst 3-point defense (38.1%) and gave up 14.5 3’s per game this past season, which tied for sixth most in NBA history. Sacramento went 18-31 when outscored from 3.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The deadline to extend the contract of Keegan Murray

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Devin Carter

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 13
Partial/Non: 2
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama

We originally had the backcourt of Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper as the “what to watch for” in Spurs camp. Then Harper partially tore a ligament in his left thumb, requiring surgery. He is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season but probably will sit out the preseason.

Outside of evaluating how the three players complement one another, the on-court chemistry of Fox and Wembanyama is next on the list.

The duo played only five games and 120 minutes together. In the small sample of possessions, they gave up 118.3 points per 100 possessions and were a minus-4.3.

Fox had surgery to repair the extensor tendon in his left fifth finger. He then announced on media day that he suffered a hamstring injury and could be out to start the regular season.

If Fox and Harper are not ready to start the season, expect a larger role for Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year.

Wembanyama was on pace to be named Defensive Player of the Year before he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder on Feb. 21. He had surgery in late March.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The deadline to extend the contracts of Jeremy Sochan

• Oct. 21: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Stephon Castle and fourth-year team option of Victor Wembanyama

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 14
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Roster availability and defensive identity

Add Toronto to the list of teams where health will play a huge role in whether the Raptors can contend this season for a playoff spot.

Out of the five key players on the roster — Immanuel Quickley, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl — only Quickley has played more than 64 games in a season since 2022-23. Because of an ankle injury Ingram suffered in New Orleans, this preseason will be the first time to see how he fits with the four players. Even without Ingram last season, the Raptors went 22-21 after Jan. 13. That improvement from the start of the season (they started 8-31) is a result of a defense that ranked second in efficiency and first in opponent effective field percentage since that date.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The last day to extend the contracts of RJ Barrett and Ochai Agbaji

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Ja’Kobe Walter and fourth-year team option of Gradey Dick

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 0
Exhibit 10: 3
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Taylor Hendricks and the final roster spot

Last season was supposed to be a breakout season for Hendricks.

In the 23 games the former top-10 pick started in 2023-24, Hendricks averaged 9.2 points, while shooting 47.9% from the field and 40.4% on 3-pointers.

Then three games into the 2024-25 regular season, the forward sustained a fractured right fibula and dislocated right ankle injury. He would eventually have surgery and sit out the remainder of the regular season.

Hendricks has been cleared to play, evident by his participation in the NBPA sanctuary runs in Spain this summer.

Dates to watch:

Extension candidates:

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Guaranteed contracts: 15
Partial/Non: 1
Exhibit 10: 2
Two-way: 3

What to watch for: Player development and final roster spot

The Wizards open training camp with open competition at every position and an unprecedented 10 players on first-round rookie contracts: Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington, Malaki Branham, Cam Whitmore, Will Riley, AJ Johnson, Kyshawn George and Dillon Jones. They have 13 players 26 years old or younger.

But two of those players, Coulibaly and Sarr, are likely sidelined for the preseason. Coulibaly had surgery on Sept. 12 to repair a ligament tear in his right thumb. Sarr suffered a calf injury on Sept. 1 and sat out the remainder of EuroBasket.

Besides evaluating their young players, the Wizards have to reduce their roster by one player before the start of the season. They have 15 players on guaranteed contracts and one player (Justin Champagnie) with no salary protection.

Dates to watch:

• Oct. 20: The deadline to extend the contract of Malaki Branham

• Oct. 31: The last day to exercise the third-year team option of Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George and fourth-year team option of Cam Whitmore and Dillon Jones.

Extension candidates:

Exhibit 9, Exhibit 10 and Two-way contracts

The inclusion of an Exhibit 9 or 10 in a player contract was introduced in the 2017 collective bargaining agreement.

Exhibit 9

This type of contract protects a team in case a player is injured in training camp.

For example, the New York Knicks signed Marcus Morris Sr. and Landry Shamet to Exhibit 9 contracts in September. If either player is injured during training camp and then waived, New York is responsible for only $15,000 in salary.

But Tristan Thompson‘s non-guaranteed contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers does not have an Exhibit 9. Thompson was not eligible because Cleveland at the time of the signing had fewer than 14 players (not including two-way) under contract. If Thompson suffers a season-ending injury, the Cavaliers are then responsible for his full salary.

Exhibit 10

A player who signs an Exhibit 10 is eligible to receive up to a $77,500 bonus (on top of his G League salary) if he signs a contract with an NBA team’s G League affiliate upon being waived from the parent club. To receive the bonus, a player must remain with his G League team for at least 60 days.

Two-way contracts

Two-way contracts are considered an extension of the regular roster. Each team can have three players on two-way contracts without counting against the 15-man roster limit.

• A two-way player will be paid a flat salary of $578,577 for the 2024-25 season.

• The salary does not count toward the salary cap and luxury tax.

• No player on a two-way contract may be on the active list for more than 50 games during the regular season.

• The deadline to sign a two-way player is March 3.

• Two-way players are not eligible for the playoffs.

Only players with three years of service or less can sign a two-way contract. A player with four years of service is also allowed to sign a two-way deal only if he missed a season because of an injury.

Newcastle Red Bulls have parted company with director of rugby Steve Diamond after just one match of the new Prem season.

Newcastle, who were taken over by energy-drink company Red Bull in August, lost 39-17 at home to Saracens on Friday night.

Diamond joined Newcastle in January 2024 and was at the helm for a period when the Kingston Park side registered only two wins in 25 matches and struggled at the foot of the table.

A Newcastle statement on X read: “We would like to thank Steve for his passion, contribution, and guidance which have been instrumental in supporting the club throughout this important transition.”

The club have announced a host of changes to the management structure with Neil McIlroy to join as sporting general manager from November 1, having previously held similar roles at Clermont and rugby league outfit Catalans Dragons.

McIlroy will be responsible for all rugby management, while Alan Dickens will step up as head coach and report directly to McIlroy.

Then from December 1, John Fletcher will arrive as academy and pathways director, overseeing the development of local talent.

Plus, Jonny Petrie will take up the position of managing director from October 6, focusing on on off-field matters.

Petrie is formerly a CEO at Ulster and managing director at Edinburgh.

Newcastle – whose squad will be bolstered by the arrival of Christian Wade from December – visit Exeter Chiefs in their second Prem fixture of the season on Saturday.

We’re a month into the NFL season, and insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have been making calls to sources around the league for the latest news and buzz on key situations heading into October play.

One of the biggest storylines of the week is what’s going on with the Ravens and their 1-3 start. Jeremy and Dan have intel on the sentiments in Baltimore and how much panic the Ravens are feeling. They are also diving in on the Titans’ 0-4 start and long-term ramifications of it, along with what they’re hearing on the quarterback front as the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline approaches.

That’s not all, as Jeremy and Dan will also be examining rookies who have earned themselves more playing time. It’s all here, as our reporters answer big questions and empty their notebooks heading into Week 5.

Jump to:
Potential Titans changes | Ravens’ panic meter
Rookies making a move | Will a QB be traded?
More notes on Week 5

What are you hearing on the Titans’ 0-4 start and potential changes they could make — now or in the offseason?

Fowler: There is moderate concern among the coaching staff that the front office and ownership might not be as patient as they originally believed, which could lead to change sooner than later. The proverbial “vibes” simply are not good right now. The front office entered the season with optimism about head coach Brian Callahan, who was a hot name on the coaching circuit in 2024. And though it wouldn’t set a win-loss goal in regard to his tenure, Titans brass wanted to see a team that’s improving. That’s hardly the case in Tennessee, where a minus-69 point differential through four games is by far the worst in the league (next closest is New Orleans at minus-55).

The overall lack of flow from week to week is only intensifying the discomfort. Callahan relinquishing playcalling duties to assistant Bo Hardegree a week ago could buy the Titans staff a little time, but firing him a week after such a change would be counterproductive. The Titans’ bye is Week 10, which feels important. But the expectation among some around the league I’ve talked to is that the temperature is increasing, especially with owner Amy Adams Strunk’s willingness to make drastic changes in recent years.

Graziano: It’s one thing to start 0-4 with a rookie quarterback, but it’s another to be as noncompetitive as the Titans have been. They had a second-half lead against the Broncos in Week 1, but things seem to have gotten progressively worse each week since. Sunday’s loss to Houston was a complete no-show, and to get shut out the week after making an offensive playcaller change doesn’t say much about their chances to fix this thing on the fly.

Callahan was Tennessee’s top choice as head coach following the 2023 season, and the franchise entered this season with the belief that he was the guy to shepherd Ward’s transition into the league. But there have been red flags, including some game management situations and some postgame news conferences in which Callahan seemed unaware of some of the rules governing replay challenges, etc. If the Titans can win a couple of games, I’m sure that will buy him time, but that’s a big if right now, and Callahan hasn’t helped himself with some of his gaffes.

I will say, from talking to people who follow these situations in the league, that there’s belief this will be a desirable job if and when it comes open. Young, promising QB, new stadium on the horizon, etc. You agree?

Fowler: Agreed. This can be a good job, Dan. Cam Ward has serious potential but needs an infusion of pass-catching talent around him. A few drafts can fix that. The offensive line hasn’t come together despite significant investments. But offensive tackle JC Latham (currently injured) and guard Peter Skoronski are players to build on. The defense has held up at times.

President of football operations Chad Brinker and general manager Mike Borgonzi come from well-established, methodical personnel trees — the Packers and Chiefs, respectively. That should lead to build-through-the-draft patience … which I once thought would help Callahan’s case, but now I’m not so sure. As you mentioned, game management issues in multiple games this season have not helped his cause. That’s such a priority for teams now.

Graziano: Yeah, that’s another thing to watch, because Borgonzi and Brinker weren’t really in their current roles when the organization hired Callahan. (Maybe Brinker was, but he didn’t have as much clearly delineated power at the time.) It’s never a comfortable feeling working for people who didn’t hire you. And your point about the offensive line is a critical one, because the offensive line coach is Callahan’s father, Bill Callahan, who’s considered one of the best to ever do that job. I believe Bill wouldn’t stick around if Brian got fired, so you’re talking about major change in critical areas. I might look foolish in a couple of weeks (or days, who knows?), but if I’m making a prediction, I lean toward the Titans giving Callahan the rest of the year before making a decision.

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Rate the level of panic in the Ravens’ building on a scale of 1-10.

Graziano: I say 5, but it’s important to note that that’s a really high number in Baltimore, where there’s typically not much panic at all. This defense has had no answers for anyone but the Browns, and with Nnamdi Madubuike out for the season and a ton of other injuries (Nate Wiggins, Roquan Smith, Ar’Darius Washington, the list goes on and on) on that side of the ball, where are the answers going to come from? Add Lamar Jackson‘s hamstring injury, and now you have a potential for disaster.

If Jackson misses significant time, this season could go downhill quickly. Cooper Rush is the backup, and obviously the offense will look a lot different when he starts than it does when Jackson starts. The run game hasn’t done anything since the season opener against Buffalo. There are a lot of problems for a team that was a popular preseason Super Bowl pick.

I am guessing the panic meter about the Ravens outside the building — among fans and those of us who analyze objectively — is closer to 10 right now. But the Ravens count on the strength and steadiness of coach John Harbaugh, general manager Eric DeCosta and their internal leadership structure to solve problems and get them through tough times. You can bet they’re scouring for answers, internally and externally.

Fowler: I’ll go 6. It’s worth remembering in times like this that Jackson has a .717 career winning percentage as a starter. That’s a Tom Brady-like figure. Assuming Jackson does not miss significant time, the Ravens have a path to a backdoor playoff spot.

All three losses are to elite teams with championship hopes. It’s not like the Ravens are blowing leads to winless teams. The offense is still trying to find its rhythm with personnel groupings — when to play big people for the run game (such as two or three tight ends) vs. playing through receivers and the passing game more often. There’s enough talent on offense to make it work regardless. But this defense is galaxies away from the once-proud unit that charged Super Bowl runs. It’s currently serving as a confidence builder for struggling offenses to get right. And losing Madubuike for the year is a crushing blow. That’s a premier player on a defensive front that’s struggling to generate a pass rush.

Graziano: Like you, I also look at who their losses are against. The Bills, Lions and Chiefs are among the best teams in the league, sure, but the Ravens were supposed to be, too. And in the case of Buffalo and Kansas City, those are losses that could really come back to bite the Ravens late in the season when we’re sorting out playoff seeding and tiebreakers. At 1-3, Baltimore is probably hoping it has that problem, but assuming the Ravens come back from this and make the run we all expected, these early-season losses could put them behind the 8-ball come playoff seeding time. Sunday’s game against the Texans is another that could potentially have implications for tiebreakers and seeding if the Ravens play their way back into contention.

When I was at their training camp, I was talking to Harbaugh about the coming season and he was stressing how important it was to get off to a fast start — how they started 0-2 last season and ended up having to play a playoff game in Buffalo in January instead of playing the Bills at home. I’m sure Harbaugh is as perplexed as the rest of us are about why September went so poorly.

Fowler: The Ravens’ schedule will ease up. Only one of their next seven opponents (Rams, Week 6) has a winning record. The AFC North is winnable. But it appears they’ll have to win shootouts. On defense, the Ravens need more from pass rusher Odafe Oweh, a former first-round pick, and corner Jaire Alexander, who hasn’t played since Week 1. Otherwise, my preseason Super Bowl pick looks bleak.

Harbaugh made an unconventional defensive coordinator hire in Zach Orr, a former Ravens linebacker who quickly worked his way up the ranks, in February 2024 to replace Mike Macdonald. Orr was able to help steady a struggling Ravens defense late last season, but this is two consecutive years of suboptimal results for long stretches.

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Which rookie has made a case for more playing time after a strong start?

Fowler: He’s already getting more time, but Giants running back Cam Skattebo is proving a capable option out of the backfield with Tyrone Tracy Jr. sidelined by injury. Skattebo’s recent impact has been undeniable. His ability to knife through tackles and create additional yards will be crucial for a streaky (that’s putting it nicely) New York passing offense. He averaged nearly six yards per touch thus far.

Another emerging offensive option is Seahawks receiver Tory Horton, who is making the most of his limited role. He’s averaging just under 27 snaps but has six catches on 10 targets for 74 yards and two touchdowns, including an impressive over-the-shoulder grab in the end zone in Week 3. While Cooper Kupp seems entrenched as Seattle’s WR2, Horton is giving the Seahawks something to think about after producing three total touchdowns (including a 95-yard kickoff return). Looks like GM John Schneider got a fifth-round gem.

Graziano: Woody Marks looks like a more exciting running back than Nick Chubb in Houston, where the Texans are looking for any answer they can find on offense. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Marks get a little more run. Chiefs rookie running back Brashard Smith has seen more involvement in the offense in recent weeks and I’m told to expect that to continue.

And my guy Harold Fannin Jr., who we pointed out in Week 1 as a rookie to watch, has worked his way into the pass catcher rotation in Cleveland even with David Njoku ahead of him on the Browns’ tight end depth chart. The Browns love using Fannin in a lot of different roles, and I think that usage will only expand.

Fowler: Cleveland is really excited about Fannin’s future — and that of running back Quinshon Judkins and wide receiver Isaiah Bond. On defense, Carolina edge rusher Nic Scourton has made a quick impression. The Panthers wanted to utilize more young players on defense after a sluggish start, and Scourton, a second-round pick in April, has played 100 snaps over the past two weeks, producing a pass deflection and several quarterback pressures. He has a high motor, plays with power and has a nifty spin move in his arsenal. The youth movement is on for Carolina, which is also giving third-round edge rusher Princely Umanmielen extended snaps.

Graziano: Edge rusher Ashton Gillotte is a player who really excites the Chiefs. He got his hand on a field goal attempt in the Week 3 victory over the Giants and has seen his snap count rise each week as the team continues to trust him more. I would not be surprised to see Kansas City continue to use Gillotte more as the season goes on as they rely more and more on their defense while the offense gets its act together.

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True or false: A quarterback will be traded before the deadline.

Graziano: True. Now, it could be someone such as Carson Wentz or Kenny Pickett, which wouldn’t exactly make headlines, but I think you’re asking if it could be someone such as Kirk Cousins or Russell Wilson or one of the Cleveland rookies. Anything’s possible. It doesn’t feel like Wilson has a real role in New York, where rookie Jaxson Dart is now the starter and Jameis Winston is signed through 2026 to be his backup. Wilson’s trade value is also likely very low right now, so the Giants might wait until someone gets desperate to ship him out.

Cousins’ situation in Atlanta, as the veteran backup behind Michael Penix Jr., is one we’ve frequently discussed. He could get dealt, but Atlanta is not desperate to deal him and is still asking for a relatively high price. The Falcons believe he has value as a reliable backup in case something should happen to Penix. And having been on the sideline for Sunday’s game against Washington, I can tell you Cousins is one of the prominent voices in Penix’s ear between possessions. He’s been helpful in Penix’s development and, along with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and quarterbacks coach D.J. Williams, is a helpful extra set of eyes and ears that benefits Penix.

Fowler: Man, Pickett getting dealt for the third time in a calendar year would be tough on his real estate portfolio. Do I believe a quarterback will be traded? Yes, so my answer is true. A quarterback with a marquee name, I’m not so sure. Wilson would be the most sensible candidate. Cleveland had some level of interest in Wilson before he signed with the Giants, and his $2 million base salary makes him very tradeable.

But it’s uncertain where Cleveland will be from a roster-building standpoint three to four weeks from now. If the Browns want to stash Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders for a few months longer, then Wilson would be a low-cost play. And Cleveland explored the Cousins situation before ultimately signing Joe Flacco, trading for Pickett and drafting two passers. But here’s to guessing Gabriel will be on the field by the end of October, at which point the Browns will want to see what they have in the third-rounder.

Outside of that, there’s not a clear-cut need for teams, barring injury. One intriguing option is Anthony Richardson Sr., who is stuck behind Daniel Jones in Indianapolis. My sense is Richardson would be open to joining a premier playcaller such as Sean McVay as a developmental player so he can reset for 2026.

Graziano: Richardson is an interesting one. I remember a couple of teams wondering if Indy would be open to moving him during free agency. So far, they’ve insisted they aren’t, but you’re right. If Jones keeps playing well and leads them to their first division title in more than a decade, who’s to say the Colts don’t decide he’s their future at quarterback and sign him to an extension?

In general, acquiring a starting QB at the trade deadline is tough, because in most cases it’s a guy who must learn a new offense on the fly. By the time he’s up to speed, it could be too late for him to save the season. That’s why someone like Richardson, whom teams might view for development in the long term, makes more sense. But there are situations that come up where a team with high hopes finds itself with a sudden need and might be willing to take the risks involved with bringing in someone from outside its system, right?

Fowler: That question reminds me that quarterback needs can change in a hurry — especially after what the Bengals just showed Monday night. Got to wonder if Cincinnati evaluates quarterback options if the downward spiral deepens. After Monday night’s lifeless outing, Cincinnati now has gained fewer than 200 offensive yards in three of its first four games. The last team to do that was the 2009 Raiders, who rolled out a combination of JaMarcus Russell, Bruce Gradkowski and Charlie Frye at quarterback.

The Bengals still believe in Jake Browning, who was far from the only culprit in Denver on Monday, but Cincinnati has too much skill position talent to accept the status quo. At some point, it could need reinforcements at the game’s most important position. It might be worth calling up recently retired Derek Carr to check on how his shoulder injury is healing.

LAS VEGAS — Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell exited Tuesday’s Game 5 semifinals matchup against the Las Vegas Aces midway through the third quarter because of cramping before being ruled out.

Indiana battled back despite missing its star and trailing by as many as nine after her departure, forcing overtime before falling 107-98 in the playoff elimination game.

Fever coach Stephanie White said postgame that Mitchell, who finished fifth in MVP voting, experienced “a lot of lower-body cramping” and was transported to a hospital to receive fluids.

The 5-foot-8 guard appeared to suffer leg cramps after a foul was called on teammate Aliyah Boston. Mitchell grabbed her leg in apparent discomfort before reaching out to hold on to a referee. She lay on the floor, where she was tended to by team personnel and surrounded by teammates holding up towels to give her privacy.

A stretcher was brought onto the court, but Mitchell did not use it, instead leaving with assistance after approximately five minutes.

Mitchell was the Fever’s leading scorer this season, averaging 20.2 points in the regular season and 23.3 in the playoffs. She became the second player in league history to total 100 points over their first playoff semifinal appearance.

“She’s just had a phenomenal season,” said Aces star A’ja Wilson, the four-time league MVP. “I really hope the Indiana Fever take care of her. She’s a phenomenal person, and I hate seeing her go down.”

The scene was an eerily familiar one for the Fever, who had five players, including star guard Caitlin Clark, ruled out for the season because of injury. Indiana was also without Damiris Dantas for the playoffs because of a concussion.

“We already did it, like, six times already, so what’s the seventh time honestly?” forward Brianna Turner said. “I guess we were prepared for it.”

The team still managed to overcome those absences to snag the No. 6 seed, make its first semifinals since 2015 and take the two-time champion Aces to the brink on their home floor.

“Unfortunately, we have a lot of experience in rallying around teammates,” White said. “This group is all heart, man, it’s just really hard to put into words. They’re just special.”

Not only were the Fever without Mitchell for the majority of the second half, but after they rallied to tie the score late in the fourth, Boston fouled out with 26.4 seconds remaining in regulation. Las Vegas’ Jackie Young hit two free throws to put the Aces back ahead, but Indiana responded with an Odyssey Sims bucket and a defensive stop to force overtime.

“That’s what Steph said in the huddle, ‘We’re built for this moment,’ when Kelsey went down and then when we were challenging the call on [Boston],” guard Lexie Hull said. “We’ve been here before, so it’s just so unlucky, so crazy, that that had to happen tonight.

“The Aces are a great team, and for us to be able to put out the performance we did tonight and send it to overtime, that’s something to be proud of.”