Rookies, injury returns and contract disputes: what we're seeing at NBA training camps

The Philadelphia 76ers had perhaps the league's biggest offseason, adding Jaylen Brown on July 1 and before the end of that month, LeBron James,NBA the team's all-time leading scorer.

James's former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, made a high-stakes trade for ex-Jazz center Walker Kessler and Giannis Antetokounmpo finally found a new home with the Miami Heat.

Major trades and signings aren't the only relevant stories of the offseason.Will the Detroit Pistons settle Jalen Duren's contract dispute?How will the San Antonio Spurs bounce back after collapsing in the Finals?Our insiders at NBA answer the biggest preseason questions for all 30 teams.

Atlanta Hawks, will the team confirm last season's happy ending?

To be clear, a 51-point loss in the playoffs isn't the "happy ending" we were referring to, but Atlanta was responsible for two of the Knicks' three playoff losses, and the Hawks went 19-4 with an average margin of more than 13.9 points at the end of the regular season after betting on CJ McCollum as their starting five.

Atlanta reinforced the roster in the summer drafted Kingston Flemings in the lottery and traded for role players champions Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins and is positioned to be aggressive at the trade deadline or next summer, when the Hawks may have about US$ 45 million in salary space. Tim MacMahon

Boston Celtics: is Jayson Tatum ready to take over on the court?

Tatum made a point of returning to the court before the end of last season, proving that an Achilles tendon injury would not hold him back. Results were mixed in the short term: his regular-season percentages fell on all counts and he sat out Game 7 of the Celtics' first round series with left knee discomfort.

Switching Jaylen Brown was a full endorsement of Tatum's ability to take over the accelerator as the franchise restructures itself back into title contender status.

Brooklyn Nets: can you go from miserable to reliable?

The Nets invested in a long-term rebuilding plan: think of the first round picks that Sean Marks held on to in the 2004 draft,2025 rather than trying to group them by impact players.

The trade for Julius Randle elevated talent, as did the drafting of another pitcher, Mikel Brown Jr. Can this team seem competent without the benefit of knowing that another high draft pick is on its way? Goodwill

Charlotte Hornets: Does the team improve after switching two starting pillars?

Charlotte was very methodical in its construction, and the ownership and front office took steps to avoid traps that rising teams sometimes commit when chasing mid-table. The Hornets reached midway last season but clearly the team didn't believe LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges ambos both with expensive contracts and looking for extensions soon were part of the rise so they tried to maximize their position by trading off the two.

The acquisitions of veterans Naz Reid, Grayson Allen and Dennis Schroder theoretically bolster newly-established mainstays Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. But Charlotte needs to close with Miller an extension that makes sense for both sides old story and Knueffel has suffered a moderate thigh tendon injury which will cause him to miss all of training camp and the start of the season.

Was the Chicago Bulls summer league a preview of what we'll see from Caleb Wilson?

No rookie left the Las Vegas arena as buzzed-out as Wilson this summer. He scored 35 points in his first game as a pro, hit as many 3-pointers in a single match as he did in his entire freshman season at North Carolina and completed the highlights reel with fierce burials and a stump in pursuit. For the first time in years, Wilson gives the Bulls clear cause for optimism about the future.

Does Peyton Watson make a difference as the fifth starter?

The Cavs have invested heavily in four of their five starters for years Evan Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen at the bottle, with Donovan Mitchell and now James Harden after a midseason trade by Darius Garland on the perimeter.

Watson, 24, is coming off his best season with the Nuggets and has the potential to push that group even further if he can maintain improvement in 3-point shooting along with his defensive qualities.

Dallas Mavericks: How much better can Cooper Flagg be in his second year?

Flagg is growing up before our eyes, literally and figuratively. He got taller during the summer after his Rookie of the Year season, measuring 6 feet 10 inches with no shoes on. The fact that 19-year-old Flagg's still growing serves as a symbolism of his seemingly limitless ceiling. Fair or not, Flagg will always be compared in Dallas to Luka Doncic, who was an All-NBA first team selection in his second season.

Can Aaron Gordon keep his health?

In his six seasons with the Nuggets, Gordon only improved as a player and rose as a closer alongside Nikola Jokic.[citation needed] His importance was never so great but his availability has never been more in question.

Denver's depth has eroded around Jokic, but when Gordon is healthy and productive on the perimeter they still have a starter unit as complete and feared as any team.

Jalen Duren is headed to training camp, and if so, how long will it take him to settle in?

Duren was not at the Pistons' media day on Monday and is not expected to start training camp, according to sources heard by Shams Charania of ESPN.

Chemistry and continuity of cast were reasons Detroit went from 44 wins in 2015-25 to 60 last season, and the cast underwent changes this offseason.

Golden State Warriors, when do we get to see Jimmy Butler?

Butler ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee on January 19 and underwent surgery in early February.NBA The first months of rehabilitation were slow, but there was constant news throughout the summer from people close to Butler that his knee was getting stronger, his court work increased, and optimism about his eventual recovery grew.US$ 45

He will be limited to individual on-court work when camp opens. A January or February window seems like a flexible target, but it will depend on how his knee responds to increased contact once he is released. The Warriors' viability as unlucky playoff contenders depends almost entirely on Butler returning to something close to his old self before April.

Houston Rockets: Will the Rockets finally make it past the first round of the playoffs?

Houston has not advanced beyond the opening round since the 2020-21 season and is coming off consecutive first-round eliminations, while future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant enters his second season as a Rocket.

But at the same time, several youngsters such as Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. have grown up due to increased responsibilities created by the loss of the team's top offensive facilitator.

What can the Pacers expect from Tyrese Haliburton?

It has been 16 months since Haliburton's last game, when the Pacers mounted one of the most memorable playoff campaigns in league history with him on a historic streak of decisive performances.

LA Clippers, what's the league punishment breakdown going to be on Kawhi Leonard?

Leonard is now in Toronto, but it wasn't a clean break after seven seasons with the franchise.2019 Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has been suspended for one year as well as president of commercial operations Gillian Zucker.US$ 30 President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank has been banned for six months.2033 The franchise was fined $7 million and will lose five first-round draft picks between now and.US$ 130

With all that hanging around, how will this cast of new faces with names like Brandon Ingram, Darius Garland, Bradley Beal, Rui Hachimura, Max Strus and Brook Lopez alongside rookie Keaton Wagler be able to compete in a ruthless Western Conference? Dave McMenamin

Los Angeles Lakers, is the bet on Walker Kessler going to pay off?

The Lakers pushed virtually all their chips to the center of the table by making a play for the 25-year-old pivot and matching the 7-foot-2-inch giant with Luka Doncic's magic.

"There's a shortage of supply", Pelinka said. "Simply there is, and if you look at what he could potentially get in the draft or what he would potentially reach in free agency, those pivots just don't exist".

If Kessler is everything L.A. expects him to be, it'll all have paid off.

How soon can Memphis be relevant again?

Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman confidently said last season at the trade deadline that fans should not expect a long rebuild, and this was before Memphis traded franchise star Ja Morant to Portland.