The NBA’s 79th season tips off Tuesday, October 22nd with an opening night doubleheader.  The Boston Celtics will begin their title defense against the visiting New York Knicks at 7:30 pm Eastern time, followed by a showdown between the Minnesota Timberwolves and last year’s In Season Tournament Champion Los Angeles Lakers.

The 2024-2025 NBA season figures to be an eventful one.  The NBA draft brought with it some surprise trades and rookie players set to join contending rosters.  Salary cap changes implemented in last summer’s collective bargaining agreement resulted in a chaotic offseason that saw more than a few All Star players relocate.  The coaching carousel redistributed some old standards, and picked up a newcomer.

If you haven’t been following the news in our ongoing NBA Season thread, we’ll get you caught up with a quick recap.

 

2024-2025 NBA Season Preview

New Faces

There may not have been a generational, franchise-altering #1 pick among this summer’s NBA Draft, widely considered one of the weaker classes in recent history, but this year’s selections promise to impact the league in their own way.

The Atlanta Hawks managed to add 6’9” French wing Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick, despite finishing the year with a mere 3% chance at the top spot in the NBA Draft Lottery.  The Houston Rockets, who barely missed the Play-In Tournament, likewise lucked out, as they wound up with the third overall selection from the Brooklyn Nets as part of the James Harden trade.  The Rockets’ rookie, Reed Sheppard, turned heads in summer league and preseason play, presenting Houston with the enviable problem of sorting through a roster loaded with talented young players.

Rarely do players taken in the front half of the lottery have the opportunity to contribute on contending teams, but that’s expected to be the case for center Zach Edey, projected to start for the Memphis Grizzlies, and guard Rob Dillingham, taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves after a draft night deal with the San Antonio Spurs.  Though taken outside the lottery, the Heat’s rookie big man Kel’el Ware looked impressive over the summer, and shooter Dalton Knecht gave Lakers fans some hope in preseason play.

Bronny James, who averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game before his college career at USC was cut short by a heart condition, was selected fifty-fifth overall by the Lakers in this summer’s draft, and made history when he shared the court with his father and teammate LeBron.

Other noteworthy rookies include Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Trailblazers center Donovan Clingan, Magic forward Tristan Da Silva, Pistons forward Ron Holland, Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, Cavaliers forward Jaylon Tyson, and French center Alex Sarr, whom the Washington Wizards’ fan(s) hope will bounce back from an uneven summer league showing that included an 0-15 shooting performance.

 

Trading Places

Unless you’re a fan of the Boston Celtics, your team will look different this year.  Player movement in free agency and several blockbuster trades created a massive summer shakeup.  Paul George signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.  Karl Anthony Towns and Julius Randle switched sides in a trade that also sent Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota.  DeMar DeRozan is headed back to his home state with the Sacramento Kings as part of a sign and trade deal that also sent Chris Duarte to Chicago.  Dejounte Murray will suit up for the New Orleans Pelicans following a trade that forwards two future first round picks, Dyson Daniels, and Larry Nance, Jr. to Atlanta.  Russell Westbrook joined the Denver Nuggets as a free agent.  Chris Paul caught on with the San Antonio Spurs after being waived by the Golden State Warriors.  The Splash Brothers era in Golden State ended after a sign and trade sent Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks.

Other high profile offseason transactions included a cross-borough trade in which the Brooklyn Nets exchanged Mikal Bridges, Keita Bates Diop, the draft rights to Juan Palbo Vaulet, and a future second round pick for a massive haul of four future unprotected first round picks (2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031), the right to swap picks in 2028, a top-four protected pick in next year’s draft via Milwaukee, as well as Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton, and Mamadi Diakite.

Orlando swiped key role player Kentavious Caldwell Pope from the cap-addled Denver Nuggets.  The Oklahoma City Thunder added former Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein.  Unsatisfied with landing Paul George, the 76ers also brought in Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, Caleb Martin, and 2024 Olympics standout Guerschon Yabusele.  Phoenix, who until recently claimed their “Big Three” didn’t need a pure point guard, brought in exactly that with Tyus Jones.  The Warriors picked up Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield, and De’Anthony Melton.  A draft day trade sent Deni Avdija to Portland and Malcolm Brogdon to Washington, which also signed center Jonas Valanciunas in free agency.  Indiana took a flyer on former lottery picks James Wiseman and Jahlil Okafor.  In addition to Klay Thompson, Dallas also brought in Naji Marshall, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Quentin Grimes, whom the received from Detroit in exchange for Tim Hardaway, Jr.  After losing Paul George, the Clippers signed Mo Bamba, Nicholas Batum, Derrick Jones, Jr., Kevin Porter, Jr., and Kriss Dunn (via sign and trade.)

As if that weren’t enough drama, one out of every five teams changed coaches this summer.  After getting swept by the Timberwolves, the Phoenix Suns fired their scapegoat, Frank Vogel, and hired former Bucks scapegoat Mike Budenholzer.  The Cavaliers hired Kenny Atkinson to replace J.B. Bickerstaff, who promptly joined Detroit in relief of Monty Williams.  As a reminder, the Pistons had signed Williams to a record six year, $78.5 million contract just last summer.  Two former assistant coaches will make their head coaching debut this season, when Charles Lee takes over in Charlotte and Jordi Fernandez helms the Brooklyn Nets.  The Los Angeles Lakers chose a less conventional path, recruiting professional podcaster J.J. Redick after a reported bid for University of Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley fell short.

Weird Cases

Josh Giddey joined the Chicago Bulls this summer as part of a trade that sent Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in what many believe was the offseason’s most lopsided deal.

A.J. Griffin, son of former Milwaukee Bucks head coach and NBA veteran Adrian Griffin, accepted a buyout from the Houston Rockets and decided to walk away from professional basketball at the age of 21 to become a minister.

Glen “Big Baby” Davis received a forty month prison sentence for his role in a conspiracy to defraud the NBA’s healthcare plan.

 

The 2024-2025 NBA Season promises to be a long and eventful one.  Join us to discuss all the action in NikeTalk’s NBA Season thread.

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addict4sneakers said:
Done at 25????
Lonnie & Fultz give you more and they can’t get a look.

Playing like a g leaguer on a min deal will definitely have you on the outside looking in
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addict4sneakers said:
And they were asking Jrue to defend at a high level while also being a co second option. Post championship he was putting up 40/30 shooting splits. He couldn’t handle the workload.
The C’s are really built perfectly 😆 All of those benefitting from each other, nobody has to try to do too much.
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ill steelo said:
The C’s are really built perfectly 😆 All of those benefitting from each other, nobody has to try to do too much.

I’m saying. Doesn’t have to chase the others teams best player the whole game. Can have an off shooting night and it not hurt you on offense. Can be a just good enough playmaker.

Dude was contemplating retirement until he got the new easier gig. Jimmy was FRYING him his last year and you could see it was too much to ask of him
jpzx
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Almost.
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This so rude 🤣. JT is a good sport.

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jpzx said:


Almost.
Demon
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My body hurts just watching Giannis put his shoulder into defenders. :lol
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Deni Avdija trick yall
67736
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1st team all defense. Steph Tony Allen kawhi battier curry

67736
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Wait

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Ant for the kill.
OTG formerly eastside slim
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freeze said:
Wait


He technically doesn’t have to shoot 3s so, you may get no money and no prison. Waste of time :lol
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That boy aura elite

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I knew Bulls would blow it :lol
waukeganwill
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freeze said:
Wait


I usually hate dumb sports hypothetical scenarios but this made me laugh aloud 😂 get knocked out AND u wake up doing a 15 year bid lmaooo
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DiVincenzo and Gobert is the duo I did not think was gonna be on the bingo card but here we are. 😆
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finessence said:
I knew Bulls would blow it :lol

I saw the score and was like “damn Wolves getting whooped”, went about my business, checked the ESPN app and was like “damn Bulls getting whooped” lol
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pmatic said:
He's been saying it since the signing.

Corny just like the beam, 5 on 4 cherrypicking basketball, letting a fan have input on a draft pick and the list goes on.
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moe200069 said:
speaking of bad threes, what’s Vegas’ line on JJ fighting D’Lo by the end of the season?

What I get out of this outside of the obvious that DLO isn't serious about his craft is that the refs knew it was a bad shot, and that JJ wanted a timeout immediately.
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lynchpin33 said:
What I get out of this outside of the obvious that DLO isn't serious about his craft is that the refs knew it was a bad shot, and that JJ wanted a timeout immediately.

Dlo a clown

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Steve Kerr is one of the most underrated coaches of all time
moe200069
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Bron really is the GOAT of handshakes

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I dont like this stupid scheduling this season. Its been a lot of 3 games one night then 12 the next
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waukeganwill said:
I usually hate dumb sports hypothetical scenarios but this made me laugh aloud 😂 get knocked out AND u wake up doing a 15 year bid lmaooo

Then Mike gets locked up too and beats your *** again.
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ALNotSure said:
Dlo a clown


DLo trick y'all.

When he said 'today' he literally meant that one singular 24hr period of time.
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