Monday’s media day opened NBA training camps and offered early looks at several stars in new homes, according to ESPN. The league saw significant player movement this summer, with Giannis Antetokounmpo landing with the Miami Heat and Ja Morant set for a fresh start with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Philadelphia 76ers posted perhaps the biggest offseason shakeup, adding Jaylen Brown on July 1 and later acquiring the league’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, according to ESPN. The Los Angeles Lakers also made a notable transaction, trading for former Jazz center Walker Kessler.
Other offseason threads surfaced as well. Questions entering camp include whether the Detroit Pistons will resolve Jalen Duren’s contract dispute and how the San Antonio Spurs will respond after collapsing in the Finals, according to ESPN. NBA Insiders have compiled preseason questions for all 30 teams.
Several team-specific storylines stand out. Tim MacMahon noted that the Atlanta Hawks closed last season with a 19-4 run and a plus-13.9 average point differential after moving CJ McCollum into the starting lineup; Atlanta added lottery pick Kingston Flemings and acquired Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins and could have roughly $45 million in salary-cap space by next summer, according to ESPN. Vincent Goodwill raised the question for the Boston Celtics of whether Jayson Tatum is ready to fully assume command after returning late last season from an Achilles injury, a return that produced mixed results and saw Tatum sit out Game 7 with left knee discomfort. Goodwill also wrote that the Brooklyn Nets shifted from a long-term rebuild to a quicker push after lottery reform, trading for Julius Randle and drafting point guard Mikel Brown Jr.
The Charlotte Hornets are another focal point, having traded LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges and added veterans Naz Reid, Grayson Allen and Dennis Schroder to pair with cornerstones Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel; ESPN reports Miller’s extension and Knueppel’s recent moderate hamstring injury remain among the team’s concerns. Full preseason questions and team-by-team coverage are available from ESPN’s NBA Insiders.
