NBA Notebook: One question for every team around the league in training camp

The Celtics begin training camp in just over one week, with one question that'll loom over their season until it is answered: will Jayson Tatum return this season? 

Tatum will speak for the first time since tearing his Achilles on May 12, more than four months ago now. He's since exited his boot, has been seen walking around and climbing stairs, traveling and working out regularly at Auerbach Center. The Celtics have kept the door open for a return this year, and while the team hasn't seen a timeline, Tatum's father expected him to miss 8-9 months in May, when he spoke with ESPN. That would put him back on the floor around January-February, at the earliest. Most medical professionals project about one year, but Tatum's doctor is known to perform the SpeedBridge surgery, which has sped up recovery times in the past. 

They're not the only team in the East dealing with injuries to begin this season. The 76ers, whose season capsized last year due to injuries to Joel Embiid and Paul George, open another training camp with both players uncertain to begin the year. Embiid underwent arthroscopic surgery on April 10 after he and the team weighed more drastic measures to address swelling in his left knee. He's been visible in social media posts on the practice floor, while George had his scope on July 14 after adductor and knee injections in March. He hasn't been visible in Philadelphia's posts and was expected to be evaluated prior to the start of camp. The Pacers will, similar to Boston, begin life without Tyrese Haliburton while trying to find replacements for outgoing center Myles Turner. The Cavs start the year without Darius Garland (toe) and Max Strus (foot). 

That opens the door for the Knicks to emerge as the top team in the east this regular season with full health, depth reinforcements and their core rotation returning. They'll need to decide under new coach Mike Brown whether they want to lean into last year's starting group, or play Karl-Anthony Towns with Mitchell Robinson more often, a group that saw success after Robinson returned from injury later in the year. That would leave Josh Hart on the bench more often. For the Magic, potentially New York's biggest threat after acquiring Desmond Bane, they'll need to emerge from 12 straight years where they ranked 20th or lower on defense. Is Bane enough to improve from 27th in offense and last in three-point shooting last year? 

The Pistons will await the NBA's conclusion over Malik Beasley's status this season as he remains in free agency following a gambling activity investigation. He became their heart-and-soul in his first season there, and they need to decide whether they want to return him, if possible, or move forward building around young stars Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. They and the Hawks could also emerge as East contenders alongside the expected names, though Atlanta will determine if it can build a capable defense around Trae Young. Onyeka Okongwu emerging as a starting center could help alongside the Kristaps Porziņģis addition, but he and power forward Jalen Johnson share health concerns. 

The Bucks won't escape the questions about Giannis Antetokounmpo's future until they find consistent success atop the East. They're healthy, have some unsung talent and Antetokounmpo is as equipped as anyone to carry a team on his own, but this roster doesn't look strong enough on paper to contend for a home court spot -- even in the East. If Giannis can get them there alone, he deserves strong MVP consideration. It's hard to imagine him wanting out mid-season. It's possible if their year goes completely sideways fast. The Heat, free from the Jimmy Butler saga of one year ago, need to rebuild their offense around Norman Powell, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro after struggling immensely to put the ball in the basket following Butler's departure. That situation clearly weighed on everyone involved last year, with Erik Spoelstra even making uncharacteristic mistakes. While the Raptors missed the playoffs in 2025, they finished strong defensively, added Brandon Ingram, who didn't play with an ankle injury upon arrival. Will he, Scottie Barnes or RJ Barrett lead this offense? Can they all share that duty as ball-dominant players? 

Out west, the Thunder have perhaps the fewest questions of any contender in the league after bringing their championship cast back. Chet Holmgren's growth, after he missed significant time with injury in 2025, will be a main storyline as Oklahoma City's stiffest competition in the West will come from opposing centers. The Nuggets added depth there and at the wing, but their reliance on Jamal Murray's health and consistency remains their greatest hindrance at times. The Rockets need to figure out how to balance the continued development of Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün while embracing the necessary offensive infusion Kevin Durant provides. He'll inevitably miss time too, forcing them to have multiple identities. Durant has, fortunately, emphasized fitting in rather than taking over the Rockets. 

The Lakers have everything to succeed if they utilize it correctly. How much Marcus Smart has left in the tank actually ranks high among their questions, because he Deandre Ayton and others will prove key to complementing the offensive firepower Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves provide. JJ Redick will stagger their offensive input, while off the court the Lakers have to address the underlying questions about James' future. 

Assuming the Clippers can keep the Aspiration controversy to the side as the NBA investigates, they'll integrate John Collins while figuring out how to recreate Norman Powell's lost offensive impact between Bradley Beal and Chris Paul. Health, as always, is everything there. The Timberwolves, this year and beyond, must develop point guard depth to sustain past Mike Conley's eventual decline and departure, whether they play through Anthony Edwards or someone else. The Warriors, if Jonathan Kuminga returns and they sign Al Horford and others as expected, will rebuild their rotation nearly from scratch around Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Horford and Kuminga in their first full seasons together. One of them might have to embrace the bench. 

The Mavericks won't see Kyrie Irving return until at least January, so they'll reorganize the offense around others, including rookie Cooper Flagg, until that point. Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II also enter training camp with health questions. The Spurs appear confident in Victor Wembanyama's health after recovering from a blood clot that ended his 2025 season. He and De'Aaron Fox will begin building their offensive chemistry in Wembanyama's first season with playoff expectations. The Blazers begin life without Anfernee Simons by placing more offensive responsibility on Scoot Henderson, Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, along with rookie Yang Hansen. That's a heavy burden for them with Jrue Holiday more likely to focus on the defensive side, shooting and mentorship as he did in Boston. The Kings will try to build an offensive identity between Zach LaVine, Dennis Schröder, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis, which won't be easy. Russell Westbrook and Kuminga could enter that mix too, eventually. 

The Pelicans will ask one more time whether they can build a winning team around Zion Williamson. The Suns similarly have to feel out what they have between Devin Booker, Jalen Green and their young players before inevitably needing to tinker their roster further to return to winning. The Grizzlies will try to make their Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. core work with a new coach and without Bane. It's hard to imagine how that will work with Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey beginning camp recovering from surgery. 

At the bottom of the east, the Bulls will face pressure to take a full pivot toward a rebuild if they remain stuck in the middle or lower end of the conference. Nikola Vučević's future could become that pivot point after the team offloaded LaVine last year. They might still be too good to tank despite a low ceiling. The Hornets are approaching a difficult decision about LaMelo Ball's future as their centerpiece player as injuries and lost seasons mount early in his career. For the Wizards, Nets and Jazz, all three will focus almost exclusively on youth development with the clearest paths to the top of the lottery next spring. Players to watch: Bilal Coulibaly grasping his potential as Washington's centerpiece once he returns from injury, the Nets finding an offensive engine to invest in between Cam Thomas and their four first-round picks and Utah embracing top prospect Ace Bailey. 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta: Trae Young fired back at Patrick Beverley on his own podcast about comments Beverley made on Twitter regarding the competitiveness of players in the All-Star Game. As Beverley weighs his basketball future, he responded to Young, who told Beverley to let all-stars speak for themselves, questioning Young's leadership and how good of a teammate he is. Beverley criticized how much Young has won in his career and his credibility to speak back to him, and cited a former Young teammate who called it Trae's Hawks rather than the Atlanta Hawks. Young ripped Beverley for an over-the-top celebration over the Timberwolves winning the play-in tournament, said he doesn't understand what it's like to be in Young's shoes while expressing that it's all love. For his part, Beverley said he hoped his criticism was motivating. Atlanta traded Kobe Bufkin to the Nets in a salary dump, the 15th pick in the 2023 draft who never emerged in the back court while battling injuries. Brooklyn sent cash considerations to the Hawks. 

Boston: Signed Kendall Brown and Jalen Bridges to training camp deals that'll allow both to compete for two-way roster spots with the Celtics. Boston already signed rookies Amari Williams and Max Shulga to two-ways, and until they play in real action, only RJ Luis Jr. would seem vulnerable to being replaced on his two-way deal after the Celtics acquired him from the Jazz in the Georges Niang trade. With Ron Harper Jr. expected to join them, the additions likely set up either Hayden Gray or Aaron Scott to be out-righted to Maine. CelticsBlog reported that Brown, Bridges, Harper Jr., Scott, Williams, Shulga and Luis are expected to play in the G-League this season for Boston, with Hason Ward returning from 2024-25. Phil Pressey will coach Maine this season with Tyler Lashbrook returning to Boston's staff. The Celtics are reportedly happy with Jayson Tatum's progress this summer. Media day takes place one week from Monday on Sept. 29, the first time Tatum will speak to reporters since tearing his achilles in May. Anfernee Simons spoke for the first time as a member of the Celtics in an NBA video feature. He'll work with Boston assistant Ross McMains this year. Jaylen Brown's 2025 year will be featured in Netflix' upcoming Starting Five releasing on Oct. 9. 

Brooklyn: Began their roster cutdowns by waiving Keon Johnson, the former first-round pick from 2021 who revived his career by averaging 10.6 PPG in Brooklyn last season. The Nets still have 18 active roster players, which they'll eventually need to slash down to 15 before the regular season. Jalen Martin, Tyrese Martin and Drew Timme are playing on non-guaranteed deals. The Kobe Bufkin ($4.5M) salary dump addition cut into their cap space regardless. Brooklyn can now carve out, at most, $19.7 million in space. The Nets own 13 future first-rounders and 19 seconds. 

Dallas: Signed Dennis Smith Jr. to a one-year deal, bringing back the guard who they selected No. 9 overall in the 2017 draft after he became a journeyman, going as far as Real Madrid last year to continue his career. Smith will compete for a roster spot in training camp, Shams Charania reported, with D'Angelo Russell and Jaden Hardy positioned to fill the majority of the minutes Kyrie Irving vacates as he recovers from ACL surgery. Brandon Williams played admirable point guard minutes, but could be pushed out due to his $2.2 million non-guarantee if Smith makes the team. The Mavs were $16.9 million over the luxury tax line and $1.3 million below the second apron before signing Smith. 

Golden State: Jonathan Kuminga's camp pressed the Warriors as the Oct. 1 deadline to sign the qualifying offer loomed. His agent Aaron Turner told media outlets that Kuminga is willing to sign the one-year, $8 million contract that would grant him a no-trade clause and unrestricted free agency next summer, but expressed a desire to find a middle ground -- namely, the inclusion of a player option in a long-term contract. The Warriors have yet to offer that, pitching a three-year, $75.2 million deal with a team option, two years, $45 million with a team option or three years, $54 million with no options. Kuminga declined all three, and Turner stressed that there are teams interested in Kuminga in free agency next summer. One of them, the Kings, made a sign-and-trade offer that the Warriors were reportedly hesitant to embrace due to their fear that Kuminga would grow into a star nearby. The Kings reportedly offered Malik Monk and a first-round pick. Warriors stars Jimmy Butler, Steph Curry and Draymond Green have reportedly vouched for a Kuminga return. Golden State has targeted Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and Seth Curry in free agency once the Kuminga saga concludes. ESPN documented the saga. 

“I don’t think JK wants (to have to sign the qualifying offer)," Turner said. "I don’t think the Warriors want that. Hopefully we figure this out and come to a middle ground that makes sense for everybody and everybody can put their best foot forward. We don’t need all these distractions. … I’m not blaming anybody, but you’ve got to get everybody on the same page going into the year. I think it’s vital for everyone’s sake. I know JK wants that. I hope the Warriors want that. I would think they’d want that. Hopefully we get something done.”

Houston/Phoenix: Kevin Durant spoke for the fist time about his trade from the Suns to the Rockets, affirming that Phoenix let the league know he was available in February. That initially upset Durant, he said, before he moved on to deciding his next steps. He also confirmed talks between the Suns and Warriors that Durant's agent Rich Kleiman, as he wanted to revisit the discussion in the summer. The Rockets emerged quickly as a destination after Golden State pivoted to Jimmy Butler before the deadline. Durant returns to Phoenix to face the Suns on Nov. 24. 

Clippers: The Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration saga continued with more information flowing from Pablo Torre nearly daily. The latest: the Clippers allegedly made three carbon credit purchases from the company in 2022 totaling $56 million, aligning closely with Leonard signing his endorsement deal with the company which he ultimately did nothing for and wasn't even disclosed publicly. The Clippers responded with a statement: "The effort reflects Steve wanting to set a positive example and raise awareness of the growing and important role of voluntary carbon markets. Unfortunately he was duped on the investment and some parts of this agreement, as were many other investors and employees." Ballmer and co-owner Dennis Wong continued to make investments in the Clippers into 2023, when Aspiration's financial troubles already began. The Clippers are reportedly 'done' with the Leonard experience, according to a source who spoke to ESPN for a story on the saga ranging from his demands upon signing to injury issues to this latest controversy. The NBA's investigation into the Aspiration controversy is ongoing, with Adam Silver walking back comments that he never heard of Aspiration after Torre revealed the league OK'd the deal. 

Lakers: More details continue to pour out about Luka Dončić's healthy offseason following his dominant play in EuroBasket. ESPN and the Wall Street Journal published features on the Lakers star this week ahead of his first training camp with his new team. Intense workouts, play with his national team, fasting and dietary discipline led to physical progress. LeBron James said in a podcast appearance that retirement is near, but that he's not there yet. 

"Luka's play in EuroBasket made it clear to the entire basketball world that he's on that incredibly short list of 'best player on the planet' candidates, if not at the top," Lakers GM Rob Pelinka said. "In terms of team building, we've talked about the importance of having optionality and when I use that word, it's not to say in the future. I think optionality is also in the now. Having both Luka as arguably the best player on the planet and LeBron James, who is still in the mix of being one of the great players in our game, even at his age, continues to allow us to think carefully about the value of that optionality."

Miami: Tyler Herro underwent surgery on his left foot on Friday and will miss eight weeks, including the start of this NBA season, roughly 12 games. He dealt with foot pain last season before an offseason ankle injury forced him to undergo the procedure. The Heat will rely on new addition Norman Powell to lead the offense in his absence alongside a younger cast of guards, including Davion Mitchell, Pelle Larsson, Dru Smith and Kasparas Jakučionis. Miami is reportedly considering parting ways with Terry Rozier. 

Minnesota: Wolves beat writer Jon Krawczynski joined the Garden Report this week to discuss former Minnesota players Luka Garza and Josh Minott joining the Celtics this year.

New York: Busy work at the end of their bench continued this week. The Knicks have now signed Malcolm Brogdon, Alex Len, Landry Shamet, Mohamed Diawara and former Celtics Garrison Mathews and Matt Ryan to training camp deals. With three standard roster spots available and limited space available under the second apron hard cap, many expect the Knicks to make a trade before the season to make the roster and cap situation work. It's also possible that New York could retain some of those players in the G-League. The Knicks also added to their center depth with two-way addition Trey Jemison III. 

Orlando: In an interview with the Athletic, Desmond Bane recounted his first interaction with Magic fans since joining the team, breaking down in his car on the highway and having them notice him and yell his name as they drove by. Bane also discussed his role with the team that'll rely on him as a major offensive infusion after a bottom-10 season on that side of the ball. 

“I just want to come in and be the glue, the guy that brings his whole thing together, kind of rounds out some of the gaps that they may have had in their team," he said. 

Sacramento: The NY Times went inside the downfall of former Kings G-Leaguer Chance Comanche, who was arrested and charged with murder in 2023.