The potential trade for Leonard to return to the North remains to be finalized, and Duren's restricted free agent situation has yet to be resolved, but most other high-profile player matters on the summer to-do list have been settled.

It's hard to tell if this is criticism or praise. Former NBA player Olden Polynice, who averaged 7.8 points per game in his career, said on the "Sirius XM NBA Radio" podcast: "I love LeBron. I think he's one of the greatest players of all time, and everything he's done we've never seen before. But one thing I criticize him for is that he should have achieved a triple-double average per game before Westbrook did."

The ASIAD 2026 schedule for today, September 12, continues with the men's 5x5 basketball group stage. According to the official schedule of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Organizing Committee, four matches will be held on September 12 at the Aichi International Arena. The Vietnam Sports Delegation has no athletes or teams competing today.

The Suns' season suffered a heavy blow before it even started. Their original starting center, Mark Williams, pulled his left shoulder during practice and underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum, which will keep him out for a considerable period. Williams is expected to be sidelined for roughly half a year, with the earliest possible return at season's end. With Williams injured, the story of him being sent back by the Lakers has naturally been brought up again.

On September 12, Beijing time, league sources told NBA reporter Fischer that the Hawks plan to waive guard Devin Carter. HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto also confirmed the news. Carter has a fully guaranteed salary this season of $5,158,080.

On September 12, Beijing time, according to renowned reporter Shams, Suns center Mark Williams suffered a left shoulder labral tear during offseason training. The big man underwent surgery yesterday to repair the damage. Shams stated that Williams is expected to be sidelined for an extended period.

In the opening game of the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games, the Chinese men's basketball team crushed Kazakhstan 99-61. All players except the injured Wang Junjie and Zhao Jiayi were on the floor and got ample playing time, but one player's stats were glaring: 0 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals...

Avdija's performance last season was evident to all. He is another rising ball-handling star in the NBA. In the regular season, he averaged 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game, with shooting splits of 46.2% from the field, 31.8% from three, and 80.2% from the free-throw line, earning him an All-Star selection. In this year's playoffs, he averaged 22.2 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, with shooting percentages of 44.9%, 35%, and 72.3%.

(ASIAD 2026 results) - The defending champion Philippines surprisingly lost to Bahrain 85-89 in the men's basketball opener, despite a strong comeback in the final quarter.

The Thunder's championship win two seasons ago was partly due to the advantage of rookie contracts. At that time, many young players were on rookie deals but performed exceptionally well. However, as key core players have signed max contracts in recent seasons, the Thunder are beginning to feel the financial strain. So this summer, to further save salary cap space, the team lost three championship members at once.