LeBron's future, Kawhi's situation
and Tatum's health all part of the questions for NBA Media Day
[September 29, 2025]
By TIM REYNOLDS
Welcome back, NBA.
The phenomenon known as Media Day — when NBA teams pull on their
uniforms, pose for photos and field questions from reporters on the
eve of their first training camp practices of the season — happens
on Monday for 25 of the league's 30 teams. (Brooklyn, New York, New
Orleans, Phoenix and Philadelphia all had Media Day last week and
were allowed to start their camps early to prepare for overseas
preseason games.)
Some of the story lines to watch on Monday:
Will LeBron give any hints?
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is going to break Vince
Carter's record and play in his 23rd NBA season, a longevity mark
that probably isn't going to be caught anytime soon — though it
should be noted that the Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul is going
into his 21st season and Philadelphia's Kyle Lowry is starting his
20th season.
Thus begins the annual watch: Is this the end for James?
He'll be asked the question in some form on Monday, and whatever he
says — yes, no or otherwise — will be big news. He's not under
contract for next season, and there will likely be speculation at
times this season about whether he'll finish this year with the
Lakers or will he ask to be traded elsewhere.
It's hard to envision that James — who has given no indications that
he would want a “farewell tour” type of season — will commit to a
definitive plan for his future.
And remember, it's not like he's got nothing left in the tank. The
40-year-old James (he turns 41 on Dec. 30) is still an elite-level
player with numbers that baffle logic for a man his age. He averaged
24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists last season. Nobody over
the age of 32, other than James, has ever done that in NBA history.
The Kawhi situation
What will Kawhi Leonard say? Probably not much, but this is
certainly going to be a Media Day subplot.
The Clippers' standout — along with his team, and team owner Steve
Ballmer — are all part of an NBA investigation into whether salary
cap rules were circumvented by Leonard entering into an endorsement
deal with a former sponsor of the team.
The NBA has said it will not rush to any judgment in its probe of
the matter and has hired outside counsel to figure it all out. The
NBA opened its investigation earlier this month into whether a $28
million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund
Adviser, LLC — a company that filed for bankruptcy earlier this year
— broke league rules, following a report by journalist Pablo Torre.
The Clippers have strongly denied that any rules were broken and
said they welcomed the league’s investigation.
Is Jayson Tatum returning?
Injuries are a huge story entering this season. Eastern Conference
champion Indiana will be without Tyrese Haliburton for the entirety
of this season after he tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA
Finals, Portland has Damian Lillard back but isn't sure when he can
play after his own Achilles tear, and Dallas is waiting to see when
Kyrie Irving's surgically repaired ACL will be ready for his return
to the floor.
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Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick, left, and forward
LeBron James yell to the referees during the second half of an NBA
basketball game against the Golden State Warriors Thursday, April 3,
2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
And then there's Jayson Tatum, who tore his
Achilles during last season's playoffs.
But the Boston star has been dropping hints in recent days that it
might not be wise to rule him out for the season.
“I just want everybody to know I appreciate the love and support,”
Tatum said in a YouTube video he posted over the weekend, one that
included snippets of him going through what he said was his third
on-court workout since the surgery. "It’s been a long journey but
I’m working my tail off to get back, to get healthy for the love of
the game obviously and then for the fans that support me and the
team.”
What will the champs do?
Oklahoma City won the NBA title last season and brings back
basically its entire rotation this season, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
— the reigning scoring champion, MVP and NBA Finals MVP.
BetMGM Sportsbook says the Thunder are the heavy favorites (+250) to
win the 2026 title as well. The big issue for the Thunder right now
might be Jalen Williams' offseason wrist surgery and whether he'll
be ready for the start of the regular season.
“It’s been well-documented that last season was a special year in
our very, very brief organizational history,” Thunder general
manager Sam Presti said. “But the process of becoming a great team
did not end last season. Every team in the league has something in
front of them that is their passage to the next stage of their
growth and development. The next step in front of us, in order to
become a great team again, is the discipline and humility to turn
the page.”
Wemby's return
It's expected that Victor Wembanyama will be fully ready to go to
start the regular season for San Antonio, after his 2024-25 season
was cut short in February by deep vein thrombosis in a shoulder.
Wembanyama has had a most interesting offseason: he went to a temple
in China in June to study alongside monks, played soccer with kids
during various vacation stops and recently asked Spurs fans to sign
up for a new supporters' section that will mimic how fans at
European soccer and basketball games tend to act.
It'll be the first time in three decades that the Spurs go to Media
Day with someone other than Gregg Popovich as their head coach.
Mitch Johnson — who coached the final 77 games last season after the
now-retired Popovich suffered a stroke — had the interim title
removed during the offseason and is now San Antonio's full-fledged
coach going into the year.
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