The Bucks traded the franchise's greatest player and still one of the top superstars in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo, along with Bobby Portis, for former All-Star Tyler Herro and three others from the Miami Heat.

Milwaukee also parted ways with head coach Doc Rivers and brought in Taylor Jenkins to take over.

"The people drew me back here, made this a very easy decision career-wise and life-wise," said Jenkins, an assistant for one season in Milwaukee (2018-19). "I felt it right away; the welcome-back support has been in waves from so many different people."

The Wizards, who most recently won a playoff series in 2017, selected AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick in a highly touted NBA draft class. The team also signed Trae Young, who was traded to Washington in mid-season but played in just five games, to a lucrative four-year, $212 million extension to pair with fellow star Anthony Davis.

Washington is showing a desire to get out of the bottom of the standings, while Milwaukee is lacking the superstar who kept it in the hunt despite a disappointing final season that resulted in missing the playoffs.

"Can we build something that is consistent and repeatable for ourselves? That's how we're going to measure success here," Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said. "Those are the things that are going to make us sustainable."

It is possible fans may have to wait for the highly anticipated debut of the rookie Dybantsa, who suffered an ankle sprain in the team's preseason finale and is listed as day-to-day.

"We're just going one day at a time," Keefe said.

The Wizards finished a league-worst 17-65 a year ago while Milwaukee went 32-50 and ended one spot out of the play-in in 11th place, though the Bucks were nine games back of the 10th-seed Heat.

Fans may have expected Washington to finish where they did. The season carried higher expectations for a Bucks team hoping to keep Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee -- especially following the move to bring in Myles Turner to pair with Antetokounmpo and send the injured Damian Lillard out after two first-round playoff exits.

Turner remains in Milwaukee with a mostly new team. Also remaining are standouts at times from a season ago in Ryan Rollins and Ousmane Dieng.

Kevin Porter Jr. was waived on Monday, according to ESPN.

Joining the Bucks from Miami along with Wisconsin native Herro are Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis. The Bucks also had two first-round picks in standout point guard Brayden Burries and small forward Nate Ament.

Ament also is a question mark to debut on Wednesday because of an ankle sprain he suffered in preseason action.

There are more new names on both sides: Washington traded for Deandre Ayton to pair with Davis down low while Milwaukee traded for veteran Caris LeVert, adding to a crowded backcourt with Gary Trent Jr., who signed a four-year contract extension.

Milwaukee had won the season series against Washington seven seasons in a row prior to last season, when the Wizards took three of four.

The men's teams will play that Sunday morning U.S. time, followed by a game between their women's teams. Pope Leo XIV -- the first American-born pope and a Villanova graduate -- was invited to attend, and the players were scheduled to have an audience with him before the games, though those plans are less certain following news that Leo required surgery to remove a cancerous nodule from his lung.

The trip will also be an early homecoming for Luigi Suigo, the 7-foot-3 Italian center who joined Villanova after playing for clubs in Milan and Belgrade, Serbia.

Still 19, Suigo is adjusting to the American game and recently committed two fouls in the first 76 seconds of an exhibition game against George Mason.

"He's got to learn," Wildcats coach Kevin Willard said. "... I think everyone sees a 7-foot-3 kid and automatically thinks he's a grown man. A 19-year-old from Italy who has never played high-major basketball, he has to figure it out a little bit, and we have to be patient with him and you have to go through some growing pains a little bit."

Villanova expects to be firmly in the Big East title chase. Voted third in the preseason coaches' poll behind only UConn and St. John's, the Wildcats return Tyler Perkins, a preseason all-conference first-teamer who led them last season with 13.7 points per game. They added transfer forwards Kwame Evans Jr. (Oregon) and Devin Royal (Ohio State).

Perkins, Royal and Suigo were the only players in the starting lineups for each of Villanova's first two exhibitions. Evans is day-to-day with a left leg injury.

"I didn't have to watch film of (Royal or Evans) because I had seen so much of (them) live," Willard said. "I respected them from having gone up against them. ... I'm still trying to figure out everybody."

Notre Dame was selected 16th in the 18-team Atlantic Coast Conference's preseason media poll, and coach Micah Shrewsberry may be on the hot seat after going sub-.500 and missing the NCAA Tournament each of his first three seasons.

He is starting over without longtime leading scorer Markus Burton, Jalen Haralson and other familiar faces. His only returning regular starter is his son, Braeden Shrewsberry (11.9 ppg, 40.2% from 3-point range last season). Brady Koehler (5.6 ppg) also is back after serving as a starter for the second half of last season.

Micah Shrewsberry indicated the Fighting Irish's projected starting five are his son, Kohler, Braeden Smith (Gonzaga transfer), Ethan Roberts (Penn) and Logan Duncomb (Winthrop). Duncomb was the Big South Player of the Year, and four-star guard Jonathan Sanderson headlines the freshman class.

"I think we're a question mark for everybody right now, right, even for ourselves," the coach said. "We wanna go and play and challenge ourselves against other people to see where we're at."

CNN reported on October 19 that growing distrust between the two leaders has raised concerns about the future of American support for Ukraine.

Trump has criticized Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, arguing that the strikes affect global fuel prices. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues targeting Russian energy facilities as Moscow maintains attacks on Ukrainian territory.

Another disagreement involves intelligence sharing. Zelensky has said American intelligence assistance was temporarily interrupted, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied that any suspension occurred.

The Trump administration’s decision to ease certain sanctions on Russia has also complicated relations with Kyiv.

Meanwhile, discussions about a possible meeting involving Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping have raised questions about Ukraine’s participation in future peace negotiations.

The developments highlight continuing differences between Washington and Kyiv as Ukraine seeks military assistance and diplomatic support.

Knecht, a forward, averaged 4.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in 10.2 minutes across 54 games (one start) last season.

The previous season, Knecht averaged 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 78 games (16 starts) as a rookie and looked like a promising rotation player.

During the 2026 preseason, Knecht averaged 2.8 points and shot 25% (3 of 12) from the field. The 25-year-old scored 11 points in 22 minutes against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 6 and was scoreless in each of his other three appearances.

The 6-foot-6 Knecht was the 17th overall selection of the 2024 NBA Draft after being the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American at Tennessee. That was his lone season with the Volunteers. He spent the previous two seasons at Northern Colorado after playing two seasons at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado.

The Hawks were one of the hottest teams in the second half, winning 19 of their last 24 games to finish 46-36 atop the Southeastern Division. Atlanta pushed the New York Knicks to six games in the first round, something no other playoff foe was able to do against the eventual NBA champions.

The Magic have a new coach in Sean Sweeney, replacing Jamahl Mosley, who took the team to the playoffs in the last three seasons of his five-year run. The roster remains virtually the same as the one that went 45-37 and fought its way through the Play-In Tournament before relinquishing a 3-1 lead and losing to Detroit in the first round of the playoffs.

Atlanta swept the four-game season series against Orlando last season, winning by an average of 15 points.

Atlanta shipped star guard Trae Young to Washington at last season's trade deadline and put its faith in Jalen Johnson to be the face of the team. Johnson averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists and was named to his first All-Star team.

"I think leadership is something the team wants to see and one I want to do," Johnson said. "I want to be one of those guys they can call aside from basketball and have that type of impact with my teammates and have that type of relationship with me."

The other discovery from last season was Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who averaged 20.8 points. Alexander-Walker, formerly a role player with Minnesota who averaged 9.4 points in 2024-25, was named the NBA's Most Improved Player.

Atlanta retained veteran CJ McCollum, who averaged 18.7 points in 41 games after coming over in the Young trade.Dyson Daniels (11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists) will join newcomer Luguentz Dort, acquired along with Aaron Wiggins from Oklahoma City, to provide more toughness and defense to the backcourt. First-round draft choice Kingston Flemings could see significant minutes at point guard.

Orlando continues to be led by Desmond Bane and Paolo Banchero.

Bane was the team's MVP last year when he played in all 82 games and averaged 20.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Banchero averaged 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 72 games.

"Last season was disappointing, but the good thing is that it's over and we've got a new staff, new energy in the building," Banchero said. "I think everybody is excited. I think last season fueled everybody to meet the goals we've established."

Franz Wagner averaged 20.6 ppg but played only 34 games because of various injuries. Other key returners are Wendell Carter Jr. (11.8 points, 7.4 rebounds), Anthony Black (15.0 points), Jalen Suggs (13.8 points, 3.9 rebounds) and Tristan da Silva (9.9 points).

The biggest roster addition is Nikola Vucevic, who averaged 17.8 ppg in parts of nine seasons with the Magic. He spent the final part of 2025-26 with Boston before signing a one-year free-agent deal to rejoin Orlando.

Teams listed in predicted order of finish.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

2025-26 record: 52-30, second in Central, lost to Knicks in Eastern Conference finals

Head coach: Kenny Atkinson, third season in Cleveland (116-48 record)

Coming and going: There were a lot of goodbyes in Cleveland after the Eastern Conference finals loss. The Cavs are replacing Max Strus, Dean Wade, Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis and Larry Nance Jr. They welcome Meleek Thomas, Mario Hezonja and Khalifa Diop.

Numbers to crunch: It's going to be a while before the Cavaliers get over losing out on a third run with LeBron James. Cleveland opens the season with a visit to the 76ers on Oct. 22, when James makes his Philadelphia debut. On Nov. 6, James returns to Cleveland.

Breakout player: The Cavaliers brought back their four core players by re-signing James Harden and keeping Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. To complete the band, Cleveland acquired Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets. Watson might not lead the NBA in jersey sales, but the Cavaliers value almost everything he brings to the table. In 40 starts last season, Watson averaged 17.3 points and shot 43.0% from 3-point range for Denver. He didn't shoot well but had 21 points in a loss to Cleveland in January.

2. Detroit Pistons

2025-26 record: 60-22, first in Central, lost to Cavaliers in Eastern Conference semifinals

Head coach: J.B. Bickerstaff, third season in Detroit (104-60)

Coming and going: John Collins, Isaiah Joe and Gary Harris jumped on board with the Pistons, who are clearly looking for a certain type of role player to round out a contender roster. None will fill the versatile role Tobias Harris did. The Pistons also lost Caris LeVert and Isaiah Stewart, a strong interior defender and enforcer for MVP candidate Cade Cunningham.

Numbers to crunch: Interior defense was one of the Pistons' strengths last season. Opponents shot 54.2% in the paint, which made the Pistons No. 3 in the NBA. Stewart is gone but the Pistons are well-anchored with Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren.

Breakout player: Thompson. Energy personified. Thompson is an elite perimeter defender and doesn't have to be a constant creator as the sidekick to Cunningham on offense. Joe is a darkhorse for this category. He made 181 3-pointers for the Thunder in a limited role last season.

3. Indiana Pacers

2025-26 record: 19-63, last in Central, missed playoffs

Head coach: Rick Carlisle, sixth season of second stint in Indiana (176-234)

Coming and going: He's baaaack. Tyrese Haliburton returns from a ruptured Achilles in the 2025 NBA Finals and might need a minute -- or a month -- before we see the same playmaking flair and pace he brought to the floor to make Indiana fly as Eastern Conference champions. Without him, the Pacers were 14th in the East last season. Rookie Braden Smith and veterans Larry Nance Jr. and Kelly Oubre offer intriguing rotation options.

Numbers to crunch: Indiana ranked No. 28 in offense last season, and the absence of Haliburton was a major reason. In five NBA seasons, he has averaged 17.5 points and 8.8 assists per game. With him on the court, the Pacers' assists, field goals and 3-point field goals per game were all significantly better. Ivica Zubac should be a big boost on the other end of the court. A 2024-25 NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection, Zubac is also a strong defensive rebounder who can help initiate Indiana's transition offense.

Breakout player: There are two natural options here, both of whom stepped into greater responsibilities last season. Jarace Walker knocked down 3s more consistently in the second half of the 2025-26 season and averaged 14.4 points after the All-Star Break. Andrew Nembhard was the maestro who moved up from second chair when Haliburton went down. He has a knack for big moments and isn't afraid of getting his nose dirty.

4. Chicago Bulls

2025-26 record: 31-51, fourth in Central, missed playoffs

Head coach: Tiago Splitter, first season in Chicago

Coming and going: No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson is only the latest to be hailed as the potential linchpin to Chicago's turnaround. The Bulls still have miles to travel to move from fringe contender and play-in postseason option to where they believe they can go, but the division is rising as a collective, increasing the difficulty for this iteration of the Bulls. Nic Claxton and Norman Powell were added, and the Bulls are new in multiple reserve positions with Billy Donovan out.

Numbers to crunch: Not your father's NBA and perhaps not your big brother's either, defense does still matter for contenders. Chicago allowed 121.5 points per game in 2025-26 but with a young core, making a sharp improvement in that area will be a steep climb.

Breakout player: Matas Buzelis. Drafted 11th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Buzelis has the skill set to excel. He made progress in a starting role and could take another leap under Splitter, who appreciates his European-style approach and edgy persona.

5. Milwaukee Bucks

2025-26 record: 32-50, third in Central, missed playoffs

Head coach: Taylor Jenkins, first season in Milwaukee

Coming and going: Giannis Antetokounmpo is gone via trade to the Miami Heat. He took Bobby Portis with him, and that's a loss the Bucks can withstand. A whole new identity has to be created and Jenkins can use Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis -- all acquired from the Heat for Giannis and Bobby -- to get the reboot started.

Numbers to crunch: Milwaukee-born Herro is being cast as a leading man in the city. Whether he thrives in this role after playing second fiddle to Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and others in Miami could be a riddle without an immediate answer. The real test is chemistry with old and new teammates and holding up physically as the player circled on every opponent's scouting report. When Herro doesn't have the hot hand, what is Plan B ...

Breakout player: ... the breakout player, Ware, has to be the second option. A 7-foot with the hands and feet to be more than a finisher, the underrated skill for the first eight in the likely Milwaukee rotation is passing ability. If Ware works, he'll get fed.

Teams listed in predicted order of finish.

1. Miami Heat

2025-26 record: 43-39, fourth in Southeast, lost in play-in round to Charlotte

Head coach: Erik Spoelstra, 19th season with Heat (830-611 record)

Coming and going: The Heat made the NBA's major offseason splash acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Bucks in a blockbuster deal, along with Bobby Portis in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis, along with multiple draft assets and the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft (Nate Ament). The Heat didn't stop there, signing Klay Thompson to a two-year deal and Tim Hardaway Jr. and Nick Richards to one-year deals. Miami also re-signed Andrew Wiggins to a multi-year extension and Simone Fontecchio to a one-year deal. Miami also acquired the draft rights to second-round shooting guard Ryan Conwell. Norman Powell is gone after signing with the Bulls.

Numbers to crunch: In 12 seasons since the end of the LeBron James-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh era, the Heat have won 50 or more games in a season only once. A concern heading into the season is whether Miami can be a proficient enough shooting team. The Heat ranked 15th last year in 3-pointers made per game (13.7) and 11th in 3-point percentage (36.1%), but Powell (2.7 threes made per game) and Herro (2.6 per game) -- their top two long-distance shooters last season -- are gone.

Breakout player: Davion Mitchell is expected to be the team's starting point guard, with more scoring options, and has shown potential in the preseason. Mitchell could flourish with more minutes after averaging 9.3 points, 6.5 assists and 28.6 minutes in 70 games (all starts) last season.

2. Atlanta Hawks

2025-26 record: 46-36, first in Southeast, lost in first round 4-2 to New York Knicks

Head coach: Quin Snyder, fifth season with Hawks (132-135)

Coming and going: The Hawks extended CJ McCollum for one year after acquiring him last January in the Trae Young trade to Washington, and traded for Aaron Wiggins from Oklahoma City, sending two future second-round picks to the Thunder. Atlanta sought to strengthen its frontcourt and defense after ranking 18th in points allowed per game (116.0), adding Lu Dort and re-signing Jock Landale. Pairing Dort with Dyson Daniels should strengthen the perimeter defense. Zaccharie Risacher was traded to Dallas and Jonathan Kuminga signed with Minnesota. The Hawks' first-round pick from the University of Houston, Kingston Flemings, can learn from McCollum as he takes his first steps as a pro.

Numbers to crunch: The Hawks were the league's sixth-highest-scoring team last season, averaging 118.5 points per game. Atlanta went 20-6 after the All-Star break and had the eventual NBA champion Knicks down 2-1 in their first-round series after a pair of one-point victories in Games 2 and 3.

Breakout player: If the Hawks can establish some more roster stability, look for Asa Newell to carve out a bigger role in the frontcourt. Newell, who signed a multi-year deal after being traded from New Orleans, played in only 44 games (two starts) and averaged 5.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 11.4 minutes per game. He will likely back up Jalen Johnson initially, but could earn more minutes as the season progresses.

3. Orlando Magic

2025-26 record: 45-37, second in Southeast, lost in first round to Pistons

Head coach: Sean Sweeney, first season with Magic

Coming and going: Sweeney takes the helm after 13 seasons as an assistant coach, including last season as associate head coach with Western Conference champion San Antonio. Sweeney's experience with other talents such as Victor Wembanyama should be beneficial for Orlando's duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. The Magic did more to keep their roster intact than adding new players after re-signing Jevon Carter and Jonathan Isaac. The Magic also added Nikola Vucevic and acquired the draft rights to second-round forward Izaiyah Nelson.

Numbers to crunch: The Magic averaged 22 made free throws per game, which led the league, but need to improve from the perimeter, where they ranked 27th in 3-point percentage (34.3%). Banchero and Wagner have shot only 32% from 3 during their respective careers.

Breakout player: Anthony Black could play an important role in Orlando's pursuit of a deeper playoff run, although his future with the team remains uncertain amid reported trade speculation. Black averaged career highs of 15 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 64 games (40 starts) last season while shooting 44.7% from the field. He has earned himself a role as a reliable rotation player and his versatility could prove even more valuable on a team with plenty of roster continuity.

4. Charlotte Hornets

2025-26 record: 44-38, third in Southeast, lost in second play-in round to Orlando

Head coach: Charles Lee, third season with Hornets (63-101)

Coming and going: The Hornets have the division's most revamped roster after the Heat, trading away leading scorer LaMelo Ball and Josh Green as part of a four-team deal that sent Naz Reid to Minnesota. Charlotte also traded for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and Dennis Schroder and dealt Miles Bridges. The team also re-signed Coby White to a three-year deal. Allen and Schroder could start if White and Kon Knueppel aren't recovered from injuries to begin the season.

Numbers to crunch: The Hornets have made the playoffs 10 times in their history, but have never won a division title. White is averaging 4.7 assists per 36 minutes for his career. Ryan Kalkbrenner, the Hornets' best shot blocker, led the team with 1.5 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game.

Breakout player: Reid's versatility, perimeter shooting and ability to attack the basket should give Charlotte another reliable scoring option as the Hornets adjust to life without Ball. A former Sixth Man of the Year, Reid gives Charlotte depth, averaging 13.5 or more points per game each of his past three seasons. His scoring average could rise in Charlotte's lineup.

5. Washington Wizards

2025-26 record: 17-65, last in Southeast

Head coach: Brian Keefe, fourth season with Wizards (43-160)

Coming and going: Trae Young signed for four years and Khris Middleton came over in a trade with the Mavericks. They and Anthony Davis are among the veterans who will join a talented young group and try to raise the Wizards out of their perpetual doldrums. That young group is led by 2026 No. 1 overall draft pick AJ Dybantsa, who led the NCAA in scoring last season with 25.5 points per game as a freshman at BYU. Washington traded Jaden Hardy, De'Angelo Russell and Cam Whitmore and acquired Deandre Ayton and Tre Mann.

Numbers to crunch: The Wizards need to improve defensively and be more effective on the boards. Washington ranked 30th in offensive rebounds allowed (13.1 per game) and 29th in points allowed (124.9 per game).

Breakout player: Look no further than Dybantsa, whose 6-foot-9 frame and ability to finish at the rim or pull up from distance could make him one of the league's most dynamic players this season. Dybantsa should command significant defensive attention, creating opportunities for him to find open teammates and generate offense for Washington's mix of young talent and veterans.

Miller became the main building piece for the Hornets when the club traded guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the offseason.

Entering his fourth season, Miller underwent offseason surgery on his left shoulder but is ready for the campaign. The Hornets open the season Wednesday by visiting the Brooklyn Nets.

Miller, who turns 24 on Nov. 22, was the second overall pick of the 2023 draft out of Alabama. He has career averages of 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists and has made 492 3-pointers in 166 career games (160 starts).

Miller averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists and sank a career-high 204 treys in 65 games last season.

In 2024-25, Miller was limited to 27 games due to a right wrist injury.