The Whiteboard: NBA picks and predictions, Player Rankings and more

The Whiteboard is FanSided's daily NBA email newsletter with different perspectives coming to you from our entire team. Once a week, we get everyone together for a roundtable to answer the biggest questions of the week. With the 2025-26 season about to tip off, we're making our picks and predictions and answering the biggest remaining questions before the season starts.

Kevin Durant: Over/under 5.5 franchises played for before he retires

Ian Levy: He's got a two-year extension, but I'm thinking this isn't the last jersey he wears. His shooting ability means he can hang on for longer than you'd think, and I think he still wants to play basketball when the Rockets want to full turn things over to their young 'uns.

Eamon Cassels: This question is essentially asking if Durant will retire with the Rockets. Given that Houston is his third team of the decade, it might seem like a risky bet. However, KD is 37 now, and he truly seems at home in Houston. Durant attended the University of Texas and wanted to end up back in Texas (or Miami) during his offseason trade saga. Not only that, but this Rockets team is built to contend in a way that the Nets and Suns weren't. With ample playmaking, size, youth, and defense around him, I think Durant has found the perfect team to close out his career with.

Mat Rutkowski: Kevin Durant is a millennial. He will never retire. He’s got a few more franchises in him before he dies.

Matt Moore: Under. I think he’s reaching the point he’s tired of it. It’s possible he and Udoka butt heads and once again Durant heads off somewhere else. But he’s not going back to retire in OKC, that’s clear. He’s not going back to Brooklyn. The Warriors are the only option, but I’m not sure they’ll still be in a contention window when he’s ready to hang them up. So I’ll say he’s done. 

Christopher Kline: He’s already under lock and key for the next few years in Houston. The Rockets are an ascending group that should keep getting better. I know Durant has been a fickle franchise cornerstone in the past, but he didn’t want to leave Phoenix — even as things were going very, very badly. Seems like he’s content to settle down and retire in Houston, especially if the Rockets win as much as we all expect. 

Rucker Haringey: Kevin Durant raised a few eyebrows by agreeing to a reasonable two-year contract extension with the Rockets. That does not mean he’s going to stay happy once he’s headed into the final year of his deal. Bet on Durant agitating for a new agreement in about 12 months and the Rockets’ losing patience. That could see him dealt even if he opts into the second year of his deal.

Dereck Lively and Victor Wembanyama both grew two inches over the offseason. Which NBA player would improve the most if they were suddenly two inches taller (with an equivalent increase in their wingspan)?

Ian Levy: Two inches are the only thing separating TJ McConnell from multiple MVPs.

Eamon Cassels: Hearing that two players grew entering their third season is a crazy concept, when considering most males stop growing by age 18. Nevertheless, plenty of players around the league could reach another level with a nice boost in height. There's truly no wrong answer for this question, but the first name that came to mind for me was Trae Young. 

With a slight 6-foot-1 frame, Young has already established himself as an elite guard with a blend of 3-point shooting and playmaking. Young's size has made him an easy target defensively, and he's struggled as a finisher. At 6-foot-1, Young is an undersized yet still elite PG, but at 6-foot-3, Young would all of a sudden have solid positional size, which would allow him to fill in his two biggest weaknesses. 

Mat Rutkowski: I feel like I’m winning the lottery by answering early, but… Jalen Brunson. To me, his style of attack seems the prototype for someone with more extravagant physical gifts. You know, a bigger dude. Like, six inches bigger.

But he’s a little dude as far as NBA players go. (I mean that positively. Think about how small and awesome Bidoof is.) If he can make that style work in his current frame, I feel like what he could do with a little extra length could be even more extraordinary.

Matt Moore: How about Jayson Tatum? 6-11 with that jumper and athleticism even coming off the Achilles? He wouldn’t be Kevin Durant … but he’d be Target-brand Kevin Durant! My other answers are bizarro ones like Jose Alvarado and Tyus Jones. 

Christopher Kline: Tatum is a great one. I think Donovan Mitchell would make good use of two more inches. Images of 7-foot-2 Giannis are popping into my mind as well. In reality, the Sixers would really love it if Jared McCain or VJ Edgecombe could experience a sudden growth spurt. 

Rucker Haringey: What if Herb Jones suddenly shot up to 6-foot-9? He’s already an outstanding perimeter defender, but he could be the best defensive player in the NBA if he had that extra length at his disposal. Those two extra inches might also help him develop into a post threat on the offensive end of the floor. Bonus answer here is LaMelo Ball because of the extra outrageous passes he could throw with a little boost in height. 

Who is one player that really surprised you in preseason with how good (or terrible) they looked?

Ian Levy: Bennedict Mathurin only played 53 minutes across three games. But he dropped 55 points, got to the free-throw line 15 times, shot 18-of-26 from the field and 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. He's going to get some serious buckets this year.

Eamon Cassels: I'd have to go with Ace Bailey. The Rutgers product is undoubtedly a gifted scorer. After not playing in NBA Summer League, I didn't really know what to expect given his poor efficiency and shot selection in college. Averaging 22.5 points on 65.5/40/100 shooting splits certainly wasn't on my radar. It was always clear that Ace was talented, but the fact that he's this ahead of schedule is surprising. The Jazz may very well have a future franchise star on their hands. 

Mat Rutkowski: I feel like I need to occupy this space by making up a definitive answer, but, uh, no one? I don’t say that to be mean, but this feels like a largely unremarkable preseason? And preseasons in general are quite unremarkable. 

Cooper Flagg looked good. It’s nice when I don’t fear a uniquely and exceptionally talented young adult is going to take an unrecoverable blow to his self-esteem by being an internationally-excoriated number-one pick. Outside of that? I was more concerned about the WNBA, and AT going down in a sweep hurt.

Matt Moore: Tolu Smith for the Pistons. Looks like a rotation player. Quentin Post, hitting transition threes at a high rate?! Reece Beekman. How about Chris Youngblood, the latest conjured create-a-player by Sam Presti? Ausar Thompson looks significantly leveled up. So does Ron Holland. Basically, all the Pistons looked great. 

Christopher Kline: Ausar Thompson is my prediction for Most Improved Player this season. So his performance in Detroit is music to my ears. It really does feel like Ace Bailey lucked into the ideal offensive ecosystem in Utah, against all odds. And keeping with the rookie buzz, it’s a wee bit absurd how good VJ Edgecombe looks already. He has made so much improvement since Baylor. 

Rucker Haringey: VJ Edgecombe looked to be a nice speculative pick in Round 1 of this year’s draft by the 76ers. His play during the preseason makes him look like a probable starter in Philadelphia. If he can contribute to winning basketball as a rookie by playing 65+ games for the oft-injured 76ers he could give their regular season prospects a massive boost. 

What’s the one ranking you disagree with most on The Ringer’s updated preseason player rankings?

Ian Levy: Aaron Nesmith ranked 89. He's a plus defender at three positions and hits 40 percent from beyond the arc. I'm not sure who exactly he jumps (certainly Devin Vassell) but he should be higher.

Eamon: Alex Caruso is one of the best and most versatile defenders in the league. Regardless, No. 56 is far too rich for a player who averaged just fewer than 20 minutes a game last season. The three players below Caruso, Austin Reaves, Jaden McDaniels, and Brandon Ingram are all more important to their teams. Caruso's teammate, Lu Dort, found himself 11 spots lower despite being the Thunder's primary defensive stopper. Notably, Dort ranked in the 96th percentile for matchup difficulty per CraftedNBA, while Caruso ranked in the 73rd. 

Mat Rutkowski: Please. For the love of anything that has any shred of value, substance, or hope, do not make me rank other peoples’ rankings. The existence of these things in the first place in any person’s mind feels like something one should keep shrouded in one’s own head out full, bleeding recognition of one’s own hubris, eliminating context and alllll the things we don’t yet know about the game.

but I saw “paul george up” and i got confused. 

Matt Moore: RANKINGS ARE GOOD, MAT, AND THE PEOPLE LIKE THEM. GIVE THE PEOPLE THE RANKINGS WHAT THEY WANT! I RANK YOUR RESPONSE TO RANKING RANKINGS A ZERO! 

Pascal Siakam at 21 is too low. He’s so good and was the best player on that Pacers team, even if Haliburton was the most impactful. 

Christopher Kline: I think we’re jumping the shark a little bit with Paolo Banchero. We might need to reassess our collective Jrue Holiday stock after this season, but alas. And while I understand the “reason” — and The Ringer’s ongoing lack of respect for this individual is well documented — it’s a little bit silly to leave Paul George at 71 but not rank Joel Embiid, who’s actually healthy to begin the season. And like, when “healthy,” however infrequently it occurs, Embiid is a top-five player. So we shouldn’t ignore him. 

Rucker Haringey: How long will we continue to trust Lauri Markkanen to suddenly reignite his career after toiling away with the Jazz? He managed to move up 10 spots on The Ringer’s list despite shooting just 35 percent from 3 last season. The 7-foot forward also looked to have lost a step athletically. He may enjoy a career renaissance if Utah ever trades him, but moving up on this year’s list feels more like a hope than an observation. 

The Celtics coaching staff beat a team of their beat reporters 57-3. Which team would win a tournament with coaching staffs playing each other?

Ian Levy: Don't sleep on the Clippers. They might not be the best, but I love the scrappiness of Brian Shaw, Ty Lue, Dahntay Jones and Larry Drew, while Jeff Gundy mans the post.

Eamon: Besides being a hilarious concept after the Celtics scrimmage, I'd love to see this happen. There is simply so much talent around NBA coaching staffs, whether it be former NBA players or D1 hoopers. My sneaky pick would be the Pelicans, though. New Orleans has five former NBA players, including Willie Green, Corey Brewer, Jarron Collins, Jodie Meeks, and Aaron Miles. Four of these five players are 10-plus-year veterans. Moreover, all of them are under the age of 50. They might not be winning an NBA championship, but they could win the coaches' championship. Let's see this happen, Adam Silver, please. 

Mat Rutkowski: Again, it feels like I’ve won the lottery by answering early, but the Celtics. Joe Mazzulla is an insane person. I say this as an insane person. hmu on bsky for pictures of my medications. But I don’t find it especially unlikely that he would remove an appendage, or at the very least a finger or two, from any assistant who he did not feel was sufficiently locked in to the contest. No other coaching staff would care as much as they’d be forced to care themselves.

Matt Moore: Pelicans. Former player Willie Green. Former player Corey Brewer. Former player Jaron Collins. Former player Jodie Meeks. 

Christopher Kline: Yeah, Pelicans seems pretty straightforward. The Lakers basically have JJ Redick still in playing shape (or close to it), which could be fun too. 

Rucker Haringey: With all due to respect to Joe Mazzulla’s insane competitive streak, the answer here has to be the Pelicans. Jodie Meeks seems like the kind of guy who would dominate older leagues with his ability to drill it from deep. Corey Brewer would be a terror in transition to give the Pelicans a high ceiling. 

Our NBA picks and predictions for this season

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