KeithSmithNBA

It's been a while since I created the original version of this, so I updated it for 2026-27. Note: these are the current projections for the Cap, Tax, Aprons and Exceptions. Hope this helps people understand the various spending levels and restrictions with each. Send feedback!

New NBA Game Notes are up on The Basketball Bulletin! Quick Thunder thoughts to lead off, then notes from: 🏀Cavs-Wolves 🏀Mavs-Heat 🏀Hornets-Wizards 🏀Bucks-Pacers 🏀Grizzlies-Jazz If you like what you see, please consider subscribing! basketballbulletin.substack.com/p/nba-game-n...

Shaping up to be a pretty great night for Milwaukee sports fans!

Jazz fans: What happened to Lauri Markkanen? Haven't been able to watch any of that game yet.

Cooper Flagg had an awesome closeout to block a potential go-ahead corner three from Miami. Next possession, he drove and switched hands for a lefty finish to put Dallas up by four. Big-time stuff from the Mavs sophomore. Heat looking at an 0-4 record to open the season.

I thought that triple from Ant was going down. Cavs are going to survive. This was an awesome game tonight.

Dusty May has had the Mavs in a 2-3 zone for a lot of possessions in the fourth quarter and the Heat have struggled in the halfcourt. Cooper Flagg and Morez Johnson Jr. are making plays for Dallas down the stretch. There have been some really good games tonight!

Chris Cenac Jr. is the 523rd player to score in a game in Celtics franchise history. (That was quick!)

Anthony Edwards has ice in his veins. Such a killer.

Chris Cenac Jr. is the 533rd player to play for the Celtics in franchise history.

Peyton Watson has made a ton of huge defensive plays for the Cavs tonight. Really fun OT game in Cleveland.

Joe, it's time to get Tatum out after these free throws. Please and thank you.

Mike Conley is the 522nd player to score in a game in Celtics franchise history.

Mike Conley is the 532nd player to play for the Celtics in franchise history.

Outstanding 3-1 start to the season for the Hornets. Especially so when you consider they are missing two starters and a key frontcourt reserve. Charles Lee is a heck of a coach.

It's incredibly fun when Payton Pritchard gets it going. He can, and will, shoot from anywhere when he's feeling it.

Giannis wants to snap the losing streak badly. He's been in monster mode tonight. Doing a lot of everything.

Four fouls on both Jayson Tatum and Paul George. 7:15 to play in the third quarter. Celtics up 10.

Damn did Giannis ever do the Go Gadget Arm dunk there! Wow!

A lot is falling on Brandon Miller with Kon Knueppel and Coby White out, so he hasn't been overly efficient, but he's been really good. He's up to the moment of carrying the team.

Awesome half for Hugo Gonzalez. He's been a factor on both ends of the floor so far tonight.

All three of the Celtics bigs, Robinson, Queta and Garza, are very good about sprinting down the middle of the floor in transition. If they don't get a layup/dunk, it almost always opens up a shooter by pulling the defense into the paint.

Caleb Wilson has some real craft in his finishing package already. He's going to be so good. This rookie class is awesome.

If the Wolves keep looking this good, I'm dangerously close to packing up and moving the family to Minnesota. It's not really THAT cold, right?

Good, quick swing pass by Hugo Gonzalez. Followed it with a nice crash of the glass for his first bucket of the season.

Jayson Tatum's passing in this early season is 😍😍😍

Wrote up a quick-hit piece for @spotrac.com on the options the Thunder have after losing Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace. Spoiler: I expect them to be patient and not to do anything immediately, but they do have some options. www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/35...

I suppose it's good that he seems to understand how elections work.

New NBA Game Notes are up from a sad Sunday in the NBA. Notes from: 🏀Lakers-Jazz 🏀Thunder-Clippers 🏀Magic-Knicks 🏀Pistons-76ers 🏀Grizzlies-Kings If you like what you see, please consider subscribing. basketballbulletin.substack.com/p/nba-games-...

I wouldn't expect OKC or Orlando to make trades right away. Roughly 30% of the NBA can't be traded right now. We rarely see trades before mid to late December, because most players who signed over the summer can't be traded until December 15. But could deals get lined up? Sure.

For Orlando, it's wait-and-see mode for Jalen Suggs injury. You hope for the best here. If he's out for a while, that means big opportunity for Jase Richardson and even more opportunity for Tristan da Silva. Jamal Cain will play more too, and maybe some Jevon Carter minutes.

With all due respect to Jalen Williams, part of the job is evaluating what's next for OKC. I think they'll largely be ok on offense. They've got enough creators and scorers. Defense, especially against big wings, is a concern. Maybe a trade comes, but that'd be a ways away yet.

Early-season NBA surprises, both pleasant and not-so-pleasant: 🏀Memphis Grizzlies 3-0 🏀Charlotte Hornets 2-1 (given the key guys who are out) 🏀Miami Heat 0-3 🏀New York Knicks 0-3

Good win for the shorthanded Pistons on the road. Sixers were missing some guys too, so I don't know how much we learn from this matchup. Two of the best teams in the East for sure.

Ron Holland just put the clamps on Jaylen Brown. Brown had no room to move and Holland ended up stripping the ball away. Good stuff from Holland, who has done everything but make a shot today for the Pistons. Getting extended minutes with Ausar Thompson out.

I missed it live, but seeing the replay it looks like Jalen Suggs might have suffered a serious knee injury tonight too.

Oh no...Jalen Williams. That is awful. Don't look if you don't have to, but he appears to have dislocated or broken his ankle.

50-ball for Luka. He's made shots from everywhere today.

The Jazz are getting whatever shot they want against the Lakers right now.

Two really good early-season matchups tonight: 🏀Raptors at Timberwolves - 7 PM ET NBA TV 🏀Pistons at 76ers (no Duren or Embiid) - 7:30 PM ET All four teams are 2-0 or 3-0. Should be a good night of hoops!

FREE for all: New NBA Game Notes are up on The Basketball Bulletin! Notes from: 🏀HOU-ATL 🏀DEN-NOP 🏀CHA-MIA 🏀CLE-BKN 🏀WAS-CHI Last fully free post of the relaunch! If you like what you've seen so far, please consider subscribing. basketballbulletin.substack.com/p/nba-game-n...

Ummm, Cavs, what are you doing? You had this game won easily.

Tonight, in Denver:

It's probably not today, but we aren't too far off from having some conversations about the Heat. This game was close, but was a real mess for Miami. They did not look good once again.

Myles Turner just had a stretch of about as bad of basketball as you can possibly have: Turnover Maxey ran by him for a layup Turned it over again on the inbound Fouled Jabari Walker for a three-point play Committed an offensive foul for a third straight turnover

FREE for all: New NBA Game Notes are up on The Basketball Bulletin! Notes from: 🏀BOS-NYK 🏀HOU-SAS 🏀LAL-LAC 🏀CHI-MIL 🏀TOR-WAS 🏀UTA-NOP 🏀MEM-GSW 🏀POR-SAC If you like what you read, please consider subscribing for more all season long! basketballbulletin.substack.com/p/nba-game-n...

Rockets are playing through Alperen Sengun down the stretch here and Sengun is delivering time and time again.

Jayson Tatum tonight: 36 points on 53.8% shooting 9 rebounds 7 assists 3 steals 2 turnovers That last one is a big one that might get lost in the other stuff.

Really good bounce-back win for the Celtics. They split a tough opening set. Knicks will be fine. Two tough ones for them to open the season.

Jayson Tatum has Tatumed this fourth quarter. Yeah, he's still awesome.

I think the broadcast had the score wrong in Celtics-Knicks going into this timeout. All the box scores show that it's 101-98 Boston. I think whoever is running the scorebug for Prime got confused by that review that confirmed Josh Hart's three (96 pts) and added an extra point.