The NBA Preseason begins with an Eastern Conference rivalry, with dozens of games to watch — ahead of the regular season starting on Tuesday, Oct. 21. The Philadelphia 76ers taking on the New York Knicks at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi,

Australia has seen plenty of its players in the NBA over the years: Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Andrew Bogut, Ben Simmons, Luc Longley, Matthew Dellavedova and Josh Giddey, to name a few. Kyrie Irving was born there as well.

The Pelicans are making history this weekend as they will become the first-ever NBA team to play games in Australia.

By that logic, there are a lot of players — the five that follow in particular — who have a lot of privilege this season. There is always pressure in the NBA — pressure to win, but for most players it’s more about pressure to keep their job and the paydays coming beyond this season. That pressure hits some players harder than others.

As part of the partnership, the NBA and AWS will launch NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS, a new basketball intelligence platform that will turn billions of data points into compelling insights and interactive experiences, reimagining how fans engage with the game of basketball worldwide.

Every year, the NBA undergoes a process of renewal. Old-timers slip, and younger up-and-comers rise to take their place. Last season, Cade Cunningham, Victor Wembanyama, Evan Mobley and Alperen Sengün made their All-Star debuts.

Zach LaVine, Kings: He has a $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season. I don’t really see him declining that option unless he’s 1) dying to get out of Sacramento or 2) has a three- or four-year deal in the $35 million range annually lined up.