Roundup
Atlanta Hawks
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Milwaukee Bucks
Orlando Magic
Washington Wizards
Pistons edge Suns as Claxton goes down: Central and Southeast roundup
The Pistons open with a tight win, the Bulls lose Nic Claxton for at least two weeks, and the Wizards keep tweaking their camp roster.
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Pistons start strong as Bucks, Hawks stumble
In the Central Division, the Detroit Pistons opened their season on a high note, grinding out a 109-107 win over the Phoenix Suns. That puts Detroit at 1-0 and alone atop the division for now, with the rest of their Central rivals still looking to get their preseason slates underway.
The Milwaukee Bucks had a much rougher debut, falling 116-97 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Milwaukee drops to 0-1 and will look for answers quickly if it wants to keep pace with Detroit. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers were idle on the floor, but looming over the division is the rookie-scale extension landscape, with the October 19 deadline approaching and Cam Whitmore and Jordan Hawkins already out of the mix after being waived.
In the Southeast, the Atlanta Hawks came up short in a 132-123 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Atlanta starts out 0-1, while the Miami Heat sit at 1-0 and the Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards have yet to log their first preseason results.
Bulls hit early snag with Nic Claxton injury
The Chicago Bulls suffered their first major setback before the games even matter. Center Nic Claxton is dealing with a hamstring injury that will sideline him for at least two weeks. He is ruled out for all five of Chicago’s preseason contests, and his availability for the opener in Toronto is now in serious doubt. For a team that expected him to anchor the rim and the glass, it is a significant blow to their early-season plans.
Wizards and Magic stay busy, Duren in extension chatter
In Washington, training camp remains active on multiple fronts. The Wizards signed big man Skal Labissiere to an Exhibit 10 contract and waived Jazian Gortman. On the court, Alex Sarr logged his first full-contact practice on Monday, a key step at the start of his NBA journey, while Trae Young and Tre Mann have also been earning praise early in camp.
The Orlando Magic added depth of their own, signing Mike Sharavjamts to an Exhibit 10 deal and making additional end-of-camp tweaks. And even without any trade being finalized, Detroit’s Jalen Duren finds himself at the center of rookie-scale extension talk, mentioned alongside Brandin Podziemski in shaping that market, while speculation continues about P.J. Washington’s future in Dallas.