NBA Preseason Player Battles: Key Training Camp Competitions
Explore NBA preseason player battles and training camp roster decisions shaping team lineups and strategies for the 2026 season.
The quick list
- Best overall: New York Knicks center battle, Bruce Brown, Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman, for readers tracking a roster decision with immediate playoff and cap consequences.
- Best value: Denver Nuggets backup-center battle, DaRon Holmes versus Marvin Bagley III, for those interested in whether a cheaper internal solution can replace a veteran safety valve.
- Best for small spaces: Atlanta Hawks’ guard-wing allocation, Nickeil Alexander-Walker versus Dyson Daniels, for readers focused on how a lineup creates driving lanes around Trae Young’s absence from the projected starters.
- Best developmental bet: Sacramento Kings backup-center competition, Maxime Raynaud versus Dylan Cardwell, for readers watching whether a younger big can hold a basic playoff rotation job behind Domantas Sabonis.
- Best frontcourt audition: Portland Trail Blazers reserve-forward competition, including Yang Hansen, for readers looking for a long-term rotation piece rather than an immediate starter.
- Best scheme test: Miami Heat forward battle, for readers who want to see which reserve can execute switching, help rotations and off-ball spacing.
- Best health-dependent decision: Houston Rockets point-guard situation, for readers weighing Fred VanVleet’s return from ACL rehabilitation against the value of giving Amen Thompson more on-ball responsibility.
What readers are actually deciding
Training camp coverage often treats every open roster spot as a race for a starting job. That is not what most of these situations are. The better question is whether a candidate changes the geometry of a viable lineup.
A reserve center can alter the entire defensive menu. If he cannot contain a ball handler long enough for the low man to recover, a team cannot comfortably switch or play at the level. If he cannot screen, pass or finish, the second unit may require an extra creator.
There is also no consumer-style sticker price in these competitions. “Cost” here means salary-apron pressure, a waived salary, a developmental opportunity cost, or the risk of dedicating roster minutes to a player whose skill set overlaps with someone better.
That distinction matters especially before games begin. As of October 1, no preseason games had been played, so there are no credible preseason box-score standouts or settled depth-chart verdicts. The first exhibitions begin October 3. [3]
Comparison table
| Team and battle | Financial or roster cost | Size and positional issue | Lineup layout being tested | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Knicks, Bruce Brown vs. Drew Eubanks vs. James Wiseman at center | Knicks are constrained by the $221.686 million second apron [1][3] | A nominal center solution must survive traditional big-man minutes | Whether the club can keep playoff-caliber spacing and defensive coverage behind its primary bigs | Proven decision-making versus true center size and rim protection |
| Denver Nuggets, DaRon Holmes vs. Marvin Bagley III at backup center | Jonas Valanciunas was waived in a move reported to save $8 million [11] | Reserve must support Jokic-less minutes at center | Second-unit offense needs screening, finishing and enough passing continuity | Developmental upside versus a more established scorer |
| Sacramento Kings, Maxime Raynaud vs. Dylan Cardwell | No salary figure reported | Both are competing behind Domantas Sabonis | Can either protect the rim, screen and rebound without requiring Sabonis-style offensive usage? | Youth development versus immediate defensive reliability |
| Portland Trail Blazers, Yang Hansen for reserve-frontcourt minutes | No salary figure reported | Frontcourt depth and positional versatility | Which reserve can function beside different types of bigs and wings? | Long-term evaluation versus a cleaner short-term rotation |
| Miami Heat, forward rotation battle | No salary figure reported | Wing-forward flexibility is the asset | Switching, help defense and spacing around primary scorers | Versatility versus specialized shooting or rebounding |
| Houston Rockets, Fred VanVleet and the point-guard allocation | No salary figure reported | VanVleet’s health versus Thompson’s larger guard profile | Who initiates offense while Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. share the floor? | Veteran organization versus expanded development reps |
| Atlanta Hawks, Alexander-Walker vs. Daniels allocation | No salary figure reported | Shooting guard and wing defense overlap | Whether the group needs another connector-shooter or a bigger defensive playmaker | Spacing and secondary creation versus defensive disruption |
The Knicks: the battle with the smallest margin for error
The Knicks’ center contest involves Bruce Brown, Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman, and it cannot be separated from the second apron. The $221.686 million threshold is not a trivia item, it shapes how much redundancy New York can afford. [1][3]
Eubanks is the cleanest positional answer on paper because he is a conventional center option. In a preseason possession sample, watch whether the Knicks can run their base pick-and-roll coverages without changing matchups simply because he is on the floor.
Wiseman presents the opposite evaluation. The relevant tape is not a highlight finish or a made jumper. It is whether he arrives at the screen on time, occupies the weak-side tagger, then recovers to the defensive glass without compromising transition defense.
Brown is the unusual name in a center discussion. A smaller lineup can create pace, switching and extra ball handling, but it also changes the burden on every rebounder and low man. The question is whether the Knicks can win possessions after the first shot.
This is why New York is the best overall battle to monitor. A team near the apron cannot casually acquire another answer if the internal one fails. The preseason winner may not be the player with the highest scoring average, but the one who keeps the preferred five-man structure intact.
Denver: replacing a roster function, not merely a name
SI.com identified Denver’s backup-center competition between DaRon Holmes and Marvin Bagley III after the club waived Jonas Valanciunas in a reported $8 million savings move. [11] The money matters, but the tactical vacancy matters more.
Jokic’s minutes are easy to describe and difficult to replicate. Denver’s offense can use handoffs, elbow touches and inverted actions because its center is a passing hub. The reserve group does not need a Jokic imitation, but it does need to avoid becoming predictable.
Holmes’ case is about whether he can supply activity at both ends, screen into space, roll with force, and cover enough ground defensively that Denver does not have to flatten its scheme. That is a possession-to-possession role, not a points-per-game argument.
Bagley’s route is more direct. If he can finish, attack the offensive glass and provide enough scoring pressure, Denver may accept a different offensive layout. The concern is the other end, where a backup center’s positioning determines whether perimeter defenders can stay attached to shooters.
This is the best value contest because Denver has already made the financial choice to move on from Valanciunas. The remaining question is whether it can replace his minutes through role fit rather than through another veteran acquisition.
Sacramento, Portland and Miami: reserve minutes are still real minutes
Sacramento’s Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell are competing for the backup-center job behind Domantas Sabonis. [1][3] That makes the contest less about duplicating Sabonis and more about surviving the minutes when he sits.
A useful Kings reserve center should create a clean target for the ball handler, finish standard rolls, protect the defensive paint and end possessions with rebounds. If either candidate needs repeated post touches to matter offensively, that fit becomes harder to sustain.
Portland’s frontcourt reserve competition includes Yang Hansen, who is seeking rotation minutes rather than a guaranteed starting role. [1][3] The tape to prioritize is his compatibility. Can he defend a larger center, then play with one? Can he make a quick read after a short roll?
That is the best developmental bet because Portland can use preseason to test combinations rather than merely protect a finished rotation. A young big’s most valuable showing may be two sound defensive possessions and a correct outlet pass, not 16 points against mixed bench units.
Miami’s forward battle is less specific publicly, but the functional requirements are familiar: defend multiple actions, rotate on time, maintain spacing and avoid turning a switching possession into a scramble. [1][3] A forward who only scores may be less useful than one who preserves the scheme.
The Heat are the best scheme test for that reason. Preseason production must be filtered through assignment difficulty. A player making threes against a dropped defense is useful, but a player who communicates a switch, tags the roller and still closes to the corner may be harder to replace.
Houston and Atlanta: projected starters are not settled usage roles
RotoWire’s late-September Houston projection lists Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun as the starters. [4] That group is large, skilled and potentially flexible, but VanVleet’s ACL return prevents a simple reading of the point-guard label.
If VanVleet handles the ball conventionally, Thompson can cut, defend the toughest perimeter matchup and attack tilted defenses. If Thompson initiates more, Houston may gain size and downhill force but ask its half-court spacing to hold under greater stress.
Atlanta’s projected five of CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu similarly presents a positional overlap rather than a neat binary choice. [4] Alexander-Walker and Daniels can both play across guard-wing roles, but they solve different possessions.
Alexander-Walker’s value is typically easier to see in connective offense, spacing and secondary handling. Daniels’ value can show up before the shot, in ball pressure, deflections and the ability to absorb difficult wing assignments. The eventual answer may be matchup-dependent.
Neither case should be reduced to who starts in an exhibition. The significant evidence is who closes a competitive second half, who can coexist with the stars, and whether the lineup keeps a credible ball handler, shooter and point-of-attack defender on the floor.
Standouts to monitor, with the proper caveat
NBA.com’s Summer League coverage identified Tyler Bilodeau, Cameron Boozer, Ryan Conwell, Zuby Ejiofor, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Jaxon Kohler, Darryn Peterson and Tarris Reed Jr. among the early players drawing attention. [2] That is useful scouting context, not preseason proof.
Summer League rewards creation and activity, but NBA rotation minutes impose different constraints. A rookie who scores freely may face smaller windows, more organized help defense and a narrower assignment once veterans return to the floor.
The same restraint applies to camp messaging. The Los Angeles Times reported that Lakers coach JJ Redick framed camp around meritocratic competition, while TalkBasket noted his emphasis on defensive intensity. [5][6] Those are meaningful standards, but not evidence that a player has won a role.
Nick Nurse’s defense-centered vision in Philadelphia, Steve Kerr’s reported spacing and cutting adjustments for Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, and Orlando coach Sean Sweeney’s switching emphasis all shape what coaches will reward. [7][8][3] They do not substitute for game evidence.
Health and availability can settle a battle before tape does
Dallas center Dereck Lively II was not cleared for training camp after a second right-foot surgery, with no certain return timetable reported. [9] That removes a major frontcourt variable and makes any Mavericks center evaluation provisional.
Detroit’s Jalen Duren had not reported to training camp amid a contract dispute after declining a reported five-year, $200 million fully guaranteed offer. [13] The basketball implication is simple: a role cannot be tested while the player is unavailable.
Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel is expected to miss all four preseason games with a left hamstring injury, while Grant Williams is also expected to miss the full preseason because of a right hamstring injury. [10] Neither absence should be mislabeled as losing a competition.
Who each option suits
The Knicks’ battle suits readers who want to understand cap pressure as a basketball variable. The second apron turns a third-center choice into a constraint on future fixes, so lineup viability matters more than a flashy preseason stat line.
Denver suits readers interested in roster construction around a superstar. Holmes and Bagley are not trying to become Jokic. They are trying to give Denver credible non-Jokic possessions without forcing the entire system to abandon its best habits.
Sacramento suits those looking for a traditional backup-big evaluation. Raynaud and Cardwell need not dominate the ball. They need to make the next pass, meet the ball at the rim, rebound their area and avoid coverage breakdowns.
Portland suits readers who prefer developmental tape. Yang Hansen’s value will be clearest in combinations, defensive communication and transition decisions, the details that determine whether a prospect can stay on the court with a mixed lineup.
Miami suits readers who value scheme discipline. A forward rotation slot will likely reward the player who can defend a possession without help, then execute the next rotation correctly when help is necessary.
Houston and Atlanta suit readers focused on lineup architecture. Their questions are not purely about talent. They are about where creation comes from, who protects the best perimeter scorer, and whether size can coexist with the spacing required to keep offenses functional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the key NBA preseason player battles in 2026?
The most consequential battles include the New York Knicks’ center competition among Bruce Brown, Drew Eubanks, and James Wiseman, and the Denver Nuggets’ backup center contest between DaRon Holmes and Marvin Bagley III. Other notable battles involve reserve roles for Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, and Miami Heat, focusing on defensive assignments and bench lineup viability. Additionally, guard and wing spots are contested in Atlanta and Houston, influenced by injuries and roster construction.
How do NBA training camp battles affect team lineups?
Training camp battles primarily determine whether a player can change the geometry of a viable lineup rather than just winning a starting job. For example, a reserve center’s ability to defend, screen, and pass influences defensive schemes and offensive spacing. These decisions also involve salary cap considerations and developmental opportunities, with teams balancing immediate needs against long-term roster construction.
Which NBA teams have the most consequential roster battles in preseason?
The New York Knicks have the most consequential battle due to their center competition under a tight $221.686 million salary apron constraint. The Denver Nuggets’ backup center role is also critical following the waiver of Jonas Valanciunas. Sacramento, Portland, and Miami are focused on reserve roles, while Houston and Atlanta’s guard and wing battles are important but more fluid due to injuries and player returns.
How does the Knicks center battle impact their salary cap?
The Knicks’ center competition is constrained by a $221.686 million second-apron salary cap limit, which restricts their ability to add external players to fix roster issues. This financial limitation means the team must carefully evaluate internal options like Bruce Brown, Drew Eubanks, and James Wiseman, balancing proven decision-making against size and rim protection needs without exceeding the apron.
What should fans watch for in NBA preseason player competitions?
Fans should focus on how players impact lineup spacing, defensive coverage, and the ability to execute team schemes like switching and help rotations. Observing whether reserve players can maintain offensive flow and defensive reliability without primary creators is key. Since no preseason games had been played as of October 1, 2026, early evaluations rely on training camp observations rather than box-score standouts.
How we researched this
This article was assembled from 1 video source, 4 published articles, 13 cited references.
Nothing here is based on hands-on testing. Where a figure or finding appears, it belongs to the source cited beside it, and the writing says so rather than implying otherwise. Every source is listed below so you can check it.
Sources
Elite Role Players Stuck On Terrible NBA Teams — Andy Hoops
Fantasy basketball: Players to know and position battles to watch during NBA preseason — ESPN
NBA Scout: Wizards’ Dynamic Duo of Anthony Davis and Trae Young Could Be a Problem — si.com
Stephen Curry unveils new Steve Kerr, Warriors philosophy for 2026-27 NBA season — Yahoo Sports
Orlando Magic Take 5 Major Cost-Saving Steps To Make Tickets More Affordable For Fans — Yahoo Sports
2026 NBA Summer League: Standout players from Day 5 | NBA.com
NBA Preseason 2026: New Faces, Roster Battles and the Storylines to Watch
JJ Redick highlights Lakers’ defensive intensity at training camp - TalkBasket.net
'This is a meritocracy': Lakers open training camp with mandate of competition - Los Angeles Times
Star-studded Sixers take first steps with Nick Nurse's ‘vision’ presentation
Dereck Lively II Not Cleared for Mavericks Camp After Foot Surgery - BBall Wire
Hornets star Knueppel sustains injury before training camp. Here’s the prognosis - AOL
Which Nuggets Position Battles We're Watching in Training Camp
Watch NBA Training Camp and Preseason Player Battles on Youtube
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