# 2025-26 NBA season **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** basketball-nba\ **Created:** [October 21, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171 "2025-10-21T18:53:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/92 "2026-02-02T14:18:22Z")
Pistons won by the largest margin in their team history. _ **53 point** _ win over the Nets. Wow, Ive rarely seen such a blowout. It was actually close in the 1st period. Over 3 periods, the Nets seem to have gone very lackadaisical and discouraged. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/93 "2026-02-02T15:52:01Z")
This is the list of NBA banned substances (though AIUI they no longer care about cannabis) The following substances are Prohibited Substances under the Program: amphetamine and its analogs (including, but not limited to, methamphetamine and MDMA), cocaine, LSD, opiates (heroin, codeine and morphine), and PCP (collectively, “Drugs of Abuse”); marijuana; steroids. performance-enhancing drugs and masking agents (collectively, “SPEDs”); and diuretics. The only thing on that list that would ever be prescribed for mental health is amphetamine, and I find it very hard to believe an NBA veteran could get legitimately prescribed an amphetamine and not realize it was on the banned list. Methinks that word “improper” is doing a lot of heavy lifting there. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/94 "2026-02-02T16:32:50Z")
I would guess MDMA (ecstasy or Molly) or LSD. While not legally prescribed, they are used for mental health treatment. See [here](https://adf.org.au/insights/lsd-therapeutic-treatment/) and [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDMA-assisted_psychotherapy). I think it’s a little dumb these are banned for players (especially LSD), but of course there’s no excuse for a player not knowing they are on the list. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/95 "2026-02-02T16:54:30Z")
I thought about that, but AFAIK there is no way to test for LSD, so it probably wasn’t it. Could have been MDMA, but like you say, no excuse. And I doubt the league would have come down this hard on him if he’d been able to prove that he was doing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy under the care of a licensed provider, but who knows? I have to think George would be telling what happened in more detail if he thought those details would make him look good. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/96 "2026-02-05T00:54:59Z")
Mavs salary dump AD, Dante Exum, D’Angelo Russell, and Jaden Hardy to Washington, for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round draft picks, and three second-rounders. The two first round picks are OKC’s 2026 pick, likely to be a #29 or 30 pick, and the Warriors’ top-20-protected pick in 2030. So, basically worthless, as are that package of players. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2026, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/97 "2026-02-06T04:02:02Z")
The Hornets overcame 31 from KD to beat the Rockets by 10 _in Houston._ BUZZ BUZZ, BITCH! ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2026, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/98 "2026-02-06T05:31:57Z")
The Pacers traded Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson, along with draft picks, to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Ivica Zubac and Kobe Brown. This could be important. One of the picks we traded was this year’s first-rounder, with a 1-4, 10-30 protection on it. So if the ping pong balls are unkind and our pick lands between 5-9 this year, it is conveyed to the Clippers with one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory. That was the cost of getting rid of Mathurin before he left in free agency. > **[NBA Trade Eval: Ivica Zubac Gets Sent To Pacers In Deal Involving Bennedict...](https://www.si.com/onsi/fantasy/nba/nba-trade-eval-ivica-zubac-gets-sent-to-pacers-in-deal-involving-bennedict-mathurin)** > > Going over and evaluating the NBA deadline trade made between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Clippers. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2026, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/99 "2026-02-06T16:55:12Z")
Why not just let him leave? that seems like a horrible deal. I thought he was an ok player, and he is still young. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2026, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/100 "2026-02-07T18:42:23Z")
Well, we got our center of the future in Zubac, and you don’t let a player of Ben’s caliber go without getting anything in return. Zubac is under contract until the end of 2027-28. And if we get lucky with the ping pong balls, we might _still_ get a very good draft pick. Possibly #1. I actually like this deal for the Pacers, come to think of it. With Tyrese coming back next year, we can compete for the title again with Zubac in '27, especially if our pick doesn’t convey. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2026, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/101 "2026-02-07T23:33:33Z")
Jase Richardson of the Orlando Magic is going to be in this years slam dunk contest. A contest his father Jason Richardson won in 02 and 03. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2026, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/102 "2026-02-08T19:10:08Z")
Turned on the Bulls game last week and didn’t recognize any of the players. That’s probably a good sign! Although the problem with a teardown is that it’s still going to be managed by the Bulls front office, so we’ll probably just be failing in new ways. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/103 "2026-02-09T15:14:27Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > it’s still going to be managed by the Bulls front office, so we’ll probably just be failing in new ways. Well they tore down the whole team and received a grand total of zero first round picks for anyone, so off to a Bull start. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/104 "2026-02-09T16:04:33Z")
Weirdly, a big complaint fans have had about Bulls management is that they seemed to attach no value at all to second round picks. Now they’re going to the other extreme, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/105 "2026-02-10T09:39:35Z")
James Harden got traded to Cleveland in exchange for Darius Garland. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/106 "2026-02-10T16:07:33Z")
Last night, the Pistons were only able to beat the Hornets by 6 points. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/107 "2026-02-10T17:20:12Z")
And by beat, we mean fight apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/108 "2026-02-10T22:39:40Z")
Does the NBA enforce the 3 seconds rule? I told my son I can barely remember any time in NBA history(I’ve watched since the late 80s) that 3 seconds was called with any kind of consistency. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/109 "2026-02-10T22:42:56Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Does the NBA enforce the 3 seconds rule? It sure does when I’m playing 2K! ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/110 "2026-02-11T07:54:35Z")
The Pacers beat the Knicks 137-134 in Madison Square Garden. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/111 "2026-02-12T12:52:18Z")
Bennedict Mathurin wears #9 for the Clippers and registered 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists in his team debut, a loss to the Rockets. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171.md?page=6)