Storylines to watch as NBA preseason action begins Friday

The 2024-25 NBA season is almost here with the regular season beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 22. A total of 32 former Kentucky Wildcats expect to be on an NBA roster once the schedule gets rolling. That’s a lot of blue and white playing in the world’s top basketball league.

But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we’ll prepare for the regular season with two full weeks of preseason action. The exhibitions begin tomorrow — Friday, Oct. 4 — and continue until Friday, Oct. 18. A three-day break will then separate us from the start of the NBA’s 79th regular season. Basketball is almost officially back, folks.

The preseason typically isn’t anything overly exciting. The superstars will take it easy early on before likely sitting out in the final days while the reserves and players on the edge of locking up a full-time roster spot try to play their way into favor with their respective coaching staffs. So don’t expect to see too much out of the likes of Anthony Davis (LAL), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC), Devin Booker (PHX), or other former Kentucky All-Stars throughout the preseason. They’ll play a game or two and then watch from the bench in street clothes the rest of the way.

So what storylines should you, a proud member of the Big Blue Nation, keep an eye on? Let’s discuss…

Karl-Anthony Towns, Julius Randle in new threads

A three-team trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks and Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves was made official on Wednesday. Meaning that was the first day those two former ‘Cats were allowed to practice with their new teams. That’s a short turnaround between then and the start of live games.

Towns and the Knicks play on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. EST on NBA TV. It’ll be your first chance to watch Towns in the Big Apple after spending the first nine seasons of his career in Minneapolis. With KAT in the fold, the Knicks now hold the third-highest odds to make the NBA Finals, per FanDuel, at +750. Expectations are going to be Kentucky-level high for Towns and his new squad.

Meanwhile, Randle and the Timberwolves get the preseason rolling on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tipoff is set for 10:30 p.m. EST on NBA TV. There are plenty of storylines to watch in this one too. Not only will Davis be in action for Los Angeles, but so will LeBron James and his rookie son, Bronny James, who was scooped up in the second round by the Lakers back in June. Randle’s fit in Minny isn’t as clear as Towns’ in New York though — lots of eyes will be on the Wolves’ big-man trio of Randle, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid to see how they all mesh as a frontcourt unit.

Four Kentucky rookie debuts

Sticking with the Timberwolves, rookie Rob Dillingham is one of four first-year former Wildcats in the NBA this season. Dillingham was the 8th overall pick in the draft by the San Antonio Spurs before immediately being shipped over to Minnesota. Expectations are that the shifty scoring guard will relieve some of the on-ball stress that Anthony Edwards soaks up as the primary ball handler. Dillingham will learn behind one of the league’s top veterans in Mike Conley. Although he likely won’t be seeing 25-plus minutes per game from day one, he’ll be a valuable rotation piece. The preseason is a great way to see how much juice he has.

But the main attraction here is Reed Sheppard, who will make his Houston Rockets preseason debut on Monday, Oct. 7 at 9:00 p.m. EST against the Utah Jazz. You’ll need NBA League Pass to see Sheppard and his mustache take the floor though. Sheppard, drafted 3rd overall, lit up the Summer League a few months ago and is among the favorites to win Rookie of the Year. Will he start right away? That’s up in the air, but he’s going to be force-fed plenty of minutes early in the season.

The other two rookies to watch for will be Antonio Reeves (NOP) and Justin Edwards (PHI). Both will make their preseason debuts on Monday, Oct. 7 — Reeves (a second-round pick) against the Orlando Magic and Edwards (undrafted) against the New Zealand Breakers.

Who needs an impressive preseason?

A few former Wildcats, honestly. Oscar Tshiebwe (UTA) and TyTy Washington (PHX) are both on two-way contracts on brand-new teams. They’ll need to prove they can bring something to the table in the preseason to justify real NBA playing time. Otherwise, it could be another long season in the G League for both. Both Tshiebwe and Washington have starred in the G League, but have yet to carve out a rotation spot in the NBA.

Other Kentucky guys such as Kevin Knox (GSW) and Jacob Toppin (NYK) are on two-way contracts this season while Skal Labissiere (SAC) and Brandon Boston Jr. (LAC) are on Exhibit 10 deals. Two-way contracts keep a player on board throughout the season with the option to move that player up and down between the NBA and the G League. An Exhibit 10 contract, however, is basically a training camp deal that can be converted into a two-way.

All six players would benefit greatly from a productive preseason.

List of Wildcats on a preseason roster

Player	Pos	HT	WT	Draft Yr	NBA Team
Bam Adebayo	C	6-9	255	2017	Heat
Devin Booker	SG	6-6	206	2015	Suns
Brandon Boston Jr.	SG	6-6	188	2021	Spurs
Anthony Davis	PF	6-10	253	2012	Lakers
Rob Dillingham	SG	6-3	175	2024	Timberwolves
Justin Edwards	SF	6-8	203	2024	Sixers
De’Aaron Fox	PG	6-3	185	2017	Kings
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	PG	6-6	195	2018	Thunder
Tyler Herro	SG	6-5	195	2019	Heat
Isaiah Jackson	PF	6-9	205	2021	Pacers
Keldon Johnson	SF	6-5	220	2019	Spurs
Johnny Juzang	SG	6-5	209	2022	Jazz
Kevin Knox	SF	6-7	215	2018	Warriors
Skal Labissiere	C	6-10	235	2016	Kings
Chris Livingston	F	6-6	220	2023	Bucks
Trey Lyles	SF	6-9	234	2015	Kings
Tyrese Maxey	PG	6-2	200	2020	Sixers
Malik Monk	SG	6-3	200	2017	Kings
Jamal Murray	SG	6-4	215	2016	Nuggets
Immanuel Quickley	PG	6-2	190	2020	Raptors
Julius Randle	PF	6-8	250	2014	Timberwolves
Nick Richards	C	7-0	245	2020	Hornets
Antonio Reeves	SG	6-4	205	2024	Pelicans
Shaedon Sharpe	F	6-5	205	2022	Trail Blazers
Reed Sheppard	SG	6-3	185	2024	Rockets
Jacob Toppin	SF	6-8	200	2023	Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns	C	7-0	248	2015	Knicks
Oscar Tshiebwe	F	6-8	255	2023	Jazz
Jarred Vanderbilt	PF	6-8	214	2018	Lakers
Cason Wallace	G	6-3	195	2023	Thunder
TyTy Washington Jr.	PG	6-3	195	2022	Suns
PJ Washington	PF	6-7	230	2019	Mavericks