Ahead of the start of this year’s NBA Cup group stage on Friday, Mavericks star Kyrie Irving admitted that he “wasn’t that excited” by the idea of the in-season tournament when the league first introduced it a few years ago, but he has come around on it since then.

“I think I understand the concept of it now and what it means for the fandom of basketball,” Irving said, per Christian Clark of The Athletic. “And just getting your legs up underneath you. … The Knicks and the Spurs last year, we saw them in the (NBA Cup and NBA) Finals. I think there is some correlation to playing well early in the season and that leading to success later on down the line.

“… It’s a good pressure environment to have early in the season.”

Dallas picked up a key victory in its first NBA Cup game on Friday, upsetting the Rockets to get off to an 1-0 start in West Group A.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

• Noting that sophomores and juniors who aren’t locks to be first-round picks are increasingly inclined to return to school due to their NIL earning potential, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has left out several “draftable” second- or third-year college players in his latest 2027 mock draft, since he doesn’t expect them to go pro. Kansas forward Tyran Stokes remains atop Wasserman’s mock, followed by Arkansas guard Jordan Smith Jr. at No. 2 and Arizona guard Caleb Holt at No. 3.
• As Wasserman looks ahead to the 2027 draft, John Hollinger of The Athletic shares his early impressions of the 2026 rookie class, writing that it looks like it will be a special group. While it often takes time for first-year players to emerge as rotation regulars, many of this year’s rookies are already making a significant impact for their respective clubs, as Hollinger details.
• With the Thunder’s roster decimated by injuries, the Knicks off to a slow start, and the Spurs not yet playing their best basketball, the 2026/27 title race looks more wide open than it did a few weeks ago, according to ESPN’s Zach Kram, who observes that injuries and slow starts could also reshape the MVP race.
• Bobby Marks of ESPN put together a 12-man roster consisting of his “Contract Year All-Stars,” identifying a dozen veterans who have the ability to reach free agency next summer and could be in line for big paydays. Marks’ 12-man group doesn’t include All-NBA caliber players and consists instead of impact role players, such as Bucks guard Ryan Rollins, Pistons big man Paul Reed, Raptors forward RJ Barrett, and Hornets center Moussa Diabate. Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome, who is putting up All-NBA type numbers in the early going, also earns a spot on Marks’ list.