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Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic are top players to watch in 2025-26, Stephen A. Smith says
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- Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic are top players to watch in 2025-26, Stephen A. Smith says
The post Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic are top players to watch in 2025-26, Stephen A. Smith says appeared first on ClutchPoints .
With the 2025-26 NBA season two months away , ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith released his list of the top-five players to watch entering October. The group is led by Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis and Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic , two stars linked by last season's blockbuster trade .
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Smith placed Davis at the top of his list. The 32-year-old forward was dealt to Dallas at the February trade deadline in exchange for Doncic .
In nine games with the Mavericks, Davis averaged 20 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Combined with his time in Los Angeles , Davis finished the 2024-25 season averaging 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game on 51.6% shooting from the field and 28.2% from three-point range across 51 games.
Doncic, who Smith ranked second, enters his first full season with the Lakers after inking a three-year, $165 million contract extension earlier this summer. At 26, the guard produced 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 43.8% from the field and 37.9% from three during his 28 games with Los Angeles.
Over the entire 2024-25 campaign, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 45% from the field and 36.8% from three across 50 appearances.
Anthony Davis , Luka Doncic lead Stephen A. Smith's top-5 players to watch
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Smith's list also includes Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant , who ranked third. Durant joined Houston this offseason in a multiteam trade from the Phoenix Suns , marking another shift in his storied career.
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Jimmy Butler followed at fourth after being traded from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors at the February deadline, giving Golden State an additional All-Star presence alongside Stephen Curry . Rounding out the top five is Kyrie Irving, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in March against the Sacramento Kings .
Irving, 33, remains a central figure despite the injury setback. He posted 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.1% from three in 50 games last season.
The selections highlight a dramatic offseason that reshaped the league. Davis and Doncic's trade connected two of the NBA's most prominent franchises in a rare superstar swap, while Durant and Butler found new homes through high-profile deals that shifted the balance of power. Irving's rehabilitation adds another storyline as the league anticipates his eventual return.
The Mavericks and Lakers are set to face off in a preseason matchup on Oct. 15, televised nationally on ESPN. Their first regular-season meeting comes on Nov. 28 in Los Angeles, a game that could serve as Davis' return to face the Lakers since the February trade.
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With Davis and Doncic headlining Stephen A. Smith's list, the focus on both stars underscores the heightened expectations surrounding the Mavericks and Lakers as the 2025-26 season approaches.
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