Jimmy Butler lands at No. 40 in NBA 2K26 with an 87 overall rating, his lowest since NBA 2K16 and a notable dip from the 90s he had in recent years. The Warriors’ late-season acquisition of Butler is reflected in a 35-game sample last season, where he averaged about 17.9 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. Butler shares the 87 rating with Amen Thompson, Derrick White, Ivica Zubac, Zion Williamson, Darius Garland, LaMelo Ball, Alperen Sengun and Domantas Sabonis at a slate of 87s, highlighting a crowded mid-80s tier among top stars. The countdown emphasizes the shifting value of veteran scorers and the evolving fantasy landscape as 2K26 climbs toward September’s release date.

The piece situates Butler’s rating in a broader context: a historic stretch of 90+ ratings earlier in his career, the impact of a midseason trade, and the way 2K26’s top 100 framing positions a mix of established veterans and rising talent. For fantasy managers, Butler’s rating suggests cautious optimism—elite scoring with questions about durability and health-driven minute volatility—and underscores the importance of roster construction around a player whose role could swing with the Warriors’ mix of veterans and younger contributors.

Kevin Durant landed with the Houston Rockets in a seven-team deal that rewired the West and flipped the balance of power for the next couple of seasons. Phoenix collected a bounty of youth and veteran savvy, while Miami’s dream package — Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, Jaime Jaquez, Haywood Highsmith and Kasparas Jakucionis with a high lottery pick — fell short of Phoenix’s price. Durant’s move marks his fifth franchise and cements his place as a player who can immediately lift a contender’s ceiling, even as it creates shifting roles for the Rockets, Suns and Heat. Durant averaged 27-plus points per game across his 17-year run, with MVP credentials and a Hall of Fame résumé, and his presence in Houston instantly makes Jalen Green a secondary scorer of high efficiency. The Heat, while not landing Durant, retain a strong core and a future-forward draft asset pool, setting up a potential return in future summers. The Suns pivot to win-now pieces, laying the groundwork for continued title contention with a mix of established talent and draft capital.

John Wall retires after 11 NBA seasons, closing a dynamic era that began as the 2010 No. 1 pick out of Kentucky and became a Wizards staple before stints with Houston and the Clippers. Wall’s peak touched every facet of fantasy value: he flashed elite scoring bursts and elite playmaking, notably posting 23.1 PPG and 10.7 APG in 2016-17 and earning All-NBA Third Team recognition along with a Slam Dunk title in 2014. Injuries later curtailed his impact, limiting him to sparse appearances the last two seasons. Wall’s farewell marks the end of a high-octane chapter in Washington and a reminder of how durability shapes guard value in fantasy.

For fantasy and betting, Wall’s prime underscores the potential upside when healthy, while his injury-riddled later years highlight durability risk. His three-team journey—Wizards, Rockets, Clippers—illustrates how a brilliant, explosive guard can influence roster construction even as minutes fade. Wall’s retirement invites rethinking guard trajectories, the timing of peak production, and how teams allocate backcourt opportunity to younger, healthier players ready to carry the pace and playmaking load into the future.

John Wall has officially stepped off the NBA court, closing a Wizards chapter defined by elite playmaking and durable longevity despite years of injuries. Wall leaves Washington as the franchise leader in assists and steals and sits among its top scorers, a testament to how he shaped the team’s identity during four playoff runs and the 2017 series win. His absence creates a backcourt ripple effect as the franchise pivots from a star-driven era toward a new guard rotation.

Wall’s career arc stretched from a 2010 lottery pick to a fixture whose prime was often interrupted by injuries, including major seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19. A trade to Houston for Russell Westbrook signaled a shift in his path, with Wall not fully recapturing his All-Star level in Houston or his next stop, the Clippers. Since his last appearance, he has stayed close to the game as a G-League broadcaster and NBA TV analyst, signaling football-like transition plans rather than a sudden exit. He leaves a lasting mark on Wizards lore and a reminder of what a healthy prime could have yielded.

As Wall retires at 34, the game will remember the playground-dominating guard who chased a ball from Raleigh to Kentucky to the league—and the player who connected with fans in a way stats alone cannot capture. His retirement also hints at a broader shift in Washington’s approach to building around youth, leadership, and complementary talent, while Wall’s post-playing path suggests a continued, near‑term presence in the basketball conversation from the broadcast booth to potential future opportunities.