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.

Houston enters 2025-26 with one of the league’s easiest schedules, according to HoopsHype. October and February show SOS above 100 by a slim margin, while October’s sample is tiny due to an early start. The rest of the season sits below league-average difficulty, hinting at weeks where wins could turn into strong fantasy numbers.

Kept in focus: Kevin Durant arrives, Amen Thompson continues to develop, and Alperen Sengun should benefit from more spacing and playmaking. If health cooperates, Houston has a rare window to translate favorable months into meaningful counting stats, supporting a diversified fantasy approach across its core.

USA Basketball tees up a bold 2028 bid by compiling a fresh core of under-23 talent, led by Paolo Banchero and a rising duo in Cooper Flagg and Amen Thompson, plus Chet Holmgren as a modern stretch-big anchor. The piece highlights Jalen Suggs and a watch-list of guards (Stephon Castle, VJ Edgecombe, Kon Knueppel, Cason Wallace) to pair with a defensive backbone and elite wing/forward potential. It also nods to a veteran exodus, with LeBron, Durant and Curry unlikely to suit up, pushing the onus onto a new generation led by 2028 expectations and 2023-24 maturation curves. The discussion links future guard prototypes to the success of the last Olympic cycle and maps a path for multi-Olympic runs through 2032.

In short, the piece paints a narrative where USA Basketball leverages versatility, two-way defenders, and a flexible frontcourt to thrive across FIBA formats, while blending star power with role-player depth. The guard archetype evolution—backcourt sustainment from Suggs through Brunson—with a defensive spine from Holmgren, Thompson and Flagg could redefine how the U.S. competes in Paris-adjacent volleys and beyond.

Older stars are defying age, and Kevin Durant is at the center of the conversation as he heads into 2025-26 with Houston. The thinking: if Durant can stay elite into his late 30s, the Rockets’ long-term window grows wider, especially as Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun mature. Across the league, several veterans—LeBron, Curry, Harden—are proving you can play at a high level deep into the 30s, suggesting a new normal where age isn’t an automatic cliff but a gradient to manage.

Durant’s recent 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists on efficient shooting for a Suns season underscores continued star-level impact. The parity trend means more teams feel they have a path to contend, even as some aging luminaries persist. With Durant still functioning at All-Star levels in 62 games, and with Rockets’ youngsters rising, Houston’s championship chatter isn’t wild—it's rooted in a changing age curve that favors longevity and depth.

In short, the league’s aging story lines up with a crowded talent pool. The ascent of Thompson and Sengun could balance any small drop from Durant, while last season’s All-NBA veterans hint that top-level production can endure. The result is a more competitive landscape where teams plan around a longer peak window for veterans and a rapid rise for young cores.