Subscribe
Follow Us
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.
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.
The top 5 NBA players to watch this season, according to Stephen A. Smith 👀
1. Anthony Davis
2. Luka Doncic
3. Kevin Durant
4. Jimmy Butler
5. Kyrie IrvingThoughts? 🤔
(via @FirstTake) pic.twitter.com/9vkegGydlN
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 22, 2025
Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic lead Stephen A. Smith’s top five players to watch
Smith’s list also includes Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant, who ranked third. Durant joined Houston this offseason in a multi-team trade from the Phoenix Suns, marking another shift in his storied career. 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.
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.
