After Tuesday's three-game tipoff, the NBA opens up on Wednesday with its first full slate — 11 games across the league. The headline act is in Miami, where Giannis Antetokounmpo makes his regular-season debut for the Heat against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:30 p.m. ET, following his summer trade from Milwaukee. Bam Adebayo expects to play for Miami, while Minnesota counters with Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball in their first meaningful game together.
Toronto gets its own homecoming storyline. The Chicago Bulls visit the Raptors at 7:30 p.m. ET, with Kawhi Leonard playing his first regular-season game for Toronto since the 2019 championship run — his minutes are the first thing to watch. Chicago is without centre Nic Claxton, who will be re-evaluated in about two weeks with a hamstring injury.
Elsewhere on the slate, Atlanta visits Orlando, where Franz Wagner plans to play after a full Tuesday practice following the right shoulder injury he suffered in the preseason finale, in Sean Sweeney's first game as the Magic's coach. Milwaukee visits Washington, where Trae Young carries more of the Wizards' scoring with AJ Dybantsa ruled out for his debut, and Charlotte visits Brooklyn, where Brandon Miller opens the season two days after signing a five-year, $209 million extension with the Hornets, who are missing Kon Knueppel and Coby White.
Utah visits Memphis at 8 p.m. ET, where Cameron Boozer is in line for his first regular-season minutes as the Grizzlies' first-option rookie. Memphis opens without Isaiah Stewart, whose ankle injury carried a two-week re-evaluation timetable, while Utah is without Jusuf Nurkic, ruled out for at least four weeks on October 7. Availability and projected starters reflect reports available Wednesday morning; final lineups may change.
