After a summer of ruthless activity, the NBA is closing in on the start of training camps. From marquee signings to blockbuster trades, the offseason elevated the appetite for the coming year for those who follow the league. Within the past week, long-time NBA star Joe Johnson found an NBA contract out of the BIG3 league, even as established veterans from a season ago, such as Iman Shumpert, Jamal Crawford and JR Smith, still search for deals.



Several teams — including the Los Angeles Clippers in Miami and the Houston Rockets in Las Vegas — have had team minicamps organized by their star players. While Kawhi Leonard didn’t participate on the floor in the Clippers’ team camp around Labor Day, he has already been a critical leader for the locker room.



With so much parity throughout the NBA, with nearly every playoff contender given a shot to win a title heading into the season, franchises understand the small margins for error. They want to get a...