Klay Thompson, Paul George and more – NBC Los Angeles

The 2024-25 NBA season will feature some familiar faces in some new places.

Whether it’s a four-time champion leaving his longtime team or a player heading to a crosstown rival, a handful of offseason moves have shaken up the NBA this summer.

With these moves, some highly anticipated homecoming games will follow. These players will return to their old venues as visitors and many are expecting a warm welcome from their former fans.

Here’s a look at five of the must-watch homecoming games in the upcoming NBA season.

Paul George: 76ers vs. Clippers, November 6

Paul George will face his old team at the start of the 2024/25 season, but it won’t be a traditional home game.

George and the Philadelphia 76ers will face the Los Angeles Clippers on November 6th. Instead of returning to Crypto.com Arena, George will take the floor at the Intuit Dome in the Clippers’ sixth regular season game at their new stadium home in Inglewood, California.

After five seasons and three All-Star appearances in LA, George switched coasts, signing a four-year, $212 million contract in Philadelphia.

Klay Thompson: Mavericks vs. Warriors, November 12th

It will be an emotional evening on November 12th when Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks visit the Golden State Warriors.

Thompson spent 13 years in Golden State, winning four NBA championships and five All-Star selections and joining Steph Curry as the best backcourt in league history. The 34-year-old also overcame two completely missed seasons due to injury, contributing to the Warriors’ title win in 2022.

A golden age in Golden State came to an end this offseason when Thompson was traded to the Mavericks on a three-year, $50 million contract.

On Dubs Talk, Kerith Burke sits down with Warriors coach Steve Kerr to discuss what to expect when Klay Thompson returns to Chase Center.

Karl-Anthony Towns: Knicks vs. Timberwolves, December 19

The preseason already offered a taste of how exciting the matchups between the Knicks and Timberwolves could be in 2024-25.

A blockbuster trade between the two teams sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the Big Apple in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick. Even before making his regular season debut with his new team, DiVincenzo caused some drama at the Timberwolves exhibition at Madison Square Garden when he had a few words to New York Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, who is also the father from Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson.

On December 19, Towns returns to Minnesota, where he spent the first nine seasons of his NBA career after the Wolves selected him first overall in 2015. In the conference finals, Minnesota opted to award a franchise cornerstone.

Less than a month after Towns returned to Minnesota, Randle and DiVincenzo will get another chance to play in front of the MSG fans on January 17th.

DeMar DeRozan: Kings vs. Bulls, January 12

DeMar DeRozan had many free agency suitors but ultimately landed with the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls.

The move capped a three-year career for DeRozan in Chicago. He was an All-Star in his first two seasons, but the Bulls were again eliminated in the play-in tournament, ending the 2023–24 season.

DeRozan should receive a warm welcome in the Windy City when the Kings visit the Bulls on January 12th.

Tristi Rodriguez sits down with DeMar DeRozan to discuss his decision to join the Sacramento Kings and what it will be like playing with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.

Mikal Bridges: Knicks vs. Nets, January 21

Instead of moving cities, Mikal Bridges moves districts.

Bridges was traded from the newly formed Brooklyn Nets to the rival Knicks, reuniting him with three of his college teammates in Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo (before DiVincenzo was traded to Minnesota). The trade marked the end of Bridges’ year-and-a-half run in Brooklyn, which began with him being shipped out of Phoenix in a trade that netted the Suns Kevin Durant.

As a crosstown rival, Bridges will face his former team four times during the 2024-25 season. The Knicks will host the Nets for two games at Madison Square Garden in November and visit Barclays Center on January 21st. New York will make a second trip to Brooklyn on April 13 to conclude the regular season.