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Lowell native Terance Mann returned home this past week to host a basketball camp and academic fair, tutoring the next generation of Massachusetts players as he prepares for a second season with the Nets. No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa, a Brockton native, has boosted interest in area basketball and Mann told the Globe he is excited about the boon that was started by the late Terrence Clarke. “The first thing first is to try to give them an opportunity,” Mann said. “That’s the main thing I try to do when I see kids that are in my shoes that [have] the potential to do big things like I did. I’ve been able to live a nice life because I was able to do what I’m doing and I want to give them that opportunity.” Massachusetts always has produced basketball talent, but many prospects have completed their high school careers in prep schools outside the state. Clarke, who tragically died in 2021, and Dybantsa were proud of their roots. Mann, who began his career at Hillside School in Marlborough before playing collegiately at Florida State, wants to help popularize local talent. “My goal is to showcase that,” he said. “The talent is getting better, 100 percent. It’s good to see. Terrence Clarke really started something cool with guys taking pride in basketball again for that younger generation. Guys are looking up to him and what he did and his ability to be one of the top players in the country, go to Kentucky and was on his way to getting drafted. It’s good to see these young guys taking pride in hoops and showing everybody their talent.” In Brooklyn, Mann was part of a transition in his first year with coach Jordi Fernández and a crew of younger players. The Nets have nine players on their roster age 22 and under. But the club took a significant step forward in the offseason by acquiring veteran Julius Randle from the Timberwolves and signing ex-Celtic Mo Wagner from the Magic. And after being considered trade bait when he was acquired, Michael Porter Jr. enjoyed a successful first season with the Nets and remains for the final year of his contract. With the league implementing antitanking rules and the Nets nabbing talented guard Mikel Brown in the draft, there is real optimism in Brooklyn for the first time in years. “It’s amazing to be a part of it,” Mann said. “To be a pioneer and help turn the corner for this organization. That’s really what my goal is, to try to be [a] cornerstone at that. It was very different. The organization had things they needed to accomplish. They had their own goals. It was a different situation than I was in in LA with the Clippers or even Atlanta with the Hawks. I grew really close with the guys on the team and we’re ready to tackle this year.” Mann has two years left on the three-year, $47 million extension he signed in 2024 with the Clippers. His goal is to emerge as a veteran leader as the franchise takes that important next step to respectability. “It was definitely an adjustment at the beginning, but as the year went on, it got easier,” he said. “I took guys under my wings, showed them the dos and don’ts about the league, and these guys are growing and it’s good to see. We’ve done some things this summer already, where we can get to know each other, play with each other. We’re well on the way to getting comfortable.” Fernández said one of his biggest tasks last season was to prevent the younger players from getting accustomed to the losing. They won just 20 games, with 22 players logging minutes because of roster uncertainty. The hope for Mann is more stability. “I think we have a lot of young talent and we’re just trying to move forward,” Mann said. “It’s definitely exciting to be a part of.” TAKING STOCK OUT WEST Ranking teams 6-10 As we assess the NBA about a month before training camp begins, rosters are becoming more solid. In the Western Conference, we picked the first five — Spurs, Thunder, Timberwolves, Rockets, Nuggets — and that hasn’t changed. Denver, however, reluctantly traded Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers for draft picks, but countered by signing veteran DeMar DeRozan to boost its offense. The West is a crapshoot beyond Oklahoma City and San Antonio. There are talented teams, but several have a lot of questions — or, in the case of the Warriors, may be on their final leg. The Lakers made significant roster changes and are relying on Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to stay healthy for an entire season. Let’s look at teams 6-10, who will be fighting for the postseason and perhaps home-court advantage in the first round. 6. Warriors: Yes, Golden State is old, but it’s far too talented to not be in the mix for the playoffs. Stephen Curry returns for his 18th season and is showing no signs of slippage, although his health will continue to be a factor. Draymond Green opted out of his contract so the Warriors could take an unsuccessful run at James, then returned on a new deal, while Jimmy Butler will eventually return from a torn ACL. A tough loss was key reserve Moses Moody, who suffered a knee injury near the end of last season and may not return until after the All-Star break. The club also brought back former Celtics Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford for depth while they capitalized on their lottery pick by taking NBA-ready forward Yaxel Lendeborg to inject into the frontcourt. There is talent and some youth. Bet on Steve Kerr to devise a system to make this team a difficult out, especially with Curry still owning his superpowers. 7. Lakers: LA made wholesale changes, with James, Deandre Ayton, Luke Kennard, and Rui Hachimura all gone. Arriving are Quentin Grimes, Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Kevon Looney, Matisse Thybulle, Collin Sexton, and Ziaire Williams. The team is younger, and Kessler will provide a rim-protecting presence Ayton couldn’t. The question is whether Doncic and Reaves can hold up for a whole season and whether JJ Redick’s club can survive with its top two scorers being minus defenders. Grimes has been undervalued throughout his career and could use this as an opportunity to shine, while Mamukelashvili had a breakout season in Toronto and should provide quality minutes in the frontcourt. The key for Los Angeles is developing a 3-point presence and becoming better defensively. Chemistry will become an issue with so many new players, and Doncic will have to take more of a leadership role now that the keys to the franchise have been placed in his lap. 8. Suns: Phoenix overachieved last season under first-year coach Jordan Ott and its major offseason moves were bringing in troubled-but-talented forward Miles Bridges from the Hornets and Kennard from the Lakers. Phoenix reached the playoffs despite injury-plagued seasons from star Devin Booker (18 games missed), Dillon Brooks (26), and Jalen Green (50). That healthy trio along with Ryan Dunn, Rasheer Fleming, and Oso Ighodaro taking the next step should make the Suns an entertaining team. Phoenix took a chance, drafting in-state product Koa Peat from Arizona after they dropped to the end of the first round. Booker is an interesting case because there are those in Phoenix who believe he may be entering the decline phase of his career as he approaches 30, but the Suns have added enough depth and scoring to where the days of Booker carrying the offense are over. His offensive responsibilities should be reduced and the Suns have enough athletes to emerge as a darkhorse contender for a top-six seed. 9. Mavericks: New general manager Masai Ujiri began his tenure by replacing Jason Kidd with University of Michigan coach Dusty May and then acquired 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher from the Hawks, Santi Aldama from the Grizzlies, and Marcus Sasser from the Pistons. The central figure, of course, is Maine native Cooper Flagg, who enters his second season as the unquestioned leader. Dallas also welcomes back Dereck Lively from a foot injury to add depth to the frontcourt defense. Former Celtic Kyrie Irving will return after missing last season with a torn ACL, but the Mavericks will have to determine whether the 34-year-old guard is a good fit with Flagg or should they move on with two years left on Irving’s contract. Dallas will need help from its supporting cast of P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, and Caleb Martin in order to avoid the play-in. And there is also a question about May, who proved to be a great college coach, but those don’t always translate to the NBA. 10. Trail Blazers: After making a surprising run to the playoffs last season, new owner Tom Dundon decided to make some interesting financially-based changes, allowing coach Tiago Splitter to take the Chicago job and hiring Minnesota assistant Micah Nori on a one-year guaranteed contract. The club also decided to take a flyer on troubled guard Ja Morant, pairing him with longtime great Damian Lillard, who returns from a year off to rehab his ruptured Achilles. Portland has a glut of guards, with Scoot Henderson coming off the best year of his career along with Jrue Holiday, who won a championship with the Celtics. Shaedon Sharpe would have been a key piece but suffered a torn meniscus in an offseason workout and will miss six months. The frontcourt appears set with Donovan Clingan and ex-Celtic Robert Williams, swingman Deni Avdija coming off an All-Star season, and defensive ace Toumani Camara. The Blazers have been rebuilding for years and finally have a roster built to compete, but there are injury concerns with Lillard and Morant. NO CLASS OF 2027? Hall may have tough call The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted a banner class on Aug. 15 that included Doc Rivers, Amar’e Stoudemire, Elena Delle Donne, and Candace Parker. But there could be an issue for the class of 2027. The first-year eligible players are former Celtics Gordon Hayward and Danilo Gallinari, 3-point specialist Wesley Matthews, and swingman Thaddeus Young. Among those in their second year of eligibility: Andre Iguodala, Blake Griffin, Kemba Walker, Serge Ibaka, and Rudy Gay. None are locks, meaning the Hall of Fame could possibly induct a class without a recently retired player. Stoudemire was inducted by the North American Committee, which chooses from former NBA players, coaches, and officials. Griffin was a finalist this year and could very well be the lone recently retired player inducted next year. Former All-Star and Wooden Award winner Marques Johnson was a finalist for the Veterans Committee, but did not make the final cut. Former New Jersey Net and Trail Blazer Buck Williams, and former All-Star Kevin Johnson were also North American Committee finalists. Because the current all-time greats — Kevin Durant, James, Curry, and James Harden — are playing into their late 30s and even 40s, there’s been an obvious gap of can’t-miss Hall of Famers. The recent retirements of Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook will boost the class of 2029, but the next two classes could be a challenge for voters. The highest-scoring eligible Hall of Famer is former Blazer and Spur LaMarcus Aldridge, who is 48th all-time with 20,558 points. Joe Johnson, Tom Chambers, and Antawn Jamison eclipsed 20,000 career points, but remain out of Springfield. Of course, the Hall of Fame loves to showcase their classes with a marquee name current NBA fans are familiar with. Griffin could be the likely choice for 2027, considering he was a six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, and one of the most athletic players during his prime. He also enjoyed a stellar career at the University of Oklahoma, which will boost his résumé. But the Hall seemingly has hit a rut, which may make for some interesting decisions in the coming years. Layups The Jonathan Kuminga saga is over, as the well-traveled swingman signed with the Timberwolves on a two-year, $13 million deal with a player option for the second season. The Hawks did not pick up Kuminga’s $24 million option, leaving him as an unrestricted free agent. There were interested teams, including the Lakers, but Kuminga decided to bet on himself and opt for unrestricted free agency again next summer. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are using cap space to sign restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin to a two-year, $16 million contract, as the Clippers decided to pass on signing the 2022 lottery pick to a long-term deal. Mathurin just turned 24 and has averaged 16.2 points during his career, but neither the Clippers nor the Pacers wanted to keep him long term. Mathurin is not an efficient scorer and needs to improve his 3-point shot, but it seems like a good gamble for the Pelicans, who are desperately trying to improve enough for a play-in run. Mathurin averaged 17.4 points in 28 minutes per game in his stint with the Clippers, but shot just 20.7 percent from the 3-point line . . . Griffin, a former Celtic who became popular for his deadpan sense of humor and affable personality on television, is getting a chance to host his own sports talk show on Amazon. He just completed his first season as an NBA studio analyst for Amazon and adjusted well to the TV life . . . Ben Simmons is conducting workouts for teams in Florida, hoping for an NBA return after one season off to get healthy. The No. 1 pick in 2016 has entertained the idea of playing for the Australian national team and now is showing the desire to sign with an NBA club. Simmons last played for the Clippers, an 18-game stint where he attempted just three shots per game. If healthy, he could serve as a quality backup point guard with the ability to rebound. Offensively, he brings little to nothing, a byproduct of his Philadelphia days where he became hesitant to shoot, even layups . . . An intriguing free agent is Boston native Bruce Brown, who just completed his second stint with the Nuggets. Brown played in all 82 games last season and shot 47.5 percent from the field, showing no signs of slippage. Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.