The Warriors are constructed to win now, but what does that mean for the team’s future?
While the situation surrounding restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga remains at a standstill, Zach Lowe shared his thoughts on Golden State’s future.
“The other depressing thought about the Warriors as currently constructed,” Lowe said. “Depressing but also like the most likely outcome by far to the end of a dynastic era, is that the two timelines thing has not happened.
“And the post-Steph future, despite all the talk about it, all the careful planning for it, several savvy picks like [Brandin] Podziemski, looks like a good pick for where he was drafted.”
Brandin Podziemski averaged 11.7 points per game last season and shot 44.5 percent from the field. It was a solid effort from Podziemski along with several other young role players, but the main focus continues to be on Kuminga.
“Even a guy like [Trayce] Jackson-Davis looks like a good pick for where he was drafted,” Lowe continued. “Despite all of that, the post-Steph future looks incredibly bleak. The Kuminga transaction, whatever it is, to me is maybe the single most important franchise-building transaction that’s coming in the next two to three to four months in the NBA.
Kuminga averaged 15.3 points per game last season on 45.4-percent shooting from the field. The 22-year-old missed 31 games last year due to a sprained right ankle.
The former No. 7 overall pick has shown spurts of greatness, but high-level consistency has been the issue.
“And I just don’t see a world in which that transaction sets the Warriors up for a happier post-Steph future,” Lowe added. “Because I don’t think that’s going to be, we re-sign Kuminga and he’s a breakout star for us. I think it’s going to be a sign-and-trade in which the return is slightly underwhelming.”
Mike Dunleavy has a tough decision to make this offseason on whether or not Kuminga will be a Warrior next season, and it could shape the franchise for several years to come.
LAS VEGAS — It was always this simple: LeBron James has a no-trade clause, meaning he has control over if and where he might be moved, and he has never asked for a trade. The Lakers might be planning for a few years out, thinking about how to build their roster around Luka Doncic, but this season, they plan to win with both of their superstars in the lineup.
Amid the constant speculation recently about his future, both the Lakers and people close to the NBA's all-time leading scorer expect that he will be with the organization for training camp once the season begins this fall, league sources told The Athletic.
Those same sources said the Lakers have received no indication from James or his representatives that he would request a trade or ask to be bought out of the final year of his contract, which will be his eighth season with the Lakers, the longest consecutive stretch spent with one organization in his career.
The report goes on to say there have been no buyout talks between LeBron and the Lakers.
LeBron's future has been the buzzy topic at Summer League. People often point to the statement from LeBron's agent, Rich Paul, when LeBron picked up his $52.6 million player option for this season: "We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career." While that sounds ominous, considering LeBron's long history of he or people around him making passive-aggressive offseason comments to get a team to spend big, it felt more like something from his playbook. Plus, LeBron picked up his player option and is not the kind of person who has given money back in his career (nor should he), but trading that massive salary makes any trade that much more complex. For example, the Cavaliers can't trade for him because they are over the second apron of the luxury tax (it would have to be a one-for-one swap, and the Cavs don't have anyone making LeBron-level money). A trade to a team like the Knicks would gut that roster of the depth that would have been a draw to LeBron in the first place.
The most likely scenario has always been that LeBron would play out this season with the Lakers, trying to win with Doncic, Austin Reaves and new center Deandre Ayton. This is a team whose top-end talent has proven itself in the offseason, and they could be a threat.
Next summer, when LeBron is a free agent, is when things really get interesting.
Bradley Beal is the latest All-Star on his way out of Phoenix.
The former Suns guard reportedly agreed to a contract buyout and plans to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers after clearing waivers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday.
Several teams reportedly had interest in Beal outside of the Clippers, including the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, among others. In the end, he settled on a reported two-year, $11 million deal with the Clippers that has a player option in the second season.
Beal had two years and $110.8 million remaining on his contract with the Suns, which he originally signed with the Washington Wizards. That deal also included a no-trade clause, making it extra difficult for the Suns to offload.
A breakup with the Suns became inevitable for Beal after a disappointing second season in Phoenix. Pairing Beal with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant (who was traded to the Houston Rockets last month), the Suns had high expectations entering 2023, when they traded away Chris Paul for Beal. That season ended by being swept in the first-round, and last season was even worse, missing the Play-In Tournament all together.
Beal, 32, has taken a step back in recent years after making three All-Star teams in Washington. The St. Louis native averaged 17 points per game (his fewest since 2014-15) and came off the bench for 15 games (his most since 2015-16). The fit ultimately just did not work out in Phoenix.
Now, Beal joins a Clippers team that will have lower expectations for the veteran guard. Ty Lue’s squad won 50 games last season behind Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. But with the team trading away Norman Powell, there’s an obvious need for more scoring. The Clippers added John Collins and Brook Lopez to bolster the front line, and now Beal should improve the backcourt.
Bradley Beal is the latest All-Star on his way out of Phoenix.
The former Suns guard reportedly agreed to a contract buyout and plans to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers after clearing waivers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday.
Several teams reportedly had interest in Beal outside of the Clippers, including the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, among others. In the end, he settled on a reported two-year, $11 million deal with the Clippers that has a player option in the second season.
Beal had two years and $110.8 million remaining on his contract with the Suns, which he originally signed with the Washington Wizards. That deal also included a no-trade clause, making it extra difficult for the Suns to offload.
A breakup with the Suns became inevitable for Beal after a disappointing second season in Phoenix. Pairing Beal with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant (who was traded to the Houston Rockets last month), the Suns had high expectations entering 2023, when they traded away Chris Paul for Beal. That season ended by being swept in the first-round, and last season was even worse, missing the Play-In Tournament all together.
Beal, 32, has taken a step back in recent years after making three All-Star teams in Washington. The St. Louis native averaged 17 points per game (his fewest since 2014-15) and came off the bench for 15 games (his most since 2015-16). The fit ultimately just did not work out in Phoenix.
Now, Beal joins a Clippers team that will have lower expectations for the veteran guard. Ty Lue’s squad won 50 games last season behind Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. But with the team trading away Norman Powell, there’s an obvious need for more scoring. The Clippers added John Collins and Brook Lopez to bolster the front line, and now Beal should improve the backcourt.
The Warriors have yet to make a move in free agency, and one former NBA champion is not a fan of what could be their first offseason addition.
Udonis Haslem had choice words Tuesday on ESPN’s “NBA Today” to describe Al Horford possibly landing in Golden State.
“You are not addressing length and athleticism by just bringing in Al,” Haslem said. “Love Al, but that is not the one that’s gonna push you over the hump.”
The Warriors were outmatched physically in the Western Conference semifinals last season against the Minnesota Timberwolves, losing the series in five games.
“You saw the lack of size glaringly against Minnesota last year,” Haslem continued. “You saw the lack of athleticism glaringly against Minnesota last year.”
Horford, a 39-year-old, six-foot-nine center, doesn’t give an advantage in quickness or size.
“When you talk about bringing in Al, I love Al. I would love for him to finish his career with a guy like Steph (Curry),” Haslem said. “He’s a guy who’s definitely gonna space the floor and knock down some threes, but he does not address your needs.”
“He does not address the need of athleticism. When you talk about bringing in another guy that is older, and he does not address the need of having size.”
The 18-year NBA veteran averaged nine points a game last season.
Golden State has been reluctant to make any key moves due to the situation with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, whose key attribute is athleticism.
While Horford joining Golden State appears most likely, per multiple reports, ESPN insider Marc Spears noted that retirement still is very much on the table for the 39-year-old.
Not without a say from Horford’s eldest child, Ean, though.
“But keep in mind, do you know who I think is going to be in this decision? His 10-year-old son, Ean,” Spears shared Tuesday on “NBA Today.” “He just started traveling with Al on the road about two seasons ago. Kid loves basketball. I know he’s like, ‘Dad! Steph Curry, dad!’ I can see Ean convincing his dad to keep playing.”
During Dennis Schröder’s short time in the Bay, the veteran point guard revealed that his son was ecstatic that his dad was going to be teaming up with his favorite player, Curry, on the Warriors.
He spent the last four seasons with the Boston Celtics, playing a crucial role in Boston’s status as a title contender throughout that period, culminating in a championship in 2024. His ability to shoot the 3-ball, defend at a high level and provide veteran leadership, among several other qualities, was very valuable to the Celtics’ ascension — and could benefit the Warriors and stretch the floor alongside Curry.
Spears shared another key note regarding Horford, stating that being far from home won’t play a factor in whatever decision he makes, as other teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks also have shown interest.
“Golden State expected him to sign last week, but he didn’t,” Spears said. Lakers, Milwaukee, Atlanta, I believe, are also interested in nearly a 40-year-old guy, who also has retirement on the table. He’s still considering retiring. He’s not in any hurry. He’s got a sixth kid coming on the way.
“He lives in Atlanta and Boston in the offseason, but I’m hearing whether it’s Golden State or, to a lesser extent, if it’s the Lakers, being away from the family, that far, isn’t going to be in that decision.”
Everyone wants to play with Curry at some point in their career, and even their children are having a say.
Bradley Beal is the latest All-Star on his way out of Phoenix.
The veteran guard agreed to a contract buyout with the Suns and plans to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers after clearing waivers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday, citing Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein.
BREAKING: Three-time NBA All-Star Bradley Beal has agreed to a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns and plans to join the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal with a player option after clearing waivers, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/gxZB0ObSms
Several teams reportedly had interest in Beal outside of the Clippers, including the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, among others. In the end, he settled on a reported two-year, $11 million deal with Los Angeles that has a player option for the second season.
Beal had two years and $110.8 million remaining on his contract with the Suns, which he originally signed with the Washington Wizards. That deal also included a no-trade clause, making it extra difficult for the Suns to offload.
A breakup with the Suns became inevitable for Beal after a disappointing second season in Phoenix. Pairing Beal with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant (who was traded to the Houston Rockets last month), the Suns had high expectations entering 2023, when they traded away Chris Paul for Beal. That season ended by being swept in the first-round, and last season was even worse, missing the NBA Play-In Tournament all together.
Beal, 32, has taken a step back in recent years after making three All-Star teams in Washington. The St. Louis native averaged 17 points per game (his fewest since 2014-15) and came off the bench for 15 games (his most since 2015-16). The fit ultimately just did not work out in Phoenix.
Now, Beal joins a Clippers team that will have lower expectations for the veteran guard. Ty Lue’s squad won 50 games last season behind Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. But with the team trading away Norman Powell, there’s an obvious need for more scoring. The Clippers added John Collins and Brook Lopez to bolster the front line, and now Beal should improve the backcourt.
Bradley Beal is the latest All-Star on his way out of Phoenix.
The veteran guard agreed to a contract buyout with the Suns and plans to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers after clearing waivers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday, citing Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein.
BREAKING: Three-time NBA All-Star Bradley Beal has agreed to a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns and plans to join the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal with a player option after clearing waivers, Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/gxZB0ObSms
Several teams reportedly had interest in Beal outside of the Clippers, including the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, among others. In the end, he settled on a reported two-year, $11 million deal with Los Angeles that has a player option for the second season.
Beal had two years and $110.8 million remaining on his contract with the Suns, which he originally signed with the Washington Wizards. That deal also included a no-trade clause, making it extra difficult for the Suns to offload.
A breakup with the Suns became inevitable for Beal after a disappointing second season in Phoenix. Pairing Beal with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant (who was traded to the Houston Rockets last month), the Suns had high expectations entering 2023, when they traded away Chris Paul for Beal. That season ended by being swept in the first-round, and last season was even worse, missing the NBA Play-In Tournament all together.
Beal, 32, has taken a step back in recent years after making three All-Star teams in Washington. The St. Louis native averaged 17 points per game (his fewest since 2014-15) and came off the bench for 15 games (his most since 2015-16). The fit ultimately just did not work out in Phoenix.
Now, Beal joins a Clippers team that will have lower expectations for the veteran guard. Ty Lue’s squad won 50 games last season behind Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. But with the team trading away Norman Powell, there’s an obvious need for more scoring. The Clippers added John Collins and Brook Lopez to bolster the front line, and now Beal should improve the backcourt.
The Warriors, eventually, could make a pair of impactful NBA free agency moves.
Golden State has yet to add a player since the league’s free agency negotiating window opened on June 30, largely due to restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga’s contract standstill, but whenever the transaction logjam breaks, NBA insider Marc Stein expects the Warriors to come away with two veteran free agents they have been tied to all summer.
“My expectation is that one way or another, the Warriors are going to end up with both [Al] Horford and [De’Anthony] Melton on their roster,” Stein said Tuesday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.”
Stein also reported that the Warriors have interest in soon-to-be free agent guard Bradley Beal, who currently is working through a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns.
“They still have interest in Bradley Beal. I would say most people around the league don’t expect the Warriors to win that race, but I don’t know I would say they’re all the way out of it,” Stein added. “We don’t know exactly yet what Bradley Beal’s choice will be.”
While a move for Beal might seem unlikely, the Warriors eventually signing Horford and Melton appears to be a foregone conclusion among some NBA insiders, including Stein.
Golden State has made it clear it would like to add size and shooting this offseason, and Horford checks both boxes, while Melton, who signed with the Warriors last offseason and played in six games before suffering an ACL injury and eventually was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, impressed in his brief stint with the team and was a favorite among the coaching staff and the fan base.
It remains to be seen when these moves could materialize, with Kuminga’s situation potentially the first domino to fall, but once there is clarity there, the Warriors soon could add two key veterans to their roster.
The Boston Celtics have played only three NBA Summer League games in Las Vegas. But with the team in the middle of a two-day break, it’s time for an annual tradition: overreacting to a tiny sample of exhibition basketball.
Here are five over-caffeinated takeaways from Boston’s first week in Vegas:
1. Jordan Walsh getting ejected was the best thing that could have happened to him.
Look, getting booted early from your best game of the summer is less than ideal. And nearly taking out Boston’s entire braintrust while yeeting an opponent into the first row was risky, too.
But Monday’s ejection was a reminder for the 21-year-old Walsh of the sort of intensity that can keep him on the floor during real games.
Walsh isn’t dominating Summer League in the way you might hope a Year 3 player would, but we have to remind ourselves he’s still the second-youngest player on Boston’s summer roster. He’s been at his best when getting physical. Walsh has ventured into the post for some bully ball and shown good ability finishing through contact on drives.
After missing his first 22 3-point attempts last year, he’s more consistently knocked down shots from distance this time around, shooting 35.7 percent on 4.7 3-point attempts per game this summer.
If Walsh can harness the sort of intensity that Pelle Larsson summoned from him Monday night, then we think he can carve out a more consistent role. It’s the least surprising thing in the world that Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was a fan of Walsh getting tossed. He’d probably be an even bigger fan of Walsh playing with more consistency — and controlled aggression — during the 2025-26 season.
2. Baylor Scheierman’s TD pass from the floor was a road map to consistent time.
Scheierman’s 3-point shooting hasn’t been great in Vegas (21.4 percent on 9.3 attempts per game). But much like Walsh, we think Scheierman’s best basketball has come when he’s simply playing hard and letting his basketball IQ take over.
Not that we didn’t know Scheierman’s potential as a passer already. The 24-year-old had a couple of Rajon Rondo-esque dimes late in his rookie season.
If the shot is going to be streaky, then Scheierman needs to bring value in other areas. We’d like to see him gamble less on defense and just let those natural instincts guide him. His court vision and ability to deliver on-target passes might be his biggest strength.
3. Hugo Gonzalez needs consistent minutes in his rookie season.
Mazzulla is an admitted rookie hater. He told Scheierman (and the since-departed Anton Watson) as much during their first NBA seasons. But in a season where Boston’s depth is depleted and expectations will be tempered, rookie Hugo Gonzalez could really benefit from learning on the job.
Yes, Gonzalez is only 19. But he’s been a pro in Spain for more than a half decade. He spent all of last season surrounded by former NBA veterans. His two appearances at Summer League have shown there will be plenty of ups and downs. Gonzalez getting a tough whistle in his second Summer League game prepped him for some of those impending frustrations.
But we like how hard Gonzalez plays. He crashes the glass relentlessly from the perimeter, and will basically launch himself into an opponent that tries to cut on the other end of the floor.
We’ll balance this suggestion by acknowledging that playing time is earned, not given. But we have a feeling that, perhaps more than anyone else on this Summer League roster, Gonzalez is going to state a case for consistent time with how hard he plays.
4. Josh Minott could be All-Interview First Teamer.
From noting how the Celtics shoot a “s— ton of 3s,” to an emphatic, “Why not Minott?” explanation of how to pronounce his last name, Josh Minott had a brief-but-entertaining first media session with reporters in Vegas.
It gave us a little bit of Robert Williams III vibes. (Fun aside: Time Lord cursed so frequently during his first media sessions in Boston that Celtics brass pulled him aside and politely suggested that he didn’t need to swear as much. And he listened!)
We are very intrigued by Minott. He’s got great size and defensive versatility. He’s nicknamed the Lawn Mower because he just goes and goes once you start him up. He’s still only 22 years old, and we’re eager to see if the Celtics can pull even more out of Minott this season.
Getting some fun soundbites wouldn’t be bad either on a team that lost a lot of personality in Luke Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis.
5. The Celtics have a type … and maybe a new playing style.
It feels like every player the Celtics have added this offseason has a reputation as a cutter. From drafting Gonzalez to signing Minott to adding Jalen Bridges to the summer roster, it appears there will be a greater emphasis on movement in this year’s offense.
Of the 16 playoff teams in 2025, the Celtics ranked dead last with only 4.8 possessions finished off cuts. That was roughly half the number of top teams like the Rockets (10.7), Nuggets (9.8), Warriors (9.1), and Thunder (8.5).
Ironically, the Celtics had the best points per possession off cuts (1.47) and shot 71.4 percent off that playtype.
The offense just never featured quite enough cutting. Even the regular season numbers were less than ideal, with Boston generating 5.9 finishes off cuts per game (tied for 27th in the NBA) but averaging 1.36 points per possession (tied for 4th-best).
With the absence of so much talent going into the 2025-26 season, we suspect the Celtics will play harder on both ends to try to mask the talent drain. We could see more pressing of opposing ball handlers after made baskets, and we suspect there will be an emphasis on movement and crashing the offensive glass with the players added this offseason.
It took three summer league games at the California Classic and another three in Las Vegas, but on Tuesday night the Warriors looked their most complete with a 96-84 win against the Memphis Grizzlies.
As the Grizzlies were led by well-known names like Jaylen Wells, GG Jackson and Cam Spencer, the Warriors won with balance. Coach Lainn Wilson used all 12 of his players, and all 12 had scored by halftime. Veteran Jackson Rowe was the Warriors’ leading scorer of 14 points, followed by 12 from Will Richard and Jaden Shackelford, and 11 for Chris Manon.
This was the closest version to Warriors basketball under Wilson. The Warriors dished 21 assists, outrebounded the bigger Grizzlies and shot 51.9 percent from the field with a 37.9-percent 3-point clip.
“Our pace stayed well, our intensity stayed and kind of increased as the game went on and I thought that made the difference for us,” Wilson said to reporters.
After being blown out by 33 points to open their summer league slate in Las Vegas, the Warriors have responded with two straight quality wins against talented teams.
Wilson was told point guard Taran Armstrong wasn’t playing Tuesday night, putting him without a traditional point guard in the starting lineup. Armstrong’s absence allowed Richard to use some of his different guard skills handling the ball more. Richard continued his strong summer, scoring 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 2 of 4 from three, plus two rebounds, one assist and two steals.
“Just doing a little bit of everything, showing I can do that,” Richard said. “We have a lot of guys can do that as well. I’m just trying to keep that in my role and just take that opportunity when I’m there.”
Golden State’s starting lineup also didn’t have a typical center. Rowe, listed at 6-foot-7, essentially played a small-ball center. He was flanked next to Warriors top draft pick Alex Toohey in the frontcourt.
That duo took the challenge head-on. Rowe grabbed a team-high six rebounds, along with two blocked shots and two steals. Toohey hauled in four rebounds, also blocked two shots and added a steal.
All four of Toohey’s rebounds – two offensive and two defensive – came in the fourth quarter, when the Warriors outrebounded the Grizzlies 13-5 in the final 10 minutes.
“I was kind of seeing if he and Jackson could carry the frontline for us against a bigger team,” Wilson explained. “I thought both of them did a fantastic job with it. We gave up a few more rebounds than I would have liked us to, but overall I didn’t feel like we really got pushed over as a team, especially with the size differential.”
The Warriors now are 4-2 overall this summer, going 2-1 at the California Classic and 2-1 in Las Vegas. They have one more scheduled game in Vegas on Thursday at 7 p.m. PT against the Toronto Raptors.
Up and down the roster, Wilson is looking to end on a strong note in every little way.
“Really overall, just seeing can we sustain this,” Wilson said. “We’ve been playing some pretty good basketball as a team when our bench is really engaged supporting the guys on the floor, and vice versa. So I’m hoping to see that we continue that same trend, because depending on how this shakes out, different guys may get into the lineup.
“Guys that may not have played as much so far, and hopefully they get rewarded as well with the same level of support.”
STATELINE, Nev. – As Seth Curry eases his 6-foot-2 frame into a chair 10 feet from the driving range at the Edgewood Tahoe golf course, the sharpshooting guard knows what’s coming his way.
Questions about his golf game. About his value in a league where deep shooting is at a premium and he is a free agent. About his brother, Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.
And, of course, there will be questions about possibly joining his brother on the Warriors. The topic isn’t new to Seth, but this time, there is a gathering storm of possibility.
He’s available. The Warriors need shooting. And Seth’s father-in-law, Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers, is among those who can visualize a fruitful partnership.
“I actually think the perfect place for him would be Golden State,” Rivers said last month on The Bill Simmons Podcast.
Reminded of Rivers’ comment, Seth Curry grins and does not dismiss the prospect.
“They play a good brand of basketball,” he says of the Warriors. “I feel like I’ve been a part of Dub Nation for a while, watching Steph and being around the organization. Obviously, they, like any team, could use shooting.
“But I can’t say anything other than I’m trying to find the best place for me.”
Though Curry remains unsigned (through Wednesday morning), there is a market for the 34-year-old who has no plans to return to the slowly rebuilding Charlotte Hornets. Fan bases from New York (Knicks) to Los Angeles (Lakers) to Golden State are urging front offices to acquire him. And each of those front offices is shopping for shooting.
As the best available shooter, Seth would be a logical candidate for any of those teams. He led the NBA last season in 3-point shooting percentage at 45.6 percent. His career 43.3-percent shooting from deep places him second among active players, behind Atlanta Hawks wing Luke Kennard (43.8) and just ahead of his third-place brother (42.3).
“I always have to do what’s best for myself,” Seth Curry says. “Obviously, Steph would love me to come over there and play with him. And the fans showed me a lot of love at all times. (Our) Family would love it. I’ve obviously I’ve always embraced the Warriors and their system and love the way they play. And you never know what can happen.”
Why would Golden State consider adding Seth? The Warriors, even with all-time great Stephen Curry, last season finished 16th in 3-point shooting percentage at 36.4 percent. All four teams in the conference finals were in the top 10. They have only three players who stretch defenses: Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield and Quinten Post.
Seth Curry would be looking at a veteran’s minimum contract worth about $3.6 million, but his presence would give the Warriors two of the best deep shooters in the league. Defensive reasons would prevent the Curry brothers from spending much time playing together, but one would always be on the floor as a threat.
The NBA free-agent market has slowed to a trickle. Restricted free agents like Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors) and Josh Giddey (Bulls) and Cam Thomas (Nets) remain on the table. Healthy unrestricted free agents like Al Horford, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Gary Payton II have yet to sign a contract.
Same applies to Seth Curry.
The Warriors invited Seth Curry, then a few months removed from Duke, to training camp in 2013 and waived him five days before the season opener. The timing wasn’t right; Golden State liked Kent Bazemore’s superior size off the bench.
Now, 12 years later, the timing feels better for both.
“For me, it’s basketball first,” Curry says. “I have to fit the style of play. If they need what I do, if they need my services, what I do best and, just what type of team they have, and things of that nature. So, it’s always basketball fit first.”
The Warriors are a fit for any low-maintenance shooter. But they remain in “wait mode,” not expected to complete their roster until there is resolution with Kuminga.
If Seth Curry still is available at that time, the Warriors absolutely should be – and would be – interested.
LAS VEGAS — Adam Silver spun it as a step forward, the next step toward NBA expansion. It felt like the NBA's existing owners pumping the brakes on that idea.
What the league will be doing now is a more in-depth study, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said at the completion of the NBA Board of Governors' meeting. There is no timeline for this study to be completed, let alone a timeframe for cities to be chosen — Seattle and Las Vegas remain the clear frontrunners — or for new owners to buy in at whatever the price point becomes, or for teams to start play.
"It's really day one of that analysis, and so in terms of price, potential timing, it's too early to say," Silver said.
That feels like a setback to a fan base in Seattle that has been waiting for the league to return. It also feels like some owners want to slow the process down, although Silver would spin it as them being deliberate.
"Ultimately, the league office was tasked by our board with doing an in-depth analysis of all the issues around expansion, both economic and non-economic," Silver said after the Board of Governors meeting. "Of course, the non-economic issues include dilution of talent, how it could potentially affect competition throughout the league…
"The economic issues, as we knew would be the case in these discussions among the board, they're very complex because of how you would potentially value the opportunity has a lot to do with your projections on the future growth of the league. Because you are selling equity, and for every additional team you add, you're diluting the economics of the current league."
The economic factors are complex, including the challenge most of the league faces in finding good local broadcast solutions to show their games to their local fans. Then there's franchise valuations — the Celtics recently sold for a valuation of $6.1 billion, and the Lakers sold for a valuation of $10 billion. How much is an expansion franchise worth now, and what will it be worth going forward?
Those economic factors can be worked out if the owners want to, but is there an appetite among the existing 30 owners to expand?
"I think the appetite in the room I would define more as curiosity and more as let's do the work," Silver said. "I think if I were an owner, ultimately what you're considering is, is this additive to the league? And additive can be measured in lots of different ways. There's additive economically, but I think you're also thinking from a competitive standpoint, how would particular markets impact our national footprint?"
Silver has suggested in the past that he thinks the league should expand, but at the end of the day he works for the owners and if they want to go slow, if there is not a consensus to move forward, then Silver is the guy tasked with being the face of the decision to study it more.
Seattle (a lock to get a team) and Las Vegas are the frontrunners to be the league's next franchises, but other cities and entities have reached out to the league. That kind of energy is good for the league, which would like to set a high price and have enough demand to meet it.
What is that price? What are those cities? When will that decision be made? The league will study that in depth, but it will take a while, and this whole process will proceed slowly until then.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav and CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels argue in a recent court filing that a federal securities class action brought by purchasers of WBD stock is without merit. The plaintiffs say they were misled by WBD’s statements and omissions about negotiations for a new NBA TV deal last year.
Jonathan D. Polkes and other White & Case attorneys representing WBD, Zaslav and Widenfels insist the lawsuit is undercut by “wall-to-wall media coverage of the negotiations” between WBD and the NBA over media rights, talks that spiraled into their own legal controversy.
After WBD and the NBA, who had been in a 40-year partnership, failed to reach a deal during an exclusive negotiation period, the NBA weighed outside bids and accepted ones from NBCUniversal and Amazon. WBD then invoked a matching provision, but the league rejected it. The NBA argued it was not a “match” in a technical sense since it came with revisions to Amazon’s offer, and there was disagreement about whether WBD could distribute NBA games through streaming in the same manner as Amazon. WBD sued the NBA last July for alleged breach of its matching right. The parties settled last November and agreed to a new partnership.
That same month, Richard Collura and other investors filed a complaint in the Southern District of New York for violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The complaint portrays WBD officials as misleading investors as to its ability to employ the matching clause and “omitting the significant financial impact WBD would face if it lost NBA rights.”
To that end, the complaint references comments from Zaslav, including from 2022 when he told journalists, “we don’t have to have the NBA.” The complaint also cites comments by Zaslav in 2024 when he referenced “constructive and productive” negotiations with the league and when he stated, “we have matching rights that allow us to match third-party offers before the NBA enters into an agreement with them.”
In addition, the complaint details stock price fluctuations that appeared to be connected to public perceptions about the WBD-NBA negotiations and subsequent fallout. Along those lines, the complaint points out that a “main driver” for WBD and similar broadcast companies is live sports.
“The NBA generated hundreds of millions of dollars annually in advertising revenue, supported WBD’s other sports-related shows, and allowed WBD to charge high carriage rates to cable and satellite providers,” the complaint asserts. It also contends that “the NBA provided WBD with a ‘halo effect’ that boosted all of WBD’s other properties, as well as contributed towards WBD’s non-tangible assets like goodwill.”
WBD’s memorandum of law in support of the motion to dismiss contends the case is flawed for several reasons.
For starters, the WBD-NBA negotiations were extremely public in ways that investors and prospective investors of publicly traded companies are normally denied.
“It was impossible to read the sports pages or watch ESPN,” the memorandum notes, “without knowing about the ongoing NBA negotiations, that the negotiations were being monitored obsessively by the media, the industry, and the public, that the outcome was uncertain, and that the outcome would have a financial impact on both WBD and the NBA.”
Numerous news and analysis stories about the negotiations are cited to show investors were exposed to high levels of information about the negotiations.
The memorandum also points out investors and prospective investors could have availed themselves of “the steady drumbeat of disclosures in WBD’s public filings and statements specifically discussing these facts.” Those disclosures, including SEC filings, “expressly warned of the risks” for WBD in losing the NBA deal, including with respect to revenue and goodwill and the importance of maintaining sports content licenses.
Further, the memorandum draws attention to numerous comments by Zaslav saying negotiations with the NBA were important. The fact that he declined to share all the specifics about the negotiations was to be expected, the memorandum suggests, since business leaders in private negotiations with other companies’ leaders could betray confidences and undermine their bargaining position by revealing too much detail.
From this lens, it wasn’t problematic that Zaslav said during an earnings call in May 2024—a couple of months before a matching period would begin—it was “not the time to discuss” details in the NBA negotiations. During that call he also addressed related topics that were not as sensitive, including “costs, churn and [WBD’s] initiatives on bundles.”
WBD also points out that statements made by Zaslav and Wiedenfels were accurate and true. The two men noted that matching rights existed, which was undisputed, without assuring they would be able to exercise those rights without objection by the NBA.
“In fact, the speculation about whether WBD could effectively exercise those rights was also widely discussed in the media,” the memorandum observes. To that point, Sportico and other media detailed dueling arguments as to whether matching rights could apply to the structure of Amazon’s deal, a topic that became the source of a lawsuit before it was resolved via settlement.
Still another alleged flaw with the complaint, WBD argues, is that the company knew it would fail to keep the NBA but nonetheless acted as if the negotiations were legitimate.
The complaint argues that the “quick resolution of WBD’s lawsuit against the NBA” is evidence to that effect. The complaint notes that the parties settled “less than four months after WBD filed its lawsuit” and “before any discovery had been completed.”
As the plaintiffs see it, the lawsuit-settlement sequence “demonstrated that, far from believing in their ability to enforce the Matching Clause, Defendants knew that they could not and did not use the Matching Clause to retain the NBA Rights, and instead filed their lawsuit as a face-saving measure and negotiation tactic that WBD quickly abandoned.”
WBD suggests that a theory positing, as WBD puts it, “Defendants knew all along that they would lose the NBA contract and that the months of negotiations were a sham” is illogical and belied by facts.
“Glaringly absent,” WBD writes, “are any particularized allegations to support this argument of fraud-by-clairvoyance.” The company instead cites a more “straightforward inference” that “WBD was engaged in tough negotiations with the NBA and hoped it would secure the NBA rights, but, ultimately, the NBA chose competing offers.”
The plaintiffs will have the chance to argue against the motion to dismiss. The case is before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
The Knicks won their first game of the Las Vegas Summer League Tuesday night with a 97-93 victory over their crosstown rival, the Brooklyn Nets.
Here are some takeaways...
- Tyler Kolek shook off two stinkers to put up 25 points, four assists and four steals on 5-for-12 shooting from three, most of which came in an electric first half. MarJon Beauchamp added 25 points on 7-for-17 shooting via a plethora of aggressive takes.
The rest of the squad played supporting roles as Kevin McCullar Jr. and Pacome Dadiet were sidelined.
- Drew Timme led the way for Brooklyn with 24 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Caleb Daniels chipped in 16 points and nine rebounds and Quincy Olivari scored 16 as well.
- The Knicks were much more competitive out of the gate in this one. It helped that Kolek found his touch immediately with a couple threes, an in-between pull-up and flashy euro in transition in the early going, finishing with 14 points, two assists, three steals and no turnovers in the first quarter.
- With first-round pick Egor Demin out, fellow rookie point guard Ben Saraf looked to take advantage with seven points and two steals in the opening frame; however, New York rode maybe their best offensive quarter in Vegas to a 24-21 lead.
- Kolek continued his tear, whipping cross-court passes around and controlling the offense -- he hit three more threes, a pull-up jumper and another catch-and-fire from deep on the wing. Ariel Hukporti commanded the defense on the other end, recording a block and showing off his touch with a little euro in the lane.
The Knicks led 41-39 going into halftime behind Kolek’s 23 points.
- Beauchamp made an impact to kick off the third, hitting an open three, floater and jumping the passing lane for a steal into free throws, finishing with nine points in the period. The Nets remained competitive despite their poor shooting thanks to a big effort on the offensive glass.
- New York desperately wanted its first Summer League win, though, going on a 14-2 run late in the quarter. A Beauchamp to Scuka alley-oop capped a big quarter as the Knicks led 69-60 going into the fourth.
- Even when Kolek cooled off, the Knicks offense persisted. Mohamed Diawara made a hard drive and dumped it off to Nnaji for an and-one, while Beauchamp made more plays inside. Brooklyn managed to get the lead within single digits in the closing minutes, but New York secured the win with strong defense and free-throw shooting.
