Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

30.5. It’s a number Phoenix Suns fans became very familiar with throughout last season because it represented the team’s preseason over/under for wins. Sure, it was a difficult number to project. Phoenix had spent the summer reshaping its roster, trading away Kevin Durant and waiving Bradley Beal. The projection was rooted as much in uncertainty as it was in the perceived talent walking out the door.

The Suns didn’t merely clear that number. They obliterated it. Phoenix surpassed its preseason win total by 15 games, earning its 31st victory on February 3 with more than two months still remaining in the regular season. I believe Degeneration X has a phrase that could be directed towards the sportsbooks.

And now the line has been set for the 2026–27 Suns.

After an offseason in which the team exchanged Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Amir Coffey, and Isaiah Livers for Miles Bridges, Luke Kennard, rookie Koa Peat, and Pat Spencer, the projected FanDuel win total sits at 38.5.

According to the sportsbooks, the Suns are expected to finish seven wins worse than they did a season ago. You can point to several reasons. Maybe there’s a belief that the Western Conference got stronger, although I don’t necessarily agree with that. Maybe there’s a perception that the Suns got worse, and I definitely don’t agree with that.

So 38.5 becomes the new number. The new benchmark. The latest expectation for Phoenix to exceed. Because the market is saying the Suns are a sub .500 team, something only the bottom six teams in the Western Conference accomplished last season. Maybe I’m naive. I simply don’t see it.

Of course, sportsbooks aren’t trying to predict the future. They’re trying to balance action, and perception plays a role in that. Phoenix still carries the baggage of recent disappointments, while other teams are generating offseason buzz through splashier moves. That’s fine. The Suns spent last season outperforming expectations instead of chasing them. If this roster stays healthy and continues to build on the identity it established a year ago, 38.5 feels less like a ceiling and more like another number waiting to be left in the rearview mirror.

After spending two seasons as the G League head coach, the Lakers are giving Zach Guthrie quite the promotion.

As first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN on Friday morning, Guthrie will be an assistant coach under JJ Redick this season and will also serve as the head of player development.

Guthrie certainly has helped develop multiple players during his two seasons with the then-South Bay Lakers. The list of players who have spent time in the G League and developed is a growing one in recent years, highlighted by Bronny James, Adou Thiero and Chris Mañon. The likes of Kobe Bufkin, Drew Timme and Jordan Goodwin have also played their way into contracts after spending time in the G League.

More than just development, South Bay has had a success to match it as well. The team made the Western Conference Finals last season after finishing the regular season with a 26-10 record.

Giving him the role of head of player development makes sense and is a just reward for the work he’s done so far. With the Lakers getting much younger this season, it’s nice to see the team place emphasis on developing internally.

It will be interesting to see how the reshuffling works. Ty Abbot was previously hired as the director of player development. Previously, it was announced that Ty Abbott had been named director of player development. However, it looks like his title last season did not reflect that.

Abbot is currently coaching the Lakers’ Summer League team, which has been impressive, so it’s unlikely he’s going anywhere. Perhaps he remains an assistant coach with a focus on player development alongside Guthrie.

Coaching staffs are a place where Mark Walter can flex his financial muscle, as there are far fewer limits on how many teams can have. It’s not a bad thing to have many player development coaches.

There is also, obviously, a need for a new head coach of the G League side, which will be konwn as the Coachella Valley Lakers moving forward. Lindsey Harding is an assistant coach on Redick’s staff and has experience as a G League head coach and could potentially be an option.

It feels more likely, though, that a new person is hired rather than a reshuffling of the current coaching staff.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

For as much heat as Daryl Morey — and to some extent ownership — took for trading Jared McCain at last season’s deadline, let’s not forget that Nick Nurse played at least somewhat of a role in the departure of the team’s 2024 first-round pick. Nurse was quoted as saying McCain had gone through a “tough couple years” back in February when McCain was shipped out to Oklahoma City.

Obviously, Nurse was hinting at the meniscus injury that cut McCain’s rookie year short and the UCL tear in his thumb ahead of training camp. However, McCain was never really fully integrated into Philadelphia’s rotation upon his return from the injury in 2025-26 and was traded before the season even ended. So it stands to reason that Nurse was lukewarm at best on the idea of McCain playing anywhere from 25-35 minutes a night and the writing was on the wall for McCain’s exit out of town.

The primary draft pick Philadelphia received in the trade with Oklahoma City has now been turned into Labaron Philon Jr., a guard who’s only one inch taller than McCain. When Josh Harris and Bob Myers held a press conference announcing Morey’s dismissal, the McCain trade was at the center of a frequent line of questioning from the local media.  Nurse was retained at the end of the season and so clearly the Sixers’ brain trust had to be on the same page with incoming president Mike Gansey on how to deploy their guards moving forward.

While Philon isn’t any taller than VJ Edgecombe, and is only slightly taller than Tyrese Maxey, there has to be a plan on how to avoid a McCain 2.0 situation. But just because Philon is similar in height to McCain and the other guards that will play prominently in the Sixers’ rotation in 2026-27, doesn’t mean this is going to play out the same way McCain’s tenure as a Sixer did.

Philon has done what most teams want their first-round picks to do in Summer League. He’s gotten a lot of minutes, put up a lot of shots and flashed the skills that made him worthy of a selection in the first round. Understandably so, the Sixers have been playing through Philon when he’s been on the court. What’s been recognizable is the versatility in how Philon has been scoring.

Unlike McCain, Philon seems comfortable being able to score at all three levels, with the obvious caveat that he’s doing so in Summer League games. Nevertheless, he’s getting to the basket and finishing around the rim. He’s scoring off the dribble in the midrange area and he looks comfortable from the three-point line when he lets it fly from deep. Additionally, Philon is a much better passer entering the NBA than McCain was at this time two years ago and McCain’s passing skills haven’t improved much since he got drafted.

The bottom line here is that Philon seems like a player that’s good at a lot of different things while McCain was someone who was elite at shooting and had work to do in other areas if he was going to become a more well-rounded guard. That doesn’t mean that Philon is destined to have the better NBA career, but it does suggest that Philon would seem to be a better fit with Maxey and Edgecombe than McCain was.

If you already have two smaller guards in Maxey and Edgecombe anchoring your backcourt, how much sense does it make to play a third small guard that doesn’t handle the ball or pass well with those two? If McCain was three or four inches taller and a knockdown shooter as a small forward, he might have fit more naturally with Maxey and Edgecombe. 

Philon’s ability to run the offense if needed should give Nurse more options. You would think just about everyone in the organization would sign up for Maxey’s minutes to be reduced a bit in the regular season. Well, Philon could allow Maxey to rest a little more during certain games, but he could also more naturally be the team’s primary ball handler leaving Maxey to play off the ball and perhaps not tire out as quickly.

Additionally, if the Sixers just want to play faster this year, Philon’s a niftier guard that would have more success in transition than McCain would. In an era of positionless basketball, having three good athletes in Philon, Maxey and Edgecombe all on the floor at the same time should allow the Sixers to get out and run off missed field goals from the opponent pretty routinely.

None of this is meant to validate trading away McCain or imply that Philon is certain to be the better NBA player. There’s certainly a world in which this works out for everyone and the Sixers’ vision of a backcourt with all three of their current guards makes more sense and McCain settles into a long career with a winning franchise like the Thunder. 

We should note that McCain only started two games for the Thunder in the postseason which might indicate that on a contending team, McCain might never be more than a shooter that comes off the bench. In other words, McCain’s one elite skill might be enough for him to have a long NBA career by itself. But Philon’s wider array of skills might give him a higher ceiling and certainly fits better with the current version of the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Golden State Warriors may have a better chance of landing LeBron James than previously speculated.

In recent days, the Warriors had been seen as the dark horse in the free agent frenzy, with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers the remaining suitors.

Nevertheless, the latest comments from Rich Paul may have put the Warriors back at the forefront. On The Game Over podcast, Paul and Max Kellerman discussed what the league would have to do if James joined the Warriors.

“The NBA would have to give them 60 nationally televised games,” Paul said of Golden State. “I’m being sarcastic, but…at least half, if not, more.”

Warriors personnel have been vocal about James signing with the team.

Earlier this week, head coach Steve Kerr told a fan: “We got him.” The video posted to social media quickly became a viral moment as speculation swirled with Golden State’s involvement in the race for James.

Draymond Green took to social media, where he gave his personal opinion on Kerr’s comment.

“If I know Steve as well as I think I do, he was joking,” Green wrote in a post on Instagram Threads.

Steph Curry, who is at the center of the Warriors’ pitch for James, directly recruited the NBA’s all-time leading scorer during an appearance on Good Morning America.

“The Bay: We know how to win, beautiful weather, great golf. I know he’s into that,” Curry said. “We just know how to play basketball, and I think that he would enjoy just the idea of what it means to finish your career the right way.”

There’s no telling which direction the James’ sweepstakes will go, because no one truly knows aside from the 41-year-old and his camp. But the rest of the league is anxious to know where James will call home next.

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The Las Vegas Summer League has finished its “regular” season, and all that is left is the four-team playoff and a bunch of consolation games for the other 26 squads. As mentioned after the weekend, the North Carolina has quite a few players represented, so lets take a look at Tar Heels (and former Tar Heels) in the second half of their Las Vegas Summer Excursion.

Henri Veesaar, Atlanta Hawks

Veesaar started both games this week for the Hawks. In his first contest against the Celtics, Veesaar showed off, scoring 20 points while grabbing four rebounds in 23 minutes. He additionally had three assists, a steal, and a block while hitting four of his six three-point attempts.

Veesaar and the Hawks did themselves no favors in their final game against the Grizzlies. Needing a win to guarantee themselves a spot in the playoffs, Atlanta promptly got outscored by Memphis 32-2 in the first quarter (that is not a typo). Veesaar was completely overshadowed by Cam Boozer, finishing with a measly five points and three rebounds in 20 minutes of the blowout loss. The Hawks will have to hope they win the tie breaker with a log jam of teams at 3-1 — including the Grizzlies that just beat them.

Drake Powell, Brooklyn Nets

Powell finally came alive in his third game, not only hitting his first shot of the Las Vegas Summer League, but his first three pointer of any game this summer (Powell also played in the California Summer League). Powell finished his game against the Kings shooting six for ten (and four for seven from three) and scoring 18 points. Powell also had two steals, a block, and a rebound.

Unfortunately, the good times did not continue for Powell, who fell back to earth against the Rockets, finishing with just six points on one of six shooting. He did have three steals, but overall Powell did not have a good showing in Vegas. His team will not be one of the four in playoffs, though they will play again this weekend.

Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls

Wilson continued to show out in Las Vegas, playing in all three of the Bull’s games this week. Even though the matchups were scheduled, Sin City missed out on the chance to see Wilson vs Peterson (who sat out for rest) and Dybantsa (who was shut down before the matchup). Wilson, however, didn’t seem to care, as he posted an average of 19.7 points, eight rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 2.3 assists, and a steal across the three games. Wilson also continued to shoot well, though he did have 15 turnovers in those three games. While nothing can top that opening game against Memphis, Wilson showed everyone why he is a force to be reckoned with. The only thing left for the Bulls is a consolation game against Cleveland on Friday.

Jalen Washington, Chicago Bulls

After not playing in the team’s first three games, Washington finally saw minutes in the team’s final game against the Lakers. The former Tar Heel big man finished with two points and one rebound in four minutes of action. Washington may get another chance to impress on Friday depending on who the team decides to play in their final game against the Cavaliers.

Pete Nance, Milwaukee Bucks

Nance started both games for the Bucks this week. He scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds in 24 minutes in Milwaukee’s loss to the Suns. He did better in the Buck’s win over the Hornets, though, scoring 11 points and grabbing two boards. Nance also had six assists across the two games. The win against Charlotte was Milwaukee’s only win in Las Vegas, so they will not be playing in the playoff although they will play one more game this weekend.

Tyler Nickel, New York Knicks

Nickel continued to play valuable minutes for the Knicks this week, starting his second and third games of the Summer League. In his start against the Pistons, Nickel scored only nine points, but did grab six rebounds in the Knicks first win of Summer League play. In his start against the Warriors, Nickel had his worst game in Summer League play with another nine points to go with just four rebounds in yet another blowout loss for New York. The reigning NBA champs had three blowout losses and will play a consolation game against the Mavericks on Friday.   

RJ Davis, San Antonio Spurs

Davis continued his strong play in the Spur’s fourth game, posting a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds in 29 minutes. Davis started his second straight game for the Spurs, and looks to have a chance to maybe even get an invite to Spurs training camp or a two-way deal. Even if it isn’t with the Spurs, Davis has shown that he can be a valuable contributor to an NBA squad this season. The Spurs are one of several teams at 3-1 who have a chance to make the four team playoff.

Seth Trimble, Washington Wizards

Trimble started both games this week for the Wizards, who as previously mentioned shut down number one overall pick AJ Dybantsa before Tuesday’s matchup. In his first start, Trimble scored 13 points while grabbing three rebounds, getting two steals, and dishing out two assists in 28 minutes.

Trimble really shone in his second start, scoring 24 points in 27 minutes while also getting three rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block. Trimble did have five turnovers over those two games, but assuming he doesn’t lay an egg in the team’s fifth contest (the Wizards also will not be in the four-team playoff), Trimble has a great chance of making the Wizards G-League squad this fall.  

Additionally, Cormac Ryan did not play in either of the Bucks two games this week for rest purposes (he did suffer an injury while in California) and it is unknown if he will play in the team’s final game.

The Los Angeles Lakers have announced they will team up with Albert, their new jersey patch partner going into the 2026-27 season.

The AI-powered financial assistant and management application will have its logo appear on all four Lakers uniforms as part of a premium sponsorship.

Albert was founded by college roommates Yinon Ravid and Andrzej Baraniak in 2015, according to its website. Its mission is to "give everyone a chance at financial stability."

"The Lakers represent excellence, ambition, and a connection with fans that extends beyond basketball. Albert is proud to partner with an organization that has inspired millions of people around the world," Ravid said in a news release. "Together, we're excited to use the reach of this partnership to help fans manage their money better and handle the financial busywork of life, so they can spend more time on what they love - like watching basketball."

Mike Boynton Jr. will have one year to prove he deserves the second year of his two-year, $7.6 million contract as Michigan's men's basketball coach.

Per The Detroit News, part of the USA TODAY Network, Boynton must reach several benchmarks to earn a second season in replacement of Dusty May, who left to take over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA after two seasons in Ann Arbor.

REQUIRED READING: Warde Manuel explains rationale for Mike Boynton Jr.’s contract structure

Boynton initially was named the interim coach for May before being elevated to full-time head coach. In that time, the Wolverines lost only one player to the transfer portal in junior guard L.J. Cason, while retaining several highly rated transfers, recruits and players from last season's championship roster.

"The contract is one that really gives (Boynton) an opportunity to showcase and show what he can do," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said on WTKA’s "The Michigan Insider" earlier this week (via The Detroit News). "It gives the ability for him to earn that extra year and maybe another contract is what I told him

"... I did a similar thing with Kevin Ollie (at UConn) by giving him a one-year contract. And then by December I gave him a full contract, and then another a year later when he wins the national title."

Here's what to know of Boynton's contract at Michigan, and what he must accomplish in Year 1 to see a second season with the Wolverines:

LeBron James gave the Knicks their flowers on Thursday and pinpointed the changes that helped them win the NBA Finals.

James said that last year, the Knicks ran a lot of Jalen Brunson-centric offense, but an adjustment by first-year coach Mike Brown changed everything.

“I think they diversified their offensive portfolio. It was a lot of Jalen Brunson picks and rolls last year, and it allowed the defense to kind of key in on him,” James began during a live recording of his “Mind the Game” podcast at Fanatics Fest.

“I think what Mike Brown brought in was the little pinch post to get the ball to Karl-Anthony Towns in the pinch post area, or at the top of the key, and let him be in the hub. And yes, at the end of the day, it would still get to Jalen Brunson, but it didn’t allow you to just sit on one action.”

That change came after the Knicks fell into a 2-1 hole in their opening-round series against the Hawks. The Knicks went on to win the final three against Atlanta, sweep the 76ers and Cavaliers to reach the NBA Finals before slaying the Spurs in five games to win the franchise’s first championship since 1973.

Brunson was surely the Knicks’ best player last season, leading the team through a long regular season in which they mostly stayed healthy, unlike in years past.

“We know the glue guys like [Jose] Alvarado, Josh Hart, and Mikail Bridges, but obviously the unsung hero of the whole finals run was OG Anunoby,” James said.

Anunoby had the NBA Finals-changing play when he tipped home the game-winner in the final seconds of Game 4 after the Knicks rallied from 29 points down.

The Knicks put together an incredible run to the NBA Finals, and James points out that they had the best point differential in NBA Playoff history, at 14.9 points per game.

James is still trying to figure out which team he is going to play for during the upcoming season as he hopes to compete for a title in his age-42 season.

His agent, Rich Paul, had previously said that if the Knicks hadn’t won the title, James wouldn’t be looking at a board of teams to play for.

“He’d be going to the Knicks,” Paul said on his “Game Over” podcast earlier this month.

With the Knicks appearing uninterested in a James-Knicks union, the team has done a good job of bringing the band back together, having lost only backup center Mitchell Robinson to the rival Celtics thus far in free agency.

The Los Angeles Lakers might be on the verge of losing LeBron James, but it’s okay, because they might have found another old man hooper in Summer League and it’s breaking everyone’s brain.

Don’t worry, because I can tell you exactly who this is. The mystery old man suiting up for the Lakers is 30-year-old Jon Elmore, who played for Marshall until 2019 and has been a basketball nomad since leaving college. The journeyman has played in Italy, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Turkey and Canasa — as well as bouncing between three different G-League teams.

Now he’s getting a run with the Lakers and got people’s attention on Thursday night by scoring 11 points and registering five assists, while shooting a tidy 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. The jokes might be flowing freely, but Elmore had major game at Marshall where he averaged over 20 points-per-game, was three-time All Conference USA, and won the C-USA Tournament MVP in 2018.

Now he’s just out here on one of the brightest stages rubbing his bald head and living his best life. You gotta love the guy. If you have jokes, don’t feel bad — we do as well. Please share them over here.

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There are six games on the NBA Summer League slate this evening, with the likes of the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks all in action. 

My predictions for tonight's schedule include the Mavericks, Trail Blazers, and Cavaliers all grabbing wins.

Check out my NBA Summer League picks for Friday, July 17. 

NBA Summer League predictions for July 17

Pick
Mavericks moneyline	-175
Blazers moneyline	+109
Cavaliers moneyline	-154
💰 All three parlayed	+472

Today's Summer League picks

Mavericks moneyline (-175 at Kalshi)

The New York Knicks may be the defending NBA champions, but their Summer League roster doesn't have much talent. New York has gone just 1-3 in Vegas, scoring only 69.3 PPG while allowing an average of 80.8.

The Dallas Mavericks are riding a two-game winning streak, grabbing a 97-87 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. First-round pick Sergio De Larrea dished out 14 assists, and the Mavs drained 13 threes.

Six different players finished in double figures in points. Dallas is starting to find a rhythm offensively, and the Knicks have shown little ability to truly compete in Summer League.

Blazers moneyline (+109 at Kalshi)

After starting off Summer League with two losses, the Portland Trail Blazers have responded with back-to-back wins. They've been one of the best offensive teams in Vegas, averaging 100.8 points per game.

Portland's entire starting five finished in double figures in their last victory over the Denver Nuggets, and another two bench players also had 15+ points.

The Utah Jazz are coming off a steep loss to the San Antonio Spurs where they allowed 94 points. The Blazers have great depth, and they will overwhelm Utah tonight.

Cavaliers moneyline (-154 at Kalshi)

The Cleveland Cavaliers have won back-to-back contests after losing their first two games of Summer League. Second-round pick Meleek Thomas has been balling out for Cleveland, averaging 28.3 PPG in just 30.1 minutes per contest across three appearances. That leads the tournament. 

He'll spearhead the Cavs' offense tonight against a Chicago Bulls team that has been very poor defensively. They're allowing 92.3 PPG, and have gone 1-3 so far in Vegas.

Malaki Branham has been a perfect co-star alongside Thomas in Summer League as well, averaging 15.8 points. Cleveland will take this one. 

Friday’s NBA Summer League parlay

Mavericks moneyline

Blazers moneyline

Cavaliers moneyline

+472 at Kalshi

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Six former Arizona Wildcats players competed at NBA Summer League, which wraps up this weekend in Las Vegas. As was to be expected, Arizona’s two first round picks in this year’s NBA Draft made the greatest first impression.

Arizona’s Brayden Burries and Koa Peat had two of the better Summer League runs of this year’s draft class.

Burries, the No. 10 overall pick to the Milwaukee Bucks, averaged 22.9 points over three games. He shot 50% from the field, including 8-18 (44.4%) from three-point range. Burries had 12 assists to just one turnover and also came up with seven steals.

His player efficiency rating was highest among all newcomers at 32.8. If not for an elite rookie class, Burries would be getting even more recognition heading into the rest of the NBA offseason. Even so, Burries made a positive impression on the Bucks, who are in need of a new face of the franchise following the departure of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

It’s only Summer League, but Burries showed he could be that guy one day.

Meanwhile, Peat put to rest some concerns about his shooting ability by averaging 16.8 points on 51% from the field across four games. Peat, the No. 30 overall pick to the Phoenix Suns, played arguably his best game in a win over Burries’ Bucks, scoring 19 points to go with six rebounds and two steals.

Perhaps the most impressive part about Peat’s Summer League performance was his consistency. He scored double digits in each game he played and never shot below 46%.

While Burries and Peat will leave Las Vegas feeling good about their situations heading into the rest of summer, Jaden Bradley may feel like he left something to prove.

The No. 50 overall pick to the Toronto Raptors, Bradley has averaged 6 points, 2.8 assists and 3.3 turnovers through four games. Bradley could play one more game in Toronto’s consolation matchup Saturday vs. Denver.

Bradley is shooting just 29.6% from the floor and has yet to make a 3-pointer. He just hasn’t looked comfortable.

Tobe Awaka, who signed a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls as an undrafted free agent, put together his best performance on Wednesday with a 14-point, 10-rebound double double. Awaka also had three blocks and three steals in the game.

Through four games, Awaka is averaging 7 points on 75% shooting to go with 3.8 rebounds.

The last member of the 2025-26 Arizona squad to compete in Las Vegas is Anthony Dell’Orso, who is on a Summer League deal with the Sacramento Kings.

ADO shot 3-3 from the field on Tuesday, including a three-pointer. The 11 minutes played were his most in a Summer League game.

Dell’Orso will have one more opportunity when the Kings play New Orleans on Friday afternoon.

San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant made a short appearance at Summer League, playing in two games. After a tough opener, Bryant bounced back with a 19-point outing versus the New York Knicks. He made 7 of 10 field goal attempts including a pair of three-pointers.

Bryant is entering a big sophomore year after averaging 4.2 points and 2.5 rebounds as a rookie.

Cameron Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies have shown they are a force to be reckoned with in NBA Summer League play, but what they did to Atlanta on Thursday night was exceptional.

Memphis went up 21-0 and outscored Atlanta 32-2 in the first quarter. They went on to win 96-64.

Yes, it’s summer league, but these are all talented players. The Showtime Lakers held the Kings to 4 points in the first quarter in a 1987 game, but other than that, we’ve never heard of such a thing in professional basketball.

For his part, Boozer had an exceptional game, with 24 points, shooting 10-13/1-1. He also had 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal in 29 minutes.

The one part of his game that we think he could improve, offensively anyway, is turnovers, and he had 4 here. Part of that though is because he is willing to take chances, and in winning time, he becomes more conservative.

Former UNC star Henri Veesaar started for the Hawks, and scored 5 points in 20 minutes.

Former Virginia and Louisville guard Isaac McKneely also started, scoring 2 points in 9 minutes.

• Grizzlies’ Cameron Boozer: Strikes for 24 points
• Cameron Boozer Highlights vs. Atlanta Hawks
• Cameron Boozer finishes rout with game-high 24
• Cameron Boozer & Caleb Wilson have put more pressure on Darryn Peterson
• Cameron Boozer lobs it up to Cedric Coward
• Grizzlies’ Cameron Boozer Reveals Story Behind His NBA Jersey Number
• Cameron Boozer gets a TOUGH and-1

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It’s rumor season.

The dog days of summer. Always liked that expression. Life is probably pretty good as a dog.

The word takes a different meaning when it comes to the Houston Rockets. You’re not in the rotation if you don’t “have that dog in you”. Dogs are anthropomorphized as both lazy and hardworking. English is funny? Dogs are funny?

Basketball. It’s rumor season. Yet, Houston Rockets rumors are few and far between. At this juncture, it seems clear that we’re “running it back”. Marcus Smart is the blockbuster acquisition. Bogdan Bogdanovic is a reasonable flyer.

Earlier in the summer (before the dog days?), there were rumors. Both Fred VanVleet and Kevin Durant were the main subjects.

Would Rafael Stone really have the audacity to move either?

Rockets must keep an open mind

Frankly, I think there are several worlds in which trading Durant is beneficial.

The only suitor who seems marginally serious is the Pistons. The deal would presumably be Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, Ron Holland, and a first-rounder.

There’s an awkwardness here. Holland is a recent lottery pick, and he has the prerequisite Ime Udoka Canis lupus familiaris (dog) qualities. He’s the centerpiece of this deal in theory, but he’s probably the least useful piece from the Rockets’ perspective. He’s a defense-first wing who can’t shoot:

So Udoka will probably start him at the two and call it a day.

Jokes aside (and let me be clear that, contrary to the entire comments section, I like our identity and Udoka while recognizing his flaws), Robinson would be a great addition to this roster. The first-round pick is necessary for the Rockets to get fair value. Yet, I’m advocating for this deal for a broader reason:

The Rockets can’t be afraid to reset.

The Rockets can afford a step back

There was a comment during Rafael Stone’s end-of-season presser where he alluded to “a strategic step back”.

Stone, of course, is beholden to the stakeholders. Owners do not like temporary regression. Ime Udoka signed up for a gradual but steady progression to championship viability.

Yet, linear upward progression cannot be this organization’s impetus. If the right superstar trade presents itself, yes, you take the deal. Anthony Edwards. Jayson Tatum (however unlikely).

Not Jaylen Brown (thankfully) or an aging Kawhi “Aspiration” Leonard. Being hasty to stimulate the rate of improvement would be a potential disaster.

Losing five extra games in service of the future would be perfectly fine.

That could mean trading Durant. It could even mean trading one of the “young core” for assets if fit issues result in another first-round exit next year. Whatever it means, winning 45 games in 2027-28 shouldn’t be viewed as an unacceptable outcome if the team has more future picks, and more potential via their 2027 draft selections.

Got to close this one by return. Something about dogs, or summer, or rumors. Or maybe not. We don’t have to progress linearly to our objective:

As long as we get where we’re going.

Fluke Deez.

Preparation finally synced up with opportunity for Dillon Brooks in his 9th season in the NBA, as he shot his way to the brink of an All-Star bid, but the naysayers in the Suns content sphere are tugging on his jersey, trying to pull the Villain back down to earth. They want to give away his shots to Miles Bridges and relegate his shine to the corner three, but nobody puts Dillon in the corner.

For the duration of his career, prior to his arrival in Phoenix, the turnaround jumper has been violently shaking the bars of its cage screaming to be unleashed, and now that it’s out in the world along with the rest of Dillon’s bag, good luck getting it back in the cage

Last season Dillon averaged a career high 20.2 points a game on 17.1 shots and finished second on the team behind Booker in both points and attempts. His 17.1 shots were the most field goals he’s ever attempted in a season, and considerably more than the 13.0 FGAs he’s averaged over his career. Comparing the stats from his career year to his career averages, that’s the biggest difference that stands out. Opportunity.

Dillon took more two-point attempts than he has in any season since he was at the height of his powers in Memphis, navigating in the space made by Booker’s gravity to convert on 49.2% of his 10.5 attempts. This ties a career high he had set in his first year under Ime Udoka in Houston. He paired that with 6.6 three-point attempts a game, a new feature of his game he picked up his last season in Memphis and carried over to Houston. Last year for the Suns, Dillon shot 34.4% from three, which is a little down from his career average of 35.3% and significantly down from his career high his last season on the Rockets of 39.5%.

None of the numbers in Dillon’s career year are significant outliers compared to his past performances except for the number of attempts. So why is there a widely held assumption that Dillon Brooks needs to take the back seat when Miles Bridges arrives? Last year was Robin to Booker’s Batman, and this season the talking heads think he’s not even going to be Alfred? Is he going to be some kinda prop on the three-point line and defensive agitator? Whatever the Suns’ intentions for Dillon Brooks next year, I don’t see that happening. Not after he’s gotten a taste. Not in his age 30 season. How many more opportunities like he had last season will he get? He’s not going to let any more slip by. Nor should he.

In the course of getting swept by the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs, the Suns found some things out about themselves and about Dillon Brooks. The Thunder forced the ball out of Devin Booker’s hands and into the hands of Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. Dillon took 21.3 shots per game during the series in which the Thunder dogwalked the Suns 4 straight games. Dillon responded by putting up 26 points a game, improving on his regular season field goal percentage and falling just a few percentage points under his regular season three-point average on a whopping 8.0 attempts. Dillon had two 30-point games that series, and finished game four with an efficient 23 pts on 10-of-19 shooting in what ended up being the Suns’ best showing.

Jalen Green finished the Oklahoma series averaging 20.6 points a game on 38.6% shooting and shot 20.9% from three.

Miles Bridges has never played in a playoff game.

Dillon Brooks doesn’t need to prove he can Robin for Book. Jalen Green does. Miles Bridges does. I expect the Suns to Robin by committee depending on which way the ball flows. I also expect Brooks to continue to see open space operating underneath Booker’s shadow. I fail to see the reasoning in removing shots from Dillon Brooks to give to other similarly flawed players. The Suns’ efficiency will need to improve from Booker down the roster. Dillon Brooks seems to have already gotten a jump on it, playing for Team Canada.

In Team Canada’s game against Puerto Rico, Dillon went 7-of-12 from the field for 15 points. Against the Jamaican team, he went 8-of-12 for 22 points. Those are the kind of nights I’m sure the Suns would love to see from Dillon Brooks next season, but he can give them more.

Dillon stepped up in big moments throughout the season. In the play-in loss that would have spared the Suns having to play the Thunder, Brooks went 6-of-10, 2-of-4 from three, for 20 points in a game where the ball went to Jalen to the tune of 35 points on 29 shots. Booker and the bench fell short that night, but Dillon did everything the Suns needed him to do. As he had done all season.

Dillon’s 2025-26 was no fluke. He’s not going to take a back seat to anybody on the offense, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s entitled to the shotgun seat to open this upcoming year. Nobody has ever gotten ahead by doubting Dillon Brooks.

He gave you fair warning: beware.