According to the NBA’s list of official roster transactions, the Boston Celtics have made just one move since mid-April: signing 2025 first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez to his rookie-scale contract.
Those trades and signings were all agreed to, per multiple reports, but as of Monday, none of those transactions have been made official, despite teams being able to announce such moves beginning at noon ET on Sunday, July 6, when the NBA’s new league year officially began.
So, what’s the delay here? Why haven’t we gotten introductory press conferences for Anfernee Simons (acquired in the Holiday trade) or Georges Niang (acquired in the Porzingis trade) — or at least confirmation that these deals are complete?
The most likely explanation is that more moves are coming.
But if you factor in the additions of Garza and Minott, the C’s technically would be over the second apron if they made all of their reported moves official, with $208.5 million committed in salary for 2025-26.
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Since it’s unlikely that Boston would enter next season as a second apron team without a legitimate shot at title contention, the Celtics need to make at least one more move to dip below that $207.8 million threshold.
And while the C’s technically could lop off less than $1 million to accomplish that goal, it’s possible they could make a more significant move to cut costs, either to get under the first apron ($195.9 million) or get out of the luxury tax entirely ($187.9 million).
Boston’s quickest pathway to cutting salary is rerouting Simons, who is set to make $27.7 million in 2025-26 on an expiring contract. The current construction of the Celtics-Blazers trade has Holiday going to Portland in return for Simons and two second-round picks, but since the deal hasn’t been announced yet, Boston could expand the trade to find a third team to take on Simons’ contract.
The same goes for Niang, who is set to make $8.2 million on an expiring contract but could be rerouted for additional savings as well.
Cost-cutting aside, the Celtics also have an unbalanced depth chart at the moment. Assuming Al Horford departs in free agency, Boston’s frontcourt will consist of Neemias Queta, Garza, Xavier Tillman Sr. and rookie Amari Williams. With Derrick White and Payton Pritchard holding down the backcourt, it would make sense for the C’s to flip Simons for a big man, or if they can’t find any takers for Simons, consider moving Niang or Sam Hauser for a low-cost center.
Between the Celtics’ current financial situation and their need for frontcourt help, all signs point to president of basketball operations Brad Stevens pushing over at least one more domino to set the wheels in motion on making the team’s pending moves official.
The Eastern Conference title race ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season is more wide open than it’s been in a long time.
That’s what happens when the best team — the Boston Celtics — loses its top player (Jayson Tatum) to a ruptured Achilles and has to trade away multiple starters due to the second apron of the luxury tax. The reigning East champion Indiana Pacers also lost their best player, Tyrese Haliburton, to a torn Achilles during the playoffs. You can take them out of the East title mix.
That leaves the Cavaliers, Magic, Knicks, Bucks, Hawks and maybe the 76ers as the top teams in the conference, and all of them have plenty of flaws and/or concerns.
Which East teams have fared the best in free agency and trades during the offseason to this point? Let’s rank the top 10 teams in the East based on betting odds to win the conference and analyze their moves.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
Odds to win East: +245
Key additions: Lonzo Ball (trade)
Key departures: Ty Jerome (free agency), Isaac Okoro (trade)
Getting Ball from the Bulls was a nice addition for the Cavs. When healthy, Ball is a very good playmaker and can add some scoring off the bench. They’ll need that offense after Jerome departed in free agency following a career season in which he placed third in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
The Cavs also re-signed Sam Merrill to a four-year, $38 million contract, which is good value. Overall, Cleveland didn’t have a ton of options to bolster their roster as a second-apron team, but running it back with mostly the same roster isn’t a bad idea considering the Cavs won 64 games last season.
2. New York Knicks
Odds to win East: +290
Key additions: Jordan Clarkson (free agency), Guerschon Yabusele (free agency)
Key departures: None
The Knicks appear to be bringing back mostly the same roster that defeated the defending champion Boston Celtics in the second round and advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 2000.
The additions of Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele give the Knicks some much-needed scoring depth off the bench.
Perhaps the most notable offseason move for the Knicks was firing head coach Tom Thibodeau and replacing him with Mike Brown.
3. Orlando Magic
Odds to win East: +550
Key additions: Desmond Bane (trade), Tyus Jones (free agency)
When healthy, the Magic were a very good team last season thanks to their young core of Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner. Banchero, in particular, has superstar potential.
Orlando will be a trendy pick to win the East next season. Credit to the Magic front office for making a bold Bane trade and trying to take advantage of what could be a very wide open East in 2025-26.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Paolo Banchero is a rising star in Orlando.
4. Philadelphia 76ers
Odds to win East: +1000
Key additions: VJ Edgecombe (draft)
Key departures: Guerschon Yabusele (free agency)
The 76ers once again are among the favorites (based on conference title odds) to win the East.
On paper, the Sixers have a good roster. Joel Embiid is an MVP-caliber center and Paul George is a very good two-way wing. But how many games are these guys going to play? Embiid played just 19 games last season and 39 games in 2023-24 due to injuries. George was limited to 41 games last season. Banking on either player to be healthy for a full campaign would be a mistake.
The Sixers do have some impressive young talent. Tyrese Maxey is an All-Star caliber player. Quentin Grimes was a nice pickup from the Mavericks last February. Jared McCain made a nice impact offensively as a rookie. VJ Edgecombe, who Philly selected No. 3 overall in the 2025 draft, could be a very good player.
It’s easy to see why there’s some optimism surrounding this team. But again, the health of Embiid will ultimately make or break the Sixers’ season.
5. Milwaukee Bucks
Odds to win East: +1100
Key additions: Myles Turner (free agency), Gary Harris (free agency)
The Bucks still have Giannis Antetokounmpo, and that by itself is a win for the franchise. But have they done enough this offseason to convince the superstar forward to stay in Milwaukee long-term?
Losing Brook Lopez and signing Myles Turner was an upgrade at center. Waiving Damian Lillard and tying up $20-plus million in cap space for the next five years as a result was a shocking and bold gamble, even though the star point guard could miss all of next season recovering from a torn Achilles.
And aside from the Turner addition, the Bucks have mostly brought the same team back, so are they really a contender in the East? Milwaukee re-signed Kevin Porter Jr., Bobby Portis, Taurean Prince, Ryan Rollins and Gary Trent Jr.
The Bucks need an upgrade at point guard, but with Antetokounmpo still in the fold, they could maybe be a top-four team in a weak East next season.
Key departures: Clint Capela (free agency), Caris LeVert (free agency) Georges Niang (trade), Terance Mann (trade)
The Hawks have been a huge winner of the offseason so far. They reportedly acquired Kristaps Porzingis for very little in a trade with the Celtics and Nets. They got rid of Terance Mann’s contract in the same deal. The Hawks also picked up an unprotected 2026 first-round pick from the New Orleans Pelicans in a draft day move, giving them one of the most prized assets in the league.
Atlanta could be a sneaky contender in the East next season, especially if All-Star caliber point guard Trae Young has another great campaign. And with one year left on his contract, he has plenty of motivation to take his game to a higher level.
7. Boston Celtics
Odds to win East: +1500
Key additions: Anfernee Simons (trade), Georges Niang (trade), Luke Garza (free agency), Josh Minott (free agency)
We all knew the Celtics were going to shed salary to get under the second apron, and that’s exactly what they looked to accomplish early in the offseason by reportedly trading away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
Getting a young guard with high offensive potential in Anfernee Simons from the Trail Blazers as part of the Holiday trade was a nice pickup for the C’s. Simons’ defense is lackluster, but he can score 20 points per game and shoots 3-pointers at a high rate.
The C’s added a few end-of-the-rotation guys in Luke Garza and Josh Minott in free agency. It’s possible that with more playing time and an increased role, one or both players could see an uptick in performance.
Al Horford remains a free agent, and the latest reports suggest he could sign with the Golden State Warriors. Luke Kornet signed a four-year, $41 million deal with the San Antonio Spurs early in free agency. Losing both Horford and Kornet would be a tough blow to Boston’s frontcourt. The Celtics’ starting center right now is probably Xavier Tillman Sr. or Neemias Queta. That’s not an ideal scenario.
Of course, the one story hanging over the franchise is Jayson Tatum’s recovery from an Achilles injury suffered in mid-May. With Tatum potentially missing most or all of next season, it’s fair to wonder if the Celtics will try to get their salary structure/luxury tax situation in order this season to ensure they have the flexibility to make bold moves once Tatum is back to full strength.
Key departures: Tim Hardaway Jr. (free agency), Dennis Schroder (free agency)
The Pistons took a huge step forward last season, improving their win total by 30 and making the playoffs for the first time since 2019. It hasn’t been a great offseason, though.
They lost plenty of scoring depth with the departures of Schroder and Hardaway. Malik Beasley’s future is uncertain, too, as the NBA investigates him for gambling allegations. If Beasley — who finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting — doesn’t go back to Detroit, replacing him with Duncan Robinson is a downgrade. LeVert is a nice player, but certainly not a difference-maker.
If the Pistons are going to be better next season, they’ll need their young players (Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, Ron Holland, etc.) to take another positive step in their development.
9. Indiana Pacers
Odds to win East: +3300
Key additions: Jay Huff (trade)
Key departures: Myles Turner (free agency)
Losing starting center Myles Turner wasn’t a complete shock, but it was pretty surprising to see him go to the Bucks after they created salary cap space by waiving Damian Lillard. A lot of the other good centers who were available this offseason have already found a new team, so the Pacers don’t have many viable options left to replace Turner.
Similar to the Celtics, the 2025-26 season likely will be one of transition for the Pacers. The loss of superstar point guard Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles during Game 7 of the NBA Finals has taken away Indiana’s ability to get back to the conference finals for the third straight year.
10. Miami Heat
Odds to win East: +6500
Key additions: Norman Powell (trade), Kasparas Jakucionis (draft)
Key departures: Duncan Robinson (free agency)
It’s been a mostly quiet offseason in Miami, except for Monday’s three-team trade with the Clippers and Jazz in which the Heat acquired Norman Powell.
Duncan Robinson was a good 3-point shooter but was also overpaid and a poor defensive player. Powell, who averaged 21.8 points and shot 41.8 percent from 3-point range for the Clippers last season, is a nice upgrade for Miami.
The Heat also re-signed Davion Mitchell to a two-year deal.
The Heat are not contenders and likely destined to be in the mix for a play-in spot yet again. That’s what happens when Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo are your best and most expensive players.
Nique Clifford might be entering his rookie NBA season, but he’s ready to contribute right away.
The 23-year-old, whom the Kings traded up to select in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, sat down with NBC Sports California’s Morgan Ragan following his introductory press conference and broke down what he’ll bring to Sacramento during his rookie year.
“Just a level of energy every day. A level of positivity,” Clifford told Ragan. “I feel like I could bring that every single day to the people around me and help my teammates be better and just push everyone around me to be better and want to get better.
“And then on the court, versatility. Being able to go out there and defend, rebound, just play super hard. And then when I get my opportunity to knock down shots and make the right play offensively.”
Clifford’s versatility is what attracted the Kings to him, as he takes great pride in being a two-way player.
The former Colorado State standout told Ragan that mindset began at an early age.
“I think it goes back to how I was raised,” Clifford said. “My dad always taught me to play both ends of the floor. You have to take pride offensively just as much as you do defensively. Not wanting your man to score on you. I was just instilled with that at a young age.
“You see the great players, Michael Jordans, the Kobes, people like that, they played both sides of the floor. I feel like that’s true greatness.”
This fall, Clifford will have to back his words on the court.
Nique Clifford might be entering his rookie NBA season, but he’s ready to contribute right away.
The 23-year-old, whom the Kings traded up to select in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, sat down with NBC Sports California’s Morgan Ragan following his introductory press conference and broke down what he’ll bring to Sacramento during his rookie year.
“Just a level of energy every day. A level of positivity,” Clifford told Ragan. “I feel like I could bring that every single day to the people around me and help my teammates be better and just push everyone around me to be better and want to get better.
“And then on the court, versatility. Being able to go out there and defend, rebound, just play super hard. And then when I get my opportunity to knock down shots and make the right play offensively.”
Clifford’s versatility is what attracted the Kings to him, as he takes great pride in being a two-way player.
The former Colorado State standout told Ragan that mindset began at an early age.
“I think it goes back to how I was raised,” Clifford said. “My dad always taught me to play both ends of the floor. You have to take pride offensively just as much as you do defensively. Not wanting your man to score on you. I was just instilled with that at a young age.
“You see the great players, Michael Jordans, the Kobes, people like that, they played both sides of the floor. I feel like that’s true greatness.”
This fall, Clifford will have to back his words on the court.
The Miami Heat have reportedly added a dynamic scorer.
Norman Powell is headed to Miami, John Collins is off to the LA Clippers and Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson and a Clippers 2027 second-round pick are going to the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Monday.
The Heat get a skilled scorer in Powell, who averaged a career-high 21.8 points per game (24th in the NBA) with the Clippers last season while shooting 42% on 3-pointers. The 32-year-old guard spent three-plus seasons with the Clippers after being dealt from the Portland Trail Blazers in February 2022.
Miami is shipping out two veterans in Love and Anderson. Love, a five-time All-Star, averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds across 23 games for Miami in 2024-25. Anderson, meanwhile, played just 25 games with the team and averaged 6.7 points per game after being traded from the Golden State Warriors.
The Clippers bring back Collins. The forward averaged 19.0 points (tied for the team lead) for the Jazz across 40 games last season. He spent two years in Utah after playing with the Atlanta Hawks for his first six NBA seasons.
The Miami Heat have reportedly added a dynamic scorer.
Norman Powell is headed to Miami, John Collins is off to the LA Clippers and Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson and a Clippers 2027 second-round pick are going to the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Monday.
The Heat get a skilled scorer in Powell, who averaged a career-high 21.8 points per game (24th in the NBA) with the Clippers last season while shooting 42% on 3-pointers. The 32-year-old guard spent three-plus seasons with the Clippers after being dealt from the Portland Trail Blazers in February 2022.
Miami is shipping out two veterans in Love and Anderson. Love, a five-time All-Star, averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds across 23 games for Miami in 2024-25. Anderson, meanwhile, played just 25 games with the team and averaged 6.7 points per game after being traded from the Golden State Warriors.
The Clippers bring back Collins. The forward averaged 19.0 points (tied for the team lead) for the Jazz across 40 games last season. He spent two years in Utah after playing with the Atlanta Hawks for his first six NBA seasons.
Jayson Tatum’s recovery process has reached its next stage.
The Boston Celtics star is just under two months removed from surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in a May 13 playoff game against the New York Knicks. And while most Americans were enjoying a relaxing July 4 weekend, Tatum was attacking his rehab — both in the gym and in the pool.
On Saturday, Tatum posted an Instagram photo of himself working out in the gym (with a walking boot on his right foot) with the motivational caption, “Keep showing up JT.”
On Sunday, Tatum briefly ditched the walking boot for a pool workout, sharing a video on his Instagram story of himself doing some slow but steady “high knees” under the close watch of trainer Nick Sang.
Tatum has been very active post-surgery — he shared another video of himself in the gym on June 29, less than 50 days after his operation. The 27-year-old has a relentless work ethic, so it’s no surprise that he’s doing everything he can to speed up his recovery process.
Whether we see Tatum at some point during the 2025-26 season, however, remains to be seen.
The Celtics have been intentional about not putting a clock on Tatum’s recovery, with president of basketball operations Brad Stevens recently noting that Tatum won’t have a projected timeline for “a long, long time.”
“It’s baby steps right now,” Stevens told reporters after Round 1 of the NBA Draft on June 25. “He’s actually progressed great, but I don’t know what that means with regard to projected timelines.”
“And that’ll be in consultation with him and (trainers) Nick (Sang) and Phil Coles and everybody else to make sure when he hits the court, he is fully ready and fully healthy. And that will be the priority.”
While most NBA players miss full seasons due to Achilles injuries, there have been some examples of stars returning in under 12 months’ time — most notably Dominique Wilkins, who was back on the court less than 10 months after his injury. Given Tatum’s youth and work ethic, it’s certainly possible he’s able to speed up his own recovery process.
Then again, Boston will need to consider the risk of rushing Tatum back to action, especially on a team that has lower expectations in 2025-26 after losing Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet and possibly Al Horford. The better course of action might be to keep Tatum out the entire season and let him return at 100 percent health in 2026-27, instead of throwing him into the fire in March or April 2026.
Kevon Looney has a lot to be proud of from his time with the Warriors. Perhaps most importantly: Three NBA championship rings.
While the 6-foot-9 center never produced eye-popping numbers throughout his 10-year career with Golden State, he played a pivotal role as a reliable big, both in the starting lineup and off the bench, while also establishing himself as a veteran leader in the Warriors’ locker room.
“In looking back on everything on my way out, I think the thing I’m most proud of when it comes to my time with the Warriors is the fact that I earned everything that came to me as a player,” Looney wrote.
“No one gave me anything. I worked for everything. I earned my stripes.”
Looney earned a lot of praise for how reliable and poised he was in the biggest moments, and after he was selected by the Warriors in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft, with Golden State’s dynastic run just beginning, there were plenty of big moments to follow.
“And I’m not gonna lie: It was scary sometimes,” Looney shared. “I didn’t always know how things were gonna turn out. I’d look up, and I’m out there on an island with James Harden, and it was just like … go figure it out. But my coaches and teammates, they all trusted me to come through. Make or break.
“And I didn’t break. I’ll always be proud of that.”
While Looney’s role as one of the Warriors’ veteran leaders never wavered, his spot in the starting lineup, and coach Steve Kerr’s rotations, certainly did over the years, which was not an easy pill for Looney to swallow.
“I had to earn that support, of course. And the journey, that winding path I took over the years, it honestly wasn’t easy,” Looney added. “Getting benched. Guys getting drafted and taking your minutes. Lineup changes. Falling out of the rotation sometimes. None of that is fun. But when you’re part of a culture where everything is about winning, and you’ve seen vets sacrifice in previous years, that mindset kind of takes hold.
“So, yeah, sure, if I’m being honest, I got frustrated sometimes, or was feeling bad, but … I’d just keep all that at home, and then come to work each day ready to help us win.”
Looney’s unwavering commitment to the Warriors did not go unnoticed, and for that, he forever will hold a special place in the hearts of those within the organization and Dub Nation.
Kevon Looney has a lot to be proud of from his time with the Warriors. Perhaps most importantly: Three NBA championship rings.
While the 6-foot-9 center never produced eye-popping numbers throughout his 10-year career with Golden State, he played a pivotal role as a reliable big, both in the starting lineup and off the bench, while also establishing himself as a veteran leader in the Warriors’ locker room.
“In looking back on everything on my way out, I think the thing I’m most proud of when it comes to my time with the Warriors is the fact that I earned everything that came to me as a player,” Looney wrote.
“No one gave me anything. I worked for everything. I earned my stripes.”
Looney earned a lot of praise for how reliable and poised he was in the biggest moments, and after he was selected by the Warriors in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft, with Golden State’s dynastic run just beginning, there were plenty of big moments to follow.
“And I’m not gonna lie: It was scary sometimes,” Looney shared. “I didn’t always know how things were gonna turn out. I’d look up, and I’m out there on an island with James Harden, and it was just like … go figure it out. But my coaches and teammates, they all trusted me to come through. Make or break.
“And I didn’t break. I’ll always be proud of that.”
While Looney’s role as one of the Warriors’ veteran leaders never wavered, his spot in the starting lineup, and coach Steve Kerr’s rotations, certainly did over the years, which was not an easy pill for Looney to swallow.
“I had to earn that support, of course. And the journey, that winding path I took over the years, it honestly wasn’t easy,” Looney added. “Getting benched. Guys getting drafted and taking your minutes. Lineup changes. Falling out of the rotation sometimes. None of that is fun. But when you’re part of a culture where everything is about winning, and you’ve seen vets sacrifice in previous years, that mindset kind of takes hold.
“So, yeah, sure, if I’m being honest, I got frustrated sometimes, or was feeling bad, but … I’d just keep all that at home, and then come to work each day ready to help us win.”
Looney’s unwavering commitment to the Warriors did not go unnoticed, and for that, he forever will hold a special place in the hearts of those within the organization and Dub Nation.
The Miami Heat have reportedly added a dynamic scorer.
Norman Powell is headed to Miami, John Collins is off to the LA Clippers and Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson and a Clippers 2027 second-round pick are going to the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Monday.
The Heat get a skilled scorer in Powell, who averaged a career-high 21.8 points per game (24th in the NBA) with the Clippers last season while shooting 42% on 3-pointers. The 32-year-old guard spent three-plus seasons with the Clippers after being dealt from the Portland Trail Blazers in February 2022.
Miami is shipping out two veterans in Love and Anderson. Love, a five-time All-Star, averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds across 23 games for Miami in 2024-25. Anderson, meanwhile, played just 25 games with the team and averaged 6.7 points per game after being traded from the Golden State Warriors.
The Clippers bring back Collins. The forward averaged 19.0 points (tied for the team lead) for the Jazz across 40 games last season. He spent two years in Utah after playing with the Atlanta Hawks for his first six NBA seasons.
Except Valanciunas reportedly wanted to play in Europe. He spoke with officials from Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos about a return to Europe, and they reportedly were willing to offer three years, $13 million, which would make him one of the highest-paid players on the continent.
The problem is it's not Valanciunas' call. Nor Panathinaikos. It's Denver's. Valanciunas can't abandon his two-year, $20.4 million contract and quit the Nuggets. There are FIBA rules about such things.
The Nuggets informed Valanciunas' representatives that "the franchise fully intends to have him honor his contract," reports ESPN’s Shams Charania. If Denver sticks to its guns on this, the conversation is over.
While this could be a negotiating tactic by the Nuggets, don't bet on it. Denver wants to contend next season, and Valanciunas is too valuable a player for the Nuggets to just let walk away. For years, Denver's biggest Achilles' heel has been the team's non-Jokic minutes — Valanciunas can help turn that tide (especially when paired with Bruce Brown, Peyton Watson and the emerging Julian Strawther). Also, because Valanciunas is very skilled at dribble handoffs and short midrange shots (inside 15 feet), the Nuggets don't have to switch up their offensive scheme when Jokic is out.
The road to Valanciunas playing in Greece next season is long and requires the cooperation of Denver. Under FIBA rules (the governing body of international basketball), a player under contract, such as Valanciunas, needs a FIBA "letter of clearance" to sign with another team. (For the record, this rule applies to European teams trying to sign NBA players, or NBA teams trying to sign European players.) In this case, it would mean Valanciunas and the Nuggets would have to agree to a buyout, freeing him from his contract (the Nuggets would likely expect him to give up all of that money). After that, FIBA would issue the letter and Valanciunas could sign.
The question is, why would Denver do that?
More likely than not, Denver will bring back Valanciunas this season and see how it plays out. A year from now, maybe Denver and Valanciunas work out a buyout, but the Nuggets upgraded this offseason and are serious contenders for another ring. They aren't going to let Valanciunas simply walk away.
Laker Bronny James shoots the ball during a California Class game against the Miami Heat on Sunday at the Chase Center in San Francisco. (Noah Graham / NBAE via Getty Images)
Bronny James made his 2025 summer league debut, scoring 10 points in 10 minutes during the Lakers' win over the Miami Heat in the California Classic at the Chase Center on Sunday.
The Lakers led for most of the game, rolling to a 103-83 victory.
The Heat went on a 10-0 run to start the third quarter, but the Lakers responded with strong perimeter shooting to maintain a double-digit lead.
Cole Swider was the Lakers' leading scorer for the second consecutive game, finishing with 20 points against the Heat. Swider shot seven of 10 from the field, including two of five from three-point range.
“We have to get back to defending how we did in the first half, I thought we did a great job,” Swider said. “They only had 38 points in the first half. They came out high, but we were able to weather the storm and win the third quarter, which was huge for us.”
James, who didn’t suit up for the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors on Saturday, was three-of-seven shooting and two-of-five from three-point range. He sat out the second half because of a minutes restriction for conditioning.
“It felt good, just getting out there for the first time this summer. I’m just trying to make a difference any way I can defensively and offensively,” James said. “... First wind was definitely tough. … Pretty much just trying to go out there have fun and not be so tired while I'm doing it.”
Bronny opened up the game with a steal and fast-break dunk to score the Lakers' first points.
The Lakers shot 57.1% from the field and stepped up their perimeter defense while limiting the Heat to 14 free throws. Miami made just eight of 27 (29.6%) from beyond the three-point line.
Swider said as one of the veterans on the roster, he tries to provide support for younger players.
“This is my fourth year doing this thing, I think I might be the oldest guy on the roster," he said. "Just giving these guys a game, trying to help Dalton [Knecht] as much as possible, trying to help Bronny as much as possible. Me and Bronny had a great stint together with the South Bay Lakers, so just trying to continue that chemistry and continuity.”
The Lakers get a day off before they play the San Antonio Spurs in the final game of the California Classic on Tuesday. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m. The team will then travel to Las Vegas for the remainder of its summer league schedule.
Kevin Durant is a four-time Olympic champion and two-time NBA champion [Getty Images]
NBA star Kevin Durant has joined the Houston Rockets from the Phoenix Suns in a record-breaking trade deal involving seven teams.
The move was first announced last month but was confirmed on Sunday when the league's new year officially started.
The Atlanta Hawks, the Brooklyn Nets, the Golden State Warriors, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers are also involved in the deal, which involves 13 players and several future draft picks being exchanged.
The previous record for the largest trade in NBA history was six teams, set last summer when Klay Thompson joined the Dallas Mavericks.
Durant, 36, was named the 2014 Most Valuable Player, won two NBA titles with the Golden State Warriors, and is a 15-time All-Star.
He also won four Olympic golds with the US basketball team.
"My time in Phoenix has come to an end," he posted on social media.
"All these stops along the journey have really impacted me in a positive way. Remember it's a world behind the scenes, and those who make things work in that space, work tirelessly to make our lives easier as players.
"I truly believe this NBA is a one big community. Much love to Arizona. Houston, Can't Wait!"
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said: "His skill level, love of basketball, and dedication to his craft have made him one of the most respected players of his generation, and my staff and I are excited to work with him."
Houston finished second in the Western Conference last season but were knocked out of the play-offs in the first round.
"One of the greatest to ever play the game, we are grateful for the impact Kevin made on our organization and in our community," Phoenix general manager Brian Gregory said.
"As a member of the Suns, he climbed the scoring charts to become just the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points, and we wish him the best as he continues his career in Houston."
Who gets what in the seven-team deal?
Under the deal, Houston get Durant and 31-year-old Swiss centre Clint Capela from Atlanta - he started his career at the Rockets.
From the Rockets, the Suns pick up 18-year-old South Sudanese centre Khaman Maluach, who was the 10th overall pick in June's NBA draft, as well as forward Dillon Brooks and guard Jalen Green. The Suns also get Atlanta wing Daeqwon Plowden, Minnesota forward Rasheer Fleming and Golden State guard Koby Brea, as well as two future draft picks.
The Hawks, meanwhile, receive David Roddy, cash, and a 2031 draft pick swap from Houston.
Brooklyn obtained two future second-round picks and sent a draft pick, forward Adou Thiero, to the Lakers.
The Warriors obtained Australian forward Alex Toohey, who was initially drafted by the Suns, and guard Jahmai Mashack, the last pick in the draft for the Rockets.
Minnesota landed two future draft picks from the Suns and 18-year-old Australian centre Rocco Zikarsky, a draft pick from the Lakers.
The Jonathan Kuminga saga remains roughly the same, but a Northern California rival appears intent on acquiring the Warriors’ 22-year-old forward.
The Sacramento Kings have been the strongest pursuer of Kuminga, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported Sunday night, citing sources.
No significant traction on the Jonathan Kuminga front over the weekend, per sources. Restricted free agency around the NBA remains ice cold. Conversations and little action. Kings have been strongest pursuer of Warriors’ wing, but nothing has come close.
That deal would have sent Kuminga to Sacramento, while Detroit would would receive guard Malik Monk, with the Kings sending Golden State second-year guard Devin Carter, big man Dario Šarić and two second-round draft picks.
Kuminga has averaged 12.5 points on 50.7 percent shooting from the field in four NBA seasons since being selected by the Warriors at No. 7 overall in the 2021 draft.
As the ongoing situation awaits a resolution, it’s worth keeping an eye on Northern California’s two NBA teams potentially striking a deal for Kuminga.
In the first possession of Warriors’ last-second 90-88 California Classic summer league loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center, Richard swiped down and stripped the ball away from David Jones-Garcia like he was Andre Iguodala and took it the other way himself for an easy layup. That’s the kind of two-way impact the Warriors saw out of Richard at Florida, and why they moved up three spots from No. 59 to No. 56 to select the former Gator.
“I have a lot of length on defense and I can do a good job of knowing where the ball is going to be,” Richard said. “Just being aggressive. As soon as I saw him bring it down I knew I could have a chance to steal the ball.”
Melton is 6-foot-2, but his wingspan exceeds 6-foot-8. Richard comes in even taller at 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan he knows how to use to his advantage. He led Florida with 1.7 steals per game as a senior last season, and more than half of his 40 games resulted in multiple steals.
Richard had 22 games of two or more steals, including six games of three steals, one with four and another where he swiped five. He was without a steal in only seven games last season. His first time wearing a Warriors jersey ended with two steals, making a major impact defensively in a handful of ways.
Coach Lainn Wilson was equally impressed with how Richard guarded his man, as well as understanding concepts of team defense.
“Honestly, both,” Wilson said. “His activity on the ball – he was doing what we asked off the ball as well. There wasn’t many times where he was caught out of position. Obviously he’s a pretty aggressive player, so that’d be the only time he gets burned.
“But we can honestly work with guys that are pretty aggressive.”
Jones-Garcia led both teams with 25 points, though Richard hounded him throughout the Warriors’ loss. His second steal was jumping a passing lane and tipping an attempt from Jones-Garcia. Richard’s best defensive sequence also came on Jones-Garcia in a play where he wasn’t given a steal in the box score.
While Jones-Garcia kept trying to dribble past Richard, he had nowhere to go. Stuck in the mud with an unsuccessful last-ditch effort going behind his back. Jackson Rowe pounced on the loose ball, and Richard wound up dropping a highlight of dime in mid-air to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
Sunday was full of firsts for Richard. Complications from the Warriors’ trade to acquire his draft rights delayed his California Classic debut, and withheld him from any practices. The two-point loss was the first time Richard even played 5-on-5 since the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Game three months ago.
Still, Richard ended as a plus-13 in 25 minutes. He scored 16 points on 3-of-10 shooting, going 2 of 8 on threes but made all eight of his free throw attempts. Richard also had four rebounds, one assist and two steals.
“Pretty impressive debut,” Wilson said. “… His effort out there was just a really good start for him.”
With just 32 seconds remaining in regulation, Richard drained a three to make it a one-point game. Wilson then drew up a play for Richard with the game on the line in the final seconds, going for the win and putting his ultimate faith in him.
Off his hands, the shot was right on target. As it hit the front of the rim, teammates jumped in anticipation on the sidelines. No summer league storybook ending this time.
The ball hit the back of the rim and trickled out at the buzzer. Wilson thought it was going to fall, as did Richard. The heartbreak won’t deter him from taking the shot again, and it certainly won’t place a dark cloud over what was a positive first impression.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
