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Jonathan Kuminga reportedly not accepting Warriors' offers, in no rush for deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors still haven’t made a move this offseason, and that won’t change until the Jonathan Kuminga situation is resolved.

New reporting from ESPN’s Shams Charania indicates that might not happen anytime soon.

“The Warriors’ entire offseason has been essentially on pause for one player, and that’s restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga,” Charania said Thursday on ESPN’s “NBA Today.” “They have wanted to figure out his situation before making their other offseason moves. I saw Jonathan Kuminga this morning at a workout in Miami. He’s in good spirits. He had a good workout.

“He did tell me, though, that he is in absolutely no rush on doing a deal with the Warriors right now, and he is not accepting their current offers. He added that he wanted to continue to explore options with his agent, Aaron Turner, whether that’s continuing conversations with the Warriors, but also sign-and-trade options that are available to him in the marketplace.”

Twenty-four days into the offseason, it has been a staring contest between both sides.

Kuminga, who was selected No. 7 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, is seeking a situation where he can be a consistent contributor and the future of a franchise that backs and believes in him. That hasn’t been the case for Kuminga in Golden State over the last four years.

The Warriors aren’t moved by the offers they have received thus far, as the Kings and Phoenix Suns have been the strongest pursuers to land the athletic young wing.

“I’m told the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings are two teams that have made concrete offers with the Warriors over the last week or so,” Charania added. “They’re two of the more aggressive teams with Kuminga. They’re also offering him an opportunity for significant minutes and a starting-caliber role in their lineup — and those are two things he wants more than anything.

“The Warriors do not want anything that is being offered to them in sign-and-trades, and on the other hand, with Jonathan Kuminga, he is not ready to move forward with taking any of the Warriors’ current offers. He’s not in a hurry to do a deal there yet.”

The standoff continues.

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Niang shares hilariously self-aware take on replacing Porzingis in Boston originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Georges Niang knows the drill, it appears.

The veteran forward was part of a three-team trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks and Niang to the Boston Celtics in early July. The deal was primarily a cost-cutting move for the Celtics, who saved more than $22 million in cap space by replacing Porzingis’ $30.7 million salary with Niang’s $8.2 million expiring contract.

That’s a positive development in Boston’s quest to get under the second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax. But with all due respect to Niang, the trade doesn’t exactly get the Celtics closer to Banner 19. And as a Massachusetts native who grew up in Methuen as a Celtics fan, he’s well aware of how his addition is being received.

“I’m a Boston kid — I then get traded for Porzingis,” Niang told co-hosts Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller on The OGs podcast. “You know how tough Boston fans are. They don’t give a s— if I’m from Boston or not.

“They’re like, ‘You just took our unicorn and replaced it with a minivan. Get the f— out of here!’ I’m like public enemy No. 1. They’re like, ‘What is this? This ain’t shiny, man, this got scratches on it, man.'”

There’s a reason why Porzingis is nicknamed “The Unicorn” and Niang goes by “The Minivan.” The former is a highly-skilled, 7-foot-2 big man who’s an elite 3-point shooter and rim protector, while the latter is a wider-bodied, 6-foot-7 forward who’s more of a “glue guy” role player than game-changer.

To Niang’s credit, he understands that talent discrepancy and is determined to make an impact however he can on a Celtics team that’s in “reset” mode after losing Jayson Tatum to a ruptured Achilles.

“Now I’m kind of in the mode of like, OK, obviously JT is out, but Boston has done a really good job, if you’ve looked at it when guys miss games, (they still win),” Niang continued. “It’s their culture, it’s who they are.

“So it’s like, ‘OK Georges, now what can you do to maximize what you have to help them win games?’ Because you don’t wanna be in Boston losing, that’s for sure.

“That’s kind of how I’ve transitioned my mindset. It’s like, ‘OK, what can I do this summer? Can I come in in the best shape that I’m in, and also mentor and kind of teach (the younger players), and also learn, because they’ve won championships, and kind of dial that all into one and focus every day on like, ‘How can I win the day, and then win games?'”

Whether Niang actually gets that opportunity is unclear. The Celtics are currently just barely over the second apron and could further cut costs by dealing Niang or Anfernee Simons to another team, either before the 2025-26 season or ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February.

If Niang is on the Opening Day roster, however, he’ll be fully prepared for whatever reception C’s fans give him at TD Garden.

Lainn Wilson ready to lead Santa Cruz Warriors after ‘surreal' NBA Summer League originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Attendance was estimated at just under 8,400 fans. The feeling more closely resembled a packed house at Chase Center, especially for the man leading the Warriors on the sidelines to open the California Classic. 

After spending the last four seasons as the Warriors’ head video coordinator, Steve Kerr, Mike Dunleavy and others felt the best next move for Lainn Wilson was leading their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. NBA Summer League served as the perfect slate of exhibitions for the first-time head coach, as was earning a comeback win against the Los Angeles Lakers in his first game. Warriors players doused Wilson with water in the locker room to celebrate the win, and he still was taking in all his emotions at the podium. 

“Pretty surreal,” Wilson admitted. “It doesn’t really hit you until you’re out there. The crowd out there was much larger than I expected it to be. To collectively feel that energy in the building, there’s nothing more fun. 

“There’s a lot of work that goes into it, but to me, this is why we play the games. This is why we compete. When you’re out there, there’s a lot of life and energy.” 

His path is nothing like Kerr, Jason Kidd, Tyronn Lue, so on and so forth. The majority of NBA head coaches had professional playing careers. Not Wilson. The 33-year-old never even played past high school in Augusta, Ga. 

Wilson had a dream that could have been torched by numerous road blocks and barriers. Instead, he has done everything in the coaching world the past 15 years that has led to patrolling the sidelines of Chase Center, UNLV’s campus for summer league and now Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz.

The young coach on the rise began his ascension at the University of Georgia, where Wilson spent four seasons as a student manager for the men’s basketball team and then two more as a graduate assistant. Wilson then did all the dirty work, literally, for the Grand Rapids Drive, the former D League team of the Detroit Pistons. He has been a D League video intern and assistant coach in the NBA’s minor leagues, and was an assistant video coordinator for the Philadelphia 76ers before joining the Warriors ahead of their 2021-22 championship season. 

Each role prepared him for the next. Roaming the sidelines as the main person in charge this summer gave Wilson a new appreciation, and has him ready to fill Nicholas Kerr’s shoes in Santa Cruz. 

“At least for me, I’d say a lot,” Wilson said to NBC Sports Bay Area. “I basically got a little bit of a runway into running a team. It’s a lot of the logistics stuff that I haven’t been in charge of before, like planning out practices. Now it gives me something to work off of where I can now say, ‘I liked this, I didn’t like that.’ And then obviously getting feedback from players and the staff as far as what they thought worked and didn’t.

“It just kind of gives me a strong framework to go off of for the Santa Cruz season.” 

The Warriors under Wilson went 5-3 this summer, 2-1 at the California Classic and 3-2 in Las Vegas. He’s happy with how they understood concepts better each day, gelling more as a team while trying to keep things as simple as possible. Like his players, Wilson felt more comfortable with each practice and game. 

Adjustments and lessons were made in real time. Wilson and the Warriors were hit with a delay of game when his players took too long to be back on the court after halftime of the California Classic finale. Full timeouts are shorter in summer league, and he even received his first technical foul out of frustration during the first game in Las Vegas. 

“I think the guys could tell I was a little more comfortable and a little more at ease as it went on, just because I was starting to understand the flow of things and how I wanted to do it,” Wilson said. “By the end of it I thought I was in a pretty comfortable spot of what to expect, staying locked in on the game.” 

Length of games are shorter in summer league. Players have 10 fouls until their day is over. Everything feels rushed from a coaching and practice standpoint. The part Wilson found to be the hardest might come as a surprise. 

“To me, it’s the messaging,” Wilson said.

The Warriors had 19 players on their summer league team, with 18 healthy enough to play. An NBA roster holds 15 players, and a good chunk stay in their warmup gear all game long. All but four players were rookies without any NBA game experience. Each tried to make a big impression, either on the Warriors or the rest of the league. 

Not everybody received an equal opportunity. That’s life, that’s basketball. Those decisions didn’t always come from Wilson either. 

Many of them came from the front office regarding who is in the game plan for a particular summer league game. 

“It’s different to be in a spot where you’re telling a group of guys going into every game, ‘Hey, you’re not playing.’ As an assistant, you’re not really having those kinds of talks,” Wilson continued. “It’s just the consistency of everything. You’re just always having to constantly think of the dynamic of being consistent and keeping guys in the fold so there’s no major surprises. Even though they’re being told they’re not playing, I do think they appreciate the fact that you’re at least straight up without leaving stuff to the imagination.” 

Wilson’s way of thinking there sounds like a direct correlation of learning from Kerr. The four-time NBA champion as a head coach is a master communicator and delegator. Kerr is quick to give credit to others, oftentimes praising Wilson’s help the past few seasons in player development, video preparation and especially his use of analytics. 

His usage and importance went beyond his Golden State title. Kerr wants his players and staff to feel empowered, and Wilson gives him ample credit in getting him to where he is today.

“Steve has always been great, especially after I first started out here,” Wilson said. “My role always expanded, even within the video part of it. He let me do scouts, walkthroughs with the team, player development stuff. So I was kind of just doing a little bit of everything, and just getting a lot of tremendous experience. 

“I never would have thought just even speaking in front of the team about something would be in the works, especially being in a video role. But this team’s always been great about giving these opportunities.” 

A drive that spanned about 100 miles from his Augusta home to the Georgia campus started Wilson’s coaching journey 15 years ago. Off campus, his basketball classroom has only grown, with summer league on the sidelines having Wilson ready for Santa Cruz and getting him one step closer to being the next video room standout to hold the title of NBA head coach.

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Warriors practicing patience in offseason as rest of Western Conference reloads originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga’s representation are sharing a cell in Restricted Free Agent jail. Conversation is sparse, according to league sources. No knowing when they can begin the remodel they hope will allow them to compete in the NBA’s wicked Western Conference.

Golden State’s priority targets, center Al Horford and guard De’Anthony Melton, remain available and that’s unlikely to change. There is internal belief that the Kuminga impasse, once resolved, will result in a satisfying conclusion. Three weeks in, though, nothing.

Meanwhile, most of the West has been furiously re-arming for the war that begins in October. Here is how the West, in order of 2024-25 seeding, looks as of the morning of July 22:

Oklahoma City Thunder

They began last season with the youngest roster in the league, achieved the No. 1 overall seed and finished with an NBA championship. With no significant additions necessary, general manager Sam Presti secured the future with contract extensions for core players Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Status quo in OKC, which is plenty good.

Houston Rockets

It was quite a feat to earn the No. 2 seed in the West with a starting lineup that includes Dillon “All Fury, No Fire” Brooks, and the Rockets knew it. So, they replaced him with legendary scorer Kevin Durant. They re-signed Steven Adams and signed free agents Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith. This team has nine players with wingspans of at least 7 feet. They’re better.

Los Angeles Lakers

Despite a seismic midseason shift, swapping Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić, the Lakers snagged the No. 3 seed without legitimate perimeter defense or a productive center. They addressed those needs by signing Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton off the buyout market. Luka will be much more settled. If LeBron’s body holds up at age 41, they could be slightly better.

Denver Nuggets

They entered the playoffs with interim coach David Adelman, with three games on his resumé. With Nikola Jokić getting scant help, they gave OKC a seven-game war in the conference semifinals. Swapping Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson is a win. Adding depth in Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas are wins. They should be better.

Los Angeles Clippers

After folding in the postseason, the response is to retool with a roster built to win it all five or six years ago. Seriously, though, they’ve added outside shooting (Brook Lopez, Bradley Beal for Norm Powell), general production (John Collins) and, in Chris Paul, an assistant coach who can provide quality bench minutes in the postseason. Yeah, they’re better.

Minnesota Timberwolves

After reaching the conference finals (aided by Stephen Curry’s hamstring misfortune), the Wolves whimpered against OKC. Julius Randle and Naz Reid return with new contracts, but there are no free agents or no trades. Having lost Nickeil Alexander-Walker, they’re going to need bumps from Terrence Shannon and Rob Dillingham. Status quo, top-four potential.

Golden State Warriors

With their intraconference foes circling like a hyperactive shiver of sharks, they’ve lost Kevon Looney and are staying patient on the deck of a boat they hope to remodel into a yacht. Forecast TBD.

Memphis Grizzlies

They re-signed Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama. Ja Morant still is on board. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ty Jerome are solid pickups, but they’re going to miss the elite shooting of Desmond Bane and Luke Kennard. They’re asking a lot of youngsters Jalen Wells and Cedric Coward. Cast changes don’t always mean improvement. Expect a dip.

Sacramento Kings

Ahh, the Kangz. Picked up options on Keon Ellis and Isaac Jones. New faces in the front office are bobbing about the league for help, and adding Dennis Schröder at the point is an adventure. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan can score. Domantas Sabonis rebounds and generates offense. They’re going to miss Trey Lyles. Fighting for a play-in berth.

Dallas Mavericks

Here comes Cooper Flagg, all of 18 but primed to make an impact for the Mavs. Out goes Spencer Dinwiddie, in comes D’Angelo Russell, now reduced to a floor spacer. Kyrie Irving is re-signed but expected to continue rehab deep into the season. They’ll be interesting if Davis stays healthy (roll of the dice), they’ll be a strong play-in candidate.

Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker picked up a phat extension, but Durant and Beal were replaced by Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, the only benefit being youth and enough financial flexibility for upstart governor Mat Ishbia and his new front office to recover. Last season was a disaster, an unexpected gap year, but this season’s gap year is fully anticipated.

Portland Trail Blazers

After a 13-28 first half, they rode a top-five defense to a 23-18 mark in the second half. Adding elite defender Jrue Holiday should push that momentum into next season. First-round pick Yang Hansen, at 7-foot-1, looks more playable than anticipated. With even a middling offense, opponents will have to sweat to earn what once was an easy W. They’re better.

San Antonio Spurs

Rookie Dylan Harper is nice, and Luke Kornet is a productive backup big man. But the return of Victor Wembanyama, second-year Stephon Castle and a full season with De’Aaron Fox lifts the Spurs from popular nightly upset pick to a squad ready to take your lunch. With good health, the play-in tournament is this team’s floor.

New Orleans Pelicans

Big makeover the last six months, with Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum departing for the likes of Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney and Saddiq Bey. The new front office has tasked coach Willie Green with turning a variety pack into a winner. If Zion Williamson stays healthy (roll of the dice) and Dejounte Murray returns (more dice) … nah, the play-in tournament will be a triumph.

Utah Jazz

Remember when Danny Ainge lived to rob fellow general managers? Well, as CEO, he’s playing a befuddling game of “What’s My Vision?” Good luck, Ace Bailey. Represent well at the 2026 draft lottery.

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The Clippers had a need for a playmaker and ballhandler, and they were able to find that “natural fit” with Chris Paul.

Paul spent six seasons with the Clippers, a time when he had plenty of success leading them to relevancy and now he’s back to play his 21st season, which might be his last.

Paul, 40, a 12-time All-Star, agreed to a contract that will pay him $3.6 million next season.

“Chris was a natural fit,” Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, said over Zoom on Tuesday. “His roots with the organization are deep and meaningful. He obviously played a tremendous role in the upward trajectory of the franchise. He wanted to return to the Clippers and we wanted it the same, as long as it made sense with our current roster — and it does.”

Paul has spent his entire 20-year career as a starter in the NBA, playing in all 82 games last season with the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 28 minutes per game while shooting 42.7% from the field.

Over the course of playing in 1,354 regular-season games, Paul has started in 1,314.

Read more:Clippers to land Bradley Beal after Suns buy out his contract

Frank said Paul will “slot into our roster as a reserve point guard,” a role the two of them discussed.

“So, we don’t take that lightly when you’re taking on a different role,” Frank said. “And so there were a lot of conversations. You put everything on the table and get everyone comfortable with it. But the fact that Chris wanted to come back, wanted to be at home, wanted to be with the Clippers, we obviously know what his skill set is, but we also wanted to make sure the role made perfect sense from both people’s perspective.

“And so I thought it was a very, very thorough process in terms of how we went about it, just to make sure that everyone knows exactly what we’re signing up for and we feel really, really good about it.”

Playing time also could be tricky at the guard spot with Paul now on board.

James Harden, who averaged 35.3 minutes per game last season, and Bradley Beal are the likely starters in the backcourt for Clippers coach Tyronn Lue. Then there is Kris Dunn, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Paul who could be in the rotation.

“We know that ballhandling was a little bit of an issue for us last year and we wanted to get … Chris was the best guy for the job as long as everyone understood exactly what the role was and we can all embrace it,” Frank said. “And so, we’ve been very, very honest and direct and we feel great that Chris is back.”

Frank said Harden played a big role in the team acquiring Beal. Frank was asked if Harden talked to Paul about returning to the Clippers. Harden and Paul played two seasons together in Houston, from 2017 to 2019, and there were reports that their relationship was strained.

Frank said, “They did.” when asked if Harden and Paul had talked.

“And when talking to James, talking to Kawhi [Leonard] — and we talked about what the role would be — both guys said CP would be the best guy for this role,” Frank said.

Paul and Beal have both worn No. 3 their entire careers. But Frank said Beal will let Paul wear No. 3 and decide later what his new number will be.

“So, it’s awesome that Brad made such a great gesture like that,” Frank said. “And so Chris will be No. 3.”

During his six seasons with the Clippers, from 2011 until 2017, Paul helped the franchise reach new heights. He joined Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to form “Lob City.”

But it sounds as if this will be Paul’s last season in the NBA and it’ll be with the Clippers and it’ll allow him to play in front of his family that lives in the Los Angeles area.

“Well, I think there’s the nostalgic aspect,” Frank said. “But I think the No. 1 question that we always say, is how can he help impact winning? … And yeah, look, there’s the heartstrings part of it, of someone who was such a significant part of the Clippers’ rise to be able to bring it back. Whether this is his last year or not, that’s obviously Chris’ story in terms of what he feels and what he wants. But I think No. 1 is his ability to help impact winning.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Terry Stotts reportedly staying with Warriors, won't join Knicks coaching staff originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors assistant coach Terry Stotts reportedly is staying in the Bay.

As new Knicks coach Mike Brown attempts to fill his coaching staff in New York, Stotts “doesn’t plan on going anywhere” and will return to Golden State for the 2025-26 NBA season, SNY’s Ian Begley reported Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Stotts, 67, joined Steve Kerr on the front bench last season after the Warriors coach’s former top assistant, Kenny Atkinson, accepted the Cleveland Cavaliers’ head-coaching job. Stotts brought over a decade of head-coaching experience with him to Golden State and helped provide structure to the offense.

With a team led by Steph Curry, Stotts didn’t have to tweak too much. Still, he helped the Warriors reach the NBA playoffs in his first season alongside Kerr, in addition to defensive-minded assistant and former player Jerry Stackhouse.

The Warriors finished the 2024-25 season ranked No. 15 in offensive rating (115.09) and will look to improve upon that standing next season with Stotts back in the mix.

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The Knicks have received permission to speak with Minnesota assistant coach Pablo Prigioni for openings on Mike Brown’s staff, league sources tell SNY.

Prigioni, a former Knick, has been focused on the Timberwolves offense under head coach Chris Finch.

The Knicks are looking to add at least one assistant coach to Brown’s staff. Several members of Tom Thibodeau’s coaching staff – including Maurice Cheeks, Mark Bryant, Rick Brunson, and Darren Erman – will remain on staff under Brown.

A move to New York would presumably be a promotion for Prigioni. The 48-year-old has also coached as an assistant in Brooklyn and Minnesota. Prigioni’s NBA career started with the Knicks in 2012-2013. At 35, he was the oldest rookie in NBA history. He also made a huge impact on that Knicks team. Priogini began the season as a backup point guard and was inserted into the starting lineup due to injury. New York finished the regular season with 17 wins in its final 19 games.

Prigioni also started for the Knicks in the playoffs, helping them defeat the Boston Celtics in the first round.

Because the Timberwolves granted the Knicks permission to speak to Prigioni, It’s logical to assume there is mutual interest between the coach and the organization.

The Knicks reportedly also had interest in adding Jay Triano (DAL) and Darvin Ham (MIL) to the staff but both coaches are expected to remain with their current teams.

I don’t know if Terry Stotts was a candidate for the Knicks opening, but he will also be remaining with his current team (GSW) next season, per league sources familiar with the matter.

Miles McBride excited to play with Jordan Clarkson, Guerschon Yabusele

“Obviously (Clarkson’s) a vet in this league. He’s done great things. Obviously, he can fill up the stat sheet and really score the ball at a high level. And obviously adding Geurschon as well. I think everybody’s seen what he did in the Olympics and carrying that momentum into (last season), so we’re really excited about him,” McBride told SNY last week during an appearance at NYC Basketball Kids Camp in Manhattan.

We don’t know how Knicks coach Mike Brown will deploy his rotation. But it’s logical to think that McBride will play significant minutes with Clarkson and Yabusele.

“I feel like we’re going to play fast, we’re going to be using a lot of different guys,” McBride said. “If you saw the Finals, they (Oklahoma City and Indiana) had a lot of depth on both teams, and I feel like we’re all NBA guys. So if you’re on the team, I feel like you’re able to help out.”

McBride talked to SNY before meeting with kids at the camp, which was sponsored by Playbook Basketball Management Software.

McBride has attended the camp four times.

“Being able to inspire the youth and give back to the community that supports me so much, it’s really easy on my part,” McBride said. “They do a great job, so I just love coming back.”

McBride has also written a children’s book, Deuce: The Champion of Friendship. He hopes that the book will “really encourage positivity and friendship and being loyal to people that care about you.”

“If one kid takes this book and sees something that can inspire them to do something great, that’s my goal,” McBride said. “Obviously, I want more. But I just want to impact everyone I’m around positively.”

McBride was also asked about Brown during the interview.

“We’ve definitely had a good couple of conversations. He’s really excited. I’m really excited. And I think it’s going to be a great year,” McBride said.

McBride noted that the decision to fire Tom Thibodeau was ‘above my pay-grade’ but added that Thibodeau ‘a great job’ in New York.

“The run we’ve had, winning 50 games (and playoff success); it’s above my pay grade on the decisions but I’m excited to start this new chapter,” McBride said.

Warriors still confident in Alex Toohey, Will Richard after summer league games originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Late July typically marks the real start of the NBA offseason, with an emphasis on off.

The draft has been wrapped up for nearly a month, free agency is saved for small signings and summer league is over. This year hasn’t been a typical summer for the league, though.

Free agency has never been dragged out this long. The new CBA has restricted free agents waiting around like they’re high-priced baseball players looking for Scott Boras to get a deal done before spring training. Jonathan Kuminga’s situation has the Warriors handcuffed, keeping them from literally doing anything up to this point.

For Warriors fans, the draft and summer league gave them plenty to digest. Maybe with a microscope too zoomed in from their annoyance over lack of moves and what’s going on with Kuminga and his camp. People had plenty to say about their first impressions of the Warriors’ two picks, Alex Toohey and Will Richard.

Below are their final stats between the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League.

Toohey (6 games): 21.5 mpg, 6.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.7 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.5 bpg, 26.2 FG% (11 of 42), 23.5 3P% (4 of 17), 71.4 FT% (15 of 21)

Richard (6 games): 23.8 mpg, 11.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.8 spg, 0.3 bpg, 42.5 FG% (25 of 59), 20.7 3P% (6 of 29), 92.9 FT% (13 of 14)

Stats and the eye test show Toohey struggled at times shooting the ball, as well as adjusting to NBA length and athleticism after playing the last two seasons professionally in Australia. He also is only 21 years old and the last game he played was Feb. 28 for the Sydney Kings before having to then go through the draft process, sit the first two games of the California Classic and try to learn a new system and essentially a completely new style of play on the fly. 

“First couple games were rough, but he adapted well and started finding his footing,” Warriors summer league coach Lainn Wilson said to NBC Sports Bay Area. “The story’s not written right now. If it were, there’d be plenty of other players that would have been cast off for summer league performances.” 

Why the Warriors were intrigued and impressed by Toohey going into the draft remains the same after six summer league games. Toohey is 6-foot-8 and plays even bigger because of his 6-foot-11 wingspan. He’s very unselfish offensively and is always moving without the ball, versatile defensively and shows his basketball smarts by consistently talking on the defensive end to help his teammates. 

Coaches and teammates alike also loved that he didn’t back down. Stoic by nature, Toohey went right after Kyle Filipowski against a talented Utah Jazz team and took on many challenges that wouldn’t usually be presented to him in an NBA environment. 

“We’re basically banking on his versatility a little bit and then his IQ and work ethic to see can we get a little more with our performance staff that is pretty top-notch,” Wilson said. “Then he works more and understands he’ll need to work out at a different speed and all these other things. 

“But overall, we had a guy who was out there that a lot of guys tried to push around, and he wasn’t backing down from anybody. You’re banking on those kinds of intangibles to be the core of a player and how they can get better.” 

There’s a strong possibility – almost a guarantee – Wilson coaches Toohey and Richard in Santa Cruz for the Warriors’ G League affiliate throughout different parts of the season. Richard, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard taken No. 56 overall and four spots behind Toohey, does look more ready for the NBA game right now. And understandably so. 

He’s a year and a half older than Toohey and was a four-year college player who won the national championship this past season for Florida. His senior season lasted 40 games and went into early April. Richard played 141 college games, including 76 games the last two years, which is 19 more games and 1,060 more minutes played than Toohey over that span in the NBL.

While Toohey played a total of 1,266 minutes in his last two seasons in Australia, Richard played 1,265 in his final year at Florida.

Nobody in the organization has concerns over Richard’s low 3-point percentage from six summer league games. His college track record and free-throw percentage has them confident he’ll be fine from long distance. Richard is an extremely aggressive defender with an eye for steals. Between the way he helped the national champions and his solid showing this summer, Richard might be another late pick that can help the Warriors as a rookie. 

“Yeah, he absolutely has that potential,” Wilson said. 

“Both he and Alex fit in that mold of impacting the game without scoring,” he continued. “He can already shoot it a little bit, which is great. There were a few games where he was coming up with offensive rebounds. He obviously has pretty good length for a defensive player and can be a little bit of a disruptor. Those are going to be more critical pieces for him moving forward.” 

Which is why the Warriors remain high on Toohey and Richard. They believe both are mature players who will understand their role early on and expand their game as they develop. 

There have been young players Steve Kerr has shied away from using in previous seasons. There’s a reason he has placed more trust in someone like Gui Santos over time as a former second-round pick that has gotten better and better, but more importantly, always is going to do the small things in the few minutes he might get. 

Doing the dirty work is only going to open more doors. With Toohey and Richard, the Warriors feel like they added two players who get the process of being a pro. 

“If we’re throwing you in for four or five minutes, it’s like, what are you going to give us? Is it going to be like, ‘Oh, I didn’t get any open threes, so I’m not going to give you guys anything else?’ That’s a tough life to live as a second-round pick that’s starting out,” Wilson said. 

“That’s my message to both those guys. It’s really the other things. If you’re going to get a small stint, you need to make your impact felt elsewhere. If you go in and miss two threes, is that it for you? That’s the work and good thing with those guys.” 

Look past the stats. Warriors people love to use Brandin Podziemski as an example of someone who struggled shooting in summer league but still showed his intangibles and already grew into a starter. There’s no telling yet if Toohey and Richard will be on a similar path. 

What is evident is the Warriors were happy to maneuver themselves in a position to select both players last month, and those same feelings hold strong after summer league.

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Would Ben Simmons actually make sense for Celtics? Forsberg and Robb debate originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Want to get a rise out of Boston Celtics fans? Just mention the name Ben Simmons.

The former Philadelphia 76ers star and NBA Rookie of the Year battled the Celtics for four season as part of the Celtics-Sixers rivalry. But he’s fallen off a cliff since then while dealing with physical and mental health issues and currently is a free agent after finishing the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sounds like someone the Celtics would want no business with, right? Well, apparently not: According to longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein, Boston is among the teams with interest in Simmons in free agency.

While C’s fans may balk at the idea of signing a player who scored four total points in five playoff games for the Clippers and literally can’t shoot 3-pointers, Simmons’ size (6-foot-10, 240 pounds) and unique skill set as a passer, defender and rebounder at least warrant some further discussion.

So, Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg and MassLive.com’s Brian Robb decided to dive into the Simmons debate on the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast.

🔊 Celtics Talk Podcast: Smart, Simmons, and Summer League Overreactions | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

“I think you look at it two different ways,” Robb told Forsberg. “One, you look at what they’ve done this offseason of being like ‘OK, we need to find the next diamond in the rough. We got (Luka) Garza. We got (Josh) Minott. (Hugo) Gonzalez had a solid Summer League. But there’s still just a big void for where (Jayson) Tatum’s minutes would have been this year.’

“And Simmons does a lot — obviously doesn’t do anything nearly as well as Tatum does — but (he) does some of it. He at least has size and can rebound and can pass.”

To Robb’s point, the Celtics are entering a “reset” season with Tatum sidelined due to a ruptured Achilles. And while Simmons is a virtual non-factor in the scoring column, he did average 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game last season in relatively limited minutes (22 per game) and would provide some defensive versatility.

So, while Simmons wouldn’t be an ideal fit for several reasons — he’s extremely injury-prone and hasn’t played more than 51 games in a season since 2020-21 — Boston needs to explore all of its options while trying to build a roster on a limited budget.

“Every time I just want to dismiss it and be like, ‘This makes no sense,’ the other part of me says, ‘This is why the Celtics have to take random swings,'” Forsberg said. “This is why you make the call on Damian Lillard. This is why you maybe make the call on Ben Simmons. Beggars can’t be choosers.

“It goes back to what I keep saying: If you think that the Celtics are still at least in the mix with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard in that core … then every piece you can add gives you at least a little bit better chance.

 “… I don’t hate the idea of trying to find a couple of those guys that you’re just like, ‘Hey, there’s opportunity. Do you want it?'”

The question, of course, is whether Simmons would seize that opportunity after failing to stick with both Brooklyn and Los Angeles — and whether the Celtics are better off giving that opportunity to someone else.

“I just don’t know if you’re ever going to fully tap into it,” Forsberg added of Simmons. “I think the one thing that you always worry about is just, how much is his head into it? It just hasn’t happened at any of these stops.

“But you see this across the league: Everyone thinks they can turn the guy around a little bit, and maybe the Celtics are just like, ‘In a year that’s going to get a little weird, maybe you take some weird swings.”

Also in this episode:

• Chris and Brian react to Marcus Smart signing with the Lakers.
• Brian shares his Summer League overreactions, including: Baylor Scheierman’s defense and ball-handling and Hugo Gonzalez’s all-around effort.
• When does the next shoe drop for Boston?