Category: Basketball

The Spurs’ team for the 2026/27 season is mostly set. San Antonio extended Julian Champagnie’s contract, brought back Harrison Barnes, signed Tobias Harris in free agency, and added two rookie big men from the draft. All those moves got them close to the tax line and filled up 13 of the 15 roster spots available.

With the big transactions out of the way, all that’s left is deciding what to do with those two last roster spots. The Spurs could go in different directions there, so let’s take a look at some of their options.

The continuity path: Jordan McLaughlin and Bismack Biyombo

Arguably the least exciting path, but we are talking about the fringes of the roster, so there’s nothing wrong with making choices that focus on stability instead of upside

McLaughlin arrived in the De’Aaron Fox trade and impressed the Spurs enough that they brought them back on a minimum contract for the 2025/26 season. He suited up for 44 games, mostly in garbage time, but on the opportunities he got, he showed he can be a good deep bench guy who provides solid game management and steady spot-up shooting. The 30-year-old is a finished product, but he can play and fits San Antonio’s culture.

Unlike J-Mack, Biyombo shouldn’t really see the floor unless a game is decided at this point in his career. His athleticism is gone, and he was never known for his skill. What he brought to the table last season was leadership, as he was clearly respected by everyone in the locker room, including Victor Wembanyama. With how many big bodies the Spurs have, he could continue to be more of a coach than a player.

McLaughlin would likely command a guaranteed minimum deal, like last season, while Biyombo could likely be had for a partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed minimum.

The maximum depth path: sign the best veterans available

Signing the best talent available might seem like the obvious best choice, but the Spurs don’t really have a lot of minutes to offer, so the expectations of anyone coming in should be managed to avoid any potential locker room issues. Guys like McLaughlin know how things work in San Antonio. A talented veteran who is trying to get his career back on track or end it on a high note might want a bigger role than Mitch Johnson can offer them. But if Johnson is open to having everyone but the core guys earn their minutes through competition, it could work.

Now, we are talking about players who would take the minimum or close to it, since that’s all the Spurs can offer, which rules out any big names. But guys like Bruce Brown, Jordan Clarkson, or Cole Anthony, among others, could be in play. They would probably prefer a destination where minutes are readily available, but if they are assured they will have a chance to earn them, they could be interested in being in a contender.

Those guys could carve out small roles for themselves, but could also be unhappy if they don’t end up doing so. There is some risk attached to them, but they could help in case of an emergency.

The youth and upside path: no one over 25 allowed

Essentially, the opposite of the continuity path. The Spurs have their main guys, and with Barnes back and the Harris addition, they have their veterans. Why not use the last roster spots to try to find the next Champagnie?

A simple way to do it would be to canvas the undrafted free agent and G League talent pools. Summe League is perfect for it. While most teams would likely only offer Exhibit 10 (training camp) contracts, the Spurs could be more aggressive and offer a non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed standard contract to someone who shines. At this point, it’s hard to come up with a lot of names, but there are always standouts. San Antonio has a lot of youth already on the main roster, but they have a good developmental system in Austin that they can always rely on.

The issue with this direction is that it both hurts the overall reliable depth of the team, as by nature the signings would be somewhat risky and target players who could develop into but are not currently NBA talents, while also costing money and flexibility. And most projects don’t turn into Champagnie. Still, if the Spurs think they can get the veterans they are interested in to wait until after Summer League is over, they could be patient before making their signings and potentially use one or both of their spots on young players with potential.

The savings and flexibility path: keeping a roster spot open

Teams are allowed to carry just 14 players on their roster, so there’s no need for the Spurs to sign two more guys. They could simply elect to add someone and keep an open spot heading into the season, something they’ve done in the past.

The reason for doing that is to maintain some roster flexibility. They don’t have much room under the tax to take on money for assets, but they could do a two-for-one deal or eventually convert a two-way contract into a standard one without having to waive anyone. They could also have a spot in case someone they’re interested in gets waived. Essentially, they’d save up some money that otherwise would be going to someone unlikely to contribute until they feel they can find the right use for the spot.

The downside is the Spurs wouldn’t be able to add depth at two positions in this scenario. They would have their two-way guys to help in case of emergency, so anything other than major absences shouldn’t present a major problem, but there’s a case to be made for having a set roster that can work together and develop chemistry heading into the season. It would also be unwise to use the one roster spot with someone like Biyombo, who only provides leadership, instead of likely focusing more on potential productivity.

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What path do you think the Spurs should pick? Could they mix and match, going for a veteran and a young player? What are some names you would like to see them pursue? Let us know in the comments.

The Hawks may have declined Jonathan Kuminga’s team option, making him an unrestricted free agent, but they might still factor into his next destination.

With Kuminga being a five-year player with a high upside, multiple teams, including the Lakers, are interested in the wing.

The Lakers have reportedly offered him a two-year, $20 million deal, but it wasn’t enough to entice him to sign.

Perhaps if another team can get involved, everyone can benefit and get what they want. That’s where Atlanta comes in.

On Wednesday, Khobi Price wrote a piece for the California Post detailing that the Hawks would be willing to execute a sign-and-trade, sending Kuminga to Los Angeles.

A source told the Post the Hawks are willing to execute a sign-and-trade with the Lakers around the framework of Kuminga going to L.A. and the Hawks receiving Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap – the lone option the Lakers have of trading a first-round pick this summer.

Obviously, this is something the Hawks would like. They avoided paying Kuminga by declining his option, and now they are being rewarded with picks and a defensive player in Jarred Vanderbilt if the Lakers agree to this.

If the numbers work, Kuminga could get a better deal than what LA originally offered. The Lakers could acquire him, and the Hawks would gain the assets they want.

Price also reported later in the piece that the Lakers are open to moving Vando or other players in a trade.

“The Lakers have been willing to trade Vanderbilt, according to multiple sources who spoke with the Post who were granted anonymity so they could speak freely, as well as other players on the roster in order to create more roster-building optionality.”

The key here is that just because the Lakers are willing to move certain players doesn’t mean they will do so if the deal doesn’t make sense.

A bad move just to land a wing is even worse than not acquiring one at all. The Lakers don’t have much money or roster spots left, so they have to figure out how to maximize this opportunity.

Also, with the Lakers trading for Walker Kessler, they have very little draft capital left. A pick swap with the Hawks could be a bad long-term decision if Kuminga doesn’t improve with the Lakers.

Still, the Hawks’ willingness to facilitate this is a positive. The goal for Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka at this point should be to structure a deal that benefits the Lakers as well.

Even though Kuminga’s value isn’t very high right now, he’s still a solid player. Last year, he averaged 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 33.3% from 3-point range.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

It feels like déjà vu. We've been here before. To be exact, it was 16 years ago.

A then-25-year-old LeBron James stopped the sports world as he sat down with longtime reporter and Emmy Award-winning journalist Jim Gray as he announced which team he would sign with as a free agent in a 75 minute-long special broadcast on ESPN titled "The Decision."

It was the birth of a infamous phrase uttered by James when he announced as a free agent in 2010 that he would sign with the Miami Heat.

"In this fall, man, this is very tough, in this fall I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat," James said in 2010.

That fateful day rocked the entire Cleveland, actually, Ohio fanbase. Tears were shed and No. 23 jerseys were lit to flames.

It wasn't so much the decision announcement, and where, but rather how it was orchestrated that really ticked some people off. Some called it a waste of time, others said it was attention-seeking and self-centered, despite the Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, being the benefactor of $2.5 million that the show raised.

Now 16 years later, at age 41, James faces another free agency decision.

For those keeping record, it's like the fourth decision, not counting the one to skip college and go straight to the league.

So, "The Decision" was a TV special on ESPN in 2010.

Years later in 2014, he went to print. He informed the sports landscape that he'd leave Miami and go back to Cleveland in quest of bringing an NBA title to the city by penning a first person essay titled "I'm Coming Home" published by Sports Illustrated on July 11. But for sequential purposes, we'll call it "The Decision: Part II."

Another four years passed and in 2018, James would leave Cleveland for Los Angeles to play for the Lakers. This decision surprised everyone as it came on the first day of free agency. It was a different route from the usual stalling, anticipation tactics fans that were expected in previous years. He informed everyone, taking a page from Michael Jordan's book with a simple press release statement through his agency, Klutch Sports Group. It's unofficially "The Decision: Part III."

After eight seasons with the Lakers, James is set to make another decision yet again, "The Decision: Part IV," as he decides which team he'll play for next season and potentially, the remainder of his career, whenever that'll be.

It's not really a matter of when but moreso, how? We've got a TV special, a sports magazine excerpt and a press release statement. We've got some ideas for how the fourth could even be better. So LeBron or Rich Paul, if you're reading this, consider these options:

How LeBron James should announce his free agency decision

It could be done through a basic press release again. But that's no fun. A social media post is more personable, but still kind of bland. A TV special is a bit too much, although the charity proceeds aspect is highly commendable. Shameless pitch but the offer to pen an essay via USA TODAY Sports is always an option, too.

But let's have fun with it. Here are a few ways LeBron James should consider making his announcement to the sports world about his next team.

Let "Air Corgi" decide

Completely hit everyone from the blindside and allow the fluffy, viral sensation oddsmaker "Air Corgi" to make the decision. Whatever the dog decides is the team James chooses. It's kind of roulette style.

Scavenger hunt in every potential city

Organize a scavenger hunt in all of the cities that James could potentially play in for fans to participate in. How would it work? Leave certain clues, have them solve riddles for answers that will ultimately let them know whether their city is chosen or not by the time the hunt is finished.

Put it on a blimp

Remember in Ice Cube's "It Was A Good Day" how he read his name on the lights of a Goodyear blimp? Yeah that's what James should do. Have a Goodyear blimp cruise the air of whatever is the destined city and have the lights caption: "LeBron James: Coming to an arena near you." Now if you really want to ruffle some feathers, do it for all 30 NBA teams, but have the phrase blink for the team you intend to play for.

Make a commercial

Everybody wants to know. Put a together a fun commercial with family and friends that tell a story of James' career. In the commercial, have a collage of videos asking where James will go. Do it like he's being drafted all over again, or a highly recruited high school standout that's going to choose his college. Have him in a suit, lay out different hats or jerseys and make the selection. Make it a Nike or NBA commercial, so everybody eats.

Tease it in a movie or TV show

Remember the days when prominent figures such as athletes, musicians and entertainers made cameos on sitcoms. Yeah, let's get back that for this decision. Get creative.

Put it in a song

Hop on the track and give us 16 bars about the next destination. Jay-Z is your boy. Link with 2 Chainz. Or get with the artist or artists that best represent whichever city you choose. Thinking Cleveland? Phone Bone Thugz N Harmony, maybe Kid Cudi, or how about your guy Al Fatz (if you know, you know). Thinking Miami again? Tap in with DJ Khaled and Rick Ross. Philly? Grab Meek Mill. Let's get creative. Going to the Bay? It's only right that you hit E-40 or Too $hort, but consider Larry June.

Hop on stream

Hop on someone's stream and announce it. There's plenty of streams James could join. Pick one. Kai Cenat, he's back by the way and James has been a guest on his stream before. Neon just had Giannis Antetokounmpo on his stream, so maybe that's an option. Whether James chooses the 76ers or not, hopping on Jaylen Brown's stream for the announcement would definitely create buzz.

Banana Boat trip

We all remember the "iconic" banana boat trip. Take another banana boat trip, this time, with select individuals that represent a particular destination. Have someone snap a picture and let the narratives fly.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Celebrate the 16-year anniversary of LeBron James' 'The Decision'

If you grew up on Suns basketball, this one hits different.

Jerry Colangelo, the man who built this franchise from a 1968 coin flip loss into a Western Conference institution, is officially back in the NBA ownership game at 86 years old.

Jerry Colangelo back in the NBA business? Yes! From his group's release: Colangelo, Vinny Del Negro, media executive David Levy, finance chairman Scott Colangelo, CEO Jonathan Thomas and former NBA No. 2 overall pick Jay Williams pursue NBA franchise in Las Vegas

— Paola Boivin (@PaolaBoivin) July 8, 2026

The Las Vegas Jacks unveiled their leadership group Wednesday, headlined by Colangelo, former NBA player and head coach Vinny Del Negro, media executive David Levy, finance chairman Scott Colangelo, CEO Jonathan Thomas, and former NBA player Jay Williams.

Full release can be read here:Las Vegas Jacks Ownership Group Assembles World Class Leadership Team to Pursue NBA Expansion Franchise

“Basketball has become a global sport to levels never seen before,” said Jerry Colangelo. “With the five top MVP vote-getters being all internationally born, the game is reaching unparalleled heights. My excitement for this project and for our Jack’s vision is right up there in terms of my career. We are all committed and working as hard as we can to bring the league, owners, and the fans the best proposal and end product possible to Las Vegas.”

The money is real. The group has set an asset target of $12.5 billion to $13 billion, with $5 billion already committed and another $3 billion formally indicated, and Levy says they plan to pay the expansion fee in cash. In the short term, they would play at T-Mobile Arena while developing a basketball-centric venue.

The competition is stacked. Magic Johnson’s MAGI group, Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, and former Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry are all in the mix, and Adam Silver hopes to have an expansion answer by the end of the year.

Are you all ready for Phoenix’s newest rival to be built just 4 hours and 30 minutes (by car) down the road?

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On the 16th anniversary of The Decision, yet another one faces LeBron James.

The NBA's all-time leading scorer is looking for a new home after informing the Los Angeles Lakers he would be playing his 24th season elsewhere, and he has no shortage of options to choose from. Some of the more notable teams who have reported interest include the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, though ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that the top three teams in the running are Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia.

But wherever he ends up, don't expect a decision to come any time soon.

"What we do know is that LeBron James wants to be in a competitive, competing environment," Charania said on NBA Today on Wednesday, July 8. "He wants to play meaningful basketball, I'm told. But as far as a timeline, there is no timetable. LeBron James does not appear to be in a rush."

.@ShamsCharania says LeBron's top three teams appear to be the Cavs, Heat and Sixers 👀 pic.twitter.com/D0WUDY3N1h

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 8, 2026

It's a marked departure from James' previous stints as a free agent where he wrapped up his process relatively quickly, most notably signing with the Lakers less than 24 hours into the official start of free agency on July 1, 2018. This time, however, he's taken more time to spend with his family and close friends and play golf, with ESPN's Brian Windhorst reporting that teams have mostly had one-way communication with James and Rich Paul up to this point.

Here's the latest on LeBron's potential landing spots:

More: LeBron James did the NBA one last solid before retiring. He saved free agency.

Cleveland Cavaliers

James recently got together with Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, Richard Jefferson, Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye in the United Kingdom to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Cavaliers championship team, lending a bit more weight to the possibility of returning to Cleveland for a third time to close out his storied career.

Windhorst pointed out that there's a "vibe pointing toward the Cavs" coming off their best non-LeBron season in over three decades and signing Donovan Mitchell to a four-year, $273 million max contract extension. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season for the first time since James' departure but just haven't quite been able to put it all together with this core of Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen for some years now, adding question marks about the team's plans this summer.

Bringing James into the fold to get Cleveland back over the hump could be a fitting final chapter for all parties involved.

Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry was recently asked about the possibility of playing with James, once his biggest on-court rival, during a celebrity golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe in Nevada.

“I’m sure we would obviously love to play together,” Curry said. “Hopefully it happens. But he’s deserved the opportunity and the right to take his time with the decision.”

Steph Curry on the possibility of playing with LeBron James:

“I’d say more so I’m interested to just play golf with LeBron. We’ll handle the basketball stuff, but I want to see the golf LeBron free agent. He’s out here really grinding on the game. But I’m sure we obviously would… pic.twitter.com/aGcZhc5PYI

— aly ✶ (@jinthirty) July 8, 2026

After Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option to become a free agent himself, the plan for Golden State was set in motion. Though their attempts to trade for Anthony Davis have been denied, they are still all-in on their pursuit of James, his former running mate in Los Angeles.

The motive here for Golden State is clear: James represents their best shot at surrounding Curry with a co-star that can make one final push for a title in the twilight of both of their careers. And for James, he'd also get the bonus of playing alongside two players who have become his most respected peers over the years.

Philadelphia 76ers

This is the dark horse. Despite having no immediate connection to the Sixers, it might be too hard to turn down an opportunity to plug into a starting five of Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

Bob Myers, longtime Warriors president of basketball operations and current president of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, said as much during a recent appearance on Rich Paul's "Game Over" podcast.

"If he was (on the podcast), I’d say, ‘I honestly believe this is your best chance to win,'” Myers said. “You have to decide all the other things that are equally important. … What I would say is if it’s about winning, ‘Let’s talk about that team, because you can win in Philadelphia.’”

Bob Myers is on Rich Paul and Max Kellerman's podcast pitching to LeBron James to join the Sixers:

"If Lebron is here I would honestly say this is your best chance to win"

"What I would say to LeBron is if it's about winning this is the team to win" pic.twitter.com/vYsEpKoJRk

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) July 8, 2026

In terms of purely chasing a ring, Myers might be right that LeBron's best chance lies in Philly. Whether he agrees with that or not remains to be seen, though.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James landing spots: Rumors, updates and latest on free agency decision

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Celtics fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

After weeks of drama, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens seemed pretty satisfied with the makeup of the Celtics roster heading into this weekend’s Summer League and training camp in September.

“I don’t anticipate anything in the very near term,” Stevens said of the roster as it stands on July 6th. “I think that we do like the team we have, we might be able to add to it, but at the end of the day, we like the group we have.”

The significant change is obviously Paul George replacing Jaylen Brown. The front office also added Mike Conley Jr. to shore up their ball handing in the second unit and Mitchell Robinson to add even more depth to their center room focused on offensive rebounding and rim protection.

Despite knee jerk reactions on social media and the talking heads, analytic prognosticators like Sporting News’ Steph Noh predict Boston to win 50-plus games and continue to compete at the top of the Eastern Conference.

The ingredients have been bought. Now, it’s time for Joe Mazzulla to cook.

There are some givens. You can pretty much set in stone that Jayson Tatum and Derrick White will be starters. After that, things get interesting.

When Tatum returned last season, Mazzulla opted to move Payton Pritchard back to the bench to reprise his 6th Man of the Year role after starting 50 games in the regular season. The added minutes and responsibilities didn’t seem to affect his efficiency, so he could be permanently promoted for 2026-2027.

Conventional wisdom would suggest that George will slot in as a starter, but the 36-year-old could benefit from the Al Horford Plan. He played just 41 and 37 games in consecutive seasons in Philadelphia. On one hand, that could suggest that he’s ready for a heavier load in Year 17, not unlike the 28 games that Horford played in his sabbatical year with the Thunder. On the other hand, Boston could slow boat George just like they did with Big Al and play him in only 60ish games and hold him out in back-to-backs.

Finally, what happens at center? Despite a rocky performance against Joel Embiid in Boston’s first round exit, Neemias Queta proved that he’s a quality starter in this league. The Celtics rewarded him with a four-year, $56 million contract. And they also signed Mitchell Robinson. There’s also Luka Garza who also had a revelatory year last season. Considering Robinson’s ability to defend opposing starting centers and inability to shoot (free throws), it makes sense to make him a starter with Queta and Garza shifting the energy with the second unit.

What do you think happens to start next season?

Jamal Crawford has been a guy Kentucky Basketball fans have had their minds fixated on this summer. The possibility of the three-time NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year joining Mark Pope’s coaching staff in Kentucky has been enticing, and he would join former NBA All-Star Mo Williams to form an elite coaching staff consisting of former players.

Crawford, though, is currently under contract with NBC Sports as a game analyst, working with fellow analyst Reggie Miller and play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico on NBC’s lead NBA team. In their first season together, the network’s return to broadcasting the NBA after 23 seasons, Crawford, Miller, and Tirico called a terrific Western Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, a series the Spurs won in seven games with a road win in OKC in the decisive Game 7.

Crawford is also an assistant coach at Rainer Beach High School in Seattle, where he coaches his son, J.J. Crawford, one of the top prospects in the class of 2029.

So, could Crawford still be a potential addition to Mark Pope’s coaching staff? During an appearance with KSR’s Matt Jones on KSR’s radio show Wednesday morning, Pope didn’t sound like he’s expected Crawford to leave his current gig.

“Jamal’s still got two years left on his NBC contract,” Pope said. “I’m good friends with Jamal. We’ve been friends for a long time. There might be a time where it’s good for him to jump into coaching. It’s something that he would like to do. He’s one of those guys that’s cut from a little bit of a similar cloth, like Mo Williams is. It’s hard to run an AAU program. There are a lot of guys that fund an AAU program, but Mo was running an AAU program. Jamal is running and coaching an AAU program.

“We find guys like that with their background — he could have a great future in college, he could go get a job, maybe in the exact right space, as a head coach in the NBA, maybe. I think there’s a good chance coaching is in his future, but he’s got a sweet deal right now, and he’s got a couple of years left.”

This reminds me a lot of the Memphis Tigers when Penny Hardaway took over as their head coach in 2018. Hardaway had former NBA Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year, as well as a two-time NBA Champion, Mike Miller, on his coaching staff for two seasons. Talk about an experienced coaching staff.

With changes having already come to Kentucky’s coaching staff, it remains to be seen if the Wildcats will add another member to it.

“I’m engaged in conversations about staff every day, even when our staff is full,” Pope said. “I’m still talking to people, and kind of seeing where it goes. If we hire someone, it’s going to be the right person that’s going to be exactly the right fit for what we do — but we’re working at a really high level right now.”

It also remains to be seen who the Cats will fill their 15th roster spot with, but there is still time for that and a potential addition to the coaching staff.

The Cats will open the season on Tuesday, November 3rd, against Manhattan at Rupp Arena.

Per Tony East of Circle City Spin and Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star, the Milwaukee Bucks have hired Indiana Pacers assistant coach Johnny Carpenter as an assistant coach and head of player development, replacing Jack Herum, who had spent the last three seasons in that role for Milwaukee.

Carpenter was slated to be the Pacers’ head coach during Summer League, but that will no longer happen with following his move to the Bucks, where, at least according to Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, he will take on greater responsibility:

“The Bucks’ offer to Johnny was a clear step up in responsibility and therefore received the organization’s blessing. We thank Johnny and his family for a great year with the Pacers and wish them the very best.”

Prior to joining the Pacers, Carpenter worked with new Bucks head coach Taylor Jenkins in Memphis during the 2024-25 season, with roles in player development and scouting. During his lone season there, they had an exceptional draft class from top to bottom, selecting Zach Edey at no. 9, Jaylen Wells at no. 38, and Cam Spencer at no. 53. They were also able to add center Jay Huff—who Carpenter worked with at the University of Virginia—in free agency. Huff had the best season of his career up to that point, averaging 6.9 PPG and 2.0 RPG, shooting 51.5% from the field and 40.5% from three (3.1 3PA). Then, reuniting with Carpenter last season in Indiana, Huff posted a career year replacing Myles Turner as the starting center, averaging 9.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, and 1.9 BPG.

Before his stint in Memphis, Carpenter spent nine years at his alma mater, the University of Virginia, where he served in several different roles, including assistant coach, director of player personnel, and basketball technology assistant. During his time with the Virginia Cavaliers, he helped develop several NBA players, including a familiar name to Bucks fans: former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. He’s also worked with Trey Murphy III, De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome, and Ryan Dunn.

In addition to his NBA roles with Indiana and Memphis, Carpenter also spent the 2014-15 season under Carlisle in Dallas, where he served as an assistant video coordinator.

For the most part, the major players in the NBA have already found their new homes.

The NBA offseason and free agency cycle have brought about massive changes in player movement and power dynamics, though the one notable exception remains.

LeBron James, the NBA all-time leading scorer and greatest player of this generation, has yet to decide on his next stop after he informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he was becoming an unrestricted free agent and moving on from the franchise after eight seasons.

James’ next team will generate significant intrigue, but now that the dust has settled after the first week of free agency, here are the early winners and losers of the NBA offseason:

WINNERS

Miami Heat

The question I’ll be asking throughout this exercise is whether teams improved their standing as contenders. Essentially: are they closer to competing for a championship than they were a month ago? For the Heat, the answer is undeniably yes. Giannis Antetokounmpo, when healthy, remains one of the five best basketball players in the world. Bobby Portis was another sneaky solid addition. Miami has become a desirable destination again. The roster still needs some filling out, but the Heat are in play for LeBron James; adding him would make Miami a compelling threat in the East.

Philadelphia 76ers

Getting Jaylen Brown on the cheap is a massive win. Joel Embiid is now 32 and simply not consistently available, so adding another star in his prime — Brown is 29 — instantly makes Philly a problem. Brown should pair excellently next to two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey, Embiid and VJ Edgecombe. The Sixers now have potent scoring threats all over the floor.

Not only that, but Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons were a pair of solid signings who bring shooting and spacing. If Philly can get Embiid to remain mostly healthy, the 76ers can challenge the Knicks for the conference title in ’27. And if LeBron James signs on, Philadelphia could be dominant next season.

Toronto Raptors

Credit Toronto for understanding that its roster was good but not great. Credit the franchise, too, for understanding that Scottie Barnes is one of the young stars in the game, but grasping that a lead scorer was necessary. Kawhi Leonard is exactly that scorer, though he remains an elite defender who fits Toronto’s style perfectly. The Raptors tied for fifth last season in defensive rating (112.1), and Leonard will highlight those efforts.

The Eastern Conference beefs up

Antetokounmpo and Brown stayed in the conference and Kawhi Leonard returned to Toronto after six seasons with the Clippers. It appears LeBron James — who is reportedly favoring the Cavaliers, Heat and 76ers among his list of suitors, per ESPN — may return to the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are the reigning champions and kept their core mostly intact. The 2025 Eastern Conference champion Pacers should presumably get a healthy Tyrese Haliburton to return.

The narrative over the last decade has been that the West has been the superior conference. And while the West may have most of the Top 5 players in the league, the East has bulked up.

LOSERS

Boston Celtics

The timing of the slander against Jaylen Brown is not very subtle. Brown, who has been stellar for the Celtics and carried them this season as Jayson Tatum was on the mend, is suddenly a negative asset? I don’t buy it. The idea behind that narrative is that Brown has stretches of inefficiency in his offensive game and his plus-minus indicates that Boston was better with him off the floor. And while Brown was more of a high-volume option last season, this strikes me as a case where selective analytics are being used to tip the scale and craft a narrative. Watch Brown’s film, and you clearly see a player who can score at three levels, can score in the clutch and who impacts winning. Paul George, at this stage of his career, simply cannot touch the impact Brown provided.

Mitchell Robinson is an interesting addition, but he hasn’t been available, playing just 108 of a possible 246 regular season games over the last three seasons. Going back to the question I posed up top: no, the Celtics did not improve their standing as a title contender. If anything, Boston feels further away.

Los Angeles Lakers

If the pitch to Luka Dončić was that this offseason would be the one to infuse more talent into the Lakers roster, the results, frankly, have been underwhelming. Walker Kessler is a fine center and one who actually provides some of what Los Angeles needs, but this felt like an overpay — both in draft capital needed to acquire him and the contract the Lakers gave him. Kessler is still young and will turn 25 later this month, but will he be able to provide the low-post offense Los Angeles needs? He’s mostly unproven in that regard.

Quentin Grimes is a solid depth addition, as is Collin Sexton, but James’ departure leaves a massive void of institutional knowledge and play-making ability. Despite injuries down the stretch, the Lakers remained competitive. The pressure is now on Dončić and Austin Reaves to deliver.

The NBA’s middle class

It has never been better to be a max player. Donovan Mitchell, a clear top-15 player, just inked a massive four-year, $273 million max deal. Projections for that deal are that the final year will be worth a staggering $70.7 million; his player option for 2030-31 is even steeper, at around $75.5 million. Mitchell is not alone; this is the going rate for max players who reach performance thresholds such as All-NBA selections.

Yet, as the growth of the salary cap has lagged — the cap for 2026-27 will increase just 6.7% — that has squeezed the NBA’s middle class. Essentially, local broadcast revenue has dragged, leading to the lukewarm increase in the cap. And because star players are always a premium, teams are being far more selective with their limited cap space.

Mid-tier teams running it back

I’m looking, mainly, at the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. Both were playoff teams, and both flamed out at the end. Houston is likely banking on point guard Fred VanVleet (torn ACL) stabilizing the position. And Houston’s biggest weakness was indeed at point guard, but after a rather awkward season in which Kevin Durant’s frustrations with his younger teammates spilled out into the public, it was time to take some calculated risks in roster management. The Rockets, however, have been quiet and — as currently constructed — are no closer to the Spurs, Thunder, Nuggets or even Timberwolves.

The Magic fired former coach Jamahl Mosley and hired ex-Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney. A change in leadership will help, but Orlando’s lack of consistent shooting hasn’t been addressed. Neither has the seemingly odd fit of stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Sweeney should define the roles more clearly. But as much of the East got better, the Magic have stayed stagnant.

The Golden State Warriors, who missed out on Antetokounmpo and may miss out on LeBron James, should probably be added here as well. Golden State now absolutely needs Jimmy Butler to return from his torn ACL and be an impact player once again.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA free agency winners and losers from wild offseason shakeup

LeBron James is still a free agent. As of now, it’s anyone’s guess as to which of the handful of teams that are vying for his services he ends up with.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the running to land James in free agency, but there is company in the group of possible suitors. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Cavs, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers appear to be the top teams.

.@ShamsCharania says LeBron's top three teams appear to be the Cavs, Heat and Sixers 👀 pic.twitter.com/D0WUDY3N1h

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 8, 2026

In that report, Charania also said that there “isn’t a timetable” for James to make a decision.

Some of the smoke for a possible signing with the Sixers came from the Game Over podcast. LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, had Bob Meyers (who led the Sixers searh for a new general manager earlier this summer) on the show to make a pitch for LeBron for the Sixers. That, understandably, raised some eyebrows.

Still, some insiders around the league aren’t comfortable naming who a favorite is, but they do believe that Cleveland and Miami are the safest best.

Chris Haynes said in a radio hit with Deals and Dunks that he wouldn’t name a favorite, but views the Cavs and Heat as “safe landing spots.” Brian Windhorst said something similar with ESPN Cleveland noting that the vibes would feel “right” with the Cavs and the Heat.

We’ve reached a point in free agency where it’s difficult to really figure out what is actually happening. Everyone still seems to be in the dark. We know that the Cavs have a chance — and make the most sense from a storytelling perspective — but LeBron may not think as we do.

We’ll see how this plays out in a free agency process that is continuing to drag out without an end in sight.

LAS VEGAS — The Lakers want Jonathan Kuminga. 

Jonathan Kuminga, also, wants to be a Laker. 

But as of Wednesday afternoon, over a week into the start of free agency, the two sides remained far apart on what it would take to bring the 23-year-old forward to L.A. despite the mutual interest. 

After the Hawks declined Kuminga’s $24.3 million team option on June 29, Lakers president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick met with Kuminga the following day.

A part of the Lakers’ free-agency pitch to Kuminga, a source told the California Post, was the Lakers seeing Kuminga as a high-level, starting wing who would complete the vision of their roster reconstruction around superstar guard Luka Doncic.

That vision included re-signing Austin Reaves and acquiring a marquee center this offseason – both of which were executed after Reaves agreed to a four-year $185 million deal to return to L.A. and the Lakers agreed to a four-year, $130 million with Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Jazz.   

But the Lakers’ initial offer to Kuminga didn’t back up the vision they were pitching him.

From there, the Lakers, who entered the offseason with around $52 million in salary cap space, agreed to deals with several players on July 2 that ate into that cap space: Kessler, Quentin Grimes (four years, $60 million), Sandro Mamukelashvili (four years, $52 million) and Collin Sexton (two years, $19 million).

Since then, they opened up more cap space (around $2.1 million) by trading Deandre Ayton to the Wizards for Jaden Hardy and a pair of Washington’s second-round picks (2031 and 2032) but that space essentially vanished when they agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.9 million contract with Kevon Looney that counts $2.49 million against the cap since it’s a veteran minimum’s deal.

That has left the Lakers with one open roster spot and little financial flexbilitity while still pursuing Kuminga. 

Pelinka has stayed in touch with Kuminga’s agent, Verus Management Team president Aaron Turner, over the last week as the franchise has made their moves.

Where things stand now

The Lakers have improved their offers to Kuminga up to a deal that would include an average annual salary around $10 million – which is less than the salaries of Grimes ($13.9 million) and Mamukelashvili ($13 million). 

And less than what was expected in light of how the Lakers expressed they saw Kuminga, who the Lakers pursued as a restricted free agent last summer, according to a source. 

When factoring in the additions of Kessler, Sexton and Looney, plus Reaves’ $20.9 million cap hold, the Lakers would have to shed over $20 million in salary from their 2026-27 roster to create the requisite cap space to sign Kuminga at a salary that starts around $10 million. 

But it’s clear that a $10 million salary for Kuminga won’t get a deal done now. 

Kuminga’s side feels there are better options for him if he joins the Lakers.

The main option that could help the Lakers acquire Kuminga: A sign and trade with the Hawks, which would allow Kuminga to receive a higher salary than the Lakers are able to offer Kuminga as an unrestricted free agent.

A source told the Post the Hawks are willing to execute a sign-and-trade with the Lakers around the framework of Kuminga going to L.A. and the Hawks receiving Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap – the lone option the Lakers have of trading a first-round pick this summer. Los Angeles also has three second-round picks (Wizards two picks and its own 2033 pick) available to trade.

Kuminga’s contract would have to be for at least three or four seasons (not including option seasons), and the first season must be fully guaranteed, if the Lakers acquired him in a sign and trade. 

Vanderbilt has two years and $25.7 million left on his four-year, $48 million contract extension he signed with the Lakers in September 2023. He has a $12.4 million salary for 2026-27 and a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28. 

The Lakers have been willing to trade Vanderbilt, according to multiple sources who spoke with the Post who were granted anonymity so they could speak freely, as well as other players on the roster in order to create more roster-building optionality.  

The Cavaliers also have strong interest in Kuminga, a source said. 

But the Cavaliers, whose head coach Kenny Atkinson coached Kuminga while Atkinson was an assistant coach with the Warriors from 2021-24, are also in the midst of the sweepstakes for LeBron James, who informed the Lakers last week he wouldn’t be returning to the franchise for his record-extending 24th NBA season.

Other options 

As of Wednesday, it wasn’t clear what other options the Lakers would have if they didn’t acquire Kuminga – or at least ones that would fit into their vision similar to how they’ve expressed to Kuminga. 

Or fufill their combination of needs for size, athleticism, defense and youth on the wings. 

Ziaire Williams, who’s coming off a career-year with the Nets, is a player the Lakers eyed after the Nets declined Williams’ $6.3 million team option to make him an unrestricted free agent. 

Bruce Brown, Matisse Thybulle and Ochai Agbaji are other unrestricted free agents still available.

The Lakers have long been tied to trade rumors with Mavericks forward PJ Washington, a former teammate of Doncic’s in Dallas, but the fully guaranteed $88.8 million Washigton’s owed over the next four years isn’t appealing to the Lakers. 

Realistic Kuminga number?

The Lakers are projected to be $12.9 million below the $209 million first apron threshold that they’re hard-capped at once all of the moves they’ve agreed to so far are official. 

This leaves them room to take back more money than they send out in a potential sign-and-trade for Kuminga, or a deal for any other player. 

The salary range that Kuminga is seeking from the Lakers wasn’t clear as of Wednesday.

What is clear is that Kuminga wants to be a Laker. And the Lakers want Kuminga. 

The vision and opportunities the Lakers have presented are appealing. 

But there’s work to be done for alignment on the Lakers’ offer to Kuminga before a deal can be reached. 

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The Golden State Warriors may want LeBron James, but they are not building their entire offseason around him.

As James continues to weigh his options for his record 24th NBA season, Golden State remains connected to the biggest free-agent stories in the league. But according to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Warriors already have backup plans if the LeBron chase falls short.

“If they miss out on LeBron James, they’re gonna try to have some other plans in place to get some other players,” Siegel said on “Clutch Scoops.”

That matters for a franchise trying to maximize the final stretch of Stephen Curry’s career. And they are not operating as if Curry is looking for a way out.

“Stephen Curry is not going anywhere,” Siegel said. “All those saying he needs to go somewhere to a team that wants to contend for a championship… [The Warriors] are a team that’s committed to winning with Steph.”

Curry backed up that idea during a recent golf event, where he spoke about his connection to the Bay Area and the Warriors fan base.

“It’s just a matter of being grateful that I get to represent one fanbase for, hopefully, my entire career,” Curry said.

That should quiet speculation about Curry leaving to chase another ring elsewhere. The more realistic question is whether the Warriors can put enough around him to make one more run possible.

James would obviously be the splashiest answer.

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Curry has not hidden his interest in the idea of finally playing with the player he spent years battling in the NBA Finals. Asked about James during the same golf event, Curry joked that he may be just as interested in LeBron’s golf game. Then Curry got to the basketball part.

“I’m sure we obviously would love to play together,” Curry said. “Hopefully it happens. But he’s deserved the opportunity and the right to take his time with the decision.”

A Curry-James pairing would be one of the strangest late-career twists in NBA history. But the Warriors appear to understand the risk of waiting too long for a dream scenario.

Curry is 38. The West is not waiting for the Warriors to figure it out. Golden State needs help, whether that means LeBron James or the next-best thing.

The two most important things in NBA team building are stability and flexibility. The Cleveland Cavaliers strengthened their position in both when they agreed to a four-year extension with seven-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell on Tuesday morning — the first day Mitchell was eligible to sign it.

On first blush, the deal looks like an overpayment. The contract runs through 2029-30 and has a player option for a final season in ‘30-31. The total money on the deal could be up to $273 million.

This is how the money shakes out on a per-year basis:

• 2027-28: $60.9 million
• 2028-29: 65.8 million
• 2029-30: $70.6 million
• 2030-31 (player option): $75.5 million

At the start of this deal, Mitchell will be making 35% of the entire salary cap. By the end, that balloons to 37.5%. That is a large financial commitment for a then-34-year-old undersized guard to be making in a league where every dollar spent either takes you closer or further from contention.

It’s easy — and maybe even understandable — to look at this as an overpay. Team building is incredibly difficult when you have that high a percentage of the cap designated to one player, especially one who is closer to being the 15th-best player in the league than the fifth.

What that line of thinking overlooks is the importance of stability and flexibility. If you have both, there’s always a path to pivot out of something that isn’t working.

Depth is incredibly important in today’s league. That’s been the one commonality among recent champions. So is having a superstar getting paid max money.

Dedicating more than a third of the salary cap to one player isn’t a detriment to depth. Adding multiple players on max contracts can be an issue.

The Jaylen Brown situation with the Boston Celtics is an interesting case study in this.

From afar, my reading of the situation isn’t that Brown was moved because he made too high a percentage of the cap for the player that he is. Instead, it was the fit between him and Jayson Tatum that was the issue. Boston couldn’t justify spending 70% of the cap on two players who had overlapping skills on both ends and needed the ball in their hands to be productive.

Brad Stevens, Celtics president of basketball operations, more or less outlined this in his recent press conference discussing the trade. Stevens said:

“The path looked a little bit more challenging with 70% of our cap and such a high percent of our usage tied into two players. And the reality in this era and in this day and age at the NBA, you could see it obviously, with the last couple of champions…you have to do a great job and you have to have the optionality to do a great job of building out depth that can hopefully replace the irreplaceable individual. And that’s not an easy thing to do, right? And we get that. And that’s absolutely nothing against Jaylen. If you have Jaylen Brown on your team, you should feature him. You should use all those possessions, and you should approach things that way. But I think the importance of depth, and then obviously we have to continue to work on ways to diversify our attack overall.”

This is where things get dicey for the Cavs.

The salary cap is expected to be slightly over $174 million for the 2027-28 season, which is when Mitchell’s salary kicks in.

At that point, he and Evan Mobley will be making a combined $114.7 million. That alone accounts for two-thirds of the salary cap.

That high a percentage for two players is a red flag. If you don’t have a pool of contributing role players on team-friendly deals or homegrown talent stepping up, your team simply won’t have the depth needed to win at the highest level.

The solution to this issue isn’t to try to pinch every penny out of your star players who have earned those contracts. It’s to trade out these contracts and retool if the situation calls for it.

It’s easy to look at the Brown trade to the Philadelphia 76ers as a disaster. They didn’t get the splashy return that you’d hope to get for a player of that caliber.

But they did get pieces that help them retool while still being a contender this upcoming season, and have more flexibility to improve in the future with a more manageable cap sheet. That wouldn’t have been possible if Brown were entering the last year of his deal or on a contract that wasn’t market value.

A contract is only bad if you wouldn’t be able to trade it for positive value. Even though the current CBA has made the super team, three max-contract player model less viable, there are teams that would be willing to trade for either Mitchell or Mobley with their current contracts.

We’ll start with Mobley on this.

There were rumors in the past year that the Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Celtics all had interest in Mobley. Two of those organizations are considered to be among the smartest in the league. If they’re willing to trade for Mobley, you can be assured that there’s a market for him and his current contract.

Trade rumors for Mitchell have died down in recent years because of his contract situation. Still, I’d have a hard time believing there wouldn’t be multiple teams that would part with valuable assets for Mitchell — especially with the amount of time remaining on his deal once he were to become trade-eligible.

A team with that much of the cap committed to Mitchell and Mobley may not be viable years down the road. At that point, Cleveland would need to move one of them for potentially more depth or a star pairing that works better together.

However, that wouldn’t be an option in the future if the Cavs hadn’t gotten this long-term commitment from Mitchell. The decision would have been made for them.

There’s an alternate reality where the Cavs decided to play hardball with Mitchell. They don’t give him the full extent of the max contract, and both sides don’t come to an agreement this summer. If that happened, they could choose to play out this season and hope to come to a better agreement next offseason. The lack of extension would likely loom over the season and influence any trade they could otherwise make because you wouldn’t have the certainty of Mitchell being on your team long-term.

That scenario would get worse if you were forced to trade Mitchell with just one guaranteed year left on his deal. Teams would know that he had to be moved, and the price for his services would be greatly diminished.

The Cavs avoided both of those options.

Instead, everything is on the table now. If they want to move off either Mitchell or Mobley in the future, they should be able to do so while getting fair market value back in return. They bought time and future opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have without this extension.

Long-term success comes from having options and being able to pivot when needed. The Cavs can do so with their top-two players guaranteed under contract through the 2029-30 season. That alone makes the Mitchell contract a great deal.