The Minnesota Timberwolves are out of the NBA playoffs. It’s a miracle it took this long. In their first-round series against the Denver Nuggets, they saw two starters and another key reserve suffer significant injuries. The Nuggets entered the series on a 12-game winning streak and were favored from the jump. After somehow winning that series in six games, finding Denver’s weak points and pummeling them until they broke, the Wolves met an even more daunting opponent in the San Antonio Spurs. Though they’d have been forgiven for tiredly accepting a sweep, the Wolves swiped Game 1 on the Spurs’ home floor, then a close Game 4 at home. After that, the tank finally ran empty. But even in the losses – including Friday night’s in Game 6 – the Wolves found ways to frighten. They’d go down 18-3 and then tie the game by the end of the first quarter. They’d tighten a 29-point deficit to 12 entering half-time. The tenacity and spite they played with was a finite resource, but at times this postseason it was potent enough to convince me otherwise.

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The Wolves were not the deepest team in these playoffs, nor the most consistent. They may lie closer to the bottom of those categories than the top. After their elimination, coach Chris Finch and players alike admitted they’d failed to take the regular season seriously enough, failing to set themselves up well for the high-stakes games of April and May. (My old teachers probably shared a similar sense of disappointment in me before finals.) And yet this odd bunch regularly play some of the most soulful basketball in the NBA. Anthony Edwards can take over a game at any time, either by shooting deep threes or acrobatic layups. French albatross Rudy Gobert anchors the defense, which the team plays with astonishing vigor at its best. The best athletes are sometimes so clinical that they produce a rather emotionless watching experience, but certain passages of Timberwolves basketball inspire in me feelings of pure glee.

The Wolves are also mercifully resistant to caring about how others perceive them. A segment from a news conference after Game 2 against Denver played out like a scene from The Office. Edwards chose the phrase “beat that shit” to describe his aspirational rebounding performance, making teammate Julius Randle dissolve into giggles. During the Nuggets series, Wolves forward Jaden McDaniels announced the team’s plan: they would go right at the opposition, attacking the rim, because Denver’s players were “all bad defenders”. McDaniels then proceeded to list several Nuggets, including those who are generally considered good defenders. (Naturally, he wore a black hoodie while delivering this quote, hood up.) At the end of Game 4, McDaniels hit a layup with two seconds left, the Wolves’ lead already safe, which angered the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić into sprinting down the court to get in McDaniels’s face with a vigor rarely seen in his defensive efforts. McDaniels simply laughed, untroubled by the seething 6ft 11in man-mountain. Then he coolly scored 32 points in Game 6, the best performance of anyone that night, to close out the series.

Even against the Spurs, the Wolves showed their cunning. After losing the opener, the Spurs took the next two games and appeared in full control. “I’m built for this,” an elated Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs’ irreplaceable 7ft 4in dynamo, said of the challenging physicality of the playoffs. “I love this more than anything else.” Just as everyone was talking about Wemby’s implacable calm, his God-given mindset, the Wolves made him snap. In Game 4, McDaniels and Naz Reid picked and poked away at Wemby’s inflatable-bendy-man body until the typically calm Frenchman nailed Reid in the face with a vicious elbow. Wemby was ejected, and in his absence the Wolves secured a narrow win. “Today is Mother’s Day,” Edwards said after the game, his mother having died in 2015. “I couldn’t lose this game for her.” As for Reid, don’t worry about his neck. “Pain is weakness leaving the body,” he declared, to chuckles from his teammates.

It’s a small tragedy that the Wolves almost certainly won’t win a championship without drastic changes to their roster. The Oklahoma City Thunder, who eliminated the Wolves en route to winning the Larry O’Brien last year, are primed to begin a dynasty. The Spurs are young and have almost no playoff experience; they may already be good enough to win the title this year, but they’re still nowhere near their final form. In those transcendent moments when the Wolves are operating with full intensity in sync with one another, they can match those teams. But they can’t do it over the course of a seven-game series. Talk now will turn to trading Randle, who could rarely get his offense going during these playoffs.

Still, the Wolves’ legacy as an occasionally brilliant motley crew who delight in upset victories is a good one. Very few analysts picked them to beat the Nuggets this year, or the Lakers in last year’s playoffs, or the Nuggets the year before that, but the Wolves won all those series. Though they don’t have the silverware to show for it, they’re as responsible for injecting entertainment into the playoffs as any other team. I look forward to furiously defending their honor when NBA fans of the 2040s blame them for not going deeper into the playoffs during this era.

The Wolves’ run ending here is probably for the best. Oklahoma City are waiting in the next round, and since December, it’s been clear that only the Spurs are capable of asking the Thunder potentially unanswerable questions. The entire season has been building towards that dialogue spread over a series, and now we’ll get to see it. I’ll relish those games when they come, but for now, I’m sad I won’t get to watch the playoff Wolves again until next year.

It's looking more and more likely that OG Anunoby will be ready to return when the Knicks start the Eastern Conference Finals next week after going through another full round of practice Saturday.

Anunoby, who has missed the final two games of the 76ers series due to a right hamstring injury sustained late in the Knicks' Game 2 win, got through a full practice on consecutive days and told the media afterwards, including the Associated Press' Brian Mahoney, that he feels good.

“It didn’t feel as bad as the past when it happened,” Anunoby said. “So knowing that, just trying to improve it day by day.”

Anunoby isn't a stranger to injuries, but this particular strain seemed less severe from the start. SNY's Ian Begley reported last week that the strain was "minor" and there was optimism Anunoby would be back sooner rather than later.

The Knicks listed Anunoby as questionable for both Game 3 and 4, but the forward's services were not needed as New York handled their business in completing the four-game sweep of the Sixers. Now, with the series between the Cavaliers and Pistons going the distance, wrapping up on Sunday, Anunoby and the Knicks will have until Tuesday before Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals begins. 

“I think everyone’s excited for the games to start, so just letting the other series play out,” Anunoby said. “So if it was tomorrow — it’s going to be Tuesday now — just be ready whenever it is.”

“He’s been back and he looks good to me,” Mikal Bridges said. “So I think maybe the crowd, maybe the fans and media worried a little bit more, but I know how OG works and how his body is, so I think he’ll be all right.”

Anunoby is averaging 21.4 points in the postseason while shooting 61.9 percent, including 53.8 percent from three-point range. He's also been the team's best defender and overall best player through the first two rounds of the postseason. They'll need Anunoby's production and defense to go up against either Cleveland or Detroit if they hope to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time in almost three decades. 

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The highlights speak for themselves; if this was any other year Caleb Wilson could very well go #1 overall in the NBA Draft. This year just so happens to be stacked with NBA ready talent. This draft in particular has been touted as a “Big 3” draft between Cam Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, and Darryn Peterson, but I’m here to tell you that Caleb Wilson belongs in that same class.

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Wilson dealt with some injury issues during his time at North Carolina but what he displayed in 24 games can’t be denied: nearly 20 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and nearly 3 stock (steals + blocks) a night. His shooting splits aren’t something that will be heralded but what he lacks in 3 point shooting he more than makes up for everywhere else.

What We Know

The NBA Draft Combine was a few days ago and what we know for sure are the measurables:

6’9.25” barefoot

210 lbs

7’ wingspan

9’ standing reach

39.5” max vertical

34.5” standing vertical

11.17 second in the lane agility drill

3.11 seconds in the shuttle run

3.23 second in the 3/4 Court Sprint

All of this information only confirms what we know: he’s a long, athletic, agile PF with huge defensive upside. It seems like there are a lot of pretty easy comparisons that I could make, and it looks like I’m not the only one.

“The bar seems like Kevin Garnett, the ceiling seems more like Giannis.”👀

– @RealJayWilliams on Caleb Wilson

(Via @GetUpESPN ) pic.twitter.com/YAtUhABzhV

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 11, 2026

Now with Kevin Garnett being my favorite player of all-time and THE reason that I even like the NBA at all I would make the argument that Giannis should be the bar and Kevin Garnett should be the ceiling, but I digress. Regardless of which Hall of Fame player you could compare him to, he has all of the tools to potentially live up to the hype. Now I have a personal rule that I’ll never judge a player that’s on his Rookie contract; there’s just so much that goes into evaluating a player that it would be unfair to judge a 22-23 year old and say that he’s capped out as a player. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t see major upside in his potential selection. He also brings the right attitude to the game.

Caleb Wilson:

“I will change your franchise, your culture, your program, your city. I did that at North Carolina.”

(h/t @jayy_hardyy252) pic.twitter.com/kYIIKYr81o

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 14, 2026

Even more than that he seems to show up when the lights are the brightest. In his limited play at UNC he was able to go up against two of the top 3 aforementioned players and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

24 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 9/11 FG against Darryn Peterson and Kansas

23 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 stocks against Cam Boozer and Duke

So, just to recap, we have a kid with a great wingspan, he’s a great athlete, he passes the eye test with his highlight reel, he’s already drawing comparisons to two former MVP and Hall of Fame caliber players, he has a great mentality when it comes to the game of basketball, AND he shows up when it matters most. I guess the only question we have to answer now is this; Why would we draft Caleb Wilson over two of the “Big 3”?

Why We Should

If everything I’ve said so far isn’t reason enough, maybe this will be enough to sway you: he’s by far the most versatile defender in this entire class. He finished his season at UNC with a 97.8 defensive rating, he can guard 1-4, he’s strong enough to hold his own against more bruising players in the league, he’s got the wingspan to alter any shot, and while other people might think that Kevin Garnett is his floor, I’m more of a realist and think that Evan Mobley is his floor, which in case we forgot is a former Defensive Player of the Year.

I understand why people, especially after this playoff series against the Pistons, would be skeptical of drafting an elite defensive prospect who needs some work on the offensive end. I hear you, and I understand you, but Caleb Wilson and Evan Mobley are not the same kind of animal on the offensive side of the ball. Now, I want to be as clear as I can about my position on Evan Mobley. I am in no way saying that averaging 18/9/3.6 and nearly 2 blocks a game is a bad thing, but the way that Evan gets his shots are not the same as the way Wilson does. These two players are fundamentally different.

I’m no psychologist but there’s something between the ears that separates the two. I believe that Evan had “it” at one point but after playing with Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and now James Harden, I think that his drive to be this offensive force has died down quite a bit. I will refer you back to the video at the top of this article and ask you the simple question: does that look like someone who doesn’t have that drive to be a force on both sides of the ball?

Their shot diets are similar, yes, but between his transition game, his faceup game, his catch and shoot ability (despite the percentages), the fact that he shoots 72% at the rim and 44% from midrange (which would be comparable to what Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, and Jamal Murray shoot from that range), AND his shooting mechanics which are as sound as they come, there’s a real chance that Wilson could become a dominant two-way force in this league if given the time to develop.

Speaking of time to develop, I think we could offer that to him here in Utah. After the acquisition of Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline, our forward/center rotation will be filled with veteran players who are ready to contribute right away. If we were to select Caleb Wilson #2 overall we could give him a chance to develop behind a former Defensive Player of the Year AND a phenomenal rebounder and shot blocker in Walker Kessler (assuming everyone comes back). He wouldn’t need to help us win a championship immediately, and he could be a valuable piece off our bench for the first part of his career. Not to mention the fact that if I know anything about Trader Danny it’s that if he thinks we can get better without someone he won’t hesitate to pick up the phone. Maybe he starts to develop a little more quickly than expected and he’s able to outperform Jaren Jackson Jr. We could get younger in the process, insert a defensive demon in his place, and potentially get even more draft capital in return without missing a beat. If that doesn’t sound like a Danny Ainge masterplan, I don’t know what does.

Why We Shouldn’t

Having that impressive frontcourt I just mentioned does complicate things a little bit. I’m not one that believes we need to draft for fit this high in the draft, but the more natural selection we would make would be either Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa; whoever is available at the time. A Keyonte George/Darryn Peterson backcourt is enough to make my mouth water, and we could very easily slide Ace Bailey in at the shooting guard slot and run AJ Dybantsa at the 3. Drafting a player like Caleb Wilson at No. 2 when we already have JJJ and Walker Kessler on the roster wouldn’t exactly be maximizing our roster, and after the years of strategically tanking it seems like we’re ready to make a playoff push, and I think that Peterson or Dybantsa would help us more in that effort.

Something else that will be in question is his three point shooting ability. We’ve seen players be successful in the league without really making 3’s, but it is now becoming more and more of a requirement to be able to stretch the floor. There are rare exceptions, like what we’re seeing in Detroit with Ausar Thompson. Suffice it to say he is NOT a threat from deep (25% this year on VERY limited volume), but he’s able to be impactful on offense by living in the dunkers spot, slashing towards the rim, and getting active on the offensive glass. His athleticism helps him in that effort, and while I think that Caleb Wilson is indeed a great athlete, he’s not a 0.1% athlete like Ausar is. Wilson will be a good athlete in the NBA but he will undoubtedly need to add dimensions to his game if he wants to be great in this league, and without solid proof (other than open gym shooting drill videos) there is some level of skepticism to have about his offensive game.

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If you couldn’t tell by this 1500 word article, I do think that Caleb Wilson will be great in this league for a long time, there is a part of me that isn’t sure that he’ll be great in this league while in Utah. I did an instant reaction mock draft after the Draft Lottery order was announced, and I have him slated to go No. 4 overall to the Chicago Bulls. That has not changed in the past week, and unless there is some MASSIVE news that drops between now and the NBA Draft, I don’t expect that to change. I still think that we’ll end up taking either Peterson or Dybantsa, but if we did select Wilson I certainly wouldn’t mind.

---

Who do you think we’ll take in the NBA Draft? Do you want Peterson, Dybantsa, or someone else entirely? Sound off in the comments!

Be kind. Tell someone you love them.

As it is by now no secret, I enjoy watching Steven Adams play (also, his dog is cute) but that will not spare him from this article. With his production and injury, Adams, in retrospect, turned out to be one of the most important players for the Rockets this season, but unfortunately, on January 18, he suffered an ankle injury, and just 10 days later, it was announced that he would miss the entire season after surgery. After his injury, the Rockets were left with only Jeff Green and Clint Capela in the backup center’s arsenal.

In the offensive department, he enabled the Rockets, especially in offensive rebounding, since, outside of Kevin Durant, most of the players struggled with shooting, and sometimes it turned out that the best offensive play was to hope that the balls were repelled and the rebound was returned by Adams to another Rocket. As a result of all this, according to StatMuse, the Rockets had a strong net rating with their old man in the lineup. However, their great achievement also extended beyond the box score, as he was able to create second chance opportunities with elite offensive rebounding, protect the paint and be the tough guy on the court, which are not awlays fully calculated in a score.

Defensively, Adams helped make the game easier for Houston’s younger players. He played quarterback on the floor, always talking coverages and getting teammates in the right places. His ability to protect the post without having a ton of help defense gave Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. the freedom to play more aggressively on the perimeter. That defense was a huge reason Houston ascended the standings early in the year.

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of Adams’ season was his chemistry with Alperen Sengun. On paper, many fans and media members wondered if two classic big men could prosper together in today’s NBA. The pairing often worked because the two players complemented each other’s skill sets. Adams focused on rebounding, screening and interior defense, while Şengün handled playmaking and scoring. The “double big” lineups in Houston physically wore out smaller teams and helped dictate the tempo of games. Houston was able to run some double big lineups with Clint Capela and Sengun, but those lineups were not as effective since truly nobody could replace Big Kiwi.

If you were to ask me for a grade for Adams’s season I would either lean a C, or incomplete since we only saw Adams be avalaible for 40 of the 82 games during the regular season. It was clear Houston missed him when he was off the court, but Adams needs to work on staying healthy, as the ankle is his second season injury in the past five years.

Houston Rockets post season reviews will continue on with Fred Vanvleet and Reed Sheppard, so be sure to check pack at The Dream Shake for most season reviews.

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The home team won the first four games of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons, but the road team prevailed in Games 5 and 6.

I’m calling for the home team — and its much-criticized center — to deliver a victory in front of the Detroit faithful on Sunday, and my Cavaliers vs. Pistons predictions are backing Jalen Duren and Co. to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Here are my best NBA picks for Sunday’s win-or-go-home showdown on May 17.

Cavaliers vs Pistons Game 7 prediction

Cavaliers vs Pistons best bet: Jalen Duren Over 21.5 points + rebounds + assists (-115)

Who doesn’t love a good redemption story?

After getting benched for the entire fourth quarter and overtime of the Detroit Pistons narrow Game 5 loss, Jalen Duren responded with 15 points and 11 rebounds in Game 6.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' interior defense has been exploitable on the road in these playoffs, sporting the second-lowest defensive rebound percentage (63.5).

Among players with at least 30 minutes per game this postseason, Duren ranks fourth in offensive rebounds (3.7) and second in offensive rebound percentage (12.4).

Cavaliers vs Pistons Game 7 same-game parlay

Cade Cunningham has dished 9+ dimes in four of seven home games, and the Pistons are 3-1 in those contests.

Cunningham ranks third in potential assists (15) this postseason. His team has also shot more efficiently at home, which should lead to a bump in helpers.

The Pistons nearly won Game 5 before dominating in Game 6, and they’ve got momentum on their side. Detroit is 5-2 straight up at home this postseason with an 8.1 Net Rating, and Cleveland is just 1-5 on the road with a -8.2 Net Rating.

Cavaliers vs Pistons SGP

• Jalen Duren Over 21.5 points + rebounds + assists
• Cade Cunningham Over 8.5 assists
• Pistons moneyline

Cavaliers vs Pistons odds for Game 7

• Spread: Cavaliers +4.5 (-110) | Pistons -4.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Cavaliers +160 | Pistons -190
• Over/Under: Over 205.5 (-110) | Under 205.5 (-110)

Cavaliers vs Pistons betting trend to know

Detroit has hit the 2H moneyline in 32 of its last 45 games (+12.22 Units / 14% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Pistons.

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

We’ve arrived at the final stop on our tour through the unrestricted free agent market this offseason. There are plenty of names available, still, not every positional need has to be addressed by the Phoenix Suns. You could argue the primary focus should be power forward and center if Phoenix decides to use unrestricted free agency to supplement the roster.

It’s an interesting spot the Suns find themselves in. Over the past few years, unrestricted free agency has been one of the primary ways they’ve filled out the roster. With the current emphasis on continuity and development, that approach might shift a bit this summer.

Major roster decisions are looming, and one of the biggest centers on fifth-year center Mark Williams. His restricted free agency situation could end up being one of the defining decisions of the offseason, as his qualifying offer is $9.6 million. It’s a great deal for the Suns, but it does come with repercussions in the larger picture of cap gynastics and tax implications.

If Phoenix prioritizes bringing Williams back alongside guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, that money starts pushing the Suns back into luxury tax territory. More importantly, repeater tax territory. You become a repeater tax team once you’re over the tax in three out of four seasons. Even though Phoenix dipped below it this past year, when you’ve carried the highest payroll in NBA history across multiple seasons, you’re operating in dangerous financial territory regardless.

That’s the balancing act facing this front office. Do you go back into the luxury tax knowing the repeater penalties become even harsher, or do you start reshaping parts of the roster in an effort to avoid it?

As John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports recently noted, there are really three paths the Phoenix Suns can take with Mark Williams.

3 options for Mark. 1. They do like him and if they can get him on a good contract (which is what we have always said) they will have him back. 2. If his price is too high then sign and trade is an option. 3. Can just let him walk and rely more on Maluach next season. Those are… https://t.co/D1lSyALdC5

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) May 14, 2026

Option one: bring him back on something around that $9.6 million qualifying offer, depending on where the market settles. Option two: execute a sign and trade if another team values him higher than Phoenix does. Option three: simply let him walk.

That third option is what makes this conversation interesting.

If the Suns decide to move on from Williams, and the organizational focus shifts toward accelerating the development timeline of second-year lottery pick Khaman Maluach, there are veteran names available in unrestricted free agency that could probably be added on minimum deals to provide depth at center.

And those names are?

Player	Age	YOE	Prev Team	Prev AAV	Type
Nikola Vucevic	35.5	14	BOS	$20,000,000	UFA / Bird
Jusuf Nurkic	31.7	11	UTA	$17,500,000	UFA / Bird
Zach Collins	28.4	8	CHI	$17,410,848	UFA / Bird
Mitchell Robinson	28.1	7	NYK	$15,000,000	UFA / Bird
Robert Williams III	28.5	7	POR	$12,000,000	UFA / Bird
Moritz Wagner	29	7	ORL	$11,000,000	UFA / Bird
Andre Drummond	32.8	13	PHI	$5,000,000	UFA / Early Bird
Nick Richards	28.4	5	CHI	$5,000,000	UFA / Bird
Kevin Love	37.7	17	UTA	$4,000,000	UFA / Bird
Dwight Powell	34.8	11	DAL	$4,000,000	UFA / Bird
Bismack Biyombo	33.7	14	SAS	$3,634,153	UFA / Early Bird
DeAndre Jordan	37.8	17	NOP	$3,571,495	UFA / Non-Bird
Jaxson Hayes	25.9	6	LAL	$3,449,323	UFA / Bird
Thomas Bryant	28.8	8	CLE	$3,287,409	UFA / Non-Bird
Drew Eubanks	29.2	7	SAC	$3,080,921	UFA / Non-Bird
Jock Landale	30.5	4	ATL	$2,461,463	UFA / Non-Bird
Xavier Tillman	27.3	5	CHA	$2,392,183	UFA / Bird
Mason Plumlee	36.2	12	SAS	$939,867	UFA / Non-Bird
Tony Bradley	28.3	7	ATL	$17,706	UFA / Non-Bird
Charles Bassey	25.5	4	GSW	$14,146	UFA / Non-Bird

Again, if the Phoenix Suns bring back Mark Williams, then none of these names really matter. If Phoenix lets him walk in unrestricted free agency, or signs and trades him in an effort to recoup draft capital or another player on a cheaper contract who fills a positional need, then this list becomes more interesting. At that point, you’re looking for depth behind Khaman Maluach.

The name that jumps off the page for me is Andre Drummond. Yes, the Philadelphia 76ers hold Early Bird rights on him, still, we saw flashes this postseason of what he can still provide. He’ll be 33 when next season starts. He’s not someone I’d want starting 82 games. As a depth piece though, I’ve always found Drummond intriguing.

Another option would be Thomas Bryant, who has barely seen the floor during the postseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Again, strictly through the lens of depth, he’s not a terrible backup center option. Then, of course, there is always Nick Richards…

And don’t hate me for this one, I wouldn’t mind seeing Jock Landale back in Phoenix. Yes, he’s undersized for the position. If he’s your backup center, you know exactly what you’re getting. Energy. Physicality. Chaos in the best possible way. But you are also undersized, which is practically the franchise’s tagline for its puny history.

So let’s play the hypothetical out. The Suns decide they want to avoid becoming a repeater tax team next season, which leads to them moving on from Mark Williams. Looking at this list, who interests you? Is there someone you’d want as a starter? Or are you fully committed to giving Maluach the runway and simply looking for depth behind him?

Let us know in the comments below.

The calls for Daryl Morey’s ouster got louder and louder in the 48 hours between Philadelphia’s elimination from the NBA playoffs last Sunday and his official firing on Tuesday.

In the span of just over one week, the Sixers managed to come from 3-1 down against the Boston Celtics on the heels of their star power to looking like a team that was out of gas against the New York Knicks. Perhaps only the Sixers are capable of such an emotional 180, but they pulled it off. Morey’s affinity for stars appeared to finally be paying dividends during the comeback against the Celtics, only for Philadelphia’s lack of depth to be greatly exposed by the Knicks.

As the embarrassments against the Knicks piled up with each loss, it seemed like it was becoming harder for Morey to survive and he was ultimately let go. So often in sports, fans will shout to the heavens for a coach or executive to be fired without any real succession plan. Many simply believe that the next guy simply can’t be as bad as the current guy. But whoever replaces Morey still has to deal with the mistakes he made. Firing Morey doesn’t also undo the Joel Embiid and Paul George contracts. It also doesn’t bring Jared McCain back to Philadelphia. This isn’t to say firing Morey was incorrect, but it is to suggest that if you thought the team was in such bad shape prior to firing Morey, you shouldn’t instantly think the franchise is in better shape now.

Having said all of this, there are some things to like about the state of the Sixers at the moment. In true Sixers fashion, Embiid’s presence on the roster is both a pro and a con and we saw both sides of the spectrum in the playoffs. Embiid was the best player for either team in the Celtics series and didn’t even play for the first three games of the first round. He’s still a dominant offensive player when healthy and rested. But almost instantly in the Knicks series, Embiid looked like a shell of himself and we were already starting to see his body break down. Will the new president of basketball operations decide to dump Embiid at 25 cents on the dollar and deal with the fact that such a move likely makes the Sixers a worse team in 2026-27?

George might be easier for a new executive to trade simply because he has one less year remaining on his contract than Embiid. His mostly good play since returning from the 25-game suspension may have been enough to get his trade value back to neutral after it had been a negative for a long time. Whoever is making these decisions for the Sixers has to decide if it’s possible to build a deep enough roster during the next two seasons to load manage Embiid and George throughout the regular season, and weather their playoff lulls as well. Those are very difficult questions to answer and it’s entirely possible that a new executive comes in and knows full well that the team can’t win a championship with Embiid and George on the roster at their current costs and has to just deal with two years of stagnation.

On top of a new President potentially viewing the short-term salary cap situation as unsolvable in the next two years, that new person is not going to have their own head coach on the sideline. That’s never an attractive situation for someone holding the president title for a sports team. For what it’s worth, Nick Nurse strikes me as a pretty good coach and I wouldn’t consider being “stuck” with him as a problem for the new president.

Of course, all of these things are known by any candidate that interviews with Bob Myers and Josh Harris. So maybe there’s a candidate that either has a strong enough plan for the Sixers to become a serious contender as early as next year. At the same time, there could be a candidate that likes the upside of where the Sixers can go in 2028 and beyond that can sell themselves hard on how they would build out the roster with more financial freedom.

It’s that upside that does make the attractiveness of the Sixers’ president of basketball operations job a difficult thing to gauge. Philly has at least one first-round pick in every draft for the rest of the 2020s. The Sixers could have two firsts in the 2028 draft if their first-rounder that season falls in the top eight. Before you scoff at the idea of the Sixers being that bad in two years, remember the new lottery rules will make the top 10 picks much more random. The unprotected first-rounder from the Clippers in 2028 is a very nice asset to hold as are the swap rights with Los Angeles in the first round in 2029. While the Sixers do not have a second-round pick in next month’s draft, they do have an abundance of second-rounders in future drafts. For the first time in a while, Philly has ample draft capital to either draft prospects or make trades.

Remember, Morey’s staff that has also been responsible for a lot of his strong drafting while running the Sixers is all still employed by the franchise. If George plays out his entire contract with the Sixers, that would mean the new president will lead the team through three drafts before George is gone and Embiid has one more year left. A few strong drafts, and potentially a good trade or two with some of that draft capital could have the Sixers looking very exciting in a mere two years. The 2028-29 season will be Tyrese Maxey’s age-28 season and VJ Edgecombe’s age 23-season. Any confident executive that takes the Sixers president job will look at the draft picks and how young Maxey and Edgecombe are and tell themselves they can have this team contending in two years even if George and Embiid play out the full duration of their contracts with the Sixers.

Does a new executive have the patience to wait two years before they can really move the Sixers into the upper echelon of NBA contenders while working with a coach they didn’t hire? Does the new executive possibly believe they can elevate the Sixers out of the second round in the next two years while Embiid and George are likely still on the roster? If the answer to the second question is yes, then this job is wildly attractive to that kind of candidate. If the answer to the second question is no, then the new hire is going to have to really like the upside for the franchise starting in the summer of 2028.

The other component to all of this is the role Myers will have in the organization once the hire is made. Myers made it clear he will remain involved and have an ongoing dialogue with whomever he hires.

“They’ll have a lot of authority here, which they should,” Myers said of the person he hires. “I won’t be on a day-to-day level, but on the high-level decision-making, which is being here at the draft, being here leading up to the trade deadline, being available for free-agency discussions, free-agency meetings, things like that. I’m going to be involved at that level, and I can tell you that I imagine — and I’m not saying this lightly — I’ll be communicating with that person daily, if not five out of seven days a week.”

It’s easy to feel confident about Myers overseeing basketball operations both on an interim basis right now and having a heavy role in decisions moving forward. But don’t forget he inherited Steph Curry and Klay Thompson by the time he was promoted to general manager in Golden State. This isn’t to say Myers can’t steady the ship for Philadelphia, but his presence in the organization also might not be a fast track to the conference finals.

How attractive is the title of president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers? We can answer that with another question — if you’re interviewing for this job, are you a glass half-full or glass half-empty person?

Guess who just got back to the WCF? Those crazy cats down in San Antone. Making sure Game 6 is all they need, Stephon Castle responded to the Timberwolves’ defensive switch-up and scored a game-high 32 points along with 11 rebounds. De’Aaron Fox chipped in 21 points with 9 assists while Victor Wembanyama “casually” scored 19 points with 3 blocks.

These lobs between Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama look so organic. Occasionally, Wembanyama will add some spice like dunk the ball from the side or with his back facing the rim. Next, I expect him to bounce one off his face like a seal and then flush it through.

OOP THERE IT IS 🙌

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/QuwFv9LmAr

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 16, 2026

Castle in the sky for this exclamated dunk. I know “exclamated” isn’t a word, but have you seen Howl’s Moving Castle? If you’re a fan of Hayao Miyazaki, I would highly recommend watching it.

OH MY STEPH 🤯

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/VZciKga8KO

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 16, 2026

Here is an alternate angle of that dunk: Castle’s subtle double clutch in midair to avoid the block is a thing of beauty.

Steph took flight ✈️

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/RKBuuQWihd

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 16, 2026

Dylan Harper out here making going left look like going right. It’s legitimately bonkers how bonkers Harper is playing in the playoffs right now. Explosive plays? Sure. Clamped down defense? Of course. Composure beyond his years as a rookie? Indubitably. Meme-able reactions that go viral on the internet? More on that below.

right to the cup 👏

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/bamKdvDPGI

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 16, 2026

Look, I get nervous when Wembanyama catches a lob with his back to the basket and quickly spins around for a dunk for fear of him hitting his head on the rim if he misjudged his jump and location. Luckily, that doesn’t happen as often as I fear. On this play, De’Aaron Fox puts up a pretty full-court pass on the dot to our favorite sci-fi enthusiast who immediately pirouettes into a dunk off of one pivot of the foot.

FINISHED IT.

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/397iREsNrX

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 16, 2026

Just in case you forgot that the Spurs have a young, budding wing like Castle, they draft Dylan Harper who they bring along patiently and then unleash in the playoffs. Just in case you forgot they have young, promising wings in Castle and Harper, here comes Carter Bryant flying in and soaking in every minute of the 10-13 minutes per game that Mitch Johnson puts him in for. I can’t wait to see Bryant’s increased role next season but am enjoying the burst of energy and effective defense he brings off the bench. What a fun team.

GOIN TOP SHELF 🙌

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/M2L8PTygLn

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 16, 2026

Making butter out of chaos.

𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈𝑒

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/WiFOLjRKx3

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 16, 2026

This post is a Julian Champagnie appreciation post. Rock solid is usually the description used to describe Champagnie, but if he was on any other team, you’d see regular highlights like below. Good thing he isn’t on another team because he fits right in with this crew.

Ju to the rim! 🙌

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/2FPdyELBAi

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 16, 2026

De’Aaron Fox seems to be playing solo H-O-R-S-E while also leading his team to the promised land of the Western Conference Finals.

YEAH DE'AARON‼️

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/F9NJcTi7PY

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 16, 2026

You can almost see the light of enlightenment shine on Champagnie when he was about to pull up for an open three and realized his buddy Wembanyama is even more open down by the basket. Just ignore that little love tap Wemby gave out just like the (redacted)s ignored the other love taps give out on Wemby throughout these playoffs (wink).

JU 🤝 WEMBY

📺 @NBAonPrimepic.twitter.com/WkgPOfcetD

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 16, 2026

There’s a lot of work left for these Spurs, but it’s just amazing to see their journey this season. It hits extra hard to our hearts to see a new band of lovable, fun players bring us basketball joy. Especially after that 2014 team, I myself did not think I would ever find that kind of sports joy again, but these guys make it a lot easier.

There’s so much homerism and bias in that paragraph that it almost makes you forget you’re reading it on a San Antonio Spurs site. Almost.

𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐃.#Porvida | @HEB | @Ledgerpic.twitter.com/g33w30DRcA

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 16, 2026

Wow! With all that adrenaline from Friday night’s big series finishing win, winding it down and sending everyone out with some comfort sitcom music, starring Dylan Harper with the most “The Office” face ever:

This is sending me

(Via: @joorudan) pic.twitter.com/O4WuqttDSQ

— Spurs Culture (@SpursCulture) May 14, 2026

If you missed the game because you were too busy imagining Creed Bratton running a full-court press, here are the full-game highlights:

Next up, the Spurs will head to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals! Tune in Monday, May 18, 2026 for tip-off.

With the Knicks set to tip off the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday, legendary center Patrick Ewing takes a shot at some playoff Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.

Q: What would you tell these Knicks if you were standing in the locker room about the opportunity that is in front of them right now?

A: What I would tell them is they have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. No one knows if it’s going to come back around. When we got there in ’94, I definitely thought that we were going to have another opportunity in ’95 — take advantage of this opportunity. Continue to do the things that they’ve been doing. Continue to play as a team. The five guys on the floor got to do their part, the bench has to do their part. So remember that it’s about team, this is not tennis with one person against another person, all five have to be locked in, be unselfish, be selfish when you need to be selfish, and just play a team game,

Q: Why do you believe these Knicks can win an NBA championship?

A: Anything is possible. These guys have been putting in the work, the coaches have been putting them in great positions to accomplish that. That’s everybody’s goal at the beginning of the year to win a championship, and we’re all hoping that happens.

Q: How do they do it?

A: They have to continue to do what they’ve been doing. We’ve been definitely hot in these last two rounds. We have to continue to do the same thing that we’ve been doing — playing as a team, both offensively and defensively taking care of business, no turnovers, just all the things that they’ve been doing.

Q: Could you paint the picture for me of what the city would be like if the Knicks won it all?

A: Hey … You see the way that the fans have been acting during these first two rounds. You saw the way the fans did when the Rangers won it or the Yankees won it. The whole city, the whole state would be so happy to be so proud to … I think the whole city would go wild.

Q: Why would Patrick Ewing have liked playing with Jalen Brunson?

A: Jalen is one of the most talented players that I’ve seen play. He not only can pass the ball, but he also can take a game over. I wasn’t fortunate enough to play with a talent like that. I think that having an opportunity to play with him would have only made my job that much easier.

Q: What do you think of Karl-Anthony Towns as an occasional hub of the offense?

A: Everybody has to learn how to play off each other. They’ve both been doing an outstanding job of learning each other. KAT has to continue to do all the things that he’s been doing, he’s been a facilitator and looking to score when he has an opportunity. I think both of them have to continue to do their part if we’re going to win.

Q: What makes OG Anunoby so invaluable?

A: To me, the last two series he’s been our best player. He’s been scoring, he’s been playing great defense. … I think all of them, you look at the team as a whole, it’s been all of them, all of those guys have been doing their part to help the team to get to where it’s gotten to. You can’t just say it’s Jalen or it’s KAT or it’s OG, I think that everybody has been doing their part — the whole entire team. When guys have had the opportunity to come in off the bench, they’ve been doing their part.

Q: From an intangible standpoint, does Josh Hart remind you of John Starks?

A: He definitely does. His heart and soul … John was a better shooter, but Josh wears his emotions on his sleeve, and I think that everybody on that team knows what he brings to the team and knows what he means to the team and he definitely has to continue to do all that.

Q: How has Mitchell Robinson evolved?

A: I think [assistant] Mark Bryant has done an outstanding job of tutoring him, of teaching him. When I look at the talent that he has, I think he still has a lot more that he has to learn. But his energy, his effort … he’s looking more comfortable shooting his free throws.

Q: What do you think of Mikal Bridges lately?

A: He is hitting his stride right now, and he’s only going to get better as the next series goes on an and hopefully into the next one.

Q: What have you learned about Mike Brown coaching this team this season?

A: Mike has been doing an outstanding job. He’s a great coach. His record proves for itself everywhere that he’s been.

Q: What are your three all-time favorite Knicks moments?

A: To beat Indiana to get to the [1994] Finals, finally. That was definitely one of them. … I was hurt, but Larry Johnson’s four-point play [vs. the Pacers in 1999]. It’s funny, when I look at pictures of that, my son was a ballboy on that team, and they have a picture from the other end down by Larry shooting the shot, you could see our bench and my son jumped so high celebrating that play. So definitely that. I’ve had so many great memories that I really can’t put them into order.

Q: How would you describe your emotions when you stood on the scorer’s table with your arms raised to the rafters after winning Game 7 against the Pacers to get to the 1994 Finals?

A: I think that what I was feeling right then and there is all the raw emotion of finally getting there. We had not reached the pinnacle or the goal, but this was the first step, and I just wanted to embrace the city and the city to embrace me, because it was a journey to get to that point. And we just finished a hard-fought series against a talented Indiana team.

Q: If these Knicks were to win it all, would you stand on the scorer’s table and reenact that pose with your arms raised high?

A: I don’t think I’ll stand on a scorer’s table, but I’ll be right in the huddle with them, because I think that Leon [Rose) and Wes [William Wesley, aka World Wide Wes] and Mr. [James] Dolan have done an outstanding job of bringing a majority of us back to make us feel like we are a part of this. So I would definitely be in there celebrating with them. Because I do feel like I’m a part of it.

Q: How would you describe your on-court mentality?

A: I was focused, I was locked in, I had my game face. … I was tunnel-visioned.

Q: Why didn’t New York scare Patrick Ewing?

A: Hey look, there’s nothing to be afraid of. New York is a big city, biggest media market. Like I said, I was tunnel-visioned, I tried to block out the noise, block out the media, block out everybody and just concentrate on my teammates, my coaches and try to be the best version of myself that I could be.

Q: When I think of Patrick Ewing, I think a lot of people use the word warrior. How proud are you of that?

A: I’m very proud of it. I’m very proud of it. Because that’s how I perceive myself. People who play sports, we always talk about that we’re going to war. … It’s not literally, you’re not out there killing people, but we are competing against others. Our job or our goal is to try to dominate the next person. So that’s how I perceive myself, I had my game face on, I try to mentally prepare myself to try to dominate that next person. I’m very proud of it.

Q: What was the worst pain you ever played in?

A: I played in a lot of pain. What’s the worst? I tore my Achilles against Indiana … it was in Indiana. I went back in, I taped it up and I told Jeff [Van Gundy, coach], “I can’t move. I’m going to do my best to get every rebound. I’m not sure if I’ll be effective on the offensive end.” I was able to finish that game and then we flew back to New York. I didn’t know that it was torn. I got an MRI [exam], said I had obviously torn my Achilles. … Spraining my ankle in Game 6 against the Bulls, hobbling around, finished the game, we were able to beat them and go to Chicago where unfortunately we lost Game 7.

Q: What drove you?

A: To win, to try to be the best version of myself that I could be. I always wanted to win. I wanted to be able to bring a championship to New York. I thought it was going to be a lot easier when I was in college to win a championship than I found out that it really was. Growing up in Boston and learning about Bill Russell and those 11 championships that he won, I’m like, “I’m going to get me a few championships.” That’s what drove me, to try to be the best player I could possibly be, and to also bring a championship to New York.

Q: How difficult was it early on for you to be expected to be the savior?

A: That’s just part of the sport. In high school I was the best player on my team, and at Georgetown I was one of the best, I’m not going to say I was the best. I was the most famous. I was fortunate enough to play with some great talent — Reggie Williams, David Wingate, Michael Jackson, Bill Martin, some great teammates. They helped me to be the player that I also became. Then coming to the Knicks, us losing Bernard [King] the year before I got there and then losing him for the next year and a half, that didn’t help. And then when he came back I got hurt. So I didn’t look at it as me being the savior, I just was out there trying to do the best I could to help us to win.

Q: What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome?

A: The biggest obstacle I guess was Michael Jordan (laugh). The biggest obstacle was definitely Michael Jordan.

Q: If there was no Jordan, how many championships do you think you might have won?

A: Hey look, he was out for two years and we had an opportunity. We got to the Finals, unfortunately we didn’t get it done. Great players want to be able to play great players. I consider myself a great player, so I want to definitely go against Michael, I definitely want to go against Hakeem [Olajuwon], I want to go against Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal]. I think those players make you perform at a high level, so I never looked at it as, “OK, Michael is here or not here, this is my opportunity,” or, “If he wasn’t here I would have won X amount of championships.” I just think that you go out there and perform at your best every time you play. One thing about me is that I have the love for the game, so it didn’t make a difference who was there, I was going to go out and try to perform at my best, and I think that I showed it night in and night out.

Q: What do you remember about the plane flight home from Houston after losing Game 7 or the 1994 Finals?

A: Now you’re bringing up bad memories (laugh). I really don’t remember too much about the flight. I just remember after the game walking off the floor depressed, down. … I think I left the arena with Alonzo Mourning because he came to the game to support me. … People just talk trash to us on the way out. So it was a bad feeling.

Q: Did your 1993-94 Knicks pride yourselves on intimidation?

A: I think we prided ourselves on being a great team. We weren’t trying to intimidate people, we weren’t going to back down from anybody, we weren’t going to take crap from anybody, but we also thought that we were a talented team and had a great opportunity to hopefully win a championship, and we got there but just fell short.

Q: How would the ’94 Knicks do against these current Knicks?

A: You know what, I’m not even going to go there. This team is a talented team, they’re in their era, my team was in my era, we played different brands of basketball. I think that Jalen is a special player, KAT’s a special player and the rest of the guys are special.

Q: What was the best motivational ploy coach Pat Riley used?

A: Pat had a lot of lot of different ploys, but I thought that we were self-motivated, I was self-motivated. Pat was a great coach, he’s won multiple championships, all you can do is take your hat off to him. Wish we could have been with him winning a championship in New York. He told a lot of different stories … but I was self-motivated.

Q: When you think about the ’99 Knicks, what do you think about?

A: The [lockout]-shortened season. I thought we had some talented guys on the team. We had Spree [Latrell Sprewell], we had Allan [Houston], Larry, Marcus [Camby], Kurt [Thomas], Charlie [Ward]. That’s the year I tore my Achilles and I couldn’t finish the year, but the guys did an outstanding job. Larry made that four-point play to help to propel us to the championship. When you talk about the biggest hurt, I would say that was the biggest hurt. Me physically not being able to play. I remember one game, we lost that game, and I went on the bus by myself and I broke down. I started crying, because I was so hurt that I was not able to play and help my team.

Q: If you could go back in time and test your skills against any big man in NBA history, who would it be?

A: I felt like I played in an era where there were some great big men. You got Hakeem, you got Shaq, you got David [Robinson], Robert Parish when I was younger, Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] was at the end when I played against him but he was still kicking butt. I think that the guys I played against were fierce enough to play against, so I don’t think I need to go any further. … My idol was Bill Russell, watching him and Wilt [Chamberlain] battle it. But I’m going to say the guys I played against.

Q: Which was more rewarding, winning the 1984 national championship at Georgetown or coaching Georgetown to the 2021 Big East Conference Tournament championship?

A: Of course winning the national championship, that’s the pinnacle right there! But winning the Big East title was very rewarding. To be back at Georgetown coaching, I came full circle. … We went on a run at the right time, guys stepped up. I thought that Coach [John] Thompson was definitely looking down upon us, and we made him proud.

Q: Would you like to coach again?

A: Yes I would.

Q: Would you dream of coaching the Knicks one day?

A: That one I’m not going to answer. The Knicks have a great coach in Mike Brown, and I’m just happy to be there to support him and the team in any way that we can.

Q: Describe the 1980s St. John’s rivalry and Chris Mullin in particular?

A: We’re playing against one of the best or one of the greatest shooters to play this game in my opinion in Chris Mullin. Going against St. John’s … when people talk about rivalry, right, they always equate us with Syracuse. But I think of St. John’s as well. St. John’s had Chris and we both came into college together, we left together, we played with each other on both Olympic teams. … We hated each other back then, we didn’t become good friends until ’84 when we played in the Olympics and actually were around each other. But to compete against him, Walter Berry, Willie Glass, all those guys, those were some great memories.

Q: Whatever comes to mind: John Thompson.

A: Father figure. One of the best people that I ever got the opportunity to work with, or work for.

Q: Mike Jarvis.

A: The same. One of the best people I got to play for and build a relationship and a friendship with.

Q: Mark Jackson.

A: One of the best passers and teammates in the game.

Q: Rick Pitino.

A: One of the greatest coaches in college and NBA history in my opinion.

Q: Jeff Van Gundy.

A: One of the greatest minds in basketball. Great coach, a great friend.

Q: Him hanging on to Alonzo Mourning’s leg during a 1998 brawl?

A: (Laugh) Yes. He needs to learn that he’s small and can’t fight.

Q: Alonzo Mourning.

A: A great friend. One of the best players in the game. Great competitor, but a great role model. But I would say the best thing is a great friend.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: Martin Luther King [Jr.], Malcolm X, Jesus.

Q: What are you most proud of?

A: I think that from where I came from in Kingston, Jamaica, to where I ended up today, I’m proud of the journey. I’m proud of my mom and my dad working hard, scraping up their money to bring their family to a new country, and me falling in love with the game of basketball and what basketball was able to accomplish for us.

We’ve reached a point where you can say the Cavs and the Pistons are doing this on purpose to prevent Knicks fans from enjoying New York basketball.

But hey, seven games on their legs? Can’t complain!

We’re the latest four days and a few hours from the ECF Game 1 tip-off. Finally.

OG Anunoby fully participated in Knicks practice today

"Everything we did today, he did" – Mike Brown pic.twitter.com/IruLdibksM

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 15, 2026

Mike Brown

On OG Anunoby returning as a full participant in practice:

“He practiced today in full. Everything we did today, he did. Anytime anybody is able to do anything like that, it’s always encouraging.”

On leaving the final decision about Anunoby’s availability to the medical staff:

“At the end of the day, I’m a wait and let the medical group tell me each day what he can do. We’ll see if they tell me something different tomorrow. But it’s definitely encouraging to see somebody be able to go out there and practice a full practice like OG did.”

On maintaining consistency after a long layoff:

“If we expect to be who we think we’re capable of being, we’ll find a way to stay consistent with what we’re doing. Whether it’s the energy level, the effort level, or embracing/focusing on the details that we have to be able to understand in order to go out and get a win.”

On ignoring outside noise and focusing on a championship goal:

“I don’t look at it like that. I literally do this to try to compete to try to win a championship. That’s what my focus is throughout the course of the year. Throughout the course of the year, there’s going to be noise out there. When [ex-San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich] was at his height, people talked about him. When [Golden State Warriors head coach] Steve Kerr was at his height, people talked about him. People can talk about Mike Brown for sure, but it’s my job to ignore the noise. It’s easy to do that because the pressure that I put on myself and the team puts on itself to be great or try to be the best team in the league, doesn’t even match up to what everyone else says.”

On weighing player suggestions before making adjustments:

“You can’t act upon everything. Because if you act upon everything, you’re going to be driving yourself crazy and everybody else crazy. It was just something where we were struggling to score [at the time] and I had been thinking about it for awhile and it finally came to me at that point. … I take suggestions from everybody. At the end of the day, it’s up to me to make the decision of yea or nay. The tough part about it is, sometimes when you have suggestions, and there are a lot of good ones out there, a suggestion is one thing, but trying to actually put the suggestion into something that can be real for the group and fit the group, not just that one person, that’s the tricky part. I’ve always been a guy that if you come to me with a suggestion, a lot of times, especially as a coach, you gotta have something to back it up. Some video, some analytics. Tell me how.”

On tailoring his system to the personnel he has:

“We kind of figured it out along the way. [KAT and Sabonis] do a lot of stuff that are similar. You have an idea [coming into a new job with a new team] of what you want to do offensively [and] defensively, but then it’s your job as a coach to try to figure out, ‘Does this really fit the group that you have in front of you?’”

On the challenges of implementing changes in Year 1:

“That’s why it’s always tough to do things in Year 1, because it takes some time to get used to the group, not just what their strengths are as skill players, but their personalities and other things that make them tick. Trying to put a guy like Sabonis at his strength, trying to put a guy like KAT at his strength is something that, as a head coach, it’s my job to think constantly about, as long as it enhances everybody else.”

On embracing collaboration while retaining final authority:

“I take suggestions from everybody. And at the end of the day it’s up for me to make the decision of yay or nay. I’ve always been a guy who if you come to me with suggestions especially as a coach. You have to have something to back it up. Some video or analytics. At the end of the day, I have to say this makes sense let’s do it, but this is how we’re going to do it.”

"I believe luck is not given, it's earned. I've earned my luck. I've put the work in outside of the basketball court…that keeps me healthy and feeling good. I've earned the right to have luck in my situation because I put the work in."

– Karl-Anthony Towns pic.twitter.com/fPYgp8MV8z

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 15, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns

On watching potential Eastern Conference Finals opponents with his fiancée:

“My fiancee [Jordyn Woods], she loves watching basketball a lot. It’s always something, even when I’m not thinking about it, maybe I’m thinking of talking to my family, my niece, my nephew, [Jordyn] has the game on. She’s constantly updating me on what’s happening. She knows ball now, after all these years together. She’s talking about flex screens, UCLA cuts and stuff like that.”

On staying connected with his former Minnesota teammates:

“I definitely am tuned in. I watch the games, especially on the days that we’re not playing, and the Wolves are playing. I’m always tapped in, I’m watching, I’m texting Ant [Edwards], I’m texting Rudy [Gobert], I’m texting those guys and just watching them play.”

On approaching the coaching staff about changing his role:

“You’re down 2-1, obviously it’s not the end of the world but you guys understand the importance of the next game. … You go in there and say how you feel, your feelings, your idea and see if it’s received. And it was received.”

On embracing a facilitator role:

“I’ve always loved this role. I’ve always wanted this role, so [I’m] happy we got to this point.”

On whether he feels vindicated by the adjustment:

“I’ve always said since the beginning, I’ll do whatever it takes to impact winning. I’m glad I’ve been able to do that with this changing role and be able to help our team win. That’s the most important thing. And utilize my talent.”

On entering Year 1 under Mike Brown without expectations:

“I really didn’t have any expectations. I didn’t know what to expect.”

On crediting Brown for the team’s current position:

“He’s done a great job of adjusting our team to give us the best chance to win. The spot we’re in now is because of his courage and trust to change what we were doing and putting us in a better position.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s impact:

“[Robinson’s] one of the most impactful players on our team. I think all of y’all know how important he is to us.”

"Both great opponents, we respect both of them. We'll be ready to go."

– Deuce McBride on the Knicks' ECF opponent pic.twitter.com/CkZD3gGON8

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 15, 2026

Miles McBride

On how the offense naturally evolved through Towns late in possessions:

“Using KAT sometimes at the end of the [shot] clock, we started using him more [in that role]. And then we kind of naturally started getting into it. Obviously, our coaches are taking notice. It’s kind of what we’ve been doing all year, but I think the more it started happening when, at the end of the clock, guys were [playing] off of him and then we started using it, guys playing off the ball, and then we kind of just started making it a point of emphasis. I felt like it was something [Towns] was always capable of.”

On believing Towns could handle the expanded responsibility:

“I felt like it was always something he was capable of. You don’t get a lot of practice time. I always feel like it’s tough to figure it out — but again — that’s what the regular season is for.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s continued growth and value:

“It feels like every year Mitch just continues to get better. He’s so important to our team. And when it’s time for him to show up, he shows up. … It’s huge for us creating opportunities at the offensive end. And obviously being at the rim and helping us in so many ways is huge.”

"OH MY GOD”

Screaming for KAT outside MSG

As Knicks advance to the ECF

For the first time in 25 years

On this day a year ago pic.twitter.com/hr526kjH3d

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 16, 2026

Jalen Brunson

On Mike Brown’s collaborative style:

“He’s always wanted to have open dialogue since day one. And obviously he’s still the coach and he’s going to make the decisions and everything. But I mean, we give our opinions, and whether they’re good or bad opinions, they’re talked about and they’re decided on later.”

Josh is not a fan of the long break @DrinkBODYARMOR

“Sweep is great right… but dog. 7 days? No games? That’s torture. I’m over here doing nothing… We’re in a good rhythm right now. JB’s passing the ball, KAT’s passing the ball, not yelling at the refs, Kal hooping, Mike Brown… pic.twitter.com/lW0vBkfFbG

— Roommates Show (@Roommates__Show) May 16, 2026

Josh Hart

On revisiting his postgame comments about Philadelphia:

“I was wrong in part of my post-game interview. I said Philly wasn’t a sports town. I thought it was, but it’s no longer is. It’s not a sports town. They’re diehard and they love the Eagles. What’s the definition of a sports town? You can’t be a sports town if another team fan base takes over your arena. You cannot be a sports town if that happens. Boston? Sports town. You won’t see anyone take over their arena. So yes. (Los Angeles) is more of a sports town than Philly. Because the Rams, they just got back. So I mean, it’s going to take a little bit of time to kind of, you know, cultivate that environment, but they’re almost there. But we’ve taken over Philly. We’re down the street from Boston. Have we ever taken over TD Garden? No. And you will never see Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum sitting there saying, fans, we need y’all to come out because if y’all don’t, the Knicks are going to [take over], they’re never going to say that because they don’t have to.”

"It reminds me of my team, for sure" – Walt "Clyde" Frazier on the @NYKnicks execution, camaraderie, and defense in the playoffs.@McNuttMonica | @WaltFrazier | #AlwaysKnickspic.twitter.com/Ol1aS4vqvU

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) May 10, 2026

Walt Frazier

On watching the Knicks’ current play:

“It’s just been amazing, like, ‘Who are these guys?’ ”

On the similarities to the 1970s championship teams:

“They remind me so much of Frazier-to-Bradley-to-Barnett-to-Reed-to-DeBusschere. The way the ball is moving around the court. The way they hit the open man.”

On how stagnant the offense once looked:

“I kept hoping. A lot of times they were stagnant, too much dribbling. And sometimes when Jalen was playing so well, it was like the other guys would stand transfixed, and they weren’t moving like they are now, all of them realizing how equally important they all are. And then KAT happened.”

On Towns’ creativity as a passer:

“Some of the passes are really just very impressive. You know, Globetrotter-like, extraordinary where he has the ball in one hand, behind his back, but that’s the other thing that’s fascinated me is the moving and grooving. How does that happen all of a sudden? Bridges is going back door? OG’s going back door. All these guys, it doesn’t matter, the second unit. They’re all moving the ball.”

On adapting alongside Earl Monroe during the 1973 title run:

“He had to play more defense here than he did in Baltimore. And I had to make sure he shot the ball enough because he didn’t want to come across like a ball hog. We figured it out.”

On his excitement about this Knicks team winning the title:

“Yeah, man, let’s go. Let’s go Knicks!”

"The humble warrior. He just wants to play basketball. … He definitely just wants to win."

P.J. Tucker reacts to Jalen Brunson calling himself "not a star" ✍️ pic.twitter.com/wnMCk9MAWl

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 14, 2026

PJ Tucker

On Jalen Brunson’s humility and leadership:

“The humble warrior. He just wants to play basketball; he definitely just wants to win. He definitely just wants to win. [Brunson] definitely is a guy that’s going to take over when he needs to. But he knows he needs his team. He knows everybody in that locker room, so he’s going to do whatever he’s got to do and say whatever he’s got to say for everybody to be together.”

You never know who you'll see on the street @Shift4

NFL Schedule Release Show 5/14 on @nflnetwork at 7PM CT pic.twitter.com/uddftsZab2

— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) May 14, 2026

Anthony Edwards gets no respect for showing respect.

The Timberwolves star was hit with criticism, including from one basketball Hall of Famer, after his unusual decision to walk to the other end of the court to congratulate the Spurs with 8:01 remaining in San Antonio’s 139-106 series-clinching beatdown in Minneapolis.

Udonis Haslem, a three-time champion in his 20 seasons with the Heat, sharply called out the 24-year-old Timberwolves star during the Amazon Prime postgame show.

Anthony Edwards went to the Spurs' bench to congratulate them on winning the series with 8 minutes to go.pic.twitter.com/5HLhHi9GmB

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 16, 2026

“As great as Ant is as a basketball player, there’s still some growth for him as well because as a leader I would not have walked down there and shook their hand,” Haslem said. “I would not have walked down there and shook their hand with eight minutes left in the game. As a leader of my troops and my guys, I would not show that weakness. The game is not over, I got eight minutes left. I still got smoke coming out of my ears because I’m so damn mad that we’re losing. Let me calm down for those eight minutes since I’m not in. And then after those eight minutes, I’ll go down there and I’ll congratulate them and their coaching staff. But in the middle of the game, when I got guys that have sat the bench and cheered me on, no, I’m going to sit there and cheers those guys on. I’m going to put that energy back into those guys and then when the game’s over, I’ll go over there and shake their hands.”

He added: “I damn sure know [Spurs star Victor Wembanyama] wouldn’t have went down there and shook his hand.”

NBA Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki and six-time All-Star Blake Griffin both could not believe what happened, although they did not go as far as Haslem.

“I’ve watched the NBA and been a part of [it] for a long, long time. I’ve never seen this,” Nowitzki said. “A guy walking into the huddle with eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter and dapping up the entire team. Too much for me. Obviously, you can do that after the game and show plenty of respect.

“That was a little strange for me.”

Players usually wait for the postgame handshakes or maybe in the final minute or two to show respect to a foe that just conquered them in the playoffs.

There are also notable exceptions like the Bad Boys Pistons, who skipped postgame handshakes after being ousted by Michael Jordan’s Bulls in 1991.

Edwards opted to get out in front of his congratulating the other team after being pulled from the game during a timeout with the Timberwolves trailing, 128-95. The game was all but over.

With a towel in his left hand, he walked over and immediately congratulated several members of the Spurs coaching staff.

He eventually started hugging and dapping up several of the Spurs’ stars, including Wembanyama, who tallied 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks.

“At that point, you know ain’t going back in so you just trying to give them the respect they deserve,” Edwards said after the Spurs won the last two games of the series to advance to the conference finals.

Even the broadcast crew highlighted the odd move.

“Something you wouldn’t often see, at the 8:01 mark of the fourth quarter of a closeout game, but Anthony Edwards, knowing [coach] Chris Finch is going to empty the bench, made his way to the San Antonio bench and dapped up players, coaches, one by one,” play-by-play man Ian Eagle said.

Former head coach Stan Van Gundy then made a good prediction.

“All I want to know, I want to hear Udonis Haslem comment on that in the postgame show,” he said. “I would much rather see [Edwards] wait until the end of the game.”

Amazon showed Edwards retreating to the bench and he eventually put on a hoodie to watch the remainder of the game from the bench while the Timberwolves yet again fell short of the NBA Finals.

Edwards showed heart in this series while playing through a knee injury to average 23.7 points per game, but his team fell short in the conference semis after back-to-back conference finals trips.

The Timberwolves are clearly one of the better teams in the NBA, yet they have not been able to get over the hump in a tough Western Conference.

And that leaves Edwards in the spot of having to congratulate the other side each postseason.

“I do like what he said, that he wanted to give them respect,” Griffin said. “But I do think you wait and you have to take your licks at the end of the game like everybody else.”

On Sunday afternoon, the Milwaukee Bucks found out they’d received the 10th overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, a pick that they absolutely cannot afford to mess up. Analysts have had their say on who they think should be taken, and you soon will too (more on that to come). Until then, franchise saviour, rotational piece, just how high should we get our hopes up? Here are 10 for 10—the six best league-wide picks at 10 and the four selections Milwaukee has made at this spot.

The six best at 10

The 10th overall pick has a mixed history (for a complete list click here). From superstars to busts and everything in between, it’s proven to be a volatile draft position, one that can offer franchises new hope—or keep them in the doldrums. These guys fit the former.

1. Paul Pierce (1998)

A stud from day one, Paul Pierce is the gold standard for pick 10, becoming a 10-time All Star, four-time All-NBA member, NBA champion, and Finals MVP winner, leading to his selection as one of the NBA’s top 75 players of all time. His reputation has taken a bit of a hit in his post-playing days, but don’t let his questionable calls as analyst fool you, Pierce was the truth.

2. Paul George (2010)

One of the great two-way players of his generation, Paul George earned his stripes as a lockdown defender before blossoming into the go-to scorer on some rugged Indiana Pacers teams that just couldn’t get over the Miami “Heatles” hump. Smooth and explosive at 6’8”, George has made nine All Star appearances, six All-NBA teams, and four All-Defensive selections. He even finished third in MVP voting as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite this, George has often been criticised for underperforming (especially in the playoffs), being injury prone, and focusing on podcasting. Still, you’d take his career at 10 any day.

3. Gus Johnson Jr. (1963)

Hall-of-Famer Gus “Honeycomb” Johnson Jr. was a force for the Baltimore Bullets—you don’t earn five All Star selections, four All-NBA team honours, and two All-Defensive team selections if you’re not. He also won an ABA championship as a role player in his final season as a pro with the Indiana Pacers. But I cannot profess to know his game, and direct you instead to our friends at Bullets Forever, who profiled Johnson back in 2007.

4. Paul Westphal (1987)

As with Johnson, I didn’t get to watch Paul Westphal play basketball, knowing him primarily as a head coach for the early-90s Phoenix Suns and later as an assistant for Avery Johnson’s Dallas Mavericks (and later again for Lionel Hollins’ Brooklyn Nets). But the history books will tell you that Westphal was a baller, especially after being traded from the Boston Celtics to the Phoenix Suns in 1975. In fact, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame website does just that:

In Phoenix, with the Suns, Westphal developed into one of the best all-around guards in the NBA, being named to four consecutive All-Star rosters. In 1977, the ambidextrous slasher earned his first of four straight all-league nods. He averaged better than 20 points per game for five straight seasons, one of the most efficient players in the game. Dynamic, sure-footed, and intelligent, he kept defenders off-balance as he twisted, faked, and weaved his way through traffic for acrobatic shots.

5. Joe Johnson (2001)

Also drafted by the Boston Celtics—that’s three of the five best 10th picks ever—Iso Joe, like Westphal, started to bloom when he moved to the Phoenix Suns and was given freedom in Mike D’Antoni’s “Seven seconds or less” offence, which ushered in the type of NBA basketball that has become so prominent today. But it wasn’t until he became the number one option in Atlanta that his metamorphosis was complete. A big wing—were talking Lebron-like—with a premier handle—just ask Pierce—Johnson was a versatile scorer and playmaker, with one of the best clutch resumes on the planet. He was a winner too, helping transform the Hawks from a 13-win team before his arrival to a 53-win team five years later, but wasn’t quite good enough to lift his teams to championship contention.

6. Eddie Jones (1994)

Before Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers had another dynamic 6’6” two-guard who could stick a J in your eye or put you on a poster. A three-time All-Star and All-Defensive player, Jones was both a premier sniper and swiper, hitting 37% from three and averaging 1.7 SPG across his 14-year career (including leading the league with 2.7 SPG in the 1999–2000 season, where he finished third in DPOY and made the All-NBA third team). Jones played four years with the Lakers but was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in 1999—the year before LA started its three-peat—to make room for Bryant’s ascension.

The four Bucks at 10

While the six guys above all boomed, the same can’t be said for the players the Bucks have chosen with their 10th overall picks. Milwaukee has selected 10th just four times in its 58 years of NBA existence, with only two of those selections ever actually suiting up for the Bucks. In chronological order, here they are:

1. Danny Fortson (1997)

A bruising 6’7” and 260 pounds, Danny Fortson was immediately traded to the Denver Nuggets along with Johnny Newman and Joe Wolf for Ervin Johnson (no, not that one—check the spelling). Fortson had a 10-year career in the league, but struggled to consistently leave his mark on the court due to injury, excessive fouling, and attitude. In his best years, he’d give you 12 and 12, vacuuming in rebounds—he twice led the league in total rebound percentage—but he was mostly a backup big, especially after his age-25 season.

2. Brandon Jennings (2009)

Of Milwaukee’s four picks at 10, this is the cream of the crop. Brandon Jennings burst onto the scene for the Bucks, dropping 55 points in just his seventh game, and it seemed like the franchise had found its cornerstone for years to come. While Jennings never lived up to those expectations, he had a quality four-year run with the Bucks, putting up 16.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 5.6 APG during his tenure. He was also part of the deal that brought Khris Middleton and Brandon Knight to the Cream City, and his 2013 “Bucks in six, that’s for the culture” rallying cry might just be the best in Bucks history, creating a cultural mythos that continues to symbolise loyalty, unity, and identity for the Milwaukee faithful.

3. Jimmer Fredette (2011)

In 2011, the Bucks selected Jimmer Fredette with their 10th pick but immediately traded him to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team deal including the Charlotte Hornets that netted Milwaukee Stephen Jackson, Tobias Harris, Shaun Livingston, and current Wisconsin Herd head coach Beno Udrih. Despite his shooting prowess, Fredette had an underwhelming NBA career, averaging just 6.0 PPG and 1.0 APG across 241 games.

4. Thon Maker (2016)

The last time the Bucks picked 10th in the draft—after using recent first-round picks on Larry Sanders, then John Henson, then some kid from Greece—they took a swing on another skinny, long-limbed big. Maker was always a boom-or-bust prospect, but despite Kevin Garnett claiming that he would “be the MVP of the league one day,” Maker never lived up to the hype, averaging just 4.5 PPG and 2.6 RPG over three seasons with the Bucks before falling out of the league just two years later. He did, however, have some notable moments with Milwaukee, including a 14-point, five-rebound, five-block playoff performance in a Game 3 win against the Boston Celtics in 2018.

Honorary Inclusion

Brook Lopez (2008)

There are certainly other players who are just as worthy for this spot—Paul Silas, Horace Grant, Jeff Malone, and Caron Butler come to mind—but Brook Lopez’s longevity and impact on both sides of the ball cannot be overlooked (and yeah, neither can my Bucks bias). Still the all-time leading scorer in Brooklyn Nets history, Lopez made an All-Star team as a low-post scorer before transforming into the long-range bomber and DPOY candidate we came to know and love in Milwaukee. One of the great people in basketball, Lopez is a testament to the power of evolution—and deserves to have his jersey hung in the Fiserv rafters.

---

There you have it, a brief history of the 10th overall pick in the NBA Draft. In the best-case scenario, the Bucks draft their own Paul Pierce, who becomes the franchise cornerstone for nearly two decades and leads the city back to championship glory. But as Milwaukee’s own selections at 10 attest, the pick is anything but a lock for success—or even to stay in Milwaukee.

So, how does this inform your wishes for June’s draft? Does it sway you in favour of a particular player and offer you excitement for what could be? Or does it make you fearful, ready to trade the pick for a proven commodity?

PJ Washington became a beloved figure for the Dallas Mavericks after the 2024 trade that brought the passionate forward over from the Charlotte Hornets for Grant Williams and a protected 2027 first-round pick. PJ established himself as a vocal leader of the team, an ever-reliable defensive presence, and a hometown hero who played a vital part in the story of the 2025–2026 Dallas Mavericks.

Season in Review

Washington played a career low 56 games this past season, which fell just short of last year’s total of 57 games, and started 53 of those games. Despite spotty availability due to enduring ankle issues throughout the season, PJ put up counting stats very similar to last year’s, averaging 14 points, seven total rebounds, just shy of two assists, and one steal and block each per game on the season. As the originally intended “tall ball” starting lineup morphed early to accommodate injuries to both Dereck Lively II and Anthony Davis within the first seven games, PJ Washington’s role and involvement both bloated to an unmanageable degree. The typically off-ball forward was asked to create for himself more often alongside other inexperienced shot creators like rookie “point guard” Cooper Flagg, Hall of Fame corner-sitter Klay Thompson, and the inexperienced Naji Marshall. This led to many ugly offensive possessions, early shot clock heaves with no advantage created, and horrible floor balance that Washington contributed to by averaging a near career low 32.5% from three.

Despite scoring points seemingly through sheer volume of minutes and attempts, PJ did still provide real value in one part of his original role. The often out-of-position forward contested nine shots at the rim per 100 possessions, causing opponents to shoot 7% less than expected on those field goal attempts (which is good for the 83rd percentile at his position group) while only fouling on 8.4% of his rim contests (which is in the 90th percentile for his position group). When slotted in his proper role on defense as a weak-side rim protector, PJ was still stellar at blocking, altering, and even deterring shots at the rim for the Mavericks.

Best Game

Choosing the best game from Washington’s season was surprisingly difficult given the up-and-down nature of his play as the result of having extra responsibility foisted upon him by the roster Nico Harrison constructed. I almost chose a mid-March 20-point, 11-rebound, and five-steal Sunday afternoon game against the supposedly competitive Cleveland Cavaliers, but even at the time, that felt more like the Cavaliers laying down and having a lazy Sunday than the Mavericks rising and claiming a statement win amid an abysmal season.

The game that I’ll choose 23 point, 12-rebound, three assist, two block, and one-steal performance on the road against the Houston Rockets in early November. In typical PJ Washington fashion, this game came after one of his worst shooting performances of the season. Cooper Flagg and PJ each spent most of the previous game against the Detroit Pistons being hounded by a star Thompson, Ron Holland, and Beef Stew with the chairs of Mexico City, basketball fans ringing in the background. In this game, the Mavericks face the other Thompson twin, and gave Amen Thompson all he could handle despite suffering a loss to the Rockets in the end.

Contract Status

After signing a healthy contract extension just before this past season began, PJ will be under contract with the Mavericks for the next four years for roughly $89 million over that span. His salary for the upcoming year will be $20 million.

Looking Ahead

It would take a severe misunderstanding of how he has succeeded on both ends of the court or the rosiest tinted glasses one could find to not see that the Mavericks have come to a fork in the road with PJ Washington after drafting last year‘s rookie of the year, Cooper Flagg. PJ Washington is best played at forward. Flagg can play on the wing, but has been most productive at forward. Washington’s most effective Defensive role is as a low-man help defender that rotates over from the weak side to break up rim attempts, switch onto uncovered bigs, and secure tough defensive rebounds that kickstart the Mavericks’ fastbreak. Cooper Flagg’s Best defensive role is much the same. Both players suffered offensively from the lack of consistent playmaking and shot creation within the Mavericks’ guard room this season, but the lineup data suggests that both players were more effective when on the court without each other. 

The Mavericks posted a -2.4 net rating in 1254 minutes played with Flagg and without Washington. With Washington and no flag, the Mavericks posted a -4.4 net rating in 683 minutes. That rating sank to -5.8 in the 709 minutes neither player was on the floor, but plummeted to an untenable -6.9 in the 961 minutes they shared the court.

I’ve appreciated the prodigal son story that was PJ Washington’s early tenure with the Mavericks, where he played a key role in a March to the 2024 NBA finals and appeared poised to take a big step as a player early in the next season. However, that story was balled up and cast aside by the previous general manager of the team. PJ Washington is no longer an ideally aged core piece to a contending team looking to get back in the NBA finals. He is now 27 years old veteran forward making over $20 million a year on a team revolving around a player who won’t be able to legally drink until a year and a half from now. For as awesome as many of us believe Cooper Flagg to be, and as soon as we believe, you will be ready to make his presence felt among the winning teams that reached the postseason, the writing could be on the wall as soon as draft day as to what direction the team will be moving in going forward, and what that means for the veterans on this squad not named Kyrie Irving, and possibly even him.

Grade: B

PJ Washington came into the 2025-2026 NBA season knowing that the Mavericks had just drafted his positional replacement with the number one overall pick a few months prior. Whether he had truly accepted that or not was unclear, but the veteran embraced the rookie as well as could be expected under the circumstances. He set out to fulfill the innumerable insane on-court tasks that the coaching staff presented to him with all the professionalism you could reasonably expect and weathered the Dallas fans’ smoldering anger that was always intended for the team’s basketball operations, but inevitably was felt by the players as well. This was a weird season for everyone,e and frankly, not the way that anyone involved would’ve liked to have seen his potentially last season in a Mavericks uniform unfold, but his lack of three-point shooting consistency, inability to defend smaller wings or guards, and deficient shot creation spell the end of his time here. We would do well to remember it fondly, because the NBA and sports at large rarely allow for this kind of Hometown kid success story to end as well as this is likely going to.