Category: Basketball

When the offseason began, it felt inevitable that Jaylen Brown would spend the summer answering questions about his future, whether it happened in Boston, Milwaukee, or elsewhere.

What nobody expected, however, was that those questions would end with Brown wearing a Philadelphia 76ers jersey.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Celtics traded Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks.

BLOCKBUSTER: The Boston Celtics have agreed to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/xNcNlIV2mh

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

Now, being entirely honest, the writing was very much on the wall. Just a few days after trying to include Brown in a Giannis Antetokounmpo package, after endless rumors and commentary on the Celtics’ plans to get rid of Brown, and even after Brown himself never said he wanted out of Boston, we all knew where this was going.

Again, waht no freaking body could see coming was a trade that sent the 2024 Finals MVP to the team that knocked it out of the playoffs last May.

If Brown had been traded for Giannis, most people would’ve understood it, and nobody would have batted much of an eye. Instead, Boston pivoted to deal after deal, asked teams for up to four or five first-round picks, and ultimately found no real market for a seemingly overvalued player that ended up near-dumped by the C’s.

For context, Brown averaged career highs in 2026 with 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while leading the Celtics to 56 wins, even with Jayson Tatum missing most of the season recovering from his Achilles injury. He finished sixth in MVP voting and made Second Team All-NBA.

In exchange for that Brown, all the Sixers sent the other way was a package centered around a 35-year-old Paul George (who missed ample time last season with a suspension and is more injured than not) and four future draft picks (definitely not the ones the Celtics wanted).

There’s been nonsensical trades this season, but this one puts the cherry on top of the poop sundae Boston has been carefully preparing. Shout-out, Philly, you got a good one here.

George is still a very good player when he’s available, but availability has become an inevitable part of the PG8 equation. He played just 37 games last season, only more than 56 once since he left OKC in 2019, and he’ll turn 36 before next year’s playoffs. Will the draft picks help Boston? Probably, but this is most definitely not another KG-Nets-like trade for the C’s.

For the Sixers, not only do they get rid of Paul George and replace them with a younger, ten-times better player, but Brown also gives them another star capable of carrying the offense when Joel Embiid isn’t on the floor, which they know will happen at some point during both the regular season and the playoffs.

Brown also joins VJ Edgecome and Tyrese Maxey, none of whom will need to create that much by themselves anymore, let alone after Brown proved he can be a 1A leader after becoming Boston’s primary option last year. The former Leprechaun has also played at least 63 games in each of the last five seasons, a bill of health Philadelphia isn’t accustomed to seeing around those places.

As for the Knicks, this trade feels a little like a wash. I wouldn’t call it a win, but with a little bit of time to let it marinate, I might end up leaning that way.

For one, Boston signed Mitchell Robinson from the Knicks on Wednesday, and the lineup was looking complete with a healthy Tatum ready to go. Now, the PG-Celtics are definitely worse than they were 12 hours ago. Not only that, but the Celtics have replaced a player smacked right in the middle of his prime with one nearing the end of his.

The Sixers, on the other hand, are definitely much better. But there’s always a but, and we all know what the but is here. Maxey is a budding star. VJ is another one. Embiid was one. Brown is a superstar. Have you seen all Sixers play together for more than two games in a row? I bet you’ve not. Let’s see how the joints hold up heading into April and go from there.

I was going to write a bit about the impact of the trade in the broader Eastern Conference picture, but I’m doing that in a separate post because this one is running too long.

Let me finish with this. The Knicks are 7-3 against the Celtics in the last two seasons. They are 14-2 against Philly. I just don’t see those records flipping any time soon.

You can follow Antonio on Twitter at @chapulana.

While veterans jockey for new contracts during free agency, young players are getting their tryout opportunities with NBA summer league games beginning this week.

First-round draft pick Cameron Carr and second-year forward Adou Thiero highlight the Lakers summer league roster that was announced Wednesday. The 16-man team will be coached by Lakers assistant coach Ty Abbott and begin summer league play Friday against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.

The Lakers also face the Miami Heat (July 5, 1:30 p.m.) and San Antonio Spurs (July 6, 4:30 p.m.) in the California Classic before playing in the Las Vegas summer league from July 9-19. The Lakers play Oklahoma City (July 10), Dallas (July 11), the Clippers (July 14) and Chicago (July 16) in Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center.

Read more:Lakers get their new center. How Walker Kessler, three free agents fit with Luka Doncic

The Lakers traded up in the draft to get Carr, a 6-foot-5 guard out of Baylor, with the 24th overall pick. He will make his unofficial NBA debut, along with former Indiana State and Saint Louis star Robbie Avila. The 6-10 center became a bespectacled college basketball cult hero known affectionately as “Cream Abdul Jabbar” while leading Indiana State to the NIT championship game in 2024. He transferred to Saint Louis, where he was named Atlantic-10 player of the year as a senior when the Billikens won a school-record 29 wins.

Although he is entering his second season with the Lakers, Thiero will be playing his first summer league games. Persistent knee injuries hampered his rookie season. The athletic 6-7 forward averaged 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 25 appearances last season. He said after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs that he wanted to improve on his three-point shooting during his second year. He attempted only five three-pointers during his rookie season, regular season and playoffs, making one.

Lakers summer league roster

Robbie Avila, C, 6-10, 240
Cameron Carr, G, 6-5, 190
Jon Elmore, G, 6-3, 190
Luke Goode, F, 6-7, 210
William Hickey, G, 6-4, 203
Arthur Kaluma, F, 6-7, 225
William Kyle III, C, 6-9, 230
Chris Mañon, G, 6-4, 212
Robert McCray V, G, 6-4, 188
AK Okereke, F, 6-7, 245
Chase Ross, G, 6-5, 210
Zhaire Smith, G, 6-4, 205
Peter Suder, G, 6-5, 215
Adou Thiero, F, 6-7, 234
Anton Watson, F, 6-8, 225
Jacari White, G, 6-3, 180

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

For Egor Dëmin, the offseason checklist is simple, if not easy:

Win the Summer League, build a backcourt connection with rookie Mikel Brown Jr. and ride that into the regular season.

“The first thing, the goal of the whole team is win Summer League,” Dëmin said. “My goal is to benefit that as much as I can and bring the biggest impact I can.

“And building a connection with the whole team, especially the rookies. With Mikel to be on the court as much as we can together and work this whole thing through before we actually start playing in the season.”

Last season, the Nets made Dëmin their first lottery pick in 15 years, then drafted another guard with the sixth pick last month.

But their skill sets not only aren’t redundant, they are actually complementary.

“They can obviously play together,” coach Jordi Fernández said. “Egor provides gravity and elite shooting, obviously ballhandling too. And Mikel, more of a primary ballhandler, very good athlete, scorer, too. So we’re gonna obviously see it in Summer League, but I don’t see any problems with them playing together.”

There had better not be. The Nets have largely staked their rebuild on the pair not only being able to survive but thrive playing together.

Dëmin is better suited off the ball, and his shooting should accentuate Brown’s athleticism and downhill juice. With Dëmin recovered from a plantar fascia injury, the pairing will get their first look together in the California Summer League or ensuing Las Vegas Summer League.

“I love [the fit],” Dëmin said. “[His skills] are going to benefit my game. It’s going to be important to be dialed in with my shooting, and having a guy like this by my side who’s going to get all the defense on him, get to the paint, this is where we can benefit from each other. He shoots the lights out, so for me bringing the ball up sometimes — playing something for him or looking for opportunities in transition — that’s something we could really build on. We could be a special combo.”

For his part, Dëmin swatted away questions about the plantar fascia injury that ended his rookie campaign, saying he’s fine. He’s added 13 to 15 pounds from last year, strength that could help him get downhill.

“We’re about to find out. But being on balance, touching the paint and playing off two feet, you need that strength. He’s done an unbelievable job working in the weight room,” Fernández said. “He looks more like a grown-up, and he’s going to do things way better than he did last year.”

“A hundred percent,” Dëmin agreed. “That was one of the main focus of on-court work we’ve done this summer, is to use what I learned in the lifting room, make sure I use it and get these habits of being more aggressive looking for the gaps and going to the paint, trying to get on the rim more. … That was the main focus, to get used to the contact and get into the paint.”

The Los Angeles Lakers' projected starting lineup for the 2026-27 season sparked a debate on race Wednesday, July 1.

The Lakers likely will have three White players in the starting lineup after acquiring center Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a trade reported by ESPN.

Kessler is White, as are the Lakers' backcourt duo, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The lineup triggered jokes of "Snowtime," a reference to "Showtime" when the fast-paced Lakers were led by Black stars such as Magic Johnson and Kareem Adbul-Jabbar.

But the Lakers' new projected starting lineup also fueled strong opinions, such as the one shared by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, regarding the team's makeup in a league that is more than 70% Black.

"The Los Angeles Lakers think they going with a bunch of White dudes," he said on the Stephen A. Smith Show Wednesday, July 1. "Your three top players are White dudes? Really? This ain't golf. This ain't baseball. Hell, it ain't even soccer. What y'all think this is? Basketball. …

"You ain't going anywhere being led by three White dudes in today's generation of basketball."

3 WHITE DUDES?! The Lakers Really Think THIS Can Win a Championship?

👇 Watch the full episode. Link in the comments. pic.twitter.com/jTQ2vrDV7C

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) July 1, 2026

Kenyon Martin, a former No. 1 NBA draft pick who played in the league from 2000 to 2015, also chimed in on how the Lakers will fare with three White players in the starting lineup.

"Y'all lose in the first round (of the playoffs) either way it goes," Martin said on the Gilbert Arenas sport talk show, Gil’s Arena. "You play four White boys, you ain't gonna beat nobody … I want to know what team has been successful with that many on one roster."

On July 1, the Lakers also signed power forward and center Sandro Mamukelashvili, according to ESPN. Depending on on what the Lakers do with Rui Hachimura and other free agents, Mamukelashvili could emerge as a potential fourth White player in the starting lineup.

Two White NBA Finals MVPs in past 40 years

Debate over the role of race in NBA success has often led to tensions in a league that is drastically different than the overall U.S. population, which identifies as 57% White, according to Census estimates.

Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets' White, Serbian center, won back-to-back NBA MVPs in 2021 and 2022 and was named NBA Finals MVP in 2023, a year when he finished second to Philadelphia 76ers Center Joel Embiid in MVP voting.

Since the turn of the century, Jokic, Steve Nash (2005, 2006) and Dirk Nowitzki (2007) are White players to be named league MVP. Larry Bird (1984-86) was the last White NBA MVP prior to Nash.

Jokic and Nowitzki (2011) are the only White players to be named NBA Finals MVP since Bird won the award in 1984 and 1986.

For its part, the NBA has leaned into issues of social justice and cultural inclusion, a fact that Commissioner Adam Silver addressed in a 2016 interview. "I do feel a particular obligation to focus on the African-American community in that we have a league that is roughly 75 percent African-American," Silver told Andscape. "And I feel part of the obligation comes from the history of this league that I've inherited."

Talk of race, Lakers roster talk triggers backlash

On X, Smith came under attack for allegations of racism.

Wrote one commenter, "Now, if a white journalist said the EXACT same thing about BLACK players, Stephen A Smith would accuse the journalist of racial bias. When do we stop with the identity politics?"

Another commenter wrote, "Skin color don’t win championships, skill does. Stephen A. race-baiting again. Garbage take."

Wrote yet another, "Mr Smith, your race card is showing."

Martin’s comments led to some pushback from Rashad McCants, a former NBA player and co-host on Arenas' show who pointed to the Utah Jazz teams that in the 2000s had a starting lineup featuring two White players, Andrei Kirlenko and Mehmet Okur, with Matt Harping, another key contributor, coming off the bench. Those teams went to the Western Conference Finals once and a the Western Conference semifinals twice.

But more people cited the Boston Celtics, who won the 1986 NBA title. The team's starting lineup included three White players: Larry Bird, Danny Ainge and Kevin McHale.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers' new starting lineup sparks debate over race's role in NBA success

James Wiseman didn’t have a lot of luck in the NBA. He got drafted in Dec. 2020 and missed most of his first preseason when he got COVID. He injured his wrist and missed a month, then tore his meniscus near the end of his rookie season, which led to his missing the entirety of his sophomore season. During his third season, the Warriors traded him to the Detroit Pistons, a team that had four other centers, three of them his age.

He looked like he’d get a fresh start with the Indiana Pacers, only to tear his Achilles five minutes into his first game of the season. Wiseman would watch his team go to the NBA Finals with him out injured for the second time in five NBA seasons. He came back and played four games for the Pacers last season, only to be waived in favor of Warriors Summer League sensation/three-time dunk champion Mac McClung.

Now, his agent Misko Raznatovic, has declared that Wiseman will be continuing his career in Europe.

The decision has been made!
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, James Wiseman, will continue his career in Europe. We have begun exploring overseas opportunities and are working to identify the best situation for him!@excelbasketball#BeoBasket
https://t.co/KgnovyYHoe

— Misko4Raznatovic (@MiskoRaznatovic) July 1, 2026

The move closes another chapter in the Warriors’ infamous “two timelines” approach to building their roster around unexpected lottery picks in 2020 and 2021. That in itself was justifiable, even if the team’s selections could have been better.

Wiseman was an intriguing raw talent who barely played college basketball, who ended up in a situation where injuries, safety protocols, and the competitiveness of his own team all conspired to stunt his development. Jonathan Kuminga was traded midway through his fifth season to the Atlanta Hawks, who passed on his option for 2026-27. Moses Moody was a solid selection for a No. 14 pick who suffered a horrific knee injury last season.

There were more issues with the Warriors doubling down and adding three more rookies to the 2022-23 team, but in short, not trading the No. 28 pick that became Patrick Baldwin, Jr. was indefensible at the time and even more ridiculous in hindsight.

Where does Wiseman go? There’s a lot of teams in Europe, though the pronouncement from Wiseman’s agent almost feels like he’s posting a want ad for his client, who is still only 25 years old. Another high-potential, low-results Warriors draft pick, Anthony Randolph, went on to win a championship with Real Madrid alongside Luka Doncic, and a EuroBasket title with Doncic on the Slovenian national team.

Wiseman deserves a fresh start, free from expectations and bad memories of the NBA. He’s still seven feet tall! And if he does find a home across the pond, he should see if his new team also has a place for Jonathan Kuminga in a few years.

The NBA is just two days into its 2026 free agency period and there’s already been plenty of movement.

Big trades and free agent agreements have already started to shift the direction of the league for the upcoming season.

LeBron James made it clear that he’s leaving the Lakers and exploring other options, while the Eastern Conference has already gotten stronger with the LA Clippers trading Kawhi Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors.

The Lakers replenished their roster with a flurry of news on Wednesday, July 1, agreeing to deals with four players, including Walker Kessler following a trade for the big man with the Utah Jazz.

But the biggest news on Wednesday happened out East, as Jaylen Brown’s time with the Boston Celtics concluded when he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Here’s a look at the latest odds for each team to win the 2027 NBA championship:

More: LeBron James post-Lakers landing spots: Ranking destinations by fit

Odds to win 2027 NBA championship

Odds via BetMGM as of 10:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 1

• T1. Oklahoma City Thunder +260
• T1. San Antonio Spurs +260
• 3. New York Knicks +700
• 4. Boston Celtics +1300
• 5. Toronto Raptors +2200
• T6. Detroit Pistons +2500
• T6. Miami Heat +2500
• T6. Philadelphia 76ers +2500
• T6. Denver Nuggets +2500
• T6. Minnesota Timberwolves +2500
• T11. Cleveland Cavaliers +3000
• T11. Golden State Warriors +3000
• T11. Los Angeles Lakers +3000
• 14. Indiana Pacers +4000
• 15. Houston Rockets +6000
• T16. Atlanta Hawks +8000
• T16. Orlando Magic +8000
• T16. Portland Trail Blazers +8000
• T19. Charlotte Hornets +12500
• T19. Phoniex Suns +12500
• T21. Washington Wizards +20000
• T21. Dallas Mavericks +20000
• T21. Utah Jazz +20000
• T24. Milwaukee Bucks +50000
• T24. L.A. Clippers +50000
• T24. New Orleans Pelicans +50000
• T27. Brooklyn Nets +75000
• T27. Chicago Bulls +75000
• T27. Memphis Grizzlies +75000
• 30. Sacramento Kings +100000

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Are 76ers now title contenders? Early odds to win 2027 NBA championship

The Spurs, which didn’t seem to be preparing to make any major moves in the offseason, made a solid if not necessarily exciting addition. San Antonio agreed to a two-year, $31 million deal with free agent forward Tobias Harris using their full non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception.

The signing raises some questions about the starting lineup and how the rotation will shake up, but it also brings something the 2025/26 Spurs lacked: a floor-raiser that should bring stability to some units without taking anything away from a team that already had a sky-high ceiling.

Harris, 33, is a known commodity. The veteran was never a star, even when he was compensated as one, but he has clear strengths and not many significant weaknesses. His career averages of 16 points and six rebounds on solid shooting splits paint an accurate picture of the type of production he offers. At this stage of his career, his scoring is not what it used to be in his prime, but he’s someone who can hit an open three, score against mismatches from midrange and at the bucket, and keep the ball moving. Defensively, he’s not a stopper but uses his size and remaining athleticism well against forwards and has enough mobility to not be a sieve in the perimeter. He’s also a good rebounder and a durable player, appearing in under 60 games just twice, in his first two seasons, while playing 70 or more in nine of his 15 years in the league. In other words, a solid all-around contributor.

If that doesn’t sound too exhilarating, it’s understandable. The offseason has featured big, shocking trades involving stars and, in general, offers the possibility to dream about underrated signings that change the fortune of teams lucky or smart enough to find hidden gems. In that context, adding a soon-to-be 34-year-old forward who disappointed when a franchise bet highly on him and can be accurately described as steady if you are a fan of his game and uninteresting if you aren’t, can be considered disappointing. The mystery box is always more alluraing that an adequate prize, and the offseason is a time of endless opportunities until a team actually makes its moves and reality sets in. It’s fine to look at Harris as the big addition the Spurs made and be simply content instead of thrilled. He’s just not that exciting.

The thing is, these Spurs didn’t really need more excitement. Victor Wembanyama and the guards provide plenty of that. What a team that, at its best, can beat anyone while being exhilarating to watch needed was to not go through so many surprisingly low moments in which they look too young, too nonchalant, too predictable, or too confused to stop opponent runs or avoid falling into holes. San Antonio had arguably the highest ceiling out of any group in the NBA last season, as their trip to the Finals and the sizable leads they held in each game proved. The star power was definitely there. The problem was their low floor; they lacked steadiness during stretches, and that often got them in trouble. And in that area, a player like Harris can absolutely help, as he has done for most of the teams he’s played for in his career.

One of San Antonio’s issues was defensive rebounding. Harris is well above average in that area, performing well individually both in the regular season and the playoffs. Untimely turnovers were also an issue at times for the Silver and Black, and Harris is not a mistake-prone player. Occasionally, the offense would stall out, with limited players ending up with the ball in their hands late in the clock. Harris is not by any measure an offensive engine, as evidenced by the Pistons’ struggles to create good looks when Cade Cunningham didn’t have the ball, but he can bail out the odd possession as a pick-and-roll ball handler or post scorer. He has the size and strength defensively to survive against most forwards, and he knows when to direct his man towards a help defender, both qualities that some of the Spurs’ power forwards lacked at times. He’s a more reliable version of what the Silver and Black had, essentially.

The only area in which his addition brings uncertainty is in the rotation. How big will his role be, and what will happen to the other players who share his position? There is a serious logjam now in the frontcourt that could prove challenging to solve. The 96 guard minutes should be split mostly between De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper, with Devin Vassell getting the remaining scraps. But what happens with the small forward and power forward minutes? Do Vassell and Julian Champagnie continue to start, or does one of them sit to make room for Harris, who has started for practically his entire career? And how does the playing time get split? There are 96 minutes to spread around between Vassell, Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, and Harris. Someone is going to have a smaller role than they are used to, and it will be up to Mitch Johnson to figure out how to keep everyone happy.

What a great problem to have. With a couple of roster spots left to fill, the Spurs appear to have too many viable regular-season rotation players already and have added a proven playoff performer who averaged 18 and 7 for a second-round team last postseason. Whether he starts, which seems likely, or comes off the bench, Harris will be there when Mitch Johnson needs someone who will, more often than not, provide the production expected of him.

Normally, additions are judged by how much better a team is at its peak with them on the court. With Harris, that framework doesn’t really work because the best version of the Spurs didn’t have much room to grow beyond the internal development of their young superstars. What San Antonio needed was someone who was steady enough to help them avoid their worst version, and Harris seems like the perfect man for the job.

Jaylen Brown may have to say sorry to Joel Embiid for comments he made on a Twitch stream this offseason, now that the two will be teammates in Philadelphia. 

Following the news that Brown was being traded to the 76ers as part of a blockbuster deal that sent Paul George to the Celtics, a clip from earlier this year of Brown calling Embiid a flopper resurfaced on social media. 

The clip was from a livestream that took place just after the Sixers eliminated the Celtics from the playoffs in the first round. 

Jaylen Brown called Joel Embiid a flopper in multiple live stream water Boston lost to Philadelphia…

Now, they’re teammates

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/cRQ1vChYvg

— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) July 1, 2026

“This is my personal opinion on basketball, some of ya’ll might disagree, but argue with your grandma,” he said in the clip. “Flopping has ruined our game. Joel Embiid is a great player. One of the best bigs in f–king basketball history. Flops. He know it. This ain’t breaking news. It is what it is. Ya’ll can clip it up. Like I said, ya’ll can post it on these paid accounts…whatever.”

People seemed to take his words at face value and clipped the comments, and now they’ve come back to haunt Brown a bit as he heads to a new team. 

While the comments now look a bit foolhardy, it’s unlikely to create any real issues, and Embiid is sure to welcome the help as the 76ers try to bounce back after being knocked out of the postseason by the Knicks in a sweep that included Xfinity Mobile Arena being taken over by Knicks fans. 

Brown is coming off a regular season in which he had a career-best 28.7 points per game, while adding 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 71 games for the Celtics. 

The trade came after Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens spoke highly of Brown in the face of rumors the team was interested in moving him. 

“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens said in late June. “I’m never going to predict the future. Every indication, everything I think about, over the last few years, has been building around those guys.

“You never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been. He’s been amazing. He’s been an amazing teammate and a great person to be around.”

Josh Hart said what many were thinking as the NBA offseason shakes up the Eastern Conference.

On Wednesday, the Knicks star and NBA champion took to X to share his thoughts.

“This East offseason is crazy,” Hart posted to his X account.

Crazy indeed. On Wednesday, the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks.

After much speculation surrounding his future in Boston, where he won an NBA title in 2024, Brown has a new home, and it’s with a rival team in the East.

Much of the chatter around Brown came after the Celtics missed out on Giannis Antentokoumpo, who was dealt to the Heat from the Bucks for a haul of players and picks.

Another story out of the East was Hart’s now ex-teammate Mitchell Robinson, who is heading to Boston in free agency.

Robinson has agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million deal with the Celtics, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. He had been the longest-tenured Knick and spent eight years with the organization.

Robinson bid the Knicks farewell on his Instagram account on Wednesday.

“New York Knicks fans and the whole Knicks organization, the past 8 years have been the highlight of my life. I can’t thank you guys enough for the journey and opportunities. I know it’s a lot of emotions going around trust me I feel it myself but I will always have love for where it all started! I love you and will miss you. Once a Knick always a Knick,” Robinson said.

It’s only Day 2 of NBA free agency, so surely there is a lot more to come from around the league.

The Dallas Mavericks “emerged as the leading suitor” to trade for the services of Detroit Pistons backup guard Marcus Sasser on Tuesday, according to a report.

A day later, reports are that the deal to acquire Sasser is all but done and will be completed on Wednesday as soon as the offseason trade moratorium is lifted.

NBA insider Jake Fischer was the first to report the development, which only really bubbles to the surface of the conversation surrounding the team since the Mavericks desperately need help at guard as free agency kicks into gear. Marc Stein confirmed the deal with additional details on Wednesday.

Sasser grew up in the Dallas area and attended Red Oak High School, just south of Dallas, from 2015-2019. He starred at the University of Houston under defensive-minded head coach Kelvin Sampson after that. His homecoming will also give Sasser more of an opportunity to see consistent minutes than he got in his first three years in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons.

It wasn’t immediately made clear what the Pistons would get from the Mavericks for Sasser, but with Detroit reportedly in the market for Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe, both the Sasser and the previously reported Santi Aldama trades could end up lumped into a multi-team deal to help the Pistons get there.

Dallas has now lined up deals to be made official once the moratorium is lifted July 6 to acquire Aldama as well as Detroit's Marcus Sasser and clinched this trade by dealing a 2030 first-round pick via Golden State (protected 1-to-20) also acquired in the Anthony Davis swap. https://t.co/QMYWGytoBW

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 1, 2026

Sasser was limited to just 38 games during the 2025-26 season and played just 12 minutes per game, after playing more than 19 minutes per game during his rookie year in 2023-24. He has shot right at 40% from 3-point range the last two seasons, though.

He hustles and he defends, like all good Kelvin Sampson products do. His right hip started bothering him during training camp before the start of last year and kept him out about a third of the year, before the hip issue resurfaced in March.

Still, listening to Pistons fans talk about him, you get the sense that this guy is worth at least an extended look. There’s at least something there. He was, after all, drafted with the 25th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He was initially thought of as a guy who would do a little more than average five points and two assists per game.

Dallas may be just the kind of landing spot a guy like Sasser needs. If he’s healthy, he should get minutes. He should get the opportunity to make an impression.

LeBron James has been in the headlines all week, but he gave the spotlight to another athlete Wednesday.

The U.S. men’s national team squared off against Bosnia Herzegovina in the World Cup’s Round of 32 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Folarin Balogun put the USMNT on the board with a goal in the 44th minute, giving the Americans a 1-0 lead just before halftime.

Balogun did James’ famous silencer celebration after scoring the goal, and the four-time NBA champion noticed.

James reacted to the celebration on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“LFG!!!!!! The (silencer) has (landed) at the World Cup! Helluva goal there Young (king). Go (USA),” James wrote in a post with several emojis.

LFG!!!!!! THE HAS at the World Cup! Helluva goal there Young ! . GO https://t.co/8wb2t2F6oq

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 2, 2026

Balogun has emerged as a key star for the USMNT, and he likely will be elated to find James’ shoutout on social media.

Though the World Cup knockout stage is in full swing, NBA free agency has also dominated the sports world this week. James is a central figure on the free agent market this summer after he informed the Lakers he would not return to the team.

Now, the basketball world is watching and waiting for James to make a decision on where he will play for what will likely be the final chapter of his incredible career.

James is looking to find true happiness in the twilight of his career, and he is willing to join a contender on a league minimum contract. What is clear is James’ tenure with the Lakers is over.

Jaylen Brown is no longer a member of the Boston Celtics.

After three rumored blockbuster swings — for Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, and then Giannis Antetokounmpo — Brown was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday evening. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens followed through this go-around, and it amounted to netting the organization an imbalanced return for its 29-year-old homegrown 2024 NBA Finals MVP.

Now… it’s time for Stevens to explain himself.

Stevens and majority owner Bill Chisholm need to answer the floodgate of questions that trading Brown will most certainly prompt. Last week, Stevens dodged questions centered around the organization’s standing with Brown following the failed Giannis pursuit. This time, Stevens and Chisholm owe the fanbase transparency after taking a notable step back just two years after the franchise sat atop the league as champions.

Last offseason, the roster demolition was accepted. Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet left Boston, and the reasons were clear. Jayson Tatum had just suffered a ruptured Achilles, so maintaining a Louis Vuitton-priced roster made little sense to ownership’s benefit, even if the end of the tunnel was a postseason miss.

That didn’t happen, and Brown was the reason.

Brown made the Celtics competitive by maximizing his surrounding cast. His leadership kept the ship from sinking after the team’s 0-3 start last October, and it helped remove any and all pressure from the ownership group’s motives. Because of Brown, there was no focus on the departure of a championship rotation, and instead all eyes were drawn to the development of Boston’s young and inexperienced core.

Stevens received credit as the NBA’s Executive of the Year — due in large part to Brown’s career-best 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists. Through the ups and downs of the campaign, Brown remained composed despite the team’s learning curve or his own personal run-ins with league officials. Brown performed, and he ensured the Celtics would perform up to standard in a year when they weren’t expected to, nor would they have been blamed for not doing so.

Still, it wasn’t enough.

Brown vocalized his frustrations 24 hours after Boston choked a 3-1 lead to the Sixers in the first round this past postseason. His comments, while up for interpretation, never suggested a concrete commitment to moving on from Boston. Brown had three years left on his contract with eligibility for a two-year, $142 million option this month, and had been a long-invested fixture in the Boston community ever since being drafted third overall in 2016.

He challenged the media, challenged the league’s officiating, and even challenged basketball analytics. But throughout every stream or postgame press conference, Brown never once insinuated that Boston itself was a problem. As outspoken as he is online or in-person, Brown never uttered the words “I’m done with the Celtics.”

“My understanding is Jaylen Brown, throughout all of this, never requested a trade,” Charania said on SportsCenter shortly after Brown’s trade to Philadelphia. “He never asked out of Boston. This was all the Celtics.”

For weeks, the most prominent and trustworthy voices in basketball media have suggested that Boston’s front office had been searching for a divorce. A willingness to do so for Giannis made sense. However, a willingness to maintain the aggression to trade Brown for a downgraded return from Giannis is going to be a tough sell.

The reality is Tatum’s prime can’t go to waste. George will turn 37 next May and has dealt with persistent knee and lower-body issues, most recently limiting the nine-time All-Star to just 37 games with the Sixers last season. It was difficult enough for Celtics fans to rally behind the idea of a Brown-for-Giannis swap, so there’s virtually no chance that Causeway Street will be embracing this move as a step in the right direction anytime soon.

Offloading Brown and replacing him with George reeks of the intention to trade Brown this offseason, no matter what. It suggests Chisholm is leaning on the trust Stevens has built with the fan base to justify a decision that does little to help the team’s title chances right now.

George is pushing 40 and is no longer the PG13 of the past.

Keeping Brown together with Tatum, at the very least, keeps Boston in the hunt for a championship. They’ve reached the NBA Finals twice, have won once, and have been a formula capable of making trips to the Eastern Conference Finals routine. So why bring it to an end? If the Celtics weren’t willing to go the extra mile for a Giannis deal, at the risk of plummeting Brown’s market value, then what’s the sell here?

The truth is simple: Stevens screwed up. He screwed up big time, and the entire organization — particularly those in the locker room — will live with the consequences.

Boston’s additions of Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley address critical needs, but they are far from enough to mask the void of removing Brown from the equation.

Consider this: if the Celtics tried to ride it out with Brown, barring an irreparable rift between the franchise and the player, why accept a trade now? Why not wait it out until the trade deadline or into next offseason? It’s hard to imagine that if this return was the best Boston was going to get, it wouldn’t be waiting for the team in the future because it doesn’t get a whole lot worse than this.

It can’t get worse.

Celtics fans are smart enough to acknowledge that. Even at the fan base’s most stubborn, Boston’s faithful will be skeptical of Stevens, Chisholm and the entire organization — and for good reason. The Celtics jeopardized their trust four years ago when they called the Brooklyn Nets; they did it again this offseason after whiffing in the Giannis sweepstakes against the Miami Heat, and it’ll be up to them to explain.

But right now, Stevens and Chisholm did not live up to their commitment to assembling the best possible product, ready to chase Banner 19 next season — as currently constructed. They’ve instead given Boston every and all reason to stare deeply at them with doubt.

That was a choice, dating back to years of irritation for a franchise cornerstone willing to do everything to put Celtics basketball first — even after he was welcomed to a TD Garden that hurled him with boos on draft night a decade ago.

More than 24 hours into NBA free agency, the Celtics are not better than they were when their season ended in Game 7.