Category: Basketball

SACRAMENTO, CA ― The future looks bright for the Sacramento Kings.

Darius Acuff Jr. shined in his first summer league game at the California Classic, a 79-76 win against the Brooklyn Nets at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, on July 4.

Acuff had a rough start to the game, going 1-for-8, but he continued to attack downhill. He finished the game going 9-for-29 and scored 25 points and four assists, including the game-winning assist to second-year guard Nique Clifford who knocked down a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left in the game.

"I wasn't nervous," Acuff told USA TODAY Sports. "I wouldn't lie, I'll tell you if I was nervous. But I actually wasn't. I thought I was gonna be nervous. I actually wasn't nervous, I was hyped to play. I got some great sleep. Woke up and a good breakfast. I thought the start I had wasn't going to happen but you know it happens to the best of us. Nah. I wasn't nervous. I was more excited to play with those guys, get on the court and play a game again, that was the best part, for sure."

Something is cooking in Sacramento. It's not just Acuff, it's the entire 2026 class including Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp.

Although Karaban won't play in the California Classic after suffering an ankle sprain during a July 2 practice, Sharp showed why he was one of the steals of the draft.

With the No. 45 pick of the second round, the Kings picked Sharp, a 6-foot-3 guard out of Houston who was slept on. But not by Sacramento, who were searching for a two-way guard. They found him.

Sharp scored 11 points and recorded two steals and a block, as he helped to level the Kings who were down early in their summer league game against the Nets.

"I thought he was the guy who set the tone defensively," Kings summer league coach Chris Darnell said. "His ability to take a team out of their offense, just with his ability to guard the ball. He's in his gaps, he's tough, he's physical, he's smart. He does everything you want as a coach on that end of the floor. He just makes winning plays."

He added: "On the offensive end, we as a team didn't shoot the ball well today, but he's aggressive playing close outs and I love that about him. Whether if it's shot or drive, he's gonna make the read. There's no hesitation, there's no pause. So just that .5 basketball decision-making skill of his, I think is gonna make him a great player in this league when, if he's playing off-ball with Darius. Darius is going to command so much attention that he gets to play the close out game, he's going to be tough to guard in those situations."

From day one, Sharp has been committed to a winning culture.

"It starts with winning, that's the first goal," Sharp told USA TODAY Sports in a June 29 interview. "Just seeing, stepping into my role. Getting used to playing with these guys, playing true to my game and getting the chemistry started."

That's the attitude of all their rookies. The energy is different around them. They're embracing the rebuild. They know it starts with them.

"Winning is always number one for me," Karaban told USA TODAY Sports on June 29. "Just want to go out there and win the California Classic, win in Vegas, get the team chemistry going out there with the different players and just try to identify what I can do to help make an impact on this Kings team."

Put stock in them early. That's not an overreaction. Look at their recent draft moves. Obviously, there's the 2025 draft class that sparked the rebuild with Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell.

Both Clifford and Cardwell, who are in their second season in Sacramento, are on the roster for the California Classic summer league, getting in their reps, while learning tendencies of their new teammates.

Clifford, who hit the go-ahead 3-pointer, scored 16 points on 50% field goal shooting. Cardwell had eight points, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks, while providing his usual, crowd-hyping antics.

"I didn't really have a choice," said a laughing, Clifford who told USA TODAY Sports why he's playing in the California Classic. "I didn't really have much say so."

On a more serious note, Clifford noted the importance to build his game and connect with new teammates.

"For me, I'm definitely taking advantage of it. It's good for me to get back on the court, playing with the new guys that I'm going to be playing with all season long and just start to build that chemistry, like I talked about. So, I'm using it to my advantage. For me, I love to play and compete. So it's helping me elevate my game and work on things that I can be better at going into the season. So it's exciting. I just love to compete."

Keep an eye out for the Kings and what's brewing in California's capital. The California Classic continues July 5 and 6 at Golden 1 Center for the Kings as they face the Golden State Warriors blue team and Milwaukee Bucks, respectively.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Sacramento Kings reshape rebuild with Darius Acuff Jr. and key draft moves

The Washington Wizards are hiring Knicks legend Patrick Ewing as an assistant on coach Brian Keefe's staff, according to multipe Saturday reports, following SNY's Ian Begley breaking report that Ewing was "in talks with the Wizards to join the club’s coaching staff."

ESPN's Shams Charania subsequently reported that Ewing "agreed to become an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards and head coach Brian Keefe."

Ewing, 63, has been an advisor and basketball ambassador with the Knicks for the past two seasons.

"As I said the day my number 33 jersey lifted into the rafters at MSG, I will always be a Knick and I will always be a New Yorker," Ewing said in a statement when the Knicks announced his October 2024 return.

He has been out of coaching since his stint as Georgetown's coach from 2017-23, going 75-109 with an appearance in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

Ewing's coaching career includes stints as an assistant with the Wizards (2002-03), Houston Rockets (2003–07), Orlando Magic (2007-12) and Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets (2013-17).

The Knicks selected Ewing from Georgetown as the 1985 NBA Draft's No. 1 overall pick. Ewing's playing career spanned 17 seasons with the Knicks (1985-00), Seattle SuperSonics (2000-01) and Orlando Magic (2001-02).

Among the 11-time NBA All-Star's accomplishments with the Knicks, Ewing is still the franchise's all-time leader in points (23,665), games played (1,039), rebounds (10,759), blocks (2,758), steals (1061) and minutes (37,586).

In case you haven’t heard, LeBron James is currently a free agent, and the Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be in the driver’s seat to sign him. That speculation has only grown as LeBron has spent the last week or so in the Akron area golfing, going to Golf Galaxy, and attending an event at House Three Thirty on Friday night.

One of the people with James on Friday night was Cavs assistant general manager Brandon Weems. He was included in a video that Victoria Walker McGee, senior director at LeBron James Family Foundation, shared on Instagram.

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Weems and James were high school teammates at St. Vincent-St. Mary. They were pictured together with others from that team. From that perspective, the former team getting together when James is in town isn’t that surprising or even out of the ordinary. On the other hand, LeBron is a free agent, Weems is the Cavs’ second in command in basketball operations, and Cleveland is the favorite to sign James. Their being together the other night is newsworthy in that context.

This picture came on the same day LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, said that Weems being in Cleveland is a “Big, big x-factor, Brandon Weems is basically LeBron’s brother. That is a huge feather in the cap [for Cleveland].”

Whether or not you want to read too deeply into them being together on Friday is up to you. On its own, it doesn’t mean that James is signing with Cleveland. It does, however, prove what Paul said earlier. Weems being in Cleveland is an advantage. And the Cavs already have plenty of those considering James has spent nearly half of his career with the team, is from the area, and the Cavs have shown they have a playoff-tested nucleus.

There continue to be signs that James could be signing up for a third stint with the Cavs. We’ll see whether those come to fruition shortly.

The Washington Wizards have hired NBA legend Patrick Ewing to a position on their coaching staff, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Saturday.

SNY’s Ian Begley first reported the talks between Ewing and Washington before multiple outlets confirmed the hiring on Saturday.

Ewing spent the last two seasons as an advisor and basketball ambassador with the New York Knicks, notably joining them on their NBA Finals run this year. The 11-time NBA All-Star served as a Wizards assistant coach during the 2002-03 season before stints with the Houston Rockets (2003-2006), Orlando Magic (2007-2012) and Charlotte Hornets (2013-2017).

The NBA Hall of Famer coached Georgetown, his alma mater that he led to the 1984 national championship, from 2017-2023.

Ewing ranks 28th in NBA history in career points (24,815), 26th in career rebounds (11,607) and seventh in career blocks (2,894). He’s the Knicks’ all-time leader in games played, points, rebounds, field goals made, steals and blocks.

Steve Clifford, who boasts 10 years of NBA head coaching experience, is joining Washington’s staff in an advisory role, ESPN reported Saturday.

Clifford, 64, coached alongside Ewing in Orlando and hired Ewing to his staff in Charlotte. He had spent the previous two seasons in advisory roles for the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the handful of teams that are hoping to land LeBron James in free agency. According to those around the league, the Cavs are the favorites to do so.

NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer revealed that the Cavs are the leader in the clubhouse. They reported that “there is growing belief among teams competing for James’ signature that the lure of the 41-year-old playing out his final chapter with the team that drafted him — compared to, say, early favorites Golden State — is looking more and more like the scenario to beat.”

Additionally, Stein and Fischer mention that the Cavs could be keeping a roster spot open so that they can trade for Bronny James from the Los Angeles Lakers, if LeBron were to sign with Cleveland.

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The possibility of Bronny joining LeBron in Cleveland would also make sense. The Cavs don’t necessarily need another 6’2” guard, yet, Bronny does have some upside. His outside shot and feel for the game are quite good. That’s a solid combo to start with. And, if taking a flyer on Bronny is the price for getting LeBron to sign, it’s a deal you’d happily make.

This latest report confirms a lot of what has been out there the last few days. The Cavs appear to be in a good position to land James, and there hasn’t been a whole lot of reporting in recent days to really suggest another team has a great shot at this point.

There are certainly other teams that can make compelling cases for LeBron from a basketball perspective. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers come to mind as teams that can — and have been public about their pursuit of the King’s services. Yet, it’s difficult to envision a situation where James potentially ends his career in a uniform he’s never worn before.

That all said, it’s important to remember that it’s difficult to predict what exactly LeBron will do. Only he knows what he truly wants from a team in presumably the last chapter of his career. All we can say right now is that things continue to point toward a last dance in Cleveland.

The Knicks told us how they felt about Mohamed Diawara by locking him up to an extension before the restricted free agent could test the open market.

Leon Rose & Co. are obviously very high on the 6-foot-9 wing, after a better-than-expected rookie year in which the 51st overall pick in the 2025 draft appeared in 69 games and made seven starts.

The front office and Diawara agreed to a multiyear deal worth over $10 million, according to The Post’s Stefan Bondy.

It is a hefty raise after Diawara earned $1.27 million last season, the lowest on the team.

Next up for Diawara is summer league in Las Vegas, beginning next Friday.

He is the main attraction on a roster that also includes second-round pick (47th overall) Tyler Nickel out of Vanderbilt and 2024 first-round pick Pacôme Dadiet.

The best thing that can be said about a non-rookie in summer league is that he doesn’t belong there.

The Knicks would obviously like that to be the case with Diawara.

This is an opportunity for him to prove himself after falling out of coach Mike Brown’s playoff rotation.

He will likely be featured.

The Frenchman had a strong first season, averaging 3.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and shooting 36.9 percent from 3-point range in 9.2 minutes.

His offense surprised the Knicks.

He was projected as a potential elite defender due to his impressive length (7-foot-4 wingspan) and athleticism.

Diawara enjoyed a breakout performance in a Dec. 29 win against the Pelicans in which he made four 3-pointers and scored 18 points, and broke into the regular-season rotation in December.

“Mo is not afraid,” Brown said then. “He’s the most confident young man I’ve been around. He’s got a chance to be really good.”

The Post takes a look at other things to watch for the Knicks summer league team:

Dadiet a potential trade chip

The clock could be ticking on the 6-foot-9 Dadiet.

Diawara appears to have passed him.

In two years, Dadiet has played in only 47 games as a Knick.

Over the next few weeks he has a chance to impress.

The better he performs, the better for the Knicks.

Dadiet could be a trade chip, with the team looking to avoid the second apron, and with roughly $6.5 million to spare.

He is owed $2.98 million next season.

Dadiet doesn’t turn 21 until July 27, is relatively inexpensive and could interest another franchise.

Moving him would free Rose up to add another center of significance to pair with Andre Drummond as Karl-Anthony Towns’ backup after Mitchell Robinson was lost to the Celtics in free agency.

Familiar name

Former St. John’s guard Oziyah Sellers agreed to a summer league deal with the Knicks and should get the chance to potentially earn a training camp invite — either from them or someone else if he performs well in Sin City.

The 6-foot-5 Sellers helped the Johnnies repeat as Big East regular-season and postseason champions and reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.

He’s a lights-out 3-point shooter — Sellers made 37.8 percent of his attempts from distance in four seasons in college — and defended better than expected in his one season in Queens.

For St. John’s last winter, Sellers averaged 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

Others to watch

Nickel is the lone Knicks draft pick on the team — fellow second-rounder Jack Kayil of Germany isn’t on the roster.

The 6-foot-8 Nickel is a big-time shotmaker who averaged 13.5 points and shot 40 percent from 3 last year on 7.6 attempts for Vanderbilt.

There is always room for shooters with size.

An intriguing name is former Michigan State guard Jaden Akins.

Akins was a G-League All-Star last season while playing for the Motor City Cruise — the Pistons affiliate — averaging 14.7 points, 4.8 assists and shooting just under 36 percent from 3.

He went undrafted in 2025 and signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pistons.

Patrick Ewing is returning to coaching after serving as an ambassador for the Knicks the last two seasons.

The legendary center who remains one of the greatest Knicks players ever — present throughout their recent championship run and parade, too — has joined the Wizards staff as an assistant coach, according to a Saturday ESPN report.

Ewing previously served as the head coach for Georgetown — his alma mater — from 2017-23, leading the Hoyas to a Big East Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021 before winning 13 games combined across the next two seasons and getting fired.

Then, in October 2024, Ewing returned to the Knicks as a “basketball ambassador assisting both basketball and business operations,” according to a team announcement at the time.

“As I said the day my number 33 lifted in the rafters at MSG, I will always be a Knick and I will always be a New Yorker,” Ewing said in a statement at the time. “I can’t wait to get started in this new position and to officially be back with the organization that I love so much.”

That meant Ewing became a central figure again more than two decades after his 15-year tenure in New York City ended with 11 All-Star Game nods and plenty of playoff heartbreak.

In his two years back with the Knicks, they advanced to the Eastern Conference finals before falling to the Pacers and then won the championship — with their recent run to the title fueled by a 13-game winning streak.

Before the Finals series against the Spurs began, Ewing told The Post’s Steve Serby that he felt “like I’m a part of it” because of the Knicks ensuring that former players are back.

“What I would tell them is they have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Ewing, who fell short in the 1994 and 1999 NBA Finals, told Serby about what his message would be to the Knicks before the ultimate series. “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.”

And now, Ewing will return to coaching with a Wizards team that only won 17 games last season en route to landing the No. 1 overall pick — selecting BYU’s AJ Dybantsa — but has plenty of talent to work with.

It’s happening!

The Utah Jazz have themselves the star they were looking for to add to an already solid young core. From the moment he stepped onto the floor, Jaz fans were cheering his every move, hoping for a performance that would match the hype.

And that’s exactly what happened. Peterson scored from all different levels, whether it was at the rim, in the mid-range, or making step-back threes. His game is as advanced as you could have ever hoped for. It’s truly remarkable how advanced his command of the floor already is. At no point was there any question who the best player on the floor was. And it was no easy task either. Atlanta gave Peterson everything they had defensively. Multiple times, Peterson would be double-teamed, even in the full court, and he handled it surprisingly well. There’s some room for improvement on his turnovers (8), but his playmaking was solid. Multiple times he set up plays for others that were either bobbled or missed.

That all said, you have to reach a lot to find any fault with Peterson’s debut. For the game, he ends with an incredible stat line of:

28 POINTS
5 REBOUNDS
2 ASSISTS
11/21 FGM
4/7 3PM
27 MINUTES

But it wasn’t all just Darryn Peterson. There were others that deserve mention as well.

Cody Williams was great and looked stronger and more comfortable. He handled the ball well and provided a release valve for Peterson when he was double-teamed. For the game, Williams scored 17 on 8/13 from the field and 1/1 from three. He also grabbed 5 rebounds and had 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.

He also had an absolutely FILTHY dunk in the fourth quarter.

Utah also had a really nice game from Ace Bailey. Bailey looked big and fluid, and it translated really well on the floor. He scored 10 points on 4/8 shooting with 6 rebounds, a steal, and a block. But that was in just 19 minutes. Bailey looked like he tweaked his back and appeared to be wearing a heat pad during the game. What’s exciting is how comfortable Bailey looked. He was hitting his midrange and enveloping ball handlers with his quick feet, elite length, and size. If Bailey can defend like he did and also score efficiently, it’s going to be very hard for the Jazz to keep him off the floor. It’s rare to get his impressive mix of tools.

Finally, I want to give Blake Hinson some love. His energy was great, and he’s a sharpshooter who should get time this season. He is a big body and plays hard, and I have a hard time not seeing the Jazz wanting to give him minutes. In all honesty, I’m not quite sure why he hasn’t already gotten regular NBA minutes with another team. He’s a prototypical NBA body and can shoot the threads off the ball. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be getting regular minutes for the Jazz this season.

All in all, it was a fantastic night for Jazz fans. The golden age is here and it’s off to an absolutely incredible start.

The Atlanta Hawks were in action on Independence Day, kicking off their summer league season with a matchup against no. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson and the Utah Jazz.

With Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar all making their Sumer League debuts, Saturday was the first opportunity for the Hawks to see their 2026 draft picks in action. In addition to their trio of draftees, last year’s first-round draft pick, Asa Newell was also in uniform for this one as he looked to build off a promising rookie season. Starting fives below.

Peterson wasted no time introducing himself to his new fanbase — converting a pretty lay-in on a drive on Utah’s first possession of the game, and blocking Kingston Flemings on a fastbreak a few plays later.

With Utah off to a strong start, Asa Newell did a nice job keeping the Hawks in the game early on with a couple nice buckets early on.

Newell’s off the dribble game and outside shot are both areas of improvement for the 20-year-old ahead of his sophomore season, and the manner in which he scored his first two baskets of the game was sure to put some smiles on the faces of Hawks fans.

That said, the early portion of the game was all Utah, with the Jazz racing out to a 20-9 lead before Atlanta’s bench unit got them back in the game.

This three from second-round pick, Henri Veesaar, cut the Jazz lead to two — and Atlanta trailed 24-20 at the end of the first quarter.

Atlanta was sloppy to open the second quarter, with the lineup of Keshon Gilbert, Gabe Madsen, Isaac McKneely, Jacob Toppin and Henri Veesaar being outscored 13-3 in the first three-and-a-half minutes of the period, before Flemings and Newell returned to the game with Atlanta down by 14 points.

While Utah were the stronger team, Atlanta’s outside shooting kept them in the game, with the Hawks hitting five threes in the second quarter — including this corner bomb from no. 8 overall pick, Kingston Flemings.

It was good to see Flemings get on the board, but overall the rookie out of Houston had a tough time shooting the ball in his first Summer League action, going just 1-for-7 from the field in the first half — though it wasn’t all bad news as he did dish out 5 assists with no turnovers.

Still, the story of the first half was Darryn Peterson, who tallied 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting to lead all scorers, with Utah taking a 49-43 lead into the halftime locker room.

As one would expect from two teams making their Summer League debuts, turnovers were abundant in the first half with the two teams combining for 19 miscues in the first 20 minutes. Also of note, while the Hawks shooting picked up in the second quarter (7-for-19 from the perimeter in the first half), Utah did most of their damage on the interior in the first half, going 17-for-21 from the paint and just 1-for-8 from three.

Onto the third quarter, and it appears Kingston Flemings is a fast learner! Atlanta’s rookie guard got the quarter started with a nice pull-up from 15 feet, before finding Asa Newell for a slam and draining a three — all in the first two minutes of the period.

Feeding off Fleming’s play, Atlanta briefly took the lead at the 7:13 mark of the third quarter after a three from Keshon Gilbert, though it was short-lived as a Peterson triple a few possessions later put Utah back in front. The Jazz would keep Atlanta at arms length for the rest of the period and heading into the final frame, held a 78-70 lead.

With Atlanta down by 8 entering the final five minutes, Flemings assisted RayJ Dennis on a three from the wing to cut Utah’s lead to 5. After a miss from Utah on the other end, a put-back two from Ejiofor made it a three-point game, and Atlanta looked like they were going to make things interesting.

Then, on Utah’s next possession, this slam from Cody Williams dampened Atlanta’s spirits a bit, putting Utah back up by 5.

After trading free throws on the next few possessions, Darryn Peterson hit a three to put Utah up 7 with 1:26 remaining – and it seemed like Utah were going to see this one out. However Atlanta refused to quit fighting.

Asa Newell found Gabe Madsen for an easy two on the following possession. After a steal from Flemings, Kobe Johnson knocked down a free throw to cut the lead to four. Then, a traveling violation on Utah gave the ball back to the Hawks, and after a tip-in from Johnson, Utah’s lead stood at just two.

With Utah reeling, an offensive foul on Peterson gave Atlanta the ball back with momentum on their side. Asa Newell was fouled at the rim, and with a chance to tie the game up, went 1-for-2 from the line, giving Utah the chance to make it a two-possession game under a minute to play. However similar to their previous possessions, the Jazz struggled to take care of the ball and an errant pass from Max Abmas gave Atlanta the ball back with , and a transition three from Madsen (incredibly) put the Hawks up by two with 0:35 seconds remaining!

A shooting foul on Madsen on Utah’s next possession gave Abmas the chance to tie the ball game at the free throw line and after he sank both free throws, Atlanta had a chance to win it on the final possession of regulation. Unfortunately, Flemings jumper came up just short, which sent the game to a 2:00 overtime period.

Darryn Peterson got the scoring started in overtime, drilling this tough step-back three over Asa Newell.

With Atlanta trailing by five with under a minute to play, Flemings and Ejiofor connected on a pick-and-roll, cutting Utah’s lead to three. With the Jazz looking to kill the clock on one of their final possessions, Kingston Flemings came up with a clutch steal on Peterson, before drilling what he thought was the game-tying three with just 0:04 seconds on the shot clock — however the officials went to the monitor and ruled it a two, which meant it was Utah’s ball with Atlanta trailing by 1.

On the inbounds, Flemings fouled Justin Harmon on a driving lay-in which he converted and after the free throw, Utah led by 4 with 0:01 second on the clock. A miraculous three at the end of the game by Madsen cut the final margin to one, but it was too little too late, and the Hawks headed home with a heart-breaking 102-101 defeat in their Summer League opener.

It was an absolute treat of a game to open Summer League and despite the loss, there were a lot of positives to take away from this one for the Hawks. Kingston Flemings finished with 14 points, nine assists, four steals and just one turnover. Asa Newell tallied 15 points, five boards and three assists. Zuby Ejiofor went for eight points, 11 rebounds and three steals in his Hawks debut. Off the bench, Kobe Johnson was quite impactful in 22 minutes of action — finishing a team best +15 in the plus-minus column while playing stout defense. RayJ Dennis also poured in 13 points in just 12 minutes of playing time.

For Utah, Darryn Peterson looked every bit the part of a no. 2 overall draft pick, finishing with 28 points on 11-for-21 shooting (4-for-7 from three), though he did commit eight turnovers. Third year man, Cody Williams (drafted tenth overall in 2024) finished with 17 points and five rebounds.

Atlanta is back in action on Monday at 7PM EST, taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder in their second game of Salt Lake City Summer League. Until next time!

Go Rays!

Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Milwaukee Bucks have signed former Marquette star guard Kam Jones to a two-way contract. Shams Charania of ESPN later confirmed the report.

Jones, a former second-round pick, spent last season with the Indiana Pacers before being traded to the Chicago Bulls on draft night for the 38th pick, Braden Smith. Jones never put on a Bulls jersey, though, as he was cut five days later and cleared waivers yesterday. As for the Bucks roster, per Salary Swish, Jones is the team’s third and final two-way player. He joins undrafted free agent big man Rafael Castro and guard Cormac Ryan, who is in the second year of a two-year two-way deal.

Jones had a bit of a rocky rookie season in Indiana, as he didn’t suit up until December 2, dealing with a lower-back stress reaction before the season even started, and didn’t receive regular playing time until February, when the Pacers were in full-on tank mode. Then there was the arrest for reckless driving on I-65 in the offseason, as he was running late for Pacers practice. On the court, once Jones got that playing time, he made the most of it. Over the season’s final 24 games, he averaged 22 MPG, 5.9 PPG, 4.5 APG, and 2.1 RPG, shooting 41.1% from the field and 32.3% from three-point range.

Jones now returns to a place he called home for four years, spending his college days at Marquette University under head coach Shaka Smart. After being mostly used as a sixth man in his freshman season, Jones exploded in his sophomore season as a dynamic scorer next to New York Knicks point guard Tyler Kolek, jumping his scoring by nearly eight points (7.4 to 15.1). His production helped the Golden Eagles capture their first Big East tournament championship in program history. Jones finished his college career by earning several accolades, including being named a second-team All-American.

Brew Hoop community, how do you feel about Jones signing? Let us know in the comments section below.

The “Jays” are no more.

After nearly a decade together leading the Celtics, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown parted ways this week when the latter was traded to the 76ers.

And days after the deal, Tatum took to his Instagram story Friday to pen a heartwarming message for Brown.

“9 years! Forever grateful for all that we accomplished together, for pushing me to be a better player,” Tatum began.

“From first-round exits to winning a chip together, I’m thankful for it all. Nothing but love and respect for you as a player and as a person.

“Looking forward to see how you attack this next chapter of your career and wish nothing but the best for you! Continue to be special!

The message was overlaid on a photo of Tatum and Brown early in their Celtics tenures, which marked an incredibly consistent era for the franchise.

The pair made five trips to the Conference Finals together, two trips to the NBA Finals and won one championship, when they beat the Mavericks in 2024.

However, things have taken a surprising turn since that series, in which Brown was named Finals MVP.

Tatum ruptured his Achilles last year in the postseason against the Knicks (as Boston lost in the second round) and missed most of this past season before returning in March.

However, the Celtics suffered a first-round exit to the Sixers, and the team’s relationship with Brown had seemingly deteriorated after a season in which Brown operated as the true primary option with Tatum out.

Ultimately, that relationship ended on Wednesday as they agreed to trade Brown to the 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, ESPN reported.

The trade chatter surrounding Brown had been building of late as he was dangled in talks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the All-Star wing was somewhat displeased with how his trade out of Boston was handled.

Speaking on a live Twitch stream, he said he “wasn’t thrilled with the amount of respect that was showed during this process.”

“I think there was a bit of a lack of respect — I think it was fine at point — and then out of nowhere things kind of went left,” he added. “I think Brad [Stevens] is probably getting a lot of the criticism. I wasn’t thrilled the way he facilitated some of the conversations, but there’s definitely more to it.”

Now, Brown will team up with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe as the Sixers look to regain control of the East.

The Bucks took down the Golden State Warriors Blue 97-83 to secure their first win in the California Classic. Milwaukee busted a tense, back-and-forth game wide open in the third quarter, mixing defensive versatility with lethal transition offense and catching fire from three-point range late. B.J. Boston and Bogoljub Marković led Milwaukee with 17 and 16 points, respectively. RJ Nembhard scored 15 points for the Warriors Blue.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

The Bucks began the game with a starting five of Kira Lewis Jr., Cormac Ryan, Markovic, Rafael Castro, and Malique Lewis. The Golden State Warriors Blue started Nick Boyd, Colby Jones, Nembhard, David Green, and Jacksen Moni. No. 11 overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg and No. 54 overall pick Lajae Jones are currently playing with the Warriors’ Gold team. Brayden Burries and Nate Ament arrived at the arena in street clothes and didn’t log any minutes.

Marković, the 2025 draft-and-stash that won the Serbia league’s MVP last season, scored the Bucks’ first Summer League points after getting on the receiving end of a Castro dime. However, the Warriors ran off to a 9-2 run, led by a pair of Moni triples. The game was fast-paced, but the Warriors found the best looks of the quarter. The Bucks rotated guys frequently throughout the game — ten players saw first-quarter minutes — but one unifying trait among them seemed to be getting out quickly in transition and turning defensive actions into points. Castro, in particular, was everywhere on the defensive end. The 2025-26 National Defensive Player of the Year finalist used his 85-inch wingspan to apply an insane amount of pressure everywhere on the court. However, the Bucks looked shaky on offense. They didn’t make any of their six three-point attempts and looked frustrated by the Warriors’ rim protection. The Bucks ended the first quarter down seven points, 25-18.

It was more of the same for the Bucks, who struggled on offense and were burned on transition defense in the second quarter. What can you expect from the first game of Summer League ball? However, there were real glimmers of brilliance, especially among the Bucks’ two-way players. Lewis fought hard inside and came up with a couple of second-chance points. Castro showed exciting versatility on the pick-and-roll, either barreling down the lane or popping outside and finding an open man. Despite a slow start, Ryan found his footing and began knocking down threes. Marković also looked very encouraging in his limited minutes, whether it was displaying some advanced court vision, showcasing a gentle touch off the glass, or creating separation with his footwork. He looks much more suited to the NBA’s tempo and physicality, and it’s evident his game has improved since last year. The Bucks and Warriors traded blows for the second quarter, with neither team able to gain a real advantage until Milwaukee embarked on a run towards the end of the half. Boopie Miller’s quick midrange pull-up trimmed the Warriors’ lead to just two by the end of the quarter, with the Bucks trailing, 45-43.

The Bucks jumped out to a 10-3 run immediately after halftime. Ryan knocked down a three-point shot and converted an and-one, while Lewis finished off a pair of driving layups. The Bucks looked really interesting when they were switching off on pick-and-rolls, especially with Markovic, Castro, and Lewis in the frontcourt. That level of peskiness on the perimeter and toughness on the block allowed them to frustrate the Warriors on offense and secure a 13-point lead. As the third quarter continued, it seemed like the Bucks caught their second wind. Luke Travers made some impressive hustle plays, and the Bucks scooped up several offensive rebounds. B.J. Boston found his offensive rhythm, and he looked nearly unstoppable when he got downhill. The Warriors looked increasingly out of answers to an aggressive Bucks defense. Milwaukee outscored the Warriors by 21 points during the third quarter, putting them up 77-58 with the final frame to go.

The Bucks continued to flow in the final quarter. Zack Austin and Miller came up with some impressive acrobatic finishes, and they continued to force turnovers and keep Golden State from generating good looks. They looked truly inspired. In one play, Marković dove into the Warriors’ bench to save a loose ball, which triggered a fast break that ended with Lewis finishing through contact to convert an and-one layup. The Bucks slowed the game down and went back-and-forth with the Warriors, who attempted to mount a comeback in the game’s dying moments but didn’t have enough time. Lewis effectively iced the game with a logo three as the shot clock expired to secure the Bucks’ first Summer League victory.

Stat That Stood Out

Rafael Castro picked up four steals today, a game-high. He is very strong defensively, and this game proved it. Castro was one of the most interesting undrafted prospects because of his elite agility and athleticism, along with his strong positional size and wingspan. Today showed it. Castro was a real nuisance for the Warriors’ offense today. If he can shore up some of his rougher offensive deficiencies, Castro will be a real two-way player who can improve the Bucks.

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It’s been a long time since the Nets had this much to look forward to at Summer League. No matter how you want to look at it, they have a ton of stock in the players playing in Sacramento.

We had a late edit to today’s thread as fans anticipated Mikel Brown Jr’s (6th overall) first game as a Nets — particularly in a fun matchup against Darius Acuff Jr. (7th overall). Roughly 20 minutes before tip, Brian Lewis provided an update:

Drake Powell joins the team after missing last year’s summer league. It’ll be important for him to carve out a leadership role while in Sacramento. Nolan Traore is out for the summer.

Enjoy the fireworks!

🏀 Key Info

• Matchup: Sacramento vs. Brooklyn
• Time (ET): 5:00 p.m.
• Broadcast / Streaming Platform: Gotham Sports App, Prime, NBA TV, NBA League Pass, ESPN+

💬 Discussion

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