Category: Basketball

After the big-time star player, what matters most in the modern NBA? Billy Crystal might say that “is a question for the ages,” yet the picture gets clearer when reviewing some of the proven teams or the ones that have ascended at rapid speed. 

The San Antonio Spurs’ build fits the latter category because of their talent, plus they’ve had someone committed to doing the hardest jobs: Stephon Castle. Anyone who watched him at UConn in 2023-24 probably knew he was bound to have a great pro career because of his skills and the special something beating in his chest. And they are correct so far.

Castle wasn’t setting the league on fire out of the gate, being an ineffective 3-point shooter and being unsure of when to assert himself offensively at times. Yet his value illuminated like the lights coming out of Marsellus Wallace’s briefcase in Pulp Fiction 10 games into his career when he dropped 10 points in the fourth quarter of a one-point loss at home against the Utah Jazz.  

That was his first time scoring in double figures late and it felt like a glimpse of the future. Then within a handful weeks, it felt like he should have been starting despite being green, but the Spurs don’t usually hand things over quickly. On some nights, it may have been difficult to see his full value when he scored in single digits or missed easy ones at the rim, but this is why one must be entrenched in their basketball philosophy.

He came into the league with grown-man strength, so it was easy to tell, even then, that offensive shortcomings would be corrected with added reps and improved mechanics. On top of that, he had Chris Paul’s approval and the future Hall-of-Famer had said they share the same competitive nature. Notably, Castle inherited some of Paul’s best qualities the next year, showing them early as the team waited for De’Aaron Fox to rehab from his hamstring injury.

Part of the reason I thought so highly of Castle as a rookie was that he found a way to make the rest of the Spurs’ season fun by taking on a bigger role after Victor Wembanyama went down with a blood clot. Thank goodness Castle did because there’s only so many years fans can take of not being competitive. His late-season push secured his Rookie of the Year award, too.

At that time, one of the signs that he was improving quickly was that his usage was higher and so was his effective field goal percentage (slightly) than when Wemby was playing. Additionally, lots of unfinished business was left on the table in 2024-25 as they had both assisted each other 60 times. When fans look back on it, they saw the rise of Area 51, which hit the ground running the next season as both players increased their pass frequency to each other. Each of them started scoring more easily with help.  

Castle, particularly, as a rookie was not very efficient when scoring on passes from Wemby because he would rush some shots, boldly try to maneuver through traffic and he hadn’t gotten completely comfortable against faster coverages. None of that is abnormal for a youngster. 

Still, I didn’t think he’d be that good the next year and that’s part of what made the 2025-26 season so special. His points-per-game average increased by two, his EFG percentage went up by 4.5 points, and he recorded 80 percent extra assists. One of the ways he was able to raise his deep-shooting percentage was by taking more shots off the catch but it still needs more work.

In the playoffs, he was seen guarding up against Julius Randle in round two as well as being on the perimeter. His versatility makes him a mobile sentry. 

The average committed NBA fan is generally sharp. Outside of San Antonio, it’s hard to say how he is viewed by them, but I took the liberty of ranking him. The process included reviewing the rosters of every team and writing down the names of the players I would take before him. Consider how every championship team needs someone like him to defend the other team’s best perimeter player and that there aren’t 20 ballers in the NBA who will do that and score 15 points nightly. Castle is one of those guys, and there were only 25 names before his on the list (see at the bottom). 

It matters little that 39 players scored more per game (minimum of 65 games) in 2025-26 and that he’s still a below-average 3-point shooter (33.2). Winning requires having an all-round game and that’s what the Spurs are molding.  

My basketball philosophy states that defense and rebounding are the most important ingredients to winning a championship, and that’s why I’d pick Jrue Holiday before Damian Lillard. That’s also the same reason why Castle, who is sort of like an upgraded version of Holiday, is more of a winning player than a lot of popular guys. Keep in mind that he was four points shy of being on second team All-Defense in 2025-26.  

Despite his game’s imperfections, he’s not far off from being an All-NBA-level player. When coach Mitch Johnson praised him as a rookie, saying he “embraced everything we’ve thrown at him,” it reminded me of the times fight promoters, proclaimed their prospect would be champion, and I believed them.

List, in no order:

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2. Jalen Williams
3. Nikola Jokić
4. Luka Dončić
5. Anthony Edwards
6. Kevin Durant
7. Deni Avdija
8. Kawhi Leonard
9. Stephen Curry
10. Zion Williamson
11. Cade Cunningham
12. Jayson Tatum
13. Jaylen Brown
14. Tyrese Maxey
15. Jalen Johnson
16. Paolo Banchero
17. Giannis Antetokounmpo
18. Tyrese Haliburton
19. Pascal Siakam
20. Scottie Barnes
21. Jalen Brunson
22. OG Anunoby
23. Karl-Anthony Towns
24. Anthony Davis
25. Donovan Mitchell

As we saw with the steep punishment that the NBA handed out to the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this week, one of the most valuable assets an NBA team can have is draft picks, especially lottery selections. While many people believe that Los Angeles is in the toughest situation in the NBA after getting stripped five first-round picks, one of the reasons many don’t believe so is because they got to select Keaton Wagler fifth overall out of Illinois in this year’s draft.

While the Phoenix Suns had to give up Kevin Durant last offseason, they acquired the 10th overall pick, where they selected Khaman Maluach, which at the very least, helped them add young talent with a roster thin on draft picks and young players. Similar to the Clippers, Phoenix is thin on picks, just not for the same reason as the Clippers, but just like Los Angeles, a lot of their future relies on the development of their young players, with the former Duke center at the forefront of their best and most valuable young players.

That is why Phoenix needs to consider starting him earlier than later.

Whether it’s fair to believe or not, considering what many may think to be lofty expectations, one of owner Mat Ishbia’s most consistent messages is that the plan is to win a championship around Devin Booker.

Suns owner Mat Ishbia: “I’ll ride into a fire with Devin Booker, and I’ll do it proudly… Devin Booker is not getting traded. Devin Booker is our franchise player. We’re going to win a championship here with Devin Booker. I’m excited to do it and be next to him when we do that.” pic.twitter.com/CtyNXnLehp

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) April 30, 2026

With his physical traits, flashes of being able to stretch the floor and an encouraging sign, because of the Suns’ lack of assets and abundance of cap space over the next few seasons thanks to a variety longterm deals and Nassir Little and Bradley Beal’s contracts still on the books, Maluach may be the person with the best chance to be Booker’s running mate to help achieve the franchise’s goal.

While he didn’t play a lot during his rookie campaign and most of his minutes came when games were decided or the team was dealing with injuries, a strong summer has many excited about his prospects coming into the season. With Mark Williams now signed to a three-year deal for less than the mid-level exception and his future under team control, the team can feel more free in how they operate at the center position, not having to think about contract negotiations with a player they traded two first-round picks to acquire. In 60 games last season, Williams averaged 11.7 points, 8 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game. He missed the playoffs with a foot injury, and his numbers dipped once the 2026 part of the season started.

Receiving 2026 NBA All-Summer League Team honors, the player they call “Man Man,” averaged 19.5 points, 2 blocks, and 12.8 rebounds per game, which led Summer League.

The 2026 NBA All-Summer League Second Team:

Cedric Coward, @memgrizz
Egor Dёmin, @BrooklynNets
Khaman Maluach, @Suns
Liam McNeeley, @hornets
Zyon Pullin, @Timberwolves

The team was selected by a vote of all 30 NBA teams based on performance at Summer League in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/jbkB0XsQvt

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) July 21, 2026

To get back to the Finals and for the franchise to win its first playoff game since 2023, major development will be required. Players who weren’t key contributors last season need opportunities to contribute in new ways, and thanks to his raw talent and strong Summer, Khaman Maluach could be the perfect player to help the team improve and accomplish its main goal.

---

This week’s question asks: How many wins will the Houston Rockets have this season?

The Rockets have been on a roller coaster since the start of the decade. From a franchise-changing trade in 2021 that sent James Harden, the Rockets’ best player, for almost a decade to a complete overhaul that saw them hit rock bottom and end up in the lottery for several seasons. The latest iteration of the Rockets has shifted from a team full of young, promising players struggling for wins to a more veteran-led team expected to make deep playoff runs.

Even though the Rockets made the playoffs the past two seasons, they hoped for more, especially after the blockbuster trade that brought Kevin Durant to Houston last offseason. The past two seasons have seen the Rockets bow out in the first round despite winning 52 games both seasons.

Now, heading into year two of the Durant era, the Rockets hope the return of Fred VanVleet and the additions of Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic will finally give them the push they need to get past the first round for the first time since 2020. We asked the SB Nation community for their opinion on how many wins the Rockets will have this upcoming season.

This is what you said:

The SB Nation community has spoken, and 68 percent think the Rockets will win at least 51 games for the third straight season. As mentioned earlier, the Rockets have won exactly 52 games in the past two seasons, and in the Western Conference, every win counts, as spots three through five were separated by only two games.

Some fans believe the Rockets will go backward this season. 32 percent believe the Rockets will win fewer than 51 games. After last season’s disappointing finish, it is understandable that some fans have lost confidence in the team, as the Rockets didn’t make a big splash this offseason like they did last summer.

The Rockets front office and coaching staff have made it a point to say that they believe VanVleet’s return and the other additions mentioned earlier in this article will be enough to finally get past the first round this upcoming season. With a full roster this season, if the Rockets can stay healthy, I believe the Rockets can get to 55 wins, which should be enough to have home-court advantage, something the Rockets did not have this past playoff.

Dont forget to check out our sponsor FanDuel for all your basketball odds. The Rockets are a plus 470 to win 55 games next season, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. That means if you bet 100 dollars and the Rockets win 55 games or more, you win 470 dollars!

Thank you to the SB Nation community for voting!

I apologize there was no Open Thread yesterday, I have been experiencing some technical difficulties. For the time being, Ms. Marilyn Dubinski has graciously offered to post the OT for me. Without further ado:

On Friday, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox released his new Fox 3 shoes through the Under Armour brand. The $125 sneakers are lighter and more responsive than its predecessor. 

De’Aaron Fox’s new kicks, the Fox 3, dropped today. pic.twitter.com/qXin1aIIkv

— Michael C. Wright (@mikecwright) September 4, 2026

“Every version of my signature shoe has gotten better because we keep learning from how I move and what I need on the court,” Fox shared.

De’Aaron Fox officially steps out from Curry Brand today.

His new Fox 3 ($125) is the first model to live fully under Under Armour.

It was specifically designed to be lightweight (11.9 oz) with Flow traction and Charged cushioning. In other words, it’s built purely for speed,… pic.twitter.com/OgQaG9DgLL

— SpursRΞPORTΞR (@SpursReporter) September 4, 2026

The “Gamer” edition has a bright colorway to parallel Fox’s love of video games. This latest edition, which he premiered during Playoffs, weighs under 12 ounces due in prt to a mesh covering. The shoe has been modified with charged cushioning, a thermoplastic polyurethane shank for support, and a rubberless sole for cushioning and bottom grip, designed by Under Armour to respond to Fox’s speed and sudden directional changes. While the shoes are designed to elevate your game, they do not guarantee a speed increase in your downhill game.

---

Welcome to The Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, do not troll and watch the language.

The offseason has been a near overhaul for the Lakers’ roster, and former NBA player Matt Barnes is having fun analyzing it.

In a video with TMZ Sports, Barnes called out the team’s roster and said it’s the “whitest Laker team since the Minneapolis Lakers.”

Barnes cracked a smile as he was joking about the Lakers team and then went on to praise them for building around Luka Dončić.

“But again, man, when you’ve got Luka and AR [Austin Reaves] out there, to me two of the best scoring guards in the league. They added some depth,” Barnes said. “To me, I just got to see it. Everyone wants to give a hot take and predict what they feel like they’re gonna do.”

The Lakers are preparing to enter the first year of the Dončić era after LeBron James departed from the franchise after an eight-year stint.

The Lakers have spent the offseason building around Dončić as the team fulfilled his request for a big man by acquiring Walker Kessler via sign-and-trade, giving him a four-year extension for $130 million.

The team also extended Reaves, Dončić’s partner in crime, by giving him a four-year, $185 million max contract that includes a player option in the final year of his deal.

The front office has also built a strong supporting cast, adding Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle.

“They’re trying to build around him. I don’t know if there is new ownership or not, so they gotta kind of figure that out,” Barnes said. “The Lakers, whether they’re up or down, when they’re down, they don’t stay down long. So, it’s going to be interesting to see what this season looks like.”

The Lakers’ ownership saga over the last three weeks has been dizzying, to say the least.

Mark Walter agreed to sell his shares of the Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger at a historic valuation of $12.5 billion, less than a year after Walter bought the team from the Buss family. 

All while Walter’s business empire is facing a federal investigation into potential loan fraud and business wrongdoings.

As for the Buss family, it has another date in court as current Lakers governor Jeanie Buss attempts to block her five siblings (Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss) from selling the family’s 17.8% share of the Lakers to Kushner and Iger.

There are clear stakes tied to the results of the litigation: If Jeanie is able to block her siblings’ attempted sale, she’d maintain the ownership stakes of the Lakers that are required for her to remain the franchise’s governor for at least the next four years, which was a part of the deal she had with Walter when her family sold the team.

But if the siblings are able to go through with the sale, Jeanie wouldn’t be able to stay on as the Lakers’ governor because the league requires a governor to have an ownership stake of at least 15% in the franchise. 

And that’s without even adding the context of a source close to the NBA telling The Post’s Charles Gasparino that Kushner will be the Lakers’ governor once he and Iger’s purchase is official, with Kushner being expected to have the largest shares of the Lakers.

The Lakers’ internal hierarchy could go in multiple directions. 

But when it comes to Jeanie Buss, her options to maintain her role as Lakers governor appear to be narrow. 

The Athletic first reported that Buss would be open to acquiring other ownership stakes to reach the 15% threshold to remain governor.  

But as detailed in the 97-page petition Buss’ lawyers filed in Los Angeles Superior Court last week looking to block her siblings’ attempted sale of their minority ownership stake of the franchise, it was made clear that while a couple of the Lakers’ other minority owners support Buss staying as governor, they also don’t intend to sell their shares. 

“[Patrick] Soon-Shiong and [Ed] Roski [Jr.] have made the determination, as has Jeanie, that the value of Lakers stock will continue to increase over the value of the stock in the current proposed offer for the purchase by a group led by Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner of Lakers stock owned by Mark Walter,” the petition states. “And, for that reason, they have no intent to sell their Lakers stock at this time.

“They also believe that Jeanie is the right person to continue as the Controlling Owner and NBA Governor of the Lakers to help preserve and continue to grow the value of their Lakers stock investments.”

ESPN first reported Soon-Shiong’s desire to keep his 4% stake of the Lakers. And with Roski, who owns about 3% of the franchise, also looking to maintain his ownership of the Lakers, that’s around 7% of the franchise that won’t be available for Buss to purchase.

Could her siblings sell their shares to her? 

Yes, it’s technically possible but also realistically improbable. 

For one, would Buss’ siblings be willing to do business with her after the acrimony over the last decade-plus — which included Joey and Jesse Buss being fired from their front office positions less than a year ago, and Jeanie firing Jim as the Lakers’ executive vice president of basketball operations in 2017?

And even if her siblings were willing to sell their ownership stakes to her, would Buss have the financial backing to make that kind of purchase, especially in light of the franchise’s growing valuation?

The answers to both questions make it unlikely the sides would strike a deal. 

All of which limits Buss’ options to remain Lakers governor. 

And puts more attention back on the litigation with her siblings.

SunsRank continues as we look at the Phoenix Suns roster in its entirety and try to determine the team’s hierarchy. It is an exercise I always enjoy because it captures exactly how we feel at a specific point in time. Right now, that point is September. Hope is still alive. Possibility is everywhere. We can talk ourselves into players, rotations, roles, and outcomes before reality gets its filthy little hands on everything.

Then we do this again at the end of the season and see how much has changed. Players change. We change. Expectations change. Perceptions change. Right now, we are full of hope. Based on our experiences with the Phoenix Suns, there is a decent chance we will end the season carrying some level of disappointment. Watching that curve develop is always interesting. Who rose? Who fell? Who surprised us? Who was responsible for the shift?

In our last installment, we dealt with the Depth Pieces. Based on the voting, here is where we currently stand.

#	2025-26 SunRank	Community SunsRank	Writers SunsRank
15	Koby Brea	Pat Spencer	Jamaree Bouyea
16	Amir Coffey	Jamaree Bouyea	Pat Spencer
17	Isaiah Livers	CJ Huntley	CJ Huntley
18	CJ Huntley	Koby Brea	Koby Brea

There are a couple of interesting things you can take away from both the community rankings and the writers’ rankings. The first is that the writers value Jamaree Bouyea more than the community does. Perhaps that’s the shine of a new toy that Pat Spencer brings, knowing he possesses a defensive mentality that makes him a little more appealing to the community.

What I find more interesting, though, is that Koby Brea ranks 18th overall. In one summer, he dropped from 15th to 18th. That’s understandable considering two players are no longer on the team, but he was also jumped by CJ Huntley, who finished 18th in SunsRank at the end of last season. Perhaps that’s a result of the unimpressive Summer League Brea had in Las Vegas. Across five games and 26.1 minutes per game, he averaged 7.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. More concerning was the shooting, as he hit 30% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc.

For someone whose superpower is supposed to be shooting, that certainly wasn’t encouraging, and it most likely played into why both the community and the writers have him slotted last in the preseason SunsRank.

Now it is time to rank the Wild Cards. These are the players who could become more important than expected. There is no guarantee they carve out a major role, but there is enough intrigue, talent, or opportunity for them to surprise us and force their way into the rotation. These are the fringe guys carrying a little bit of hope with them. And where there is hope, there is possibility.

So let us continue the SunsRank journey and meet the Wild Cards, based on your previous voting and who ultimately landed in this tier.

The Wild Cards

Haywood Highsmith

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	STL	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
7	13.0	5.4	1.9	1.0	0.6	52.2%	57.1%	85.7%	117.8	116.1	+10

Highsmith is a true wild card because we still don’t really know what he can bring or where his health currently stands. After undergoing surgery in August 2025 to repair a meniscal tear in his right knee, he played only seven games with the Suns last season.

There’s optimism that the three-and-D wing can make an impact, but so much of that depends on whether he can stay healthy.

Khaman Maluach

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	BLK	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
46	8.9	3.0	2.9	0.1	0.7	53.3%	23.8%	71.0%	106.0	103.5	+47

It’s funny because when I look back at the stat line and see that Maluach played 46 games last season, it doesn’t really feel like he did. The hope is that he gets much more run this season, and the expectation is that he should. The second-year center, who turns 20 in less than 10 days, is expected to be an integral part of the Suns’ future.

Unlike Koby Brea, Maluach had a stellar Summer League and absolutely dominated. In 27.4 minutes per game, he averaged 19.5 points and 12.8 rebounds while shooting 40% from three. He was a force. But that was Summer League. What he does next, and how much opportunity he receives this season, will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow.

Koa Peat

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	STL	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG
36	27.8	14.1	5.6	2.6	0.6	52.8%	35.0%	62.3%	119.5	100.7

We spent all last season wondering how the hell the Suns were going to navigate not having a first-round pick, and Brian Gregory worked his magic to sneak into the back end of the first round and select Koa Peat, the local kid who went to high school in Phoenix and played at the University of Arizona.

Peat had a productive Summer League, averaging 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 51% from the field in Las Vegas. It gave us a glimpse of what he could potentially become: someone who is confident with the ball in his hands and has no problem attacking the rim. It was an impressive summer for the 19-year-old.

How much playing time he gets this season remains to be seen, and that will depend on a multitude of factors, including team health and scheme.

Luke Kennard

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	STL	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
78	21.5	8.4	2.3	2.2	0.7	53.3%	47.8%	91.3%	114.2	113.7	+41

The Suns lost shooting when they traded away Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, but the outgoing salary in the Miles Bridges deal opened the door for Phoenix to enter free agency and replace some of it. What they found was one of the best three-point shooters in the league.

Kennard shot 47.8% from beyond the arc last season. The challenge with him has always been volume. He doesn’t take nearly as many threes as O’Neale or Allen did, and that will probably have to change in Phoenix, especially considering how much this team will need help from deep. But if shooting is what you need, there are few players better equipped to provide it than Luke Kennard.

Rasheer Fleming

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	STL	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
55	12.2	4.3	2.3	0.3	0.4	40.5%	34.6%	55.9%	112.7	106.6	+97

The second year forward out of Saint Joseph’s enters the season with high expectations after being productive in the limited opportunities he received as a rookie. Yes, the stat sheet says 55 games played, but his 12.2 minutes per game show that the Suns didn’t use him as often as some might have wanted.

You would think Fleming enters this season as the second option on the depth chart, but until the games are played, we don’t really know how much opportunity he’s going to get. Then it becomes about what he does with it. Can he continue to be a quality defender? Can he become a knockdown shooter from beyond the arc? There are plenty of things he already does well. Does his game grow or plateau?

Ryan Dunn 

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	STL	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
70	19.4	5.8	4.2	1.5	0.9	45.3%	33.1%	48.9%	110.4	108.7	+4

Ryan Dunn enters the season as one of the more interesting players on this roster. Why? He’ll make $2.9 million this year, but Phoenix holds a $5 million team option for next season. With extensions continuing to come due and roster decisions needing to be made, Dunn’s contract could become expendable if he doesn’t prove his value.

There wasn’t a major jump from Year 1 to Year 2, so the hope is that his third season finally brings the productivity and two-way impact the Suns envisioned when they drafted him in the first round out of Virginia.

---

Ready to rank these Wild Cards? Rank them as you see fit, and let us know in the comments below why you put each player where you did.

While the Lakers have lots of new faces joining the franchise this season, one of the more intriguing players returning is Bronny James.

The only real discussion about him this offseason is whether or not he’d be used as a trade pawn before or after his father’s free agency decision. Once it became clear the Lakers were holding onto him, he drifted into the background.

It’s a spot he’s been comfortable in while with the Lakers. But entering his third year, the expectations will start to rise. Following a couple of seasons of development, the results will need to come this year.

In a recent radio interview, Bronny spoke on ESPN LA’s “Mason & Ireland” about what he’s focused on this summer.

“All across the board I’m trying to get better. I’m playing with Luka and AR still, so I’m going to be off ball. When it’s needed, I need to be able to knock down shots and create for others and I think I’ve been doing a good job at that this summer.”

Bronny’s role with the team will become a bit more streamlined this season. With the offense built around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves being on the ball, Bronny’s role will be as an off-ball guard.

Focusing on what will come in those moments is the best way to handle his offseason work. He talked a bit more about that when asked about what type of player he sees himself becoming.

“I feel like I can be a secondary ballhandler to Luka and AR and generate whatever offense. Catch-and-shoot, pick-and-roll offense and stuff like that. I just pride myself in being an all-around player and whatever’s needed, I’m up for it.”

This is a make-or-break year for Bronny. The Lakers have a wealth of options at guard, both older and younger than him. With a team option for next season, the clock is ticking for Bronny, who needs to start making an impact in games.

He has the right mindset for what to work on this summer, but, again, that will have to lead to real production this season.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

CelticsBlogSB Nation Reacts: Mazzulla’s seat is, well, lukewarm

CLNS MediaIs Jayson Tatum Ready to Be a Leader?

The 1988 Duel That Nobody Remembers: Larry Bird and Michael Jordan at Chicago Stadium

Celtics WireThere is another Celtics story coming out of Los Angeles

Former Celtics forward Jared Sullinger announces retirement

Why the Boston Celtics are the winners of the Los Angeles Clippers – Kawhi Leonard scandal

Jordan Walsh on paying it forward, growing his game with Boston Celtics

Every Maine player drafted by the Boston Celtics

Celtics history: Raptors even ’20 Orlando bubble East Semis vs. Boston

The CBA killed the last NBA superteam, the 2023-24 Celtics

Hardwood Houdini Who should get the Celtics’ final two-way roster spot?

Jordan Walsh turning to Paul George for help building new offensive identity

Magic sign former Celtics guard as NBA training camp nears

Jared Sullinger’s retirement breeds underrated Celtics ‘what-if?’

CLNS Media/YouTubeCould the Celtics EXTEND Paul George? | Celtics Beat

Is Jayson Tatum READY to Be a Leader? | Bob Ryan & Jeff Goodman Podcast

HeavyCeltics Trade Pitch Sends 3 Players, 2 Picks for New Jayson Tatum Co-Star

Ex-Celtics Fan Favorite Announces Retirement Amid Career News

Lakers Trade Pitch Lands Derrick Jones Jr., Sends Dalton Knecht to Celtics

SI .comBest and Worst Case Scenarios for the Boston Celtics This Season

Fadeaway World10 Most Slept-On NBA Players Poised To Make A Huge Leap This Season

Celtics RoundtableFormer Boston Celtics Coach Leads Team USA to FIBA Win

Locked on NBAWhich NBA Teams improved The Most? Which Regressed?

Fan RecapPaul George Is Already Shaping A Celtics Teammates Next Step

Lonzo Ball Just Reignited A Celtics Debate Fans Never Escape

NBA Star Disrespects Tatum & Bird With Vicious Takedown

Former Celtics First-Round Pick Reflects On Career That Ended Too Soon

Basketball Network“I caught three of them at the right time” – Doc Rivers admits he got lucky with Celtics’ Big Three

FansidedRanking the 5 biggest threats to the Knicks and 76ers in the East

True Hoop Ten guys who might make a big difference

Grant Napear spent 31 years calling Sacramento Kings games. Then one tweet blew up his career.

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Bonneville International Corp. was within its rights to fire the longtime Kings announcer after he responded to former NBA player DeMarcus Cousins with an “All Lives Matter” message during the nationwide protests following George Floyd’s death.

Napear was off work in May 2020 and watching coverage of the protests when Cousins, a Black former Kings star then playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, asked him on Twitter, now known as X: “What’s your take on BLM?”

Napear replied that he was glad to hear from Cousins, then wrote: “ALL LIVES MATTER … EVERY SINGLE ONE!!!”

That was enough to cost him both of his broadcasting jobs.

Bonneville, which employed Napear as a KTHK radio host and the Kings’ play-by-play announcer, suspended him the next day and fired him one day later.

Napear sued, arguing that the company had punished him for personal political expression that had nothing to do with his work.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco rejected that argument, saying Bonneville could take action to protect its public reputation.

The three-judge panel pointed to Napear’s status as a public figure and the language in his employment contract, which required him to maintain “a high standard of care and level of responsibility” on social media because it could affect the company’s “public image and reputation.”

The judges said California law does not appear to “prevent employers from limiting employees’ political expression undertaken within the scope of their employment such that it impacts the public reputation” of the employer.

They also concluded that Napear’s Twitter activity “involved his celebrity persona such that his statement fell within the scope of his professional capacity.”

Napear’s attorney, Matthew Ruggles, fiercely disputed that conclusion.

“Grant Napear actually owned that Twitter account, had published approximately 38,500 tweets before he tweeted ‘All Lives Matter…Every Single One,’ and that tweet was not made on-air, during work, or as part of any radio show,” Ruggles told The San Francisco Chronicle. “It was Grant’s personal expression, and that issue should be decided by a jury, not the court.”

Ruggles said he will seek a rehearing before the full appeals court and, if that fails, ask the Supreme Court to review the case.

The ruling upheld US District Judge Dale Drozd’s decision to dismiss Napear’s lawsuit without a trial.

Drozd was appointed by former President Barack Obama.

Napear spent the next five years podcasting before returning to radio last August as a daily host on Fox Sports Radio in Sacramento.

He had also faced controversy for defending disgraced former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling and later calling former broadcast partner Doug Christie a “coward” for not defending him after his 2020 firing.

Napear isn’t the first sports broadcaster to lose a job over social media.

Former major league pitcher Mike Bacsik was fired by a Dallas radio station in 2010 after a disparaging post about “Mexicans in San Antonio.”

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

A second round exit to the Knicks after a devastating injury to Jayson Tatum? We can stomach that.

A subsequent first round exit against another hated rival? It hurts to lose to the 76ers, but a rough shooting streak and losing Tatum for Game 7 adds a little context to another disappointing playoffs.

Now, heading into Year 5 after a Coach of the Year campaign, the Celtics are arguably better with Tatum replacing Jaylen Brown as the #1 option and veterans Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, and Mike Conley Jr. rounding out the young roster.

However, the East has retooled, too. Brown is now with last year’s ousters — along with LeBron James — and New York is defending the title. Can Boston eclipse the 56 wins they posted last year and more importantly, go deeper in the playoffs? Where we are in April, May, and June might determine just how hot Mazzulla’s seat is.

Here’s reader RJB33 on what Mazzulla needs to do to continue as the Celtics’ head coach:

I’m still not totally over the Eastern Conference Finals collapse from 2023, so I’d really like to see the Mazzulla Celtics overachieve in the playoffs at some point. In ’24, they did what they were supposed to do with a fair amount of matchup luck. (Which isn’t nothing, obviously, when it brings a banner. But there’s an argument any competent coach could have done it.) The other three years, they got upset and embarrassed.

Mazzulla has a strong track record in the regular season. But if you can’t get it done in the playoffs, that can actually hurt you by weakening your draft position to no avail. I think he’s got it in him to have a great coaching career, but he’s got to show the playoff performances were a fluke, ideally this year, or it will be time to try something else.

Our friends at FanDuel are bullish on Boston and still have the Celtics (+1400) with the fifth highest odds to win a championship behind the Thunder (+230), Spurs (+280), Knicks (+1000), and Sixers (+1000).

So… the Clippers, huh.

BREAKING: The NBA has ruled on the Los Angeles Clippers in for salary cap circumvention investigations on Kawhi Leonard after yearlong probe — stripping the franchise of 5 first-round picks, issuing a $30 million fine to owner Steve Ballmer and suspensions for Ballmer, Lawrence… pic.twitter.com/JCV5bI88BE

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 2, 2026

The year-long probe surrounding alleged salary cap manipulation ended on Wednesday and handed down one of the biggest punishments in professional sports history, suspending multiple key officials, fining the organization $30 million, and taking five first-round picks. It’s not entirely unprecedented (see: Joe Smith), but it’s pretty damn startling.

While there are many things to take away from this ruling (particularly with how Kawhi seems to have completely gotten away with this), the biggest thing might just be how unimaginably bad the Kawhi Leonard era went in LA.

To get Leonard to sign with them in 2019, the Clippers had to trade for Paul George, a trade that has gone down as one of the worst in league history due to the sheer magnitude of picks traded and how it kickstarted the Thunder’s contention window by giving them Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

In seven years, it was disappointment after disappointment, with the highlight being a trip to the 2021 Western Conference Finals that ended in a blowout defeat at home in Game 6. George left and was replaced by James Harden; Harden left, and Leonard is choosing to return to Toronto after burning this franchise to the ground behind him.

In total, with Leonard (likely) going to the Raptors at some point, this is what the Clippers gave up for his services, both to convince him to sign and convince him to stay:

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• Danilo Gallinari
• 2021 MIA 1st (#18 – Tre Mann)
• 2022 LAC 1st (#12 – Jalen Williams)
• 2023 1st Pick Swap (not conveyed)
• 2024 LAC 1st (#26 – Dillon Jones)
• 2025 MIA 1st (Lottery Protected, became Thomas Sorber)
• 2025 1st Pick Swap (Conveyed, Nique Clifford)
• 2026 LAC 1st (#12 – Aday Mara)
• 2029 IND 1st (voided by NBA)
• 2030 LAC 1st (voided by NBA)
• 2031 LAC 1st (voided by NBA)
• 2032 LAC 1st (voided by NBA)
• 2033 LAC 1st (voided by NBA)

Good grief.

This is, hands down, the worst trade in NBA history. It destroyed an entire franchise’s future 10-15 years for three playoff series victories in seven years. At least Billy King only messed up the Nets for five years.

It does get you thinking, though. How bad has it gotten for the Knicks? We can recall some pretty nasty trades from recent or even less recent history, but just how close do they get to the utter franchise-alteringly bad level as the Paul George trade?

Gene Shue To Detroit Fort Wayne (April 1956)

Knicks Receive: Ron Sobie
Pistons Receive: Gene Shue

We’re starting old school, back when the Pistons were still based in Fort Wayne. Before researching this, I had no clue who these guys were and would be very surprised if we had anyone in our community who’s been around long enough to remember watching them play (prove me wrong if so!)

Shue, the No. 3 overall pick in 1954, was sold to the Knicks just six games into his rookie year, but was nothing more than a regular role player in his near-two years in New York, averaging 9.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 1955-56.

Very shortly after the season, the 6’2” guard was dealt on draft night to Fort Wayne for Ron Sobie, the No. 7 overall pick. Sobie didn’t do much in four years, playing 191 total games and averaging 8.5 points and 4.1 rebounds before being sold to Minneapolis in December 1959, where he’d play just one more game ever.

As for Shue? He grew into his own as the Pistons moved to Detroit, being named to his first All-Star team in 1958 before getting down-ballot MVP votes over the next several seasons. He eventually grew into a 23-PPG scorer and made First-Team All-NBA in 1960. Five All-Star teams, two top-10 MVP finishes, and two All-NBA selections in six years in Detroit.

The Knicks would actually get a chance to rectify their mistake with Shue, re-acquiring him for Darrall Imhoff before the 1962-63 season, but he started to regress in his age-31 season, and he was out of basketball by the end of 1964.

While Shue never won Detroit a championship, he would’ve been a tremendous help to a Knicks team that went through its first Dark Ages prior to the 70s revival. In the six years with Shue in Detroit, the Knicks had one losing season and won sub-30 games in three of those seasons.

Choosing $4.8 Million Over Julius Erving (1976)

This is, unequivocally, the worst decision in franchise history. All of these other moves were trades that went wrong, but in the spirit of bad decisions, we’re going to cover this as well.

When the Nets were among the teams chosen to join the NBA after the ABA merger in 1976, the Knicks demanded that they pay a fee of $4.8 million (over 10 years) for encroaching on their territorial rights, a request that was sustained by the NBA alongside their $3.2 million fee for joining the league. In total, the Nets had to come up with $8 million just to exist.

The Knicks would get their money, alongside eventually suing the Nets and forcing them to move from Long Island to New Jersey, but made an unforgivable, disgusting error in the process.

Dr. J made $350,000 during this time, but wanted a renegotiation. As such, the Nets were willing to offload his salary and offered him to the Knicks, then owned by the Graham Paige Corporation and ran by Eddie Donovan in the front office.

The Knicks said no. They chose a few million, which was a lot at the time to be fair, over a future Hall of Famer.

Philadelphia purchased Erving for $3 million, and the rest is history. The Knicks let a rival get the best incoming ABA talent available and watched him lead the Sixers to a championship in 1983 while spending over a decade as a top-five player in the game.

Oh yeah, not to mention that the Knicks were mostly irrelevant during his time in the league and got swept twice by the Sixers in 1978 and 1983. Imagine if the Knicks could’ve gone from Clyde and Willis Reed to Dr. J. Ugh.

Maurice Lucas to the Suns (July 1982)

Knicks Receive: Truck Robinson
Suns Receive: Maurice Lucas

In the time between the Knicks’ eras of relevance in the 70s and 90s, it wasn’t anything too bad in the 80s, just inconsistency as they waited for the next big thing in Patrick Ewing to get them back into contention.

They seemed to stumble upon something huge in the summer of 1981, when the New Jersey Nets sent them a 28-year-old Maurice Lucas as a form of compensation for signing Ray Williams in free agency. Think of it as a precursor to a sign-and-trade. Nonetheless, the team got a former All-Star and All-Defense power forward still in his athletic prime.

In his one year in New York, Lucas averaged 15.8 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 50.3% from the field. It was his best overall season since he was in Portland, but the Knicks never saw him a long-term option, shipping him to Phoenix for Truck Robinson one year later.

The deal made sense at the time, as Robinson was even more productive than Lucas the season prior, but he hit hard regression in his age-31 season in 1982-83 and only lasted two seasons in New York, flaming out by age 33. He would hear it from the fans, being nicknamed “Dump Truck” for his startling fall-off.

Meanwhile, Lucas made his fifth All-Star team in his first year in Phoenix as part of a second prime that slowly dissipated a few years later. While Lucas would only have 2-3 years of All-Star level talent post-trade, it was a helluva lot better than Robinson.

They could’ve used that force at PF, you know. Bernard King and Bill Cartwright carried the Knicks to consecutive playoff appearances in 1983 and 1984, with the latter team being a game away from the Eastern Conference Finals. Just imagine how it would go if Lucas were there instead of Robinson.

Then again, if not for the dismantling of that team following the 1983-84 season, Ewing might not have ever been a Knick. Food for thought.

Rod Strickland To San Antonio (February 1990)

Knicks Receive: Maurice Cheeks
Spurs Receive: Rod Strickland

The Knicks had their reasons for making this trade, it just aged badly.

Strickland was a solid backup point guard in his first year and a half in the league, but was blocked by Mark Jackson. The Knicks, who had risen to become a perennial playoff team in the late 80s, were thinking about getting to the next level, so they traded a young guard who was blocked for a 33-year-old veteran who could fit the role better as one of the league’s best defensive guards.

Cheeks, an NBA champion in Philly in 1983 and again as an assistant on this year’s staff, played a total of 107 games as a Knick, averaging eight points and five assists while adequately raising his game in the postseason. He was shipped out prior to 1991-92 for a pick that became Charlie Ward before retiring a year later. The player they got was fine, but they definitely could’ve used Strickland.

Jackson had a ceiling as a Knick, one that he reached quite early and led to his departure after 1991-92. Strickland, meanwhile, would become a great starting guard in San Antonio and Portland, eventually averaging 19 points and nine assists in his prime during the mid-to-late 90s.

I wonder if an offensively challenged Knicks team, one that relied on gritty defense without a true point guard and having to rely on John Starks (more of a 2-guard) to provide playmaking. Imagine if Strickland was the point guard instead of Doc Rivers in 1994.

The Eddy Curry Fiasco (October 2005)

Knicks Receive: Eddy Curry, Antonio Davis
Bulls Receive: Jermaine Jackson, Mike Sweetney, Tim Thomas, 2006 NYK 1st, 2007 Pick Swap, 2007 NYK 2nd, 2009 NYK 2nd

Isiah Thomas is damn lucky I’m only including one of his trades.

This was really bad. Eddy Curry was a fine player for the Bulls, one who was worth a decent salary and averaged 16 points and five rebounds at the end of his rookie contract. Putting aside the fact that he was seven-foot and grabbed way less rebounds than an average center, it’s a fine guy to trade for.

But that much? In a sign-and-trade? And you give him $60 million over six years to make the 23-year-old the sixth-highest-paid center in basketball? After seeing the Bulls drag their feet on an extension because of an irregular heartbeat? Seriously?

The players they gave up weren’t a big deal. Jermaine Jackson never played for the Bulls. Mike Sweetney replaced Curry as the starting center and was much worse before being out of the league by 2008. Tim Thomas played just three games as a Bull before being cut.

It’s the picks. It’s the hubris of believing the team was an Eddy Curry away from turning things around.

When Leon Rose traded a mountain of picks for Mikal Bridges, he understood that it might not result in a championship and assumed risk down the road, but also knew it wouldn’t immediately blow up due to the team having a very high floor as constructed. Worst-case scenario, the Nets get good picks in 2029 and 2031, not 2025 or 2027.

Isiah was not as wise.

The Knicks won just 33 games the year before. They added Curry, Jerome James, Nate Robinson, and rookies Channing Frye and David Lee, and hired the man who won a title with a Pistons team that was better than the sum of its parts two years prior. They made a gamble that it would all work.

It didn’t. At all. They won just 23 games despite James Dolan paying luxury tax. They had the second-worst record in basketball, and they’d get nothing for it. The Bulls got the No. 2 pick in the draft and had future All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge fall into their lap. Now, they messed that up by sending him to Portland for Tyrus Thomas and Viktor Khryapa, but the point remains.

The following year, the Knicks won just 33 games after Isiah took over as head coach. The Bulls won a bunch more, exercising the swap and taking the No. 9 pick, which became future Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah.

The two top picks traded for Curry became two of the best big men of their generation. The second picks didn’t result in much, but the Bulls traded the 2007 2nd for Thabo Sefolosha and the 2009 2nd in a weird future swap with Portland, but the damage remains.

As for Curry on the Knicks, he had a great 2006-07, averaging 19.5 points and seven rebounds. After that, with four years left on his contract, he played a total of 69 more games as a Knick as he battled injuries, his weight, and a bad work ethic. Complete, franchise-altering disaster.

Tracy McGrady Becomes a Knick (February 2010)

Knicks Receive: Tracy McGrady, Sergio Rodriguez
Rockets Receive: Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries, Hilton Armstrong, Kevin Martin, 2011 Pick Swap, 2012 NYK 1st
Kings Receive: Joey Dorsey, Carl Landry, Larry Hughes

This trade wasn’t catastrophic by any means, but it’s inclusion is meant to represent all the times over the years that management traded draft picks for absolutely no reason, headlined by its most baffling.

A first-round pick, a swap, the guy you picked in the lottery literally eight months ago, and Jared Jeffries… for a 31-year-old rental who’s past his prime. It embodies the incompetence of the Knicks back then.

Jordan Hill wasn’t good, but they picked him between Steph Curry and DeMar DeRozan in June 2009. It’s ridiculous to give up on this guy that quickly, and it says a lot about the front office’s drafting ability and thought process. Jeffries and Hughes were okay role players. None of these guys would come back to bite you.

But like the Curry trade, it’s the damn picks. The 2011 swap didn’t convey because, unlike Isiah, Donnie Walsh actually added good players in between to ensure no collapse, as Amar’e Stoudemire lifted the Knicks to the postseason in 2011 (disregard that Houston had a better record and the West being a gauntlet was the only reason the swap didn’t convey). The 2012 pick landed at No. 16, but the 2012 draft was hilariously shallow, so Royce White doesn’t come back to bite him.

As for McGrady and Rodriguez? Neither of them played for the Knicks past April 2010. McGrady, particularly, played abysmally in 24 starts down the stretch and had to settle for a veteran minimum with the Pistons that summer. For a team that, at the time of the trade, was well below .500, it’s completely inconceivable.

Well, I guess it was meant to open up cap space for LeBron and company that offseason, and while Amar’e was a solid consolation prize (for a minute), the franchise’s incompetence at that point made it rather foolish to think the best player in the world was dying to come there. Good thing we didn’t do this again nine years later!

Acquiring Carmelo Anthony (February 2011)

Knicks Receive: Carmelo Anthony, Renaldo Balkman, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, Corey Brewer
Nuggets Receive: Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, Kosta Koufos, 2014 NYK 1st, 2016 Pick Swap, 2012 GSW 2nd, 2013 NYK 2nd
Timberwolves Receive: Eddy Curry, Anthony Randolph, 2015 DEN 2nd

Here’s a bold one, and no, I’m not saying this as someone who doesn’t like Melo. He was my favorite Knick when I first got into this team and I’ll always have a soft spot for him. The trade itself is relatively fine; the problem lies with the circumstances surrounding it.

Melo was due to be an unrestricted free agent that summer. The Knicks had plenty of space to give him the new max contract he desired from Denver. Instead of waiting until the summer to pair him with Amar’e in a move many believed was obvious, a paranoid Donnie Walsh was terrified of the crosstown Nets getting him instead, with the whole “Jay-Z as part-owner” schtick. Melo was not choosing the damn Nets, but the Knicks weren’t taking that risk.

It was a huge, 13-player trade, one that also involved dumping Curry’s contract to Minnesota. Let’s break down the guys that came with Melo, who’s story in New York is well known already:

• Renaldo Balkman, who was drafted by the Knicks and traded to Denver in July 2008, played just 17 games after this trade in the next two seasons.
• 34-year-old Chauncey Billups actually played very well in 21 starts down the stretch as an expiring contract, which convinced the Clippers he still had it (he played just 42 games in the next two seasons).
• Anthony Carter played 19 games as a Knick before signing with the Raptors that offseason. He played his last game in 2011-12.
• Shelden Williams played 17 games (started six) down the stretch. The big man ended his career with New Jersey the following season, playing just 58 more games.
• Corey Brewer spent six days on the roster before being waived. He won a ring in Dallas that year, and his best years were ahead of him. Whoops.

As for what they gave up? Felton would eventually return a few years later, but the other three had solid NBA careers where they made a lot of money (looking at you, Mozgov). Gallinari’s marksmanship and Chandler’s solid play as a bench wing could’ve been useful off the bench during the Knickstape era, but they were just so horrified of Jay-Z.

The real kicker is the picks, again. Not that they were too damaging, just how funny it wound up being:

• 2012 GSW 2nd: Landed No. 38, turned into Quincy Miller. Unrelated, Khris Middleton went one pick later. Good job, Nuggies.
• 2013 GSW 2nd: Landed No. 51 and was traded to Orlando in the complicated Dwight Howard trade. Became Romero Osby, who never played in the NBA. Did I mention they got these two seconds for trading away David Lee?
• 2014 NYK 1st: Landed No. 12 after a shockingly bad 2013-14 season, but was also sent to Orlando in Dwight trade. Became Dario Saric, who was then sent to Philly

Then there’s the 2016 pick swap. Both Denver and New York stunk in 2015-16, but the Knicks did lose one more game, landing them the No. 7 pick, which would then go to Denver. That became All-Star guard Jamal Murray.

I got good news and bad news from here.

Good news: by virtue of the swap, the Knicks landed the No. 9 pick in the draft, so the swap wasn’t that bad!

Bad news: because of the next trade, they didn’t make that selection.

The Andrea Bargnani Trade (July 2013)

Knicks Receive: Andrea Bargnani
Bulls Receive: Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, Quentin Richardson, 2016 Swap Worst w/DEN, 2014 OKC 2nd, 2017 NYK 2nd

Where do I even begin?

Vibes were high in the Summer of ‘13. After all, the Knicks had gotten to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. Sure, it was a disappointing exit at the hands of the Pacers, but they felt as if their core still had some mileage in it with Melo, Amar’e, Tyson Chandler, Mike Woodson, and friends.

Let’s add another chef to the mix. Enter Bargnani, a failure of a No. 1 pick who enjoyed some solid seasons as Chris Bosh’s second fiddle before becoming a 20-PPG scorer in 2010-11. The two seasons before the trade, he was limited to 65 games, while his stretch-four abilities waned and his three-point shooting regressed sharply. An elbow injury suffered the year before the trade seemed not to dissuade management.

The players they gave up were more sentimental than skilled. Camby was a remnant of the transition from Ewing to Houston/Sprewell, having rejoined the Knicks that past season for the final 24 games of his career at age-38. Richardson was effectively the same, having played one game in 2012-13 in his second stint as a Knick after a nice, four-year run in the 2000s before retiring. Discount Double Check was a fan-favorite sniper, but one that was moved on from at the right time as his minutes and production completely cratered post-trade.

Once again, it’s the picks.

The OKC 2nd landed at No. 59 and was worthless. The 2017 pick landed at No. 36, which was eventually sent to Philly and became Jordan Bolden. Good thing this wasn’t a 2018 pick, phew. The real problem was a swap

The Knicks elected to make a rare move, trading the back end of a pick swap they had already traded. Essentially, Toronto got the worst of their picks and Denver’s picks. The odds of that being in the lottery were slim, but it handed Jakob Poeltl, a solid NBA big man for the last decade, right to them at No. 9.

As for Bargnani’s Knicks career, he sucked. He was the poster child of the team’s failure to maximize the rest of Melo’s prime, as Amar’e regressed hard, Chandler was traded, and this guy made eight figures to make boneheaded decision after boneheaded decision while battling injury. He played just 71 games as a Knick, made $23 million, and was dumped out the door after 2014-15. What a waste.

Welcome to Inside the Suns, a deep-dive analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team in which the Fantable — a roundtable of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.

Fantable Questions of the Week

Q1: There are many fans who believe the Suns should start Collin Gillespie and move Jalen Green to the bench to be the team’s 6th man.  What’s your opinion?

zenzino: Wait and see is my opinion. My guess is that Green will at least begin the season as a starter and they make adjustments as needed. I’m trusting the process.

I know fans are desperate for a point guard alongside Book. But CG isn’t that type of playmaking point guard. Very few of those types of point guards even exist anymore. Luka, SGA, Steph, Murray, and Fox are all “point guards” in the league. Old heads would definitely call those guys shooting guards.

I actually like CG coming off the bench. He always comes out with energy and can get going at any time. We know for a fact that Green plays better when he gets going early. Why put him at a disadvantage?

PHNX Suns podcast had an interesting idea: With the Clippers in disarray, and the fact that Ty Lue is on record as a huge Jalen Green fan, maybe the Suns can work a trade for Darius Garland. Too bad they gave up their 2031 pick. That would be pretty attractive to the Cheats (Clips), and Garland is the right kind of point guard to put next to Book.

Ashton: This has been hashed and rehashed in the comment sections for months. Adding in the recent poll with player SunsRank based on tiers, a surprising number of commentators placed CG in the tier one “cornerstone” category.

I am sorry, but what? Sure, it is a good thought experiment to maybe start CG alongside Book for Summer League. Or even better, let’s see how CG operates the offense alongside Green while Book plays the sixth man and sells colorways from his car trunk in his free time. If you haven’t paid attention, Nike stock has severely tanked since last year (like a certain mortgage company), so this might be the best time to get his signature colorways to the market.

But common all, you don’t sit a 36-million-dollar player on the bench to play the sixth man role. It is critically important that Booker and Green develop synergy and flow with their court play through more minutes together. If it fails because Green is not actually a PG (or Book)? Okay, let’s rehash the CG as a starter conversation again.

OldAz: I should be rich, famous, and running a Fortune 500 company, as long as we are discussing things that will never happen.  I understand the sentiment behind this, as it keeps Booker locked into his more natural shooting guard position, which is probably the biggest single thing the Suns can do to improve their chances of winning. But the reality is that this one thing is not enough to sustain winning game after game anyway.  Also, it ignores the bigger factor…that Green is still a far superior player overall than Collin, and in the NBA that matters a lot when it comes to starting and finishing games.  Maybe too much, to be honest, which is partly what fuels this sentiment.

In reality, Book should only play about 30 minutes a game, same with Green (maybe a little less coming off injury), and Gillespie should be in that same range.  That’s 80-90 minutes combined for 3 players in a 48-minute game.  For those math-challenged, that’s 80-90 of the 96 minutes accounted for.  If somehow all of Booker’s minutes were with Collin on the floor, then there would only be 18 minutes or so left for Green (so he’s not playing enough) and no one of similar quality to play with. And, just like Book, he needs minutes with a true PG on the floor, which would also benefit Green in many of the same ways.

Accordingly, to me it’s not a question of who starts (or even who finishes, which should 100% depend on matchups and who is playing well in that game). It is really about rotations and minutes distribution. Hey Jalen and Book, you are both starting, but we will probably be subbing out one of you for Collin at the 5-minute mark depending on who has it rolling. This seems like a far greater strategy to me. Then, by the end of the game, Book and Collin have been on the floor about 12-15 minutes together, Green and Collin have been on the floor about 12-15 minutes together, and Book and Green have been on the floor 10-15 minutes together, with perhaps some additional minutes here and there where Book or Green are with a different backup guard. In this scenario, who cares who starts?

There, I just belched out a bunch of words about a topic that’s not likely to happen and probably doesn’t make much difference even if it did.

Rod: I’m not really against that idea but unless Gillespie by far outplays Green in training camp and the preseason games, I wouldn’t start the season that way. With both Green and Book missing significant time due to injuries, that backcourt combo hardly had a chance to play together, and I still want to see how it will work out this season. If it doesn’t work well, there will be plenty of time to make changes during the season.

I also think that Ott’s play rotation schemes will be more important than who actually starts. His being flexible with his substitutions should be more of a key to winning than the starting lineup.

Q2: Sam Quinn of CBS Sports recently ranked the Suns front office as the 4th worst in the NBA. What are your thoughts on this?

zenzino: I put CBS Sports in the same category as ESPN as far as their thoughts and opinions. Pretty irrelevant.

Clearly, the writer is a Nets fan. 11 spots higher than the Suns? Bring in Harden when they already had Kyrie, and then trade him for Ben Simmons half a season later? What are they even doing there besides wasting all the draft capital they acquired on really, really stupid picks? The Suns got back into the playoffs, and the Nets are still chasing their tails in the basement.

The Clippers 10 spots higher? Let’s shelve the cheating for a minute. Even without the 5 picks they lost, they still essentially paid 5 firsts, 2 swaps, and a 2-time MVP for Kawhi to take them to a single Conference Final in seven seasons and get beat by the Suns.

I get it, it’s going to take more than one season of alignment to erase the “swing for the fences” that went terribly wrong. And the FO deserves a ton of condemnation for the Bradley Beal trade, which is inexcusable given it happened after the new CBA. Not to mention 3 head coaches in 3 years.

This season brought some much-needed continuity but also an eyebrow-raising trade for Miles Bridges. I’m on record as not being a huge fan of this trade. I alluded to in the previous question: what if the Suns still had that first-round pick to dangle in front of whoever is going to run the Clippers for Garland?

However, I think Bridges is an underrated passer and playmaker. Time will tell. I am hopeful that it will work out.

Two years ago, 4th from the bottom would have been about right. While I still think they are in the bottom half of the class, they are climbing. If they make it into the playoffs (without going through the play-in) this season, they climb into the top half.

Ashton: I am assuming the link will be included in this question, and it is worth reading. CBS Sports can be scathing or misguided in its analysis, but I generally like Sam Quinn’s takes. In this case, I agree with the writer.

While being very detailed on topics that I will not cover here, it does require that fans zoom out to see the whole picture. Taken as a whole, there have been some really bad decisions. Is the Suns FO doing okay on the fringes? Sure. But MI’s swing-and-miss rosters are just horrendous. So bad that the Suns were only the fifth-worst FO last year. I guess there are not a lot of pundits who are fans of the Mile Bridges trade.

Again, if you want to start your day off in a bad mood, read the piece.

OldAz: I read the article. I challenge you to go read the article (if you haven’t yet) and then come back and tell me any specific thing they got wrong about the Suns.  Even if you support many of the moves they have made, or have patience with their overall plan, that write-up was immensely fair.

My only quibble was the article still claiming KD was a top 5 talent when the Suns traded for him, without providing any actual, non-emotion-based evidence.  He was certainly great and more talented than many others on the floor, but he was also well past his prime and not at all worth what they gave up in players and certainly not in players plus draft capital; but that kinda reinforces the article’s point, even though most of that front office was different.

The article does rightly praise many of the Suns’ moves, but is 100% right in calling out their asset management and throwing away draft capital time and again, trying to patch up the boat and keep it afloat a little while longer.  I hope it all works out, but from a front office standpoint, that article seemed to be spot on and fair to me.  Somebody get some duct tape for Ishbia and change the locks to the basketball operations building, and maybe reevaluate them in a few years because they have been trying to catch up ever since that Herschel Walker-style KD trade.

Rod: I really don’t agree with his conclusion…unless you’re including Mat Ishbia as part of the front office. I believe Brian Gregory has done a fine job, considering the situation he’s in. Ishbia has bluntly stated that the Suns will do their best to be a competitive team. That forces Gregory and his staff to focus on short-term improvements rather than working on a full-blown, long-term rebuild plan.

While I consider some of his moves “questionable” (such as the trade for Miles Bridges), the overall direction in which Gregory and the FO are headed is one they were directed to take by Ishbia. In that context, I certainly wouldn’t rate the Suns’ front office this badly.

Q3: What are your thoughts on this quote from Kevin Durant on what he thought went wrong during his time in Phoenix: “I feel as though we were an older group who kind of stuck in our ways as veterans, and veterans kind of like do their own thing a lot.”

zenzino: That probably goes for the coaches as well as the players.

Man, everyone has opinions on this (most of them colored by sour grapes), yet none of us were in the locker room or on the planes. This “locker room cancer” narrative is full-on conjecture and speculation. KD wasn’t the problem in Brooklyn. He wasn’t a problem in GS. He wasn’t a problem in OKC. And Houston…Udoka isn’t known for his smooth ways.

I’m not saying KD is an upstanding team leader. He’s not. He’s a man-child who just wants to hoop and play video games (and troll on social media).

Budenholzer was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad coach for the Suns. Imagine if BG, Ott, and the alignment had come a season earlier. BG and Ott probably could have done great things with that roster (terrible things but great).

I don’t think it had much to do with them being “older veterans”.

In a leadership vacuum, everyone just does their own thing. The HC wasn’t leading. KD isn’t a team leader; never has been. Never will be. Book is a floor leader but not a vocal locker room leader. Beal seemed to be too busy worrying about himself. Everyone else was just along for the ride.

That would never happen in the Brian Gregory era.

Ashton: I have tuned out KD for a while now, but I truly doubt his sincerity in this statement. Is this a backhanded apology that is really fostering partial blame on the other veterans? Houston, I suspect you will have a problem when it comes to the locker room dynamics. How many coaches did the Suns cycle through? KD could have just simplified that statement with “I was stuck in my ways”.

At least John Voita does not have to worry about being blocked by KD’s Twitter account anymore. As for me? I have already blocked KD out of my head.

OldAz: I feel like that is the most introspective, honest, and least self-serving thing I’ve ever heard that man say. There must be some missing context where he blames anyone else because that’s the closest I have heard to him taking at least some personal accountability for how things worked (or didn’t work) here.

His first half-season, where he got hurt and really never got time to gel with Monty and the team, was their best chance at winning, but that is partially because they didn’t have time for what KD’s answer touches on to really set in. Once they had an off-season and that laid-back “unbothered” attitude took hold, the rot and stink quickly followed as unbothered became uninterested and entitled and just plain boring, bad basketball. That has never described Booker: before the Suns got CP3, during their high points, or since KD has left.

I guess only some veterans “do their own thing” to that extent, but then again it was probably someone else’s responsibility to fix it in the moment, and certainly not appropriate for the fans to point out by booing how boring it is to watch veterans just “do their own thing” instead of playing connected as a team.

Whew – I sure am glad that era of Suns basketball is in the past, and a little bit encouraged by one soundbite that at least looks like belated accountability.

Rod: I’ve got to give him credit for not trying to dodge any of the responsibility for the Suns’ failure back then…and for not pointing fingers at others who I think played a big part in that failure. Jones built a flawed team, Ishbia went along with it (if not actually orchestrating it) and Budenholzer really didn’t seem to do much to try and actually control things. There’s plenty of blame to go around for the KD era crash and burn.

As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!

---

Suns Trivia/History

On September 6, 1977, the Suns acquired point guard Don Buse from the Indiana Pacers for Ricky Sobers. Buse would miss just one game in three seasons for Phoenix while averaging 8.0 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. In 1979, he helped take the Suns deep into the playoffs before losing 4-3 in the Western Conference Finals to the Seattle Supersonics, who went on to win the NBA Finals 4-1 against the Washington Bullets. Buse is still 3rd on the Suns’ All-Time list for career steals per game with 1.93 per game.

On September 7, 2004, the Suns signed super-speedy Summer League standout and Japanese-born PG Yuta Tabuse. Yuta was in Dallas’ training camp before being cut and was with Denver in the preseason in 2003 before signing with the ABA’s Long Beach Jam, where he averaged 5.3 pts and 6.3 asts in 2003. He scored seven points in his first NBA game against the Atlanta Hawks on November 3, 2004, becoming on that day the first Japanese player ever to play in an NBA regular-season game.

He was later waived by the Suns on December 16, 2004, after playing in just four games, averaging 1.8 pts, 1.0 rebs, and 0.8 asts in 4.3 minutes per game. Suns assistant coach Marc Iavaroni said of Tabuse, “I liked his energy, I liked his courage.”

Tabuse would eventually return to Japan, where he continued to play professionally until 2018 and played on two Japanese League Championship teams, winning Finals MVP honors in 2010.

---

Important Future Dates

Sept. 28 – Media Day
Sept. 29 – Training Camp opens
Oct. 5 – Suns @ Pistons (preseason) 4:00 PM
Oct. 7 – Suns @ Bulls (preseason) 5:00 PM
Oct. 10 – Suns vs. Spurs (preseason) 7:00 PM
Oct. 14 – Suns @ Spurs (preseason) 5:00 PM
Oct. 16 – Suns vs. Jazz (preseason) 7:00 PM
Oct. 20 – 2026-27 NBA Season Begins
Dec. 15 – Most players signed to new contracts can be traded
Jan. 5 – 10-day contracts may now be signed
Jan. 10 – All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season
Jan. 15 – All players signed to new contracts can be traded
Feb. 11 – Trade Deadline
Feb. 19-21 – NBA All-Star 2027