A decade ago, superstar forward Kevin Durant made the league-altering decision to join the Golden State Warriors in free agency, forming an unstoppable force in the NBA.
He's seven years removed from that era, having since joined the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns and now Houston Rockets. However, there are a few moments that make Durant reminisce on his days in the Bay Area.
The latest occurred following a USA Basketball practice, when the 16-time All-Star was asked about LeBron James and his decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers for his 24th NBA season, and whether the Sixers are top contenders for the NBA title.
"For sure! You don't think so?" Durant responded to a reporter's question. "The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair, which was the (Warriors) team I was on. (The Sixers) have got four 25-point scorers on this team. So, hell yeah, I think they’re going to be a contender. They're going to be a great team to watch."
Kevin Durant on LeBron James’s 76ers: “The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair, which was the [Warriors] team I was on. They have got four 25-point scorers on this team. So, hell yeah, I think they’re going to be a contender.” pic.twitter.com/aFcSyDoEq1
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Gary Payton II #0 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles against the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter at Chase Center on March 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We finally have confirmation that the Golden State Warriors will indeed be re-signing Gary Payton II. While rumors have swirled for weeks that the Dubs and Payton were expected to agree to a veteran minimum deal to return, Marc Stein of SteinLine reported on Saturday morning that the two sides were expected to finalize a deal by the end of the weekend. Minutes later, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Warriors had agreed to re-sign Payton to a one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum.
Already 33, limited, and with an extensive injury history, Payton only further solidifies Golden State’s attempt to run it back with the 37-win 2025-26 roster. A perplexing approach given the team’s struggles and age. Nevertheless, Payton is a favorite of head coach Steve Kerr and face of the franchise Steph Curry.
A basketball journeyman for most of his twenties, Payton found his place as a high-energy role player who has the ability to lockdown players on the perimeter. Payton has played with the Warriors for each of the past six seasons (although he did also have a short stint with the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2022-23 season). Despite his long injury history, Payton has been quietly one of the Dubs healthiest role players over the past two seasons.
In 2025-26, Payton averaged 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.9 steals in 15.6 minutes per game across 73 appearances on 58.3%/29.1%/65.0% shooting. For his career, Payton has averaged 5.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steal in 15.1 minutes per game on 56.4%/32.8%/63.0% shooting.
Luka Doncic dribbles during a Los Angeles Lakers game. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
The Lakers’ social media accounts posted a photo of Doncic shooting a free throw during a practice on Friday. But the kicker was that the 27-year-old was wearing a headband in the photo, which is something he doesn’t typically do.
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Perhaps Lakers fans just needed something excited about, and are using this photo as an excuse to do so. Whatever their reasoning, the prevailing response to this photo is Lakers fans forecasting a successful upcoming season, both for Luka individually and Los Angeles as a whole.
“MVP and Championship soon I can smell it,” wrote @yearlyfire.
“PLEASE ROCK THE HEADBAND NEXT SEASON @lukadoncic ,” added a Doncic fan page.
Luka Doncic prepares to take a free throw while wearing a headband. X/@LakersLuka Doncic during a Los Angeles Lakers game. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
“Lakers gone be sneaky good this upcoming season,” added @real1jimmyy.
Regardless of whether Doncic debuts this headband once next season rolls around, him now having the keys to the franchise will bring a lot of expectations. Not that he wasn’t dealing with pressure before, and has always been able to navigate the spotlight in the past.
The more pertinent question is whether Doncic’s supporting cast is good enough to help him bring Los Angeles back to the postseason in their first campaign in nearly a decade without LeBron.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 05: Jericho Sims #00 of the Milwaukee Bucks scores on a dunk during the first half of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Fiserv Forum on April 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers made their big move this summer in landing Walker Kessler, but there’s still work to be done in the front court.
In parting with both Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton this offseason, LA has holes to fill, even if they took care of the hard part. Kevon Looney was brought in but given his age and mileage and his drop in production, most don’t view him as the primary backup center.
The Lakers appear to be included in that mix as multiple recent reports have indicated they’re still in the market for a big man. But it’s a market that isn’t friendly to buyers right now, so not much headway has been made.
LA has at least one more move to make with the roster already at 16 players. With a chase for Jonathan Kuminga still on, though, it’s not clear how a backup center fits into the equation. It’ll likely have to be the Lakers taking a chance on an underutilized player buried on a roster.
One player who could fit that bill, and who has been mentioned with the Lakers multiple times this week, is Jericho Sims with the Bucks.
Dan Woike of The Athletic first brought him up as a potential option based on “conversations with both team and league sources” about the type of players the Lakers could target. Then, on Friday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reiterated that report, noting that the Bucks could have a roster crunch that forces a move.
Milwaukee, which has also been linked with interest in Peyton Watson, has a roster crunch and is looking to trim its roster from 17 to 15 players by opening night. As The Athletic’s Dan Woike noted, the Los Angeles Lakers could be a trade partner for Bucks center Jericho Sims.
The first thing worth noting is that the Lakers, too, have a roster crunch, so the two teams making a deal right now doesn’t make a ton of sense. For the purple and gold, they would need to do a lot of consolidating to get to a point to trade for Sims or, potentially, work out a multi-team trade.
He’s an uber-athletic big man who amassed 95 dunks in 67 games last season. Comparatively, Hayes had 122 last season in 66 games. While his time with the Lakers was up-and-down, Hayes definitely had some moments in the purple and gold and the team did not replace his athleticism or lob-catching ability at center.
Sims, however, does have flaws. He leaves something to be desired defensively and is not a rim protector despite the athleticism. In many ways, he’s limited like Hayes in those regards.
His contract is friendly as he’s set to make $2.8 million this season after picking up a player option this offseason. It would also make him very easy to trade for, if the Lakers do end up going down that route.
But, again, many things must happen before then. Presumably, the Lakers are likely going to address their need for a wing with trade assets first before eyeing anything else. And to even open a roster spot, the Lakers will have to make a three-for-one trade, which is very unlikely as teams do not have three open roster spots at this point in the offseason.
If anything, this might be a player worth monitoring if he’s released due to the roster crunch or if he’s still buried on the Bucks’ bench when the season starts. But there are plenty of reasons it makes sense for the Lakers to be targeting Sims, if indeed they are.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 5: Landry Shamet #44 and Miles McBride #2 of the New York Knicks high five during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 5, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
There is an active NBA player whose career is already the envy of many of his peers. This player has:
Been a starter in multiple NBA Finals
Won a championship
Been All-Defensive First Team
Finished second for Defensive Player of the Year
Been his team’s leading scorer (26 points per game)
Been his team’s second-leading scorer
Been his team’s fourth-leading scorer
Had top-20 seasons in points, field goals, shooting %, 3-point %, free-throw %, steals & lowest turnover %
By 2050, when climate and social chaos have killed off pro sports, this player will be long-forgotten. If not before.
That player is not Kenny Sears, inactive from the NBA since 1964 and the mortal coil since 2017. I mention Sears because he is an ur-example of the sands of time disappearing all trace of a legend. Man spent six-plus seasons as a Knickerbocker. Twice he was an All-Star. One year when he wasn’t, he still finished eighth for MVP, a feat he accomplished twice in New York. He led the league in shooting twice, including a healthy 10 points above the league average (49%-39%) in 1959.
Now, nobody knows him.
Go on, look up the numbers. Dismiss. Deride. “There were only, like, 15 players back then anyway. Of course he was an All-Star; everybody was!” A combo forward who didn’t tip the scales at 200 pounds, lighter than Mikal Bridges, barely bulkier than Landry Shamet. Dude looked like he couldn’t dunk a donut, much less a basketball. Still, Sears’ biggest failing dwarfs all those. He wasn’t superficial.
I don’t mean he wasn’t shallow. I don’t mean that he was, either; I’ve no idea what Sears was like as a person. I mean he wasn’t where the fans’ eyes went first — that’d have been Carl Braun, Richie Guerin, Dick McGuire, Harry Gallatin. When we first see someone we see the surface of them, what’s sparkly and obvious. Braun was named to five All-Star teams. Guerin made six. McGuire and Gallatin? Seven. Compared to them, Sears wasn’t even Fredo to Sonny and Michael, more de Gaulle to Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin. Maybe you’re a big deal back in Lille, but this is Yalta, son.
As fun as it is to just sit around and remember random NBA guys (Yinka Dare!), I’m not suggesting you have to. You’d probably like it, though. It’s fun, even if only as an apertif or chaser. I’m asking you to remember the specific players you do. Get together with your people and talk about them. Talk over drinks. Pop some eds. Write about the players who struck you, even if you only a note pad, a lily pad.
Some personal faves? Drazen Petrović. P.J. Tucker. Manute Bol. Jamal Crawford. And it’s cliche, but Toronto Vince Carter . . . Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, VC and if I’m honest Victor Wembanyama are maybe the only NBA players I’ve ever seen who look like cheat codes in a video game.
Magic was a magician, but a magician is a person who’s mastered anticipation and deception. Kyrie Irving can make any shot from any angle at any point in his jump or descent anywhere on the court, thanks to repetition of however many drills and skills it takes to become second-nature. But the nature is, by definition, secondary and not primary.
Jordan was literally brighter than everyone else on the floor. He moved differently. If you didn’t see it, I’m sorry, because I doubt it shows up on a computer screen. But on the TV in your living room in 1992, I am telling you that man glowed and he flowed. It wasn’t just me.
Shaq was like the actual Hulk. Like the league had been full of Captain Americas and Black Panthers and a few Things, and then one day the Hulk showed up. The contrast, that erasure of a long-held sense of scale — it took your breath away. The biggest centers looked like forwards next to him. This is not normal.
Carter leads the super-super short list of NBA athletes so athletic they make NBA athletes look like amateurs. Imagine St. John’s is playing UConn next winter and somehow Anthony Edwards is on the Red Storm. Connecticut has top athletes, but Ant *actually is* in a different league. Carter looked like he belonged in whatever alien basketball league was a level up from the NBA.
What makes them unforgettable? Because there are stories only you can tell. You decide which to carry with you, which to share with others. Example: in a March 1993 game between Miami and Washington, the then-Bullets collected 30 rebounds. The Heat’s Rony Seikaly had 34 by himself.
That’s not life-changing information. Your pulse didn’t climb. But before I knew that, all I remembered of Seikaly was he was a famously favorite target of Patrick Ewing, and he was married to an SI swimsuit cover model. He was a far better offensive big than the Benoit Benjamins and Sam Bowies of his day, though clearly below Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. Still, don’t lose the lead: how many people walking around the planet ever out-rebounded an NBA team?
I was too young and dumb to properly appreciate Seikaly. Back in the day I could only see the Heat on TV when they were playing the Knicks, Nets or Bulls (this being the glorious age before Miami ever sniffed the playoffs). So how badly was I overlooking others? How many? And if I could be so wrong about people I watched play, what to make of my thoughts about all those I never did?
How easily we forgot how great “pretty good” players were. Did you know Shaq once finished tied in MVP voting with Anthony Mason? Mase’s career didn’t take off till he was 25, but by the time he retired he’d been on an All-NBA Team with Shaq, Penny Hardaway and John Stockton, won Sixth Man of the Year, finished top-10 for DPOY three times and top-15 for MVP twice. Someday someone will compare him with Malik Rose.
I don’t blame people. We mostly all have bigger issues in life. Underrating NBA players doesn’t matter, except that it does as part of the same flattening we do with the past. The 1920s weren’t just flappers, nor the ‘40s WWII, nor the ‘60s hippies, etcetera. If your idea of gumbo is broth, the cooking is gonna suffer. As are those you feed.
Once upon a time, a player made All-NBA First Team his first 10 years. Starting in his second season, he averaged 25 to 31 points a game for a decade, twice leading the league; in that same stretch he averaged 15-20 rebounds per night. He was MVP twice, runner-up twice and top-four eight times. Nobody remembers him.
How about the guy who won more scoring titles than the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and more blocks titles than its all-time leading shot blocker? He’s got more MVPs than Michael and more rings than LeBron, but is at best an afterthought in GOAT debates, at worst an also-ran — who pays homage to an even more dismissed all-timer.
Bob Cousy gets written off for playing against plumbers by a catch-and-shoot specialist who spent half his career coming off the bench. Wilt was only great because there weren’t any other 7-footers back then. Magic and Bird went from Jordan’s mountaintop in 1990 to dust in his wake by 2000. MJ wasn’t even really athletic, he just played when everybody else was a literal toilet. Draymond Green thinks he could’ve guarded Shaq.
If you never watched the old Knicks, watch an old game. Basketball-reference can’t capture Bill Bradley’s incessant movement, its impact on the opponent’s defense. The stats can tell you Willis Reed was better than the average bear, but can’t convey his combination of silk and steel. Check out Kareem his first years in Milwaukee. Even late-stage Wilt Chamberlain was doing things that make you rewind because you can’t believe it.
But you have to dig in. They say the devil’s in the details. They also say hell has all the best musicians. So if you wanna have fun, ya gotta go deep.
Don’t ever forget Mikal Bridges’ midrange movement and mastery, or the multiple, multiple, multiple playoff games he’s already *won* with his defense. Don’t ever let Mitchell Robinson be reduced to a rim-runner who couldn’t shoot free throws. By all things holy, guard against the erosion of Josh Hart’s impact over time. How many fans today have any inkling the importance that Alvin Robertson, Joe Dumars and Horace Grant held for their sides? If you don’t tell the story of Hart, and keep it warm and alive inside, rest assured he’ll morph for the ignorant from a cornerstone to a backpack.
I don’t think I’m often clear why something matters to me, and why I think it should matter to you. More and more of our lived experience and made memories come from screens. We neuter more and more of our senses as our eyes dominate our perceptions. One of the strangest experiences I had as a professor was seeing students go 80 minutes without writing down a thing we talked about in class, then after it was over snapping a photo of the whiteboard. That. Isn’t. The. Same. Thing.
We live in an age when more than ever before we can’t trust our own eyes. And where there’s people who can’t see, there’s people selling something promising slivers and glints of light, for a price. Don’t buy it. Re-learn what you know. Re-love what you’ve loved. One day your now is everybody’s then, and all you’ll have left of it is whatever you took the time to keep. It matters in basketball. Not just in basketball.
LeBron James might not be the only recognizable Los Angeles Laker who’s leaving the team this offseason.
Robbie Avila—whom the Lakers signed to an Exhibit 10 contract after he went undrafted in June—is, “waiting to see what his options are” after being granted a fifth year of NCAA eligibility, according to an X post from basketball insider Adam Zagoria.
Robbie Avila looks to pass during a Los Angeles Lakers Summer League game. NBAE via Getty Images
Avila, who graduated from Saint Louis earlier this year, now has a decision to make about whether he wants to remain with the Lakers or return to college.
Robbie Avila during a Los Angeles Lakers Summer League game. NBAE via Getty Images
The six-foot-10, 240-pound center played limited minutes for the Lakers during NBA Summer League, and didn’t make much of an impact. He averaged 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game with the Billikens during his senior season, which was enough to earn him A-10 Player of the Year honors.
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Robbie Avila takes a shot during an NBA Summer League game. NBAE via Getty Images
It will be fascinating to see what decision Avila makes. The fact that he barely played during Summer League might be enough to convince him to take his talents back to college.
While Avila might not have made much of an impact on the Lakers’ roster this upcoming season, fans would be losing some entertainment value if he goes back to college, if only because they can’t use his nicknames any longer.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: The sneakers worn by Caleb Wilson #8 of the Chicago Bulls during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Choi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
For the past four years, the NBA has played a preseason game in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, as the league tries to expand its fan base in the region (and cozy up to the kind of monied families that the NBA always wants to keep close).
This should not be a surprise, especially considering Iran has launched missile and drone attacks into the UAE targeting military and oil production facilities. The NBA isn't the only sports league facing this situation. Formula 1 had already postponed its Bahrain stop (now taking place in Malaysia in October), and it still has yet to announce plans for races scheduled in Abu Dhabi and Qatar later this year.
The NBA did not announce preseason games in Abu Dhabi this year, as it has in the past. The NBA is still going overseas this preseason with the Mavericks and Rockets playing a couple of games in October at The Venetian Arena in Macao, China. The NBA also will play regular season games, one in Paris and one in Manchester, England, in January.
MILWAUKEE, WI -MAY 06: Jimmy Haslam, Co-Owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, introduces new head coach Taylor Jenkins on May 06, 2026 at the Milwaukee Art Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In the span of three weeks, teams owned by Jimmy Haslam traded DE Myles Garrett and SF/PF Giannis Antetokounmpo in deals that included players and draft compensation. For the Cleveland Browns and Milwaukee Bucks, Haslam’s teams, the trades reset their rosters and turn their attention toward the future.
Both big trades were similar. The Browns acquired DE Jared Verse and three draft picks, while the Bucks added Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, four draft picks, and one pick swap.
According to Haslam, he believes it is more difficult to rebuild in the NBA than the NFL:
Cleveland fans are aware that Haslam’s Browns have made the playoffs just twice, their only two seasons with a winning record during his ownership tenure, and his 14-year record as owner is 78-150-1. If rebuilding is more difficult for Haslam in the NBA, we send our condolences to the fine fans in Milwaukee for what their process might look like.
What do you think? Is it harder to rebuild in the NFL or the NBA? Do you feel bad for Bucks fans or glad to have someone to experience Haslam ownership struggles with?
This much is not in dispute: The Moda Center needs upgrades. The 31-year-old home to the Portland Trail Blazers feels dated the moment you walk in, both for a fan experience and the back of the house. Everyone agrees that renovations and upgrades are needed, with the NBA pushing to get it done.
The question of who is going to pay for that has led to a bit of an Old West showdown between the City and the Trail Blazers — in particular, new owner Tom Dundon — and has raised questions about whether his real goal is to move the Trail Blazers out of Portland.
What is the core issue?
The Trail Blazers want $600 million from various government agencies for renovations and upgrades to the Moda Center, which is owned by the city of Portland (it purchased it for literally $1 from the Paul Allen estate).
The Trail Blazers and billionaire owner Tom Dundon plan to contribute none of their own money.
"It feels like we're making a pretty big investment by staying here and paying these tax rates," Dundon reportedly said at a meeting of the Portland Metro Chamber being held at the Moda Center.
Government agencies have stepped up. The Oregon State legislature already approved $365 million in funding for the upgrades, but it's contingent on the City of Portland ($120 million) and Multnomah County ($88 million) pitching in as well. If either of the local entities does not pony up, the state money goes away at the end of 2026.
The Portland City Council has said that before it votes to approve its $120 million for the renovation, it wants a few things, including the Trail Blazers to tell them how they are going to spend that money and what the upgrades look like. The Trail Blazers have given no such plans, saying they already had a handshake agreement with the city to approve the funding, plus the city should pay for an architect to help come up with the plans for the building it owns.
That is not all. The city also wanted the Trail Blazers to sign a 20-year lease to stay in Portland, commit to using union workers for the renovations and at things like concession stands during games, and pay a $3 million-a-year fee to help offset the property taxes. The Trail Blazers have said those final two demands are a non-starter.
It should be noted that the city takes the bulk of the parking revenue from the building and there is a six percent fee on every ticket sold to a Trail Blazers game, with that money going back to upgrade the arena (reportedly $4 million last year).
This is usually the part where the two sides negotiate and come to a compromise, and a deal gets done. Except, there seems to be no negotiation and the Trail Blazers are playing hardball. With the state money going away at the end of the year, Dundon and the Trail Blazers believe they have all the leverage.
Would the Trail Blazers move?
What has some people on edge is that the Pacific Northwest has seen this movie before. From the outside, it's easy to see how Dundon appears to be using the Clay Bennett ownership playbook — he and his group bought the Seattle SuperSonics with the intention from the start of moving the franchise to Oklahoma City. Get in a fight with the city because the billionaire wants massive arena upgrades, and if you don't get your way, move the team (and the other owners will back you because they will want to leverage their cities in the future).
Maybe that is Dundon's ultimate plan, but executing it would be very difficult.
First, where would the Trail Blazers go? The two most logical destinations — Seattle and Las Vegas — are about to get expansion teams, and the other owners are not going to let Dundon get in the way of those expansion fees that will be a cash windfall for owners and franchises. One suggestion was that he could move the team across the country to Raleigh, North Carolina, where Dundon's NHL team, the Hurricanes, play. The problem there is the Charlotte Hornets are just 150 miles away and would have a say. Dundon lives in Austin, but the Dallas Mavericks are a couple of hundred miles away.
Second, speaking of expansion, the NBA is finally moving another team to the Pacific Northwest with the Seattle expansion team coming in a couple of years, helping deal with a travel issue for the league and the Trail Blazers — no team is more geographically isolated than Portland. Move them out and move Seattle in and the league has the same issue.
Finally, there is a process for moving a team. It involves the Trail Blazers formally applying to move (and paying $250,000), Commissioner Adam Silver putting together a committee of other owners to study the move, then that committee would make a recommendation to the other owners for a vote. One of the questions that committee asks is whether the city's fan base still supports the team, and that is without question in Portland. The fan base loves the Trail Blazers, this is a passionate group.
This process has stopped a team from moving before: In 2013, a group wanted to purchase the Sacramento Kings and move them to Seattle, but the league stepped in. Ultimately, with Silver in a lead role (as a deputy commissioner, David Stern was still running the show), they found a local owner in Vivek Ranadive who not only bought the team and kept it in Sacramento, but he ultimately built a new arena that is one of the best in the league.
What happens now?
Negotiations and votes.
Multnomah County commissioners have scheduled a vote on Aug. 6 on its $88 million in funding. Next, Portland's city council is scheduled to vote on its $120 million on Aug. 12, although that could be pushed back depending upon negotiations.
The real deadline is the end of the year, when the state funding goes away if the city and county haven't approved their deals.
Just like their NBA counterparts, the Long Island Nets are in rebuild mode. Of course, in the G League, teams are always in rebuild mode. Here’s what’s been going on.
The Nets’ organization has added another international prospect to its development pipeline as the Long Island Nets have selected French guard Tidjiane Dioumassi with the 13th overall pick in the G League’s International Draft, a source told NetsDaily.
SOURCES: The Long Island #Nets selected French guard Tidjiane Dioumassi with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NBA G League International Draft.
I'm told he is expected to make the team's roster.
The selection gives Long Island Dioumassi's G League rights if he chooses to…
Dioumassi went undrafted in June NBA Draft, prompting him to enter the pool for the G League’s International Draft, where Long Island swooped him up at No. 13 overall.
Long Island now owns Dioumassi’s G League rights if he elects to play in the league this season. A league source told ND that he will participate in training camp with Long Island and that he is expected to make the roster.
MacDonald in line for chief scout?
I’m told the decision to select Dioumassi was made by Long Island’s front office rather than Brooklyn’s. That office is spearheaded by Long Island GM Matt Macdonald and assistant GMs Kory Jones and Kyle Hines. who have good reputations around the NBA, particularly MacDonald.
All three are praised for their high character, while Jones and Hines are commonly referred to as fast risers in the front-office realm.
As we’ve reported, Macdonald’s name has circulated as a candidate for the Nets’ chief scout role, which has been vacant since Acie Law IV left the organization in May for Chicago. Based on what we’re hearing, I would tab him to be the favorite to earn that role.
Building a roster
It’s important to keep in mind that a lot can change before Long Island finalizes its final roster, including will the Nets find any players at team’s local tryout next month. Players they have rostered following the local tryout route include Terry Roberts, who has spent three years with the team; Patrick Gardner, a 7-footer on Egypt’s National Team; Jordan Minor, who had a rotational role during the 2024-25 season, and Craig Randall II, the league’s Most Improved Player in 2021-22.
We’re also told that Long Island utilized “practice players” last season. Players who didn’t earn roster spots but would practice with the team at the “Yes We Can Center” in Westbury. One of those players, James Montgomery, had first been discovered at the team’s local tryout last year, according to one source. So the local workouts can help the franchise and get locals an alternate route to pro ball.
The Newest Guy
Dioumassi, a 24=year-old French national who stands at 6’5” and 200 pounds, last played at Western Carolina University in the 2025 NCAA season. He averaged 8.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 36.4% from three in 29 games.
Prior to that, he spent two seasons at Southern University following two years in the JUCO ranks. Overall, he spent five seasons in the NCAA, putting him on the older side for a draft-eligible player.
Following training camp, Dioumassi and his independent representative, Stacey Leawood, will evaluate their options to see if it’s worth sticking around on Long Island or pursuing a career overseas.
Core emerging?
Beyond Dioumassi, Long Island’s core this season is beginning to become clearer.
Second-round rookie Tyler Bilodeau is expected to spend significant time with Long Island. Bilodeau signed a two-way contract right after being selected.
Chaney Johnson the other two-way, was excellent in Summer League, averaging 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 3.3 steals per game leading the 2026 NBA Summer League in that final category. He — and Bilodeau — can only be active for 50 NBA games before the team has to decide whether a standard deal with Brooklyn is in order.
The Nets still have one two-way spot vacant. Based on what we’re hearing, Grant Nelson appears the favorite to earn that contract. While he continues to recover from patellar tendinitis, also known as “jumper’s knee,” the Alabama product couldn’t participate in Summer League although he traveled with the team and was on their roster.
Dain Dainja has also emerged as a name worth monitoring. A Summer League invitee for Brooklyn, he popped in Sacramento and Vegas, the only non-contract player in the team’s rotation. He averaged 6.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 stocks (steals plus blocks) while flashing his physicality at 6’9” and 260 pounds along with a whopping 7’6” wingspan.
The 24-year-old spent last season with the Sioux Skyforce in the G League, the Miami Heat’s affiliate.
Beyond that, Long Island is expected to have multiple players on Exhibit 10 contracts, as has been the case in recent seasons. Three other players on the Summer League roster: 6’4” guard Dion Brown out of St Louis, 6’10” big man Duke Brennan from Villanova, and 6’9” forward Ben Humrichous a shooting specialist who player at Illinois.
All three had their moments in Summer League, although Humrichous showed the most scoring-wise and Dion Brown appeared to be a defensive sparkplug. He also finished Summer League with a triple-double.
Under the NBA’s current CBA, teams can carry up to six Exhibit 10 players into training camp. Exhibit 10 contracts include a bonus worth up to $85,000 if a player is waived and spends the required time with the organization’s G League affiliate. Sources told ND that the Nets are one of only a handful of organizations that fully guarantee every Exhibit 10 they sign, making Brooklyn an especially attractive landing spot for players who fit that mold.
Multiple agents have also told us they view E10 contracts as more player-friendly than two-way deals in certain situations. While two-way contracts pay way more (half of the league’s minimum every year), some teams can use them to build fences around players and rarely promote them to the NBA, which limits other teams from poaching them.
E10 players, though, remain NBA free agents. They can continue developing in the G League while remaining eligible to sign a two-way or standard NBA contract with any franchise at any point during the season. Over the past few years, Long Island has established a reputation as one of the best development systems in the league.
Big Question
Last year, with a record five first rounders, Brooklyn shuttled four of them to Long Island and back multiple times to help get minutes needed for development. Ben Saraf logged the most – 15 games. Will any of the players not named Egor Demin find themselves playing at Nassau Coliseum again? The same question can be posed about Joshua Jefferson.
Coaching changes
While Mfon Udofia, former LI head coach and a huge part of that, is now an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic, the organization promoted from within to land their next HC, Shawn Swords, who was Udofia’s No. 2 for the past three seasons.
Long Island also lost an assistant coach, Steven Kaner. He is now assistant video coordinator for the Atlanta Hawks.
Home Opener
Long Island’s home opener is Friday, November 13, at Nassau Coliseum.
OAKLAND — Stepping away from an adoring crowd and hearing the question about his future, Gary Payton II’s grin stretched toward his earlobes before he replied.
The versatile veteran is returning to Golden State Warriors — the place he calls home.
“It’s done,” Payton told NBC Sports Bay Area on Saturday at Fremont High School, where he joined former Golden State teammate Juan Toscano-Anderson in donating backpacks and other school supplies to local students.
“It’s already done.”
What’s done is a signature on a one-year contract worth $3.9 million for Payton to return to the franchise with which he has spent nearly 80 percent of his NBA career. Though he was an unrestricted free agent, technically on the open market, he had no desire to leave the place where he found basketball happiness.
What the Warriors need is a bounce-back season from GP2.
There have been two primary factors behind Payton’s success as a Warrior. 1) He has mastered the art of playing with Stephen Curry; only Draymond Green has similar court chemistry with the franchise player. 2) Payton remains a valuable perimeter defender on one end, and a solid “dunker spot” specialist on the other.
Those attributes were crucial to Golden State’s last championship in 2022. Payton, 33, is now tasked with trying to make the same impact four years later.
“Let’s go get it,” Payton said. “We’ve said enough, man. Let’s go.”
GP2’s priority on offense is to rediscover his 3-point shot. It has declined in each of the past three seasons, from 36.4 percent in 2023-24 to 32.6 in 2024-25 to a dismal 29.1 last season. When Payton’s corner threes are falling, it adds a much-needed dimension to the Warriors’ offense, and it’ll be a barometer for his playing time.
The other issue is Payton’s health. He played a career-high 73 games last season — his most since the 2021-22 title season — by avoiding the kind of nagging injuries that cost him 58 games over the previous two seasons.
“I’m (feeling) great,” he said. “Everything’s good. I’m ready to go. Last couple months before camp, so let’s wind it up and get ready. Let’s please stay healthy. Not just me, but all of us. We definitely need that.”
Because Payton is perhaps the most positionless player on the roster, his place on the depth chart is variable. He’ll slide between guard and forward, based on matchups. There will be games in which he might play eight minutes, and there will be other games when he might be on the floor for 28.
So, yes, the Warriors continue to reassemble the roster that went 37-45 last season. The only significant addition is first-round draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who can expect considerable playing time at both forward spots.
“He showed some good things in summer league, coming off his last year from school and being able to flip the switch and turn it,” Payton said of the rookie. “He looks good. It’s going to be good to see him in training camp. Get a feel for him and see how he’s going to respond.”
That sentiment, for what it’s worth, applies to every man who suits up once the ball rolls out for camp on Sept. 29.
An over-the-top cake commemorating OG Anunoby’s history-making tip-in during Game 4 of the NBA Finals went viral on social media this week.
The impressive 2-foot confectionary creation features the forward-guard — sculpted out of fondant and modeling chocolate — pushing the ball into the basket, with 2.4 seconds remaining on the shot clock above.
Queens native Don Donneruno created this 2-foot cake commemorating OG Anunoby’s game-winning tip-in. Courtesy Don Donneruno
The icing on the cake is an awestruck Celebrity Row of Spike Lee, Mariska Hargitay, Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller — and even The Post’s back cover from the morning after the game-winning shot — all printed on wafer paper.
The celebrity baker behind the creation, Don Donneruno, aka “The Cake Don,” told The Post the labor of love took five hours to complete, and the entire thing is edible.
The video he posted of the slam dunk dessert racked up over 315,000 views on Instagram and countless comments from Knicks fans.
“It’s kind of funny, people are saying he looks a little too thick … They’re saying, ‘OG’s caked up,'” Donneruno said, laughing.
The idea for the cake came about when a young fan came into his Huntington, Long Island, shop sporting an OG jersey and asking for a Knicks cake for his birthday.
Donneruno, known as “The Cake Don,” owns a shop in Huntington, Long Island. Courtesy Don Donneruno
Donneruno, 58, a Whitestone native and self-proclaimed “Knicks freak,” said choosing that moment to recreate in cake was a no-brainer.
“For Knicks fans, that play is going to live forever. A hundred years from now, they’ll still be showing that clip. That play is etched in New York sports history now. It’s never going away.”
He made this creation for Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson. Courtesy Don Donneruno
He’s actually created two cakes for the Knicks organization — one for its president Leon Rose and another for guard Jordan Clarkson’s birthday.
Clarkson’s mother called and asked if he could replicate a Louis Vuitton suitcase with a Knicks logo, add $100 bills spilling out of it and deliver the sweet treat to Madison Square Garden as a surprise.
“She was like, ‘He’ll be at practice, can you drop it off?'” he recalled.
“He had a great game the night before, so it was like a big deal at the shop. We were all excited over it.”
Donneruno was also asked to make a cake for Knicks president Leon Rose. Courtesy Don Donneruno
After the Knicks clinched the title, Donneruno got a text at 7:58 a.m. asking if he could create a “crazy” cake for Rose and have it at One Vanderbilt in Midtown by 7 p.m. for the party the night before the ticker-tape parade.
“I got there at 10 to seven, with like 10 minutes to spare,” he said.
“If I had a couple of days to design it, that thing would have been twice the height, twice as crazy, but I only had hours.”
The creative baker also crafted this one for Cardinal Dolan. Courtesy Don Donneruno
Donneruno, who worked in the corporate office of the designer shoe company Stuart Weitzman for 18 years, made his first cake at 41 after his children’s nanny asked him to help her with one.
After he posted the final product on Facebook, his career path took an unexpected turn.
“My friend who I grew up with in Whitestone wrote, ‘You’re The Cake Don.’ And I laughed, and then I started making cakes out of my house. And then a year later, I went all in,” he explained.
His first-ever celebrity cake was made for Shaquille O’Neal. Courtesy Don Donneruno
Donneruno, whose other recent high-profile projects included a cake for former Archbishop of New York Timothy Cardinal Dolan, of him standing in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, said his first celebrity cake was for basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal.
“I recreated the Reebok pump sneaker with the basketball on top, his first signature sneaker, in his actual size,” he recalled.
When Shaq, who wears a size 22 shoe, saw the sneaker cake, he was serious at first.
“And with a slight Shaq smirk, he said, ‘It’s too small,'” Donneruno said.
Boston, MA - May 31: Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla talks with Brad Stevens, president of basketball operations during practice at the Auerbach Center. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Give us a minute. It’s been a summer.
Let’s get this straight. After coughing up a 3-1 lead to the 76ers in the first round of last year’s playoffs, we traded Jaylen Brown to Philly AND they added LeBron James? The Knicks are defending champs and Kawhi Leonard might be a Toronto Raptor again?
Like I said, give us a minute.
It’s now August and the dust has settled. We’re officially starting our offseason deep sleep until training camp in October, but before we go into a two- month basketball hibernation, let’s take stock of where we’re at.
First, the team deserves all the skepticism that the fans have had over the last few weeks. You don’t trade away a franchise cornerstone and MVP candidate without some blowback. Now, with some perspective, the move makes a little more sense. There’s a clearer three-year plan in place and we’re all slowly getting on board.
NBA media and analytics seem to be catching up with the Celtics’ summer, too. Considering everything that’s happened with roster and taking stock with the rest of the conference, Boston is still poised to have a very good season next year with the veteran additions of Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, and Mike Conley Jr. And with the continued development of the young core that pushed the Celtics to 56 wins last season, there’s no reason to think they’ll be any drop off.
Only time will tell if they’re championship level. Our friends at FanDuel have the Celtics (+1300) just behind the Knicks (+950) and Sixers (+1000) to raise Banner 19. Get on the bandwagon. I’ll save you a seat.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 18: Gilbert Arenas speaks onstage during the Gil's Arena panel at the Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 at Jacob Javits Center on July 18, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Fanatics) | Getty Images for Fanatics
Former Washington Wizards star guard Gilbert Arenas was one of the NBA’s best scorers for much of the 2000s. Now that his career is over, he has gradually begun to reveal more about his life as Washington’s superstar during that time.
Recently, he was interviewed by Justin Edelman who hosts the Games With Names podcast. One of Arenas’ unwritten rules was that if a player didn’t make at least $5 million, that player couldn’t speak to him directly. A player who made at least $5 million could be an intermediary.
Gilbert Arenas says he made a rule that Wizards teammates could not speak to him directly if they made under $5,000,000
“I was a rock star, baby. You couldn’t tell me nothing. I even put in a rule with the team. It wasn’t a hard rule, but it was a rule”
On the one hand, this rule can make Arenas look pretty bad. From the outside, we think that players on a sports team will at the very least will speak to each other when needed. But at the same time, Arenas gave insight on how superstars could effectively control a locker room. Let’s face it, a player on a minimum level contract just trying to make it in the NBA just wasn’t going to have the same cache as a player making a near maximum contract during that time.
While it is good to see Arenas reminisce his career now that it is in the rear view mirror, I think some things are best left off the record. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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