Category: Basketball

There is a lot going on this off season for Victor Wembanyama. Earlier this week he was in France cutting ribbon on the refurbished Nanterre court. Yesterday it was announced he signed a long-term contract with Nike.

The deal includes a signature shoe line. Nike posted this:

The shoe brand and The Alien have already shared in a fruitful partnership, but this deal is next level. Wembanyama’s deal includes a new signature shoe line.

“We are proud to continue supporting Victor Wembanyama’s journey with Nike,” the company said, via Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “As one of the most unique and influential athletes in the world, Victor is a generational talent who continues to inspire the game’s next generation. We are excited about all that we’ve built together and look forward to more wins ahead.”

With all the accolades accumulating, Wemby should be raring to go into the next season. The opportunity to extend beyond the successes of 2025-2026 has elevated. The enlarged shoe deal just reflects Wemby’s global appeal both on and off the court.

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For a day smacked in the middle of the summer, kicking off August, and with most definitely nothing going around, I can’t believe I got this thing to go past 850 words. Links and notes.

• James Dolan expects the Knicks’ title defense to be the most enjoyable season of his ownership, following a summer in which New York’s squad is “coming back pretty much intact.” Keywords: Pretty much.
• In the eyes of everybody reading this and also New York Post pundit Jared Schwartz’s, the Knicks are now the team everyone else is building to beat. After using Boston as a blueprint during their own rise, New York will now have to adjust to fresh challenges from across the League as the 76ers, Heat, and other contenders all made moves to try and counter the Knicks’ greatness. Schwartz discussed them all and highlighted the main thing that might prove the biggest challenge for New York to deal with from each of those new contenders. An example:

“The 76ers’ length: The ‘Wingstop’ duo of OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges was brought in with the Celtics’ wing duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in mind. The need to stop elite wings has become increasingly pivotal in the modern NBA, and the Knicks ensured they had the personnel to do so.

Now, it’s the 76ers — not the Celtics — who present potential wing problems in LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. In a matchup between the two teams, Anunoby assuredly would guard one of those, though the other is a bit more of an open question. Bridges spent much of the postseason as the Knicks’ point-of-attack defender, guarding opposing guards rather than wings. Against the 76ers in particular, he did a terrific job on Tyrese Maxey.”

• Kendrick Perkins didn’t rank the Knicks as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference heading into the 2027 NBA season.
• Same Perk didn’t call Jalen Brunson the Knicks’ “most important player” after he led New York to its first championship in 53 years.
• ESPN’s Vince Goodwill said Towns was and still is “disappointed” that the Knicks did not offer him an extension during the season nor in the early days of the offseason, although the situation is obviously expected to be resolved sooner rather than later.

“Go back to during the season when Karl-Anthony Towns wanted an extension from the Knicks. The Knicks did not offer him one. He was disappointed, but he says he wants to be a Knick for life. He said, ‘These are the things that handle themselves in the offseason as long as I handle myself on the floor. The Knicks won the championship. Karl-Anthony Towns was a hub. He’s expecting some resolution to that soon.”

• Could an overperforming Miles McBride put the Knicks in a difficult position? That’s what Daily Knicks’ Jack Simone believes, with Deuce coming off a disappointing end to the postseason and is entering his final year under contract in New York.
• Fellow Daily Knicks scribe Kenny Kluska thinks Tyler Kolek — and the Knicks’ needs — might have played his way out of New York.
• Per ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, Minnesota has an interest in signing former end-of-pine Knick Jeremy Sochan. Alright, then. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• Siegel also reported that Golden State would welcome Kevin Durant back if he becomes available at some point next season.
• Shaquille O’Neal is convinced the Knicks’ championship came down to “a lot of luck” during their run. At least he called out the Spurs and, namely, De’Aaron Fox for their fooliness.
• On a positive note, Shaq also compared Brunson’s postseason mindset to Kobe’s Mamba Mentality.

“Kenny and I cornered (Brunson). We had a show right before the playoffs, and I like to mess with guys. I said, ‘Hey man, you going to win a championship this year?’ He had that look in his eye like when I used to ask Kobe. Like he really had that look where I was like ‘Hey, they were going to do it.’ And then when they played Atlanta and lost those games, I got nervous. But the way they stepped up, came back, and were beating teams, they actually did it the right way.”

• Now welcome to the Dillon Brooks corner.
  • Brooks accused LeBron of doing “everything he can” to secure another championship and “get more footage” for his own Last Dance documentary. For context, LeBron and Maverick Carter had already pushed back (falsely, likely) on the reports that they are nearing an agreement with ESPN to film such a thing. Related to this, Rich Paul has suggested that playing in Philadelphia could energize James enough to play anywhere from two to four more seasons.
  • Brooks named the only player he cannot hate on, believe it or not. “Nothing you can hate about him,” he said.
  • Brooks also wants to fight Jimmy Butler in a boxing match. “I always feel the animosity.”
  • Brooks described Russell Westbrook as an uncoachable dude, for not entirely bad reasons.
  • Brooks claimed the delayed Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto will never happen.
• The BIG3 is now valued at approximately $290 million and is targeting major expansion. Ice Cube revealed the league will eventually expand to between 24 and 34 teams, although he emphasized that growth must happen responsibly.

Every time Klay Thompson’s name shows up in a trade rumor that doesn’t involve Golden State, there’s a version of me that flinches a little. Watching him drain threes in a Mavericks jersey on Christmas Day was already enough of an adjustment for one lifetime. But if the sharpshooter with the quickest release we’ve ever seen is headed somewhere else this time, Miami might be the one address on the list that doesn’t feel like a betrayal.

Here’s why. Andre Iguodala left Golden State’s launch pad and found a second wind in Miami, helping drag that Heat team to the Bubble Finals against all logic. Andrew Wiggins, a guy this fanbase watched grow up in real time, has planted his own flag down there too. A landing spot like the Lakers or Celtics would always feel like Klay playing in someone else’s shadow. Miami is different. Pat Riley’s organization has a track record of taking a Warriors name that needed a reset and building a role around what still works, not what used to.

The reporting on how this actually happens is simple once you strip out the accounting. Klay takes a buyout from Dallas. Miami signs him using what’s left of its midlevel exception. Dallas doesn’t want that. That’s the whole standoff, according to Anthony Chiang’s mailbag for the Miami Herald.

Dallas believes a team built around Cooper Flagg can hang around the play-in picture, and a shooter like Thompson still has value to them, whether that’s minutes or a trade chip down the line. There’s no reason for Dallas to rush toward giving that away for nothing.

Strip away the money and the standoff for a second, because the basketball logic here writes itself. Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo are two players who live in the paint. They need someone defenses have to honor beyond the arc without needing plays run for him. That’s the exact profile Thompson has spent his whole career perfecting, going back to a Warriors era where he built his game around cutting and relocating rather than dribbling into pull-ups.

The decline is real and worth naming honestly. His overall game slipped last season as he posted career lows across the board with Dallas. But he still knocked down 38 percent of his threes, and there just aren’t many players alive who scare a defense standing still the way Klay Thompson does.

On ESPN’s “NBA Today” this past Wednesday, Shams Charania said flatly, “Klay is the Heat’s number one priority right now to acquire,” while noting that several other contending teams are reportedly still monitoring the situation, keeping both a trade and a buyout in play.

So here’s where it sits. Dallas has rejected Miami’s preferred mechanism. Miami has no obvious next move beyond waiting it out. And somewhere in the Bay, there’s a fanbase that will be checking up on the younger Splash Bro, rooting for a next chapter that finally feels like Klay’s story again.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

LeBron James.

Say that name to anyone, and it’s going to garner a response. Sometimes it will be overwhelmingly positive, and in other scenarios it will be very negative.

Given how long LeBron played for the Lakers, his era had plenty of highs and lows that can alter how one evaluates his time in LA.

The best moment has to be the 2020 title. He got it done and left a legacy. In such a tough situation, he helped LA dominate in the bubble and was named Finals MVP.

The lows have to be the losses.

Despite his All-Star-level play, the Lakers were unable to make it out of the Western Conference again after 2020. They had two losing seasons, three postseason first-round exits, four different head coaches and too much drama to ever count.

Now that the Lakers chapters are completed in the book of LeBron’s career, for our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we asked fans if his time in LA was a success. The answer was an emphatic yes.

Winning matters. It’s so hard to do.

The list of great teams and players who never won it all is enormous, and the number that got it done is finite.

LeBron talked about championships, and he hung a banner inside Crypto.com Arena. He ended the Lakers’ title drought and arrived in LA when the franchise was at a low point.

Thanks to his arrival, they became winners. With LeBron on the Lakers, they attracted stars like Anthony Davis and remained one of the better teams in the NBA.

LeBron left the Lakers better than he found them. If that’s not a success, then I don’t know what is.

Should the Lakers have won more? Maybe.

In hindsight, the Russell Westbrook trade was a disaster. It broke up a team that should’ve been left alone. The blame game involving that move and how much of it falls on the Lakers front office, or LeBron, is still debated today and remains a touchy subject.

Still, the good far outweighed the bad.

He won’t retire a Laker, but he left his mark. Now that it’s done, the only thing left to say is goodbye LeBron, and thanks for the memories.

Now it’s Luka Dončić’s turn. Let’s see what he does with it.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Mike Boynton Jr. continues to fill out his coaching staff in Ann Arbor, as he has hired Dylan Murphy as an assistant coach for the Michigan men’s basketball program. The news was first reported by 247Sports.

Murphy brings a diverse background in both NBA and G League coaching and analytics to a Wolverines staff that is working to defend a national championship in 2026-27.

He spent the last five seasons in the NBA with the Orlando Magic organization, serving in two distinct capacities. From 2018-20, he worked as a basketball operations analyst, providing analytics support to the coaching staff. He then transitioned into a full-time assistant coaching role from 2020-23, giving him three seasons of NBA bench experience at one of the league’s franchises.

His path to Orlando was built on a strong foundation in the G League. Murphy spent three seasons from 2013-16 as an assistant coach with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants — the Indiana Pacers’ G League affiliate — where he was part of one of the more successful runs in league history. The Mad Ants posted a league-best 34-16 record in 2013-14 and went a perfect 6-0 in the playoffs to win the G League championship.

After his time in Fort Wayne, Murphy spent the 2016-17 season as an NBA G League scout for the Atlanta Hawks, where he was responsible for identifying potential call-up candidates, a role that sharpened his eye for talent evaluation and player development at the professional level. He then served as a graduate assistant at Ball State in 2018 before joining the Magic organization.

Murphy’s background is particularly well-suited to what Boynton is building at Michigan. His blend of NBA analytics experience and on-court coaching provide him with a versatile skillset that can impact both the strategic and developmental sides of the program.

The analytics component of his profile is especially worth highlighting. Murphy spent two seasons as a dedicated analytics support staffer with Orlando before moving to the bench, meaning he very likely understands the data side of the game. In an era where analytics are playing an increasingly significant role in roster construction, game planning and player development, someone being on the coaching staff who has lived that world in the NBA is a great asset to have.

Boynton is assembling a staff with diverse backgrounds and complementary skillsets as he works to keep the Wolverines competitive at the highest level, and Murphy’s hire is another piece of that puzzle.

In 2022 when the Warriors won their last title, if you told me that one day LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, and D(ean) Wade would be on the 76ers I’d be like hell to the naw naw. (Also, where is Ben Simmons?!) And yet here we are!

Here’s the part that should scare the rest of the league ladies and gentlemen. This isn’t LeBron joining a team that needs him to be the engine. This is LeBron sliding into a group that already has an MVP-caliber big, a bucket-getter who just spent the summer proving he belongs in the “best two-way wing” conversation, and two young guards who play like they’ve been doing this for a decade already. Tyrese Maxey. VJ Edgecombe. Joel Embiid. Jaylen Brown. Now DA KING?! Five players who’ve either made an All-NBA team or are trending toward one, all wearing the same jersey.

So I’ll ask the obvious question before anyone else does it for me. Is this the best team LeBron has ever played on?

I know how that sounds given the résumé. Kyrie and prime Love in Cleveland. AD and a bubble run in LA. A Heatles trio that basically broke the sport for a few summers. But from a pure roster construction standpoint, I don’t remember one walking into training camp with this many legitimate creators, this much size, and this many lineup combinations. Embiid at the 5, when healthy, is still one of the toughest covers alive. Brown gives you another player who can take over a game. Maxey and Edgecombe give you two guards who get downhill and shoot it from range. And LeBron, even at 42, still reads a defense like he’s got the whole floor mapped out before you’ve decided where you’re going.

He’s walking on as a stabilizer, a guy who can captain possessions, punish mismatches in the post against smaller wings, and make the right read out of a double team on instinct. Philadelphia didn’t sign a farewell tour, rather we are looking at them adding a chess piece that still sees three moves ahead.

Now, the questions immediately arise when you talk about what could go wrong with that starting lineup.

Start with health. Embiid staying on the floor has been the same conversation forever, and I’m not going to sit here and pretend a new co-star fixes a body that’s fought him this long.

Then there’s hierarchy. Brown spent years in Boston fighting for respect, got his Finals MVP, and still ended up on a plane to a division rival where he’s probably not the first read on most nights. Going from “the guy everyone questioned but who proved it” to “one of five options” creates its own pressure, even if the results end up better.

And then there’s expectations. Maxey and Edgecombe were just building their own identities as young stars. Now they’re getting thrown into a spotlight that comes with real championship demands instead of just “how good can these kids be.”

But here’s why none of that changes how I feel about this roster from a pure basketball standpoint. Go back and watch the Sixers’ offseason moves as a whole. Anfernee Simons is an instant scoring punch off the bench for pennies compared to what other teams paid for less. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a proven championship wing. Labaron Philon might take ballhandling pressure off Maxey and Edgecombe as a rookie. They didn’t stop after LeBron, and that wasn’t just my takeaway. Paul Hudrick at Liberty Ballers looked at the same depth chart and came away with the same conclusion: “The depth chart looks legit.”

That’s what makes this team a nightmare to simulate. Most title contenders pick a lane. Fast and loose, or slow and physical. Philadelphia might make you prepare for two. This roster can do both, and with Embiid and LeBron on the floor together, I’d bet they lean into slowing the game down and daring you to match their size. But flip in Maxey, Edgecombe, and Simons off the bench, and suddenly you’re getting attacked in transition too. Ask anyone who’s tried fighting this roster in 2K how miserable it is to game plan for a team that can beat you at two different speeds depending on who’s on the floor.

Look, I’m not saying banners are guaranteed. Health matters, chemistry takes time, and pressure does strange things to teams that haven’t won together yet. But if you’re a rival executive right now, you’re not sleeping easy. This is must see TV starting in October. And if this group stays healthy, the conversation won’t be whether LeBron can still chase one more title. It’ll be whether anyone in the East has enough answers for everything Philadelphia can throw at them.

I can’t wait to see this team come to Chase Center.

Last season defense was hard to come by for the Utah Jazz as they allowed an NBA worst 126 points per game. How will they fare this year with Walker Kessler’s departure and a retooled roster with its sights set on a playoff spot?

There’s no question that losing Kessler to the Lakers is a blow to the team’s defensive potential. In his last full season with the Jazz (2024-2025), Walker posted a gaudy 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. By comparison, Kyle Filipowski led last year’s squad in rebounds with 7.2 per game, and Ace Bailey led the team in blocks with 0.7. One of the big questions for the upcoming season is are there enough deputies to replace The Sheriff?

The projected starting lineup for 2026-2027 certainly has more than enough height to battle for rebounds and affect an opponent’s shots. Both Markkanen and Jackson Jr. are bruisers at 7’1” and 6’10” respectively and have physiques like NFL tight ends. The three games they shared the front court last season hinted at their potential defensive partnership. The Jazz won two out of the three games, including an impressive away win against the Miami Heat, in which the pair combined for 11 defensive rebounds and the team as a whole held the Heat to 111 points. Jackson Jr. also showcased his ability to pick the other team’s pocket and create additional possessions for his teammates, averaging 2 steals a game.

But neither big man is known as a shot blocker nor is expected to consistently produce double digit rebounds. Other players will need to step in to make up the deficit. Ace Bailey at 6’9” has added muscle in the off season, which will help his ability to contend in the paint and build on his team leading block totals from last year. There is also the option of starting Jusuf Nurkic at center, who showed last season that his ability to rebound the ball is underrated. He didn’t play enough games for his statistics to count in team leading averages, but in the 41 games he did play, he pulled in an impressive 10.4 rebounds a game, including 7.8 on the defensive end. The Jazz would give up some athleticism starting Nurkic over Bailey, but they would also benefit from having a savvy veteran with a nose for the basketball.

One of the most intriguing questions for the upcoming season is how Darryn Peterson and Keyonte George will mesh in the backcourt. This will be especially important defensively as the Jazz’s perimeter defense last year was like a sieve. As a 6’5” 199 lb guard, Peterson brings size to the position and a defensive intensity which produced 15 blocks and 34 steals in 24 games at Kansas. The big question is how this will translate in the NBA and whether he can maintain that intensity without getting in foul trouble. And if as a tandem, he and George can provide some consistent resistance to the skilled ball handlers and three-point assassins on opposing teams.

The supporting cast’s defensive development will also go a long way in how successful the Jazz are this season. John Konchar made a name for himself as an all-round defensive pest, averaging 2 steals and 1 block in the 26 games he played last season. Bez Mbeng showed glimpses of his defensive prowess in the short time he’s been with the Jazz. Will Kyle Filipowski and Cody Williams take a step forward defensively? What roles will new additions Jaxson Hayes and Josh Okogie play in the defensive development of the team? Will the second coming of Mo Bamba provide a much-needed boost from the bench? So many questions…

The key is that one player is not the answer in turning arguably the worst defensive team in the league last year into a coordinated group which can hold its own when it matters most. Coach Hardy’s challenge is molding the players’ defensive strengths into a cohesive unit, one that will bend, but not break. Games often come down to key defensive moments—who can forget Lebron racing the length of the court to block Iguodala’s shot in the 2016 NBA Finals?—and the Jazz have an opportunity to use them as momentum to finally propel them into the post season.

After a European tour, Mario Hezonja is making an NBA comeback.

The Cavaliers signed Hezonja, 31, to a one-year contract, marking his return to the NBA for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Hezonja played pro ball in Greece, Russia, and Spain over the last six years.

Hezonja played for Real Madrid this past season, where he won the Liga ACB Most Valuable Player award after averaging 15 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. Hezonja spent four years with Real Madrid and won a EuroLeague championship with the team in 2023, along with consecutive Liga ACB titles in 2024 and 2025.

Hezonja was selected fifth overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2015 NBA Draft and played 330 games for the Magic, Knicks, and Trail Blazers in his first NBA stint. Hezonja, who was born in Dubrovnik, is one of the highest-drafted Croatian-born players in league history.

On Friday, Hezonja spoke out about his new organization.

“Never liked how I left the NBA but these past 5 years have been exactly what I wanted and much needed!” Hezonja posted to X while tagging the Cavaliers. “I am super happy that my new chapter is with a team and organization that I have always admired and respected!”

Hezonja had a couple of memorable moments as a Knick — who he spent the 2018-19 season with — including a game-winning block against LeBron James and the Lakers in March 2019 and recording his first career triple-double the following month.

Hezonja then signed with Portland before being traded to Memphis in 2020.

The Grizzlies waived him less than a month later, and then Hezonja began his overseas career for Greek club Panathinaikos.

From there, Hezonja signed with Russian team UNICS Kazan and then headed to Real Madrid for four seasons, where he became one of the most accomplished players in Europe during his tenure.

The Cavs signed Hezonja after missing out on a James return when he signed with the Sixers earlier this month.

A heartfelt congratulations from The Slipper Still Fits to forward/center Zach Collins on his two-year, $17 million contract extension to stay with the Chicago Bulls through the 2027-28 season. The injury bug has unfortunately hit the Gonzaga Bulldog quite a lot throughout his time with the Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, and with Chicago, so this new deal is a major victory for Collins as he enters his ninth season in the NBA.

The site appreciates the 2016 McDonald’s All-American out of powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Nevada, sharing some of his offseason time to discuss his lone season with the Zags back in 2016-17, senior center Przemek Karnowski being his vet, his standout performance against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona.

Just an entertaining conversation with the big man from top to bottom. Check it out below.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

The Golden State Warriors are set to run it back with the same group as last season, but are reportedly monitoring a potential reunion.

According to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, his sources have confirmed that if Kevin Durant were to become available next season, the Warriors would welcome him back.

“The organization has not completely moved on from the idea of one day reuniting [Steph] Curry with former Warrior and two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant,” Siegel wrote. “Lacob and the Warriors would welcome Durant back with open arms, much like they were prepared to do in 2025 before he and his business partner Rich Kleiman stopped the trade deadline deal in its tracks.”

Siegel went on to note that the reason Durant stopped a potential reunion in 2025 was because he was looking for stability in Phoenix.

That obviously never materialized. Durant was traded by the Suns to the Houston Rockets. The Warriors, meanwhile, were left to deal for Jimmy Butler, who missed significant time due to injury.

Butler tore his ACL in January, setting back the franchise by the bay. The expectation is for Butler to return to the Warriors roster, but a return date is still unknown.

The narrative of the Warriors’ offseason has been a swing and miss, as they’ve consistently missed out on acquiring another star to pair alongside Curry, Butler, Draymond Green, and Kristaps Porzingis.

On Thursday, head coach Steve Kerr admitted he is content with his current group and didn’t even think the team had a chance to land LeBron James, who signed with the Philadelphia 76ers a week ago.

Golden State’s roster does have one key addition. The Warriors selected Yaxel Lendeborg out of Michigan with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and is expected to play a major role.

Lendeborg has been impressive in his short time with the team, as he led Golden State’s Summer League team to a championship earlier this month. He was crowned the series MVP for a 21 point, 10 rebound, and 2 steal performance.

Despite the team reportedly being content, the reality of the Warriors is that it’s an aging group that has been decimated by injuries, and Curry is only getting older.

Curry, 38, who is considered the greatest shooter of this era of basketball, missed 39 games for the Warriors last season as he was dealing with runner’s knee.

When Durant was a member of Golden State from 2016-2019, it was some of the best basketball of his career. The future Hall of Famer helped the team win two NBA championships and was crowned Finals MVP both times, while averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.

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Only one year remains on Steph Curry’s deal with the Golden State Warriors, and speculation is beginning to swirl around the future Hall of Famer’s future with the franchise.

While the two-time MVP has no plans of finishing his career anywhere but the Bay Area, Kalshi’s Steph Curry next team odds aren’t ruling out a potential next chapter.

As we’ve learned in the NBA over the years, Kevin Garnett voice: “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLEEE".

Steph Curry Next Team Odds: Top Contenders

Key Takeaways

• No Time To Panic for Dub Nation: Steph Curry remains the heavy favorite to stay in Golden State at a 94% implied probability, and the 38-year-old has shown no signs of wanting out of the Bay Area or feeling unappreciated (looking at you, Tom Brady). Owner Joe Lacob is facing the balancing act of keeping his veteran core happy while also building for the future, and moving on from a player who delivered four championships and put the organization on the map would be an unprecedented decision.
• Taking Talents to South Beach? Although Pat Riley couldn’t bring LeBron James back to Miami, the Heat have already overhauled their roster by making a blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Considering the 'Greek Freak' and Bam Adebayo aren’t known for their outside shooting, adding Curry would be the perfect blend after dealing away Tyler Herro.

Steph Curry Next Team Odds

Stays with Golden State or Retires | ‘Yes’ 94¢ | 94% Chance

The Golden State Warriors have little incentive to move Stephen Curry. The Warriors control nearly all of their future first-round picks through 2033, giving them flexibility to retool without sacrificing their franchise icon.

Combined with Curry's loyalty, the organization remains committed to keeping him in the Bay Area.

Miami Heat | ‘Yes’ 3¢ | 3% Chance

The Miami Heat's pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo has depleted much of its future first-round draft capital, making it difficult to make a blockbuster offer for Curry. 

While the Heat remain an attractive destination because of their championship aspirations, assembling a competitive trade package for Curry would be a significant challenge — largely because they already dealt Herro.

Charlotte Hornets | ‘Yes’ 2¢ | 2% Chance

At first glance, seeing a future Hall of Famer wrap up his career with an organization like the Charlotte Hornets seems far-fetched, but our very own Jon Metler breaks down why these odds could accelerate quickly...

There’s a Stephen Curry Next Team market open on Kalshi

Charlotte Hornets sitting at 2% 👀 https://t.co/dqHS61BFDNpic.twitter.com/tpw5AAv45w

— Jon Metler (@JonMetler) July 31, 2026

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• Account Setup: Complete your user configuration and fund your active trading balance via secure bank wire or transfer to ensure maximum liquidity as insider updates break.
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After years of searching for better frontcourt play, the Lakers made big changes this offseason.

Gone are Deandre Ayton, Maxi Kleber and Jaxson Hayes. In their replacement, the Lakers took a big swing by trading for Walker Kessler and signing Kevon Looney.

Kessler is the premier acquisition. He is joining the team with the expectation that he’ll be the big of the future.

While satisfying the starting center spot is great, the team could use more depth.

In a recent article by Dan Woike in The Athletic, he detailed how the team currently desires to bolster the frontcourt.

Between Looney’s 21 games and the five Kessler played last season, the Lakers are, according to team and league sources, hunting for reinforcement at the center position. But that search won’t be easy. The center market is largely a mess. In addition, the Lakers already have 16 guaranteed contracts and no open roster spots.

Kessler said he’s good to go health-wise, so hopefully his injuries are a thing of the past.

Still, it’d be ideal to have a backup you can rely on in case he misses a game here and there. Looney doesn’t seem ready for that kind of role. He is an older, more limited player. Last season he played just 21 games.

Looney is a solid rebounder and screener, but his offensive production was never great, and it’s declining. With the Pelicans last year, he scored just 2.8 points per game and shot 41.7% from the field.

If the season started now, he’d likely be taking over Hayes’ minutes. It’s hard to imagine Looney can produce at the same level that Hayes did.

Looney playing the Kleber role, as a third-string big who knows how to be a professional, would be a better situation for him.

If the Lakers opt to sign a center from the unrestricted free agent market, Nick Richards and Drew Eubanks remain available.

Richards averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds last season. However, he was traded to the Bulls midseason and performed well there, averaging 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in a larger role.

Eubanks played with the Kings last season and averaged 5.2 points while shooting 59.6% from the field.

Whether via a trade or by signing a player, the goal seems to be for LA to snag another backup center option.And it’s why they continue to look for that reinforcement even with all of their roster spots currently being accounted for.

Given how important the frontcourt is for the Lakers, they should be able to figure out how to improve the depth at that position before the start of the year. The only unknown currently is who it will be.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

The Golden State Warriors still need to add some players to fill out their roster, and it seems they’ve narrowed down the candidates. According to a recent report by Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Dubs are considering center Kelly Olynyk, combo guard Brandon Williams, and guard Gabe Vincent for the team’s final three roster spots alongside a pair of internal options (re-signing Gary Payton II or promoted LJ Cryer from his two-way deal). Siegel clarified that “a few other names could emerge.. but the Warriors will be adding at least one more guard.”

“With about an $8 million buffer between their current payroll and the second apron, the Warriors have three open roster spots left,” Siegel wrote. “Sources say Kelly Olynyk, Brandon Williams, Gabe Vincent, and Gary Payton II are all players in consideration for a minimum deal from the Warriors, along with current two-way guard LJ Cryer.”

Olynyk is a veteran stretch-five, who would seemingly replace departed restricted free agent Quinten Post, who signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Grizzlies (the deal includes multiple team options). In his prime, Olynyk’s size, shooting, and passing abilities seemed like an excellent fit alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green, but at 35 it’s unclear whether he has enough left in the tank to make a major impact. Last season, Olynyk only played 8.6 minutes per game across 42 contests, averaging just 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 25.5% from three with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs. However, he was much more productive the season prior between the Pelicans and Raptors. He played 20.3 minutes per game, averaging 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while making 41.8% of his three-point attempts.

Vincent, 30, is a defense-first guard who emerged as a key role player with the Miami Heat, where he thrived alongside Jimmy Butler in the team’s run to the finals in 2023. He signed a lucrative three-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers following the trip to the finals and was immediately derailed by injury. Since returning, he has struggled to regain his form. While Vincent has never been an above-average offensive player, he made a career-worst 35.2% of his field-goal attempts last season. Granted, he did make 34.1% of his three-point attempts. He averaged 4.4 points, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 rebound in 16.6 minutes per game (53 appearances between the Lakers and Hawks).

While Olynyk, Vincent, and Payton all fit in the category of “veteran role player probably past their prime,” Williams is undeniably a more volatile potential option. Williams has appeared in just 140 career NBA games over the past five years and was not a rotation player until last in the 2024-25 season with the Dallas Mavericks. Over the past two years, however, Williams has emerged as a productive microwave scorer averaging 11.5 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in just 19.7 minutes per game (99 games).

Yet, Williams averaging more than 20 points and 5 assists per 36 minutes in each of the past two seasons has not earned him a big pay day because of his limitations defensively and as a shooter. A career 28.0% shooter from three, Williams finished last season 36-155 (23.2%) from behind the arc. Still, Williams’ ability to score and get to the free-throw line remain intriguing. Still only 26, he could be a perfect bench scorer for the Warriors if his shot bounces back next season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are firmly in the mix for both Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson. Both forwards would be acquired via a sign-and-trade, with Max Strus and Dennis Schroder as the two players who Cleveland is willing to give up.

Strus ($16.6 million) is on an expiring contract that could be of interest for a team like the Denver Nuggets, who are trying to navigate a hefty payroll. Absorbing Strus, gaining his talents for a season, and then not having to pay him long-term is a benefit.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype says the Cavs have expanded their search for a wing by becoming more involved in Watson’s situation in Denver.

“The Cavaliers have recently called to express interest in a sign-and-trade for Denver Nuggets restricted free-agent forward Peyton Watson, league sources told HoopsHype. The newfound interest in Watson comes on the heels of Cleveland also being in the mix for free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga in sign-and-trade discussions.”

Watson, an athletic 23-year-old forward, would fill one of Cleveland’s biggest needs. He has strong potential as a 3-and-D forward. He averaged 14.3 points per game last season on above 40% three-point shooting. That’s music to our ears.

Denver is reportedly asking for one notable player and at least one first-round pick for Watson. To this point, no suitor has been willing to offer a first-round pick to Denver. The Cavs have a 2031 pick they could put on the table.

If it were up to me, that’s a price worth paying.

Schroder ($14.8 million) still has another year left on his deal after this, worth $15 million. That’s an obstacle for a player who isn’t as highly valued around the league. Backup guards, especially undersized ones, aren’t garnering that much interest in today’s NBA. Schroder is still a helpful contributor nonetheless.

Cleveland has also shown interest in Atlanta’s Kuminga for most of the summer. The Cavs would dump either Strus or Schroder to make the deal financially possible. There haven’t been many updates on this front other than Atlanta still searching for a way to retain Kuminga despite interest from other teams.

Greetings, Panthers fans. Welcome to the weekend.

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