Category: Basketball

It is not smart to overreact to what you see in NBA summer league; there are just too many examples of great players getting off to a bad start to their pro careers in Las Vegas.

Cooper Flagg and Victor Wembanyama didn’t have amazing summer league debuts. Jalen Brunson struggled mightily, Draymond Green was really bad, and Coby White couldn’t buy a bucket. Summer league is not that important. With that being said, it’s the end of July, and there isn’t much else to write about until LeBron James finally signs, so here are some summer league takeaways that verge into being overreactions based on what we saw in the sample in Las Vegas.

Also, read my summer league rookie rankings. Then read my list of the eight young veterans who were too good for summer league this year, and also my list of six rookies who looked underwhelming in Las Vegas. Feel free to drop your own favorite summer league overreactions in the comments, and I’ll respond.

Darryn Peterson is not a point guard

Peterson was something of a mystery box coming out of Kansas because he looked like a completely different player from high school to college. As a senior at Prolific Prep, Peterson had the look of a heliocentric guard who could pressure the rim and overwhelm opponents physically. The college version had to adjust after soft tissue strains and cramping zapped some of his explosiveness, and he promptly turned into an off-ball gunner who did most of his scoring from the perimeter.

Peterson said he’s healthy now, and after watching him at summer league, it feels like he’s better suited to run around screens and maximize his three-point rate than trying to be a do-everything guard right away. The Jazz already have a solid point guard in Keyonte George, and what they really need next to him is a high-level defensive playmaker who stresses the defense with his shooting gravity. I think that could be the best version of Peterson early in his career, partially because he can be really good in those areas, and partially because his rim attacks don’t look particularly overpowering at the moment.

I wish I sent this tweet.

Darryn Peterson’s path to stardom as a player comp is Sonics Ray Allen

— Draft Dummies (@DraftDummies) July 4, 2026

Peterson’s three-point rate (percentage of field goal attempts from three) dropped from 46% at Kansas to 33% throughout summer league. Meanwhile, he had nearly as many turnovers (24) as assists (26). Get those threes up, DP, and the Jazz will be better off for it.

Free Noa Essengue from the Bulls

The Bulls’ new braintrust of lead executive Bryson Graham and head coach Tiago Splitter did not draft Noa Essengue with the No. 12 overall pick a year ago. Essengue basically had the worst rookie season ever, suffering a season-ending shoulder injury before he scored his first point. He’s still just 19 years old, and figures to be just starting to scratch the surface of his long-term upside. Essengue needs live reps more than anything else after being sidelined since Nov., but he immediately found himself in the doghouse in summer league with Splitter coaching the Bulls for the first two games in Las Vegas.

It sure seems like Graham and Splitter don’t care much about Essengue, because he’s not their guy. Fair enough I suppose, but Essengue has intriguing physical tools, a history of performing well against older competition, and a real path toward one day becoming a useful player — unlike the vast majority of the SummerBulls roster outside of Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain. Essengue’s numbers weren’t even that bad, 62.4% true shooting, a 20 percent defensive rebounding rate, an 8.1% block rate, and a 3.3% steal rate.

Okay, there were some ugly moments, from bad turnovers to missed free throws to falling over every 30 seconds because he can’t handle physicality. But Essengue is only 19 — he’s six months younger than Caleb Wilson — and he has some real potential pathways to value in switchability on defense, offensive rebounding, transition spacing, and maybe eventually floor spacing. I had Essengue at No. 10 on my draft board last year, and I think it’s completely ridiculous that a team with as little talent as the Bulls is already apparently writing him off. Essengue needs a franchise that will invest in his development, not yank around his minutes in completely meaningless summer league games. If the Bulls don’t care about Essengue, another franchise will.

Two Lakers summer league players are the key to their regular season

The Lakers have arguably the best offensive backcourt in the NBA with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and now they have a very good rim protector in Walker Kessler behind them. There’s only one problem: Los Angeles still needs athletic defenders on the wings, and they don’t really have any way to acquire them after spending every possible future asset on Kessler. Would you believe me if I said the answer might be hiding on their summer league team?

ADOU THIERO TAKES FLIGHT YET AGAIN ✈️

He's got 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals for the Lakers! pic.twitter.com/4IhrPwN2XV

— NBA (@NBA) July 19, 2026

Chris Mañon and Adou Thiero could be everything the Lakers need. Both young wings played great during summer league, and have the exact skill sets that could push the big league club over the top. Mañon was a monster defensive playmaker out of Vanderbilt who slipped in the 2025 draft because of his offensive limitations. He showed a little growth as a shooter in the G League last year, and if anyone can make his offense playable, it’s Luka. Mañon thrives as a disruptive defender who can blow up screens, pick shaky ball handlers, and dart in for blocks and steals in a free safety role. The Lakers badly need a bulldog at the point of attack, and Mañon will be excellent there if they give him a chance. Thiero is just an athletic freak with a rare blend of speed and power. He crushes in transition, and has the tools to defend wing scorers.

If the Lakers are smart, they will have a developmental plan for both players in place to hopefully shape them into real contributors come playoff time.

7 second-rounders who will be solid rotation players

The second round of the NBA Draft was supposedly destroyed by NIL. While I agree with that narrative to some extent, there are still going to be players picked in the second round this year who go on to good careers, and I think summer league helped prove it. Here are seven second rounders from the 2026 draft who can carve out careers in the NBA:

• Bruce Thornton
• Meleek Thomas
• Henri Veesaar
• Trevon Brazile
• Jack Kayil
• Baba Miller
• Nick Martinelli

Thornton and Thomas are my favorite of the group, and both looked tremendous in Vegas. Brazile landed in a great situation in Denver where he’s a perfect complement to Nikola Jokic, while Kayil surpassed expectations for me, and Martinelli continued to look like the Julius Randle of the North Shore. There’s always talent in the draft, and don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Khaman Maluach will look like a future All-Star by the end of the year

I was super high on Maluach entering the 2025 draft, and I still believe even after essentially getting redshirted by the Suns as a rookie. The big man was absolutely dominant in summer league by putting up 19.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, and two blocks per game with 40% shooting from three (on five attempts per game) and 70.4% true shooting.

I went over everything I love about Maluach on the Swish Theory podcast:

on Khaman Maluach:

"His Size is an A++ AND he can shoot!

Pure Play Finisher on Offense – he's gonna dunk the sh*t out of the ball and be a real weapon on pick-and-pops as a floor spacer.

Defensively, he's just the biggest guy in the world.

If you're 260lbs and you put your… pic.twitter.com/cFiq1VTI7D

— Swish Theory (@SwishTheory) July 16, 2026

Yaxel Lendeborg will have a great career even if he’s an old rookie

The Warriors won the summer league championship behind the play of Yaxel Lendeborg. The rookie is just a couple months away from his 24th birthday, but his winding journey to the NBA is proof that players can develop on their own timelines and still reach the pinnacle of the sport.

I usually push back on the idea that older players are more “NBA ready” when they enter the draft. It’s true in Yaxel’s case. He’s going to be a valuable contributor to Golden State from day one.

Yaxel Lendeborg — SL MVP Tape pic.twitter.com/muNyepuobQ

— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) July 20, 2026

At its heart, NBA Summer League basketball is a chance for teams to see their draftees and other young players in action, and how they respond, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and so on.

Players being competitive though, they want to do two things: make an impression as a potential NBA player, and, not incidentally, to win.

And while Cameron Boozer has a habit of winning, it didn’t work out this time, as Golden State got the championship Sunday night, in a 94-90 victory.

Boozer took a three-pointer with Memphis down 92-90 with about 0:08 to play, but missed.

Still, he made his point in Las Vegas. Boozer still has some doubters, but his new teammate, Cedric Coward, is very happy with what he’s seen from Boozer, saying this:
“He’s special, man. I mean there’s no other words I can describe it. Like I told people before, I can’t believe he’s 18, but he’s a special, special player.”

The questions about Boozer always suggest that he’s not that athletic, but he actually outperformed former UNC star Caleb Wilson in the pre-draft agility drills. His vertical is not that great, but otherwise?

He’s better than people think.

Where he just kills people is with his overall grasp of the game, and his fundamentals. As Coward suggested, Boozer is way ahead of the curve for a teenager (he just turned 19 on Saturday, incidentally). And if you have a solid grasp of the fundamentals, and you’re fairly rugged, you’re going to be able to make an impact.

We’d love to be a fly on the wall with the Grizzlies to get a better idea of what they learned about Boozer and how they plan to use him this upcoming season.

• Cameron Boozer has been one of the stars of Summer league
• Grizzlies’ Cedric Coward gave Cam Boozer a perfect birthday present at Summer League
• Duke’s Cameron Boozer Gets Insane NBA Prediction That Even Fans Might Not Agree With
• Cameron Boozer with the hoop & harm
• Cameron Boozer’s new teammate raves about his ‘special’ skills
• Grizzlies can soon maximize Cam Boozer’s biggest strength with Zach Edey
• Cameron Boozer Ranked As ESPN’s No. 2 Rookie Post-Summer League
• Why the NBA Rookie of the Year race ‘is gonna get nasty’
• Why Cameron Boozer is the toughest prospect to evaluate in NBA Summer League

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If you have spotted Kentucky Basketball forward Kam Williams around campus recently, you probably noticed a couple of familiar summer accessories: a protective walking boot and crutches, as seen at the TBT.

Before Big Blue Nation lets out a collective sigh of panic, take a deep breath. This isn’t a case of the injury bug striking again, but rather a visual reminder of the strict, ultra-cautious rehabilitation program Williams has been on all offseason. As Mark Pope and his staff look ahead to the 2026-27 campaign, the goal is simple: zero rushing, zero risks, and ensuring Williams is at absolute full strength when the games actually matter.

Here is a closer look at where things stand with Williams’ recovery and the medical reality behind his current summer routine.

Fighting through to play in March

To understand why the staff is playing the long game right now, you have to look back to January 2026. During an SEC game against Texas, Williams suffered a fractured left foot, specifically a Jones fracture.

Instead of shutting it down for the year, Williams underwent surgery and put together a grueling rehab stint just to make it back onto the floor for limited action during the postseason. It was a massive boost for the locker room, but playing on a recently repaired foot takes a toll.

Because of that grueling stretch, the Kentucky medical staff drew a hard line for the summer. Williams has been completely held out of contact drills and summer practices. The presence of the boot and crutches is simply the tactical continuation of that off-season plan. Absolutely no reason to take any chances of a reinjury when you don’t have to.

Could a reinjury have happened here? Maybe, considering how tricky a Jones Fracture can be, but no updates have been provided.

The tricky nature of a Jones Fracture

For basketball players, the fifth metatarsal (the bone on the outside of the foot where a Jones fracture occurs) is notoriously stubborn. Because that specific area of the foot has a naturally limited blood supply, bone fusion takes considerable time, usually around 4 months.

The risk of a delayed union or a microscopic re-fracture is high if a player returns to full workload too quickly, which may have happened when Williams came back just two months after the surgery. But I still think this is just a continuation of a plan to play it safe.

By utilizing a boot and crutches during the heart of the summer, the training staff is essentially protecting Williams from himself. It forces the foot to rest completely, allowing the bone to harden and adapt without any daily stress.

Ultimately, seeing a key piece of the roster in a boot in July might not be the most glamorous summer visual, but it is exactly what the doctor ordered, unless there was a reinjury that hasn’t been disclosed. Mark Pope’s staff is taking the smart, hyper-conservative route here, and they should.

By sacrificing summer checklist reps now, the Wildcats are ensuring that when the bright lights turn on this winter, Williams will be completely ready to roll.

The current Kentucky team has arrived, and the fans are loving it! pic.twitter.com/mz9pTp4tzH

— Dylan Ballard (@DylanBallard_UK) July 18, 2026

On Sunday, we looked at the classic 1984 matchup between Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon and Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing. Both went on to brilliant NBA careers and are on a short list of the best NBA big men of all time: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson – Ewing and Olajuwon are both in rarified air.

However, Olajuwon in one respect stands alone: no center, and indeed very few players at all, had the combination of agility and quickness that he had.

Watch this compilation of his signature move, the Dream Shake. Keep in mind that Olajuwon is 7-0 and his playing weight was 255. The only big man who ever approached this level of agility was a young O’Neal, and he packed on so much weight in the NBA that he lost that aspect of his game. For his third championship with the Lakers, though he was listed at 325, O’Neal later said that he played at a staggering 415 lbs.

Olajuwon was one of a kind.

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Whether you care or not, we have collectively transitioned into the coldest part of the schedule for sports fans. Go watch baseball if you like it, but if you don’t, get ready for two months of absolutely nothing at all.

• The Atlanta Hawks are making it clear that the Knicks are (or remain) their biggest target. After lucking into a 2-1 lead in the first round last, Atlanta added Lu Dort and Ryan Nembhard in a three-team trade with Oklahoma City and Dallas. The Hawks already added Aaron Wiggins from OKC in another dump trade by the Thunder earlier this summer.
• P&T alumn Lee Escobedo believes the Hawks are building an “Anti-Knicks” roster. Summary:

“Have the Hawks assembled a championship roster? Atlanta acquired All-Defensive wing Lu Dort after taking New York to six games in the first round, giving Quin Snyder another physical perimeter defender to deploy against Jalen Brunson. Dort allows Dyson Daniels to operate as a roaming help defender while Nickeil Alexander-Walker chases shooters and Jalen Johnson attacks in transition. Ryan Nembhard and rookie Kingston Flemings could also improve Atlanta’s half-court organization. The Hawks still have concerns about size, rebounding, and shooting, but their combination of defensive versatility, ball pressure, and Oklahoma City influence makes them one of New York’s most dangerous Eastern Conference challengers.”

• Deuce McBride sent LeBron James a message.
• Eli Manning has the perfect description for New York, the Giants, the Yankees, the Rangers, the Knicks, MSG, Derek Jeter, plenty more… and Jalen Brunson. Ridiculous clip.

Narrated by @EliManning, welcome to the newest King of New York…

Jalen Brunson. pic.twitter.com/ElRCxYRfvy

— WWE (@WWE) July 19, 2026

• Former infamous New York Post storyteller Marc Berman returned home and reflected on finally seeing the Knicks win a championship after covering the franchise for 23 seasons.
• Shout-out Kris Pursiainen for this Alvarado story.

“Karl-Anthony Towns says Jose Alvarado told him on ‘day 7’ of celebratory drinking that he slept in a construction yard. Towns adds he’s still not sure if it was a joke. ‘He’s the hood MVP, for sure,‘ he said of Alvarado.”

• Jordan Clarkson became involved in a situation at Manhattan’s Zero Bond nightclub while attempting to calm a confrontation involving rapper Travis Scott. Security removed both Clarkson and Scott from the venue, and no injuries were reported.
• Dillon Brooks his top-five biggest NBA whiners. Yes, you guessed the gold medalist right.
• Spain beat Argentina 1-0 at the World Cup. Spain won the World Cup.

Imagine Kyle Lowry hooping in those shorts https://t.co/V8yPxtFrjE

— 𝑲 𝑳 𝑼 𝑻 𝑪 𝑯 (@KlutchBron23) July 19, 2026

When Masai Ujiri was hired as the Mavericks GM, he had a reputation for his love of wings, often prioritizing them over everything else, and so far, his actions match his reputation.

The latest wing is former #1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, who the Mavericks acquired in a 3 team deal with the Atlanta Hawks, with the Mavericks sending Ryan Nembhard and a second-round pick.

Risacher has spent the last 2 seasons in Atlanta, averaging 11.1 points while shooting 36% from three. Risacher being dealt is not very surprising, seeing as he was effectively benched in Atlanta’s first-round series against the Knicks.

This benching was not surprising, as Risacher’s minutes had slowly declined all season, being replaced by players like Nickeil-Alexander Walker, and Jonathon Kuminga. The price to acquire Risacher was incredibly light, reflecting how the rest of the league views the French wing, with his skillset still yet to truly gel in the NBA.

The advanced numbers also reflect his poor value, with a -2.2 Darko Plus-Minus being in the 22nd percentile. His fit is also clunky with the Mavericks, as he will have to fight for minutes with older, better and more experienced veterans who play his position.

Risacher lacks any real value outside of his shooting, struggling to create for himself or others, and being a mediocre defender. These criticisms are not new, as he struggled with these skills even as a draft prospect. The hope for Risacher becoming a good player is to entirely focus on his good traits: length and shooting upside.

While Risacher has been a somewhat efficient shooter, his volume his still only okay, attempting 4.2 threes per game so far in his career. If Risacher could get his attempts up while maintaining his efficiency, he could find real value as a shooter.

Now, while this trade is confusing now, there are moves the Mavericks could make that would slot everything into place; trading Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington. Both players have been in trade talks all offseason, and with every new addition, their minutes only continue to go down.

Trading the 2 veterans would not only mean future draft assets, but would confirm a shift in how the Mavericks will play moving forward. Many of their moves have been focused on adding shooting, with Risacher only continuing this trend. Trading 2 of the weaker shooters on the roster would mean more minutes for players like Santi Aldama and Tarik Biberovic, both of whom are excellent shooters for their position.

Trading these veterans could also lead to the Mavericks adding more on-ball creation, as the Mavericks only have two trustworthy creators on the current roster. Not having creators makes the spacing of the new additions less valuable, and puts tremendous pressure on Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving to carry the offense.

So will a trade happen? Nobody really knows.

The Mavericks have moved in silence all offseason, with their true plans for the roster being shrouded in mystery, but I would bet on a trade that we aren’t expecting, with a shakeup that no one will see coming.

Former Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike adds an NBA Summer League title to his resume and made a case for a two-way contract throughout his work this summer. In the Golden State Warriors’ 94-90 double-digit comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Las Vegas, Nevada, he scored six points on 1-for-6 field goals, nine rebounds, three assists/one turnover, and one block in his ninth straight start.

Congrats G! 🏆🙌 pic.twitter.com/lJrVkTaYjd

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) July 20, 2026

In the 92-88 semifinals victory over Los Angeles Lakers forward Anton Watson, Ike put together his best outing with the Warriors. He would end up with 16 rebounds on 6-for-10 shooting and 11 assists with a +10 plus-minus.

Throughout both the California Classic at the Chase Center and in Sin City, Ike averaged 9.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. The Warriors currently have one two-way spot left to be filled and have the need for his strong post presence as well as leadership value.

Training camp in San Francisco, California, will begin in late September or early October.

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

All Yaxel Lendeborg does is win championships.

Three months after his Michigan Wolverines won the NCAA Tournament, Lendeborg led the Golden State Warriors to their first NBA Summer League championship since 2013 with a 94-90 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, bringing the Warriors back from a 12-point deficit in the 4th quarter thanks to a personal 7-0 run.

Yaxel SPLASH and Dubs take the lead ‼️

📺 @NBCSAuthenticpic.twitter.com/BTCF9pYVm7

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) July 20, 2026

Beyond his scoring prowess, Lendeborg was the key player on a Warriors defense that held No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer and the Grizzlies to just 14 4th-quarter points. That performance made him the only choice for Summer League Championship Game MVP, following in the footsteps of 2013 SLCGMVP Ian Clark.

Congrats, @Yaxel_Lendeborg!

2026 NBA Summer League Championship Game MVP 🏆 https://t.co/Gzm6r2qFfdpic.twitter.com/qdDp5UH1RL

— NBA (@NBA) July 20, 2026

The win was a clear team effort, but it wouldn’t have happened without an outstanding performance off the bench from Deivon Smith, who shot 9-for-14 and scored 21 points, adding nine rebounds and keeping the team in the game in the first quarter by scoring nine straight points.

Deivon Smith with 9 straight points in the 1st quarter, as he keeps blowing by defenders, including a nice coast-to-coast And-1 finish (with replays) pic.twitter.com/1b9I2ocD2f

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 20, 2026

Smith saved the best for last in Las Vegas, putting up 21 big points after scoring just four in the Warriors’ previous games. The Warriors also got 15 points, six assists and four three-pointers from LJ Cryer, who finished with the second-most threes in Summer League, trailing only Chaz Lanier of the Detroit Pistons. Cryer iced the game at the end of the 4th by eluding the Grizzlies attempts to foul him, then splitting his two free throws for the final four-point margin.

LJ Cryer gets away from Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who fails to foul him right away, as Cryer takes 6 seconds off the clock.
Cryer splits the free throws and the Golden State Warriors are the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League champions! pic.twitter.com/WYUQWUHDtA

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 20, 2026

The game came down to the Warriors’ tough defense down the stretch, overcoming Boozer’s 19 points, 19 points and 5-for-5 three-point shooting from All-Rookie first-teamer Cedric Coward, and 16 points from rookie Carson Cooper, who Draymond Green would probably have voted for Championship Game MVP, since Cooper went to Michigan State.

Officially, this was Golden State’s second Summer League title, but the 2012 team went 5-0 and won by an average of 16 points per game. That team contained most of the young foundation of the later championship teams, with Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, and Green. The next year’s team was led by Green, 2017 champion Clark, and fan favorite/Under Armour legend Kent Bazemore, who should all retroactively get championship rings from Joe Lacob, like all Summer champs since 2022.

Summer League games may be exhibitions, but the competitiveness is real. What Lendeborg, Cryer, Smith, Will Richard, Graham Ike, Malevy Leons, Lachlan Olbrich, Lajae Jones, and Chance McMillian pulled off shows they can deliver in big moments, even if they had some brain farts down the stretch. That is going to pay off next season, even if that mostly happens in Santa Cruz.

I was convinced they could win it all after their first game due to their talent, but they won on Sunday relying on their toughness and grit. Spain may have taken home the World Cup in New Jersey earlier in the day, but for my money, it doesn’t get any better than a Summer League crown.

At least in July. Winning the Finals is still a lot better.

The Golden State Warriors earned the 2026 NBA Summer League championship on Sunday, July 19.

Yaxel Lendeborg led the Warriors in the 94-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. He scored 21 and had 10 rebounds for the Warriors in 32 minutes of play.

Lendeborg, the Warriors’ 11th overall pick in the 2026 draft, hit a jumper that helped provide a 91-87 lead for the Warriors with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter and put the game out of reach for the Grizzlies.

Lendeborg was named the Summer League championship game MVP.

Deivon Smith also added 21 points and nine rebounds in 23 minutes of play for Golden State. He shot 9-for-14 from the field.

Cameron Boozer, the No. 3 overall pick in 2026, served as one of the leading scorers for the Grizzlies. He nearly produced a double-double with 19 points and eight rebounds.

Cedric Coward scored 19 points and collected six rebounds in 27 minutes of play.

Warriors vs. Grizzlies NBA Summer League highlights

NBA Summer League champions

• 2026: Golden State Warriors
• 2025: Charlotte Hornets
• 2024: Miami Heat
• 2023: Cleveland Cavaliers
• 2022: Portland Trail Blazers
• 2021: Sacramento Kings
• 2020: Cancelled due to COVID-19
• 2019: Memphis Grizzlies
• 2018: Portland Trail Blazers
• 2017: Los Angeles Lakers
• 2016: Chicago Bulls
• 2015: San Antonio Spurs
• 2014: Sacramento Kings
• 2013: Golden State Warriors

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 Summer League: Golden State Warriors hold off Grizzlies for title

In our latest Jazz Reacts survey, I asked who Jazz fans think will have the best career between Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Wilson, and Cam Boozer. Here’s how Jazz fans feel.

Probably not a surprise that Jazz fans believe that the Jazz prospect will have the best career. But it’s not a stretch to think this is a relatively easy choice. Darryn Peterson was considered the consensus #1 pick before last college season started. He’ll join a Jazz organization that has been a playoff team when it’s had high-level talent. With Darryn Peterson joining a team of high-level, complementary talent, it’s easy to see how his career is going to jump-start into contention right away. He’ll also be joining a coach who orchestrated an offense that led the Boston Celtics to the finals a few years ago. The Jazz have also shown a willingness to make tough decisions that will keep them financially stable and maintain assets that should put them in a contention window for as long as Peterson is on the Jazz. It’s a great choice by Jazz fans, and there’s no question Peterson has the best possible chance to have the best career. FanDuel agrees because they have him with the biggest odds to win the Rookie of the Year award this season.

Dillon Brooks didn’t hesitate to call out Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Steph Curry.

Brooks, who plays for the Suns, was asked who are the top-five complainers in basketball and listed Doncic, James and Curry on that list as well as Jaren Jackson and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“First one that comes to mind for me? Obviously, Luka. Luka’s obviously a big-ass complainer,” Brooks said. “Curry is one, I actually gave him a shot. I gave him a shot in his chest on a contest.”

Doncic has admitted that he believes Brooks is the NBA’s biggest trash talker and said he loves to play against him.

Doncic and Brooks used to tangle when Doncic played for the Mavericks and Brooks suited up for the Rockets.

In his career, Doncic has thrived against him, averaging 29.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.

Curry has enjoyed playing against Brooks in his historic career and considers him a friendly on-court rival. During a December game last season, Brooks earned a Flagrant 1 foul for striking Curry on a play. Curry later jokingly called the play “bush league.”

Brooks went on to think about who else he considers a complainer and quickly remembered James, saying “LeBron, for sure.”

Since the 2023 NBA playoffs, Brooks and James have had one of the NBA’s most heated feuds. They had an infamous staredown during pregame warmups.

Dillon Brooks is actually psychotic

I love it pic.twitter.com/s4vpyCPBdw

— 𝓝𝔂𝔁 (@NyxRockets) November 9, 2023

Since then, the two have always battled against one another.

During the Western Conference semifinals, Brooks was spotted sitting courtside during Game 4 of the Lakers-Thunder matchup.

Brooks was seen laughing at James after he missed a free throw.

dillon brooks hate watch hater funeral /// reaction meme pic.twitter.com/AX87ZybBcX

— bbreact reaction videos (@burnerbwoireact) May 12, 2026

Next season, the Brooks-James rivalry will enter a new chapter because James is a free agent for the first time in eight years and will not return to the Lakers.

According to Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks are fielding offers for Daniel Gafford.

Stein goes on to say:

Is Daniel Gafford going to be on this team by season’s end? It’s not an answerable question at this point. We know he’s available.

This is the perfect type of move for the Utah Jazz. Gafford isn’t a star center but is a league-average player across the board and is a net positive on the defensive end. Dunks and Threes has his block percentage (4.9) in the 92nd percentile. He’s also in the 91st percentile in offensive rebounding. That type of rim pressure on both ends of the floor is a great way to replace what was lost in the Walker Kessler trade.

We also know that Gafford played a big role in the Mavericks’ run to the Finals just a few years ago, both as a reserve and sometimes as a starter. That type of competence and experience would be a nice addition to a young Jazz team that hasn’t had a lot of experience in the playoffs.

A trade like this, with the Jazz acquiring Gafford and giving up two of their young prospects, might interest Dallas, looking for more young talent to surround Cooper Flagg.

For Utah, they gain a strong backup center who gives them solid center depth behind Jusuf Nurkic and can give them time to find another long-term option at center later, possibly in future drafts.

In a surprising move, the Dallas Mavericks have shipped guard Ryan Nembhard to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade. The Oklahoma City Thunder traded wing Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for three second-round picks to Oklahoma City, and Atlanta sent forward Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

Nembhard joins fellow Zag wing Corey Kispert in Atlanta, as well as his two Canadian teammates in Dort and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Welcome to the 🅰️, Ryan! pic.twitter.com/gYkqKkpfVZ

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 19, 2026

In his rookie season, Nembhard averaged 6.6 points on a shooting split of 41.5 field goal percentage/35.6 three-point percentage/80.6 free throw percentage, 5.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes across 60 appearances. He set an NBA rookie record with 23 assists in Dallas’ 2025-26 season finale against the Chicago Bulls.

The undrafted lead guard averaged 8.0 points, 8.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks over two games with the Mavericks in the NBA Summer League, before dealing with an illness that kept him out for the final three games.

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