SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: Bennedict Mathurin #9 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts after the play in the second half against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on April 05, 2026 in Sacramento, 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 Don Collier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Bennedict Mathurin is headed to New Orleans. How long he’ll stay in the Big Easy remains to be seen.
The former Arizona Wildcats standout has signed a two-year $16 million deal with the Pelicans that includes a player option, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
Bennedict Mathurin has agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, including a player option, sources tell ESPN.
Mathurin’s reps approached the Clippers about withdrawing his $8.8M qualifying offer, effectively turning the QO into a more favorable… pic.twitter.com/U53SEBOm3m
According to Charania, Mathurin chose flexibility and an earlier route to unrestricted free agency versus longer-term offers that would have come with total team control.
Mathurin was traded last season to the Los Angeles Clippers after spending the first three-and-a-half seasons with the Indiana Pacers. The 24-year-old averaged 17.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists last year.
Mathurin only started one game with the Clippers out of 26 appearances. He’ll have a better opportunity to earn a starting role in New Orleans, where his main competition will be Trey Murphy and Saddiq Bey. The Pelicans are coming off a 26-56 season.
New Orleans has had its eye on Mathurin for some time, according to Charania, who reported the team has aggressively pursued him for over a year.
Mathurin becomes the first Arizona alum to play for New Orleans since Solomon Hill and Stanley Johnson played for them in 2019.
The start of NBA training camps is still a little more than a month away, but it’s not too early to look ahead at the upcoming regular season.
A busy offseason that saw stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo (Miami Heat), LeBron James (Philadelphia 76ers) and Jaylen Brown (76ers) find new homes has mostly wrapped up as teams enjoy their final month of summer vacation before getting back to hoops.
And with that fluctuation in personnel comes a new hierarchy and balance of power in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. Either way, all teams are chasing the New York Knicks, who snapped a 53-year title drought in dramatic fashion by knocking of the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. The Spurs, of course, remain one of the teams to beat in the West.
Here’s a look at projections for every team, based on our view of what each team's record will be at the end of the 2026-27 regular season:
A couple of things to note: Indiana’s success will depend entirely on how star point guard Tyrese Haliburton returns after missing all of last season with his ruptured Achilles tendon. But if he can return to previous form, the Pacers — a team that is being significantly overlooked — could be a real threat in the East. The Celtics are an intriguing team to watch, but they will need Derrick White to bounce back from a tough shooting year, and they’ll need Paul George to take on a massive role to replace Jaylen Brown. Either way, this puts a ton of pressure on Jayson Tatum to carry the squad.
The Bulls could be a sneaky team to make a jump, with the additions of Norman Powell and No. 4 overall rookie Caleb Wilson. And the Magic have a new coach in Sean Sweeney, but he’ll have to revamp an offense that struggled to find consistent shooting. Orlando may be a candidate to drop off.
It’s clear the Thunder and Spurs are the top two teams in the West, when healthy. Yet, the race for the guaranteed playoff spots in seed Nos. 3 through 6 should be tightly contested. As it stands now, the Timberwolves, Rockets, Nuggets and Lakers appear to be in that next tier, but health and the fit of new additions will be the determining factors. Minnesota is incorporating LaMelo Ball, the Rockets will be getting a boost at point guard with the return of Fred VanVleet (torn ACL) and the Lakers have a revamped roster with LeBron James gone and Walker Kessler in.
The Jazz, now that their tank is complete, are a team that could ascend with their mix of young players (rookie guard Darryn Peterson, last year’s No. 5 overall selection Ace Bailey and Keyonte George) and vets (Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr.).
For a couple of weeks, it had been rumored that New Orleans was the only outside team seriously in pursuit of Bennedict Mathurin, and it was going to come down to them or the LA Clippers — and the Clippers had the power because he was a restricted free agent.
Then came this report Wednesday: Mathurin and the Pelicans reached agreement on a two-year, $16 million offer, with the second year of that a player option, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.
For that to happen, the Clippers and Mathurin have to agree to rescind his $8.8 million qualifying offer, which would make him an unrestricted free agent. The official deadline for a team to rescind that offer unilaterally is July 13, but it can still do it throughout the offseason if the team and player agree. That has yet to officially happen, but the sides are working toward it, reports NBA insider Jake Fischer.
Mathurin will agree because it is a great deal for him, despite reportedly discussing longer-term offers with other teams that would have been worth more money. While Mathurin believes he should make more, this contract gets him back on the free agent market as soon as next summer if he wants, but it gives him the security of a second year. He sees that as his best scenario.
While the Clippers have given lip service to wanting Mathurin back, their actions have shown he is not a priority. If (when?) the Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto goes through, the Clippers will have 16 guaranteed contracts on the roster, plus Cam Christie's non-guaranteed deal, and that is without Mathurin. The Clippers already have to make a trade or waive at least one guaranteed contract before the season starts. They don't need Mathurin.
The Clippers and Pelicans couldn't work out a sign-and-trade, in part because it requires at least a three-year contract for Mathurin. If the report that the Clippers are working with Mathurin to rescind the offer is true, then he walks out the door for nothing.
Mathurin came to the Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade and quickly showed he can put up numbers off the bench, averaging 17.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the 26 games he played. He also showed he's not terribly efficient doing that, shooting 20.7% from 3-point range and posting a true shooting percentage right about the league average, plus he had nearly as many turnovers as assists.
It may take some lawyers in a room and a couple of days to become official, but it sounds like Mathurin is set to join the Pelicans team — a team that won 26 games last season, but the only big move of their offseason was to change coaches to Jamahl Mosley. There is talent on this roster — Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Derik Queen, Herb Jones, Dejounte Murray — but it has yet to mesh and show it can win.
Mathurin steps into that roster, where team president Joe Dumars is betting that Mosley can get this team to defend and put the puzzle pieces together.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 01: Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts against the Portland Trail Blazers during the third quarter at State Farm Arena on March 01, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We may finally, mercifully, be nearing the end of Jonathan Kuminga Watch.
First, the list of teams he can even sign with is dwindling. Second, the season is actually approaching. If he wants to play this season, he’ll have to join a team soon.
Seemingly, his options are the Lakers and the Wolves. On either team, he would start. On one team, he’d get a multi-year deal at something close to the money he’s seeking. On the other team, he would not make nearly as much.
You’d think it’d be obvious which team — cough, the Lakers, cough — would be ahead. The latest update would indicate as much as Jake Fischer discussed the Kuminga situation on Bleacher Report on Tuesday (h/t Odd-Direction9452/Reddit).
“Kuminga, I think, has seemed to prefer going to the Lakers. They’ve had the most opportunity to negotiate there. Minnesota is just limited to signing Kuminga to the taxpayer mid-level. He would walk into a starting job, I think, in both situations where Minnesota is thin at the forward spot, the Lakers have been selling him on this vision of having him start next to Luka. They’re going to have the spending power, in theory, to reward him next year if all goes according to plan. That’s going to come to some type of conclusion here soon.”
Yeah, Jake. We all thought this would be done weeks ago. You’re not alone on that.
This report comes after one late last week that the Lakers and Hawks were still discussing a deal. There are still some moving parts here before a deal is done, but heaven knows everyone involved has had lots of time to discuss things.
ATLANTA — LeBron James’ growing passion for golf now includes a partnership with the PGA Tour announced Tuesday that will bring a two-day tournament to Firestone Country Club in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, next summer to connect youth with aspiring professionals.
The LeBron James Family Foundation Invitational will be played July 6-7 on the South course at Firestone, where the PGA Tour recently ended a 72-year run.
The event is to include mentorship that connect students from James’ “I Promise” program with players who advanced through the tour’s Pathway to Progression Pro-Bound Five that creates spots for college players in the Advocates Professional Golf Association circuit.
James, who signed a two-year deal to play with the Philadelphia 76ers, recently launched his own YouTube Golf channel, which began with a golf trip to Scotland with former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates.
“Golf has become a passion of mine, and I’ve seen firsthand how the game can open doors, build relationships and create opportunities that many kids don’t even know exist,” James said in a release. “This partnership with the PGA Tour gives my foundation a chance to introduce my ‘I Promise’ students and more people to the game at a young age, support talented athletes chasing their dreams, and continue investing in the city of Akron that means everything to me.”
The “I Promise” program serves Akron-area students and their families by providing them with the programs, support and resources to succeed in school and beyond. The idea behind the two-day tournament is to introduce them to golf through community programs while creating opportunities for those getting onto the APGA.
“The PGA Tour believes golf can create opportunity, change lives and bring communities together,” said Brian Rolapp, the PGA Tour’s CEO and commissioner. “LeBron and the LeBron James Family Foundation have shown what is possible when that commitment is backed by action, and this partnership brings that shared vision to life.”
Rolapp also said the partnership gives the PGA Tour a presence at Firestone. The course had been part of the golf landscape dating to the 1954 Rubber City Open. It since hosted two PGA Championships, the World Series of Golf and a World Golf Championship that Tiger Woods won eight times.
It became a PGA Tour Champions major until announcing that it was leaving this year for California.
“The LeBron James Family Foundation is very proud to be part of preserving the PGA Tour’s presence in our community,” said Michele Campbell, executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation. “With this event, we’re excited to not only support more diverse golfers getting into the game, but to also expose our ‘I Promise’ students and more youth in Akron to the world of possibilities that golf opens up.”
Former NBA forward and Duke men’s basketball star Kyle Singler posted a series of unsettling videos on Instagram on Tuesday, Aug. 25, alleging that his former Blue Devils coach, Mike Krzyzewski, and others in his life have “turned the other way” when he reached out to them.
In one of the videos, in which a disheveled Singler is pacing around a room, he says that he has no power and no house.
“Man, Coach K has set me up,” Singler said in one of the videos, captioned ‘Where u &.’ “Set me up, man. I have no power. I have no house. I’ve reached out to coach and everybody has turned the other way. I’ve reached out to Coach and he has fully dismissed the message. You guys are cutting my power off, breaking into my house, stealing money, ruining my life. I reached out to Coach K and all he did was sit me on the bench. Thanks, man. Is that what we’re doing at that school, sitting people down, teaching them up? Cool beans, man. Coach, where you at? Help a brother out. Thought we were on the same team, man.”
A McDonald’s All-American coming out of South Medford High School in Oregon, Singler played for Krzyzewski for four seasons at Duke. In 2010, he helped lead the Blue Devils to a national championship while earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors and as a senior the following season, he was a second-team All-American.
After playing in Spain for a year, he joined the Detroit Pistons in 2012 and played six NBA seasons, with the Pistons from 2012-15 and the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2015-18. He last played professional basketball in 2019, when he suited up for CB Canarias, a club in Spain.
Though he said in one video that he has no house, the 38-year-old Singler noted in another video that he’s stuck at his house, has people “watching my residence” and feels “imprisoned.” He later alleges that there are people “trying to kill me.”
“I’m stuck at my house and I can’t leave,” he said, while pacing in what appeared to be the same room from earlier videos. “I feel imprisoned. Where we at? Leaving people stranded. I’ve tried to share messages about where we’re at and back home, I’ve got people, my friends, family, devastated and gone, died.
“Again, my life’s on the line. I got people breaking into my house, jacking money, breaking into my accounts. And you know what? Duke’s all about it. I got Duke begging for my money. Everybody’s after my money, trying to kill me. What’s going on? What’s the deal? Seems like people got a lot of anger and a lot of violence and a lot of retribution on their mind. Coach, you got a former player being mistreated and abused and you ain’t doing nothing, man. Help out.”
Singler said that he “can’t even live anymore” in Oklahoma without getting arrested, kicked out of restaurants or “[expletive] checked” while out in public before again turning his attention to Krzyzewski.
“Coach, man, I’ve reached out to you many times and tried to share with you where I’m at and you’ve just been deflective, leaving people in the dust,” he said. “I don’t respect it.”
It’s not the first time in recent years that Singler has posted concerning content on one of his social media platforms.
In an Instagram video in Nov. 2024, he said that “I fear for my life every day,” which prompted the NBA Players Association, NBA All-Star and Singler’s former AAU teammate Kevin Love, and others to offer their support.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 22: Assistant Coach Brett Brown of the San Antonio Spurs & Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers embrace after the game on January 22, 2024 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 2024 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Eight years ago, Brett Brown memorably said that the Sixers were poised to go “star hunting.” Now they have a bunch of them – including the one he coveted back then.
Brown is 65 now, and six years removed from a seven-year run as the Sixers’ coach – a tenure that took the franchise through the depths of the Process (i.e., that lovely 10-72 finish in 2015-16) to the brink of a playoff breakthrough. (You know the rest. Kawhi. Four bounces. Heartbreak.)
Fired by the Sixers after the ‘19-20 season, Brown returned to his “Spurs life,” as he often called it, once again becoming an assistant coach for the team that had provided him with his first NBA opportunity years earlier.
He has since transitioned into a senior consultant role for the team, meaning he travels often from his Delaware Valley home to San Antonio during the season. At the same time he has the flexibility to go see his son Sam play at Davidson, the younger Brown’s landing spot after transferring from Penn when coach Steve Donahue was fired following the ‘24-25 season.
Oh, and that thing about “star hunting”? Brett Brown said that in June 2018, after a 52-30 season. He was the interim general manager at the time, as well as the coach, and in his mind the Sixers needed another marquee player to complement Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
A month earlier, he hinted at who he wanted (as did Bryan Colangelo, who because of the Burner-gate scandal was fast approaching the end of his time as the team’s personnel chief).
Brown and Co. whiffed on that score, as James, having declined his player option at the end of his second go-round with his hometown Cavaliers, opted to sign a free-agent contract with the Lakers.
But now, all these years later, LeBron is here.
“I think it’s fantastic for the city,” Brown said over the phone Tuesday night, as he drove with his family to Ventnor, NJ, for some shore time. “I think it’s an endorsement to the players and Nick (Nurse) that LeBron chose them. There’s a lot of great things to be admitted with LeBron’s decision to come to Philadelphia, and Jaylen (Brown)’s trade. It’s real. They’ve got a team that is as good as anybody in the league. We’re always relying on health and luck and all that, but shoot, to start with, they put that group on the floor …”
His voice trailed off.
“And you know what?” Brett Brown said. “Down deep, I’m really happy for Joel. It’s an opportunity, maybe the last, that he can do what I know down deep he wants to do – and that’s to be remembered as a champion. There’s a side of me that thinks like that as it relates to my old days with Philadelphia, and Joel especially.”
Embiid is the only remaining Sixer coached by Brown here. The third overall pick in 2014, Embiid sat out two seasons with foot injuries before establishing himself as a star, and the franchise centerpiece.
Now he is 32, and deep into a career that has been marred by injury and postseason disappointment. He had an excellent team around him in ‘18-19, as Brown’s star hunting eventually led to the in-season acquisitions of Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris.
But Embiid now has more talent around him than he has ever had.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Brown said, “one that doesn’t come around very often, if ever.”
It was also a long time in coming. Eight years, in fact.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 18: Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks attends the New York Knicks Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally celebrating winning the 2026 NBA Finals on June 18, 2026 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The champs have been busy this offseason, continuing their media tours with new sponsorships, talk shows, and overall just enjoying the best few months anyone could ask for as kings of their respective worlds.
The extra media attention has given us some pretty cool opportunities at P&T. Kento talked to Karl-Anthony Towns last month, Russ got a chance to talk to the ever-mysterious OG Anunoby, and I got the opportunity to talk to everyone’s favorite glue guy, Josh Hart, as part of his recent ambassadorship announcement with Scouting America, formerly known as “Boy Scouts of America”.
Hart was in the Scouts program for much of his childhood, joining it to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Moses, and one of his close friends. He gradually rose through the ranks before putting it off at age 13 as life and basketball started to pick up for him. At 16, he returned to the program at the wish of his father, who wanted him to keep his years-old promise to see things through. Josh eventually earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor, a week before his 18th birthday.
When asked why he decided now to be an ambassador for the program that shaped much of his upbringing, Hart cited what the program meant for him growing up.
“It’s always been an uphill climb in my career, but I’ve always had life lessons that I’ve gotten from scouting, and I think now is a good time to partner with them and try to influence other kids, parents, adults, and tell them, you know, you can do both.”
“You can do sports, you can do arts, you can do engineering, or whatever walk of life you want to do as a kid, but you can also do scouting,” he added. “You don’t have to pick between one or the other.”
I followed up asking him about that sort of balance that he mentioned of being able to do both scouting and pursue things like basketball, as he did growing up. For him, it was about time management and sacrifice.
“The big thing is sacrifice,” Hart said. “There’s going to be times you might not be able to hang out with friends, or there might be times when you can’t go to a camping trip or a basketball camp or a football camp. There’s going to be sacrifices, but as long as you’re good with managing the time and saying, ‘I got to do X for this merit badge; I got to put the work in on the court this week. Let me lock in for this.’ You’ll put yourself in the best position to be successful.”
Scouting wasn’t for me, personally, growing up. I tried it once because one of my close friends was super into it, but it just didn’t stick for me. A lot of people I know learned valuable lessons there, so it was nice to pick the brain of someone who went through the system and has applied what he’s learned to everyday life and, particularly, his role as a “glue guy” in the NBA.
“You have to have that teamwork mentality,” Hart said about applying his lessons in scouting to his basketball career. “It’s not always about you, and sometimes that’s hard to realize, but scouting helps you understand that more and more.”
“You can’t be out on a trail, 15-20 miles from civilization, when someone gets hurt and think about yourself, he added. ” You’ve got to make sure you’re not focused on yourself, but on how you can help this person, how you can help the group, and navigate where you are and the dangers. I think that [scouting] definitely helped with the foundation of being a servant.“
The purpose of this interview was to, of course, bring light to Josh’s Scouting America ambassadorship, but we’d be remiss not to talk ball. I first asked him a question about both scouting and basketball, giving him a chance to make a basketball merit badge, which he said would require being able to “dribble, shoot, have lateral quickness, leadership”, while adding that the latter aspect would be earned through certain game situations. I can think of a guy who’d get this badge quite easily.
We got some physical media attached to the interview opportunity, which came with the following image of Hart doing the Boy Scout sign, which entails raising three fingers on your right hand. See if you can find what piqued my interest here:
Josh Hart doing the Boy Scout sign with his busted ring finger. | Scouting America
The ring finger on his shooting hand was a topic of discussion in Knicks circles all season long, particularly when he had his low points from the perimeter. He underwent a procedure on the finger after the 2024-25 season, but aggravated it during training camp, electing to play through it with a splint all of the following season. With the finger still appearing to be busted, I asked if he had any plans to repair it, whether now or in the future:
“No, I’ll let it go,” Hart said. “At the end of my career, when I’m done hooping, I’ll probably have to get a joint replacement in it, but for now it’s fine.”
He agreed with my subsequent comment about not messing with what’s working, and I can see why. Hart notably shot a career-high 41.3 percent from downtown on reasonable volume, attempting 3.7 per game. Game 2 against Cleveland was a perfect example of how he didn’t let the injury impact his efficiency:
I stayed away from asking about Hart’s contract situation, in which he’s currently eligible for an extension with a team option currently on the books for 2027-28, but I asked about what it’s been like to have stability in New York, particularly after winning a title and seemingly entrenching the core of this team even further.
“When you’re young in the league, you’re trying to prove yourself and have a long career in the league, and that gets harder and harder the more you’re moving around,” he remarked before adding that he was always traded for a star prior to coming to NY. “It’s tough to try to solidify yourself when you’re going from team to team. Before I came to New York, I had six different coaches in my six years in the league, so it was tough.”
“But now, I’m in New York. I feel like I have a home here, and I’m extremely happy.”
Before getting to the good stuff about the championship, I also touched on the slog of an NBA season and how a guy like him, renowned for his tremendous hustle, sticks with it over the course of the season.
“I think it’s family, obviously my wife is a huge part of that, I’m with her almost every day, so she always keeps me grounded,” he said, touching on a few things that keep him in it. “Having close friends on the team—Mikal, JB— me and JB sit on the plane, so we talk about a lot of game or family stuff, so there’s that, but also my faith.”
“Friends, family, faith, those are the three ‘F’s’ that ground me and help me through tough times, whether that’s tough times on the court or off the court.”
His Twitter feed is always entertaining, but what stood out this week was the rehashing of that moment in Game 4, where the Knicks were on the verge of taking their first lead after the 29-point comeback on a steal and a Hart breakaway, but he missed the layup before committing a foul on the other end. After the whistle blew, he sat frustrated on the ground, only for his teammates to help him up and keep him focused on the end goal.
“They just told me to get up and move on,” Hart said about that moment. “Jose, KAT, JB, pick me up. You can see Landry yelling and motioning for me to get up, and I think that just shows the togetherness we had, where it’s like, ‘Okay, there was a mistake, but now let’s regroup, let’s figure out how we’re going to overcome that mistake and persevere in the moment.’”
“I think that just shows the tight-knit culture and team that we had, and I think that’s a big reason why we won.”
Lastly, I wanted to ask him about what it’s been like to essentially achieve basketball nirvana. It was said for decades that when big stars were linked to the Knicks, “Just imagine what winning a title there will do for their legacy.” How they’ll never have to pay for a meal again in the greatest city in the world. To be elevated beyond the pantheon of champions to being forever beloved in the city that never sleeps.
He used that opportunity to talk about what’s it felt to feel that kind of love by directing it back at the fans and seeing what it means to them.
“The thing that’s super cool for me is that about 90 percent of the people that have talked to me about it, they always mentioned either their dad or their son, and I think that’s the coolest thing.”
“You never want to have a 53-year-long championship drought, but that’s generations. There are people who’s dad’s watched 1973 who were waiting for another one and raised their kids to be Knicks fans, and now they watch those games together. It’s so cool, because it really seemed like it just united families; it gave families that thing throughout all of New York, so it was super cool to hear that.”
That part really hit home with me, even as someone who’s too young to have witnessed the Patrick Ewing era, let alone the ancient (in basketball terms) championships in the 1970s. The second the buzzer sounded in Game 5, I immediately hugged my 39-year-old brother, who’s the reason I became a Knicks fan. He was alive for the 90s; he was alive to see all the pain and failure from the 2000s and early 2010s while I was way too young to understand the game like I do today.
It’s really a powerful moment to have decades of heartbreak spill out, and it’s nice to know that the people who provided us with this happiness that some never thought would come appreciate the love the same way we appreciate them for ending a decades-long nightmare.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 10: Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots a free throw during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round Two Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Spurs guard Stephon Castle posted a video of his summer workout.
The post starts with Castle responding to this question- “What’s been your focus this summer?” His response is that shooting has been a top priority. While working on his shot, he is refining his rhythm.
From there, trainer Olin Simplis takes over explaining what Castle is doing. “Working his pickups off his dribble off the deep ball his gather his shot line.”
Simplis is described here on the “About” page of his Guard Whisperer site:
“Olin Simplis is not just a trainer. He is a development architect. His work sits at the intersection of skill, psychology, biomechanics, character, and pro-level preparation — built across three decades of work with NBA professionals, WNBA champions, NCAA standouts, and elite prep talent.”
Simplis referred to Castle as “the best perimeter player” in a recent interview, praising his constant improvement and conditioning.
Welcome to The Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here
Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, do not troll and watch the language.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 27: Collin Gillespie #12 and Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns high five during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Four of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 27, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the Phoenix Suns, roster building has become as much about flexibility as talent. The Bradley Beal trade, followed by his buyout two years later, reinforced how quickly a massive contract can limit both options and leverage. That makes identifying movable deals increasingly important. Phoenix may not have a roster overflowing with trade assets, but it does have a few contracts that could return legitimate value if the front office ever decided to cash them in.
(For the sake of the exercise, any player on a rookie deal will not be included.)
1. Collin Gillespie
Contract: Gillespie signed a four-year, $48 million contract in June 2026 and will be a free agent after the 2029–30 season.
Despite some struggles at the end of the regular season, Gillespie earned himself the biggest and longest payday of his NBA career this offseason. He averaged 13 points and five assists while shooting 40% from three on seven attempts per game, and his offensive skill set is the type that NBA teams look for when evaluating the guard position. His deal is worth less than the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (MLE) and comes in below those of some of the other top backup guards in the league, such as Dennis Schröder and Jrue Holiday (who is set to come off the bench for the Blazers). Gillespie is also significantly younger than many of them.
While he likely wouldn’t net Phoenix a massive haul in exchange for his services, his year-by-year progress, the need for his skill set and his age make his contract the team’s most tradable.
2. Devin Booker
Contract: Booker signed a two-year, $145 million max contract extension in July 2025. He has a player option for the 2029–30 season.
For any piece of media that contains Devin Booker and the word “trade,” it’s important to reiterate the objective of the piece. This is not meant as speculation about Booker’s potential exit from the team; it’s an exercise examining what the Suns would get in return for a potential deal. While much has been made about the value of his deal, which makes him one of the highest-paid players in league history, he remains an All-Star and one of only two players to average at least 25 points per game in each of the last eight seasons. Still scoring at an efficient level, he’s one of the league’s best shot creators, and the Suns went 8–10 without him in the lineup compared to 37–27 when he played.
The only reason Booker isn’t ahead of Gillespie is because of the history of teams dealing stars. Typically, when teams trade multi-time All-Stars, they’re dealt to teams that are already contenders, meaning their potential asset collections might be a tad smaller than those of other teams. They may also need to provide filler and expiring salaries to make deals work when such large contracts are being traded, like the Pacers did when they included Bruce Brown in a deal to acquire Pascal Siakam in 2024 and the Suns did when they included Jae Crowder in their deal to acquire Kevin Durant. It’s rare that a team gets as much as it gives up to acquire a star, and Booker would likely fall into that category because of his large salary.
3. Jordan Goodwin
Contract: Goodwin signed a three-year, $19 million deal with the Suns in June 2026. He has a player option for the 2028–29 season.
Just like Gillespie, Goodwin signed his deal after a career year and received the largest and longest deal of his career. He made improvements in nearly every major statistical category. A tenacious defender who started the one game he played during the team’s playoff run, he can guard multiple positions despite being undersized. With experience playing alongside major stars such as Booker, Durant, Luka Dončić and LeBron James, Goodwin knows how to contribute when the ball is not in his hands, and his improved three-point shooting over the past two seasons has helped him in that regard.
While he wouldn’t net the Suns a player who would be a surefire franchise changer, his deal positions him as someone for whom the team could get solid value if they decided to move him.
Klay Thompson’s illustrious Warriors tenure ended two years ago, which might have been five seasons after its initial expiration date.
The sharpshooting guard left Golden State to sign with the Dallas Mavericks in NBA free agency two years ago, but according to longtime teammate Draymond Green, Thompson’s departure would have happened much sooner if not for one fateful night.
Green, on the latest episode of his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” reacted to Thompson signing a two-year contract with the Miami Heat on Friday after a buyout with the Mavericks and the narratives surrounding Thompson’s career, specifically that he never was capable of being a true No. 1 option throughout his 15-year (13-season) NBA career, and revealed an interesting Warriors scenario that never came to fruition.
“Everyone tries to make Klay the guy Klay was after the injuries,” Green said. “I won’t go for that. What I will also say is, [it was] highly likely that after the 2019 playoffs, Klay Thompson was going to leave the Golden State Warriors and go be a No. 1 option somewhere. Highly f–king likely.
“Then he got hurt, and so he stayed. But one thing I can assure you, there was a 90 percent chance my brother was going to leave Golden State and go elsewhere and test that No. 1 option thing out. Unfortunately it wasn’t in the cards for him and he got hurt and he never got the opportunity to.”
Thompson famously suffered a torn left ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, weeks before he was set to become an unrestricted free agent.
However, even before the injury, there did not seem to be much doubt that Thompson would re-sign with Golden State, so Green’s revelation that Thompson very likely would have left that summer if not for the injury certainly might come as a surprise to many Warriors fans.
Thompson, after missing the entire 2019-2020 NBA season while recovering from the ACL tear, then suffered another devastating injury, a torn right Achilles in Nov. 2020, that sidelined him until Jan. 9, 2022, when he made his long-awaited return to the court with the Warriors after two-plus seasons.
Green believes that because of Thompson’s initial knee injury in 2019, and Achilles injury one year later, his former teammate never had the opportunity to truly prove his capabilities as a team’s No. 1 option.
“So now, in turn, everyone wants to talk like ‘Oh, you couldn’t do it’ like he wasn’t going to,” Green added. “But I study the history, I do the research, and I’m going to appreciate and watch and know the Klay Thompson of 2017, ’18, ’19, he was capable.
“He just never got the opportunity to do the contractual obligations, and once he fulfilled his contractual obligations he faced an ACL and Achilles in back to back years and missed two-and-a-half years of basketball.”
While the consecutive season-ending injuries certainly were a devastating blow to Thompson’s career, the four-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star still should be a first-ballot Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer whenever his career does end.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 08: Georges Niang #20 of the Cleveland Cavaliers brings the ball up court during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on November 08, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors finalized their 15-man roster by signing veteran forward Georges Niang to a one-year, $3.9 million contract. Niang, who enters his 11th NBA season, brings much-needed frontcourt floor-spacing to Golden State.
Free agent forward Georges Niang has agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Golden State Warriors, Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Niang — a career 40% 3-point shooter — enters his 11th NBA season after missing 2025-26 due to injury. pic.twitter.com/XFD2t1XKNm
Known affectionately as “The Minivan,” the 33-year-old boasts a career 39.9% mark from three-point range. The Warriors plan to deploy him primarily as a stretch-four off the bench, complementing their core with reliable perimeter shooting and high-IQ veteran depth.
After missing the entire 2025–26 season recovering from a left foot injury, Niang arrives in the Bay Area fully healthy and eager to contribute. He previously posted solid reserve minutes across stints with Utah, Philadelphia, and Cleveland, averaging 9.9 points in his last full campaign.
For Golden State, acquiring a proven 40% long-range sniper on a cost-effective deal serves as a high-value perimeter addition.
A relatively futile summer by the Warriors’ front office has left a vocal segment of Dub Nation rolling its collective eyes in despair, if not disgust. Their highest hopes were kneecapped by the failure to make a move that would stir the fan base back toward faith.
Golden State’s shot-callers, however, maintain belief in the roster they will have when training camp opens in less than five weeks. While no one upstairs is pleading for explicit trust, they would like to think they deserve a chance.
The Warriors on Tuesday made a move toward rebuilding that with the addition of Brandon Williams, a cat-quick guard with an elite first step. It’s not enough to put them near the top tier of the Western Conference, but it makes them a better offense.
How much trust, though, should the front office be afforded? Given the hits and the misses under the ownership of CEO Joe Lacob and co-chair Peter Guber, we examine what we consider their 10 shrewdest transactions since they took ownership of the franchise 16 years ago.
We count down from No. 10 to No. 6 today in Part I, with Part II coming on Thursday:
10) Sign-and-trade deal to acquire David Lee (July 2010)
This was Lacob’s way of announcing himself to the NBA, making a splash before the ink was dry on the league’s approval of new ownership. Golden State was in search of an impact power forward, and Lee was coming off an All-Star season – averaging 20.2 points (on 54.5-percent shooting), 11.7 rebounds – with the New York Knicks.
The cost of obtaining Lee was Kelenna Azubuike, Ronny Turiaf, Anthony Randolph – the three played a combined 81 games for New York – and two future second-round picks. Then-GM Larry Riley did the grunt work.
Lee was one of the building blocks behind the Warriors escaping NBA purgatory, as he averaged 16.7 points and 9.3 rebounds over 327 games. He became in 20213 Golden State’s first All-Star in 16 seasons (Latrell Sprewell, 1997) and was a significant rotation member on the franchise’s first championship in 40 years.
9) Trading for Jimmy Butler III (February 2025)
After winning 12 of 15 games to open the 2024-25 NBA season and then losing 12 of 15, the Warriors needed a roster upgrade. They spent January straddling the mediocrity line (.500) when second-year general manager Mike Dunleavy went shopping.
After Kevin Durant, toiling in Phoenix, expressed no interest in rejoining Golden State, Dunleavy turned to a former teammate: Butler, a veteran forward who had become a malcontent in Miami.
The cost of obtaining Butler was Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and a top-10-protected first round pick in the 2025 draft. Also departing in what was a four-team trade were Dennis Schroder and Lindy Waters III.
Butler made an immediate impact, joining with Stephen Curry to lead the Warriors to 23-8 record over the final 31 games, second only to eventual champion Oklahoma City in the West.
The hope is that Butler, rehabbing a surgically repaired torn right ACL, can return by midseason.
8) Trading for Andrew Wiggins (February 2020)
KD left after three seasons. Klay Thompson was rehabbing after ACL surgery. Curry sustained a broken hand in Week 1. The 2019-20 season was a disaster before November.
Durant did the Warriors enough of a favor for them to bring in DeAngelo Russell, a defective guard who was allergic to defense. He was, however, a talented scorer. That was enough of a lure for then-GM Bob Myers to engineer a trade that became thievery.
The Warriors obtained Wiggins along with a 2021 first-round pick (used to select Jonathan Kuminga) and second-round pick later moved, with Russell, Jacob Evens III and Omari Spellman going to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Wiggins came to Golden State and soon shed the label of being an underachiever. He was a solid two-way wing who in 2022 made his first All-Star team. Moreover, he was the star member of Curry’s cast as the Warriors won the 2022 NBA Finals.
7) Trading for Andre Iguodala (July 2013)
After four consecutive losing seasons, Golden State reached the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2007. The No. 6-seed Warriors upset Iguodala and the third-seed Denver Nuggets in the first round and put a scare into eventual champion San Antonio in the conference semifinals.
Iguodala was impressed enough to become a free agent bound to leave the Nuggets, who responded with a sign-and-trade deal that gave him a future by the Bay. Myers oversaw a deal that acquired Iguodala for Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson, Brandon Rush and four future draft picks.
This was a huge win for two reasons. One, the Warriors obtained an athletic wing who was a stellar defender and possessed leadership qualities. Two, the move signaled that Golden State’s status within the league had risen enough to become a destination.
Iguodala was a four-time champion whose jersey now hangs in the rafters at Chase Center.
6) Trading for Andrew Bogut (March 2012)
The Warriors quickly realized they needed to improve their defense even if it meant sacrificing some offense. Lacob and Riley decided at the trade deadline to break up their dynamic but small backcourt featuring Monta Ellis and Curry.
Golden State considered moving Curry – true story – but ended up trading Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks for Bogut, a 7-foot center who was a terrific defender and passer but struggled with injuries.
For the first time since they were coached by Al Attles, the Warriors had a defensive presence. Bogut missed the rest of the season but played 67 games in 2013-14 and again in 2014-15. He was the anchor of a defense that was an unappreciated aspect of the 2015 championship.
Lacob one week after the trade was showered with boos at Oracle Arena for trading a fan favorite for a man in street clothes. Three years later, those boos were replaced by a championship parade. He got the last laugh.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 28: Payton Pritchard #11 and Head Coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics look on during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Celtics fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
With the departure of Jaylen Brown, it seems like a no-brainer: Payton Pritchard will be a starter next season.
But let’s not forget that prior to Jayson Tatum’s return last season, Pritchard ceded his starting role to Baylor Scheierman after starting 47 out of the first 48 games. At the time, it was a move made in an effort to replace Anfernee Simons’ scoring in the second unit after he was traded for Nikola Vučević.
Now, Brown is in Philadelphia, but his spot will presumably be filled by the player he was traded for, Paul George. So unless PG13 is that veteran punch off the bench, it would seem reasonable to assume that the six-year pro might be part of the opening lineup.
Or maybe, he returns to the same role that earned him Sixth Man of the Year in 2025.
Individually, Pritchard wants to reach the free throw line more often in 2026-27. As a team, they want to make better reads while maintaining their hard-playing identity.
“That’s the biggest thing, and we need everybody to take a step,” he said. “Regular season wins, you win by playing hard and then in the playoffs, you win by playing harder and smarter. That’s really the recipe.”
If more free throws is one of Pritchard’s goals, it might make sense for him to enter the first quarter with opposing teams in foul trouble. He hasn’t been much of a foul grifter to date, but with just two more years left on his team-friendly contract, a boost in his numbers could land a bigger payday, regardless if he starts or not.
At long last, the Warriors’ 15-man roster for the 2026-27 NBA season was completed on Tuesday.
The Warriors went nearly two months without making an outside move, aside from their two draft picks. On Tuesday, they changed course and added not one but two veteran players to round out the roster.
Point guard Brandon Williams agreed to a one-year contract in the morning to start off the day. Hours later, veteran forward Georges Niang came to terms on a one-year contract in the afternoon. The Warriors, for the first time since their 2021-22 championship season, are going into the season with a full 15-man roster.
Yet the real number is 13 as Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody will miss at least the opening months of the season rehabbing from injury.
Niang being the final touch to the Warriors is a reunion of sorts nearly a decade in the making. He spent training camp with the Warriors in 2017 after playing 23 games for the Indiana Pacers as a second-round pick the season before. Niang then played 26 games for the Warriors’ G League affiliate in 2017-18 and averaged 18.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game with a 42.1 3-point percentage.
Last season, Niang, now 33, didn’t play at all.
He missed the entire 2025-26 season after fracturing his foot in September. Prior to a missed year, Niang was a reliable forward who could stretch the floor at a high clip. Over 79 games between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks in the 2024-25 season, Niang shot 40.6 percent from 3-point range.
Niang in his past seven seasons has been a 40.1-percent 3-point shooter on 4.3 attempts per game. His offensive traits as a passer and knock-down shooter at an elite level from the corners make Niang an easy fit for Steve Kerr.
Now that the Warriors’ 15-man roster is settled a month ahead of training camp, let’s first break it down by groups, starting with guards.
The group consists of Steph Curry, De’Anthony Melton, Brandin Podziemski and Williams, plus Gary Payton II defensively. The Warriors’ wings already are behind the curve without their top two in Butler and Moody. Will Richard is more of a wing than a shooting guard, but the Warriors’ biggest hole is clearly at the 3.
Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg likely will play a lot of small forward because of Butler and Moody’s absences, though he’s naturally a power forward. As is Draymond Green, Gui Santos and Niang, as well as Payton offensively out of the dunker spot.
A center trio of Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford and Charles Bassey completes the puzzle. There still will be scenarios where Green plays center, but he shouldn’t have to as much, and he should be surrounded by more size. Horford can play with Porzingis, and Bassey believes he can complement them both.
Unlike years past, the Warriors can throw size on the court while spacing the floor. They have six players at 6-foot-4 or under, including LJ Cryer on a two-way contract, but going down the line of Lendeborg, Green, Porziņģis, Horford, Santos, Bassey and Niang is new kinds of length Dub Nation is not used to.
And almost all are at least threats from long distance, minus Bassey and Green for the most part.
Defensively, the Warriors will need Melton to be at his best guarding on the ball. They will need Lendeborg to be better than what he showed in summer league. They will need Payton to be even better and Green to be at his best just enough. They will need Frank Vogel to be as important of an addition as anybody this offseason.
Curry offensively will continue needing to be heroic as ever. Who his main sidekick will be as Robin waits is everyone’s best guess. A rotation of sorts is the first answer. If that’s enough is the wait-and-see of this all.
Bringing in a player like Niang who missed all of last season easily looks like another red flag when it comes to health. Last season also sure looks like an outlier for Niang, who rarely missed games in years past. The Warriors are hoping for a glass-half-full approach for a handful of players.
It starts with Steph, who got a long offseason to get his body right. So did Draymond, his longest tenured teammate. Melton finally had a summer without rehab, and same with Podziemski after undergoing two surgeries a year ago. Horford gets a normal offseason where he can be around the Warriors from the jump instead of the start of training camp.
Seen internally almost as an offseason addition, Porziņģis, starting with his team debut, played in 15 of a possible 27 regular-season games (55.6 percent), compared to just 17 of the Hawks’ 53 games (32.1 percent) earlier in the season.
Nobody is going to see the Warriors as favorites. Inking Williams and Niang wasn’t going to change anybody’s mind about that. The two are positives off the bench and add more balance throughout the roster.
Staying afloat and riding the waves as opposed to letting them crash and sink the ship is the game the Warriors will be playing in a little less than two months when the season opens in Los Angeles.
