ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MARCH 22: Tre Donaldson #3 of the Miami Hurricanes dribbles against the Purdue Boilermakers in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 NBA Draft is about a month away, and for the Golden State Warriors, the draft represents a prime opportunity to retool as they seek to re-open their competitive window. The Dubs currently hold the No. 11 and No. 54 picks in the 60-selection draft, though that could certainly change between now and draft day.
While three teams continue to fight for an NBA title, the Warriors are deep in draft prep, and six names have recently emerged for workouts with the team. According to a report from Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, the Warriors are working out Miami guard Tre Donaldson, Texas Tech forward Dillon Mitchell, Vanderbilt forward Tyler Nickel, Grand Canyon guard Jaden Henley, Michigan State center Carson Cooper, and Purdue forward Oscar Cluff.
As is the case with so many pre-draft workouts, none of these players are in contention for the Warriors with their first-round selection. In fact, none of the six were projected to be drafted at all in the latest ESPN mock draft. That doesn’t mean that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Co. are only looking at this group as potential undrafted free agents, as a lot can change in the next month (and contract situations can impact the second round fairly dramatically). But these are all players that the Warriors are doing due diligence on for the second round, or after the two-day draft has concluded.
But, as the Warriors have shown plenty of times in recent seasons — including with Will Richard a year ago — overlooked players who aren’t Day 1 selections can still be mighty fine hoopers.
He grew up a Mets fan about 15 minutes away in Brooklyn during the years that Reyes manned shortstop.
Jose Alvarado on the field before the Mets’ 4-2 win over the Reds on May 27, 2026 at Citi Field. Ryan Dunleavy/New York PostJose Alvarado had his own jersey. Ryan Dunleavy/New York PostKnicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) before the game. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Alvarado was presented with a Mets jersey with his name and No. 5 on the back as well as other Mets memorabilia.
He practiced his imaginary swing in the dugout and signed an autograph for a thrilled young Knicks fan before going to the clubhouse to meet some players.
Alvarado is averaging 4.2 points and 1.1 assists in 8.5 minutes per game during the playoffs.
The Eastern Conference champion Knicks will visit the winner of the Thunder/Spurs series June 3 in their first NBA Finals game since 1999.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton weighed in on the ongoing discussion around flopping in the NBA, saying on “The Pat McAfee Show” that it’s “for sure” being taught.
“Yeah for sure, it’s being taught. I don’t think it’s as much head coach teaching as much as it is like player development,” he said on the ESPN program “Even before you get to the NBA, it’s just something that you kind of work on by nature. I think the best scorers are usually the guys that get to the free-throw line the most. It’s definitely something they work on, even in pickup, they’re working on how they can draw fouls. I think that’s a part of the game.”
Tyrese Haliburton says players are being taught how to flop:
“It’s for sure being taught. I don’t think head coaches are, but it’s a part of player development before you get to the NBA. It’s something you naturally work on. It’s now a part of the game.” (via @PatMcafeeShow,… pic.twitter.com/2WZF7OCQQX
Concerns about flopping have continued to permeate around the NBA, with Yahoo Sports’ Tom Haberstroh going as far as to do an extensive breakdown of Gilgeous-Alexander’s attempts to sell foul calls.
His report found that Gilgeous-Alexander fell down 51.4 percent of the time when a foul was called.
“I think more times than not there’s embellishing going on, more so than falling over out of nowhere, but does it happen? Of course it happens and it’s talked about, no question,” Haliburton said.
The Pacers star wasn’t the only one to address the flopping issue on McAfee’s show.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives around Julian Champagnie of the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter in Game Five of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 26, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Getty Images
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, during his appearance on the Worldwide Leader, made the distinction between trying to embellish contact to draw a foul and trying to trick the officials.
“Even as I sit in the stands at games, players may be falling down, players may be reacting to a call,” Silver said. “But to me, if they’re not fooling the referees, it’s OK.
For all the talk about matchups, defense, rotations and depth (not to mention a poorly officiated game), the real difference in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals was much more basic:
Oklahoma City made the play harder adjustment. The Spurs did not.
"I just think [the Thunder] were the more desperate team tonight," Julian Champagnie said. "I think they wanted the game more than we did."
Oklahoma City wasn't perfect, but they showed real game-plan discipline and went hard, like a team that has been in this moment before and knew how to respond. San Antonio looked tired and a step slow.
Six games into any series — let alone this situation where these teams have now played each other 10 times during the season and playoffs — there are no more surprise adjustments to be made. There are no secrets. It's about playing harder. It's about executing the game plan better than your opponent.
If the Spurs don't do that on Thursday night, their season ends.
"I feel like we've been great when we're desperate all year," Stephon Castle said. "I'm excited to see how we'll respond."
You can watch that response starting at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday night, a gam you can watch on NBC or stream on Peacock.
Starts with Wembanyama
If San Antonio is going to make the play harder adjustment in Game 6, it has to start with Victor Wembanyama. The math in this series is straightforward:
• The Spurs are 30-4 this season when Wembanyama scores 12 or more points in the paint. • Wembanyama scored 26 points in the paint in Game 1, a Spurs win. • Since then, with Isaiah Hartenstein drawing the primary defensive assignment (and with a lot of help), Wembanyama has averaged 10.5 in the last four games. • He scored just eight points in the paint on 4-of-9 shooting in Game 5.
It's not just shots in the paint, it's getting up shots period. Wembanyama took 25 shots in Game 1 and 22 in Game 4, the two Spurs wins. In the three losses, he took 16, 15 and 15 shots.
"He's got to take more than 15 shots, even with the free throws. He's going to have to score more than 20 points, for sure..." Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after Game 5. "OKC did a good job. We've got to do a better job."
It has to be more than just Wembanyama. De'Aaron Fox is playing through an ankle sprain and scored a playoff career low nine points on 4-for-15 shooting (26.7%) in Game 5. Dylan Harper has not shown the same ability to get to the rim and finish since his adductor injury, and he had five points on 1-of-5 shooting in Game 5.
The one standout was Stephon Castle, who scored 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting with six assists. San Antonio needs to get him some help.
Does experience matter?
It's easy to read into Game 5 and say that experience won out. It's more than just poise in the moment, it's the understanding of conditioning and level of effort and commitment required to reach this level and win. The Thunder are leaning into that.
"The thing that you take from those experiences is the mental part of it — not getting too high, not getting too low and just going in there knowing you have to come with a certain sense of urgency," Hartenstein said. "I think our group does a great job of just not being too emotional with it. I think when you go into any playoff game and your emotions are too high or too low, that’s kind of when it doesn't work for yourself."
Just don't tell the Spurs that experience matters.
"That experience does not matter," Devin Vassell said. "Experience does not matter. We're here. We've had all the experience we've needed this regular season, and we're going to keep proving everybody wrong."
One thing we have seen in this series is that the Thunder bring the effort every game. Even in Game 4, when OKC lost by 21, it was more about execution — and an ice-cold shooting night — than effort. On the Spurs side, the effort has been less consistent game to game.
Expect the Spurs to feel desperate and bring that effort in Game 6 at home. Will that be enough is another question, the Thunder have been here before and know how to close a team out.
The only thing that seems certain is that Game 6 is setting up to be a classic.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league will use AI to automate a category of calls such as out-of-bounds decisions to speed up games and reduce disputes over possession.
Silver compared the system to Hawk-Eye technology used in tennis, where electronic line-calling quickly determines whether a ball has landed in or out.
Jalen Johnson defends an in-bounds pass to Josh Hart during the first quarter of the Knicks’ Game 5 win over the Hawks in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
“It’s going to be Laker ball, Knick ball, whatever it is. Those calls will be done by an AI, automated system with cameras lined around the court.”
The technology would make such decisions instantaneous and allow referees to focus on calls for contact and fouls.
“It will take all those so-called objective calls out of the hands of the referees,” he said. “You won’t have to deal with challenges on those calls.”
Silver did not provide an exact timeline for the introduction of the system but said it would be “fairly quickly.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaking to the media. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The NBA has increasingly leaned on replay review and centralized decision-making to improve officiating accuracy, though reviews can slow the pace of games.
Silver said referees would remain essential for interpreting physical contact, where judgment is required to determine whether a player has been impeded.
“There’s often contact on every play, but that doesn’t mean there’s a foul on every play,” Silver said. “That’s something that can’t just be done on camera.”
The Knicks and MSG Sports announced Wednesday they will donate at least 500 tickets to underprivileged youth in New York City for their home Finals games through the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit that serves children facing illness, homelessness, extreme poverty and other obstacles across the tri-state area.
The foundation will receive 205 tickets per home game for Games 3 and 4 on June 8 and 10. If the series extends to a Game 6 on June 16, the total will reach 750 tickets. They will be distributed to underserved New York families affiliated with the foundation.
The Knicks are in the Finals for the first time since 1999, chasing their first championship since 1973. Tickets for the home games have reached Super Bowl-level prices on the secondary market. It makes getting inside the Garden out of reach for most average New Yorkers, let alone those who are dealing with extreme poverty and homelessness.
For kids who could never afford the ticket prices to get through the doors at MSG normally, the Knicks just gave them a chance to see history.
Miller was questioned about his comments on Wednesday when he appeared on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption,” where co-host Tony Kornheiser asked him, “In your heart of hearts, don’t you hate the Knicks?”
Reggie Miller clarifies his take that the Knicks will be the favorite in the NBA Finals:
"The sentimental, people I think are pulling for the Knicks because it's been a bazillion years since they go to the Finals … that's what I was trying to say last night." pic.twitter.com/oho17DhuUS
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 27, 2026
“Hate is a very strong [word],” Miller started off saying coyly. “I love the players. I love the organization. It’s the fanbase at times that makes me scratch my head. … Those guys, the way they play, the way they carry themselves, it’s all about business.”
Miller then continued on to clarify what he meant about the Knicks being favored.
While the Knicks have won 11 straight games during their postseason run and dispatched their opponents with relative ease, the Spurs or the Thunder are widely viewed as stronger teams.
The Knicks are 4.5-point underdogs against the Spurs going into a hypothetical Game 1 matchup and 6.5 underdogs against the Thunder, according to FanDuel.
The New York Knicks holding the Eastern Conference trophy. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“They won’t be the betting favorite,” Miller said. “Obviously, that will be the Spurs or the Thunder. They will be the betting favorite, either one of those teams, but the sentimental people, I think, are pulling for the Knicks because it’s been a bazillion years since they’ve gotten to the Finals. All of New York is on board. That’s what I was trying to say last night.
“And the way they’ve been playing right now, 11 in a row, they are so connected at both ends of the floor, that’s why I think they would be favored, not in the betting aspect of, but in terms of winning a series because of how well they’re connected.”
Miller became one of the biggest villains in New York sports during the 1990s.
He has leaned into the role at times while appearing as an analyst for NBA coverage, which is how the “Pardon the Interruption” co-host was shocked to hear Miller favoring the Knicks.
The Knicks will know their NBA Finals opponent by Saturday night at the latest.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 26: Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the first quarter of a game during the first quarter of a game against Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Five of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 26, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The playoffs are all about toughness, getting great performances from your stars, and standout games from your role players. In Game Five of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs only got one of those things. The result was a 127-114 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Julian Champagnie had the best game of his playoff career, but it was wasted thanks to dud performances from the majority of the team, especially Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. Now, down 3-2, the Spurs will head back home with their backs against the wall. San Antonio is a -158 favorite on FanDuel to win Game Six and force a Game Seven.
We’ll break down how each player performed in today’s player grades. As a quick reminder, player grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.
This was Wembanyama’s moment. Coming off a stellar Game Four performance and facing a beat-up Thunder squad, this was his chance to cement himself as the best player in the league and take a 3-2 advantage back to San Antonio. That did not happen.
Wembanyama looked tired, floating around the perimeter, getting out of position defensively, and not rising to block shots he’d usually contest. The result was by far his worst offensive night of the postseason and his least impactful defensive game.
To make matters worse, Wembanyama ducked the press after the game. Spurs fans should hope that this is the low point before Wembanyama’s rise in Games Six and Seven. If not, this will be a game that haunts Wembanyama and the Spurs for a while.
Fox settled for bad shots for most of the night. He hit a couple of nice shots in the paint over the top of the defense, but was an inefficient 4-of-15 from the field. He picked up 3 steals, but didn’t feel all that impactful defensively. Fox deserves a lot of credit for playing through his ankle injury. San Antonio needs him to find his shot if they are going to win two straight games against the Thunder.
Castle was one of the few players who understood the moment and rose to it. He was a force all game on both ends, playing fast in the pick-and-roll and in transition, and playing tough defense on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He still committed some silly fouls on defense, but that can mostly be forgiven when he’s getting bullied on screens nearly every possession.
This was the Champagnie game. After struggling to hit threes for most of the series, he finally found his stroke. Champagnie came out of the gates on fire and finished the game with four three-pointers. He got to the basket and scored with touch around the rim. On defense, he played with active hands. Hopefully, this was a sign of things to come, rather than a single-game flash.
Vassell played a strong defensive game but missed a lot of shots. The Thunder seemed to key in on him a bit on the perimeter, as he didn’t get as many open looks.
For the first time in these playoffs, Harper looks like a rookie. Since suffering an adductor injury, he hasn’t been able to get to the rim. That’s forced him to take some tough mid-range jumpers and threes. He had some silly turnovers, including one where he crossed over right in front of the defender, leading to an easy bucket on the other end.
Johnson led the team with his effort. He made some awesome plays around the basket on offense and competed defensively. There has been a lot of talk about his ability to play in this series. He answered with his best game in the WCF.
Kornet got screwed out of his only shooting attempt, a clear goaltend that the officials missed. Even without that, his minutes have been rough. OKC is pushing him around inside and getting to the basket any time he is in the game.
Grade: D
Harrison Barnes
4 minutes, -6
Mitch Johnson went away from Barnes in Game Five after he played so well in Game Four. They probably could have used his hustle and offensive playmaking ability.
Bryant made bad rookie mistakes on defense, like helping off SGA and allowing an open three. He did make a nice three-pointer and a powerful dunk in meaningful minutes. Bryant has moments of impact, but Barnes may be the safer option for Game Six.
Grade:C
Jordan McLaughlin
2 minutes, 4 points, 1-for-1 shooting, +1
McLaughlin got to the basket and knocked down a pair of free throws to get 4 points in garbage time.
Grade:Incomplete
Kelly Olynyk
2 minutes, 2 points, +1
Olynyk to the free-throw line in a somewhat chippy garbage-time run.
Grade:Incomplete
Bismack Biyombo
2 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 turnover, 1 foul +1
Biyonbo got into it with the Thunder bench in the final minutes of the game. Had a hard foul on Jared McCain, hitting him in the face.
Grade:Incomplete
Mason Plumlee
2 minutes, 1 rebound, 2 fouls +1
Plumlee will get a lot of flak for his hard foul on McCain. It’s hard to imagine that it was intentional.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Dillon Brooks attends Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, 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 Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns have numerous decisions ahead of them this upcoming offseason, including multiple restricted free agents, unrestricted free agents, and players with trade value. The following series will examine those decisions as our writing team presents both a point and a counterpoint for each.
Dillon Brooks was a revelation for the Suns this season. After years of watching basketball teams that had no fight in them, we got to see the NBA’s second biggest villain join the Suns. I won’t put him above Draymond, but he is top two.
Brooks not only brought attitude and leadership to this team, but he also brought volume scoring as well. This, however, is not the Dillon Brooks season in review. Brandon Duenas did a great job breaking down Brooks’ season in this article and I highly recommend you read it.
No, today we aren’t discussing Dillon Brooks’ past, but his future. Brooks has one season left on his contract. This upcoming season, he will make $20.9 million dollars, then he will be a free agent. Should the Suns pay him at 31 years old?
If you take Mat Ishbia at his word, then you can expect the Suns to extend him at some point this year.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia sees Dillon Brooks as an important cog as he enters the final season of a four-year contract.
"I do see expect to figure out a way to keep Dillon long term," Ishbia told @BurnsAndGambo, adding he'll be part of a championship in the "next 3-4 years." pic.twitter.com/VjIXmytihQ
But once again, should they? Let’s examine the best arguments against extending The Villain.
Championship teams are built on youth
Take a look around the conference finals right now and tell me what you see. OKC, San Antonio, and Cleveland all built out their core through the draft. It is true that all teams are then augmented via trade and free agency. Obviously, neither Donovan Mitchell nor James Harden was drafted by Cleveland, and neither was Alex Caruso drafted by the Thunder. But the fact remains that if you want to reach the mountaintop, you need to flesh out your core through the draft.
Dillon Brooks is at the age where he is exiting his prime, not entering it. He isn’t going to get better from here, but probably worse. By the time the Suns have their own draft pick again, in 2033, he is likely to be retired or close to it. Unless the Suns see themselves as contenders in the next year or two, he is not the long-term fit in the Valley. Of course, given Ishbia’s quote, I would not be surprised if the Suns see themselves as contenders in the short term.
As of now, though, Dillon Brooks is coming off a career year. This could be the perfect time to sell high on Dillon Brooks to bring in a draft pick that could end up being another core piece. Keep in mind that the Suns are expected to attempt to trade into the first round of this year’s draft. He’ll be 31 years old at the end of his current contract; it may be time to move on.
Positional redundancy
The Suns have too many wings. Booker, Green, Royce, Allen, Dunn, and Fleming are all solid wing options. Meanwhile, as it seems I say in every article I write, the Suns still have no power forward on the roster that they can start. Letting Brooks walk frees up roster space to bring in a new player to fill that role. It is worth noting that letting him go does not free up cap space, as the Suns are too far over the cap for his contract to mean anything in that regard.
The Villain gimmick gets old
Dillon Brooks led the NBA in technical fouls this season and was tied with Russell Westbrook for third in flagrant fouls. Did that bother you at all during the season? It didn’t bother me. But, how will you feel about it when it is year two of a four-year extension, Brooks is 33, and his production has dropped? High performance covers a multitude of sins. But what happens when that high performance is gone?
I think Draymond Green is a good blueprint for this. When the Warriors were winning championships, Draymond Green was the glue guy. A leader in the locker room and on the court. In the past few seasons? He is now a headache that has been in trade rumors.
The Villain character can’t last forever. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become…a nuisance.
Is it time to move on?
Still not convinced that the Suns should move on from Dillon Brooks? Me either.
Are there drawbacks to having Dillon Brooks on your favorite basketball team? Yes, there are. But is Dillon Brooks a breath of fresh air on a team that spent multiple years acting like basketball was their side hustle? Yes, he is. I think at this point we know enough about Devin Booker to know that he isn’t the type of leader anyone would describe as an “enforcer.” But, he doesn’t need to be. That is why the Suns have Dillon Brooks.
I could see an argument for trading Dillon Brooks, but I see no reason why the Suns should just let him walk after next season. The arguments I managed to come up with are flimsy at best.
Brooks has become the beating heart of this team, and the Suns should absolutely extend him.
The Larry O’Brien trophy is unlikely to make its way down East Jefferson Street anytime soon. We probably are going to have to wait until Phoenix has some of its own draft picks again before that happens. In the meantime, it is nice to watch a basketball team that cares. And that starts with Dillon Brooks.
The 2026 NBA Draft received fewer early entry candidates than usual as more prospects opted to return to college basketball with lucrative NIL deals.
With only 71 candidates, it marked the lowest number in more than two decades. But not all received an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. For those who did, after meeting with scouts and team executives, players used that feedback to decide whether to remain in the draft or return to college.
Thomas Haugh (Florida), Braylon Mullins (UConn) and Patrick Ngongba II (Duke) are among those who were widely considered potential first-round picks but opted not to test the waters. Others, including Pryce Sandfort (Nebraska), Alex Condon (Florida), Joseph Tugler (Houston) and David Mirković (Illinois), made the same decision.
While more than 25 early entry candidates are expected to remain in the class, others have yet to announce their decisions and several have already confirmed their return to college basketball.
Per NCAA rules, players have until 11:59 PM ET on Wednesday, May 27 to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft and remain eligible to play college basketball.
Players who have completed their college eligibility are automatically eligible for the 2026 NBA Draft. Among them are Yaxel Lendeborg, Bennett Stirtz, Joshua Jefferson, Tarris Reed Jr., Zuby Ejiofor, Alex Karaban, Ryan Conwell and Braden Smith.
Early entry candidates who have yet to announce a decision
Meleek Thomas (Arkansas)
Tounde Yessoufou (Baylor → transfer portal)
Jeremy Fears Jr. (Michigan State)
Early entry participants from NBA/G League Combine to return to NCAA
Two asterisks denote that the player was invited to the G League Combine and later received a call-up to the NBA Draft Combine.One asterisk denotes that a player was originally invited to the G League Combine.
Amari Allen (Alabama)
Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt)
Milan Momcilovic (Iowa State → transfer portal)
Malachi Moreno (Kentucky)
Rueben Chinyelu (Florida)
Billy Richmond III (Arkansas)
Flory Bidunga (Kansas → Louisville)
Matt Able (NC State → North Carolina)
Andrej Stojakovic (Illinois)
Jacob Cofie** (USC)
Aiden Tobiason* (Temple → Syracuse)
Early entry candidates expected to remain in 2026 NBA Draft
Other early entry prospects (non-combine participants) returning to NCAA
Two asterisks denote a player who received but declined an NBA Combine invitation. One asterisk denotes a player who received but declined an invitation to the G League Combine.
Juke Harris** (Wake Forest → Tennessee)
Elliot Cadeau* (Michigan)
Isiah Harwell* (Houston → Gonzaga)
Alijah Arenas* (USC)
Anton Bonke (Charlotte → Michigan State)
Keanu Dawes (Utah → Kansas)
Sebastian Rancik (Colorado → Florida State)
Cruz Davis (Hofstra → Texas Tech)
Eian Elmer (Miami OH → Wisconsin)
Bryson Tucker (Washington)
Dennis Parker Jr. (Radford → Kansas)
Colby Garland (San Jose State → Georgia Tech)
Gabe Dynes (USC → Louisville)
Finley Bizjack (Butler → West Virginia)
Rowan Brumbaugh (Tulane → SMU)
Kennard Davis (BYU → Missouri)
LeJuan Watts (Texas Tech → Washington)
Shane Blakeney (Drexel → South Carolina)
Other remaining international early entry candidates
Among this group, Luigi Suigo and Sergio De Larrea received combine invitations, but only Suigo attended.
Luigi Suigo
Sergio De Larrea
Alex Samodurov
Vsevolod Ishchenko
Bassala Bagayoko
Pavle Bačko
Francesco Ferrari
Mohammad Amini
The withdrawal deadline for international early entry candidates is 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 13.
On a night when the referees seemed to want to inject themselves into every aspect of the game, this cheap shot by Mason Plumlee was somehow not deemed a flagrant foul when it happened in the fourth quarter.
Mason Plumlee hits Jared McCain hard in the back, in garbage time (with replays). Isaiah Hartenstein having some words with him and then with Bismack Biyombo, who stepped up for his teammate as well. https://t.co/yhwFqm28aNpic.twitter.com/SmxZYwUwSp
Fortunately, the NBA league office saw it differently and upgraded the foul to a flagrant on Thursday.
Mason Plumlee’s (SAS) foul against Jared McCain (OKC) at 1:39 of the 4th quarter in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on 5/26/26 has been upgraded to a Flagrant 1 after league review.https://t.co/hGgdPt82M2
The league defines a Flagrant foul 1 as "unnecessary contact committed by a player against an opponent." This unquestionably was that. A Fragrant foul 2 is "unnecessary and excessive" contact, and this was in the running for that, too.
McCain scored 18 points of his 20 points in the second half on Tuesday night as the Thunder pulled away and picked up a comfortable Game 5 win to go up 3-2 and put themselves one win away from a return trip to the NBA Finals. It wasn't just Plumlee, Bismack Biyombo also had a hard late-game foul on McCain, apparently trying to establish the Spurs' toughness. If that was the plan, they should have done it in the first three quarters when the game was in doubt, rather than looking frustrated in the final minutes.
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks promoted general manager Onsi Saleh to president of basketball operations and signed the executive to a long-term contract extension on Wednesday.
The Hawks announced the new title and contract one year after Saleh was promoted from assistant general manager to general manager, replacing the fired Landry Fields.
Saleh was the runner-up to Boston's Brad Stevens in voting for NBA Executive of the Year last month. Saleh received one first-place vote, 10 second-place votes and six third-place votes.
The Hawks finished sixth in the Eastern Conference at 46-36 before falling to the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.
“Onsi possesses a rare combination of valuable leadership qualities and a clear vision that will position our franchise to compete at a championship level," Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler said in a statement.
"He is a gifted communicator and talent evaluator, widely respected by his peers within the NBA community. He has already demonstrated a level of decisiveness and acumen that has changed the trajectory of our organization, and we are delighted to have him lead our basketball operations for a very long time.”
The Lakers conducted layoffs across multiple departments Wednesday, The California Post confirmed.The layoffs are part of a reorganization following the sale of the team from the Buss family to Mark Walter at a $10 billion valuation nearly a year ago. Getty Images
The layoffs, which were described by team sources as “wild” and “crazy,” have followed a widespread restructuring over the last few months, including Lon Rosen replacing Tim Harris as president of business operations, Michael Spetner being hired as chief strategy and growth officer and Ryan Kantor being hired as vice president of global partnerships.
In addition, the Lakers’ G League team will relocate from the South Bay to the Coachella Valley.
Rob Pelinka, Lakers general manager and president of basketball operations, said he and Rosen are closely working with “some of the Dodgers folks” to add a biomechanics lab, new movement labs and a recovery lab in addition to “redoing aspects of the court” at their UCLA Health Training Center practice facility.
Lakers general manager and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said he and Rosen are closely working with “some of the Dodgers folks” to add a biomechanics lab. Getty Images
“It’s a full rebuild and retool, and it’s adding to the great things that are already here, which have led to success, but elevating it and bringing it to the next level,” Pelinka said after the Lakers were swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the Thunder earlier this month. “So, an ongoing process that we’ll be doing throughout the offseason, probably, hopefully, culminating in and around the Summer League in Vegas.”
Organizational turnover and restructuring is common under new leadership.
The Trail Blazers had layoffs that affected “just over 70 people” last week under new owner Tom Dundon, according to The Oregonian. After Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez became the controlling owners of the Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Lynx in June 2025, the organization laid off “roughly 35 employees” in late August, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
“They have some great players,” Trump told reporters during the White House cabinet meeting on Wednesday. “I think I’ll be going to one of the games. Yeah, I was invited by numerous people.”
The New York Times was first to report the president’s possible attendance at his hometown team’s game.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump said he had planned to attend an Eastern Conference finals game, “but they closed it out very quickly.”
“Boy, what a team,” he said of the Knicks. “They win all their games.”
Reached for further information about the president’s plans, the White House declined to provide details beyond Trump’s own comments.
The Knicks will face the winner of the Western Conference finals, where the Oklahoma City Thunder lead the San Antonio Spurs 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.
The Knicks won the Eastern Conference finals on Monday, sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 for their 11th consecutive win in the playoffs. The last time the Knicks went to the Finals was in 1999, when they lost to San Antonio.
“Great to see it,” Trump said of the Knicks advancing. “The Knicks have really, they’ve really suffered for years.”
