Category: Basketball

Kawhi Leonard is a Toronto Raptor again?! Whoaaa, eight years after he delivered the championship that shut Oracle Arena’s lights off forever, he’s headed back north for what could be the final chapter of his career.

It’s rather Shakespearean about the way his current chapter with the Warriors dynasty decided to end. Not with another Finals matchup or one last signature series, but with Draymond Green stealing the ball right out of his hands in the closing seconds of a Play-In game, sending him into the offseason and ultimately back to Toronto.

The Warriors have a strange habit of outlasting every villain in their story. Eventually, somehow, they get the last word. Kawhi Leonard was never supposed to be one of them.

The era of Kawhi Leonard in Los Angeles has officially come to an end:

2020: Blew a 3–1 series lead
2021: Lost in the Western Conference Finals
2022: Missed the playoffs
2023: 1st Round exit
2024: 1st Round exit
2025: 1st Round exit
2026: Missed the playoffs

They gambled and… pic.twitter.com/VfvJqXu11q

— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) June 30, 2026

Go back to the 73-win season. San Antonio was the respectability test for the dynasty, the team that made everyone who doubted the Warriors sharpen their pencils and reconsider. Kawhi Leonard was already becoming something dangerous, a two-way freight train who moved with mechanical patience and struck with violence. Then there was that February showdown, the kind that felt more like a Western Conference Finals preview than a Tuesday night in the regular season. Steph Curry hit a stepback that blew the roof off Oracle and made you feel the weight of what Golden State was becoming in real time. You could feel both franchises circling each other, understanding exactly what the other represented. The Warriors were ascending. The Spurs were the last empire standing between them and permanent dynasty status.

The rivalry never got its full resolution on the court. The injury to Kawhi in the 2017 Western Conference Finals derailed the Spurs’ best chance at contesting the Warriors on a level playing field, and it denied us the chess match we deserved. Depending on who you ask and how you feel about the circumstances, that moment either leveled the dynasty’s path or exposed the dynasty’s luck. Either way, the conversation never got finished.

Kawhi came back for his revenge as a Toronto Raptor. And he delivered one of the coldest postseason performances in NBA history against these Warriors, who were already broken and bleeding through an injury crisis unraveling in real time. Game Six was in Oracle Arena aka the house that built the dynasty, the most intimidating building in basketball. And with the Warriors set to move to San Francisco the next season, this was the last dance for Oakland.

Alas, Kawhi and the Raptors walked in and turned the lights off forever. Kevin Durant’s Achilles and Klay Thompson’s ACL were afterthoughts as the Raptors celebrated in front of a devastated Dub Nation. The last image Golden State’s faithful had of Oracle wasn’t the Splash Bros high fiving and pouring champagne. Instead it was Kawhi Leonard’s stone face unbothered, watching their dream die. As Finals MVP he ended the Oracle era, the threepeat, and the Oakland chapter of the Warriors dynasty.

The rivarly between Kawhi and the Dubs continued across the Bay. Chase Center opened and on opening night, the Los Angeles Clippers arrived as a superteam with Kawhi Paul George, and the specific energy of an organization that believed its moment had finally arrived. They walked into that building and won by 19, cruising to the finish over a proud but mortally wounded Golden State squad. Afterwards Patrick Beverley told Curry that the next five years belonged to him. Insane hyperbole? Absolutely. But that’s the confidence Kawhi’s presence against the Warriors warranted. The Clippers genuinely believed they were coming for the throne with “The Klaw” as their instrument of conquest. He had already buried Oracle. Now he had christened Chase with a victory and planted a flag in the new era.

Fast forward seven years to this year in the springtime where, in a Play-In game in Los Angeles the Warriors had no business winning, Draymond Green put Kawhi in handcuffs. Leonard finished with 21 points on 17 shots, committed 5 turnovers, and left that game with his own postgame assessment as the most revealing verdict of all: that Draymond was a Hall of Fame defender and it was hard to even get shots up against him.

With 49 seconds left and the Warriors clinging to a three-point lead, Green stole the inbound pass intended for Leonard, immediately found Brandin Podziemski streaking to the basket for an and-1 that crippled the Clippers for good, then ripped Leonard’s dribble in the final moments to seal it. The Klaw, who had haunted this franchise across two uniforms and a decade of history, got his cookies taken in the most consequential game of the Clippers’ season, on his home floor, with everything on the line.

Draymond Green’s solitary confinement of Kawhi Leonard compilation, final 3 minutes: pic.twitter.com/tNabKVpLOX

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 16, 2026

Draymond Green says he had to live with the fear of being embarrassed by Kawhi Leonard the last 2 days coming into the game, but prides himself on his work and being prepared heading into a matchup like this.

When told Kawhi’s praise for him being an all-world defender, Draymond…

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 16, 2026

I’m loving the symmetry. Kawhi stole the final championship game ever played inside Oracle Arena. And then he won the first regular season game ever played inside Chase Center. And the final possession of his Clippers career ended with Draymond snatching the ball away from him.

Nearly a decade after Toronto borrowed him to end the Warriors’ first act, Golden State sent him back to Toronto having written the ending to his L.A. story.

Power forward/center Zach Collins has agreed to a two-year, $17 million contract extension to stay with the Chicago Bulls through the 2027-28 season, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Collins’ agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, worked with the organization continuously over the last two days to keep his client off the free agency market and beat the July 1 deadline at midnight.

The 10th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft appeared in just 10 games with the Windy City organization in 2025-26, averaging 9.7 points per game on a 57.8 field goal percentage/42.9 three-point percentage/77/5 free throw percentage, plus 5.6 rebounds per game, and 1.5 assists per game.

Collins had a season-ending toe surgery just after the NBA All-Star break in February of 2026. Unfortunately, countless different injuries and surgeries have derailed the trajectory of his career over and over again.

Across nine campaigns with the Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, and Bulls, Collins has suited up for only 388 of the 738 possible regular-season games.

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

The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost defensive-first starting small forward Dean Wade in free agency. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that he will be joining former Cavs general manager Mike Gansey with the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year, $39 million deal.

Not being able to retain Wade’s services isn’t all that surprising on its own. The Cavs were the only team over the second apron last regular season and are making a concerted effort to get well under it this offseason so that they can reshape their roster. Considering the number of suitors it was reported Wade had, it was likely that one of them could offer more than the Cavs.

What is surprising is the amount Wade signed for. His new contract with Philadelphia has an average annual value of $9.75 million, and could be structured to pay less money the first year. That isn’t an outrageous amount or one that would significantly hinder the Cavs from getting under the second apron if they had matched it.

The Cavs’ choice to presumably not match that amount would be curious if they don’t have other moves or possibilities lined up. The small and power forward positions are the groupings with the least amount of depth on the team. Wade was a stopgap at both positions and was by far the best perimeter point-of-attack defender on the team. Losing such a valuable defender is a tough blow on the night they lost defensive specialist Keon Ellis as well.

Cleveland was already in need of additional help at the three and four spots. Now, that is even more true, and they don’t necessarily have an easy path of finding a replacement. With how the salary cap works, just because the Cavs didn’t offer Wade that money doesn’t mean they can offer a different free agent that amount. Cleveland could have exceeded the salary cap to sign Wade because they had his Bird rights. They can’t do so with free agents coming from other teams.

There is a former Cavalier out there who could sure up the wing that would make everyone forget about the loss of Wade. But if they aren’t able to procure LeBron James’s services, they will have an uphill struggle to find both an additional wing and help at backup power forward.

As it stands now, the Cavs are $41.7 million below the second apron and $29.1 million below the first. Cleveland only has 11 players under contract. That number doesn’t include James Harden and recent second-round pick Meleek Thomas. Harden opted out of his player option for next season, but is expected to re-sign with the team.

Wade first signed with the Cavs on a two-way deal as an undrafted rookie during the 2019-2020 season. He progressively earned more minutes and cracked into the starting lineup for stretches of the last several seasons. Wade started 38 of his 59 games with the Cavs last regular season and 14 of the team’s 18 playoff games.

This past season, Wade averaged 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game on .439/.362/.711 shooting splits.

The Western Conference is running a youth experiment, and the results are getting harder to ignore. Victor Wembanyama is already rewriting the defensive record books. Anthony Edwards is appointment television. Cooper Flagg just landed in Dallas. Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Şengün are all guys proving the best teams in the West are increasingly being built around players who weren’t legally allowed to drink four years ago.

And as rumors swirl Golden State is about to sign LeBron James, a man in his 40s, the Warriors just used the 11th pick on 23-year-old Yaxel Lendeborg, re-signed 30-year-old center Kristaps Porzingis, and brought back 40-year-old Al Horford.

Franchise stalwart Draymond Green went on record calling Lendeborg a great pick, and his reasoning was more interesting than the endorsement itself. He argued that a veteran-heavy roster needs players who can contribute immediately, and that Lendeborg’s age is exactly what makes him fit.

Draymond says to let rookies be rookies and stop putting pressure on Yaxel Lendeborg to become the Warriors’ savior immediately:

“Let me say something. Can we please stop putting this pressure on Yaxel, a rookie, to come in like he’s supposed to save the day? It seemed like… pic.twitter.com/2PMGs35eER

— aly ✶ (@jinthirty) June 30, 2026

Young franchises get to be patient. Just like how the Spurs took their time with Wembanyama and the Thunder built their depth over years of painful losing. They could absorb growing pains because their timeline had room for them. The Warriors’ timeline doesn’t have that luxury, and they’ve structured their entire front office philosophy around that reality. Winning has a hidden cost, and Golden State paid it without reading the fine print. Every year they spent chasing championships was another year they couldn’t prioritize long-term development the way rebuilding franchises could. They were winning and the bill just took a while to arrive.

And when we talk about the Warriors’ current draft philosophy I feel we should name the moment it changed. James Wiseman had every physical trait that modern front offices chase in terms of length, athleticism, upside that scouts described in superlatives. The Warriors bet on potential and watched three years dissolve into a trade. Wiseman wasn’t just a miss. He was the last time (unless you count Jonathan Kuminga) Golden State tried to draft for the next decade instead of the next postseason. Since then their approach has moved steadily toward floor over ceiling, toward the known quantity over the projection. Whether that’s wisdom or overcorrection is still genuinely unclear, but the philosophical pivot is undeniable.

“There’s basically never been a player this good at his age.”

Asked Mike Dunleavy what ultimately led to the Warriors drafting Yaxel Lendeborg pic.twitter.com/mq2NwXz4fI

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) June 24, 2026

Then came Porzingis. An established veteran whose immediate value lies in what he can do next April, not what he might become three Aprils from now. And don’t forget about Al Horford re-signing for two more years to become just the 13th player in NBA history to reach a 20th season. The Warriors aren’t keeping him around out of sentimentality. Stack those two next to Jimmy Butler now Lendeborg, and run it through the same filter: does this increase Steph Curry’s chances before the window closes?

Two years from now, we’ll know whether Golden State spotted an inefficiency everyone else ignored or simply spent its last draft capital chasing Steph Curry’s final championship window. Either way, this much is already clear: while the rest of the Western Conference is raising young draft pieces into bonafide stars, the Warriors have decided to focus on experience.

The Los Angeles Clippers have officially moved on from Kawhi Leonard after seven seasons.

Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, June 30 for forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033), two second-round picks (2030, 2033) and a 2027 first-round swap.

The move puts an end to a real pursuit of an NBA title for the near future, as the Clippers opt for a younger roster while building assets.

Leonard originally came to Los Angeles in July 2019 along with Paul George, in what was a homecoming of sorts, with both being Southern California natives. The Oklahoma City Thunder had traded George and a first-round pick to L.A. for a haul that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two swaps.

The duo did lead the Clippers to their first Western Conference finals appearance in 2021. Still, the pairing did not pan out, while the Thunder managed to construct a championship-winning roster following the trade, using one of those draft picks to select Jalen Williams.

Despite Leonard's departure, an investigation by the NBA still lingers.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, Leonard and his uncle/advisor Dennis Robertson were allegedly involved in a “no-show” agreement with a company, Aspiration, to funnel extra compensation to the player as part of a salary cap circumvention.

Here’s where things stand for the Clippers, who are looking to reconstruct their roster this season:

What does the Clippers’ starting lineup look like currently?

The Clippers' starting lineup would consist of Darius Garland and rookie Keaton Wagler making up the backcourt.

Ingram would join forward Derrick Jones Jr. and center Brook Lopez.

Ingram is no stranger to Los Angeles, having originally been drafted by the Lakers with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He was once viewed as the untouchable asset that the Lakers were going to build a future around.

Clippers offseason moves

While Lopez did have his team option picked up by the Clippers, the team declined the options for Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nicolas Batum before the start of free agency.

The Clippers also fully guaranteed guard Kris Dunn’s $5.68 million contract for the 2026-27 NBA season.

Jordan Miller received a qualifying offer, and Kobe Sanders agreed to a new four-year, $11.2 million deal to return.

Will Bennedict Mathurin return to Clippers?

Bennedict Mathurin would serve as the Clippers’ sixth man after the team extended a qualifying offer to him earlier this week, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. Mathurin averaged 17.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 54 games last season.

Who will Clippers target next in free agency?

The Clippers still have roster spots to fill. The team will have several options available, including re-signing forward John Collins. He tallied 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season in 69 games played.

Forward DeMar DeRozan could be considered a veteran target the team will reconsider. He averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists in 77 games played for the Sacramento Kings.

If center Mitchell Robinson doesn't return to the New York Knicks, he could be another interesting option for L.A. to consider. Robinson averaged 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in 60 games played.

Raptors roster following Kawhi Leonard trade

The Toronto Raptors had to trade a couple key pieces to execute a deal for Kawhi Leonard, but they kept enough of their roster intact to be considered one of the top Eastern Conference contenders during the 2026-27 season.

Here's a breakdown of what the roster looks like with Leonard on the team heading into the start of the NBA's free agency period:

• G RJ Barrett
• G Jaden Bradley**
• G Immanuel Quickley
• G Jamal Shead
• G Garrett Temple*
• G Ja'Kobe Walter
• F Scottie Barnes
• F Kawhi Leonard
• F Allen Graves**
• F Collin Murray-Boyles
• F Jamison Battle
• F Sandro Mamukelashvili*
• F Jonathan Mogbo*
• F/C Trayce Jackson-Davis
• C Jakob Poeltl
• G Chucky Hepburn^
• G A.J. Lawson^
• G Alijah Martin^

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's next for Clippers? What Kawhi Leonard trade means for roster

In Mike Gansey’s first free agency move running the Sixers, he’s bringing in a familiar face in Dean Wade.

The 6-foot-9 forward, who was initially signed by Gansey and the Cavaliers’ front office as an undrafted free agent in 2019, has spent his entire seven-year NBA career in Cleveland. He now comes to Philadelphia on four-year, $39 million deal, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Wade’s calling card is his perimeter defense. With a 7-foot wingspan, a 228-pound frame and good lateral quickness, he’s able to guard multiple positions at a high level. We heard a lot of talk about the Sixers needing to find an identity this offseason. With a trio of Wade, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe handling the tough perimeter assignments, and Tyrese Maxey digging for steals while Joel Embiid protects the rim, forming a defensive identity feels possible.

Nothing about his raw numbers will impress you, but Wade is far from a zero on the offensive end. He can make open looks. He’s shot 36.7% from three for his career, though you’d maybe like to see an uptick in his volume. He’s not a shot creator by any means, but he’s a good connector and is comfortable putting the ball on the floor when needed. He’s a solid rebounder, but that could still remain an area of weakness for the Sixers overall.

With that said, Gansey and the front office still have avenues to improve. The Sixers are likely signing Wade using a portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which comes in at roughly $15 million for 2026-27. They’ll now be hard capped at the first apron, but it also means they’ll have some of the NTMLE left over (likely around $6 million) for another player above the minimum. They also could access the bi-annual exception ($5.5 million).

Free agency is just beginning, so there should be plenty of business remaining. The Sixers could still use more depth across the board. Make sure to follow our tracker and we’ll update you as much as we can.

In need of three-point shooting, the Lakers lost the league’s best sharpshooter on the first day of free agency.

Guard Luke Kennard has agreed to a two-year, $13-million deal with the Phoenix Suns, The Times confirmed Tuesday.

Kennard was an unrestricted free agent after he was traded to the Lakers last February from the Atlanta Hawks. His arrival coincided with a dramatic offensive uptick for the Lakers, who went from 34.9% shooting from three in games before Kennard and 37.7% in games after. Kennard was on a one-year, $11-million contract last season, his ninth year in the NBA.

Read more:Plaschke: LeBron James got out before Lakers could throw him out

The former Duke star averaged nine points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Lakers while shooting 44.8% from three-point range. He showed his influence beyond just shooting when he took on more ballhandling duties late in the season to fill in during injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. In a starting role during the last six games of the regular season, Kennard averaged 6.4 assists.

The Lakers already lost LeBron James on the first day of free agency after the 22-time All-Star informed the team he intended to sign somewhere else for his NBA-record 24th season. Kennard could have provided a critical floor-spacing piece around Doncic, who thrives when surrounded by lob-catching centers, athletic wings and knockdown shooters.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Lakers’ top priority this summer is finding a center of the future, so it’s no surprise their top target this summer is a big man.

The restricted free agent market is always tricky to navigate, but the two best centers available this summer fall both fall in that category. While Jalen Duren is feuding with the Pistons — and taking a meeting with the Lakers, to be fair — Kessler is also feuding with the Jazz and LA is ready to take advantage.

On Tuesday evening, longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein provided an update on the Lakers’ free agency. On top of reporting of likely deals for Sandro Mamukelashvili and Quentin Grimes, he also noted that Kessler will be the team’s top free agent target this summer.

The growing anticipation leaguewide is that the Lakers ultimately secure commitments on new contracts from Toronto free agent Sandro Mamukelashvili and Philadelphia free agent Quentin Grimes while still pursuing their top summer target: Utah restricted free agent Walker Kessler. https://t.co/pYMRcSyvrn

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 1, 2026

Kessler held meetings with teams on Tuesday and, while none of the teams were reported, the assumption is the Lakers were among them. The Jazz and Kessler are quite far apart on their next contract, leading to the Lakers believing they can swoop in on a deal.

Unlike Detroit, the Jazz have not signaled a willingness to match any offer made to Kessler. They already have a host of big men in their front court, including Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Jusuf Nurkic.

Chasing a player in restricted free agency is a gamble and the Lakers are putting a lot of chips in that basket. But if it works, it could be a huge win for the purple and gold.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Take a breath, people. This article is a momentary bubble of safety from the ongoing Walker Kessler free agency debacle. I will not be adding my fingerprints to the growing collection of my peers’ on the big red illuminating “PANIC” button. I don’t need that kind of anxiety in my life, so I opt to write about Utah’s fertile garden of blossoming youth.

Let’s instead emphasize what is good and happy in the Salt Lake Valley, and that is the second overall pick, Darryn Peterson.

In his first days in the Beehive State, Peterson is quickly familiarizing himself with his teammates, coaches, and the systems that Will Hardy has installed.

“I think the quickest thing is how quick he’s learning,” Third-year Jazzman Cody Williams shared during a media availability. “Even from yesterday to today, you can see he’s a lot more comfortable in the offense, making his reads and getting to his spots. He has a high IQ.”

Cody Williams and Ace Bailey discuss what they’ve seen from Darryn Peterson in his first few days with the Utah Jazz and reflect on their own rookie transitions to show what it takes to find your role in the NBA. #darrynpeterson#takenotepic.twitter.com/Op1Ultf0lm

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 1, 2026

The (big air quotes here) “veterans” will join Peterson on Utah’s Summer League team this season, and clearly hold plenty of sage wisdom and vital advice for a youngster still finding his footing on a new stage.

Williams and Bailey have survived the rookie experience, and continue to find what they do well and how they can contribute to winning in this exciting new era of Utah Jazz basketball.

What has Cody Williams been working on? pic.twitter.com/P7AwiBtypE

— JP Chunga (@JP_Chunga) June 30, 2026

On top of ball-handling and court vision, I’d love to see Cody Williams absorb some of the nutrients radiating from Darryn Peterson’s celestial jump shot. This clip of Utah’s rookie putting up a shot is so satisfying it melted me into a heap on my office chair.

One uninterrupted motion, smooth like Carlos Santana, and delicately grazing the net on its way through the cylinder, this is the type of tape you’ll see from a million players of varying skill levels, but not to this degree. This is the type of consistency of a generational shooter — the Utah Jazz somehow came away with this guy without the number-one pick.

Darryn Peterson threes 👌 pic.twitter.com/Bk7nK1iomS

— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) June 30, 2026

Williams likewise arrived in Utah without the benefit of the number-one overall pick, but you get my point.

Disturbing content warning here, but Cody has only eclipsed three-point shooting clips of 25.9% as a rookie and 21.4% as a sophomore. These are abysmal metrics for a player who shot 40% at Colorado (on an admittedly limited sample size). He’ll need to find the range for at least 30% at his position, or his role on the team will be extremely situational. I can think of another wing who prided himself on how well he could see the floor, and that player is no longer in the NBA despite being the number-one pick in 2016.

This image is an omen, Cody; give heed, for heaven’s sake.

Williams and Bailey have experience on their sides and should absolutely feel comfortable in showing DP the ropes in his first days with the team. But make no mistake, Peterson will be the best player on the court from the first minute of Summer League. There’s a lot he’ll need to figure out, but it won’t be long before he’s teaching his elders.

The Brooklyn Nets first free agent signing of the 2026 off-season is Keon Ellis, a 26-year-old 6’4″ 3-and-D shooting guard. Ellis, who played last season for the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers, will be paid $18 million over the next two seasons under the proposed deal.

Shams Charania was first with the news…

Free agent guard Keon Ellis has agreed to a two-year, $18 million guaranteed deal with the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/YdLqrFZHhq

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

Shams also noted that the contract has an odd “mutual option” …

The deal, negotiated by Mark Bartelstein and Torrian Jones of @PrioritySports, contains a full mutual option that fully guarantees the $18M for Ellis while allowing both sides to have a conversation about a new deal next summer, but either party can opt-in (not opt-out). https://t.co/Nsn42dwy0v

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic explained the option this way…

Keon Ellis has agreed to a 2-year, $18 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets, league sources confirmed to @FredKatz and me. The contract has a team AND player option for Year 2, so either side can choose to opt in. @ShamsCharania first on it.

Here is a flow chart for the deal: pic.twitter.com/l9ikr7sXa8

— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) July 1, 2026

Ellis, a product of Alabama, is going into his fifth season. After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft, Ellis signed a two-way contract with the Sacramento Kings in July 2022 and established his reputation as tough defender and solid shooter. At the trade deadline, Ellis was traded to the Cavaliers where he finished out his three year, $5.1 million vets’ minimum deal.

For the season, in 72 games, 11 starts, Ellis averaged 6.7 points, 1.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 20.5 minutes, with 44/36/73 shooting splits. For his career, Ellis has shot 40.7% from deep. But his big attraction to the Nets is on the other side of the court, being a solid point-of-attack defender in Jordi Fernandez’s schemes. His numbers tell the story…

Keon Ellis per 100 possessions:

2.7 steals (93rd %tile)
6.4 deflections (96th %tile)
1.5 blocks (95th %tile)
0.9 offensive fouls drawn (92nd %tile)
1.6 forced turnovers (96th %tile)

Along with a STOP% of 4.4 (98th %tile).
Welcome to Brooklyn 🐐pic.twitter.com/jJZOF8fpjA

— michael (@michaelknowball) July 1, 2026

Indeed, Fernandez was the associate head coach of the Kings when Ellis played in Sacramento between 2022 and 2024.

There will presumably be a logjam at guard, with Terance Mann, second year players Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell and Ben Saraf as well as this year’s lottery pick, Mikel Brown Jr. Other than Mann and to a lesser degree Powell, however, none are known for the defense.

Yossi Gozlan quickly turned out one of his patented updates on how the signing will effect the Nets salary cap.

Brooklyn Nets salary cap situation with Keon Ellis.

Cap space is fluid in terms of how to procedurally sign him, Day'Ron Sharpe, and Josh Minott.

They would still have just under $35 million in cap space if they take Ellis and Minott into cap space & Sharpe into room mid-level. https://t.co/fBu1D2ipWCpic.twitter.com/3ZT1uw0egE

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) July 1, 2026

Ellis later reported that the 3-and-D guards’ value has been difficult to guage, noting that Ellis will make considerably more than Jordan Goodwin, 27, who is at $6.3 million, and Jose Alvarado, 28, with a brand new $4.9 million deal, but none of them is as good a 3-point shooter as Ellis.

Bottom line: Sean Marks & co. still have more than $30 million available.

• Nets bolstering backcourt with two-year, $18 million Keon Ellis contract – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets agree to two-year deal with guard Keon Ellis: report ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets bringing in Keon Ellis on $18 million contract – Erik Slater – Clutch Points

The Nets and free agent guard Keon Ellis have agreed to a two-year, $18 million guaranteed deal, reports ESPN's Shams Charania.

The signing came shortly after the NBA free agency negotiating window opened and gives Brooklyn some depth at the guard position.

Ellis, 26, has played four seasons in the league and was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Cleveland Cavaliers during last season's trade deadline. With the Cavs, Ellis averaged 8.3 points in 29 games.

For his career, the University of Alabama product who went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft has averaged 6.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game while playing in 225 games (60 starts).

Luke Kennard won’t return to the Lakers for the 2026-27 season. 

The free agent guard is leaving the Lakers for the Suns in free agency after just half a season with the Lakers.

Kennard, who was an unrestricted free agent, agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal that was first reported by ESPN.

One of the league’s best shooters since entering the league out of Duke in 2017, Kennard led the league in 3-point shooting percentage (47.8%) for the third time in his career. 

After the Lakers acquired Kennard from the Hawks for Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick, Kennard averaged 9 points (44.8% shooting on 3-pointers), 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 32 regular season games.

The highlight of his regular season with the Lakers was, after a brief shooting slump, knocking down the game-winning 3-pointer against the Magic on March 21 to give the Lakers their season-best ninth-straight win. 

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Kennard’s production ticked up when star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves suffered regular season-ending injuries in early April.

He averaged 14.5 points, 7.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals over the Lakers’ next four games as a primary ball handler.

And in the playoffs, he continued to step up, leading the Lakers with a team-best 21 points in their Game 1 victory over the Rockets in the first round, scoring 23 points in their Game 2 win and recording 14 points and 6 assists in the Game 3 victory. 

Kennard averaged 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3 assists in six-game opening round series victory over the Rockets, and 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the Lakers’ playoff run that ended with a second-round sweep to the Thunder.

The Washington Wizards are NOT interested in trading center Anthony Davis, according Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports.

The Washington Wizards are not interested in trading 10-time NBA All-Star forward Anthony Davis and are not listening to trade offers for him, a source told @espn@andscape. Another NBA team exec says Wizards GM Will Dawkins is a huge fan of AD.

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) June 30, 2026

There have been rumblings that the Wizards could trade him to the Golden State Warriors. But apparently, this isn’t the case now.

Keep in mind that things can change real quick during this time of the year in the NBA. But if some of the top NBA insiders say that the Wizards aren’t trading a top star, it’s more likely that that is the case.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

With green guards and precious little defense, the Nets needed to add a veteran in the backcourt and pressure at the point of attack. 

They’re hoping Keon Ellis can bring both — and on a team-friendly deal. 

The Nets and Ellis agreed to a two-year, $18 million contract Tuesday on the first night of free agency. It was first reported by ESPN and confirmed by The Post. 

The deal includes a full mutual option. It fully guarantees Ellis his $18 million, while still letting both sides negotiate a new deal next summer. Either can opt in. 

The Nets would still have nearly $35 million in salary cap space left, per Third Apron cap guru Yossi Gozlan, if they take Ellis and Josh Minott into cap space and Day’Ron Sharpe into the room mid-level exception. 

The Nets spent first-round picks on guards Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf last season, and Mikel Brown Jr. last week. None are expected to be defensive stalwarts, while wing Drake Powell has yet to grow into that role. 

Point-of-attack defenders who can actually shoot — prototypical 3-and-D types — are pricey in the NBA, but Ellis may provide some of that archetype. 

The 26-year-old Ellis played for Cleveland after being traded midseason from Sacramento. Nets head coach Jordi Fernández was a Kings assistant for two years while Ellis was there, and now they’ll have a reunion in Brooklyn. 

Ellis went undrafted and has never earned more than the veteran’s minimum. But he’s a career 40.7 percent shooter from 3-point range and hit 35.5 percent last season for the Cavaliers en route to averaging 8.3 points. 

But after averaging 24 minutes in the regular season and notching a plus-4.5 net rating, he struggled in the postseason. He averaged just seven minutes and recorded a minus-15.9 Net Rating in 12 appearances. 

Still, playoff struggles are a luxury for the rebuilding Nets, a long way from those sorts of worries. Considering how defensively challenged they are — and how young their backcourt is — it’s easy to see Ellis earning a significant rotation role. 

Ellis was fifth in the NBA in steals per 100 possessions in 2024-25 and 15th this past season, when he ranked in the 93rd percentile in steals. 

The Nets still have plenty of cap space and even more needs. 

They’re unlikely to trade for Boston’s Jaylen Brown, league sources said. 

Despite the Nets being linked with the Celtics All-Star, The Post reported Monday that they weren’t likely to deal for him, a league source saying, “I wouldn’t put much stock in it.” The Stein Line confirmed the same Tuesday. But trading away Nic Claxton has left a hole at center and made Day’Ron Sharpe the nominal starter. 

Although the Nets have been linked with Jalen Duren and Walker Kessler, both are restricted free agents and seem rich for the Nets’ blood. 

So where could Brooklyn look? Across the East River, with The Post reporting the Knicks are unlikely to keep Mitchell Robinson and the Nets have interest. 

Robinson leads the NBA in offensive rebounds per 36 minutes and per 100 possessions; Sharpe is fifth in both. The Nets re-signed Sharpe to a two-year, $20 million deal, a team-friendly contract that looks even cheaper weighed against Jock Landale’s one-year, $14 million pact. But prying Robinson away from the Knicks would give the Nets the best rebounding 1-2 punch they’ve ever had. 

Robinson is widely expected to command an annual salary starting at $15 million and possibly as high as $20 million. 

Two other options are more offensively oriented, in Orlando’s Moritz Wagner and Toronto’s Sandro Mamukelashvili. But the Lakers are not only meeting with Duren but reportedly comfortable offering Mamukelashvili $10 million annually, per SNY. The latter won’t protect the rim, but he’ll pass the ball and space the floor, shooting 38.9 percent from deep this past season. 

Another target is Wagner, 29, who would stretch the floor and bring toughness. He averaged just 6.9 points and 3.2 rebounds in 11.9 minutes last season, seeing his playing time slashed in Orlando. He could see it rise in Brooklyn.

While there has been little movement across the entirety of free agency on Tuesday, let alone the Lakers, it looks like the team has been moving in the background.

Two players who have been linked to the Lakers, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Quentin Grimes, look likely to have deals with LA, according to multiple reports. Longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein posted on Twitter that the belief around the league is that the pair will agree to contracts with the Lakers.

The growing anticipation leaguewide is that the Lakers ultimately secure commitments on new contracts from Toronto free agent Sandro Mamukelashvili and Philadelphia free agent Quentin Grimes while still pursuing their top summer target: Utah restricted free agent Walker Kessler. https://t.co/pYMRcSyvrn

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 1, 2026

Just before that, his co-worker, Jake Fischer, reported that the league is under the impression that both deals are done and the pair will become Lakers.

"The whole league is operating as if Mamu and Quentin Grimes are done there" –@JakeLFischer on the Lakers, on the @TrillBroDude streamhttps://t.co/PWAxMU0Yl6

— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) July 1, 2026

The likeliest route for them to secure the deals is that one of them is signed with the Room Exception at roughly $9 million this season and the other is signed with cap space at around $10 million. That would leave the team with enough cap space to go after Walker Kessler as well.

With Luka Kennard departing to the Suns, the Lakers need a guard off the bench and Grimes fills that need. As for Mamu, it’s unclear if he’d be a replacement for Rui Hachimura or simply another piece on the roster. If it’s the latter, it’s a good signing. If it’s the former, then it’s a tougher sell.

For now, it’s not the time to jump to conclusions until all the work is done. In a vacuum, both deals are fair value. But seeing them in the greater context of the offseason will be key.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.