Category: Basketball

Stanford outlasted Georgia Tech Saturday, Sept. 26, in an offensive shootout at Stanford Stadium that could prove to be momentum-building for the Cardinal as they get their first ACC win of the season.

The Cardinal completely flipped the switch in the second half against Georgia Tech, showing up as a different team from their last two outings against Miami and Duke when they were outscored by a combined score of 80-13.

Stanford was headed in a similar direction after the first half. They faced a 20-10 deficit after allowing a field goal and touchdown on consecutive possessions in the opening quarter. The Cardinal defense had trouble early with Georgia Tech's offense led by Alberto Mendoza, the younger brother Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft Pick. But Stanford (2-2, 1-2 ACC) outscored Georgia Tech (1-3, 0-1) 17-0 in the third quarter.

"The big message to our team this week was improve, was be the best at getting better, and we were really focused in practice of just having a phenomenal week of practice and doing our best to make sure that showed up in the game because I felt like the two weeks before Duke we practiced well, and that obviously didn't translate to the field like we wanted it to, and I thought this week it did more," coach Tavita Pritchard told reporters.

The Cardinal won 34-27 to get back to .500 on the season under their first-year head coach. Here's what we learned in Stanford vs. Georgia Tech:

Winners

Bounce back for Stanford QB Davis Warren

Cardinal quarterback Davis Warren finished with a career-high 396 passing yards on 22-of-36 passes and three touchdowns.

It was the bounce-back game that he needed. He threw for more yards against Georgia Tech Saturday than his previous two weeks against Duke and Miami. Warren looked poised practically all game and he didn't commit any turnovers.

It was the type of game he needed for his confidence moving forward as he leads Stanford in the tough ACC that includes Wake Forest and No. 3-ranked Notre Dame in the next two weeks.

Stanford get defensive in third quarter

Stanford clamped down as soon as the third quarter began. Whatever Pritchard said in the locker room at halftime work magically. For that 15 minutes period, the Cardinal looked like a completely different team. They forced turnovers, created pressure in the backfield and limited the Yellow Jackets' time of possession.

"You think about the second half, and a week ago we were down seven. We came out. We know how that game finished, but this week we came out and we were down 10, and that ended up being a 24-0 run, you know, to start the second half," Pritchard said. "I was really proud of the way our guys our guys came out with a concerted effort to start that half well. Defense got stops, offense finished and capitalized opportunities that we had to go punch it in the end zone. And yeah, again, was proud of the way our guys strained and finished."

When they go back over film and discuss the right way to do things, the third quarter of that game will likely have many appearances.

"I think we can finish finish the game a little bit better," he added. "But again, that's on me to make sure that we are coaching all those points down to every situation to make sure we can put the game away when it's there for us."

They continued to play lock-down defense into the fourth, but Georgia Tech had life at the end until a game-sealing interception from junior cornerback Brandon Nicholson.

Tavita Pritchard gets first ACC win

Pritchard was searching for his first ACC win after getting trounced by Miami and Duke in back-to-back weeks. It was a short honeymoon after his first-win as a head coach. That's why this is a positive takeaway for the first-year coach. There were adjustments made from week-to-week and it showed as the Cardinal offense looked alive.

"We still had some spots, and we have some spots that we can get better, that we can improve. But was proud of the way, especially that our guys finished the game," Pritchard said.

LOSERS

Georgia Tech QB Alberto Mendoza

Quarterback Alberto Mendoza started his first collegiate game against Stanford. Although his Yellow Jackets couldn't come up with the win, there were bright spots for Mendoza. He showed signs of accuracy and athleticism, however he made one too many attempts to keep the play alive, resulting in worse outcomes for Georgia Tech: once for a penalty, another for a turnover. To make matters worse, it was late in the game.

Overall, Mendoza finished with 26-of-39 for 268 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He'll have plenty more opportunities to be better.

Late-game Stanford injury

Georgia Tech just finished a 22-yard run gain and were gaining momentum until Stanford cornerback Brandon Nicholson put the nail in the coffin. The next play after the big gain, Nicholson read a pass from Mendoza, intercepting the first-time starter to practically seal the deal.

Unfortunately, Nicholson was injured while making the turnover play. He was checked on by Stanford athletic trainers, coach Pritchard and general manager Andrew Luck as he was helped off the turf and was carted off the field.

ALBERTO MENDOZA IS PICKED OFF BY BRANDON NICHOLSON pic.twitter.com/2JNfUena7J

— wok (@wokdior) September 27, 2026

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Stanford's win against Georgia Tech spark momentum, turnaround?

Just before the season, there’s always something that seems to ragebait NBA fans, and it’s ESPN’s annual Top 100 list. Over the years, there have been some questionable decisions made on the list that people (including players) have had to say something about when they don’t see their names. There will always be some argument when it comes to any list, and some are valid. Others might need a little more convincing.

The Atlanta Hawks had four players to make the list this upcoming season, as Lu Dort came in at 100, CJ McCollum at 87, Nickeil Alexander-Walker at 41 and Jalen Johnson at 22. People can debate on if those players are ranked correctly, but that’s not the biggest problem here.

The problem is that the players who actually should’ve made the list didn’t. Those players would be Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu.

Okongwu has seemed to be one of the more underrated players at his position, which is interesting due to all of things he can do on the court. He had a career-year last season, averaging 15.2 points per game and shooting 37.6 percent from the 3-point line. Among centers, he had one of the best 3-point percentages, and he took over five a game.

Defensively, Okongwu once again showed the ability to guard multiple positions if need be, which helped elevate the Hawks’ defense. The argument that he’s too small to play center continues to come up anytime he faces an actual 7-footer, but nobody talks about how the Hawks are a better rebounding team when he’s on the floor.

ESPN might not take this into account either, but Okongwu was the one constant in the Hawks’ rotation last season. Through all the injuries and trades that they had at the center position, he remained consistent, and that led him to play the most minutes of his career at 31.0. Okongwu should’ve been somewhere on the Top 1o0, and it may be safe to say he got snubbed.

If not seeing Okongwu on the list was disappointing, then not seeing Dyson Daniels may have caused an uproar for some.

There were a lot of interesting takes about Daniels’ last season, and it always started with his 3-point shooting. 18% is not good for a guard, and it’s obvious that part of his game was a lowlight of the season, especially after he shot 34 percent the previous season. The good news for the Hawks is that everyone else around him could shoot, and he basically served as the team’s center.

Despite the 3-point shooting, Daniels was basically efficient in everything else he did on the court. Similar to how Okongwu had a career year, the same could be said for Daniels after he averaged a career-high in rebounds and assists. He techincally served as the point guard for the Hawks, and he played that role well, getting other involved while not turning the ball over at a high rate.

Daniels was still one of the best defenders in the league, and though he didn’t break any crazy records last season, he still averaged 2.0 steals per game, which was tied for the best in the league.

Of course, people are going to look at the 3-point shooting and stop the conversation there, but he was more valuable to the Hawks last season than people think.

There’s no telling what more Okongwu and Daniels would’ve had to do to make the Top 100 list, but fans will be excited to see if they take their games to another level once again this season.

For those of you who have been involved with the Open Thread over the years might recall that from time to time I moonlight as a musician. Last night I had a gig at this great spot in Leon Springs and I saw this flier posted:

Pierre Parker, younger brother of Spurs legend Tony Parker, is hosting a basketball camp at Voss Middle School in Boerne, Texas, located 30 miles northwest of San Antonio.

The younger Parker is currently an assistant coach with the Austin Spurs, but he has been involved with the Spurs since 2023, previously serving as a coaching assistant and video room coordinator. His camp advertises “a one-day clinic to polish your basketball techniques and skills” for 2nd-8th grade students.

The camp is schedule from 1-5pm on Saturday, October 17 .

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More than half of the Lakers roster is new. Two starting spots are still up for grabs. The Lakers have a lot to evaluate in the next month.

After one of the busiest offseasons in the NBA, the Lakers begin their Luka Doncic-led era this week. Here are five storylines for the Lakers as they begin training camp this week:

What does Luka Doncic’s team look like?

The crown has been passed.

After sharing the spotlight with LeBron James, Doncic now takes center stage for the Lakers. The two-time scoring champion is coming off 33.5 points per game last season and was the focal point for the franchise’s offseason of change.

“Luka is the world’s greatest offensive player,” general manager Rob Pelinka said at his preseason news conference on Thursday. “For us to be able to have an opportunity as a franchise to have that player in our building every night ... is special. And it requires us to do special things to build the team around him.”

The Lakers brought in eight players through free agency or trade to remake their roster. For the first time in JJ Redick’s three-year tenure, “I feel like the pieces actually fit together,” the head coach said. Doncic and returning guard Austin Reaves are the glue that holds the puzzle together.

Read more:Lakers' new era opens with a thanks for the LeBron James era

“This team is their team,” Redick said of the star guards.

Redick praised how Doncic planned a team minicamp in Slovenia where players and some assistant coaches participated in basketball practices while enjoying team-bonding activities such as golfing, rowing and sightseeing in Doncic’s hometown of Ljubljana. Players were so appreciative of Doncic’s hosting efforts that they all presented him with handwritten thank-you notes after, Pelinka said.

In a 30-minute vlog sharing highlights of the trip, Doncic was asked what matters to him now that didn’t five years ago. During that time, Doncic has become a father to two daughters and changed teams in one of the league’s most shocking trades ever. His basketball priorities have shifted.

“Five years ago, I was third year in the league,” Doncic said in the video. “I wasn’t the leader I was supposed to [be], so I think the leadership is an important part of my case now.”

What can Walker Kessler do?

Redick said he plans to use Kessler similarly to how the San Antonio Spurs deploy defensive player of the year Victor Wembanyama: low and near the basket. Kessler’s elite rim protection — 2.4 blocks per game in his NBA career — can open a new defensive style for the Lakers, who can afford to be more aggressive on the perimeter knowing Kessler can hold down the post.

“I know we have switched a lot one through five over the years; that has been by necessity,” Redick said. “We look at him as someone we want close to the basket, protecting the rim. He’s been an excellent rebounder throughout his career, both offensively and defensively.”

Despite costing four first-round picks, Kessler is still unproven in the NBA. He showed flashes of brilliance, but is coming off a season in which he played only five games because of a shoulder injury. Pelinka said after a “deep dive” into Kessler’s medical history, the organization is not concerned the injury will linger.

The 25-year-old center’s age aligns well with Doncic, 27, and Reaves, 28, creating a potent trio that could define the franchise’s new era.

“If you canvassed the league and looked at age groups, even the ability to acquire someone, [Kessler] is just the perfect fit for those guys and building out the next phase of the Lakers,” Redick said.

How will Austin Reaves handle the jump to being a max player?

Before completing their new “Big Three” with Kessler, the Lakers needed to bring Reaves back. The former undrafted free agent was one of the highest-profile free agents this summer, but told reporters in July that his “heart was in L.A. the whole time.”

Reaves is coming off 23.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, both career highs. He scored 51 points in a game against Sacramento and provided one of the highlights of the regular season with a perfect missed free throw and offensive rebound that helped the Lakers survive with a thrilling overtime win over the Denver Nuggets.

But Reaves also played in a career-low 51 regular-season games, missing significant time because of injuries. He missed the beginning of the playoffs because of an oblique injury, and despite returning sooner than expected from the Grade 2 strain, Reaves struggled to get back to form consistently in the postseason.

No longer just the feel-good story, Reaves is now the second-highest paid player on the Lakers after signing a four-year, $185-million contract this summer. He is living up to his superstar status already in the offseason, being “a leader in the gym every single day,” Redick said.

Who will survive the training camp cut down?

The Lakers have 16 players on guaranteed contracts entering training camp and must get that number down to the league maximum 15 by the season opener on Oct. 21. While the Lakers figure out the two open starting roles alongside Doncic, Reaves and Kessler, the next month will also feature competition for the final roster spots.

Pelinka mentioned a consolidation trade that ships two players out for one as a possible solution to the overcrowded roster. The Lakers have wing depth, but could bolster their center options beyond Kessler and backup Kevon Looney, and are unsettled at power forward.

Jake LaRavia, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jarred Vanderbilt are among the logjam of options at forward, along with wings Adou Thiero and Matisse Thybulle. Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht, the embattled third-year guard who has never found a solid role with the team after he was traded and returned in 2025, could be trade pieces.

“Building a championship roster is an evergreen process,” Pelinka said. “You’re never done with the work.”

What’s up with the ownership situation?

For the second consecutive season, the Lakers have an ownership change hanging over the organization.

Mark Walter’s sale of his controlling stake of the team is still pending, with Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner prepared to step in after purchasing the majority stakes at a $12.5-billion valuation.

While unable to comment fully on the ownership change because the sale hasn’t been approved, Pelinka said he has had “preliminary discussions” with Iger and Kushner that have been “really, really positive.”

“In terms of day-to-day, nothing’s changed,” Pelinka continued. “We’re operating with Lakers excellence.”

During his short tenure, Walter worked to overhaul the front office and business operations. The changes did not stop with Walter’s ownership now in limbo.

The Lakers have added more than 15 people in the front office, Pelinka said, including Rohan Ramadas and Eric Amsler in new assistant general manager positions. Pelinka said the organization “rebuilt our entire player experience and player development arm,” led by the promotion of Zach Guthrie, the former G League affiliate head coach, to the head of player development. The team has added new equipment for recovery and treatment and hopes to bring in more scouts.

“The goal, as the Lakers brand, is not just to be at the same level as all the other 29 teams in those areas,” Pelinka said, “but to be the leader.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Joe Mazzulla spanned the globe this summer to spend time with his players, arriving in Spain, Portugal, Dallas and Omaha. His most remote happened 20 minutes south of Des Moines, Iowa.

“It was one of the biggest things that’s happened in Indianola in a long time, I’ll tell you that,” Frank Garza, Luka’s father, told CLNS Media/CelticsBlog on the Celtics Daily Podcast last week.

While Mazzulla provided words of wisdom and moral support at one of Garza’s two basketball camps in Iowa, Celtics assistant D.J. MacLeay visited Garza in his native Washington D.C. for defensive work with Boston’s big man.

Neemias Queta ascending to the starting center role last season and Mitchell Robinson’s arrival in free agency leaves Garza in a depth role entering 2026-27. However, he proved himself as a reliable NBA reserve last season. He averaged 8.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 assist while shooting 57.7% from the field and 43.3% from three in 16.2 minutes per game during the regular season.

Like with Queta and Nikola Vučević playing in front of him, foul trouble doomed Garza in the playoffs against Philadelphia, committing 8.5 per 36 minutes compared to 5.2 during the year. That’s why Garza, his father and MacLeay largely focused on that side of the ball in their offseason work.

“(Luka) worked incredibly hard on defense,” Frank said. “We’re talking 90 possessions on defense where he’s either doing drop coverage or screen-and-roll … for a center particularly, 90% of the game you don’t have the ball, thus, you should be practicing 90% without the ball … you’re gonna be boxing out, you’re gonna be defending … that’s how his practices were mimicked … a lot of defensive positions, a lot of handwork, a lot of foot drill work, just to improve upon the things that he needs to continue to do.”

The Garzas also focused on improving Luka’s defensive rebounding after a standout season on the defensive glass. At Iowa and to begin his NBA career, he often boxed-out to allow other players to grab rebounds, which will continue with Jayson Tatum’s return for a full season. They want Garza to have the ability to fight for loose balls defensively more often, with Queta’s 22.7 DREB% finishing far ahead of Garza’s 12.0 DREB%. Robinson posted a 26.1 DREB% as arguably the league’s best rebounder in 2026.

Garza began 2025-26 as Boston’s backup big man before his defensive struggles and the Celtics’ immense issues on the defensive glass led Mazzulla and the coaching staff to lean into rebounding wings like Josh Minott over Garza early in the schedule. They always planned to return to him, but he needed a breather and time to acclimate to the system. Meanwhile, Mazzulla searched nightly for maximum effort from Boston’s bench players while trying to establish a culture.

“You just don’t know when you’re gonna get in, and when you get in, the treadmill’s going 100 miles-per-hour, and you better get in there and … box out every time, you better go and get a rebound every time,” Frank said. “You better do all these things. There’s zero tolerance for any lack of effort. It wasn’t that he was doing a lack of effort, he was slowly getting in the flow of the game and that’s just not acceptable. You have to be ready before you get in the game and that was the big adjustment.”

Despite returning to the rotation in late-December with 9.2 PPG and 5.0 RPG while shooting 46.7% from three in winning minutes across 18 straight appearances, the Celtics ultimately added Nikola Vučević at the trade deadline. Garza initially struggled with the demotion before buying into the bigger picture and awaiting another opportunity that came when Vučević broke his right ring finger in March. Garza scored 10 points that night in a win over Dallas, closed the season averaging 10.7 PPG and poured in the game-winning three starting alongside Boston’s bench players in Game 82 against the Magic starters. He finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Frank said they had practiced that shot-fake shot.

Following his surprise spot start in Game 7 against the Sixers two weeks later, where Garza missed both three-point attempts and fouled three times, he continued working on his shot with a greater attention to doing so in game speed and movements. Garza put up perhaps the highest number of practice shots in the league to becoming a reliable threat from deep. Yet he’ll need to draw defenders out more consistently to continue his offensive growth and fit in an as occasional power forward, which Boston briefly tried unsuccessfully after the Vučević trade.

Even if he’s strictly playing the five, opportunities will emerge for Garza. Robinson’s healthiest season saw him play 72 games in 2022, and he averaged 42 in four years since (22.9 MPG). Neither Queta nor Robinson have shot threes in the NBA, and the latter struggles immensely at the free throw line.

Garza received an opportunity to showcase his improvements already with the Bosnian national team after sorting out passport issues that prevented him from participating in the 2025 EuroBasket tournament. He backed-up Jusuf Nurkić, averaged 16.8 PPG and 7.3 RPG, highlighted by 27 points in a win over Türkiye and a 16-point showing against Nikola Jokić and Serbia. Participating in the World Cup qualifiers marked a life-long dream for Garza, as he continues working toward his larger one of carving out a successful NBA career.

For that, he has Mazzulla in his corner.

“He can keep it very simple about what needs to be done,” Frank recalled from meeting the head coach in Iowa. “The game’s so complex, but he can break it down into bite-size, powerful gold nuggets about player development … and then the fact that you don’t just need to have hard work … you gotta have more than just hard work … you have to add something else, you have to add this intangible, how do you treat your teammates? How do you show it? The reason you talk on defense isn’t just to make noise, it’s to make sure your teammate knows what’s going on.”

Entering Year 2, despite added depth in the center room, expect to hear a lot more from Luka Garza.

Depending on your reference point, the NBA either started in 1946 as the BAA, or in 1949, when the BAA merged with the NBL to make the NBA.

However, the league at that point was pretty stale. It began to change in the late 1950s, with Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. It would change a great deal with the addition of Elgin Baylor in 1958.

Baylor entered the league after a terrific career at Seattle, and was an immediate success for the Minneapolis Lakers. He averaged 24.9 ppg, 15.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.

He became the prototype of a highly athletic wing, a role that would evolve with players like Connie Hawkins, Julius Erving, and Michael Jordan. This video underscores how he revolutionized the NBA.

He also helped lead the Lakers to the NBA Finals, where they would lose to Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics, starting the foundational rivalry of the NBA.

In 1960, the Lakers would move to Los Angeles and also draft Jerry West, thus setting up one of the most iconic duos in NBA history.

Baylor and the Lakers would lose to Boston in the Finals seven times before he retired early in the 1971-72 season.

Ironically, after he retired, Los Angeles would go on an epic 33-game win streak, and then would win the title for the first time since 1954.

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Last season, Luka Garza became a very important piece for the Celtics.

His three-point shooting and effort were noticed by Joe Mazzulla as Garza became an important piece for Boston. As a matter of fact, not only were the 1,118 minutes the most of any season Garza played in his career, he played 145 more minutes last season than he had in his entire career entering the season (973).

Despite that, the team signed Mitchell Robinson as a free agent this summer. It was a necessary move for the Celtics as they proved to not have enough at the 5 last season. Robinson is a great offensive rebounder, pick-and-roll man and defender who will help improve Boston a lot.

There will still be a role on this team for Garza. Mitchell Robinson played a whole season last year and participated in just 60 games and played 1,175 minutes. He is going to miss games, so Garza can fill in on those nights.

I also think Joe Mazzulla will try double big looks of Garza with Queta or Robinson. However, I don’t think he should do it much because the Celtics scored 114.5 points per 100 possessions with Garza and Queta last season, down 6.6 points from the 121.1 points they scored per 100 possessions for the season. I thought it was a bad look for Boston and don’t think they should use it much this year.

Garza’s three-point shooting is also a skill that neither Robinson nor Queta possesses. Queta and Robinson have similar skill sets, which is good because it won’t change the way Boston is playing. The Celtics want to play a certain style this year and those guys fit that style.

That’s not to say that Garza doesn’t fit the style Mazzulla and the rest of his staff want Boston to play. He is a good screener and good offensive rebounder. He can make threes so if Mazzulla wants to go 5 out with a big, Garza will be the guy he turns to.

Queta and Robinson are better players than Garza — that is why Garza is falling out of the rotation. In Garza’s lone playoff start in Game 7, he played 8:38 seconds and was a -15 in a game Boston lost by 9. Their defense was a disaster with him on the court. The Celtics gave up a defensive rating of 120 with Garza on the floor that night.

In the 32:33 Queta played, the Celtics were +9 with a defensive rating of 111.5. However bad you think Garza was that night, it was worse.

pic.twitter.com/jvTVk6I1EL

— #LetsGoCeltics (@gobosceltics) September 24, 2026

Robinson should be a massive upgrade to Garza defensively and that will show this season.

Luka Garza showed that he is an NBA caliber big man who can eat minutes in the regular season. However, the playoffs proved that he isn’t ready for the brightest lights and until he shows that, he will be out of the Celtics and any other good team’s 8 or 9 best players.

The Post’s Brian Lewis breaks down the Nets roster ahead of training camp:

Player, age, position, height, weight

Tyler Bilodeau, 22, F, 6-9, 230

After the Nets traded a second-round pick in 2018, it got moved in three different deals before coming back to Brooklyn in the form of this sweet-shooting forward from UCLA. The two-way’s defense has to prove up to NBA levels.

Mikel Brown Jr., 20, G, 6-5, 190

The No. 6 pick from Louisville is the Nets’ highest since 2010 and foundation of their rebuild. Rookie point guards have growing pains, and Brown must bulk up and cut turnovers, but he will get every chance to play right out of the gate.

Noah Clowney, 22, F, 6-10, 210

After starting 60 games last season, he likely will come off the bench. But entering his fourth season — despite being younger than Danny Wolf — Clowney has to show growth, particularly as a shooter, rim protector and rebounder.

Dain Dainja, 24, F, 6-9, 255

Spent last season with Miami’s G-League squad after going undrafted as a rookie. The Nets saw his aggressiveness, 7-foot-7 wingspan and motor, and brought him to Summer League. Another likely Long Island Net after camp.

Egor Dëmin, 20, G, 6-8, 200

After doubts about his shooting, Dëmin showed a 3-point shot as a rookie. Now the young Russian has bulked up and must build on the improved downhill game he flashed in Summer League. If that’s real, he’s a legitimate building block.

Keon Ellis, 26, G, 6-4, 175

Brooklyn has desperately lacked point-of-attack defense. That’s why they signed Ellis, who played in Sacramento while coach Jordi Fernandez was the lead assistant and can provide valuable 3-and-D minutes off the bench.

Ben Humrichous, 24, F, 6-9, 224

Went undrafted after being a backup up Illinois’ Final Four team last season. Signed to an Exhibit 10, went to Summer League with Brooklyn and could end up with G-League Long Island after training camp.

Joshua Jefferson, 22, F, 6-9, 240

Taken with the first-round pick that came attached to salary-dumped Julius Randle. Jefferson was a versatile do-it-all forward at Iowa State, but comes into a crowded backup forward group that includes Noah Clowney, Danny Wolf and Josh Minott.

Chaney Johnson, 24, F, 6-7, 220

Got brought up last season and averaged 8.2 points on pure athleticism and hustle despite being undersized. The Nets used Johnson at center in Summer League despite the presence of Danny Wolf, and he showed enough to earn a two-way.

Terance Mann, 29, G/F, 6-6, 215

In an odd spot as a heady (and pricey) veteran stuck on a young team nowhere near ready to compete and determined to develop their youngsters. Does Mann steal late game minutes in nailbiters, or get moved to a contender?

Josh Minott, 23, F, 6-8, 205

An analytics darling, Minott has the potential to be a legitimate 3-and-D threat. Injuries, Boston’s wing depth and finally Brooklyn’s tanking efforts have conspired to limit his minutes. Now he finally will get his chance, and has to take it.

Grant Nelson, 24, F, 7-0, 215

Injuries curtailed Nelson’s last season and kept him out of Summer League altogether, both Sacramento and Las Vegas. But he got a two-way deal, and another shot at the third-strong job.

Michael Porter Jr., 28, F, 6-10, 218

Coming off a career season, Porter can build on that with more talent around him like Brown and Randle. The forward is set to make $40.8 million and be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Will he get extended, traded, or both?

Drake Powell, 21, G/F, 6-5, 195

A plus athlete and gifted defender. But Powell is raw offensively and looked horrible shooting the ball over the summer. Can he hone his jumper and get his athleticism to translate to production?

Julius Randle, 31, F/C, 6-9, 250

Brookyn’s only All-Star, Randle has averaged 21.7 points and 8.9 rebounds over the past eight years. He’s a floor-raiser who will help, but for how long? At 31 and able to opt out next summer, he hardly fits the Nets’ timeline.

Ben Saraf, 20, G, 6-6, 200

Another 2025 first-round guard, Saraf has a solid frame, physicality and nose for getting downhill. But the young Israeli shot just 21.1 percent from 3-point range as a rookie, a figure that needs to improve.

Day’Ron Sharpe, 24, C, 6-10, 265

After years of backing up Nic Claxton, Sharpe finally gets his chance as the starter center. A great rebounder per 100 possessions, he has never averaged more than 18.7 minutes. Can his production handle scaled up playing time?

Nolan Traore, 20, G, 6-3, 185

The young Frenchman is quick and gets to the rim, but of every player who attempted at least 100 layups, his 44.4 percent was dead last. Will the former first-rounder’s added muscle help him finish?

Moritz Wagner, 29, F/C, 6-11, 245

With Claxton gone and Sharpe the starter, Wagner signed in free agency as Brooklyn’s only other proven center. He’s going to play — a lot — but can the floor spacing he provides compensate for a lack of rim protection?

Danny Wolf, 22, F/C, 6-11, 250

Despite the size, Wolf is far more of a jumbo wing than a backup center. He can dribble and pass, but with his ground-bound game, the 22-year-old is going to have to work on improving his finishing or jumper. It’s a recurring theme.

After leading the Knicks to their first NBA championship in 53 years, Jalen Brunson had the honor of hosting the 52nd season premiere of "Saturday Night Live."

The Finals MVP received a warm welcome from the home crowd at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, joked about his cold-blooded demeanor, his "pretty good summer," and said he hopes his hosting duties will go like a Knicks' game -- "God awful" for the first three quarters and "amazing" for the final sketch like a fourth-quarter comeback win. 

Brunson discussed his "pretty good summer" and then held a "news conference" with the audience, where he was pestered by silly questions from Knicks teammates Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart. 

Anunoby got the biggest laugh by asking the point guard about missing the last-second shot in Game 4 of the NBA Finals -- which Anunoby famously tipped-in with 1.2 seconds left to pull off the miraculous 29-point comeback.  

Brunson was even nice enough to bring the group on stage to close out his monologue, which you can check out here:

 

Jalen Brunson's monologue! pic.twitter.com/FnPKYkGcu7

— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) September 27, 2026

After a week of preparation, NBA champion Jalen Brunson will walk the tightrope of hosting Saturday Night Live tonight. The newly crowned King of New York joins an elite club as one of the few NBA players ever to host the show, following Bill Russell, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James. The fact that this is the 52nd premiere of the iconic show makes the honor even more special, and while Jalen might not kill like OJ Simpson (hosted in ‘78), he can least land a joke better than that knucklehead Travis Kelce (’23). Tune in and watch along with us!

Date: September 26, 2026
Time: 11:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 p.m. CT / 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC; streaming the next day on Peacock
Musical guest: KATSEYE

Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be good humans. And go Knicks!

The Bulls are shaking up their roster weeks before their season kicks off.

Chicago traded guard Rob Dillingham to the Hornets for veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield and cash, ESPN reported Saturday.

Dillingham, 21, played just 30 games for the Bulls last season after being dealt by the Timberwolves at the trade deadline.

The No. 8 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, Dillingham showed signed of improvement for Chicago after playing increased minutes. He averaged 9.6 points and 2.8 assists on 42.8 percent shooting in 21.5 minutes a night during his brief tenure with the Bulls.

Dillingham could see a further increase in minutes with Charlotte, who traded All-Star guard LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves earlier this offseason and with second-year swingman Kon Knueppel being sidelined with a hamstring injury.

He currently has one year left on his rookie contract via team option before reaching restricted free agency in the summer of 2028.

As for the Bulls, they bring in the more experienced Hield, who is entering his 11th season in the NBA.

Hield started last season on the Warriors before being traded alongside Johnathan Kuminga to the Hawks for star bigman Kristaps Porzingis in February.

The 33-year-old played in just seven games for Atlanta, with the Hawks trading him with Ryan Nembhard to the Hornets for Dorian Finney-Smith earlier this month.

Across 51 games with the Warriors and Hawks last season, Hield averaged 7.6 points while making 1.5 3-pointers on 34.9 percent shooting behind the arc.

Hield holds a player option worth roughly $10 million for the 2027-28 season.

The Post’s Stefan Bondy breaks down the Knicks’ top storylines heading into training camp.

Best battle

The starting lineup is set and the bench rotation feels settled enough. But there’s at least one roster spot up for grabs. The Knicks signed five established NBAers on nonguaranteed deals — Bruce Brown, John Konchar, James Wiseman, Drew Eubanks, Ochai Agbaji — and are letting them battle it out in camp. It’s similar to last season’s fight between Landry Shamet, Malcolm Brogdon and Garrison Mathews. 

Assuming there’s no cap-clearing trade before the start of the season, the Knicks only have room to keep one player and stay under the second apron. Since their position of need is center, Wiseman and Eubanks have the inside track. But Konchar or Brown could impress enough to compel Leon Rose into a cap-clearing trade, most logically by shipping Pacôme Dadiet elsewhere. 

Story to watch develop

There are three contract situations percolating. Miles McBride, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart have been eligible for extensions for months but still haven’t signed. We’ve already heard Towns is unlikely to reach a deal before the season starts. According to sources, he’s being asked to take a discount well below his $276 million max. Hart isn’t leaving New York, but he also has a team option in his current contract for 2027-28. So the Knicks aren’t pressed to make a deal until it makes sense for both sides. McBride is a long shot to sign even though he’s the most urgent.

Unlike Towns and Hart, there are no options in McBride’s contract, so he’ll become a free agent after the season with no extension. 

Coach’s toughest challenge

Keeping winners motivated. Mike Brown has to help the Knicks steer clear of complacency after capturing the title, and he has experience as the associate head coach of the back-to-back Warriors of 2017 and 2018. The chip can’t be removed from the shoulders. 

Most intriguing rookie

Not much is expected of the second rounder Tyler Nickel, and he’s most likely bound for the G-League, but his encouraging Summer League brought hope of real NBA potential as a 6-foot-7 3-point specialist. 

Most intriguing newcomer

Andre Drummond is actually the only rotational newcomer, representing an important piece as one of only two natural frontcourt players under contract. The Knicks need a productive Drummond, who has gained better shooting over the years but lost a lot of his mobility. 

Most notable absence

Mitchell Robinson became a cap casualty because owner James Dolan didn’t want to spend into the second apron, sending the former longest-tenured Knick to Boston in free agency. Nobody on the roster can replicate Robinson’s rebounding and rim protection. But the Knicks can also worry a little less about injuries and free throws. 

Biggest comeback

Miles McBride was tremendous last season before undergoing a sports hernia surgery, then rushed back and wasn’t the same in the playoffs. It bothered him. Now he’s entering camp fully healthy for very possibly a contract year. McBride also has to re-establish himself as the top guard off the bench after Shamet’s emergence in the playoffs. 

Don’t be surprised if…

The Knicks starters don’t play much in the preseason. They’re a veteran bunch, and maybe rust is an issue after three months off, but chemistry is certainly not a problem. The starters know their role, they know their strengths, and preseason minutes aren’t going to change that. 

The Post’s Brian Lewis breaks down the Nets’ top storylines heading into training camp.

Best battle 

Brooklyn’s starting five is set before camp even starts, while Mo Wagner, Keon Ellis and a backup point guard all have to play. But the forward fight between Noah Clowney, Josh Minott, Danny Wolf and Joshua Jefferson will be interesting. 

Story to watch develop 

Veteran Michael Porter Jr. is on an expiring $40.8 million deal and has been extension-eligible. His agent Mark Bartelstein said in July he planned to talk with GM Sean Marks “in the days ahead.” Since then? Crickets. Will the Nets extend him? Trade him? Do the former now and the latter next summer? No story will be more watched. 

Coach’s toughest challenge 

Spending camp and preseason crafting an attack around Porter and Julius Randle. The Nets were last in Offensive Rating, and Randle pounds the rock. But Porter moves, cuts and gets off the ball quickly. They can work well, now coach Jordi Fernández has to turn that theory into practice. 

Most intriguing rookie 

Mikel Brown Jr. comes into camp as the Nets’ highest-drafted player in 16 years, a rare combination of passing, deep range and downhill juice. The task is getting him to pack on pounds, rein in his risk-taking and learn to run an NBA team. 

Most intriguing newcomer 

It’s Randle. Brown might become the Nets’ most important player someday, but Randle is their best today. Their only All-Star, he’s averaged 21.7 points and 8.9 boards over the past eight years. He’s a floor-raiser and their only proven on-ball scorer. 

Most notable absence 

Nic Claxton is gone after seven years in Brooklyn, along with his rim protection and vertical lob threat. Brooklyn has no replacement for either, and must find a No. 3 center behind Wagner and starter Day’Ron Sharpe. Is it Wolf, Grant Nelson, Chaney Johnson or even Randle in case of emergency? 

Biggest comeback 

Egor Dëmin. Granted, Sharpe’s season-ending thumb operation was surgical, while Dëmin’s plantar fasciitis procedure was non-surgical. But the latter can become chronic, considering the lottery pick’s importance, his health will be scrutinized. 

Don’t be surprised if … 

Fernandez ends up having to make some tough calls between young and old, development and victory. Without their pick or incentive to tank, the Nets will aim to win. Does Fernandez give minutes to aging vets like, say, Terance Mann? Or force-feed sophomores Ben Saraf and Drake Powell, even if they’re struggling?

If you know Steph Curry, you know his priority is finding joy. 

He doesn’t like drama. He’s not interested in distractions. He’s single-mindedly focused on feeling the thrill of his jaw-dropping shots swish through the net over outstretched hands. 

That’s why it makes sense that he ended the chatter around him before Warriors’ media day on Monday, agreeing to sign a two-year, $116 million contract extension. 

Curry, who’s on an expiring $62.6 million contract, was eligible for an extension up to two years and $136.7 million on Aug. 29. 

When that date came and passed without pen-to-paper there were never any real concerns that he was considering leaving the Warriors, with whom he has spent his entire 17-season career.

But if he held out, that storyline would’ve become a distraction. It would’ve become a focus this season. Everyone would’ve been constantly trying to take his temperature and gauge his thinking instead of simply enjoying his artistry.  

Curry had all the cards.

That’s what happens when you’re the greatest shooter of all time who transformed the Warriors into the league’s modern-day dynasty, winning four championships in eight years from 2015-2022. 

He could’ve waited to see how things shook out this season. He could’ve signed a maximum contract. He could’ve taken a pay cut to give the Warriors a chance to further fortify their roster around him. 

He chose the latter after ruminating for a month. 

Curry’s decision will give the Warriors around $10 million in extra projected cap space next summer. That means Golden State could have between $38 million and a projected $55 million in cap space after this season, depending on what happens with Brandin Podziemski, according to ESPN.

In other words, next summer they’ll have flexibility to pursue big names. 

That’s an exciting prospect for Curry, who turns 39 in March, as well as a franchise that hasn’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs over the last four years. 

Jimmy Butler ($56.8 million) and Draymond Green ($27.6 million) are under contract through the end of this season. Kristaps Porzingis has only $3 million of his $20 million salary guaranteed. Podziemski has a $17 million cap hold next summer.

There are a lot of moving parts. A lot of optionality. A lot of flexibility. And Curry helped prop the door open a bit wider. 

Curry wants to play meaningful basketball in the sunset of his career. 

He’s still him. Last season he became the oldest point guard to start an NBA All-Star Game. He went on to close the season averaging 26.6 points on 46.8% shooting from the field (39.3% from beyond the arc), 3.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists.

For Curry and the Warriors, the last few seasons have been tough. They missed the postseason two of the last four years. 

Last season, their hopes of contending were dashed after Butler suffered a torn ACL in January. The Warriors then tried to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the February trade deadline, but the Bucks balked before dealing him to Miami this summer. 

This offseason, Curry and Green tried to recruit LeBron James, who’s entering his 24th season and will turn 42 in December. But James chose to sign with the 76ers in free agency. 

So, where does this leave the Warriors?

They’ll be without Butler and Moses Moody at the start of next season, and they aren’t considered contenders. 

But things could get interesting around the trade deadline or the offseason, when they’ll have significant potential cap space. 

Curry will make $55.7 million in 2027-2028, a pay cut from the $62.6 million he’s earning next season. He has a player option for $60.2 million for the 2028-29 season, per ESPN.

He made roughly a $20 million sacrifice. 

He’s doing his part to give the Warriors an edge.

And now it’s up to them to make sure we’re able to witness his joy deep into the postseason once again before the final curtain call for the greatest shooter the world has ever seen. 

While the message of President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick’s press conference on Thursday was one of excitement for the future, it started out with a brief acknowledgment of the past.

LeBron James’ departure this offseason ended his eight-year tenure with the Lakers, the longest single stretch with any franchise in his career. As much as both sides may have been ready to move on, they still accomplished a lot during their time together in Los Angeles.

“I thought it would be appropriate, just at the front, to express gratitude for the LeBron era here,” Pelinka said on Thursday. “Clearly new team, new players, and that’s what we’re going to talk about today, but we, just as an organization, are still grateful for the run that we had with him here. The Lakers have become, as they should, a perennial playoff team, won a championship, went to the Western Conference Finals, and it was a great era and we’re grateful for it.”

After a regular season which started rocky with LeBron on the sideline before he needed time to slot in as a third fiddle behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, the dynamic seemed to change a bit in the playoffs when LeBron showed his value once again.

There were also questions about who actually decided to end the partnership. When asked about that at his presser, Pelinka dodged the question while still praising LeBron.

“Again, we’re grateful for the LeBron era and I think the communications with him this offseason were held diplomatically and professionally and honestly,” Pelinka said. “I’m just so thankful for the partnership we had that continued up until this summer when a decision was made for him to play for another team. It was done amicably, professionally, gracefully.

And again, we looked at the whole thing with gratitude because it’s been an incredible era for us here.”

As for LeBron’s take, he spoke about his time with the Lakers on the latest episode of his Mind the Game podcast.

“A lot of people said when I came to the Lakers, like I was just coming to be in Hollywood and be in movies and shit like that. But I’ve always loved a huge challenge and to come to a historical franchise that has some of the greatest basketball players that we’ve ever seen in the history of sports, to be a part of that, one, was a super duper big thing…The expectations around here in Los Angeles when it comes to the Lakers is like, ‘Let’s win championships.‘ And I heard that and I understood that. For us to be able to win one, that was something that I’ll never forget. With that group, with that team, for this city.”

It’s not common for things to end amicably when LeBron leaves a franchise. All things considered, this is about as good as things could have gone.

LeBron will return to LA and get a loud ovation while the Lakers get to move onto a bright future with their new superstar. It’s a win-win for everyone.

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