Category: Basketball

Remember when the Los Angeles Lakers hired former Duke star JJ Redick? There were a lot of people who predicted failure, that he had no experience, that they should have gone after a more established coach, say, Sam Cassell, or Kenny Atkinson, or UConn’s Dan Hurley, for whom they were ready to open the vault.

In the end, despite the controversy, they hired Redick, and he’s panned out pretty well.

In his first season, Redick won 50 games, and this past season, he won 53. In both seasons, the Lakers finished first in the Pacific Division.

His career record now stands at 164-103.

That’s all very impressive, but even more so when you consider that this team is in a long and slow transition. LeBron James is still an amazingly effective player at 41, and he works hard to maintain his presence, but he’s not the player he was a few years ago. He doesn’t work as hard on defense as he used to, and he’s not feared in the way he once was.

Ideally, this should be Luka Doncic’s team now, but Doncic has historically been poorly conditioned, and there are those who believe that, at 27, he may have already peaked.

When you get past those two, 29-year-old Austin Reaves is getting 34.5 minutes per game, then it’s Marcus Smart, who is 32, with 28.5 mpg. Rui Hachimura pulled 28.3, De’Andre Ayton is pulling 27.2, from former Demon Deacon Jake LaRavia handled 25.2 and former Blue Devil Luke Kennard, got 32.6 minutes.

Redick has done a tremendous job with a team handling what could be a difficult transition, and an uncertain future for both stars (James for age and Doncic, essentially for durability).

In one sense, the best thing for L.A. would be if James finished his career elsewhere. He’s making $52.6 million, while Doncic is getting $54.1. Additionally, Reaves will be a free agent, and while the Lakers would like to keep him, it will be difficult to keep three guys who all want big money. Who do you let go?

We’d argue for the guy who will be 42 next year. James has had a great career, but he’s going to be a free agent as well, and at this point in his career, the math is inexorable. They simply can’t pay him what they have. We could imagine him going to Dallas for a year to mentor Cooper Flagg, or perhaps the San Antonio Spurs for similar reasons, but to stay with L.A., he’d likely have to take a big pay cut.

The Lakers won’t pick in next week’s NBA Draft until the 25th pick, which could mean a shooter like Duke’s Isaiah Evans, or a risky pick like Jayden Quaintance or Koa Peat.

If James left, they would have a good bit of money to pursue free agents, like possibly Detroit’s Jalen Duren or former Blue Devil Gary Trent.

L.A. has always been a magnet for great players, and they could pull that off again via free agency. It’s just a question of the fit.

In other words, while Redick has done a tremendous job with the players he’s had, improvement for L.A. is going to be more on GM Rob Pelinka, who, to be kind, has a reputation for not being entirely straightforward.

It’s possible he could find some talent that slips through the draft, which could happen to former Blue Devil Maliq Brown, but L.A. has just one draft pick and not that many assets they could get a good return on. And given Pelinka’s reputation, that is even more complicated.

• Lakers News: JJ Redick Discusses Importance Of Adding Depth
• Lakers feel defensive concerns of Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves backcourt are overstated
• Lakers get major Dalton Knecht trade news after disappointing season
• Austin Reaves’ return to Los Angeles in jeopardy as multiple teams expected to take big swings
• JJ Redick’s successful second season leaves no doubt about his Lakers’ future
• Luka Doncic In Constant Contact With Rob Pelinka JJ Redick As Lakers Face Promised Summer Of 26 Roster Plan
• Austin Reaves’ Next Contract Could Have Massive Implications for LeBron James’ Future in Los Angeles
• Luka Dončić Tells The Los Angeles Lakers He Needs Shooters And A Rim-Protecting Center

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The 2026 NBA Draft will be immortalized for the four standout talents available at the top of the class. A.J. Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson are reportedly battling for the No. 1 overall pick until the very last second. For as good as those two players are, Cameron Boozer is the best player in the class in my view, and it isn’t really that close. Caleb Wilson’s statistical dominance and jaw-dropping athleticism turned this big three into a big four, and he appears to have the mentality required to reach his full potential.

The talent keeps coming after the first four picks, though there seems to be little consensus in the rest of the board. The draft really starts when the Los Angeles Clippers come on the clock with the No. 5 overall pick. The biggest points of curiosity will be in what order a loaded class of lead guards come off the board, and if Michigan can put three players in the lottery after winning the men’s college basketball national championship.

There are big changes from last week’s mock draft throughout the lottery with first-round just around the corner on Tuesday, June 23. Let’s dive into the movement from our previous projection after the table.

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School	Class
1	Washington Wizards	AJ Dybantsa	Wing	BYU	Freshman
2	Utah Jazz	Darryn Peterson	Guard	Kansas	Freshman
3	Memphis Grizzlies	Cameron Boozer	Forward	Duke	Freshman
4	Chicago Bulls	Caleb Wilson	Forward	North Carolina	Freshman
5	Los Angeles Clippers	Keaton Wagler	Guard	Illinois	Freshman
6	Brooklyn Nets	Darius Acuff	Guard	Arkansas	Freshman
7	Sacramento Kings	Kingston Flemings	Guard	Houston	Freshman
8	Atlanta Hawks	Mikel Brown Jr.	Guard	Louisville	Freshman
9	Dallas Mavericks	Brayden Burries	Guard	Arizona	Freshman
10	Milwaukee Bucks	Nate Ament	Forward	Tennessee	Freshman
11	Golden State Warriors	Yaxel Lendeborg	Forward	Michigan	Senior
12	Oklahoma City Thunder	Morez Johnson	Center/Forward	Michigan	Sophomore
13	Miami Heat	Labaron Philon	Guard	Alabama	Sophomore
14	Charlotte Hornets	Hannes Steinbach	Center/Forward	Washington	Washington
15	Chicago Bulls	Aday Mara	Center	Michigan	Freshman
16	Memphis Grizzlies (via Magic)	Bennett Stirtz	Guard	Iowa	Senior
17	Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ers)	Karim Lopez	Forward	NZ Breakers	Born 2007
18	Charlotte Hornets (via Suns)	Dailyn Swain	Wing	Texas	Junior
19	Toronto Raptors	Christian Anderson	Texas Tech	Guard	Sophomore
20	San Antonio Spurs	Chris Cenac Jr.	Big	Houston	Freshman
21	Detroit Pistons (via Wolves)	Cameron Carr	Wing	Baylor	Junior
22	Philadelphia 76ers	Jayden Quaintance	Big	Kentucky	Sophomore
23	Atlanta Hawks (via Cavs)	Ebuka Okorie	Guard	Stanford	Freshman
24	New York Knicks	Allen Graves	Forward	Santa Clara	RS Freshman
25	Los Angeles Lakers	Joshua Jefferson	Forward	Iowa State	Senior
26	Denver Nuggets	Koa Peat	Forward	Arizona	Freshman
27	Boston Celtics	Sergio De Larrea	Guard	Valencia	Born 2005
28	Minnesota Timberwolves (via Pistons)	Isaiah Evans	Guard	Duke	Sophomore
29	Cleveland Cavaliers (via Spurs)	Henri Veesaar	Big	North Carolina	Junior
30	Dallas Mavericks (via Thunder)	Meleek Thomas	Guard	Arkansas	Freshman

Here’s what’s changed since our last mock.

The Wizards go with A.J. Dybantsa over Darryn Peterson

It’s starting to feel like the public won’t know what the Washington Wizards are doing with the No. 1 overall pick until Adam Silver announces it. I had Darryn Peterson going first overall last week, but I’m flipping back to Dybantsa for a couple reasons. It feels like the Wizards would try to leverage Utah to trade up if they really wanted Peterson. There’s still time for that to happen, but there hasn’t been much smoke on a No. 1 for No. 2 trade the last few weeks. Dybantsa also feels like a cleaner fit in Washington’s projected lineup with Trae Young potentially signing a long-term deal this summer, plus last year’s No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson already installed at the two. Dybantsa also has fewer questions about his mental makeup than Peterson does after a bizarre freshman season at Kansas.

I’d take Cam Boozer with the first pick, and I lean Peterson over Dybantsa on my personal board, but it still feels like A.J. is the slight front-runner to go No. 1.

The Clippers select Keaton Wagler over Mikel Brown Jr.

Brown’s got a little bit of LaMelo Ball in him, and while that’s a compliment coming from me, it also carries some serious risk. The Louisville guard battled a bad back throughout his freshman year at just 19 years old, and his shot selection might make a head coach’s skin crawl early in his career. Brown also just isn’t a very good fit next to Darius Garland, because that backcourt would be too small and too vulnerable defensively. Wagler has a little more height on him after measuring 1.5 inches taller at the combine, and he also feels far less ball dominant than Brown entering the league, two factors that make him a better fit with Garland.

I like Brown a lot as a prospect for his pull-up three-point shooting ability, passing creativity, and dynamism going to the basket. He still feels a little too risky to be a top-5 pick.

The Thunder change their mind on Michigan big men

The Thunder need to try to find a Victor Wembanyama stopper in this draft, but they can go about a few different ways. Last week, I had Michigan center Aday Mara in this spot as a 7’3 center with a 9’9 standing reach who could be one of the few humans alive able to match Wemby’s length. After watching the NBA Finals, though, I’m more convinced that the best type of matchup for the Spurs superstar is a stronger and more athletic big man who wrestle him away from his spots and keep pressure on him by rolling hard to the rim and hitting the glass. Johnson checks those boxes even if he lacks ideal height for the matchup at 6’9 barefoot. I might be wrong, but I have a gut feeling the Thunder are going to prefer Johnson to Mara if both are on the board at No. 12 overall.

In this projection, Mara falls out of the lottery and into the waiting arms of the Chicago Bulls at No. 15 overall. New head coach Tiago Splitter could really use a young big man to help mold, and Mara would be ideal with a special intersection of size, passing, and footwork as he starts his tenure in Chicago.

Labaron Philon and Hannes Steinbach sneak into the lottery

I had Steinbach going No. 17 to Charlotte and Philon going No. 19 to Toronto last week, but that just feels a little low for both players. Steinbach is a pretty clear lottery-level talent in my eyes: his offensive rebounding is the sharpest skill in the draft after Cam Boozer’s processing, and soft hands and coordination on the move are also rare traits for someone with his size. I don’t see Steinbach as a defensive anchor, but he should thrive in the two-big looks that are back to the norm around the league.

Philon goes No. 13 to Miami in this projection, but it’s possible that pick ends up belonging to Milwaukee. The Bucks had Philon in for a workout, and he’d give them an element of shot creation they need after reaching for Nate Ament at No. 10 overall. The Bama also just feels like a lottery talent, so it’s hard to see him falling all the way to Toronto.

Leave your NBA Draft comments and questions below

I’ll respond to any inquiries in the comments. This draft is going to be a blast.

The news of Collin Gillespie signing a contract extension with the Phoenix Suns adds more to weeks of action in the NBA surrounding Villanova.

The New York Knicks are NBA champions with a trio of former Wildcats on the roster and now, Gillespie adds to the pot of money made from former Villanova greats.

The news broke on Saturday night of Gillespie’s new deal and it made one think, what are the contract situations of former Villanova players currently in the NBA?

Wildcats in the NBA

• Jalen Brunson: 4 years, $156.5 million with New York Knicks
• Mikal Bridges: 4 years, $150 million with New York Knicks
• Josh Hart: 4 years, $81 million with New York Knicks
• Collin Gillespie: 4 years, $48 million with Phoenix Suns
• Donte DiVincenzo: 4 years, $46.8 million with Minnesota Timberwolves
• Saddiq Bey: 3 years, $20 million with New Orleans Pelicans
• Cam Whitmore: 4 years, $15.6 million rookie deal with Washington Wizards

NOT MENTIONED: Kyle Lowry spent the last two plus years with the Philadelphia 76ers. He was rostered this past season but, while not official, shared his plans to sign a one-day deal to retire as a member of the Toronto Raptors. Lowry spent 20 years in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, and 76ers. According to Spotrac, Lowry earned $281.6 million during his career.

Jalen Brunson left $113 million on the table when he signed his extension in 2024. He wanted to give the Knicks flexiblity to keep the core together in hopes of winning championship. With that goal accomplished, Brunson is set up for a well-earned payday after the 2027-28 season. This extension could be upwards of $400 million over five years.

Brunson’s move allowed the Knicks to sign Mikal Bridges to a new four-year deal after he was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets. Donte DiVincenzo was another signing of the Knicks in free agency and made an impact for the team before being dealt to Minnesota in a deal that landed the Knicks Karl-Anthony Towns. He will enter the final year of his deal in 2026-27 and become a free agent at the end of the year.

Both Saddiq Bey and Cam Whitmore are also in the final years of their contracts. For Whitmore, it is the fourth year of his rookie deal. He was selected 20th overall in 2023. Bey is in the third year of his deal with the Pelicans.

Bey and Whitmore were part of the same trade that involved getting CJ McCollum out of New Orleans. In a three-team deal, Bey was sent to New Orleans from Washington while the Wizards brought in Whitmore.

The Lakers will seek to use their 25th pick in Tuesday’s first round of the NBA draft on a player who fills a need on a roster that could have up to nine free agents this summer. Yet the Lakers also are aware that picking that late in the round could leave them selecting the best player available.

They probably will be in search of a center who can be a lob threat or an athletic wing who can play defense and knock down three-pointers, two positions the Lakers crave as they try to build a team around star Luka Doncic that fits best with his style of play.

Names that NBA executives and mock drafts attached to the Lakers are Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance, Texas forward Dailyn Swain and Duke wing Isaiah Evans.

The Lakers spent time in Spain looking at 20-year-old guard Sergio de Larrea, but many NBA scouts see him going later in the first round or even in the second. According to people not authorized to speak publicly, the Lakers were impressed by their workout with Purdue point guard Braden Smith. But he’s on the smaller side (6 feet) and played four years in college, leading scouts to believe his upside is not that high and that he’ll be drafted in the second round.

The Lakers don’t have a pick in Wednesday’s second round.

After the Lakers were swept by a deep and athletic Oklahoma City team in the second round of the playoffs, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka outlined what it takes when trying to compete in the uber-tough Western Conference against the likes of the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, who became the second-youngest team to reach the NBA Finals.

Read more:Why this loaded NBA draft could hinge on what the Clippers do with the No. 5 pick

Pelinka looked at how Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell was drafted in the second round and how he flourished in just his second season, especially in the playoffs, in which he averaged 15.1 points and 4.3 assists in 11 games.

“Depth is really important, athleticism and youth. We have a lot of components of that on our roster, but we need to add to it,” Pelinka said last month during his exit interview with the media. “I think those are some of the key North Stars that we need to look at.

“One of the players that they had who played really well, Ajay Mitchell, they got in the second round. So there’s ways to add to your roster if you commit to doing the hard work and commit to the process of adding the right pieces. … We’ll be doing that through the draft and free agency and through trades. We’ve gotta find a way to have a roster that will compete with any team in the NBA. That’s what we do here.”

The Lakers do have three tradable first-round picks — 2026, 2031 and 2033 — but the latter two can’t be moved until after the draft.

Lakers star LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent and is looking for a deal from the Lakers, while Austin Reaves is expected to opt out of his $14.8-million deal so he can sign a contract with them for up to five years and about $241 million.

Still, the Lakers have to proceed with the draft to find a player.

Swain (6-7) and Evans (6-6) are the kind of athletic wings the Lakers could use, but both might be chosen before the Lakers make their pick.

The 6-9 Quaintance could slide to the Lakers because of health concerns. He played in only four games last season at Kentucky because the team was being cautious following knee surgery after he tore an anterior cruciate ligament when he played at Arizona State.

Scouts still view him as mobile, athletic and young enough — he turns 19 next month — to develop. But, Quaintance will need to rehab his knee and probably won’t be ready for the upcoming season. When healthy, scouts said, he can be the lob threat and defender that Doncic yearns to have.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Even during an early start to their offseason, the Clippers got one major win in May.

The Clippers were the quiet winners of the NBA draft lottery, where, with coin-flip odds, they swiped the Indiana Pacers’ first-round pick in a loaded draft class. The No. 5 pick can add an immediate rotation player for the Clippers while also being a potential fulcrum for what experts consider one of the deepest draft classes ever.

The top four prospects are locked. The only question is in what order Brigham Young forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson will hear their names called Tuesday night at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Washington, which picks first, Utah, Memphis and Chicago have the first shots at those potential franchise-defining players.

The first round then could turn with the Clippers’ pick.

“It puts the Clippers in an interesting spot at five,” ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo said on a conference call with reporters. “They’ve got options, including trades.”

After the top tier of primarily wing prospects, four guards are likely to go in the next wave of picks. Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. broke former No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg’s Atlantic Coast Conference freshman record with 45 points in a game, but did not play in the NCAA tournament because of a back injury after averaging 18.2 points and 4.7 assists for the Cardinals.

Read more:Lakers likely to select a big man or wing in first round of NBA draft

Kingston Flemings (16.1 points, 5.2 assists, 1.8 turnovers) became the first freshman at Houston to earn All-America honors, named a consensus second-teamer last year while leading the Cougars to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16. But Houston’s bid for consecutive Final Fours ended against Illinois and guard Keaton Wagler.

The 6-foot-6, 180-pound guard averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 turnovers as a freshman. Coming out of high school, Wagler was the lowest-ranked prospect out of the four guards jockeying for draft position between picks five and eight, but he could be the first of the group off the board.

“He has the size, and he has this brain where you see how quickly he’s improved,” Woo said. “And that, to me, is the biggest thing. But I just think people will continue to learn more about him. He’s not someone NBA teams knew about really coming into the year. … It just happened faster than we all expected.”

Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. has the attention of scouts after averaging 23.5 points while shooting 44% from three-point range, but the 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard could create a defensively challenged pairing next to Clippers point guard Darius Garland.

Garland was acquired in a midseason move that signaled a significant pivot in the team’s plans. The Clippers sent 36-year-old James Harden, who was having his highest-scoring season in six years, to Cleveland in exchange for the 26-year-old Garland and a 2028 second-round selection.

Two days later, the Clippers got even younger by sending starting center Ivica Zubac and third-year guard Kobe Brown to Indiana for 23-year-old guard Bennedict Mathurin, backup center Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and one second-round pick. One of the first-round picks turned into this year’s selection after the Pacers, who finished with the second-worst record, slipped out of the top four in the draft lottery.

Zubac, 29, was the Clippers’ longest-tenured player and top rebounder. He and Harden were two of their top three scorers.

“When we traded James and when we traded Zu, those were incredibly hard and difficult situations,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters after the season.

“But it requires that you must be honest about yourself and honest about where you’re at as a team. Usually teams, when you study team building, if they’re in this contender status, they usually take this huge drop to rebuilding. We’re not going to do that.”

The Clippers have had 15 consecutive winning seasons, the longest active streak. But they have not won a playoff series since their Western Conference finals run in 2021. Last season ended with a play-in game collapse, the Clippers squandering a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead to the Golden State Warriors at home.

The midseason trades helped the Clippers start replenishing their draft capital after the blockbuster move that brought Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to L.A. in 2019 hamstrung their assets. Because of the Cavaliers trade, the Clippers also have the 52nd overall pick in Wednesday’s second round, along with the 36th pick. The moves also helped reset the roster from the oldest in league history to one with six rotation players who are an average of 25.7 years old.

Leonard, who turns 35 the week after the draft, is entering the final year of his contract. The superstar forward averaged a career-best 27.9 points while playing 65 games, just the second time with the Clippers that he appeared in 60 or more in a season.

But the franchise still is waiting for the results of a league investigation into alleged salary cap circumvention involving Leonard and former team sponsor Aspiration. The punishment levied could include multimillion-dollar fines, a loss of future draft picks or voiding Leonard’s contract with the team.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

As we inch closer and closer to the 2026 NBA Draft, we continue our series looking at potential draft prospects. In this edition, could the Knicks take a swing at another older, two-time national champion from the Big East with their second-round pick?

The Basics

• School: UConn
• Position: SF/PF
• Height: 6’7”
• Weight: 225 lbs
• Age: 23 (Born November 11, 2002)
• 2025-26 Stats: 13.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.8 BLK, 0.8 STL, 46.4% FG, 37.4% 3PT, 85.1% FT
• Projected Draft Range: Early second round (30–40)

The Numbers

Karaban grew up in Massachusetts, but only spent his freshman year of high school at Algonquin Regional in Northborough before transferring to New Hampton School in New Hampshire, where he won New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior. With plenty of collegiate interest, he transferred again to IMG Academy in Florida for his senior year.

As a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, he earned dozens of offers and made official visits to Northwestern, Penn State, and UConn. In the end, he chose Dan Hurley and the Huskies, who were playing just their second season back in the Big East after a forgettable seven years in the AAC. He was even able to graduate high school a semester early, enrolling for the Spring 2022 semester and redshirting.

Right out of the gate, Karaban was a starter for UConn, ultimately finishing with 150 career starts in 151 games played over four years. He would go on to be named to the Big East All-Freshman Team in 2022-23, be named to two All-Big East teams, win two national championships, and go out being named to the All-NCAA Tournament team in 2026.

Throughout his career, he was known as a great shooter, shooting 37.4% from three on over five attempts a game while being one of the best free-throw shooters in college basketball (84.4%). He was never overly impressive defensively, but averaged 1.5 blocks a game as a junior in 2024-25. He also routinely led the Huskies in minutes and even led the entire Big East in 2025-26.

Skills That Pay the Bills

• Three-Point Shooting: Karaban has been an above-average shooter in three of his four collegiate seasons. The ability to knock down open jumpers will always be valuable
• Team Defense: While he isn’t some one-on-one lockdown force, he consistently makes the right reads on the defensive end, knowing when to switch, making hard closeouts, and has enough size to hold his own down low. He’s not a 1-through-5 defender, but he’s comfortable 2 through 4.
• Good Decision Maker: He’s never going to be someone to run an offense, but he makes good decisions with the ball in his hands. Playing a higher usage role at UConn than he will in the pros, he consistently had an assist-to-turnover ratio of over 2.0. He’s also got a nose for making plays off the ball.
• Size and Length: He stands 6’7” without shoes, has a 6’11” wingspan, and has an 8’8” standing reach. That’ll play for a wing in the NBA.
• Big-Game Experience: Karaban is a two-time national champion and has played in 20 NCAA Tournament games, including six Final Four games. He was the stable rock and locker room leader for arguably the best program in the country in his 4.5 years there. While the latter might not be necessary as a rookie coming into the NBA, he’s as battle-tested as any rookie in this draft.

Concerns

• Limited Offensive Game: Karaban can knock down open shots and is a strong cutter and off-ball mover. Outside of that? He’s very limited. You rarely see him create his own shot, and he’s very dependent on others creating those looks for him.
• Not Overly Athletic: Doesn’t have the foot speed to be a truly versatile defender. He’ll struggle in certain matchups against smaller guards. While he was a strong finisher at UConn, he wasn’t much of a dunker.
• Defensive Limitations: He won’t be hunted out there, but he’ll be vulnerable if he’s switched onto dynamic offensive threats. You won’t see him guarding the Donovan Mitchell’s and Tyrese Haliburton’s of the world, either.
• Age: Karaban will be 24 shortly after Opening Night of his rookie season. Many teams stay away from these types of players because of the relentless chase of youth and upside.

The Knicks Fit

If James Dolan’s word is to be believed, and the Knicks will not be going into the second apron, there will immediately be a big hole in the Knicks’ bench, as Landry Shamet will likely go elsewhere after getting a deserving raise on his last two minimum contracts. Shamet’s ability to defend multiple positions and knock down threes will need to be replaced.

Could Karaban fill that role better than, say, Mo Diawara or Pacǒme Dadiet in-house? Maybe. I’d certainly trust Karaban’s jumper to translate, and he’s a significantly more willing shooter than the team’s internal options, even if he’s not able to create his own shot. There might be a bit of redundancy considering the team already has a pure catch-and-shoot offensive weapon in Deuce McBride, but Karaban can be a solid 10-15-minute per game guy for the regular season if needed.

His big-game experience is a big plus for me. There are already four Big East alums on the roster, three of whom have won a combined five national championships. Three of them (all but Mikal Bridges) were underdrafted based on their college production. Karaban would fit in nicely with a group of guys who entered the league as older underdogs who came from flat-out winners.

NBA Comparison

• Best-Case Comparison: Late career Peja Stojaković
• Median Outcome: Sam Hauser
• Low-End Outcome: Garrison Matthews

The Verdict

Do not consider at No. 24 or in any first-round trade back: The Knicks will have their fair share of options in the first round and should go for someone with better upside than Karaban with their first pick. Considering they might need to replace Mitchell Robinson, the earlier they draft a center, the better.

Consider at No. 31, make him a Knick in a trade back past No. 35: The right range for Karaban appears to be at the top of the second round. Depending on where the board is, he could be an option at No. 31, but we could also see Leon Rose utilize his famous trade back to get an additional pick. If the Knicks select in the 35-40 range, he’s a slam dunk.

Read all our draft profiles here.

Go Knicks!

This week we’re going to take a break from the trade rumors and do something that’s our privilege as fans of the most successful franchise in NBA history.

We’re going to look back.

It’s May of 1971 and the ABA Finals are underway.

The league’s sprawling western division is represented by the Utah Stars, a team that finished second in the league with a 57-27 record. The best record in the league belonged to the Indiana Pacers, who finished 58-26.

The Eastern division was clearly the weaker of the two. The Virginia Squires took the top seed, 55-29, but second place belonged to the Kentucky Colonels who finished the season at 44-40.

The Colonels are on their third coach of the season.

The first 15 games were coached by Gene Rhodes, who led the team to a 10-5 record. This was not good enough for team owner John Y. Brown, who fired him, with Alex Groza coaching the team for the next two games (both wins), before being replaced by Celtic legend Frank Ramsey. Ramsey took the job on the condition that he be allowed to fly to games from his home in Madisonville, Kentucky, 150 miles away. Brown agreed to this and Ramsey took over the Colonels.

His record as a regular season coach was nothing to write home about. The team went 32-35 with him on the bench. He was noted for being something of a micromanager, even insisting on taping players’ ankles himself.

However, the Colonels caught a bit of lightning in the playoffs. In the first round, they faced off against the Floridians. The Colonels won the series 4-2, in part due to their reliance on the three point shot. During the regular season, the Colonels were mid-pack when it came to three point attempts per game, with the league’s second best success rate from beyond the arc, while the Floridians avoided the shot like the plague. The Colonels’ use of the shot reflected Ramsey’s own preference for outside shooting during his playing career with the Celtics.

In the second round, the Colonels faced off against the top seeded Virginia Squires.

The Colonels rallied from a 2-1 deficit, winning three straight games to close out the Squires 4-2. Game 3 of this series was an offensive extravaganza, with the two teams combining for 287 points in a 150-137 Squires victory; that total score remained a playoff record for both leagues until a double-overtime contest in 1992 between Portland and Phoenix.

This set up a Finals matchup with the Utah Stars. The Stars were spending their first season in Utah, having relocated from Los Angeles over the summer.

Utah had made quick work of the Texas Chaparrals, a team that would go on to become the San Antonio Spurs, sweeping them in the first round after the Chapparals won a play-in tiebreaker against the Denver Nuggets. The Stars won their four games by an average of 15.75 points.

The Stars’ opponents in the Western Division Finals were the Indiana Pacers, who had won the ABA title the year before.

This series went the full seven games, with Utah closing out the series at the Indiana State Fair Coliseum 108-101.

The Stars were coached by Bill Sharman, another Celtic legend, and one who had already tasted success as a basketball coach. He guided the Cleveland Pipers to a championship in the short-lived ABL in 1962, and had coached the San Francisco Warriors to the Finals in 1967, the year the Sixers broke through the Celtics’ dynasty and got Wilt his first championship.

Thus the 1971 ABA championship marked the first—and so far only—occasion when a pair of ex-Celtics found themselves on opposing benches jockeying for a league championship.

As was fitting for an era dominated by big men, the Stars were led by veteran center Zelmo Beaty, who was on his way to the Hall of Fame. The Colonels, on the other hand, had stayed local in the draft, picking their starting center, Dan Issel from the University of Kentucky before the season started. Issel would be the ABA’s Rookie of the Year, and would also end up in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Utah’s home court was the brand new Salt Palace, a drum-shaped venue which housed the Utah Jazz from 1979 to 1991. Although the arena could hold over 10,000 people, average attendance during the first Stars season was just 6,100. Despite filling barely half the seats in the arena, the Stars led the ABA in attendance that year. The arena, constructed as part of Utah’s bid to host the 1972 Winter Olympics, was demolished in 1994 to make room for an expanded convention center.

Kentucky played their home games at Freedom Hall, a cavernous arena on the Kentucky State Fairgrounds that was designed to house the Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show, a confusingly named event that requires almost a hundred yards of clear floor space. Aside from seats located along the sides of the court, the arena was not well-suited to basketball, although it could host over 16,000 fans during the years the Colonels played there. The venue also hosted six NCAA Final Fours between 1958 and 1969. It’s still standing, and still hosting horse shows and basketball games.

The Finals went seven games, and featured, among other things, Frank Ramsey bringing a bottle of oxygen to Utah to help cope with the high elevation (Salt Lake City sits at 4225 feet above sea level, which is high enough to give you a nice bout of altitude sickness, as I can personally attest).

In the first game of the Finals, Utah stomped Kentucky, 136-117. The only highlight for Kentucky was a surprising 36-point performance by Darel Carrier, who made six of seven three-point attempts. Utah had six players score in double figures and three players with more than 20 points, including a pair of reserves.

The Stars had little difficulty winning Game 2, 138-125, and they looked to be well on their way to dominating the Colonels until the series went back to Kentucky. Here the Colonels won a pair of close contests to even the series.

The teams continued to swap home court victories over the next two games, with Kentucky squeaking out a three-point victory in a classic Game 6 that pushed the series to a deciding Game 7. Kentucky was clinging to a slim lead when Dan Issel was sent to the bench with five personal fouls in the third period. With him out, Cincy Powell stepped up and kept the Colonels in the game by scoring 20 of the team’s 31 points over a 21-minute span as Utah edged out to a slim lead.

Kentucky fought back late in the fourth and put the game away at the free throw line, nailing all four attempts over the final 33 seconds. A bid by Red Robbins to tie the game with seven seconds to go off a deliberately missed free throw and a three-point attempt went nowhere when Dick Nemelka’s shot bounced off the rim. The game also featured a small shower of beer cups and debris from the stands when the scorekeeper apparently failed to sound the buzzer at the end of the third period allowing a late Utah basket to count.

The series shifted back to Salt Lake where Utah won the deciding game by ten, despite 41 points from Dan Issel, playing his final game as a rookie.

The Finals MVP was Zelmo Beaty, who had been an NBA All-Star before jumping to the upstart ABA.

Frank Ramsey was fired by John Y. Brown at the conclusion of the series. Ramsey settled down to a quiet life in Madisonville, eventually becoming a bank president.

Bill Sharman parlayed his ABA championship into a head coaching gig with the Los Angeles Lakers. He hired ex-Celtic KC Jones away from Harvard University, and these Celtic-tinged Lakers went on to record a then NBA record 69-13 record which featured an astonishing 33-game winning streak. When the Lakers won the title that season, it made Sharman the only coach to win a title in three different professional basketball leagues.

Sharman was also one of two coaches to win a title in the NBA and the ABA. The other, Alex Hannum, had been Sharman’s college teammate with the USC Trojans.

When Sharman retired from coaching in 1976, he took the Lakers’ general manager slot, a post he held until 1982.

The Colonels’ owner, John Y. Brown, would win an ABA title in 1975 and then sell Dan Issel’s contract to the Baltimore Claws. After the following season he took a three million dollar buyout from the NBA to extinguish the Colonels franchise. He said that he had no interest in being in the basketball business at the time, and then went on to buy a controlling stake in the Buffalo Braves later that same year.

In 1978, Brown finagled a franchise swap with Irv Levin, who owned the Celtics. The idea was that Irv Levin wanted to move a team to his home state of California, and there was no way on earth that this team would be the Celtics. The Braves, however, were teetering on the brink of disaster and were easily packed up and moved to San Diego, where they became the Clippers.

Thus, John Y. Brown ended up owning the Celtics, and one of the first things that he did was trade three first round picks for Bob McAdoo. Now, McAdoo was a great player, but he was in no way worth three first rounders. Brown did this without bothering to consult with Red Auerbach—in fact this was the second trade Brown executed without talking to Red first. Red was so incensed by this that he seriously entertained thoughts of leaving the Celtics and joining the Knicks

Brown’s tenure as owner of the Celtics was short-lived. After the 1978-79 season, Red delivered an ultimatum to Brown, having an offer to run the Knicks in his back pocket: “Either you go or I do.”

Brown, who had not yet dealt with anyone that had Red’s record and personality—folded. He sold his stake in the Celtics to co-owner Harry Mangurian in 1979.

Ramsey and Sharman, of course, had played together with the Celtics in the late 1950s. Ramsey was Sharman’s backup and the NBA’s first real sixth man.

Sharman was part of the Celtics’ title winning teams in 1957, 1959, 1960 and 1961. Ramsey was also part of those teams, as well as the teams that won in 1962, 1963, and 1964. He was replaced as the team’s sixth man by John Havlicek.

Sharman’s number 21 and Ramsey’s 23 both hang in the rafters above the Celtics’ home court.

While free agency provides lots of uncertainty, there are two known facts heading into this upcoming summer.

The Lakers have a lot of cap space and the Thunder need to shed salary.

After years of building up a contender through the draft, Oklahoma City is now experiencing the hardships that come with the CBA. In order to avoid going above the second apron, a shedding of salaries will need to happen.

One of the prime candidates is Lu Dort, a talented wing with limitations and a contract set to pay him $17.7 million next season. With players around him fit to take his spot in the rotation, it’s easy to see him dealt this offseason.

It’s not a shock, then, to see that the Lakers have reportedly called about Dort. According to NBA beat writer Jake Fischer, LA has checked in on Dort ahead of the start of free agency.

I’m also told that the Lakers have called the Thunder about swingman Lu Dort’s availability.

Oklahoma City is facing a well-chronicled roster crunch, with 15 players currently under contract and two first-round picks to make at Nos. 12 and 17 barring draft-night trade activity, sparking a belief that the Thunder might be open to trading Dort after picking up his $17.2 million team option to make it easier to re-sign big man Isaiah Hartenstein. Oklahoma City holds a $28.5 million team option on Hartenstein and is generally seen as a lock to retain his services either by picking up the option or working out a longer-term deal with him at a lower annual salary.

Last season, Dort averaged 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 38.5% from the field and 34.4% from the 3-point line. Across the board, those were the worst averages and percentages of his career outside of his rookie season.

It was also the fewest minutes he’s played per game, a sign of his diminishing role with the Thunder. Across his career, he averages 11.6 points per game and shoots 40.5% from the field and 34.4% from range.

All that being said, offense has never been his calling card. Dort has been one of the premier perimeter defenders across recent seasons. In 2024-25, he was named to the All-Defense First Team.

However, in becoming one of the top defenders, he’s also gained a reputation as one of the dirtier defenders in the league. Things reached a boiling point last season, in particular, when Dort had a series of dirty plays that drew the attention of fans.

There are certainly pros and cons for acquiring Dort that the Lakers will weigh. He’d certainly improve the defensive talent and depth of the roster, but at a price.

The Lakers would be doing the Thunder a big favor, so he’d likely come at a discounted cost. Does that make him a gamble worth taking?

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

According to Michael Scotto, the Utah Jazz have interest in re-signing Jusuf Nurkic.

Reporting on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks, Jaylen Brown, Tyler Herro, Kawhi Leonard, trade talks for the Pistons, Nets, Timberwolves, Raptors, and Nuggets. Plus, updates on free agents and extension candidates for the Suns, Thunder, Magic, and Jazz. https://t.co/76AU2Zjbz7

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 21, 2026

There’s not a lot here other than the simple statement about Utah wanting Nurkic back. From Scotto:

The Utah Jazz has expressed interest in re-signing center Jusuf Nurkic, league sources told Hoopshype. 

There you have it. The Jazz have interest, which makes sense. Nurkic had a nice season with the Jazz and appeared to enjoy his time with the team and the team’s style of play. His mix of passing, rebounding, and scoring fit really well with the Jazz. He played so well for Will Hardy that he ended up having a three-game triple-double streak last season. That mix of talent and proof of concept for Utah made him seem like a no-brainer to bring back. All that said, it will have to be on a reasonable contract. If Utah can get him on a veteran-minimum type of deal, it could be a great addition.

Utah does need to think about center depth. Walker Kessler is most likely joining the team next season, but he hasn’t had the best injury history. Some security at center would be a good idea in case Kessler has another injury.

All in all, it makes sense for the Jazz to bring Nurkic back. He fit perfectly with what Utah did last season, with the center being a hub at times in Hardy’s offense. Utah lacked some playmaking last year so that may not be as big of a need next year, and they may change their style, but it would be nice to have some continuity as well to what they’re doing.

Jose Alvarado is enjoying himself following the Knicks’ championship — perhaps a little too much.

Early on during the Knicks’ historic playoff run, Alvarado said he would get drunk for eight days straight if they were to win the NBA Finals.

“If we win, I’ma be drunk for eight days,” Alvarado said on the “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast in May. “I’m having a party in like every state.”

“Y’all gonna think I’m the MVP,” he added. “Y’all gonna be like ‘yo he got the MVP.’”

Now that the Knicks have won, Alvarado appears to be updating fans on his condition after seven days.

The guard posted a picture of him lying down on a table with a hat over his face to his Instagram story on Saturday, with the caption reading: “Day 7.”

Alvarado, a Brooklyn native, has been perhaps the most energetic throughout the championship celebrations.

He was seen celebrating at both the Knicks’ historic ticker-tape parade as well as the Puerto Rican Day parade last week.

At Thursday’s parade up the Canyon of Heroes, Alvarado grabbed a boombox and microphone and started hyping up the massive crowd.

“We brought the trophy home. Let’s party, baby, let’s party. Knicks in five,” he yelled while standing on one of the floats.

Growing up a Knicks fan in the five boroughs, the championship has a special meaning for Alvarado, who the Knicks picked up at the trade deadline.

“It’s really something I can’t put in words. I’m blessed,” he said before Game 1 of the finals. “I can’t even say it’s a dream, I never thought about being in the finals playing for the Knicks. But I’m here, I’m extremely excited.

“I’m a kid from the city living a dream.”

Mitchell Robinson didn’t forget those closest to him when celebrating the Knicks’ NBA title.

Robinson shared a special, quiet night with his neighbors ahead of the team’s championship parade Thursday down the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan.

The moment was shared through a LinkedIn post by Lindsay Anthony — one of the Knicks center’s neighbors in a quiet New York suburb — and she praised Robinson for his decision where he had “nothing to gain from,” but did it anyway without cameras.

“He parked one of his infamous monster trucks that he’ll be on tomorrow in that driveway and let a neighborhood kids (and let’s be honest some parents) take a peek, sign some autographs (and a middle school yearbook!) and catch up about his infamous Knicks season,” Anthony wrote.

“No production. No entourage. Just him, showing up because he’s our neighbor and he said he would,” she added.

Anthony shared photos of various kids checking out the inside and outside details of Robinson’s orange and silver monster truck.

Robinson was also seen taking pictures with parents and got a big group picture with all of the kids in the neighborhood.

Robinson’s neighbor explained his appearance is the neighbor she knows, rather than what Knicks fans’ see on the surface on television, at games and during press conferences.

“Fans see the dunks and the foul shots and the game winning steals. Reporters get him in pressers and highlight reels, Anthony wrote. “We get him on a random night, with nothing to gain from it, doing it anyway. (Complete with a side of country music).”

“There’s a lesson in there for anyone whose job is reputation, mine included: the real story of someone’s character isn’t always on the court or at a press conference,” she added. “It’s what someone does when there is no camera and no upside. He’s quiet about almost all of it, on the court and in the driveway.”

Robinson brought the same monster truck to the Knicks championship parade, driving it at times and standing on the truck bed in others, waving and celebrating with fans along the route.

“Congratulations, #23. You have made your communit(ies) proud,” Anthony concluded.

He had a promising regular season that never really showed in the Knicks playoff run and NBA Finals series, shooting just 29.3 percent from the free-throw line.

The longest-tenured Knick remains the team’s most intriguing offseason decision.

The Golden State Warriors are trying to find a way to escape the purgatory they’ve been over the past several seasons.

Golden State hasn’t made it past the second round of the NBA Playoffs since winning the league championship in 2021. This team will never not be competitive while Steph Curry is on the roster, but the Warriors frankly don’t look like a championship-caliber roster at this point.

But that’s not to say this team isn’t talented. In fact, one Warriors player showed off their talent on June 20—although this talent has nothing to do with basketball.

Guard Moses Moody attended a Juneteenth celebration at the Golden Gate Park bandshell, and brought out his guitar. The Warriors’ X account posted a video of Moody performing at the event, which is drawing attention because most fans didn’t know that Moody could handle a guitar like he does a basketball.

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A man of many talents!@mosesmoody joined today’s Juneteenth celebration at the Golden Gate Park bandshell, and played a little guitar pic.twitter.com/rnCtyu72Tv

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

While it’s cool to see Moody performing on stage, Warriors fans are hoping he’ll perform on the court once next season begins.

The 24-year-old averaged a respectable 12.1 points per game last year, but missed the final portion of the season because of a torn patellar tendon in his left knee.

If Golden State can make a championship run before Steph Curry retires, they could use a fully healthy Moody to make a jump in productivity during the 2026-27 campaign, as that would add a lot of crucial depth to the team’s roster.

In the meantime, fans will be content to hear Moody’s music.

Collin Gillespie showed his worth during his years at Villanova. While it took some time to show at the next level, Villanova fans are not surprised that the point guard has found success in the NBA.

On Saturday, Gillespie cashed in on an incredible season. Shams Charania reported that the former Villanova great signed a four-year, $48 million contract to return to the Phoenix Suns.

Free agent guard Collin Gillespie intends to sign a four-year, $48 million deal to return to the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. Gillespie spent three straight seasons on two-way contracts after going undrafted out of Villanova in 2022 and now earns a lucrative long-term deal. pic.twitter.com/HIBFG0dDMU

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 20, 2026

Gillespie went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft before signing a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets. This allowed him to split time in the NBA and the G League affiliate. He did not make his debut in year one due to a leg injury.

Gillespie returned to Denver in 2023-24 on another two-way contract before signing the same deal with the Suns the next year. He would play in 57 games in those two years, averaging 4.7 points per game.

After returning on a one-year deal, Gillespie had a breakout season for the Suns in 2025-26. He set the franchise record for 3-pointers with 232. He played in 80 games, making 58 starts, averaging 12.7 points and 4.6 assists per game. He also averaged 1.2 steals while shooting 40.1% from 3-point range.

Gillespie played at Villanova for five years. He was a part of the National Championship team in 2018 as a freshmen and led the Wildcats back to the Final Four in his final season in 2022. Gillespie was a two-time Big East Player of the Year and three-time All-Conference selection. In his final year, Gillespie was a Third Team All-American after averaging 15.6 points and 3.2 assists while shooting 41.5% from 3-point range.

In total, Gillespie played in 156 games for Villanova and made 125 starts. He averaged 11.9 points during his career. Gillespie’s decorated career put him in line with the great guards that have played at Villanova.

Just days into the NBA offseason, the Suns are already making moves.

Phoenix is set to re-sign guard Collin Gillespie to a four-year deal worth $48 million, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Saturday.

This marks Gillespie’s first NBA contract since his rookie year in 2023-24, having only signed two-way deals since arriving in the league.

Gillespie enjoyed a career year last season, averaging 12.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists across 80 games.

He also set the Suns’ single-season franchise record with 232 3-pointers.

Gillespie, who started 58 games last season, filled a valuable role at both guard positions alongside five-time All-Star Devin Booker.

The Suns are now projected to be just $4 million under the $200.5 million luxury tax after signing Gillespie.

After missing the playoffs in the 2024-25 season, Phoenix experienced an impressive turnaround this season, holding a 45-37 record and earning the No. 7 seed in a competitive Western Conference.

Their playoff hopes were cut short, however, with the Thunder sweeping them in the first round.

At the All-Star break this year, general manager Brian Gregory talked about how changing the culture around the organization sparked their quick return to the playoffs.

“Last spring, in the preseason right before the first game, we talked about creating a new identity
and creating a culture based on toughness and grit and unselfishness,” Gregory told reporters then. “We made the decision and talked about it openly that our success wasn’t solely going to be defined by wins and losses, but more importantly, by building the daily habits and behaviors that are going to drive those characteristics and hopefully define our team.”

He added that he believes the team is headed in the “right direction” for the future.

“I think they’re in a good place. I think we’ve made progress in all of those areas. I think our fans, our great community in Phoenix, and maybe even [the media] can feel it a bit. We’ve made the changes. We’re moving in the right direction. I like the spot that we’re in,” he added.