Category: Basketball

Two former Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball stars are heading east.

The Los Angeles Lakers on Friday traded center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported. Ayton recently opted in to the second year of his contract with the Lakers, which will now transfer over to Washington. Ayton will be paid $8 million next season.

Ayton averaged a career-low 12.5 points and 8 rebounds with the Lakers last season. He started 72 regular season games, his most games played in a season.

Ayton joins a Wizards front court that includes Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr. Washington drafted BYU’s AJ Dybantsa with the top pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

Also on Friday, Caleb Love signed a two-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, as first reported by Charania.

Love was a free agent after playing his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. In 49 games with Portland, Love averaged 10.4 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds.

Love will join former Arizona forward Dalen Terry in Philadelphia. Terry, who was traded to the 76ers last season, appeared in 14 games with Philadelphia, playing mostly mop up minutes.

LeBron James is leaving us all hanging in suspense while his agent, Rich Paul, adds fuel to the fire. Paul (via his podcast Game Over) recently shared a behind-the-scenes look at their process in finding a new home for James. This includes a whiteboard with the Cleveland Cavaliers listed as one of the strongest landing spots.

There’s a lot to unpack here.

First, we can see that the Cavs are not alone on this list. Other teams in the inner circle include the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, and Denver Nuggets. The Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks are either directly listed or referenced on the outer edges of the board.

Paul says that the board wouldn’t even exist if New York hadn’t won the title this summer. James would be a member of the Knicks. Looks like we dodged a bullet in that regard.

Let’s go over the main takeaways for Cleveland.

Rich Paul on LeBron’s interest in the Cavs:

• Brandon Weems (current assistant GM) is a ‘brother’ to James
• Dan Gilbert, Grant Gilbert and Koby Altman listed as positives
• James ‘loves’ Darius Garland; Paul considers the James Harden trade a negative
• Paul says Evan Mobley was never going to be traded to Boston

Notably, the Cavs are the only team that has multiple pros and cons written on the board.

“Big, big x-factor, Brandon Weems is basically LeBron’s brother,” said Paul. “That is a big feather in the cap [for Cleveland].”

The connection to Weems is one of the strongest aspects of this. Weems is reportedly seen as the favorite to replace former Cleveland GM Mike Gansey (now the 76ers GM) as the Cavs’ newest general manager. That’s something that sweetens the deal for James to return to Cleveland.

James apparently having a positive relationship with Gilbert and Altman is also a good sign.

The final two bullet points are where things get interesting.

“The negative is, no knock to James Harden, but no Darius Garland,” said Paul. “LeBron loves Darius Garland so much just like LeBron loves Tyrese Maxey.”

Paul famously told Garland, whom he represents, that last year would be his final season with the Cavaliers. However, this can be interpreted as Paul reading the writing on the wall rather than pioneering a trade for Garland on his own. You can decide that for yourself.

I’d also keep in mind that Paul is a professional salesman who will take every opportunity to praise one of his clients. Rightfully so.

It’s possible that Paul informed Garland to make a decision that would be in his best interest — even if that negatively impacted the view that James would have of Cleveland’s roster. Those things are not mutually exclusive, and Paul ultimately has a responsibility to represent all of his clients equally.

Finally, Paul strongly denies that Cleveland had any intention of trading Mobley to the Celtics in exchange for Jaylen Brown.

“They weren’t giving up Evan Mobley, you don’t have to worry about that,” said Paul.

This is as firm a stance as you can take, and it implies that Mobley is safe from the trading block this summer.

That tracks with common sense. Mobley is one of the best defenders in the NBA and a vital part of a Cavalier defense that is hanging on by a thread. I can’t see why James or Paul would advocate for taking that building block off the roster. Trading Mobley feels like the type of risk that could knock down the house of cards before James even arrives.

As always, the more smoke, the better. James has taken the first step towards returning by announcing that he won’t be back with the Los Angeles Lakers. Everything since then has felt like a gradual pull back home. Only time will tell, but Paul’s comments on Cleveland are encouraging to me.

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Life moves fast in the NBA, and after the much-hyped draft and a flurry of offseason moves, Summer League is already here.

Attention turns to the California Classic today, with the San Antonio Spurs battling the Miami Heat before the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors Blue squad, and it’s a first opportunity to see some of the late first-round rookies in action.

Let's dive into my NBA Summer League predictions and free NBA picks for Friday, July 3.

NBA Summer League predictions for July 3

Pick
Spurs moneyline	-127
Lakers moneyline	-108

Today's Summer League Picks

Spurs moneyline (-127 at Kalshi)

Although none of the San Antonio Spurs’ young core will be in action at Chase Center tonight, that clears the way for Tarris Reed Jr. and other members of the San Antonio rookie class to ball out.

Reed Jr., the No. 26 pick, averaged 14.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg last season at UConn, and I expect him to seize this opportunity to make a case for bench minutes next season behind Victor Wembanyama.

Though Jayden Quaintance will miss out for the Spurs, second-round picks Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Mailq Brown should get minutes here, and San Antonio’s serious approach to summer action could be seen in its 5-3 record last year.

While the Miami Heat can turn to Myron Gardner — who appeared in 45 NBA contests last season — the trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo leaves Miami with fewer young pieces for a Summer League run.

Of course, the Heat specialize in discovering undrafted gems, but they face an uphill battle in this California Classic opener, and I’m taking the Spurs up to -140.

Lakers moneyline (-108 at Kalshi)

The Los Angeles Lakers have been busy undergoing roster reconstruction over the past few weeks, and now attention turns to the end of the bench, where spots are up for grabs. L.A. enters as a major underdog against the Golden State Warriors, but I’m expecting an upset in California.

Golden State can unleash rookies Yaxel Lendeborg and Alex Toohey alongside sophomore Will Richard, but don’t sleep on this Lakers squad, with Cameron Carr — the No. 24 selection in last month’s draft — running the offense and Adou Thiero looking to boost his stock.

Thiero had some promising flashes during last season’s injury crisis in Lakerland, and there’s a 3-and-D role within reach if he catches the eye in Summer League.

Meanwhile, a rookie-heavy roster will get a jolt of experience from Zhaire Smith, with the 27-year-old former first-round pick auditioning for L.A. this summer.

Friday’s NBA Summer League parlay

Spurs moneyline

Lakers moneyline

+244 at Kalshi

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

While the Lakers got their A-list center in Walker Kessler, Friday’s move to trade Deandre Ayton means the team is once again searching for a big.

LA dealt Ayton to the Wizards for cap relief and draft picks, opening up the backup big spot. Immediately, the team was linked to multiple players, including Andre Drummond and Kevon Looney.

Drummond is an elite rebounder who could come in and make the most of the opportunity. This would be Drummond’s return to LA as he was with the team during the 2020-21 season. Last year, as a backup with the Sixers, he averaged 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

Kevon Looney or Jonas Valančiūnas are also viable bigs the Lakers could pursue.

Looney is an 11-year vet who spent his first decade with the Warriors. Last season, he joined the Pelicans but played limited minutes, averaging just 2.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

Valančiūnas is a name that’s been linked to the Lakers for years now. However, it’s important to note that he has committed to a EuroLeague team, so Valančiūnas might not be an option for LA.

He played in 65 games for the Nuggets last season, averaging 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. As a backup in LA, he would make a ton of sense, providing size and strength, along with rebounding and scoring ability.

Nick Richards is another name that’s being reported as a player that could end up with the Lakers.

Richards has bounced around the NBA playing on three different teams in his six-year career. Last season, he averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

The reported trade involving Ayton is a surprise, but it all but guarantees that other moves are coming. The Lakers can’t enter the season with so few bigs, so whether it’s Drummond, Looney, Richards, or someone else, more frontcourt help will have to be arriving.

Stay tuned Lakers fans, the front office is cooking. Hopefully, it’s something everyone will want to eat.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

The Lakers have traded center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for guard Jaden Hardy and two second-round draft picks, in 2031 and 2032, people not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed to The Times on Friday.

Ayton picked up his player option for $8.1 million on Sunday.

But it became obvious that he was expendable as the starting center once the Lakers acquired 24-year-old center Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade deal worth four years and $130 million.

The Lakers now will be in the market for a backup center.

Centers such as Andre Drummond, Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney are still available. Drummond played 21 games for the Lakers during the 2020-21 season, when he was picked up on the buyout market.

The Lakers acquired Ayton last season after the Portland Trail Blazers bought out his contract, and then signed him to a two-year, $16-million deal.

Read more:First-round pick Cameron Carr signs Lakers rookie contract

He averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 72 games last season with the Lakers while shooting 67.1% from the field.

The Wizards believe the 7-foot Ayton will be a good fit alongside centers Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr.

The 6-3 Hardy, who spent three-plus seasons with the Dallas Mavericks before being traded in February to Washington, averaged 9.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting 42.4% from the field and 39.7% from three-point range last season.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

After a quiet opening night of free agency, the Lakers got to work Wednesday. They agreed to a sign-and-trade for Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler and agreed to sign Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton.

In total, the Lakers shelled out more than a quarter-billion dollars. After entering free agency with the ability to create more than $50 million in salary-cap space, they now appear to be almost out of money.

There may be another shoe still to drop, though. On Friday, the Lakers traded Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks. Flipping Ayton’s $8.1 million salary for Hardy’s $6.0 million salary gives the Lakers a bit of remaining cap space, but not enough to do anything meaingful with… yet.

As things currently stand, the Lakers would have to renounce the rights to all of their remaining free agents, including Rui Hachimura, before they can sign all three of Kessler, Grimes and Mamukelashvili. After they spend their cap space on that trio, they’d sign Sexton with the room mid-level exception and can officially sign Austin Reaves to his new four-year, $184.8 million max contract.

The Lakers have no remaining salary-cap exceptions after spending the room MLE, so they’ll only be able to offer minimum contracts from here on out. They’re also now hard-capped at the first apron after acquiring Kessler via sign-and-trade.

Here’s a look at where the Lakers stand financially in the wake of their free-agent flurry and the Ayton trade.

Keep in mind that these are rough estimates for Kessler, Grimes and Mamukelashvili based on the terms reported for their respective contracts, although agent inflation is common at this time of year. There’s a chance that any of those deals could come in slightly lower than reported.

Once the Lakers sign Reaves and Sexton to their new deals, they’re projected to be less than $8 million below the $200.4 million luxury-tax line and roughly $16 million below their first-apron hard cap.

Since the Lakers can’t cross the first apron this season, they will have considerable in-season trade flexibility. Teams above the first apron can’t take back more salary than they send out in trades, but teams below it can take back significantly more.

Kessler, Grimes, Mamukelashvili and Sexton won’t be trade-eligible until Dec. 15 at the earliest, but that’s something to file away for ahead of the trade deadline.

Can the Lakers create more cap space?

Between Reaves, Sexton, Grimes, Luka Dončić and rookie Cameron Carr, the Lakers now appear to be set in the backcourt. Their frontcourt is also in fairly good shape between Kessler, Mamukelashvili, Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt, although they’re now on the hunt for a backup big man after trading Ayton.

However, their situation at the three leaves much to be desired, barring a massive leap from either Adou Thiero or an immediate impact from Carr.

Even if Reaves, Dončić and Grimes all start together in a three-guard lineup, the Lakers could use some additional wing help. They have a few pathways to continue adding to their roster this offseason despite being capped out.

The Lakers could always look to salary-dump Vanderbilt ($12.4 million), but they don’t have much left to sweeten any trade offers. They now have zero tradable first-round picks, only one remaining first-round swap (2032), but do have three second round picks now after the Ayton trade.

They could also pull a 2025 Milwaukee Bucks and waive-and-stretch Vanderbilt. Doing so would leave them with a $5.1 million dead cap hit in each of the next five seasons, but that would equip them with an additional $7.3 million of spending power this summer. They’d have to spend that newfound cap space before they officially signed Sexton or Reaves to their new contracts.

Once the game of free-agency musical chairs runs out, the Lakers might be able to snag a wing for cheap — perhaps even on a minimum contract — since they can offer a legitimate role. Playing alongside an elite playmaker like Dončić could help players improve their market value moving forward, too. But if the Lakers hang on to Vanderbilt, they’re likely done with their big moves in free agency.

Do the additions of Kessler, Mamukelashvili, Grimes and Sexton outweigh the departures of LeBron James, Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Ayton and perhaps Hachimura? Do the Lakers have something else up their sleeves? We’ll find out soon enough.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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The Philadelphia 76ers are rounding out their eventful free agency week with two-way signings, it seems. Fresh off inking Rayan Rupert to a two-way deal, they’ve now signed former Portland Trail Blazer Caleb Love to a two-way contract. ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report the news:

For those who aren’t familiar with Love, he’s a former five-star recruit with quite an extensive college resume. He played five years in the NCAA, three with the North Carolina Tar Heels, later transferring to Arizona and playing two years there. Across 142 total college games, he averaged 15.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He accumulated 200 made three-pointers.

Love declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, and to the surprise of some, went undrafted. He went on to sign a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite never being converted, Love saw plenty of action at the NBA level during his rookie season. He appeared in 49 games for them, starting one, and averaged 10.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, shooting 38.8 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three. Love’s best stretch of basketball occurred from late December through the beginning of February, where he averaged 15.3 points on 43.3 percent shooting. I’d encourage you to check out his game logs, as for a first-year undrafted guy he really lit it up.

Love now caps off the new “guard glut” of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Labaron Philon and Anfernee Simons. There’s no shortage of scoring amongst this group. Love also has quite a few Sixer-centric connections. A year ago, he faced off against Edgecombe in a heated rookie workout, and also crossed over with Dalen Terry during his time at Arizona.

With the signings of Love and Rupert, the Sixers are now down to one vacant two-way spot. Considering Rupert is best classified as a wing, and Love is a guard, it’s safe to assume that could go towards bolstering their big man rotation, currently occupied by Joel Embiid, Adem Bona, Johni Broome, and Jabari Walker.

The Washington Wizards are FINALLY in the news for reasons other than AJ Dybantsa, Anthony Davis or Trae Young. Maybe Russell Westbrook as well?

On Friday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the Wizards will acquire Deandre Ayton from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Jaden Hardy and two of the Wizards’ second round draft picks in 2031 and 2032.

Ayton, a center, averaged 12.5 points and 8 rebounds per game in 72 appearances for the Lakers. His most notable reign was from 2018-23 when he played for the Phoenix Suns, his first team where they made the NBA Finals but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks. With the exception of his lone season with the Lakers, Ayton has averaged a double double in points and rebounds every season he played.

Hardy, who now would be with LA, averaged 9.2 points per game in the 2025-26 season starting with the Dallas Mavericks and later the Wizards.

With Ayton now in DC, it will be interesting to see how or whether he, Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr will fit together.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

The Lakers’ roster shuffling has continued with another trade that also lands them some sorely-needed draft capital.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, LA is trading Deandre Ayton to the Wizards for Jaden Hardy and two second round picks.

Finally, Rob Pelinka got Anthony Davis his center.

This deal will only open up about an extra $2 million in cap space for the Lakers. Hardy is making $6 million this season with a team option for $6 million next season. Ayton was set to make $8.1 million this season.

The likely aim of this deal was to acquire draft assets to move other contracts. The Lakers are still looking to add depth on the wing with Jonathan Kuminga among the most heavily mentioned names. Rui Hachimura also has not signed and could still be an option.

To do that, they will need to clear contracts off the books, which the addition of the two second round picks should help them do. In short, this feels like a precursor to another trade and then a free agent signing.

Ayton’s season in LA was underwhelming, but largely because he did not establish himself as the team’s center of the future. He still showed he can be a reliable rotation player and a starter on some teams, but he was not the rim-running, lob-catching center the team needed and certainly did not want to be Clint Capela this season.

He did provide some memorable moments mostly off the court, though, including stories about crunk juice and talking about watching LeBron James on the court like it was a movie. He was also a big reason the Lakers beat the Rockets in the first round with his defense on Alperen Şengün.

Hardy averaged 12.6 points per game on 42% shooting in 23 games with the Wizards in the second half of last season. He did spend time in Dallas with Luka Dončić. However, as a guard in an already crowded backcourt, Hardy is likely going to be on the outside looking in.

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

As the Knicks are enjoying their summer as reigning champs, NBA free agency and the rumor mill that comes with it is already in full swing.

And apparently, if New York didn't beat the San Antonio Spurs to win their first title since 1973, they'd be the top choice for the biggest free agent on the market -- LeBron James.

James' agent Rich Paul told Max Kellerman on the Game Over podcast that James would have chosen to sign with the Knicks if they didn't win the 2026 NBA Finals. 

"I think it's difficult, right? Because the last thing you want to do is mess up something like that. The Knicks has a good thing going. If the Knicks hadn’t won, there would be no board. He’d be going to the Knicks," Paul said.

Paul shared a whiteboard of potential destinations for James with reasoning for each, showing that he's mainly considering the Philadelphia 76ers, Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Cleveland Cavaliers as his next team. The secondary teams shown include the Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, and Spurs.

While the idea of James playing for New York has been rumored multiple times since 2010 (when James infamously made "The Decision" to go to the Miami Heat), Paul made it sound like it would have happened this summer.

"Jalen Brunson would literally have to pick up the phone and say, 'Hey man, there’s no issue with me.' And I'm not saying that would make his decision... They (Knicks) have checked in," Paul said. "The one thing for sure, you want to respect what those guys have built. And also, it's Jalen Brunson's show. You want to respect that. He's earned that right, he's performed well, you want to respect that."

Although, SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley reported late Thursday night that the Knicks "should not be seen as a potential destination for James" and are "very happy with the core of their roster." Begley notes that the Warriors, Heat, Cavaliers and Sixers are viewed as teams with serious interest in the future Hall of Famer.

James, who will turn 42 at the end of December, announced on June 30 that he'll be leaving the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons and choose a new team for the 2026-27 season. He is expected to play at least one more year in the NBA, but where that will be remains to be seen.

Rich Paul on LeBron James to the Knicks 😳

“If the Knicks hadn’t won, there would be no board. He’d be going to the Knicks…. Jalen Brunson would literally have to pick up the phone and say ‘hey man, there’s no issue with me.’ They (Knicks) have checked in.”

(Via Game Over) https://t.co/iFyuJgEBt8pic.twitter.com/hpy1PnVU1Q

— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) July 3, 2026

The Lakers were already Luka Dončić’s team, but now that LeBron James has departed, he is, without question, their biggest star.

This makes pleasing him with the franchise’s direction the highest priority. Given that this is an offseason where a ton of cap space could be created and the Lakers had few players guaranteed to return, the pressure was on the front office to deliver quality moves to improve the team.

According to a report by Dan Woike of The Athletic, Luka has liked what’s happened so far, particularly the reported trade for Walker Kessler and the team’s ability to keep Austin Reaves.

According to league sources, Luka Dončić was “excited” about the Lakers’ signings, with the team addressing his biggest desires for the roster by keeping Austin Reaves and getting an elite rim-protecting center in Kessler.

Those sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deals have not been completed, said the Lakers kept in regular communication with Dončić and his team despite a significant time gap, with the star guard spending his summer in Europe.

Getting these two deals done for the Lakers came at a hefty price.

Trading for Kessler required giving up multiple first-round picks and agreeing to a four-year, $130 million deal. And to keep Reaves will reportedly cost $185 million across four years. Still, if it means Luka is happy, maybe that’s all that matters.

The franchise has gone all in on him, and the two most important things are his happiness and the team’s competitiveness.

Reaves has max talent, and now his money matches his basketball ability. Kessler is a clear upgrade in the frontcourt compared to what LA has played with over the last two seasons.

So not only can the basketball argument be made that these are good moves, but with Luka also wanting them, the choices the Lakers have made are no-brainers.

The Lakers have always been a superstar-friendly team.

They made sure Magic Johnson was happy with the head coaching situation in the 80s. During the Kobe Bryant era, they found him a big so he could win a pair of titles. And even if things ended with LeBron, the Lakers certainly made big moves for him, including trading for Anthony Davis and later, Russell Westbrook in an attempt to win it all.

It’s no surprise Luka is getting the same treatment.

Dončić is happy that the Lakers have the pieces he’s asked for. Once the roster is finalized, he’ll have the ingredients he needs to cook up a title run in LA.

For now, it’s summertime and good vibes are all that’s needed. Dončić is happy, the Lakers should be pleased with their moves and we have plenty of time to see how it all looks in reality in the fall.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Tatum breaks silence on Jaylen: ‘Nothing but love and respect for you' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It was at least a little noteworthy that Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum had no public reaction or message to this week’s shocking trade that sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia. Considering the duo has been one of the best one-two punches in the NBA for close to a decade, the silence raised a few eyebrows around Boston.

Yet almost 48 hours after the news broke, Tatum has chimed in.

Tatum posted a photo of himself with Brown in their earliest NBA days, with a message attached to his former teammate:

Tatum was drafted with the No. 3 overall pick in 2017, a year after Brown was taken at No. 3 by Boston. They forced Cleveland to a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals in their first year together, reaching at least the third round of the playoffs in five of their first seven seasons together.

Jayson Tatum on IG: pic.twitter.com/aamksqhYD4

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) July 3, 2026

Aside from their work together on the court, they also shared a memorable moment in 2023, when the All-Star Game took a back seat to their impromptu one-on-one matchup.

Tatum was named the MVP of that game, while the pairing of course won a championship for Boston a year later.

That All-Star Game showdown was notable because it was the first chance for anyone to really watch the two Celtics stars play against each other on both ends of the court. With Brown heading to Philly, though, it’s a sight that’s going to become a lot more common.

The San Antonio Spurs’ first order of business was re-signing their own, but they didn’t stop there.

Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes, who shared the Spurs’ power forward spot most of the year, were locked down in Day 1 of the NBA’s free agency period. The Silver and Black rewarded Champagnie with a new 3-year, $45 million contract and brought back Barnes on a 1-year, $8 million deal.

Though Champagnie supplanted Barnes in the starting lineup last season, time will tell who starts in 2026-27 because … Tobias Harris joined the Spurs on a 2-year, $31 million deal after helping Detroit earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference last year. Harris ranked second on the Pistons in scoring with 18.1 points per game while grabbing a team-high six defensive rebounds per game.

His 30 points (including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc), 9 rebounds, and 3 steals were crucial in Detroit’s Game 7 win over Orlando in the first round of the 2026 playoffs.

Harris has been a double-figure scorer in all but his first two seasons in the NBA. He’s started every game in the last nine years, despite bouncing from the Pistons to the Clippers to the 76ers and back to Detroit in that span.

Of course, Barnes had his own nine-year starting streak before Champagnie’s skill set and effectiveness moved him to the bench the second half of last season.

The Spurs still have their full bi-annual exception (about $5.5 million) remaining for the last two full roster spots. From last year’s Western Conference championship roster, Bismack Biyombo, Jordan McLaughlin, Kelly Olynyk, Mason Plumlee, and Lindy Waters III remain unsigned as unrestricted free agents.

Guard David Jones Garcia and forward Harrison Ingram have two-way qualifying offers, making them restricted free agents. The Spurs can have up to three players on two-way contracts.

Outside the lines, the Spurs made a splash Thursday night by signing “free agent” coach Billy Donovan as the team’s lead assistant following Sean Sweeney’s departure for the head job in Orlando.

Donovan spent the last six seasons as Chicago’s head coach. Despite never claiming a Central Division title and making just one playoff appearance with the Bulls, he brings championship pedigree with his back-to-back national championships at Florida in 2006 and 2007.

After a college coaching career that also included a national runnerup finish, another Final Four, and three more Elite Eight appearances, Donovan made his way to the NBA in 2015-16. He led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a Northwest Division championship and the Western Conference Finals.

Now, he’ll be helping Mitch Johnson and the Spurs as they try to keep the Thunder from advancing no further than that in the years to come.

No bias on Tobias

Fan reaction to the Tobias Harris signing was mixed on social media, but the Spurs earned generally good reviews from around the league.

Sports Illustrated’s Dan Lyons rated the Harris signing an A-, recognizing him as “one of the few Pistons to elevate his game in the postseason” and calling him “a rock-solid signing” for the price.

Bleacher Report said the full mid-level exception seemed a little high for Harris at his age (soon to be 34). But BR’s staff still gave the signing a B due to Harris’ veteran presence and playoff experience.

Zach Harper from The Athletic also weighed in with a B, calling Harris a “very good short-term option” who the Spurs just need to “consistently knock down outside shots.”

Looking at the offseason as a whole, Kurt Helin from NBC Sports gave the Spurs an A-. He said Harris is “a good role player who can catch-and-shoot corner 3s and put the ball on the floor when needed; he’s a good veteran fit for them at a position of need.” Helin also praised the re-signing of Champagnie and the Spurs’ focus on bigs in the draft.

Harris video makes the grade

One thing we can all agree on … Tobias Harris brought it with his free agent announcement video:

Wemby World Cup vibes

And speaking of videos, this clip of Victor Wembanyama’s pinpoint free kick is making the rounds on social media. His French countrymen are on the short list of World Cup favorites, but if they end up needing any help …