Category: Basketball

Turns out only one ex-Wildcat will get to be part of LeBron James’ latest NBA chapter.

Former Arizona wing Dalen Terry was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, two days after news broke the Sixers were signing James to a 2-year, $8 million contract.

The 24-year-old Terry appeared in 21 games for Philadelphia, technically his third team during the 2025-26 season after being traded from the Chicago Bulls to New Orleans in February and then waived by the Pelicans the next day. Philly signed Terry to a 2-way deal on Feb. 10, converting it standard deal on April 10 right before the regular season ended.

Terry averaged 4.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 11.7 minutes during 14 regular season games with the Sixers, then in the NBA Playoffs had 13 points in 39 minutes over seven games.

Had Philly held onto him Terry would have been one of two ex-UA players on the Sixers in 2026-27, as they signed Caleb Love to a 2-way deal in early July.

Originally drafted by the Bulls with the 18^th overall pick in 2022, Terry played 3-plus seasons in Chicago and started seven games. He spent two years at the UA, starting 14 games as a freshman in Sean Miller’s final season and then all 37 games on Tommy Lloyd’s first Wildcat squad.

The Utah Jazz announced they signed former UNC small forward, Harrison Ingram.

According to the Jazz, terms of the deal were not disclosed. From Utah Jazz PR:

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed forward Harrison Ingram. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In their release, the Jazz note that Ingram is 6’5” and played two seasons for the “spent the past two seasons (2024-26) with the San Antonio Spurs, appearing in 12 NBA games while also appearing in 88 contests with the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League affiliate.”

Ingram was also a decorated collegiate player with Stanford and UNC. As I mentioned, the terms of this deal were not disclosed, so that means my favorite thing happens … assssummmmptiionnnns.

My guess is this is some sort of contract for training camp and preseason. Just like NFL teams, sometimes you need players to play on your “practice squad.”

But maybe it’s something more? Could this be a reaction to Summer League, and is Ingram a player who might be an upgrade to someone like Cody Williams? Maybe. It was not the most inspiring Las Vegas Summer League for the Jazz, and maybe this is to give someone a look that they like. Either way, it’s good to see the Jazz active. Having won the lottery and drafted a potential superstar in Darryn Peterson, who will join a solid core foundation, means the Jazz should be as active as possible trying to find depth pieces for the future. Perhaps Ingram is one of those.

I keep thinking about all the teams that don’t seem to have improved much if at all from last season. Detroit. Boston. Cleveland. Denver. Minnesota. What a weird Pangea of inertia.

Then again, some teams have actually made moves. Some are better for having made those moves. Here are the handful of biggest threats to the Knicks repeating as champions in June 2027, as of July 2026.

TORONTO/PHILADELPHIA

The Raptors and Sixers had essentially the same offseason, in that you can view them however you like and come up with completely polar opinions on both.

On the one hand, Toronto traded a hill of beans for one of the greatest players this century, who last year put up 28 points a game on 51/39/89 shooting. Worried about durability? Kawhi Leonard played over 2000 minutes last season, just the second time he’s done so since leaving Toronto for L.A. seven years ago, though that was the second in three years. And he fits a perfect position of need.

You might have missed it what with all the Mario Hezonja buzz of late, but for $8 million the 76ers signed the greatest player this century, who last year put up 21 points, six rebounds and seven dimes on 52% shooting. Worried about age? Last season LeBron James fell 11 minutes short of 2000, a mark he’s failed to reach only four times in 23 seasons. And he fits a perfect position of need.

On the one other hand, the last time Leonard and James were legit Larry O’Brien influencers, we’d never heard of COVID. The president being senile was a concern. It was a different world, a simpler time. And recent times don’t necessarily suggest better days ahead for either player’s new team.

Since leaving Canada for the Clippers, Leonard has played in one playoff series his team won, two they lost, two he missed parts of and three he missed altogether. Since leading the Lakers to the Bubble ‘chip, LeBron’s team won three of eight playoff series, beating a Memphis team led by two 23-year-olds, a Warriors side that started five 30-year-olds that series and a Houston team a year ago without Kevin Durant for five of the six games.

If there’s one NBA player with a seeming fix on who “is him” and who isn’t, it’s Scottie Barnes. And while Barnes is a great number of wonderful things on the 94×50, one thing he is not is “him.”

I figure he figured out pretty quick last year that Brandon Ingram is good enough at basketball to make the kind of money where his grandchildren will never buy store-brand ice cream sandwiches, but not good enough to be “him,” either. Whenever the NBA thinks enough time’s passed that we’ve forgotten the scandal finalizes the Aspiration investigation, assuming Leonard is a Raptor, he is most definitely a him-type. Kawhi would also make the Raptors a hydra-headed beast defensively. How many teams have the firepower to test Leonard and Barnes and Collin Murray-Bowles and Immanuel Quickley? With Jakob Poeltl the back line of defense?

But do the Raptors have enough 3-point shooting? Leonard is a better shooter than Ingram *when healthy*, which is sorta the rub. Ingram and Sandro Mamukelashvili were Toronto’s two best high-volume snipers from distance. Can third-year man Ja’Kobe Walter — 41% on moderate volume last year — level up his attempts without losing too much of his accuracy?

Do the Sixers have enough 3-point shooting? Lost amidst all the understandable elation of turning Paul George and Kelly Oubre into Lebron and Jaylen Brown is that while Philly is bigger and more athletic at the forward spots, they look to have taken a step back in their perimeter game. George and Oubre combined to make 186 of 494 3-point tries last year (37.6%); Brown and James were 217 of 647 (33.5%).

Both of these teams probably improved from last year to next. But neither feels like a realistic Finals threat.

HOUSTON

I have Houston here instead of Denver for one reason. And it isn’t Kevin Durant, who back in 2019 I thought was a foolish bet to continue his annual high level of play into his early 30s. All KD’s done since is carry it into his mid- and now late-30s.

It’s that the Rockets can reasonably hope that a year with instead of without Fred VanVleet, plus growth from any of Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard, paired with the perpetual greatness machine that is Durant, means a higher ceiling in 2027, maybe even one that sends them soaring above the last two Western champs. Whereas the Nuggets can reasonably hope that the next time they win a title in 15-25 years, it’s under new ownership that actually feels up for a title defense.

Admittedly, I think Houston is more than a little behind the Spurs and Thunder. But there’s enough “if it all goes right” there to think that if it does, it might be enough to send them to their first Finals since 1995.

INDIANA

Like Charlie Brown lining up for the kick, so many seemingly can’t wait to overlook and underrate the Pacers yet again. What is wrong with you people?

It wasn’t all that long ago that Tyrese Haliburton and not Jalen Brunson was the Eastern guard living a charmed life while leading his team to one inspiring, improbable win after another. Obviously Knicks’ fans biggest fear last season was that Indiana would land a top lottery pick in their gap year, draft a stud and come back even more frightening than the group that knocked off the Knickerbockers in 2024 and 2025.

Instead, they gambled and lost that pick in the Ivica Zubac trade. Props to the Pacers for adding a sneaky-good center who’s an elite rebounder (which Myles Turner was not). I’m a bit confused by that center not now or ever being able to space and shoot as a five-out center (which Myles Turner was). I think Roy Hibbert must have been the last Indiana big I remember who couldn’t shoot. Knicks fans saw how much the addition of Karl-Anthony Towns’ as a shooter and spacer unlocked all kinds of options for their offense. Haliburton is a brilliant playmaker who’ll now have to negotiate what would figure to be less room with Zubac firmly inside the arc.

Still, Indy has Haliburton. And Zubac. And Pascal Siakam. And Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell and Obi. Oubre and Larry Nance Jr. are solid additions. It’s the Pacers. It’s the Knicks. You know.

OKLAHOMA CITY

This isn’t a huge deal. It’s a crack, is all. But sometimes a crack is enough. Just knowing a seemingly invincible foe is in fact vincible can create the kind of confidence that brings down mountains.

The Thunder are still awesome. Maybe still the title favorites, even. The Spurs barely snuck past them, even with Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell out hurt. OKC’s beaten New York six straight times and seven outta eight; last time the Knicks beat the Thunder RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes and Jericho Sims suited up. Coming up short a year ago doesn’t mean Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren suddenly forget how to ball.

But OKC traded Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe for the Leon Rose Blue Plate Special — second-rounds picks in perpetuity. They’re still young. They’re still deep. They’re still awesome. Only not quite as young. Or deep. Or awesome. And after their destruction of the league in 2025 and into last year’s Western conference finals, there are now teams in both San Antonio and New York who see themselves as the title favorites.

The Thunder are still most of all the good things they were a year ago. Just not the defending champs, and not the consensus favorite. That either means nothing or something. We’ll know in ten months.

SAN ANTONIO

The Spurs have reason after reason after reason to see themselves as next in line to win the championship. You already know most of them. So I’m gonna pivot and point out the biggest reason to doubt the Spurs even make it back to the Finals. Pro’ly the biggest reason, if they never do win it all with this group, why they didn’t.

The Thunder. Duh.

These Spurs remind me of the Magic back in the day, when a young Shaq was anointed the heir apparent to His Airness. After leading Orlando to the Finals in only his second season, winning their first of several titles was unquestionably a matter of when and not if. But a funny thing happened on the way to immortality. That lot not only never won, they never made it back to the Finals. Know any other generational bigs who got to the Finals in year two, only to lose a heartbreaker at home early en route to getting gentlemanly swept? It wasn’t the team they lost to in the Finals that did them in; it was a conference rival they beat once and never again.

There’s a narrative forming about Victor Wembanyama’s work ethic and drive that could be true, but that also feels like marketing. I’m inclined to think Wemby works harder than Shaq did, even though I can’t possibly know that. There are stereotypes at play there. I must work to reject them.

The Spurs acted like Susan Lucci finally winning an Emmy when they beat a shorthanded Thunder squad in the WCF. Victor and the victors were entitled to that; there is no ugly crying when you win. But I have a feeling the Thunder haven’t forgotten. And that they watched the Finals and learned some things from the Knicks they’ll put their own wrinkle on in next year’s meetings with San Antonio.

This isn’t an Xs-and-Os argument for what OKC may have in store. I just think will is a helluva variable to try and plug into an equation. I suspect the Thunder are as driven to take down the Spurs as they are to lift themselves back up to the Association’s apex. I still think the Spurs are the biggest threat to the Knicks. But while New York are the defending champs, it’s the runners-up who may have the biggest target on their backs next year.

The Golden State Warriors’ interest in Trey Murphy III has not translated into meaningful progress because their current offer falls short of what the New Orleans Pelicans want.

Golden State has proposed a package centered around two first-round picks for the 26-year-old wing, according to ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel. New Orleans has continued asking for three first-round selections and a young player it views as part of its long-term core.

That final piece may be the biggest obstacle.

“New Orleans has not changed their asking price of three first-round picks for Murphy and a young player they can add to their core, something the Dubs do not have to offer,” Siegel wrote.

The Warriors have several players aged 24 or younger, including Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Gui Santos and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. Those players apparently don’t move the needle for the Pelicans or the Warriors are not interested in mortgaging the future.

That leaves the Warriors in an uncomfortable position after already missing out on LeBron James, who chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Murphy would address several of Golden State’s most glaring needs. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals last season while shooting 37.9% from 3-point range. His combination of size, shooting and defensive versatility would make him a natural fit alongside Stephen Curry.

He could also help carry the offense while Jimmy Butler recovers from a torn ACL.

The problem is that New Orleans has little incentive to lower its price. Murphy is entering his prime, remains under contract and is coming off the best season of his career. The Pelicans have also resisted previous offers while maintaining that they hope to compete next season.

Golden State can increase its draft compensation, but matching the complete asking price would require either persuading New Orleans to value one of its current prospects or finding another team to help facilitate a deal.

The situation reflects a larger roster-building problem for the Warriors.

Golden State once had premium young trade assets in James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga but held onto both until their values declined. The franchise now has future first-round picks available but lacks the coveted young centerpiece that rebuilding teams commonly demand in blockbuster negotiations.

That has made it difficult to land Murphy, much less established stars such as Jaylen Brown or Anthony Davis.

The Warriors must also decide whether Murphy is worth three first-round picks and another rotation player. His production and age make him appealing, but the Pelicans’ requested return resembles the price typically attached to a proven All-Star.

For now, Golden State appears headed toward returning much of the same roster that missed the playoffs last season. Draymond Green is expected to re-sign, but Butler’s injury leaves Curry without a dependable second scoring option to begin the year.

Murphy could provide both immediate help and long-term value.

The Warriors simply may not have what New Orleans wants to make it happen.

The Spurs’ big offseason addition, Tobias Harris, is a known commodity. The 15-year veteran entered the league as a 19-year-old and had a strong career playing for several teams, with varying levels of success. He was never an All-Star but had some standout individual years and rarely missed the playoffs late in his career. Anyone who follows the league is familiar with his game.

What’s not as clear is how he fits on the Spurs. The power forward spot was one of the weaknesses that were exposed in the postseason for San Antonio, so the addition makes sense at first glance, but there are specific areas in which Harris will help and others in which he might not.

Harris brings shot creation that none of the other forwards offer

One of the reasons Harris was a divisive player at his peak was that he was getting paid like a star without producing like one. He simply wasn’t able to handle the shot creation responsibilities of a top option at a high enough level. But that doesn’t mean he’s unable to get his shot when needed.

Harris had years in which over half of his shots were unassisted. He’s slowed down in Detroit, in part because of his age but also because he shared the floor with an elite creator who is also ball-dominant in Cade Cunningham, but still created over a third of his shots. As a comparison, Keldon Johnson posted a similar percentage, but Harrison Barnes and Carter Bryant created for themselves half as many times, and Julian Champagnie posted an even lower percentage of unassisted buckets. As for Johnson, the percentage of unassisted field goals cratered in the playoffs while Harris’ remained at around the same level. Harris’ efficiency in the postseason wasn’t great, but that was in part caused by a dip in his shooting percentage on open threes, which are normally assisted field goal attempts.

It’s not just that Harris can create for himself, but how he does it that could help the Spurs. The wrinkle that he offers the offense is his ability to post up. Harris went to work on the block a lot last season and was effective at it in the regular season. It’s a skill he developed over his career and one that he can use to punish the switches that come from his screening. For comparison, Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes finished a combined 42 possessions in the post last year. Harris ranked 19th in the league with 136 possessions, the same number as Victor Wembanyama. His fadeaway in the post and his touch on floaters and from the midrange allow him to get his shot up without having to challenge rim protectors constantly, something Johnson couldn’t do.

There are swings in efficiency between the regular season and the playoffs for Harris, so it would be foolish to rely on him to be one of the first options. The beauty of his fit with the Spurs is that he doesn’t have to be one, like he often needed to in Detroit. If he can continue to be effective attacking gaps and running the floor while also picking his spots well, Harris can offer lineups the right amount of shot creation while also taking advantage of the easy looks the guards and Wembanyama will get him.

On defense and the boards, Harris’ size is a skill in itself

The Spurs did a fantastic job of hiding their lack of size at the power forward spot for most of the season. Everyone who played was either 6’7” or 6’6”, which is not exceedingly small but also not big enough to handle traditional fours and dominate the glass. Yet somehow, San Antonio not only survived but thrived with smallish units. Now, they won’t have to.

Harris is 6’8” and heavier than any forward the Spurs had available last season or will have available this year. He’s a stout post defender, ranking in the 79th percentile, according to Synergy Sports data, and has the size to handle the type of player San Antonio had to scramble to defend. Despite the Pistons having an elite defender in Ausar Thompson, Harris was routinely assigned to guard the big power forwards like Julius Randle as well as some centers in specific matchups, and he was up to the task. In the playoffs, he had to defend Paolo Banchero and Evan Mobley, and while he didn’t stop them from scoring or assisting, he made things difficult for them by being physical and disruptive without constantly fouling, something that the Spurs always value.

As mentioned, the Spurs did a good job of hiding their lack of size as a team, but Harris’ big body allows him to naturally do things that smaller guys have to exert more effort to achieve, which should free up others to do what they do best. His rebounding is a good example. On a stacked Pistons team, he pulled down around the same share of available defensive rebounds as Keldon Johnson and did much better than Harrison Barnes. The only Spurs non-big who did better was Julian Champagnie, who made it one of his priorities to clean the defensive glass. On the offensive end, he did similarly to San Antonio’s perimeter-oriented forwards while trailing Keldon Johnson, who was given the green light to crash the glass, getting the best offensive numbers of his career by a huge margin.

Simply put, by doing what a power forward is expected to do, like guarding other big forwards and contributing on the boards, Harris will help the Spurs. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Mitch Johnson will have the opportunity to have someone out there who is as big, heavy, and strong as the guys other teams have instead of having to ask more of smaller players.

The weaknesses and downsides are real, but manageable

There are a few ways in which Harris’ skill set makes him an awkward fit in some areas. The main one on offense is a decent but not great outside shot. Opponents routinely left Harris open in the playoffs, and he couldn’t make them pay. He’ll likely be guarded by a center who roams while Wembanyama has a power forward on him if they share the floor, just as it happened when Harrison Barnes was the starter. And while his offensive game is more well-rounded than Barnes’, it’s based on power, which is not of much use against a seven-footer.

On defense, Harris’ size and age conspire against him at the point of attack. He normally does a decent job on big ball handlers who try to attack him in isolation but can struggle to navigate screens at times. A bigger issue is how small ball handlers target him on pick-and-rolls to force the switch and get a mismatch. Harris is a smart veteran who tries to either steer them towards help or use his length to space them out, but can be hurt by pull-up threes. He’s just not as swithable as the best power forwards out there.

The good news is he doesn’t hesitate to shoot and has made open looks in the regular season and has had success even in the playoffs aside from last postseason. He’s aging, so he might be slowing down as a shooter, but it’s also possible he hits enough looks to make the defense pay attention to him.

Defensively, the Spurs have the ultimate weapon to mitigate the weaknesses of others: Victor Wembanyama. Harris should be able to play ball handlers closer because he has the best rim protector in the world behind him, and San Antonio has traditionally lived with conceding mid-range jumpers.

Tobias Harris is not a game-changer. He’s just a solid veteran. What makes him potentially impactful for the Spurs is that he brings a combination of skills and size that no one else on the roster has. There will be times when his weaknesses and limitations become evident, but San Antonio seems to have ways to mitigate them.

There might have been more exciting free agents out there, but Harris seems to be a great fit for a Spurs team that needed the specific talents and tools he brings to the table.

LeBron James has signed his contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

ESPN reports that James has put pen to paper and signed the previously agreed upontwo-year contract with the 76ers worth nearly $8 million. The deal includes a player option plus a full 15% trade kicker, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

He returns to the Eastern Conference after spending the past eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before departing during the offseason as a free agent. 

After 24 days from the start of the NBA’s free agency period, James committed to Philadelphia on Friday, July 24.

“I thought I was done when the season ended,” James shared on his social media accounts. “I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game.

“I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.”

The Milwaukee Bucks are starting the next era of their franchise after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat.

It won’t be easy to move on from the Greek Freak, but the introduction of head coach Taylor Jenkins and development of rookie guard Brayden Burries should have Bucks fans intrigued—if not outright excited—going into the 2026-27 season.

“There are sources of hope: Taylor Jenkins was a smart hire to replace Doc Rivers as coach, and Brayden Burries, the Bucks’ other lottery pick, was one of the top performers in Las Vegas. Even so, Milwaukee appears headed for a very long and difficult turnaround,” ESPN contributor Ben Golliver wrote.

As head coach, Jenkins will be thrown into the spotlight early. After a year off following his six-year tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies, Jenkins has the tough task of rebuilding the Bucks, but his experience should hold him in good stead. He will be given a lot of leeway—he’s signed for six years after all—but as long as he builds the right habits with his squad, there will be hope to hold onto. History says that won’t be a problem.

As for Burries, he is the first draft pick of the new era—and the Bucks’ highest pick since Thon Maker in 2016. He doesn’t have to be Superman right away, but his showing at the Las Vegas Summer League gave fans someone to really get excited about. Burries is a symbol for the future, so if he plays up to expectations, it will give the fanbase reason to tune in.

While Jenkins and Burries will undoubtedly be the key cogs in the long-term rebuild of this Bucks machine, they aren’t the only pivotal parts. There are other pieces to be excited about, too, like fellow rookie Nate Ament and the young players acquired in the trade for Antetokounmpo: Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakucionis.

Brew Hoop community, what are your expectations for Jenkins and Burries going into the year? Let us know in the comments.

And these transactions are officially in the works.

The Sixers announced that they have waived Dalen Terry Sunday afternoon. Terry signed with the Sixers late last season on a two-way contract before finishing the year on a standard deal, replacing the injured Cam Payne. In the 14 games he appeared with the Sixers, Terry averaged 4.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists playing 12.4 minutes per night.

This is the first of two expected moves for the Sixers to be able to sign both LeBron James (who’s on the Sixers by the way, did you guys know that?) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope while staying below the first apron. To do so they had to get rid of two minimum contracts. Though the team has yet to announce it, James’ signing is official, according to the league’s transaction log.

As someone whose deal wasn’t guaranteed until Jan. 10, Terry became an odd man out pretty quickly. They’ll of course have to make one more move to have room for both LeBron and KCP. Jabari Walker could also be on the chopping block. He has the same guarantee date that Terry has, but does have a partial guaranteed at $250K (for these keep track of the first apron, where the Sixers are hard capped). The team would have to find a trade if Johni Broome is the other player they’d like to cast off. As his salary is fully guaranteed this season, waiving him wouldn’t take any money off their books.

The signing of Matisse Thybulle added some wing depth and a perimeter defender to the Lakers’ roster.

But one reason he was on the market is that he’s had trouble staying on the floor. Over the past two seasons, Thybulle has played just 45 games.

He missed the beginning of the 2024-25 season after he underwent knee surgery. That, combined with a severe ankle sprain, forced Thybulle to miss the majority of the year. Then this past season, a torn UCL in his left thumb and right knee tendinopathy led to him to missing 52 games.

However, a recent piece by Dan Woike in The Athletic gave a positive update on Thybulle’s health.

Thybulle, 29, averaged 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 30 games last season, making 39.8 percent of his 3-point shots. He finished last season healthy and will give the Lakers a high-end on-ball defender who can also make spot-up shots — a must on any Luka Dončić roster.

The source said Thybulle is currently fully healthy

Despite the injury concerns, Thybulle finished strong with the Blazers. After returning in February, he played in the last 25 games. In the playoffs, Thybulle was available for every game of the Blazers’ series against the Spurs, playing in four of the five matchups.

With a healthy finish to the year and this recent update, hopefully, Thybulle’s injuries are behind him, and he can continue to grow and develop as a player.

Besides his defensive ability, Thybulle has shown that he can knock down open shots. Last year, he converted on 39.8% of his 3-pointers and the year before that he made 43.8% of his shots from beyond the arc.

Thybulle could easily outperform his contract if he can be a defensive presence and make enough of his shots that teams have to respect his jumper.

For all of that to occur, though, he needs to be on the floor. Fortunately, it appears he’ll start the year off with that being the case.

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

While Las Vegas served as a chance for the Summer League Lakers to excite fans about the future, that wasn’t the sole thing accomplished in the desert.

While typically a place to make an appearance before heading to the casinos and clubs, the Lakers did more than that this July. With a reshaped roster, a mixture of new signees and incumbents met in Vegas for a sort of player’s mini-camp to start working out with one another.

Khobi Price of the California Post had some details during a recent radio appearance on 97.1 The Fan.

“There was a veteran’s camp in Vegas. I’m just going off the top of my head but I know Jake LaRavia was there, Walker Kessler was there. Sexton was there. Mamu was there. Bronny James was there. Jarred Vanderbilt was there. Jaden Hardy was there…That’s part of building chemistry. It started in mid-July in Vegas where you’re having veterans camp. They’re not doing anything crazy but getting workouts, getting to know one another, especially when it’s so many new faces. Austin Reaves was there. So many new faces that even stuff like that, that can help build chemistry and just help build familiarity.”

It might be a small thing that didn’t necessarily have a big impact, but seeing the players get together from the jump is something fans will always like. If nothing else, it lays the seeds for future workouts together this offseason.

On that topic, it was commonplace for the Lakers to have a minicamp just before the start of training camp during the LeBron James era. Will that continue in the post-LeBron era? Heading into a season where, as mentioned, there are a lot of new players joining the fold, it would make more sense than normal to get everyone together for some extra work before the season starts.

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

The LeBron James wait is over and the 41-year-old will be wearing No. 23 in Philadelphia trying to win his fifth NBA ring in his fourth NBA city which would put him in the same league as … Robert Horry who won seven in three cities.

With that settled, we’ve seen a couple of moves like the Thunder tendering an offer sheet to Spencer Jones of the Nuggets. The Nuggets have until Sunday night to match the Thunder’s two-year $12 million contract. With the Nuggets closing the second apron and with Denver’s ownership not wanting to pay, expect other developments. Will they involve the Nets? Don’t know, but we don’t expect Sean Marks to make the first call. The Nets have the assets other teams need get them out of apron hell.

The next shoe to drop will be Adam Silver’s ruling on the Kawhi Leonard/Aspiration scandal. At this point, we don’t know the full story despite all that’s been written and discussed. The latest revelation by Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic is that there may be a second company involved in funneling money to Leonard outside salary cap limits. If that turns out to be true, expect the hammer to fall heavily on the Clippers ownership and management as well as Leonard. Silver has generally been more conciliatory than his predecessor, David Stern, but the rising tide of scandal in the NBA, between Kawhi and gambling, is likely to change that … just a guess. Will that affect the Nets? It would seem unlikely unless it gives the Nets an advantage over the Clippers in some situation.

If you think we’re referring to Peyton Watson, so be it. We know nothing! As we’ve written, pundits don’t see Brooklyn among those teams likely to work a sign-and-trade for the 24-year-old but PWat and former teammate and big pal, Michael Porter Jr. continue to be seen together in the city in high profile settings: The Fanatics FanFest, the World Cup Final and a visit to the Nets practice facility where Watson was described as a “friend” of a player all got attention. And now a club.

On Saturday night, Jairo Media which tracks celebrity comings and goings, posted video of the two of them entering a club the same time as Jalen Brunson and his wife.

Take look. MPJ and Watson enter at the end of the video…

They seem to be inseparable.

We continue to think that MPJ is just helping his pal get some leverage in negotiations with the notoriously rich and notoriously tight-fisted Kroenke family. The more media, the better.

‘Mikel is the steal of the Draft’

The fan base is justifiably excited by what they saw from Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. in both Sacramento and Las Vegas. The Nets may have had bad luck in both the 2025 and 2026 draft lotteries but seem to have done well with what they wound up: a 20-year-old backcourt whose positional height and versatility — franchise watchwords — fit together so well on and off the court.

It’s a big deal for the short and long term of the franchise and in ways fans may not fully appreciate. Despite all their picks, there is no guarantee the Nets will ever wind up with two single-digit picks in back-to-back drafts, particularly in drafts seen as generational. They’d need some very good fortune in the lottery which as has been noted has been lacking. That’s how crucial their success with Demin and Brown Jr. becomes. (For the record, the only time the Nets ever had two single-digit picks in back-to-back drafts was 1995 and 1996 when they took Ed O’Bannon and Kerry Kittles.)

Keith Smith, writing this week about Summer League for Spotrac, noted that he had spoken with Nets insiders about the two’s time in Vegas:

On Egor Demin: “He’s a lot more comfortable going into Year 2. I think from the pre-draft process, all the way through his rookie year, we probably over-indexed on his three-point shot too much. I mean Egor, his trainers, our front office, our coaches, everyone. You saw out here (at Summer League), that he was getting downhill more. This year is about putting him in even better spots to shine as an all-around player,” a Nets front office executive said.

On Mikel Brown Jr.: “You’re probably going to hear this about every guy, including A.J. (Dybantsa) at No. 1, but we feel like Mikel is the steal of the draft,” A Nets front office executive said. “He was a little wild here (at Summer League) and in California (at California Classic Summer League), but that’ll round out with time. Having him go against Keon (Ellis) and Terance (Mann) every day in practice is going to be huge for him.”

The Nets, we hear, had Brown Jr. at No. 5 on their internal board not far behind, in their opinion, the Big Four of A.J. Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson. (That might not have been the Nets order, just the draft order.)

There’s something else as well in Demin and Brown Jr.‘s favor. They are box-office, two smart, likeable and charismatic personalities … who know it. So do the Nets who have filled their social media outlets with images and videos that highlight them and their personalities. Might that change come the season when Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle (hopefully) start putting up big numbers? Maybe but at the moment they are the faces of the franchise with the second year a bit more so than the rookie.

The Nets are also very high on their 28th pick, Joshua Jefferson, the sweet-passing 6’9”, 240 pound point forward from Iowa State. Jefferson had dropped for a number of reasons. He had mid-first round mock draft vibes early in the season but fell back in part because he was a four-year college player — a consensus All-American but a player who turns 23 in November. He is in fact the eighth oldest player on the current roster! He, like Brown Jr., got hurt just as March Madness was beginning. A sprained ankle kept him out of all but the opening minutes of the opening game.

The Nets got the No. 28 pick in an exchange of first and second round picks — part of the Randle/Claxton trade. That deal didn’t get approved till July 9, the first day of the Vegas Summer League. Until then, Jefferson couldn’t practice with the team, couldn’t scrimmage. So his three games in Vegas were not seen as any indicator of his potential.

In general, a Nets executive told Smith the roster may not be done and pointed out how the y9ung players’ development has been prioritized in the addition of what was described as “legitimate NBA rotation players and potential rotation players.”

“It’s a work in progress. Unless you are the Thunder or the Spurs or the Knicks, I don’t know how you feel like you roster is ‘done’,” a Nets front office executive said. “We probably still lean a little too young, to be honest. The good news is that adding guys like Julius (Randle), Keon (Ellis) and Moe (Wagner) will help these guys grow up a lot. Those are real, physical, sometimes nasty, NBA guys. I can’t wait to watch them help our young guys grow.”

Final Note on deals

Nets will likely go into the 2026-27 season without much if any difference from what they look like now, other than signing Moe Wagner and extending (or not) Michael Porter Jr. It appears the Wagner signing delay is about wanting to have a tidbit of flexibility if something arrives on the door step at 168 39th Street in Industry City.

Both the Nets and MPJ are saying nice things about each other, as we’ve reported, but it would appear that the Nets may want a shorter-term deal than Porter and his agent Marc Bartelstein. Teams are less and less willing to take on long-term commitments because of the onerous nature of the second apron, not just in financial terms but also in terms of flexibility.

They took few risks with the signings of Day’Ron Sharpe ($20 million over two with a team option in year two); Josh Minott ($8 million over two with a team option also in year two), Moe Wagner ($19 million over two with a mutual option in year two) and Keon Ellis ($18 million over two, also with a mutual option.) The mutual option guarantees the full amount of the deals, but gives both sides the right to move on. More than one pundit praised the Nets for the reasonable nature of the deals.

Keith Smith pointed out that the Nets also believe they can win more now that they’ve added veterans, with one Nets assistant admitting, “Not to speak ill of last year’s team, but we were down to rookies and non-NBA-level players by the end of the year. This year, we’ve got depth and the kids are improving too.”

They will still likely be the youngest team in the league again this year and should have a lot of cap space, as much as $68 million, writes Smith in a separate post. That of course does not include any short-term raise MPJ may get or the still unsigned Moe Wagner’s $9.2 million. Still, they’re likely to once again enter the off-season in the top three of cap space.

Unless, they’re active now or at the deadline.

Steph Curry wanted LeBron James to join the Warriors, but his restrained reaction after James chose the 76ers suggested he never allowed himself to count on the partnership.

“That’s why you don’t envision anything until it happens,” Curry said from Moses Moody’s youth camp. “There’s a lot of moving parts.”

Curry’s public response contained no criticism of the Warriors and little visible disappointment. The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II believes that may be because Curry had already begun reconsidering Golden State’s repeated pursuit of another superstar.

Speaking on KNBR, Thompson suggested Curry probably knew before the public that James was leaning elsewhere and may have grown weary of waiting for the next blockbuster addition.

“I think he’s probably a little tired of the star chasing,” Thompson said.

Golden State has spent years searching for another difference-maker to extend Curry’s championship window. The Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler in 2025 and have since explored possibilities involving James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown and Anthony Davis.

None of those latest pursuits produced another star.

Thompson wondered whether Curry would now prefer the Warriors to build a deeper, younger roster rather than repeatedly pinning their hopes on one transformative move.

“Let’s give me some eager youngsters and we got to it,” Thompson said while imagining Curry’s potential viewpoint. “Let’s go the Davidson route, right? Let’s go the [Southern Conference] route. Just put together the best team.”

That interpretation remains Thompson’s speculation, not a position Curry has publicly confirmed. Curry has continued emphasizing his desire for Golden State to construct the best roster possible, and he acknowledged that the organization discussed creative ways to improve.

The circumstances surrounding the Warriors have also changed dramatically.

Butler is recovering from a torn ACL, while Moody is working his way back from a torn patellar tendon. Their injuries altered Golden State’s plans long before James made his decision.

“The whole calculus of everything changes,” Curry said. “How do you get through their absence and still stay at a certain level? And then how that goes into this year. It’s the same deal. So, I’m a realist on that.”

That realism does not necessarily mean Curry has accepted another season outside championship contention. He is entering the final year of his contract at age 38, and Thompson previously suggested the timing of a possible extension could give Curry leverage to keep pressure on management.

But Curry also appears to understand that Golden State cannot construct its future around hypothetical trades or free agent decisions.

“We don’t live in any alternative universe,” he said.

In this one, the Warriors may need Curry to carry another depleted offense while Butler and Moody recover. Kristaps Porziņģis brings additional talent but has struggled to remain consistently available. Draymond Green is expected to return to an aging core.

That leaves Golden State in an uncomfortable position: hoping for one more elite Curry season while remaining reluctant to sacrifice every future asset for a move that may not make it a legitimate contender.

Thompson believes the repeated cycle of anticipation and disappointment could be taking its toll.

“His championship hopes is tied to something completely else,” Thompson said. “And I think he’d much rather it be tied to him.”

Curry has not publicly turned against the Warriors’ strategy. His comments instead sound like someone who has learned not to build expectations around a star who has not yet arrived.

After another failed pursuit, Golden State may soon have to determine whether Curry still believes in chasing the next big name — or would rather the franchise finally try something different.