Category: Basketball

Late Memphis Grizzlies player Brandon Clarke had cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and multiple other prescription medications "within therapeutic levels" in his system at the time of his death, according to an autopsy report released by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner on Monday, Aug. 24.

The full autopsy, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, attributes Clarke's cause of death to effects of heroin and cocaine with the combined effects of the other prescription medicines in his system listed as contributing factors. The medical examiner classified Clarke's death as an accident, confirming an earlier statement from Aug. 7.

Kratom was also found in Clarke's system.

Just six weeks before his death on May 11, Clarke, 29, allegedly led Cross County Sheriff's Office deputies on a miles-long chase on April 1, with speeds reaching more than 100 mph, and was found with more than 230 grams of kratom in his possession, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Memphis Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Also found in Clarke's bedroom and attached bathroom were "vape devices, cannabis products, prescription medications, injectable peptides, syringes, a box of Narcan, blister packets of medications, vitamins and other medical evidence."

A plate with an "unknown powdery white substance" and hotel keycard were found in the kitchen, according to the synopsis.

Clarke's agent allegedly reached out to his roommate at approximately 5 p.m. local time on May 11 after he had been unable to get a hold of him, per the summary. The roommate had recently returned home and went into Clarke's bedroom, where he found the Grizzlies forward unresponsive. Clarke was pronounced dead 15 minutes later.

The roommate told the Medical Examiner that Clarke had "a history of drug use with prior stints at a rehabilitation facility" and was last seen by him alive at their Woodland Hills residence around midnight the previous night.

An investigation of his home included in the report found no evidence of foul play.

Clarke was drafted out of Gonzaga by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 21st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and was immediately traded to the Grizzlies, where he spent all seven years of his career. At the time of his death, he was tied with Ja Morant as the team's longest-tenured player. In October 2022, he signed a four-year, $52 million contract extension to remain in Memphis, but his career became derailed by injuries shortly after.

He tore his left Achilles tendon in March 2023, and the lengthy rehab process from that limited him to just six games in the 2023-24 season. The following year, Clarke played in 64 games until suffering a high-grade right PCL strain that ended his season and forced him to miss the beginning of 2025-26. He made his season debut in December and played two games before being shut down with a right calf injury. Clarke never appeared in an NBA game again.

Clarke's contract was reportedly protected by a life insurance policy and his estate will receive the remaining $12.5 million owed to him in full, according to USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brandon Clarke's full autopsy released: What we know

Sometimes Past Me annoys Present Me. Today is one of those times.

Past Me promised a statistical doppelgänger article about Trae Young. Present Me looked at the numbers and wants to write about Something Else. But…well…crap, a promise is a promise.

The first challenge is that Young didn’t play much last season. Just 10 games for the Atlanta Hawks and five for the Wizards. He totaled 384 minutes, which isn’t enough to say much of anything. Except, bright side: his on-court performance this past season was pretty similar to his 2024-25. And his 2023-24, for that matter.

So, I used Young’s 2024-25 numbers in the statistical doppelgänger machine to find statistical comparisons. For the record, I tried using Young’s 2025-26 age with his 2024-25 stats, and it made no difference in his comps. I tried adding in his 2025-26 play, and it made basically no difference.

Why am I grumpy? Because the comps are giving me the same message they did when I did a similar analysis when John Wall was about to sign his maximum contract extension, which is basically the same message I delivered using an entirely different process when Young signed his extension earlier this summer.

The TLDR is that every way I look at things, I keep coming back to the same conclusion: the Young extension is a mistake. It has a high chance of ending up a blunder. Probably not as high as getting into a land war in Asia, but…I think it’s going to be one of the worst contracts in the NBA, if it isn’t already.

What makes this even more annoying is that I like Young. I’ve enjoyed watching him play, even when he grifted free throws so much the league literally changed the rules to make him stop. And by the way, new rules or not, Young’s free throw attempts per possession barely changed. Either he found new ways to grift, or he’s actually a pain in the butt to defend. (It’s the latter.)

Liking Young and appreciating his offensive game doesn’t replace analysis of his overall impact on the game. His defense has been a problem. His overall production has drooped the past few seasons. Still good, but not at the level of the mustache-twirling villain who tortured the New York Knicks. His old team was willing to trade him for the worst team in the NBA’s discards.

And the Wizards gave him the max. Despite there not being anyone else interested in paying close to that much.

Okay, enough with all that.

This is the fourth installment in the annual ritual of running players through the Statistical Doppelgänger Machine to see which player seasons are most like the reference player. The Machine uses 14 categories, which include per possession box score stats, playing time, and age. Factors like size and position are not included, but players tend to get comparisons similar in both.

So far this summer, we’ve looked at Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, and Kyshawn George.

To the doppelgängers:

1. Deron Williams | 2011-12 | New Jersey Nets | Age: 27 — Williams was a major problem for opponents. From age 23 to 25 he had three straight seasons with a PPA of 167 or higher. The year he got traded, he rated over 150. This was his first full season with the Nets, and it was bad by his standards. He bounced back for a 151 PPA at age 28 and then declined fast. By age 30, he was basically average…and he dropped more from there.
2. Michael Adams | 1990-91 | Denver Nuggets | Age: 28 — This comp works for me — small guard, unorthodox and herky-jerky, shot tons of threes, didn’t defend. This was Adams’ best season (161 PPA). He returned to Washington the following season…and declined. He was decent at 29 and 30 (131 and 123 PPAs) and average by 31. He hung on for a couple more years as a seldom-used reserve with the Charlotte Hornets.
3. John Wall | 2016-17 | Washington Wizards | Age: 26 — My mental math on this is Young is kinda like Wall plus shooting, minus the strength, athleticism, and defense. This was Wall’s best season. Then, as predicted by analysis I did back in 2017, his performance dropped precipitously as he encountered a series of major injuries. He was out of the league after his age 32 season.
4. John Wall | 2017-18 | Washington Wizards | Age: 27 — YOU SEE WHY I’M ANNOYED? The Machine is saying the Wizards of today have just committed long-term to a player very much like the John Wall who got hurt and got worse…right after signing an expensive long-term contract!
5. Kemba Walker | 2017-18 | Charlotte Hornets | Age: 27 — Another small guard who was really good. Walker’s prime went from a 172 PPA at age 25 to a 166 at 29. Not bad. Except, after being an iron man in previous seasons, he started getting hurt at 29 — a pattern that persisted to the end of his playing career at 32.

There’s a trend here — quick guards who peaked early and declined quick. Guards who changed teams and got worse. Guards who started getting hurt and couldn’t stay healthy.

There are a few more hopeful comps further down the list. Names like Damian Lillard (though Lillard did eventually change teams and get worse), or Tim Hardaway who changed teams, did decline, but stayed fairly productive to age 34 — though with some injury issues after age 31.

The point here is one I’ve been making for years — smaller guards tend not to age well. As their quickness wanes, so does their production. And their health becomes an increasing issue as they approach and pass 30. When I’ve discussed this topic with coaches and executives around the league, I often hear variations on the idea that the “old” analysis of career trajectories isn’t applicable because guys take better care of themselves.

And maybe that’s true. It could be that it’ll be borne out in the data when we look back in 2036.

I’d still rather not have the Wizards staking a maximum contract on that idea.

Next up: Bub Carrington.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country.

It has been an interesting summer for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’ve improved a position of need by trading for Peyton Watson, but getting to that point wasn’t exactly a straight line. Let’s go through the timeline of events.

• May 30 – Mike Gansey leaves the Cavs to lead basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers.
• June 23 – The Cavs trade out of the first round of the NBA Draft.
• June 24 – The Cavs draft Meleek Thomas in the second round.
• June 27 – The Cavs re-sign Thomas Bryant to a one-year deal.
• June 30 – LeBron James announces he’s leaving the Los Angeles Lakers and enters free agency.
• June 30 – Keon Ellis leaves in free agency and signs with the Brooklyn Nets.
• June 30 – Dean Wade leaves in free agency and signs with the 76ers.
• July 7 – The Cavs agree to a four-year contract extension with Donovan Mitchell worth $263 million.
• July 24 – LeBron James chooses the 76ers over the Cavs in free agency.
• July 26 – The Cavs sign Mario Hezonja to a one-year minimum contract.
• August 14 – The Cavs trade Dennis Schroder and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for Tre Mann.
• August 19 – The Cavs trade Max Strus, a 2031 first-round pick, and Tre Mann for Peyton Watson and Cam Whitmore.
• August 20 – The Cavs re-sign James Harden to a three-year, $97 million deal.

Not captured above is the fact that the Cavs went from a team in the second apron last season to being hard-capped at the first apron. Shedding money and improving the on-court team would be a win.

With the dust mostly settled, how would you grade the overall offseason for the Cavs? Let us know in the poll and comments below.

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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Mavericks fans and fans across the country.

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Losing Klay Thompson, as Dallas did this last week by means of a buy-out, prompts a lot of questions about the Dallas offense. On the one hand, the Mavericks had too many players, but on the other, Klay was responsible for a good chunk of Dallas offense.

The Mavericks made 899 threes last season, Klay made 202 of them. That’s nearly a quarter of the team’s makes. So who is going to help close that gap?

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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Suns fans and fans across the country.

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The Phoenix Suns find themselves in an interesting position within the Pacific Division this upcoming season because it might actually be up for grabs. Phoenix is a team that should perform well within the context of the division, even if the oddsmakers don’t necessarily agree.

And make no mistake about it, odds are about the only place divisions really matter anymore. Once upon a time, they meant much more. Now, it’s about where you finish in the conference standings, while division records only come into play once you start digging deep into the recesses of tiebreakers.

Still, when you look at the teams around Phoenix, you can make a legitimate case that the Suns could finish atop the division. But will they?

Let’s take a look at what the Pacific Division looks like heading into the 2026–27 season.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are completely revamped, and LeBron James, Dillon Brooks’s nemesis, is no longer with the organization. He went East, and in doing so vacated $52.6 million in salary. General manager Rob Pelinka did his best to use that space to fill the gaps.

The Lakers acquired Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade deal with the Utah Jazz and will pay him $30.1 million. Yikes. They also added Matisse Thybulle, Quentin Grimes, Kevon Looney, Collin Sexton, and Sandro Mamukelashvili. Yeah, they went ham in free agency once LeBron left the City of Angels.

But the question is whether they actually got better. This was a team that finished as the fourth seed last season, won the Pacific Division, and went 53–29. So while the roster looks dramatically different, the real question is whether all of those changes actually improved a team that was already very good.

Golden State Warriors

We are entering the twilight years of the Golden State Warriors. It has been a hell of a run. Four championships came out of the Stephen Curry era, and they helped change the landscape of the NBA. But alas, all good things eventually come to an end.

General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. didn’t make many splashes this offseason. In fact, Golden State did practically nothing. Pat Spencer and Quinten Post are gone, replaced by rookie Yaxel Lendenborg and LaJae Jones. Draymond Green flirted with the idea of taking less money so LeBron James could join the team by the Bay, which ultimately didn’t happen. Instead, Green signed a one-year, $27.7 million contract to go alongside Stephen Curry’s $62.6 million and Jimmy Butler’s $56.8 million. All three will be unrestricted free agents next summer, and that is $147.1 million committed to three players with an average age of 37.

Now Golden State finds itself in a position where it will once again rely heavily on the legs of a 38-year-old Stephen Curry to remain productive. Because Jimmy Butler? He probably won’t return until the calendar says 2027 after suffering a season-ending ACL tear on January 20, 2026. That injury takes time to recover from, and with Butler turning 37 in September, it’s going to be a long road back.

So the question becomes pretty simple. How good can this team be without him?

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are a team that appears to be in flux after completely changing course midway through last offseason. James Harden is gone. Ivica Zubac is gone. And, in theory, Kawhi Leonard will eventually be gone as well.

They added Rui Hachimura in free agency, re-signed Bradley Beal, and lost veterans in John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic. This is a team leaning much more heavily into its youth after the lottery balls finally fell in its favor.

The Clippers selected Keaton Wagler fifth overall, and when you combine that youth with the speed of Darius Garland, they can absolutely give teams problems if they aren’t ready to get into a track meet. Defensively, though, there’s still plenty to be desired. This is a team in the middle of a revamp, and because of that, I have a hard time realistically seeing them finish atop the Pacific Division standings.

One of the biggest factors surrounding the Clippers this season is the instability of what the future might hold. Kawhi Leonard should be gone in theory, yes, but he isn’t yet. The Aspiration scandal continues to hang over the organization, and there still hasn’t been any real resolution.

Holding one of the league’s richest owners accountable is clearly something the NBA is struggling with, and that’s a bad look for both the league and the team. When that kind of uncertainty and disruption is hanging over an organization, it becomes much harder to see a clear path toward success on the floor.

Sacramento Kings

And then there are the Kings, who experienced postseason bliss four years ago after missing the playoffs for 16 consecutive seasons. What have they done since? Not much. Their big free agent signing was Jonathan Mogbo. Yeah, that’s pretty much it.

They also bought out DeMar DeRozan, who now finds himself with the Denver Nuggets, and they’re clearly leaning more into youth after drafting Darius Acuff Jr. with the seventh overall pick and Alex Karaban with the 29th pick.

For a team that won only 22 games last season, though, it’s hard to say they improved in any meaningful way. Maybe an injection of youth helps around the edges, but that’s about it.

Phoenix Suns

Nestled between all of this are the Phoenix Suns, a team that won 45 games last season and finished second in the Pacific Division standings.

You know the moves. There weren’t many of them. Phoenix re-signed Collin Gillespie, Mark Williams, and Jordan Goodwin this offseason. They added Luke Kennard and Pat Spencer in free agency, and the only notable outgoing players came in the Miles Bridges deal, where the Suns added a starter while giving up two sharpshooters.

Compared to the movement around the rest of the division, Phoenix has leaned heavily into continuity.

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Now that we’ve looked at the landscape of the Pacific Division, the question becomes pretty simple. Where do you see the Phoenix Suns finishing at the end of the season?

There are obviously too many variables at this point of the year to make any prediction with certainty, but based on where these teams currently stand, where does Phoenix fit? Are they the best team in the Pacific? The worst? Somewhere in the middle?

Cast your vote in the poll below, then head to the comments and let us know where you have the Suns finishing and why.

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The Miami Heat needed shooting. It’s hard to do better than Klay Thompson.

The Heat signed Thompson seconds after he was bought out from the Dallas Mavericks on Friday afternoon. Miami landed him on a team-friendly two-year, $11.5 million deal with a team option on the second season, according to insider Keith Smith. Thompson figures to compete with Tim Hardaway Jr. for the starting shooting guard spot this season, and should be a real rotation piece for a team that hopes to contend in the Eastern Conference.

Thompson is still one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA. He attempted 16.6 three-pointers per 100 possessions last season, which was only topped by Steph Curry and LaMelo Ball. He knocked them down at a 38.8% clip, which is still well above league-average. Thompson isn’t the defender he once was, but he graded out much better on that end than Hardaway Jr. did last season. Klay was a 55th percentile defender in Dallas last year according to EPM, while Hardaway Jr. finished in the sixth percentile in the same metric. Thompson’s one-year defensive true shooting impact was +1.2 according to RAPM, while Hardaway’s was -0.3.

This seems like a great fit on paper. Miami made the biggest swing of the offseason by landing Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis might have more downhill rim gravity than any player in the league. There’s really only one way to stop his rumbles to the basket, and that’s by building a wall with multiple defenders. Antetokounmpo has become a good enough passer to kick out in those situations and find teammates. Thompson is a hell of a release valve beyond the arc when Giannis is seeing multiple bodies inside.

Heat fans are already championing this signing as their version of getting Ray Allen back in 2013. All Allen did the next season was hit one of the most iconic shots in NBA history. No pressure, Klay. While I can’t fault Heat fans for getting excited, I tend to think that is way, way too optimistic. Thompson’s fit in Miami feels better on paper than it will be in reality.

Ultimately, I don’t think adding Thompson moves the needle for the Heat all that much.

You don’t fix NBA spacing simply by adding shooters. You fix it by adding shooting to spots on the floor where it didn’t already exist. The Heat were already going to be getting shooting from the two-guard spot whether it’s Hardaway Jr. or Thompson or rookie Ryan Conwell taking those minutes. The reason the Heat’s spacing will likely be poor is because of the pairing between Giannis and Bam Adebayo in the front court, two players defenses will gladly ignore on the perimeter when it really matters.

A shooting leap from Davion Mitchell would help fix the Heat’s spacing. His percentage looks great after making 39.5% of his threes last year. The problem is that he only took 5.3 threes per 100 possessions, making him the 13th highest-volume three-point shooter on a Heat roster last year that finished No. 18 in three-point rate. Pelle Larsson taking a shooting leap would improve the Heat’s spacing. He only made 32.3% of his threes on 4.8 attempts from deep per 100 possessions last year. Andrew Wiggins was better — 41.4% from three on 7.5 threes per 100 — but his shooting volume will have to rise this year too even if it means sacrificing some accuracy.

I just don’t think Miami’s shooting will scare anyone when the game slows down in the playoffs. Giannis will still be seeing multiple bodies in the paint, and unless Bam is ripping seven threes like he did in his 83-point game against the Wizards last season, defenses will be happy to ignore him on the perimeter as a fake floor spacer.

There was a time when Thompson was so devastating as a movement shooter that his very presence could unlock elite spacing. He’s not there anymore. The biggest issue with Thompson is he can’t dribble at all anymore, and that makes him one of the worst two-point scorers in the NBA.

Thompson made 41.8% of his two-pointers last year. The worst qualified two-point scorer in the league last season was Bub Carrington, who made 44.3% of his twos. You can find a few full-time players who were less efficient than Thompson from two-point range last year — Jamal Shead, Sion James, Patrick Williams, Mike Conley Jr., Jordan Hawkins, and Gabe Vincent among players who played at least 50 games last season — but not many. At this point, all opposing defenses have to do is run Klay off the three-point line and he immediately becomes a non-threat.

When Klay is run off the arc, he also tends to turn the ball over a lot. He’s had a passing turnover rate of 16% or greater for each of the last four years. That’s real bad. His 16% passing turnover rate last season ranked in the 19th percentile for all players. He adds no value in the possession game with his rebounding, either, and he’s not causing any havoc on defense these days. He ranked in the first percentile of deflections per 100 possessions, and the fourth percentile of forced turnovers per 100 possessions. Thompson can still execute the assignment to some extent defensively, but he’s not going help you get out in transition or get you any extra possessions.

It’s also kind of shocking that Klay has been below league average in true shooting for every season since 2019 — when he suffered a devastating torn ACL in the NBA Finals and then a torn Achilles while rehabbing. The fact that Thompson is even still in the NBA at age-36 is pretty miraculous, but there’s a reason he’s a buy out guy.

I feel like Hardaway Jr. will be a better fit for the Heat than Klay despite his defensive limitations because he’s a more dynamic offensive player while still being an elite outside shooter. The best case scenario for Miami is that Pelle Larsson or Myron Gardner or Dru Smith or Conwell develops enough to eventually grab those minutes, because they are more well-rounded players than either Klay or THJ.

I had the Heat at No. 15 overall and No. 8 in the East in my updated NBA power rankings after the Peyton Watson trade. I’m not moving them over the Hawks (No. 14) or the Pacers (No. 13) after landing Thompson.

I don’t mean to pour cold water on this for Heat fans, I just still think the Heat have a lot of problems heading into this season. The main reason for optimism is that no one develops diamonds in the rough better than Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley. I’d bet Miami has one or two more key contributors by the end of the year than they do right now, because Spo will coach them up. For now, it feels like the Heat are a play-in team even with Klay Thompson.

With LeBron James and Jaylen Brown added to a Philadelphia 76ers roster that upset the Boston Celtics and reached the second round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs last season, excitement is certainly high heading into the 2026-27 season. When we’re talking about two former NBA Finals MVPs wearing Sixers jerseys for the first time, you know people are going to want to be sporting their gear. Well, now you have your chance. The team announced that during Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, the arena’s team store will be having a merchandise sale.

From Philadelphia 76ers public relations:

“Beginning Tuesday, Aug. 25, 76ers fans will have the opportunity to shop for new 76ers merchandise at OutPHItters, the team store at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and gear up for the much anticipated 2026-27 season. With excitement building around the team this upcoming season, fans are encouraged to visit Xfinity Mobile Arena during the two-day window to stock up on the latest merchandise.

Fans can visit the team store on Tuesday, Aug. 25, and Wednesday Aug. 26 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. to shop jerseys featuring Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, LeBron James, and Tyrese Maxey, as well as new 76ers apparel, collectibles, and accessories, whiles supplies last.“

Here’s the post from X, as well:

come get ready for the 2026-27 season.

🗓️Aug. 25–26
⏰11AM–6PM
📍OutPHItters – @XMobileArenapic.twitter.com/xmwhAjYrb2

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) August 23, 2026

With just a couple shore weekends left for the summer, you know that official James 23 jersey would be a conversation starter while walking the boardwalk or at happy hour. I have to imagine the organization will be printing money with the new merch. Hopefully the wins match the excitement in a couple months’ time.

Last season, two players meaningfully made a difference for the San Antonio Spurs when they were on the court vs. when they were off it. The first was Victor Wembanyama, who made the team’s net rating increase by 15.7 points when he was on the court vs. off. That tracks. The second might surprise you, but it makes sense when you think about it.

Julian Champagnie was second on the team in net on/off at +8.5, good enough for the 94th percentile in the NBA. Champagnie’s placement in the starting lineup, replacing veteran Harrison Barnes, was a large reason the Spurs went on the second-half run that got them to 60+ wins. His shooting made it difficult for teams to pack the paint against Wembanyama and San Antonio’s guards. Champagnie provided just enough defense and rebounding to help the team compete in key areas where they were deficient.

But those deficiencies were exposed in the postseason, especially by the bigger, stronger New York Knicks, who beat the Spurs 4-1 in the Finals. Champagnie is hardly to blame for that series, but it proved San Antonio needed to add size to the frontcourt. So this summer the team signed veteran forward Tobias Harris to a two-year $30M contract. At 6-foot-8, 225, Harris brings the size needed to bang inside with bigger players, and the versatility to play on the perimeter. He has become an early favorite to compete with Champagnie for a starting role.

And yet, our readers want Champagnie to remain in the starting lineup, keeping the continuity from last season. That starting (and closing) lineup clicked so well on its trip to the Finals that it doesn’t make much sense to change it heading into next season. In addition, Harris would give San Antonio’s bench even more scoring pop, something it desperately needed last year, particularly in the playoffs.

There is a world where the Spurs could treat Champagnie and Harris like 5th and 6th starters in an MLB rotation sense. When a matchup calls for Harris to slide into the starting five, he can replace Champagnie to size up against bigger teams. Both players can be trusted to close games, and in fact, may do so alongside each other, giving San Antonio even more shooting down the stretch.

One interesting note from the poll is that Dylan Harper only brought in 11% of the vote, despite many calling for him to be promoted to a starter next season. Harper’s time is coming, but he is best suited to be arguably the NBA’s best sixth man next season, and potentially close a few games as he progresses.

Ultimately, this conversation stems from champagne problems. The Spurs are coming off an NBA Finals run; they are young, and they have only added talent. They realistically have 7 players who would start on many NBA teams, and at least three more they trust to be high-level rotation players. That’s why they are +280 to win the NBA Finals on FanDuel. But it’s late August, and it’s fun to think about lineups for the coming year! As it stands today, Champagnie seems to be the fan favorite to keep his starting spot, but that could change when training camp comes around.

Raptors fans come in all shapes and sizes. Some have been here since the start, others when Vince Carter put his arm through the rim, some arrived during the 2019 championship run, and others are just getting into it now. Whether you’re the person who lives for trade rumours, still talks about 2019 like it happened yesterday, or thinks every loss is somehow the coach’s fault, there’s a good chance you’ve seen yourself somewhere on Raptors Twitter (X). So, in no particular order, here are eight types of Raptors fans you’ll find watching the team in 2026.

1. The 2019 nostalgia fan 

This fan is still living in the greatest summer in Raptors history. They remember every moment of the championship run, have The Shot permanently saved somewhere, and will find a way to bring up the 2019 team in almost any conversation. And now that Kawhi could potentially be coming back? They’re having the time of their life.

2. The Bobby Webster “trust the process” fan 

No matter what the front office does, this fan has an answer: trust Bobby. Trade away a young player? There’s a plan. Give up draft picks? There’s a plan. Make a move nobody understands? Don’t worry, Bobby knows something we don’t. They may not understand the move themselves, but they’re willing to wait and see.

3. The “TRADE EVERYONE” fan 

The Raptors lose one game and this person has already opened the trade machine. Nobody is safe. Bad shooting night? Trade him. Bad defensive possession? Trade him. Missed a free throw? Probably time to move him. Somehow, by the end of the night, they’ve traded half the roster and turned three second-round picks into an All-Star. I admittedly could be this type of fan sometimes. 

4. The “we just need shooting” fan 

Every Raptors problem can be solved with one thing: shooting. Bad defence? Need shooting. Too many turnovers? Need shooting. Lost by 20? Should’ve shot better. This fan has probably mentioned three-point percentage at least five times before halftime and has already identified the next shooter Toronto needs to acquire.

5. The “we’re actually contenders” fan 

This fan doesn’t need much convincing. Give Toronto one good win and suddenly they’re looking ahead to the Eastern Conference Finals. Add Kawhi Leonard to the roster and they’re already planning the parade route. Injuries, seeding, roster depth,  none of it matters. They’re winning the championship until someone mathematically proves otherwise.

6. The doomer 

The complete opposite. The Raptors could be up 25 with two minutes left and this fan is worried. A bad first quarter? Season over. A three-game losing streak? Blow it all up. A player misses one shot? Trade him. Somehow, every season ends with the exact same conclusion: “I told you this team wasn’t going anywhere.” At times, I am definitely a doomer fan, something I need to work on this season! 

7. The Darko defender 

You don’t understand the rotation. Darko does. You don’t understand why a certain player is getting 28 minutes. Darko does. You don’t understand why the Raptors just called that timeout. Don’t worry about it. There’s a reason. This fan will defend Darko’s decisions until the final buzzer, and may have a 10-minute explanation ready if you ask.

8. The LeBronto survivor 

It’s been years. They’ve moved on. They’re perfectly healthy and emotionally stable whenever LeBron James comes up: No, they haven’t. They remember the 2018 playoffs. They remember the sweep. They remember that bank shot, that dunk and every other time LeBron made Toronto look helpless. LeBron could be retired for 20 years, would only have amazing things to say about the Raptors, Toronto, and the fans and this fan would still see him walk into Scotiabank Arena and think, “not again.” 

Despite all the differences, arguments and questionable takes, Raptors fans all want the same thing: what’s best for the team. Whether you’re calling for a blockbuster trade, defending every move the front office makes, or still recovering from LeBronto, we’re all watching because we care. And at the end of the day, that’s what makes being a Raptors fan so much fun.

Where ESPN experts predict Warriors, Kings will finish 2026-27 NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

ESPN’s latest projections have both Northern California NBA franchises staring up at the rest of the Western Conference — for very different reasons.

The outlet’s experts, in their preseason forecast, have the Warriors finishing the 2026-27 NBA regular season with a 35-47 record as the West’s No. 9 seed, securing a play-in tournament spot for a fourth straight year. The Kings fared much worse, projected dead last in the conference at 19-63 as a rebuild takes full shape in Sacramento.

The Warriors’ outlook hinges almost entirely on health. Golden State missed out on LeBron James this summer despite Draymond Green opting out of his own contract to help create the flexibility to pursue him, leaving the roster largely unchanged from a team that finished 37-45 and lost in the play-in tournament a year ago.

Jimmy Butler, who tore his right ACL in January, remains the single biggest swing factor for the season, while Moses Moody’s own season-ending knee injury only has added to the uncertainty on the wing.

The one genuine bright spot has been rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The No. 11 overall pick was named 2026 Summer League MVP after averaging 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and four assists across six games, capped by a 21-point, 10-rebound performance in the championship game win over the Memphis Grizzlies — making him the first player in franchise history to win the award.

ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported in July that Steve Kerr already has indicated Lendeborg could open the regular season in the Warriors’ starting lineup, a rare vote of confidence from a coach not typically known for rushing rookies into major roles. With Butler and Moody both out for the beginning of the season, Golden State might need exactly that kind of unexpected contribution to have any chance of exceeding a modest projection.

Sacramento has an entirely different situation. The Kings moved on from longtime veteran DeMar DeRozan this offseason and have leaned into a younger core, adding rookies Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp through the NBA draft, while second-year players like Dylan Cardwell and Max Raynaud continue developing in the rotation.

That youth movement, paired with persistent trade speculation surrounding Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, has left real uncertainty over what the Kings’ actual best roster even looks like on any given night — exactly the kind of instability that tends to produce the growing pains ESPN is projecting.

Both franchises are betting heavily on internal development this season, just on different timelines.

For the Warriors, that means hoping a rookie forward can offset injuries to two established veterans long enough for Steph Curry to make one more real push. For the Kings, it means accepting a difficult season now in exchange for a young core the front office believes can be built around for years to come.

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