Norman Powell signed with the Bulls in the offseason. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Powell was formerly a cross-town rival of the Lakers, having some of the best years of his career with the Clippers from 2021 through 2025.
Powell’s remarks come at an interesting time for the Lakers franchise. The offseason featured a slew of dramatic events including the departure of LeBron James and owner Mark Walter selling the team amid a federal investigation.
As for the Lakers’ roster, general manager Rob Pelinka orchestrated a massive overhaul headlined by center Walker Kessler’s four-year, $130 million deal. LA’s new trio features Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Kessler.
Many experts are predicting the Lakers to finish the 2026-27 season as a fringe playoff team, rather than a legitimate contender. Thus, Powell’s comments seem unwarranted.
But the guard formerly played for the Clippers from 2022-25, so his remarks may be coming from the crosstown rivalry.
Doncic will have to show he can do just that this season.
The new look Lakers will be led by Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. NBAE via Getty ImagesLuka Doncic faces immense pressure to play at a high level this season and lead the Lakers to a playoff push. Andrej Tarfila/SOPA Images
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 18: The sneakers worn by Nate Santos #56 of the Orlando Magic basket during the game against the Dallas Mavericks during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 18, 2025 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Tom O'Connor/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Duke basketball blessed Celtics fans with some electric offseason content. At this point of the offseason, any morsel of Celtics content can help satiate us for another moment as we inch closer to the start of the season. This time, it comes courtesy of a 59-second highlight video featuring plenty of Jayson Tatum in what appears to be a scrimmage between current Duke players and program alumni.
When Jayson Tatum returned from his Achilles injury last season, every time he suited up felt like we were being treated to something special. The novelty has not worn off. Seeing JT moving as explosively and fluidly, even in a highly curated social media clip, has me dreaming of big things for Jayson Tatum in this upcoming season.
In the 22 games across the regular season and playoffs, Tatum put up 22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists on 56% true shooting. And when you zoom in on the last 10 games of his campaign, those numbers jump up to 23 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists on 60% true shooting. The star forward was dropped into the middle of a ramp up for the playoffs, coming off a catastrophic injury, and was able to regain a lot of his All-NBA superpowers relatively effortlessly. When you factor in how good Tatum was in the sample we already saw, and then give him a full offseason to get his legs under him, it’s easy to envision the Celtics star regaining his status as a perennial All-NBA 1st Team member.
This also gave us another opportunity to update our #CalfWatch files. The further Tatum gets from his achille injury, the more normal his calf appears. After asking the computer to enhance multiple times, we have some 4K quality comparisons of Tatum’s current left and right calf.
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 24: Khaman Maluach #10 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Denver Nuggets on March 24, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
If you’re a Suns fan who isn’t living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that newly re-signed center Mark Williams will be out until at least the All-Star Break with a torn labrum, if not longer. This leaves Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach as the only centers left on the team, and Ighodaro is more of a PF/C size-wise.
Williams had been the presumptive starter for the team, and Oso the back-up, with Maluach getting spot minutes here and there. This was despite Maluach’s dominant summer league performances where he resembled nothing so much as Will Ferrell in Elf. There was significant debate as to where Maluach would find playing time, but Williams’ injury just opened things up.
The presumptive starter on opening day is Ighodaro, but I believe that would be a mistake. Ighodaro has absolutely no shooting range, no three-point shot to speak of; he’s undersized and doesn’t rebound. His strengths are based around his mobility, high basketball IQ, and willingness to play the team game. The problem is that his weaknesses exacerbate the problems with the (presumptive) rest of the starting unit of Green, Booker, Brooks, and Bridges.
As many others have written about these four, they’re not great three-point shooters, undersized, not good rebounders, and lack the size to protect the rim. Ighodaro takes all of those issues and either makes them worse or does nothing to address them. Maluach, on the other hand, seems like a better fit.
First and foremost, he looked like a legitimate three-point threat in summer league (8 of 20 for 40%), and given his work ethic, age, and rapid development so far, I suspect that won’t be a mirage. Adding a legit 40%, three-point shooting center to the starting lineup will help create space for the supposed offensive goal of getting more penetration drives for shots at the rim. Playing Oso allows the opposing center to camp in the paint, mooting the entire point of trading for guys who are supposedly better at getting shots at the rim.
It’s hard to overstate the value of centers who provide space: back in the day when Steve Nash and Channing Frye were on the team, they were always neck-and-neck for who would lead the team in box plus/minus and net plus-minus per 48. Which is a fancy way of saying that statistically, Channing Frye was as important to the team’s winning as Nash was, and all he really brought to the table was being a switchable 4/5 that could hit threes and provide spacing.
Conversely, Oso seems like a better fit with the second unit of Gillespie, Goodwin, Kennard, and Fleming. All four of them are somewhere between good at three-point shooting (Fleming), to God-tier (Kennard, Gillespie). Fleming is long, tall, and heavy enough to play a little small-ball center, meaning that this unit doesn’t suffer some of the size issues as the starters. Oso’s lack of shooting range doesn’t matter nearly as much, but his ability to facilitate offensive flow will work well with a bunch of players who aren’t stars who can create their own shot but can absolutely hit open threes at a deadly rate.
Maluach doesn’t have to close out games either: he’s very young and still going to be pretty raw. That’s a problem for a competitive team going into crunch time in the fourth quarter. I suspect as the season wears on, and some of the issues with the Suns rotation become more apparent (I wrote about issues with how Green and Bridges fit here), we could see Gillespie, Kennard, Goodwin, and Fleming getting minutes late in the fourth quarter when the team needs stops on defense and spacing for Booker to operate on offense.
Oso makes more sense in these sorts of situations where they need a more polished, reliable, high basketball IQ player to close out games if there are better three-point shooters on the floor with him. It wouldn’t be the first time the Suns have started games with one center and finished with another: Jarron Collins and Robin Lopez usually got the starting nod over Channing Frye from 2009-2011, but it was almost always Frye on the court to finish the game.
Of course, the Suns are going to experiment with lineups a little in pre-season, and we will see how the dynamics of the starting unit will play out in the first month of the season. But if things aren’t gelling (and I’m skeptical that they will), Jordan Ott might be wise to shake things up and see if Maluach is indeed a better fit with the rest of the starting unit.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 29 : Fans outside Brooklyn Basketball Training Center during an introductory Press Conference for the 2026 Brooklyn Nets Draftees on June 29, 2026 in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Albert Ghim writes for No Ceilings, one of the more sophisticated NBA sites, and last week, he got a rare chance to check up on veteran players working out on the West Coast, particularly those charges of personal trainer Zach Gonzalez. Among those who he’s been focusing on in Gonzalez workouts and the runs at the NBPL’s new training facility in Playa Vista, an L.A. suburb. has been Egor Demin. To say Ghim is enthusiastic about the Nets second year guard would be an understatement. He just raves about him!
Ghim described how the 20-year-old has been working out in L.A.
“He is absolutely locked in, laser-focused, a man on a mission,” Ghim began. “He is so hard and ferocious on himself. I asked him what is your day-to-day look like right now. He’s working out with Zach in the morning, he playing the pro-runs at the new NBPA facility, getting in a lift. He’s doing extra workouts at night when possible.
“He’s going so hard. He is truly a man on a mission. This is a guy who knows where he needs to grow, spending a ton of time on his ball-handling, a ton of time on physicality, his jumpers, different types of jumpers — jumpers off movement, jumpers off the dribble. jumpers from the mid-range, from the outside, playing through physicality, embracing physicality. Initiating physicality is a big one to watch as well.
Ghim also spoke about how Demin has bulked up.
“For Brooklyn Nets fans who are watching this right now, I want you to know that Yegor’s body is absolutely destroyed. It is beaten. He is so hard on himself. He does not care if he’s hurt or if he’s slightly hurt or not feeling well, he is looking himself in that gym and to watch him work.”
“He said, ‘look we get it. We’re not idiots. We hear what people are saying on TV, saying we don’t want to win, we don’t care. We care,” Ghim quoted Demin.
Ghim also relayed what may have been the most interesting point of his 12 and a half minute commentary, how veterans are respecting Demin in the pro runs.
“Initially, early on, some of the veterans didn’t want him to play. They were like ‘he’s too young. we want to keep the younger guys off, keep it to veterans.‘ Then, he got in and he absolutely started torching guys. Guys like Norman Powell and Kyrie Irving have had a lot of praise for Egor. And in one of the games, he was playing with Norman Powell and he went off for like 30 plus and they won. And as he walked off the floor and they were all saying, ‘this kid is going to be an absolute problem’ and they are very, very impressed with him…
“He looks like a guy who absolutely wants to turn the narrative of the Brooklyn Nets. He’s already spent time in Texas with Julius Randle, working out with him, building that rapport, that relationship and he is a man on a mission that wants to bring Brooklyn back to winning basketball.” Ghim added. “He wants to be a leader. He wants to be a leader by example.
Finally, Ghim offered a little intel on the relationship between Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. who’s only a month younger than Demin.
“He’s telling me about Mikel and he’s saying, ‘Mikel is a freak.’ And the stuff Mikel cares about — his intel, his knowledge, his IQ of the game is extremely, extremely high. He feels like the fit between him and Mikel is going to be like a glove.
“It’s going to be a perfect pairing between the two and he’s talking about how Mikel has so much ability, on and off ball, which makes their pairing so interesting as Egor continues to grow as a ball-handler, as a creator himself. If I was a Brooklyn Nets fan, I’d be absolutely through the moon with the young core they’re building over there … Egor looks like a man on a mission and he’s coming for blood.”
Ghim’s No Ceilings colleague, Corey Tulaba, added that there’s other aspects of what’s going on with Brooklyn that need to be understood like the addition of Julius Randle who, despite Michael Porter Jr.‘s jump last year, is something the Nets — and Demin — didn’t have last year: an established NBA star.
“This is an all-NBA player who can make an impact on winning and has done that at multiple stops,” Tulaba argued. “So now, you’ve got a chance to go other there not just with a bunch of guys who are maybe learning how to play together or guys who are playing for themselves. You’re going to play with veterans who know what to do. They’re really building something cool in Brooklyn and it feels organic.”
To that point, Ghim noted that Demin shouted out other members of the Flatbush5, specifically Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf moving forward.
The two writers agreed that there’s not much likelihood that things in Brooklyn will take a big leap this year but as Ghim concluded, continuity should be a big help as they move along their NBA careers.
“The team feels they are building out a team of guys that can do stuff,” he noted. “Bring different layers, different styles as a team and them being so young as they are and building together and them really believing in themselves and the group that they have, obviously it won’t be this year, but in the next couple of years this may be a real team to watch in the East.”
But, wait, there was more!!
David Thorpe of True Hoop this week did a list of Ten guys who might make a big difference and he raved about the possibility that the Nets eighth youngest player, barely 22-year-old Noah Clowney, could have a breakout season. (We’ve written about Clowney several times this summer, most recently in these pages just a week ago but Thorpe’s analysis is new.)
The take has one fun fact we were unaware of which we highlighted as well as a possibility we hadn’t thought much about. Thorpe starts off by noting that he thought Clowney may have made a mistake declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft where the Nets took him with the 21st pick, making him the fourth youngest player in the NBA. He was also their first return on the Kevin Durant trade with Phoenix. But as he also notes, that’s what over the dam:
I thought it odd that Clowney left a terrific program at Alabama, fresh off a Final Four appearance, after one season. He was probably too young to succeed in the NBA, and could have made a ton in NIL money!
So last season he entered this tier of players from whom I had no idea what to expect. And out of those players … he impressed me more than anyone when I got to see him play in games. Only three players 21 or younger averaged at least 12 points and took at least 3.4 or more free throws per game: Clowney, Cooper Flagg, and Stephon Castle And he did that in only 27 minutes per game.
He is not a good shooter. But at 33 percent from 3, where he’s been for his two seasons, he’s not bad and there’s every reason to think he is due for a big improvement. He has a lot of game cutting, driving, slashing, and drawing fouls off those attacks. If his shot improves, I doubt it’ll be too long before he gets a chance to start ahead of Julius Randle. His defense will have to keep improving, but to me Clowney has the look of a starting level power forward who might even play some small ball five.
For the record, Clowney averaged 12.3 points on 40/33/80 shooting to go along with 4.3 boards, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks. As every Nets fan knows, there have been games or series of games where he’s gotten us all excited, like the final week of the 2023-24 season when he had games of seven and four blocks and the 14 games last season where had four or more 3-pointers go in, including games of seven and six in a 10-day, five-game stretch.
He does that consistently and his restricted free agency will be interesting come July. The Nets can match any offer he might get (and there were rumblings last season that the San Antonio Spurs might have interest.) Still, it was good to see the Thorpe analysis. He did not include rookies or second year players, it should be noted.
That’s your weekly dose of optimism. Now you can read what Channing Frye has to say about the Nets being “straight garbage.” We won’t. We’ve been inundated with the negative. We trying for balance.
Hair style updates
Combing the Internet this week, we found video of both Mikel Brown Jr. and Grant Nelson in barber chairs. No, nothing escapes the ND Dragnet…
We found the first on HoopChina…
And the second onFargo, N.D. barber Landon Lopez’s Instagram account…
Grant Nelson returns home to North Dakota and his local barber asks where you been? https://t.co/6dX4zslWMu
You won’t see Pooch’s byline on ND for a while. He and his new wife, Gabrielle Galluzzi, are on a honeymoon in the Caribbean! Anthony and Gabrielle were married Saturday afternoon at St. Francis de Chantal R.C. Church in Wantagh, N.Y.
Steve Kerr hoped the Warriors could add some “younger legs” this offseason, but the Warriors coach knows addressing the need was easier said than done.
As Golden State approaches the 2026-27 NBA season with a roster closely resembling the aging group that competed last campaign, Kerr explained why on Friday’s episode of the “Tom Tolbert Show.”
“Having been a GM, I know how hard it is to just magically say, ‘All right, we’re going to get younger,’ ” Kerr told Tolbert. “We obviously tried to get younger, but stuff has to materialize. You have to have the assets or the cap room to be able to do certain things.
“The stuff that came our way, I mean, it’s [Mike Dunleavy’s] job and [Joe Lacob’s] job, but they obviously run everything by me. I mean, there was nothing that made sense to me to make this huge move. So, look, we did the best we could to put together the roster.”
In addition to bringing back veterans like Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and Kristaps Porziņģis, the Warriors added Georges Niang and Brandon Williams in free agency after drafting Yaxel Lendeborg No. 11 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
It’s Kerr’s hope that the current roster, anchored by Steph Curry and Draymond Green, has enough depth to overcome its age as the team waits for Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody to return from their respective injuries.
“I think Yaxel’s going to help quite a bit,” Kerr continued. “He’s a really good player. He’s older, he’s mature. Watching him work out with our guys, he’s going to help us. Gui Santos, Brandon Podziemski, these guys are going to help us. George Niang, Brandon Williams, new signees. Nothing earth shattering, but really good players who can play a lot of minutes.
“And so I think our depth is the answer to the question you asked. We’re going to have to rely on our whole roster, including our two-way players at times. And fortunately, I do feel really good about the guys we have who have kind of filled out the back end of the roster. And I think they can help us hold down the fort until Jimmy [Butler] and Moses [Moody] get back the second half of the year.”
For the first time since the 2021-22 season, the Warriors are fielding a full 15-man roster to start the campaign in an attempt to make up for Moody and Butler’s absences.
Despite the odds — and Father Time — seemingly stacked against them, Kerr and the Warriors certainly hope they can recreate some of the magic from that championship year.
The previous projection had been $174 million. While a $2 million increase may not seem like much, it's good news for teams.
The $176 million figure is a 6.7% increase over the $164.96 million cap for this coming season. After the massive new national television deal was signed a couple of years ago, the expectation was that the league would see 10% salary cap increases for at least half a decade and likely longer. Instead, because of the collapse of the local television market for many teams, that percentage has dropped.
The concern for teams with star players on max contracts is that those come with 8% annual raises, but now the salary cap does not keep pace. Suddenly, a player projected to earn 35% of the salary cap can earn a slightly higher percentage, making it more difficult to build a team around him.
The increased cap also means that players who signed max contracts that kick in next season, such as Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, will earn slightly more.
In Friday’s episode of the “Tom Tolbert Show,” Kerr joined his former college teammate at Arizona to discuss the Warriors’ recruitment of James and the rather awkward dilemma it created for many in Dub Nation.
“I don’t think it’s exactly earth-shattering news, or I don’t think I’ll get fined for saying, like, it never really felt like he was coming here,” Kerr told Tolbert. “To me, it was more speculation than anything. I think we would have had a much better sense that, you know, something was going to happen.
“It’s been really interesting, though, hearing fans around the Bay — like, you know, people will randomly come up to me and say, ‘I’m glad we didn’t get LeBron.’ And I’m like, ‘Really?’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah, it’s like he’s not supposed to be on our team. He’s a rival.’ And I get that as a sports fan. It’d be like, you know, should Magic [Johnson] and [Larry] Bird have played on the same team?
“So, I mean, just as a coach and having coached him in the Olympics — sign me up. … But it’s been interesting hearing our fans. I think fans, you know, because of the emotional connection you have to your team and rivalries and all that stuff, I think it was just a weird thought. That’s the reaction I’m getting from a lot of people.”
On one hand, the thought of James playing with Steph Curry is mouth-watering to most basketball fans, especially after they teamed up to win gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics with Kerr as the coach.
But at the same time, as Kerr acknowledged, it likely would have been weird for Warriors fans, who have seen James has a primary rival for over a decade.
Maybe that latter factor played into James’ decision not to join Golden State in the end — and possibly his lack of perceived interest in the first place.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 09: Ziaire Williams #1 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Barclays Center on March 09, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Nets won 126-115. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the NBA season fast approaching, the Lakers have numerous lineup decisions to iron out. None is more immediate than the starting lineup.
This can shift during the season, but four out of five are likely locked in with Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, and Walker Kessler.
The fifth can go in a multitude of directions, whether it’s an offensive-leaning spacing four with Sandro Mamukelashvili, the high defensive pedigree vet in Matisse Thybulle or an uber-athletic defender looking for a fresh start.
For the latter, enter Ziaire Williams, who has the highest-upside wing profile on the team and a skill set that matches what the Lakers desperately need.
Williams enters his sixth season in the league, bouncing around from being the No. 10 pick with the Grizzlies to trying to find a home with the Nets. Listed at 6’9” with a 6’10” wingspan, he has intriguing tools as a potential disruptor.
Tools mean nothing without the desire to use them, though. As is the case with most young players, the defensive concentration comes in flashes. The tanking Nets won 46 total games in the two years Williams was on the roster, which isn’t exactly the environment where high energy and defensive focus are cultivated.
When locked in, Williams showed a level of versatility left for the best defenders in the league. Displaying good technique and quickness navigating screens on the perimeter, Brooklyn tagged him on top playmakers where he held his own.
In the clip below, he’s matched with Jalen Brunson at the top of the key. Defending a ball screen, the reach-in gives up the first step. He quickly recovers, avoids the foul while chasing behind and cleanly blocks the shot to ignite the break the other way.
While composure and solid fundamentals are critical, Williams brings athletic defensive playmaking to a team lacking it elsewhere. His length allowed him to play back on ball handlers and still recover in time to block 3-point attempts.
He collected just 0.4 blocks per game but was always alert and opportunistic, including coming over for weakside denials with his quick-twitch jump.
Great hands and excellent timing cause havoc for opposing offenses. In the clip below, he waits for Kevin Durant to turn his head before quickly swiping the ball free and heading the other way.
Williams gets a ton of unexpected steals in the backcourt, patiently waiting for the offense to relax and bring their guard down. The chaos creator led the Nets with 3.2 deflections per game, a number that would have led the Lakers as well.
With a cluster of wings vying for minutes, defense will get Williams on the floor, while offense will determine whether he stays.
It’s no secret how the Lakers offense will run. Luka and Reaves will eat a majority of the offensive possessions and shoulder the bulk of playmaking. Whatever is left will go to Grimes and Kessler for finishing or short roll touches.
The presumed fifth starter will need to be productive without any offense running through them. Years removed from his original draft-night potential, this role as a contributor to high-level winning fits his archetype.
As is typical for any supporting player in the modern NBA, it starts and ends with the ability to make an open 3-point shot. Although the soon-to-be 25-year-old has never shot above 34% from 3-point range, as he did last season, there is hope he can eventually find the range.
Williams has taken over four attempts from behind the arc per game over the last two seasons, revealing little apprehension. Last year, he hit 41% on wide-open attempts, tracked with a defender six plus feet away.
Attaining a dependable jumper, even slightly, not only raises the impact he makes on the other end but opens up the room to reveal his timely cutting, attacking the basket or lobs his new guards love to throw.
One place athletic wings with questionable jumpers end up around the league is the dunker spot. It’s a tougher place to rotate help to and it opens the door for quick slips behind the defense.
Watch below as he’s stationed in the corner and slides toward the rim as the action unfolds. The short roll pass opens the three-on-two advantage, leading to the lob at the basket.
In the clip below, he sets an off-ball screen. He quickly notices the defense pre-switching the action and correctly counters by slipping to the basket. Williams gets on his trampoline for the athletic finish over contesting Aaron Gordon.
Paired with young, unproven ball handlers, Williams was still in the efficient 81st percentile on low volume as a cutter and finished 66% of his attempts at the basket last year.
He’s a prototypical 3-and-D player if the shot comes around, with a game in hopes of mirroring successful players such as Derick Jones Jr.
While he’s recently said all the right things, questions remain about a shaky jumper and defensive engagement. If Williams can put the offense together and maintain his defensive focus, he can find himself in line for many of the available minutes left on the team.
It has been a wild offseason for the Lakers, who revamped their roster around Luka Dončić and are preparing to try to compete for their first championship since 2020.
There’s a lot of uncertainty after they lost their superstar of the last eight years in LeBron James and underwent their second ownership change in the last 14 months, but there’s also a lot to be excited about.
Here are the five things Lakers fans have to look forward to heading into next season.
Luka Dončić at an outdoor basketball court during the Los Angeles Lakers’ visit in Ljubljana, Slovenia in August 2026. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett
1. Luka Dončić is on a mission
After James chose to go to the 76ers in free agency, the Lakers are unequivocally Dončić’s team. For the first time in his career, he took all of his teammates to his home in Slovenia this summer to host a minicamp to build chemistry.
Dončić is clearly taking the responsibility of being the Lakers’ superstar very seriously. He knows he’s playing for a 17-time championship organization and all eyes are going to be on him to lead the team back atop the league.
Last season, Dončić led the league in scoring (33.5 points), finished third in assists (8.3) and was fourth in MVP voting before he suffered a hamstring strain that sidelined him for the playoffs.
This season, here’s to betting he’s going to be on a personal mission to carry the roster he helped select deep into the postseason.
Austin Reaves signed the richest contract in NBA history this offseason for a player who went undrafted. Getty Images
2. Austin Reaves is due for a breakout season
Reaves signed the richest contract in NBA history this offseason for a player who went undrafted. Dončić wanted him as his sidekick. He has officially gone from being one of the league’s wonderful surprises to becoming one of the torchbearers for the NBA’s second-winningest franchise.
Reaves had so many moments last season where he proved he’s a star, including a 51-point performance followed by a 41-point performance in October and a jaw-dropping floater at the buzzer during a game against Denver in March.
Now expectations are going to be even higher for a player who scraped his way into the league and is now a borderline All-Star.
The Lakers went all in on Walker Kessler, whom Dončić wanted as his center. Getty Images
3. All eyes on Walker Kessler
The Lakers went all in on Kessler, whom Dončić wanted as his center. They acquired him from the Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, signing him to a four-year, $130 million contract.
So, they essentially mortgaged their future for him.
How does Kessler feel about that?
“I’m going to run through a brick wall for them,” Kessler said during his introductory Lakers news conference in July in Las Vegas.
Kessler, who’s one of the league’s top shot blockers and rebounders, has every reason to pour out his heart for Dončić and the Lakers.That’s good news considering they need him to transform into a superstar to have any chance in the very crowded Western Conference.
4. The Lakers‘ new owners have a lot to prove
After Mark Walter stunningly sold the Lakers to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, there were a lot of questions around the team. But there’s also a lot of optimism, especially considering there’s a federal law enforcement probe into Walter’s financial affairs.
The Lakers have a fresh start under Iger, the former CEO of Disney, and Kushner, a venture capitalist.
While Iger’s and Kushner’s plans have yet to take form, there’s hope that things could trend upward for the Lakers under the new owners who are eager to prove themselves in their new endeavor.
5. The Lakers have been front and center
Say what you will about the Lakers, who have been embroiled in a seemingly endless cascade of drama all summer — ranging from James leaving, to new ownership, to more Buss family drama — but the Lakers are still dominating the spotlight.
The Lakers are exciting. They’re the talk of the league. They’re full of surprises.
Regardless of what happens, it’s obvious that next season is going to be a fun-filled thrill ride full of twists and turns that captivates the basketball world’s attention.
Cheers to the adventure being around the corner.
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Jamaree Bouyea #17 of the Phoenix Suns passes the ball during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by William Purnell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every day, we’ll take a closer look at another member of the 2026-27 Phoenix Suns, examining what they bring to the roster and what their role could mean for the season ahead as we count down to training camp and the preseason.
Jamaree Bouyea
Point Guard, 6’2’, 180lb, 27 years old, 4th season
Last season, Jamaree Bouyea was an early pickup for the team after he signed a two-way deal in November, coming from the Austin Spurs. They saw the potential in the guard who had floated around the league his first three years. The move let them add someone who could make the roster, and with injuries to Jalen Green early on, extra guard play was key.
This let them waive C.J. Huntley, a solid G-League player, and give him time to develop into the piece they wanted. Bouyea then proved in his early minutes that he could contribute to the rotation when the team was injured. Bouyea fought for those minutes and, similar to Collin Gillespie in the previous season, was allowed a full-on roster spot at the end of the year.
He then stayed with the team, and even though key players returning cost him minutes in the rotation, he solidified his spot and learned more. That is where this year comes into play for Bouyea, as he faces an uphill battle given how deep this team truly is at guard. That said, with his ability to overcome those obstacles last year, I hope he can make that impact again.
Last Season
In his first year in Phoenix, Bouyea suited up in 46 games for the Suns, a career best for the guard. For the Suns, this was a huge win, as they had done well on the margins by landing guys who hadn’t performed or hadn’t been given an opportunity elsewhere to really pan out. Even if he got a little worse as the season went on, Bouyea still put his name on the map after being a two-way pickup in the first half of the season.
Bouyea really showcased that he’s a jack-of-all-trades, able to help the team in many ways. He could distribute the ball and be a solid ball handler; he could be a catch-and-shoot guy for the team if they were lacking three-point scoring, and he also fought like hell on the defensive end, trying to be as big of a pest as he could. This was key, as Jordan Ott clearly wanted this playstyle, and like Mat Ishbia and Brian Gregory said preseason, they were going to build the team around the scheme and not the team around big names. This gave a player like Bouyea that opportunity, since they knew he would be a perfect fit.
GP
MIN
PPG
RPG
APG
STL
FG%
3PT%
FT%
OFFRTG
DEFRTG
+/-
46
14.0
5.7
1.8
1.8
0.6
45.8
29.5
68.6
106.0
104.6
1.4
Contract and Roster Context
As Michael A. Scotto of HoopsHype reported, the Suns picked up Bouyea’s team option this summer. This allowed him to stick with the team for this year on a deal just shy of $2.6 million. This contract is non-guaranteed, though, allowing the Suns to waive him and not owe any dead money if he does get injured, if one of the two-way guards does better, or if they see someone better out there they can pick up. He is at the bottom of the guard room, and with two other guards on two-way deals, this could be a competition battle for Bouyea all season long.
What He Brings
As I mentioned earlier, Bouyea brings a bit of everything to his game. As a scrappy guard who has yet to really solidify himself in a true role, he does have to bring it all and help in any area of need. That said, his strongest suit is probably his aggressiveness and how much he cares, which truly shows on the court. As stated previously, the front office built this team around Ott’s expertise, and Bouyea fits that mold they are looking for. Look at a guy like Jordan Goodwin, for example, who had a similar trajectory early on and now found himself in Phoenix this past season.
Bouyea should use him as inspiration to keep that fight in him and always know that an opportunity is there for him to capitalize on. This year could be that for Bouyea if he gets the time to shine and proves he can be another disruptor in this system who can be valued long-term.
What Needs to Improve
Even if he is pretty good at everything, Bouyea still has areas where he lags behind others. One of those is his three-point shooting, as he shot under 30% from three this year. His shot was solid and did drop off later in the year with less run, which makes sense, but it is something to keep an eye on. IF that number can go up and he can be a solid spot-up shooter, especially now with Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen being gone, he can truly solidify himself as one of those spots. Goodwin did that this past season, getting better from three and earning himself a contract with the team—all that could be said about Bouyea next year if he can get on this path.
Prediction
If you can not tell from this article, it’s clear I have a soft spot for Bouyea and want him to succeed. Last year, I wrote many articles about his early appreciation in the rotation and how he could contribute in future seasons if he stuck around. Now that opinion will be put to the test as we gear up to watch a year where he has training camp and a full year to make an impact with this team. Now, will he succeed? That is the difficult thing to wrap my head around,
With how deep this guard room is (Booker, Green, Gillespie, Goodwin), he lines himself up as the fifth guard in that rotation of PG minutes, and with Kennard there too, it definitely clouds his SG minutes as well. This is where the uncertainty may strike, as he could be forgotten in the depth of this bench. Yet, we see every season something is always in the water in Phoenix, as the injury bug always strikes in the Valley. We wish to avoid that this season, but with that being the case, Bouyea will have opportunities to make his case for being a part of this team long term. Do I think he will stick? Yes, at this point I think he will make it to the end of the season, as the Suns truly see something in him, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Pat Spencer or Koby Brea forces a tough situation on the front office at the trade deadline.
Ultimately, this will be an uphill battle for Bouyea, but I am sure he knows the challenge ahead this season. Truly, with how deep this bench unit is, it’s hard to see a clear path for Bouyea to excel this season, but in any year of basketball, you have to expect the unexpected. At this point, last year no one pictured Phoenix doing what they did, and they proved their doubters wrong. The same could be said for Bouyea entering this year with this team. All the expectations are on him, and he’s truly one of the underdog stories for this team as he finds his path to a long-term roster spot. This is just the beginning of his journey, but hopefully it’s a long-lasting one here, with a breakout year coming.
TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 7: Darco Milicic #31 of the Detroit Pistons poses for a portrait during the 2003 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at the Madison Square Garden training center on August 7, 2003 in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright 2003 NBAE (Photo by: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
As we near training camp and the preseason, the New York Knicks are starting to fill out their roster, with more than several slots and opportunities still available behind the defending NBA champions’ established rotation.
On Saturday, a familiar name entered the Knicks realm when, out of the blue, we read the name “Milicic” linked to the New York franchise.
Polish outlet Interia Sport’s Karol Wasiek reported that free agent forward Igor Milicic Jr., no relation to Serbian native Darko, agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Knicks, allowing the 24-year-old to compete for a roster spot or a two-way deal during the upcoming camp.
“@SportINTERIA has established that Igor Milicić Jr. is the next Pole with an NBA contract. According to our information, the basketball player has signed an exhibit-10 type contract with the New York Knicks.” — Karol Wasiek
GOTOWI NA BOMBĘ ❓💣@SportINTERIA ustaliła, że Igor Milicić Jr. jest kolejnym Polakiem z umową w NBA. Z naszych informacji wynika, że koszykarz podpisał kontrakt typu exhibit-10 z New York Knicks.#plkpl
The 6-foot-10, 225-pound forward went undrafted in 2025 following a four-year college career that included stops at Virginia (16 games), Charlotte (66) and Tennessee (37). Milicic averaged 9.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists across 37 starts during his final college season with the Volunteers.
That said, Igor’s best amateur season came a year earlier when he put up a 13-8-2 stat line shooting 48.7% from the field and 37.6% from three with the 49ers.
Milicic spent last season with the Delaware Blue Coats, the Philadelphia 76ers’ G League affiliate. He averaged 6.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 18.8 minutes across 45 appearances.
The Polish lad also played seven Summer League games with the San Antonio Spurs this offseason, and the truth is that his age, size, and positional flexibility should give him an opportunity to compete for a place within New York’s organization, whether that’s in the majors (more than unlikely) or the minors (slightly less likely).
The Knicks currently have all three two-way contract slots available. According to Wasiek, all those openings factored heavily into Milicic’s decision to join New York, hoping to snatch one of them along with the developmental opportunity the Knicks offered him.
For context, an Exhibit 10 contract can be converted into a two-way deal, and Milicic could also receive a bonus of up to approximately $91,000 if New York waives him before the regular season and he subsequently spends at least 60 days with the Westchester Knicks.
SAN ANTONIO, TX. - MAY 2026: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) before Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Minnesota Timberwolves vs. San Antonio Spurs, NBA Western Conference Semifinals, Game 5. NBA Playoffs. (Photo by Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images) | Star Tribune via Getty Images
Julius Randle has a simple message for anyone setting expectations for the Brooklyn Nets this season: prepare to be surprised.
Shortly after the Nets acquired Randle in June, first-round rookie Mikel Brown Jr. shared with reporters that the three-time All-Star had told him Brooklyn was going to “shock the world.”
So, when NetsDaily caught up with Randle on Saturday at a community basketball event, we asked him what he meant by “shock the world.”
“Exactly that,” Randle said. “Whatever your expectations are, whatever expectations that are put upon us, we’re gonna exceed them and we’re gonna do things at a very high level. We’re gonna build, come in with the right habits every single day, and we’re gonna do exactly that.”
The 31-year-old spent Saturday afternoon at the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center, hosting a back-to-school clinic for 75 local middle and high schoolers.
Randle is no stranger to New York City, having spent five seasons across the East River with the Knicks before playing two years with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nevertheless, he understands the importance of giving back to the community.
“It’s really just about giving my time to the community,” Randle said. “Really just, you know, touching the community, touching the kids, just being a part of the community. Anytime I can give back, put a smile on a kid’s face or a parent’s face. These are the people who support us year-round, whether we know it or not, and they make the game what it is, so it’s how I can give back.”
“So many people have poured into my life and helped me become who I am, and idols that I’ve looked up to, so I feel like it’s my job to pay back as well,” he continued.
Despite being acquired in June, Randle said he wasted no time familiarizing himself with Brooklyn’s youngsters.
The veteran worked out in Texas this summer with Egor Dëmin, Mikel Brown Jr., and Josha Jefferson, giving him an early look at how they look before training camp begins.
“Egor, Mikel, Joshua, all those guys, like extremely, extremely hard workers,” Randle told NetsDaily. “Attention to detail, but just really, really hard workers. Competition level is really high. Whether it’s, you know, playing one-on-one or we’re in a shooting drill, whatever, like everything is done, you know, at game speed. Attention to detail. Smart, high-IQ basketball players.”
Dëmin is gearing up for his second NBA season after an encouraging rookie year and an even stronger summer, leaving fans excited for what his future in the league holds. Brown is getting ready to anchor Brooklyn’s backcourt around Dëmin in his rookie campaign, while Jefferson is also a first-year pro.
Randle also spent time with the youngsters away from the court, including one particularly memorable round of golf in the Texas heat.
“Played a little golf in the Texas heat, which was a little interesting for them,” Randle said. “I think about the third hole; they were all trying to take their shirts off on a golf course, and you can’t do that. So we got a little warning in the middle of playing golf.”
At the end of the day, Randle said he is building relationships with his teammates that are over a decade younger than him. And he’s enjoyed that, particularly their energy.
“It’s refreshing being around youthful energy like that,” he said. “Definitely refreshing for me.”
Randle’s experience is valuable to have in the building, but there is no doubt he can still produce. During the 2025 season, he averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 33 minutes per game across 79 outings.
Most importantly, though, production aside, he has clearly embraced a leadership role… before even suiting up for the Nets.
Now comes the hard part: actually shocking the world as the veteran promises.
Such a contract typically transfers to a G-League deal. The Knicks did not confirm the signing.
Igor Milicic of Poland in action during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 qualifier match. ADAM WARZAWA/EPA/Shutterstock
Milicic, a 6-foot-10 forward who hails from Croatia, played four NCAA seasons for three schools — including a senior campaign at Tennessee — before going undrafted in 2025.
Last season, Milicic played with the Sixers’ G-League squad.
The Knicks still have to fill one roster spot and could sign three two-way players.
Tyler Nickel, their second-round pick, remains unsigned but logic indicates he’ll get a deal.
The team’s other second-round pick — Jack Kayil — is playing overseas next season.
New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek drives to the basket during Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, May 4, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks defeated the 76ers 137-98.
Tyler Kolek isn’t making any predictions or declarations about cracking a crowded championship backcourt. As he said Saturday, the goal is just “every day be consistent.”
But the third-year Knicks guard also understands he needs to be more aggressive when given the opportunity.
“Early on in the season, I was finishing at a high level. And then later on in the year, I was getting in there, maybe I was looking a little too passive,” Kolek said Saturday. “So just looking for my shot, being more aggressive in the paint, and then that opens everything else up. Having the defense collapse, and then finding sprays for our guys.”
Kolek enjoyed success and acclaim during a brief foray in the Knicks rotation last season, when injuries to Miles McBride and Landry Shamet left him as Jalen Brunson’s first backup.
Kolek shined in December — including during the NBA Cup championship run — and quickly evolved into a fan favorite.
But the 25-year-old also was out of the rotation after Jose Alvarado’s arrival at the February trade deadline.
With Alvarado, Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Shamet, McBride and Jordan Clarkson all returning, Kolek faces another uphill battle for consistent playing time.
But injuries or trades happen every season, and Kolek will have a chance to impress in the preseason starting Oct. 5 in Philadelphia. He also has the ideal archetypal teammate to study as an undersized point guard.
New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek drives to the basket during Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 4, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“Obviously, Jalen is amazing in the midrange, amazing with floaters, finishing at the rim,” Kolek said. “So taking that aspect of the game as a smaller guard — I need to be really efficient in the paint and around the rim. And that’ll open everything else for us.”
In the meantime, Kolek is enjoying the waning days of a championship offseason. In and around New York City, the players still are being treated like kings. Proof of Kolek’s popularity was displayed Saturday at a FlexWork Sports camp at the House of Sports in Ardsley, N.Y., where youngsters mobbed the point guard on the court.
Kolek, like his teammates, warned against turning the adulation into complacency, which might be more difficult on ring night for the Oct. 20 regular-season opener.
“The first game will feel like a great celebration. But internally we got to block out what the fans are thinking and everything that the media is going to say,” Kolek said. “Even though we may not be picked to be the favorites, New York fans are still going to say we’re the champs and we should run it back, we should win again. But we got to stay locked in. … At this stage, though, we shouldn’t have to be motivated. We’re champions. We know what it looks like. And we’re not just satisfied with one.”
New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek puts up a three-point shot in the first half at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on Feb. 4, 2026. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
Plus, the Eastern Conference got tougher with expected improvement from Philadelphia, Miami, Indiana, Orlando and Toronto — not to mention the potential contenders in Detroit, Boston and Cleveland.
“It happens every year in the NBA. The Thunder won the year before; everybody loads up to try to beat the Thunder. We win, [and the same thing happens],” Kolek said. “It happens every single year. It’s a copycat league. Teams are trying to beat the best and compete with the best. So they do what they can.”
