DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 6: Matisse Thybulle #4 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts to a play in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on April 6, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. 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 Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the Lakers’ four presumed starters, all other spots in the rotation are up for grabs as training camp begins. A summer defined by change and considerable turnover moved in a hopeful direction toward more defense with some key acquisitions.
Veteran Marcus Smart walked to Houston in free agency, leaving behind a clear position of need. Enter Matisse Thybulle, who on arrival instantly becomes the highest-pedigree perimeter defender on the roster. Health permitting, he brings elite disruption ability with an improved outside shot for much-needed two-way play around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
Thybulle entered just 30 games last season for the Trail Blazers and 15 the season before that. That’s why he was available to LA to sign on a minimum contract. While still just 29 years old, he’s a player LA will need to manage throughout the regular season.
When he’s on the floor, he’s no short of a defensive monster. The 6’5” wing boasts a 7’1” wingspan to terrorize offensive players. He made Second Team All-Defense in 2021 and 2022 as a Philadelphia 76er.
One of the league’s most chaos-inducing defensive playmakers. His excellent hands help obstruct diverse offensive actions. Watch below as he defends the guard-to-guard screen against superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The screener slips the screen to counter the switch. Thybulle not only reads it, but also times it to put his hand out, deflect the pass and catch the turnover.
He can also prey on unsuspecting offensive players. Watch below as Giannis Antetokounmpo looks to take advantage in the post near the baseline. Thybulle quickly rushes over to swarm and his cat-like swipe pokes the ball out of his hands before he can begin his attack.
For players averaging under 20 minutes per game, Thybulle led the league with 3.9 deflections per game. Alex Caruso came in second with 3.1. He also led the Blazers’ talented perimeter defensive personnel with two steals per night.
Throughout his career, Thybulle has been a thorn in the side of the league’s top ball-handling playmakers. In his limited games, Portland matched him up on all types of stars and he held his own. Whether it’s against isolation or ball screen actions, his wingspan and textbook technique give him the tools to be an elite on-ball defender.
In the clip below, he’s matched up with Jaylen Brown. He chases him around the screen, negating any first-step advantage. While attached to the hip, he contests with his right hand and blocks the shot, forcing a jump ball.
In the next clip, he does the same to Jamal Murray coming off a dribble handoff action. Thybulle goes under the screen, beats Murray to the spot, and gets the block.
Thybulle gave up just 0.54 points per possession when defending pick-and-roll ball handlers, putting him in the 100th percentile league-wide. He has a knack for getting timely blocks on contests from behind when players think they’ve created separation.
Portland had a 113.5 defensive rating, good for 12th in the league last year. It shifted to an elite 99.8 when Thybulle was on the floor, where he led the team in overall net rating at a +9.
Not only the numbers, but his reputation and resume have Thybulle as one of the best defenders on the roster, if not at the top behind big-man addition Walker Kessler. The offense is where he, like many others vying for minutes, will need to be serviceable to earn ample playing time.
He will not be asked to do anything outside of his comfort zone. Playmaking and shot creation are accounted for, allowing him to do what he does best. He shot 38.8% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last season, including 44% on wide-open attempts.
Thybulle should get more of those attempts than he could dream of on this roster. Defensive schemes haven’t caught up to or respected the percentages, and he will likely still be the guy teams leave wide open when given the choice.
He has limited offensive versatility, as 69% of his shot attempts came from behind the arc. He drives less than three times per game and doesn’t get to the line often.
Even with those offensive limitations, the Lakers desperately need a player with his skill set and playoff experience. With the offensive load Luka and Reaves will carry, finding defensive talent to pair around them was crucial this summer. Thybulle slides in as an elite option…if he can stay relatively healthy.
Mar 30, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers executives Jason Hillman (left), Koby Altman (center) and Brandon Weems (right) watch a game against the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Cavaliers are not done making off season moves. This time the changes are coming in the front office. It was reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday morning that the Cavaliers are promoting Brandon Weems to the role of General Manager under President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are promoting executive Brandon Weems to General Manager under President Koby Altman, sources tell ESPN. Weems has been in the Cavaliers organization for the last decade, rising through scouting and personnel roles before becoming assistant GM in 2022, and…
Weems, who has been with the Cavaliers organization since 2015, has taken the long road to becoming the Cavaliers GM. In the past decade, Weems has held the roles of director of scouting, director of player personnel, and most recently assistant general manager.
With Mike Gansey joining the Philadelphia 76ers this past offseason as their president of basketball operations, there became a vacancy for the Cavaliers GM role. Having served under Gansey, it became a natural transition for Weems as the team would look to continue the trajectory of the franchise and maintain consistency in their approach.
During the offseason there was the narrative that the Cavaliers would use Weems’s pre-existing relationship with LeBron James to lure him back to his third stint to Cleveland. This, as pointed out by Brian Windhorst, is a disservice to the body of work that Weems has put together and his standing within the organization. With LeBron taking his talents to the city of brotherly love, it only has become apparent that Weems’s rise in the organization is based on his own merit and not who he happened to play basketball in high school with.
Weems’s promotion already seems to be making waves across the local fan base.
Suns head coach Jordan Ott high-fives guard Jordan Goodwin (23) during a game at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on Feb. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
How do you define an X-factor? When you look up and down a roster, what skills or characteristics are you searching for in a player before giving them that designation? As we prepare for the 2026–27 Phoenix Suns season, our writing staff decided to take on that question. What makes someone an X-factor? And who will fill that role for the Suns this season?
I’ll start with my own definition. Pulling out my personal basketball dictionary, an X-factor isn’t one of your primary stars. Yes, your season may ultimately sink or swim based on how those players perform, but that doesn’t make them X-factors. That makes them primary factors. An X-factor, at least in my mind, is a role player who has the ability to significantly alter the outcome of a game or even the direction of a season. They are the needle movers; those opposing teams don’t gameplan against but wish they did. And when you look at this Suns roster, there are plenty of candidates.
Last year, in my opinion, it was Collin Gillespie. He took a real step forward as a player, and while he faded down the stretch, what he gave Phoenix through the first two-thirds of the season changed the energy, effort, and outcomes of games on a consistent basis. He was given the opportunity to become an X-factor, and for most of the season, he ran with it. When opposing fanbases are asking who you are, you did the right thing.
So when I look up and down this roster and ask who can be this year’s X-factor, and certainly no opposing fan doesn’t know who he is (for unfortunate reasons), I keep coming back to Miles Bridges. I think what he brings has the potential to change the Suns’ entire offensive ecosystem. You can also make the argument that he sits just outside the primary core, with Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Dillon Brooks representing the main trio. Our recent SunsRank rankings reflected that as well, with Bridges landing outside that group. So, yes, Miles Bridges absolutely qualifies as an X-factor.
Bridges adds another layer of complexity, gravity, and pressure to the offense. He can attack downhill, create advantages, and force defenses to account for him in ways that should open the floor for everyone else. And if he can turn that into 18 or more points per game while remaining an efficient threat, it raises the ceiling of what this offense can become. Because if Bridges plays well enough that defenses have to treat him like a legitimate scoring threat, it creates more room for your primary factors. That means better opportunities for Devin Booker. Better opportunities for Jalen Green. And potentially a much more dynamic Suns offense.
Phoenix doesn’t need him to be its best player. It needs him to make life easier for the players who are. If his downhill pressure, physicality, and scoring force defenses to give him additional attention, the ripple effect could touch everything around him. Booker and Green get cleaner opportunities. The offense gains another dimension. And Miles Bridges becomes exactly what an X-factor should be, the variable that changes the equation.
Now, onto the rest of our Bright Side writing team. Let’s see how they define the term and who they’ve identified as their X-factors for the season.
Holden Sherman: An X-factor is the player who has the largest impact on driving your team’s wins and losses. Typically, that is your squad’s best player, but not always. Take the KD Warriors as an example. Steph Curry was the player who drove the most winning but Durant was the best.
For the Phoenix Suns, however, the team’s X-factor also happens to be their best player, which is Devin Booker. Turning 30 at the start of the season, he’s in the middle of his prime, and if he plays closer to the player we saw in 2023 than the one we’ve seen the past few seasons, the Suns could potentially be a top-six seed in an uncertain Western Conference. Along with staying healthy after not qualifying for All-NBA awards this past season, he needs to be an offensive engine not just for himself but for the team. While the roster has a good amount of continuity from a season ago, there will at minimum be two new starters from a season ago to begin the year, with Miles Bridges at the four and whoever replaces Mark Williams while he deals with his shoulder injury.
Booker needs to be the team’s leader off the court, find his own offense, especially late in games, put Dillon Brooks in a position to build off his offensive career year, allow Jalen Green to fully acclimate himself after an injury-packed first season on the Suns, and work in the team’s new starters around him, Green and Brooks
Brandon Duenas: The X-Factor term has so many different meanings. To me, it is someone who doesn’t jump off the page as a headliner. They are not the person you go to an arena to watch play. It is not Devin Booker (sorry Holden). It’s not even Dillon Brooks anymore.
It’s the player who can not only swing a game, but it’s the player who does the little things throughout. It’s the player who doesn’t get the recognition they deserve. It’s the player that mimics the phrase “you don’t know what you got til it’s gone.” To me, that is Jordan Goodwin.
We all saw what happened to the Suns’ perimeter defense without him against OKC. He is indispensable. He is the heart and soul of this team, and when he’s on offensively, very few can impact the game on both ends as he does. The silent assassin. When he goes, boy are the Suns tough to beat.
Bruce Veliz: An X-Factor for me is someone who will truly change or help shape a better season for this team. Last year, the X-Factor made that clear when he got here and shook up the culture and stepped up to the plate when injuries came to play. That is someone I am looking for this year to really help change the narrative once again on what people expect for this team, and the X-Factor to me is the person who changes that trajectory.
That’s why this year for me the X-Factor has to be Khaman Maluach, and even more so, I think now with the recent injury to Mark Williams. Maluach has to step out and really show some signs of progress after his rookie year, where he didn’t get as much of an opportunity as people may have expected/wanted. Now, after a solid summer league and being a lottery pick, the eyes are all on him to truly help this team make it to the next level, even if it’s not immediate. He will be the true catalyst in a lot of discussions surrounding this team, regardless of whether he does or doesn’t pan out.
If he can pan out, he’s that center the Suns have been wanting since the Ayton draft pick and someone who can truly be that dominant big man to Booker’s game, bringing a solid 1-2 punch. If he can reach that, not only does the future look bright for Phoenix, but the KD trade looks even better in hindsight for the team’s direction it pivoted to.
Kevin Humphries: An X-factor to me is a role player, often unproven, that will swing games for the Suns in their favor consistently. Last season, Oso Ighodaro was the ultimate X-factor to me because he was not a star player but arguably starred in his role better than anyone else on the team. He was one of the Suns’ top 5 players last season and won many games for Phoenix.
While I want to go with Ighodaro again, I believe Collin Gillespie is this year’s X-factor for Phoenix. Gillespie started 58 games last season and logged heavy minutes throughout the season, often playing through visible discomfort. In 2025-26, he had the 7th-most made threes in the NBA and was 10th in attempts. He shot a blistering 40.1% from long distance. He also averaged 4.6 assists, which was second on the team.
He will most likely start this season on the bench, but will be the first player off it and will start games when any non-center is injured. He will be the head of the snake for the bench this season, which will once again swing games. The Suns could have the best bench unit in the NBA because of Gillespie, and he could easily earn 6th Man of the Year award votes at season’s end. The big question for Gillespie is whether he can repeat his level of shooting and playmaking again this season. And if he maintains or improves his play this season, there is a case for him to start over Jalen Green to balance out the rotation for Jordan Ott. If that happens, it could force the front office’s hand to move on from Green because Gillespie is the better player.
Tom Mildenberger: X-factor means to me someone who, if they do well or play poorly, can affect the Suns’ win totals. My X-factor is Jordan Ott.
There were a lot of things to love about Ott’s first season in terms of buy-in and culture. He was not able to scheme even a game in the postseason where Devin Booker was free to be the number one scoring option. In his second year, he needs to be more intentional about which players he wants taking shots.
Mark Bowser: I am framing an X-factor as someone who is less predictable, and could also sway the season with a high-end outcome. I considered Man Man because of the extended time on the court he’s likely to get. I understand Booker, but I feel like we mostly know what we’re getting with him.
While not probable, let me submit that a best-case Jalen Green playing a high fraction of the 82 games, being a better distributor (not saying CP3 or KJ here), quicker ball movement, and improving three-point accuracy with improved chemistry year two in the system would easily be our #2 player and a likely All-Star. It would have positive ripple effects on other players, including Book. While also not likely, another injury-plagued season and reduced efficiency, potentially even pouting if there are fewer shots for him with the Bridges addition, could weigh down the team’s hopes. High variance player and our 2026-27 X-factor.
What did members of our community say?
There’s probably no single right way to define an X-factor, and that’s what makes the conversation interesting. It can be the role player who swings a game, the player whose absence exposes a weakness, the guy who takes a leap, or even the coach responsible for putting everyone in the right position. For the Suns, there are plenty of candidates, and everyone has a different reason for putting their name on the list.
So now we want to hear from you. How do you define an X-factor, and who is your X-factor for the 2026–27 Phoenix Suns? Is it one of the names mentioned above, or is there someone we overlooked? Let us know in the comments.
Celtics fans are still trying to adjust to the idea that their team traded away Jaylen Brown. Even Brown admitted he's still adjusting to playing for a new team in a new city.
"For me, I love that guy. What we were able to accomplish together in nine years, right, went to the conference finals five times, we went to the championship twice, we won a championship, we've shared All-Star games together. You can't talk about him without talking about me and vice versa, the success that we've had as just two young kids growing up in this league and really just pushing each other.
"Unfortunately, the business of basketball is always going to play a part. Nobody has ever played together forever, but it's not like a thing to be sad or upset about, it's a thing to celebrate what we were able to do."
As for this coming season, Tatum admitted, "I was nervous every game I played in," not fully trusting his Achilles yet after returning from rupturing it. That has changed now, he added.
"I'll be back to myself when we get out there this October."
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the game on December 25, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. 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 2023 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Philadelphia is undeniably a huge sports town and certain fans preen about their “4 for 4” status. Still, there exists a hierarchy, and who sits atop it is a certain combination of what part of the season we’re in, current competitiveness of each club, overall likeability of the team.
The last time the Sixers unquestionably sat atop the hierarchy was all the way back in 2001 for the Allen Iverson-led NBA Finals run. Between AI, still one of the city’s most popular athletes ever, an underdog status that you know Philadelphia loves, and a lunchpail defensive attitude that further endeared the squad to fans, it was a perfect combination for what became a magical playoff run. Could this be the year the Sixers ascend back up the Philadelphia sports mountain? Let’s examine.
First and foremost, Philadelphia is an NFL city. The Eagles dominate coverage and conversation across the greater Delaware Valley. For anyone to pass the Eagles in the current hierarchy, it has to be a combination of another team being really good and the Birds greatly disappointing. This could be a tough hurdle for the Sixers to overcome, because the Eagles should be pretty good, currently sitting with the seventh-best Super Bowl odds, per Fanduel.
Still, the narrative is easy to construct. Despite winning a Super Bowl MVP, Jalen Hurts is a somewhat divisive quarterback that a section of the fanbase would be happy to move on from. Last year left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths with a bunch of ugly wins that overshadowed the huge flaws in the offensive scheme. Sean Mannion is in as offensive coordinator this season, but the opening win over Washington was uneven, and the offensive line looks like it could be an ongoing issue. There’s every chance some tweaks are made and the Eagles go on to have a very successful season, but you can envision a scenario where things go off the rails and fans demand a major shakeup.
Next, we have the Phillies, and I have a much easier case to make than I would have needed a couple weeks ago. After a recent rough patch, a couple wins have settled things a bit, but there’s still plenty of concern with the postseason approaching. Jesus Luzardo was just placed on the injured list, bringing into question the one surefire advantage the team had in a playoff series, which was the starting rotation. The bullpen is a mess and all the same questions exist about the lineup that have caused them previous postseason swoons, namely there aren’t enough patient hitters and they’re easy to gameplan around in a playoff setting. Vibes are very low at the moment. Fans were already getting antsy with this current core after the recent postseason defeats, and an early exit this fall could spell full-on emotional removal from the Phils with the emotional hierarchy.
The Flyers have some exciting young players, highlighted by Porter Martone. The front office certainly looks to have things on the right track, and beating the Penguins in the first round of the playoffs last season was enjoyed by one and all east of Harrisburg. Still, the sweep to Carolina showed this group still has some growth steps ahead of them. The Flyers are in the fun come up stage of a franchise rebuild cycle, but it’s hard to say they’re a threat to being atop the city hierarchy.
So, let’s make the case for the Sixers?
Before this offseason, I would have said there was no chance. With his injury history and huge contract, half the fan base wants Joel Embiid gone, and the other half is always internally wincing for the next injury report to drop. Tyrese Maxey is and always has been terrific, but he’s not enough to overcome all the scars of the playoff heartbreaks, tough injuries, and bizarre off-court situations that have plagued this franchise in recent years. No, we needed something big to reset the table and Mike Gansey arrived to provide it. The trade for Jaylen Brown immediately put the Sixers put into the short list of true contenders. Fans took notice. Then, LeBron James chose to come to Philadelphia on a minimum contract. Money was not a factor, and the greatest player of at least his generation…chose…the…Sixers. Sure, he’s 41 years old with a bad back, but LeBron is still playing at an All-Star level and he’s here on a minimum deal.
Things still need to break right. There’s injury luck involved and pieces needing to gel and all the rest of it. But the Sixers are now tied with the defending champion Knicks for the third-best NBA title odds, per Fanduel. They’re objectively the most fascinating team in the league, as evidenced by their having the maximum number of nationally televised games this season. It’s the potential for the perfect storm of competitiveness and intriguing storylines that could catapult the Sixers back atop the Philadelphia sports hierarchy for the first time in decades.
One of the bright young stars of the NBA — and perhaps a player you’ve never even heard of — just locked in a massive extension that affirms his status as an essential piece on an ascending team.
The Utah Jazz and Keyonte George have agreed to a five-year, $157.5 million rookie-scale contract extension, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the deal because it had not been formally announced.
As with all contract extensions, the instant question becomes: is it worth it?
There had been some speculation that Peterson, who like George can play both point guard and shooting guard, would make George redundant. This deal confirms that the two will be simultaneous features.
That grants Utah immense flexibility with its offense, as the Jazz are poised to become a breakout team in 2026-27 and beyond.
Utah has missed the playoffs the last four seasons and has won just 107 of a possible 328 games in that span, including only 39 of 164 across the last two seasons. The Jazz tanked their way to the No. 2 selection and now have an intriguing, young roster that could make some noise, even in the crowded Western Conference and even as soon as this season.
George averaged career highs in points (23.6 per game), assists (6.1), field goal percentage (45.6%), 3-point percentage (37.1%), win shares (3.3), player efficiency rating (18.5), steals (1.1) and other metrics last season.
He became one of only nine players in the league last season who surpassed the 23-point, 6-assist threshold on a per-game basis. The others: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Luka Dončić, Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, Devin Booker, Jamal Murray and James Harden. Those eight players, for reference, have 34 combined All-Star appearances.
George has become a three-tier scorer who is as comfortable slashing past defenders and finishing in the paint as he is lacing stepback 3s. His midrange game is fluid and he can operate off the ball. He’s a plus defender.
This deal is a reward for George's past performance, but it's also an investment in the future. At an average of $31.5 million per season, it could become a relative bargain. By comparison, that average annual salary puts him just below Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who averaged 13.8 points and 5.5 assists per game, and Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon.
For a young Jazz team that should suddenly compete, that's good business.
“Keyonte has changed all of our expectations for him, and I think that's a good thing,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said Dec. 15, 2025, after George dropped 37 points in an overtime victory against the Mavericks. “I think that does make us feel differently about him in terms of our roster and what that could mean moving forward.
“You know, he has become a real centerpiece of our organization, and it’s because of the work he has put in as a player and the work he has put in on himself as a young man.”
Sweetney rose to prominence in basketball circles as the latest in a long line of legendary Georgetown big men. In 2002-03, he averaged 22.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game and was a finalist for the Naismith College Player of the Year award. Sweetney remains fifth all-time at Georgetown in career rebounds (887), seventh in career blocks (180) and ninth in career points (1,750).
Prayers to the family of Georgetown men’s basketball alum Michael Sweetney.
Sweetney was selected No. 9 overall by the New York Knicks in 2003 and went on to play four years in the NBA with the Knicks and Bulls.
Our Bulls family extends our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of former Bull Michael Sweetney, who has passed away at 43. pic.twitter.com/UwXMTQ6cEt
Sweetney also played some in the Big3 after his NBA days. Most recently, Sweetney worked as an assistant coach at Division III Yeshiva University in New York.
The world lost a giant today. I lost a close friend. The basketball world lost a beloved star. Our Jewish community lost an ally and someone who knew exactly how to show up.
Mike Sweetney wasn’t just a friend. He was family. When you needed him, he was there. Always. You didn’t… pic.twitter.com/mwRh9UQgjA
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 18: Sandro Mamukelashvili #54 of the Toronto Raptors reacts after a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on December 18, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
But given his role in Toronto and likely few Lakers fans having watched him last season, we reached out to our friends over at Raptors HQ and asked their site manager, Julian Apolinario, for a scouting report on Mamu.
What are his strengths?
Mamu is a versatile offensive player who can be trusted to get a bucket, while often punching above his weight class — both from a height standpoint and a roster position one. He has experience playing both power forward and center, and is a great locker room guy.
With him, it’s just as much about the intangibles as it is about the stuff you see on the court. Of late he’s developed into a solid shooter with an outside shot that does really need to be respected.
What are his weaknesses?
For someone who is often slotted into the five, Mamu is a bit small at only 6’9″. In a traditional world, he’s really more of a power forward. While he’s not a cone on defense, it’s not what I’d say stands out about his game.
From an outsider’s perspective, how do you see him fitting with the Lakers?
I think his tandem with both Luka Doncic and Walker Kessler will be worth looking out for. Mamu can space the floor while maintaining interior presence in a way that could benefit Kessler if he’s slotted in next to him.
Playing off-ball with Luka facilitating for both interior looks and 3-point shots will be able to keep him as a smoothly running part of the offensive engine.
Anything else to know about him?
The fans tend to love Mamu a lot wherever he goes.
The first paragraph about any story involving Cavaliers executive Brandon Weems includes the phrase "LeBron James' high school teammate," but that can undersell the time and effort Weems has put into carving his own path.
That path now includes being the general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He will be the No. 2 man in the organization and work directly under head of basketball operations Koby Altman.
OFFICIAL: Brandon Weems has been promoted to General Manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers. #LetEmKnow
"Brandon has earned this opportunity through more than a decade of exceptional work with the Cavaliers and by consistently demonstrating elite judgment and the expertise required to help lead our basketball operations," Altman said in a statement announcing the move. "He has been instrumental in our player evaluation and roster-building processes, has a deep understanding of our culture, and has grown into a tremendous leader."
Weems replaces Mike Gansey, who left Cleveland last offseason to take over the Philadelphia job (then recruited LeBron James away from the Cavaliers).
Weems joined the Cavaliers as a scout in 2015 and started working his way up in the organization. Before that, he worked in college, including as Kentucky's assistant director of basketball operations under John Calipari, then at Drexel and Oakland University in Michigan.
The Cavaliers also promoted team Jon Nichols to Associate General Manager, and Brendon Yu and José Calderón to Assistant General Managers.
Mar 8, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) looks up in the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
The Houston Rockets have turned the page on their 2025-26 campaign after an up-and-down season. The Rockets made the biggest move of the 2025 offseason when they traded for future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, hoping he would be the missing piece in their championship hopes.
Unfortunately for the Rockets, those plans were derailed before they even started, as Fred VanVleet, the Rockets’ on- and off-court leader, had his season ended before it started when he suffered a season-ending injury during an offseason workout. The Rockets spent the entire season trying to make up for the absence as they struggled at times to build any consistency throughout the season.
Despite those struggles, the Rockets won 52 games, the same mark as the season before. Like the season before, the Rockets saw their season end in the first round—this time at the hands of LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Rockets now head into season two of the Kevin Durant era and hope to do it with a fully healthy team. VanVleet wasn’t the only Rocket who missed significant time last season, as the Rockets’ best rebounder and screen setter, Steven Adams, suffered a season-ending injury in January.
That made an already short-handed Rockets bench even thinner and played a huge part in the Rockets’ early playoff exit. The Rockets didn’t make any big offseason splashes this time around, but they are banking on a healthy VanVleet, and Adams will be exactly what they need to get over the hump this season finally. That said, what three things must happen for the Rockets to have a successful season?
Three things the Rockets must do this season to take that next step
The Rockets performed well in some areas last season. They were again the NBA’s best rebounding team, as they have been for the last few seasons. They were also a top-10 defense all season. Despite those stats, the Rockets still did not finish in the top four in the Western Conference. The Rockets must improve in several areas this upcoming season. Here are the three areas the Rockets must change or improve.
Limit Kevin Durant’s Minutes
Last season, with VanVleet out, the Rockets leaned heavily on the remaining starters, especially Durant. The Rockets, of course, plan on leaning on Durant, considering that even at the age of 36 at the time, Durant is still one of the best players in the league. However, without a traditional point guard, the Rockets had to rely on Alperen Sengun and Durant to not only be their leading scorer but also their point guard at times.
That led to Durant playing not only the second most minutes on the Rockets but in the entire NBA. It was the most total minutes Durant had played since the 2013-14 season. Ime Udoka spoke for most of the season about hoping to limit the former MVP’s minutes but was not able to for obvious reasons. Now the Rockets must limit Durant’s minutes, as they need him as healthy as possible going into the playoffs, unlike last season.
More production from their bench
As mentioned earlier, the Rockets are hoping for a much improved bench this upcoming season. With VanVleet out and eventually Adams gone, players like Reed Sheppard and, at times, Tari Eason had to enter the starting lineup. That severely limited bench production, which led the Rockets to rank last in points per game by a wide margin. The Rockets averaged only 27.6 points per game from their reserves.
The Rockets hope the return of Adams and VanVleet, along with the additions of Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanović, means they will not have to rely so heavily on their starters again this season.
Cut down their turnovers
One of the main reasons the Rockets brought in VanVleet was how much they struggled with turnovers. VanVleet’s first season saw the Rockets have one of their best seasons taking care of the basketball in franchise history. That wasn’t the case last season, as the Rockets ranked near the bottom of the league in turnovers.
The Rockets’ lack of ball security hurt them most late in close games, when teams pressured them full court and forced errors that cost them several games. The most egregious of those turnovers happened at the worst time in a must-win playoff game at home vs. the Lakers.
With the Rockets holding a late lead, LeBron James pressured Reed Sheppard, forcing the turnover that helped the Lakers force an improbable overtime, which the Rockets would go on to lose. That play was a microcosm of the Rockets’ ball security issues all season. To get past the first round, the Rockets must take care of the basketball, and VanVleet’s return should go a long way toward reducing turnovers.
The Rockets kick off training camp starting on the 23rd of this month and hope to lay the groundwork for a successful 2026-27 season, but they must improve in these three areas for that to happen.
We know what Utah's backcourt of the future will look like — Darryn Peterson and Keyonte George.
That is more set in stone than ever after George and the Jazz agreed to a five-year, $157.5 million extension of his rookie contract, a story broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon and since confirmed by other reports. NBA insider Jake Fischer says the true contract value, excluding incentives he may or may not earn, is $155 million. The deal does not kick in until the 2027-28 season (George will make $6.6 million this season in the final year of his rookie deal).
George, who had emerged as part of the future in Utah long before the lottery balls bounced its way, gets starting point guard money at more than $30 million a season. Utah locks up a player who, if he continues to grow on his current trajectory, will be a good value at this price.
George joins Victor Wembanyama and Amen Thompson as the first players from the 2023 draft class to sign rookie extensions.
George, the No. 16 pick in 2023 out of Baylor, averaged 23.6 points and 6.1 assists per game last season, while shooting 37.1% from beyond the arc in the 54 games he played on the tanking Jazz. His production has steadily improved each of his three NBA seasons, although his perimeter defense remains a serious concern. That said, George emerged as part of Utah's future long before last year's lottery.
That lottery brought in No. 2 pick Peterson, who showed his star potential at both the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas Summer Leagues.
How Peterson and George will mesh as a backcourt where both can handle the ball and create, and both can shoot, will be a work in progress this season for coach Will Hardy. But mesh that backcourt with Lauri Markkanen, Ace Bailey and Jaren Jackson Jr. and this could be an interesting team in Utah this season.
(Original Caption) New York: The N.Y. Knicks' bench is a most happy place as they build up a big lead in the second game of their playoff series against the Chicago Bulls. Coach Rick Pitino joins Patrick Ewing (L) and Mark Jackson in the laughter as the New Yorkers evened the series at a game apiece, winning 114-97.
We’re in the home stretch, folks.
September brings a bunch of things. School for many young people (it was personally August for me up in State College), the start of all forms of football, the stretch run of the MLB season, and the end of a hot summer.
For us here at P&T, all it means is that a new basketball season is right around the corner. Before you know it, training camp will commence in a matter of days, and the Knicks will take the floor for the first time as defending champs in the preseason on October 5.
It’s been an offseason of celebration, but also one of reflection. A reflection on the long journey to get here.
53 years is an extremely long time. As we count down the final weeks to the season opener on October 20, we begin a five-part series chronicling some of the dumbest games, moments, and decisions of the past 53 years that slowly made us all think this day would never come… until it did.
Part I will focus on the downfall of the 1970s dynasty that served as the organization’s standard-bearer, while poor front office decisions and injuries derailed any chance at a soft landing through the late 1980s. We’ll then gradually go through the 1990s in Part II, the dreadful 2000s in Part III, the turbulent 2010s in Part IV, and cap it off with the Leon Rose era in Part V.
With that, let’s begin.
The Downfall of the Golden Era Knicks (1974-80)
Every single championship-caliber operation has to disassemble. It’s a fact of life. Championship windows do not last forever, and teams will have to eventually say goodbye to players who shaped an entire generation.
Time and time again, teams are presented with the reality of either retaining these aging pieces into their sunsets and risking a prolonged stint at the bottom or making the difficult decisions to trade them as they exit their primes at the risk of angering everyone. This is going to happen to the very Knicks we love so much; it’s inevitable.
The reverberations of the highly successful early 1970s Knicks began not too long after that second championship.
Willis Reed, the captain and two-time Finals MVP, played just 19 games after the 1973 NBA Finals. He was only 31 years old, but a body that had slowly deteriorated over the last several years finally gave out. He played 15 of the first 22 games in 1973-74 before missing the next 56 games. The big man returned for the final four regular-season games and the postseason, but was a shell of himself due to a debilitating knee injury.
He’d refuse to undergo another procedure that June, calling it quits on his career. He’s one of many guys whose bodies failed him, and you often wonder what would’ve happened if he’d played in an era when athletes are healthier than ever because of advances in sports science.
Also retiring that offseason were Dave DeBusschere and Jerry Lucas. The former was still an All-Star and All-Defense recipient, but he hung them up ahead of his 34th birthday. Lucas was already diminished after his brilliant 1972 season and slowly fizzled out of the franchise’s plans by the end of the 1973-74 season.
Without Reed, DeBusschere, and Lucas, the Knicks finished 40-42 in 1974-75 and were swept in the first round by the Houston Rockets. They fell even further in the following seasons, failing to make the playoffs in consecutive seasons until the great Red Holzman was next out the door, stepping down in 1977.
Reed would replace him as head coach and lead the Knicks back to the playoffs in 1978, but soon into the following season, we learned why it’s never a good idea to hire franchise legends into leadership posts. The Captain was fired 14 games into the 1978-79 season and replaced with Holzman again, who’d serve another few seasons as the rest of the guard fizzled out.
A week before that 1977-78 season, Clyde Frazier was shipped to Cleveland for Jim Cleamons. A franchise icon was shipped out as his career faded for a journeyman, a move that still irks Clyde to this day. The final remnant of the Golden Era faded away in 1980, when Earl “The Pearl” Monroe retired at age 36 due to persistent knee injuries. One era of Knicks basketball was dead, but maybe it didn’t have to end that way.
Declining An Opportunity To Purchase Julius Erving’s Contract (1976)
You may recall this already being mentioned in my piece on the worst trades in Knicks history. This, of course, wasn’t a trade, but should’ve been. It’s hands-down the worst decision in franchise history.
When the Nets were among the teams chosen to join the NBA after the ABA merger in 1976, the Knicks demanded that they pay a fee of $4.8 million over 10 years for encroaching on their territorial rights, a request that was sustained by the NBA alongside their $3.2 million fee for joining the league. In total, the Nets had to come up with $8 million just to exist. That’s over $46 million combined in 2026 dollars.
That’s a lot of money for an NBA team in the 1970s, when franchises were commonly worth just seven figures, so the Nets were looking for any reason to not pay some of that cash, prompting them to make an extremely tough decision.
Dr. J made $350,000 during this time, but wanted a renegotiation. As such, the Nets were willing to offload his salary and offered him to the Knicks, then owned by the Graham Paige Corporation and ran by Eddie Donovan in the front office.
The Knicks said no. They chose a few million over a future Hall of Famer.
Philadelphia purchased Erving for $3 million, and the rest is history. The Knicks let a rival get the best incoming ABA talent available and watched him lead the Sixers to a championship in 1983 while spending over a decade as a top-five player in the game. That playoff appearance in 1978? Ended by Erving’s Sixers. As was the one in 1983.
If the Knicks make this move and look past the dollar signs, they’d suddenly pair the aging Frazier and Monroe with one of the greatest small forwards to ever play the game. They were gifted the soft landing that no aging dynasty gets, and just declined it for money.
Trading Maurice Lucas for Truck Robinson (1982)
Another one from the worst trades article, the Knicks traded the prime years of a pretty damn good player for an aging, regressing player at the same position in a one-for-one deal.
The New Jersey Nets sent them a 28-year-old Maurice Lucas as a form of compensation for signing Ray Williams in free agency in 1981. In his one year in New York, Lucas averaged 15.8 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 50.3% from the field. It was his best overall season since he was in Portland, but the Knicks never saw him as a long-term option, shipping him to Phoenix for Robinson one year later.
The deal made sense at the time, as he was even more productive than Lucas the season prior, but he hit a hard regression in his age-31 season in 1982-83 and only lasted two seasons in New York, flaming out by age 33. He would hear it from the fans, being nicknamed “Dump Truck” for his startling fall-off.
Meanwhile, Lucas made his fifth All-Star team in his first year in Phoenix as part of a second prime that slowly dissipated a few years later. While Lucas would only have 2-3 years of All-Star-level talent post-trade, it was a helluva lot better than Robinson.
Trading Away The Right To Pick Mark Price (1984)
This was actually something I had no idea about before researching this article, and it might be a bit nitpicky, but the Knicks missed out on a perfect point guard companion for Ewing to sign a role player in 1984.
The NBA was still in the free agent compensation era, so the Knicks had to pony up assets to sign Pat Cummings on June 27, 1984. Ultimately, it wasn’t much: just a 1985 third-round pick and a 1986 second-round pick. The way we view picks nowadays, it’s no biggie.
Except… they could’ve used one of those picks. The Knicks were bad in both of these seasons, but especially so in 1986, which handed the Mavericks the No. 25 pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, the top pick of the second round. They used that pick to select future four-time All-Star point guard Mark Price.
Price would ultimately be flipped for a 1989 2nd, which allowed him to spend the next decade as a big-time foe in the Eastern Conference with the Cavs. He had four top-10 MVP finishes, was an early 3-point innovator, and consistently dished out eight assists a game for his entire prime. Imagine if the Knicks had him at point guard alongside prime Ewing.
Cummings was no slouch for the Knicks, having his best season in New York with a young Ewing underneath him in 1984-85, but injuries cost him 80 total games over the next two seasons as he dwindled into a backup behind the franchise’s next star. Woof.
The Rise and Fall of Bernard King (1985)
Who’s the best Knick ever? I still lean toward Clyde Frazier for the two championships and the personality that he still radiates to this day, but there’s a case to be made for a few people. Patrick Ewing, Jalen Brunson, Willis Reed, etc. One name that’s mentioned as a great Knick, but never in GOAT convos, is Bernard King. What he does have a case for, however, is having the greatest peak in Knicks history.
Acquired for a damn good player in his own right (Micheal Ray Richardson), King got down-ballot MVP votes in 1983 while leading the Knicks to the playoffs in the first year under Hubie Brown. He leveled up his game in 1983-84, finishing runner-up in MVP voting to Larry Bird while single-handedly dragging the Knicks to Game 7 against the powerhouse Celtics in the second round. In 12 postseason games that year, he averaged 34.8 points per game.
He was, pound for pound, the best player in the world the following season. He’d have a few multi-week absences with minor injuries, but he entered late March 1985 averaging over 32 points a night, a mark that would lead the NBA and all of Knicks history. He was well on his way to competing for the first MVP award in franchise history, but it all came to a screeching halt when he blew out his knee against the Kansas City Kings on March 23.
Torn ACL. Torn meniscus. Thigh bone fracture. It was a gruesome injury, one that few (if any) players had ever come back from. Doctors thought his career was over, despite being in his athletic prime.
It was a gut punch for the Knicks, who were already in a horrible season with a 24-47 record when King got injured. It would result in the team drafting Ewing, the next great franchise star, but there was absolutely a world where Ewing would get to play with King, as the even lottery system likely sealed the Knicks’ fate the moment they missed the playoffs.
Bernard King was poised to be the Tommy John of ACL surgeries; however. He eventually returned two seasons later, but he didn’t look the same in six games to finish the 1986-87 season, prompting the Knicks to release him after the season. That was probably shortsighted, as he put together four really great years for the Washington Bullets immediately after.
What could’ve been…
The 1987 NBA Draft Fiasco (1986-87)
When I called Mark Price a big-time foe, it was at least partially facetious. He played on a good Cavs team for a long time, but the Knicks lagged behind the Cavs with their Ewing revival, and the two teams only squared off in the playoffs once: a Knicks sweep in 1995, as Price’s career wound down.
Scottie Pippen is an all-time Knicks foe. He might not be on the Mount Rushmore with Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, and whatever other flavor of Knick killer you like (my picks are Haliburton and Alonzo Mourning), but he’s a Hall of Famer who routinely beat the Knicks’ butt. His lone playoff series as the lead option went New York’s way in 1994, but he served as the perfect wingman to MJ’s dominance across the 90s.
He could’ve been a Knick, you know.
On November 12, 1986, the Knicks swapped their first-round picks in 1987 with the Seattle SuperSonics to get Gerald Henderson, a former Celtic and father of the best player on the worst team in NBA history. A rebuilding Knicks team appreciated his consistency over 60 games through the rest of the season, but he was waived six games into the following season, exactly 367 days later.
That pick swap was pretty ill-advised considering the team had been among the NBA’s worst for a few years now, but they believed in their young star to help make tangible progress in 1987 along with a smattering of veterans, which included Jawann Oldham, who was acquired for a 1987 Denver first-round pick just two weeks earlier.
As you might’ve guessed, the Knicks sucked again in 1987, losing 58 games and receiving the No. 5 pick in the still-young lottery format. The Denver pick they traded? No. 8. They traded two top-10 picks for Gerald Henderson and Jawann Oldham, who combined to play six games for the team after that season. Great stuff from Gordon Stirling.
Pippen was selected by the SuperSonics at No. 5 overall, but was traded on draft night to the Bulls… for the 8th pick, a 1988 2nd, and a 1989 pick swap. In a cruel fate of irony, the two teams that got their top-10 picks from the Knicks in lopsided deals for crummy veterans engineered an all-time draft night swap, even if one side feels quite resentful about only getting Olden Polynice out of it. If the Knicks had just simply passed on Oldham, they could’ve been the Bulls in this situation.
If they had kept both picks? Maybe instead of Polynice, they drafted Horace Grant (No. 10) or even… Reggie Miller (No. 11). Imagine that. You either could’ve taken the legs out of a future dynasty by taking Grant and Pippen from the Bulls or rewritten the 90s in a different way by taking Reggie.
Silver lining, they at least made a good pick with Mark Jackson at No. 18, but he was out the door by 1992.
Johnny Newman Can’t Force Game 7 (1989 Second Round)
A heartbreaking end to a game against the Bulls in the playoffs? If I had a nickel…
The Knicks won fewer than 30 games in three consecutive seasons from 1985-87, but broke through by sneaking into the postseason at 39-43 in 1988, even if it meant losing in four games to Larry Bird and the Celtics. The following year, the team leveled up even more as Ewing ascended to become one of the best players in basketball, finishing fourth in MVP voting. The Knicks won 52 games and rolled past the Charles Barkley Sixers in the first round to get their first crack at the new look Bulls.
A team they’d be very familiar with over the next decade, Chicago was still a few years off from the otherworldly dominance that made them all-time legends, but their success against the Knicks really began here. Jordan scored 34 in Game 1 to steal it at MSG, and while a big game from Ewing evened it at one game a piece, the Bulls took both at home to push the Knicks to the brink. After winning Game 5, one objective remained. Steal Game 6 in Chicago and get a chance to close it out at the Mecca.
It was dead even in the first half, but Chicago had opened up a seven-point lead after three quarters. Into the final minute, it seemed firmly in their grasp. Leading by four with nine seconds left, the Bulls just needed to play smart on defense, make free throws, and they’d win it. That didn’t go to plan, as the Knicks got a gift from the heavens when Trent Tucker buried a three with six seconds left and was fouled, tying the game on a four-point play.
On the other end, Jordan drew a foul on a mid-range jumper with four seconds left, sinking both free throws and ending his day with 40 points. On the ensuing inbound, some atrocious full-court defense from the Bulls gave Johnny Newman, a 33.8% shooter from distance (a solid mark at the time), a wide-open three in transition to win the game and force Game 7.
He missed it. Bulls win. The season is over.
As many of us know, this would only be the start of the heartbreak that the GOAT and his Bulls would inflict on the orange and blue.
Rick Pitino’s Resignation (1989)
A decade that began with the final light fading from the Golden Age of Knicks basketball ended with a light at the end of the tunnel. Ewing, Jackson, and Charles Oakley were at the forefront of the next era of basketball in New York.
And they had done it with a 37-year-old born-and-bred New Yorker at the helm. Rick Pitino made the NCAA Tournament with Boston University in the early-80s, spent two years under Hubie Brown on the Knicks’ coaching staff, and led an upstart Providence bunch to the Final Four in 1987 before landing his dream job: head coach of the New York Knicks.
His first two years represented progress and the burgeoning of a new force in the Eastern Conference. He was young, the team was young, what could go wrong?
What went wrong is that Pitino handed in his letter of resignation on May 30, 1989, just 11 days after the season ended in Chicago, to return to the college game and coach Kentucky.
A season of optimism to end a turbulent decade ended with a big question: why would Coach Pitino leave? Especially for a college team in Kentucky’s situation. Once a collegiate powerhouse, the program was in utter shambles after receiving NCAA sanctions impermissable payment to recruits and entrance exam fraud. They weren’t even postseason eligible for the next two seasons! Any rebuild would take way longer; who would sign up for this with a great NBA job?
As has unfortunately been the case all too often in franchise history, it was a case of dysfunction.
Pitino and Knicks general manager Al Bianchi hated each other. When Pitino flirted with the Kentucky job that May, something that would admittedly irk any executive, Bianchi showed no intent to keep him. Pitino would later say that the relationship had reached a boiling point, and that he would end up taking the Kentucky job because he couldn’t coexist with Bianchi.
In a twist of fate, Bianchi would be canned just two years later by Hollywood producer and new president of Paramount (who oversaw the Knicks), Stanley Jaffe, who allegedly tried to talk Pitino out of visiting Kentucky in 1989 on behalf of ownership (then Gulf and Western) by telling him, “You need to trust me”. Pitino would later say that, had he known Jaffe would be taking over the franchise shortly, he wouldn’t have taken the Kentucky job.
The delay in said move caused the disastrous tenure of Stu Jackson over the next two seasons that saw the franchise move backwards. When the house was cleaned in 1991, the Knicks ultimately came out on top by getting Pat Riley to elevate them to the next level.
But, as we’ve come to know over these past 53 years, stupid moments like having your head coach on a 52-win team go back to college for a program that got sanctioned to hell is just the tip of the iceberg.
It was a game the Sixers had to have. After a couple of hard-fought losses in New York to open the first-round series against the Knicks, including a controversial Game 2 loss, Philadelphia returned home with its backs against the wall.
For the most part, the first two games of the series followed a similar script. The two teams appeared to be evenly matched, but New York was winning on the margins enough to pull through in tight games. The Knicks appeared to be the hungrier team at Madison Square Garden, getting to more loose balls than the Sixers and doing a better job of creating second chances on offense. The first two quarters of Game 3 were similar in that regard. New York led by two points after the first 12 minutes and by three points at halftime. Embiid appeared to be on his way to another strong stat line, with 17 points at intermission.
But Philly’s star player had 34 points in Game 2 and 29 points in Game 1 and the Sixers fell short in both games. Sensing the gravity of the moment, Embiid raised his level in the third quarter when Game 3 resumed. In just the third quarter alone, he more than doubled his 17 points in the first half, playing all 12 minutes of the period and scoring 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the quarter and a stellar 4-of-4 from the three-point line. Suddenly a three-point halftime deficit turned into a 13-point lead at the end of the third.
Embiid was sending a message that the Sixers were not going down without a fight against one of their bitter rivals. One of his many strengths is his free-throw shooting ability which is better than most seven footers. Embiid went 12-of-13 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and the Sixers coasted to an 11-point win and trimmed New York’s lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven opening round series.
The Knicks would go on to win two of the next three and close the series out in six games. But this was very much a back-and-forth series that could have gone either way. Ultimately, the narrative that New York was a little hungrier than the Sixers and willing to go the extra mile and make more hustle plays did win out. But Philly was competitive in every game of this six-game series loss and the Game 3 win for the Sixers was the only game of the six in the series that was decided by double digits.
It’s interesting to look back on this series from 2024 now that we have the additional knowledge of the Sixers getting swept in this past postseason by the Knicks. Perhaps Embiid’s stronger play in 2024 compared to 2026 against New York can simply be attributed to the fact that the 2024 series came one round earlier. Much has been made about Embiid’s body being unable to hold up into the spring for the Sixers to make a deep playoff run with him in the starting lineup.
These two series against the Knicks are a good reason as to why. Don’t forget that Embiid had been out for a good chunk of the second half of the regular season leading up to the 2024 postseason with a knee injury that he sustained in January in San Francisco in a game against the Warriors on Jan. 30. Embiid returned to game action on April 2 and appeared in five regular season games before the postseason began.
I’m not suggesting that the knee injury was a good thing for Embiid. It played a big role in a lost 2024-25 season for the big man. However, recovering from the knee injury and ramping back up for the first half of April before the postseason started, probably allowed him to be more productive against the Knicks than had he been playing 35-40 minutes a night on a regular basis in February and March.
Admittedly, in February and March of this past season, Embiid’s playing time was a bit scattered anyway, but it was clear by the time the Sixers got to the second round of the playoffs that he was running out of gas and the team still needed 12 more victories to win the NBA championship. Stamina and endurance are always going to be questions with Embiid come the spring, but it’s worth reminding you that we’re still less than three years removed from his playoff career high.
Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Sandro Mamukelashvili wasn’t on Lakers fans’ radar. That’s why when the Georgian big man joined the purple and gold, it was considered the team’s most out-of-the-box signing of the summer.
With Mamu in the mix, the Lakers now have a different type of offensive weapon than they’ve had in the past. Not only did they acquire a big man that truly fits with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, but one who can also space the floor and allow LA to play a two-big lineup. The 27-year-old lefty adds more firepower to an already potent offense.
The 6’9” big is also coming off his best season yet in his career, where he received votes for Sixth Man of the Year. Mamu averaged 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and shot 38.9% from 3-point range for the Raptors. He played in 80 games and started in 13 of those. It was a season that the incoming six-year forward can build on.
Given that Mamu signed a four-year, $52 million contract, the expectation for him to deliver will be considerably higher. The Lakers’ relatively thin frontcourt also puts added importance on his role.
What is his best-case scenario?
The best case for Mamu is that he becomes a dependable, key rotation player throughout the season, like LaMar Odom during the Lakers’ title runs. Obviously, Mamu is a significantly different player compared to Odom but it would be great if he can have a similar impact off the bench.
Mamu has to thrive in spacing out the Lakers’ offense, which means his shooting numbers have to remain consistent. If he can maintain his shooting percentage from last year, then that will do wonders for a team that runs a heavy pick-and-roll offense. Additionally, him continuing to finish 71% of his shots in the restricted area will be the icing on the cake.
Those numbers matter because that’s the type of production the Lakers need. He has to shoot well for the two-big lineups to be effective. Fortunately, there’s enough data to prove that Mamu can make it work, as he did last season alongside Jakob Poelt, with whom he had a +6.6 net rating in the 112 minutes.
Besides scoring, it would be ideal to see Mamu further improve his already decent ability to read defenses and make quick passes. There’s a reason why the former Raptor is highly regarded for his high basketball IQ. He can take advantage of the defenses with his playmaking through kick-out passes and backdoor bounces.
The best-case scenario for Mamu is to give the Lakers’ offense another dimension while adding a level of versatility and unpredictability that they haven’t had.
What is his worst-case scenario?
The worst-case scenario for Mamu is if he doesn’t perform as well as he did last season. That would be a tough blow for the Lakers, especially after investing in him without much insurance in the frontcourt.
It would be hard to watch Mamu constantly be a liability on defense. There have been scenarios of him being targeted on switches and he’s not exactly the best rim protector out there. The worst-case scenario would be Mamu becoming unplayable in certain situations, particularly when the Lakers need his production.
What is his most likely role on the team?
Mamu will most likely come off the bench. Besides playing alongside Kessler, Mamu will also be tasked with stepping in for him when he takes a breather. The two big men, along with Kevon Looeny, will shoulder the load in the frontcourt.
What sets Mamu apart from his frontcourt teammates is his unique skill set. How he puts it to use will ultimately determine his success in his first season as a Laker.
A high school teammate and childhood friend of LeBron James is now an NBA general manager.
Brandon Weems has been promoted to general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers after rising through the organization's front office over the past decade, according to multiplereports on Friday, Sept. 18. He'd been an assistant general manager for the franchise since 2022.
Weems played basketball with James at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. James' agent, Rich Paul, described Weems as "basically like LeBron's brother" during a podcast appearance as James was deciding on a new team this offseason. His presence in Cleveland was seen as a positive recruiting tool for the Cavaliers.
In an odd twist, Weems is replacing one of the men who helped persuade James to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers in July over the Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and others. Weems is filling the vacancy left by Mike Gansey, who is now the 76ers' president of basketball operations.
Weems, 40, played college basketball at Walsh University in Ohio and then had jobs for the men's basketball programs at Oakland University, Drexel and Kentucky, where he worked under John Calipari. Weems began working for the Cavaliers as a scout in 2015, according to the Akron Beacon-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
