Category: Basketball

Jalen Brunson is playing the highest-stakes basketball of his life in the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs, and answered the call with his biggest performance yet in a pivotal Game 4. 

He scored 36 points on 12-for-25 shooting from the field, grabbing five rebounds, dishing seven assists, and coming away with three steals in a narrow victory in which he hit two of the most clutch shots. 

Brunson's night should be a relief to Knicks fans who watched him struggle through the first three games. 

In Game 1, it took him 31 shots to get to 30 points, he shot 28 percent for 20 points in Game 2, and while he had solid efficiency in Game 3, his process, turnovers, and defense left much to be desired.

If Brunson is playing more like his past two games (and entire playoffs) than the first two of the Finals, the Knicks are in exponentially better position to close this series out and win their first NBA championship in over half a century. 

Here’s what San Antonio has done to disrupt his rhythm, how he got it back, and what that means for Game 5...

The Spurs have maintained the strategy of not letting Brunson get any comfortable looks. He’s pressed 94 feet down the court by the defensive demon Stephon Castle, and his favorable matchups are choices of guys many inches taller than him or Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama.

They’ve had Wembanyama lurking in the paint and are switching or blowing up enough off-ball actions to deter the Knicks from their Karl-Anthony Towns-centric offense, which opened up Brunson’s off-ball game. His free catch-and-shoot or cutting attempts have been few and far between, with only a couple of set plays opening things up for him.

With Brunson largely on the ball, he has consistently seen coverages forcing him to try and score in the packed paint, make the perfect dish-out or hit tough pull-ups. Picks are largely switched among wings, or if Wembanyama is the low man, he’s in a drop that covers twice the space of a normal player. 

In the former scenario, that essentially just leaves Brunson playing one-on-one ball, which was much less of a problem against the Cleveland Cavaliers than the defensive-minded Spurs. San Antonio has done well not to allow easy blow-bys, and is packing the paint any time Brunson comes near it.

The reason the first two games were such stinkers was due in part to Brunson growing accustomed to this defense and its individual members, and he’s slowly come to find his angles and attack points on each defender. There were a lot of early forced misses playing into the isolation-ball, where he settled for looks that are available any time in this series.

Defenders are also keeping entirely attached to Brunson if he does get a step, essentially begging him to get into his foul-drawing bag. This can distract him from taking normal in-rhythm shots, or take him out of the game if there’s a tough whistle, like in Games 1 and 2.

It’s no surprise his best games have come when he’s successfully drawn eight and 11 free throws instead of four and five, respectively, in the first two games. Brunson began punishing the Spurs for their physicality in Game 3, and getting Castle into foul trouble may have swung Game 4.

When he’s off a pick and Wembanyama is waiting, the defensive stalwart is up high enough to dissuade Brunson’s mid-range game. On the series, Brunson is only 6-for-26 from his favorite range on the court, a major win for the Spurs' defense.

New York’s shaky spacing and Brunson’s inconsistent playmaking have made this even tougher. 

If there aren’t clear passing lanes and the paint is filled with bodies, Brunson simply stalls and passes the ball, which has been a regular occurrence.

This is why the insertion of Jose Alvarado in the fourth quarter of Game 4, and Brunson’s relentless attack on Wembanyama helped open things up. With their anchor out in rotation and another threat carving into the lane, Brunson has had clearer windows to his spots and teammates.

San Antonio is satisfied giving him pull-up threes, one key weak point in their scheme, but without a rhythm behind it Brunson struggled to convert attempts in Games 1 and 2. As he got going in the paint in the latter two games and was more selective about his looks, his three-point shot went in at a much better efficiency at home.

Brunson and the Knicks can use all of this to ensure a solid strategy going into Game 5. 

To start, the Knicks can try to force the Wembanyama switch or just bring him into continuous action to run him ragged and get him out of the paint.

The officials may dictate how much Brunson can leverage the Spurs' physicality early - if he can catch Castle on a couple of fouls, it will give him some room in his in-between game. Start off with some clean rim attacks and free throws, and the pull-up game will open up from deep.

Towns has also had big games this series. If the Knicks can get his game flowing more, Brunson could be the beneficiary away from the ball. Of course, this is assuming the Spurs keep with their current approach.

The Spurs have thrown the occasional traps and doubles, but may press the button fully to keep the ball out of Brunson’s hands in this do-or-die game. Perhaps they have Wembanyama always switch to goad him into more tough pull-ups.

Whatever happens, the Knicks have proven they can win with or without Brunson playing his best offensive game. He has been lights out in the clutch and is surrounded by talent starved for this one final win -- let’s see if they can capture it.

Thoughtful reporter Hannah Beam enumerated several Rangers front office blunders, starting with the man behind the bench.

"The Rangers paid for the privilege of hiring the highest-paid coach in the league. And what did they get out of it last season, Sullivan had a record of 34-39-9. But that's not on Sully, that's on the man who built the roster."

The Knicks' highly-successful roster-builder, Leon Rose, even took time to write a serious letter to his fan base: "To be successful in the NBA," Rose wrote to fans in 2020, "you need the best talent, a tireless work ethic, a winning  culture and a total commitment to the development of both the individual and the team."

Beam: "Six years  later, he was standing in Cleveland, watching his team reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. The man was in tears, but he'd earned them!"

Like all of us who care – and who have watched the Knicks pull off playoff miracle after miracle – we are left wondering why the Rangers can't match their brethren's success. 

"The blueprint is right across the MSG hall," Hannah Beam concludes. "Same building. Same owner. For his Knicks, he finally figured out – you hire the right person and then get the heck out of the way,"

Then, one final Hannah Beam pause: "Last question: can the Rangers find their Leon Rose before Igor Shesterkin runs out of time?"

Larry Nance Jr. might have been a great fit with this version of the Cleveland Cavaliers in previous years. But last season, nearly all of his value came in the form of locker room leadership. That’s somewhat underwhelming.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Regular Season Stats

• 3.7 points
• 2.7 rebounds
• 1.0 assists
• 42% FG
• 33% 3PT FG
• 46% FT

The Cavs have sorely needed a player like Nance to reinforce the frontcourt behind Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Athletic, 6’9” forwards with plus wingspans haven’t fallen their way very often this decade. Add a touch of playmaking and three-point shooting, and Nance should have fit like a glove.

Sadly, injuries and Father Time have caught up to Nance. He’s not the same athlete he was in previous years, no longer providing a vertical threat around the basket and having trouble moving his feet defensively. Those are two skills he couldn’t afford to lose.

Cleveland couldn’t find any use for Nance. He wasn’t an effective pick-and-roll partner or defender, and he even regressed as a three-point shooter. Nance shot just 33% from deep after consecutive seasons shooting above 40%. At no point in the season did it feel like Nance’s jumper was going to return. That, again, is a skill he couldn’t afford to lose.

Nance appeared in just 35 games, racking up DNP’s as the on-court results spoke for themselves. Cleveland was 9.5 points worse per 100 possessions when Nance was on the floor. That ranked in the 11th percentile.

Now let’s be fair and offer the positive spin.

Nance hasn’t been fully healthy recently. He only played 24 games in the ‘24-25 season due to hand and knee injuries. He then tweaked his knee again at the start of the ‘25-26 season, only to then strain his calf a few weeks later. You can argue he never got his feet under him in Cleveland — and that a full summer of recovery could offer rejuvenation.

A healthier version of Nance might be on the table. The Cavs could talk themselves into that possibility as a low-risk, moderate-reward gamble. Of course, this most recent season wouldn’t leave anyone feeling great about a winning outcome.

Nance deserves credit for taking his lumps in stride. This wasn’t an easy season for him if he expected to play real minutes. Still, he never complained about DNP’s and remained a positive influence in the locker room. It’s easier than you think to grow resentful. Nance avoided that and brought nothing but good vibes off the floor.

It’s possible my expectations were too high for Nance. After all, he was a late addition on a veteran minimum contract. Maybe it’s unfair to grade him as if he were going to play meaningful minutes this season.

Still, it’s impossible to deny that I was disappointed.

Grade: D

As things currently stand, the Dallas Mavericks have two picks in the first round of the NBA Draft later this month, namely their own #9 and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s #30. In what is clearly a deep draft, the Mavs would do well to get as many bites of the apple as possible to build around Cooper Flagg, and the Thunder are an excellent candidate to help them out.

We previously considered swaps with the Sacramento Kings for Malik Monk and the Philadelphia 76ers for former MVP Joel Embiid, both of which featured incoming picks. Today we take another approach at an optically smaller, but no less meaningful, swing.

Joining me for this potential transaction are MMB’s Jack Nowicki and Bryan Porter.

The trade proposal

The Mavericks use their Traded Player Exception (TPE) and their 2026 #30 pick (which ironically belonged to the Thunder originally) to move up to #17 by way of taking on the contract of Isaiah Joe.

The discussion

Mike: I like this trade a lot. I am very hopeful the Mavs will actually take advantage of the TPE. If they can get an improved pick while retaining all other tradable assets, that is a major win and possibly the best asset management this franchise has demonstrated in years. If we could do OKC a favor by taking that salary off their books and they reciprocated by helping us jump 13 spots in this year’s draft, we ought to be sending a limo north to pick Joe up.

Brian: Yeah, I’d love to upgrade in this way and make use of our TPE to absorb a deal like this to move up in the draft. If I could quibble with it a bit, I would rather Aaron Wiggins than Joe because he’s bigger and cheaper, but the lesser of the two is probably the only one OKC considers accepting a deal like this for if they can’t move them into someone else’s space.

Jack: This would be an amazing trade for the Mavericks for multiple reasons. First, moving up to #17 allows them to take another blue chip player that could compliment #9, with Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie being my first choice. Second, adding another useful role player that fits next to Cooper Flagg is a large bonus, as Joe is an elite shooter who could open driving lanes for both Kyrie Irving and Flagg. I agree with Bryan’s point on preferring Wiggins, but I believe the Thunder would want to move Joe instead. Overall this is the type of opportunistic trade the Mavericks should be seeking this offseason.

Bryan: As slanted as this is towards us, considering Joe has some value and could probably net OKC a couple of second round picks on his own, the real question is how much would you comfortably add to this deal to make it happen? A second round pick? Two? Maybe a player would be too much, considering the idea is to cut money on OKC’s end.

Mike: I’m hoping OKC’s loss in the Western Conference Finals changed their thinking. If they repeated, I could have seen them paying out the nose to largely stay together. Now, I feel like ditching $11M would be very appealing to them. If we had to add a second round pick (even two), I’d generally be very open to that. That said, OKC certainly must realize they have a plethora of picks in the near future and not enough roster spots for them. I’d like to believe they’d be inclined to swap spots. And Jack, your commentary makes me want this to happen even more now!
Switching gears, I suspect one or more of P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Klay Thompson are moved this offseason. Closing thoughts to each of you on which of the three you’d prefer it being, assuming Joe is incoming?

Bryan: Washington is the one that makes the most sense. He likely has the highest value of the three, has reached the highest individual peak over the last two years and is still only 27 years old on a good, long term contract. Also his particular archetype should be very enticing to teams like OKC, the Spurs, etc. with versatile offensive bigs like Victor Wembanyama, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Nikola Jokic, contenders need big, defensive forwards who can hit corner threes, attack off the catch, be defensive playmakers, etc. His skillset is very much in demand right now.

Mike: I feel like Thompson is surely gone either way – I just can’t imagine he’d want to stick around for a rebuild. Ironically, Joe would be a solid one-to-one replacement for him in a lot of ways. That said, this trade proposal makes moving Washington sensible. I’d hate to see it as a fan, but in practical terms, this trade brings back value without moving player assets, and Washington could bring a lot back and really bolster this proposed trade if he was moved in a separate transaction. I also have an unsubstantiated hunch that Marshall sticks around here to take some of the offensive load off Flagg and whatever rookie(s) are added.

Join the conversation in the comments section below!

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

Your 2026 New York Knicks: Shot no good. The Tip. It’s Good! It’s Good! It’s Good.

My father was born in 1955 and grew up in Queens…

“You could feel the abundance of joy from everyone at one time. The collective joy that came out of everybody for that one moment, to hear the buzzer going off and not to see the ball go in the basket, I think we all felt something, like that emotion that was special.” -Karl-Anthony Towns [The Athletic]

…his big brother was a fan of the Yankees, NY Football Giants, Rangers and Knicks…

“It’s something that MSG hasn’t had, that kind of moment, in a long time, so shoutout to our fans for real.” -Karl-Anthony Towns [The Athletic]

…so my father became a fan of the Yankees, NY Football Giants, Rangers, and Knicks…

SOMEONE CHECK ON KNICKS FAN TYLER ADAMS https://t.co/ISvTYiYAiepic.twitter.com/2yy3qpec1S

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) June 11, 2026

…but when my father was 7 years old, a new team came to Queens…

…being a typical 7 year old and a typical younger brother; my father decided to ditch the Yankees and root for the new team in Queens. He also decided to ditch the Giants and become a fan of the New York Jets when they began playing at Shea Stadium…

“That has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball.” -Knicks coach Mike Brown [ESPN]

…I was born in 1985 and because my father was a fan of the Mets, Jets, Rangers, and Knicks. I never considered not rooting for the Mets, Jets, Rangers, and Knicks……

“Right hand from God.” -Karl-Anthony Towns [ESPN]

…these 4 teams have played over 300 combined seasons; winning a combined 9 championships with 3 of them being before World War II, I was alive for two of those titles but, to be fair, I was a 1 year old and wasn’t that into hockey when I was 9 years old …

“That’s a game where you sit there and you say you had the type of personnel that you had, you shot the ball decent, played a pretty clean game. Then kind of didn’t finish the job.” -San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson [The Athletic]

…as a kid my family had an annual tradition of tailgating a Mets game in the parking lot of Shea Stadium with a ton of both family and friends who’ve been in my families life for so long, I never conceived that addressing them as Aunt and Uncle and their kids as my cousins was technically not accurate…

“We’re a resilient group. We’ve been through a lot. We’ve come back plenty of times when we’re behind. Just staying with it, weathering the storm, not being too down or angry or frustrated.” -OG Anunoby [ESPN]

…and the Mets lost literally every game I personally attended until I was 16 years old…

“You look at it when you’re down 29 of, ‘OK, let’s get it to 20.’ There’s three minutes left in the third quarter, we’re down 18, you’re thinking, ‘Let’s get it to 10.” -Josh Hart [ESPN]

…and when I was a young child, I legit would cry that they lost some insignificant game in July in a more likely than not lost season…

“In the fourth quarter, you’re like, this is winning time. Anything can happen.” -Josh Hart [ESPN]

“I think [The Spurs collapse] began before (the fourth quarter). I can’t really explain it right now. I don’t know. We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half.” -Victor Wembanyama [ESPN]

…I remember once they lost the second game of a day-night doubleheader and, of course, we had tickets for the night game. I cried on the drive home and my mother tried to cheer me up by saying at least they won the first game but that wasn’t the point for me at the age…

“Just to be part of the journey is amazing. I appreciate Coach and everybody giving me my flowers, but this is what I worked hard for, to be in moments like this and shine with it. -Former Queens High School Basketball Player Jose Alvarado [NBA]

…my father, a man of few words, tried to console me in his own way and said “the most important part isn’t that your team wins, it’s that you stick with them no matter what.” That was it. He didn’t add something along the lines of ‘then that makes it so much sweeter when they do finally win’ because what he said was exactly what he wanted to say to me. To him, the most important aspect of being a fan is to stay loyal even if your team stinks and, for most of my life, my teams have been awful…

“I’m glad it went our way today, and I’ll definitely remember this for the rest of my life. But you know, next game. We’ve got to worry about when we play over there.” -Former Queens High School Basketball Player Jose Alvarado [NBA]

…being older I now see the irony that myself, my siblings, my wife, my sons are all Mets fans is because my father’s ‘importance of staying loyal’-rule wasn’t in effect for himself as a 7 year old…

“Basically, I went in there at halftime and said, ‘Regardless of the outcome, these next 24 minutes, we better bring it and show them how we really play basketball’ and that’s what we did.” -Former Queens High School Basketball Player Jose Alvarado [NBA]

…my father retired from being a MTA subway driver over 10 years ago and moved down south for warmer weather with my mother but we always talk sports and watch whatever game is on when we’re together…

…for the past two weeks, my wife has been traveling for business. My parents drove up to sleep on our couch bed so they could see their grandkids and help their son with childcare. This was planned months ago and I never considered one of MY teams would be in the middle of a championship run while my parents were staying at our home…

“I told OG as big, as strong, as athletic as he is, he’s got to be a monster on the offensive glass tonight,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “I don’t know if there was a play bigger than any other play in the history of Knicks basketball.” -Mike Brown [NBA]

…my father and I were watching Game 4 in the living room but, living in a typical Queens co-op, we had to be quiet because my boys were asleep in the room next to us. At halftime, my father said we could turn the game off because the Knicks were down big and my mother was falling asleep but my mother said “you never know, you should watch” before she fell asleep…

…my father and I kept watching and kept watching and in the fourth quarter I started quietly repeating, whenever the Knicks made a stop or made a shot, that “my teams don’t do this.” I started getting louder as the Knicks really started signs of making a comeback. “My Teams Don’t Do This.” Toward the end of the game after a big shot, I loudly said “MY TEAMS DON’T FUCKIN’ DO THIS” which clearly irritated my father because he hates hearing anyone, let alone his own son who should know better, curse plus people are sleeping; so he put his finger on his lips and then pointed to my son’s room and my mom indicating I needed to be quieter to avoid waking them up. I apologized and promised that I’m would not only not curse for the rest of the game, I wouldn’t even say a single word (kind of hoping “the universe” would somehow help my team through vibes if I kept my end of the bargain [exhibiting irrational behavior is part of being a fan of these teams])

When OG made that tip in, my stoic father didn’t say a word per se but jumped to his feet and let a kind of celebratory grunt/yell sound that I’ve never heard him make and it was so loud I’m pretty sure it woke up the entire apartment building.

OG Anunoby reveals he grew up collecting baseball cards and is a big New York Mets fan 🔥

"He listed Carlos Delgado as one of his favorites to watch… He also liked José Reyes, Pedro Martínez and, essentially, the entire Mets roster of the late 2000s."

(via @TheAthletic) pic.twitter.com/iAZya5BXJd

— Topps (@Topps) June 11, 2026

My advice to Wemby, you should give up. My team is going to do this.

“What’s going through my mind right now? I think it’s going to go one of two ways. … A bad one and a good one. The bad one would be giving up. The good one would be getting stronger through this, getting more together. I know this is what we’re going to do.” -Victor Wembanyama [The Athletic]

It has been very difficult to pinpoint where Michigan Basketball’s Yaxel Lendeborg may end up on draft night. He has taken a unique path to get to the NBA Draft, but now he is a certified top-15 pick who has attended private workouts with seven teams, and he has two more scheduled for next week.

On Thursday, Lendeborg was in San Francisco, California for a private workout with the Golden State Warriors, who hold the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. With a roster that stars a 38 year-old point guard and a 36 year-old power forward, the Warriors need to get young, and they are very much in a position to draft an already-polished college player who can be a plug-and-play weapon right away.

Lendeborg’s 6-foot-9, 241-pound frame makes him one of the more versatile front court prospects in this class. He can reliably guard on the perimeter or protect the rim, and his offensive game has evolved steadily over his college career to include consistent shooting, passing and off-ball movement.

What comes through just as clearly, though, is his understanding of what role he’s being asked to fill — no matter who drafts him in two weeks.

“My versatility, I can bring a lot of different things to the game, and being able to play multiple positions for these guys and do whatever I need to do to win,” Lendeborg said after his workout with Golden State on Thursday.

“I think (my skillset) fits perfectly (as a passer). (The Warriors) do a lot of off-ball moving sets, a lot of action to get Steph (Curry) open, and playing off his gravity will make it a lot easier for me to make reads and for the other guys to get open as well. So I think it’ll be perfect.”

The Warriors are chasing one more championship window around Curry, and what they need alongside him is someone who can defend multiple positions, make smart reads and keep the offense running when the ball isn’t in Curry’s hands.

At Michigan, Lendeborg was asked to do just that. He had the ability to become a primary ball-handler on a moment’s notice, but he was also content with taking a step back and drawing the defense in his direction as his teammates took over. When asked where he thought he could make the biggest impact as a rookie, his answer reflected that same awareness.

“I would say, five assists a game maybe to start off, you know, just a lot of defense, fast-break kind of bucket opportunities for me. And depending on if I’m (with Golden State) or anywhere else, my role would be a lot different, but if I was here, I’d be more like a secondary ball handler,” Lendeborg said. “Whenever Steph is getting taken out of the game, I’ll be there to assist, maybe provide a little bit more offense or instant offense in a way.”

Lendeborg spent three years at a junior college before transferring to the University of Alabama at Birmingham for two seasons and ending his career at Michigan. He was unquestionably one of the top players in college basketball last year, as he was a consensus First-Team All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year.

After winning the National Championship, Lendeborg has proven to NBA scouts he knows what it takes to win. For a team like Golden State that has seen consistent success over the last decade, an addition like Lendeborg could be the perfect culture fit for the last few years of the Curry era.

“A lot of people like winners, so me being in the position that I was in this past year, it just showcased that I’m willing to put aside any stat or anything about myself to win,” Lendeborg said. “Being in a winning culture, a winning program shows you a lot of different things that you have to do, not just as far as sacrifice, but just as far as everyday living to bring a spark and bring kind of good energy to the squad.”

The questions surrounding Lendeborg heading into draft night are more about his ceiling, not floor. His three-point shooting has improved the last three years, but it still isn’t at the level required of a small forward in the NBA, according to him. His defensive versatility is an area he also identified as needing further development. And not to mention, he will be 24 years old come the start of the season, which is nearly six years older than the projected top three picks. 

For Golden State, however, that debate may matter less than it would elsewhere. A team built around established veterans is an environment designed to maximize exactly the kind of player Lendeborg projects to be. He’s polished enough to contribute immediately, versatile enough to fit multiple lineup configurations and culturally oriented toward winning.

“Man, it would be amazing (to play with Steph Curry),” Lendeborg said. “He provides so much gravity on the court that it really makes it super easy for other guys to score, other guys to just showcase any ability that they have.

“I’ll be very excited to get the opportunity. He’s a great player, and a great human being as well. I got to meet him twice, so it’s really nice, and I feel like I will learn a lot playing with him as well.”

Lendeborg has met with the Thunder, Heat, Bulls, Bucks, Hornets, Mavericks and Warriors. He has just the Clippers and Hawks left. There are a multitude of possibilities for where he could go, but given how critical this year’s draft is for the Warriors, it is hard to see Lendeborg get past No. 11.

The 2026 NBA Draft takes place June 23-24 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The New York Knicks are one win away from their first championship since 1973. You read that right, folks.

That also means it is officially time to argue about the Finals MVP award, which will likely be handed out at around midnight on Saturday.

The Knicks lead the Spurs 3-1, are beating them up and down, left and right, and without any sort of help from the refs, and not only that, but they are about to get beatified after a miraculous Game 4 in which they came back from a 29-point deficit and got the Hand of God on their side.

At this point, we all have a pretty clear idea of who’s who in the race for the Finals MVP. Jalen Brunson is the 1A superstar even though Becky Hammon would never be able to deal with that. The Knicks won’t have arrived at MSG with a 2-0 lead had Karl-Anthony Towns not played at the top of his powers for a couple outings. Victor Wembanyama looked good, then great, then dirty, and is not even remotely close to being the Alien we were sold, at least on winning terms.

But man, oh man. Are we in for another underdog Finals MVP a la Iggy or Cedric Maxwell? OG Anunoby, step in.

OG'S TWO-WAY IMPACT 🔥

▪ Clutch block on one end trailing by 1
▪ Game-winning putback on the other end

What a night for OG Anunoby in New York's historic Game 4 comeback win! https://t.co/IcOqBvwmnPpic.twitter.com/7GUQxAuy9P

— NBA (@NBA) June 12, 2026

1. OG Anunoby, Knicks

Excuse me if you are a Brunson stan—understandable, we all are—or if you don’t agree with me, but with four games in the rearview mirror, Anunoby leads this race.

Although FanDuel sides with you and still has Brunson as the best-odds candidate at -115 compared to OG’s +230, the proof is in the pudding as oddsmakers are finally placing Ogugua in a hunting position.

So far, OG has put together the best combination of production, efficiency, defense, and most importantly momentum heading into a potential title-clincher.

Through four Finals games, OG is averaging 23.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 58% from the field, 55.6% from three, and 92% from the line. That is already absurd, but Anunoby still had his moment waiting for him in G4 as he dropped 33 points on 10-for-15 shooting, hit 7 of 9 threes, blocked De’Aaron Fox’s dumb layup attempt late, and ultimately went on to win the game himself by tipping in Brunson’s miss with 1.2 seconds left to finish the largest comeback in Finals history.

Bow down.

6'2 over 7'4, 8 ft wingspan, 10 ft standing reach

I couldn't believe he took it and made it pic.twitter.com/zNlbY1hkNi

— Shax (@ShaxNBA) June 11, 2026

2. Jalen Brunson, Knicks

Brunson has had a kinda tough Finals for his standards. That said, he remains and will ever be an obvious candidate to win the award simply because the Knicks run through this little big-headed man, and the Spurs are spending more time trying to stop him than doing anything else.

Brunson is averaging 29.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 steals, and his 36-point Game 4 kept the Knicks alive long before Anunoby finished it. The case against him is down to his awful efficiency during the past four games. Brunson is shooting 39.6% from the field—six other Knicks have better averages—and 34.5% from three—worst than Josh Hart’s 35.7% clip—while his one-man tendencies have gotten the offense a bit stagnant at times.

Still, this is the classic true superstar and team-leader pick, so you can never rule him out. Plus, it’s fair to say we have yet to watch a bona fide Brunson game this series, and he might be saving it for last.

Victor Wembanyama in the 4th Quarter:

10:41 Missed alley oop layup
10:40 Missed tip shot
10:37 Made FT
10:37 Missed FT
9:38 Missed floater
9:36 Missed top shot
9:33 Made two point shot
8:51 Missed alley oop layup
8:21 Missed jump shot
3:31 Made jump shot
1:47 Missed FT
1:47… pic.twitter.com/CzdCvwvxI8

— Underdog (@Underdog) June 11, 2026

3. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs

If Brunson might get the benefit of voters, you bet Wembanyama would do the same if the Spurs pull off the historic 3-1 comeback. Not happening, so not even discussing it, let alone after all this crap went down in the last week… Sorry, not sorry.

KAT GETS HIS FINGERTIPS ON IT!

WHAT A PLAY ON THE LAST POSSESSION 😮

KNICKS TAKE A 3-1 SERIES LEAD IN THE NBA FINALS. https://t.co/1NBoXPrKC2pic.twitter.com/0iHZGvo4MA

— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2026

4. Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks

Not gonna lie here: Towns looked like my Finals MVP pick after the first two games of the series, both ending in road wins at San Antonio.

KAT’s size, shooting, rebounding, and work against Wembanyama on both offense and defense gave the Knicks their early lead and pretty much put the Spurs to bed. Towns is averaging 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and a block per game, which keeps him in the conversation, but the award has started to move away from him of late.

Right now, if you ask me, I’d hand it to the one and only OG. Brunson can still take it with a strong Game 5, and a closeout performance like we’re accustomed to watching him put together could easily swing the whole thing. KAT? Still probable if he has an OG-like experience shortly.

So, who do you have winning the award? Let us know in the comments section below, and Let’s Go Knicks!

This summer is the first time in Austin Reaves’ career where he can have himself a big payday. Thanks to his yearly improvement over five seasons with the Lakers, he should be able to get that huge salary increase and be set.

However, the question remains: at what number will he be paid? It’s been reported that Reaves is expected to make at least $40 million annually. While that number might bring sticker shock to fans, the market is the market. If the Lakers aren’t prepared to pay it, someone else will.

Dan Woike of The Athletic published an article on Friday morning stating that the Pistons, Hawks and Nets are all interested in bringing Reaves to their franchise.

Multiple front-office sources around the league, granted anonymity to freely discuss an opposing player, expect Reaves to have interest from the Brooklyn Nets, with a four-year, $178.5 million contract expected to be offered. League sources said the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks are among a group of interested teams that can create space to make competitive offers. Other teams could also emerge.

At the same time, league sources said teams are approaching free agency with increased caution because of the restrictions tied to the league’s first and second tax aprons, potentially leading to more conservative spending than in previous summers.

Acquiring Reaves makes sense for all these Eastern Conference teams. All of them need backcourt scoring, and Reaves would be the guy in Brooklyn and Atlanta, and a huge part of the offense in Detroit, helping Cade Cunningham in his attempt to be a champion.

The good news for the Lakers is that they have the edge over these teams thanks to their established relationship with Reaves. This is the only team he’s played for, it appears it’s been a great relationship and LA is set to be a successful franchise for years to come with a Reaves and Luka Dončić backcourt.

If the Lakers offer Reaves a similar deal to what the Nets offer, it’s hard to imagine he leaves a successful winning franchise for Brooklyn. If he does, then clearly all that mattered was the dollar amount, and Reaves has always cared about winning.

It’s also important to remember that this is part of all contract negotiations. Reaves has made it clear that he wants to be a Laker and LA loves him. Both sides should be able to work out a deal that gives Reaves a nice payday and allows the Lakers to build a winner.

Still, other teams can and likely will make offers, so this doesn’t seem like a scenario where the Lakers can low-ball Reaves. Los Angeles is a great place to be, but $178.5 million dollars goes a long way in Brooklyn or elsewhere.

So, expect other teams to make a call to Reaves and for us to hear about it once free agency officially begins.

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

Let the free agency rumors begin!

Dan Woike, the veteran Los Angeles Lakers beat writer, turned Nets — and Lakers — fans’ attention from the NBA Draft to impending free agency Friday with a report that Sean Marks & co. are “expected” to offer unrestricted free agent Austin Reaves a max of $178.5 million over four years when free agency begins on June 30.

Writing for The Athletic, Woike reported that Brooklyn is ready to move on the 6’5” 28-year-old shooting guard.

Multiple front-office sources around the league, granted anonymity to freely discuss an opposing player, expect Reaves to have interest from the Brooklyn Nets, with a four-year, $178.5 million contract expected to be offered. League sources said the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks are among a group of interested teams that can create space to make competitive offers. Other teams could also emerge.

That’s the headline, of course, and it follows other speculation about the Nets and Reaves.

Two weeks ago, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps wrote about a possible link-up between the Nets and Reaves. Like Woike, Bontemps singled out the Nets and only the Nets as serious rivals to the Lakers in a Reaves sweepstakes.

One potential bidder to watch this summer, sources said, is the Brooklyn Nets, who will enter the offseason with more than enough salary cap space to accommodate a max-type player.

And like Woike, Bontemps noted the prevailing wisdom is that when all is said, done and signed, the once undrafted Reaves will likely be very, very rich and wearing purple-and-gold rather than black-and-white.

The majority opinion is that Reaves will remain in Los Angeles — and on a massive raise. But after playing on one of the best value contracts in the league the past few seasons, what number gets that done?

While the Nets could offer Reaves up to $178.5 million over four, the Lakers can give him $239 million over five. The question Woike raises, as did Bontemps, is whether the new ownership in L.A. — Mark Walther and his Guggenheim Partners — will be willing to pass their first test and pay the full cost.

If the Lakers were competing against no one, maybe they could be more frugal in the negotiations and try to save every penny possible to throw at players who fit their other needs. If they do that, they risk losing Reaves to a better offer somewhere else.

“You can’t let a talent like that walk,” one Western Conference executive said. “That would be a disaster.”

Having another team willing to lay down big dollars would complicate the Lakers’ bidding, particularly since they have to consider future deals with Luka Doncic and LeBron James as well as a whole slew of lesser lights. And the Nets have the wherewithal to make a credible offer. They will have somewhere around $35 million in cap space and could probably generate more if needed. And if a sign-and-trade evolves, giving the Nets an opportunity to pay Reaves at or near what the Lakers can, they have all those draft assets at the ready.

The first indication of how things will go could come as early as Sunday. If the Knicks beat the Spurs Saturday night in San Antonio, Sunday will be the first day teams can talk to their own free agents. Will the Lakers seize the opportunity and provide Reaves with that $239 million over five sheet? If not, or if Reaves simply wants to listen to the Nets or other teams offers, the Lakers will have to wait till June 30 starting at 6:00 p.m. ET. 

Reaves would be difficult to replace in Los Angeles both in tangibles and intangibles, as Woike writes. He averaged 23.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists in an offense that revolved around Doncic and James. Perhaps at least as important is the intangibles.

“He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker. And we feel the same way. We want his odyssey to continue to unfold in the purple and gold,” GM Rob Pelinka said in his end-of-season interview. “There’s rules and timing to all of that, but I think both sides have made it abundantly clear that we want to work something out where he continues his prolific career here.”

Also, Woike writes that Reaves has great relations with Doncic, James and his head coach, J.J. Redick.

He does, after all, want to remain with the team. He does, after all, have a real relationship with Dončić, a real relationship with fellow free agent LeBron James and a real relationship (and shared respect) with his coach, JJ Redick. He does, after all, love to play golf and love to drive down the 405 South to his country club on off days to play until after the sun sets over Los Angeles.

What might be attractive to him in Brooklyn? With that contract , he’d likely be the Nets’ lead guy, not stuck behind Doncic and James. Of course, there’s another point in here beyond Reaves free agency: does this signal that the Nets are going to swing for the fences and try to acquire a star or superstar? Remember, the franchise had hoped that getting a top pick in the Lottery would make them more attractive to free agents or unhappy stars.

Bottom line, based on what we know, is that there should be a lot of healthy skepticism about Reaves leaving L.A. for Brooklyn. Then again, weird stuff is happening all over New York nowadays…

Knicks fans were celebrating and threw this cone perfectly on someone’s head

The perfect granny shot.
pic.twitter.com/qh3GEFie8f

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) June 12, 2026

Stay tuned.

• NBA rumors: Nets preparing $178.5 million offer to steal Austin Reaves from Lakers – Malik Brown – Clutch Points

Thanks to everyone who participated in our community draft board series, where we essentially ranked the top 18 prospects in this month’s NBA Draft. While it wasn’t exactly a mock draft, it’s nice to see a decent consensus among our readers as to who people think is the surer bet as opposed to others. Here’s what we came up with, through pick 18:

1. AJ Dybantsa – BYU
2. Darryn Peterson – Kansas
3. Cameron Boozer – Duke
4. Caleb Wilson – North Carolina
5. Keaton Wagler – Illinois
6. Darius Acuff – Arkansas
7. Kingston Flemings – Houston
8. Mikel Brown Jr. – Louisville
9. Brayden Burries – Arizona
10. Yaxel Lendeborg – Michigan
11. Aday Mara – Michigan
12. Nate Ament – Tennessee
13. Cameron Carr – Baylor
14. Labaron Philon Jr. – Alabama
15. Morez Johnson Jr. – Michigan
16. Hannes Steinbach – Washington
17. Karim Lopez – New Zealand (NBL)
18. Jayden Quaintance – Kentucky

As mentioned, we stopped at 18 mainly because the Bucks are rumored to be operating as if they’ll have two selections this year. While that rumor never specifically stated first-round selections, if we go with that assumption, it seems plausible they’d have two picks in the top 18. That’s not only because a possible Giannis trade could get them pick 13 from Miami, but also because OKC and Charlotte own two picks in the teens: the Thunder at 12 and 17, and the Hornets at 14 and 18. So if the Bucks traded down with one of them, they’d pick no worse than 18.

But let’s just go with the order we currently have. The way we asked these questions was essentially “who would you draft with pick x?” We removed all names that had previously been drafted. We didn’t specify teams, because even if we think Aday Mara, for example, is the 11th best prospect, Golden State might rather pick someone else at 11. In any case, here’s how a mock would shake out with our board…

1. Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa
2. Utah Jazz: Darryn Peterson
3. Memphis Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer
4. Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson
5. LA Clippers: Keaton Wagler
6. Brooklyn Nets: Darius Acuff
7. Sacramento Kings: Kingston Flemings
8. Atlanta Hawks: Mikel Brown Jr.
9. Dallas Mavericks: Brayden Burries
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Yaxel Lendeborg
11. Golden State Warriors: Aday Mara
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Nate Ament
13. Miami Heat: Cameron Carr
14. Charlotte Hornets: Labaron Philon
15. Chicago Bulls: Morez Johnson Jr.
16. Memphis Grizzlies: Hannes Steinbach
17. Oklahoma City Thunder: Karim Lopez
18. Charlotte Hornets: Jayden Quaintance

So what do you think about this? Would these teams make these picks? How about from the Bucks’ perspective? Personally, I’m a big fan of Lendeborg, but I’d only do that at 10 if I knew Giannis was staying. I like Mara in either situation, but I might opt for Carr, since he probably has the most star potential of anyone left on the board. If they also had 13 in that situation, I might take Lendeborg there, but Philon and Johnson appeal to me more with their upside.

If the Bucks traded down from 10, Ament and Lopez wouldn’t make much sense if they had 12 and 17, given the positional overlap and big question marks about each. I’d again go with Carr at 12 and then take Quaintance or Dailyn Swain at 17 over Lopez. Ament would be a good pick at 12 too, and then I’d probably lean more towards Swain or Allen Graves at 17. If Milwaukee had 14 and 18, Philon and Quaintance would be great.