Gansey had spent the past season as the Cleveland Cavaliers’ general manager.
He joined Cleveland’s front office in 2011-12 before rising through the ranks. He was promoted to assistant general manager in 2017, serving under Koby Altman. He was then promoted to general manager in 2022, still under Altman.
The Cleveland Cavaliers finished this season with a 52-30 overall record and were fourth in the Eastern Conference. The New York Knicks swept the Cavs in the conference finals.
The Knicks also swept the 76ers in the conference semifinals. Philadelphia, which had a 45-37 overall record, fired Daryl Morey after the season.
Bob Myers, the former Golden State Warriors general manager, led the search for the 76ers as the president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. Myers recently participated in the UCLA football coaching search, which led to the hiring of Bob Chesney.
Who is Mike Gansey?
Gansey finished second to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James as Ohio's "Mr. Basketball" in 2001.
Gansey played college basketball at St. Bonaventure (2001-03) and West Virginia (2003-06) before going undrafted in 2006.
After a short professional playing career, which included stints in the NBA's D-League and overseas, he began his executive career. Gansey served as the Canton Charge's general manager and was named the NBA Development League's executive of the year for the 2016-17 season.
As we move closer and closer to the NBA Draft — June 23, less than a month away — the trade rumors are ramping up around the league as well. Here is some of the latest chatter.
Cavaliers not likely to chase Antetokounmpo
For many fans, Cleveland being swept out of the playoffs by the Knicks was a sign that the team needs to make bold changes. Internally, it does not appear that's what they are thinking.
Case in point: Don't expect the Cavaliers to jump into the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, report Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line, which echoes previous reports. The price for the Cavaliers to get in the mix is 24-year-old, former Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, and Cleveland does not want to go there. From The Stein Line:
"Mobley, at 24, is regarded in Cleveland as the sort of player who could offer a legitimate bridge to a successful post-Mitchell future. The Cavaliers, remembering how hard life was after (LeBron) James walked away from the franchise — twice — are obviously reluctant to surrender Mobley and the staying power he is projected to represent unless it's a sure-thing trade."
One quick thought on where this leaves the Bucks. Milwaukee didn't trade Antetokounmpo at the February deadline believing the market would be more robust this offseason for the two-time MVP. That is not proving to be the case. New York is in the Finals and not about to blow up its core now. Cleveland is out. Antetokounmpo doesn't want to go to the West. That makes Miami the frontrunner, but if Cleveland is looking to start a bidding war, that is not going well.
Cleveland looking to extend Mitchell
What Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman did make clear at his end-of-season press conference is his intention to lock up Donovan Mitchell, who is extension-eligible this summer. Here's Altman's quote, via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
"Donovan is our guy. He's elevated everything about this franchise and this organization, so when he professes his love for being here, we're fortunate to have him and we'll work out those details when it comes time."
The James Harden to Cleveland trade doesn't happen without a handshake agreement to extend him, although for likely less than his current contract. The Cavs have made it clear that coach Kenny Atkinson will be back. All signs point to more minor moves this summer for the Cavaliers than anything big and bold.
Heat also eyeing Leonard, Morant
The Miami Heat are swinging for the fences this summer and are considered the frontrunner to land Antetokounmpo if he does bolt Milwaukee. But what if he stays put, or jumps to another team?
"Honestly, if they get a signal it's not going to be Giannis, I think they explore Kawhi [Leonard]. I think they explore Ja [Morant]. You can't get stale, especially in this market."
Miami's Antetokounmpo offer is centered on Tyler Herro and Kel'el Ware (with picks and other players), pairing the Greek Freak with Bam Adebayo, but with little around them. Does that provide a better chance to chase a ring than Milwaukee?
Morant will be available, the Grizzlies shopped him at the trade deadline but there just wasn't much of a market. Leonard is a more complex scenario, with everyone involved — including the Clippers — waiting for the NBA's Aspiration/salary cap circumvention investigation to wrap up. The punishments that come out of that, both to the Clippers and potentially Leonard, will have a big say in what is next for everyone. That said, there is a belief in some quarters of the NBA that he will be available via trade this summer.
OKC to trade up in draft?
This rumor has been flying around in some circles: Oklahoma City would package the Nos. 12 and 17 picks in this draft — plus maybe a player or another future pick — to move up to the top three in this draft and Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson.
I don't buy it. Mostly because I don't think any of the top four teams are going to trade out of a chance to land a franchise-changing player — this is not the NFL, where accumulating picks to deal with the attrition that comes with the sport is logical and necessary. In the NBA, one franchise player changes everything, and teams like the Grizzlies or Bulls (drafting third and fourth) need that more than a couple of later picks. It would take a Godfather offer for them to move out of those spots.
Second, can you imagine the backlash — from their fans, but particularly from the other 29 GMs in the league — if a team made a move to make the Thunder even better and deeper? It would be pitchforks-and-torches time.
Will Jalen Duren get max extension?
This question seemed like a foregone conclusion when the regular season ended. Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, shot 65%, all while playing elite defense. He showed real chemistry with Cade Cunningham and was named Third Team All-NBA. Of course he was a max player.
Then the playoffs started. Duren struggled in the postseason, averaging 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds a game. Now, it's no sure thing he gets a max offer from the Pistons. Here is what one league executive told Tim Bontemps at ESPN.
"If he wants to get a max, they'll tell him to go get one," an East executive told ESPN. "But he's Cade's guy, so they'll have to play it the right way."
It's a tricky political line for Detroit to walk, keeping a young star happy while trying to save some money, but in an apron-era, NBA teams cannot afford to miss on max or near-max contracts. Duren becomes one of the stress points, and it's worth asking if another team with cap space and a need at the five — hello Lakers — might try to swoop in and make a play. That said, Duren is a restricted free agent, the Pistons can match any offer and almost certainly would, making a play by Los Angeles or anyone else less likely.
What he ultimately signs for is something worth watching this offseason.
The Thunder guard/forward, who averaged 17.1 points per game this season, reinjured a hamstring injury in Game 2. He sat out Games 3, 4 and 5 and returned to the court for Game 6, where the Spurs evened the series to force Game 7. He played just 10 minutes off the bench and had one point, a free throw.
"It was a unique situation. Ever since he got hurt, he's been hell-bent on trying to get himself to this point," Daigneault said. "I give him a lot of credit. He's a big-time team guy. He's a big-time competitor. He's obviously not a hundred percent. He didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what to expect, so it was a matter of getting him out there in kind of an insulated role and see what he can bring to the team.
"... He hasn't done a full return-to-play the way that he would if this was the regular season and yet he just wants to do whatever he can to try to contribute whatever he can to the team."
Knicks coach Mike Brown told reporters Friday that Robinson did not sustain the injury in a game or practice, and added that he's aware that Robinson has had surgery.
"I don't know much about the details, obviously I know that he had surgery and all that," Brown said. "For me it's the same thing, I don't want to know. Just let me know if he can play and when he can play. Just like we normally would, we're getting everybody else ready to go."
He added: "For me, I'm always going with who's available today and (Robinson) didn't practice today, so we're getting whoever we need ready to go."
When a reporter asked Brown a follow-up inquiring exactly how Robinson was hurt, a member of the Knicks' media relations staff interrupted and said "we're not going to get into specifics."
Robinson reportedly plans to play. The NBA Finals begin Wednesday, June 3. The Knicks are preparing to face the winner of the Western Conference finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
Robinson has been a key contributor off the bench for New York, providing size and an interior presence defensively when Karl-Anthony Towns is off the floor.
Despite battling numerous injuries in his career, Robinson has been a stud for the Knicks during the postseason, averaging 5.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.6 bocks and 0.5 steals in just 14.2 minutes per game in 13 playoff games this year.
Robinson has made the most of his sparing minutes, giving the Knicks additional scoring opportunities by grabbing 2.5 offensive rebounds per game.
Despite his desires to play, if he is unable to go, it would be a huge loss for the Knicks, who will need all the size they can in the NBA Finals when New York faces either Victor Wembanyama or the duo of Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren.
The next man up for New York would be second-year, third-string center Ariel Hukporti, who appeared in just 54 games this season, playing 9.2 minutes, which came mostly during the waning minutes of blowout games.
Jalen Williams tried. He suited up for Game 6 ready to see if he could help Oklahoma City close out San Antonio. What was clear in his 10 minutes off the bench is that his strained left hamstring was not ready for an NBA game.
Williams has officially been ruled out of Game 7 on Saturday, the team announced, something that wasn't a surprise after he sat the entire fourth quarter of Game 6 (even though the game was out of hand, if Williams could have played he would have been out there to shake off some rust). Ajay Mitchell also remains out with the calf strain that has sidelined him for the last few games.
It's bad news for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been up and down this series — and is shooting 37.9% for the first six games — because an elite San Antonio defense can drill down on stopping him, and he doesn't have his most trusted secondary shot creators next to him to relieve the pressure.
It also leaves Thunder coach Mark Daigneault with some tough choices. He almost certainly now keeps Jared McCain in the starting lineup, but Oklahoma's lineups in this series with SGA, McCain, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort have struggled — San Antonio keeps racing out to a lead in games for a reason. Does Daigneault start Cason Wallace in Dort's spot? Is changing the starting lineup for a Game 7 wise?
That said, it's best to know that Williams just can't go, rather than feeling obligated to roll him out for minutes where he only hurts the team in the biggest game of the season.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 28: Devin Vassell #24 of the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs high five during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 28, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In the words of Zaza Pachulia: NOTHING EASY! NOTHING EASY! WE GOING TO GAME 7, BABY! GAME SEVEN! GAME SEVEEEEENNNN!
The San Antonio Spurs dismantled the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 118-91 win in Game Six. With the series tied 3-3, the Spurs will head to Oklahoma City with an NBA Finals appearance on the line.
The Spurs won the game on defense, holding the Thunder to just 13 points in the third quarter. While the defense stifled the Thunder, Victor Wembanyama and Dylan Harper scored at will. They’ll lead our Game Six player grades. As a quick reminder, player grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.
Wembanyama responded to the moment. Wembanyama came out aggressively after a disappointing Game Five. He made it rain from three and attacked the basket on a few difficult drives. He was much more impactful on the defensive end, constantly disrupting the Thunder’s drives to the basket.
If you’re looking to pick apart Wembanyama’s game, he probably took too many jumpers. The Thunder are doing everything in their power to prevent him from catching lobs at the rim or getting deep post position. Finding a way to get him going toward the basket will be key in Game Seven. As +132 underdogs on FanDuel, the Spurs will need everything they can get from Wembanyama.
Fox still doesn’t have the lift on his jumper due to his ankle injury. He made up for his lack of scoring with his passing and defensive effort. Fox had 7 assists and 0 turnovers in the win. He knew exactly when to push the pace in transition and when to slow it down and find his healthy teammates. Game Seven will be a different story. The game will almost certainly slow down, and the Spurs will need Fox’s scoring.
Castle has been fantastic in this series. He was great at handling the ball in Game Six with 9 assists and just 1 turnover. Once again, he defended his tail off against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Spurs held SGA to 15 points on 6-18 shooting.
Champagnie didn’t have the same explosive game he did in Game Five, but he continued to knock down shots. He made his presence known with an awesome finish at the rim and a sweet block from the weak side. He is playing really well right now on both ends. The Spurs are going to need another big performance from him in Game Seven.
Where would the Spurs be without Vassell? He was on fire in Game Six and maintained his excellent defense and effort. He’s been given incredibly difficult defensive matchups in SGA and Chet Holmgren. He’s held his own with Gilgeous-Alexander on the perimeter and played tough against Holmgren inside. His block against Holmgren was one of the biggest highlights from the game.
This might have been Harper’s best game of the series. He looks like he’s back after struggling with an injury. He played with strength as he got to the basket and made aggressive plays in transition. What stood out the most was his tough shot-making in the mid-range and from three. When those shots are falling, the Spurs are incredibly hard to beat.
Johnson continues to play within the rhythm and in the flow of the offense for the most part. There are times when he puts his head down and gets into trouble. His energy has been so important. He’ll need to bring that same passion and fire to Game Seven.
This was a scrappy game for Kornet. He was mucking things up inside, especially during the Spurs’ big run without Wembanyama on the floor. Surviving without Wembanyama on the floor has been a key part of the Spurs’ victories in this series. Kornet helped San Antonio thrive in Game Six.
Barnes grabbed an offensive rebound and knocked down a pair of triples in his limited minutes. Johnson went to him over Bryant earlier in the game, but ended up using both players.
Bryant had another incredible dunk. He also played awesome defense on SGA in his limited minutes. That’s not counting him laying him out in a moment that almost led to a flagrant foul.
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 13: Mike Gansey current Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager and former basketball player arrives at Perth Airport on December 13, 2022, in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Faith Moran/GC Images)
The Sixers have a new front-office boss.
The team will reportedly hire Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey as president of basketball operations, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Just in: Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey has agreed to become the new President of Basketball Operations for the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Gansey — who rose the ranks within the Cavaliers front office since joining in 2011-12 — now lands the top… pic.twitter.com/QXwblvV1pf
Gansey was one of four candidates — including Minnesota Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd, Phoenix Mercury GM Nick U’Ren and a lone internal candidate in Jameer Nelson — reportedly on Bob Myers’ short list to replace Daryl Morey.
As Gansey separated from the pack of candidates, it’s been speculated that the Sixers could potentially promote Nelson to their GM role. The only word out so far comes from Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice, who has reported that a decision regarding the St. Joe’s legend has yet to be made.
No decision yet on Jameer Nelson's role within the Mike Gansey-led Sixers front office, I am told.
In Gansey, the Sixers get an interesting candidate.
Gansey was a standout player in college for both Saint Bonaventure and West Virginia. After playing a few years professionally both overseas and the then D League, he quickly joined the Cavs’ front office as director of development league operations in 2012. He won the D League’s Basketball Executive of the Year in 2017 for his work with the Canton Charge, the Cavs’ D League affiliate. He was then promoted to assistant general manager before president of basketball operations Koby Altman named him GM in 2021.
Cleveland was able to recover fairly quickly after LeBron James and company were swept in the NBA Finals by the Golden State Warriors in 2018. James departed to the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency and the Cavs won 19, 19 and 22 games, respectively, the following three seasons amidst a rebuild.
After selecting Evan Mobley third overall in 2021, adding him to a young core featuring Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, the team finished with 44 wins, good enough for the East’s eighth seed. Unfortunately, they lost both play-in games and didn’t get to the actual NBA playoffs.
A blockbuster trade for All-Star Donovan Mitchell helped the team raise the bar and expectations. After disappointing playoff finishes the following two seasons, the team fired head coach JB Bickerstaff and brought on Kenny Atkinson. Atkinson won 64 games in the regular season, but the team was bounced in the second round again.
After a polarizing trade that sent the oft-injured Garland to the LA Clippers for James Harden, the Cavs were able to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018. But obviously, Cleveland had a massively underwhelming performance against the New York Knicks.
While it’s fair to wonder how much say Gansey had in the Harden deal, there’s no questioning the Cavs’ recent ability to draft and develop players while finding talent on the margins. It’s obvious Gansey played a huge role in that.
That will likely be Gansey’s immediate goal — build the best team possible around the max deals of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey while not compromising the future of the Maxey-VJ Edgecombe backcourt. No easy task there.
So, the Sixers got their guy. His first test comes rather quickly with the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23, followed quickly by free agency. We’ll see how the team’s new steward plans to build the roster now and in the future.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren was already having a tough go against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals before Devin Vassell emphatically swatted away a routine dunk by OKC’s 7-footer in Thursday’s ugly road loss.
Vassell piled on the dejected Holmgren with two scoops of trash talk as the crowd inside the Frost Bank Center exploded. While that humiliation of Holmgren makes the rounds on social media, my Spurs vs. Thunder predictions won’t count out the talented big man, who needs a long look in the mirror ahead of Game 7.
Our NBA picks like Holmgren to show up, or at least surpass the blowout-suppressed odds' expectations, as Oklahoma City is a 3.5-point home favorite on Saturday, May 30.
Spurs vs Thunder Game 7 prediction
Spurs vs Thunder best bet: Chet Holmgren Over 13.5 points (-112)
In the past two games, Chet Holmgren has been shooting 59% for a collective 26 points, including hitting all six FTAs.
Passive play and limited minutes in recent blowouts are stunting his scoring.
With squashes in the last four games vs. the San Antonio Spurs, Holmgren’s minutes go from an average of 15 in the 1H to 11.9 in the 2H, including a piddly four minutes in the 4Q. His usage drops with it.
Saturday’s short spread writes a tight game script that keeps Chet on the floor. Projections sit as high as 16+ points, which is comfortably beyond his shrinking prop total.
COVERS INTEL: Rarely do you get precedent in these high-pressure scenarios, but Holmgren also struggled offensively vs. Indiana in last year's NBA Finals. He followed a 6-for-24 skid in Games 5 and 6 with a big 18-point effort in Game 7. Chet can answer the bell.
Spurs vs Thunder Game 7 same-game parlay
Experience counts in the crunch, and the Oklahoma City Thunder have played in plenty of pressure cookers.
While the offense has been humming for the Thunder at home, their defense has made the biggest difference by being disruptive. They’ve forced the San Antonio Spurs into an average of 19.7 turnovers in three games at OKC (six more than in San Antonio), quickly translating those miscues into 25 average points off turnovers.
Nerves will get the better of the young Spurs and feed into those transition buckets for Oklahoma City.
Lost in a sea of slander, Holmgren has hauled in 22 total rebounds over the past two games. Those boards are even more impressive when you factor in his limited minutes in the second half of those blowouts.
Chet has been in position for 36 rebounding opportunities in that span and is aggressive on the offensive glass, with seven boards on the offensive end in the past two showings.
Spurs vs Thunder SGP
Thunder moneyline
Chet Holmgren Over 13.5 points
Chet Holmgren Over 8.5 rebounds
Spurs vs Thunder odds for Game 7
Spread: Spurs +3.5 (-110) | Thunder -3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Spurs +135 | Thunder -160
Over/Under: Over 212.5 (-110) | Under 212.5 (-110)
Spurs vs Thunder betting trend to know
The Thunder are 6-2 SU when coming off a double-digit loss on the season, and they were missing MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in two of those “bounce-back” spots. Overall, OKC is 15-5 SU off a loss, including a perfect 3-0 in the playoffs. Find more NBA betting trends for Spurs vs. Thunder.
How to watch Spurs vs Thunder Game 7
Location
Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Date
Saturday, May 30, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBC/Peacock
Spurs vs Thunder latest injuries
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Lakers guard Luka Doncic is part of an investment group that has purchased Italian team Vanoli Cremona with hopes of joining NBA Europe in the near future. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Luka Doncic could be involved in two championship bids this upcoming season.
The Lakers’ superstar and former Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson are leading an investor group that acquired a professional basketball team in Italy, it was announced Friday, with hopes that the franchise could become part of the NBA’s new European venture.
The group plans to move Vanoli Cremona, a team that plays in a northern Italian city about 60 miles southeast of Milan, to Rome, and submitted a bid for the club to join NBA Europe, making Doncic the first player to state his ambition to become part of the NBA’s expansion across the pond.
“I have dreamed about owning a team in Europe for a long time, to finally have this happen is amazing,” Doncic said in a statement. “Vanoli has a great history, and we are ready to take it to the next level in Rome. We have an amazing group of partners, and I really believe we can do something special for basketball in Italy and Europe.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said this year that the NBA is working with FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, to begin a standalone league in Europe. The league could begin as soon as October 2027 with up to 16 teams hosted in major cities in England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece and Turkey.
Rome and Milan are the top Italian targets to host NBA Europe teams. Rome, the Italian capital, has not had a Serie A team since 2020, when Virtus Roma ceased operations because of financial difficulties. Vanoli will begin playing in Rome for the 2026-27 season.
“Rome deserves world-class basketball, and we are excited to be bringing it back,” Nelson said in a statement. “Vanoli Cremona has a proud history, and we are committed to honoring that legacy as we build toward an exciting future in Rome. This city has been without top-flight basketball for too long. That changes now. We are bringing the resources, the expertise, and the passion to make this club a source of pride for Rome and for all Italy.”
Nelson, who is the lead investor and managing partner, was the general manager when the Mavericks traded for Doncic on draft night in 2018 and was the architect of Dallas’ 2011 NBA championship team led by German star Dirk Nowitzki. The investor group also includes Valerio Bianchini, a celebrated coach in the Italian league, and Rimantas Kaukėnas, a 17-year pro across European leagues.
The 27-year-old Doncic, who was born in Slovenia and started his professional career with Real Madrid in Spain, is part of a recent wave of international stars taking over the NBA. The last eight most valuable players have been born outside of the United States. Doncic finished fourth in MVP voting this year behind two-time winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is from Canada, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who is from Serbia, and Victor Wembanyama, a 22-year-old Frenchman expected to dominate the league for years.
The NBA played two regular-season games in Europe this season, with the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic facing off in Berlin and London. Next season, Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will play in his home country against the New Orleans Pelicans and in Manchester, England.
DETROIT, MI - MAY 13: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers running down court in the game against the Detroit Pistons during Round Two Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a long summer ahead of them. The most pressing issue will be determining who belongs on the team next season. When asked if Evan Mobley will ‘definitively’ be back, Koby Altman gave a somewhat shaky response.
“Umm, yeah, I mean, he’s part of our future,” said Altman.
Altman’s comments are open to interpretation. At face value, and given his tone when answering, it almost sounds like Altman is dismissing the question altogether. Why wouldn’t Mobley be on the team next season?
Another reading would suggest that this question flustered Altman. His hesitation has been seen as less than reassuring to Twitter.
I’ll leave it to you, glorious Fear the Sword reader, to determine which side of the aisle you land on.
The rest of Altman’s answer dodges the question. He declines to comment on any speculation of trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo and goes on to praise Mobley for his growth in Cleveland.
“Since Evan’s been here, we’ve had the third-best record in the league,” said Altman. “All Evan has done is impact winning; he’s been remarkable for us.”
Mobley won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2025 and notched his first All-NBA and All-Star selections during the same season. But in his most recent campaign, Mobley failed to repeat any of those performances. Some have seen this as a regression, or at best, stagnation.
“He knows he needs to get better,” said Altman. “We’ve talked about the intangibles-not even skill stuff, the intangibles; how are we going to get stronger?”
It’s no secret the Cavs have been waiting for Mobley to make a superstar leap. That hasn’t happened yet, even if he showed some noticeable improvements in the playoffs this year. Pressure to win is mounting, and there are questions as to whether or not Mobley can do enough to push his team over the top.
Still, Altman saw growth in the playoffs and suggested he believes Mobley can get to where he needs to be.
“Mobley, you could argue, was consistently our best player throughout the playoffs,” said Altman. “He’s a franchise-caliber player, and we’re very fortunate to have him.”
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ends up on the court after making a shot during Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs on May 20 in Oklahoma City. (Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander apparently isn’t amused by a new board game that pokes fun at the Oklahoma City Thunder star’s reputation for garnering foul calls at the hint of contact by an opposing player.
Last week, a lawyer representing the two-time reigning NBA MVP sent a cease-and-desist letter to sports prediction market and fantasy sports company Underdog that includes a demand for the destruction of all copies of the cheeky and extremely limited-edition game Unethical Hoops.
Done in the style of the children’s classic Operation, Unethical Hoops requires players to use tweezers to pull objects from tiny holes, with the slightest touch of a metal border setting off a buzzer indicating failure.
Instead of pretending to be doctors attempting to remove body parts from a patient, however, Unethical Hoops players act as members of an opposing basketball team trying to take the ball from a cartoon character who very much resembles Gilgeous-Alexander.
In this game, the buzzer represents the whistle of a foul-calling referee.
“Shai has made hoops all about foul baiting and now you’re stuck guarding him in Underdog’s new board game,” a description reads on the game’s website. “Don’t get baited. Steal the ball without getting whistled.”
In a letter dated May 22, attorney Eric Fishman of ArentFox Schiff LLP demanded that Underdog “immediately and permanently cease and desist from any and all use of Mr. Gilgeous-Alexander’s NIL in any and all media, including but not limited to your website (including the Unethical Hoops Website)... and any physical goods including but not limited to the board game advertised on the Unethical Hoops Website.”
The notice also calls for Underdog to “immediately destroy all physical goods or advertisements that use Mr. Gilgeous-Alexander’s NIL, including but not limited to the board game advertised on the Unethical Hoops Website,” as well as a promise never to use the star player’s name, image or likeness without his permission.
Fishman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Times.
According to the Unethical Hoops website, which remains active more than a week after the date on the cease-and-desist order, only 100 copies of the game were made, to be given away to Underdog users. The giveaway ended as scheduled on Friday.
Underdog declined to comment on the matter other than to point out that the company has pulled comical stunts at the expense of members of the sports world.
“We’ve poked fun at Knicks and Lakers fans, the Red Sox owners, the Mets and more,” a spokesperson said via email. “We like to have some fun with whatever is in the sports fan zeitgeist.”
Gilgeous-Alexander is a four-time All-Star who led the league in scoring last season (2,484 points) and was second in scoring this season (2,117). He led the Thunder to their first NBA title last year and has them back in the Western Conference finals this year (the decisive Game 7 against the San Antonio Spurs is Saturday in Oklahoma City).
While one of the NBA’s biggest stars, Gilgeous-Alexander is often criticized for the number of favorable foul calls he receives — he has ranked second or third in the league for number of free throw attempts per game in each of the last four seasons and is currently second among all players in the 2026 playoffs with 9.8 a game — and the lengths he appears to go to in order to receive them.
After Game 2 against the Spurs, one NBA fan account on X wrote, “Shai flopped on every single shot attempt” and posted a video that showed seven such examples (Gilgeous-Alexander actually attempted 24 shots that night). The post has been viewed 22.7 million times.
Earlier this week, prior to Game 6 of the conference finals, another fan account on X posted a video “ranking all 44 times SGA fell on the floor while shooting during the 2026 playoffs from least to most egregious.” That post has been viewed 1.3 million times.
As the cartoon likeness of Gilgeous-Alexander states in the Unethical Hoops ad, “so much as breathe on me, I’m getting the call.”
The real-life SGA was asked during a TV interview after Game 3 in San Antonio about the “flopper!” chants that rained down on him at Frost Bank Center.
“It’s part of the game,” he said. “It’s nothing. I’ve been dealing with it for a long time. I don’t really hear it. I’m focused on what’s going on on the court.”
PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 26: Head coach Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs reacts with associate head coach Sean Sweeney during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on November 26, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. 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 Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It seemed bound to happen, but Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney is reportedly on the verge of accepting his first (and well deserved) head coaching gig. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Sweeney and the Orlando Magic are finalizing a deal for him to replace Jamahl Mosley as head coach, who was fired after a disappointing season and has since been hired by the New Orleans Pelicans.
BREAKING: The Orlando Magic are finalizing the hire of San Antonio Spurs associate coach Sean Sweeney as the franchise's new head coach, sources tell ESPN. Sweeney broke into NBA coaching in 2011 and now lands the Magic head job as a top rising candidate. pic.twitter.com/aV3Zj6l57k
Sweeney will finish the remainder of the postseason with the Spurs, including Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals tomorrow and, should they win, the Finals beginning on Wednesday, June 3.
After Mitch Johnson officially became the Spurs head coach last summer following Gregg Popovich’s retirement, he hired Sweeney away from the Dallas Mavericks as his “defensive coordinator”. Sweeney helped completely revamp the team on that side of court, and they went from a middling defense with Victor Wembanyama (and terrible without him) last season to one league’s top defenses this season. He is considered to one of the top X’s and O’s minds in the league, and it shows in the Spurs drastic improvements at all levels, from basics all the way up to their ability to shift schemes based on opponent or scenario. He no doubt played a huge role in their 28-game improvement from last season, and it will be interesting to see where the Spurs look to replace him.
The Magic will be a good launching point for his head coaching career. They are also a young, talented team with promising stars in Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs and one of the top defenses in the league, but they failed to meet expectations this season in large part due to injuries and offensive struggles, finishing 8th in the East and blowing a 3-1 lead to the Detroit Pistons in Round 1 of the playoffs. Other finalists for the position reportedly included former Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy (whose brother, Stan Van Gundy, was the Magic’s coach from 2007-12 during their peak with Dwight Howard).
Before Sweeney joined the Spurs, he was Jason Kidd’s lead assistant in Dallas for four years, which included helping lead them to the Finals in 2024 with Luka Doncic. He began his NBA career in 2011 as a video coordinator for the Nets before becoming an assistant coach in 2013. He then had stints as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014-18 and Pistons from 2018-21.
Good luck to Coach Sweeney, and thanks for helping make this team what it is today!
MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 3: The sneakers worn by Ousmane Dieng #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the game against the Boston Celtics on April 3, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
On the eve of Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Orlando Magic are reaching into San Antonio's bench to snag a coach.
Sean Sweeney, the Spurs' defensive coordinator, has been tapped to be the next head coach of the Orlando Magic, reports Shams Charania of ESPN, and since confirmed by other reports. Sweeney will continue with the Spurs through the remainder of their playoff run, then head to Orlando after the season.
Former Bulls coach Billy Donovan was considered the frontrunner in Orlando, but the Magic front office went younger, choosing an untested but promising coach.
Sweeney will replace Jamahl Mosley, who was let go after a disapointing 45-win season in Orlando that saw the Magic bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Pistons. After trading four first-round picks to get Desmond Bane last offseason, expectations were sky high in Orlando entering the season. While Mosley dealt with a rash of injuries, the issues with a stagnant offense and slipping defense seemed bigger than that. Mosley landed on his feet, taking over as the New Orleans Pelicans head coach a couple of weeks after being let go by the Magic.
Sweeney was at the front of the line of assistant coaches around the league who deserved a shot in the big chair. He's a smart hire for a team that built itself around a defensive identity, something that slipped this past season. That said, it's easier to design a defense with Victor Wembanyama on the back line and high-level defenders like Stephon Castle on the perimeter.
Sweeney takes over a roster with some big-name talent — Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Bane — that has never really meshed. Orlando's front office appears more interested in keeping the roster together and betting on a coaching change to make things work. An assistant coach in the NBA since 2011, Sweeney has worked with plenty of stars, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and now Wembanyama.
The Orlando Magic have concluded their search for a new head coach and are ready to usher in a new leader.
The Magic are finalizing the hire of San Antonio Spurs associate coach Sean Sweeney as their new head coach, according to ESPN.
Sweeney broke into NBA coaching in 2011 as a video coordinator for the New Jersey Nets. From there he was promoted to his first assistant coaching gig as the Nets moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn. He spent four seasons in Milwaukee as an assistant from 2014 to 2018, where he began to gain of repertoire for development after helping Giannis Antetokounmpo become an All-Star.
Following his four seasons in Milwaukee, Sweeney took another assistant position with the Detroit Pistons, where he coached under Dwane Casey for three seasons.
Sweeney then went to Dallas to reconnect with then-head coach Jason Kidd, for whom Sweeney was an assistant with the Bucks. Together they reached the 2024 NBA Finals, where they lost in five games to the Boston Celtics.
Sweeney, 41, has coached under the likes of Avery Johnson and P.J. Carlesimo, in addition to Casey and Kidd. He's surrounded by the San Antonio culture and has been able to soak up knowledge and wisdom from one of the greatest coaches in NBA history in Gregg Popovich.
Sweeney replaces previous head coach Jamahl Mosley, who was fired on May 4. Mosley, who was hired by the New Orleans Pelicans as head coach on May 18, spent five seasons in Orlando and coached the team to a playoff berth in each of the past three seasons. The Magic never advanced past the first round, however, and they had a 3-1 lead against the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs before allowing the Pistons to rattle off three consecutive wins to take the series.
Sweeney will assume the Magic head coaching role following the 2026 postseason, as his Spurs are in a battle with defending NBA champion-Oklahoma City Thunder for a spot in the 2026 NBA Finals against the Eastern Conference champions, the New York Knicks. The Spurs-Thunder series is tied, 3-3, as a deciding Game 7 tips off on Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m. ET.
COVERS INTEL: Rarely do you get precedent in these high-pressure scenarios, but Holmgren also struggled offensively vs. Indiana in last year's NBA Finals. He followed a 6-for-24 skid in Games 5 and 6 with a big 
