NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 07: Cody Williams #5 of the Utah Jazz walks backcourt during the first half of a game at Smoothie King Center on April 07, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The only thing less rewarding than watching Cody Williams play basketball was holding to the hope that he could develop into a talented NBA-level contributor.
The second lottery pick of the tanking era, the Utah Jazz selected Williams with the 10th overall pick in what was a putrid NBA Draft class. We knew it would be a comparatively garbage crop of talent — you could smell the stench months in advance — yet Utahns still celebrated Williams’ selection at the time.
A former 5-star McDonald’s All-American with an elastic wingspan, a 41.5% clip from three-point land in his freshman season at Colorado, and stardom in his DNA, Williams was a great proposition at that point in the draft. In theory, he was a low-danger prospect dredged from a draft pool of filth.
In practice, however, it took no time at all for Jazz fans to wallow in the melancholy of a rebuild apparently prolonged for yet another season.
He was incredibly disappointing in his first two years with the Jazz, posting stat lines that should be buried in the archives, far away from the eyes of impressionable, vulnerable youth.
Williams isn’t the worst basketball player ever, nor should he be treated as a villain or disease that must be eradicated. I tend to exaggerate for effect.
In fact, I have long been a supporter of Williams. Call it homerism, blind optimism, or poor player evaluation skills, but I still believe that there’s a world in which Williams develops into a good or even great piece of a competitive team.
He’s still only 21 years old. And though the “young = good” fallacy is still prevalent in NBA circles, I still believe that given the right training and plenty of patience, Cody Williams has the potential to be an effective NBA-level player. Patience runs thin at the highest level of basketball, and the Jazz apparently burned through their supply when they dealt Williams for a role player and a stack of bills.
The Jazz saw him in practice. They saw him in games. They had seen enough, and they quit on the second lottery pick of the post-Gobert-Mitchell era just seven months after trading Taylor Hendricks.
The key difference between the Hendricks and Williams trades? Hendricks played a key role in bringing Jaren Jackson Jr. — a multiple-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year — to Utah. Williams yielded Josh Green, a player suspected to be little more than a situational outside weapon in the short-term and a tradable contract in the long-term.
Not exactly a resume-builder.
Though it spanned just two seasons, the era of Cody Williams dug up feelings in his supporters akin to the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Please allow this article to serve as a therapy session. A moment of safety from the harsh realities of Utah Jazz basketball in the past 24 calendar page flips or so, and a calming gulp of oxygen as we move toward a better future.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – APRIL 1: Cam Johnson #23 of the Denver Nuggets strips the ball from Cody Williams #5 of the Utah Jazz during the second half of their game at the Delta Center on April 1, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Five Stages of Cody Williams
Denial
On draft day, Cody Williams was seen as an underwhelming but promising prospect. He has fantastic measurables, standing at 6’8” with a 7’1” wingspan; he fit comfortably into the archetype of a modern NBA wing. Toss into the mix the fact that Williams hit 41.5% of his three-pointers at Colorado, and it seemed all he needed to transform into a dependable 3-and-D player was a few hundred hours in the weight room.
As unrefined as his game still was, Williams was always going to be a project. Surely, given enough time, he could gain the physicality and ball skills of his older brother, Jalen, right?
Anger
It didn’t take long before Williams’ uninspiring production frustrated Jazz fans, many of whom (Williams’ ride-or-die supporters) clung to denial while the remainder slipped into the second phase.
He had basically fallen out of Will Hardy’s rotation in the early stages of his sophomore season, never leaving the bench in 5 of the first 14 games of the season. Cody had visibly lost all confidence in his jump shot, and for good reason — 21.4% is an abysmal three-point rate for a wing, and even worse for a player who knocked down a sizzling rate from distance in college.
…On just 1.7 attempts per game. That’s a low sample size that might have been a bit deceptive for Utah’s scouts, considering 41.5% looks much more appealing than 0.7 made three-pointers per game. Now shooting more than that at the NBA level, Williams can’t seem to find the net on open looks (he gets plenty of those).
He just scored 35 points in a G League game — where is that guy when he suits up for the Jazz?
The Jazz could have just gone the safe route and taken Matas Buzelis. Heck, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski are outplaying Williams, and they were drafted 20 picks later.
It seems the Jazz had been fooled or simply missed in the 2024 NBA Draft lottery.
Bargaining
But he’s not even a real top-10 pick anyway, right? After all, his draft class was atrocious. Remember Zaccharie Risacher? Tijaun Salaun? Reed Sheppard? Rob Dillingham? These were all top-10 picks, and none of them have behaved as such since entering the NBA. The number-one overall pick, Risacher, was unceremoniously traded from Atlanta this offseason, and it wasn’t headline news in the slightest.
When you think about it in this frame of mind, Cody Williams isn’t a true top-10 prospect when compared to prospects typically in his draft range. He’s a project, after all, so it would be unrealistic to expect him to play well in just his second season.
These are the lies we told ourselves. These are the rationalizations we voluntarily internalized to protect ourselves from the truth that we expected more from a lottery pick.
We celebrated every routine positive. Praised him for making the right play on defense or for dunking when he had a gently obstructed runway to the basket. Williams wasn’t what we hoped, so we moved the goalposts to qualify him as a success, even if unknowingly.
Depression
In his third year at the Summer League, he was still a non-factor. Look at who AJ Dybantsa has to keep help defense at bay: Tre Johnson and Will Reily have been awesome during the Summer League.
Yet with Darryn Peterson claiming the defense’s attention, and against lesser competition, Cody Williams still shrank. He crept in the shadows. He was timid, cautious, and sickeningly irrelevant on the court.
It all came to a head when he posted a zero-point effort in 23 minutes of playing time. This was rock bottom for those still holding to the tattered remains of their Cody Williams stock. Dejected, sobbing, and crumpled into a heap on the concrete, we clenched our fists upon understanding what we saw wasn’t a larval stage of his development — it was an unforgiving telegram from reality.
Acceptance
This didn’t fully arrive until he was dealt to Minnesota.
Discarded for a bench wing who scored fewer than 5 points per game last season, Cody Williams was packaged with John Konchar in a trade that sent the pair to Minnesota.
Maybe Cody Williams will become a shade of the player many hoped he could become in Utah. The T-Wolves could have a plan to dig out the perfect version of the 21-year-old wing, and that perfect version may come back to haunt the Jazz in the years to come. Maybe.
But in Utah, the nightmare is over now. You’re safe. The Utah Jazz have traded Cody Williams, and he cannot hurt you anymore.
Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.
Let’s keep it rolling like a runaway train Dub Nation, alllll through the divisions as we break down what these other franchises have been up to this summer. I remember back during the dynasty’s heyday I would smirk and chuckle as other teams spun the wheel of transactions looking for a prayer against the Golden Empire. Now, I peer with furrowed brows as the league tries to leave Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors in the dust. Let’s take a peek at the Southwest division. That’s where former Warriors hero and future Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant is a part of that league wide effort to beat the Dubs, as his Houston Rockets took two of three from Golden State last season.
Currently, Houston is heading into Year 2 of the KD experiment. Last season ended in shambles for the Rockets (as it always has since 1995), this time with a first-round exit to a severely depleted Lakers team in what would be LeBron James’ final series victory in the Western Conference. But the Rockets were missing point guard Fred VanVleet and center Steven Adams, while KD missed a ton of time in the series.
Then Giannis hit the market and Houston had the assets to make a real run at him. In the end, a deal wasn’t made per ESPN:
Rafael Stone isn’t Daryl Morey. Back in Morey’s days as general manager from 2007 to 2020, the Rockets seemingly relished cycling through star players in pursuit of a championship: Dwight Howard, James Harden, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook all took turns.
Even though the Rockets were embarrassed by the undermanned Los Angeles Lakers in a first-round series loss, Stone resisted the temptation to blow up his coaching staff or roster. Instead, he retained Ime Udoka as coach, re-signed Eason, acquired veterans Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic, and shipped out Finney-Smith, who barely contributed last season.
Everything else this offseason is Houston choosing depth and continuity. Tari Eason got a five-year, $81.5 million extension, while Smart and Bogdanovic came in for toughness and shooting. Chip Engelland, the shooting coach who won two titles in San Antonio, got hired. Fred VanVleet is running it back after a torn ACL cost him all of last season.
"I think Houston is actually being a little under-rated. Now that Fred VanVleet is back, I think they jave a chance to win alot of games.." – Zach Lowe[@ZachLowe_NBA] on your Houston #Rockets
Steven Adams is also back after ankle surgery in January ended his season early. And when Laci Watson of Roundtable Sports published a Houston-centric priorities piece back in May and then graded it, there was some guarded confidence:
I questioned whether Fred VanVleet represented Houston’s long-term answer at the position. VanVleet remains under contract after exercising his player option, but the Rockets clearly wanted additional options. Smart’s another experienced ballhandler, Bruce Thornton gives Houston a developmental guard, and Reed Sheppard stays part of the equation.
So, did they solve the long-term point guard question? I’m not ready to give myself that one yet. But they certainly acknowledged it.
Of course, when a team has Durant they carry the immediate weight of championship expectations. The Warriors were the only franchise that was able to take that weight and use it to club their foes on the way to multiple championships, but that’s what they do. They did it before he was there, and after he left. For the Rockets trying to press the KD button and watch a championship materialize, this season could be the moment KD wins his first non-GSW title, or it’s another referendum on just how hard it is to win it all in the NBA.
If their young guard Amen Thompson provides the consistent two-way punch this team needs, that dream could be realized. He’s a guy who can be an absolute monster defensively and then give you 40 points on the other end.
Amen Thompson is listed as the 4th best SG in the NBA on this list:
I think this is the year he can make his first all star team….
Golden State knows exactly what this bet looks like from the inside. A team deciding the roster doesn’t need an overhaul, it just needs everybody healthy at the same time. Now Houston’s betting VanVleet’s knee, Adams’ body, and the roster they already had can prove Rafael Stone right. We’ll find out if that’s enough.
On Saturday, Stephen Curry became eligible for a two-year, $136.7 million contract extension, which would be added after the $62.6 million he will make this coming season. Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy has been unequivocal: Golden State wants Curry back at any price. While some fans have wondered if Curry would get a wandering eye and consider chasing a ring elsewhere, Curry told Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area he wants to stay right where he is.
"There's no question I want to be here the rest of my career, and I'm pretty sure that's going to happen," Curry said to NBC Sports Bay Area in an exclusive interview...
"The deal and the contract stuff will happen at the right time, and we're not letting it be a distraction from our preparation for the season, and the fact that the team we're coming back with has a lot of familiarity."
This only echoes what Curry has said all along. He has given no signs he's looking around.
The timing of the extension is where things get interesting — and could lead to more speculation. If Curry signs the extension before the start of next season, all the chatter goes away.
However, it may be more advantageous for the Warriors next summer if Curry waits. Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green are all in the final year of their contracts, and they make a combined $147 million this season. Take that off the books and the Warriors have the cap space to chase major free agents. They have more flexibility to make moves and hopefully not strike out like they did this past summer with LeBron James.
Waiting into the season or after it, however, will lead to increasing speculation around the league about whether Curry really is going to stay in the Bay. Even if he has every intention of doing so and keeps saying it, the deeper into the season it goes without his name on a piece of paper, the louder and louder the speculation will get. It would be a distraction for a team already not getting two key contributors — Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody — back from injury until midseason.
Ultimately, Curry is unconcerned about the extension, which means Warriors fans should be, too. People may be looking for drama where there is none.
SALT LAKE CITY - MAY 26: Robert Horry #5 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts in the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals during the 2007 NBA Playoffs at the EnergySolutions Arena on May 26, 2007 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Villains bracket continues, as we try to find the biggest villain in Spurs history. We’ve already covered Spurs Killers and Dirty Players. This time we’ll discuss the most bittersweet region: Former Spurs. We’ll look at players who once wore Silver and Black but, through their actions or their words, earned the ire of the fans that once rooted for their success.
For this exercise, we’ll focus exclusively on the basketball side of things and not their personal lives or legal troubles, so some names you expected to see will likely be missing.
Now Let’s look at the field, and don’t forget to vote!
1. Kawhi Leonard vs. 8. Marcus Morris
Unsurprisingly, The Nephew gets the top seed. You know the story. Leonard was fantastic for the Spurs in the first years of his career, reinvigorating an aging team and helping the Silver and Black raise their fifth banner. Then he got injured in the playoffs in 2016 by fellow Spurs villain Zaza Pachulia, and nothing was the same.
A quadriceps injury limited Leonard the following year, and he distrusted the team’s medical personnel who cleared him. He went to rehab in New York and avoided people from the franchise, actually hiding when they tried to check up on him. The rumors from his camp started flying, and they painted the Spurs in a bad light. As the relationship got worse, and with the help of Uncle Dennis Robertson, he forced his way out in the messiest way possible after suiting up for just nine games in 2017/18.
Despite the terrible ending, Kawhi at least had some great moments with the franchise. His first-round opponent never wore the jersey. Technically, he was never officially a Spur, and the fact that he used that technicality is what makes him a villain.
The betrayal left the franchise in a precarious position, because after agreeing to terms with Morris using the mid-level exception, the front office engineered a trade sending out Davis Bertans, who had been helpful in the regular season, and bringing in DeMarre Carroll while opening a roster spot. Once Morris backed out, they found themselves without Bertans and with no mid-level exception target late in the offseason, and had to settle for Trey Lyles.
The 2019/20 was not going to win a title no matter what but was made worse by Morris getting cold feet and not honoring his word.
2. Stephen Jackson vs. 7. Dennis Rodman
Another once-beloved and successful Spur who has done his best to lose every ounce of goodwill with the fanbase as a high seed. Jackson found his place as a starter for the 2023 title team, making big plays in the postseason, but unfortunately, he refused to sign a lucrative extension with the Spurs, hoping to get more money as a free agent.
Still, the fans loved Jackson and were happy when he found his way back in 2012. Jack was in the tail end of his career but still contributed in the playoffs. The next year, however, things took a turn. Jackson really struggled and saw his minutes reduced. Jackson wasn’t happy about it. To solve things, Gregg Popovich called him into a meeting in which he asked him to accept that he was not better than Manu Ginobili, but Jackson refused to do it and was unceremoniously cut. He retired a year later and has spent his entire career as a podcaster criticizing the Spurs every chance he gets.
A quick look at the numbers and the accolades would suggest Rodman’s Spurs years were good. He led the league in rebounding and made All-Defensive teams. The problems, as they typically did with him, didn’t have to do with his skills but his attitude.
Rodman clashed with then-coach Bob Hill, whom he never respected, and general manager Gregg Popovich, whom he later claimed hated him. He routinely skipped shootarounds and didn’t pay attention in huddles. Rodman started his second season suspended for conduct detrimental to the team and was benched in Game 5 of the 1995 Conference Finals after arriving late to practice. It was such a horrendous culture fit that even the normally diplomatic David Robinson actually said he was glad Rodman got traded.
What made it all hurt more was that Rodman went on to help the Bulls win the titles the Spurs hoped he’d help The Admiral win.
3. Robert Horry vs. 6. Derek Anderson
Just like Leonard and Jackson, Robert Horry was once an integral part of title teams in San Antonio, and just like them, he has gone out of his way to squander the love and respect his success earned him from the fanbase. Ever since retiring, he has taken every opportunity to downplay the excellence of Tim Duncan, once saying that Hakeem Olajuwon was “20 times better” than The Big Fundamental and criticizing his work ethic. In the same segment, he took shots at Manu Ginobili.
Horry’s opponent in this round is someone who broke fans’ hearts not with his words but with his actions. Anderson had a terrific 2000/01 season with the Spurs. The guard started all 82 games and was the team’s second-leading scorer behind Tim Duncan. Despite playoff struggles and an injury, the Spurs wanted to bring the 27-year-old back to help an aging San Antonio core continue to contend. They offered the journeyman a six-year deal, but Anderson wasn’t happy with how long it took for the team to negotiate with him and refused it, verbally agreeing to a deal with the Trail Blazers instead and leaving the Spurs with no choice but to trade him for an aging Steve Smith.
Things didn’t work out for Anderson in Portland, so there’s a case to be made that the Spurs dodged a bullet, but at the time it felt like Anderson let his pride ruin what could have been a great partnership.
4. Richard Jefferson vs. 5. Dejounte Murray
Jefferson’s Spurs tenure could be kindly described as just unfortunate. The team thought he’d be the 3-and-D wing San Antonio needed, and he simply wasn’t. The experience of watching Jefferson, however, was extremely unenjoyable.
Jefferson was a disappointment and looked so out of place that Gregg Popovich personally supervised his workouts in the summer of 2010, hoping to make things work. They didn’t, and Jefferson became an overpaid specialist who couldn’t really be trusted in big moments. The Spurs had to actually attach a first-rounder to get him off the books on a trade. What makes it all worse is that even though the Spurs unarguably extended his career by helping him transition from volume scorer to role player, he has seemingly taken shots at the franchise in his post-retirement media career.
Dejounte Murray’s tenure was completely different. He was a late first-round pick who exceeded expectations, and there was genuine fan excitement about the duo of Murray and Derrick White becoming the backcourt of the future. Unfortunately, the Spurs were never particularly good with Murray, and when the Hawks came in with a trade offer that was too good to pass up, they accepted it. Murray didn’t handle things well after, taking to social media to describe how happy he was with being traded, then bashing the organization while arguing with fans, saying the Spurs were “gonna be losing for the next 15 years.”
Those words came close to the trade, and Murray was an emotional guy, so they could have been excused had he not doubled down later. On Stephen Jackson’s podcast, he said the Spurs tried to “break him” and participated in Jackson’s favorite hobby: bashing Tony Parker, whom Murray accused of not mentoring him.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 10: Matthew Murrell #15 of the Salt Lake City Stars dribbles the ball during the game against the Texas Legends on March 10, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Utah Jazz recently announced they have signed guard/wing Matthew Murrell to a contract. The details are undisclosed, but this deal is likely an Exhibit 10 contract – this means it will function primarily as a training camp contract, while providing Murrell a financial incentive to remain in Utah with the Jazz’s affiliate G-League team, assuming he doesn’t secure a guaranteed roster spot. Odds are this contract is very similar to Harrison Ingram’s, who’s signing was also announced by the team relatively recently.
I felt a strong blast-from-the-past when I saw Matthew Murrell’s name on the Utah Jazz twitter account. When I was scouting the NBA draft back in 2022, I recall jotting down Murrell as a standout and a name to watch in future drafts. While he never was selected, he found his way onto the Salt Lake City Stars for the 2025-2026 season, where he struggled with his efficiency but clearly made a positive impression on management and the coaching staff.
Dating back to his college days, Murrell has been a streaky shooter with a shot that you still always expect to go in – the shooting form just looks too nice to miss. He combines this with a really solid frame and athleticism; he measures in at 6’4 in shoes, 200 pounds, with a 6’8.25” wingspan and a 40 inch max vertical (that he uses on his jump shot – he gets great elevation when he shoots). What caught my eye in college was that he looks the part. He moves with that synergy of strength and fluidity required of NBA role-players. This frame and athleticism allows him switchability on defense depending on the lineup surrounding him.
The worry with Murrell is that he isn’t quite good enough at any one thing to stick around the NBA. First and foremost, the long range shooting needs to stabilize – he shot 40% on good volume in 2024, but then both the volume and efficiency decreased in 2025. In the G-League, he shot 39% from three during the 12 game tip-off tournament, but only 28% when looking at the season as a whole. With his offensive game so reliant on his shooting (the ball handling is serviceable, but nobody would mistake him and his 1.9 collegiate assists per game for a point guard) and his defense additive but not exceptional, the three point percentages need to find a home in the mid-to-high 30s. If they do, Murrell has a punchers chance at finding a long-time home in the league as a strong, pesky shooter in the vein of one of OKCs many strong, pesky role-players. During this next season, when Murrell will likely once again be with the SLC Stars, he will be asked to prove how legitimate his shooting truly is. I consider that a wise, low-stakes bet by the Jazz coaching staff and management.
Dub Nation let’s keep cruising through the Western Conference, particularly the Southwest conference. Let’s take a trip down to Beale St and listen to some blues and eat some good BBQ. If you caught my piece back in February about Memphis eating itself alive from the inside, you already know the shape of this one. The once great Grizzlies that as recently as 2023 were considered a legitimate contender have become damn near unrecognizable. It all spiraled after Ja Morant’s injuries and off-court mess, Jaren Jackson Jr. getting dealt to Utah, and what suddenly devolved into what appeared to be a tank job. Last year’s Grizzlies finished 25-57 and the Warriors took all three meetings. They may have been named after a ferocious bear, but last season Memphis’ basketball team was looking more like circus dancing bears: getting tortured for entertainment. Sigh.
Remember how we even got here? This was supposed to be the team that knocked the Warriors off their throne! There was the 2021 play-in that the Dubs faltered in at the hands of the Grizz. Then there was that 2022 series with the trash talk and the flagrants and Dillon Brooks running his mouth that through sheer will and grit the Warriors emerged victoriously from. And then there was the play-in rematch game in 2024 where Golden State stuck a critical blow, eliminating Memphis.
Golden State outlasted every bit of it of the whooping of the tricks Memphis had intended. Now Ja’s in Portland, Jackson’s in Utah, Desmond Bane’s gone, Brooks has been gone, and even their former head coach Taylor Jenkins is gone. The Warriors had a lot to do with disintegrating that franchise’s dreams into the ash, scattered across the barren wasteland of past wannabe contenders.
As I referenced earlier, Memphis traded Ja Morant to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. Compare that to what GM Zach Kleiman got moving the other two stars: four unprotected first-rounders for Desmond Bane, three more for Jackson.
Following the trade of Ja Morant to Portland, the Grizzlies have now traded all three of their former franchise cornerstones — Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. — since being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2025 playoffs.…
What’s left? I feel like 21-year-old GG Jackson is the longest-tenured player on the roster. The plan seems to center aroun No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer out of Duke, a 19-year-old who certainly has the family pedigree working in his favor. The other name doing a lot of heavy lifting is Zach Edey. Here’s the skinny on the oft injured big man per ESPN:
Literally and figuratively, the 7-foot-3, 305-pound Edey plays a huge part in the Grizzlies’ long-term plans. He has shown flashes of being a dominant interior presence with a soft touch, profiling as a terrific complement to Boozer, a bruising 253-pounder with a point guard’s vision and feel. But Edey’s health looms like a dark cloud. He played only 11 games last season because of lingering issues with his left ankle, which he had surgery on after his rookie season and again last March. The Grizzlies have depth at center after trading for Stewart and signing Post in restricted free agency, but their plans for a relatively quick rebuild rely on Edey being healthy and productive.
A scout on the Memphis Grizzlies:
“They are a PG away. They loaded up on size, they are just going to hammer you with big guys. I love what Cam Boozer brings, they got some toughness with Post and Stewart. You’ve still got Edey. They just need that PG to tie it all together.”〽️ pic.twitter.com/dejwuiFOKr
Yes, Memphis is going big, adding Isaiah Stewart and former Golden State Warrior prospect Quinten Post at center for depth. That hints to me that maybe they’re not fully trusting Edey to just show up healthy. A rebuild built partly around a guy who can’t stay on the floor isn’t much of a foundation yet.
Pardon me if I don’t believe Golden State needs to worry about Memphis this season as much as they did in years past. Memphis needs to worry about Memphis. Icarus flew too close to the sun and ended up trading away his broken wings for Blazer players. The answer this offseason was to trade away the guy who symbolized all of it for pennies and start completely over. Memphis finally admitted it, and admitting it is always the first step to recovery.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 29 : Mikel Brown Jr. signs memorabilia for a fan during an introductory Press Conference for the 2026 Brooklyn Nets Draftees on June 29, 2026 in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Inside the offices and along the corridors of HSS Training Center, Nets staff and players dismiss the doomsaying conventional wisdom of ESPN and the Las Vegas sports books which have them winning between 18 and 24.5 out of 82 next season. That’s either a drop-off from two years of tanking (ESPN) or a slight improvement (FanDuel, et al.) One word being used to describe ESPN’s low total is “ridiculous.” And no, from top to bottom, they don’t mind being under-estimated. They are young, after all.
The Nets own internal win projection is a state secret. Yes, there is one. Nothing’s been said publicly either although Mikel Brown Jr. quoted Julius Randle as saying, “we will shock the world.” You’ll near more from the team on Media Day now a month away, on September 28. Sure the East, particularly the Atlantic Division is a lot stronger and the Nets will almost certainly be the youngest team in the NBA … not just for this season but in decades. And two of the five youngest players on the roster will likely start at the 1 and 2.
But projections are just that. We were told that the internal win projection for 2009-10 was somewhere around 17 That was the 12-70 season. An the other end of the scale, the internal projection for 2018-19 was 37. They won 42 and secured the sixth seed. And if you expect, like we do, an active trade deadline, what happens then could certainly alter things. So could injuries to your own team or to others.
There was also this past week, a couple of social media posts projecting the Nets beyond this season, just a little optimism from outside 168 39th Street in Sunset Park. Sam Quinn basically defended Sean Marks & co. after Bleacher Report put the Nets front office at No. 28 in their rankings. Quinn had put the Nets in the middle of the pack, at No. 16, earlier this month…
TBH I suspect the Nets will trade four or five first-round picks for someone in the next year or two and that will drastically change how we feel about them. Your future is usually pretty bright if you have a clean cap sheet and a massive first-round pick surplus. https://t.co/ix4oF0fSUk
As one NBA decision maker recently told me, Nets are still gathering assets and “at some point, they’ll push all their chips to the middle of the table.” That process will require resolve for ownership and management and patience for fans.
And in the Nets newly released video on the off-season (more on that below,) editors chose to use this line from Marks talking about the future..
“I’m excited to see the roster grow,” said the GM following the Draft. “and I’m excited to see whatever falls our way in either trades and free agency.”
We’ve also heard that the trade deadline could be busier than normal — the Nets have historically made their biggest moves at the Draft.
Quinn’s tweet has nothing specific about targets for all those picks nor time. He was a 30,000-foot view. Like us he knows the lay of the Nets land: 10 firsts that can be traded tomorrow and anther 19 seconds available at a moment’s notice as well. They have other assets too, including a tiny bit of cap space, the full $9.4 million room MLE, $48.9 million space between payroll and first apron and nearly $7 million in cash considerations which have some utility specifically in salary dumps. Specifically, Brooklyn used cash to close deals four times last uear, including in the dumps that got them the 22nd pick that became Drake Powell as well as the one that got them Josh Minott.
They also have a couple of lesser known advantages. Because they’ve been under the luxury tax threshold the last three seasons, there’s no worry they’ll fall into repeater tax hell until 2030 which will be after the current CBA expires. Marks has a “surplus” of six firsts. meaning that over next seven years they have six more firsts than they would have if they only had their own. Some teams have a deficit. That’s what Quinn means by a “clean cap sheet” and “massive first round pick surplus.”
We know many of you will stop reading right here. Flexibility again?!? How about some wins?!? Why didn’t they use all those assets this summer?!? The answer to the last question is what you might call Marks’s “double A” rule, invoked at last year’s Media Day: they’re not interested in breaking the bank for anyone who doesn’t “automatically and absolutely” change the team’s “trajectory” and ultimately “sustained success.”
Incremental moves like trading Nic Claxton for Julius Randle and another first round pick are fine, but they’re hanging on to those picks believing they are currently the coin of the realm in the NBA. They’re always looking to adding some as they did in the Randle trade! They believe, strongly, the route to that “sustained success” in the age of first and second aprons is cycling through and developing first rounders who have cheap four-year deals. If they hit on enough of them, they’ll have good young players — and cap room to sign or trade for the higher-paid star or two without fear of luxury tax or aprons.
Here’s a practical example. Let’s imagine (hope) that both Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. reach the potential that Nets brass believe they can: starting backcourt mates with All-Star possibilities. Demin is under contract for the next three seasons; Brown Jr. for four. This year, the two of them will make a combined $16 million — Demin, an eighth pick in his second year, $7.2 million; Brown Jr, a sixth pick in his rookie year, $8.8 million.
At no point during their four-year rookie deals will either make more than $12.6 million a year. If the salary cap goes up the customary seven to 10 percent each year from its current $165 million, neither’s salary will come close to 10% of the team’s cap space. Compare that to Michael Porter Jr. whose $40.8 million salary will represent 24% of the cap. Plus the Nets won’t have to pay either one the big bucks until 2030 in Demin’s case, 2031 in Brown Jr.‘s.
Here’s another practical example. The eight players on rookie deals this season — Noah Clowney, Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf, Mikel Brown Jr. and Joshua Jefferson — will earn $38 million which is a little less than a quarter of the salary cap.
No, we are not saying it will work!! The Flatbush 5 has been criticized since the night they were drafted and three of them — Powell, Saraf and Wolf — did not have good Summer Leagues. Another, Traore, was hurt. The Nets have until October 31 to decide whether to keep them through a third year but no one expects the Nets will bail on their development this early. The team will face the same decision on year 4 guarantees a year from now. That calculus could be different. Even if it works to perfection, there’s concerns that they’ll face big decisions on big money all at once. (They should be so lucky.)
There are other elements to the strategy. They’ll take low-cost risks on so-called “fallen angels” like Josh Minott (and remember they took shots at Kobe Bufkin and Ochai Agbaji that failed.) They do not want, at least at this point in the rebuild, to cut long-term deals either. Thus, the impasse with Michael Porter Jr. as well as the team and “mutual” second-year options Minott, Day’Ron Sharpe, Moe Wagner and Keon Ellis agreed to this summer.
Indeed, other than the rookies with their two-year guarantees on four-year deals, only Terance Mann is owed guaranteed money beyond this season. He’s got $31 million left on his deal. Julius Randle has a player option. The roster is built to turn on a dime and unsentimentally move on.
It is a fairly unique (extreme?) strategy that will test ownership’s resolve and fans’ patience. It’s also lost on some pundits perhaps because of those unique qualities. Some might say the strategy is the response of the failed Big Three experience. It is unquestionably at the opposite end of what they did in the culmination of Marks first rebuild when they signed Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, traded for James Harden and added their friends, whether Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge or Mike James and DeAndre Bembry while dumping firsts to preserve cap space. We know that didn’t work.
Jordi Fernandez likes Julius Randle … and vice versa
The Nets released their latest Brooklyn Bridge video this week. It’s a 20-minute report on the off-season, which as usual, featured top notch production from the team’s video unit. It also provides some new insights into the team’s thinking on the Draft and free agency, plus what some might call “Easter eggs,” little hints of things hidden in the nooks and crannies.
One thing in particular caught our eye, which was the focus on the addition of Julius Randle. Here’s Jordi Fernandez speaking to camera (with a broad smile) about what the 31-year-old brings.
“Julius is an established, all-star. playoff player, a player that is going to come here and show everybody else how it’s done. I’m very excited to get to coach him, and for him to raise the floor,” Fernandez said.
Randle, who’ is happy to be back in New York where he excelled as a Knick, returned the favor telling the Nets producers he’s “excited” about his new role with a new team.
“I’m excited to be here. We got a lot of talent on this team, a lot of young talent and you know, I’m really excited to just help them.
Could Randle follow the model of Michael Porter Jr., who had his best season in the NBA last year under Fernandez? Earlier this month, his agent Mark Bartelstein praised Fernandez’s work MPJ. specifically how Fernandez used his client creatively.
“Jordi has been great for him,” said Bartelstein on SiriusXM.. “Jordi has been so innovative in how he used him.” Next up: Julius Randle?
Nets rookies answer up
In that same video, there an enlightenting section on how the Nets rookies fared in pre-draft interviews.
Mikel Brown Jr. spoke about leadership. When Sean Marks asked about how Brown Jr. leads, the 20-year-old was not taken aback. In fact, he seemed to suggest there was only one answer … and he gets it.
“By taking command!” he said. “Taking charge, knowing that I can take accountability when I’m messing up. They can get on me just I can get on them. I love to play the game the right way. I’m not … I’m not the one to be selfish, to care about stats. I want to win at the end of the day.”
The Nets other first rounder, 22-year-old 6’9” point forward Joshua Jefferson was asked, again by Marks, what set him apart at the Draft Combine. He was specific and not afraid to talk about how unique he thinks his game is.
“My vocalness on the defensive side of the ball,” he told the Nets GM. “I felt like the loudest person in the gym. I think I was playmaking, rebounding, I was defending. I don’t think there’s a lot of players in this draft are capable of doing all those things at a high level. That’s what I think I’m really good at doing and then that professional mature approach to the game.
“There’s not going to be any nonsense with me,” he added. “I’m just going to come in, get my work done, put in extra work and then be a good person to be around.“
As for Tyler Bilodeau, the Nets 43rd pick who’ll start his career as a two-way, Marks asked what he thinks his NBA role will be. Shooting, of course, is a given, but also promised physicality.
“Offensively, as a floor spacer said he 6’9” wing who had the highest 3-point percentage (46%) in the 2026 draft class. “You know, I think I can get into actions. I feel I have a high IQ so I can make plays and read things well, can shoot the ball at a high level, can play pick and roll, try to confuse defenses and that sort of thing. And two, if I can get into a mismatch, punish the mismatch.”
Terance Mann likes his role mentoring the rooks
Meanwhile, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe wrote Saturday in a paywalled story got about Terance Mann, who grew up in Lowell, Mass. He spoke to Mann at his annual youth basketball camp.
“It’s amazing to be a part of it,” he said of the Nets situation. “To be a pioneer and help turn the corner for this organization. That’s really what my goal is, to try to be (a) cornerstone at that. It was very different. The organization had things they needed to accomplish. They had their own goals. It was a different situation than I was in in L.A. with the Clippers or even Atlanta with the Hawks. I grew really close with the guys on the team and we’re ready to tackle this year.”
The comments mirror those made this summer by Michael Porter Jr. after he took four members of the Flatbush 5 on a fishing vacation at Lake of the Ozarks in his home state of Missouri.
Final Note
Things will get a bit more interesting next week. Players will gather at HSS Training Center after Labor Day and begin scimmaging (without coaches’ guidance still the first day of practice on September 29.)
In addition, we should get confirmation on who the Nets invite to that training camp. So far only 6’9” Arkansas big man, Nick Pringle, is confirmed. Three Summer League players were rumored to be of interest to the Nets — Deon Brown, a 6’4” combo guard out of St. Louis; Ben Humrichaus, a 6’9” wing out of Illinois and Dain Dainja, a 6’9” big with a 7’7” wingspan who played for the Heat G League team last year. Also, this week, a Chinese website reported that 7-footer Grant Nelson. who played for Long Island and Brooklyn last year. will be on hand for camp. The third two-way slot also remains open.
We will also start hearing who looks good through the rumor mill. Whatever optimism out there we will take. Gotta have an antidote to ESPN and Vegas.
In the meantime, here’s another Sam Quinn tweet…
I’d probably advise any new basketball fan in New York to choose the Nets over the Knicks if they were deciding now.
The Knicks fanbase just achieved Nirvana. It will never get better than the last four months even if they win again. Start at the bottom so the top feels earned. https://t.co/YmEeP1pxDb
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 30: Day'Ron Sharpe #20 and Drake Powell #4 of the Brooklyn Nets high five during the game against the Utah Jazz on January 30, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Nets fans and fans across the country.
We’ll consider this the end of a three-part series asking a similar question among all Brooklyn Nets fans: Who is this team we’re about to watch? Will they be good, bad, or somewhere in between — and if they aren’t ready to compete, can they at least be fun to watch while building toward the future?
Mikel Brown Jr., Julius Randle, Moe Wagner, Keon Ellis, and Joshua Jefferson are the additions from the summer. Nicolas Claxton is one of the key names that has departed.
In the first poll, we asked Nets fans how many games they’ll win, which 56% voted 30-39 range.
In the second poll, we asked if the Nets will be in the postseason race and 48% of fans voted “No.”
Now, we’re asking fans: What seed in the East will the Nets finish?
THEY have failed me AGAIN! | NBAE via Getty Images
Now we come to the part of the Rockets that I think needed to change at the end of the previous playoffs: coaching. This isn’t because I dislike Ime Udoka on a personal level (as much as a stranger to the man can), although I do. It’s because he’s given everyone plenty of evidence that he’s simply not up to the job of taking the Rockets to the next phase of their (hoped for!) ascent to the upper echelons of the NBA. I’d like to say “return to the upper echelons” but it’s been a while since the Rockets were there. We’re long past the “going out for a six pack, back soon” stage of things, I’m afraid.
Unfortunately the coach that management extended for big money last season isn’t the guy to lead that ascent. If you read my article on The Players, asking if they were suited to running the systems they are required to run by their coach, you’ll know where I’m coming from on that score.
Here’s the problem: Udoka’s lack of recognition that the team he actually has isn’t capable of running the offensive scheme he insists upon. You may be a defense first coach, but if you can’t score (or stop opponent scoring, or let’s be honest, coach) when the chips are down and a Godawful (and historic for a winning team!) 19 blown fourth quarter or OT leads says you can’t (this isn’t new, it happened in Boston, btw), you’d better pay more attention to offense. Or maybe you’re not really fit to be a top level NBA head coach. 19 blown leads for a 52 win team isn’t some weird randomness in my view (as there’s not previous example of such that I’ve been able to find – only truly terrible teams blow that many leads normally), it’s a deep flaw in coaching.
It’s one thing to run an incompatible offense for a season, but we now have a three year sample. At no point in those three years has a James Harden Tribute Band level initiator played for the Rockets. The closest the Rockets have come to that are: Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet. There’s a real problem with each, as you probably have noticed.
In Green’s case, he’s simply a terribly inefficient offensive player, despite occasional outbursts of All NBA level offense. If he’s consuming a ton of shots, your offense has a serious problem. On the other hand, at least he COULD get to the rim off the dribble. Fred VanVleet can’t do that. I’m sorry, but it’s true. I love Fred VanVleet as a player. I think almost no other player that I’ve seen in the NBA (except maybe Jalen Brunson) has maximized the talent and body he was given more than FVV. While Fred is a steady and low risk passer, and a great floor general, he’s not really much of an offensive threat, especially if you look at his last season.
Isn’t three years of running a scheme without the key player necessary for that scheme enough of a sample? What more do you need to see? If the most stubborn, unreflective, coach I’ve ever seen with the Rockets will change his tune?
And yet, the Rockets have been a good team anyway! The talent on the team, in my opinion, is essentially masking Udoka’s incompetence to a great degree. Except when the playoffs come. Then the mask comes off, and Udoka’s lack of any sort of adaptability very evidently dooms them. If you don’t think it did against Golden State, I can almost see it, but what the hell was that against the shell of a Lakers team with a rookie head coach?
If you look at the Rockets lineup and think you can run a James Harden style, heliocentric attack without James Harden, but also without a center who is either a rim runner or a 3pt shooter, and with another almost total non 3pt shooter on the court to go with your non 3pt shooting center (though it would have been better to put Alpie in the corner than Amen Thompson) then you are simply not fit for your job.
If a coach can, or will, only run one system, no matter his personnel, despite the terrible fits almost across the board for that system, that coach is honestly not fit to be an NBA head coach in the modern game. The competition is too good, too versatile, too swift to punish mistakes. If a coach can’t change what isn’t working, despite ample evidence, what chance does he have against the upper echelons of NBA coaching? As the playoffs have demonstrated: not much.
Maybe Ime Udoka, like Mike Brown, will learn from his mistake, and build a title winner. I can’t imagine that happening in Houston, and I can’t imagine it happening while he’s still a head coach. If I’m honest, I don’t see that happening at all. I expect Ime Udoka to get fired in season, or after another humiliating playoff loss. I expect he will either vanish without a trace, or become an assistant somewhere. If you were a GM, seeing this, would you hire him?
If you were a GM, would you keep a coach who never, at any point, takes responsibility for anything? I’ve watched nearly three years of Udoka post game pressers. He’s got a linguistic tell that indicates to me that he never believes he’s responsible for anything bad. It’s pretty simple. When he’s talking about a Rockets game “We” win, and “They” lose. Listen and you’ll hear it, unless someone’s told him about it, and he stops, I guess.
I have come to believe the Rockets in Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka are an NBA basketball example of The Peter Principle, which (briefly) states that people in a hierarchical system rise to the level of their incompetence. Stone might have an excuse, to some degree, in terms ownership wishes leading to decisions he wouldn’t have chosen. It’s impossible for the likes of me to know for sure, but it’s easy to see other mistakes outside of that anyhow. Also it makes me question how much Stone actually knows about NBA basketball, instead of lawyering and contract negotiation? What does he think he’s seeing out there? This isn’t some subtle thing that only the most experienced basketball minds can understand, a tiny but dangerous flaw in approach, this is obvious stuff.
Ime Udoka, though? It’s straight up incompetence at this point. Whatever got Boston to the Finals with him is looking more and more like a one off event. It’s nice that he got the Rockets to take a level of responsibility for their play, and it’s great he got them to try much harder than they had been trying. On the other hand, the Rockets also got an infusion of sound veterans to provide a leadership backbone on the court, and the slip in in defensive intensity without Dillon Brooks was evident last year.
I wish I had any hope, any positivity about Ime Udoka and His Black Clad Cultists (hear about any head coach interviews for any of them this off season?) but I simply don’t. Ime Udoka has shown what he’s capable of doing, and it’s not good enough for a team that wants, well I was going to say contend, but I’ll go with “win a playoff series” until proven otherwise.
Maybe he’ll surprise me. Stranger things have happened.
PS – You want some positive Rockets coaching news? The Houston Rockets have disbanded their Shooting Coach Committee and hired the consensus best shooting coach in the NBA, Chip Engelland. This might be due mostly to pressing need for Amen Thompson to shoot better, but it should help the entire team. In a summer of Mr. Adequate moves from Rafael Stone, this was a great one.
PPS – Ok, so what should the Rockets be doing on offense? Lots of teams are running some version of the heliocentric Hardenesque offense, what happens if you don’t have that guy? That will be coming up in September.
After an All-SEC season at Missouri where he averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 38.8% from 3-point range, four-year college player Mark Mitchell entered the NBA draft process. After going undrafted, he played for the Nuggets at Summer League and was set to head to their training camp on an Exhibit 10 deal (which includes a bonus to join the Nuggets G League team).
Ultimately, Mitchell's fate will be in the hands of judges. He is one of more than 25 four-year men's college basketball players who agreed to non-guaranteed NBA contracts but now could be eligible to return to college for a fifth season after a judge's ruling. In the wake of the NCAA’s new “five-for-five” rule for college sports, some players in last year's class who used up their eligibility under the old rules but were not grandfathered into the new one went to court. There have been a host of court rulings on this,, for Mitchell it is Colorado-based U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney granting four-year college athletes from the high school class of 2022 a fifth year of eligibility (if they had not signed a professional contract). The NCAA has appealed to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking to overturn the ruling. Also, the SEC is fighting the return of players in this situation (right now, that is more focused on football).
For Mitchell, this is the smart financial play. The standard G-League contract paid $45,000 last season, and Mitchell would get an Exhibit 10 bonus for going through camp with the Nuggets (up to $85,000, but likely less). That is far less than his NIL contract with Missouri or any major college.
If the ruling permitting players to return is allowed to stand, there will be a lot more players following this path in the coming weeks.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 12: Jalen Brunson #13 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball during the game against the New York Knicks on January 12, 2022 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Domino effects are meant to start relatively small. The first two editions of the series, I feel like, encompassed that. We got really niche with the Mike Brown Kings saga and less niche with Julius Randle’s injury, but both of them required a lot of outside-the-box thinking to see directly what a reversal would’ve caused to the Knicks’ long-term hopes.
This one is anything but niche.
To wrap up this mini-series I’ve had fun with over the dog days of the summer, we’re going to look at possibly the biggest domino effect of them all, one that was scarily realistic and only didn’t occur because of the hubris of a certain front office that later made one of the worst trades in NBA history.
You saw the title. This is a scenario that Jalen Brunson, the birthday boy and the man who has exceeded every expectation and has spearheaded a revival of Knicks basketball so grand that all of us have spent way too much money on championship merch, never puts on the orange and blue.
DALLAS, TX – MAY 24: Jalen Brunson #13 of the Dallas Mavericks walks off the court after Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals on May 24, 2022 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, 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 2022 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Following his third season in Dallas, Brunson and his agents at CAA wanted to negotiate a contract extension with the Mavericks’ brass. The number that they decided on was more than reasonable for a player of his current production: four years and $55 million. After all, he was coming off finishing fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting with plausible upward mobility.
Dallas said no. Fast forward a few months: as Brunson began what turned out to be a breakout campaign, he and his agent approached the Mavs again about the same framework and were again told no.
Brunson kept working and gradually improving to the point where the Mavs themselves approached him about the $55 million deal after the trade deadline, but at that point, he had outgrown that offer as he was barreling towards free agency. Four months later, he landed in New York on a four-year, $104 million pact.
But what if Dallas realized what they had in Brunson at either one of those points, particularly the in-season extension? What if they took a guy that the Knicks had long been looking at off the market? Such a deal would’ve been more than reasonable for their current cap structure as a sixth man or starter next to Luka Doncic, even if the fit was potentially difficult due to both of their defensive shortcomings. Frankly, it was nonsensical for them to be that blind. This was a good player.
December 1, 2021. Jalen Brunson and the Dallas Mavericks announce a four-year, $55 million extension that will begin the following season. Let’s see where the dominoes fall.
Nothing changes from this point forward on any side for the rest of the 2021-22 season. Brunson still balls out and gets on the national radar with his incredible performance in the postseason; the Knicks still miss the playoffs, etc. Instead of the media clowning the Knicks for giving Brunson a nine-figure deal in June, the offseason is spent lauding Nico Harrison and company for their wherewithal to lock down this impact player for cheap.
Of course, this creates a gigantic path of divergence for the Knicks, who were always infatuated with Brunson because of his family connections. I still think Rick Brunson gets hired onto Tom Thibodeau’s staff to replace the outgoing Kenny Payne (who had a truly disastrous tenure at Louisville). The hiring was definitely motivated by his son’s free agency, but he had also served as an assistant under Thibs in Chicago and Minnesota, so it still happens.
The real question, though, is what happens in that offseason. Our first major question revolves around the strategy for the 2022 NBA Draft, particularly with the No. 11 overall pick.
2022 NBA Draft
BROOKLYN, NY – JUNE 23: NBA Draft Prospects pose for a group portrait before the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23, 2022 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
For those who don’t remember, the Knicks selected Ousmane Dieng, traded him to the Thunder in exchange for three first-round picks, traded up to No. 13 in exchange for two picks, selected Jalen Duren, and shipped him to Detroit alongside Kemba Walker in an effective salary dump. The team came out with solid assets and cleared up some cash.
The motivation behind punting a lottery pick? Signing Jalen Brunson. A later trade with Detroit shipped Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel to the Motor City and cleared up just enough space for the Villanova alum and Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. It’s why I never cared about people saying “the Knicks traded Jalen Duren for nothing” because it’s false. You don’t get Brunson (most likely) without trading Duren, his cap hit, and the salary attached.
But with Brunson off the table and no clear reason to use cap space, the Knicks are dead set on picking in the lottery. You might think it’s as simple as drafting Dieng or Duren, but the Knicks almost certainly made both selections on behalf of the teams they were actively negotiating with. After all, if they wanted them, they wouldn’t trade them.
There were a few plans for this draft leading up to it. After the Knicks were once again denied a chance at lottery luck, they constantly rang the phones to try to trade up for Jaden Ivey. They may get over the line for this. After all, with no Brunson on the way, there are no schematic issues.
It would still be a very difficult trade to make, so I lean toward it not happening. After Ivey, they seemed quite enamored with Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis, but the Wizards took him 10th overall. That’s two major bullets dodged, but who’s on the clock at No. 11?
The available players who had a pre-draft workout in New York were AJ Griffin, Tari Eason, MarJon Beauchamp, and Mark Williams. I would think it would be one of these guys, even if the extremely talented Jalen Williams and Duren were on the board. In typical Leon Rose fashion, he probably does the first two trades of the night, where he trades out and comes back in, ultimately scooping up two conditional firsts from Detroit and Washington while trading four seconds.
With the 13th pick, they select Duke wing AJ Griffin.
2022 Offseason
CLEVELAND, OHIO – APRIL 15: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks ignores Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 15, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With no Brunson and an unsuccessful pursuit of both Davis and Ivey in the draft, the Knicks badly need a point guard. I’d assume they still look to offload salary, particularly with Kemba, to open cap space, but the extent of this is unclear due to the lack of a clear alternative in free agency. There’s restricted free agent Collin Sexton, of course, but the direction that needs to be taken appears to be in the trade market.
Fortunately, there are two lead guards available.
Dejounte Murray is on the block in San Antonio and could be had for a reasonable package. His defensive fortitude makes him a welcome fit for a team that has major defensive questions, and his offense has also proven capable of a leap forward. There’s also that New York native out in Utah who could be of use…
For Murray, the Knicks never seemed that motivated to make that move, even if he would’ve been a decent fit next to Brunson in real life. They were always more focused on adding Donovan Mitchell and figuring it out later. In this timeline, Murray still goes to Atlanta, but it’s a full-court press on bringing Spida home.
With no Brunson, there’s nothing holding them back from adding a small guard into the fray. The fit concerns aren’t there. When Danny Ainge and the Jazz ask for a ridiculous package, it’s eventually negotiated down into something the team can agree on.
In mid-August 2022, Mitchell comes home for a package centered around RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes, depleting the team’s draft capital to keep further players out of the deal. As much as fans want to play the kids, the Knicks see an opportunity to compete and take it.
Thus, here’s the rotation we have heading into the 2022-23 season:
Donovan Mitchell – Derrick Rose Evan Fournier – Immanuel Quickley Alec Burks – Cam Reddish/AJ Griffin Julius Randle – Obi Toppin Mitchell Robinson – Isaiah Hartenstein
Yes, in this reality, we assume that the Knicks still find a way to get off Noel’s contract but keep Burks as wing depth after trading Barrett and Grimes. Hartenstein was always a target for the front office and still comes to New York.
The Future
This lineup, as you might imagine, would’ve been rather erratic. You have some brilliant shotmakers in there, but not enough defenders. Tom Thibodeau’s seat gets hot again; he’s forced to bench some players permanently, and the mini-revival still happens… to an extent.
Quickley gets a chance to start with Spida, Deuce McBride’s emergence happens a year sooner, Randle enjoys his bounce-back season. The foundation of the start of the Brunson era would’ve likely been similar, but the real repercussions come later.
At the deadline, the team needs wing depth, having iced Reddish out of the rotation. With Brunson no longer on the team, I can’t imagine the interest in Josh Hart is any more pronounced. It’s still possible that the trade happens. I’m instead going to involve the Knicks in the multi-team trade with the Warriors and Pistons that got Gary Payton II back to the Bay. The Knicks send a bucket of seconds and Cam Reddish to Detroit for Saddiq Bey.
With Mitchell, the Knicks win 48 games and slide into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, where they host a Cavs team that never got the New York native and instead had to continue building around Darius Garland, Sexton, and Evan Mobley. The Knicks still win in five.
In the second round, the Bucks still get slayed by the wrath of Jimmy Butler and the Heat, and although many fans are optimistic about the prospects of facing the No. 8 seed, Butler waxes the Knicks in a six-game defeat.
Heading into the following season, the Knicks are content with what they got, planning to use it as a building year. Burks never being traded means there’s not enough space to sign Donte DiVincenzo, who was also likely going to be someone Brunson pitched signing. There’s no big move to be made here, so we keep going into a shaky start to the 2023-24 season, which leaves them at an inflection point around the New Year.
As you might recall, OG Anunoby was acquired in real life on December 30, 2023, for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a second-round pick. In this reality, Barrett is already gone, but Quickley is becoming a foundational piece after being started out of necessity midway through the prior season. The financials still work if the Knicks add Burks to the trade, but with Barrett not included, the rest of the team’s excess draft capital goes with it.
The Big 3 of Spida-Anunoby-Randle destroy the competition in January 2024 until injuries take out both Randle and Anunoby. Mitchell does his best to imitate 2024 Brunson and gets First-Team All-NBA for his troubles, but it’s certainly an uphill climb. Without DiVincenzo to help with off-ball scoring, the Knicks only win 46 games, dropping them to the play-in tournament. Remember, the No. 2 and No. 7 seeds were just three games apart that year.
The Knicks get revenge on the Heat in the 7-8 game, but have to fare with a road series against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the first round, one that just doesn’t go well. With no Randle to physically match up, Toppin (who I believe doesn’t get traded with the team’s worst depth the prior season) and Precious Achiuwa are overwhelmed in a six-game defeat. The front office blames injuries and doesn’t make any drastic moves… yet.
The Mikal Bridges trade never happens. They had to use a boatload of draft assets to get Anunoby and Mitchell, so the Nets aren’t interested. Anunoby extends, Spida gets his three-year, $150 million extension, and the Knicks seem prepared to run it back in 2024-25.
Now, you might wonder: what about KAT?
The Knicks badly wanted him, but they lacked a guy who Minnesota really valued in DiVincenzo to get it done. Further, the fact that Mitchell took a max extension puts the team eerily close to the second apron, something they avoided with Brunson’s pay cut. There’s a very realistic world that this trade doesn’t happen, but Leon Rose always gets his guy, so they trade Mitchell Robinson and the last bits of draft capital to get it done.
All-in.
It’s not worth prognosticating who fills the Hart and Bridges gaps in the lineup, but the Knicks are built around Mitchell, Anunoby, and Towns. That Big 3 would get two seasons to work everything out, going into the second apron in 2025-26 before James Dolan would order a restructuring. They had to win. They had no choice.
In the first year, they get bounced in the second round by the Celtics after a 52-win season. The poise of the Brunson-led Knicks was a big part of why they came back from all those deficits, plus the team would be utterly devoid of defensive length without Robinson or Bridges. This also means that the Knicks and Pacers never rekindle their rivalry in either season, which is fun to think about.
In 2025-26, the year we all rejoiced in real life, they had a real chance. They fortified the depth; they hired Mike Brown to replace Thibs; they waltzed into an extremely weak East and grabbed the bull by the horns.
50 wins in the regular season, enough for the No. 3 seed. They survived a seven-game war with Atlanta, took out Philadelphia in six games, and went face-to-face with the Pistons in the ECF. Remember, no Mitchell likely dooms the Cavs to mediocrity and no ECF berth.
It’s hard to say for sure if the Pistons give the Knicks the same fits they did in real life, but let’s look at the facts. The Knicks were still a major question mark defensively and had no answer for Cade Cunningham. Additionally, they lacked the presence of Robinson (even in a backup role) to fluster Duren. In a tense, seven-game series, the Pistons prevailed. It’s over.
Mitchell would not be extended again by the Knicks, as his playoff shortcomings would not be worth the $270 million extension he got in real life. I’d think the front office would side with the Big Bodega in this, and the team would be built around the fleeting prime of Towns from here.
Safe to say, no banners. Sad stuff. But how’s Jalen doing in Dallas?
Brunson’s New Life In Dallas
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 18: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Western Conference All-Stars handles the ball against Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks and Eastern Conference All-Stars in the fourth quarter during the 2024 NBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on February 18, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dallas did basically nothing that offseason to replace Brunson, leaving them inherently weaker entering the 2022-23 season. They still acquire Christian Wood after retaining Brunson, but they feel pretty stagnant.
The big change in the 2022-23 season is that the Mavericks never traded for Kyrie Irving, as the fit with him, Brunson, and Luka would’ve been quite bizarre. They also wouldn’t feel the need to, as when Doncic goes down with injury right before the deadline, we see glimpses of Knicks Brunson in the emerging Villanova alum.
Dallas was quite bad this season, flaming out in the play-in tournament, but an interesting trickle-down effect from this is that they wouldn’t be able to properly tank to keep their draft pick, so a parting gift from Brunson would give the Knicks a lottery pick in 2023, which they’d use on a guy like Jordan Hawkins. Not a needle mover, so I didn’t feel the need to mention until now.
The reverb would be no Dereck Lively II in Dallas, but the supporting cast from guys like PJ Washington and eventually Daniel Gafford would provide enough for the Mavericks to still go deep in the postseason in 2024, maybe making the NBA Finals but still not coming that close to a title.
At the same time that all appears to be well in Dallas, Nico Harrison is stirring. He doesn’t like the frequent unavailability of Doncic, who still suffers a major hamstring injury on Christmas 2024. In his absence, unlike in real life where Kyrie suffered a multi-week injury as well, the Mavericks experience the joy of 2024 Jalen Brunson, who carries Dallas through January to the point where Harrison has an epiphany.
“What if I fortify my defense and Jalen can give me Luka-esque production?”
Brunson’s explosion dooms Doncic’s tenure, as the controversial trade with the Lakers still occurs. Anthony Davis would now be paired with a head of the snake in Brunson, a match seemingly made in heaven.
Except Davis is still injury-prone. Dallas never has the death spiral they had with Davis and Irving’s season-ending injuries because Brunson would be there trying to play hero ball. He does just enough to win them 45 games to take the No. 9 seed. After defeating Sacramento in the 9-10 game, a heroic 40-ball sees them stun the Grizzlies to steal a playoff spot, only to get eviscerated by the powerhouse Thunder.
This turns out to be an utter disaster, as Cooper Flagg will no longer become a Maverick. It was possible to have a core of Brunson, Davis, and Flagg, but now? Brunson hits his 30th birthday with Davis shipped to Washington and a band of merrymen around him.
That’s right. The real twist of all of this? Nobody wins.
The Knicks lose because they don’t have Brunson. They never sniff the NBA Finals.
The Mavericks lose because the domino effect takes two lottery picks away, and JB’s hyper-competitiveness doesn’t allow them to get younger.
Jalen Brunson loses. Instead of being the King of New York, he’s got a microscope on him in lowly Dallas as the guy Nico traded Luka to feature.
It’s a lose-lose situation. What a nightmare. I need my nightlight; someone turn on some highlights.
That’s better. Happy Birthday, Cap. We’re so glad this never happened.
CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 19: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers smiles during the game against the Houston Rockets on November 19, 2025 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country.
It’s time for another poll. We trust you, Fear the Sword reader, to respond to our survey in the feed.
This week, we want to know how many All-Stars the Cleveland Cavaliers will have next season. To respond, simply make a free account and vote in our feed below.
For bonus points, leave a comment letting us know who on the roster will be an All-Star. (Note: all points, including bonus ones, are imaginary).
The Cavs are one of the more interesting teams in the conference from this perspective. They have four players in their starting lineup who have all been All-Stars. Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, James Harden, and Donovan Mitchell are all capable of making it to the big game.
It isn’t far-fetched to say any of those four could deliver another All-Star caliber season. Mitchell is the most likely. But injuries to anyone would open the door for increased opportunities.
Would it be that surprising if Harden took on more usage and notched another All-Star appearance if Mitchell was hurt in December? Likewise for Allen, who has put up monster numbers in Mobley’s absence in years previous.
Of course, racking up multiple All-Stars on the same team requires regular season success. Two years ago, Mitchell and Mobley made it to All-Star weekend alongside Darius Garland. That was made possible by their 15-0 start to the year.
A lot has changed since then. The Cavs aren’t likely to win 64 games like they did that season. And the rest of the Eastern Conference has improved. I don’t know if Cleveland can garner enough regular-season success to net three (or more) All-Stars again.
Still, there’s a case to be made for multiple All-Stars in Cleveland again. In all honesty, Mitchell and Mobley should both be expected to make the game. From there, I wouldn’t hold anyone else to that standard.
Though even Peyton Watson could be a long-shot option as a 23-year-old wing ripe for a breakout.
Either way, let us know in the feed how many stars the Cavs will have, and who you believe will take the honors.
But the missed opportunity should create other opportunities for players already on the roster.
With the Lakers unlikely to make a significant move before training camp starts at the end of September, the answer to the question of who will be the fifth starter alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler and (presumably) Quentin Grimes is probably already on the roster.
And the trickle-down effect of who’ll grab that final starting spot will be felt throughout the roster.
Here are a few players who should directly benefit from the Lakers not adding Kuminga:
He not only played in all 82 regular season games, but his 2,061 total regular-season minutes played ranked No. 2 among all Lakers for 2025-26 behind Doncic (2,289 minutes).
Among players Nos. 3-11, only Austin Reaves (1,762 minutes for No. 7) and Jarred Vanderbilt (1,128 minutes for No. 9) are still on the team after a summer of roster reconstruction.
LaRavia will be an important part of the Lakers’ 2026-27 season.
Lakers forward Jake LaRavia (right) could compete for a starting job once training camp starts. REUTERS
If Kumimga was in the fold, it would’ve been reasonable to expect LaRavia’s playing time (he averaged a career-high 25.1 minutes last season) to dip in 2026-27.
But without Kuminga, the 6-foot-7 LaRavia should be a part of the competition to figure out the last starting spot, and have opportunities to build off last season.
At 24 years old (he turns 25 in November) and entering his fifth season in the league, LaRavia should have room to grow in multiple areas.
And with the talented youngster on the final season of the two-year deal he signed with the Lakers last year, it’ll be a crucial season before he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Adou Thiero
From a physical profile standpoint, Thiero (6-foot-8, 220 pounds) and Kuminga (6-foot-7, 225 pounds) have similarities.
Including elite athleticism and quickness for their size.
But Kuminga is far ahead of Thiero when it comes to offensive skill and production. Without Kuminga though, there’s a pathway for Thiero to be on the fringes of the rotation.
Adou Thiero should be in line to receive more playing time opportunities in his second season. NBAE via Getty Images
The second-year Lakers forward, who was sidelined for parts of last season because of lower-body injuries and spent most of 2025-26 in the G League, ended the year getting consistent minutes in the playoffs.
And that playing time should be easier to come by if the Lakers are looking for a bigger wing who can be a lob threat, strong rebounder and hold their own defensively against bigger forwards – all things that would’ve been asked of Kuminga that Thiero is equipped to handle.
Jarred Vanderbilt
If Thiero isn’t ready to handle a bigger role yet, Vanderbilt would be in line for more playing time opportunities.
The ninth-year forward wasn’t a consistent part of the rotation when the Lakers were healthy last season.
Jarred Vanderbilt could be on the fringes of the rotation if Adou Thiero isn’t ready to contribute. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
But he still played 65 regular games in 2025-26, and was on the court for seven of the 10 playoff games.
It’s assumed around the league that Vanderbilt will pick up his $13.3 million player option for 2027-28, so this upcoming season won’t be a make-or-break season.
But potentially having more chances to contribute on the court will help him rebuild his value.
Sep 28, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol (33) at the podium during Media Day at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
The 2026-27 season is a couple of months away from tip-off, yet striking parallels, sometimes uncanny, to the 2018-19 season are hard not to notice, even to the ‘casual’ eye. For one, LeBron James will be playing for a different team come October after spending the last eight years under the bright lights of LA, marking the end of his longest stint with a franchise. The Raptors, on the other hand, are still awaiting the conclusion of the league’s investigation regarding the trade that would reunite them with the 2019 Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard.
As similar as the storylines are from seven years ago, context should be taken into consideration, given the drastic difference in the landscape of the league and the reality of aging. Leonard will be entering his 15th season in the league, joining a Raptors roster that has yet to hit their summit, as players and as a unit.
That is not to say that these parallels are superficial, as there are some similarities worth noting for their relevance and substance. LeBron might have signed for a discounted veteran’s minimum, but the whole free-agency saga was built around his impending decision at that time because he’s still a high-end talent, and any team that gets him will automatically be tagged as championship contenders.
The same goes for the Raptors. Kawhi raises expectations for Toronto, just as his arrival did eight years ago. One thing that flew under the radar for non-Raptors fans, however, was how the roster differed from the start of the season to its climactic conclusion in June that year. The Raptors traded for Memphis Grizzlies’ long-time centre, Marc Gasol, at the deadline.
Insiders’ insights
ESPN’s annual summer forecast allowed NBA insiders to weigh in on hypothetical scenarios and how likely they are to occur in this upcoming season. Such scenarios include teams that are likely to outperform expectations, or do the complete opposite and underachieve. Out of the bunch, the Raptors were listed in just one category — teams that will likely pursue a ‘big’ trade before the trade deadline.
Toronto placed fifth in a five-way tie, having received one vote among the panelists. Needless to say, teams like the Golden State Warriors, who ranked first league-wide, are expected to be major buyers come February, given their missed opportunities to add franchise-altering names like James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who were said to have been pursued by the team to pair with Stephen Curry for one last-ditch effort at opening another contention window.
The Raptors are not expected to be at this level of conversation come February, but a vote indicates that there’s a real possibility they make a subtle yet impactful deal midseason. While Leonard was the driving force and the central piece of the 2019 championship, Gasol allowed them to realize their ceiling.
The last domino to fall for the 2019 Raptors
Gasol, at 34 years old, was still one of the league’s premier passing big men, with a newly developed three-point shot that commanded coverage, stretching defences in the process. Given his age, he was still an elite defender, an effective anchor in the paint and, at the same time, managed occasional switches with quicker perimeter players. Some, however, thought that the Raptors gave too much depth after trading away rotation pieces C.J. Miles and Delon Wright, and settling for an older big man than the one they had in Jonas Valanciunas.
This move would eventually pay dividends for Toronto as Gasol’s passing ability provided another point of concern for opposing defences, as he threaded the needle to open teammates, seemingly operating as a point guard in a big man’s body. His defense, however, was the real game changer during their title run. Golden State’s depleted big-man rotation proved no match for Gasol, as he adjusted comfortably to any matchups he was put on. He also played a crucial role in limiting Curry’s attempts from beyond the arc through blitz coverages. Against the Bucks, Gasol was a key component of the Raptors’ ‘Wall’ that proved effective in deterring Antetokounmpo from taking shots within close range. His most notable contribution, however, came in the grueling seven-game series against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he was matched up with arguably the league’s best center at the time, Joel Embiid.
Gasol held Embiid to just 17.6 points a game, coupled with an inefficient 37.1% field goal percentage, as Toronto outlasted Philadelphia in a thrilling Game 7 buzzer-beater by Leonard over Embiid himself.
What could the 2026-27 Raptors learn from this trade?
Barring Kawhi’s second coming, the Raptors are not the same team they were seven years ago. The roster’s youth is a glaring distinction from the 2019 squad, composed mostly of seasoned veterans with playoff experience. Not to mention, the head coaches’ philosophies are opposites of each other: Nick Nurse had a heavy reliance on individual skills, while Darko Rajakovic’s takes a committee approach.
Likewise, team needs vary in both iterations, considering the difference in player utilization and how they mesh with each other. Front-court depth and perimeter shooting emerge as the most concerning gaps for this year’s team. While hybrid centre-forwards like Collin Murray-Boyles emerged as effective small-ball options, it won’t be sustainable long-term given the increasing prevalence of skilled big men. While the Raptors could experiment more on recent acquisitions like Trayce Jackson-Davis and Trey Jamison III, a trade surrounding a center is something to keep an eye on, especially if rebounding deficits and interior mismatches persist.
Rajakovic utilizes his wings as secondary playmakers, switchable defenders, and as floor-spacing and cutting options. With the impending departure of Gradey Dick, the minutes allocation will be distributed between two breakout rotation pieces from last season. Jamison Battle and Ja’Kobe Walter both received their fair share of playing time last year, as Dick and Ochai Agbaji gradually faded out of the picture. With Dick expected to be moved regardless of the trade’s completion, Battle and Walter are expected to fill in those minutes and provide a well-needed boost on three-point shooting and perimeter defence.
The potential acquisition of Kawhi does not mean the team figures out everything from the get-go. Compromises from the roster and coaching staff alike will have to be made as the season progresses and players settle into their roles. Take the 2019 squad for example, where players like Fred VanVleet spoke about uncertainty with fit, particularly Kawhi’s 60-game limit for the entire season, which he deemed insufficient for Leonard and his teammates to develop familiarity with each other’s play.
However, the front office saw enough from that 60-game window that warranted them making a deal for the Grizzlies’ big man, given the team’s needs and his potential fit with the rest of the roster. If the trade for Gasol taught us anything, it’s that a team may take until the midseason to reveal its true identity. Toronto took 55 games into the regular season before eventually trading for their starting big man, as their real gaps began to show. The Raptors don’t necessarily need another Gasol; what it needs is a keen eye from the scouting department and front office to identify team flaws and search for personnel who solve those problems.
Hey folks we’re back at it, going division by division figuring out just who the Golden State Warriors should be concerned about this season. And after the way things turned out last year when the wounded Dubs didn’t even make the postseason, that answer could easily be anybody. But one of the teams GSW had success against last year comes from the Southwest Division. I’m talking about the Dallas Mavericks, a team that floundered with the injury absence of Kyrie Irving, the rookie lessons of Cooper Flagg, and the inconsistent play of former Warrior Klay Thompson. The Warriors took two out of three from Dallas last season, including a big win on Christmas. Unfortunately one of those battles cost them the knee of Moses Moody.
Dallas spent this offseason trying to convince everybody it finally has its act together, and for about five minutes in the spring, I believed it. They fired Nico Harrison, allegedly the brains behind the PR disaster that was the Luka Doncic trade. They hired Masai Ujiri, the guy who built a championship team in Toronto, to run the whole operation. They brought in Dusty May off an NCAA title at Michigan to replace Bay Area legend Jason Kidd as head coach. On paper that’s the best offseason of competent decision-making this franchise has had in years, and it’s happening around Flagg who just won Rookie of the Year doing things nobody his age should be able to do.
When Cooper Flagg scored 49 points, the MOST ever by a teenager in NBA history last January 😳
The @dallasmavs' ascending star last season joined Michael Jordan as the only rookies since 1973-74 to lead their team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals! pic.twitter.com/V51svoK7ra
Then the actual roster-building started, and I need somebody in Dallas to explain something to me.
We already know what Flagg is. Nobody in the Bay needs a stat sheet to tell them he’s the problem. What Dallas doesn’t have is anybody to take some of that creation load off him, because right now the only reliable ballhandler on the roster is Kyrie Irving, who’s 34 and coming off a torn ACL that’s kept him out since March of last year. Everybody assumed Dallas would use the ninth pick on a guard. They took Morez Johnson Jr., a forward out of Michigan, where Dusty May coached him. I like the player but I don’t understand the team.
And then they waived Klay Thompson, ending a very bland first chapter of the ex-Splash Bro’s post-Dubs career.
Al Harrington doesn’t think Klay Thompson has much left 😬
“I’m a what have you done for me lately kind of guy. With that being said with Klay, watching him the last two years here in Dallas, it seems like he’s fell off a lot. Significantly. I watched him miss a lot of open… pic.twitter.com/HwWPJedjuY
Our friends over at Mavs Money Ball were guardedly optimistic in their roundtable of the Mavericks’ offseason moves, but one quote stood out for me:
The problem is that Dallas chose to work around the margins instead of truly reforming the roster. The Mavericks still have too many overlapping forwards, not enough reliable ball-handling and several veterans who do not clearly fit Flagg’s timeline. Other young teams have been more aggressive in defining their direction, whether by collecting draft assets, clearing veterans or building a cleaner developmental roster. The individual moves mostly make sense, but they do not yet form a coherent plan.
What kinda team is this? Dallas’ answer at backup guard last season was Brandon Williams, who averaged 13 points and 4 assists for them and even dropped 26 off the bench in the Christmas game against Golden State. The Warriors just signed him though!
Cooper Flagg is a ridiculous young talent surrounded by a roster that has hella question marks. That young supertalent scares me. The Mavericks do not.
