Category: NBA

While the Lakers reshaping their roster was anticipated this summer, the sheer volume of new signings, and particularly in the short amount of time, was overwhelming.

As we circle back to break down some of the new players that will be donning the purple and gold, I figured the best way to get some insight and a scouting report on them was from those who covered their previous teams.

Walker Kessler was the team’s big swing of the offseason. The Lakers are banking on his defense to anchor the team and make it one of the best in the league, while hoping he pairs nicely with Luka Dončić as a pick-and-roll partner.

I reached out to James Hansen, site manager of Salt Lake City Dunk, to ask about Kessler and his fit with the Lakers.

What are his strengths?

First, rim protection. Opponent scoring at the rim is much lower when Kessler is defending. He is also in the 99th percentile in block percentage, according to Dunks & Threes. Kessler consistently holds down the paint, arguably the most important thing you can do on the defensive end.

Second, scoring at the rim. Kessler shot 68% on 2s in 2026, 67.6% in 2025, and 67.7 in 2024. All three of those seasons were in the 98th percentile or better. Kessler doesn’t have any sort of isolation game but when he gets the ball near the rim, he finishes at an elite level.

Third, offensive rebounding. Part of what makes Kessler such an elite finisher is that he’s such a good offensive rebounder. Kessler was in the 98th percentile last season and the 97th percentile the year before with his offensive rebound rate.

And when he rebounds it, he scores the ball. That ability to put pressure on the rim really ups your team’s offensive efficiency night after night, easily his most effective offensive skill.

What are his weaknesses?

First, free throw shooting. Kessler’s free throw percentage was in the low 50s for two of his four seasons. He played in just five games last season, so I would take his 70% free throw with a grain of salt.

This was one of those things that looks like it can improve for Kessler but he inevitably falls into bad habits just when you think he’ll improve. Maybe with the Lakers, he’ll finally find some consistency on this end, but as of right now, it’s an issue.

Second, skillset. Kessler is more of an advanced analytics darling than he is an eye-test type of player. Kessler has teased a 3-point shot at times but when the Jazz have actually had him let the threes fly, it hasn’t worked.

Whenever the Jazz would throw Kessler the ball in the post, it went…badly. Kessler becomes a great player if he sticks to what he’s great at. It’s when he’s trying to go beyond that when he struggles. Maybe he can develop his game more, but he would be right to emphasize the parts of his game that made him a target for the Lakers.

Third, there’s a little bit of softness to him. Head coach Will Hardy probably yelled at Kessler louder and more often than at anyone else on the Jazz. It’s likely because it always felt like there was another level he should be able to get to. He just never quite got there.

He is also a player that other teams love to challenge. Kessler is a great rim protector but there are a lot of guys that love to go at him. At times, it would get in his head when someone got a huge dunk on him and you could see him dip a little bit. Maybe with the Lakers, playing for wins, and a new contract will help him gain more mental toughness.

From an outsider’s perspective, how do you see him fitting with the Lakers?

I think he’ll fit really well with Luka Dončić, both on the offensive end as a rolling big and as a defender that can make up for some weak perimeter defense. He’s a solid passer as well, so he can move the ball out of the short roll, something Hardy and the Jazz developed well with him.

As long as the Lakers don’t expect Kessler to create his own shot, they’ll be happy with him.

Anything else to know about him?

Walker Kessler has a fun personality and should be a player Laker fans enjoy. I have no doubt he’ll become a fan favorite like he was for Jazz fans.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

It’s a Spurs reunion! Well, sort of. Two members of the 2014 Spurs Championship and longtime teammates are teaming up again, this time as player and coach over in France. ASVEL of the French LDLC and Euro League has announced it has signed Patty Mills for the 2026-27 season, and he will be coached by none other than his former Spurs teammate, Tony Parker, who is a 20% owner and head coach.

Mills even took a video of his call with Parker, with both expressing excitement about the reunion.

37 years old (I honestly thought he was older by now), Mills was drafted at 55th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2009 before joining the Spurs in 2012, eventually earning the spot of Parker’s back-up and playing a huge role off the bench in their 2014 championship run, averaging 10.2 points while shooting 56.5% from three-point range across the Finals. He ended up spending 10 seasons with the Spurs and was the leader of the team through the 2021-22 season before moving on as the Spurs began the youth movement. He journeyed around from there, with his last NBA appearance being with the Clippers in the 2024-25 season. (That’s another Spurs reunion we won’t talk about.) He is also the general manager of the University of Hawai’i basketball program.

Many Spurs fans believe/hope the Spurs will retire Mills’ #8 jersey someday (last worn by Kelly Olynyk last season), and it’s quite possible once his playing career comes to a end. Hopefully such an event will bring Patty back to San Antonio, but in the meantime, how about some highlights for old time’s sake?

We’re now into the dog days of the NBA season. 

LeBron James made his decision. Luka Doncic got his center in Walker Kessler. Giannis Antetokounmpo is with the Heat. 

Over the last few months, there have been some seismic changes in the NBA, leaving the landscape looking very different heading into next season. 

Here are the biggest winners and losers so far this summer. 

Winner: Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers traded Paul George for Jaylen Brown and acquired James in free agency, catapulting them into becoming championship contenders. Brown finished sixth in MVP voting last season. James is easily a top-20 player in the NBA. 

The 76ers have gone from being mired in mediocrity, failing to get past the second round of the playoffs since they drafted Joel Embiid with the No. 3 overall pick in 2014, to becoming the most interesting team in the league.

There are a lot of questions about how this roster will work. There might be too many chefs in the kitchen with Embiid, Brown, James, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe all needing touches. 

But the 76ers have the potential to move the needle. James went to the opposite coast of his family and joined a team with which he has no history because he believes they give him his best chance of winning his fifth championship.

That says a lot about the 76ers’ prospects. 

Loser: Golden State Warriors 

The Warriors went all in on trying to get James onto their team. Steph Curry, who normally remains mum about front office moves, publicly pitched for James to join the Warriors. Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option so the Warriors could pay James more money. 

But James chose to join the 76ers, and the Warriors have pretty much stood pat this offseason. That leaves Curry, who turns 39 next season, running things back with the same roster he had last season— you know, the one that didn’t make the playoffs. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody will miss the start of the season because of injuries. The Warriors know they’re not title contenders next season. 

That’s a shame for Curry, who wants to play meaningful basketball in the sunset of his career. 

Winner: LeBron James

James mulled over where he would take his talents for his fourth and final stop of his illustrious career for more than three weeks. 

There were many factors to consider. Would he prioritize tying his career into a neat bow by returning to the Cavaliers, who selected him as the No. 1 overall pick in 2003? Would he join forces with Antetokounmpo in Miami and try to win a third ring with the franchise that turned him into an NBA champion in 2012? Would he join Curry and Green on the Warriors to create a geriatric super team?

But James chose to prioritize winning. In retrospect, this all makes so much sense. 

James has devoted his life to basketball since he was in middle school. The reason why he became the first player in NBA history to reach his 23rd season is because of his unparalleled dedication to his craft. If he’s still showing up to arenas five hours before games and missing countless moments with his family and friends, it might as well mean something. 

And in the NBA meaning is defined by winning. 

So James went to where he believes he has his best shot of adding to his legacy. if he’s still pouring his heart into the sport, he might as well go all in on having another trophy to show for it. With the 76ers, he has a real shot of being atop the mountain again. 

Loser: New York Knicks

Jalen Bruson and Co. are coming off of a magical championship run. No one thought they’d be hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy in June. No one thought Brunson would turn into one of the biggest superstars in the NBA. They left their detractors reeling. 

But their path to repeating as champions just got much tougher. The 76ers are loaded. The Heat will be formidable with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo once they find their rhythm. Tyrese Haliburton is going to be on a revenge mission next season after returning from a torn Achilles’ tendon that he suffered during the 2025 NBA Finals. The East is no longer a cakewalk. 

The Knicks are the team to beat. But there’s now a lot of talent in their conference nipping at their heels, threatening to derail their goal of proving the league wrong once again. 

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bucks fans and fans across the country.

Giannis trade discourse has dominated the summer, and thankfully, it’s over now. I think most Bucks fans would agree that, in the end, Milwaukee did alright in the deal, getting back young players, picks, and other helpful pieces. With that said, the return was still not what you imagine when you trade a two-time MVP still in their prime. It just wasn’t. And the reason it wasn’t is because of one factor: a lack of leverage.

You see, Bucks GM Jon Horst waited until basically the last moment to trade Giannis, who had just one guaranteed year of team control remaining on his deal. The wider basketball media—including ESPN, CBS Sports, and Yahoo Sports—seems to agree that Horst waiting until now was a mistake (and as you’ll see tomorrow, so do I). If Horst had initiated trade talks a year ago—when Dame tore his Achilles and the Bucks’ hopes of contending went up in smoke—he would’ve had all the leverage in negotiations.

Then again, there’s another (completely reasonable) angle that you never, ever trade a top-three player without them demanding it, and Giannis did not do that last offseason. On top of this, you also need to consider what Giannis means to the city of Milwaukee, and how a decision to trade him has more than just on-court reverberations. Obviously, Giannis will always be a cultural icon in Milwaukee and Wisconsin, which is why many Bucks fans have a more nuanced view on the topic than outsiders do. For what it’s worth, I totally understand both sides (even though I happen to agree much more with the former).

Thus, for this week’s Reacts question, we wanted your take:

We’ll know more about opening night of the Knicks season on Tuesday morning, when the NBA releases some of its games on Good Morning America. 

I still expect the league to give you Knicks-Sixers on Ring Night. But before we get there, New York still has some business to settle. 

Here are a few decisions the franchise needs to tackle between now and Opening Night: 

FILL OUT ROSTER

The Knicks have 13 players under contract. They can carry as many as 21 players in training camp. So they have several roster spots to fill out.

The biggest opening is at center. New York needs to find a third-string center to replace Ariel Hukporti. To that end, the Knicks spoke to multiple teams about trades for big men under contract earlier in the offseason. One of those big men was New Orleans’ Karlo Matkovic, per league sources; nothing came to fruition.  New York targeted Moussa Cisse as a restricted free agent, but Dallas matched the offer. 

As you’d imagine, the Knicks have also been in touch with free agent centers who would fit the third-center profile. If they liked any of those centers enough to offer them a guaranteed contract, they probably would have done so already. So the most likely route here is to sign a couple of veteran bigs to training camp deals and let them compete for the third center spot. They would be able to add that veteran center and remain under the second apron in team salary. 

EXTEND THE VETS? 

Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride are all eligible for veteran extensions. My buddy James Edwards III wrote recently in The Athetic that he doesn’t expect the Knicks to offer Towns a max extension. Towns is a forever Knick; his play in New York’s championship season will be celebrated for as long as the franchise exists. But I agree with Edwards on this: I don’t think the Knicks will offer Towns a max in extension talks. 

Also, if I had to take a guess, the two sides will reach an agreement. Towns clearly loves New York. Maybe he can make more money with another team next summer (Towns has a $57 million salary this season and his contract has a $61 million player option for 2027-28). 

But why would he leave? He won a timeless championship with his hometown team. Unless the Knicks make an insultingly-low offer to Towns, I think they get something done here. 

If I’m using the recent Rudy Gobert extension as a baseline, I could see an extension for Towns starting around $45 million. By signing this kind of deal, Towns would obviously lose the opportunity to make more money as a 2027 free agent. But given all of the factors at play (the state of NBA economics, teams’ approach to the second apron, the Knicks’ title), there are reasons for Towns to play it safe and sign an extension. 

Towns leaving New York also would hurt the Knicks. If Towns and the team can’t agree on a deal, New York would have to make a significant pivot to find another front-line center. So from the outside looking in, it seems like it makes sense for both sides to figure out a deal. 

What about Hart? Similar to Towns, I could see the Knicks asking him to take less on his next contract in an effort to create future roster flexibility. What would Hart want to do? I have no idea. But if I had to guess, he wants to be in New York to see how the rest of the years with this core play out. 

McBride’s situation is a bit different due to his contract. McBride is on one of the most team-friendly deals in the NBA. He should be looking for a significant raise on an extension. He’s earned it.

But can the Knicks extend Towns, Hart and McBride while also maintaining some roster flexibility? If they want to stay under the second apron, the answer is probably no. It would be very difficult to build out a roster with all of these new extensions on the books. Don’t forget, the Knicks, presumably, will also be signing Jalen Brunson to a major extension/free agency contract once the time comes. And Brunson has set the precedent for a Knick player taking less on an extension to help build the roster.

Another element of the conversation is owner James Dolan’s decisions on spending. Dolan said on WFAN before free agency that he would not exceed the second apron in team salary next season. Does that apply to the 2027-28 season as well? What about 2028-29? (As an aside: It is unclear if the second apron decision was Dolan’s alone or if it was made in conjunction with Leon Rose and the Knicks front office. If it was Dolan’s alone, that would be a shame because the Knicks’ fan base spends significant money to attend games. It’s worth noting on this that Dolan and Rose have made many important decisions together during Rose’s tenure)

One last note on the extensions: As Jeremy Cohen notes over at KnicksFilmSchool, any extension signed on August 12 or later will likely make that player untradeable at the 2027 deadline.

TWO-WAY SPOTS?

The Knicks have three open two-way spots. Jack Kayil won’t be taking one of them. There are reports that Tyler Nickel is considering going back to college, but, as noted last week, league sources say he is all-in on starting his pro career). If they sign Nickel to a two-way deal, the Knicks will have two other two-way spots to fill. With Trey Jemison III signing in Toronto, you would think the Knicks target a big man for at least one of those two-way spots.

It’s hard to believe that Ben Simmons only just turned 30 years old this summer.

Once an All-NBA player at 23, things sharply and drastically changed for Simmons, who was out of the league entirely last season and hasn’t played relevant basketball in years. However, after taking time to heal physically, Simmons is attempting a comeback, beginning by taking part in a mini-camp for the Australia men’s basketball team this week in Melbourne.

According to Marc Spears of ESPN, Simmons has already drawn interest from teams, including one Western Conference team that has offered him a training camp invite.

Several NBA teams have expressed interest in Simmons, who is open to signing a minimum contract, according to sources. One source said he has a non-guaranteed offer on the table for minicamp with a Western Conference team.

Trying to figure out who that Western Conference team is feels like a fool’s errand. A training camp invite is the lowest-risk offer a team can hand out, so anyone could have given it out.

Does that include the Lakers? Well, perhaps in NBA 2K, it makes sense. The team has a hole at power forward and Simmons, as a once-elite defender, would fill that need. But this isn’t a video game and there’s a lot more going on here.

That being said, there is a notable connection between head coach JJ Redick and Simmons. At Simmons’ best, Redick was playing alongside him in Philadelphia. The two had some of the finest moments of their careers alongside each other.

Throughout their time with the Sixers, Redick was an ardent defender of Simmons, who faced plenty of scrutiny. In 2022, Simmons appeared on Redick’s podcast, “The Old Man & the Three,” in a pretty open interview about lots of things regarding his time with the Sixers.

Having said all that, there are obvious complications here. As much as Redick and Simmons might have a relationship, that doesn’t make the latter a good basketball player anymore. Simmons became more and more a shell of his best self as his career wound down in Brooklyn and then with the Clippers.

There are also plenty of fit concerns. Simmons is a ball-dominant player who can’t shoot. That’s hardly a seamless fit next to Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić.

On top of that, the Lakers don’t even have a roster spot available. A training camp invite can still be extended but if things go well and Simmons actually looks good, the Lakers have one too many guaranteed contracts. They not only have to trim down contracts to have a legal roster, but also get rid of another just to sign Simmons. It’d be a lot of loopholes to jump through for someone who didn’t even play last season.

Even if it’s a buy-low opportunity for the Lakers, it doesn’t seem like one that’d make sense.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, like every other competitive team in the league, are trying to navigate the new CBA by cutting costs where they can. That’s resulted in an ongoing search to dump Dennis Schroder’s contract. Not because the Cavs can’t use his talents, but because clearing space for financial wiggle-room is more important in today’s NBA.

Per reports, there are multiple potential suitors for Schroder.

“Sources tell Cleveland.com the Cavs continue to discuss various trade packages involving Schroder,” said Chris Fedor. “Seeing if there is an opportunity to slightly reconfigure the roster to gain financial flexibility, which would help their [Cleveland’s] pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson.”

Finding a team that’s willing to eat Schroder’s contract is the challenge. Cleveland needs a franchise that’s both willing and capable of absorbing Schroder’s $15 million price tag. Fortunately, a number of teams can fit the bill.

The Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, LA Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks are all able to absorb Schroder’s contract without sending anything back.

Of that group, the Pistons might make the most sense for Schroder. There’s a team that needs additional ball-handling and has benefited from Schroder’s skills in the past. It would make sense for both sides to pursue a deal here.

Schroder has been traded eight times in his NBA career, second only to Trevor Ariza, who was traded 11 times throughout his career.

Being traded that many times is somewhat of a compliment. You have to be wanted by other teams to appear in that many trades. On that same note, you have to be expendable enough to be put on the trading block that frequently.

Schroder has had a successful professional career. He’s been a positive contributor at basically every stop he’s made. He even helped the Cavs overcome a handful of adverse games in their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

It just makes sense for the Cavs to pursue a salary dump. They need financial freedom more than a backup point guard. Especially if that additional cap space can allow them to trade for a wing who fits their biggest needs. Cleveland remains in the hunt for both Watson and Kuminga. Trading Schroder is the first step to completing that.

Bronny James comes into Year 3 of his NBA career with the specter of LeBron James' shadow looming. He will now be the lone James on the Los Angeles Lakers roster and enters a pivotal season when development and usage will be lingering questions.

As LeBron heads east, joining the star-studded Philadelphia 76ers, Bronny will for the first time test the NBA landscape without his dad in the locker room. The decision to part ways with the Lakers ignited ongoing speculation that the father-son tandem might be a package deal. And, the possibility that L.A. might trade Bronny continued to be a talking point.

During a radio appearance on the Brock and Alex Show on 97.1 The Fan LA in July, California Post reporter Khobi Price, spoke about James' situation in the wake of LeBron going to the 76ers.

"Now, what I want to make clear is that the Lakers are more than happy to keep Bronny James," Price reported on the show.

"They've drafted him in the second round two years ago. They developed him. They're a fan of him. He has a lot of people who like him within the building," Price continued.

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This weekend, Bright Side will be at Naismith, Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, to cover Mike D’Antoni and Amar’e Stoudemire and the rest of the 2026 class as they get inducted into the Hall of Fame.

D’Antoni and Stoudemire, both leading members of the Phoenix Suns’ iconic “7 Seconds or Less” era back in the 2000s, where the Phoenix Suns made three Western Conference Finals and started the 2004-2005 season with the fifth-best record ever through 35 games. The “7 Seconds or Less” Suns were one of the first teams to play four players around the perimeter and one player inside, and they are considered a highly influential impact on how modern basketball is played.

Surrounded by two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, Stoudemire made five All-Star appearances and was a four-time All-NBA selection as a member of the Suns, while D’Antoni led Phoenix to four-straight 50+ win seasons, the second-longest streak in Suns history.

Bright Side’s has a myriad of coverage planned for the event, spanning from exclusive content with D’Antoni and Stoudemire, columns with quotes about their careers and exclusive reports, but we want to know what else you want to hear about during the event as we prepare for coverage.

Certain stories about iconic Suns games? Who do the two think was the best Suns team of the era? It doesn’t even have to be about the Suns. Certain memorials that you want to learn more about at the Hall of Fame? Cool displays? The food? The layout? Nothing is off limits.

Before we head off to Springfield, we want to give YOU the opportunity to contribute to Bright Side articles and help create the content you most want to read and watch about, so let us know in the comments.

When the New York Knicks needed a new head coach after the 2020 season, they didn’t merely replace David Fizdale — fired after a 4-18 start gave way to interim Mike Miller. They wanted to open up all the windows and doors and air out all the stink of the prior era. Thus, the hiring of Thomas Wayne Thibodeau (his real middle name is Joseph, but I prefer Wayne).

When the Knicks decided they needed a new coach after the 2025 season, they didn’t merely seek to replace Thibodeau — the only coach the franchise has ever fired after consecutive 50-win seasons. They wanted to change some of his cultural cornerstones, like playing the starters historic minutes while trying to win every single preseason, regular-season and postseason game with a seven-man rotation. Thus the hiring of Michael Burton Brown (that is his middle name, and it works).

When the Knicks were suddenly single after the 1995 season, they did what a lotta teams do when it’s time to replace a Type A personality: bring in someone different. Jim Fassel begat Tom Coughlin. The famously intense Pep Guardiola left Manchester City and begat Enzo Maresca, already enjoying the new coach headwind of being more relaxed than his predecessor. In 1995, Pat Riley left the Knicks via fax, the kind of divorce notice that doubles as a confession: your ex has already been stepping out on you.

But unlike Fizdale, and to a far lesser extent Thibs, Riley was already a success as the Knicks coach when he left. In the 18 seasons between the Knicks’ most recent second title and them hiring the Rat of Schenectady, they won 50-plus games twice and a single best-of-7 playoff series. In his four years at MSG, they won 51, 60, 57 and 55 games, along with three best-of-7 series, and made their first trip to the Finals since Watergate was just a salad.

A trim, fashionable figure in his dark Armani suits, Riley was cool and controlling, his ultra-marathon practices far longer and more grueling than the real games. He was a New Yorker come home to one of the world’s fashion capitals, where Nike was ripping kids off to infuse “cool” into their ads and many of the most controlling powers-that-be are based. Riley’s Knicks were tough, mean, and relentless.

They replaced him with the Big Lebowski.

Imagine replacing Thibodeau with Mike D’Antoni. Or hiring the famously defensive Jose Mourinho after his antithesis in Guardiola. The Knicks had just enjoyed a Silver Age renaissance under the quintessential head-to-toe icon of order. Hiring Don Nelson wasn’t going from Type A to Type B; it was going from Type A to an irregular fraction with stains on his tie.

I wish I remembered more of that time, young as I was and brief as it was. Nellie went 34-25 before being fired, after a win in Toronto led by 30 points from Hubert Davis. That was more than Patrick Ewing and John Starks combined. That was some of the reason why Nelson didn’t make it to game 60. He preferred to run his offense through a point forward, which elevated Anthony Mason’s role and his numbers. He preferred Davis to Starks. He thought Ewing was past his prime and wanted to make Orlando an offer for Shaquille O’Neal, with noises out of Orlando already implying Fu Schnickens was unhappy in central Florida.

But Nelson couldn’t win. Riley took his talents to South Beach, but the team he’d made in his image wasn’t going anywhere or changing any. That was both the glory and folly of the ‘90s Knicks: they insisted upon themselves as is, and it was very nearly enough, but also it very clearly wasn’t, and yet they seemed fated to stay fixed in place. The proud Ewing resented Mason’s larger influence. Mason went from 23 career starts before Nellie to starting all 82 games under him and leading the league in minutes, yet as Chris Herring wrote in Blood in the Garden even that wasn’t enough for Mase, who made a death threat to Nelson for not playing him more. Think Starks thought he should be backing up Hubert Davis?

For me, the firing of Nelson goes down as a sliding doors moment in Knicks history, similar to Davis being fouled by Scottie Pippen in the ‘94 playoffs and Allan Houston’s shot bouncing in against Miami in 1999. Nelson was always ahead of his time, not only about the Knicks but the game in general. His teams were funky and fun, playing smallball and dismissing positions decades before either was commonplace. Watch any of his sides: Milwaukee in the early 1980s, Golden State later that decade, Dallas in the 2000s. All a bridge too far for a team whose offensive identity for a decade was little more than “pass it to Ewing; if he’s doubled, get the ball out and get it back to him; hope he scores.”

What if Nelson had stayed? The summer after he was canned, the Knicks had oodles of cap space and not one, not two, but three first-round picks in one of the great draft rounds of all-time. How might his presence have impacted free agency? Maybe the Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller rumors were always that, just rumors — but would either of those two established stars and Knick rivals have left teams coached by Phil Jackson and Larry Bird for one led by an interim who went 13-10 in Jeff Van Gundy? Wouldn’t Nelson’s presence have made the team more appealing, especially to veterans? Would his keen eye for talent have yielded a better draft day than using picks 18, 19 and 21 all on power forwards: John Wallace, Dontae’ Jones and Walter McCarty?

My strongest memories of Nelson growing up were that he was the player my father hated the most (Nellie spent most of his playing days with Boston), and one incident from his time as Knick coach that forever endeared him to me. On January 12, 1996, the Knicks traveled to play the Celtics. These were the sad-sack Celtics of Dino Radja, Eric Montross and Pervis Ellison. Coming into the game, Celtic guard Dana Barros had either set the record for most consecutive games making a 3-pointer or he was closing in on it.

Late in the fourth it was clear the Knicks were going to win. But Boston coach M.L. Carr didn’t want Barros to lose his streak. In a game where the other Celtic starters combined for eight 3-point attempts — same as the entire Knick team — Carr brought Barros, who’d launch nine all by himself, back into the game just so Boston could try to get him another 3. You’ve probably seen nonsense like that before. What you don’t often see is a team down double-digits in the final seconds calling timeout to draw up a last-second shot for someone.

Some coaches wouldn’t care one way or the other. Some would wait until the press conference after the game to make their true feelings known. God bless Don Nelson for being one of the few with the chutzpah and sense of showmanship to respond to Carr’s shenanigans by bringing Mason (6-foot-7) in on the final possession specifically to lock up Barros (5-foot-11) and make sure he couldn’t even get a shot off. After the final horn Carr was so pissed he took the game ball and threw it at the back of Nellie’s head. Nellie laughed.

Don Nelson was ahead of his time. In many ways he tried to fix the ’90s Knicks at a time when no one else would admit the patient showed any signs of illness. And despite his number hanging in the Boston Garden rafters, he didn’t flinch when the people he made his bones with tried getting one over on him. He enjoyed good food, good weather and good weed, and that makes him my kinda people. For all those reasons, he may only hold a small place in Knicks history, but it’s a good one. Rest in peace, Nellie.

The NBA launched an investigation into whether Los Angeles Clipper star guard Kawhi Leonard’s four-year, $28 million endorsement agreement with Aspiration (a now-bankrupt company connected financially to Clippers owner Steve Ballmer) may have been used to circumvent the NBA’s salary cap.

The investigation’s fact-finding phase is now complete, and now Leonard, the Clippers, Ballmer, and the rest of the league awaits its verdict.

One of the NBA’s worst-kept secrets right now is the Toronto Raptors’ potential blockbuster trade for Leonard. Both the Raptors and the Clippers want to get the deal done, even though the belief was that the investigation could stretch into 2027.

But according to a report from NBA insider Marc Stein, Leonard now believes the investigation will conclude before the start of training camp. Therefore, with clarity on the investigation’s outcome now expected to arrive sooner rather than later (NBA training camp begins in late September), it seems that Leonard’s Los Angeles exit might be happening soon.

And for Leonard, it isn’t just the investigation’s findings that will influence his future. The findings will also impact his career in a way Clippers fans won’t like.

Toronto would obviously be hesitant to close a deal if they are to pay for the ramifications of Leonard’s behavior in Los Angeles, though.

The transaction, which was agreed to on June 30, was placed on hold after the NBA informed Toronto that it would assume the risk of any punishment affecting Leonard once the trade became official.

This could either mean that the Raptors will pause the trade if Leonard faces punishment, or they might move forward with if he is found innocent.

There’s no indication of how a potential penalty would impact Leonard or the Raptors. Either way, the writing for his Clippers exit is on the wall, and could be arriving soon.

Forsberg: Pritchard excited for new guys, focused on ‘getting better' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard is ready to “go to war” after the Celtics made some bold changes to their roster this offseason. The shocking departure of Jaylen Brown could open an opportunity for Pritchard to further spread his wings for the Celtics this season.

Pritchard sat down with NBC Sports Boston for a wide-ranging chat on Boston’s shocking offseason, the new faces on the roster, and his extension possibility before the new season arrives.

You can watch the full interview on YouTube, or listen to it on the latest Celtics Talk Podcast.

Here are three nuggets that jumped out to us:

Excited for the new guys

Pritchard expressed excitement about the three new veteran faces that Boston added this offseason in Mitchell Robinson, Mike Conley, and Paul George. Pritchard noted how he roomed with Robinson, who he called the “best rebounder in the league,” as part of USA Basketball tryouts more than a decade ago.

And Pritchard is especially eager to learn from a veteran floor general like Conley.

“I talked to Mike Conley a little bit. He’s a golfer, so we’re going to get out [on the course],” said Pritchard. “If I could look back and have a similar career that he’s had, then I would be very happy with that. Because he’s an unbelievable player, he’s had an unbelievable career and somebody that I can learn a lot from.

“I’m going to be asking him a lot and just seeing where his mind (is) and how he thinks about the game. Because he just had so many great years and All-Star appearances and winning a lot of games. So, fortunate to be able to have somebody like that on our team that I can learn from.”

Don’t hold your breath on an extension

Pritchard is extension eligible starting Oct. 1 with the Celtics able to offer a 3-year, $67 million extension before the start of the new season. Pritchard, who will turn 29 in January, is set to earn $7.8 million this year, then $8.3 million in 2027-28 in the final season of a four-year, $30 million deal inked in October of 2023.

We thought the security of a deal that could pay him an average annual value of $22.3. million in those three seasons might be enticing for Pritchard, especially with some concerns about the longevity of smaller guards. But having already inked one team-friendly extension, Pritchard suggested that he doesn’t feel an urgency to extend given the time remaining on his deal.

“I don’t really think about it,” Pritchard said. “It’s just not something I’m really looking at. I have two years on my contract and there’s no rush on it. We’ll talk, obviously, but we have a whole next year to talk about an extension. For me, it’s like, just focus on getting better and becoming the best basketball player I can possibly be.”

In the one percent of the one percent

Pritchard brings his former West Linn High School basketball coach Eric Viuhkola to help run each of his youth camps — with Pritchard’s mother, Melissa, and father, Terry, heavily involved in the camps as well. Viuhkola told campers at the start of Saturday’s session that he believes that Pritchard is in the top one percent of all ball-handlers in the entire world.

So we asked Pritchard if he agreed.

“I think I’m above the one percent, though,” said Pritchard. “I think I’m in the one percent of the one percent.”

Pritchard referenced the 10,000-hour rule popularized in Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers,” where it’s suggested that it takes 10,000 hours of dedicated practice to truly master a complex task.

Pritchard believes he’s north of 10,000 hours on ball-handling drills. He suggested he might even be beyond 20,000 hours. And watching him keep the ball on a string suggests he might be right.

The race to fill the Sixers’ last standard roster spot has already begun.

On Friday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Kevin Love’s agent had already “been in touch” with the Sixers after LeBron James decided to sign with them. Love “has interest in pairing with James to pursue a championship,” according to McMenamin, who noted that he and James “have remained close since teaming up for four seasons with the Cavaliers.”

Philadelphia native Markieff Morris, who won a championship with LeBron on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019-20, also made his case for that spot.

And Ben Simmons, who is “eyeing a comeback to basketball” after taking last season off, according to ESPN’s Olgun Uluc, also floated a return to Philly as a possibility earlier this offseason, albeit prior to the LeBron and Jaylen Brown acquisitions. According to Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s Andscape, “a coach who worked out Simmons recently said he has regained his athleticism” after chronic back injuries left him looking like a shell of his former All-Star self.

Even if the Sixers wanted to sign Love, Morris, Simmons or another established NBA veteran to fill their final open roster spot this offseason, they couldn’t do so without making another move first. They’re hard-capped at the $209.0 million first apron, and they already have nearly $207.2 million in salary on their books, which leaves them only $1.8 million below the hard cap. A veteran-minimum contract for anyone with two or more years of NBA experience comes with a cap hit of $2.4 million.

Once the regular season begins, though, minimum contracts will begin to prorate downward daily by roughly $14,000. By early December, the Sixers should have enough space under the hard cap to fill that final roster spot with a fresh min deal.

They should be in no rush to fill it, though. They need to spend the first few months of the season figuring out how their new-look roster meshes and identifying their weak points before looking to make any other moves.

Ring-chasers will come flocking

During his introductory press conference last week, Brown was quick to praise the work that new team president Mike Gansey and the Sixers front office did this offseason. However, he noted that talent alone won’t be enough to get the Sixers to snap their 43-year championship drought.

“Obviously, on paper, we’re excellent,” Brown said. “We have a lot of talent compared to other teams in the league. But I’ve been around a long time, long enough to know that just what you have on paper don’t really mean nothing. It can, if you put the work in. But it also, if you allow distractions, if you allow the media to get into your locker room, if you allow certain things and personalities don’t work, it can be a detriment. So, I’m aware that it could go either way.”

Gansey isn’t shying away from that, either.

“We’ve gotta get to camp,” he said during a recent appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic’s Midday With Marks. “We haven’t even had a practice or played a game. So we’ve gotta see if this thing works, obviously. I like the pieces and the talent we have, but we’ve gotta get to a practice first to see how this works.”

On paper—and in NBA2K—the Sixers look like a superteam in the making. That’s easy to say in August, though. Reality will hit them at some point throughout the grind of the 82-game regular season.

First, the Sixers need to figure out how their new-look starting five meshes and which combinations of players work best together. They made significant upgrades this offseason, but they still lost four of their top eight players in terms of minutes per game from last year (Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George, Quentin Grimes and Andre Drummond). Head coach Nick Nurse will have his work cut out for him, especially early in the season.

As the season progresses, the Sixers will get a better sense of their remaining weak spots and how they might be able to patch those up. For now, it’s all a hypothetical exercise.

Injuries could also force their hand. If Joel Embiid goes down with a long-term injury, are Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti enough to hold down the fort? Can they get away with playing Dominick Barlow at the 5 occasionally? If not, they might have to prioritize filling that final open roster spot with another big man.

Once the Sixers identify their biggest weaknesses, they can set about filling them. But since they’re under the first apron and cannot go over it this season, they also have a potential advantage over other potential title contenders.

Teams above the first apron can’t sign players on the buyout market if they were previously earning more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Teams below the first apron face no such restriction. It’s unclear who might get bought out after this year’s trade deadline—no, that is not likely to include Jrue Holiday—but one look at the list of potential 2027 free agents could provide some hints.

If the Sacramento Kings don’t find a taker for Zach LaVine by the trade deadline, he seems like a virtual lock to get bought out. Might the Milwaukee Bucks do the same with Kyle Kuzma and/or Caris LeVert? Could Klay Thompson shake loose from the Dallas Mavericks? Would any of them be upgrades over Love, Morris, Simmons or another free agent who’s currently on the market?

The Sixers don’t have to decide that right now. As long as their season isn’t off the rails by February, they figure to be a highly sought-after destination for ring-chasers. In fact, it wouldn’t be shocking if they looked to open another roster spot to create space for two midseason additions.

So, while veterans may already be lining up to throw their hat in the ring for the Sixers’ final open roster spot, the hard cap will prevent them from making a move for now. Once mid-February rolls around and the dust begins to settle from the trade deadline, that’s when the Sixers will likely look to fill out their final open roster spot.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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