Category: NBA

Ahead of NBA free agency, the Indiana Pacers elected to pick up former Wisconsin Badgers forward Micah Potter’s team option for the 2025-26 season, keeping him in town as Ivica Zubac’s backup.

Potter, 28, enjoyed a career year in Indiana, where he averaged 9.7 points and 5.0 rebounds across 47 appearances with the Pacers. He made seven starts, playinh 19.7 minutes per game, which was also a career high.

Not only did Potter see more minutes and average more points and rebounds, but he did so in a highly efficient manner. The big man shot 51.5 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from three on a career high 3.6 attempts per game.

The Pacers had to make a decision on Potter’s option by June 29th ahead of free agency, and it was an easy one for the team. Potter’s contract is non-guaranteed for next year, so there still is a ton of flexibility for the Pacers, but he should have a great chance at sticking around after a quality year.

Back in May, President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard did note his expectation for Potter and Jay Huff to battle for the backup center spot. So far, Indiana’s offseason moves have made it look like that remains the plan for the 2026-27 season.

Potter signed with the Pacers back in December on a two-year, $4.33 million dead that included a club option for the 2026-27 season. That came after he was waived by the San Antonio Spurs back in October. Potter had signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Spurs heading into the season after becoming a free agent, then found his way to Indiana, where he received the opportunity for regular playing time with the NBA team.

Now, he’s set for his biggest contract yet and a chance for a big opportunity in 2026-27.

In an attention economy that rewards instant reactions, Henri’s remarkable slide down NBA draft board became one of the hottest social media content generators to come out of the two rounds. A projected late first round pick, a number of factors coincided to see 51 players selected ahead of the Estonian big man. Condemnation came fast. A sampling includes the following:

A few days ago, this blog looked at those issues and the potential fall-out for Henri. While the CBA between the NFL and its players’ union specifies salary slots through the entirety of the draft, the NBA’s CBA allows teams much more latitude with second round picks. The article noted the likelihood that Veesaar and his agent still secured a deal with some guaranteed years in the range of $2+ million or more, but that wouldn’t be known until the contracts details were released.

Well, those details are now public:

The details of that contract are even better. It appears Veesaar receives three guaranteed years totaling more than $6.3 million. That’s a firm footing in the NBA and reflects a commitment by the Hawks to develop Veesaar over years versus throwing him into the fire in season one and seeing if he sticks. The money’s objectively fantastic for a 22-year-old. It’s exactly what Veesaar wanted when he decided to stay in the draft, a worst-case scenario that’s still pretty great.

Veesaar had this to say about his decision at the combine, before the two-round roller coaster put a national spotlight on him:

“Obviously, it’s tempting,” Veesaar said during the NBA combine this summer. “Like, there’s a lot of money being thrown around in college. It’s another year of going to school, being able to get ready for the NBA, but honestly getting thrown into the fire is the best way to learn. I had that as a freshman in college. I feel like I had the same one as going to Real Madrid when I was 15. You kind of get thrown in the practice with players that are older than you, better than you, more experienced than you. So you learn a lot quicker.”

As a basketball decision, Henri used what he knew of himself and what his agent knew of team interest to make a decision that turned out well for him. Yes, in the short-term, the financial difference seems notable. $1.4 million is much less than $5 million, making the first year shortfall north of $3 million. College basketball was willing to pay a player the NBA values as one of the 35 best coming into the league more than three times that much for a single year of service.

That says more about where college basketball is these days than Veesaar’s decision. Next season probably will have another Tar Heel or two evaluating similar decisions. The college game will offer more immediate money, while the NBA game offers the ultimate validation as well as long-term financial potential. A different player may weigh priorities differently, but it certainly ended well for Veesaar. Good outcomes for UNC players can only help the program moving forward.

Ah, yes, NBA Summer League, the time of the year when all the NBA sickos that don’t watch a single second of college basketball suddenly discover college players that we’ve been paying attention to for months if not years.

That’s the side value of Summer League. For our Marquette-centric purposes here, we’re keeping an eye on former Golden Eagles who are right on the fringe of an NBA roster, either on one side of the cut or another.

We will get at least one more game than listed below for every team. The Las Vegas format is “everyone plays four games, then decide a top four to create semifinals,” so there could even be two more games if any of the teams with Marquette players get that far. If they don’t finish top four, then there will be a consolation game for every team involved, so just one more than what is pre-scheduled. If the timing works out right, I’ll find a way to cram those extra games into this schedule eventually.

Because of how Summer League works — there’s more than just the Vegas event! — I have to publish this on Friday, July 3rd, even though Vegas doesn’t start until July 9th. That’s also why I have just one name on the list right now, because Vegas rosters aren’t 100% finalized for every team and for the moment, I’m only aware of one former Marquette player guaranteed to appear in Summer League. We’ll update as we can/need to……

Chase Ross — Los Angeles Lakers

Chase Ross just finished his senior year at Marquette, which goes into the history books as one of the more disappointing 14/4/3/2 seasons you’ll ever see from a college basketball player. To the surprise of no one, he was not selected in the NBA Draft, but Ross was pretty quickly claimed by the Los Angeles Lakers for an Exhibit 10 contract. That deal is enough to lock Ross into a spot with the Lakers here and at training camp, and give him an inside track on a two-way deal or a spot on LA’s G-League team when we get to the fall.

We don’t have just traditional Vegas Summer League to keep tabs on for Ross and the Lakers. They’ll be in the California Classic one week earlier, which is why you’re seeing this schedule now instead of closer to when the Vegas event tips off. It’s possible that Ross’ usage during the three Classic games will tip the Lakers’ hand as to how much we should expect to see him when the action shifts to Sin City, but who can say for certain until the ball is tipped?

California Classic

July 3: vs Golden State Warriors Gold, 9:30pm (NBA TV, ESPNU, Prime Video)
July 5: vs Miami Heat, 3:30pm (ESPN, Prime Video)
July 6: vs San Antonio Spurs, 6:30pm (ESPNU, Prime Video)

Las Vegas

July 10: vs Oklahoma City Thunder, 9pm, Prime Video
July 11: vs Dallas Mavericks, 7pm, ESPN
July 14: vs LA Clippers, 7pm, Prime Video
July 16: vs Chicago Bulls, 3pm, Prime Video

Follow Anonymous Eagle on social media

Facebook: AnonymousEagle
Instagram: AnonymousEagleSBN
Bluesky: AnonymousEagle

Rich Paul, the agent for free agent LeBron James, said the New York Knicks have contacted him to gauge James' interest in joining the reigning NBA champions.

During an episode of the Netflix podcast "Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul," Paul displayed a whiteboard with a list of options and teams that the NBA's all-time leading scorer could play for after he informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he would not be returning there for a ninth season.

Paul's whiteboard had 10 teams on it, including the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets.

Another one of the teams discussed was the Knicks, whose dominant playoff run led to their first championship in 53 years and has spurred NBA teams to rethink their rosters this offseason.

For this week’s Reacts survey, we asked fans how much importance Jon Horst should place on injecting veteran influence into what has suddenly become quite a young team. This is always a catch-22: while it is important to have veterans around, unless they are totally fine with never stepping foot on the court, you run the risk of them blocking the young guys’ development to some degree. So, where do Bucks fans stand on the conundrum? Poll results show that they are all-in on the youth movement.

Of course, these results follow last week’s Reacts poll, where nearly three-quarters of respondents approved of the Giannis trade return. Obviously, all of the players the Bucks got back are young (to some extent), so this week’s poll result makes a tonne of sense.

Check out FanDuel, the official sportsbook of SB Nation.

After having three players selected in the NBA Draft lottery for the first time in school history, the Michigan Wolverines will be well represented in the 2026 NBA Summer League with five players set to make their professional debuts this month.

Here’s a breakdown of the former Michigan players taking the court in the NBA’s annual summer showcase.

Morez Johnson Jr. (Dallas Mavericks)

After being selected with the ninth pick by the Dallas Mavericks, Johnson reunited with former Michigan head coach Dusty May, who left Ann Arbor to take the reins in Dallas. Johnson averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds this past season, while shooting an efficient 62.3 percent from the field to help the Wolverines win the national championship. He will now try to make a positive impression in the Summer League and eventually secure a spot in the rotation as a rookie.

Debut: Thursday, July 9 at 7p.m. on ESPN

Yaxel Lendeborg (Golden State Warriors)

Drafted by the Warriors with the 11th pick, Lendeborg landed with one of the NBA’s most prestigious franchises and will now get a chance to play with Stephen Curry. Lendeborg capped his college career by posting a team-high 15.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, winning Big Ten Player of the Year and spearheading Michigan’s title run. There’s no doubt his versatile skillset translates to the next level, and he should shine as Golden State competes in San Francisco and Las Vegas.

Debut: Friday, July 3 at 10:30 p.m. on TBD network

Aday Mara (Oklahoma City Thunder)

There wasn’t a better landing spot for Mara than the Thunder, as he will immediately join a championship contender and provide an instant boost off the bench. He was drafted by Oklahoma City with the 12th overall pick, and the 7-foot-3 big man will bring elite rim protection and front court depth to the table. Mara broke a program-record with 103 blocks in his lone season in Ann Arbor and will now show off his unique skillset in the Summer League.

Debut: Saturday, July 4 at 3 p.m. on TBD network

Nimari Burnett (Toronto Raptors)

Despite not being selected in the draft, Burnett quickly signed an Exhibit-10 contract — a one-year, non-guaranteed deal — with the Toronto Raptors and will suit up in the Summer League. The former Wolverine shot an impressive 38.4 percent from three-point range in his time at Michigan, and he will aim to bring his sharpshooting ability to the pros. He will likely find himself in the G-League next season, but a strong showing this summer could earn him an invite to training camp.

Debut: Friday, July 10 at 9 p.m. on ESPN

Roddy Gayle Jr. (Detroit Pistons)

Getting a chance to stay local, Gayle agreed to a Summer League contract with the Pistons and will look to make an impact in the Las Vegas tournament. Famously dubbed “March Roddy” by fans and teammates, Gayle was an integral part of Michigan’s national championship run by averaging nine points per game in the NCAA Tournament. His aggressive perimeter defense and scoring prowess should stand out in the Summer League and could lead to a training camp invite if all goes well for him.

Debut: Thursday, July 9 at 5:30 p.m.on Amazon Prime Video

The NBA is hanging on The Decision 4.0 to find out where LeBron James will play for the 2026-27 season. James might turn 42 years old in December, but he still feels like a top-50 player in the world, and there are a ton of contenders who could use his services. James is believed to be choosing between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors for next season, but we now know he’s considering even more teams after his agent Rich Paul leaked a whiteboard detailing his “realistic” options.

Paul addressed James’ free agency on his Game Over Podcast with Max Kellerman, saying “outside of one organization, maybe two. I’ve heard from every team in the entire league.” What teams is James realistically considering? It’s all on this whiteboard:

It’s fascinating to see it all laid out like this. James’ first option is the Philadelphia 76ers, where he would fit in between Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid. His next option is the Miami Heat, where he would start alongside Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Bam Adebayo. The Cavs are there of course, too, which would put James in a lineup with Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Finally, there’s the Denver Nuggets, with Jamal Murray, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic.

Notice the team in the upper lefthand corner: the Warriors. Paul doesn’t have a lineup written out for Golden State. Why? Maybe because they’re chasing Anthony Davis, too.

Here’s a clip of Paul talking about the 76ers, and saying “everything changed” after the Jaylen Brown trade:

The Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks are also on the board. On the Knicks, Paul said: “If the Knick hadn’t won, there would be no board. He’d be going to the Knicks.”

The Warriors still feel like the frontrunner to me. Golden State’s plan was put in motion when Draymond Green opted out of his player option, and remember, Green’s agent is also Paul. It feels like LeBron would love to play with Stephen Curry, but landing Davis could be the holdup. The Wizards suddenly have a lot of power after their buy-low trade for Davis at the deadline. Washington could leverage Golden State for a bunch of future assets, or watch their LeBron dreams fade away if he doesn’t think the team can actually contend without Davis.

LeBron has indicated that happiness — not money — will be the driving factor in his decision. It feels like that means a lot of teams have a realistic shot at him even if they don’t have cap space.

Where would LeBron have the best chance to win his fifth ring? The Warriors wouldn’t rate too highly by that metric in my opinion with such an old team. I’d probably say Minnesota or Philadelphia. Maybe the Celtics even after trading Jaylen Brown?

LeBron’s decision is coming soon. It’s going to be fascinating to watch whatever team he chooses.

Earlier this week, we ran a poll looking back at the Dallas Mavericks draft. We asked you to grade it. Now, because of some technical limitations, I couldn’t do a normal letter-scale grade, so I went with the broader set of statements: Passing, failing, incomplete.

Here are the results of that poll.

The majority of fans gave the Mavericks a passing grade, with a fairly close split between the other two options. Personally, I went with incomplete.

The draft is but one tool for team improvement in the off-season but given the current CBA restrictions, the current contending teams have, by and large, shown the draft as the most direct way to rapid improvement. Trades still happen as do free agent signings, but they are more about rounding out your team. With that understanding, my grade came from the fact that the draft itself did little to address the specific team needs: playmaking.

Dallas fell to 9th due to a coinfip and a bad lottery draw and missed out on the top set of guards according to all draft experts. They went with Morez Johnson as a result. He’s a huge player and I look forward to seeing what he can do, but until the Mavericks make more roster changes, he’s part of a logjam. They really need him to work as this is the last time Dallas should draft in the lottery for some time.

Later in the draft the made a trade to secure Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea and he seems like a potential steal, but we’ll need to see how he plays. Later they selected Tobi Lawai and Vsevolod Ishchenko, a couple of long-term prospects who may never suit up for Dallas.

Simply put, Dallas has work to do before the regular season as the roster on paper right now doesn’t make a ton of sense. If you’re feeling frisky about the specifics of the Mavericks future, head over to FanDuel and take some futures bets on the Mavs. There are some fun ones around how many wins you think Dallas can secure next year.

Marvin Bagley’s NBA career probably hasn’t worked out quite like he and a lot of other people expected, but nonetheless after he left Duke, but he’s getting close to a decade in the NBA, and most players never get near that.

He spent last season with the Dallas Mavericks, but Denver has signed him to a one-year contract for next season. That should be interesting, because he’ll be playing with Nikola Jokic, who is a fascinating player and most likely a great teammate to have, and also fellow former Blue Devil Tyus Jones. The pair were also teammates with the Washington Wizards previously.

Denver has also opted to keep Jones on a one-year contract. He’s never had cutting-edge athleticism like a lot of NBA guards, but he remains one of the smartest players we’ve ever seen. Whenever his career ends, you’d think someone could find a use for that sort of intelligence, whether as a coach or in a front office.

• Timberwolves see their biggest rival take away potential power forward option
• Former Duke ACC Player of the Year signs with new team amid NBA free agency
• Updated Look at Nuggets’ Frontcourt After Marvin Bagley Signing
• Ex-Pistons Bust Gets Unexpected NBA Lifeline as Nuggets Take a Surprising Gamble Will Marvin Bagley Finally Turn Things Around?
• Marvin Bagley III agrees to deal with Denver Nuggets
• Nuggets sign Tyus Jones, Marvin Bagley III to one-year contracts
• Marvin Bagley addition could be sneaky chess move by Nuggets to chase LeBron James
• Tyus Jones, Nuggets Agree To One-Year Deal
• Nuggets cross another free agent need off their list with Tyus Jones deal
• Nuggets sign Tyus Jones, Marvin Bagley III to one-year contracts
• Breaking news on The Drive This is not a drill: Tyus Jones re‑signs with the Denver Nuggets

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind following the Boston Celtics decision to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two first round picks, and two second round picks.

If you know me, you know I love the Celtics, and I love Jaylen Brown. My world felt like it was turned upside down when I read the news. How could we send a homegrown franchise cornerstone to a rival?

It took a lot of time, a lot of angry messages, a lot of sad moments scrolling through tribute videos, and a lot of free-time with my thoughts to finally settle my mind. Here’s where I’ve landed:

Eye-test, JB is a really, really special player. He cares about hooping in its purest form, and plays hard on both ends of the court. He wants to see his team succeed, and he’s willing to do the work to make that happen. He can score with the best of them, is incredibly explosive and athletic, and he can really lock someone down on defense too.

I think when people say he wants to be the definitive #1, and that he won’t be happy otherwise, they are greatly discrediting him. I think he’s very competitive, and has worked very hard to get where he’s at, so just like any competitor, he wants to be the best version of himself. I think he’s more than willing to be the best version of himself within a specific role for the sake of the team, and that gets overlooked much too often.

He does have his faults, though. He can get tunnel vision on offense, and can sometimes have poor shot selection because of his confidence in himself. He also gets lost off-ball on defense too often, even though he’s a great on-ball defender. Sometimes he feels like he needs to take over a game, whether that’s because the team is down and needs an energy shift, or if they’re blowing someone else out and he wants to cook. These can be very polarizing experiences. I’ve usually trusted him in these moments, but it wasn’t always the most popular sentiment amongst fans.

The analytics really don’t like him. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a bigger discrepancy between the eye-test and the analytics before. I tend to favor the eyes because of the success he’s had beyond the stats. I can’t lie and say how unfavorable the analytics were to him didn’t concern me, though. I also see why Boston was ready to try something new. The second apron sucks. Having two max contract players on your roster is really hard.

JB is genuinely a good dude, and I’ll die on that hill. He’s done more for Boston in 10 years than a lot of people could do in a lifetime, and that goes beyond the fact that he had the money and the means to do so. He cares. He wants to uplift his community. I’m sure he’ll still continue his philanthropic work in the city, but I would expect him to shift the majority of his focus to Philadelphia now, and they’re going to be incredibly lucky to have him.

Jaylen also cares about his individuality and his freedom. That doesn’t always jive in the sports world, especially when only one team gets to win every year, the contracts are that expensive, and every team becomes incredibly risk-averse when they see success. While he sees his streams and community outreach as authenticity, others often see it as a liability.

At this point, I think I’m mostly upset that Jaylen is in Philly. I don’t like seeing my favorite players play for rivals. I really want to root for him, and as an individual, I certainly will, but I don’t want Philly to see a crumb of success as a team.

I don’t hate Paul George. I think he’ll get a lot of unnecessary and unwarranted criticism from fans just because he was the returning player in the deal. I’m honestly a little excited to see what he can do next to Derrick and JT. I am very concerned about his health, though, and obviously the contract is ugly. It would be a lot easier to be hopeful if he was on a friendlier deal, but we’ll have to see how the front office navigates from here.

The return is what it is. I wasn’t in the rooms, so I don’t know if this was truly the best offer. Brad Stevens has proven to be pretty good in all other accounts, so I’m willing to believe that this was the best offer. I don’t think it needed to be done this quickly, but subduing the frenzy of JB trade chatter is a silver lining. I can see the flexibility it provides the team going forward. I’m not crazy about this long-term approach, but again, we’ll have to see how it plays out.

It’s gonna be really, really tough to see Jaylen in a Sixers jersey. That being said, I think I’m still going to have a lot of fun watching the Celtics next year. The team is still pretty great, although the ceiling definitely feels lower. Hopefully this opens up more opportunity for the young guys to shine. I’m willing to go into it with an open mind since I don’t want to be sad or mad anymore.

I have the utmost respect for Jaylen Brown, and he’ll be a Celtic for life. Now it’s time to turn the page to a new era of Celtics basketball. Here’s to better days ahead.

Earlier this week, it was announced that after days of trade talks, the Boston Celtics were finally able to unload 2024 Finals MVP and five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown. He is being sent to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, a 2028 first-round pick (or more favorable pick swap), an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, and two second-round picks (2028 and 2030).

George, originally drafted tenth overall in 2010 by the Indiana Pacers, has been now been traded three times.

In 2017, he was traded by the Pacers to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Domantas Sabonis and Victor Oladipo. In 2019, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round draft picks, and the rights to swap two other first-round picks. This week, he was moved to Boston in the aforementioned trade.

That’s quite a list of impressive players. NBA Champions, two Finals MVPs, four All-Stars, a Most Improved Player, steals leader, a two-time MVP, a scoring leader, a Clutch Player of the Year…and Danilo Gallinari.

Here’s how the 1st round picks conveyed:

2021- Tre Mann (18th pick) played three seasons was eventually packaged in a trade for Gordon Hayward.

2022- Jalen Williams (12th pick), the 2025 All-Star has been a major part of the team’s success.

2023- Picks did not convey.

2024- OKC traded this to Dallas for a 2028 first round pick swap.

2025- Thomas Sorber (15th pick) has yet to suit up as he tore his ACL before during an offseason workout and missed the entire season.

2026- Aday Mara (12th pick) was drafted as a direct response to facing Victor Wembanyama.

The dividends OKC received from the trade brought the franchise their first Oklahoma-based championship and continues to reflect well. Meanwhile, the Clippers never met their potential.

The 76ers signed PG13 after his stint with the Clippers. he played in only 78 games over two seasons. Riddled with injuries and a suspension for violating the league’s drug policies, George’s time in the City of Brotherly Love was mostly ineffective.

How will 36-year-old fare in Bean Town? Only time will tell.

Welcome to The Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

Paul George doesn't mention Boston in farewell post to Philadelphia originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

If Paul George is excited about going to Boston, then he’s keeping that emotion close to the vest at this point in time.

The 36-year-old nine-time All-Star posted his farewell to Philadelphia to his Instagram page on Thursday night, bidding adieu to his home for the past two seasons. The near-200-word message seemed genuine, as George clearly built a strong bond with the city of Philadelphia and its fans in a short time.

Noticeably absent from George’s message, though, was a single word about his new NBA home in Boston.

The closest George came to mentioning the Celtics came toward the end of his message, when he said, “:As I begin the next chapter of my career, I leave with nothing but gratitude, respect and memories that I’ll carry with me forever.”

Such a decision differed greatly from Jaylen Brown, who managed to work in some enthusiasm for joining the 76ers in the biggest trade of the NBA offseason.

“I’m excited for what’s ahead and grateful for the opportunity to join Philadelphia,” Brown wrote in his social media post. “Every city has its own identity, its own passion, and its own expectation. I respect that, and I’m looking forward to earning that respect the only way I know how — through the work.”

Brown closed his message — which was, largely, a farewell to Boston — by writing, “PHILLY #THROWTHEBALLUP LET’S GET IT!”

The reasons for George not mentioning Boston at all in his post could or could not be meaningful.

On the one hand, if George was excited to be joining a historic organization and teaming up with an All-NBA star in Jayson Tatum, one might reasonably assume he’d say as much in a post like that.

On the other hand, if George’s primary intention was to give a proper goodbye and message of thanks to the people of Philadelphia, then there would have been no need to send any message to Boston.

There’s also the reality that George, a veteran of 16 NBA seasons who’s played for four teams and has now been traded three times, understands how the NBA works. It’s possible — likely, even — that the Celtics intend to start George for every game he’s available in the 2026-27 season. It’s also possible that Brad Stevens spins another deal before training camp begins.

George has been through enough in his NBA career to know that it may be best to just let the dust settle and then have some conversations with his new bosses in Boston before getting too attached to the city and the franchise.

One of the many talking points of last offseason was Trent Noah and the shot-making ability he brought to the team through summer practices. Kentucky’s point guard at the time, Jaland Lowe, even went to the lengths of saying he was “the best shooter I’ve ever seen.”

But when it got to the season, people didn’t necessarily see it translate to actual gameplay. Noah finished the season averaging 3.0 points per game, on 36% from the field, and 33% from 3-point range for the Harlan County product.

Noah is a guy that Kentucky fans have appreciated sticking around. He wasn’t even recruited by the last set of coaches in Lexington, and then got pursued by Mark Pope as soon as he got the job two offseasons ago, flipped his commitment from South Carolina immediately, and hasn’t looked back. Noah has shown flashes at different points, including in the game against Tennessee his freshman year, when he finished with 11 points.

Heading into his third season, Kentucky fans have high hopes for Noah, hoping he can carve out a role and play significant minutes as he takes a leap. Mark Pope seems to be leading the pack of people who believe that will definitely happen.

In a recent interview with Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Pope made sure to point out Noah as someone making noise in summer practices again.

“Probably the guy that’s getting talked about the least that is showing out right now is Trent Noah,” Pope stated. “He is physical, and he can really shoot it. Part of the issue last year was when we lost our point guard spot, and we lost a real creator vibe on our roster. It hurt guys like Trent, who might not manufacture a lot of shots.

“But if shots can be manufactured for him, he’s going to make them all it feels like.”

Trent Noah will now be moved to more of a shooting guard role, and it will benefit him and those around him tremendously. Kentucky certainly isn’t lacking in the wing/forward positions. Guys like Milan Momcilovic, Justin McBride, Ousmane N’Diaye, Kam Williams, and Braydon Hawthorne will all be fighting for minutes in those roles. Noah will be able to have opportunities to get shots off this year, playing in a backcourt with two elite creators and being a threat to space the floor.

Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins both did their fair share of creating for others last season. Diallo averaged 4.5 assists per game, and Wilkins averaged 4.7 assists per game. That’s not even mentioning a veteran guard in Jerone Morton, who will help with that, and the emerging freshman guard Mason Williams.

Mark Pope also said in the interview that Kentucky currently has six guys who are over 70% in all of their practice reps shooting the ball from the three-point line. Presumably, Trent Noah is one of those six guys, and he may be destined for that big-time leap we have all hoped for heading into year three.

In the 1980s, the NBA, under David Stern, moved to a more star-oriented game, and you can’t really blame him. With guys like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Michael Jordan, to name a few, it was a marketing dream. All those players, and many more, were spectacular.

So when you see the older NBA, the one that reigned until the 1970s, it’s hard to recognize.

Take this clip from the 1961 NBA All-Star Game. This game had historical talents like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, and others, and it just doesn’t look the same.

Yet Chamberlain had a 50” vertical, Russell once jumped clean over a defender on a fast break, and Robertson averaged a triple-double.

The priorities were different – flashiness, aka hot-dogging, was discouraged – but you saw signs. Bob Cousy couldn’t go to his left, but his passing vision was as good as anyone in the history of the game.

Elgin Baylor was full of clever fakes and drives, aided by an involuntary twitch that he put to good used.

Still, it wasn’t the same. Tommy Heinsohn, for instance, was a heavy smoker, and that limited his minutes. No one tries to do a powerful, intimidating dunk. Russell and Chamberlain get a few here, but they just drop it in. It’s all very utilitarian.

Make no mistake, though. Despite appearances, some of these guys, if you could move them forward in time, would be world-class basketball players. Chamberlain, West, and Robertson in particular could easily succeed today.

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

It is July 3, 2026. Since today is also Friday, it’s Independence Day observed so bureaucrats and government workers can enjoy their barbecues one day early.

This is also your space to chat more about what’s going on in the NBA so far. Where will LeBron James play? And more importantly, where will Russell Westbrook play?