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Former Santa Clara forward Allen Graves revealed he had conversations with LSU and Duke and will still consider transferring, per ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. Borzello also reported Kentucky reached out to Graves’ agents to gauge interest, but LSU and Duke are the top two.
However, Graves is still in the NBA Draft process at this time. According to Borzello, Graves would prefer to stay in the NBA Draft if he’s going to be a first round selection.
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James has been a Laker longer than he has been with any other team consecutively.
That's wild to think about. Many still think of LeBron as a young Cavalier, and he spent his first seven seasons with them before going to Miami for four years, winning two rings. He came back to Cleveland for four more years and another ring — but he has been a Laker for eight straight seasons. He hung a banner in Los Angeles as well.
Now, that may be coming to an end.
"I don't know what the future holds for me, honestly, as it stands right now, tonight," LeBron said after his Lakers were eliminated at the hands of the Thunder. "I've got a lot of time now. I think I said it last year after we lost to Minnesota: I'll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them, and then when the time comes, obviously, you guys will know what I decide to do."
What is next for LeBron? Let's break it down.
Yes. LeBron and the Lakers did not agree to an extension last offseason, and both sides were comfortable reassessing their situation this summer, so LeBron is an unrestricted free agent. He can sign with any other team for any amount of money he is willing to accept.
That is the biggest key in all of this: How much money is LeBron willing to sign for? He's going to take a pay cut. The less he's willing to take, the more options he will have.
He's not going to make nearly as much as the $50.6 million he made last season (the teams with max cap space are not places he wants to go). That said, LeBron was still a legitimate All-Star-level player who averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game. He showed both a willingness to accept the role as the third offensive option when Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were healthy, and an ability to step up and take over the offense for them in the playoffs when the other two were out — and he was the best player on the floor, lifting the Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round.
"I was put into some positions that I never played in my career before. Actually, in my life," LeBron said of this season. "I've never been a third option in my life. So to be able to thrive in that role, for that period of time, and then have to step back into the role that I've been accustomed with over my career or my life playing the sport, and be able to thrive under that, and just my teammates allowing me to lead them under extreme circumstances, that was pretty cool for me at this stage of my career."
Is LeBron willing to play for $30 million a season? The mid-level exception of $15 million? The taxpayer mid-level of $6.1 million? Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported LeBron would be willing to play for the veteran minimum in the right situation. Assuming LeBron wants to go to a contender, those teams are already built out and expensive, the less he is willing to take, the more options he will have.
He has options, let's look at them.
This is legitimately on the table, even if most people in league circles believe he will come back for another season. Believe him when he says he doesn't know — and he doesn't know if he's "still in love with the process" enough to keep doing everything it takes to get his 41-year-old body ready to play at an NBA level. That said, he has nothing left to prove.
One part of this decision: LeBron may look at the landscape after the draft, after Giannis Antetokounmpo lands in a new home (he is the domino that has to fall first), after other trades shape contenders' rosters, and decide he doesn't like any of those options and walk away. Again, around the league, this is not the expected outcome, but it's possible.
LeBron could stay in LA — he has built a life there, and a 16-2 stretch in March showed how good the Lakers could be with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron are all on the same page.
"Of course, any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster," Lakers' general manager and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said at his end-of-season press conference Tuesday. Later, he added that "The archetype of the roster that we want is going to be retrofitted around Luka and the things he needs."
LeBron is not the Lakers' top offseason priority. He's a ways down the list, actually. Los Angeles needs to re-sign Reaves (likely for close to $40 million a season) and find a quality center plus two-way wings that will fit better around Doncic. Expect a major overhaul of the Lakers' role players around their stars to better fit with Doncic's style of play.
LeBron might be part of that at a dramatically reduced price for a year, but the Lakers' priorities are roster retooling, not LeBron.
Akron is still home, and a return to Cleveland, for all its sentimental value, makes some sense on the court as well. This is a good team but not one that looks like a contender. Could adding a quality veteran like LeBron — both in the locker room and on the court — help push Cleveland up to the level of New York, and next season likely bounce back years from Boston and Indiana? Maybe.
That said, the Cavaliers are the one team over the second apron this season, and whatever happens with the roster this offseason, it's going to be a very expensive team again. LeBron would have to sign for the minimum, or the Lakers would have to work out a sign-and-trade, to make this happen.
The Knicks don't look like a team that needs LeBron to put them over the top — they have looked like the best team in the East this postseason. That said, he would be additive to them if he comes on a cheap enough contract to play a role behind Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. A season of LeBron in the bright lights of Madison Square Garden has an appeal for everyone, if he'll do it for the right price and play a role. However, the Knicks don't need him, and while teammates love him he does change team chemistry.
LeBron and Stephen Curry trying to recreate the magic of the Paris Olympics one more time? Why not? Warriors ownership has approached the Lakers in the past about a LeBron trade, and LeBron's respect for Curry is unquestioned.
This would be fun, it sells tickets in the Bay Area and it keeps LeBron on the West Coast close to his family. However, while it would be entertaining, this is not a team competing for an NBA title (with or without LeBron). How much does one more run at a ring matter to LeBron? Again, he'd have to take a serious pay cut to play there.
According to league sources, the four teams above — Lakers, Cavaliers, Warriors, Knicks — or retirement seem like the options on the table for LeBron. But what if Dallas approaches him about reuniting with Kyrie Irving and mentoring Cooper Flagg? What if Denver approaches him about pairing him with Nikola Jokic for a year (the passing on that team would be incredible)? What if the team that lands Antetokounmpo reaches out looking for veteran depth?
None of that is likely, but with the NBA offseason, expect the unexpected. There will be surprises. Maybe LeBron is one of them.
CHICAGO — The person who now controls the direction the 2026 NBA Draft will take began to go through his memory while inside Wintrust Arena on Tuesday, May 12.
Washington Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins remembers initially hearing about A.J. Dybantsa for the first time when Dybantsa was only 14 years old. They are both from Massachusetts and Dawkins, a former Division-III player, kept hearing about the basketball prospect who would be the next big thing from his area.
Dawkins said he initially saw Cameron Boozer when Boozer was only 15 years old at the NBPA Top 100 camp. Team USA practices, national high school showcases and Nike's EYBL events had Darryn Peterson on the Wizards' radar by the time he was 16.
"We knew we wanted to go on an intentional rebuild," Dawkins explained from the NBA Draft Scouting Combine in Chicago, two days after the Wizards received the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery, "so we loaded up on the grassroots spaces, and made sure we were in those gyms watching these guys so you could best predict how deep the talent would be. ... I think pound-for-pound it's one of the best drafts I've seen in a long time."
The anticipation for this 2026 draft class, and the belief that next year's draft class would not be nearly as good, led to historic levels of tanking this past season. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said as much when he announced there would be drastic changes to the draft lottery system on the horizon during the All-Star break.
But now that the 2026 draft process is in motion – with this week's scouting combine followed by a month of prospect workouts at team facilities – the perception of this class has gotten more complicated before the Wizards officially go on the clock.
There is no clear cut No. 1 pick yet like last year when the Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg. Dawkins noted Tuesday the Wizards have "a lot of players we have to spend some time on."
There is also a growing trend created by the explosion of NIL money in college basketball, as players projected to be late first-round picks and international prospects increasingly choose to remain in college longer due to the equivalent salaries of a rookie-scale contract and a star player at a Power Four conference school.
"The top 15 is off the charts," said ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg of the 2026 draft class, "but I think what's happened is the bottom of the first round, because guys are coming back (to college) because of pay for play, whether guys don't think they're mature enough yet, or guys that are going to be towards the end of the first round, with next year's draft not being as strong at the top, they can basically double their money."
There is nonetheless a sense that multiple future stars could be produced from this draft. In addition to Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson at the top of draft boards, there's a wealth of quality guards expected to be sifted through among teams with picks in the 5-10 range.
Dawkins referred to the class as "really deep in the top 10."
"It'll overwhelm you with depth," said former NBA player and LIFT Sports management agent Mike Miller, whose clients this year include projected first-round picks like guards Labaron Philon (Alabama) and Ebuka Okorie (Stanford) and forward Jayden Quaintance (Kentucky). "You're going to get players the whole first round who are going to be all-stars."
The Wizards planned for that when they embarked on their lengthy rebuild under Dawkins and team president Michael Winger. Because nobody has tanked quite like the Wizards in recent years. They had a combined record of 50-196 the last three seasons. They also were among the teams with the best odds to get the No. 1 pick in 2025 and wound up at No. 6.
After years of preparing for this moment, Dawkins said he likes the uncertainty all of a sudden, too. So long as he's in control of it.
"The best part about getting No. 1 in any year's draft is you have the power of choice," Dawkins said. "This year there's a lot of top candidates and we know we're choosing from a very talented bunch."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How 2026 NBA draft class is perceived by experts, teams after lottery
Two years removed from an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Wagner men’s basketball program got a high-profile addition this week — just not one that can directly help it on the court.
Former NBA superstar and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady has joined the Seahawks as a strategic advisor, the university announced on Wednesday, May 13.
According to a release, McGrady’s role with the Staten Island school will include “development of sustainable structures related to Name, Image and Likeness investment…providing strategic guidance to the men's basketball program in areas including marketing, player development, and expanding Wagner's reach beyond its traditional areas of engagement on and off the court.”
Adding a legend to the program🏀⭐️
— Wagner Men's Basketball (@Wagner_MBB) May 13, 2026
Wagner College has named Tracy McGrady Strategic Advisor to men’s basketball. McGrady will advise the College on the development of sustainable structures related to NIL.
🔗 Read more at https://t.co/dKbDLMTw3N#Toughnesspic.twitter.com/OlFaDui2ec
The move will unite the 46-year-old McGrady with his son, Laymen, a 6-foot-4 freshman forward who transferred to Wagner last month after redshirting last season at Oral Roberts.
A seven-time NBA All-Star as a player, McGrady becomes the latest former NBA standout to join a college basketball program as an advisor. Last month, John Wall was named the president of basketball operations at Howard. Last year, Shaquille O’Neal joined Sacramento State as its general manager, Steph Curry returned to Davidson, which he led to an Elite Eight appearance in 2008, as its assistant general manager and Trae Young accepted a position as the assistant general manager at Oklahoma, where he played his lone college season in 2017-18.
McGrady will balance his responsibilities at Wagner with his work in the media as an NBA analyst for NBC and on his podcast, “Cousins,” with former Toronto Raptors teammate and cousin Vince Carter.
Wagner, which competes in the Northeast Conference, went 14-17 last season under first-year head coach Dwan McMillan.
"The challenges college athletics face today, especially at the mid-major level in a city like New York, can be very difficult, and I am looking forward to helping coach McMillan and his staff in every way possible to raise the profile, the level of talent and the business opportunities both on and off the court for his young athletes as they grow not just in basketball but as leaders,” McGrady said in a statement. “My hope is to help create an environment where all involved can stay, grow together, and really master their game and life skills over time. Stepping into this role is really personal for me since I did not go to college.
“Being around this community, where gritty coaches like P.J. Carlesimo and Dan Hurley got their start, excites me just as much as basketball. It is a priority for me that goes well beyond wins and losses in the NEC. It is about making sure potential is realized both for the short and the long term for these dedicated athletes and the staff."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tracy McGrady joins Wagner basketball as strategic advisor
The 2026 NBA draft has been hyped up for its depth of exciting guard talent, with 5 or 6 guards projected to go in the top 10. This of course has excited Mavericks fans, as there is no other team with a more desperate need at guard.
But due to multiple meaningless late season wins, the Mavericks could be in an unenviable position where none of those great guard prospects are available.
But what if there was a guard who posted a rim FG% higher than Kingston Flemings. Shot better from three than Darryn Peterson and had more assists per game than Keaton Wagler. A guard who will surely be available wherever the Mavericks select.
That guard, would be none other, than LaBaron Philon Jr.
LaBaron Philon Jr. was born Nov. 24 2005 in Mobile, Alabama. He would attend Baker high school in Mobile county, where he would become a consensus 4-star recruit and ON3’s number 5 point guard in the 2024 recruiting class.
He would sign with the University of Alabama, where he would end up starting 29 games as a true freshman.
His freshman season was up-and-down, as he regularly showed flashes of elite two-way upside, but was held back by poor shooting efficiency.
Philon would declare for the 2025 NBA draft, but would return to school after a lackluster combine performance.
This decision was the correct one, as Philon would show marked improvement in almost every aspect, average 22 point and 5 assists per game, while leading the Crimson Tide to the Sweet 16.
For his efforts, Philon was recognized as a Third-team All-American, and First-team all SEC.
Now, he will return to the combine, and most likely become a top-15 pick.
Of all the guards in this class, Philon might have the most versatility in how he could be used. In the Mavericks context, I think he would fit perfectly, as he could both start next to Kyrie Irving, or be a sparkplug off the bench.
In the long-term context, Philon is the exact type of guard that would be perfect next to Cooper Flagg, as Philon’s size will allow him to compete on the defensive end, which is a requirement in today’s NBA. Furthermore, he is not a player who requires constant touches to be effective, as he can be just as deadly off the ball as he is on.
The ability to learn from Irving is an underrated part of any guards transition with the Mavericks, but Philon would benefit extra from the tutelage.
No matter where, or how Philon plays, he would be a seamless fit for the Dallas Mavericks, both now, and for the future.
Philon is a very interesting player, but a player comparison I love is Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers. Not only do they have incredibly similar measurables, but their play-styles are also very similar. Nembhard is a very versatile two-way combo guard who can fill a variety of roles, which is exactly what I think Philon will do in the NBA. Obviously Nembhard isn’t the flashiest player, nor is he a true #2 option, but he’s a great player, and one that every NBA team would covet.
LaBaron Philon Jr. doesn’t have any one skill that outshines his other guard contemporaries, but he may be the most well-rounded guard in the class.
He possesses an NBA-ready skillset, while also having tremendous upside as an offensive creator. His length and defensive priors show a player that is at least willing to defend, even if he isn’t the most physically gifted.
While physical tools are flashy, betting on: feel, skill and effort usually work out in the long run.
I can’t say I was surprised that the Detroit Pistons dropped Game 4 in Cleveland and saw their 2-0 series lead tighten to 2-2. The Pistons are a talented but incredibly imperfect team, the Cavaliers have loads of dangerous players, and Cleveland is undefeated at home in these playoffs. A seven-game series suddenly becoming a three-game series? Not shocking. What was shocking was just how lost Detroit looked on the offensive end in a decisive third quarter that saw Cleveland go on a 22-0 run and take full control of the game. The Pistons looked unsure, unconfident, and for the first time in these playoffs, Cade Cunningham seemed like he didn’t really trust his teammates. Needless to say, that can’t happen again as the series shifts back to Detroit for Game 5. If Detroit holds serve at home, which would keep the Cavs winless on the road, they will take the series. If the Pistons drop the game tonight, I wouldn’t have much hope of a rebound in a potentially series-clinching game in Cleveland.
When: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: ESPN
Odds: Pistons -3.5
Cade Cunningham needs to learn how to navigate the hard trap. Ausar Thompson needs to not have his worst game on both ends of the floor. A Detroit Pistons big man needs to step up in a big way on either offense or defense — Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Paul Reed, I don’t care who, it just has to be somebody. Also, it’d be nice if the team could scheme some open looks for Duncan Robinson and it’d be even nicer to see Tobias Harris score 20-plus again. All of those are the key ingredients for a Pistons victory tonight. It isn’t complicated.
We know what this team is, and we know what this team is not. We know where it will struggle the most and what can happen when it is able to leverage its many strengths. Cade can be a killer. Defense can lead to early offense. The Pistons can dominate the paint.
Detroit doesn’t really need any magic tricks, it just needs several players to perform up to their own standards. Or, to put it more crassly, important players need to stop puking all over their own shoes.
Frankly, I don’t need to see Jalen Duren be a 30-point, 15-rebound beast and flip the narrative on what has been a bad playoffs for him. I need him to defend, rebound, and score a few opportune baskets and second-chance opportunities. I don’t need Ausar Thompson to become a perimeter threat that he is not. He just need to not find himself in foul trouble and stay on the floor to be impactful on both ends the way we know he can be. I don’t need Cade Cunningham to go shot-for-shot with Donovan Mitchell. I need him to set the tone and pace of the game, orchestrate the offense, and stop turning the ball over. His offense will be there. It always is. I do need Paul Reed, I think. I just do.
Finally, let’s talk about free throws briefly. Detroit got a terrible whistle in Cleveland, and it wasn’t much better in Game 2. In the past three games, the Cavs have shot 35 more free throws than the Pistons in the past three games. That feels pretty important in a series where the margin of victory on either side hasn’t eclipsed 10 points.
JB Bickerstaff did after Game 4 exactly what Kenny Atkinson did after Game 1 — complained about the officiating. It worked for Kenny. Will it work for JB? My crystal ball says the Pistons are going to get to the line much more tonight than they did in Game 4. The Cavs weren’t called for a single foul in the first quarter. That’s just weird. But I don’t expect Detroit to stop fouling. They foul a lot. It’s part of their game plan and DNA to not give the opponent easy buckets. But there can’t be such a wild disparity for Detroit to have a chance.
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
How many minutes should Paul Reed play in tonight’s game?
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Donovan Mitchell looked like he was in for a long night against the Detroit Pistons before erupting for 39 of his 43 points in the second half of Monday’s series-tying win.
The Cleveland Cavaliers star guard leads his team back into the belly of the beast in Game 5 of this Eastern Conference semifinal, with the Cavs pegged as underdogs in Detroit.
Our Cavaliers vs. Pistons predictions focus on Mitchell’s matchups and projected output, giving you my best NBA picks for Wednesday, May 13.
Donovan Mitchell best bet: Donovan Mitchell Over 3.5 assists (-120 at bet365)
Donovan Mitchell took over in the second half of Game 4, so you can excuse him for not sharing the ball as he powered the Cleveland Cavaliers to the win.
Mitchell finished with just two assists on four potential dimes, with both coming in the first half.
The Detroit Pistons will aim to keep Mitchell out of the paint in Game 5, meaning quicker help and tighter coverage to force Spida to get rid of the basketball. He scored 14 of his 43 points inside the key, and Detroit can’t afford for him to find a rhythm again tonight.
If the Pistons can tighten those defensive screws, we will see more drive-and-kick and dump-downs from Mitchell, prompting more playmaking from the Cavs shooting guard.
Mitchell recorded nine total assists on 20 potential dimes in the opening three games of the series, including four assists in Game 3. He’s topped his assist prop only once in the playoffs, driving his passing total down from 5.5 O/U to its current stand of 3.5 O/U.
Having averaged almost six assists in the regular season, Mitchell is projected for five dimes in Game 5, with his models ranging from 4.4 to as high as 5.3. That’s more than enough to get past his dwindling assist total.
Over 212.5
Donovan Mitchell Over 3.5 assists
Donovan Mitchell Over 4.5 rebounds
The Pistons' offense needs to be better in the halfcourt if it can’t convert defense into transition buckets. Detroit is emphasizing movement, both the ball and cutting, heading into tonight. That will prompt more points, especially with Detroit playing at home.
After collecting two dimes in the first half, Mitchell's 67% shooting streak in the final 24 minutes had the Cavs jumping on the shoulders of their star. Projections for tonight call for at least four dimes as Detroit tries to take the ball out of Mitchell’s hands.
Mitchell has also been active on the glass in this series. Cleveland’s bigs are selling out hard to box out the Pistons' offensive rebounders, and that’s left the Cavs' guard with a surplus of rebounding chances. Mitchell pulled in five boards in Game 4 and is forecasted for another five rebounds tonight.
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From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes, from the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history to underappreciated icons to the athletes who will eventually become all-time Buckeye greats.
You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
When some people think of sports heroes, oftentimes it is someone who is on a team for an extended period of time. Even though Mike Conley was only at Ohio State for a year, he was not only tremendous on the court for the Buckeyes, but after turning professional, he has been one of the most respected players in sports.
Just look at the way Conley has conducted himself while in the NBA, appearing in over 1,200 games without being whistled for a technical foul.
The prize of Ohio State basketball’s 2006 recruiting class was undoubtedly Greg Oden. Conley played alongside Oden at Lawrence North in Indianapolis, winning three state championships in four years. Oden and Conley decided to commit to Ohio State together, where they would lead the Buckeyes to an appearance in the national title game in the one year of college basketball they would play before declaring for the 2007 NBA Draft.
During his freshman season at Ohio State, Conley averaged 11.3 points per game and dished out 6.1 assists per game, which would be the top mark in the Big Ten. The point guard would be named to the All-Big Ten First Team, as the Buckeyes would win the regular season and conference tournament titles.
Conley’s most memorable performance came in the thrilling overtime victory against Xavier in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Oden fouled in the second half, leading to Conley willing the Buckeyes to victory by scoring 11 of his 21 points in the game in overtime.
Following the title game loss to Florida, Conley, Oden, and Daequan Cook all declared for the 2007 NBA Draft. Oden was selected first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers, while Conley was drafted with the fourth pick by the Memphis Grizzlies.
In his first professional season, Conley averaged 9.4 points per game and 4.2 assists per game as he adjusted to life in the NBA. Starting with his sophomore campaign, Conley became a reliable piece for the Grizzlies, appearing in at least 70 games in six of the next seven seasons.
In 2011, Conley made the playoffs for the first time in his NBA career, helping the Grizzlies beat San Antonio in the first round before losing to Oklahoma City in seven games in the conference semifinals. The 2012-13 season would not only see Conley be named to the NBA’s All-Defense Second Team, but Memphis would also make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals before being swept by the Spurs.
After inking a five-year contract with the Grizzlies in July 2016, Conley was eventually traded to the Utah Jazz in July 2019, since it became obvious Memphis was going to be rebuilding. Conley’s first season with the Jazz was interrupted by COVID-19, but it did give the guard a unique opportunity to help raise money for charity.
By winning a virtual H-O-R-S-E competition, Conley and the NBA raised $200,000 for charities.
Despite taking the top spot in the Western Conference during the 2020-21 regular season, Conley and the Jazz were never able to make it past the second round in the three full seasons he was in Salt Lake City. One positive to come from his time in Utah is that Conley was named an All-Star for the first time in his career after being voted into the 2021 game.
Teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert left Utah prior to the start of the 2022-23 season, and eventually, Conley was traded to Minnesota in the middle of the season. After a first-round exit in his first season with the Timberwolves, Conley and Minnesota have made it to the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons.
If the Timberwolves are able to beat San Antonio on Tuesday night, Conley will be one win away from his fourth appearance in the WCF.
Including the playoffs, Conley has played in nearly 1,350 games in the NBA. It’s obvious he isn’t quite the same player as he used to be, but he is still a valuable piece to Minnesota, giving the team veteran depth, which has been needed in the playoffs after the Timberwolves have dealt with injuries to Anthony Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, and Donte DiVincenzo.
The most impactful performance so far in the playoffs from Conley came in the first game against San Antonio when he scored 12 points and dished out six assists in the 104-102 win over the Spurs.
Despite not yet making the NBA Finals or winning a title as a pro, one thing Conley can hang his hat on is that he has won the NBA Sportsmanship Award four times, which is the most of all time. It’s hard to remember there ever being anything negative said about how Conley handles himself on and off the court.
Even though he was only in Columbus for a short amount of time, he has been a player that all future Buckeyes should model themselves after when it comes to carrying themselves.
As the Knicks patiently await their foe for the Eastern Conference Finals, the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers continue to battle in the second round. Who should New York be rooting for?
When you’re a true contender, you don’t worry about specific matchups as much as overall preparedness for whatever may face you in a postseason run. But both potential rivals offer a unique set of challenges and advantages, so it’s worth exploring to see which might be the better matchup for the Knicks...
The good news for the Knicks is they beat this very team, almost down to the player, last season in the first round. It wasn’t an easy series, with a combined winning margin of eight points that took six games and a slew of clutch playmaking to advance.
The Pistons haven’t changed much save for a few new complementary pieces and Isaiah Stewart being available. They’re still coming with the rough-and-tumble, grind you down and beat you up style, and are largely reliant on Cade Cunningham's stardom to generate enough offense.
The Knicks have changed, though, coming in with a deeper team of more trustworthy options, and an offense that’s been scorching through the playoffs. New York had an offensive rating of 111 against Detroit last season, and have been converting at 124.8 this postseason, albeit against lower-level defenses.
They’ll have to keep up that level of output to really separate from Detroit. Transition will be their easiest point of attack, so they should continually push the pace like they have been, especially off misses.
In the halfcourt, expect more Karl-Anthony Towns initiation, especially with the stingy Ausar Thompson blanketing Jalen Brunsonand the likelihood of Jalen Duren guarding him on the perimeter -- spacing out their lead shot-blocker. The split actions the Knicks abused the Hawks and 76ers with won’t create as many easy chances against a sharper, more physical defense like Detroit’s, so they’ll have to be ready on their second and third actions.
Defensively, things are simpler. Ignore Thompson when he’s on the court, and don’t let Cunningham get going.
Last year it was OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges who worked to slow Cunningham down, to mixed success. Expect those two to take on the assignment once again.
The Cavs are another former playoff foe of the Knicks, this time dating way back to 2023. They’ve since flipped Darius Garland for James Harden, one last all-in play.
New York has some huge advantages in this potential matchup.
Cleveland has no clear answer for Brunson, is routinely dominated on the interior by the Knicks bigs, and had a massive midseason trade mess with some of their cohesion.
Harden and Donovan Mitchell will be sought out and picked on relentlessly by Brunson, who will otherwise primarily be defended by Dean Wade or Jalen Tyson. They don’t have great options other than throwing aggressive coverages to get the ball out of his hands, but he and his teammates will be prepared to take advantage -- especially when a rotation comes down to one of those star guards again.
Cleveland has been one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the postseason, though they are making it up with extra possessions on the other end. Expect New York to lean on their big lineups, including Towns and Mitchell Robinson more in this matchup to really dominate the glass.
The Cavs will test the Knicks with their raw talent offensively. If Mitchell and/or Harden are just going off, there’s not much you can do about it. They’ll also be actively hunting Brunson, who needs to keep up his level of defensive intensity.
Mitchell and Harden are also high-level playmakers, so just throwing traps and hedges their way won’t be the easy solution. Towns will have to keep playing the best drop coverage of his life, and be ready to switch onto these guys if he has to.
The Cavaliers' bench is also solid, leaving New York without a clear advantage there. This would likely shape up to be a big Brunson-or-bust series.
Does the devil you know beat the devil you don’t? Or is banking on another postseason flameout from Cleveland's star guards burdened with that reputation the hope?
Ultimately, if the Knicks want to win a championship, they’ll have to be ready for whichever team meets them next round.
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Things are supposed to be easier for the No. 1 seed, right?
The Detroit Pistons have found themselves in two tight series to start the NBA Playoffs. This Eastern Conference semifinal set with the Cleveland Cavaliers is knotted at 2-2 as it swings back to Motown for Game 5 tonight.
Our Cavaliers vs. Pistons props dissect the individual efforts for both teams, giving you my best NBA picks for Wednesday, May 13.
It's all part of our full Cavaliers vs. Pistons predictions for this pivotal clash.
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 James Harden | Over 2.5 threes | +115 |
 Tobias Harris | Under 18.5 points | -105 |
| Jalen Duren | Yes - Double-Double | +130 |
+115 at bet365
Lost in the glow of Donovan Mitchell’s 43-point explosion in Game 4 wasJames Harden’s 5-for-9 night from beyond the arc.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' veteran guard is starting to find his range after a 1-for-11 start to the series from distance. He dialed in for 3 of 7 3-pointers in Game 3 and continued to cook in Monday’s victory.
Two of those triples were on pull-up jumpers with the Detroit Pistons playing passing perimeter defense, and the other three makes were generated in dribble-drive kickouts to Harden’s waiting hands.
All five 3-point makes were graded as “open” to “wide open” with seven of his nine 3PAs coming without a defender within at least four feet. In the first two games in Detroit, Harden just wasn’t getting that same space (or making his shots), going 1-for-7 on those graded attempts.
Projections for Game 5 have Harden’s treys ranging between 2.4 and 3.0, with the majority of models at 2.9 or higher. He’s bagged three or more 3-pointers in six of his 11 playoff games.
-105 at bet365
Pistons veteran forward Tobias Harris has stepped up in the postseason, serving as one of the biggest surprises.
With Jalen Duren struggling, Harris is averaging more than 20 points in the playoffs after putting up just north of 13 per game in the regular season.
That hot streak has boosted his points props from 13.5 O/U to 18.5, with Harris playing Over his scoring total in the first 10 postseason games before coming up short of his inflated total in Game 4.
Harris, who is shooting almost 47% from the field in the tournament, finished 6-for-17 with 16 points on Monday, going Under his closing total of 18.5 points. He played 36 minutes despite suffering a hip injury in the most “old man” way ever: getting crossed up by Mitchell midway through the first quarter.
Regression is ripe for Harris at this point in the postseason, and a lingering hip injury is just the spark to start that slide. His player projections all come in south of his current O/U of 18.5 for Game 5, with a low of 14 points.
+130 at bet365
Duren stands 6-foot-10 and weighs 250 pounds. That makes his postseason disappearing act all the more puzzling. How could someone so big just… POOF!... into thin air?
Duren, who averaged almost 20 points per game in the regular season, is struggling to score double digits in the tournament. He’s also having a tough time with the Cavaliers’ lengthy frontcourt, drawing more whistles (8) than total rebounds (6) the past two games.
A return to the Motor City sparks the Pistons’ big body, who averaged 20.3 points and 11.4 boards inside Little Caesars Arena this season.
The potential for boards is there for Duren, who’s been in position for 31 rebounding chances the last two contests but has secured only six of those misses. And while he’s not shooting at his normal volume, he is making what he’s taking the past two games: shooting 9 for 16 from the floor.
Duren has stayed Under his scoring prop in all but one of the Pistons’ 11 playoff games and is 2-9 O/U versus his rebounding totals. His player projections are tough to trust at this point, but all forecasts call for 10+ points and 10+ rebounds in Game 5.
Duren recorded the fifth-most double-double efforts in the regular season, and the “Yes” option in this market is now paying out at plus-money, something you’d rarely see with his props. Asking for 10 and 10 seems realistic, even with his current struggles.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers tied up the season series with a 112-103 Game 4 win at home. The series turns back to Detroit for Game 5 and a chance for either team to set themselves up for a closeout Game 6.
Cleveland has gone 6-0 at home in the playoffs, but 0-5 on the road. The Cavaliers have lost by double digits in three out of five road games and averaged 100.2 points per game on 42.2% from the field and 28.6% from three. Luckily, Donovan Mitchell has found his footing with 35 and 43 points in the last two games on 26-of-50 shooting from the field (52%) and 20-of-23 from the free throw line (86.9%).
Detroit is 5-1 at home in the playoffs and won by double digits in four out of six games. The Pistons are shooting 38.2% from three at home in the playoffs and average 108.2 points per game. Cade Cunningham averages a team-high 23.5 points per game in the series, but Caris LeVert led the Pistons in scoring with 24 points in Game 4.
Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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This game opened Pistons -3.5 with the Total set at 211.5.
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When Daryl Morey was hired by the Sixers as president of basketball operations immediately following the NBA bubble in 2020, Philadelphia fans rejoiced. It felt like a savior was joining the front office to right the ship and deliver the championship Morey’s former colleague Sam Hinkie longed for when facilitating The Process.
Morey was handed a starting five of Ben Simmons, Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, Al Horford and Joel Embiid, a group designed to compete in the early 2000s, not the three-point and space-heavy offense the league was trending towards at the turn of the decade.
Fast forward to 2026, Embiid and Morey were the only two remaining from that original group, and the Sixers have still not made it out of the second round of the playoffs.
And now, Morey is gone. The team announced on Tuesday they’ve parted ways with the long-time executive after six seasons.
Unfortunately, the Sixers find themselves in a dire cap situation that leaves very few doors open in terms of drastically changing the roster for next season — in large part thanks to Morey and ownership.
But first, the things that Morey could not control that led us here:
With regards to these uncontrollable factors, almost every other failure from the Sixers season can be attributed to Morey’s actions — or inactions — when constructing the roster.
It was hard to ignore the team’s most glaring issue this playoff run — depth. Between both the Celtics and Knicks series, the Sixers’ bench got outscored 394-224. No one on the bench scored more than eight points in any game against New York, as Nick Nurse heavily relied on his starters.
The issue for Morey is when you canvass the league and spot a full playoff-caliber bench unit of former Sixers that he let go for one reason or another, and think what a series of miscalculations and misevaluations he made.
Julian Champagnie was on a two-way deal with the Sixers in 2022-23, spent most of the season with the Delaware Blue Coats and averaged 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.5 threes, 1.9 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.6 steals in 18 appearances. He also showed in two games for the Sixers, not making a shot on two attempts. He was waived on Feb. 14, 2023.
Although the numbers don’t necessarily pop, it’s the motive behind his release which draws ire with the front office’s decision-making.
It would have taken some optimistic projecting from Morey to foresee just how valuable Champagnie is to the Spurs’ current day team, but no GM in the league would have given Mac McClung (a 6-foot-2 guard who can’t shoot) a higher chance to stick in the NBA over Champagnie (a 6-foot-7 wing who can rebound and had shooting potential). McClung won the Slam Dunk contest in a Sixers jersey that season, but has played in 15 NBA games in the years since. Champagnie started 68 games for a 62-win team in 2025-26.
Champagnie was signed by the Spurs on a two-way contract just two days after he was waived by the Sixers. In this year’s playoffs, he has been one of the best shooters in the league and has been the second-leading rebounder on the team behind Victor Wembanyama, naturally.
Isaiah Joe was drafted in the second round by the Sixers in 2020, Morey’s first draft in Philadelphia. He signed a three-year deal and was instantly one of the best shooters on the roster. He played 41 games his rookie season, shooting 36% from three. His second year, he played 55 games and shot 33% from three, but saw only 11 minutes per game under Doc Rivers.
Morey chose to cut Joe before the 2023-24 season for roster flexibility amidst a crowded depth chart, and likely as a way to get under the luxury tax. Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton and Danuel House Jr. were the guards rostered at the time. Morey spent three second-round picks to acquire Buddy Hield at the trade deadline that season, a player with a very similar skillset to Joe. Hield had mixed results as a Sixer, to say the least.
Joe got picked up by the Oklahoma City Thunder and immediately saw a jump in playing time and his shooting splits from deep. Joe has always been undersized, but he flashed potential and always gave effort defensively. Playing in a system like the Thunder’s has allowed him to blossom into a lethal bench weapon that we are seeing in this year’s playoffs.
Paul Reed (aka Bball Paul) was drafted by Morey late in the second of the 2020 draft. Thanks to Rivers, we did not see many minutes of Reed until the end of the 2022-23 regular season and playoffs, where we saw real flashes of his extreme athleticism. Eventually, he morphed into a reliable backup big man for Embiid the following season, playing all 82 games in 2023-24 and having a strong playoff run as Embiid recovered from a sprained LCL.
By no means was Reed a perfect player as he was susceptible to some questionable decision making, but his physical presence on the glass and in the paint could not be denied and he flashed plenty of skill.
The Sixers waived him in the summer of 2024 for … cap flexibility. The $7.7 million Reed was slated to earn that year from the Sixers was non-guaranteed, so the Sixers used part of that money to help them sign Caleb Martin. The following trade deadline, Morey traded Martin to the Dallas Mavericks for Quentin Grimes.
Reed is now a valuable member of the Detroit Pistons, who earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season. Despite spot minutes in the playoffs, the Pistons have outscored their opponents by 11 when he is on the court.
Jared McCain, the 16th overall selection in the 2024 draft, was traded to the Thunder before the deadline for the 22nd overall pick in the 2026 draft and three second-rounders. As a rookie in 2024-25, McCain exploded in the regular season for 15.3 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game on 38% shooting from deep before tearing his meniscus in December.
As he recovered, fans were enticed by the idea of seeing McCain with a healthy and regrouped roster after the doldrums of the 2024-25 season in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, McCain tore the UCL in his right thumb during training camp, leading to minimal playing time and trust amongst the coaching staff once he recovered and required time to shake off the rust.
McCain is now thriving with the Thunder, creating runs on his own with a scorching microwave scoring ability in the playoffs. He is leading the NBA in playoff three-point percentage amongst remaining teams at 54.2%. Hindsight is obviously 20/20, but McCain’s performance is making Morey’s decision look worse:
“I’m quite confident we were selling high,” Morey said. “Obviously, time will tell. We weren’t looking to sell. I’ll be frank. Teams came to us with aggressive offers for him. You could say, ‘Yeah, that’s because he’s a good player.’ I agree with that. We thought this return was above, for the future value of our franchise, what we could get. The only higher point would’ve been during his run last season. Otherwise, we feel like we did time this well.” (click here for more)
Whether you agree with each decision given the context is one thing, but to ignore the idea that if even two of these four playoff-level role players were still on the Sixers, there’s a chance this year’s playoff run — and future outlook of the team — looks much better from a depth perspective.
Instead, Morey has shackled the Sixers from a cap standpoint, signing George to a max contract through the 2027-28 season, then extending Embiid on a max deal with a player option for 2028-29. This means the Sixers now have almost 90% of their cap space tied to three players; the aforementioned two and Maxey.
They are $14 million under the luxury tax, meaning they will likely be able to only re-sign one of their three outgoing unrestricted free agents — Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr. or Andre Drummond. Outside of that, the team will have to work around the margins with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (if they still below the tax), worth $15 million, and minimum contracts. That does not sound like a path towards bringing in a playoff-caliber bench unit, at least not through free agency.
The new executive in charge should not trade Embiid, as doing so could include attaching draft assets, which could randomly end up in the top five given the new draft lottery odds. Barring an obscene act of desperation, this seems unlikely according to many reports.
Trading George might not be an awful idea, as long as it does not jeopardize the team-building capabilities down the line, especially for when Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are both in their primes concurrently. Finding a trade partner with a salary close to George’s might be worth another post in its entirety.
The new front office should have its sights on the draft, where Morey had a strong history running the war room for the Sixers. Click here to see some prospects Harrison Grimm has circled for the Sixers at pick 22.
For the mess Morey seemingly saved the Sixers from in 2020, he has thrown them right back in it for the 2026 offseason. Even with Morey gone, it’s worth noting the issues in front of the Sixers will be there no matter the man or woman tasked in captaining the ship. The question becomes which direction Josh Harris wants to go?
There could be a repeated run-it-back strategy with two of the riskiest players in the NBA from a health standpoint for as long as their talent sustains. With Harris deciding to start fresh, it could suggest a shift to the younger portion of the roster, building around Maxey and Edgecombe, without pressure to contend. Or maybe the dual timeline continues … for now.
Daryl Morey didn’t turn out to be the savior who got the Sixers back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001.
And now his successor has a lot to clean up.
The NBA has reached the point where having ball handling and secondary creation is necessary throughout your five-man lineups. In watching the Dallas Mavericks at any point throughout the season, it was abundantly clear that they lacked that. This June, the Mavericks will start rectifying that with the NBA Draft. While a combo guard with playmaking upside isn’t the first thing you’d think the Mavs should draft, the choice of Brayden Burries might make itself.
Brayden Burries (born September 18, 2005) was born and raised in San Bernardino, California. Burries was born into a family of athletes, as his father, Bobby, played basketball at Cal State San Bernardino and is a member of the school’s hall of fame. Not to be out done, his mother Hannah played college softball at the University of Tennessee before playing basketball at CSSB as a grad transfer.
Brayden was a consensus five-star guard coming out of Eleanor Roosevelt High in Eastvale, California (just southeast Los Angeles and north of San Diego). After a standout junior year, Burries was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game. Following his senior year, Burries committed to Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats. That turned out to be an excellent decision for Burries, who put together an elite campaign.
In just under 30 minutes per game, Burries averaged 16.1 points per game, which was complimented by five rebounds and two-and-a-half assists per contest. Burries had several fantastic performances away from McKale Center. He scored 28, including 20 in the second half, in a road win at Alabama in December. In January, Burries had 29 in a road win at AJ Dybantsa and BYU. Burries finished as an honorable mention All-American (USBWA and Associated Press), first team All-Big 12 team member and one of five finalists for the Jerry West Award, which is given to the best shooting guard in the country.
Burries would be a seamless fit for the Mavericks in both the near and the long term. In the near term, Burries slots in nicely at the two, next to a healthy Kyrie Irving in the back court and as a nice compliment to Cooper Flagg. In the long term, Burries is never a guy you’ll have to worry about fit with. He’s never going to be a guy who needs plays run for him, but he will be one of the biggest connecting tissues on your team. While he won’t fill the point guard role for the Mavericks, it’s safe to assume you can plug him into your rotation for the next ten years.
Two guys who are pretty good comps are those that I mentioned earlier, Derrick White and Quentin Grimes. If you’d like a more aggressive comp, perhaps Bradley Beal could be out there if he does get a bump from his shot diet. All three of those guys are going to be scoring guards with a sprinkle of secondary creation, something I think is well within Burries’ reach.
After the Lakers were booted from the playoffs by a younger and faster Thunder team, Luka Doncic reminisced about what could’ve been.
In March, the Big Three were healthy. They had gone on a 15-2 run. They were soaring.
“We thought we were gonna compete for a championship,” Doncic said.
But those hopes dimmed amid a string of injuries to Doncic (hamstring) and Reaves (oblique), and ultimately came crashing down against a second-round opponent that was deeper and vastly superior on both ends of the court.
Now a franchise that views anything short of winning a championship as failing needs to hit the drawing board. Lakers’ president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka shared his vision during his exit interview Tuesday.
The priority is building around Doncic, but he believes the Lakers can do that while keeping their Big Three together.
“Of course, we want that core to be back together,” Pelinka said.
There are a lot of moving pieces for the Lakers this offseason, including impending decisions by free agents James, Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard. Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton have player options.
One of the biggest dominos will be James.
The 41-year-old reiterated that he’s uncertain about his future after the Lakers’ Game 4 loss to the Thunder on Monday. Pelinka said if James chooses to return for his 24th season, the Lakers would welcome him back.
“Of course, any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster,” Pelinka said. “That’s a blessing in itself just with what he does.”
For that to work, James would need to agree to a significant pay cut from the $52.6 he earned this season.
James, who averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists this season, proved that he’s willing to sacrifice and do what’s best for the team after embracing becoming the team’s third option this spring. Would the Lakers be able to find a better “role player” than him? No.
And if James chooses to return, the Lakers would seemingly be the best situation for him considering his family has made LA their home and he has played for the franchise for the last eight seasons.
But before making any decisions, James wants to confer with his wife, daughter and sons, as well as do some introspection over whether he’s still “in love with the process.”
As for Reaves, who’s expected to turn down his $14.9 player option to become a free agent, he has made it clear he loves playing alongside Doncic and wants to keep playing with James.
Pelinka anticipates a deal working out between the two parties.
“He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker,” Pelinka said of Reaves, who averaged a career-high 23.3 points on 49% shooting from the field, 36% from deep this season. “And we feel the same way. We want his Odyssey to continue to unfold in the Purple and Gold.”
But if the Lakers bring back their core, do they have enough maneuverability to construct a roster that can compete with top echelon teams?
Therein lies the rub.
The Lakers have three first-round picks and it’s no secret they’re going to try and target Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.
But if there’s one thing they learned from their series against the Thunder it’s that they need more depth.
They’re too top heavy. The Thunder had 13 players who were playing well. The Lakers were lucky if they had six.
“I think depth is really important, athleticism and youth,” Pelinka said. “We have a lot of components of that on our roster, but we need to add to it.”
The Lakers also desperately need to bolster their defense and acquire more shooters who can spread the court for Doncic. Pelinka hopes to find some diamonds in the rough who they can develop.
He pointed to the fact that Ajay Mitchell was a second round draft pick. Mitchell torched LA with 22.5 points a game while also playing lockdown defense in their second-round series.
“There’s ways to add to your roster if you commit to doing the hard work and commit to the process of adding the right pieces,” Pelinka said.
But for the Lakers, everything starts and stops with Doncic, who averaged a league-leading 33.5 points a game, was third in assists (8.3) and sixth in steals (1.6).
He’s their now. He’s their future.
Pelinka plans to meet with Doncic on Friday or Saturday. He praised Doncic for being open about the style her prefers to play and whom he wants to play alongside.
“We’re in constant communication with him and his team,” Pelinka said of the Slovenian superstar. “I plan on seeing him before he takes off to go home and spend time with his daughters.”
It’s going to be a very active offseason for the Lakers.
Right now there are far more questions than answers.
But this much is for sure: The Lakers are going to need to make some major tweaks to be able to compete for their 18th championship.
“We’ve got to find a way to have a roster that will compete with any team in the NBA,” Pelinka said. “That’s what we do here.”
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There is a certain amount of arrogance that you have to have when you become the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
When the front office hands you the keys to basketball’s most glamorous franchise, the one draped in 17 championship banners and impossible expectations, you’re not allowed to have excuses.
That is why what JJ Redick has done in his first two seasons as head coach of the Lakers deserves far more credit and respect than he’s getting nationally.
In fact, here’s currently getting ridiculed.
Last-second substitutions aside, let’s be honest about the situation Redick inherited when he was hired back in the summer of 2024.
Redick didn’t take over the 1996 Bulls or 2017 Warriors. He inherited an aging top-heavy, injury-riddled roster featuring a 40-year-old LeBron James and a walking MRI in Anthony Davis. But Redick was still under constant pressure to win every single night. That’s what comes with the job.
Oh, and did we mention he had never coached before at any level?
Not in college, not as an assistant, not in the G League. Nowhere.
Redick went from sitting across the table from LeBron on a podcast talking basketball philosophy, to holding a clipboard and coaching LeBron on the court.
Everyone thought Redick would fail spectacularly.
Instead, he won 50 games in Year 1.
Then he followed that with 53 wins in Year 2.
Not since Phil Jackson had any Lakers head coach had back-to-back 50-win seasons, and Redick accomplished the feat in his first two years ever doing the job. That matters.
It matters because coaching in today’s NBA is less about X’s and O’s and more about managing egos, adapting on the fly, and convincing millionaire superstars to sacrifice parts of themselves for the greater good of the team.
Redick already has a long list of coaching accomplishments. He was gifted Luka Doncic in the middle of last season and had to start from scratch on how to get the most out of a roster that had no rim protection. He guided them to the No. 3 seed in the West.
This season, Redick’s greatest coaching accomplishment was convincing LeBron to become the third option. Something he’s never done before.
“I’ve never been a third option in my life,” said James. “So to be able to thrive in that role…that was pretty cool for me at this stage of my career.”
Redick convinced one of the greatest players of all time to be selfless and humble. That does not happen unless a coach has complete trust inside the locker room.
Despite having “three quarterbacks” Redick got buy-in from three ball-dominant creators to find a way to play together. Normally, that’s a chemistry disaster. Instead, it became one of the more selfless Lakers teams in years.
“JJ did an amazing job of fitting all that together,” said Lakers GM Rob Pelinka. “It was incredibly impressive.”
Redick spent two seasons coaching without the benefit of practice days. Without roster balance and without a reliable center. It felt like the Lakers were constantly trying to patch leaks in a sinking boat, while simultaneously racing the fastest teams in the league.
Redick’s decision to switch to zone midway through the season was a great example of adaptability. Early in the season, the Lakers did not have the foot speed to survive in man-to-man coverage. So Redick switched to zone. The players all would later admit that the communication required to play zone sharpened them defensively when they switched back.
Now that’s coaching.
And when Doncic and Reaves both went down with serious injuries on April 2, the season should have collapsed right there. Any other team would have folded and started booking their tickets to Cancun.
Instead, Redick recalibrated again.
He shifted LeBron back to the number one scoring option. He unlocked Luke Kennard, and he unleashed Rui Hachimura.
Redick understood Kennard’s game from years of watching him dating back to high school and college. Redick did what nine other coaches couldn’t do, and challenged Kennard to handle the ball, create offense, and make reads off the dribble instead of being a spot-up three-point shooter. The result was a triple-double in his first game. A little over a week later, came a stunning 27-point performance in Game 1 of the first round series with the Rockets that sparked the eventual upset.
Redick helped develop a hesitant and overwhelmed Hachimura into one of the most dangerous playoff shooters the NBA has ever seen. Hachimura shot 56.9% from three during the postseason and looks more confident than at any other point in his career. That’s coaching.
The season didn’t end the way anyone wanted. A sweep is never how you want to go out.
But without Doncic, the Lakers were trying to survive against the youngest, deepest, and most athletic team in basketball. The reigning Champion OKC Thunder.
And that’s not an indictment of Redick. If anything, the fact that the Lakers remained competitive at all says more about him than the sweep itself.
And now, for the first time under Redick, the Lakers will enter the offseason with real financial flexibility and a clearer understanding of their identity. They will have plenty of cap space to spend. They have Doncic as their centerpiece. Most importantly, they have a coach who players genuinely believe in.
Two years ago, everyone mocked the hire, but Redick is no longer a podcast host pretending to coach.
He’s a real one.
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