Category: NBA

If you are anything like me, you have been watching highlights from the Utah Jazz summer league victory on Saturday afternoon incessantly with a massive cheesy grin every single time. Luckily for people like us, the Jazz take the floor once again, this time against a familiar face in Taylor Hendricks and the #3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Cameron Boozer.

How to Watch the Salt Lake City Summer League?

Who: Utah Jazz vs Memphis Grizzlies

When: Monday, July 6, 2026 | 7:00 MT

Where: Jon M. Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City, UT

How to watch: Prime Video, ESPN, League Pass, KJZZ, Jazz+

Players to Watch

Darryn Peterson

Coming as a surprise to absolutely no one, the main player to watch in this one is once again going to be Darryn Peterson. After an absolutely superb debut showing on Independence Day, where he tallied 28 points on 11/21 shooting to go along with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, all eyes will be on him to see how he will follow up those 4th of July fireworks. This time out, he will face off against the #3 overall pick, Cameron Boozer, who will surely look to make a statement against him. Darryn is the marquee player on the floor every time he plays in Summer League. As such, he has a target on his back. There are lots of guys on the opposing roster who will look to embarrass him to make a bigger name for themselves. One thing in particular to keep an eye on in this game is the turnovers. Darryn was responsible for 8 turnovers on Saturday night, and while not all of them were his fault, that is definitely a number that should be cleaned up as he gets more comfortable on the floor with his teammates.

Cody Williams

Cody Williams looked amazing in the Jazz Summer League Opener. The pessimistic side of things could look at his performance and say, “That is what 3rd-year players should do in Summer League. The optimistic side of that, however, is that there were legitimate stretches early in Cody’s NBA career when he genuinely didn’t look like he was going to make it through his rookie contract. It is really nice to see him getting stronger and more confident with the ball no matter the setting. If he can keep it up, he could be a really important player for this Jazz team with his length and defense as well.

Cameron Boozer

Cameron Boozer will come out hungry and ready to prove a point to the Jazz. Last time out, he scored 15 points on 7/11 shooting in a dominant win over the Thunder. His dad, Carlos, we all know, works in the front office for Utah and during the predraft process, was quoted in an interview with Marc Spears as saying, “If they miss the boat, they will regret it,” when asked why NBA teams should take his son. You can bet your bottom dollar that Cameron feels the exact same way and wants to embarrass Darryn Peterson in front of his home fans. Although they won’t be matched up head-to-head very often, watch out for the two guys to try to really go at it.

Luka Doncic appears to be making the most of his NBA offseason.

Doncic posted a series of photos on his Instagram Story on Sunday afternoon that included pictures of him enjoying some time out on the water.

The first photo of Doncic featured him free-falling into the ocean with his arms spread and feet going straight down.

The second photo of Doncic featured him riding on a jet ski in the deep ocean.

It’s been a busy week for the Lakers as they are now ready to fully embrace Doncic as their franchise player after news broke Wednesday that LeBron James informed the Lakers he would not return to the franchise next season.

As the Lakers are preparing for life without James, they’ve been one of the NBA’s more active teams since the offseason began.

The Lakers made a splash in building around Doncic as they landed his dream big man, Walker Kessler, in a sign-and-trade with the Jazz in a deal that cost the Lakers four first-round draft picks.

Besides adding Kessler, the Lakers also focused on getting younger.

The franchise signed Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton.

They also made a splash in the NBA draft, selecting Cameron Carr with the No. 24 pick on June 23.

The Lakers also gave Austin Reaves a four-year, $185 million contract extension.

With a revamped, youthful roster that doesn’t feature James headlining it, a new era of Lakers basketball is underway.

Doncic is only 27 years old and is entering his prime. He is a six-time All-Star and a two-time scoring champion. Doncic was a vital part in helping the Mavericks reach the NBA Finals in 2024.

According to Jake Fischer, the Utah Jazz have signed Trey Alexander to a two-way contract.

Alexander is a 6’5” guard who played at Creighton. His last two seasons have been with New Orleans and Denver, where he’s played a total of 33 games. His sample size last season is just 9 games, so it’s a small sample size. But those numbers are a solid 51.4% from the field and 50% from three. Again, those are small sample sizes, but his numbers increased since his rookie season, and the hope would be that they could continue to improve.

Utah is in a position now to take chances on players with potential, and if you can find a diamond in the rough, it can be a game-changer. Maybe they get play time and can help the team with depth during the season. Or, if they become a player who can hold their own on the floor, they can either trade them or make other moves that improve the team.

Right now, the Jazz are on a big upward trend. Darryn Peterson looks like the missing piece Utah has been hoping for. The starting unit will go through a lot of changes, but the other things that need to happen are improvements around the edges of the lineups. If Utah can hit on different ancillary moves, it can extend the current era much longer. Jazz fans can only hope that one of these two-way contracts ends up being a contributing addition to the team. If they do, it gives a team an edge that can take them over the top.

It’s been nearly a week since LeBron James informed the Lakers he wasn’t going to play for them next season, but apparently, the Lakers were prepared for it.

According to NBA insider Ric Bucher, on his show “On The Ball With Ric Bucher,” the Lakers have been preparing for a life without James since they acquired Luka Doncic in 2025.

“I had to smile when it was reported that LeBron informed the Lakers that he didn’t intend to play for the Lakers next year. As if the Lakers weren’t intending for that to be the case,” Bucher said on his show. “But kudos to the Lakers for allowing LeBron to present it that way and preserve some dignity on the way out.”

Bucher went on to call out James and his agent, Rich Paul, for saying that every NBA team was interested in acquiring James by saying, “If teams were interested, he wouldn’t have to reach out to them.”

At 41 years old, James is coming off a season in which he played in 60 regular-season games, averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists. James is still playing at a high level, but his numbers were below his career average of 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists.

“It’s a sign that LeBron and Rich are struggling with the new reality, which is LeBron simply isn’t valued the way he once was. He does not have the leverage he once did,” Bucher said. “Which is not an indictment, no one is going to invest in a player that is turning 42 years old next season and comes with the outsized attention and servicing that LeBron does.”

In 2025, the Lakers shocked the world when they announced they were trading Anthony Davis to the Mavericks for Doncic in a three-team deal that included the Jazz.

Doncic was just removed from helping the Mavericks reach the NBA Finals the season before and was in the middle of having a great year, averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game.

While James’ next destination is unknown, it won’t be with the Lakers because the team is focusing on building around Doncic.

So far, the Lakers have acquired Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Jazz, which included multiple draft picks.

They also signed Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton.

Before free agency began, the Lakers re-signed Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million contract, making him the richest player who went undrafted in NBA history.

The Cavaliers reportedly are looking to bring a James family reunion back to Cleveland.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Cavaliers are keeping an open roster spot for Bronny James so that they can lure LeBron James this offseason.

Per The Stein Line, “One conspiracy whisper making the rounds: They want to make sure that they have open roster spots to be able to trade for the Lakers’ Bronny James in the event that they are able to welcome Dad back as a free agent signee.”

Since LeBron informed the Lakers that he is departing, rumors have swirled about his next destination: joining his former team, the Cavaliers, or a former rival, the Warriors.

LeBron has had two stints with the Cavaliers. The first was when he was drafted in 2003 and stayed until 2009. The next happened between 2014 and 2018.

His first stint in Cleveland was a special time for LeBron, as he quickly became the most decorated player to don a Cavaliers jersey. He and his wife, Savannah, had the arrival of Bronny in 2004, when LeBron was 19 years old.

When LeBron left Cleveland in 2018, two years after he helped the organization win its first NBA title in franchise history, Bronny was starting to make a name for himself as a basketball player, emerging as a top young talent at Sierra Canyon in Thousand Oaks. Bronny went on to play college basketball at USC.

Bronny was drafted in the second round by the Lakers in 2024.

The James family made NBA history that season when the LeBron and Bronny became the first father-son duo to play together, a moment LeBron said he would never forget.

If LeBron is serious about reuniting with his former team, the chance to play with his son where it all started could be intriguing enough to lure him back to Cleveland.

The Brooklyn Nets don’t have offensive or defensive coordinators, but it’s been widely known around HSS Training Center that he’s a guy whose forte is stopping the other team from scoring, whether in practices or at the end of games. As Brooklyn’s Summer League head coach in Sacramento and Las Vegas, that’s what to expect and in the two games so far in the California Classic, that’s been what has drawn attention.

In both the last minute loss to to the Sacramento Kings Saturday night and Sunday afternoon’s 89-69 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, announcers were buzzing about how the Nets defense was thwarting the other squad particularly with physicality.

Sunday’s win was particularly gratifying for Gaitley for a number of reasons. It was a homecoming. He had worked for the Kings before joining Jordi Fernandez in Brooklyn and although there was good defense played against Sacramento and Darius Acuff through most of the game Saturday, in the end, they blew a lead and walked off the court a loser. Not so on Sunday. The Nets after a slow start got out in front early and just kept rolling. By games end, Gaitley’s charges had held Milwaukee to 24-of-74 shooting, 32.4%.

The difference: “They did a better job with second chance points but as far as clearing the glass, we did pretty good.” Defense was the only improvement, either…

He got toasted afterwards…

And perhaps the most gratifying part of the big win was who Gaitley did it with. No Mikel Brown Jr., Egor Demin, Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, Danny Wolf, Joshua Jefferson, Tyler Bilodeau, Chaney Johnson! Who’s left you might ask. Well, Gaitley started with a hodge-podge of Exhibit 10s —Ben Humrichous, a 6’9” sniper and Duke Brennan, a 6’10” big — plus a trio of G League vets — John Ukamadu, a 6’5” wing who played for the Motor City Cruise; Hunter Sallis, a 6’4” guard who played for the San Diego Clippers (who’s also James Harden’s cousin) and Dwight Murray Jr. a 6’0” point guard from the College Park Skyhawks. Not the A list.

Coming off the bench another Exhibit 10: Dion Brown, another wing at 6’4” from St. Louis and 6’9” Dain Dainja who along with Brennan supplied the heft needed for the physicality.

It was Humrichous who supplied the scoring early. Brooklyn went down 12-4 early, not surprising considering how new they were to each other. At that point, the Illinois product who played with Keaton Wagler last season, decided the game was his, reeling off three straight threes. The rout was on…

Gaitley told ND how impressed he was with Humrichous who will be in Brooklyn for training camp come October.

Humrichous, who mostly came off the bench in Illinois, talked about how grateful he is for the opportunity.

Like the rest of the benchwarmers turned winners, the Summer League is going to be key to their futures and not just the three draft picks and three Exhibit 10’s. The leagues are among the most scouted in the NBA. Teams from Europe and Asia in particular are looking for talent…

Humrichous was one of five Nets in double figures. He and Sallis finished with 15 each, Murray Jr. had 14 and the two bigs, Brennan and Dainja had 10 each, Brennan adding 12 boards for a double double. The two dominated underneath.

Next up

The back-to-back-to-back ends Monday night at 8:00 p.m. ET with a game vs. the Warriors. According to Gaitley, it looks like that the Nets will be at full force and that includes Brown Jr.

“That is above my pay grade. I think the plan is that he is going to play; but I don’t make the final decisions,” said the head coach.

• Boxscore: Brooklyn Nets 89, Milwaukee Bucks 69 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 89, Milwaukee Bucks 69 (Video) – NBA
• Nets SL player grades: Hunter Sallis drops 15 in win over Bucks – Sharif Keaton-Phillips – USA TODAY

The big news early out of July 4th in Sacramento, California, was that Mikel Brown Jr., the Brooklyn Nets highest draft pick in 16 years, would not play — and won’t play again till Monday, missing Sunday’s action as well as Saturday’s. Later though the big news was not what Brown didn’t do, but what Egor Demin did do in his 23 minutes and 46 seconds. He changed his narrative.

The player who many saw last year as unwilling or unable to touch the paint, finish the play over and over again. The added weight and muscle may have been one reason for the difference, but clearly so was his confidence in himself not just as an NBA player but as a leader…

Take a look at the highlights:

He spoke to our Shara Talia Taylor specifically about how he wants to be seen this year: someone capable of handling pressure…

This is of course would be the second time the 6’9.5” Russian has changed his narrative. When he was drafted, the league saw him as the prospect with perhaps the best court vision in his class but a woeful outside shooter. The Nets, however, dismissed that concern and he proved them right. He was along with Kon Knueppel, the best volume 3-point shooter among rookies, closely following Knueppel in the race to become the fastest player in NBA history to 100 threes and setting a rookie record for most consecutive games with a 3-pointer.

Instead the concerns were that he wasn’t getting to the paint and finishing. How much of that was his issue and how much was the Nets offensive structure was cause for some debate. And the plantar fasciitis troubled him during last summer and again at the end of the season. Was that a factor? He seems healthy now and more mature. He’s less that gangly, almost goofy kid. Last month, in one example of personal growth, he was baptized into the Mormon faith.

It all bodes well for him and the organization as does the prospect of a Demin/Brown backcourt with both capable of being lead guard. There are still going to be issues going forward, some of which Lucas Kaplan touched on at the end of last season in his retrospective but as a senior NBA decision-maker told ND early last season, “You’ll see development sooner than years end…. But in 3-4 years when you have actual players around him, you will really really see it.” Progress.

On the other hand, there were some cringeworthy moments for one of the two other members of the Flatbush 5 who played vs. the Kings. Drake Powell had some nice moments early guarding Darius Acuff but offensively, he was horrid. No other way to put it. He was 0-of-9 including five misses without a make from deep and turned the ball over four times in 27 minutes, tied for most on the team with Ben Saraf who also showed early on defense had a reputable if not spectacular offensive game.

Is Free Agency over? Or delayed a year?

Bottom line: we don’t know.

It’s fair to say that the Nets made their big off-season moves early, trading Nic Claxton and the 33rd pick (Isaiah Evans) in a three-team deal with Minnesota and Chicago that yielded Julius Randle and the 28th pick (Joshua Jefferson), then picked Mikel Brown at No. 6 which was the consensus pick and was applauded by most of the fan base. They filled things out by taking Jefferson and then at No. 43, UCLA sharpshooter Tyler Bilodeau who they promptly signed to a two-way.

Since then, they made two moves to add players to their rotation: 3-and-D point guard Keon Ellis and stretch-5 big Moe Wagner. Neither got the fan base nor pundits very much excited but a couple of league sources liked, if not loved, the additions, particularly in light of their reps as good locker room guys in a locker room which once again is looking like the league’s youngest. Currently, the Nets average age is something like 23.4 years old.

Moreover, the two will have “mutual options” next Summer, an odd contract wrinkle. A mutual option guarantees each player the full amount of the deal while allowing either side to opt-in (not opt-out) and have a conversation about a new contract next summer.

At the moment, capologists estimate that the Nets have a minimum of about $25 million in cap space left as Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron tweeted after news of the agreements with Ellis and Wagner:

That number is mushy, as Gozlan notes, and that will likely remain so until at least Monday, the official start of free agency. Here’s why: The Nets haven’t completed the Randle/Claxton trade and won’t be able to officially sign Ellis or Wagner until the clock strikes midnight Monday morning. That trade can be — and likely will be — expanded on Monday and within that possibility there are all manner of permutations, additions, etc., that can make for a much bigger trade. It’s also the opening of free agency

The Kevin Durant trade between Phoenix and Houston last season started off as a two-man deal, then ultimately expanded to seven teams, including the Nets trade of the rights of Adou Thiero, their No. 36 in the 2025 Draft to the Suns for two future firsts (one of whom became Tyler Bilodeau.)

Expect to start hearing news on that in the next few hours or by tomorrow. So stay tuned. Once the deal is done, Joshua Jefferson will be able to suit up since he’s part of the deal. He’s the 28th pick that the Nets wound up with in the exchange.

At the moment, the only rumor out there is Nets interest in Rui Hachimura, the Lakers big, but that seems unlikely in that the 6’9” forward doesn’t fit much of a need — he played most of last year at the 3 and 4 with an occasional few minutes at the 5 — and he made $18.3 million last season.

As for Peyton Watson, long rumored as a Nets target, the Nuggets are trying to find a way to keep him around, but will risk going over the second apron to keep him. On the other side of that risk assessment, they risk losing Nikola Jokic who has made it clear he wants to win. Recent reports indicate Watson wants a deal in excess of $25 million. That’s doable, of course, for Brooklyn and Joe Tsai.

Watson hasn’t been seen in the Denver area of late. He’s been sailing the Mediterranean on a yacht with his old friend and Nuggets teammate Michael Porter Jr.! Would like to have been a fly on that wall!

Sunday, Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that the Nuggets are open to a sign-and-trade if they can’t make a deal with Watson.

The Denver Nuggets intend to match any offers for restricted free agent Peyton Watson when the NBA’s moratorium lifts on Monday, said league sources who were granted anonymity to discuss the ongoing negotiations.

Yet as the Nuggets and Watson’s agent, Rich Paul of the Klutch Sports Group, have continued to be apart in negotiations for a new contract, sources say Denver is also very open to the prospect of a sign-and-trade for the 23-year-old forward.

As Amick also noted, Brooklyn and the L.A. Clippers are the only teams with enough cap space to tender an offer to Watson, but if it becomes a sign-and-trade, there likely will be others.

While it’s unclear how many teams are pursuing Watson, only the Brooklyn Nets and LA Clippers have the salary-cap space to submit the offer sheet he wants. The Clippers, league sources said, have shown legitimate interest in Watson but are also navigating their own restricted free agency situation with Bennedict Mathurin, which complicates matters. Several teams are known to have registered interest in a sign-and-trade for Watson.

Brooklyn of course has one asset among many to lure the Nuggets: Denver’s 2032 unprotected first rounder. The Nuggets are bereft of firsts.

However, it is also possible that this is it for the Nets front office. They will have 15 players with guaranteed deals if the trade goes down as originally described and with with Ellis and Wagner signed.

It would signal that while the tank is over, the rebuild will continue into next Summer when the free agent pool is deeper. In fact, it is insanely deep. At the moment, no Nets player has more than two years left on his contract, although Sean Marks & co. will have to make decisions on each of the Flatbush 5 come October 31. That’s the date that first rounders selected in the 2025 Draft can be extended beyond their second year. And they have yet to trade any of their 35 Draft picks this off-season and if things don’t change, they’ll go into the season under the cap. Flexibility continues.

We shall see … and soon.

Final Note

July 4th weekend is over and the Nets are 1-1 in the California Classic which choses tomorrow with a game between the Nets and Warriors Monday night. It’s a late one, 8:00 p.m. ET. Then it’s on to Las Vegas where the Nets play the Knicks on July 10. After Vegas, there won’t be any Nets games for nearly four months. Enjoy them. Four months is a long time.

At 22 years old, Adou Thiero can barely believe he’s fielding the questions meant for veterans. This is still the Lakers forward’s first summer league after all.

The former second-round pick is suddenly one of the Lakers’ primary summer league players and hopes to use the experience as an important stepping stone, building up his game while also establishing a leadership voice.

Thiero, who missed last year’s summer league because of a knee injury, had 13 points in the Lakers’ thrilling, 93-91 double-overtime win over the Miami Heat on Sunday at Chase Center. Instead of his NBA role as a defensive spark plug who adds a jolt of athleticism off the bench, Thiero showed his unselfish playmaking Sunday while working with rookie Cameron Carr, who had 26 points and eight rebounds on four-of-nine three-point shooting.

Thiero, a 6-foot-7 forward, ignited the offense down the stretch Sunday. He is a threat to drive to the rim, and when combined with Carr’s shooting ability, the two-man game creates confusion for defenses, Lakers summer league coach Ty Abbott said.

Read more:Cameron Carr makes a strong first impression in Lakers' summer league opener

“That’s a dynamic partnership between the two of them,” said Abbott, who got doused with water in the locker room after his first win as a head coach. “They did a really good job of playing with each other. There’s a good connection there. Adou, being unselfish, finds him and they just kind of play from there. The connection that they have and their unselfishness for the two of them to work together, after, you know, five days, is great. Love to see that.”

Carr missed a midrange jumper that could have won the game in double overtime, but center Anton Watson grabbed the rebound and scored the winning tip-in. Watson finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Carr, the 24th pick in last month’s draft who had a team-high 19 points in Friday’s season opener, has been “a sponge” with his questions, Thiero said.

“I can answer some of these questions, but I’m still asking questions myself,” Thiero said Friday. “So we going to have to learn this, learn everything together.”

Friday marked Thiero’s first five-on-five game in months — and it looked like it.

The second-year forward was held to nine points on three-of-10 shooting with four rebounds. With the grace of a bull in a china shop, Thiero flung himself toward the rim. He forced up difficult shots. The super athletic forward who thrilled fans with his highlight-reel dunks last season took a hard landing on one wild drive during the first half and limped toward the bench. Thiero, who returned in the second half, said he landed on a bruise he recently sustained in practice.

After spending the offseason working on his three-point shot, Thiero has attempted only three three-pointers during summer league. Gaining confidence and consistency in his shot was Thiero’s top priority after a rookie season that included just three three-point attempts.

Read more:Lakers trading Deandre Ayton to the Wizards for Jaden Hardy, draft picks

“Just trying to go out there and keep getting comfortable,” Thiero said of his summer league goals. “Keep figuring out how I could be an impact.”

With the top teams digging deeper into the benches for late playoff runs, developing young players has never been more important. The Lakers were eliminated by Oklahoma City, who relied on standout performances from young guards Jared McCain and Ajay Mitchell to overcome a quiet series from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and an injury to Jalen Williams.

After the season ended, Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka cited Mitchell’s progression between the guard’s first and second years as a model for player development the Lakers wanted to emulate.

Thiero is the Lakers’ current second-year project. Now fully healthy after knee injuries plagued his rookie season, Thiero’s versatility in summer league could potentially translate to regular-season minutes.

“You got to be kind of a jack-of-all-trades,” Abbott said, “and understand what your role is, what your strengths are, what your weaknesses are, and be able to build up on that.”

Defensively, coaches have asked Thiero to create havoc, he said. He obliged late in the fourth quarter Sunday, forcing a turnover that allowed guard Chris Mañon to breakaway for the tying layup with 28 seconds left.

Theiro had a team-high three steals Sunday.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Lakers bounced back from the defeat to kick off the California Classic with a victory over the Heat in sudden death double overtime on Sunday, 93-91.

After a late comeback in the fourth quarter to tie the game, the Lakers needed a couple of extra sessions to earn the win, that coming on a putback layup from Anton Watson.

Many of the same issues that existed in Friday’s game persisted on Sunday, which should not be surprising. While Cameron Carr opened the game with a floater off a nice set play, the Lakers were largely relegated to long-range shots the rest of the quarter.

Watson, Peter Suder and Carr all connected on 3-pointers, but the Heat found offense much easier to come by and opened up an early 10-point lead. Eventually, some defensive stops and a couple of baskets in the paint pulled LA with a possession at 20-17, but Miami closed the quarter with the final six points.

That run only extended to open the second as Miami moved ahead again by double digits as part of an 11-2 run in total. A Thiero freebie accounted for two points to stop the run.

LA’s bizarre zone defense was somehow worse than their man-to-man as the Heat got an open three and an open lob on consecutive possessions.

Carr did his best to keep the purple and gold attached, getting a friendly roll on a three before hitting a pull-up jumper to bring him to 12 first-half points.

The Lakers got off to another slow offensive start in the second half, including Adou Thiero getting blocked at the rim on a fastbreak dunk attempt. Watson got revenge with a huge poster dunk for an and-one for the first Lakers points of the half.

Carr continued his strong showing, converting his free throw after being fouled on a three before getting to the rim for a dunk. Thiero then had a steady stream of drives to the rim to draw fouls and get in a rhythm as well.

However, the Lakers still trailed by 10 going into the fourth.

After some back-and-forth action in the fourth, the Lakers finally pieced together a run. Zhaire Smith started it with an and-one dunk before a Thiero layup. Carr also converted a 1-for-2 free throw to pull within three.

From there, the teams traded big shots, including a long-distance Carr 3-pointer to keep the Lakers attached.

Down four with under a minute left, Chris Mañon forced a pair of turnovers leading to two fastbreak layups to tie the game. The Lakers made it three straight forced turnovers, but could not come away with a basket, leading to overtime.

In the two-minute extra session, Mañon answered a Heat basket with a pair of free throws before Thiero answered a Heat floater to keep the game tied. Miami had a pair of free throws with 14 seconds left, but missed both.

Thiero created an open layup for Watson off a drive on the ensuing possession, but he could not get the gimme to fall. The Heat tried a lob from the in-bound but turned it over, setting up a sudden death double overtime period.

The Lakers won the tip, setting up a Carr pull-up jumper. While the shot bounced short, Watson got the putback to fall for the walk-off win.

Key Player Stats

Carr continued his great Summer League showing, pouring in 26 points on 7-15 shooting, including 4-9 shooting from range. Thiero had 13 points with three rebounds, two assists and three steals, going 4-7 at the free throw line.

Mañon and Watson had 12 points each while Smith had 10 points off the bench. Suder finished the game with seven points and five rebounds while AK Okereke had seven points as well.

In what’s already been a celebratory week for new Lakers center Walker Kessler, it appears he’s found a new reason to celebrate.

Kessler and his girlfriend, Abbie Stockard, revealed on an Instagram Story post that they got engaged during the Fourth of July weekend.

On the photo posted of the two sharing their latest news, it was captioned: “The future Kessler’s. Let’s get y’all married!!!”

Kessler and Stockard met a little over two years ago after his mother snapped a photo of her during a basketball game and then set him up to later message her on Instagram.

From there, the rest is history.

In 2025, Stockard was crowned Miss America, leaving Kessler speechless as he’s admitted, “Dating Miss America was not on my bingo card.”

With Kessler and Stockard taking their relationship to the next level, Stockard might spend more time in Los Angeles. Kessler was recently acquired by the Lakers in a sign-and-trade deal with the Jazz.

Kessler’s contract will pay him $130 million over the next four years.

The Lakers have been trying to find a big man who suits Luka Dončić’s playing style, and Kessler is that man.

During the Lakers’ search for a big man, it was coming down to Kessler and the Pistons’ Jalen Duren. The Pistons have been reluctant to move Duren, which forced the Lakers to shift their attention toward Kessler.

Since being selected with the No. 22 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Kessler, 7-foot-2 and 245 pounds, has averaged 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks over 25.3 minutes through 201 regular-season games.

The Bucks were blown out 89-69 in their second game in the California Classic on Sunday afternoon. Missing rookies Brayden Burries, Nate Ament, and Malique Lewis, Milwaukee was led by B.J. Boston (18 points, 3 boards) and Kira Lewis Jr. (13 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists). Ben Humrichous and Hunter Sallis led the Nets with 15 points each. The Bucks will face Sacramento in their final California Classic tune-up before traveling to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

The Bucks started the game with undrafted free agent Boopie Miller, Zack Austin, Kobe Stewart, Boston, and John Butler Jr. on the court. The Nets started Dwight Murray Jr., Sallis, John Ukomadu, Humrichous, and Duke Brennan. Brooklyn rested Egor Dëmin, Drake Powell, and Ben Saraf, who all played yesterday against the Sacramento Kings.

The Bucks jumped out to a 12-4 lead early in the game off buckets from Boston and Austin. Boston, who poured in a game-high 17 points against the Warriors Blue Team yesterday, looked on fire again, showcasing his crafty finishing and smooth jumper. However, after a timeout, Brooklyn stormed back to take the lead, profiting off steals in the backcourt. Humrichous put the Nets ahead, 29-24, with a buzzer-beating three at the end of the first quarter.

The Bucks began to falter in the second quarter. The Nets forced a couple of turnovers and made some gutsy hustle plays, and the ball movement that pushed them to their win over the Warriors was frequently broken up. Brooklyn brought relentless defense from the likes of Dion Brown and Sallis, and they caught fire from three-point land. On the Milwaukee end, Miller and two-way signee Rafael Castro went cold and struggled to make offense work. The Bucks had their bright moments, like Luke Travers’ transition three and an emphatic block from Butler, but Brooklyn outplayed them throughout the second quarter. The Nets entered halftime on top, 54-36.

The Bucks started the second half looking to trim Brooklyn’s lead down to single digits. Boston started to heat up again from the outside, but it still seemed like Brooklyn was having their way from the perimeter, whether that was firing off uncontested jumpers or slashing to the rim and converting point-blank floaters. Eventually, Milwaukee grew more aggressive, fighting through screens and poking through dribbles to disrupt Brooklyn’s offense. Kuany Kuany, a former VCU Ram who played professionally in Australia and Croatia, stood out for his work ethic, hustling for offensive rebounds and diving for loose balls. However, Brooklyn didn’t budge despite the increased intensity. The Nets pieced together an 8-0 run to finish the third quarter up 72-54.

The game slowed down in the fourth quarter as Brooklyn sat on their lead. The Bucks’ offense still looked a bit clunky, especially when they were trying to create opportunities for each other. They turned the ball over, often through unforced errors, and many possessions came down to one-on-one iso ball, resulting in long-range, low-percentage shots. On defense, Brooklyn exposed Milwaukee’s screen defense, barreling down the lane for wide-open dunks when Milwaukee hesitated to switch. Milwaukee continued to face-guard and press Brooklyn high up the floor, but it was all for naught, as Brooklyn protected their huge lead.

Stat That Stood Out

The Bucks committed 13 turnovers against 15 assists, pointing to the Bucks’ sloppy passing and general lack of offensive ideas on Sunday afternoon.

LeBron James is golfing. He’s trolling comedian Kevin Hart. He’s watching his daughter swim. He’s celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the 2016 Cavaliers team he carried to the franchise’s only title. 

Meanwhile, all eyes are on him, dissecting his social media posts as though they were clues in an Escape Room. 

Even though James is about to turn 42 and enter his unprecedented 24th NBA season, his free agency has overshadowed Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded to Miami and the stunning news that the Celtics swapped Jaylen Brown for Paul George.

More than two decades into his career, he’s still the biggest story in the NBA. 

He might be the biggest sports story in America, with speculation about his next move overshadowing Americans’ ephemeral interest in the men’s national soccer team and generating more headlines than Travis Kelce’s and Taylor Swift’s wedding. His star hasn’t faded at all with time. If anything, it has grown brighter.

Some people may be rolling their eyes. But they’re still on the edge of their seats waiting to see what he’s going to do. 

Some people may want James to retire. But his name is still in their mouths. 

Like it or not, James is still the center of the sports universe. We’ve watched him for so long that he has become a part of our lives. He has lived in our living rooms for two decades. We’ve spent more time with him than with many family members. 

James may be the only person in the world whom both your grandma and your 3-year-old son know by name. 

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And guess what?

We’re going to miss him when he’s gone. 

Love or hate him, James is as American as hotdogs and fireworks on the Fourth of July. He’s our homegrown hero. We’ve rooted for (or against) him since he was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft at age 18.

We’re still wowed by him two decades later, such as when he led the Lakers to a 3-0 series lead over the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves a few months ago. 

Forget the debate over whether James or Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. James is engaged in a much tougher competition: a two-horse race with Father Time. 

After all these years, he’s still him. 

James still generates as much interest as when he was an unstoppable force who led the Heat and Cavaliers to eight straight NBA Finals. He may have one foot out the door, but he’s still the face of the league.

For almost everyone else, star power fades with time. Young hotshots usurp bigger names. There’s a natural turning of the page.

Not with James. 

When it became clear James was going to leave the Lakers, 27 of the 30 NBA teams scrambled to acquire him. 

When James’ agent Rich Paul went on his podcast “Game Over” and took out a whiteboard that revealed the 10 teams he’s considering, we studied it as though it were a cheat sheet for an upcoming physics exam. 

While the NBA is technically in good hands with superstar Victor Wembanyama chomping at the bit to become the next face of the league, it’s hard to imagine anyone ever comparing to James in terms of longevity or fame. 

No one captures our imagination like LeBron. No one annoys us more than him. No one excites us like him. He’s always on the tip of our tongues. He owns real estate in the peripheries of our minds. 

It’s remarkable when you think about it. 

If there’s one thing that’s more impressive than James’ talent on the court, it’s his ability to draw eyeballs like moths to a light. 

Maybe you were celebrating his four championships, overjoyed when he became the league’s all-time scorer and choking back tears when he became the only player in NBA history to play alongside his son, Bronny. 

Or maybe you were annoyed when he announced his departure from the Cavaliers in 2010 in an over-the-top TV special, disillusioned when he created a super team in Miami and thought he was a sell-out when he took his talents to the Lakers. 

Either way, you were watching. 

And when James finally retires, the TV series that has gripped us for two decades will come to an abrupt end. It’s going to leave a hole in our lives that nobody else could fill. 

There’s nobody like James.  

And there probably never will be. 

Well, well, well, that didn’t take long. Mr. Grass is Always Greener Kevin Durant, who came to the Houston Rockets just last season, is already gazing longingly at another franchise and potential teammate, as Brett Siegel of Clutch Point is reporting that Durant has a desire to go to Detroit and play with Cade Cunningham. In addition, apparently the Rockets do not view Durant as untouchable and are more than willing to trade him if the right offer comes around (come on, Detroit).

Siegel said:

“Whether or not the Rockets look to continue their partnership with Durant is the big question at large, especially since they don’t view him as an untouchable talent in trade talks on their roster, Houston viewed the opportunity to acquire Durant as a way to upgrade from Jalen Green and bridge the gaps in their lineup to contend in the West, but by no means was this addition viewed as a long-term commitment.

“Many around the league are skeptical of the Rockets wanting to keep Durant through the end of his current contract running through the 2027-28 season, It isn’t a secret to anyone that there were tensions between Durant and the Rockets’ locker room last season after reports of an alleged burner account came to light and frustrations were mounting internally about the team not taking a step forward with the former league MVP at the helm.”

As for the wish for Cade, Siegel said this:

“If Durant becomes available in any capacity or the Rockets look at possible trades involving him either now or in the near future, the Pistons are fully expected to be at the front of the line to bid on his services.”

“Two league sources with knowledge of the situation told ClutchPoints that the Pistons were set on figuring out a path to land Durant, but nothing ever materialized in this three-team idea, nor did anything appear possible in brief discussions with only Houston. Perhaps the greatest detail to emerge from all of these rumors is that Durant has interest in playing alongside Pistons star Cade Cunningham.”

Does any of this sound familiar? It’s the same old story, same old song and dance for Durant. Never happy anywhere, it’s always everyone else, and this morning’s KD dump smelled like candy and roses.

Last year, it was playing with Alperen Sengun that was going be good for KD. It took all of one season for us to hear about Durant flirting with the next girl (sorry, Cade).

As far as I am concerned, the sooner KD hits the road, the sooner the Rockets can get back to building a team for the present and the long term, and not a collection of guys standing around and watching KD throw his arms up in the air and act all exasperated when he doesn’t get the ball or the shot. Or the Rockets standing around and watching KD go to work. Either way, the team stands around and watches KD, and that’s not good for anyone but Durant, which we all know is KD’s only concern, but that wasn’t the temperament of this team before he got here, despite the fact there have been too few offensive sets in both the before and after KD scenarios.

Some of this does indeed fall on Ime Udoka for not having an offensive gameplan and for not stepping in to address the locker room concerns, but anyone who doesn’t think there have been chemistry issues since the burner scandal just hasn’t been paying attention.

This team lost more than just Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green when they traded for Durant, they lost their identity. Most of you know that I was against the KD move at the time, warmed up to it slightly through the first 20 games or so when the Rockets started off 15-5, then went to — trade KD at all costs.

We all know KD is gonna KD, and if there’s one thing we should have learned with Durant after all these years and all the nonsense that comes along with rostering him is that where there is KD smoke, there is almost always fire.

And honestly, as far as I am concerned, if there’s fire with KD, Cade and the Pistons, that’s the best news of the offseason.