Category: NBA

The NBA has a checkered history with alternate uniforms, to put it lightly. While throwbacks and retro-inspired designs often strike the right chord between nostalgia and innovation, many of the recent designs aimed at pushing on-court fashion forward feel like a miss. It feels like an absolute shame that the greatest moment of LeBron James’ career happened in sleeved jerseys back when Adidas had the NBA contract. Nike took over as the league’s official jersey maker two years later, and it’s hard to say it’s been any kind of improvement.

There have been some good Nike City Edition NBA jerseys through the years, but lately it feels like there are more and more misses. It’s hard to maintain optimism for the future of the league’s alternate uniforms after Nike’s latest release leaked this week. Eight teams are getting new looks for the 2026-27 season with Nike’s Specter Edition uniforms, which “reimagine team identity for the league’s oldest franchises through their history, culture and the energy of today’s game.”

It’s a good idea in theory, but the execution is currently getting panned all over the internet. Here’s the leak of the new uniforms for the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, and Sacramento Kings.

Here’s another look at some of the details and features that inspired the new looks:

The Lakers’ jersey in particular has some brutal feedback under the comments:

Here’s a closer look at the Pistons’ alternates:

Nike says these looks are “inspired by the next generation of hoopers,” and there are plenty of young people in the press photos. I’m not going to tell a teenager what’s cool and what isn’t because I’m twice their age. All I know is that from the reaction I’ve seen online so far, justabouteveryonehatesthese.

After almost 10 years of Nike constantly putting out new NBA alternate jerseys that people strongly dislike, here’s a wild idea: why not pick the best ones for each franchise and stick with them? I really loved the Bulls’ City Edition look from 2018. The 2017 look was great, too. Everyone loves the Miami Heat’s “Vice City” alternate. The Timberwolves’ “Purple Reign” look would be fantastic on LaMelo Ball.

Pick out the good ones, and stick with them for a few years. Radical idea, I know.

It really feels like the public has fully turned against Nike’s NBA uniforms. After years of complaining about Adidas’ sleeved jerseys, these feel just as poorly thought out. Making new NBA uniforms doesn’t have to be so hard. Maybe take a few years off and get back to the drawing board.

Among the most infamous teams in modern NBA history is the 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers. A star-studded group headlined by Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, all of whom finished top nine in MVP voting the season prior, went just 45-37 and earned the West’s No. 7 seed before being swept in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs.

Once head coach Mike Brown was fired after a 1-4 start, followed by a brief 4-1 stint from interim head coach Bernie Bickerstaff, the Lakers hired Mike D’Antoni, who previously coached Nash for four seasons with the Phoenix Suns as they worked in tandem to innovate some of the most efficient offenses in NBA history.

Last month, D’Antoni was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Ahead of his induction, he spoke with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin about numerous topics, including his tumultuous Lakers tenure and why he initially opted to join the organization.

“One of the reasons why I took the Laker job — the biggest reason, other than I wanted to coach — was that Steve was going to be there,” D’Antoni told McMenamin. “So I’m thinking that if Steve and I can get this and put this together, we could be really good. And I remember asking them before I signed, ‘I know Steve’s hurt, when’s he coming back?’

“And they go, ‘Well, he’ll be back by Friday. And if we can get you to sign and you get in here, he’ll be almost ready to go right when you get here.’ That kind of pushed me over the hill.”

Only two games into the regular season, Nash fractured his left fibula and missed the next 24 contests. He suited up for 50 games total, his fewest since 1998-99 and third-fewest of his entire career, and posted the fifth-lowest assist rate (32.8%) of his career. The four seasons featuring lower assist rate were the first four of his career, all of which came before he made his eight All-Star appearances.

According to Cleaning the Glass, Los Angeles’ offense was just 0.2 points better per 100 possessions with Nash on the floor that year — a far cry from his enormous imprint during the previous eight seasons in Phoenix. Back injuries spoiled the majority of his next campaign as he played 15 games and the Lakers went 27-55. D’Antoni resigned at the end of the season.

“Well, Steve never really came back,” D’Antoni said. “And even when he did come back, he was about half himself. And so it was doomed from the start.”

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.

Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we take a look at Bronny James.

Whether or not he was worth the gamble or not, Bronny James’ original spot on the Lakers was inarguably a result of his father being on the team. That he is on the team heading into the 2025-26 season, though, is a result of no one but himself.

Multiple seasons of hard work behind the scenes led to Bronny producing in meaningful minutes late in the regular season and in the first round series against the Rockets. Even if nothing else happens in his NBA career, the sequence of him and LeBron cooking the Rockets together will endure.

Even if those playoff minutes also showed how far Bronny has to go, it also instilled enough belief in the Lakers to fend off any potential suitors this summer. As much as he has shown signs of progress, though, the time has come for him to be more than a project and to make good on the team’s investment in him.

What is his best-case scenario?

The years of work, and perhaps being a bit liberated from his father going to the other coast, set Bronny down the path of an impactful role player off the bench. The archetype of player he could become — an athletic point-of-attack defender who can be a connector offensively — fits nicely alongside either Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves.

However, all we’ve seen are flashes of that type of player, and rarely, if ever, all at once. The best-case scenario of this season sees him take those flashes and turn them into sustainable stretches of play. No longer does it happen once every few games, but happens across multiple games.

One of Bronny’s biggest challenges, though, will be breaking through the rotation. Between Austin, Luka, Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes, the backcourt already has a lot of minutes accounted for. He’s going to have an uphill battle to get in the rotation, but defense is the easiest way to project how he sets himself apart.

What is his worst-case scenario?

While Bronny has clearly shown improvement through two seasons, the starting point was far away from an NBA player.

It also means that even if he has improved, he still has a way to go. Improving from flashes to consistent production is a tall ask.

Bronny is going to start the preseason on the fringe of the rotation. To break into it, he’s going to have to beat out established NBA players. It’s quite the leap, one that isn’t inconceivable to say he might not make.

Flashes or production won’t cut it for a team that is deeper this season than last. If injuries pop up, he won’t be one of the first names off the bench. And if he can’t produce for consistent stretches, he’s not going to stick in the rotation.

As much as the team or coaching staff might be fans of him, playing time will be hard to come by and hard to maintain this season.

What is his most likely role on the team?

A deeper Lakers team this season will breed competition, which typically breeds improvement. Bronny will be part of that competition, but he’s going to have to work his way into playing time. That means he’ll have to improve even more, and in the biggest way yet.

He’s capable of making improvements and working on his game, as we’ve seen. But this will be the most important leap he’ll have to make.

For now, he’s going to be on the outside looking in, but the opportunities will come. He’ll have to take advantage of them to prove he deserves to remain in the NBA.

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

The Los Angeles Clippers are nobody’s favourite team these days, even Clippers fans. Amidst the fallout from the Aspiration Scandal’s conclusion, the Clips have been stripped of their picks, their leadership, and are potentially about to relinquish their best player to the Raptors.

All in all, it’s been a pretty bad couple of days for LA’s other team.

It seems that the Clippers are just doubling down on bad decisions connected to the Raptors, as they have just stripped away an honour from arguably their greatest player of all time, Chris Paul. Today, it became known that his jersey number, 3, will be worn by Bradley Beal in upcoming campaign, only one season after he retired from playing basketball after being traded to the Toronto Raptors. Bleacher Report confirmed this on social media, noting that the franchise had committed to retiring Paul’s jersey after the end of his time with the team.

Now, I think this is an awful move for a number of reasons. Opinions of Paul varied throughout the league and the fanbase, but the man’s basketball and leadership abilities were something never in question throughout his storied career. His time with the LA Clippers is something I attribute to first getting me interested in the sport of basketball. Those Lob City teams are among my favourite non-Raptors squads of all time, and what Paul did for Los Angeles in the mid-2010s is something that should be praised by the franchise, rather than buried.

With the Clippers facing down the barrel of a potentially long period of uncompetitiveness, retiring Paul’s jersey would be an easy win for the upcoming year in which wins might be few and far betwee, giving the fans something to rally around. But instead, the Clippers seem hell-bent on continuing to burn bridges rather than build them up, in a period of time where they seem to need support the most.

Of course, while disappointing, this is not shocking behaviour. While the Raptors have for years had some difficulties with the Clippers surrounding bids for Kawhi Leonard from all parties involved, this most recent move to push away Chris Paul just shows how much disdain the Clippers have for Raptors greats. I saw Paul as someone with great potential to mentor our young guards, and to this day, I see it as a missed opportunity that the he and this franchise couldn’t come to an agreement putting him in a basketball role for the team. Paul is coming off a shockingly rocky last season in the league, where he was unceremoniously dropped from involvement with the team, a move that he recently called “one of the most disrespectful things that I’ve endured.”

This came in the wake of a level of dysfunction that was punctuated by a comment from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, who noted that Chris Paul attempted to step into a leadership role by offering to host players at his home, and exercise together. Most publicly, Paul was reported to have thrown a Halloween party that only three teammates — known to include Ivica Zubac and Bradley Beal — attended.

Wow.

So, Chris: I can’t have promised you a ring on the Raptors, but I will assure you’d Toronto would have treated you a hell of a lot better than this, and at the bare minimum, have come out to your party. I might have even bought myself a Chris Paul number 3 jersey in the red and black. I guess that can’t happen anymore, though.

Thanks, Clippers. We really appreciate it.

NBA superstar Jaylen Brown took an interesting side quest this NBA off season. The newly signed Philadelphia 76er popped over to Nigeria to throw hands in a boxing match.

Check out some of the ‘action’ from that fight below.

In the comments on Instagram Brown remarked that he “did 0 prep for this”.

In truth this fight was put together in partnership with one of Brown’s charity initiatives, so this appears to be more of a spar than anything else. He’s lucky his partner didn’t go off script, though. Brown, after all, is due to make $58 million this season (and another $126 million in the following two seasons).

It’s easy to see why Brown might have a passion for the sweet science, though. His father is Quenton Marselles Brown, a former WBU heavyweight champion. Quenton Brown, by the way, was charged with attempted murder last year after a stabbing incident that occurred over a parking dispute.

Back to boxing, though…

Jaylen Brown isn’t the first basketball player to try his hand at combat sports. Who can forget the man that launched Jake Paul’s career?

Multiple time NBA slam dunk champ Nate Robinson was Paul’s first ever boxing opponent. The viral KO Robinson suffered can be cited as a big reason why Paul was able to creep into, disrupt and then fully embed himself fully into combat sports.

NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has been around the fight game a lot, too. We’ve seen him around UFC events and fighters a bunch (remember when he dwarfed Francis Ngannou?) and, back in 2021, he reportedly invested in BKFC.

Anyone from the basketball world you want to see throw down? I’m shocking Dennis Rodman never popped up on one of those influencer cards yet. There’s money to be made with him versus Jose Canseco!

Ramp to Camp: What version of Derrick White will Celtics get this season? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Let’s state the obvious: Derrick White had a miserable shooting season last year. In fact, pick the meanest adjective you can think of, replace our word miserable, and it probably fairly describes White’s season-long shooting woes.

But lost in those shooting struggles — with White connecting on a grisly 32.7 percent of 8.3 3-pointers per game, and shooting a meager 39.4 percent from the floor overall — was that White still was an advanced metrics darling, finishing among the league’s elite in net rating despite his misfires. His defense remained top tier and he routinely impacted winning during his court time.

The shots just would not fall.

For Day 3 of our Ramp to Camp series, we asked our panel: What version of Derrick White will the Celtics get this season?

We suspect you’ll hear a lot of prognosticators talking about a potential “bounce-back year” for White. The reality is that it’s simply his shot that needs to rebound. White put up All-Star-caliber production in basically every other facet of the game. But, thrust into an elevated offensive role while Jayson Tatum rehabbed, it was hard to ignore the shooting splits.

White still finished third on the team in net rating with Boston outscoring opponents by 11.3 points per 100 possessions during his floor time. Among all NBA players that averaged at least 30 minutes per game last season, White ranked fourth in net rating, one spot ahead of Denver MVP candidate Nikola Jokic. The only three players ahead of him were the actual MVP in Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (plus-16.3), Detroit’s Cade Cunningham (plus-11.4), and San Antonio’s Devin Vassell (plus-11.4).

White, despite his shooting woes, ranked in the 95th percentile at his position while generating 29.6 points per game off scoring and assists. He averaged a career-best 1.3 blocks per game, earned a spot on the All-Defense first team, and was sixth in voting for Defensive Player of the Year.

Go find your favorite advanced metric acronym (there’s a lot out there nowadays) and it probably loved White’s season. DARKO had him as a +1.5 DPM (full daily plus minus), the same mark Jaylen Brown posted while finishing sixth in MVP voting. Dunks & Threes’ Estimated Plus-Minus had him at +4.4, which was the 14th best mark in the NBA (one spot behind Cunningham).

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The good news for White is that a healthier Jayson Tatum ought to take a bunch of stress off White’s offensive creation and maybe jolt his shot quality this year. The bad news is that, with the departure of Brown, there will be lingering pressure to be a secondary scoring option. Maybe Paul George and Payton Pritchard can help alleviate some of that stress.

White turned 32 in July. He’ll cross 20,000 total NBA minutes played this season. He has to prove that the shooting funk wasn’t tied to age. If those shooting splits bounce back early in the season, there’s a good chance he could earn the All-Star nod that has somehow evaded him in recent years.

The Celtics need the confident White who punishes teams when they stray from him at the 3-point line. They need the White who ranked in the 97th percentile among guards while shooting 59.4 percent on all 2-point shots in 2024-25, and not the guy who dipped to the 36th percentile while shooting 48.7 percent on 2s last season.

If White finds his floater, the entire perception of his season completely changes.

Our guess is that his numbers perk back up and that a lot of the consternation dissipates. His bond with Tatum is well established. If Tatum can take much of the playmaking duties off White’s plate, it might free him up to thrive in more familiar ways.

The shot might bounce back, but White’s ability to impact winning has never wavered. That can’t change regardless of how he shoots the ball this season.

Jason Levine: Executive Producer, Content Integrations

We might not get the 2024 D-White but he’ll be better than last season. He was pegged as the No. 2 with Tatum out, and I think that’s asking too much. He needs to think the game like he normally does, and I think his shooting will be what we’re accustomed to with the lower level of pressure on his shoulders.

Nick Goss: Producer, Multi-Platform Content

A 37-plus percent shooter from 3-point range and an All-Defensive team selection. The Celtics won’t be a real contender if he shoots as poorly as he did last season.

Michael Hurley: Producer, Multi-Platform Content

That’s hard to say. The Celtics would like to get a more comfortable Derrick White this year, because the team probably asked too much from him last year in Tatum’s absence. I simply believe they have a roster that needs him just as badly this year. Paul George is the wild card here. If the newcomer can be effective and available, White can easily slide into a role that suits him better. But those are some big ifs.

Josh Canu: Editor

I am unfortunately not as optimistic about Derrick White’s offense returning to its previous form. White is once again thrust into needing to be option No. 2 or 3 in the offense and we saw how that played out last season. Tatum should provide more open looks for shooters than Brown did, but I think White’s best days are behind him. He will still provide elite defense and solid playmaking, but I would feel better if he was more of a complementary piece than a focal point.

Justin Leger: Producer, Multi-Platform Content

We should expect White to bounce back offensively after shooting a career-worst 39.4 percent from the floor and 32.7 percent from 3-point range. Tatum’s return and George’s presence will allow White to settle back into his catch-and-shoot role. Last season, White felt the need to carry the offense alongside Brown while Tatum was sidelined. In 2026-27, he should return to form as a dependable shooter while earning yet another All-Defensive nod.

Adam Hart: Executive Producer, Content Strategy

Shook up my Magic 8 Ball: Ask again later.

When Nick Nurse took over as the Sixers’ head coach ahead of the 2023-24 season, players were buzzing with excitement about his energy and creativity. But with Joel Embiid and Paul George cycling in and out of the lineup over the past two seasons, Nurse hasn’t gotten many chances to show off that side of himself. His experimentation with lineups was more out of necessity than anything else.

That shouldn’t be the case this coming season. Between Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe and some guy named LeBron James, the Sixers have more top-end talent than they’ve had arguably in decades. But their talent doesn’t just stop at their starting five. They’re far deeper than they’ve been at any point in the Nurse era, too.

After an up-and-down regular season last year, Nurse already started getting back in the good graces of Sixers fans by helping orchestrate the Sixers’ thrilling 3-1 series comeback against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was so rattled by the end of that series that he started Baylor Scheierman, Luka Garza and Ron Harper Jr. in Game 7. On purpose!

Granted, the good vibes didn’t last long. A second-round sweep at the hands of the eventual champion New York Knicks left the Sixers looking rudderless heading into the offseason. Of course, that was before new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey pulled off the coup of all coups by landing both Brown and James.

Those two were the headliners of the offseason for obvious reasons, but they weren’t the Sixers’ only key additions. Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Ariel Hukporti and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could all play key roles off the bench this season. Gansey also resisted the temptation to draft for fit over talent when he took Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22 overall, giving the Sixers another ball-handler behind Maxey and Edgecombe.

It’s now on Nurse to figure out how all of these pieces will fit together.

Will the ‘mad scientist’ show up?

Nurse made a name for himself in Toronto when he helped guide the Raptors to their first-ever championship in 2019. His decision to deploy a box-and-one defense against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry in the NBA Finals that year was some true sicko stuff.

“Trying new stuff, being innovative, is who Nick is,” then-Raptors president Masai Ujiri said about Nurse during his introductory press conference in Toronto in 2018. “You can tell he’s a tactician who really thinks the game.”

That innovation hasn’t been on display as much as expected in Philly… yet. The Sixers had 54 different starting lineups in 2024-25 (!), but that was a byproduct of injuries more than anything else. Much like Doc Rivers before him, Nurse flirted with the idea of double-big lineups featuring Embiid and either Andre Drummond or Adem Bona, but Embiid and Bona played only 46 minutes together last year, while Embiid and Drummond shared the floor for only eight minutes.

This season, Nurse should have plenty of chances to lean back into his experimental nature.

Nurse already confirmed that he plans to deploy LeBron as an “offense creator” who will “bring the ball up the floor and try to create for himself and others,” but Maxey and Edgecombe should get some ball-handling reps as well. Being able to use LeBron, Maxey and Edgecombe both as on- and off-ball weapons should make the Sixers that much more unpredictable on offense, so it’ll be imperative for Nurse not to lean solely on LeBron as the main ball-handler.

Nurse already began moving away from Embiid as the Sixers’ offensive fulcrum last season, and the Sixers’ offseason overhaul should only further expedite that process. This will be the first time in Embiid’s career where he doesn’t have to score 20-plus points on any given night to give the Sixers even a puncher’s chance of winning. Can Nurse get him to buy into scaling back his offensive role even more and instead get him to spend his energy on defense, rebounding, screen-setting and boxing out?

And how will he deploy Brown, who’s fresh off a career year as the No. 1 option in Boston? Brown’s handle isn’t tight enough to merit running the offense through him again, but he’s a legitimate weapon in isolations. He’s also big and physical enough to back down smaller defenders. Finding the balance between that and keeping the ball moving might be among Nurse’s greatest challenges this year.

Pace is the other big question looming over the Sixers offense. Maxey, James and Brown were second, third and fourth, respectively, in transition points per game last season, and Edgecombe’s youth and athleticism should make him a dynamic weapon in the open floor as well. Embiid… not so much. How does Nurse blend those two styles together?

While the Sixers’ starting five figure to open and close games together, they’ll also have plenty of time intermingling with bench players. It’ll be on Nurse to figure out which combinations and skill sets fit best together.

He did lean into more three-guard lineups with Maxey, Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes last year—again, mostly out of necessity—but will he try out units with three of Maxey, Edgecombe, Simons, KCP and Philon? How will the forward rotation shake out behind Brown and James? What’s the optimal role for Wade and Dominick Barlow this year? Do Jabari Walker and Justin Edwards factor into the rotation at all?

While it’s imperative for the starting five to develop chemistry—after all, they’ll be playing the lion’s share of the minutes if (when?) the Sixers make it to the playoffs—Nurse needs to lean into his experimental side during the regular season, especially early on. The Sixers will have an opportunity to address any holes in their roster at the trade deadline or on the buyout market, but they first need to identify their biggest needs before looking to rectify them.

Luckily, Nurse’s experience with integrating Kawhi Leonard into the 2018-19 Raptors could help him this season.

“Nurse was brought in to deliver outside-the-box thinking to a group that had grown stagnant, and accordingly, he was all over the map in his first go-around,” William Lou of Yahoo Sports wrote in 2019. “He treated the entire regular season as one great experiment, shuffling through 22 different starting lineups while managing a never-ending slew of injuries.” (Sound familiar?)

“The Raptors lacked the consistency and continuity that powered them under [former head coach Dwane] Casey, but it was a concerted sacrifice made in the name of versatility,” Lou added. “The ability to adapt was thought to be an advantage come playoff time.”

During his introductory press conference with the Raptors, Nurse specifically said that he wanted to get more creative defensively “so we can try to be ready for more things in the playoffs.” The box-and-one in the 2019 Finals was a total wild card, but Nurse used a double-big lineup with Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol in the Raptors’ second-round series against the Sixers to flip the script after they fell into a 2-1 hole.

The Sixers will face a variety of threats throughout the Eastern Conference this year, all of whom present different challenges. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers will all trot out double-big lineups, while elite guards and wings and a five-out starting unit will be the New York Knicks’ calling card. Befitting their name, the Pacers figure to push the pace and overwhelm opponents with depth, while the Boston Celtics will once again likely look to leverage the math battle by bombing away from deep.

The Sixers need to be prepared for all of the stylistic challenges that their potential playoff opponents can present. The regular season is an 82-game crucible to get them ready for that. While they need to focus on winning as many games as possible for playoff-seeding purposes, using the same lineups and combinations night after night won’t do much to get them ready for the postseason.

In 2022, Ujiri described Nurse as a “mad scientist” who “lives, sleeps and drinks the game.” He’s had plenty of time this offseason to be in his lab figuring out the best ways to deploy the new talent he has at his disposal. In a few weeks, we’ll get to see what he’s cooked up.

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

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

Sixers pre-camp questions: Will Sixers be healthy when it matters most? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ new era is on deck.

With LeBron James and Jaylen Brown on board and training camp set to begin in late September, we’re taking a look at key questions for the 2026-27 Sixers. 

We’ve asked: 

Just how dramatic of an impact will James make?

What role will Brown play on his new team?

Next up: Will the Sixers be healthy when it matters most? 

Joel Embiid is naturally the first name to cover with the Sixers’ health picture.

Embiid last exceeded 40 regular-season games in his 2022-23 MVP year. He played 38 last season, then missed the first three games of the Sixers’ first-round playoff series against the Celtics as he recovered from an appendectomy and sat out Game 2 of Round 2 vs. the Knicks because of ankle and hip injuries.

As many Sixers fans have seen, Embiid has been on the court and looked in excellent physical shape this offseason. Embiid has indeed been moving well and feeling good about his summer, a team source recently said. The organization is optimistic about his health and mobility in the season ahead. 

We’ll see exactly how the team handles his games and minutes this year. It would certainly be a surprise to see Embiid play back-to-backs again off the bat. The Sixers plan to have a fluid approach with Embiid as the season progresses and they see what works for his body and for the team. On head coach Nick Nurse’s 2018-19 NBA champion Raptors, Kawhi Leonard played in 60 games and zero back-to-backs.Toronto went 9-3 on the second leg of back-to-backs. The Sixers had a great year in that regard last season, going 12-4 on the second night of back-to-backs, and would be thrilled with similar results in the 2026-27 campaign as they manage their star-packed roster. 

Sixers vice president of athlete care Simon Rice has worked closely with Embiid, who credited him after scoring 40 points in the team’s Jan. 31 win over the Pelicans. 

“We figured out the schedule,” Embiid said, “and what I have to do every single day to make sure I’m prepared and that I feel good. … Simon Rice, he’s been the main guy when it comes to everything. I would say probably everybody mostly gave up on me. 

“He’s the one guy who kept trying to figure it out. What can we do? How can he help me? I’m really thankful because he was that one person. He’s in the background. No one is ever going to mention his name and talk about him, but he’s the guy.” 

James played 60 games last season and averaged a career-low 33.2 minutes. Like with Embiid, the Sixers will care more about his playoff availability than the regular season. Of course, James has developed an exceptional understanding of how to treat his body and get through seasons over the years. He’ll turn 42 years old during the regular season and will undoubtedly have periodic rest with the postseason in mind. 

Tyrese Maxey’s norm the past three years with Nurse has been enormous minutes. He played an NBA-high 38.0 per game last season. Whatever that number is for the 2026-27 season, the Sixers will expect Maxey’s minutes to be substantially less taxing with two new stars on the team in James and Brown. 

Maxey logged 70 games last year, though he returned from a pinky finger injury ahead of schedule late in the season, aggravated it multiple times, and wasn’t near 100 percent in the playoffs. The two-time All-Star guard will always push to play, but it’s worth remembering that nagging, recurring injuries have impacted him before and the Sixers would obviously prefer to avoid those sorts of problems in 2026-27. 

The Sixers are pleased with their depth, including second-unit summer pickups Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade, but any team can be stretched thin when injuries pile up. They’ll try to control what they can health-wise and hope for better luck than in injury-cursed years past.

The timing of the Lakers announcing they’re going to unveil a statue of legendary coach Phil Jackson made a lot of sense. 

The franchise was less than seven months removed from immortalizing Pat Riley, one of the last key figures of the Lakers’ “Showtime” era who hadn’t been honored with a statue up until that point (James Worthy is also deserving of a statue). 

With Shaquille O’Neal (2017) and Kobe Bryant (2024) already having statues outside of Crypto.com Arena, it made sense for the Lakers to honor Jackson, one of the masterminds from their last dynasty in the 2000s.

And with the Lakers on the cusp of a new era and on the verge of changing majority ownership for the second time in a year, this much is clear: It’s time for the Lakers to honor the late Dr. Jerry Buss with a statue. 

Buss’ worthiness of a statue doesn’t need to be argued. 

He’s not only the greatest owner in NBA history but he also has a strong argument for the greatest franchise owner in sports history. 

After Buss purchased the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke for $67.5 million (the deal also included the NHL’s Kings and the Forum in Inglewood), the franchise went on a historic run before Buss died in 2013: 10 NBA titles, 16 Western Conference titles and 32 playoff appearances in 34 years. 

In addition to the success off the court, Buss revolutionized the business side of the NBA in myriad ways, changing how sports franchises throughout the world present and operate their teams. 

Buss was a cultural and sports icon. 

And the person responsible for the Lakers being an iconic franchise who welcomed other iconic individuals — including many who will be or have been honored with a statue from the Lakers.

Now, it should be his turn. 

Especially during the period the franchise is in. 

After Buss was the Lakers’ majority owner for nearly 34 years, and his children were the majority owners of the franchise for another 12 years, the Lakers are in the process of being sold for the second time since last summer. 

Mark Walter, the Dodgers’ controlling owner, bought the majority ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family in June 2025 at a then-record valuation of $10 billion. 

Fourteen months later, amid Walter’s business empire facing a federal investigation into potential loan fraud and business wrongdoings, he sold the majority ownership of the Lakers to businessman Josh Kushner and ex-Disney executive Bob Iger at the historic valuation of $12.5 billion.

And in the aftermath of the latest sale, five of Buss’ children (Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss) attempted to sell the family’s remaining stake of the Lakers (17.8%), but Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court to block her siblings’ attempted sale of their minority ownership stake of the franchise.

With a court hearing not set until Dec. 8, the Buss family’s future with the franchise is uncertain. 

And with there not being a track record of a sports franchise being led by Kushner and Iger, the franchise’s overall future is unknown. 

But a great way for Kushner and Iger to ingratiate themselves with Lakers fans would be to honor the icon responsible for the empire they’re taking control of. 

It would be an immortalization that’s long overdue.

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Send in your questions hot takes and predictions for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your take in the comments section here or on Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @RobbieBettelon. If you’re on BlueSky, you can also send to @RobbieBettelon.bksy.social.

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The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast Vitals:

When: Friday, September 11th at 5:00 p.m. ET

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Go Stones.

Now that the Dallas Mavericks’ roster is 99% set with a little more than a month before the start of the 2026-27 season, one thing that has been on my mind is who is going to be in the rotation on day one. While there are some familiar faces, a third of the roster is brand new.

Returning Players: Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Caleb Martin, Max Christie, Dereck Lively II, Naji Marshall, Moussa Cisse

New Players: Tarik Biberovic, Sergio De Larrea, Morez Johnson Jr., Santi Aldama, Marcus Sasser, Zaccharie Risacher

Six new faces may not seem like much turnover, but when you consider that Lively and Irving were non-factors last year and Cisse was on a two-way contract, over half of the playable roster is new this season.

On top of that, the Mavericks have a brand new front office and coaching staff. I don’t know much about Dusty May yet. I do know that he is considered an analytics darling and has shown a willingness to adapt his game plan to the roster in front of him, something that was evident in his rotations at FAU and Michigan.

Looking at the limitations of this roster, shot creation and playmaking, while improved from last year, still stand out as the biggest weaknesses. Is May going to prioritize those areas? Or will he lean into the size and shooting the Mavericks have added throughout the offseason?

Unfortunately, we don’t have those answers yet. But I’m going to do my best to look at this roster through the eyes of Dusty May and rationalize what I think he might do.

So, who is going to play?

Looking at last year’s data for Mavericks players who appeared in at least 50 games, here is how the minutes were distributed:

Cooper Flagg: 70 GP, 33.5 MPG

P.J. Washington: 56 GP, 31 MPG

Naji Marshall: 74 GP, 29.5 MPG

Max Christie: 77 GP, 29.1 MPG

Brandon Williams: 66 GP, 22.2 MPG

Daniel Gafford: 55 GP, 21.7 MPG

Klay Thompson: 69 GP, 21.7 MPG

Ryan Nembhard: 60 GP, 19.5 MPG

Caleb Martin: 58 GP, 14.8 MPG

Dwight Powell: 63 GP, 12.3 MPG

This isn’t a perfect representation of the rotation, especially when you get to the final few players, but it gives us a starting point for this thought experiment.

I would normally lock Dereck Lively into the rotation, but from what I’ve seen, I don’t believe he will be ready to go on opening night. For now, I’m leaving him out.

The only other player I believe will be completely out of the rotation on day one is Caleb Martin. His offense, or lack thereof, is ultimately why I think he will start the season on the bench.

My locks for the day-one rotation are Kyrie, Cooper, P.J., Gafford, Naji, Max and Rez.

Assuming a 10-man rotation, that leaves six players fighting for the final three spots. Let’s make the case for each of them:

Moussa Cisse

Cisse was one of my favorite players to watch last season. When I was at games last year, I would spend stretches just watching him. He would contest a shot, fall down, then immediately sprint to the other side of the floor, ready for a pick-and-roll action.

He averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 1.2 blocks in 38 games while playing just 13.9 minutes per game. He was one of five players to average more than a block per game while playing fewer than 20 minutes per game. The other four were Yves Missi at 1.5 blocked shots in 19.7 minutes, Robert Williams at 1.5 blocks in 17.1 minutes, Mitchell Robinson at 1.2 blocked shots in 19.6 minutes and Adem Bona at 1.2 blocked shots in 17.4 minutes per game.

Per-36 is a flawed stat, especially for high-energy bigs who do a lot of the dirty work, but Cisse’s numbers translate to 11.5 points, 14.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 3.1 blocked shots per 36.

What will hold him back is his obvious offensive limitations, along with his tendency to foul. If he can clean up those areas, I believe Moose could develop into a solid rotation player this season.

Zaccharie Risacher

Unfortunately, Risacher didn’t show the year-one-to-year-two progression you would like to see. He went from 12.6 to 9.6 points, 3.6 to 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 to 1.1 assists and 0.7 to 0.9 steals per game, while remaining stagnant at 0.5 blocked shots.

His only notable improvement came from three, where he went from 35.5% to 36.8%.

I believe a fresh start is exactly what he needed, along with a fresh set of expectations. He has said himself that he wants to prove he belongs on the court and earn his minutes.

He has a quick release, can attack closeouts and has shown flashes defensively, but consistency is still the biggest thing missing from his game.

If he can maintain that 37% mark from three, or even improve it with more volume, and utilize his size on the defensive end, I could see him making a legitimate push for a starting spot by the end of the season.

Sergio De Larrea

De Larrea was the star of Summer League. He walks in as probably the best lob passer on the team and one of its best overall passers from day one.

The biggest limitation for him will be his scoring gravity. Nembhard had a very similar problem last year: if you aren’t a threat to score, your playmaking ability becomes significantly less effective because defenses don’t have to respect you as a scorer.

In his last two seasons playing abroad, De Larrea averaged 6.3 points, 2.7 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game on 45/41/77 shooting splits. On the bright side, his efficiency is solid, but it isn’t exactly eye-popping either.

He is young and still has plenty of room to grow. If Dusty May wants to prioritize playmaking and positional size, I can see Larry earning a spot in the rotation early on. But I think it may take some time before he is ready to consistently contribute.

Tarik Biberovic

Watching highlights of Biberovic reminds me of prime Warriors basketball: a bunch of off-ball actions designed to get shooters open and launch threes.

Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 42.9% from three on five attempts per game. And they come in every way imaginable. Stationary catch-and-shoots, highly contested attempts, coming off screens, it doesn’t seem to matter for this guy.

Nothing would bring life to the AAC quite like a Klay three, and I have a feeling Tarik is going to have a similar effect. The biggest questions are whether his defense will hold up and whether he can do enough off the dribble to keep the ball moving when defenses play him tightly.

Either way, I cannot wait for a Biberovic heat check.

Santi Aldama

A lot has been made this offseason of the fact that Aldama was one of just four seven-footers last season who shot at least four threes per game at a 35% or better clip. That is a unique skill set to have, and even more importantly, it is a skill set the Mavericks can actually use in a variety of ways.

Add in 6.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.5 stocks per game, and Aldama brings a ton of versatility to the lineup. If the Mavericks want to play five-out, they can use him at center. If they want to go big, he can slide to the four alongside another center.

Ultimately, his shooting ability could be the lynchpin that unlocks a number of different lineups for the Mavericks this season.

Marcus Sasser

Marcus Sasser had a down year, missing the first 23 games of the season with an injury before spending much of the remainder of the year in and out of the rotation. He posted career lows in every major statistical category last season except for three-point percentage, where he actually set a career high at 41.5%. Sasser brings some much-needed ball handling and self-creation, but as we’ve seen around the league this offseason, his archetype is becoming less valuable.

He competes defensively, but he is still an undersized guard. He can absolutely provide value when the Mavericks need a scoring punch, but I’m not sure that will be enough to earn him a regular spot in the rotation. If the Pistons who also were severely lacking playmaking and shot creation wouldn’t play him, will the Mavs?

So, Who Makes It?

Ultimately, who do I believe Dusty May will employ on game one?

I don’t think Sasser necessarily fits the positional size May appears to be looking for, and that the plan for ball handling will be to utilize Naji alongside the backup point guard.

As much as I love De Larrea and think he will be a good player, I also believe it is going to take some time for his development. His playing time early in the season may be inconsistent as he adjusts to the NBA.

That leaves Risacher, Biberovic, Cisse and Aldama fighting for the final spots.

Risacher is the closest thing to a lock among this group. He brings size, shooting and versatility to the wing, and even if he doesn’t have a breakout season, he should still be a useful bench player.

The same goes for Biberovic. As long as his shooting translates, which I have little reason to believe it won’t, he can provide something this roster desperately needs: spacing and high-volume three-point shooting.

That leaves the biggest question of all:

Cisse or Aldama?

Ultimately, I think Dusty May will lean toward Aldama.

With Gafford anchoring the starting five, Johnson and Aldama can form a sort of bullpen at the big-man spots, with both players capable of sliding between the four and five. The difference is what Aldama brings offensively. His shooting creates spacing that Cisse simply cannot provide right now. That versatility gives Aldama the edge.

So, my projected day-one rotation is:

Starters: Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford

Bench: Naji Marshall, Tarik Biberovic, Zaccharie Risacher, Morez Johnson Jr., Santi Aldama

And that’s before Lively eventually returns.

There are still plenty of questions surrounding this roster, particularly when it comes to shot creation and how the offense will function when Kyrie isn’t on the floor. But that’s also what makes this team so interesting. There are a lot of different lineup combinations available to Dusty May, and several players who could force their way into bigger roles as the season progresses.

My day-one rotation probably won’t be the rotation we see by the end of the season. That’s the fun part.

For now, though, this is the group I expect to see when the Mavericks tip off Game 1.

Editor’s Note: We’re excited to see our very own Matt Harren, better known as harebear in the comments section, taking the brave dive onto the Canis front page. You’ll be seeing a lot more from Matt this season, so please give him a warm welcome!

During the 2020 NBA Draft, just after the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Anthony Edwards 1st overall, the Wolves traded James Johnson and the 17th pick (Aleksej Pokuševski) to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the 23rd pick (Leandro Bolmaro), the 28th pick (Jaden McDaniels), and Wolves legend Ricky Rubio.

Then-Wolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas returned the fan favorite PG less than a year after declaring, “Why didn’t we sign a point guard on July 1st? Because we wanted that point guard,” hinting at the team’s belief in D’Angelo Russell. During Edwards’ first season, he took his first NBA steps under the tutelage of two very different guards.

Since then, Minnesota’s point guard play has remained in flux. For Edwards, each mentor guard has imparted lessons on what to do and what not to do. As the Wolves embark on a new season with another new guard – this time a peer from Ant’s draft class – I wanted to look back at Ant’s growth and the point guards that helped him get there and question what is next if his partnership with LaMelo Ball is to flourish.

Ricky Rubio

It was Rubio who rekindled my love for Timberwolves basketball again, years after the Garnett trade. I was more excited about the return of flashy passes than the Dion Waiters-comped Edwards.

After helping Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns reach stardom, Ricky was brought in to work his magic with Edwards.

Since his first stint with the Wolves, Rubio was beloved for his ability to raise the level of the players around him. As a pass-first point guard with a limited shot, defenders dared him to let it fly. Despite this coverage, on-time passes still zipped from his fingers like notes from a Flamenco guitar player. Early Ricky cared about basketball and playing with joy.

After season-ending injuries, unexpected trades, and losing loved ones, Ricky became jaded with the business side of the profession. Nevertheless, on the court he played with all of himself. Ant gravitated to that. Per Chris Hine, then of the Star Tribune, Ant spoke about Ricky after Chris Finch’s first win as the Wolves head coach.

“He leads by example and communication. Some leaders, they’re going to lead by example. Some of them lead by talking, but Ricky, he does both,” Edwards said. “He’s the best leader I’ve been around all my life.”

Ricky knew his limitations: an inconsistent shot, subpar athleticism. He could also read the floor better than most and maximize the talents of his teammates. It is not a great leap to think he saw the potential in Ant and laid out the path for him.

Edwards has spent every year since improving. Offseason reporting notes that Ant reached out to Jonathan Kuminga, selling the free agent on his importance to the Wolves. At Jaylen Clark’s training camp, Edwards called Ball and had the campers wish him a happy birthday.

While Edwards is still rising into his prime, he has faced the gauntlet of the playoffs and been dismissed early. His talent is otherwordly, far eclipsing the skills of his first PG mentor, and like Rubio, he knows the summit is only reached when everyone is playing at their best.

Patrick Beverley

During the 2021-22 offseason, the Wolves traded Jarrett Culver and Juancho Hernangomez to the Memphis Grizzlies for Patrick Beverley.

After a career that first started in the EuroLeague before earning All-Defensive honors, along with some suspensions for reckless play — he missed the Wolves’ first game of the season for shoving Chris Paul in the back during the Western Conference Finals — many thought Beverley’s best years were in the distant rearview.

With the very young Wolves, Pat Bev found a group brimming with raw talent and little cohesion. Through unrelenting effort and arrogance disguised as brash confidence, Mr. 94 Feet made the Wolves believe in themselves enough to stop being polite after the whistle was blown.

Beverley played with a chip on his shoulder but held a special place for any team or player he felt slighted by. He loathed Chris Paul after he was sent to the Los Angeles Clippers in a trade for the All-Star Guard. He went through a euphoric episode after helping the Wolves defeat the Clippers, who had dumped him in Memphis, during the Play-In Tournament.

The Wolves were bounced by those same Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. A few months later, Pat Bev sent to Utah as part of the Rudy Gobert trade.

What he left was a Wolves team no longer just happy to be there. For Ant, each playoff appearance since has put him against the Western Conference team that would eventually reach the Finals. In every one of those series, Ant has played with the full, near-arrogant belief that he was the best player in the series.

Confidence is key. But overconfidence has its downfalls as well, as we can see in the next guard’s tenure.

D’Angelo Russell

I thought it was going to work.

I fell for the upstart 2019 Brooklyn Nets and D’Angelo Russell.

I was heartbroken when D’Lo chose to sign with the Golden State Warriors over the Wolves.

I nearly let out a yelp of excitement in the middle of a work call when the Woj Bomb dropped.

I was wrong. The cerebral player I thought Russell was, was a facade. A master of after-the-fact analysis, the Ohio State product could accurately walkthrough any segment of the game and tell you what went right and wrong.

When the next game came around, though, it was a coin toss on whether his words would turn into action. He was benched during Ant’s first playoff series against the Grizzlies due to his shot selection, pace of play, and defensive limitations. Taking his place was the smaller undrafted guard Jordan McLaughlin, who outperformed the max-contract player and better executed Coach Finch’s vision.

The next season, the Wolves traded for Gobert. They envisioned Rudy covering D’Lo’s defensive weaknesses and Russell creating lobs from a Rudy pick-and-roll.

None of it came to fruition.

Early in the failed attempt, Russell had come to the conclusion that he couldn’t work with Gobert.The fruit of their partnership withered on the vine. By the trade deadline, the Wolves swapped point guards, bringing in the steady and familiar hand of Mike Conley.

Throughout it all, Ant had a front-row seat to Russell’s behavior. He saw the price of arrogance and what happens when teammates give up on each other.

Ant has clearly prioritized never being in that position. In one breath, he can call out Karl-Anthony Towns to stop fouling — as he did during the 2024 series against the Suns — and in the next, tell President Barack Obama to keep Towns’ name out of his mouth.

Hey, not all of these lessons came from good role models.

Mike Conley

Mike Conley is a pro’s pro. The one-time All-Star was a part of the Grit-n-Grind Grizzlies, the Mitchell/Gobert Utah Jazz, and landed on the Timberwolves in the midst of a failing Towns-and-Gobert double-big experiment. He spent a few games post-trade understanding his new team and their preferences, and then set to work doing what he has always done: involving everyone.

Conley has a preternatural ability to know who hasn’t touched the basketball in a while and the empathic selflessness to get that player the ball in a place where they feel effective. What’s more, this sixth sense for the right play doesn’t need to be flashy. Its often simple, effectively communicated, and leads to trust.

Entering his first full season with the Wolves, he organized the offense, making Rudy effective with lob dunks, finding KAT on the perimeter for threes, and empowering McDaniels and especially Ant to attack, all while putting his body on the line on defense.

His efforts helped the Wolves reach their second-ever Western Conference Finals in 2024, going back again the next year. When he was traded this past February, then traded again and waived, the Wolves were desperate to bring the PG back to help maintain the locker room. He came back to the Wolves searching for the championship that eluded him, the crown jewel in a laudable career.

Ant grew into superstardom, into the team’s leader, into an adult under the mentorship of Conley. He learned how to make the simple play and take what the game gave him. Sadly, the last and greatest lesson Conley, now signed with the Boston Celtics, imparted was simple.

Don’t take this for granted…

Himself

Just before tipoff of the 2025-26 season, the Timberwolves made a starting lineup change. Out was Mike Conley, and in was Donte DiVincenzo. As such, primary ball-handling duties went to Edwards.

This season-long experiment put the ball in Ant’s hands. There it stayed for possession after possession. Somehow, despite it all, he averaged nearly one fewer assist per game.

His opponents sent double teams as he crossed half-court. He’d fight for freedom and burn precious energy that left him sagging on defense. Edwards vacillated between spreading the ball around and chucking, finding success and failure in both approaches. His passes to less capable shooters left his shoulders sagging. His early shot-clock bricks brought the same response from his teammates.

In the second round playoff matchup with the San Antonio Spurs, a hobbled Edwards was hounded. His teammates struggled to offer him effective options and the Wolves were sent home looking for answers.

The Point Ant experiment was a failure. It’s not easy to feed yourself and the team all at once.

LaMelo Ball

LaMelo Ball was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets two spots behind Anthony Edwards. Like the Wolves of that era, the Hornets were also mired in year over year ineptitude. LaMelo beat out Ant for Rookie of the Year, and made his first — and at this writing, only — All-Star appearance a year before Edwards. Since then injuries, erratic and unserious shot selection, a steady rotation of coaching changes, and off-court erratic driving has marred some of the shine on the promising 6’7” point guard. That he was traded for Naz Reid (winced as I typed that), a first round pick and some swaps shows just what the Hornets thought of Ball’s future in the league.

For Tim Connelly and Chris Finch, they believe Melo’s ability to see over defenses offers something Ant has never played with, an athletic pass-first point guard who teams have to guard close. Melo should elevate every teammate with his passing. He’ll make some of them feel like superheroes with alley oops. The cost of this for the Wolves, including Ant, is defensive effort to save Melo when he is attacked. When Melo’s passes are too audacious, he’ll need to hear it from his teammates as well as Finch.

While there is excitement about the pairing of two of the league’s best backcourt players, the immaturity label has been used on both of them. Ant has improved each year. He has learned hard lessons from his point guard mentors.

To peel off the immaturity tag, Ant’s next lesson is to become like the mentors who shaped him.

The playoffs, the draft, free agency. These are the pinnacles of NBA—and by extension Milwaukee Bucks—fandom. Well, Ranking the Roster isn’t too far behind, especially around here! 

An annual tradition, Ranking the Roster has been a staple of Brew Hoop since 2014. Back then, a little-known sophomore won the crown in a vote that showed the community’s collective prescience. In second place came a highly touted second-overall draft pick. You know who on both accounts. Other names of yesteryear include Larry Sanders (fifth), Kendall Marshall (ninth), Jared Dudley (11th), and O.J Mayo (18th). Memories… For a complete nostalgia trip down original rankings lane, click here. 

Of course, back then, the rules were slightly different, with fans asked to rank players—and even picks—as “assets” in this hypothetical scenario:

Imagine the NBA was having an expansion draft, and the Bucks were able to “protect” their entire team from being taken by a new expansion organization, except for one player. Whoever is left unprotected will be selected in this hypothetical and totally unfair expansion draft. After this player is chosen, his salary comes off the Bucks’ books instantly, as though he was never on the team at all. Then (and this is important) the Bucks’ future plays out for some number of years, however long you care to imagine, only they no longer have the chosen player on the roster or on the cap sheet.

Over time, like the game we love so dearly itself, Ranking the Roster has evolved too, with the focus strictly on which player is more important to Milwaukee’s success in comparison to his teammates. More specifically, as Van Fayaz reiterated last year, you should heed Managing Editor Emeritus Adam Paris’ advice when making your selections:

Postseason success should be paramount in your mind when considering your rankings. Regular season competency is a bonus, especially if they can help the team get to a higher seed that yields dividends in the Playoffs, but think about how you envision each individual player factoring in when postseason games arrive.

Considering the context of this year’s team, with the Bucks tying up the laces on a new pair of kicks as they embark on a rebuild, “playoffs” might be a bit of a stretch (it’s also partly because of this that the “Gut Check” poll portion of the series has been shelved). But they will come down the road. And when that happens, which of these Bucks do you trust? 

Before we get to that, let’s revisit the archives (current players only). As noted, Giannis was the first winner in the series and it will come as no surprise that he’s the only Buck to ever hold that title. With his glaring absence from the books, this year we’ll see a first—and there’s no dominant school of thought as to who might fill the relinquished throne, at least as far as I can see it. 

Tyler Herro and Myles Turner have both made the Finals as key players, so you know they at least fit the bill. Then again, Kyle Kuzma has won one. So, I’m not convinced any of those (save maybe Herro) will get my vote. Ryan Rollins made the biggest leap on the team last year—it still baffles me how he didn’t get more Most Improved Player (MIP) consideration—and seems primed to do so again. But Jaime Jaquez Jr. was runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year (6MOY) and has open forward spots beckoning him to take on a bigger role, so that’s no guarantee either. Then there’s Kel’el Ware, who’s got perhaps the highest ceiling on the team and is itching to break out so long as he gets enough minutes (and stops being so curious). Oh, and there’s a tenth overall draft pick who you already know I think has a chance to be, uh, pretty okay. 

On the other end of the scale, I’m also eager to see who Bucks fans don’t trust. Kasparas Jakucionis was a sticking point in the Giannis trade, but do you value him as highly as Jon Horst seemingly did? What about been-there-before vets Caris LeVert and Gary Trent Jr., who were key rotational playoff pieces just last year and the year before that, respectively? Or have they soured that much? Only time—and you—will tell. That’s what makes this exercise so fun (and evergreen). Speaking of Green, how the hell is AJ the longest tenured Buck—by two years!? Things really done changed.  

One final point. As it stands, the Bucks still have 17 players under contract to go along with two out of a possible three two-way players. So, with teams able to carry a maximum of 15 players during the season, anticipate roster trimming at some point. Until then, treat everyone as if they’re on the team for the year ahead.  

Now get your GM hat on and get to work, starting with the first ranking:

Please note that technical changes across SB Nation mean polls must now be created in The Feed, so you will see them both there and in the articles themselves. They are also capped at six options, so we’ll present these as best we can. It’s not perfect, we know, but it’ll work. Thanks for your understanding.

Every day, we’ll take a closer look at another member of the 2026-27 Phoenix Suns, examining what they bring to the roster and what their role could mean for the season ahead as we count down to training camp and the preseason.

CJ Huntley

Power Forward/Center, 6’10”, 230 pounds, 24 years old, 2nd season

We start our annual player previews at the end of the bench, with second-year big man C. J. Huntley. At 6’10” and now 230 pounds, he provides an insurance depth piece up front. There is a real chance he sees more NBA-level time this year, given Mark Williams’ health history, or that a mid-season trade affects the current deep frontline rotation.

Last Season

Huntley logged 42 total games at 27 minutes per game with the Valley Suns G-League team, combining the tip-off tournament and regular season. Per 36 minutes, he put up 21 points, 11 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 3.3 three-point attempts (making them at a 34% clip). That willingness to hoist three’s supported what the Suns scouts saw at Appalachian State, where he put up 3.8 per game. He played in four games (10 minutes per game) with the NBA club, with garbage-time minutes and a small sample size.

Worth monitoring: CJ was held out in the 2026 Summer League with hamstring issues, and those can linger or recur.

Contract and Roster Context        

Under a two-way contract for this season, he becomes a restricted free agent in 2027-28.

What He Brings

There are things to like, explaining why the front office gave him another run at one of the two-way contract spots. Physically, he has good length (a 7.5” wingspan). As cited in draft profiles, he continued to demonstrate good hands, as shown by a better-than-average G-League big-man turnover rate of 8.8%.

Power hasn’t been a strong suit, but he’s now at 230 pounds after being listed at a lower weight range out of college. He moves well enough to provide some perimeter defense ability as a potential — albeit lesser — shadow of Oso Ighodaro’s role in this. CJ is better on the offensive glass (11% offesnive rebound rate, above norms for frontline players).

Last year’s player preview highlighted his need to develop offensive flow and spatial awareness. This has developed to some extent in Tempe and should remain a focus. Defensive rebounding is average at best. He is not a pure rim protector. The G-League coaching staff complimented him as a hard worker, as referenced in this short highlight video:    

One Key Factor              

When given an NBA opportunity this year, Huntley must fit seamlessly into the Suns’ offensive flow while maximizing the core strengths that earned him a chance. Can he move to the right spots at the right time while not disrupting the Suns’ offense?

Prediction         

There is a good chance, better than 50/50, that one of the following occurs with effects on the frontline: injuries, trades, suspensions, or depth limitations from rest days. When that happens, CJ will get his chance to play some non-garbage minutes in 5-10 games or perhaps more. His work ethic and attributes will allow him to play at an NBA baseline level and force an interesting decision when it is time to discuss a contract for the following season.