PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 22: Matisse Thybulle #4 of the Portland Trail Blazers plays defense during the game against the Phoenix Suns on February 22, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Matisse Thybulle and Zaire Williams have been brought on to bolster the wing position. In the NBA Draft, the Lakers traded up a spot to acquire Cameron Carr, and when you add in two-year forward Adou Thiero, there is suddenly a nice group of players that have a potential for a breakout year.
For our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we asked fans which player from this group would outperform their contract, and Thybulle was the top pick.
Thybulle is reportedly healthy now after some injury-riddled seasons. If that turns out to be true and he plays in the majority of regular season games, then he could absolutely be a steal for the Lakers.
As a defensive player on the perimeter, he provides a skill this roster desperately needs. Thybulle was named Second Team All-Defense in his second and third years with the Sixers, and a return to that level would guarantee significant playing time for him.
Last year, with the Blazers, he averaged 5.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 30 games, while making 39.8 percent of his 3-pointers.
Carr also got a ton of love from Lakers fans, with 34% voting for him. As a rookie, how good he will be is unknown, but his Summer League play was very encouraging.
He was scoring with ease on and off-ball and averaged 18 points per game in Las Vegas Summer League, helping the Lakers advance to the semifinals. Carr played so well that it’s possible he could crack the rotation and log meaningful minutes immediately.
However, he’s still a rookie, and how he’ll play against true NBA competition remains a mystery. Thybulle is a much more established player and likely someone head coach JJ Redick can trust more. Also, given his defensive play, what he provides might be more important than Carr getting buckets.
Whether it’s Thybulle, Carr, or someone else that breaks out for the Lakers, hopefully it’s one of the players on a team-friendly deal.
Winning in the margins is huge in the NBA, and having a player that can outperform their contract is how teams can compete and thrive under this current Collective Bargaining Agreement.
At the request of the Harris County district attorney's office in Houston, a misdemeanor gun charge against Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden has been dismissed after he completed an alternative resolution program, reports the Associated Press.
Alternative programs are a fairly common way for people to avoid a criminal record for a minor offense. In this case, Harden likely did some community service in the Houston area, although the agreement did not detail exactly what he did, according to the AP.
Harden, an 11-time All-Star, had been arrested on June 13 for having a gun in the cupholder of his car. He had been driving a car as part of a multi-car group when one of the other drivers was pulled over, according to the Harris County police report. Harden had pulled up behind the police and the other vehicle, and while interacting with the police, one officer noticed Harden had a gun in the cupholder of his car, according to the report. Harden allegedly confirmed the gun was his, which led to his arrest and booking.
Harden played eight seasons — his peak seasons, statistically — in Houston and has close ties to the city. He spends much of his offseason there every year.
Harden, 36, technically still remains a free agent, but is expected to re-sign with the Cavaliers in the coming weeks. He opted out of the $42.3 million he was owed to give the Cavaliers more cap space to chase LeBron James (they struck out there) or make other moves. He is expected to re-sign in Cleveland for around $30 million a season (depending on what other moves the team makes) for multiple years. Harden was traded from the LA Clippers to Cleveland in the middle of this past season, and between the two teams he averaged 23.6 points and 8 assists per game while shooting 37.5% from 3-point range.
On an episode of “The Big Podcast” hosted by Shaquille O’Neal, he questioned why former teammate Kobe Bryant isn’t included in the conversation.
Shaquille O’Neal questions why Kobe Bryant isn’t considered in GOAT debates. Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
“There’s only three people in the GOAT conversation. Listen, I’m arrogant, but I’m not dumb,” O’Neal said. “It’s Kobe, Bron and Mike, that’s it.”
O’Neal was originally asked why he isn’t considered in the GOAT conversation; he was then confronted about a bias of shooting guards who are in the conversation, to which O’Neal admitted that players have their sub-categories.
“For so long it was just Mike and Bron, and I’m like, ‘I understand, great picks, but what about the Kobester?’ ” O’Neal said.
Bryant won five NBA championships with the Lakers during his 20-year career. AP
Bryant is no doubt one of the NBA’s greatest players. He spent his 20-year career as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, leading them to five NBA championships. Bryant was a two-time Finals MVP and a regular-season MVP in 2008.
Bryant’s five NBA titles eclipse James, who has won four championships in his 23-year career, but do not surpass Jordan, who won six NBA titles and was crowned Finals MVP in all six series.
Bryant was known for his “Mamba Mentality,” which focused on his relentless effort to try to win games and perform well while dealing with adversity.
With so many iconic moments in his career, Bryant’s greatest performance came on Jan. 22, 2006, when he scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the third-most points in a game by a player. Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 in 1962, and Bam Adebayo tallied 83 in 2026.
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Lonnie Walker IV, a seven-year NBA veteran who spent last season with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague, reportedly has agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million minimum contract with the Denver Nuggets to return to the NBA, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Walker is a 6'4" two guard, a position where the Nuggets need depth after losing Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency (plus Jalen Pickett is not back as well). It's unclear if this contract is fully guaranteed, but it's possible he steps into (or earns the chance in training camp to step into) the role Bruce Brown played with this team.
Walker was a double-digit scorer in four of his seven NBA seasons (four of the last five) and is a career 35.6% shooter from 3-point range. The former No. 18 pick averaged 15.2 points per game in EuroLeague play last season, shooting 35.1% from beyond the arc.
Denver still has a lot of work to do this offseason, most notably either re-signing or finding a sign-and-trade for wing player Peyton Watson. With that comes the fact that the Nuggets are currently already above the second apron of the luxury tax with 12 contracts on their roster — this is a team that needs to shed salary. They have looked for trades for Cameron Johnson or Christian Braun, but would have to add the sweetener of picks to either of them to get another team to take on those contracts at this point in the summer.
Where Walker fits into all that is just another piece of the puzzle.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 02: Head coach Taylor Jenkins of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on against the Milwaukee Bucks during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum on February 02, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Bucks announced their coaching staff earlier on Friday. Under new head coach Taylor Jenkins, only Darvin Ham and head of player development Jack Herum will return to the Bucks for the 2026-27 season. The rest of Milwaukee’s new coaching personnel—including Summer League head coach Pat St. Andrews—are all new hires or returning to Milwaukee after previously leaving.
Darvin Ham is the most recognizable name among Jenkins’ assistant coaches. Ham served as the lead assistant coach for four seasons, including Milwaukee’s championship-winning season in 2021. He then spent a turmoil-filled two years in Los Angeles, where, despite posting a winning record across his two seasons in charge, he was fired after a first-round playoff exit. Ham was a candidate to fill the New Orleans Pelicans’ coaching vacancy in the summer, but he ultimately remained in his role as the Bucks’ assistant coach. Ham has worked with Jenkins before in Atlanta for five seasons and in Milwaukee for one.
Two of the Bucks’ assistant coaches, St. Andrews and Brad Jones, worked with Jenkins as assistant coaches in Memphis. Others have ties to Milwaukee; Vince Legarza returns to the Bucks after spending the 2024-25 season as an assistant with the Suns, and Schuyler Rimmer spent four seasons with the Bucks from 2018-22 as a video coordinator. Some of the Bucks’ new assistants have experience from around the league. Johnny Carpenter was an assistant for the Indiana Pacers last season but turned down the opportunity to coach the Pacers’ Summer League team to join Milwaukee.
T.J. Ford will also join Milwaukee’s coaching staff, his first coaching role in the NBA. The former eighth overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft, Ford spent two seasons with Milwaukee as the team’s starting point guard and made 127 appearances, averaging 10 points. After retirement, Ford spent time coaching high school and AAU basketball, including his own Adidas-sponsored team, TJ Ford Elite.
Joe Boylan, the highly-touted coach who seemed set to join Jenkins’ coaching staff, won’t join the Bucks. Boylan shifted course in early July to join new coach Dusty May and the Dallas Mavericks,
Dave Joerger, a longtime assistant to Doc Rivers, will take on an assistant coaching job in Denver, while Greg Buckner joins the Orlando Magic.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 21: Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets looks on during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on November 21, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the hunt for two different wings, making themselves known as potential suitors for both Atlanta’s Jonathan Kuminga and Denver’s Peyton Watson. Earlier this week, we asked you to vote on which 23-year-old forward you would want to see in Cleveland the most.
Watson comes in as the heavy favorite, pulling more than 85% of our vote. Kuminga grabs just 14%.
I’d have to say I agree with the results.
Watson had a career-best year last season, improving his efficiency and becoming a genuine threat from downtown. He’s got the raw potential of a 3-and-D wing who has taken the necessary steps forward to make that potential a tangible reality.
Kuminga, on the other hand, still has more to prove. He hasn’t been a good three-point shooter at any point in his career so far. And he hasn’t fully fit in with either team he’s been on to this point. The Golden State Warriors didn’t want to play him, and the Atlanta Hawks don’t want to pay him. Maybe both of those franchises are making a mistake by undervaluing him. Either way, it’s on Kuminga to change the narrative.
The Cavs remain active in pursuing both Kuminga and Watson. The Nuggets are looking to avoid the second apron, making it more difficult for Cleveland to acquire him in a trade. Kuminga, on the other hand, is likely more available.
Either wing would fit in Cleveland. The Cavs have needed athleticism and length at small forward for years. Acquiring one of them would help fill that need and move them up from 10th on FanDuel for championship odds.
In order to vote in our next poll, all you have to do is make a free account on Fear the Sword and wait for our next react survey to drop. You can find it in our feed, or right here in our posts.
Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler trolled Steph Curry in a recent series of pictures posted on Instagram.
Butler, who is on a trip to Amsterdam, posted pictures of his overseas workout — but with a twist. It appears Butler photoshopped Curry’s face over his own in each of the five photos.
Jimmy Butler played comedian during his trip to the Netherlands as he posted a hilarious series of photos of himself, only with Steph Curry’s face replacing his own. Instagram/jimmybutler
Curry commented on the Instagram post, “What is wrong with you” along with a laughing emoji.
Jimmy Butler has earned a reputation for having a lighthearted, comedic demeanor off the court, which includes trolling his teammates. Instagram/jimmybutler
This also isn’t the first time Butler has involved Curry in one of his humorous antics as the Warriors duo previously pranked former teammate Buddy Hield.
Butler and Curry are obviously close enough to joke with one another, including the latter calling out the former for his hilarious Instagram post.
While the Warriors are keeping things lighthearted off the court, the team has several question marks heading into the 2026-27 season.
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Steph Curry will be tasked with handling the Warriors’ offensive load while Jimmy Butler recovers from a torn ACL. NBAE via Getty Images
Aside from the LeBron James sweepstakes, Golden State was extremely quiet in free agency. Its most notable move of the offseason was selecting Yaxel Lendeborg as the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
As Butler and Moses Moody recover from injuries, the Warriors have once again placed the offensive load on Curry’s shoulders. While the 38-year-old remains an elite player, that is no easy task for a star who is hoping to get his squad a playoff spot.
BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 10: Harrison Barnes #40 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics on January 10, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2025-26 player reviews! The series will look at the players who finished the season with the San Antonio Spurs on guaranteed contracts and who played consequential minutes and/or a vital role (so no two-way players because we hardly saw them this year, no players who were traded away, and none of the deep bench centers, since they were both irrelevant and are now all gone).
Contract Status: 1 year, $8 million remaining (no options)
Age: 34
Barnes came into his second season in San Antonio entrenched as a starter and, initially, proved he deserved his spot. He started the season well, posting impressive numbers in October and November for a Spurs team that proved more ready to win than anticipated, even as it battled injuries. Before his inexplicable December-January slump, Barnes was shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc and earning praise on every broadcast because every three-pointer he took looked like it was going in. He was also doing the things expected of him outside his main role as a floor-spacer adequately, but the shooting was his main contribution.
Then December came, and as the days went by, Barnes started to look fallible from outside and not as springy on his drives and on defense. As the new year came in, Barnes was unrecognizable as a shooter, which made the general mediocrity of his other contributions stand out. His subpar rebounding for the position in particular was exposed by Julian Champagnie, who put an emphasis on cleaning the glass and was a more dynamic shooter to boot. Barnes was demoted to the bench, his role declined, and the Spurs might have considered moving on from him, using his expiring contract to get an upgrade at the deadline, if not for the cap constraints adding salary would have represented this summer.
Eventually, Barnes regained his previous form as a shooter, but by that point things had changed. Champagnie as a starter made it harder for opponents to put a center on Wembanyama, something that happened even when Barnes was hitting shots consistently. Keldon Johnson was slowing down a little but was still on a Sixth Man of the Year run. Carter Bryant was still getting minutes, and by that point starting to actually deserve them. More importantly, the Spurs were dominating opponents on both ends with their new starting unit and rotation, destroying teams on their way to the second seed in the West.
Barnes didn’t have a large role in the playoffs once San Antonio got there and didn’t make much of an impact on his limited minutes despite the occasional good stint. In the end, he was a serviceable backup who always stayed ready to play and was a positive locker room presence.
Looking ahead
In a way, Harrison Barnes’ role change is the perfect representation of the shift in expectations for the 2025/26 Spurs. The veteran forward was a perfectly fine placeholder for a team that probably went into the season with playoff aspirations, but once it became obvious that San Antonio was ready to contend, the margins started to matter and streamlining the rotation became a necessity.
The coaching staff did that last season and the front office got an upgrade this summer, so why is Barnes still in San Antonio? There seem to be many reasons. First, Barnes proved to be a consummate professional after arriving from Sacramento, on the court, in the locker room, and as a citizen. He consistently made charitable donations since his arrival in the city. His quiet leadership was likely valuable to a very young roster filled with high-profile lottery picks, a status Barnes once possessed. He proved to be extremely durable and always eager to play, never complaining about his role. It’s not a surprise the Spurs were willing to bring him back on a small deal, even though they have too many forwards on their roster now.
The other reason is that Barnes can still play. He struggled in a tiny role in the postseason but finished the regular season averaging 39 percent from beyond the arc despite shooting under 30 percent for an entire month. He’s neither a bruiser who can guard bigger players and rebound nor a ball handler who offers secondary creation, but he knows his role and tries his hardest on defense. As the months passed last year, he wasn’t as effective using the change of pace on his drives to create room to finish at the rim, but he’s a crafty player. There are much worse options as injury insurance and as a depth piece in case of a trade that depletes the forward rotation.
Barnes could also be trade bait himself on his expiring contract, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him leave San Antonio next summer, unless he takes the minimum, as the team gets more expensive. If he does, he’ll still be a success story, considering how productive he was and the fact that the Spurs were paid to acquire him. For now, he’s still on the roster, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get some minutes when Mitch Johnson needs shooting.
Top performance
December 2 vs. Memphis Grizzlies: 31 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 7-12 3PFG
Six of Barnes’ seven games scoring 20 points or more happened between November and December, as he looked spry and deadly from beyond the arc. In his best game of the season, he helped a Spurs team missing Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle take down the Grizzlies. The early stretch in which Wemby was out but San Antonio kept winning proved that they had a strong roster and not just a superstar, and Barnes was a big part of keeping the team afloat during that time.
MILWAUKEE, WI - JUNE 27: MarJon Beauchamp of the Milwaukee Bucks poses for a photo after the introductory draft press conference at Fiserv Forum on June 27, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This week, we’ve garnered your thoughts on trader drafter Jon. Often praised for his ability to secure heists via trade, Horst’s drafting reputation has, well… been a point of contention.
Prior to polling, it seemed that Bucks fans were largely down on Horst as a drafter, but what seems to be consensus and what’s actually consensus are sometimes two completely different things. As a teacher, I see this all the time. On this occasion, however, the voting—and consensus—is clear: Horst sucks.
In truth, it’s hard to ignore the reality of Horst’s draft selections. D.J. Wilson is out of the league. Jordan Nwora is too. Andre Jackson Jr. is hanging by a thread (though he may have found a lifeline), as are MarJon Beauchamp, Chris Livingston, Tyler Smith, and AJ Johnson—if they haven’t already dropped. You know it too:
G may: It was a failure in team building. There’s no reason to nuance it. He had picks. He missed worse than Rickie Weeks swinging for the fences on a curveball in the dirt in the leadoff spot.
R984: No high picks, sure. But look at where Miami picked the collection of good players we just got from them. 1 out of 6 isn’t good enough. Not nearly good enough.
Theshackman: No. And if you think about this as “overall return on draft capital” (picks traded away) it looks even worse.
While the majority of fans (51%) clearly think Horst has let the Bucks down with his selections, it’s not so cut and dry for all, with 36% of voters thinking it’s nuanced:
Knuckles: My answer then was in the middle: we need to draft better moving forward and fortify our floor, and lean into player development, but that is not where the Bucks were for a while. We have a new identity now to lean into and we should, but I also don’t want to ignore the nuance that led us to making some of these choices in the first place.
Sportsfanwisc: I went with the middle ground. The NBA as a whole gets a D grade for player development. Around the draft and polls such as this I scroll through NBA drafts as a sobering reminder out of 60 picks only 20 to 25 will play any meaningful minutes.
Kaz5: My point is only that drafting guys is really, really challenging. Even going off of the best information available at the time, no one really, truly knows what is going to happen. That doesn’t mean that you give each and every GM a pass every time, but keep in mind that nothing in the draft is certain.
Of course, the empaths among us, despite making up just 13% of voters, weren’t without rationale either:
BucksInMA:I think people are a little harsh – Donte outperformed his draft slot and Horst’s second round success in genuinely really good.
BenDrankin3000: I chose he has been treated too harshly. I think he deserves some criticism for drafting, I just think a lot of the criticism has been a bit over the top. He didn’t exactly have a ton of high picks to work with.
In all, it seems Horst has indeed lost broken his compass when it comes to the draft—at least as far as fans are concerned. Here’s hoping Burries’ and Ament’s play this season is good enough to start righting that ship.
Check out FanDuel, the official sportsbook of SB Nation.
Clarke was pronounced dead by authorities on May 11 after being found unresponsive in his bedroom, according to Friday's announcement. A deputy medical examiner conducted an examination of Clarke at the DME’s Forensic Science Center on May 12 and the cause and manner of death were certified Aug. 7.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office stated that its report will be available at a future date. Clarke was 29 years old.
Clarke was the No. 21 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga and enjoyed initial success in the league, earning all-rookie honors while averaging a career-high 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension with Memphis in 2022.
Clarke's sudden death happened almost six weeks after he was arrested in Arkansas for improper passing, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing and exceeding the speed limit and trafficking a controlled substance. He had just finished his seventh NBA season, all of which he spent with the Grizzlies.
Clarke allegedly led Cross County Sheriff's Office deputies on a miles-long chase on April 1, with speeds reaching over 100 mph, and was found with over 230 grams of kratom in his possession, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Memphis Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Clarke's career had been derailed in recent years by injuries. He played in just six games during the 2023-24 season due to a torn Achilles and missed all but two games this past season due to calf and knee ailments.
Monta Ellis has been named the general manager of the Alcorn State men's basketball program, the school announced on Friday, August 7.
The position will include overseeing basketball operations, devising recruiting strategies, handling NIL opportunities and transfer portal decisions and mentoring the student-athletes. The statement said that the Mississippi-based HBCU "expects" the 12-year NBA veteran and Mississippi native "to raise the program's profile on the national recruiting trail."
"Today marks the beginning of an incredible new chapter, and I'm truly honored and excited to be named the General Manager for Men's Basketball at Alcorn State University," Ellis said in the statement. "Alcorn isn't just a university. It's a place built on history, tradition, excellence, and a legacy that has impacted generations."
Ellis entered the NBA straight out of high school as a second round pick in the 2005 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. He spent six seasons there and was named the 2006-07 Most Improved Player. He also spent time with the Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks before finishing his career with the Indiana Pacers.
Known as the "Mississippi Bullet," Ellis starred at Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi, 75 miles east of Alcorn State in Lorman. He had 29 points in the 2005 4A basketball championship victory and was a McDonald's All-American. He is also the founder of the Ellis Elite Basketball Academy in Coppell, Texas.
The Braves have won 17 regular season conference championships, seven SWAC tournament championships and have six NCAA tournament appearances. Last season, under first-year coach Jake Morton, Alcorn State went 9-23 overall and 7-11 in the conference.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Mikel Brown Jr. #0 of Brooklyn Nets poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on July 15, 2026 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Zach Barron/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
With the dog days of summer officially here, we turned to Nets World to gauge the community’s perspective on the state of the franchise after the 2026 offseason. The Nets didn’t make any crazy splashes but they still had a relatively busy offseason:
The Nets drafted Mikel Brown Jr. at No. 6 overall.
The Nets also traded Nic Claxton and the No. 33 pick for Julius Randle and the no. 28 overall picks (Joshua Jefferson).
Brooklyn added rotational pieces like Keon Ellis and Moe Wagner.
Still no word on an extension for Michael Porter Jr. While we wait, the NetsDaily community evaluated Brooklyn’s summer moves in our latest SB Nation Reacts poll. Safe to say fans think they got better!
So, what is the community saying about the Nets offseason?
Most say they’re better.
SoggyNetsFan: I’m giving it a much better outlook. It may not result in us doubling our win total, but not tanking, combined with having a rotation that makes more sense, will make a huge improvement. For example, Randell is an upgrade, but having a year-four Clowney coming off the bench is also a huge boost. Egor is better, and MPJ could be much improved too. Not by stats, but improved moral/effort by the fact that we aren’t trying to tank. The other sophomores who have improved over the offseason will also get opportunities to play against bench and garbage-time players rather than NBA starting-caliber ones.
Boomdog23: Just running rotations that aren’t comprised of 5rookies getting solid minutes should make us better. Not having clowney as your starting 4 is another big one.”
Excitement for Mikel Brown Jr. & Randle
BKtoDuval: “I’d say much better but the bar was set so low. Randle is a floor raiser. Demin is gonna be in Most Improved contention. I think the shackles will be removed from Jordi. In a limited capacity we’ve seen point guards do really well under him. Despite what SAS says, Mikel will be box office. Not to toot my horn but the past two seasons my win total futures bets have hit for Nets (and failed miserably for the Mets). So your boy BKdamas is gonna put down big money on a win total somewhere between 30-35 wins.”
NetsFan4Life: “I say adding Mikel Brown alone makes us much better.”
Pessimistic or Realistic?
imranetic: “the opposite is true. they are much worse and will be lucky to win 20 games. This front office ranks the lowest in the league because they don’t do anything to improve the team and have made it worse”
WhatsUp: “Irrational exuberance now that tanking is over.”
whoopdeedamndo: “This. Bulls, Jazz, Memphis, and Wizards are all much better. Nets are somewhat.”
Thanks to everybody who voted and/or participated.
This is a sponsored post. Check out the latest lines, futures, and player props by visiting FanDuel.
It’s NBA 2K season, which means we have officially reached that wonderful part of the NBA calendar where grown adults argue about numbers assigned to digital versions of basketball players. NBA 2K27 is set to release worldwide on September 4, with the deluxe and ultra editions opening the doors a little earlier on August 28. And as we creep closer to release day, 2K has begun pulling back the curtain on player ratings.
Typically, this is where I’d make the case that while these ratings mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of basketball, they still provide an interesting window into perception. How does 2K think a team will function? How do they view certain players? Which skills do they value? Which ones have they apparently watched through a dirty windshield while driving 80 miles per hour through the desert?
Make no mistake about it, the players care. Those little numbers next to specific aspects of their game become locker-room ammunition. They get discussed during shootarounds. They get screenshotted. They get sent to group chats.
If you’re an NBA player and 2K gives you a 48 free-throw rating, your teammates are going to find out about it, and you’re going to hear about it. Does anybody on the Phoenix Suns have a 48 free-throw rating? Oh yeah. Ryan Dunn. Sorry, Ryan.
Anyway, I’m not making my usual case for the importance of 2K ratings this year. I can’t. The entire operation has lost my confidence. Burn the spreadsheets and fire the algorithm into the sun. Somebody clearly left the computer running overnight and came back to find that it had started hallucinating. Whatever collection of numbers, formulas, algorithms, statistics, caffeine, and black magic 2K uses to determine these ratings produced one unforgivable result.
Devin Booker is not among the 10 best midrange shooters in NBA 2K27.
It gets worse. They gave him an 86. An 86! At that point, we are no longer dealing with reasonable basketball analysis. We have entered the realm of statistical malpractice. This is an egregiously narrow view of what Devin Booker does from the midrange, one that immediately calls the credibility of the entire exercise into question.
Therefore, I have reached the only rational conclusion available. None of these ratings can be trusted.
Does it sound like I’m making much ado about nothing? Ultimately, the answer is yes. I fully understand that we are arguing about numbers attached to digital basketball players in a video game that hasn’t even been released yet. Still, when you look at the ratings designated for Devin Booker, they’re ridiculous. It’s as if Visual Concepts, the creator of NBA 2K, has no idea how basketball actually occurs on a basketball court. Which feels like a fairly significant problem when your primary business is creating a basketball video game.
If we’re assuming that last season is serving as the foundation for these ratings, and presumably it is, I have questions. Many questions. The kind of questions that require somebody at Visual Concepts to walk me through the laboratory and show me exactly what the hell they’re cooking in there.
Booker attempted the sixth-most midrange shots in the NBA last season, taking 325 of them. Among the players who attempted at least 300, he ranked sixth in field goal percentage, connecting on 45.8% of those attempts. Volume. Efficiency. An entire season of evidence. And somehow, when 2K unveiled its list of the top 10 midrange shooters in the NBA, Booker wasn’t on it.
Do you know who was? Tre Johnson of the Washington Wizards. I’ll hold while I wait for you to finish filling up your barf bag.
Johnson attempted 111 midrange shots last season. Granted, he made 49.5% of them, which is impressive. The kid can shoot. After one rookie season in Washington, however, NBA 2K has apparently seen enough. Forget sample size, forget volume, and forget the hundreds of additional midrange attempts Booker took and made throughout the course of an NBA season.
Tre Johnson is now the fourth-best midrange shooter in basketball. His rating? 98. Ninety-freaking-eight. Meanwhile, Devin Booker, one of the league’s most prolific midrange shooters for the past decade, a player who attempted nearly three times as many shots from that area of the floor last season, checks in at an 86.
Again, are we making too much out of meaningless video game ratings? Absolutely. But if you’re going to give us numbers to argue about, at least make the numbers make some damn sense.
You want more absurdity? I got you.
Devin Booker made 33% of his three-pointers last season. If I asked you to give him a three-point rating out of 100 based on that performance, where would you put him? Probably somewhere that reflects the reality that he was a below-average three-point shooter last season, right? Let’s do a little poll…
Thank you for voting. Have no fear, we already have our answer.
NBA 2K gave him an 86. The same rating they gave him from the midrange. Laughable. Absolutely laughable. Don’t get me wrong, I would love for Devin Booker to be an 86 from beyond the arc. I would love for him to enter next season as the 30th-best three-point shooter in basketball, which is where NBA 2K apparently believes he belongs. That would be fantastic news for the Phoenix Suns. It also has very little connection to what we watched last season.
Normally, I’m an advocate for NBA 2K. It fills the void during that final month and a half before the season begins, when we’re all wandering through the basketball desert searching for something, anything, that resembles meaningful basketball. You fire up 2K, look through the ratings, complain about a couple of them, start a season, and life moves forward. Generally, you can look at the ratings and understand the logic behind them, even when you disagree with the final number.
I can’t get there with this one. They have completely missed Devin Booker’s shot profile and his effectiveness heading into the 2026-27 season. Somehow, one of the most prolific midrange shooters in basketball has the exact same rating from that area as he does from beyond the arc, where he shot 33% last season.
Or perhaps they’re prophetic. Perhaps the people at Visual Concepts have seen the future, and Devin Booker is going to become less effective in the midrange while becoming one of the better three-point shooters in basketball. Maybe that 86/86 combination is trying to tell us something. Who knows? We’ve reached that point of the NBA calendar where nobody knows anything anyway. Training camp remains somewhere beyond the horizon, the transactions have slowed, and here I am arguing about the numerical shooting attributes assigned to a digital Devin Booker.
Brandon Clarke #15 of the Memphis Grizzlies dribbles the ball up court in the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on Monday, March 17, 2025, in Sacramento, California. (Getty Images North America)
Former NBA player Brandon Clarke died of a lethal combination of drugs, according to officials.
Former NBA player Brandon Clarke died of a lethal combination of drugs. Getty Images
Clarke died inside of a San Fernando Valley home on May 11, and according to the LA County DME, medical personnel first located him “unresponsive in his bedroom” at around 5 p.m.
He was ultimately pronounced deceased at 5:15 p.m.
Drug paraphernalia was discovered near his body and the initial investigation surrounding his passing centered on the possibility of an overdose, according to multiple reports.
Clarke, who was drafted into the NBA in 2019, played all seven seasons of his pro career with the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Clarke, who was drafted into the NBA in 2019, played all seven seasons of his pro career with the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies wrote in a statement the day after his death. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.
“We express our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
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Cross County Sheriff’s Office deputies wrote in a probable cause affidavit that after Clarke was stopped for a traffic violation, 235.6 grams of kratom was located in his vehicle.
Brandon Clarke of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on during a game against the Miami Heat on March 15, 2025, at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. (NBAE) NBAE via Getty Images
Clarke allegedly told authorities during the stop that he believed the “stuff is legal.”
Kratom, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a substance that can act as both a stimulant and a sedative.
Clarke’s fiancée, Amber Lorraine, remembered Clarke as “the most special person, with the biggest heart” in an emotional social media post that she penned in the days after his death.
“All I want is to hug you and kiss you,” she added. “This world isn’t the same without you.”
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 12: Taelon Peter #4 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles during the game against the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on April 12, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs are filling out their roster for training camp. Today, the Spurs announced they’ve signed former Indiana Pacer Taelon Peter to an Exhibit-10 contract, meaning he’ll join the Spurs for training camp but isn’t a guarantee to be on the regular-season roster.
Peter played in 38 games for the Pacers last season, averaging 12.6 minutes, 4.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, while shooting 38% from the field and 32.8% from three. Peter is a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Liberty University who was drafted 54th overall in the 2025 draft. While he hasn’t found his three-point stroke in the NBA so far, he was a 45.3% three-point shooter during his senior season at Liberty.
The second-year guard played well in the NBA Summer League just a month ago, averaging 9.5 points on 57.1% shooting from the field, according to RealGM. His play there may be why San Antonio decided to extend Peter a training camp invite.
He will have stiff competition for an NBA deal with the Spurs. San Antonio has already filled its two-way roster spots with second-round picks Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Maliq Brown, and returning two-way player David Jones-Garcia. Even with an open 15th roster spot, Peter will likely need to beat out one of those three players to make the team.
With the Peter signing, San Antonio has 18 players on its training camp roster. The team can carry 21 players during training camp but must cut the roster down to 18 players when the regular season starts. Training camp begins on September 29th.
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