Category: NBA

Before I start, I wanted to give some shoutouts to some great resource material that has helped me understand some things better about Jaren Jackson Jr. First, if you haven’t read Parker Fleming’s Substack, he does great work on the Grizzlies, and you can find incredible work from him on Jaren Jackson Jr. This article discussing Jackson at the 5, is great insight.

I also really enjoyed this episode of the Game Theory Podcast with Sam Vecenie, which discussed JJJ and the pros and cons of his play.

Fleming and Vecenie give great insight into Jackson and the flaws in his game. Those flaws have led many, myself included, to believe that he shouldn’t be at the 5. With the trade of Walker Kessler and the signing of Jusuf Nurkic, Will Hardy is going to be left with a tough decision of who should start at the 5 this season. The consensus with Jaren Jackson Jr. from those not as close to the Grizzlies is that because of his flaws, he shouldn’t be starting at the 5. What are those flaws? They can basically be boiled down to two things: rebounding and foul rate.

The question for the Jazz is, are those flaws insurmountable?

The answer appears to be yes.

The question of whether Jaren Jackson Jr. can improve his rebounding is probably a definitive no at this point. Coming into his 9th season in the league, it’s safe to say that he is what he is at this point as a rebounder. Luckily, rebounding isn’t something that only Jaren Jackson Jr. has to worry about. Lauri Markkanen, who is in the 64th percentile in the league as a rebounder, can have a big impact for the Jazz. And having Ace Bailey on the floor can also be a huge boon to the Jazz’s defensive rebounding. Bailey is a huge, athletic wing who shows great rebounding ability and can be a big help as well. With Bailey and Markkanen helping gang rebound, the Jazz should be relatively fine on the defensive glass. Now, this will still likely be an issue. When Utah faces elite offensive rebounding teams, mostly in the playoffs, they might need to think of starting Nurkic. But during the season, and even in the playoffs, they might be fine, regardless.

The other issue is the fouling. When you look at this roster, it looks like the Jazz made their decisions knowing that Kessler might not be on the squad. The Jusuf Nurkic signing looks more and more like an essential one. Not just that Nurkic played well last year, but that he covers the holes in Jackson’s game. If Jackson gets in foul trouble, Utah can put in Nurkic and not lose a beat. And in reality, they will play the same style whether it’s with Jackson or Nurkic. In all likelihood, Utah understood this when they traded Kessler. Learning more about Jackson’s game, he is a vastly better on-ball player on offense than I realized. This post from Parker Fleming’s Substack dove into a game where Jackson dominated against Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.

What Jackson and Nurkic both do that Kessler didn’t is not just run endless dribble handoffs at the top of the three-point line, but initiate offense. Nurkic is more of a passer from the top, while Jackson is a punishing isolation player who can drive to the basket or pull-up in the mid-range. According to DunksandThrees.com, Jaren Jackson Jr. has been in 90+ percentile or higher the last two seasons from the mid-range. Jackson’s game is extremely versatile, so he doesn’t have the elite rim% of players who solely finish alley-oops and make putback dunks on offensive rebounds. He’s more of a center with guard skills that makes life miserable for most traditional centers. He’ll also occasionally grab a rebound and dribble the length of the court. He’s got a lot to his game that can make the Jazz extremely unique offensively.

With Jackson, and in life, it’s important not to get completely consumed by players’ flaws. The strengths of Jackson’s game are what make it hard not to think this Jazz team couldn’t be in the top half of the playoff seeds next season. Utah will have a 5-out offense that will punish opposing weaknesses. Jackson will be a problem every night, whether it’s from his three-point shooting, his mid-range iso, or his rim pressure. On top of Jackson’s personal impact, he allows the Jazz to clear the paint, giving players like Keyonte George and Darryn Peterson space to get to the basket. There’s no question we’re going to see nights where Utah runs up the score, and I personally can’t wait. Jaren Jackson Jr. at the 5, if Utah can minimize his flaws, should have an incredible season. It’s not out of the question to wonder if it becomes his best season yet.

Being a Phoenix Suns fan means being someone who has dealt with trauma, pain, poor decisions, health issues, and bad luck throughout the history of the franchise, and throughout your own existence as a fan.

One thing I think we’ve done a good job of this summer from a Bright Side perspective is not leaning too heavily into any of that. We’re already in the doldrums of the offseason, and there’s no need to constantly look backward when all I want to do is look forward.

That being said, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton recently appeared on the Numbers on the Board podcast and revealed that his agent called the Phoenix Suns in an effort to get him drafted with the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

“And Phoenix? We were calling Phoenix,” Haliburton said. “Cause, like, ‘Y’all need a PG”‘. I was trying to play with Book. Let me go play with Book. And they were like, ‘We’re drafting a power forward’”.

Tyrese Haliburton and his agent were calling the Phoenix Suns, hoping they would draft him, but Phoenix instead chose a PF (Jalen Smith) with the 10th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. pic.twitter.com/OI8vrbO4Yr

— Khiz (@KhizHoop) August 23, 2026

Ugh, I can’t get away from it.

It remains one of the greatest, and certainly one of the most recent, what ifs in franchise history. That Suns team already had Chris Paul, who would have been the ideal mentor for a young Tyrese Haliburton coming out of Iowa State.

I remember that draft specifically because we had way too much time on our hands. It was the COVID era, and I had recently started writing for Bright Side. Haliburton and Devin Vassell were the two players I was highest on, and we all had the same “what the fuck” look on our faces when James Jones and the Suns ultimately selected Jalen Smith.

To this day, it remains one of those decisions you try not to talk about and try not to think about because of how much it could have changed the trajectory of the franchise. Granted, you can never truly know what Phoenix would have looked like with Haliburton or how his development would have played out within this organization and this city. But the foundation was there for him to become a great point guard who could play alongside Devin Booker for years to come.

To hear Haliburton say that he wanted to come to Phoenix is another kick in the side and another reminder that bad decisions can have long-term repercussions. That’s what makes this particular what-if so painful. It wasn’t some impossible scenario built entirely through hindsight. Haliburton was available. Phoenix had the pick. He wanted to be here. The basketball fit made sense then and looks even better now. Nobody can say exactly how history would have changed, but we know what actually happened. Sometimes franchise-altering mistakes are complicated. This one still feels painfully simple.

In basketball, ‘ball knowledge’ refers to an internet trend where fans remember obscure, random role players from the past. One mentions Lucas Nogueira. Another name-drops Chris Copeland. Everyone in the room death stares at the guy who deems Monte Ellis as ‘elite ball knowledge’.

But what constitutes as Utah Jazz ball knowledge? The Kyle Korvers and George Hills deserve some praise, but nowhere in this stratosphere do they count. Kris Dunn? A cheeky Ian Clark? Maybe. But I’ve done my research, stringing my vote to resurface ‘forgotten’ Jazz players.

Miye Oni

Ivy League Player of the Year Miye Oni always looked like he was one fundamental step away from being a 10+ year veteran in the NBA. However, the promise of Oni’s skillset was enough for Utah to draft him with the 58th pick of the 2019 NBA draft. He was an energetic 6’5 wing who could play the ‘D and sometimes shoot the 3. Oni got more opportunity out of the three second-rounders, others being Justin Wright-Foreman and Jarrell Brantley, in his two-year Jazz stint. He even represented Nigeria during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

The offensive inconsistency and foul trouble led to him being booted out of the Jazz rotation and ultimately out of the NBA by Year 3. A year later, Oni went overseas to sign with the London Lions. Now, he plays for the Criollos de Caguas in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional Puerto Rican league. In another universe of the space-time continuum, Miye Oni was the piece the early 2020s Jazz needed to climb the hill and regain their spot in the Western Conference Finals.

Kyrylo Fesenko

Before Bojan Bogdanovic, Kyrylo Fesenko held the mantle of #44. The former Ukrainian big man stood at a massive 7’1” and 280-pound frame. He was selected with the 38th pick in the 2007 draft by the 76ers, who instantly traded his draft rights to the Jazz. Fesenko spent the majority of his five-year NBA career with the Jazz as a physical backup center, defining his expertise by rugged post defense, altering shots and setting screens using his bulky frame. I think we will all love a little Kyrylo Fesenko in our lives. Fes was a great person to cheer for. He dunked hard, and he said the best things in interviews.

Unfortunately, Fesenko couldn’t stick around in the league for long. Legendary Coach Jerry Sloan was publicly and privately frustrated by his fitness levels and struggles to lose weight. His lack of elite stamina kept him off the court—he also gained a reputation for being a lovable goofball whose focus drifted. Don’t we all, Fes.

Just as he entered unrestricted free agency to find a more permanent role than what Utah could offer, Fesenko suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee while playing for Ukraine in the 2011 Eurobasket tournament. Teams like Golden State, which had previously shown interest, backed out of talks, which eventually led him to sign a late-season deal with the Pacers, never finding his true home in the NBA.

Jeff Withey

There is something deeply wrong with me to be this enamored by unathletic 7-footers. He was recognized for his elite shot-blocking ability and interior D. He had a historic college career with the Kansas Jayhawks — setting an NCAA tournament record for blocks and becoming a two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year — and he was drafted 39th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft.

It was in August 2015 that Withey signed a multi-year deal with the Utah Jazz. He carved a role as a dependable third-string center, buried deep in a front-court rotation behind rising star Rudy Gobert and fan-favorite Derrick Favors. Even in limited minutes, his length allowed him to maintain Utah’s rigid defensive identity outside of the Gobert minutes. However, just as the Jazz were in the middle of a playoff run back in April 2017, Withey was publicly accused of a reported domestic violence incident by his ex-fiancée. The charges never resulted in a conviction, but the Jazz immediately deactivated him until further notice for personal reasons, resulting in a swift defeat to the powerhouse Warriors that same postseason.

Following the conclusion of the 2016-17 season, Withey became a free agent and signed a new deal with the Dallas Mavericks. He was another cruel victim of the NBA’s evolving pace-and-space era. Despite being an elite rim-protector, the new era exposed his lack of lateral quickness and offensive versatility. He eventually chose a highly lucrative and successful international career where his traditional rim-protecting role was still highly valuable.

Juwan Morgan

Juwan Morgan went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft following a four-year college career with the Indiana Hoosiers. He impressed during the Summer League and earned his roster spot with Utah in November 2019. Morgan spent most of his regular-season tenure either on the end of the bench or with the SLC Stars. No kidding—he earned only 134 minutes, mostly in garbage time. But he’s best remembered by fans for a highly unexpected, emergency postseason insertion.

His definitive moment came during the emergency NBA Bubble. Coach Quin Snyder put on his sicko cap. Out of nowhere, Morgan was given his first career start in Game 1 of the first round, when Mike Conley left the bubble to see the birth of his son. He played tough interior D to battle Denver’s frontcourt and assisted Donovan Mitchell’s 57-point night, despite a 135-125 overtime loss.

But alas, the Juwan Morgan ended just a year later. The Jazz handed out massive, lucrative extensions to stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, along with re-signing Mike Conley. Utah couldn’t afford to allocate qualifying offers or standard roster spots to developmental players like Morgan. His high-end hustle made him a G League standout, and he has now progressed in his overseas career with clubs like Zenit Saint Petersburg in the VTB United Russian League.

Juan Toscano-Anderson

Thrown in as an additional piece of the trade that sent Westbrook to Utah in 2023 (the first time), NBA champion Juan Toscano-Anderson was already on his last legs in the NBA. JTA was most known for his high energy and defensive hustle that earned him playoff minutes in Golden State’s 2022 run. His trademark was the #95, used to represent his childhood home on the 95th Avenue of East Oakland

He became the first player of Mexican descent to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest back in 2022. He was the first player in Jazz franchise history to wear the number #95. Playing in 22 games for Utah post-deadline, Toscano-Anderson averaged 3.4 points in 15 minutes per game.

He provided solid wing defense and transition play, but he struggled mightily with his perimeter shooting. HE shot just 17.4% from beyond the arc. He became an unrestricted free agent after the season ended, and the Jazz had no interest in re-signing the veteran. In 2026, JTA spent the last two seasons playing for Pallacanestro Trieste in the Lega Basket Serie A.

Stephen Howard

Despite going undrafted out of DePaul in 1992, Stephen Howard’s gritty determination in a rookie tryout camp earned him a roster spot where he played three seasons under Jerry Sloan. Fun Fact: Howard was contacted by Midway Games to serve as a physical model for the legendary NBA Jam title. He’s a hidden, unlockable secret player alongside Stockton and Malone. He’s an elite scholar, being one of two players in DePaul basketball’s history to be named a two-time First Team Academic All-American.

Howard’s most notable stint as a Jazzman was when he suited up for the legendary 1997 Jazz, playing 42 games and contributing to the squad that battled Jordan’s Bulls. It’s not much as he could have been playing—stuck behind a crowded forward rotation that put him behind Karl Malone, Ty Corbin, Tom Chambers, David Benoit and Byron Russell.

Howard was never offered a long-term deal. He was stuck in a one-year contract trap after he spent his entire four-year career playing on short-term contracts. He didn’t possess a high-volume offensive game to justify heavy minutes. Rather than scraping by in the US, Howard chose to transition into a highly successful 11-year international career across France, Spain and China.

Tibor Pleiß

I’m gonna be honest, Tibor Pleiß (cruelly spelt ‘Pleiss’ on the back of his jersey) has the coolest name in Jazz history. Nicknamed ‘The Octopus’ due to his versatile tools and endless wingspan, he was one of the most prominent traditional big men in European basketball. The 7’3” German was a two-time EuroLeague champion in the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Turkish powerhouse Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

His NBA stint began when he was selected 31st overall in the 20210 draft, only transitioning to the NBA for the 2015-16 season with the Utah Jazz. Pleiß didn’t stick in the NBA for long. He was caught in the middle of a massive league-wide tactical shift away from slow-moving 7-footers, combined with Utah’s deep big man depth chart in the midst of Rudy Gobert’s defensive emergence. He only appeared in 12 games, not being able to establish a polished offensive upside or command the touches needed to make up for his defensive or physical limitations.

He was later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in August 2016, where Pleiß chose to return to Europe rather than grind it out in the G League.

Blue Edwards

“Bluuueeee!” Theodore ‘Blue’ Edwards was an athlete at that. He played four out of his ten seasons with the Jazz, establishing himself as a high-flying fan favorite. Edwards was drafted 21st overall by Utah in the 1989 draft out of East Carolina, carving out a complementary role alongside Stockton and Malone.

That high-flying led him to participate in the 1991 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, where he finished 6th. He played all 82 games of his rookie season shooting an incredibly efficient 51.1% from the field. He peaked during the 1992 season, when he averaged a career-best 12.6 points per game. Edwards served as a defensive and scoring safety valve in Utah’s Western Conference Finals defeat against the Trail Blazers. Beyond the flashy dunks, Edwards ranks 9th all-time in Utah Jazz history with a .516 field-goal percentage.

The shortcomings came on the other side of the court — his lack of defense and glass-cleaning ability didn’t fully align with Sloan’s grit-and-grind identity. 1992 trade rumors began circulating, which visibly bothered Edwards. He missed a defensive assignment in a regular-season game, leading to Sloan benching him and creating a public verbal confrontation on the sidelines. That summer, the Jazz packaged Edwards, Eric Murdock and a draft pick to the Bucks for Jay Humphries. He had a reunion with the Jazz in 1994-95, but was promptly selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 1995 Expansion Draft that same Summer.

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Don’t be shy and let us know your deep pulls in the comments. August is the dead end of the NBA off-season.

At the risk of dinging my cool guy/super athlete online persona, I’ve been playing a lot of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on my Switch 2 lately. When working as a freelance writer, one is inclined to collect as many contracts as possible, and in my case, one of those contracts is as a video game reviewer. Xenoblade was recently dropped at my desk and into my console, and as the responsible journalist I am, I’ve played many hours of what is a 50+ hour base experience.

One of Xenoblade’s trademarks is the verbal assault that sounds throughout every battle. Each character has a tendency to shout out the name of their attack as they unleash it — not unlike the foolish wand-waving and silly incantations of Harry Potter or Gru whipping out his freeze-ray in Despicable Me — and this can become a bit overstimulating when upwards of six characters are audibly berating a defenseless level 17 rabbit.

It’s a lot of soundbites to layer one on top of another, but one always stands out from the rest when it graces my playthrough: “We’ll beat them with the power of friendship!”

I can’t help but chuckle. That’s just a ridiculous thing to say with a straight face, first of all. But as an NBA obsessive, I know that the phrase “power of friendship” has become something of a buzzword in basketball circles.

It’s become the rallying cry for the New York Knicks, whose Villanova brotherhood turned a collegiate dynasty into an NBA champion.

But may I propose that the Utah Jazz’s greatest strength this upcoming season could be derived from the strength of their brotherly bond? It seems like every day my social media feed is graced by Keyonte George doubled over in laughter. By Jaren Jackson Jr. raving about his new home before cruising off in a vintage Mustang. By Will Hardy taking a trip with some of his stars to visit Lauri Markkanen all the way in Finland.

"you heard us coming through?" 🐎

the boys rode out of Finland in style 🇫🇮 pic.twitter.com/y7ODS6hlqe

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) August 22, 2026

There are plenty of basketball-specific reasons to feel optimistic about this Jazz team, but the way they’ve rallied around one another over the offseason has been a sight to behold, and a beacon of belief for a fanbase that has been void of optimism for far too long.

These guys are just having a ton of fun with each other right now.

The Utah Jazz are making a GENERATIONAL run on social media this summer 🤣🤣💜

(Video via @coachwillhardy on IG)@utahjazz@keyonte1george@jarenjacksonjr#TakeNote#NBAXpic.twitter.com/uJQNPZHbxJ

— Utah Azz (@utahazz) August 23, 2026

But they’re not just goofing off around the world. As a matter of fact, everyone in the Jazz organization is working incredibly hard to prepare for the upcoming season. From the All-Star hopefuls to the head coach, and even owner Ryan Smith getting in on the ladder drills.

This is an incredibly good look for a franchise that has been at the forefront of a losing battle over the past three seasons. This is a winning look.

“what you’re seeing is culture…”

everybody’s putting in that work 🤝#TakeNotepic.twitter.com/2qJglG9x68

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) August 22, 2026

Now, comparing the Utah Jazz to the New York Knicks is ridiculous at face value, even when qualified by the “power of friendship” moniker. Because, in all honesty, the reason the Knicks won the championship isn’t purely because they’re all best friends — Donte DiVincenzo certainly didn’t think so — but because they had high-level stars like Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns who showed up when it mattered most.

We’re a long way from knowing how Darryn Peterson, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, and Jaren Jackson Jr. turn out, but this offseason has been an encouraging one for a number of reasons.

Basketball is a team sport, and history suggests that talented rosters can and will fail to succeed without healthy interpersonal bonds and team-wide chemistry. So it’s a good thing that the vibes are high enough to surf out in Utah.

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Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.

The second apron era of the NBA is here and it’s forcing teams to make tough decisions. The Knicks are no stranger to difficult choices. This offseason, the club did not retain backup center Mitchell Robinson in free agency due to the second apron. 

That problem won’t disappear anytime soon as New York has one of the most expensive teams in the NBA. Looming contract extensions for Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart are on the horizon. A solution to the salary cap crunch is player development and the Knicks will need young players like Mohamed Diawara and Pacome Dadiet to grow into legitimate rotation players in the future. 

Currently, Diawara and Dadiet are set to earn a combined $5.6 million for the 2026-27 season. So far, the development of both players has varied. A second-round pick in 2025, Diawara had some stints in New York’s rotation before being glued to the bench for the latter part of the season and the playoffs. 

Overall, the 21-year old forward was a pleasant surprise. Diawara has a good feel for the game. His three-point shooting was much further along than expected, as he shot 36.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Knicks were impressed enough by the forward to re-sign him to a four-year, $11.2 million contract. He has the potential to be a three-and-D wing for the Knicks going forward. 

Diawara did have a rough showing with New York’s Summer League team in July, but that hasn’t erased all the hints of a rotation player from his rookie campaign.

Dadiet has played just 247 total minutes in two seasons with the Knicks and hasn’t been able to earn any trust. At just 21 years old, Dadiet still has potential to evolve, but time is running out for New York to decide whether to keep him around long-term. The Knicks have two first-round picks over the next four years, so that is another way they could find cheap talent.

With 13 players on the roster, New York is currently $3.3 million away from the $221.7 million second apron. The Knicks will eventually have to sign a 14th player to the roster cutting into that already-thin wiggle room.

Future flexibility

Knicks owner James Dolan made it clear earlier in June that the Knicks will not be going into the second apron, which penalizes teams through various mechanisms. This includes not being allowed to aggregate salaries in a trade or having future first-round picks frozen.

Going forward, New York will be dealing with the second apron for the next few years. The Knicks' starting lineup is particularly expensive, earning a combined $191.7 million during the 2026-27 season. It’s created a salary structure where no one on the bench makes more than $5.5 million next season.

Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby are both extension eligible in 2027. Brunson’s future salary will be important to watch. The 2026 NBA Finals MVP will earn $37.7 million for 2026-27. After sacrificing some money by avoiding free agency, Brunson is sure to sign for a max contract in the future and could annually earn $60 million or more depending on when he signs a new contract.

To avoid the second apron in future years, New York might have to alter its starting lineup by dealing away a key starter like Hart or Mikal Bridges. That makes it even more important for Diawara and Dadiet to emerge.

Both players provide size on the perimeter, something New York’s current bench is lacking. Currently, New York’s reserve rotation will include 6-foot Jose Alvarado, 6-foot-2 Miles McBride and 6-foot-5 Landry Shamet.

After a short summer break, it’s very possible Knicks head coach Mike Brown opts to keep his starters fresh by limiting minutes and also giving stars like Brunson, Towns and Anunoby the occasional night off. 

In that case there should be plenty of opportunities for Diawara and Dadiet to crack the rotation. But they will need to play well to help the Knicks compete for a championship next season. But their play could also dictate what the future makeup of the team will be years from now.

One constant for the Lakers over the last decade is that the Buss family will create drama. Whether it was coup attempts, firings or general infighting, the siblings have been messy in so many ways.

Much of that has happened under Adam Silver’s watch. While he isn’t responsible for the Buss family, he hasn’t done much to tamp down the flames of a situation threatening to boil over throughout the years either.

Owner oversight, in fact, has not been a particularly strong aspect of his performance as commissioner. Some might say it’s an area he’d Aspire to improve.

All that makes it a bit funny that it sounds like he’s going to attempt to step in and fix the latest, and maybe final, Buss family drama. Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal, in a piece on the recent influx of sales of NBA teams, reported that Silver is expected to try to help calm things down in Los Angeles.

The Lakers’ situation isn’t as clear cut, with sources believing Commissioner Adam Silver — who has always been close with Jeanie Buss — will try to help smooth over the Buss family chaos.

Hey man, good luck!

Based on how he’s handling the situation with Steve Ballmer and the Clippers, is there any confidence that he’ll figure things out? In his defense, it’s different situations with different relationships. He has a much better relationship with Jeanie after years of working together than he would Ballmer, if we comparing them.

But at the same time, what’s he going to say to her? He may have a good relationship with Jeanie, but he also has a good relationship with Bob Iger.

This all just feels like a mess that Silver won’t be able to fix. He had a decade to try to calm things down with the family, if he was really worried about it. All that he’s worried about now is that one of his friends might not be able to buy an NBA team.

Color me skeptical that he’s going to have any luck smoothing things over. It’s way, way too late for that now.

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

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As players begin to return to the HSS Training Facility for pick-up games and workouts prior to to the opening of training camp at the next of next month, it’s typically a time when word begins to trickle out about how each has developed throughout the offseason … who’s looking good, who will surprise.

That intrigue becomes even more prevalent when a player didn’t appear in Summer League, as was the case with Nolan Traoré, who enters his second season in Brooklyn after an up-and-down rookie year as the league’s sixth youngest player.

Nets two-way forward Chaney Johnson has had an up-close look at his teammates in recent weeks and he’s excited about the French guard’s progress since the last time they took the court together back in mid-April.

In an exclusive conversation with “The Brooklyn Boys Show,” Johnson cited Traorè as the Flatbush 5 (sans Egor Dëmin) member he’s seen grow the most.

“Honestly, I’m going to have to say Nolan,” Johnson told me when asked about what he’s seen . “All the guys have improved, but I feel like Nolan … he’s a different guy now. He done put on some mass. He’s walking around with a sleeveless hoodie on, looking at the biceps, you know what I’m saying? He done put on some strength.”

Traoré didn’t play in Summer League, recovering from a knee scope, although he is expected to make a full return for training camp. While he wasn’t active on the floor, he’s has still been active in the gym and the weight room all offseason long, evidenced by Johnson’s comments.

We got only a brief look at him in Las Vegas when the Nets opened up the gym to the media …

Nolan Traore isn’t playing in Summer League because of his knee scope, but he made the trip to Vegas and is progressing well. #netspic.twitter.com/uhNP3GvqrX

— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) July 13, 2026

After a rookie season in which he looked skinny playing against NBA competition, a bulk-up is expected to help Traoré’s game as he looks to take a Year 2 leap. Traoré finished the year on a high note, indicating he has plenty of upside and room for growth. Over the past month and half of the season (31 games), Traore averaged better than 11 points a game along with four assists, putting up individual games of 23 points, 12 assists and five 3-pointers. Even before that, in February, Traore led the 2025 rookie class in assists with 67.

Johnson had good things to say about the other members of the Flatbush 5 as well.

“All the guys have improved,” he added. “Drake has gotten stronger. Danny has gotten stronger. He’s gotten a lot more mobile. He’s moving a whole lot better. I can just tell the confidence that he’s [showing] in his workouts and the way that he’s operating. Ben has gotten stronger.”

Johnson spoke as well of the two veterans, Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle, who he said will bring needed “grit” aka physicality

“You know, I got to be around MPJ a solid bit toward the end of the season last year, and then just getting to meet Julius Randle and being around him a lot more. Julius Randle, for sure, just brings a grit that I’m not going to say we don’t have, but just a grit that we need,” he said.

“He brings — like, Jordi is a hard-nosed, dive-on-the-floor, play-hard, but at the same time make sure we take care of the basics type of coach. I feel like Julius brings that. He just brings an added benefit on top of what Jordi already wants out of his players.

“He’s a cool dude. I feel like he’s a lot bigger in person — pause. But muscle-wise, this man is, like, [unclear], man. He just brings strength. He brings a toughness that I feel like is going to pay off this year.”

Johnson experienced an encouraging offseason of his own. The 24-year-old averaged 13.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and a Summer League-leading 3.3 steals per game in Las Vegas as he continues to strengthen his case for an expanded role with Brooklyn.

Currently on a two-way contract, Johnson is looking to earn a standard NBA deal with the team, and his Summer League showing was certainly a step towards accomplishing that.

“I just wanted to go out there and have fun,” Johnson said of his own performance. “Of course, we wanted to win it all, but we fell short. The camaraderie that we had, we just enjoyed it. I feel like that kind of showed on the court.”

That alone didn’t leave him satisfied, though. Since returning to Brooklyn, he has continued working to round out his game ahead of training camp.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot stronger, a lot more athletic,” Johnson told me. “My touch has improved. I feel like my shot has improved a good bit since last year.”

One of Johnson’s biggest offseason priorities has been developing his shooting game. He has worked closely with Nets shooting consultant Dave Love to fine-tune his mechanics.

“I’ve been getting a lot of reps in,” Johnson said. “I’ve been working with Coach Dave Love, just working on loading my wrist, getting my hand under the ball and making sure my balance and everything is keyed in. My confidence with shooting has come a long way.”

Despite standing at only 6’7”, Johnson spent significant time at the 5 throughout Summer League games in Sacramento and Las Vegas, and despite being undersized for the position, he believes the way Brooklyn uses the center spot fits him.

“I feel like it suits my strengths,” said Johnson regarding the way Brooklyn utilizes the five. “Playing at the 5, driving on DHOs, you just can’t be loose with it. You’ve got to make sure you’re getting below the defender so you can make the handoff easier and make the guy coming off the DHO open for three or for the attack.”

Given that he is undersized, he’s faced challenges defensively, but Johnson has learned to lean on his athleticism and instincts as much as possible.

“Since I am shorter than the average NBA center, I just use my athleticism as much as I can, use my quickness and try to use my mind to get every advantage,” Johnson said of his 40+“ vertical. “One thing you can’t get is height, so I’m just trying to use all my strengths — my strength, my quickness and my athleticism — to my best advantage.”

At the end of the day, though, Johnson’s goal is to see the NBA floor as much as possible. After signing with the team in December on a two-way contract, he knows exactly what it takes to battle for recognition.

He had to make his mark with the Nets’ G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, before earning an NBA chance. Prior to that, he was with the Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ G League team.

Johnson played in 24 games for Long Island (four starts), averaging 14.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals in 26.9 minutes while shooting 56.1% from the field.

His journey began, though, in the Division II ranks at the University of Alabama at Huntsville before transferring to Auburn, where he helped lead the team on a Final Four run in 2025.

“I’m just attacking every single day, attacking every weight-room lift, attacking recovery and trying not to take any days for granted,” Johnson said. “If I get the opportunity, I’m going to go out and play hard. I’m not leaving anything on the court.”

Johnson can’t control how many minutes will be available when the season begins. For now, he remains focused on making sure he is ready to give 110% whenever his name is called.

At the end of the day, his path for minutes won’t be easy. Brooklyn has eight players on rookie contracts, not counting second-round rookie, 6’9” shooter Tyler Bilodeau, who is also on a two-way deal.

There will be no shortage of competition for playing time, but Johnson has already shown he will put in the work and make the most of whatever comes his way.

Bottom line, Johnson said he and his teammates want “to win every game” after last year’s 20-win season which he described at “terrible.”

“I just feel like we’re hungry,” he said. “They know — we realize how terrible of a team we were last year, or how terrible we did. I know ‘terrible’ is a strong word, so I don’t want to — but we weren’t the best team last year. So I feel like we’ve got that chip on our shoulder now, and we’re ready to prove some people wrong.”

The New York Knicks’ first championship in 53 years came in such dominant fashion, fans are quickly turning towards the next one, with all but Mitchell Robinson returning and the season under two months away. 

Their oldest rotation piece is 31-years-old and the front office can realistically keep them in place for at least the next two seasons, so their championship window remains open.

Although the league bolstered up and these guys aren’t exactly young, they only hit their peak during last year’s playoff run and it’s possible their ceiling is even higher. Just how long can New York keep this core team together and competitive?

Leon Rose and team have already suffered a loss in keeping under the second apron, as Robinson left for the Boston Celtics with the Knicks unable to match their offer. On the bright side, they locked in Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet for the next three seasons, and Mikal Bridges is under contract for that long as well. 

New York’s immediate concerns are Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride. Towns has a $61 million player option for next year but fans are hoping he and the Knicks can come to terms on a fair extension before the season following a legendary postseason run.

A team-friendly deal in the $50 million a year range, short of his near-$70 million max, would lock him up well past his prime and help the Knicks duck the apron in the years to follow. The alternatives would be losing a key starter or trading Towns before he could flee in free agency. 

Hart has a team option for next season at $22.3 million, but just became extension eligible. The Athletic reports a likely three-year offer in the range of $20 million per year, which tracks with offering long-term security at a lower price to maintain this aging roster. 

The league could throw gaudier numbers Hart’s way, but the Jalen Brunson connection makes a departure hard to imagine. His skillset and culture-setting are perfect for this team, which makes every dollar worth it even if his game starts to slip towards the back end.

McBride is a different story, as he and the Knicks didn’t reach an extension before the deadline, setting him up to his free agency this summer. Teams are likely to throw valuable role player numbers at him after New York all but swindled him the past few seasons, so retaining him would make retaining the rest of their rotation near impossible. 

It would make sense for the Knicks to shop him this trade deadline to teams interested in picking up his bird rights in exchange for somebody still on their rookie scale or a similarly priced deal. If not, they run the risk of losing him in free agency, though seem to have their backup plans in Tyler Kolek and Jack Kayil (who will play overseas during the 2026-27 season).

Barring catastrophe here, the Knicks can keep their non-McBride minutes the same and continue competing through the next two seasons. They’d have a starting five of 32- and 33-year-olds, but can still keep the math working for even longer.

The assumption is Brunson inks a max extension with New York ahead of time, setting him up to make over $70 million a year starting in 2028-29. This is why the front office needs to pinch pennies with every extension so far. 

OG Anunoby’s final year player option also hits in 2029 at $48 million. The magic annual number to keep the party going is somewhere below that - $45 million should work but $40 is even better. 

This third year out is the tightest with Brunson’s and potentially Anunoby’s extensions kicking in. If Towns insists on closer to $60 million, or any of the others want bigger bumps, this plan goes awry quickly. 

It’s possible this team isn’t worth keeping together past that point as they start to show their wear-and-tear or naturally drift apart like other "superteams." In that case there’s little to worry about here as the Knicks would just pivot, retool or rebuild. 

But if it still looks like they could win, they just need to extend Bridges at the $40 million his contract ends on and reload the bench, and they could theoretically keep this team going for the next five seasons. It’s hard to imagine them wreaking havoc for that long, but many didn’t imagine them winning a championship in the first place.  

Beyond Kawhi Leonard, the Toronto Raptors likely won’t see another needle-moving (even by a centimetre) type of player walk through the doors of the Scotiabank Arena before the start of the 2026-27 season.

This is especially true after DeMar DeRozan signed with the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

That means the answer must already exist inside Toronto’s locker room. Leonard is still a superstar, but for the Raptors to make a meaningful run in an uber-competitive Eastern Conference, he needs the supporting cast to step up.

After Leonard hit the game-winner against the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2019 championship run, injuries temporarily slowed him down. Leonard’s teammates picked him up until he was ready to save the day. Fred VanVleet went nuclear from deep against the Milwaukee Bucks. Pascal Siakam ascended and hit the last field goal in the title-clinching game. Game Six Kyle Lowry went berserk in the opening minutes.

On this team, especially when Leonard misses time, it will again take a village. But for the Raptors to truly take advantage of however many years Leonard has in the tank, fans believe Ja’Kobe Walter must unlock another level.

Walter has the potential to be a more dynamic version of what Danny Green was in 2019. The third-year guard averaged one steal last season and should continue to grow into one of the better perimeter defenders on the team. He’s also one of the best shooters on the roster after averaging 40.9 per cent from deep in his sophomore season. If Walter can continue to develop his in-between game, he’ll play a significant role in reducing the scoring droughts that have typically plagued the Raptors in the past.

With the start of pre-season beginning on Oct. 3, Raptors fans can continue to voice their expertise, knowledge, and concerns about the upcoming year on FanDuel.

Do you have a retirement plan? A 401(k)? Is your portfolio properly diversified? Have you considered when you might retire, maybe leaving yourself time to walk into the sunset with some quality years still ahead of you? Or do you plan to cling to a job you enjoy for as long as you can, before AI pries it from your fingers, and maybe provide some mentorship to the younger generation?

Here’s what some famous old guys are up to. May you be so financially fortunate in your later years.

Klay Thompson is expected to sign with Miami after clearing waivers following a buyout with Dallas. NBA.com reports that he averaged 11.7 points last season and 12.9 points while shooting 39% from three across his two Mavericks seasons. If everything goes according to plan, Miami would be adding him specifically to improve the spacing around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

James Harden has agreed to return to Cleveland on a reported three-year, $97 million deal. Harden averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists in 26 games after arriving from the Clippers in February.

DeMar DeRozan has agreed to join Denver on a one-year, $3.9 million deal after Sacramento waived him. He averaged 18.4 points in 77 games last season and remains 16th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

LeBron James signed a two-year, $8 million veteran-minimum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, with a player option for the second year. Taking a historic pay cut after making nearly $53 million last season, the 41-year-old superstar joined the Sixers to chase another NBA title alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown.

Brown arrived in Philadelphia in another summer blockbuster, with the Boston Celtics acquiring Paul George and draft capital from the 76ers in return. George has two years remaining on his max contract, with a $54.1 million cap hit for 2026-27 and a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28. 

George is 36. Thompson is 36. Harden turns 37 next week. DeRozan is 37. LeBron turns 42 in December. None qualifies as old in ordinary human terms, but by NBA standards these are some serious graybeards. Each has reached the point where a team is paying partly for the player who exists now and partly for what opponents remember about him.

We sometimes see guys defy Father Time and continue to perform at the highest level. Verlander and Scherzer are still hurling in the MLB, and Messi was the talk of the World Cup. I’d wet my pants to see Djokovic across the tennis court from me.

And sometimes there’s a strange temporal overlap, where reputation is more of an active force. You can see it on the court. Defenders do not react only to present ability, but also to accumulated memory. A shooter who once rained triples on the league may still produce a tingle of the old willies when he curls around a screen.

Imagine Klay standing motionless in the corner. He’s got some silver whiskers. He’s coming off an 11.7-point season. Everyone knows his Splash Brother-ing days are behind him. And yet the defender still thinks: Klay Thompson. For a fraction of a second, the defender’s body remembers something his CPU knows is old data. Can’t give him room. Chase him over the screen. Stay on his hip. That fraction of a second still has basketball value in today’s NBA. 

More often, older NBA players are becoming specialists in pieces of the game they once dominated completely. It makes for a respectable second act, and it keeps them employed in an association with only 450 standard roster spots, 90 two-way spots, and a fresh flood of players arriving every summer who aren’t yet old enough to buy alcohol.

For Knicks fans of a certain vintage, seeing these older guys donning new jerseys might trigger some PTSD. There was a time when New York was more than willing to gamble on a risky player who might still contain enough of the old mojo to win a few more games, to pack a few more seats.

In February 2006, under Isiah Thomas, the Knicks acquired Steve Francis from the Orlando Magic for 20-year-old Trevor Ariza and the expiring contract of an aging, injured Penny Hardaway. Francis was 29, averaging a career-low 16.2 points amid declining athleticism and knee problems, and was still owed roughly $49 million over the following three seasons. He never regained his old form in New York, where injuries limited his effectiveness, and was traded little more than a year later. The Knicks had traded a younger asset in Ariza for a famous name whose best basketball had already been played.

Four years later, Donnie Walsh made a different calculation with another fading superstar. In February 2010, the Knicks acquired Tracy McGrady and Sergio Rodríguez in a three-team deal with Houston and Sacramento. New York sent Jordan Hill and Jared Jeffries to Houston along with a protected 2012 first-round pick and 2011 pick-swap rights, while Larry Hughes went to Sacramento. I, for one, was excited at the prospect of adding the former scoring champ and perennial All-Star, but McGrady was coming off major knee problems and a long absence from the Rockets. It became quickly apparent that he was no longer T-Mac in anything but name.

Truth be told, that deal was more about finance than talent, and McGrady’s enormous expiring contract was the point. Moving Jeffries helped clear more than $9 million in additional cap space and positioned the Knicks to chase LeBron and the much ballyhooed 2010 free-agent class (which also included Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar’e Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, and Carlos Boozer). McGrady played only 24 games for New York, averaging 9.4 points, but his basketball production was almost incidental to the transaction.

Then came Andrea Bargnani. In July 2013, the Knicks traded Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, Quentin Richardson, a 2016 first-round pick and second-round picks in 2014 and 2017 to Toronto for the former number one overall selection. Bargs was only 27, so he hardly qualified as a graybeard, but the melody line was similar. He was injury-prone, pricey, and several years removed from the promise attached to his draft pedigree. New York nevertheless paid future assets for the possibility that the recognizable name might become the recognizable player again.

He didn’t. Bargs spent two injury-plagued seasons in New York and was gone by 2015. Toronto eventually used the Knicks’ 2016 first-rounder to select Jakob Poeltl, who later became part of the package that brought Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors. (BTW, Leonard turned 35 this summer and is coming off arguably his best season yet. Go figure.)

The history lesson helps explain why this summer’s parade of distinguished thirty-somethings (and one forty-something) might feel eerily familiar. All that makes me appreciate the business acumen of Leon Rose & Co. all the more. The front office didn’t make a big swing for LeBron or Embiid and his shoddy knees when they were building a championship roster. Instead they made a series of shrewd moves and careful decisions, step by step, to bring just the right arrangement of Avengers together.

We’ll see if the aforementioned players on the move this summer will pan out for their new teams. With measured expectations, the odds are favorable. Miami is not paying Klay Thompson to become the gunslinger of 2016. Denver does not need DeRozan to become a 27-point scorer again. Philadelphia certainly is not paying LeBron as though he were 28. These teams don’t need the whole ghost, they just need a respected face to haunt the defense for a few possessions at a time.

Knicks in five. 

The owner of Michael Jordan’s Game 3 1998 NBA Finals jersey has predicted it could fetch a jaw-dropping $100 million — shattering the record for the most expensive piece of game-worn sports memorabilia ever sold.

Sports investor and actor Rob Gough is selling the one-of-a-kind white, game-winning jersey four years after he purchased it, The Post can exclusively reveal.

“I think this will be the first jersey to hit $100 million,” he said.

Gough went on a “wild treasure hunt” to get his hands on the jersey — from Jordan’s “The Last Dance” season when he won his sixth and final championship with the Chicago Bulls.

The Indiana native said he went on the quest because he always looks “for pieces that sit at the intersection of the greatest athlete, the greatest stage and a defining moment.”

“It’s not like I knew where it was or it was easy to find … this person led to this person, which led to the other person,” he added.

“Unfortunately I never got to the actual owner of the jersey, I got to a middle man who probably made millions of dollars [off the sale].”

Gough, 42, never found out who the original owner was and had to sign an NDA in the deal, so is unable to disclose how much he paid for jersey — which he displayed at his house in Puerto Rico for two years before he put it in a vault to keep it safe.

“It’s interesting, because I have a lot of great art. And when people come to the house, they skip right over the art and go right to the jersey,” he said.

“That’s when I realized that this stuff is the new modern art.”

He decided to part with the jersey — being sold by Pharrell Williams’ auction house Joopiter starting on Sept. 15 — after realizing it was not being fully appreciated.

“You’re a steward of these iconic pieces of history. When I had it in the house, it was tremendous. But when it was in the vault … what’s the point of being a steward of something if you’re not gonna let people see it and enjoy it?” Gough said.

Jordan’s jersey from Game 1 of the ’98 Finals currently holds the record for highest sale at an auction, having fetched $10.1 million in 2022 at Sotheby’s.

“He lost Game 1 … I don’t personally buy games where a guy loses because you’re saying, ‘That jersey on the wall, remember when Michael Jordan lost that game?’ You just don’t say that,” Gough said.

In Game 3, the Bulls beat the Utah Jazz by 42 points, setting the record for the biggest blowout in NBA Finals history.

Gough, who recently purchased the Miami-based World Jai Alai League, made a name for himself in the collectibles industry after buying a rare 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card for a then-record $5.2 million in 2021.

“No one knows that I actually sold [the card] for eight figures,” he said. “So this [jersey sale] would be the second at-least-eight-figure transaction.”

The avid sports collector, who also owns the jerseys of GOATs like Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Tom Brady and Wayne Gretzky, said he’s unsure if Jordan is following the history-making sale.

“Oh man, I have no idea. I wish I had the guy on speed dial,” he said, laughing.

There are things in life you’d rather have and not need than need and not have. Jumper cables. A plunger. An alibi? And in the case of a professional basketball organization, two-way contracted players.

If your two-way players are getting substantial minutes with the big league club, something probably went wrong along the way. Injuries would be the most obvious culprit, but you could also add roster additions that didn’t work out, players who didn’t fit within the scheme, or a team that has shifted its focus toward development rather than winning in the present.

The Phoenix Suns are a team that, in recent years, has fully utilized all of its two-way roster spots. As part of the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2023, teams were allowed to expand from two two-way contracts to three. Two-way contracts were introduced prior to the 2017–18 season to strengthen player development. Of course, there are restrictions. Players on two-way contracts must have fewer than four years of NBA service time, and each player can be active for a maximum of 50 regular-season NBA games. That means available, not necessarily playing.

This change has also come at a time when the Suns have shifted their strategy regarding the draft. In the past, you could punt second-round picks because you assumed they weren’t going to be part of your future. Now, there is a legitimate developmental path for those players. You can draft them, develop them, and hope they eventually become depth pieces or even rotational players for the big league club.

When you look back at last season, the Suns did make use of their two-way contracted players. Koby Brea and CJ Huntley combined for 124 minutes, while Jamaree Bouyea logged 644 minutes across 46 games. Bouyea joined the Suns on a two-way contract in November before being converted to a regular contract in early March. That is exactly how you want to utilize your feeder system, providing minutes, development, and opportunity to players who can potentially grow into something more.

Now look at this year’s crop of two-way players, and you’ll find two familiar faces. Both Brea and Huntley return under the same premise. Joining them is Pat Spencer, who enters his fourth NBA season and has followed a path similar to Bouyea’s. Spencer signed a two-way deal with the Golden State Warriors before eventually being converted to a regular contract, a pattern that has held in each of the last two seasons. And Golden State needed him. The Warriors were riddled with injuries last season, and Spencer ultimately appeared in 66 games, starting 14.

Now he finds himself with the Phoenix Suns, and the fan base clearly believes he has the best chance of earning meaningful minutes with the big league club. In our latest survey, 78% of the community believes Spencer will see time with the Suns this season.

It’s an interesting outcome to the poll, and I think people voted that way because Pat Spencer feels like the most NBA-ready player of the group. We’ve already seen it from him, and he is easily the most experienced of the Suns’ three two-way contracted players.

What’s interesting about the way Phoenix has structured this group is that each player represents a different archetype. Spencer is a hard-nosed defender at the point guard position. Koby Brea is more of a three-point shooting specialist. CJ Huntley provides size and rebounding while also possessing the ability to stretch the floor as a big.

So while 78% of the community believes Spencer will see the most minutes because he has the most experience, appears the most ready, and brings the most maturity, I think it ultimately depends on where the need comes from. I don’t expect any of these players to come in and materially change the FanDuel over-under win total based purely on their performance. They are fortifications. Something you’d rather have and not need than need and not have. Pat Spencer is a plunger.

If the Suns have issues with their bigs, you bring up CJ Huntley and let him fill some minutes until health is restored. If they need more help shooting the three-point ball, which is something this team could certainly use, Brea might have the easiest path to meaningful minutes. He’s actually the player I voted for. Then there’s Spencer. If Phoenix wants to lean further into its defensive identity, or if injuries hit the guard rotation, he gives them another option with those characteristics.

At the end of the day, it’s a good problem to have because it speaks to the Suns’ strategy around both development and flexibility. They have different types of players waiting in the wings and can adjust as the season throws at them. That’s strategic roster building.

And ideally, that’s where the story ends. Spencer, Brea, and Huntley spend most of the season developing, waiting for opportunities that rarely arrive because the players ahead of them remain healthy and productive. But NBA seasons rarely cooperate that neatly. Injuries happen, needs change, and rotations evolve. When they do, Phoenix has three distinctly different answers waiting. You hope you never need the jumper cables, the alibi, or Pat Spencer. But you’ll be glad they’re there if you do.

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