Category: NBA

We’re deep into the offseason early in September, but still the NBA news churns.

With Bryson Graham and Kyle Korver both departing from the Hawks’ front office this offseason, the Hawks had spots to fill within their organizational structure. Now, on Tuesday, we hear about the status of the number two position next to new president Onsi Saleh.

The Hawks yesterday announced the promotion of Peter Dinwiddie to executive vice president of basketball operations:

Dinwiddie joined the Hawks prior to last season as senior vice president of strategy and analytics after working five years with the Philadelphia 76ers as their executive vice president of basketball operations. Before his stint with the Sixers, he spent 14 seasons with the Indiana Pacers, beginning in 2006 in the inside sales department before transitioning to basketball operations. Over his time in Indiana, he served as director of basketball administration, vice president of basketball operations and senior vice president of basketball operations. The native of Indianapolis, Ind. is a 1999 graduate from Indiana University and a 2004 graduate of the New England School of Law.

The release also mentions two more transactions: a promotion and the hire of a well-known and longtime NBA journalist:

Tim Bontemps joins the Hawks as strategic advisor and Maxwell Kupchak has been elevated to the role of director of cap strategy & player personnel.

Bontemps joins the Hawks’ front office after more than eight years covering the NBA for ESPN, including co-hosting The Hoop Collective podcast. With ESPN, Bontemps focused on team strategy, player movement and league trends, including both breaking news and deeper reporting on the business of the NBA both on and off the court. Prior to ESPN, he worked for The Washington Post from 2015-18 and the New York Post from 2007-15. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University.

Kupchak, previously coordinator, cap strategy & player personnel, is in his fourth season with the Hawks organization. Prior to Atlanta, Kupchak spent four seasons in the front office of the Charlotte Hornets, where he began as a video room operations assistant before being promoted to a front office basketball assistant, and finally manager of basketball operations and scouts. The Los Angeles native is a graduate of University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was a four-year member of the men’s basketball team, appearing in 97 career games.

There was also a move made yesterday surrounding a player. The Hawks released info on a Summer League graduate, Devon Higgs. Higgs played for the Hawks in both Utah and Las Vegas this summer after a long career at Georgia Southwestern State University.

The guard was likely signed to an Exhibit 10 deal — a non-guaranteed contract that usually has the player end up on the College Park Skyhawks for the upcoming season.

Los Angeles Sparks star Cameron Brink came to San Antonio last season to catch a game. She recently shared a funny story with Sydel Curry-Lee on her Straight to Cam podcast. The moment involved her mom’s reaction to Devin Vassell three-pointer while in attendance at that Spurs game.

Cameron Brink Reveals Her Mom Embarrassed Her Courtside During A Spurs Game

Cameron Brink: “But the funniest thing was… Um, there’s this guy on the Spurs, his name is Devin Vassell.”

Cameron Brink: “Whenever he makes a three, he does a celebration where he takes his fingers… pic.twitter.com/Jit2wwWdlL

— TrueNorth (@Franco_Vision) September 6, 2026

“But the funniest thing was… Um, there’s this guy on the Spurs, his name is Devin Vassell. Whenever he makes a three, he does a celebration where he takes his fingers and he’ll put it over his eye, kind of. And all of a sudden, my mom’s like, ‘Kind of looks like he’s doing…’ No, she literally did it, courtside! Cameras on us, me mic’d up, and I just look at her and I’m like… I remember just like turning bright red. I was like, ‘Mom!’”

It just goes to show, you never know when the camera is on and the Jumbotron is live.

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The Knicks still have no idea what they’re doing with their open two-way spots, but at least for now, one of them will not be Dillon Jones, who signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the rival Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.

Back-to-back champ Dillon Jones signed with the 76ers to an Exhibit 10 contract, a team source told ESPN. He’ll be a part of Philly’s training camp later this month.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 8, 2026

Jones has had quite the NBA career so far. He was briefly a Knick on draft night after being selected No. 25 overall in 2024, but his draft rights were traded immediately to Oklahoma City as part of a complicated night for Leon Rose and company.

While he didn’t play much as a rookie, he won a ring as part of the 2024-25 Thunder. Most people coming off their rookie seasons on NBA champions would have some security, but Jones was part of the roster churn that OKC continually does to fit new draft picks on the roster, being salary dumped to Washington before being bought out of his rookie contract.

Midway through the 2025-26 season, he inked a two-way deal with the Knicks, where he appeared in seven games and played 39 total minutes before being reduced to street clothes for the entire championship run. While you might think he was the least consequential of the 18, his experience as a champion was something Mike Brown leaned on as the reality grew closer and closer.

Crazy.

Mike Brown revealed he leaned on DILLON JONES for advice throughout the Knicks’ championship run after Jones won a title with OKC, and that it was his idea to show the team their faces after the loss of the ECF to the Pacers.

Another subtle Leon Rose win. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/L9lgCk81Sb

— Knicks Nation (@KnicksNation) June 30, 2026

The 24-year-old will now try to latch on in Philly, which has just one open roster and two-way spot with 20 confirmed players in training camp. He’ll be competing with the likes of Tacko Fall and Jameer Nelson Jr.

If he does make the roster in some capacity, he will join Ariel Hukporti in receiving their championship rings on Ring Night on October 20 with the rest of the squad.

Knicks Guard Landry Shamet seems to have found a new side gig this offseason. 

While Shamet is likely still basking in the glory of the Knicks’ NBA title — the organization’s first in 53 years — he appeared to have taken up photography and was spotted at the U.S. Open on Tuesday night working on his craft during the Jessica Pegula-Emma Navarro quarterfinal match. 

An eagle-eyed photographer from The Post spotted the Knicks guard down in the photo pit at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Shamet was getting shots of the two American competitors alongside other credentialed photographers covering this year’s tournament. 

It’s the third year Shamet has taken his photography skills to the Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows. 

He has worked as an unpaid photographer for the USTA during the last two tournaments. He started with shooting photos during the first week of the tournament in 2024 and did well enough to be invited back last year to take pictures during the final weekend, the Associated Press previously reported. 

Shamet even posted some of his work from last year’s tournament on his Instagram account, with the caption noting that he took the photos with a Sony a7R V. 

“His action photos are really tremendous,” USTA photographer Jen Pottheiser told the AP last year. “He really is a student of photography here. He’s asking amazing questions. He’s frankly a great teammate.

“I’m sure any New Yorker knows that.”

Shamet told the outlet he started getting into photography five years ago and has fallen in love with the hobby. 

“I think since I picked the camera up I don’t really foresee a day where I put it down,” Shamet said. “Even when we go on the road I always have a camera with me, just to have. So whether it’s just like as a hobby, walking around, shooting stuff that I like to maybe print out and put on the wall in my house or doing things like this, it’ll always be there.”

In late June, Shamet signed a four-year, $24 million contract to return to the Knicks. He averaged 9.3 points per game during the regular season and 6.0 points per game during the playoffs.

If one thing is for certain about basketball, it’s always that there will be a dominant duo in the league. But just how dominant can they be?

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley appeared on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” and said he believes that San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are the next great one.

So great, he compared them to an iconic Golden State Warriors duo.

“If I’m a guard in the NBA, I do not want to see them for what’s the next ten years,” Barkley said. “They’re gonna be the new Steph and Klay.”

The duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, nicknamed “The Splash Brothers” were one of the greatest shooting tandems the NBA had ever seen, as they led the league 9-times in three-pointers made.

Curry, a two-time MVP, has led the league in three-pointers made eight times in his career, while Thompson led the league in threes during the 2022-2023 season, when he sank 301.

The Splash Brothers appeared in six NBA Finals together, where they won four of them in 2015,2017,2018, and 2022.

The duo’s time started to wind down as Thompson regressed with the Warriors during the 2023-2024 season, when he shot 38.7% from downtown, resulting in him taking on a role coming off the bench.

After the season ended, Thompson went on to sign with the Dallas Mavericks, but has yet to shoot over 40% from the three-point line.

Over the summer, the Mavericks placed Thompson on waivers and just signed with the Miami Heat last month.

Curry, 38, is entering his 18th season in the NBA and is chasing his fifth NBA title.

But as Curry is preparing for his next mission, he will have to find a way to get past Castle and Harper on his own.

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When Castle plays alongside Harper, he averages 16.8 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game, while Harper averages 11.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.4 rebounds.

Both Castle and Harper have a bright future as they’re both still under 22 years old and are three months removed from an NBA Finals loss to the New York Knicks.

The NBA season is rapidly approaching as teams are expected to report to training camp at the end of the month.

As the Golden State Warriors are about to begin camp, one of the biggest questions surrounding the team this season is how healthy they will be next year. Primarily, Jimmy Butler III.

According to ESPN NBA insider Anthony Slater, he wrote that Butler, who is recovering from a torn ACL injury, is expected to return by January or February next season.

“Butler has been slowly increasing his on-court work while traveling the globe this summer, and the most recent strength tests on his right ACL recovery have shown notable progress, according to league sources,” Slater wrote.

Slater also wrote that Butler still has a way to go on the road to recovery as he’s “expected to be limited to individual court and strength work.”

If Butler comes back in January, it will be right around the same time he tore his ACL last year in a 135-112 victory against the Miami Heat.

Butler was on fire that night when he was facing off against his former team, scoring 17 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals through 21 minutes of playing time.

Around the 7:41 mark of the third quarter, Butler received a pass and immediately crashed into Miami’s Davion Mitchell, resulting in him awkwardly falling down.

After the game, it was later revealed what had happened, and his season was over.

Butler has been working his way back from the injury over the offseason, but Slater reported that there will be plenty of checkpoints he needs to meet before he appears on an NBA court again.

Slater also added that the Warriors’ Rick Celebrini, who is the lead medical decision-maker, is well known for his cautious approach.

Butler was traded by the Heat to the Warriors during the 2025 NBA trade deadline, as Golden State was making an aggressive push to help win one more title with Steph Curry.

Through their time as teammates, the duo of Curry and Butler have only appeared in 60 games together, primarily because of injuries.

During his first season with Golden State, the Warriors were eliminated in five games in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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Former Husky star and national champion Jordan Hawkins will be sporting some new threads when the NBA season tips off next month. The New Orleans Pelicans guard was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday morning along with Micah Peavy and two second-round picks in exchange for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson.

The New Orleans Pelicans are trading Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, a future second-round pick and a future second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/JLvDjv9clc

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 8, 2026

In two years at UConn, Hawkins emerged as one of the best shooters in recent program history as a sophomore. He averaged 16.2 points per game and helped lead the Huskies to the 2023 title, shooting a blistering 21-41 from 3-point land during the NCAA Tournament. He had seven games in his UConn career with at least five 3-pointers made, including six in the Elite Eight against Gonzaga.

Hawkins played his first three seasons in the NBA with the Pelicans after being picked with the 14th pick in the 2023 draft, registering up-and-down results. He played 67 games as a rookie, averaging 7.8 PPG. His second year was even better, averaging 10.8 PPG in 23.6 MPG across 56 games. Last year was a step backwards, as Hawkins struggled to stick in the rotation and put up just 5.1 PPG in 51 games.

The deal to Memphis gives the Grizzlies two former UConn players on their roster for this upcoming season, as Hawkins joins 2024 national champ Cam Spencer. Spencer has emerged as one of the top players on the team, putting up 11.1 PPG and 5.6 APG a year ago.

BREAKING: in a multi player/pick swap, the New Orleans Pelicans are trading Jordan Hawkins to the Memphis Grizzlies per @ShamsCharania

Hawkins is now teammates with Cam Spencer in Memphis. pic.twitter.com/KTrP18PH9c

— Huskies In The Pros (@HuskyPros) September 8, 2026

Hawkins is joining a deep guard room that features Spencer, Scotty Pippen Jr., Cedric Coward, Walter Clayton Jr., Ty Jerome and Javon Small. It may not be easy to crack the rotation, but if he can ignite the spark that he had two years ago, it may be tough to keep him out of it. Things didn’t end well in New Orleans, but a fresh start may be exactly what he needs.

When the Lakers honor Phil Jackson with a statue on April 7 outside of Crypto.com Arena, they’ll not only be immortalizing the greatest coach in franchise history but also the greatest in NBA history. 

Not Red Auerbach.

Not Gregg Popovich.

Jackson’s coaching résumé speaks for itself: 11 NBA championships, which are the most by any head coach in league history, in 13 NBA Finals appearances across 20 years.

The most playoff wins (229) by a coach in league history. 

A 70.4 regular-season and 68.8 playoffs winning percentage, both the highest marks in league history among individuals who’ve coached at least 10 seasons. 

But Jackson’s impact and case as the NBA’s greatest coach of all time goes beyond statistics and rings. 

He popularized the triangle offense, which was developed by Tex Winter, a longtime assistant coach under Jackson with the Bulls and Lakers. The offensive system was the backbone for team success for two decades, and its principles have influenced successful NBA offenses for even longer — particularly the Warriors’ most recent dynasty. 

His ability to manage personalities on superstar-driven teams led to his teams maximizing their potential: Jackson-coached teams won 25 consecutive playoff series from 1996-2003. 

His holistic approach to coaching also earned him the moniker of “Zen Master.”

When it comes to NBA coaches, Jackson’s combination of success and influence stands above the rest. 

Auerbach, who led the Celtics to eight consecutive NBA titles from 1959-66 and nine championships in 10 years including the 1957 NBA title, was the architect behind one of the greatest dynasties in league history. Especially when factoring in his influence on Boston’s roster construction, which continued in his roles as Celtics general manager and eventually president after his retirement as coach in 1966. He was rightfully voted as the greatest coach in NBA history by the Professional Basketball Writers Association in 1980.

Popovich’s longevity with the Spurs is unmatched: an NBA record 1,390 regular-season wins to go with five NBA championships and six NBA Finals. Three NBA Coach of the Year awards, which is tied for the most in league history (the award was created in 1962). Twenty-two consecutive playoff appearances (1998-2019, which is tied for an NBA record. Popovich reinvented himself and his teams throughout his 29 seasons as the Spurs’ coach, consistently achieving success at the highest level with each version of the Spurs that developed. 

But Jackson has a feather in his cap that Auerbach and Popovich lack: He successfully led two different franchises to dynastic runs with the 1990s Bulls and the 2000s Lakers. 

An argument against Jackson, and in favor of another coach being the greatest of all time, was that Jackson coached some of the greatest players of all time in Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. And that’s before even mentioning other key players to the dynasties Jackson led such as Pau Gasol, Ron Harper, Lamar Odom, Toni Kukoc and Horace Grant. 

But Auerbach had Hall of Fame players such as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek and Sam Jones, to name a few. 

Popovich had Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginóbili and Kawhi Leonard.

Coaching great talents is a prerequisite for becoming an all-time coach. 

Among all the all-time coaches, Jackson stands above them all.  

The Brooklyn Nets could be in for more ABA-related fun during the 2026-27 season.

Last week, the team announced plans to celebrate the franchise’s 60th anniversary with an “ABA Night” on November 18. This week, a Sacramento Kings fan account on X discovered the NBA filed to trademark the term “ABA CHALLENGE SERIES” and an accompanying wordmark in late June.

The USPTO also has it listed as “live” and “pending.‘’

🚨BREAKING: The NBA may be planning a special "ABA Challenge Series" this season.

— Trademark filed on June 23 with intent for "live basketball games and basketball exhibitions"
— League celebrating 50th anniversary of ABA-NBA merger with 4 ABA teams rumored for Classic unis
🧵 pic.twitter.com/U5MWZ6Vq5G

— Kings Uni Tracker (@SacKings_Unis) September 8, 2026

The Nets are shedding some light on their ABA roots this season. On ABA Night, they’ll give away a Julius Erving bobblehead giveaway. Peter Vecsey reported that all living players and coaches from the 1974 and 1976 title teams will be in attendance.

What exactly does the Nets ABA Night (Nov. 18) mean? I’m told all the living players and coaches from the franchise’s only two title teams (‘74 & ‘76) will attend…

— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) September 3, 2026

There’s been no official word from the league or the Nets on whether or not there’s more to the scheduled “ABA Night,” although the “Challenge Series” might indicate that something larger is in the works.

The Nets are one of four NBA teams to have originated in the ABA, the other being the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs. To our knowledge, they’ve yet to announce anything formally related to a the trademark filling either.

Brooklyn will face the San Antonio Spurs twice (December 23 and March 18), the Denver Nuggets twice (March 1 and March 25), and the Indiana Pacers four times (October 25, November 1, January 11 and March 15).

No, this is not an attempt to get birthday wishes from our faithful Bright Siders.

But I was thinking about some outrageous things that would be great to see from the Suns this season. Some bold takes. What better way to wish for some wild outcomes than to do it while blowing out some candles? That way, you can’t hold me accountable for any of this. When in Rome…

Let’s get freakishly optimistic and speak some things into existence.

Disclaimer: Again, these are NOT things I am predicting. Just speaking into existence in an alternate reality where things go according to… Suns fans. Yes, I am going to get greedy.

1) Devin Booker revenge tour season + enters MVP conversation

What if it just finally happens? What if this is the year Devin Booker catches everyone by surprise and unleashes a new level to his game? Why not? He’s still just 29 years old, going on 30 in October, and this is an age that many players have had career years in the past.

He finished 4th in voting in 2021-22 after leading the Suns to a 64-win season, so it may take a lot from both a personal and team perspective, but he’s been in the conversation before.

Just when everyone seems to have taken a collective step back on his hierarchy in the NBA star food chain… this could be the moment he strikes. What if he has his best season yet and the Suns crush expectations? They’ll have to pay attention to him again.

2) The Phoenix Suns just SMASH expectations, win 54 games

Devin Booker is in MVP conversations, after all. I don’t know why I picked 54, but it just felt right.

Most betting sites have them in the 38-40 win range, so this would be exceeding those expectations by quite a bit. Even with their win total being 46 a year ago, Vegas does not believe in the Suns for the second season in a row.

54 wins likely puts them in the top-4 in a loaded Western Conference, so yeah. This is entering best-case scenario territory. They start the season hot, beat bad teams, stay healthy, and Devin Booker has the year of his life.

3) Khaman Maluach breaks out a year early

This one may be a little more realistic. But let’s make even this one bold. He takes the starting job from Mark Williams, and it has nothing to do with injury. He runs with it after filling in as a spot starter in back-to-backs and gains Jordan Ott’s trust. Most expect gradual production and improvement from him in year two, and at his age that’s reasonable. But why not a full-on breakout?

Summer League Khaman carries into the regular season, takes the starting center job, and never looks back for the next decade. Let’s get even bolder. How about he enters the top 10 center conversation in the back half of the season?

We’re not just talking about looking competent; we’re talking about looking like a future franchise cornerstone.

4) Jalen Green takes a leap

Jalen Green is in a weird position right now. We call this “young player with high expectations” purgatory. When you’re drafted as high as Green, you are held to another standard. Some view him as a negative asset due to his contract; some say he’s still young enough to warrant being a “sleeper” breakout pick.

I’m not going to say anything bold like stardom, but becoming the type of player that everyone said he couldn’t be. Playmaking improves. Defense improves. Catch-and-shoot numbers improve. Improved shot selection, which increases his efficiency. It’s not a pure PPG breakout, but rather, a breakout in the areas we all want to see improvement in.

We don’t need a flashy leap. The boring, intangible, and efficiency-led leap is what I am wishing for.

5) Koa Peat is the steal of the draft

Koa Peat exceeds our wildest expectations and forces himself into the rotation. Not only in the rotation, but he becomes a staple of it. He and Maluach showcase a very promising 4-5 combo that is versatile, strong, athletic, and has high upside.

Rival GM’s will long be asking themselves why they didn’t take him sooner. We are due for a player like that, so I will speak it into existence.

That was a whole lot of optimism, delusion, and manifestation taking place all at once. Thanks for sticking through.

It’s a new era of basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers, and there has been an assumption that they might be worse than they were last season.

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley begs to disagree by saying team general manager and President of Basketball Operations, Rob Pelinka, has been assembling a team that will be better next season.

“I really want to see the Lakers do well,” Barkley said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” “First of all, I’m a big Luka fan, a big Austin Reaves fan. …Luka [Dončić] and Kyrie [Irving] took the [Mavericks] to the Finals, come on, man. This team is probably better; this team is probably just as good as that team.”

As Barkley said, Pelinka has been quietly reconstructing the Lakers roster to fit better around Dončić as they are fully engaged in making the team better around him.

The first move they made was keeping Reaves playing alongside Dončić for at least the next three-years by giving him a four-year $185 million contract extension that includes a player option for the final year.

With Reaves extended, it was time to clean house as the team ended up wiping out its starting five that won a playoff series last season, and even parted ways with future Hall of Famer LeBron James, who informed the team they could move on from him as he would be departing last June.

The main request that Dončić had for Pelinka over the offseason was finding him a big man.

Pelinka granted his wish and acquired Walker Kessler via a sign-and- trade deal.

On top of that, the team also went out and got San Mamukelasvili, Koven Looney, Colin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, and Zaiarie Williams, and acquired Cameron Carr in the NBA Draft.

With Dončić now the face of the team, he’s been taking on a leadership role and recently flew the team out to his home country of Slovenia, where they held a minicamp and participated in team activities that included team dinners and exploring the country.

With a newly refounded Lakers team here, they’re expected to arrive at training camp on September 29.

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The Washington Wizards have promoted Amber Nichols to vice president of basketball operations and player personal, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported Tuesday.

The Washington Wizards are promoting Amber Nichols to Vice President of Basketball Operations and Personnel, league sources told @hoopshype. Nichols was previously Washington’s Director of Amateur Evaluation. Prior, she was General Manager of the Capital City Go-Go G League team. pic.twitter.com/9ev4mqItSM

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) September 8, 2026

Nichols previously served as the Wizards’ director of amateur evaluation. Before that role, she served as general manager of the Capital City Go-Go — Washington’s G League affiliate.

Wizards general manager Will Dawkins praised Nichols’ role in the team’s draft evaluation process. The Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa and Felix Okpara in the 2026 NBA Draft.

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

The Lakers used this offseason to revamp their entire roster, getting younger, faster and more athletic as they move into the Luka Dončić era. One of Los Angeles’s key figures in this transitional period — who falls under each of those three categories — is 2025 second-round pick Adou Thiero.

Following a season riddled with injuries hindering him from establishing any modicum of a presence in JJ Redick’s rotation, fans anticipated a leap in Summer League. It took the athletic, high-flying forward a game or two for the play to slow down for him and to start showing glimpses of progression between rookie and sophomore seasons.

The majority of Thiero’s 25 appearances last season were in garbage time as he recovered from his various lower-body injuries. He did, however, earn enough trust to appear in six playoff games, though he averaged just a hair under six minutes per game.

Thiero averaged 15.4 points, six rebounds, three assists and 1.8 steals in his five games in Las Vegas before sitting out the Lakers’ Summer League finale with a wrist injury. He jumped off the screen (almost literally) in every contest, though, flashing powerful dunks, vicious blocks and a vastly improved defensive arsenal.

The Lakers have a gaping hole at power forward and plenty of suitable options alongside Thiero, like Jarred Vanderbilt, Ziaire Williams and Jake LaRavia, competing for a defined role in the frontcourt. But what would Thiero’s path be?

What is his best-case scenario?

Thiero is already one of the best pure athletes in the league, so he fits naturally off the ball next to Dončić and Austin Reaves offensively. Where he could really carve out a role in the rotation this season is by taking a sizeable leap on the other side of the floor as a versatile defensive wing.

Despite limited production last season, Thiero displayed plenty of potential as a connective perimeter defender, grading out in the 64th percentile as a ball screen navigator and the 80th and 83rd percentiles in pick pocket rate and passing lane defense, respectively, according to Basketball Index.

He has a keen awareness of where to be when defending off the ball. Couple that with his natural athleticism and he could be a threat from anywhere on the court.

Watch below as Thiero plays as the tagger off the ball while LeBron James and DeAndre Ayton guard the pick-and-roll. Guarding Scottie Barnes in the corner, Thiero slides over early enough in the action to disrupt the rolling Jonathan Mogbo, then reads Immanuel Quickley’s eyes as he passes to Barnes, who is lifting up to the perimeter. Thiero covers nearly 15 feet of space to steal the ball and create a transition look for the Lakers.

The fully idealized version of Thiero develops a reliable perimeter shot, turning him into the highly-coveted 3-and-D wing archetype. He made just one 3-pointer in three attempts last season. In 12 South Bay games, he shot 10-of-20. Through seven Summer League appearances (California Classic and Vegas), he shot 2-of-14 (14.3%). Thiero not only needs to show an ability to knock down the deep ball, but also the willingness to attempt it.

In regards to his fit alongside Dončić, think of Derrick Jones Jr.

What is his worst-case scenario?

Plenty of underlying proclivities stand in the way of Thiero becoming the version of himself that the Lakers need — namely, the aforementioned lack of perimeter shooting and an already checkered injury history.

Los Angeles drafted Thiero as he was still recovering from a left knee injury he suffered while at Arkansas that sidelined him for the first portion of his rookie season. Later in the year, he was sidelined for five weeks with a right knee MCL sprain. When a player as athletic as Thiero suffers multiple lower body injuries early in their career, that’s usually a cause for concern.

What if he never develops a deep ball? Does he turn into another version of Vanderbilt? Are the injuries this early in his career a problem? Could they become one?

What is his most likely role on the team?

Thiero has a ton of room for growth this early in his career. Although his natural athleticism pops on the court, he still needs to develop the intangibles and floor spacing that separate him from many of his counterparts. That being said, there still is a role that needs to be filled in the frontcourt.

He came to Los Angeles as a work in progress, but, to his credit, he has already showcased an ability and willingness to improve his craft.

We will know as early as training camp whether Thiero made an impactful enough leap in his game to elevate beyond just a fringe rotation player.

You can follow Connor on Twitter at @cmorenoNBA.

Make room for the Zen Master.

The Los Angeles Lakers have announced the club will honor former coach Phil Jackson with his own statue at Crypto.com Arena.

The statue will be unveiled in April, according to the Lakers.

It’s hard to imagine fining a more deserving candidate who not yet honored at the Star Plaza plaza alongside the likes of Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Jackson, 80, guided the Lakers to a three-peat in 2000, 2001 and 2002 when Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were co-stars. He also helped lead the Lakers to back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 with Bryant and Paul Gasol propelling the team.

In all, Jackson won 11 NBA titles as a coach, and six of those came with the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan.

In addition to coaching and employing the triangle offense, Jackson earned the nickname “Zen Master’’ for incorporating Eastern philosophy, meditation, and mindfulness when coaching his players.

In his book “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success,’’ Jackson wrote, “There’s a Zen saying I often cite that goes, ‘Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.

“The point: Stay focused on the task at hand rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers to honor the Zen Master with statue outside arena