Two former Golden State Warriors employees have sued the organization over allegations of sex, gender and age discrimination harassment, retaliation and defamation, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

Lisa Shelley, professionally known as Lisa Meyer, and Jennifer Vasquez filed the joint complaint with the San Francisco County Superior Court of California on Aug. 25, alleging "discrimination, hostility, and retaliation," all violations of the Fair Employment and Housing Act with the California Civil Rights Department.

Shelley joined the Warriors in 2021 serving as Associate General Counsel and Director of Business & Legal Affairs and Risk Management. Vasquez joined Jan. 3, 2022 and served as Vice President of Diversity Equity & Inclusion.

"Golden State prides itself on its commitment to maintaining an inclusive environment grounded in mutual respect and professionalism. We take all workplace concerns seriously. The lawsuit filed by two former employees contains allegations that are false, misleading, and unsupported by credible evidence," the team said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. "Many of the allegations have been previously reviewed or investigated and found to be without merit.

"Golden State intends to vigorously defend against these baseless claims and is confident that an examination of the facts will confirm that Golden State, its leadership, and the employees targeted in this lawsuit have at all times operated with the highest levels of integrity and fairness."

Here's what you need to know about the complaint:

Workplace survey complaints

According to court documents, Shelley and Vasquez made complaints concerning workplace practices and fallout from an NBA-wide anonymous employee survey that reflected significant dissatisfaction within the organization's Legal, Finance and People Operations.

Shelley and Vasquez allege that survey results showed an employee dissatisfaction within the Legal and People Operations departments and leadership sought to identify and question employees who provided critical responses, the lawsuit states.

Leadership allegedly questioned Vasquez regarding her survey responses. An investigation that ultimately found no wrongdoing, the court document says.

Discriminatory promotion, compensation practices

Shelley alleged she was not compensated accordingly for additional duties related to arena operations, including concerts, private events and special events.

According to court documents, Shelley was promised promotions she never received. She also alleges that she was up for promotion for a Senior Director of Business and Legal Affairs position but was passed over for a younger, male candidate with less experience.

Shelley alleged that their promotion process requires each candidate's photograph to be displayed to the SeniorLeadership Team during a closed-session vote, according to the court document. Employees have allegedly been denied promotion based on subjective criteria such as "likability" or "fit," which often translates to physical appearance and how they fit into the organization's aesthetic, the lawsuit said.

According to court documents, Shelley was aware throughout her employment that female employees’ bodies, weight, clothing, attractiveness and appearance were routinely scrutinized. The lawsuit said a manager in the Sales' Department allegedly commented on a female employee's ability to sell saying, "sex sells," in reference to her attire. The employee reported the comment but no action was taken, according to the lawsuit.

Further allegations say that Shelley learned that two male colleagues with less experience were paid more than she despite starting at the same title around the same time.

She warned leadership that inconsistent application of vague standards to employees in protected classes created legal risk, but concerns were disregarded, according to court documents.

Shelley alleges that a white woman was hired as Director of Guest Experience at an annual salary range between approximately $135,000 to $145,000. When later promoted and it came to fill he role, an African-American woman was considered but the organization allegedly refused to authorize a comparable salary range and limited compensation to $125,000.

Age discrimination, sexual harassment

Vasquez is over 40 years old, according to court documents. She alleged that she was ridiculed for her age. Additionally, she alleged that she "observed an overly amorous and unprofessional atmosphere among members of senior leadership" during social gatherings.

She described executives engaging in "awkward and overly familiar physical contact with one another," according to the lawsuit.

Two executives began a romantic relationship and repeatedly engaged in unprofessional exchanges and comments containing sexual double entendres in front of Vasquez, making her uncomfortable, the lawsuit said.

The court documents allege that Vasquez routinely saw instances that women of color, women with disabilities andwomen with larger body types were subjected to consistent harassment.

Termination

Shelley was terminated on Dec. 4, 2025. She alleges that her termination constituted retaliation for raising safety and workplace concerns and for her role in connection with the 2025 NBA league-wide survey, the lawsuit states. She was the second of three employees who had raised related concerns to be terminated by the organization.

In June 2026, Shelley allegedly had a conditional offer from another NBA team in California, but the offer was rescinded, believing that the withdrawal resulted directly from false and damaging statements made by Warriors personnel regarding her performance and professional conduct.

Vasquez felt her job was at risk when the new presidential administration slashed all DEI-initiatives in Jan. 2025. She was employed with Golden State for another year before Vasquez was effectively terminated, weeks after Shelley, in Jan. 2026.

Shelley and Vasquez are seeking general, special and punitive damages, costs, interest and all otherrelief available, according to the court document.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Two ex-Warriors employees sue team for discrimination, harassment

The Warriors are facing a legal fight just weeks before training camp, with two former employees accusing the organization of discrimination, retaliation and fostering a hostile workplace.

Former associate general counsel Lisa Shelley, who is also professionally known as Lisa Meyer, and former vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion Jennifer Vasquez filed the lawsuit Aug. 25 in San Francisco County Superior Court.

The complaint alleges a workplace “marked by discrimination, hostility and retaliation” and includes claims involving gender, race and age discrimination, as well as defamation.

The Warriors strongly denied the allegations.

“The lawsuit filed by two former employees contains allegations that are false, misleading, and unsupported by credible evidence,” the organization said in a statement. Golden State added that many of the complaints had previously been investigated and “found to be without merit.”

Shelley worked for the Warriors beginning in 2021 and eventually held responsibilities spanning legal affairs and risk management. According to the lawsuit, she raised concerns about workplace practices and the handling of a 2025 employee-engagement survey that workers allegedly had been told would be anonymous.

After the survey produced poor marks for several departments, the lawsuit claims an executive attempted to determine who had submitted critical responses.

Shelley was fired in December 2025 as the Warriors told her their legal department was being “reimagined,” according to the complaint.

She also alleges Golden State later damaged her prospects of landing a job with the Clippers by providing “false and damaging” information when contacted as a reference. Shelley claims she received a conditional offer from Los Angeles in June before it was withdrawn.

Vasquez, who joined Golden State in 2022, alleges she encountered a “climate of isolation and intimidation” shortly after arriving and was twice told by executives she needed to “play the game” to succeed.

Her allegations also include age-related comments and what the complaint describes as disparate treatment involving employees’ bodies, clothing and appearance, particularly women.

Vasquez says she joined Shelley in recommending an investigation into how criticism from the employee survey was handled. Less than two weeks after Shelley’s dismissal, Vasquez was informed that Golden State was eliminating its DEI function and her position along with it, according to the lawsuit. She was formally terminated in January.

The suit takes particular aim at Warriors executive Erin Dangerfield, who had served as senior vice president of people and culture. Golden State announced Dangerfield’s promotion to chief people officer two days after the lawsuit was filed.

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The legal battle arrives during an already consequential period for a franchise trying to determine what comes next around Stephen Curry. The 38-year-old superstar has repeatedly expressed his desire to finish his career with Golden State, even as speculation about his Warriors future has intensified.

Golden State is also attempting to rebound from a difficult season in which Jimmy Butler suffered a season-ending torn ACL and injuries repeatedly stripped the aging roster of its biggest names.

Now, before the Warriors can turn their full attention toward another season, they have a far more serious dispute unfolding away from the court.

The lawsuit seeks damages for lost wages and emotional distress, along with an injunction intended to prevent future workplace discrimination. It does not specify a dollar amount.

Golden State said it intends to “vigorously defend” itself against what it called “baseless claims.”

What a privilege it is to root for a team that has so much great history that we can dedicate a whole month to it on the blog and merely scratch the surface. What a pleasure it was to read Rich Jensen, Mike Dynon, and others as they walked us through the Banner Years.

Now that the calendar has turned to September, we turn our attentions forward. The past is prologue according to Bill Shakespeare. There’s a lot to go through, so rather than try to sum it all up into one overarching preview article, we’re going to take a whole month to preview the upcoming season.

We’ll look at new faces, familiar faces returning to form (hopefully), people in different roles, developing talent, coaching strategies, and roster decisions (and much, much more).

We will debate each other, dive deep on specific topics, and of course make fun of ourselves and our takes from 12 months ago (so young and naive).

Feel free to join in the fun, creating your own preview topics and discussions in The Feed.

Training camp is just around the corner. Let’s take this journey together. Go Celtics!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Celtics fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

All apologies to our early voters in this week’s poll. The Celtics weren’t eliminated in the first round in two straight years; they were eliminated by the Knicks in Round 2 in 2025 and lost to the 76ers in seven games back in May.

That’s our bad, but it sure felt like two straight too-early exits.

Obviously, there’s context to both playoff losses. New York seemed to have Boston’s number two years ago when they came back from 20 points in Games 1 and 2 at TD Garden and the Celtics lost Jayson Tatum to his Achilles’ tear in Game 4. And after going up 3-1 in Tatum’s return to the playoffs, Philly got hot and JT sat out the series finale.

The Celtics will now head into head coach Joe Mazzulla’s fifth season without Jaylen Brown. They’ll lean into the same identity that unexpectedly won them 56 games last year and if you buy into CelticsBlog’s Trevor Haas theory, they should be even better:

1) Jaylen Brown had a terrific season last year and took his game to the next level as the clear-cut No. 1 option.

2) Jaylen Brown is an excellent basketball player, but Jayson Tatum is an even better all-around basketball player.

3) Jayson Tatum looked sharp in his return and is poised to have a monster season as the clear-cut No. 1 option.

4) While Paul George has his limitations, a healthy Jayson Tatum and a healthy Paul George pairing is more dangerous than just Jaylen Brown by himself.

Mazzulla won Coach of the Year for last year’s overachievement and if they’re better on paper heading into 2026-2027, the expectations are even higher now. That’s just the price of constantly raising the bar on yourself.

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But what if Boston falls short again? Mazzulla’s job seems safe, right? Banner 18 buys him time and beers with the fans. Nobody expected much after all the injuries and roster turnover. Now, after the Eastern Conference has beefed up in Philadelphia and Cleveland and the defending champion Knicks still in their way, this could be the biggest test of Mazzullaball since he took the helm in 2022.

Tacko Fall is back in the NBA. 

The 7-foot-6 big man signed a training camp deal with the 76ers, the franchise announced Tuesday. 

Fall, one of the tallest players in league history, hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since late 2021, when he played 11 games for the Cavaliers.

Since then, the Senegal native has spent time in the Chinese ​Basketball Association and Australia’s NBL. 

Fall, 30, previously played two seasons with the Celtics in 2019-2020 and 2020-21, where he appeared in 26 total games. 

The addition signals Philadelphia’s need for backup center help behind the oft-injured Joel Embiid, who hasn’t appeared in more than 39 games since the 2022-23 season.

As the 76ers’ roster stands now, free agent addition Ariel Hukporti and second-year big man Adem Bona are set to back up Embiid. 

Fall’s deal is non-guaranteed, meaning he will have to earn his way onto the 76ers’ roster. 

He spent last season with the Ningbo Rockets in China and has averaged 11.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 18.1 minutes per game during his four years overseas.

Fall has averaged 2.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 37 career NBA games.

The Sixers have high expectations heading into the 2026-27 season after adding Jaylen Brown, Fall’s former teammate in Boston, and LeBron James over the offseason.

The Lakers coming up short in their pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga, who’s joining the Timberwolves, will have a trickle-down effect on the rest of their roster. 

One of the biggest questions moving forward: Who will be the Lakers’ fifth starter once the 2026-27 season starts? 

If Kuminga was on the roster, he would’ve been in the first unit alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler and presumed starter Quentin Grimes. 

But with Kuminga headed to Minnesota, there’s a glaring hole in the depth chart with a month before training camp starts. 

Who should be considered for the final starting spot, and who should ultimately have the edge?

Lakers’ options 

Sandro Mamukelashvili

Along with Reaves, Grimes and Kessler, Mamukelashvili was one of four players who the Lakers signed to four-year deals with player options for the 2029-30 season, which highlights how much the Lakers value him. 

And it’s easy to see why. 

Mamukelashvili has emerged as a reliable three-level scorer, good passer and strong rebounder after playing for the Bucks, Spurs and Raptors since being the No. 54 pick in the 2021 draft. 

Coming off of a career-year with the Raptors in which his scoring average (11.2 points), field goal percentage (52.3%), assists average (1.9), steals average (.8) and blocks average (.5) with Toronto in 2025-26 were all career-best marks, Mamukelashvili has a blend of offensive skills that’s unique for his size (6-foot-9, 240 pounds).

Coach JJ Redick said after the 2025-26 season ended that the Lakers needed to be better with dribbling, passing and shooting. Mamukelashvili helps in all of those areas as a big man who can pass, run the floor, dribble and shoot at a high level. 

At 27 years old and entering his sixth season in the NBA, Mamukelashvili should be entering the prime of his career. 

Jake LaRavia

LaRavia, along with Doncic, Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt, is one of just four players who finished in the top-11 in total regular season minutes played from the 2025-26 team that’s on the roster entering this season.

Even when he struggled (he shot a career-low 32.1% on 3-pointers), LaRavia still received consistent playing time (career-high 25.1 minutes per game in 82 games).

He brings value as a connector with his passing, cutting and defensive versatility without needing consistent offensive touches.

At 24 years old (he turns 25 in November) and entering his fifth season in the league, LaRavia should have room to grow in multiple areas.

Ziaire Williams

Williams’ appeal starts with his physical profile: he’s 6-foot-9 with a good lateral quickness for his size. 

In light of Williams telling the Southern California News Group that he’s bulked up to “about 215 pounds” after being listed at 185 pounds last season, he should be able to credibly guard bigger forwards better compared to previous years.

Perimeter defense and versatility is Williams’ calling card. 

But his 3-point shooting is the swing skill, after he knocked down a career-high 34.3% of his 3s last season.  

Matisse Thybulle

Thybulle is the best perimeter defender among these four players.

His 2 steals per game last season was tied for the second-most in the league with Hawks wing Dyson Daniels and Pistons wing Ausar Thompson among players who appeared in at least 20 regular season games despite averaging just 16 minutes.

And he led the league in steals (4.5) and deflections (8.7) per 36 minutes in 2025–26 among players who appeared in at least 20 games.

His length (7-foot wingspan on a 6-foot-5, 202-pound frame), motor and reflexes at his size has helped him remain one of the league’s most disruptive perimeter defenders despite being limited to 45 regular season games over the last two seasons.

And he’s worked to become an improved 3-point shooting, shooting 37.4% from beyond the arc after he joined the Trail Blazers in February 2023.

The Verdict

Among these four options, LaRavia is the best for the final starting spot.

LaRavia may not bring the offensive versatility that Mamukelashvili does, and may not be as good of a perimeter defender as Thybulle, but he’s a better defender than Mamukelashvili and has more experience guarding bigger forwards than Thybulle.

He has the size and defensive versatility the Lakers need from their fifth starter while also adding the connective offensive skills the Lakers need from his position. 

The familiarity of playing alongside Doncic and Reaves is a bonus. 

After LaRavia, Williams would be the next-best option in the first unit. 

But entering camp, LaRavia should be penciled in as the Lakers’ fifth starter.

Expectations are difficult to deal with. There are many stories of young teams arriving too early and then never reaching the heights they overachieved to get to. Look at Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder, who lost in the NBA Finals in 2012 and then disbanded 4 years later. It’s hard to keep a linear trajectory that leads to a championship and then a dynasty.

The San Antonio Spurs will be counting on linear improvement after losing to the New York Knicks in last season’s Finals. The Spurs are firmly in championship-or-bust mode, with a roster filled with key players who are barely old enough to order a drink at the bar. Those expectations come with a lot of weight. But Spurs fans think the team can handle that.

According to our last SB Nation Reacts survey, just over half of Spurs fans think the team will improve on their 2025-26 record of 62-20. Every team in the NBA will be pushing harder than ever to make sure they don’t accomplish that. Being the new shiny young team will draw every other franchise’s best effort. And, with fewer teams tanking due to a change in the league’s rules, there will be even more nights where they’ll face a team really going for it.

Of course, a lot of players will be gunning for the Spurs’ best player, too. Victor Wembanyama drew a lot of criticism for his overaggressive play in the playoffs. Teams are going to be coming at him and hoping they can get under his skin as a way to combat the impact he makes on both ends. It will take a lot of maturity for him and the rest of the team to respond to this onslaught from the rest of the league.

Luckily for the Spurs, they brought in some reinforcements that should help them stay level-headed. Tobias Harris is one of the league’s most respected veterans. While Harris hasn’t necessarily won a lot of playoff series, he has consistently been a member of winning teams. Those are the kinds of players who can raise the floor of a team during the dog days of the regular season, improving the overall record.

San Antonio is also now one of the deepest teams in the NBA. The addition of Tarris Reed Jr. gives them the third big man they desperately needed last season. The team is loaded with wings and guards that can fill in if injuries arise or a player needs a rest. That is a major key to matching the 62 wins they had last season.

FanDuel has the Spurs’ win total at 60.5, just slightly under what they had last season. Even without beating their 2025-26 record, San Antonio is still one of the favorites to win the NBA Finals at +230 on the site.

Jalen Brunson might not be the first NBA Finals champion Knick to make an appearance on a New York crime procedural this fall.

New York hero OG Anunoby is slated to make a guest spot on CBS’ “Elsbeth” for its fourth season, Deadline reported Tuesday.

The outlet added that Nicole Scherzinger, Nicholas Braun and Jemima Kirke are also slated to guest on the show that stars actress Carrie Preston in the titular role of Elsbeth Tascioni, who is “an astute but unconventional attorney, utilizes her unique point of view to corner brilliant criminals alongside the NYPD.”

The date and episode number for Anunoby’s appearance are not yet clear.

The guard made his acting debut on Apple TV’s “Your Friends and Neighbors” in a cameo alongside NBA podcaster Zach Lowe and Fox Sports host Rachel Nichols.

Anunoby’s “Elsbeth” appearance appears that it will also coincide with Brunson making a stop on “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.”

Brunson and “SVU” star Mariska Hargitay have developed a friendship over the years, as the Knicks star is a fan of the program and the actress is an avid supporter of the blue and orange, regularly making appearances on Madison Square Garden’s Celebrity Row.

Hargitay teased on the “Today” show in August that Brunson was primed to make an “SVU” cameo soon.

“Don’t tell anyone but see him on ‘SVU,’” she told Savannah Guthrie. “Don’t tell anyone, but we got some things in the works.”

Days later, Hargitay told Variety that “it’s definitely happening.” 

The 2025-26 Knicks became New York heroes when they ran roughshod over the Eastern Conference in the playoffs before beating the Spurs in five games in the NBA Finals for their first crown in 53 years.

Anunoby (Game 4 winning tip-in) and Brunson (Finals MVP) played enormous roles in securing the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

The Cleveland Cavaliers announced on Tuesday morning that they have agreed to a multi-year deal with DAZN for the team’s local broadcasts starting this upcoming season.

Cavaliers Basketball. Now on DAZN. #LetEmKnow

SIGN UP TO LEARN MORE: https://t.co/RDPBbNjpIXpic.twitter.com/9rBBCV3uNh

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) September 1, 2026

In the team’s official post on X it stated, “Fans in-market can stream all Cavs regular season games not selected for exclusive national broadcast, including 15 games for free this season, preseason games and team-produced original content.”

Another move hidden behind the new streaming host is that the Cavaliers plan to move the in-game production within the Rock Entertainment Sports Network, allowing for major changes to how games will be presented on DAZN.

This will allow for new visual overlays, augmented reality elements for a new gameday experience, and the implementation of AI components. Along with that, “Games will be moving from six to 19 cameras around the arena to collect new angles for fans at home.”

The team’s in-game broadcast team including play-by-play announcer John Michael, analyst Brad Daugherty, reporter Serena Winters and pregame and postgame host Cayleigh Griffin, will return.

Further details of the extent of the service are yet to be announced.

The Cavaliers previously were streamed on the Bally Sports/Fanduel TV Network from 2021 through the 2025-2026 season.

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Victor Oladipo wants an NBA general manager to give him another chance, and he's not the only former NBA All-Star still looking for work as the start of training camp approaches.

Unlike the other veterans that are still free agents trying to latch on with a team, Oladipo is now making his pitch in the public domain. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft recently published an open letter through The Players Tribune and insisted he's ready to return to the league after several major injuries derailed his professional career.

"I believe my body is finally right," Oladipo wrote. "I believe I still have GREAT (and more importantly WINNING) basketball in front of me. I believe I can be a valuable contributor to an NBA locker room. And what I'm asking for right now is an opportunity to prove it."

Oladipo's path back to the NBA remains difficult. He hasn't played in the NBA since tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee in April 2023 during a playoff game with the Miami Heat. He hasn't played more than 42 games in a season after suffering a ruptured quadriceps above his right knee in 2019.

But roster spots remain available, and several notable players are unsigned heading into the 2026-27 NBA season. Here's a breakdown of the best NBA free agents still available:

NBA SEASON PREVIEW: Record projections for every team

F Jalen Duren

The Pistons' 22-year-old restricted free agent has until Oct. 1 to accept a one-year qualifying offer from Detroit or agree to a multi-year extension if he wants to play in the NBA this season.

F Ben Simmons

The former No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft announced earlier this offseason that he's attempting to make a comeback after spending last season out of the league. He last played for the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2024-25 campaign.

F Kevin Love

The 37-year-old spent last season mostly as a mentor on the bench after being traded to the rebuilding Utah Jazz in July 2025. Love could still potentially help a contender in a part-time role as a floor-spacing big man and there should be suitors if/when he decides to play this season.

G Bruce Brown

Brown's return to Denver didn't go as well as when he played for the franchise during its 2023 NBA championship run, and the do-everything, undersized role player has yet to find a new home this offseason. He shot a career-best 38.5% from 3-point range last season.

F Nicolas Batum

Though there has been offseason speculation Batum could go overseas to finish his professional career, the 37-year-old forward indicated in a recent overseas interview he'd like to remain in the NBA if possible.

G Seth Curry

The 36-year-old veteran got to play alongside his older brother, Stephen Curry, last season after the Golden State Warriors released him before the campaign began then re-signed him on Dec. 1, 2025.

F Ochai Agbaji

The former Kansas star is only one season removed from averaging more than 10 points and shooting nearly 40% from 3-point range as a two-way wing who started a majority of Toronto's games. He didn't catch on in Brooklyn after a mid-season trade last year.

G Gabe Vincent

The 30-year-old point guard has struggled to stay healthy since a breakthrough NBA Finals run with the Heat in 2023, and he's coming off his least productive season since his rookie year.

F/C Dwight Powell

The 35-year-old Canadian could be an attractive option for teams still looking to add depth inside late. The Los Angeles Lakers (and a reunion with former Dallas Mavericks teammate Luka Dončić) have been mentioned as a potential landing spot.

F/C Kelly Olynyk

The 35-year-old was a member of the San Antonio Spurs during their run to the NBA Finals last year, though he averaged a career-low 8.6 minutes per game playing behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Best NBA free agents still available before start of 2026-27 season

September. We made it. Perhaps it’s more of a psychological barrier than anything, but when the calendar flips to September, you can’t help but feel a tinge of excitement. We are officially one month away from basketball reentering our lives and dominating our conversations.

Media Day is September 28. The Suns’ first preseason game is October 5. Opening night for Phoenix is October 21. And while the mercury in the thermometer still tells us it’s summer, you know fall is right around the corner.

Seeing as it is September 1, it’s time once again for our annual preseason SunsRank. This is the thought exercise in which we take a look at the entirety of the Phoenix Suns roster and rank the players based on the very subjective question of who we believe is the best, the second best, the third best, and so on, all the way down to 18th. It’s also an opportunity to look back at where we were a season ago and then project where we think these players will land by the end of the year.

So, where did we end last season? Here are the 2026 SunsRank results from both our community and our writing staff following the conclusion of the 2025–26 season:

#	Community SunsRank	Writers SunsRank
1	Devin Booker	Devin Booker
2	Jalen Green	Dillon Brooks
3	Dillon Brooks	Jalen Green
4	Collin Gillespie	Collin Gillespie
5	Grayson Allen	Mark Williams
6	Jordan Goodwin	Grayson Allen
7	Mark Williams	Jordan Goodwin
8	Oso Ighodaro	Oso Ighodaro
9	Rasheer Fleming	Royce O’Neale
10	Khaman Maluach	Rasheer Fleming
11	Royce O’Neale	Ryan Dunn
12	Ryan Dunn	Khaman Maluach
13	Jamaree Bouyea	Haywood Higsmith
14	Haywood Highsmith	Jamaree Bouyea
15	Koby Brea	Amir Coffey
16	Amir Coffey	Isaiah Livers
17	Isaiah Livers	Koby Brea
18	CJ Huntley	CJ Huntley

Some summers bring more turbulence and, because of that, a much more obvious shake-up in the SunsRank rankings. That wasn’t really the case for Phoenix this offseason. Continuity and development were the North Star for the organization, and the Suns stayed true to that approach. They moved up in the NBA Draft and selected Koa Peat out of the University of Arizona with the final pick of the first round. They traded Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale to the Charlotte Hornets for Miles Bridges. They moved on from Isaiah Livers and Amir Coffey, then added Luke Kennard in free agency and Pat Spencer on a two-way contract. That’s it. That’s the transaction history of the Phoenix Suns this offseason.

So you might look at this exercise, ranking players based on the subjective term of who is “best,” and think it feels somewhat pointless. I disagree. First, there has been an injection of new players, and part of the exercise is seeing where they fit within the hierarchy of this ecosystem. Second, “best” means something different to everyone. Best can mean highest upside. Best can mean the most complete player at this point in time. Best can mean where you think that player will ultimately land by the end of the season.

But before we start ranking individual players, the best way to approach this is by putting everyone into tiers. I could run a poll and ask you to rank every player from 1 to 18, but that feels like a lot to absorb at once. Instead, we’ll break the roster into tiers and then rank the players within those tiers.

So what are the tiers?

Tier 1: The Cornerstones

These are the stars the Suns are building around. They’re expected to have a major impact every night and will ultimately determine how far this team can go.

Tier 2: The Pillars

These are reliable rotation players who provide stability and help hold the roster together. They may not be the stars, but the Suns need them to consistently do their jobs.

Tier 3: The Wild Cards

These are the players who could end up being more important than expected. They’re not guaranteed to have a major role, but there’s enough potential for them to surprise and work their way into the rotation.

Tier 4: The Depth Pieces

These are your end-of-the-bench players who provide depth when needed. Their roles may be limited, but injuries, matchups, and circumstances can create opportunities for them to contribute.

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And now? It’s your chance to place each player into their SunsRank tier. Based on the results of this voting, we’ll then begin going tier by tier, allowing you to rank the players within the confines of each group and ultimately build out our complete SunsRank for the 2026–27 season.

So let the SunsRank journey begin. Consider this the first step toward welcoming basketball back into our lives. Ahhh. September…

SB Nation launched a free app this week that will help make talking about sports with fans and rivals of your favorite team easier than ever. The app is available for iOS and Android. Did we mention that it’s free?

You can find all of your favorite team communities on the app, like our Lakers site Silver Screen and Roll. We even have dedicated message boards for the teams without a community. I grew up as a Chicago Bulls fan, and there’s a new Feed for everything Bulls on the app even without a community. You can start your own topics or comment on anyone else’s, and the awesome new notification system lets you know when someone else likes your post or replies to your prompt or comment.

In addition to dedicated team communities, there’s also an NBA-wide Feed. I’m going to be helping run this page, but I need your help. Post your best questions, conspiracy theories, and hot takes, and watch the comments flood in from other app users.

Talking about sports on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram has become a drag. It’s hard to know who you are talking to on those platforms, and there’s no accountability or community for your comments. The SB Nation app changes that. In many ways, it reminds me of scrolling through forums in the early days of the Internet, when you knew names and reputations of the people leaving comments, and anyone could chime in on any subject.

This app still feels like SB Nation, but also feels like the best parts of Reddit, all rolled into one. Let’s hit some FAQs below:

Why should I download the SB Nation app?

1. It’s free
2. It makes reading and commenting on your favorite SB Nation sites easier than ever
3. It’s the best way to talk about sports on the internet

What can I do on the SB Nation app?

Talk about your favorite teams. Jump in game threads. Post on our new message board, The Feed. Read your favorite SB Nation sites. Talk trash to your rivals. Instantly see who is responding to your comments with notifications. If you are already a loyal SB Nation reader, this app will make the experience even better. If you’re a lurker, this is the best way to get into the mix with your own comments and posts.

How can I download the SB Nation app?

Head over to the App store or the Android store to download the app. The app is only available for users in the United States for now.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Timberwolves fans and fans across the country.

This has been perhaps the single most active offseason in Minnesota Timberwolves history. Between the trades of Julius Randle and Naz Reid, the move for LaMelo Ball, and the eventual signing of Jonathan Kuminga, there is an absolute glut of potential new storylines to watch.

There are other candidates, to be fair. The Wolves have a history of sandwiching fascinating roster overhauls between years of passivity and complacency. Whether it’s the summer of 2014, when Minnesota traded Kevin Love to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Andrew Wiggins while drafting Zach LaVine, or maybe the offseason in which the Wolves moved Kevin Garnett to Boston for a package including Al Jefferson or even the massive and unexpected deal for Rudy Gobert, Wolves fans are not new to massive change.

Despite it not being as uncommon as it is for other franchises, none of us are numb to the excitement a big move brings. With that in mind, it’s worth wondering: who are you, dear reader, most excited to watch spend their first year up North?

Is it the aforementioned Ball? A tantalizing talent with durability issues who just put together his best season, only to be dumped by the Charlotte Hornets. There are amazing questions to ask. How does he mesh with Anthony Edwards? What about the rest of the roster? What does the guard rotation look like now? How fast will the Wolves play?

That final question reminds us of one of the primary reasons Kuminga joined the Wolves. A once slow and plodding offense will now be flying in the fast break. Can the uber-talented former seventh overall pick take his easily won starting spot and convey it to the big deal he’s been chasing? Can the Wolves maximize their one year with a player they will struggle to retain?

Maybe for some of you sickos (myself included), the answer is instead a more unheralded newcomer. Is it Isaiah Evans, the Duke sharpshooter who fell on draft boards after a disappointing sophomore year, as he attempts to fill the Donte Divincenzo void?

Better yet, is it Cody Williams? The forward went 10th overall just two short years ago to the Utah Jazz. During those two seasons, he has both played a lot of games and been called the worst player in the NBA. Reclamation projects are incredibly fun, and he wouldn’t be the first player to break out in Minnesota wearing number nine after flaming out in Utah (But it’s weird that I’d have two Nickeils (Get it?)).

We want to hear from you. Vote below and share your thoughts in the comments and we’ll give you a recap of the consensus as soon as we have enough votes to let you know!

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