Category: NBA

ESPN has Nique Clifford, not Cooper Flagg, as best rookie at NBA Summer League originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It hasn’t taken long for Kings rookie Nique Clifford to turn heads league-wide.

The 23-year-old, whom Sacramento traded to acquire No. 24 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, was listed by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton as the No. 1 rookie who stood out at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Clifford is listed just above 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, who ranked second on Pelton’s list. Charlotte Hornets forward Liam McNeeley is third.

Pelton referred to Clifford as one of “the most polished rookies” in this year’s draft class after he averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in four games with Sacramento so far this summer.

Clifford also is shooting 53 percent from the 3-point line.

Pelton believes Clifford’s “savvy playmaking” will be a strength for Sacramento as the rookie’s career progresses.

Clifford’s showing helped lead the Kings to a flawless 4-0 record, as five other teams also finished with an undefeated 4-0 record. However, based on tiebreak procedures, only the Kings, Oklahoma City Thunder, Hornets and Toronto Raptors claimed a spot in the semifinals.

Sacramento will play the Raptors on Saturday at 1 p.m. PT. The championship game will be played Sunday at 7 p.m. PT.

Download and follow The Deuce & Mo Podcast

Jeff Teague ranks Steph Curry above Magic Johnson on all-time NBA top-100 list originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Bleacher Report ranked Steph Curry as the 10th-best NBA player of all time and Magic Johnson the fourth-best in an article published Monday, and Jeff Teague wasn’t having it.

The retired 12-year veteran explained Wednesday on his “Club 520” podcast why the Warriors legend should be ranked above the Los Angeles Lakers icon and considered the game’s greatest point guard.

“I’m taking Steph over Magic Johnson,” Teague said. “I know Magic saved the league — him and Larry Bird saved the NBA — I get it. So there’s no disrespect. Magic made it cool to be a big point guard. But Steph saved everybody. 

“Steph is the best PG of all time. [Johnson] was cold. He backed people down. He deserves to be in the top 10. But he should be 10; [Johnson and Curry] could switch. What he did at 6-foot-3, bro. Like, think about Magic Johnson. He was going to be able to play anyway because he’s 6-foot-9 — could’ve played center, he could’ve played anywhere.”

Teague saw Johnson as an electric, versatile facilitator who helped save the NBA alongside Bird in an era that needed big-time stardom and rivalry. But Teague simply sees Curry as a world-changer.

Curry changed basketball forever with his 3-point prowess. He has made 4,058 triples over 16 regular seasons and still is going. Johnson, in his day, made just 325 over 13 campaigns, after the NBA introduced the 3-point line during his rookie 1979-80 season.

“I think that Steph Curry changed the game in a way where he made it beneficial for the world,” Teague said. “If you can shoot just half as good as Steph Curry, you can be in the NBA. Magic is still cold because he can play any position. If he were a four-man today, he’s cold; he’d be another version of Draymond Green, all these guys that can play point guard [and] forward.”

Teague’s argument is a good one. Though, the retired veteran added that he would take Curry over Johnson in a hypothetical one-on-one matchup.

“Have you ever seen Magic Johnson move? He had no chance in hell guarding Steph Curry,
Teague humorously added. “And Steph’s liable to get 60. I mean, he’s shooting that [3-point shot]; I’ll take my chances with him shooting all 2s.”

Boom.

The Curry-Johnson debate probably will live forever. But Teague’s stance is hard to refute.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Damian Lillard's Trail Blazers return draws one-word Buddy Hield reaction originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Buddy Hield had an interesting take on Damian Lillard’s return to the Trail Blazers.

After ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news of Lillard’s three-year, $42 million contract with Portland on social media, the Warriors guard commented, “Real,” on Charania’s Instagram post.

While there had been rumors that Lillard, who grew up in Oakland, could return home to the Bay Area and sign with Golden State, the 35-year-old wound up signing with the team that drafted him.

Lillard faces an arduous path back to the NBA after rupturing his Achilles tendon in April. An injury of that magnitude requires extensive rehab, putting his ability to suit up for Portland during the 2025-2026 NBA season in jeopardy.

The Milwaukee Bucks waived Lillard this offseason, stretching the remainder of the $113 million left on his contract over the next five years, which paved the way for his return to Portland.

Hield and the Warriors held off on making any big moves during the offseason, with the belief that the core of Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Steph Curry can lead the team to another championship.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Forsberg: Expect Celtics to do more roster ‘tinkering' this offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics have done plenty of heavy lifting this offseason to overhaul their roster. But that doesn’t mean their work is done.

After replacing four members of their 2024 championship core — Jrue Holiday (trade), Kristaps Porzingis (trade), Luke Kornet (free agency) and Al Horford (expected to sign elsewhere) — with the likes of Anfernee Simons, Georges Niang, Luka Garza and Josh Minott, the Celtics shed a significant amount of salary but still are barely over the second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax.

As president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has clearly stated, Boston’s goal is to get under that second apron to avoid punitive-building roster penalties, which means at least one minor move is coming. But with superstar Jayson Tatum sidelined indefinitely with a ruptured Achilles tendon, Stevens and Co. could opt for more drastic changes to further cut costs and reset the roster.

“You still have salary to trim, even if it’s just a little to get off that second apron,” Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg explained Thursday on Arbella Early Edition. “I just think there’s going to be bigger cuts.”

The C’s also are heavy on guards and wings but light in the frontcourt, which currently features Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman Sr., Garza and rookie Amari Williams. So from a practical standpoint, it would make sense to explore trading for a big man.

“I do look at this roster, and it’s still a little bit unbalanced,” Forsberg said. “We’ve got to see what emerges in that frontcourt. I think there’s some tinkering left to do here if the right deals emerge.”

Recent additions Simons and Niang — who are making $27.7 million and $8.2 million, respectively, on expiring contracts in 2025-26 — are logical trade candidates, while Sam Hauser’s name has been floated in rumors as well. The question is what the market looks like for these players, and whether Stevens feels there’s more value in waiting until the season to explore potential deals.

“I think Brad was pretty honest when he when he met with us last week and said they don’t want to sacrifice draft assets to move off money,” Forsberg added. “But I do think as you get into the season, some of those conversations will change, and teams’ needs will change around the league, and maybe that will open up opportunities.”

Regardless of how that market develops, Forsberg believes we’ll see at least one more shoe drop in Boston over the next few months.

“I would be very surprised if the roster we see here on July 17th is the same one that’s there on October 17th when the team tips off the season,” he added.

Check out Forsberg’s full discussion with Trenni Casey and Kayla Burton on Early Edition below.

Warriors draft pick Will Richard looks like a steal after NBA Summer League originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The goal will be simple when the Warriors step on the court Saturday in Las Vegas for their eighth and final Summer League game. Get to the final horn in excellent health.

After seven games, including three in the California Classic, significant decisions are at least 80-percent settled. Several players showed enough for further evaluation but only one appears ready to compete for a role in the NBA.

Guard Will Richard, three months removed from winning a national championship at the University of Florida, has a chance to contribute for Golden State. Maybe as a rookie.

Though six games, Richard is averaging team-highs in minutes (23.9 per game), scoring (11.5 points) and steals (1.7). He’s shooting 42.4 percent (25-of-59) from the field, and only 20.7 percent (6-of-29) from deep. The Warriors anticipate his 3-ball to come around, a 6-foot-4 guard shooting 63.3 percent inside the arc – and 92.9 from the line – is testimony to finding buckets.

After shooting 9 of 26 from the field and 2 of 11 from deep in his first two games, during the California Classic, Richard’s efficiency has trended up since the season moved to Vegas. He’s shooting 48.5 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from distance and an astonishing 80 percent inside the arc.

And it’s not as if the NBA Warriors are blessed with a surplus of finishers in the paint.

“It’s clear,” Warriors Summer League coach Lainn Wilson told reporters in Vegas this week, “that he’s starting to look a little more comfortable.”

Beyond the numbers, what seems particularly valuable to Golden State is Richard’s relentless energy and considerable defensive aptitude, which are packaged with the kind of composure that develops over 105 starts for an elite college program.

With Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green accounting for more than 80 percent of the 2025-26 payroll, the Warriors are limited to supporting their core by adding relatively cheap labor. A taxpayer midlevel exception, and then vet minimums and youngsters on rookie deals. They were in no position to offer Kevon Looney the two-year, $16 million contract he signed with the New Orleans Pelicans – especially when the front office feels good about the chance to add veteran center Al Horford.

With unrestricted free agent Gary Payton II still on the market, the Warriors do not have a strong point-of-attack defender. There still is a chance GP II returns, according to league sources, but it would be at a significant reduction from his $9.1 million salary last season.

Knowing Payton could hit the market after the 2022 NBA Finals championship, the Warriors shopped for a POA defender in the ‘22 draft, snagging Ryan Rollins in the second round. He was shipped out a year later in the Chris Paul trade and now is in Milwaukee.

The Warriors brought in De’Anthony Melton, who has strong defensive credentials, last season, only to lose him three weeks into the season to a torn ACL. He’ll be back in the league next season, and the Warriors are at his door.

Which brings us back to Richard. At 6-foot-4, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, he shows the kind of two-way effectiveness coach Steve Kerr and his staff are craving. He’s 22 years old and probably would have the lowest salary on the roster. For someone who was the 56th overall selection in the 2025 draft, he plays like a keeper.

Yes, Golden State’s primary goal against the Cleveland Cavaliers (4:30 p.m. on NBA TV) in the consolation game Saturday at Cox Pavilion is to escape unscathed. It offers the Warriors one more look at Richard in “game conditions” before training camp. As if they need it.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

“I would say that might be one of the worst games of my life,” Cooper Flagg told reporters last Thursday night. “But we got the win, so that’s what really matters to me.” It was a telling statement from the 18-year-old basketball phenom after his first Las Vegas Summer League game. The No 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft – taken by the Dallas Mavericks after a one-and-done college career at Duke – didn’t have nearly as disastrous a debut as he made out. Though he struggled to shoot the ball, Flagg still managed to flash his playmaking and defensive range. Clearly hyperaware to the moment and the hype surrounding his technical NBA debut, he looked determined to put on a show: aggressively hunting his shot and seeking out highlight-reel dunks at every opportunity.

Related: Cooper Flagg: the 17-year-old ‘cold-ass white boy’ breaking the basketball discourse

He bounced back with 31 points in his second (and ultimately final) Summer League appearance on Saturday. But it was the second-half of his comment after Thursday night’s game that encapsulates why Flagg is one of the most hyped teenage prospects in decades: the kid is a winner.

The buzz around Flagg began in his native Maine, where he became the first freshman to win the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year award. He transferred to Montverde Academy in Florida after his first year of high school in search of stiffer competition, and the accolades continued to accumulate: McDonald’s All American, Gatorade National Player of the Year, even USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year, the youngest to earn the honor since the award’s inception in 1980. Long compared to Kevin Garnett and Jayson Tatum for his two-way skillset and relentless work ethic, Flagg reclassified to enter college a year early – and did the same a second time to reach the NBA sooner. With every challenge cleared, he’s sought the next one with even greater urgency.

In a 2024 feature on Flagg for the Ringer, J Kyle Mann described the 6ft 9in, 205lb Swiss army knife as “running toward the grind”, a sentiment longtime Mavericks beat writer Tim Cato echoes in Vegas this week when I ask for his assessment of the teenager. “What really stands out to me about Cooper is he has always ascended,” Cato says. “He loves to cite a quote from his mom, ‘If you’re the best player in the gym, you need to find a new gym.’ And I just think that shows up in every aspect of his career.”

That dogged commitment to improvement has made Flagg both more polished and more reserved than many of his peers. The Tatum comparisons, one could argue, are as apt behind the microphone as they are on the court. His answers can feel a little too polished, the jagged edges sanded down. He lacks the off-the-cuff charisma of an Anthony Edwards or the unfiltered snarl of a Garnett. There’s little brashness, no “face of the league” bravado – just focus. When I asked him after his monster second Vegas appearance, where he punctuated what felt like every five minutes of play with a poster dunk and looked every part the budding superstar, what he dreams about when he lets his imagination run wild over the potential of his NBA career, he had an aw-shucks answer seemingly in the can. “I’m not getting too far ahead of myself. I haven’t really thought about that too much,” he said. “I’m kind of just focused on each individual day and just trying to get better. I know I have a really long way to go, and a lot to improve on.”

Related: Cooper Flagg will go No 1 in the NBA draft. He also broke the Duke supervillain stereotype

“That focus is what stands out most about Cooper,” says Cato. “Sometimes even to his detriment. When he says stuff like ‘I’m not really into music,’ he just seems like a guy solely consumed with basketball and challenging himself to reach new heights.”

Flagg could do a lot worse than ending up a rough equivalent of Tatum, of course: an arguable top-five player who is a year removed from an NBA championship. He would probably be quite pleased with that trajectory (and, it’s worth noting, the New Englander grew up a Celtics fan). But some insiders see an even loftier ceiling. One NBA executive told me Flagg was “the most skilled and hardest-working prospect in either of his Summer League games”, adding: “He has a pretty strong case as the most complete 18-year-old player since LeBron James.”

What impressed most in Flagg’s debut wasn’t any single element. It was the totality: the aggression, the poise, the basketball IQ, the defense, the size, the athleticism. Flagg is poised to make his formal regular-season debut in October as a ready-made, plug-and-play contributor with superstar upside. Against all odds, a Mavericks organization just months removed from the Luka Dončić saga appears, indeed, to have hit the lottery.

The Knicks mounted a heroic 17-point comeback that ultimately fell short in a nail-biter against the Indiana Pacers in their fourth Las Vegas Summer League game, 91-88.

Here are some takeaways...

-MarJon Beauchamp had another huge night with 28 points on 6-of-11 shooting from three, and Tyler Kolek added 14 points, five assists and five turnovers.

-The Knicks were without top prospects Kevin McCullar Jr., Pacome Dadiet, Ariel Hukporti or Mohamed Diawara. They got some step-up games from Dink Pate, who scored 11, Anton Watson, who scored nine and Yudai Baba, who had nine points.

Kam Jones had a monster night for the Pacers with 21 points and 11 assists on 9-for-19 shooting from the field. Enrique Freeman recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

-After appearing for only three minutes combined in the Knicks' last three games, center Lance Ware got the start and made an early impact with a slam and some drawn fouls in the opening minutes. Beauchamp continued his momentum from his breakout third game, hitting an inside floater, leaking out for a dunk and nailing a three for seven points in the first quarter.

Despite the early offense, the Pacers kept their defense in rotation and it was a close affair throughout the first. Ultimately, Indiana led 17-16 going into the second.

The Pacers got off to a 16-0 run behind a stalled New York offense and some strong deep shooting on the other end. Enrique Freeman went 5-5 and scored all 12 of his first-half points in the second quarter, including a monster alley-oop.

-Beauchamp was the only Knick with the knack and aggressiveness offensively, getting inside for the assist and converting a block into a transition and-one, even hitting a pull-up three. He had 19 at the half, however, the Knicks as a team once again struggled creating and converting from deep, going 5-for-15 to Indy’s 8-for-17 in the first half as they trailed at the break 52-38.

Baba, who got the start tonight, got himself going to start the second half, hitting a three and a reverse layup. New York’s offense still looked stilted with a quiet game out of Kolek following his banger in game three.

-They managed to find some success burning Indiana on back cuts and feeding Beauchamp some more, sparking a 9-0 run late in the period. He hit another couple of threes in the third as the Knicks cut the Pacers' lead to 68-59 going into the fourth.

New York’s momentum carried into the fourth. Dink Pate hit a three, scored a lay-up and followed up with another three, plus the foul, totaling all 11 of his points in the final frame.

Anton Watson threw down a one-handed poster on Freeman to cut the Pacers' lead to two with just over two minutes to play, setting off the crowd and announcers. With 90 seconds left, Kolek hit an ankle-breaking step-back middie to tie it up.

After a Pacers free throw, Kolek drove the lane off a nasty spin to hit the and-one lay-up to put the Knicks up two. A Freeman finish evened the score, and after a Beauchamp miss, the Pacers retook the lead on free throws from an off-ball foul and a blown defensive rebound on a missed free throw from the Knicks.

Now down three, Kolek missed a quick two and a Beauchamp look from three, but Indiana missed two free throws. With one more shot at sending the game to overtime, Kolek missed a turnaround three as the Pacers escaped.

Highlights

kolek ➡️ beauchamp pic.twitter.com/ALYGoSwf5H

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 17, 2025

beauchamp on both ends 💪 pic.twitter.com/JNfvn7XgNv

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 17, 2025

Pushin 🅿️ate pic.twitter.com/st1iDmzwc8

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 17, 2025

ANTON WATSON ON HIS HEADTOP 🔨 pic.twitter.com/UqBJdoI8Lw

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 17, 2025

KOLEK‼️@jalenbrunson1 what do you think of this? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/1DeBhUYHFi

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 17, 2025

Yanic Konan Niederhauser received the pass near the half-court line from a Clippers teammate who had just stolen the basketball. The 6-foot-11 center maneuvered down the court, his long strides allowing him to use just two dribbles before he took flight outside the circle and threw down a thunderous dunk over helpless Lakers defender Cole Swider.

The crowd inside Thomas & Mack Center went into a frenzy, including Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who leaped out of his courtside seat, pumped his fists and yelled.

At that moment Monday night, Niederhauser displayed his agility, speed and ballhandling skills. It was another step taken in his progress while playing in the NBA Summer League on the campus of UNLV.

The Clippers had used the 30th and last pick in the first round of the NBA draft to select Niederhauser out of Penn State because they saw potential.

That exciting, and in many ways unexpected, play was an encouraging sign for the Clippers.

“I didn’t see Mr. Ballmer because I was in the moment,” Niederhauser, laughing, said late Monday night. “That’s the guard skills I was talking about and I had a couple of fast breaks these last few days and I passed the ball away. Now I said, ‘Naw, man. I can go up by myself.’ I told myself I was going to dunk it and I did.”

Read more:Clippers to land Bradley Beal after Suns buy out his contract

In his first three games in the NBA Summer League, Niederhauser has shown different skills.

It was his defense and rebounding in the first game, against the Houston Rockets in which he blocked four shots and collected 10 rebounds. Though he missed all four of his shots and scored just one point, Niederhauser found other ways to contribute.

It was a little bit of everything in his second game, against the Milwaukee Bucks in which he had two points, three rebounds, two steals and one block.

It was his offense in the third game against the Lakers in which he scored 10 points, grabbed two rebounds and had two steals.

“He just sticks with it,” Clippers assistant and Summer League coach Jeremy Castleberry said. “No matter if it’s going good or bad, he sticks with it. He’s trying his best to do everything we ask him to do. And just like I said after the last game, he continues to get better. From the last game [against the Bucks] to this game [against the Lakers], he was a little bit better than he was last game. He’s getting the dunks, catching the basketball, finishing it, being a rim-protector, consistently running the floor. Like, you can see the progress.”

Niederhauser was born in Bern, Switzerland, a town of about 135,000 an hour from Zurich. Even so, at 15, the Clippers’ international scouts became aware of Niederhauser when he played on the under-16 Switzerland national team. At that time, he was a 6-1 guard.

Niederhauser had a growth spurt at 17 that pushed him into playing center position. He said he was 6-5 when he broke his knee and was forced to sit out for a year.

“I was like out for a whole year and once I came back, after a whole year of sitting out and I get back on the court, now I’m 6-11,” he said. “Yeah, in one year, I had to change my whole game from being like a forward/guard to being a center. So, yeah, I had guard skills. That’s why sometimes I be dribbling the ball.”

Niederhauser laughed, agreeing those guard skills helped him make that electric dunk against the Lakers.

His size, weight (242 pounds) and youth (22) are all part of the package the Clippers like.

“We think there’s plenty of upside,” Clippers general manager Trent Redden said. “You know, the famous draft word, obviously. But for a guy that’s his age, he’s still learning and growing into his frame that he hasn’t really had his whole life. We just haven’t had a guy that size at that position in a backup role that’s young that we can feed into and give to our developmental staff.”

As a kid growing up in Switzerland, Niederhauser learned to speak four languages — Swiss, German, French and English.

His parents, Dominique and Nadege Niederhauser, made sure their son was well-versed.

“Since I was a baby, I was speaking all those languages,” Niederhauser said. “My mom, she speaks French. She’s from the Ivory Coast and that’s where I learned French, and my dad speaks mostly German and so that’s how I learned my German.”

Now that Niederhauser is with the Clippers, he’ll have tutors to teach how the NBA game is played.

Read more:Despite injury, Kobe Brown showcases his potential for Clippers in Summer League win

He will be able to learn from centers Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez.

Lopez is 37 and a 17-year veteran who signed with the Clippers this summer.

He mentioned how he played with great players like Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Now it’s up to him to pass on knowledge to Niederhauser like others passed on to him.

“I’m absolutely ready to get on the court, help him out and help him adjust and become a great player in this league,” Lopez said.

Niederhauser is soaking it all in while in Las Vegas, from the games to the practices to the conversations he’s had with Clippers coach Tyronn Lue.

“He’s been giving me advice. I can just tell that he has a lot of knowledge,” Niederhauser said. “I’m loving this. I’m in a great situation with experienced players to learn from. I’m just taking time to learn and get my experience. Everything is new to me so I’m just trying my best to soak everything in and just get better every day.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Damian Lillard is returning to the Portland Trail Blazers. The nine-time NBA All-Star is finalizing a three-year, $42m contract with the franchise where he spent the first 11 seasons of his career, ESPN reported Thursday. The deal includes a player option for the 2027–28 season and a no-trade clause.

Lillard, who turned 35 this week, was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks on 7 July. The team stretched the $113m remaining on his contract to make room for free-agent center Myles Turner.

The veteran guard is expected to miss the entire 2025–26 season after undergoing surgery in May to repair a torn left achilles tendon. He sustained the injury on 27 April in the first quarter of the Bucks’ Game 4 loss to Indiana in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. It was just his third game back after missing a month due to a blood clot in his right calf. He also sat out the final 14 games of the regular season.

Despite receiving interest from playoff contenders offering mid-level and veteran minimum deals, Lillard chose to return to Portland, where his family resides. Talks with general manager Joe Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups intensified in recent weeks, with all sides aligned on a reunion. His agent, Aaron Goodwin, is finalizing the terms this week.

Between his stretched Milwaukee salary and the new Portland contract, Lillard will earn $70m next season and $141m over the next two years.

Lillard initially requested a trade in 2023 after the Trail Blazers began a rebuild. He was dealt to Milwaukee in a three-team blockbuster that sent Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara to Portland. Holiday was later traded to Boston, then reacquired by the Blazers this offseason.

With Lillard’s return, the Blazers now boast a core that includes Holiday, Robert Williams III, Scoot Henderson, Camara and a stockpile of future picks and swaps.

Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 58 regular-season games with Milwaukee. He owns career averages of 25.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds over 900 games.

He ranks fourth all-time in made three-pointers (2,804) and eighth among active players in scoring (22,598 points). In Portland, he remains the all-time leader in points and threes and second in assists. He led the franchise to eight playoff appearances, including a run to the 2019 Western Conference finals.

Why Quinten Post wasn't included on Warriors' 2025 NBA Summer League roster originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Coming off a strong rookie season, Warriors big man Quinten Post figured to be the perfect candidate to utilize the NBA Summer League as a means of improving his game entering Year 2.

However, the 25-year-old big man was left off Golden State’s roster, not making any appearances one year after making his first NBA impressions in last season’s summer league.

Quinten Post is not on the Warriors’ summer league roster. He will not be playing summer league for the Warriors anymore I’m told, but likely will be around the team working out @NBCSWarriors

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) June 30, 2025

An ankle injury flaring up before the California Classic is the culprit behind Post’s summer league absence, the SF Standard’s Danny Emmerman reported Tuesday. It was an inujury that Post dealt with throughout the second half of the 2024-25 NBA season, and it appears Golden State wasn’t keen on taking any risks with the sharpshooting big man.

Emmerman’s report also notes that Post spent time working out in Golden State’s facility while taking in the games themselves from a courtside seat in Las Vegas.

Post averaged 8.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in 42 appearances during his rookie season, becoming a key cog in the Warriors’ rotation down the stretch of Golden State’s playoff run.

Renown for his shooting ability, Post was able to provide the Warriors with invaluable floor spacing, knocking down 40.8 percent of his 3-point attempts, offering instant impact despite working through the growing pains that NBA rookies typically face.

Golden State appears to have struck gold after selecting Post with the No. 52 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, with the Warriors hoping their luck of second-round hits continues this season after taking Alex Toohey and Will Richard last month.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast