Category: NBA

OKLAHOMA CITY — Nobody should be talking about market size or ratings now. We have witnessed one of the most entertaining, well-played NBA Finals in recent memory — it needed to go seven games. It's had a little bit of everything.

While this series has been a chess match that will thrill fans of the Xs and Os of the game (Indiana moving the pick-up point back in Game 6 was one big one that threw Oklahoma City off for a night), Game 7s are more about execution than strategic changes. At this point in the series, there are no secrets.

"It's a contest of wills. I think the reason it swung between the two teams is because these are two teams that have leaned on that heavily to get to this point," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "It's two teams where the whole is better than the sum of the parts. It's two teams that are highly competitive. Two teams that play together. Two teams that kind of rely on the same stuff for their success that are squaring off against each other."

Game 7 will be about execution under the brightest lights in basketball. Which team, which players will step up?

We've got four things to watch for in Game 7. Four things will determine who will be on the podium next to Adam Silver after the game.

Thunder’s home court advantage

This is not about how home teams are 15-4 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals (the most recent one, in 2016, went to the road team, Cleveland, over Golden State).

The Thunder's home court advantage is much more potent than that — OKC is 10-2 at home in these playoffs. That easily could have been 12-0 save for some last-second heroics (Aaron Gordon's 3-pointer with 3 seconds left for Denver; Tyrese Haliburton's pull-up with 0.3 left in Game 1 of this series).

It's much more than the record: The Thunder have a +20.7 net rating at home, compared to a -6.2 net rating on the road (where they are 5-5). Thunder players openly discuss how they feed off their raucous crowd, and this becomes most noticeable on defense — the Thunder's defensive rating is 12.7 points per 100 possessions better at home this postseason.

"You're ultimately in your complete comfort zone," Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of their home court advantage. "The flow to the day doesn't change. You're in your own bed. You have shootaround at your building. You eat your pregame meal from your chef or your whoever. It's very comfortable, the whole flow to the day, and then the crowd is behind you. They give you energy, whether you're up or down or whatever is going on in the night. It's an advantage."

The energy the Thunder players get from their deafening crowd is real.

"The crowd. You know, they work in our favor," Cason Wallace said. "They're rowdy and they're into the game, and that gives us a boost and an edge."

The Pacers have been a strong road team this postseason, with a 7-4 record away from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and have generally played teams evenly (a minus-0.6 point differential). They have won one game on the road this series, they know what is coming and how to withstand it.

"Crowds give you a little bit more energy, a little bit more burst. We are going to be practically alone tomorrow," T.J. McConnell said. "This crowd here in Oklahoma City is amazing. It's going to be very loud. We have to be ready."

Haliburton’s health

Tyrese Haliburton's strained left calf wasn't much of an issue in Game 6. That doesn't mean it should be ignored in Game 7.

There were a couple of moments early in Game 6 when he clearly hesitated to push off on his left leg, but it ultimately didn't matter because his shot was falling and the Thunder's defensive pressure was not cranked up to its usual intensity. Haliburton finished with 14 points, five assists, and played less than 23 minutes in the blowout.

Also of note: The Thunder rarely dragged Haliburton into a pick-and-roll and made him move laterally quickly on defense. Expect more of that in Game 7.

Haliburton says he is ready.

"I'm pretty much in the same standpoint I was before Game 6. A little stiff, a little sore, rather," Haliburton said. "Good thing I only had to play like 23 minutes. I've been able to get even more treatment and do more things. Just trying to take care of it the best I can. But I'll be ready to go for Game 7."

Watch how he is moving early and how much the Thunder test him.

Turnovers, offensive rebounds

Both of these teams are built on winning the possession game: forcing turnovers, not turning the ball over themselves, securing some offensive rebounds, scoring easy buckets in transition, and simply creating more scoring opportunities than their opponent.

Which team has executed that has swung from game to game, but in Game 6 it was clearly Indiana.

"I think last game, we didn't play our brand of basketball and we didn't play our brand of defense and we just let them be comfortable," Isaiah Hartenstein said of the Thunder. "So I think it's a mix of things. They do a great job of never changing the way they play. So they get out, they run. And it's our job to just get back to playing our style of defense and going from there."

Turnovers and bench points will be bellwethers in Game 7, as they have been throughout the series.

Lessons from Game 6, former Game 7s

Game 7s don't happen in a vacuum, and both teams talked about learning from past experiences.

For the Thunder, it was Game 7 against the Nuggets in these playoffs. This Finals series has eerily followed the form of the second-round showdown between Denver and Oklahoma City, from the heartbreaking loss in Game 1 to the blowout loss in Game 6. Against the Nuggets, the Thunder played their best game of the series in Game 7, winning comfortably at home.

"What Game 7 taught me from Denver is the swings — three feels like you're down 10, you know what I mean? One feels like you're down five," Jalen Williams said. "That's just like the swing of a game, and what is going on feels much larger. It's about honing in your emotion and understanding the state of the game is big for Game 7."

The Pacers have a few things to draw on.

"Honestly, for us the last three games have all been Game 7s," Myles Turner said.

One of those was Game 6 from just a couple of days ago. With their backs against the wall, Indiana played with a genuine desperation that Oklahoma City did not come close to matching.

"Last game, we didn't want them celebrating on our court, so we understood the assignment, we understood we had to come in here and be dogs, and get that job done," Obi Toppin said. "And now it's on to game seven. We got, we got to do the same thing we did in game six and get the job done."

Asked about his favorite Game 7 memory, Aaron Nesmith didn't hesitate to bring up the Pacers' biggest win of a season ago — one that can apply to this year.

"Ours, against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden," Nesmith said, referencing a Game 7 win on the road the team had last season. "That was an incredible atmosphere and a moment that I loved playing in."

This Pacers core has won a Game 7 on the road in an incredibly hostile environment. It has won in this building in the NBA Finals. Don't sleep on their chances to do it again — but this is a much bigger stage and much brighter lights.

What has been a brilliant series hopefully ends with a Game 7 to match.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Sunday night we will witness the 20th Game 7 in NBA Finals history — one game with everything on the line.

"One game. I mean, this is what it's all about," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "This is what you dream about growing up, this kind of opportunity."

It's a stage where the biggest, most legendary names in the game — as well as some role players with impeccable timing — have etched their name in NBA lore.

"When I think of Game 7, at least in the Finals, I think of San Antonio and Miami, and I think of Lakers/Celtics," Alex Caruso said.

On Sunday, people will be thinking of Pacers vs. Thunder. Either Indiana or Oklahoma City will win its first NBA championship (we're not counting the title the former Thunder won as the SuperSonics in Seattle, they will have an expansion team in that city that can count that title soon enough).

In honor of Game 7, let's look back at the last seven Game 7s of the NBA Finals.

2016: Cavaliers at Warriors

This is the Game 7 that sticks in many people's minds.

"I think that's probably one of the greatest games I've ever been able to watch as a basketball fan," Tyrese Haliburton said. "That's what makes Game 7 so fun."

"2016, that was the Kyrie step back on the wing," the Pacers' Obi Toppin said when asked about his favorite Game 7 memory. "Yeah, that was probably the coldest one, for sure."

We can only hope Sunday's Game 7 lives up to the drama of the last NBA Finals Game 7, when LeBron James put up a line of 27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and three blocks — although we only remember one of them.

LeBron's effort helped Cleveland cap a 3-1 series comeback and beat Golden State on its home court. Don't forget about Kevin Love's defense on Stephen Curry late in that game, either.

2013: Spurs at Heat

This NBA Finals is remembered more for Game 6, when Ray Allen's corner 3 off a Chris Bosh offensive rebound forced a Game 7 just as it looked like San Antonio would be celebrating a title. After that, the Heat still had work to do. In Game 7, LeBron took charge with 37 points and 12 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade added 23 points and 10 rebounds in the 95-88 Miami win.

2010: Celtics vs. Lakers

The Lakers had come from 3-2 down in the series to force a Game 7 (and don't ask Celtics fans "what if Kendrick Perkins had been healthy?"). Like a lot of Game 7s, this one wasn't pretty. Kobe Bryant stepped up with 23 points and 15 rebounds, and Pau Gasol added 19 points and 18 boards. However, with the Lakers up by just 3 and more than a minute left in the game, it was Ron Artest's 3-pointer that proved to be the biggest shot of the night, leading to the greatest postgame podium session in NBA history.

2005: Pistons at Spurs

This was the peak defense NBA Finals — only one team broke 100 all series long — and San Antonio won Game 7 in an 81-74 slugfest. Tim Duncan did his thing with 25 points and 11 rebounds, but it was Manu Ginobili scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter that locked the title up for the Spurs.

1994: Knicks at Rockets

New York had a 3-2 series lead, but under the old 3-2-3 format, had to go to Houston and seal the deal. Hakeem Olajuwon proved to be too much. In Game 7 he had 25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocked shots. This was the first of back-to-back Rockets titles.

1988: Pistons at Lakers

"Big Game" James Worthy lived up to that reputation in this one with a triple-double of 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. Magic Johnson also stood out with 19 points and 14 assists to help the Lakers come back from a 3-2 deficit in the series and win.

1984: Lakers at Celtics

Of course this classic 1980s Finals Game 7 featured a big game from Larry Bird — 20 points, 12 rebounds — but this game is remembered as the Cedric Maxwell game: 24 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals. The Celtics got to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy that year.

Look around the rest of the NBC Sports NBA page and you can read all the big free agent stories of the day, like LeBron James and James Harden staying with their respective Los Angeles teams. Here is a roundup of other news worth noting, less than 24 hours from the start of free agency.

Chris Paul returns to LA or Phoenix?

The vibe for a while has been that Chris Paul would love to play another year in the NBA, his 21st season, and at age 40, but it has to be closer to his family in Los Angeles. Marc Stein summed it up well recently at The Stein Line:

"Chris Paul would be another Mavericks target at $5.7 million [the taxpayer mid-level exception], but there is a growing belief that Paul, after starting all 82 games last season in San Antonio as a 40-year-old newcomer to the Spurs, is determined to play closer to his home base in Los Angeles."

It's been no secret around the league that the Clippers have some interest in reuniting with CP3 as a backup guard, whether the sides are on the same page is another question. The Lakers have a lot of priorities that fall in line ahead of backup point guard, they are not a likely landing spot.

Phoenix is a team to watch if Tyus Jones leaves town in free agency, Stein added. The Suns are stacked with combo guards but not pure floor-general point guards.

Bobby Portis staying in Milwaukee

Bobby Portis isn't the best player on the Bucks, but he is their heart and soul. The fan favorite. If he had wanted to leave in free agency there would have been interest, but that was never likely.

Portis is not going anywhere.

Rapid fire round (bullet points):

• Portland buying out DeAndre Ayton. Portland has decided to take the financial hit and just buy out the final year of DeAndre Ayton's $35.6 million contract. That frees up more minutes for Donovan Clingan and first-round pick Yang Hansen of China.

Ayton is now an unrestricted free agent, and there will be interest in the big man, just for a lot less money than his last contract. Still, for teams that were thinking of Clint Capela as a fallback, Ayton looks like a much better option.

• Teams lining up for Santi Aldama. Among the big men expected to be on the move this summer is Santi Aldama of the Memphis Grizzlies. Here is what Zach Lowe said on his podcast:

"Santi Aldama has full mid-level deals, I think, waiting for him. At least that's the scuttlebutt I've heard, that he is sought after enough by a team like Detroit, for instance, with the full mid-level. There's a lot of teams with the full mid-level. He's an interesting kind of combination of skills, and I think they're going to have to pay to retain him. And when you have full mid-level deals, if you do in the open market, your incumbent team might have to pay a little bit more than that using your bird rights to do it, and then they'd have the salary cap room exception on top of that."

• Don't expect Austin Reaves to leave Lakers. The headline "Austin Reaves rejects Lakers max contract offer" is both accurate and wildly misleading. Reaves rejected the four-year, $89.2 million offer, which was the maximum the Lakers could offer this summer (140% of his current contract, way below market value), but did so only because the $22.3 million per year offer is well below what he will be offered next summer. Reaves is expected to earn over $ 30 million per season with his next contract, and teams will likely line up to pay it.

Reaves wants that deal to be with the Lakers, and the Lakers want it as well. However, Los Angeles just can't offer it until next offseason. Whether that deal happens or not depends on several variables and how the next season plays out, but it's clear that both sides want to make it work. There is no ill will, this is just business.

• Kelly Oubre picks up option with 76ers. Kelly Oubre will be back in Philadelphia next season after picking up his $8.4 million player option. This was both expected and welcomed by both sides.

• The Thunder lock up Ajay Mitchell with a new contract. Shams Charania of ESPN broke the news and explained this one.

• Orlando declines option on Mo Wagner. Franz Wagner is a cornerstone of what the Orlando Magic are building, but his brother, Mo Wagner, did not have his $11 million option picked up by the team for next season. The smart money is on the two sides working out a new, smaller contract going forward.

• Duncan Robinson declines $19.9 million option. Duncan Robinson did the Miami Heat a favor, declining his $19.9 million early termination option, making himself a free agent. This was a win for the Heat because it moved them about $5 million below the luxury tax line. The Heat and Robinson will work together on what's next, whether that involves staying with the Heat or a sign-and-trade deal elsewhere.

• No trade market for Jordan Clarkson. The Utah Jazz already traded Collin Sexton to free up their backcourt, but they are also testing the market for Jordan Clarkson. And finding no interest, reports Andy Larson at the Salt Lake Tribune. Clarkson averaged 16.2 points a game last season, shot 36.2% from 3, and is on an expiring $14.3 million contract. There should be some interest around the league.

Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins were teammates on the 2018-19 Golden State Warriors, a team that reached the NBA Finals before physically falling apart in that series (including Durant's torn Achilles).

Those former teammates were respectfully disagreeing on social media in recent days when Cousins said that he was told there were fights in the Suns locker room last season. It started with Durant refuting that claim.

Cousins shot back that he got this info from one of the Suns players, but KD was not backing down from his point it didn't happen.

While it was no secret around the league that things were not great in the Suns' locker room last season, the prevailing sentiment was that it was more apathy than hostility. Things just didn't click, and that showed on the court. There is tension in every locker room over the course of a marathon NBA season, but did that rise to the level of a physical fight in Phoenix?

Durant was in the locker room and said no, we'll go with the first-hand account in this case.

Things will be very different in the Suns' locker room next season, whatever it looks like.

On Sunday, June 22, the Indiana Pacers (50-32) and Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14) are all set to square off from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City for Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Indiana evened up the series with a 108-91 win to give us the best two words in sports: Game 7. The 17-point win over OKC reached leads of 26 and more in the third and fourth quarters as the Pacers controlled the entirety of the game outside the first few minutes.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the game in scoring with 21 points, while Obi Toppin totaled 20 for Indiana. No starter played more than 32 minutes for either team, so we should see both squads rested in Game 7.

Six different Pacers scored double-figures in Game 6, including TJ McConnell who added 12 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds to his Finals resume. For OKC, only Jalen Williams (16) and SGA (21) scored more than 11 points for the Thunder. The Pacers forced SGA in a career-high 8 turnovers in Game 6 and the Thunder shot 8-of-30 from three (26.7%), so it'll be interesting to see how that carries over into a home Game 7 with mounting pressure.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.

Game details & how to watch Pacers vs. Thunder live

• Date: Sunday, June 22, 2025
• Time: 8:00PM EST
• Site: Paycom Center
• City: Oklahoma City, OK
• Network/Streaming: ESPN / ABC

Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.

Game odds for Pacers vs. Thunder

The latest odds as of Saturday:

• Odds: Pacers (+235), Thunder (-285)
• Spread:  Thunder -7.5
• Over/Under: 214.5 points

That gives the Pacers an implied team point total of 103.5, and the Thunder 110.5.

Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!

Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Pacers vs. Thunder game

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet Vaughn Dalzell (@Vmoneysports) likes an Under on Hartenstein, plus two MVP bets:

"One Under, among many, that I like for Game 7 is a fade on Isaiah Hartenstein. Hartenstein's PRA prop is at 13.5 (+100) or 14.5 (-115), depending where you are playing and I think it's a hair too high.

Hartenstein hit 14 PRA in garbage time of Game 6 and was benched at the half in favor of Alex Caruso, which didn't last long. Hartenstein hasn't fit the tempo of this series and his offensive scoring ability may be a liability as four or fewer points in four of six games isn't encouraging. Go Under on the big fella.

If you want value on either the Thunder ML or Pacers ML, then you should look at betting on the MVP market. For OKC, most will say Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-205) has the award locked up if the Thunder win, but I put my money on Jalen Williams at +2700 and +600 during Games 5 and 6, and I still like the position and current value at +1000 to +1100.

For the Pacers, the pick is Pascal Siakam at +370. I played Siakam at +900 after Game 4 and think he is a shoo-in for the MVP if Indiana wins Game 7. Tyrese Haliburton's odds have dropped to +1100, but it's obvious that his calf injury has kept him limited during the series, while that has not been the case for Siakam."

Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) likes Tyrese Haliburton to go for 15-plus points:

"Tyrese Haliburton finished with 14 points, 5 assists and 2 steals in 23 minutes while nursing a calf injury to energize the Pacers to the Game 6 win. It's obvious that Haliburton is giving it his all and he would die on the court for this team. If he gets 30 minutes or so in Game 7, it's hard for me not to see Hali going for 15-plus points. "

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Pacers & Thunder game:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Indiana Pacers at +7.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 214.5.

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Pacers vs. Thunder on Sunday

• If Oklahoma City closes as a favorite of -7.5 or higher, the Thunder will be the largest Game 7 favorites since the 1966 Boston Celtics (-8 vs Lakers).
• The three largest Game 7 favorites in history, -6.5, -8 and -9 — all failed to cover winning by four or fewer points to go 0-3 ATS, but 3-0 on the ML.
• The last four NBA Finals Game 7's went Under the total dating back to 2005.
• No team in a Game 7 of the NBA Finals has scored 100 or more points in the past 25 years.
• The Thunder are 1-0 in Game 7's this postseason, beating the Nuggets in OKC, 125-93.
• The Pacers are 1-0 in. Game 7's this postseason, beating the Knicks in Indiana, 125-108.
• Pascal Siakam is 5-1 to the Over on his assists prop
• TJ McConnell is 6-0 to the Over on his points, assists and points + assists props
• Lu Dort is 3-0 to the Over 0.5 assists at home in the Finals
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 31, 34, and 38 points at home in the Finals

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

With the NBA Finals going seven games, don't bet on a resolution to the Kevin Durant trade circus before Monday — the league does not want a trade upstaging Game 7. Not that a deal was imminent anyway, but with the NBA Draft on Wednesday, it's becoming a small window.

Let's get into the latest trade buzz, starting with the latest on Durant.

Kevin Durant trade latest

Let's break down all the KD news via bullet points.

• "Game of Chicken" between Suns, Durant suitors. The Phoenix Suns are not going to trade Durant away for a lowball offer. They know they aren't going to get back what they gave up to get him, but they still expect a quality return. The teams Durant wants to go to — the Rockets, Heat, and Spurs — have yet to meet that threshold. ESPN’s Shams Charania summed it up well as a "game of chicken."

"I had one team tell me today it's kinda a game of chicken at this point. From the Houston Rockets to the Miami Heat to the Minnesota Timberwolves, it's literally one or two pieces away, either which way, that can get a deal done. ... My understanding is they are in talks with those three teams specifically."

Along the same lines, the Rockets are betting that the price the Suns are asking for Durant will drop, reports ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

This is how negotiations work. The question is, who blinks? Or does something else change that breaks the deadlock?

• Does Durant want Timberwolves? Minnesota is one of those teams mentioned to be in talks with Phoenix, but it's not one of the teams on Durant's original list of preferred landing spots. Therein lies the conflict in getting a deal done, report Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

"[The Timberwolves] are said to be reluctant to go ahead with a trade unless they know Durant would embrace it."

By all accounts, Durant has no interest in the Timberwolves. Would Minnesota follow the path Toronto did with Kawhi Leonard and roll the dice on trading for him and hope he stays (Leonard didn't)? Minnesota seems unlikely to take that risk, considering their roster has made the Western Conference Finals consecutive years, but nothing is settled.

• Grizzlies not pursuing Durant. Memphis landed four first-round picks in the Desmond Bane trade, which led to some speculation that they might try to flip those and insert themselves into the Durant sweepstakes.

That's not happening, reports Fischer and Stein, which seems somewhat obvious. I feel like the Grizzlies saying they are not in the running for Durant is a lot like me saying I am taking myself out of the running to date Sabrina Carpenter. Still, the rumor persisted. Along those same lines, forget the rumors that the Grizzlies are going to trade Ja Morant or Jaren Jackson Jr. and rebuild. As previously reported here, league sources shot that idea down to NBC Sports. Or, take Morant's word for it.

DeRozan becomes Durant fallback?

There will be losers in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, and Stein and Fischer suggested that some of those teams could turn their attention to Sacramento's DeMar DeRozan, who is considered available. DeRozan will be 36 next season, but is still a midrange assassin who averaged 22.2 points and 4.4 assists per game last season.

If the Kings trade DeRozan in the coming days, it will likely be for a draft pick (and matching salary). They do not currently have a first-round pick, but are reportedly seeking one.

Lakers talking to teams about centers

The Buss family selling the Lakers: Surprise.

The Lakers are reaching out to other teams about their centers: Opposite of a surprise.

The worst-kept secret in the league is the Lakers looking for a rim-running center, so it's no surprise that Anthony Irwin of Clutch Points reports the Lakers have reached out to the Nets about Nic Claxton, the Jazz about Walker Kessler, and the Trail Blazers about Robert Williams III. All three of them have been linked to the Lakers in the past and are rumored to be available — as is another Lakers' target (and the best fit of that group), Daniel Gafford of Dallas — but because everyone knows the Lakers need a five other GMs are going to ask for the moon.

Expect this to take some time to play out. The Lakers can keep the idea of signing Clint Capela or Brook Lopez to the taxpayer midlevel exception in their back pocket, but they should aim higher.

76ers want to move up from No. 3 pick in draft

A report came out this week that the 76ers plan to run it back next season with Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, betting on better health. Of course they are, they don't have another choice. They are not going to trade the young Maxey. George is close to untradeable, considering his contract and his play last season, and the market for Embiid would not be what they hope for, either.

Daryl Morey is also hoping he could move up one spot — from No. 3 to No. 2 in the draft, reports Marc Stein. That rumor has been circulating for a while, but it would take something very enticing to persuade the Spurs to part with the second pick and Dylan Harper, and the 76ers don't have that on their roster.

Whatever happens with the No. 3 pick, don't expect it to be Ace Bailey, who is falling down draft boards around the league and cancelled a workout with Philadelphia.

Bucks to be aggressive in upgrading roster

The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talk has tied down, and what Antetokounmpo told Brazilian publication Coast to Coast only seems to confirm that (translation by Eurohoops).

"The Finals are different, I hope to be back soon with the Bucks."

The Bucks were not close to making the Finals this season, and it's hard to picture how that changes next season with Damian Lillard out for most of it due to a torn Achilles. Still, they're going to try, reports Bobby Marks at ESPN.

"Sources confirmed to ESPN that Milwaukee will be aggressively exploring options in free agency and trades to complement Antetokounmpo."

The Bucks have the money to use the full $14.1 million midlevel exception, but they don't have much cap room if they plan to re-sign backup center Bobby Portis (and with Brook Lopez a free agent, they are expected to). Milwaukee can try to find a trade for Kyle Kuzma, but the return there would not be great.

That said, look for the Bucks to try and do something, they need to show Antetokounmpo they are trying.

The NBA without the Buss family owning the Lakers sounds… weird.

Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers when Ronald Reagan was entering the White House and he proceeded to transform both the team and the league. There is the on-court success, where the Lakers have won 11 championships since Buss bought the franchise, while boasting a parade of “face of the game” level players: Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and now LeBron James, with Luka Doncic.

Beyond that, Dr. Buss changed how the sport was packaged as a product — this was entertainment. This was an event. It was the Laker girls and music pumped in the arena (not just an organist), it was Dancing Barry and celebrities sitting courtside. The modern fan sporting experience started with Buss' vision.

Now, Lakers ownership is changing. Once approved this summer by the Board of Governors, it will be Mark Walter, the CEO of global investment firm Guggenheim Partners, who will have bought the franchise at a $10 billion valuation. Jeanie Buss reported will stay on as the team’s governor (she and the Buss family will retain 18% ownership, according to reports).

Sale about change

Is the sale of the Lakers good or bad for the franchise? Is it good or bad for the NBA?

Yes. The answers are nuanced. It’s also not the right question,

Is this the end of family ownership in the NBA?

Yes

This is the real takeaway from the sale. The days of an NBA team as a family-run operation — especially where the team is the primary source of income, as it was for the Buss children — are gone. Big-time professional sports are now an investment for the ultra-wealthy.

Fans look at the Lakers' brand, the superstar players, how often they are on national television, the purple-and-gold jerseys in the crowd at road games, and with all that comes a perception that the Lakers were a free-spending, do-whatever-it-takes-to-win organization.

They were not even close. Behind the scenes, this was a relative mom-and-pop operation because it had to be — and if it wasn’t for a very generous local television contract it would have been much more noticeable (but betting on cable television to keep funding the team is a losing proposition long term). The Lakers did not spend top dollar on coaches (remember Ty Lue going across town?). They did not spend to beef up basketball operations and staff — Oklahoma City has a larger scouting and basketball operations team.

That’s what Walter’s ownership changes and why Lakers fans should feel positive. Under Walter’s ownership, the Dodgers have unashamedly acted like the richest kids on the block, and have been rewarded for it on the field. For a Lakers team going into summer negotiations with Doncic and LeBron, having a deep-pocketed owner willing to spend matters, even if the NBA’s tax structure limits that spending.

What Walter did with the Dodgers was spend — not just on players, he also upgraded Dodger Stadium, he beefed up the team’s front office (stealing the GM from another team), its analytics department, and he spent big on player development. He turned the Dodgers into Goliath and has a couple of World Series wins to show for it.

Walter can’t just spend to buy players under the NBA’s punitive salary cap/luxury tax system, but his Lakers will start acting like a rich team off the court. Expect the Lakers' front office and scouting teams to grow. Expect a focus on player development. Expect facility upgrades (not at Crypo.com, which is owned by AEG, but other team facilities).

The Lakers didn’t act like the richest kids on the block — that other team in Los Angeles did — and around the Lakers there are a lot of little stories that highlight things. As noted at ESPN: “An assistant coach was not approved to stay at the same hotel as the player he was traveling to work out with in the offseason because the room was too expensive.”

All that is about to change.

Something lost

With that, a connection between the fans and the owner is lost. Jeanie Buss will remain the team governor and in some ways face of ownership, but Walter and his investment team will have the final say. A much more corporate entity runs the Lakers now, whatever face they put on it.

The same was true in Dallas, where part of the loss in Mark Cuban selling the Mavericks was not having him as the recognizable owner fans to relate to (and talk to). The same is true in Boston, where Wyc Grousbeck was always a rich, corporate owner, but one fan saw, who a year ago was carrying the Larry O’Brien Trophy around the streets of Boston during a parade, high-fiving fans.

The trend toward corporatization and private equity/investment banking touching everything is not just a sports thing, it’s a societal thing. It’s the way of the world.

It’s just going to feel a little different for the NBA. At least Jeanie Buss will still be around and have a voice in the Lakers, but it’s not going to be the same.

Not that it will matter to Lakers fans if they start winning like the Dodgers.