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Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named NBA MVP for 2024-25 season: Report

Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named NBA MVP for 2024-25 season: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Welcome to the MVP club, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Oklahoma City Thunder star reportedly has won the 2024-25 NBA MVP award, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

It marks the first for Gilgeous-Alexander, who played a leading role in the Thunder’s league-best 68-14 record that saw them top the Western Conference ladder.

Gilgeous-Alexander posted averages of 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks on a 51.9/37.5/89.8 shooting split. His points and assists averages marked career highs.

A three-time All-Star, the Kentucky product was the season’s scoring champion for the first time. Oklahoma City acquired the Toronto native after his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers, with Paul George the main piece headed the other way.

Gilgeous-Alexander was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, spending just one season as a Wildcat.

He edged three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who helped Denver to a 50-32 record before losing to Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder in the second round. He recorded his first ever triple-double campaign, averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists and 1.8 steals.

Only Oscar Robertson (1961-62) and Russell Westbrook (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21) have averaged a triple double over the course of a season.

The Nuggets star won the MVP in consecutive years in 2021 and 2022 before picking up his third in 2024, with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid halting Jokic’s run in 2023. He was attempting to become just the sixth player in league history to win four or more MVP awards — joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Michael Jordan (5), Bill Russell (5), LeBron James (4) and Wilt Chamberlain (4).

Gilgeous-Alexander placed second in the MVP voting last season, with Jokic the winner and ex-Dallas Maverick Luka Doncic rounding out the top three.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won the MVP back-to-back in 2019 and 2020, was also an MVP finalist. Milwaukee finished 48-34, good for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

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NBA Semis Could Boost Stars’ Lagging Social Media Presences

The 2025 NBA conference finalists—the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers—are an atypical group of contenders. Only one (the Thunder) is a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, and none have won an NBA championship since the 1970s.
 
They also have stars still in the process of building their profile. None of the 25 most-followed active NBA players on Instagram are on a team still in the postseason. Kyrie Irving (No. 4), Luka Dončić (No. 11) and Jayson Tatum (No. 19) all advanced this deep last season, and later rounds in the 2010s always featured mega-superstars like LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.

This year, the most-followed star left in the final four is the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, whose 4.8 million followers rank 27th in the NBA. Right behind him are the Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns (4.3 million) and the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (4.1 million), but nobody else in the league’s top 50 will take the court for the rest of this season. It’s not for a lack of trying, either, as Gilgeous-Alexander has carefully curated a feed to match his personality.
 
Alex Caruso, who started three games this year for Oklahoma City, has the fourth-most followers among players in the conference semifinals (1.3 million). Minnesota rookie Rob Dillingham, who hasn’t played a minute in the playoffs so far, has the sixth-most. 

But making the conference finals will have a major impact on players’ social media brands. In the 24 hours before his Game 1 against the Timberwolves, Gilgeous-Alexander gained more than 20,000 followers, the highest mark in the NBA. Eight of the top nine 24-hour gainers are still active in the postseason, with the exception being Tatum, who was recently eliminated.

The stars still alive in the playoffs are far from no-names, even as they search for broader reach. Social media following is just one indicator of marketability.

Among the NBA’s best-selling jerseys this season, Jalen Brunson ranked No. 5, Edwards ranked No. 7 and Gilgeous-Alexander ranked No. 9. Brunson also co-hosts a podcast with his Knicks teammates called the Roommates Show that boasts more than 200,000 Instagram followers of its own.

Edwards and Gilgeous-Alexander earned $20 million and $18 million, respectively, off the court in 2024, ranking fifth and sixth among NBA players on Sportico’shighest-paid athletes list.

The lack of Instagram stars remaining in the playoffs is, more than anything, a testament to the youth of the teams that won out in the early rounds. Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton is just 25 years old, Gilgeous-Alexander is 26, Edwards is 23 and both of the Knicks’ All-Stars (Towns and Brunson) are still in their 20s.

Franchises that went all-in on two or three big-name, established players, such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, were less successful this postseason, with thin benches and injuries proving costly.

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Four reasons to embrace the Celtics' upcoming season of uncertainty

Four reasons to embrace the Celtics' upcoming season of uncertainty originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics saw their quest to repeat as NBA champions derailed far earlier than anyone could have predicted (and at the hands of the freakin’ New York Knicks, no less).

Jayson Tatum is out indefinitely after rupturing his Achilles. The roster is set for a cost-cutting overhaul as the rent comes due for all the big spending that helped deliver Banner 18.

All of which makes it understandably difficult to see how Boston maintains its status as a legitimate title contender for the 2025-26 season.

But change also means opportunity, and we’re strangely energized to see how the players who remain on Boston’s roster grasp the chance to step into a bigger spotlight.

A lot of teams in the East have tough decisions to make this offseason — looking at you, Cleveland — and the conference wasn’t exactly overflowing with talent this past year. We don’t think it’s far-fetched to suggest that, with enough pieces back, the Celtics could still be in the mix. 

Yes, the Celtics have tough financial decisions to make, mainly to ensure their long-term sustainability as a title threat. Watching Bill Chisholm’s fan-like energy up close late in the season, we’re confident that every effort will be made to keep this thing afloat despite the obvious short-term obstacles preventing the team from keeping the current core intact.

Here are four reasons to embrace what’s to come in the 2025-26 season:

1. JB in the 1A role

Let’s state the obvious here: This assumes the Celtics keep Jaylen Brown as part of their offseason tinkering, which, if they elect to dip below the second apron but stay above the tax, is the least painful path possible. It would be criminal if the Celtics were forced to consider moving a homegrown superstar because the new CBA extremely limits any team’s ability to build around two max-contract players.

Brown has routinely thrived whenever more is thrown on his plate. Two of his best playoff games — Game 2 vs. Orlando and Game 5 vs. New York — came while Tatum was inactive. Further removed from the knee woes that seemingly hindered much of Brown’s 2024-25 season, we’re invigorated by the possibility of Brown being the focal point of Boston’s roster. 

Let’s be honest: We’ve all wondered if Brown eventually might yearn to be the 1A of a franchise — to step outside Tatum’s shadow and see what he could accomplish as the primary option. Now we might get that preview without having to watch him on another team. 

Brown would be positioned to reassert himself as an All-NBA player. His two-way potential is undeniable, and Boston’s best basketball in recent seasons has come when Brown has embraced defending the best scorer on the opposing team.

Brown needs to find more consistency with his 3-point shot. He needs to continue to tighten up the ball-handling and limit turnovers. But each year we see strides with his playmaking. We’re intrigued by the idea of watching Brown try to hold the fort while Tatum rehabs. Regardless of how the 2025-26 season plays out, it has potential to set the team up nicely for when the Jays would be reunited down the road. 

At a time when Celtics fans are feeling a little melancholy about the future of the team, it feels appropriate that the guy dubbed the Energy Shifter might be the one who can bring back some optimism.

2. Payton Pritchard: Fifth Man of the Year?

Regardless of whether the Celtics are forced to move Jrue Holiday’s salary to aid cost cutting, there will be at least one opening in Boston’s starting five with Tatum rehabbing. One season after running away with the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, it might be time to answer another longstanding query: Would Payton Pritchard thrive as a starter?

Pritchard’s base stats in 17 games as a starter during his career are solid: 17.2 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. That’s while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor, 37.9 percent beyond the 3-point arc, and 100 percent at the free throw line. In Pritchard’s three starts this past season, those numbers spiked to 21.7 points, 7.3 assists, and 5 rebounds per game on 48.2/32.1/100 percent shooting splits. 

Pritchard’s evolution has been fun to chronicle, from a frustrated young player on a team with an overloaded guard depth chart, to key role player on a title team, to the best bench weapon in the NBA. Now it could be time to really turn Pritchard loose.

Inside Pritchard’s rise with Celtics and the trade that never happened

3. Which of the kids is ready to break out?

With so much uncertainty around the team’s core — we’d go so far as to suggest that the Celtics could be without at least four players from their nine-man core of the past two seasons, counting Tatum — there is ample opportunity for some of the remaining younger players to prove they can blossom in elevated roles. 

Can Baylor Scheierman thrive as a bench shooter if the team can’t afford to carry Hauser when his extension kicks in this summer? With his penchant for flashy playmaking, Scheierman was one of the bright spots among developmental talent at the end of the 2024-25 season. 

Jordan Walsh logged only 400 total minutes last season (7.8 per game). After making a strong case for an increased role out of training camp, he never quite did enough to fully earn head coach Joe Mazzulla’s trust. But the absence of Tatum will create ample opportunity for the team’s bench wings to show what they can do.

Walsh, if he survives any roster shuffling, must showcase the progress made behind the scenes. That he’s still only 21 years old suggests there’s plenty of runway.

J.D. Davison’s 2025-26 salary is non-guaranteed — with a June 29 decision date looming — after getting called up to the parent squad, and the team will have to decide if they want him back as a depth option. Davison, the 53rd pick in the 2022 draft, is still only 22 years old.

Does fellow Maine stalwart Drew Peterson get a spot on the parent roster after a couple seasons as two-way player? The team added Miles Norris as a two-way player late in the season, too. 

The Celtics have until opening night before Neemias Queta’s $2.4 million salary is fully guaranteed (only half of it is before that).

4. No expectations

No matter how much Mazzulla craved a bullseye between his team’s eyes last season, there was undeniably added pressure in the quest to be the Celtics first repeat champion in a half century. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

But much of that pressure will be relieved next season. There will be no stressing about the potential “Last Dance” that last season’s team endured. Opponents won’t arrive to TD Garden with quite as much desire to take a swing at the king; another team will wear that target next season. Without Tatum, expectations for the Celtics will plummet. 

It’s been a while since the Celtics were underdogs. They might just thrive in that role (and they can still bark like the road dawgs of last season). The Celtics could have a new freedom that might let the natural talents of their players carry them. There will be no lofty goals, just a willingness to see where the road takes them.

We like the idea of Derrick White as your No. 2 option. The elusive All-Star nod might arrive for him next season. Kristaps Porzingis could have a chance to remind the NBA how impactful he can be when not battling mystery illnesses. Mazzulla should be eager to show he can push all the right buttons with whatever collection of talent is assembled.

Instead of worrying singularly about how the season might end, everyone can just enjoy the ride next year.

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Cousins believes Kerr ‘ruined' Warriors' relationship with Kuminga

Cousins believes Kerr ‘ruined' Warriors' relationship with Kuminga originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins believes the relationship between the Warriors and forward Jonathan Kuminga is at a point of no return. 

But who is at fault? 

The former Golden State big man singled out his former coach Steve Kerr after mismanaging Kuminga’s rotation shifts at the end of the regular season and into the NBA playoffs. 

“I think they lost Kuminga. I think Steve Kerr ruined that relationship with the DNPs,” Cousins told Chandler Parsons on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back.”

For Golden State, a significant summer storyline is what to do with the 22-year-old forward, who, despite the DNPs, burst back onto the scene after Steph Curry sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

After failing to agree to a contract extension before the 2024-25 season began, Kuminga is a restricted free agent. He can sign an offer sheet from another team, giving Golden State the right to match, or they can work out a sign-and-trade with another team.

Regardless of how the situation pans out, Cousins doubled down by questioning Kerr’s ability to develop younger talent, pointing to the Warriors’ fallout with first-round draft pick Jordan Poole.

The 34-year-old notices a pattern. 

“We’ve seen this happen time and time again when it comes to him and dealing with young talent,” Cousins added. “He doesn’t handle young talent well. He doesn’t develop young talent. 

“Out of the years he’s been there, we’ve seen one guy develop under Steve Kerr, and they ran him off as well, and that was Jordan Poole, so when it comes to young talent, I just don’t think they handle it well.”

There will be no shortage of commentary on the Kuminga-Warriors saga this summer, and Cousins’ comments are the quintessential example of that. 

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Houston Rockets 2024-25 fantasy basketball season recap: Forever and ever, Amen

While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.

In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.

Today, we’re looking at a team that overachieved thanks to a deep and talented young roster.

Houston Rockets 2024-2025 Season Recap

Record: 52-30 (2nd, West)

Offensive Rating: 114.9 (12th)

Defensive Rating: 110.3 (5th)

Net Rating: 4.6 (7th)

Pace: 99.03 (18th)

2025 NBA Draft Picks: 10th pick, 59th pick

The Rockets exceeded expectations with a 52-win season and the No. 2 seed in a highly competitive Western Conference. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun continued to play well, while Amen Thompson had a breakout campaign and looks like a franchise cornerstone.

Houston played strong defense thanks to length, speed and athleticism up and down the roster, and the Rockets boasted a top-12 offense led by Thompson and Fred VanVleet as primary facilitators.

Houston’s depth and a top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft point to the team making a bid for a superstar this summer, and the Rockets’ offseason moves could dramatically reshape the roster.

Let’s recap last season’s fantasy performances and look ahead to 2025-26.

Fantasy Standout: Amen Thompson

Sophomore slump? Never heard of it. The second-year man took a major leap in Year 2, showcasing his ability to operate as a point forward and make a major impact on the defensive end of the floor.

Thompson averaged career highs across the board with 14.1 points, 8.2 boards, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.3 blocks and just 2.0 turnovers while shooting 55.7% from the floor. His 68.4% mark from the charity stripe and just 0.4 triples per game were the only blemishes on an otherwise pristine fantasy season.

As a pass-first forward and elite defender, Thompson has a unique skillset that lends itself well to the world of fantasy hoops. He recorded double-digit assists four times and double-digit boards 24 times. He racked up 20 double-doubles and three triple-doubles along the way.

Thompson set new single-game marks with 33 points against the Celtics on January 27, 16 rebounds (twice) against the Lakers on January 5 and the Cavs on January 22, 11 assists three times, and seven steals against the Heat on March 21.

The athletic young forward finished his second season ranked 55th in per-game fantasy value, tops on his team. He’ll turn 23 next season, and his best basketball is certainly in front of him. If Houston moves on from Fred VanVleet in the offseason, Thompson could see more run as a facilitator, only sweetening his fantasy appeal.

Thompson is an easy mid-round selection in 2025-26 fantasy drafts, and he could easily blow past his ADP and finish inside the top 25.

Fantasy Revelation: Tari Eason

Eason enjoyed the most productive season of his three-year career, averaging 12 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.9 blocks, 1.1 triples and 1.1 turnovers across 24.9 minutes per game. He shot 48.7% from the floor and 76% from the charity stripe.

After appearing in just 22 games a season ago due to injuries, Eason logged 57 games in 2024-25. He started 16 and fared well in those contests, going for 5.1 points, 6.8 boards, 1.9 assists, 1.9 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 triples.

The LSU product recorded a career-best six swipes on November 20 against the Pacers, and he dropped a career-high 30 points against the Mavericks on March 14.

Eason boasts elite athleticism and defense, and he can score effectively when given the chance. The only thing holding him back from being a regular mid-round fantasy option is playing time. If he can earn more minutes in the Rockets’ rotation in 2025-26, he can be a quality contributor.

Fantasy Disappointment: Fred VanVleet

Though VanVleet finished 67th in per-game fantasy value, it was a disappointing finish considering he finished in the top 25 in five straight seasons and inside the top 20 in four straight.

FVV averaged 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.4 blocks and 2.7 triples while committing just 1.5 turnovers. VanVleet knocked down 37.8% of his shots from the field, 81% of his shots from the charity stripe and 34.5% of his three-point attempts. The field goal percentage was the second-lowest mark of his career, and the free throw percentage was the lowest.

VanVleet appeared in 60 games and logged 35.7 minutes per game. The minutes, points, assists and rebounds were his lowest marks since the 2018-19 season when he was with Toronto.

Set to make $44.89 million in 2025-26, VanVleet could be included in any trade package that Houston sends for a superstar to match contracts.

Bill Simmons floated the idea of Houston trading VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and the No. 10 pick for Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday. It’s a wild proposal, but this is just an idea of the type of deal we might see VanVleet included in this summer.

Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads

Alperen Sengun:

Sengun continued his run as “Domantas Sabonis Lite,” finishing with averages of 19.1 points, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks, 0.3 triples and a career-high 10.3 boards. The big man shot 49.6% from the floor, 69.2% from the free throw line and 23.3% from downtown.

Houston’s point center logged a career-high 76 games while his playing time slipped from 32.5 minutes last season to 31.5 this season. His fantasy finish of 88th in per-game value was his lowest in three campaigns, though not too far off of his best.

The highlights of his season came on February 4 against Brooklyn when he dropped 24/20 and on December 27 against Minnesota when he finished with 38/12/1/1.

Sengun should continue to thrive as a mid-to-late-round fantasy center with triple-double upside. Target him in that range in 2025-26 drafts.

Jalen Green:

Green finished his fourth NBA season with averages of 21 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.9 triples. His 42.3/81.3/35.4 shooting splits left much to be desired, but his marks from the charity stripe and from distance were the best of his career.

Green finished 135th in per-game fantasy value, the best finish of his career. He showcased his durability with a second straight 82-game campaign.

Despite a strong regular season, Green struggled mightily in the postseason, going for 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 triples while shooting 37.2% from the floor, 66.7% from the charity stripe and 29.5% from beyond the arc.

Green signed a three-year extension with Houston in October, and he’s likely to be back in a similar role in 2025-26 as the Rockets’ starting two guard. He’s worth a look in the later rounds of fantasy drafts, and he’s got room to grow if he can improve his efficiency.

Jabari Smith Jr.:

Last season wasn’t great to Smith Jr., as he saw his minutes fall slightly to start the campaign and then dry up in the playoffs.

The third-year man finished the 2024-25 campaign with averages of 12.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.7 blocks - all career lows. He shot 43.8% from the floor, 82.5% from the charity stripe and 35.4% from beyond the arc, while knocking down 1.7 triples per game.

Injuries limited JSJ to a career-low 57 games. He started just 39 of those after starting every one of his appearances across the last two seasons.

In the seven-game series against Golden State, he averaged just 20.4 minutes and didn’t start a single game. Heading into the final year of his contract, the 22-year-old could be an attractive trade piece in a deal to secure Giannis Antetokounmpo. A change of scenery could do wonders for Smith Jr.’s fantasy appeal.

Dillon Brooks:

Brooks finished his second season in Houston with averages of 14.1 points, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals and career highs in rebounds (3.7) and triples (2.5). He shot 42.9% from the floor (second-best mark of his career), 81.8% from the charity stripe and a career-best 39.7% from beyond the arc.

Brooks operated as a 3-and-D option for the second-place Rockets, attempting a career-high 6.3 triples per game and acting as a nuisance on the defensive end.

He scored 36 points on January 27 against the Celtics, dropping his most points in over three years and finishing just one point shy of his career high. In that game, Brooks stroked a career-high 10 three-pointers.

Brooks finished 170th in per-game fantasy hoops value, as he offers little outside of scoring and triples. Fantasy managers looking at him in 2025-26 drafts can target him with a final pick if production in those categories is needed.

Cam Whitmore:

The second-year man saw his playing time fall from 18.7 minutes as a rookie to 16.2 in 2024-25. He posted 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 triples per game across 51 outings.

Whitmore started three games and averaged a 25/8/2/1 line with four triples. The highlight of his season came on April 11 against the Lakers when he went off for 34/8/1/1/1 with seven triples.

The young forward is set to turn 21 over the summer, and he’s got a bright future if he can carve out a more meaningful role in Houston’s rotation.

Reed Sheppard:

The No. 3 pick out of Kentucky played a muted role in his inaugural campaign, logging 12.6 minutes per game across 52 appearances.

Sheppard averaged 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.9 triples while shooting 35.1% from the floor and 81.3% from the charity stripe.

Sheppard played well in three starts, with averages of 19.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 4.3 triples. He dropped a career-high 25 points at Oklahoma City on March 3.

Sheppard can be a solid contributor if given significant minutes, but meaningful playing time may be hard to come by in 2025-26 due to Houston’s deep backcourt rotation.

Steven Adams:

Adams saw a dramatic cut in playing time during the 2024-25 campaign, logging just 13.9 minutes per game and averaging 3.9 points and 5.7 boards.

The big man made his presence known with additional minutes in three starts, posting 10 points 9.7 boards, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks across 23.7 minutes.

Adams had a solid postseason, and perhaps he was auditioning for his next team. He’s set to hit the open market this offseason, and he’ll surely have no problem finding a new team should he choose to leave H-Town.

Restricted Free Agents: Jack McVeigh, N’Faly Dante, David Roddy

Unrestricted Free Agents: Jeff Green, Jae’Sean Tate, Steven Adams

Club Option: Fred VanVleet, Aaron Holiday

Player Option: None

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Murray sure his ‘time is going to come' with Kings after shaky Year 3

Murray sure his ‘time is going to come' with Kings after shaky Year 3 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – Keegan Murray’s NBA experience thus far has been quite the ride.

Selected by the Kings No. 4 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Murray entered a rookie season that set the bar high for what was to come thereafter. In Year 1, he set the NBA 3-point rookie record, was named to the 2023 NBA Jordan Rising Stars team and made the All-Rookie First Team. He also finished fifth in NBA Rookie of the Year voting.

This, on top of averaging 12.2 points on 45.3-percent shooting from the field and 41.1 percent from 3-point range, with 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists through 29.8 minutes in 80 games (78 starts), while helping lead Sacramento to its first playoff appearance in nearly two decades.

He averaged 15.2 points in his sophomore season and 12.4 in Year 3, respectively, but his 3-point shooting has taken a significant dip from his rookie year.

Part of that was due to him taking on a larger defensive role along his path to becoming an effective two-way player in the league. Some of the challenges during the 2024-25 season were due to the organizational inconsistencies the team faced.

The Kings parted ways with the only NBA coach Murray knew, Mike Brown, 31 games into the season. Brown was someone who pushed the young forward as if he were an NBA veteran. After Brown reached his 400th career win, Murray spoke about the impact the coach had on his young career.

“He’s always pushing me,” Murray said on Nov. 13, 2023. “Even last year, he didn’t treat me like a rookie. He treated me like a guy who’s been in the league for five, six years. That’s all I could have really asked for my rookie season.

“So he’s going to be a guy that I’m always going to remember at the start of my career and hopefully through my career as a coach that’s had a big impact on me.”

About one year later, Brown was relieved of his duties, despite signing a multiyear contract extension with the Kings just five months prior.

Two months after Brown’s firing, the Kings traded star point guard De’Aaron Fox, Murray’s best friend on the team, to the San Antonio Spurs in a franchise-altering blockbuster move. Fox took Murray under his wing since the latter entered the league in 2022, and the two formed a wholesome “big bro-little bro” relationship over the years. 

“Uncle Keegz” understood it was the business part of the NBA, but it certainly took some time to adjust to life as a King without Fox – for everyone.

Within three years, Murray went from a magical, storybook 2022-23 rookie season highlighted by a purple beam to experiencing a big wake-up call of the ups and downs in the NBA.

Despite all of that, he still took on the challenge of defending the opposing team’s best player night in and night out while also being scrutinized for not performing well enough on the other end of the floor. It’s something he reflects on with great pride, and something he won’t make excuses for as he continues to put in the work and strive toward two-way stardom.

“No, I’m not disappointed,” Murray said when asked if he was disappointed in his third season during end-of-the-season exit interviews in April. “I think, especially defensively, I took a really big leap. Being able to guard one through five effectively is really hard in this league. There’s not many people that can do it. 

“But obviously offensively, you want to be a little bit better. But there’s not really an excuse or anything. It’s just putting my head down and working harder this summer, just figure out different things.”

Sacramento’s lack of wing depth has taken a toll on Murray. In an ideal world, he said he wouldn’t want to be guarding centers every night, half joking that “it’s not the most fun thing in the world.” But Murray, at 6-foot-8 and 215 pounds, also noted that if he has to do it, he will. 

Murray, taking note of his defensive assignment workload, spent more time in the weight room in Year 3. He also took his recovery more seriously. Aside from the physical aspect of it, he also made it an emphasis to mentally lock in on each player he would be tasked to guard, labeling it as “ a learning curve.”

On the offensive side of the ball, playing without a point guard since Fox’s departure, the Kings were noticeably flawed. Murray, alongside DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, tried their best to figure out a productive offense, but it was a struggle to gel.

Maybe more time together would have helped, but the pieces just didn’t seem to fit together in the same puzzle.

“I think in a way it’s been difficult,” Murray said of adjusting to a new offense with new players. “Just because, especially my first years, we’re just so used to the DHO game, the split action, and just all the guys kind of moving at the same time, and you never know who’s going to get the shot. 

“So yeah, I guess a little bit has been difficult, but at the end of the day, it’s who we have on our roster, and we have to make it work if we want to have success.”

Through the first 32 games of the 2024-25 season, Murray shot just 41.3 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from long range with 11.6 points per game in 35.4 minutes. 

When the calendar year flipped, Murray’s offense became much more efficient, averaging 13 points on 46.7-percent shooting from the field and 38 percent from deep in the remaining 44 games.

“I feel like Keegan came a long way from an aggressive standpoint,” DeRozan said during his exit interview. “I think in the second half of the season, he became more aggressive. We kind of pushed him more. I don’t think he has a ceiling. I think his capability is definitely unlimited.

“I hope I get to spend a lot of time with him this summer, just to really push him to that next level I think he needs. So you can see the Keegan Murray that everybody expects of him come next year. So, I think for me, my main priority is to be able to spend a lot of time with Keegan this summer.”

An offseason with one of the game’s purest scorers certainly could help Murray’s offense. Defending the six-time NBA All-Star all summer also could strengthen him defensively.

“Obviously, since he signed later in the summer, I wasn’t really able to go down with him to LA,” Murray said of DeRozan. “But I’ve already talked to some guys, and we’re going to have a lot of guys down there, just being able to finally, as a team, get together and work out and just try and build chemistry that way. I just think the biggest thing, too, is just having those dinners or doing things outside of basketball, too, and on the court, everything just seems seamless.

“But he’s been in the league for a while, and whatever I can do to learn from him, especially offensively, will just help me with more dimensions in my game.”

Murray is marrying his fiancée, Carly, this summer. He said he’s been a part of the wedding meetings, but is mostly letting Carly take the reins.

Kings coach Doug Christie, who officially got the “interim” label removed from his title, had a perfect way of congratulating Murray on his engagement.

“When I saw the picture, I told him, ‘The fact that you got down on one knee tells me that you can get low on defense,’ so plan on that,” Christie joked with reporters back in February.

The room filled with laughter, but Christie was only half-joking. The new coach will continue to push Murray on both ends of the ball in their first full season together next year.

It will be a summer of change for the soon-to-be 25-year-old, as he embraces what’s to come in Sacramento.

“I’ve had to fill different roles within the team, now that I think about it, every year,” Murray said. “So with me, I think eventually it’ll pay off. I know that eventually good things are going to happen. So I’m not worried about anything.

“I know my time is going to come, and whether it’s next year, or a couple years after, I know eventually it’ll be my time.

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Thunder’s defense, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander overwhelm Timberwolves in second half to take Game 1 114-88

NBA: Playoffs-Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder

May 20, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during game one of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

This felt like so many of Oklahoma City's games during the regular season. In particular, the 68 wins.

The Thunder's elite pressure defense forced 19 turnovers and turned them into 31 points. Oklahoma City's defense took away the paint, giving up just 20 points on 43.5% shooting in the key. The Timberwolves tried to shoot over the top of it and that got them an early lead when they shot 8-of-19 to start the game, but the math caught up with them and Minnesota shot 7-of-32 (21.9%) the rest of the way.

Then came the run. Sparked by that defense, the Thunder took the lead with a 10-0 run using their small-ball lineup in the third quarter. That was stretched out to 17-2 with Kenrich Williams hitting some big shots off the bench. By the start of the fourth, Oklahoma City was up by 10, 76-66, and they pulled away late.

Then Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, after a rough 2-of-13 first half, found his groove, shot 8-of-14 in the second half, drew fouls, and finished with a game-high 31 points.

The result was a comfortable 114-88 win at home, which has Oklahoma City up 1-0 in the Western Conference Finals. Game 2 is Thursday night in the same building.

This defense is why Oklahoma City is the title favorite, holding Anthony Edwards to zero points in the fourth quarter and the Timberwolves team to a 92.6 offensive rating for the game. It's not just that the Thunder have elite defenders like Lu Dort and Alex Caruso, it's their teamwork — they can have two or three players swarming the ball trying to force a turnover, yet still seem not to leave anyone else open. By the end, the swarming defense had the Timberwolves hesitant and second-guessing before making a pass. That defense led to offense.

Also in the second half, the Thunder started to get inside the Timberwolves' stout defense, which led to dunks and open 3-pointers.

It was a rough night for Edwards, who picked up a foolish early technical for tossing the ball at Gilgeous-Alexander.

Later in the first quarter, Edwards went back to the locker room after turning his ankle on a landing. Fortunately, he returned to the floor midway through the second quarter and looked like nothing had happened.

Julius Randle was Minnesota's offense in the first half scoring 20 points and shooting 5-of-6 from 3. Minnesota was an impressive 7-of-17 on above-the-break 3-pointers in the first half, but that dried up after the break. The Timberwolves' defense focused more on Randle, who scored eight points in the second half.

Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren came on in the second half for the Thunder, finishing with 19 and 15 points respectively.

Edwards finished with 18 for Minnesota as only he and Randle scored in double figures.

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NBA Playoff Ratings Stay Hot as Knicks Try to Keep the Party Going

If the NBA’s second apron spells doom for the era of the superteam, the rigorous salary-cap restrictions don’t seem to have diluted enthusiasm for the playoffs. 

Per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, the first two rounds of the NBA postseason tournament averaged 4.17 million viewers across ABC, ESPN and TNT/truTV, which marks a 3.3% improvement versus the year-ago period. It’s worth noting that the gains thus far have been made alongside a 9% decline in overall TV usage.

Leading the ratings charge are the Disney networks, which have grown their playoff deliveries 12%. Through 22 games, ABC and ESPN are averaging 4.88 million viewers per telecast, making this the Mouse House’s second most-watched postseason in 14 years. Only the 2023 tourney put up bigger numbers to this point, as a Lakers- and Warriors-heavy slate dominated the airwaves that May. For example, Game 7 of the 2023 Golden State-Sacramento series lured 9.84 million viewers to ABC, making it the most-watched first-round broadcast since 1999.

The top draw of this year’s second round was the six-game Celtics-Knicks set, which averaged 5.36 million viewers per game, edging Warriors-Timberwolves (5.20 million). With an average draw of 4.96 million viewers, the Thunder-Nuggets series wasn’t all that far behind, although the blink-and-you-missed-it Pacers-Cavs set trailed the rest of the pack at 4.01 million.

That this season’s TV turnout has proven consistent with the 2024 deliveries is a predictable enough development, given that seven of the final eight teams that suited up for last year’s second round returned for another go this spring.

That’s where the similarities end, however. The last four clubs standing guarantees that an unfamiliar face will claim the title in June; while the Knicks last won it all in 1973 and the Thunder’s precursors in Seattle won a ring in 1979, Indiana and Minnesota have yet to earn a championship. That’s quite the departure from how things shook out a year ago, when the Celtics went on to win their 18th crown.

Naturally, the best shot the NBA has at keeping its ratings momentum alive is if the Knicks are still playing basketball in June. There’s a lot to be said for having a contender in the nation’s largest media market, although there’s some question as to how many of New York’s 7.49 million TV homes will remain standing if the Knicks punch their ticket to the Finals. After 25 years of frustration, Gotham is in raucous celebration mode, and the streets around the Garden on Friday night looked like something out of an Eisenstaedt V-J Day photo, only drunker.

As if Knicks fans needed any further incitement to go nuts, the only thing standing between the hometown team and the Finals is the hated Pacers. Indiana has eliminated New York in its three most recent playoff appearances, a triptych that includes last year’s second-round heartbreaker and the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals. Reggie Miller will be on the call for TNT Sports throughout the series, because of course he will.

Out West, where the mood is presumably less colored by existential dread,  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the must-see Thunder take on Anthony Edwards and a Timberwolves team that hopes to make everyone forget their hasty exit from last year’s Conference Final. OKC is the odds-on favorite (-180) to win the O’Brien Trophy, followed by the Knicks (+500), T’wolves (+550) and Pacers (+750), but both series could easily go the distance.

Minnesota and OKC tip off their series Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, while the Pacers and Knicks will reignite their rivalry the following night on TNT/truTV.

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2025 NBA Draft: One-on-one interviews with top prospects

Kon Knueppel talks to media at the 2025 NBA basketball draft combine in Chicago, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Kon Knueppel talks to media at the 2025 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
ASSOCIATED PRESS

The 2025 NBA Draft is fast approaching. Yahoo Sports NBA draft analyst Kevin O'Connor sat down with top prospects during the draft combine in Chicago last week. Watch the interviews below, and check back for more interviews in the coming days.

Big Board ranking: No. 5

Knueppel, a projected top-10 pick, discusses his development as a shot creator at Duke, his focus on expanding his offensive arsenal, and the lessons learned from a heartbreaking loss in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament. He also talks NBA playoffs, his basketball influences, including Klay Thompson and Jimmy Butler, and the impact of family and faith on his career.

Check out the full interview on YouTube.

Big Board ranking: No. 11

Coward, who has risen from D-III basketball player to projected first-round pick, details his versatile skill set, draft combine performance, and the work ethic that led to his improved shooting and playmaking. He also shares lessons learned from his Olympic gold-medalist grandfather, his NBA player comps (including Kawhi Leonard) and what drives his obsession with basketball.

Check out the full interview on YouTube.

Tune into "The Kevin O'Connor Show" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

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Stephon Castle, Zaccharie Risacher headline NBA All-Rookie teams

As has been said even before last year’s NBA draft, this wasn’t the most impressive rookie class to come through the league. However, it does have some quality players who are going to help their teams going forward. Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle is at the top of that list.

Those players were rewarded by being named to the NBA All-Rookie Teams, which were announced on Tuesday.

NBA All-Rookie Teams

First Team

Stephon Castle (Spurs)
Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies)
Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks)
Zach Edey (Grizzlies)
Alex Sarr (Wizards)

Second Team

Matas Buzelis (Bulls)
Yves Missi (Pelicans)
Donovan Clingan (Trail Blazers)
Kel’el Ware (Heat)
Bub Carrington (Wizards)

If you’re looking for a snub (which is a dubious argument with this class), look no further than Utah, where Isaiah Collier (who had a strong second half of the season) and Kyle Filipowski were both were left off the teams. Here is a look at the voting (done by a global panel of 100 media members).

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Wade knocks Butler's ‘bad offense' in Warriors' playoff elimination

Wade knocks Butler's ‘bad offense' in Warriors' playoff elimination originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Retired Miami Heat icon Dwyane Wade wasn’t a fan of Jimmy Butler’s offensive approach leading up to the Warriors’ Western Conference semifinals loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In Tuesday’s edition of WY Network’s “Time Out with Dwyane Wade,” the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee was critical of Butler, also his Chicago Bulls teammate during the 2016-17 NBA season.

“I think the thing with Jimmy is, I didn’t like the way he just approached the game,” Wade said (h/t Bleacher Report’s Julia Stumbaugh). “I know Jimmy is a pass-first guy. I know he’s about getting his teammates the ball, and wants to see them shine. But it’s a point where, you’re getting [$60 million.] This ain’t working. You got to go. He won’t look at the basket. And I’ve seen this before. I’ve seen it in the Heat jersey.

Butler was solid during the NBA playoffs, but not the superstar the Warriors needed with point guard Steph Curry sidelined by an ill-timed Grade 1 hamstring strain.

Butler averaged 20.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists in Golden State’s six games against Minnesota, a minimal jump from his 17.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists during the 2024-25 NBA regular season.

To Wade’s point, Butler’s playoff passiveness didn’t correlate with the veteran forward’s pricy contract, nor the Curry-less Warriors’ offensive needs.

“Jimmy Butler’s too good of a basketball player to not have his imprint on the game,” Wade said. “And sorry, sir. When it’s time for you to take over, you just have to. And even when you can’t do it, from the standpoint of you ain’t making no shots, I don’t care. Shoot. It’s bad offense if you’re not shooting. Getting too close in that paint, and not putting that ball up to that basket, that’s bad offense.”

Wade has known Butler as “Playoff Jimmy” for the Heat. But, to Golden State’s dismay, Butler remained Robin when his new team desperately needed Batman.

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Cavaliers GM Koby Altman: 'I love our foundation. I love our core,' says title window 'wide open'

After a 64-win season behind a core four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the Cleveland Cavaliers were penciled in as a lock Eastern Conference Finals participant. After cruising in the first round past Miami, it looked like making the Finals was within reach.

Then Indiana — and injuries — came in with an eraser and wiped out those plans, leaving only questions behind.

Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman answered those questions saying the Cavaliers were going to run it back, speaking with the media Monday, via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

"We’re disappointed how it ended. But it was a remarkable year on so many fronts and you guys were all invested in this. We’re not going to go anywhere. We’re going to keep fighting for that championship and this window is wide open, we believe...

“I love our foundation. I love our core. Our starting lineup, the average age is 26.8. We have two All-Stars that are 25 (Garland) and 23 (Mobley), respectively, and they’re going through it, they’re going through these experiences, they’re going through these battles and we’re sustainable in a lot of ways, not just because guys are under contract, but our youth... Us figuring out our offensive identity happened this year and so I’m really high on and optimistic about our future. That being said, it can’t just be 82 games. We have to figure out this next 16, we have to figure out how to get over the hump."

There had been calls in some quarters for the Cavaliers to do something radical — try and trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo? Trade Jarrett Allen? — to improve their chances. Don't bet on anything drastic happening.

“If we were going to be reactionary, it would have been last year after everything that was written about that group, and all the rumors and all this and that and we stood pat and look what happened, right? I think the same thing now as you lean in even more to what we’re building, the culture that we have here, the internal growth, the youth, the sustainability of that. I think there’s a championship window that we have here that’s wide open and that’s one that we’re going to try to pursue next year and the year after and the year after and so forth. We’re not done by any stretch."

Considering the Jayson Tatum injury throwing the Celtics' ability to contend next season into serious doubt, and with Antetokounmpo possibly being traded out of the conference, this is the right play by Altman. Don’t break this thing up now, the East should be down next season. That doesn't mean there is an easy path past the Knicks, Pacers, and improving teams like Orlando and Detroit, but the Cavaliers were held back this year by injuries — especially Garland suffering turf toe — and the team could use a little more veteran grit. However, these Cavaliers should not be one-and-done.

Do expect Altman to make some changes. It's possible that after a strong season, the market for free agent Ty Jerome may be too rich for the Cavaliers, and they will be looking for veterans and win-now guys to help round out the roster.

However, expect the Cavaliers' core to be back for another run at a ring.

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Haliburton invites Pacers fan who had trash thrown at him in New York to Game 4

New York is a Knicks town, and that fan base has been starved for a winner for decades, getting fed mostly scraps in the James Dolan era. That has changed in the last couple of years, as the Jalen Brunson-led Knicks are winning — and New York went wild after the Knicks knocked off the Celtics to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since Shaq and Kobe started winning titles together.

That celebration turned on a fan, Hanz Perez, who wore Pacers gear in New York — the team the Knicks will face in the next round. It wasn't pretty.

Monday, Perez went on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" and talked about being a firefighter and a lifelong Pacers fan (complete with a Pacers tattoo on his arm). That's when Tyrese Haliburton joined the conversation and did what franchise icons do, stepping up and offering to fly Perez and a friend out to Indianapolis for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

"Everybody in our organization wants to make sure you're taken care of. All the team's excited to meet you. It's all we've been talking about," Haliburton said.

Well played by Haliburton and the Pacers.

Perez is in for what should be an intense, incredibly even game and series — this one is a genuine coin toss. In that case, the Pacers could use all the good karma they can get, and Haliburton got them some.

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Tyrese Haliburton invites Pacers fan who had trash thrown at him in New York to Game 4

New York is a Knicks town, and that fan base has been starved for a winner for decades, getting fed mostly scraps in the James Dolan era. That has changed in the last couple of years, as the Jalen Brunson-led Knicks are winning — and New York went wild after the Knicks knocked off the Celtics to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since Shaq and Kobe started winning titles together.

That celebration turned on a fan, Hanz Perez, who wore Pacers gear in New York — the team the Knicks will face in the next round. It wasn't pretty.

Monday, Perez went on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" and talked about being a firefighter and a lifelong Pacers fan (complete with a Pacers tattoo on his arm). That's when Tyrese Haliburton joined the conversation and did what franchise icons do, stepping up and offering to fly Perez and a friend out to Indianapolis for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

"Everybody in our organization wants to make sure you're taken care of. All the team's excited to meet you. It's all we've been talking about," Haliburton said.

Well played by Haliburton and the Pacers.

Perez is in for what should be an intense, incredibly even game and series — this one is a genuine coin toss. In that case, the Pacers could use all the good karma they can get, and Haliburton got them some.

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LA Clippers 2024-25 fantasy basketball season recap: Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell enjoy breakout seasons

While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.

In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.

The Clippers were finally healthy for a playoff run, but they weren’t able to get past the Nuggets in the first round. However, there’s no reason to think this team isn’t going to run things back again, though the clock certainly continues to tick.

Los Angeles Clippers 2024-25 Season Recap

Record: 50-32 (5th, West, lost first round)

Offensive Rating: 1146.7 (15th)

Defensive Rating: 109.4 (3rd)

Net Rating: 4.9 (5th)

Pace: 98.24 (22nd)

2024 Draft Picks: 30, 51

After Paul George left for Philadelphia in free agency, Norman Powell called it “addition by subtraction.” Well, the Clippers ended up winning one less game and finishing one spot lower in the standings, but they lost in seven games instead of six games in the first round. Improvement? Perhaps, but either way, it’s difficult to lose a player as talented as George (well, at least the player he was for them last season) and still be just as competitive, which made this season impressive. However, that doesn’t mean it was a successful year. When your team is built on stars that are 35 and 33 years old, it’s championship or bust.

That doesn’t mean that it was a waste of a season. Both Ivica Zubac and the aforementioned Powell had the best years of their careers, and Kawhi Leonard had a lot of success after he finally made his season debut. James Harden was excellent after a down 2023-24 season. Still, it wasn’t enough for them to make it out of the first round of the playoffs once again. This was their third straight first round exit, and they haven’t made it to the second round since the 2020-21 season.

Fantasy Standout: James Harden

Despite a poor postseason, Harden was awesome during the regular season. He struggled in his first year with the Clippers, but he averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.5 steals and three triples per game this season. The 4.3 turnovers per game and 41 percent shooting from the field were poor, but he was still able to provide top-20 value in nine-cat leagues.

The only narrative that will come out of this season is that the 35-year-old Harden couldn’t get it done in the playoffs once again. His lowest-scoring performance of their series against Denver came in Game 7; he had seven points on eight shots. However, that shouldn’t alter how he is viewed in fantasy basketball. He isn’t vying for the top spot in the rankings anymore, but he is still fantastic during the regular season. The turnovers and poor field goal percentage aren’t going anywhere, which makes it important to account for them in category leagues. Harden isn’t slowing down, and he played 79 games during the regular season this year. There were no signs that would indicate he isn’t ready to repeat his production from this season once again.

Fantasy Revelation: Ivica Zubac

For years, head coach Tyronn Lue simply refused to play Zubac like a typical starter. He had him splitting the center minutes with multiple different players, including Isaiah Hartenstein and Mason Plumlee. Even when there wasn’t another quality center, Lue opted to play smaller lineups that featured Nicolas Batum at center. However, that changed this season, and the results were fantastic. Zubac’s minutes jumped from 26.4 per game last year to 33.1 this season, and he averaged 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game, which resulted in him providing third-round value in nine-cat leagues.

The 28-year-old proved that it’s never too late to enjoy a breakout season. Zubac has long been a solid option, but at his Yahoo! ADP of 86.8, he was one of the steals of the draft and a true league-winner. Zubac was the runner-up for the Most Improved Player award and finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He’ll go significantly earlier in fantasy drafts next season and should be in for another strong year, assuming Lue doesn’t reduce his role or put him in another minutes split at center. With the way he played this year, that seems unlikely.

Fantasy Disappointment: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Since making his NBA debut during the 2017-18 season, Bogdanovic has been a strong producer in fantasy basketball, especially as a three-point threat. However, this was a down year for him, and he ended up being traded to LA after starting the year with the Hawks. Though he was slightly better with the Clippers than he was with Atlanta, he only averaged 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and two triples per game for LA. That ranked outside the top 150 after he was a top-75 player in nine-cat leagues the year before.

The 32-year-old was mostly ineffective during the playoffs as well, though he was able to knock some shots down during Games 5 and 7. Still, he didn’t miss any games with the Clippers after making his debut just before the All-Star break, but he was sidelined a lot early on when he was with the Hawks. Bogdanovic will hopefully enjoy a healthier season during the 2025-26 campaign, which will give him a chance to bounce back.

Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads 

Kawhi Leonard

Though he didn’t suit up until January, Leonard was productive during his time on the floor. In 37 appearances, he averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.1 triples in 31.9 minutes per game. He was eased in slowly after missing the start of the season due to the same knee issue that kept him from playing in the Olympics last summer and forced him to miss Games 4-6 against the Mavericks in the playoffs last year.

The injury concerns and questions aren’t going anywhere, but Leonard remains effective when he is on the floor. He’ll be 34 at the start of next season, and with his injury history, there have to be concerns about how much longer he’ll keep playing. Still, he was productive during the playoffs and after the All-Star break, he was able to provide first-round value in nine-cat leagues. Leonard will likely continue to slip in fantasy drafts because of the headache that he has caused for managers over the past half-decade. However, that just makes him an excellent value pick.

Norman Powell

Powell was certainly a candidate for “Fantasy Revelation” with his breakout performance this season. He averaged 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and three triples in 32.6 minutes per game, which led to arguably the best season of his career. Powell really took advantage of Kawhi’s absence early on and was in the conversation to make the All-Star Game. However, he only played one game in a month-long stretch from mid-February to mid-March and wasn’t able to produce at the same level over the final month of the regular season. Still, It was an impressive year for a 31-year-old, and he’ll continue to be an excellent source of offense for them, assuming he remains in a starting role like he did this season after being LA’s sixth man the last few years.

Kris Dunn

The former top-five pick has bounced around the league without finding a consistent place to call home. This was his first season with the Clippers, and he started 58 of his 74 games while averaging 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 steals and one three-pointer per game. Dunn’s steals were valuable, but he wasn’t able to do much else for fantasy managers. LA had him in the starting lineup for his defense, but he was able to provide some points and assists occasionally. Still, his role in fantasy basketball next season will be as a steal streamer once again.

Derrick Jones Jr.

Early in his career, Jones Jr. was known as a dunk specialist, but he has reinvented himself over the last two seasons. After an excellent year in Dallas, he earned a three-year deal with the Clippers. He started 55 of his 77 appearances, averaging 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, one steal and one triple per game. Jones Jr. was a solid defender in the rotation, but his limited offensive game prevents him from being dominant in fantasy basketball. He’ll continue to play heavy minutes, but he makes more of an impact on the court than he does in the box score.

Ben Simmons

After playing 90 games across two and a half seasons with the Nets, Simmons’ contract was bought out in February, and he signed with the Clippers for the rest of last season. In his 18 games, he averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 16.4 minutes per game. Simmons’ fall from grace has been well documented, and the once-dominant fantasy player doesn’t provide much optimism for the future. Sure, he’s still talented, but it’s going to take a lot more than that for him to be a reliable player.

Amir Coffey

Coffey has spent six years with the Clippers, and this was his best yet. Across his 72 appearances, he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 triples in 24.3 minutes per game. He has had some stretches as a starter where he has been effective, but he was out of the rotation for the final two weeks of the regular season and didn’t see the floor during the playoffs. He’ll continue to be a rotation piece for LA, but he won’t make much of an impact in fantasy basketball.

Nicolas Batum

While speaking with BeIN Sports, Batum said that the 2025-26 season will likely be his last year in the league. He has a player option, so he could finish out his career with the Clippers. However, he likely won’t see his role increase after averaging 4.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 threes in 17.5 minutes per game this year. Batum will be a solid veteran presence again next season, but he shouldn’t be considered in any fantasy format.

Kobe Brown

Since they took Jerome Robinson in the 2018 draft, Brown has been the lone first-round pick made by the Clippers that also suited up for them. However, his role decreased in his second year with the team. He averaged 1.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in just 6.8 minutes per game while suiting up 40 times. The 25-year-old is one of the few young pieces on this Clippers team, but it is unlikely they pivot to a youth movement next season. He’ll continue to try and develop from the bench.

Jordan Miller

The 2023 second-round pick saw his role increase in year two, but not by much. He played 11.4 minutes per game across 37 appearances and averaged 4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Miller played a larger role than Brown last season, but it was still insignificant. That is unlikely to change next season.

Restricted Free Agents: Jordan Miller, Trentyn Flowers

Unrestricted Free Agents: Amir Coffey, Patty Mills, Ben Simmons

Player Option: James Harden, Nicolas Batum