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Watch Draymond Green, LeBron James join Bad Bunny on stage at Puerto Rico show

Watch Draymond Green, LeBron James join Bad Bunny on stage at Puerto Rico show originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green and LeBron James are continuing to enjoy their offseason.

The two NBA stars were seen at Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny’s concert Friday night in San Juan. Both James and Green were on stage with Bad Bunny, along with several others.

The Grammy Award-winning artist opened his Puerto Rico residency Friday for his “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” album.

Several videos circulated of James and Green dancing and singing along, and the artist even brought James out to the crowd as the arena roared.

While there has been speculation about James’ future with the Los Angeles Lakers after the superstar exercised his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, with the Warriors reportedly among the teams considered another trade offer to acquire the four-time NBA MVP, it’s clear that James is living in the present this offseason. And he’s doing so with one of his best friends.

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NBA Summer League Day 2: Yang Hansen is fun — and Las Vegas loves him

LAS VEGAS —Two courts, eight games, there is a lot to see the first weekend of the 2025 NBA Summer League Las Vegas. Here are just some of the highlights we saw.

Yang Hansen is fun

That went better than expected.

It's just one Summer League game, and Yang Hansen still has a long way to go to prove he can hang in an NBA rotation — let alone live up to the starry-eyed expectations of some Trail Blazers fans — but his Summer League debut went as well as could be hoped.

What's undeniable is that Yang is fun to watch — and the late-night Las Vegas crowd loved him.

" In the game, the coach told me to go to high post and be a play-making player today," Yang said. "Be a hub for everyone. I just followed the coach's execution and did my job."

Yang finished the night with 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting, with five assists and four rebounds (and six fouls).

"I think he played how some of us expected him to play," Portland Summer League coach Ronnie Burrell said. "He showed a lot of facets to his game. We know he's very versatile and skilled, and I just like the fact that he was having fun. He was loose and relaxed. He played tough, and he made some amazing plays tonight."

Yang was the surprise No. 16 pick of the Trail Blazers, a guy projected to be drafted in the middle of the second round went in the middle of the first. The 7'1" big-bodied center from China was known as a high-level passer (that skill was on full display in Las Vegas), and he shot the ball better than expected at the NBA Draft Combine (which also continued to Friday night). However, there were questions about his athleticism, his defense (especially if pulled out on the perimeter), and his strength when battling for rebounds or needing to be physical inside.

One good Summer League game does not answer all those questions, but it was a good start.

And it was fun. —Kurt Helin

Reed Sheppard dominates at Summer League. Again.

Reed Sheppard didn't see the floor much during his rookie season on a competitive Rockets team. They traded away some of their depth to bring in Kevin Durant, which should open the door for him to take on a larger role.

He proved that he's ready to rise to the occasion.

In a loss to the Clippers, Sheppard finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals, three blocks and six three-pointers.

He scored 15 of his 28 in the third quarter, which included three straight threes to bring them from down 12 to only down three points entering the fourth quarter. However, he was held scoreless in the final frame.

Sheppard spent most of the game as the lead ball handler, and he did a good job facilitating to his teammates. He led the team in assists and set up numerous other clean looks that just didn't fall, which included some impressive one-handed skip passes with both his left and right hands.

He also spent some time on the floor with Kennedy Chandler, who has spent the last two seasons in the G League after appearing in 36 games for the Grizzlies as a rookie during the 2022-23 season. Chandler finished with 22 points and three assists, and Sheppard credited him as someone who can "bring the ball up the floor, go get a bucket on his own and put you on the spot to get an open three."

Sheppard said the focus for him this offseason has been "trying to get in the weight room, get a little stronger. Work on defense, being more physical, offensively and defensively."

The work was evident in this game. He totaled seven defensive stats and was also active defensively in other ways that didn't end up in the box score. Houston boasted the fifth-best defensive rating in the league last season, and it seems that inserting Sheppard into the rotation in a larger capacity isn't going to drag that number down. —Noah Rubin

Other news and notes

• Hornets may have something in McNeeley; Knueppel struggles. The latest addition to the "don't read anything into a Summer League debut" file is Charlotte's Kon Knueppel. Friday was not his day: 1-of-8 shooting, 0-of-5 from 3, four assists but three turnovers, and some rough defensive rotations. What matters with rookies at Summer League is that there is growth, we'll see how he looks next time he steps on the court.

Hornets fans, ignore Knueppel and focus on UConn's Liam McNeeley.

" It seemed like he was everywhere the entire day," Hornets Summer League coach Chris Jent said of McNeeley. "Just what stood out about how he competed today. I think his competitive nature and also his conditioning. I thought of all the guys out there, he was able to kind of sustain it. So that's really impressive for a young player. Probably hasn't played much basketball through the draft process at all, but he's able to maintain that same pace throughout the game." —Helin

• Kobe Bufkin's good day. Kobe Bufkin is entering his third season with the Hawks after they made him the 15th overall pick in 2023. He spent most of his rookie year in the G League and suffered a season-ending shoulder injury early during the 2024-25 season, so he has only appeared in 27 NBA games so far.

He scored a game-high 29 points against the Heat, with 17 of those coming in the fourth quarter to help the Hawks secure the victory.

Atlanta added Nickeil Alexander-Walker on a four-year contract, so there isn't a guarantee that Bufkin will be in the rotation if everyone is healthy. However, if he's dominating the Summer League like a player entering his third season should, he'll be in contention for the backup point guard role behind Trae Young. —Rubin

• Matas Buzelis windmill slam. Without Collin Murray-Boyles, who was sidelined with a left adductor strain, the Raptors still had no issues dominating the Bulls. A.J. Lawson (22 points), Alijah Martin (16 points) and Jonathan Mogbo (15 points) led the scoring charge for Toronto, while Jamal Shead facilitated well and was a menace defensively, which shouldn't come as a surprise whatsoever.

Matas Buzelis shot 4-of-14 from the floor. Toronto's defensive intensity certainly altered some of his shots, though there are certain shots that defenses just can't do much about.

That intensity also bothered rookie Noa Essengue, who finished with five points and seven turnovers. His debut for the team that drafted him with the 12th overall pick last month wasn't everything they hoped and dreamed it would be, but the 18-year-old has plenty of time to figure things out. —Rubin

• Bucket of the day. As great as the Buzelis dunk is, the bucket of the day goes to Tre Johnson — the former Texas star is entertaining because he has yet to meet a shot he doesn't like, you can't take your eyes off him. He's going to score a lot of points as a rookie, and he's going to take a couple of years off Wizards' coach Brian Keefe's life. —Helin

• It was a good day to be Kasparas Jakucionis. Summer League should be about growth. Miami Heat's Kasparov Jakucionis struggled through games in the California Classic Summer League. But Friday in Vegas the No. 20 pick showed why some scouts had him as a late lottery selection, scoring 19 in the first half on his way to 24 points and four assists.—Helin

• Utah Jazz bright spots. It's shaping up to be another season for Jazz fans. We're going to try to find them bright spots wherever we can.

First. Kyle Filipowski is a quality offensive center who just knows how to get buckets. Summer League is about growth and Filipowski showed a lot of it.

Also, guard Isaiah Collier was very physical on his drives, used that to create space, and finished with 16 points and 9 assists. Whatever is getting built in Utah over the next few years, he can be part of it. —Helin

• Khaman Maluach is going to be good... eventually. Two things became clear about the Duke center and the Suns' No. 10 pick Khaman Maluach. First, he's going to be a quality NBA center, he showed flashes on both ends of the court of his potential. Second, he's a couple of years away from being that guy. He's a project. (Is that how the Suns see him?) —Helin

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Mike Dunleavy discusses Warriors' quiet NBA offseason, stumble in Las Vegas

Mike Dunleavy discusses Warriors' quiet NBA offseason, stumble in Las Vegas originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Sin City had its way with the Warriors to open their slate of Las Vegas NBA Summer League games this year. 

The Warriors dropped their final two games of the California Classic at Chase Center, and then were blown out by 33 points, 106-73, Friday night against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Thomas & Mack Center. From the start, the Warriors’ play made it obvious what kind of night they were in for. An ugly one, to keep it tame. 

Offense rarely arrived for the Warriors. They trailed 9-0 after the first minute and a half before Will Richard made a 19-foot jump shot the next possession. The Warriors went nearly three minutes without scoring, making two free throws, and were stuck at four points until there were two minutes left in the first quarter. 

That slow of a start, where the Warriors went 4 of 21 from the field and had seven turnovers, put them in a 34-13 deficit. A strong second quarter, where the Warriors outscored the Blazers 27-19, cut the lead to 13 points, but Golden State could only muster 12 points in the third quarter as Portland put up a 20-point advantage in the second half. 

It was another tough game for Alex Toohey, too. The Warriors’ top draft pick at No. 52 overall was a minus-47 in 23 minutes. Toohey scored seven points, all in the last three minutes, on 2-of-9 shooting with three rebounds, one assist and four steals. 

He’s now a minus-81 in his first two games, over 47 minutes.

Fellow rookie Richard had another strong overall performance. Richard also played 23 minutes but had 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, adding four rebounds, three assists, three steals and no turnovers. 

“When you go into the second round, we’ve identified players that we feel like can fit in and not only make the NBA but play within our system,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said to ESPN’s Katie George during halftime. “I think those are two guys that can play both ways. We like the way they think the game. We like the way they defend. Will can make shots, we think Alex will be able to make shots. Mostly just two guys that are winners, competitors. 

“Will won a national championship at Florida. Alex has competed with professionals in the Australian league. We like those guys. We’re lucky to get them in the fifties. We think they’ll be a big part of our future.” 

Dunleavy had one pick at No. 41 going into the draft, and then made two trades to add two players. The Phoenix Suns then landed sharpshooter Koby Brea out of Kentucky with the Warriors’ original pick. 

Brea earlier in the day scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting and was 4 of 5 on threes in the Suns’ 19-point win. But that’s beside the point. 

Throughout Dunleavy’s halftime interview, he was asked six questions. None of his answers broke news. They just were more compelling than anything Toohey, Richard, Jackson Rowe, Taran Armstrong and the rest of the Warriors were doing. Such as when George asked Dunleavy about the Warriors’ quiet offseason. 

“So far, so far,” Dunleavy said. “We’ve got a ways to go here. I consider the offseason kind of from the time the season ends all the way to training camp, so we’ll give ourselves that buffer to add to our roster. … We’ve got the whole summer to do it.” 

Free agency began essentially two weeks ago. Only one team is yet to make a single move: The Warriors.

What kind of players do the Warriors need to add? Dunleavy addressed a specific trait for a frontcourt player, and one for a backcourt player.

“I think we learned a lot about the team this past year, especially since we’ve added Jimmy [Butler],” he said. “We feel like we have a group going forward that’s going to be pretty good. What do we need to add? I think from that standpoint, we want to look to the frontcourt to add some shooting, in the backcourt some defense. 

“Offensively, guys that can shoot, pass and dribble. There’s tons of needs, but I think we’ve zeroed in on some areas that we can address. As the summer unfolds, we’ll continue to try and do that.” 

He then explained how the Warriors were given a boost on the court from Butler’s arrival, as well as spiritually. Having him in the locker room brings a new sense of confidence alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green. 

But that trio wasn’t the same whenever Jonathan Kuminga tried to join the party. Coach Steve Kerr quickly decided it’s better to keep Kuminga on the waiting list than mess up any chemistry. Now, the Warriors are held up by his restricted free agency after one of the more perplexing seasons for one of their players in years. 

“It was a tricky situation,” Dunleavy admitted. “When Jimmy arrived, Jonathan was out. He had a sprained ankle and missed a bunch of time. So as everyone was getting acclimated with Jimmy, JK wasn’t in the lineup. He had to come back and we had this great run and he had to sort of figure it out. 

“I think it was a little challenging for him and the team, but when Steph went down, he stepped up. That was admirable from JK’s standpoint, and that’s a big reason why we want to bring him back.”

Don’t look too far into those last few words. Dunleavy isn’t making a plea to Kuminga and his camp. He’s keeping it professional, using his words as any kind of proof of interest to other teams. 

There also is the real possibility Kuminga’s ultimate fate is returning to the Warriors … and then is back to being in trade talks come December.

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

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 11: Kobe Brown #21 of the LA Clippers shoots a three point.
Clippers forward Kobe Brown shoots a three-pointer during a 95-92 NBA Summer League win over the Houston Rockets in Las Vegas on Friday night. (Logan Riely / NBAE via Getty Images)

The Clippers' NBA Summer League contest Friday against the Houston Rockets offered a chance for Kobe Brown to show he's capable of being a rotational player for the Clippers this season.

But misfortune struck in the third quarter when Brown got tangled with a Rockets defender who fell on his right ankle. Brown sat on the Clippers’ bench for a few minutes before he limped to their locker room.

Brown didn't return in the Clippers' 95-92 win at Cox Pavilion on Friday night after sustaining what the team described as a right ankle contusion.

Brown is entering his third season with the Clippers and the team is eager for the 2023 30th overall draft pick to make an impact. He’ll make $2.65 million this season and will have a qualifying offer for next season at $4.7 million.

Read more:Clippers set roster for Summer League in Las Vegas

“He’s just got to continue to do what he did tonight,” said Clippers assistant coach Jerry Castleberry, the team’s Summer League coach. “Play great defense. Make the right reads. We’ve been talking about it all training camp. Get in the paint, draw two, make the right reads and if they put a small on him, he showed his ability to be able to score against a mismatch tonight and doing it the right way — quickly, getting downhill, not dancing, just getting straight to the point.

Brown scored 10 points in the first quarter, going four for five from the field, making both of his three-point attempts. On one of those threes, he ran the length of the court and took a pass for a lob dunk.

Brown finished with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes.

“Ankle is good,” Castleberry said. “Ankle is fine. Just precautionary. He’ll be OK.”

The Clippers waived Jordan Miller before summer league started, but they still had a roster spot so he was added to the team.

He did not disappoint Friday, producing 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Miller has been given an opportunity to show the Clippers — and any other team — how the Summer League is useful for him.

“With this team it takes a lot of humility. Not thinking less of yourself but also thinking less of yourself,” Miller said. “Just finding a way to maximize whatever role it is. It’s not just for me, but it’s for all the guys. We got guys that can score. The only way we’re going to get on the floor is defending and making open threes. That’s just the reality of it. ... But for the most part, just working game reps. Like, you’re not going to get a lot of ball-screens. You’re not going to get a lot of touches. So you just got to work on your off-ball shooting, movement shooting and being able to not mess up defensively.”

It was on defense where Clippers rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser was at his best.

Niederhauser blocked four shots and had 10 rebounds. He used his seven-foot frame as a deterrent and displayed why the Clippers drafted him out of Penn State.

“He did everything he was supposed to do,” Castleberry said. “He was great with rim-protection, changing shots and I just thought he was good.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Pacome Dadiet leads the way, but Knicks blown out by Pistons in Summer League opener

The Knicks got shellacked in their 2025 Las Vegas Summer League debut, falling 104-86 to the Detroit Pistons.

It was a forgettable offensive performance from the franchise’s prospects that left little to write home about. 

Here are some takeaways...

- New York's 2024 first-round pick Pacome Dadiet led the way with 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting, making hay attacking closeouts and leaking out in transition. Marjon Beauchamp scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting from two and 0-for-4 shooting from three. Kevin McCullar Jr. finished with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists on 5-of-14 shooting, while getting a large portion of the backcourt creation reps. 

- Tyler Kolek had 10 points, six rebounds, eight assists and five turnovers on 4-of-11 shooting from the field. New York went pretty deep into their bench, with 2025 second-round pick Mohamed Diawara highlighted, playing 17 minutes and finishing with seven points and seven rebounds.

- Ron Holland II led Detroit with 28 points and 11 rebounds -- he wreaked havoc defensively early and turned it up from deep later in the contest. Daniss Jenkins added 18 points on three threes while Tolu Smith finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

- The Pistons got off to a quick 16-4 start, making five of their first six field goals thanks to some sloppy Knicks turnovers. Holland made an early impact with seven points and two steals in the opening period.

McCullar Jr. made some nice plays to get the offense going after earlier miscues, long tossing off a steal to get Kolek an easy lay-up and driving hard for a reverse layup. The highlight of the quarter for New York was Diawara’s bullet to Luka Scuka inside for a bucket, though they ultimately trailed 21-15 going into the second. 

- Detroit opened the period on another run to go back up double digits behind another stalled Knicks offense. Dadiet got into the action with a three and emphatic revenge block early in the quarter.

Former Knick draft pick Trevor Keels hit a three to help the Pistons to a 6-of-14 three-point shooting half compared to a meek 1-of-9 outing from the Knicks. The team had 12 turnovers and shot 35.1 percent from the field in the opening half en route to a 46-32 halftime deficit.

- The Knicks found their groove to open the second half, going on a 9-3 run out of the gates behind a Dadiet walk-in middie and driving dunk in transition. Detroit quickly responded at the hands of Holland, showing off his newly restructured jumper with a couple threes including a tough one off the dribble in the corner.

New York missed another eight consecutive threes and fell behind by as much as 21, ultimately going into the final frame down 74-56 thanks to a full-court buzzer beating heave from Diawara. 

- The fourth quarter was more of the same as the Pistons built on their lead behind threes and stifling defense. Dadiet was able to sneak a few more transition buckets in before New York was eventually put away. 

What's next

The Knicks return to action on Sunday as they face-off with the Celtics' Summer League squad at 5:30 p.m.

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Kasparas Jakučionis bounces back to drop 24 points in Vegas debut

LAS VEGAS- The first three Summer League games for Kasparas Jakučionis came in the California Classic, and it couldn’t have gone much worse for him. He finished with a total of 12 points and 12 turnovers while shooting 1-of-15 from the floor during his three appearances in San Francisco.

That poor play didn’t carry over to Vegas.

He scored 14 points in the first quarter alone and had 19 at halftime, which included four three-pointers. He scored in a variety of ways, including some strong finishes at the basket, catch-and-shoot threes and a pair of triples off the dribble.

"I think I was a little bit more aggressive on the offensive end,” Jakučionis said. “You know, it's a process and it's usually a long process. And it takes some time just getting to know everybody, getting to know yourself during these games. And just try to learn and try to do the best I can."

Jakučionis, who was projected to be a lottery pick ahead of the draft, fell to the Heat with the 20th overall selection last month. Miami hasn’t made many moves this offseason, but they did trade for Norman Powell, which means that Jakučionis will likely join Davion Mitchell in filling out the backcourt minutes off the bench during his rookie season.

Jakučionis’ hot start didn’t stretch into the second half, but he did hit a late corner three that brought Miami within three points. He also set up multiple clean looks from deep for his teammates late in the game that would’ve given them a chance to win. They ended up losing 105-98 to the Hawks, and he finished with 24 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and five three-pointers. While Jakučionis was much improved, he acknowledged that there is still plenty of room for him to grow.

"Basketball is a lot more than just shooting,” Jakučionis said. “It felt good, yeah, but you know, eventually we still lost, I didn't do a great job on the other side, like, rebounding, getting on transition defense. So, yeah, but, definitely feels better with a good shot."

Summer League isn’t a reliable indicator of how successful a player will be in the NBA, but it was encouraging to see Jakučionis respond to a poor three-game stretch with a big-time performance on Friday. Seeing improvement over the course of Summer League is a great sign for a young player, and Jakučionis said that he will “watch more and more film” to help him adjust to the pace of play in the NBA.

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Pacers re-sign backup center Isaiah Jackson to three-year, $21 million contract

With a center rotation of Tony Bradley and Jay Huff, the Indiana Pacers were looking for some depth headed into the season.

Enter Isaiah Jackson. The Pacers are re-signing the center, the team announced Friday.

This is a three-year, $21 million contract, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

Jackson looked like a solid reserve NBA center for a couple of years in Indiana, averaging 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in the 2022-23 season. However, he played in just five games last season before tearing his Achilles (he did not take the court in the postseason during the Pacers' playoff run).

Locking up Jackson for three years is a sign of confidence in what Jackson can contribute to the Pacers in the coming years.

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Celtics' surprise Summer League addition impresses in debut

Celtics' surprise Summer League addition impresses in debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Former San Antonio Spurs big man Charles Bassey gave the Boston Celtics’ Summer League squad an unexpected boost in Friday’s opener.

Bassey joined the Celtics’ Summer League roster just before Friday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The 6-foot-10 center immediately made his presence felt, notching two blocks within his first four minutes of action. He finished with 14 points (7-9 FG), 11 rebounds, and two blocks in 18 minutes.

“It was just clear that guy can make an impact in the game, and you saw that throughout the course of the game today. I think he was huge for us,” Celtics Summer League coach Matt Reynolds said of Bassey after Boston’s 92-78 win, per CLNS Media.

That’s the kind of production the Celtics’ thin frontcourt needs after parting ways with Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and likely Al Horford. However, Bassey remains an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team.

Bassey’s performance in Friday’s game undoubtedly gave C’s president of basketball operations Brad Stevens something to think about. As of Friday, Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, and rookie second-rounder Amari Williams are the only centers on the NBA roster.

Last season with the Spurs, Bassey averaged 4.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 10.4 minutes over 36 games. The Western Kentucky product would be a solid reserve big man, and with the roster as currently constructed, he could compete for the starting center role.

Bassey co-starred in Friday’s Summer League opener alongside rookie first-rounder Hugo Gonzalez. The 19-year-old tallied 12 points, five assists, four rebounds, and two blocks in his first taste of NBA action.

The Celtics’ Summer League slate continues Sunday against the New York Knicks with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m. ET in Las Vegas.

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New Orleans, Herb Jones reportedly agree to three-year, $68 million contract extension

Whatever new GM Joe Dumars and the Pelicans are building with their roster in New Orleans — and that is a legitimate question and discussion for another day — Herb Jones would fit in as part of it.

Which is why the Pelicans and Jones agreed to a three-year, $68 million extension on Thursday with a player option in the final year, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. These three seasons will be tacked on to the end of the two existing years on Jones' contract, keeping him with the team for a total of five seasons (at a total of $96.4 million).

Jones is an elite wing defender — 2023-24 All Defense — who averaged 10.3 points per game last season and boasts a career 3-point shooting percentage of 36.6%. He is a high-level 3&D player. He and Trey Jones III are the core of the wings on the Pelicans, and part of the franchise's core with Zion Williamson.

Because he is a coveted wing defender, multiple teams have called in recent years and kicked the tires on a Jones trade, but New Orleans has shot them down. However, should Dumars and the Pelicans decide to pivot, Jones is still on a very affordable and very tradeable contract with this extension.

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ESPN analyst Jay Bilas offers scouting report on Warriors' four new NBA rookies

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas offers scouting report on Warriors' four new NBA rookies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Programming note: The American Century Championship will air Friday, July 11, from 1-3 p.m. PT on Peacock, and again from 5-7 p.m. PT on GOLF Channel. Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13, the tournament will air locally on NBC Bay Area (KNTV) from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT.

STATELINE, Nev. – ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas arrives on the shores of Lake Tahoe every summer to participate in the American Century Celebrity golf championship, enjoy the revelry and talk Warriors hoops with NBC Sports Bay Area.

An analyst for 30 years, Bilas’ broad knowledge of the game, particularly at the college level, allows him to offer objective opinions about Golden State’s latest draft picks and NBA Summer League invites.

The Warriors acquired two 2025 NBA Draft picks, both in the second round, last month. Forward Alex Toohey, from Australia’s National Basketball League, was selected 52nd overall. Guard Will Richard, from the national champion Florida Gators, was the 56th overall pick. They signed two undrafted players to Exhibit 10 contracts: L.J. Cryer, a guard from national-champion runner up Houston; and Chance McMillian, a guard from Texas Tech.

Exhibit 10 is a one-year, non-guaranteed contract for the NBA minimum that gives a team the option to transfer a player to a two-way contract before the regular season.

Here in alphabetical order is the latest version of the unofficial Bilas scouting report:

L.J. Cryer (6-foot-1, 200 pounds, 23 years old)

“He won a championship at Baylor and then he transferred to Houston, and one of the reasons was he wanted to be a better defender and realized that was an area where he could really improve and thought that Kelvin Sampson could really help him there. And I think he did. L.J. can really shoot, and he can get his own. The only, I guess criticism, is he’s not a big guard. He’s small. He’s not really a point guard, but he doesn’t really have to be. But he can put buckets up.  L.J. moves really well and he could move without the ball, but he can also score with the ball in his hands and create his own.”

Chance McMillian (6-foot-3, 190, 23)

“If he can get a roster spot, he might be spending time with the G League. Solid. He’s just a solid player that has some developing to do. There are so many guys now that go undrafted and if you give them some time in the G League, and give them some time in the NBA, and they could blossom into important pieces for a championship-level team.”

Will Richard (6-foot 4, 206, 22)

“He started his career at Belmont and then transferred to Florida, and he’s a guy that I think perfectly fits the Warriors’ culture because he can shoot it. But he’s also a very good defender, and a willing defender. He’s a team guy and he can operate without the ball, so he’s a really good catch-and-shoot guy. He can put it on the deck, but he’s an older experienced player that I think fits the Warriors’ culture because it’s not all about him. He has won a championship. He knows what that is about. I think he’s got a chance to be a solid NBA player.

“He gets he gets a fair amount of steals [mostly] off the ball. But he’s an impactful defender, and he’s a good help defender. He’s aware, and you could switch with him; he’s not going to be guarding a 4-man. I think he’ll fit in really well there.”

Alex Toohey (6-foot-8, 223, 21)

“Very talented, and he’s really young. He’s an upside pick, but really, really talented. Good size, good body. And especially at that age, you never know with guys that are 18-19 years old how they’re going to do. But at that age, there aren’t many there are many that are better than he is that are coming from Australia.”

Toohey turned 21 in May. After spending three years in the NBA Academy, the league’s global development league, he opted for the Sydney Kings of the NBL’s Next Stars program, where he spent two seasons before being selected in the NBA draft.

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When NBA Stars Fall, Teams Get Help Paying Their Mega-Salaries

Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard confirmed this week that star point guard Tyrese Haliburton will miss the entire 2025-26 season after he tore his Achilles tendon during the NBA Finals.

It’s a devastating on-court blow for the Eastern Conference champs, who must also adjust to the departure of free agent center Myles Turner. One consolation: Insurance will cover up to $18.2 million of Haliburton’s $45.6 million guaranteed salary for 2025-26.

The NBA oversees a temporary total disability (TTD) insurance program for the benefit of individual teams. Each club insures a minimum of four of its highest-paid players, as defined by either the current season salary or total remaining salary. Teams have the option to insure additional players.

The policy pays out after players miss 41 consecutive regular-season games, which can span two seasons. The benefit is either 50% or 80% of the player’s salary, depending on the “tier” of coverage selected by the team—the higher tier requires a higher annual premium. Last season, the max payout was roughly $492,000 per game. The $18.2 million potential benefit for the Pacers for Haliburton is based on the higher tier, which pays 80%. Teams are responsible for the balance of the salary.

Prior versions of the NBA’s TTD program covered five players on each club, and the maximum payout was $175,000 per game, and then raised to $275,000 per game as salaries climbed.

All-NBA star Jayson Tatum is also likely to be sidelined for most, if not all, of the season after he tore his Achilles tendon during the Boston Celtics’ loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals—his $54.1 million salary for 2025-26 ranks tied for fourth in the NBA. The Celtics will collect just over $20 million based on maximum coverage.

Other high-priced stars likely to miss a chunk of next season recovering from injuries include Kyrie Irving ($36.6 million salary) and Dejounte Murray ($26.8 million salary). Irving missed the Mavericks’ last 20 games of the 2024-25 season after tearing his ACL, while Murray was sidelined for the New Orleans Pelicans’ final 33 games after rupturing his Achilles in January.

Damian Lillard, who suffered his own Achilles injury during the 2025 playoffs, was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks, who “stretched” the remaining $112.6 million left on his contract over five years. It is unclear whether insurance will cover any of his deal. A representative for the Bucks declined to comment on the matter.

The league has a separate program for injured players for salary cap purposes. The disabled player exception (DPE) allows a team to sign one replacement player after someone suffers a season-ending injury or illness. The salary is capped at the lesser of 50% of the injured player’s salary or the non-tax mid-level exemption, which is $14.1 million for the 2025-26 season. They can also acquire a player in a trade under the same salary rules, plus $100,000.

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The Jays' original nickname: How ‘7-11' was born at Celtics Summer League

The Jays' original nickname: How ‘7-11' was born at Celtics Summer League originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics begin their 2025 NBA Summer League schedule Friday afternoon with a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Summer League is where many of the sport’s best players get their first taste of pro basketball, and that’s true of the Celtics’ two best players: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The 2017 Summer League was a memorable one for the Celtics. Brown was coming off an impressive rookie campaign, and Boston had just selected Tatum with the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Tatum and Brown teamed up together at Summer League in Utah and put on a show, combining for 50 points to help the Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers and No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz.

Boston trailed by as many as 15 points late in the third quarter, but the C’s battled back as Tatum scored eight of his team’s final 10 points, including the go-ahead jumper with less than 10 seconds remaining. Brown then blocked Fultz’s last-second layup to secure the victory.

It was a preview of what was to come in Boston.

“He talks to me all the time,” Tatum said of Brown after that Summer League win in 2017. “He tells me to keep going, and we feed off each other.”

Tatum and Brown weren’t being called “The Jays” at that time, however. They were nicknamed “7-11,” in reference to Brown wearing No. 7 and Tatum wearing No. 11.

You might remember that Avery Bradley was still with the Celtics when Tatum was drafted, and he wore No. 0. Tatum, as a result, originally picked No. 11, and that’s what he wore in Summer League.

But after the Celtics signed Gordon Hayward in free agency in July of 2017, they had to trade Bradley for salary purposes. That move opened up No. 0, which Tatum took and still wears to this day. No. 11 was eventually taken by Kyrie Irving, who Boston acquired later that summer.

Irving and Hayward were expected to help lead the Celtics to Banner 18, but they were unable to deliver on that expectation. Instead, it was Brown and Tatum who ended the Celtics’ title drought with a 2024 NBA Finals triumph over the Dallas Mavericks.

Tatum and Brown have become Celtics legends, and it all started at Summer League.

For more on Tatum and Brown’s first Summer League game together, check out the video player above or watch on YouTube below.

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Why Warriors rookie Will Richard ‘perfectly' fits team culture, per Jay Bilas

Why Warriors rookie Will Richard ‘perfectly' fits team culture, per Jay Bilas originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

  • Programming note: The American Century Championship will air Friday, July 11, from 1-3 p.m. PT on Peacock, and again from 5-7 p.m. PT on GOLF Channel. Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13, the tournament will air locally on NBC Bay Area (KNTV) from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT.

The Warriors’ culture has proven to be a real thing, and it appears one of their newest additions will fit right in.

At least according to ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, who spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole at the American Century Championship in South Lake Tahoe and gave a promising scouting report on Golden State’s second-round draft pick Will Richard.

“He’s a guy that perfectly fits the Warriors’ culture,” Bilas told Poole. “One, he can shoot it. But he’s also a very good defender and a willing defender. He’s a team guy. He can operate without the ball. So he’s a really good catch-and-shoot guy. He can put it on the deck, but he’s an older, experienced player that I think fits the Warriors’ culture because it’s not all about him.

“He’s won a championship, he knows what that’s about. And I think he’s got a chance to be a solid NBA player.”

That certainly is reassuring for the Warriors, who traded up to select the former Florida guard No. 56 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Richard averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for the 2025 National Champions, playing a key role in the Gators’ success. The 22-year-old was exceptional in Florida’s National Championship win over Houston, logging a game-high 18 points while shooting 4 of 7 from 3-point range.

“We see him as a two-way player, shoot it and defend it,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said of Richard. “He’s a pretty good on-ball defender, very good off-ball defender, and he’s got good length. And he’s coming from a really good program and system where (he was) well-coached, well-taught through many years in college.

“This is a guy that knows how to play.”

And in his first game as a Warrior during the team’s California Classic finale, Richard showed exactly why Golden State coveted him.

Now, the Warriors — and Richard — hope it carries over into the 2025-26 season.

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Warriors reportedly among teams that considered another LeBron James trade offer

Warriors reportedly among teams that considered another LeBron James trade offer originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After the initial shockwave that hit the NBA after Luka Dončić was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, the biggest picture became more and more clear. What does that mean for LeBron James’ future in LA?

It was a question that crossed several NBA executives’ minds, including the Warriors.

Golden State was among the handful of teams that considered whether to make an offer for the four-time NBA MVP, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst reported, citing sources.

The Warriors tried to acquire James during the 2023-24 season’s trade deadline in February, and it appears that interest never wavered.

James’ future in the City of Angels became even more blurry after he exercised his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, his agency told ESPN, adding that James wants to compete for a championship next season and closely will be monitoring the Lakers’ moves this summer.

“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career,” Paul said in a statement to ESPN’s Shams Charania on June 30.

“He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”

The Warriors also made calls about James before this year’s trade deadline, Charania reported back in February of Golden State’s aggressive pursuit of another star player, which also included players such as Kevin Durant and Paul George.

They also inquired about Jimmy Butler, whom they wound up trading for on Feb. 6.

Golden State’s interest in teaming up Steph Curry and James in the NBA is well documented. But will it forever remain a fever dream for fans? Only time will tell.

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