The courtside seats in Cleveland will soon have a blank space.
The chair Taylor Swift sat in during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks has been listed for auction.
According to the listing on The Realist, the opening bid was $100 and, after 38 bids as of Sunday, was listed at $6,000. The auction is set to end June 14, per the listing.
“As one of the most recognized and influential artists of her generation, the occupant of this chair has earned worldwide acclaim through a career defined by commercial success, critical recognition, and multiple Grammy Award victories,” the bidding description reads. “Her attendance reflects the cultural reach of the NBA Playoffs and the significance of the Eastern Conference Finals as one of the most visible events in sports.”
These courtside chairs were used during the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena by some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment, music, and film as they watched one of the most talked-about playoff series of the year unfold. pic.twitter.com/MH1oSiXcKz
Swift attended the game on May 23 at Rocket Arena with her fiancée, Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs star and an Ohio native. The chair Kelce sat in is also up for auction at, as of Sunday, $525 after 30 bids.
But it was a cruel summer for the Cavaliers, who lost the game the couple attended 121-108 en route to getting swept in the series – meaning those courtside seats won’t be needed any time soon.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kielce attend the game between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers during Game 3 of the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals on May 23, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images)
The chair features a Cavaliers logo, arm rests and a cup holder. The listing says an authenticator was on site to witness Swift’s use of the chair during the game, and the item features a Gold OVD.
“This chair serves as a tangible artifact from a nationally celebrated postseason event,” the listing reads.” “Its connection to one of the world’s most recognizable entertainers adds a distinctive layer of provenance to an item tied directly to the atmosphere and excitement of the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals, further reflecting the Cavaliers’ position at the intersection of sports and pop culture.”
Other seats used by celebrities in the series are also being auctioned. The chair that actor and Knicks fan Ben Stiller sat in during the Knicks’ Game 4 series clincher is listed, as of Sunday, at $385 after 17 bids. Timothée Chalamet’s seat for that game is listed for $106 after 16 bids — and bidders can make it a set by also adding the chair used by Chalamet’s girlfriend Kylie Jenner, which is up to $280 after 21 bids.
“Throughout the 2026 postseason, Chalamet emerged as one of the most visible celebrity supporters of New York basketball,” the listing reads. “Whether attending games at Madison Square Garden or traveling to road playoff matchups, his presence became closely associated with the team’s deepest playoff run in nearly three decades. Television broadcasts, social media coverage, and national headlines regularly featured Chalamet among the faces of a fan base experiencing a long-awaited return to championship contention.”
The Knicks return to Madison Square Garden on Monday for the team’s first NBA Finals home game in 27 years. Holding a 2-0 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs, the team is two wins away from its first championship since 1973. Tickets to the games are at record highs, with the lowest asking prices on the secondary market at five figures.
Celebrity row at the Garden will be full of A-listers. Regulars like Spike Lee, Stiller, Chalamet, Jenner and Tracy Morgan are expected to attend. President Donald Trump will be in the building. Maybe Swift, a New York resident, will even show up.
Jerry Stackhouse won’t be returning as a Warriors assistant for the 2026-27 NBA season, but he gained some valuable knowledge while coaching under Steve Kerr for the last two years.
On a recent episode of FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back,” Stackhouse shared a key lesson from Kerr that he will take into the rest of his coaching career, specifically referencing when Golden State was without injured stars Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler this past season.
“With Steve, it was all about, you know, he wants those guys’ joy. His messaging was always on point,” Stackhouse explained. “I think with guys, from the standpoint of when we lost Steph and we were down, I think he still found a way to find positives in what was happening and using it as growth moments and growth opportunities. And I think for us, we saw our younger guys get better, probably guys that we weren’t counting on going into the season.
“And then when Jimmy went down and when Steph went down, then it was like, okay, this is this an opportunity for you guys to step up. I thought Gui Santos took a really big step for, like I said, a guy that wasn’t even really penciled in, but once he got his opportunity — I think he’s going to provide a lot of depth for the Warriors this year because of that. …
“I saw how how Steve, you know, he wants conversation. He wants to make sure that you understand — even the coaching staff — just constantly confirming with everybody to make sure that you know where you stand and and you know what we’re trying to get accomplished.”
The short-handed Warriors, missing their two best players for an extended stretch, limped through the back end of the regular season before their eventual loss in the NBA play-in tournament.
But as Stackhouse mentioned, there were still some positives that came out of that difficult period — specifically Santos’ emergence as a solid rotation piece. After the 2026 NBA All-Star break, the 23-year-old averaged 15.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 31.3 minutes across 24 games (including 21 starts).
That experience could be invaluable for someone like Santos once the Warriors — hopefully — get healthy next season, as the team attempts to make one last deep playoff run.
And if Santos contributes significantly, like Stackhouse believes, Kerr certainly would deserve credit for helping develop the former No. 55 overall pick.
Mitchell Robinson no longer has a technical foul from Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals on his ledger.
The NBA on Saturday rescinded the tech given to the Knicks center during the second quarter of their 105-104 win over the Spurs in San Antonio on Friday after the league reviewed the play.
Robinson and 7-foot-4 Spurs star Victor Wembanyama were fighting for position when Wembanyama pushed Robinson, who pushed him back, though the contact didn’t seem egregious.
Mitchell Robinson was given a technical foul for this interaction with Victor Wembanyama. pic.twitter.com/otGZRBddmb
Yet Robinson was called for a tech with 4:56 left in the first half and then was subbed out of the game for Karl-Anthony Towns.
It could have impacted the game as Wembanyama made the technical free throw the Spurs were awarded, but the Knicks escaped with the win and lead the series 2-0 entering Monday’s Game 3 at Madison Square Garden.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (l.) was called for a technical foul on this play with the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama (r.) in the second quarter during Game 2 of the NBA Fianls on June 5, 2026. ABC
“I know we needed stops and I had picked up a few fouls on him,” Robinson said. “I think, what, three, like early on? So in my mind, I was just like, defend without fouling. So that was kind of like how it went. Just great contest, and just kind of how it went.”
Robinson finished Game 2 with seven points, three rebounds, one block and one steal in 14 minutes. He was 3-for-6 from the free-throw line as the Spurs intentionally put him on the line a few times.
The eighth-year Knick fractured the fifth metacarpal in his right hand, reportedly at home, and had surgery ahead of the Finals. He’s been wearing a wrap around his right hand.
Frankly, most discussion around the Houston Rockets these days airs on the side of irritating. They’re in an irritating position. The Rockets are young, but Durant isn’t. They’re good, but not good enough. They’re X, which is good, but they aren’t Y, which is better. The Rockets are like the time you saw your favorite artist live, but the seats were worse than you’d thought, and the guy in front of you is really tall, and even though you’re at the Kanye West concert, and he hasn’t had his antisemitic meltdown yet, it’s not as special as you want.
Ugh.
This conversation will be annoying because it’s going to be cliched. Two teams are in the NBA Finals. Every year, that leaves 28 teams (and their fans, and their semiprofessional writers) wondering how they got there, and how they can get there. It’s the age-old search for the NBA’s new meta.
Yet, here I am, writing the generic “what can the Rockets learn from an NBA Finalist” piece. Here’s the deal: These teams advanced to the NBA Finals. The Rockets did not. So surely, there’s something to be learned here.
From the Spurs, there isn’t much to learn. You just need to get so remarkably lucky in the draft that even rational people entertain conspiracy theories. You can draft Josh Primo, Blake Wesley, Jeremy Sochan, Rob Dillingham, an old man, and an infant all in the first round. If you get to draft Victor Wembanyama and Dylan Harper, you can just stash the baby on Amen Thompson and camp Wemby in the paint.
The Knicks are different. What they’re doing demands admiration. There was precious little luck involved in their process.
How did they do it?
The Knicks made smart, bold decisions
It starts with Jalen Brunson.
When the Knicks handed him a four-year, $104 million deal, you wouldn’t have to search far to find someone who thought it was an overpay. By the time he signed a five-year, $156 million extension, it was widely understood that he was taking a massive discount to enhance the team’s cap flexibility. Outside of that signing, this group was largely built on the trade market.
The Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and a pick deal evoked the Hitler vs. Stalin meme. The Knicks were flipping a losing player for another, slightly better losing player. A chorus of eye rolls.
RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley for OG Anunoby. This was perceived as a good deal, and it was. We’ll elaborate later.
Five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges? Outlandish. You’d have to win a championship to justify this deal, and the Knicks weren’t winning any championships. This leads me to the first quality this front office has shown that the Rockets could learn from:
Sheer, unadulterated audacity.
Let’s get back to that Anunoby deal. Barrett was 23. He was averaging a respectable 18.2 points per game. Rest assured that he had supporters who felt he’d reach his ceiling if the Knicks were just patient. The team identified him as a sub-championship player and moved him anyway.
It was bold. Fortune favors the brave. It’s a consistent theme in the Knicks’ decision-making process. They’re seemingly impervious to outside noise. This organization has done whatever it thought it needed to do. It has trusted its own internal evaluation process, and it has paid off.
This is not about any particular Rocket. Barrett, as a talented-but-flawed, productive young player, could be Thompson, Alperen Sengun, or Reed Sheppard. The point is that if the Rockets do not believe any one of these young guys could get on the floor in the NBA Finals, they should trade them and live with the fan outrage. The fans will calm down when the team is in the NBA Finals.
Did I mention the NBA Finals?
The Knicks have targeted playoff-proof players
Towns’ turn as a plus defender has certainly been unexpected. Now that it’s happened, take a look at the Knicks’ playoff rotation.
See any non-shooters besides Mitchell Robinson? See any defensive liabilities at all? That’s right, you don’t. One non-shooter. Zero defensive liabilities.
Here’s an analogy I’ve been toying with lately. A team’s offensive creation is its weapon. Shooting and defense are its armor. The defensive aspect of that analogy is obvious, but spacing the floor protects your star creator’s ability to create.
In the NBA Finals, you can afford as few weak links as possible. This isn’t unique to the Knicks. The Thunder, Celtics, and Bucks’ rosters were all similarly constructed. Even the Nuggets insulated the best offensive creator in the world (at the time) with a platoon of shooters and defenders.
Ultimately, this entire piece just reduces to another “Sengun and Thompson can’t shoot, Sengun and Sheppard are both questionable defenders” piece. It’s the reality the Rockets need to be facing. They should look to the Knicks, who realized they didn’t have a championship-caliber roster and took bold steps to build one.
That doesn’t mean trade everyone now. The Rockets can continue building through the draft. The first step is to find their Brunson (yes, I know Towns is on track for Finals MVP, but Brunson bears the brunt of the defensive pressure). It doesn’t matter how you do that, but once you do, you can’t be scared to part with beloved young players to put the right team around him.
In time, the Rockets might be fun to talk about again.
Victor Wembanyama R of San Antonio Spurs defends New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby during the final game 2 between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at the 2025-2026 NBA basketball game in San Antonio, the United States, June 5, 2026. (Photo by Sun Yuxuan/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Why do we have to wait one more day to enjoy another Knicks game?
Who would have thought, but turns out ballers also rest on weekends.
We don’t, so here’s another Bulletin presented by your very own.
“One of the things that we preach is being present. In order to be present, you can’t think about the past, you can’t think about the future. For all of us as humans, that’s hard as heck to do.”
On reminding himself to stay present:
“I constantly — boom — flick myself in the head. Tell myself: be present, be present, be present. I obviously mention it to the group, too. With those guys being who they are, they’ve really embraced it, and they’re really trying to live it every single moment during this run.”
On the Knicks’ supporting cast stepping up in Game 2:
“Somebody is always there. Mitch defensively at the end of the ballgame. Mikal during a stretch of the ballgame was huge for us on both ends of the floor. You’re not stopping a guy like De’Aaron Fox. You’ve just got to try to make him work. We put Mikal on Fox in the second half a little bit and made him work. But what he did for us offensively when we were struggling and then when we took Jalen out was huge. He made big play after big play after big play. Landry hit a couple of big shots. Deuce (McBride) came off the bench late and hit a big 3 for us. OG was huge on his drives. Again, a lot of contributions from a lot of guys, and that’s why you like having a team because it could be anybody’s night on any given night. Our guys don’t care. They sacrifice for one another and we found a way to get a win.”
On Mikal Bridges’ two-way impact in Game 2:
“[Bridges] was huge for us on both ends of the floor. You’re not stopping a guy like De’Aaron Fox. You’ve just got to try to make him work. We put Mikal on Fox in the second half a little bit and made him work. But what he did for us offensively when we were struggling and then when we took Jalen out was huge. He made big play after big play after big play.”
On Landry Shamet’s opportunity:
“I’m talking about his whole career because he’s been a journeyman, but he probably deserved more of an opportunity because what he does out on the floor on both ends is very hard to find in this league, especially at his size, with is mental and physical toughness. We gave him an opportunity and showed him we loved him. He embraced it and he ran with it.”
On recruiting Shamet to New York:
“When I first got the job, I called Landry. I said, ‘hey, I want you here.’ I’m sorry about the way the circumstances are contractually. I have nothing to do with that, but I believe you can help us.”
“I think our mindset was 0-0, not being up 1-0. Even with the series it is now, next game, mindset has to be 0-0 again. It’s just how it has to be. You can’t be comfortable. You can’t be satisfied with anything. Just continue to push forward.”
On trusting his teammates and working in the shadows:
“That’s just who they are. That’s who my teammates are. Night in and night out, they come and bring it. There’s always going to be things said, regardless of the situation, but I have the utmost trust and faith in them just because of the work ethic and the things that we’re able to do every day. When there’s no cameras and when we’re in the practice gym, when we’re in film, when we’re trying to be the best team that we can be, that’s when, in those moments, that’s when we grow.”
KAT to Brunson:
“You’re never by yourself. You’re never by yourself. I’m always with you. Step by step.”
“New York City showed up. The fans showed up. The energy showed up.”
On shutting down the narrative about Brunson’s struggles in the Finals:
“I’ll leave that question to you and everyone else. I’m just worried about the team result, which is winning. And for JB, you call it rough shooting nights. I see him hitting the free throw to give us the game, get Mitch a chance to get the stop for us to win the game. The last game, he hit some of the craziest shots I’ve seen to give us the game. So I don’t know if you say a rough shooting night. I see Captain Clutch doing what he’s always been doing since I got here . . . You know, he’s a huge part when it comes down to the actual, the game, to winning the game. Number 11 can’t be messed with.”
On the Knicks’ unity as the foundation of its success:
“This team leans on each other. I think that’s why we’ve gotten here. That’s why we had the success we had during the regular season even when things weren’t going great, because at the end of the day, when things do get tough and the trials and tribulations do present themselves, this team doesn’t disband. They don’t go away from each other. We lean into each other even more. We trust each other even more to get out of the rut. That’s what special teams do. Jalen knows. He has a national championship, and you’ve seen the camaraderie and unity they have.”
On the importance of enjoying the grind of the game:
“I didn’t get (a college championship), but I know the success I did have in my career has always come down to one thing: It’s been the unity of the team. How well does that team truly enjoy being in each other’s presence? Because the NBA season is a grind, and you’re going to be with each other more than you’re going to be with your families, your kids, and if you guys don’t truly enjoy the grind and the work that needs to be put in together, I don’t think success is possible. So it’s a testament to these guys, that’s where resiliency comes from, that we don’t want to let each other down. We do look at each other as family, as brothers, and we don’t ever want to see each other not succeed.”
Josh Hart was asked "how good does it feel to go back home up 2-0 in the series?"
“It’s still 0-0 as far as we’re concerned. Being up 2-0 means really nothing. The Spurs are going to come out on Monday [in Game 3] with an unbelievable amount of energy and desperation, and we’ve got to be better.”
On trying to avoid making the wrong kind of history:
“We just got to try to make history not repeat itself.”
Stephon Castle
On the Spurs feeling good heading into Game 3 with a 2-0 deficit:
“It was going to take everything to win the series anyway. Putting ourselves in this type of predicament is going to be tough, but I don’t think it’s anything we can’t handle.”
On Victor Wembanyama’s missed game-winning jumper:
“I saw [the last jumper was off]. I could look at his face. He wasn’t shooting with confidence. He’s fatigued. He doesn’t know how to pace himself. That turnover? He was exhausted. Come on, that was egregious. [And then the] foul? Come on, man, you just lost the ball. Why are you fouling? You see, when you get tired mentally, you’re losing … a little calamity. And it cost them the game.”
On whether the series will return to San Antonio for Game 5:
“I don’t think so. I think it’s our destiny now, the way things have unfolded for the Knicks. Every game — the grit, the resiliency, the resourcefulness. I don’t see it ending, because we’ve got 10 guys that are thriving. So, like tonight, Jalen was mediocre, and somebody steps up. And it’s been that way.”
On the Spurs’ inexperience showing up late in Game 2:
“The Spurs have so much heart. 14-0 run to come back into the game, but the last 30 seconds, just so much inexperience. Whether you want to call it youth, whether you want to call it fatigue, it just wasn’t it.”
On the Spurs’ awful late-game decision-making:
“The first play: another isolation for Wemby with 30 seconds, tough shot over Mitchell Robinson. Then you have a turnover, then you have a foul. I mean, they had the game where you have the ball with 12 seconds left, it’s a tie game, there’s no way you should be able to ever lose that game.”
On the contrast to the Knicks’ late-game approach:
“If the roles were reversed, the Knicks get the ball, what do they do? They will immediately find Brunson and he will immediately find the mismatch that he wants. But the Spurs, when they get the ball, they’re not really sure. So Wemby’s dribbling up, Castle’s not even looking for it, they don’t know who’s going to take charge, is there a timeout to be called or not. It just seemed, as Wemby said, very blurry.”
On wanting a private conversation with Carmelo Anthony going public on his podcast:
“I know our teams are in contact. My desire is still the same. I’d like to have a private conversation before having a public recorded conversation. That’s my goal right now — to be able to have that private conversation. Would love, of course, to go on the podcast and talk about those things. And talk about things publicly afterward.
“I do think a private conversation would go a long way in terms of being able to work through, talk through, go back and hash things out about how things ended. I think that would be super healthy, so I think that would be amazing. You can sense and tell that there’s not that hostility or ill will. Or not rooting for the other person. It’s just something that we can go back and have that discussion about.”
On not wanting to guess about issues Melo has hinted at:
“I can guess [what the issues are], but I don’t think it would do Melo justice for me to guess what I think he might mean.”
On returning to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4:
“I will be going back as a spectator for the first time ever. After leaving the Knicks, I did play against the Knicks multiple times, but I have never been back to The Garden as a spectator. This will be my first time in 14 years back at The Garden, not as an opposing player. I can’t wait. I really genuinely can’t wait for Game 3 and 4.”
On the Knicks inviting him back to the Garden:
“A big shoutout to the Knicks. They have been really adamant and consistent about trying to get me to go back to a game. I’ve always had the desire. It’s not that I didn’t want to, I was just always still playing. I won’t be courtside, but I will be in the first two rows.”
Stephon Marbury
On how Becky Hammon must be feeling these days:
“She’s going to be on her knees praying for us to lose. I love this feeling. Up 2-0 with this comment hanging over the heads of all New Yorkers. This is what sports is about.”
Charles Oakley has some thoughts on Adam Silver's latest comments 👀
Silver said he and Michael Jordan tried to help repair Oakley's relationship with James Dolan. pic.twitter.com/onHGQxRgxh
On Adam Silver’s recent comments about his mediation efforts to bring him to MSG:
“I want to talk about the series. I want to talk about the commissioner lying again. When the commissioner is talking about with him and Michael Jordan, he’s throwing Michael Jordan under the bus. That’s what he’s really doing. He’s trying to have a conversation like they just talked yesterday. He’s coming back out with something from 2017 when we met with that guy from New York, Michael, and himself. And he’s trying to act like they tried to solve a problem. And he went to the public in 2017 said we met and we came to an agreement that this is over with. And now you look in the paper he’s making another statement about that, but you didn’t solve the problem in 2017 cuz it’s nine years later and it’s still going on.”
On whether there was a new meeting with James Dolan and others:
“No. He’s lying again. It’s two times in this case he has lied about. He lied about putting the statement out that what happened. And he’s lying now like they talked two days ago. No, he didn’t. I haven’t talked to James, I’ve been to court with James. And we tried to settle and he said no. So, this has been a whole thing of they ain’t blackballing me from the NBA.”
“This, this is our year. New York City, this is our year.”
On Knicks fans invading San Antonio:
“We here, we here. We are not playing. Shoutout to San Antonio, great guys, great basketball program. Tim Duncan—my favorite power forward of all time.”
“They have captivated the city. The crowd, now, aside from the crowd at the Garden, which is off the charts in terms of the sounds of rooting and all that, but [also] with the crazy party that went on at the Garden, which they stopped because they had some problems and then they resumed. Then you have huge turnouts at Radio City Music Hall or watch parties at the Garden, and you didn’t have them in those days [in the ’70s]. I don’t know if you’d get the same number of people. People are really excited about this team. The Mets and the Yankees and the Jets and Giants, if they win, would have a very good reaction. I don’t know if it would be the same as this. This is really unusual. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s extraordinary.”
On New York as a hoops city:
“It’s always been different than other teams in the league. Because New York City and its suburbs are such a basketball-geared area. All you need is the basket, the backboard and the ball and you go down to the schoolyard, that’s what we used to do. That’s what kids still do. It’s crazy about basketball — krazy with a K.”
Kevin Garnett goes OFF at Paul Pierce's Spurs in 5 pick in true KG fashion:
"Knick's finna smash 'em. Aight n*gga, can the boy play in the pressure cooker? Huh? Can he come in Madison Square and play? And ain't no going to play no chess and going to Carbone and think you going… pic.twitter.com/D7NO9FIwm4
On the Knicks overwhelming the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama:
“He’s not seen this. He’s gon turn around and see this sea of Blue and Orange, and no one’s seen this. It’s gon look like lava. Have you ever seen the streets of New York like this? This is like all the parades put in one.
“Knicks finna smash ’em. Aight, n—a, can the boy play in the pressure cooker? Huh? Can he come in Madison Square Garden and play? And ain’t no going to play no chess and going to Carbone, and think you going to be in the streets of New York. Nah n—a, you gonna be in that hotel room. Ain’t no going out, n—a. You don’t want to be out in this storm. You don’t want to be out in this Knicks storm, n—a. That’s crazy, f–k this n—a talkin’ bout? Knicks gonna bone these n—-s. You ready?”
"When you're trying to win a championship, you gotta have a certain level of trust. … Every guy is being a star in their role."
On the Knicks’ togetherness and trust being key for their postseason run:
“They got what you call ‘togetherness.’ For Towns to start the game on Wemby, that’s what you call trust. For Mike Brown to continue to lean on Landry Shamet, he played 32 minutes; that’s what you call trust. You could see and feel the energy through the television screen. It’s led by big-body Brunson, but every guy’s been a star in their role. Every guy is being unlocked in a different fashion that they never been unlocked in their career.”
Brian Windhorst
On Towns outplaying Wembanyama in the Finals:
“They’re winning because Karl-Anthony Towns totally outplayed Victor Wembanyama in the first half of this game in a way that we never expected to see.”
Stephen A Smith says no New Yorker has ever experienced what’s about to take place on Monday on The Hoops Collective podcast pic.twitter.com/9INCr4cr3q
“He’s coming to Game 3 of the Finals, and I don’t want him there. He’s coming to Game 4 of the Finals, and I don’t want him there. And it has nothing to do with politics, policy, or anything like that. It has everything to do with him disrupting and contributing at the same time to the chaos that’s going to be existing at Madison Square Garden.
“If it were Barack Obama coming to the Garden, I would say, ‘Stay home.’ Stay at the White House. I have been covering sports for over 30 years. And I’m telling you right now, come Monday, for Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, I expect to see an environment I have never seen in my entire career covering sports.”
i need all my new york homies to boo this motherfucker so thunderously when they show him on the jumbotron that my TV vibrates off the wall https://t.co/nYHhLWpZ7d
On attending Game 3 and praising the Knicks’ Jim Dolan:
“[The Knicks] find a way to do it. They’re really great, a great team. I’m happy for Jim because Jim has really been fighting hard to produce such a team.”
On the record-breaking MSG Game 3 ticket prices:
“You can watch it on television. It’s sort of semi-free to watch it on television. That’s the way life goes. Now, if the team wasn’t a big success, you can go very easily. You can do that too. But that’s the way life is.”
The Knicks have found pretty much every way to win a game. During their 13-game playoff win streak, they’ve blown out teams by as much as 51 points. They’ve also had some nail-biters.
Added to the win streak was another close affair on Friday night. The Knicks won Game 2 of the NBA Finals 105-104 in dramatic fashion. New York blew a 14-point fourth quarter lead, came up with a steal after a surprising Victor Wembanyama gaffe, took a one point lead after Jalen Brunson made a free-throw and narrowly avoided a loss after Wembanyama missed a mid-range jumper in the closing moments.
New York is now up 2-0 after taking both games on the road. The Game 2 win continued a mesmerizing postseason run. As the Knicks look to push to a 3-0 series lead on Monday night in Madison Square Garden, let’s touch on three keys to the third game.
Top performer
Through two games, Karl-Anthony Towns has been the best player on the floor. His numbers of 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists through the first two games seem modest. But his impact has been loud in this series. He’s picked apart the Spurs defense in a variety of ways. He’s knocked down three-pointers, attacked closeouts with drives to the rim, and he’s ducked in for post-ups against smaller defenders. Towns has done all of that with efficiency. On defense, he has held up containing Wembanyama in the pick-and-roll.
In Towns’ 68 minutes during the Finals, New York has a net rating of plus-14.9 according to NBA Stats. When he’s off the floor, the Knicks have been outscored by 16.2 points per 100 possessions. It’s a small sample size, but it shows how important having Towns on the floor has been to New York during the finals.
Towns is playing the most well-rounded basketball of his career, and it’s been a driving force in New York’s 2-0 series lead.
Defensive disruption
The Knicks are winning this series mainly on the strength of their defense. Through two games, the Knicks have held the Spurs to 100.5 points per 100 possessions per NBA Stats. It’s a far cry from the 115.4 points per 100 possessions the Spurs averaged during the first three rounds of the postseason.
New York’s defense has made offense a chore for Wembanyama. The seven-footer is averaging 27.5 points in the series, but he’s shooting just 40.5 percent from the field. New York centers Towns and Mitchell Robinson have been effective in one-on-one situations against Wembanyama.
The Knicks have also overloaded the paint with help defenders who have consistently slowed down Wembanyama’s forays to the rim as the roll man in the pick-and-roll. The Spurs haven’t been able to take advantage of New York’s extra help in the paint, shooting just 30.6 percent from three in Games 1 and 2.
Wembanyama played better in the second half, putting up 22 points. He made a few three-pointers, and relied more on his faceup game. The turnaround could give him some momentum going into Game Three.
Corner pocket
One adjustment the Spurs made in Game 2 was applying more pressure to Brunson. San Antonio’s perimeter players checked Brunson full court and there were more double teams and traps on the Knicks’ All-Star guard. With that aggressive defense comes more opportunities for Brunson’s teammates.
As San Antonio doubled, it left the Knicks many opportunities to attack from the corner. New York is 15-for-28 (54 percent) on corner threes in the first two games. The Knicks have thrived from the corners over the past few years. New York was sixth in corner three-point percentage during the regular season (41.6 percent) and the club is third in the category (43.8 percent) in the postseason.
Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Landry Shamet are three players who do most of their damage from three in those two areas. Bridges and Anunoby were number one and two respectively in total corner three attempts during the regular season.
Will the Spurs dial back the pressure going forward? Brunson has struggled from the field during the first two games. But he still is playing a part in generating good looks for other Knicks. If the Knicks continue to accumulate corner threes, they should be in good shape for the rest of the series.
Charania also reported vice president of player personnel Prosper Karangwa has signed a multi-year extension and Elton Brand “will not return as 76ers GM and is currently working through a new role with the franchise and its parent company, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.”
According to a report from Marc Stein, Karangwa had “drawn interest in recent weeks” from the Mavs and Lakers. Brand took the Sixers’ general manager job in 2018, which at the time was the top spot in the Sixers’ collaborative front office structure. He’d served under former president of basketball operations Daryl Morey since 2020. ESPN reported Brand “elected not to interview for the president role” after Morey’s exit.
Nelson’s risen steadily up the Sixers’ front office ranks. The former Saint Joseph’s star and NBA point guard accepted Brand’s offer of a role as Sixers scout and Delaware Blue Coats assistant GM in 2020. He was later promoted to Delaware’s GM and then stepped up to Sixers assistant general manager in May of 2025.
“Initially, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, whether it was front office, coach, media, whatever,” Nelson told NBC Sports Philadelphia in a 2024 phone interview. “I just knew I wanted to stay around the game. Elton and I had been talking for a couple of years … just back and forth about what I wanted to do. And he was willing to help me step foot in the right direction. … Over the years, we’ve been seeing what I like, my value, and all that stuff to help the group. He’s played a huge role in my growth and my front office experience.”
The Sixers are set to hold an introductory press conference for Gansey on Monday at 10 a.m. ET.
The Knicks’ run to the NBA finals has created a feverish atmosphere in New York.Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images
The New York Knicks are warning fans to bring as little as possible to Monday night’s Game 3 of the NBA finals at Madison Square Garden, which Donald Trump plans to attend.
The Knicks are encouraging fans to arrive at least two hours before tipoff as part of enhanced security measures due to the president’s attendance. The New York Police Department also announced it will cancel a watch party outside Madison Square Garden as part of the measures. The decision was made after discussion between the Secret Service and the NYPD. There was trouble at the watch party outside the venue on Friday when more than 20 people were arrested as people celebrated the team’s win in Game 2 of the finals.
The Knicks said on Saturday that a strict no-bag policy will be in place and that there will be airport-style “screening procedures” for fans when they enter Madison Square Garden for the game, which is scheduled to start at 8.40pm local time.
Trump confirmed last week that he will attend the game between the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, the first NBA finals game in New York City since 1999. He has already attended a number of major sporting events in his second term, including the 2025 Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and Ryder Cup.
Trump is not expected to be the only prominent political figure at the Garden. New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has also said he plans to attend Monday’s game, though he suggested there is little chance he will cross paths with Trump.
“I will be in a very different section,” Mamdani said last week.
The mayor’s office said Mamdani would be paying his own way for a ticket. Trump, meanwhile, said he would be attending as Knicks owner Jim Dolan’s guest, setting up a finals scene that could feature two of New York’s most prominent political figures under one roof.
The game will take place amid a fevered atmosphere in New York as the Knicks attempt to win their first NBA title since 1973. They lead the Spurs 2-0 in the best-of-seven series and are on a 13-game winning streak.
LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JANUARY 31: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Kansas Jayhawks and forward AJ Dybantsa #3 of the BYU Cougars chase down a loose ball in the first half at Allen Fieldhouse on January 31, 2026 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards entered 2026 with a projected $80 million in cap space for the 2026-27 season.
But after acquiring four players before the February deadline — including Trae Young and Anthony Davis — and winning the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft, the Wizards sit just $11 million below the luxury tax.
Here’s a breakdown of what the No. 1 pick means for Washington’s long-term cap sheet.
2026-27 Active Roster Cap
The maximum rookie-scale contract for the No. 1 pick is a four-year, $69,003,336 deal.
The contract represents 120% of the rookie scale, which is the most a first-round pick can sign for. The lowest a first-round pick can sign for is 80% of the rookie scale.
For reference, the Wizards signed Tre Johnson — last year’s No. 6 pick — to a four-year, $37,439,131 contract, which was 120% of the rookie scale. They did the same with Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George in 2024.
So, based on previous transactions, expect the Wizards to do the same with this year’s top pick and pay 120% of the rookie scale ($15,208,260) to the No. 1 selection.
Should Washington pay the No. 1 at 120% of the rookie scale, that contract looks as follows:
CHICAGO - JUNE 18: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls talks to Charles Barkley #34 of the Phoenix Suns during Game Five of the 1993 NBA Championship Finals at Chicago Stadium on June 18, 1993 in Chicago, Illinois. The Suns won 108-98, sending them home to Phoenix with 2 games to 3. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1993 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
One of the unfortunate realities of being a Phoenix Suns fan is that whenever history enters the conversation, especially anything tied to championships or monumental moments, the Suns always seem to find themselves on the wrong side of it. As much as we try to outrun the past, we are constantly reminded that the Suns are a franchise that has accumulated 2,510 wins, owns the fifth-best winning percentage in NBA history at .535, and still has never won a championship.
On Friday night, we received another reminder. A reminder of a history that has never included the Suns winning the final game of an NBA season.
As the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs battle in the 2026 NBA Finals, the Spurs have become only the third team in league history to fall behind 0-2 in the Finals after winning Game 1 on the road. And the first team to ever find itself in that position? You guessed it. The Phoenix Suns.
The Phoenix Suns made their second NBA Finals appearance in 1993 behind an MVP season from Charles Barkley, posting a league-best 62-20 record, the same mark the San Antonio Spurs finished with this season. After surviving a seven-game battle with the Seattle SuperSonics in the Western Conference Finals, much like San Antonio recently did against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix earned home-court advantage and hosted the first two games of the NBA Finals.
The difference? The Suns ran into Michael Jordan. While the New York Knicks don’t have their own version of Jordan standing across from them, the Suns had to deal with the real thing, along with a Chicago Bulls team chasing its third consecutive championship.
And things started poorly. Phoenix dropped both games at home at America West Arena, immediately falling into a 0-2 hole. Game 1 saw the Suns lose 100-92 despite 21 points and 11 rebounds from Charles Barkley and 20 and 12 from Richard Dumas. Barkley scored 42 points in Game 2, but so did Jordan, as Chicago won 111-108.
To their credit, the Suns fought back. They won a thrilling triple-overtime Game 3 and eventually pushed the series to Game 6, earning one more opportunity on their home floor to extend the Finals. It wasn’t enough. They lost Game 6 at home, and with it their championship hopes.
What Phoenix ultimately ran into was arguably the greatest Finals performance of Jordan’s career. Across the six-game series, he averaged 41.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. As great as that Suns team was, and as magical as that season felt, the greatest player in the world simply wasn’t going to be denied.
One of the reasons I look forward to summer is that there are fewer lines of demarcation reminding Suns fans where the franchise stands historically. Of course, then there’s the draft. The Phoenix Suns have had only one No. 1 overall pick in franchise history. We all know how that turned out.
There’s something unique about being a Suns fan. It takes a certain mentality to survive all of the near misses, heartbreaks, and historical reminders that seem to pop up every time the NBA decides to celebrate something significant.
We’ll see if the San Antonio Spurs can avoid the fate that befell Phoenix, who were later joined by the Orlando Magic in 1995 as the only teams to lose the first two games of an NBA Finals at home. Maybe San Antonio can reverse the trend. I’d be lying if I said I was rooting for that outcome.
As a Suns fan, I’m clearly pulling for the New York Knicks. Part of that is historical grudges that will never dissipate. Part of that is because I’d like to see Mikal Bridges finally get one. He’s been up 2-0 in a series before, just like he is now, and watched it slip away. I’d like to see this one end differently. And sure, it wouldn’t hurt to see Landry Shamet get a ring too.
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 6: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 6, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
As the NBA Draft draws closer, the Dallas Mavericks have made it clear that Cooper Flagg is now their cornerstone, their primary building block.
That makes perfect sense. He’s coming off a spectacular rookie season, he is just 19 and will be 20 for most of next season, and he’s shown every sign of being able to carry the leadership burden.
Which puts teammate and fellow former Blue Devil Kyrie Irving in an interesting situation.
Now 34, and coming off of an ACL injury, his future is uncertain, and a lot of people are suggesting that Dallas should trade him as part of an overhaul.
Among other things, he’s due to be paid $39,491,282 this coming season.
We have no idea what Dallas is thinking, obviously, but if they moved Irving, they could free up a lot of money to pursue, say, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s going to make a good bit more than Irving – about $58.5 million – and pairing him with Flagg would be incredible.
Or they could move Irving and spread that money around. They could sign, say, Luke Kennard for not that much, possibly Rui Hachimura, or Quentin Grimes.
The Mavericks also have two first-round draft picks to work with. They could sweeten the pot for an Irving trade and go for someone completely unexpected. Just imagine if they pulled off a trade for Bam Adebayo, Domantas Sabonis, or, say, Darius Garland?
A lot goes into an NBA trade, and we have no idea what Dallas would have to do to make it worthwhile. First, you have to deal with the salary cap, and then you have to make sure the pieces fit together.
Here’s another thought that could be fun, if difficult: Ja Morant and Memphis are clearly at the end, and while he’s damaged goods at this point, given all his various issues with the Grizzlies, he’s still an extraordinary talent. It’s fun to imagine him with Flagg, and it would be nearly impossible to guard both.
The good news is that Memphis won’t be able to get very much for him. The bad news?
He’s still Ja Morant, and he’s clearly a risk. But if it works…wow.
Even though Knicks coach Mike Brown earned some of his coaching chops as a Spurs assistant under Gregg Popovich from 2000–2003, he didn’t dare to reach out to him ahead of the NBA Finals.
The fear? Sabotage.
Knicks coach Mike Brown is two wins from an NBA championship. Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
“He’s savvy,” Brown said before Game 1 against the Spurs. “He’s very competitive. If I reached out to him and asked him for some advice, he’d give me some BS that worked against us.”
Brown’s joke had Popovich’s fingerprints all over it.
See, when you’re raised in Popovich’s coaching tree, certain values are emphasized above all others, namely humor.
During Popovich’s 29 seasons at the helm of the Spurs, he wanted people around him who could laugh at themselves. He turned to humor to cut through the weighty pressure of 82-game marathon seasons.
Though he was fiercely competitive, he emphasized that basketball is just a silly game. He has been known to cut people from his staff who couldn’t dish or take a joke.
Perhaps that’s why the partnership between Popovich and Brown worked.
Brown is deeply likable. He’s quick to laugh. He doesn’t hesitate to poke fun at himself.
And now, after leading the Knicks to a 105-104 win over the Spurs in Game 2 on Friday, Brown is two wins from his first NBA championship as a head coach.
It has been a long road for Brown, who has spent the last 29 years as either an assistant or head coach for eight NBA franchises, including getting fired four times as the leading man.
Brown has coached some of the league’s biggest stars, including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. He coached under some of the most venerated coaches, including Popovich and Steve Kerr. But now, for the first time in his career, the Larry O’Brien Trophy is within his grasp as the head of a locker room.
Brown points to his time under Popovich as one of the biggest reasons he has arrived at this moment.
“It was huge,” Brown said. “Pop — I talk about MSG being iconic, New York City being iconic — Pop is iconic, especially here in San Antonio. When you talk about the game of basketball, he’s iconic to everybody that enjoys the game of basketball.”
During Brown’s three seasons under Popovich, he watched firsthand how the winningest coach in NBA history operated. They won a championship together in 2003, the second of Popovich’s five rings amid his historic 22 straight years in the postseason.
Brown said his biggest takeaway from Popovich actually has very little to do with basketball.
“The neat part about him is it’s not just about the X’s and O’s that you learn,” Brown said. “You know you can never be him, but you learn people skills. You learn how to connect, not just the 15 or 18 players, you learn how to connect an entire city, maybe even an entire state.”
That insight has proven instrumental for Brown, who’s in his first season at the helm of the Knicks after being fired by the Kings in December 2024. In just a short period of time, Brown has won over Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the biggest-market city in the NBA.
Gregg Popovich (right) has had a major impact on Mike Brown’s life. Getty Images
But Popovich’s impact on Brown goes deeper than that.
When Brown separated from his wife in 2002, Popovich famously threatened to fire him if he traveled with the team instead of spending a little extra time with his two young sons, who were crying as he took them to the airport to say goodbye.
Popovich also famously offered Brown a lifeline after he was fired by the Cavaliers in 2014. He joined the Spurs as a volunteer consultant, which helped put him back on the map ahead of getting hired as an assistant with the Warriors in 2016.
“He’s second to none [in] how he treats people off the floor in their personal lives,” Brown said. “I grew a lot personally. Everybody goes through good times and bad times off the floor in their personal life. When I was here, I went through good times and bad times. He helped me tremendously with those.”
The 77-year-old Popovich is now watching the Spurs from the stands, having retired after suffering a stroke in November 2024.
After games, he regularly texts Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, trying to help the future face of the league reach his full potential. But down the sideline, in enemy territory, sits another one of his protégés.
Brown is immensely grateful to Popovich for not only helping him reach the apex of his career but for being his friend.
“He’s a special human being,” Brown said.
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CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 16: The Golden State Warriors hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy after a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Six to win the 2015 NBA Finals at The Quicken Loans Arena on June 16, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Knicks are just two wins from earning their first championship since they last hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy all the way back in 1973. They might as well have won it already.
After Friday’s 105-104 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, New York is standing in one of the rarest spots in history—certified rarefied air—as one of just three teams ever to win the first two games of the title series on the road.
The other two: the 1993 Chicago Bulls (57-25 in the regular season, 11-2 in the playoffs) and the 1995 Houston Rockets (47-35, 15-7).
The outcome of those Bulls and Rockets finals runs? Jobs finished and happy endings.
The 1993 Bulls opened the Finals with two wins against the Suns, beating them in Phoenix twice and in six games overall before Michael Jordan announced his first retirement.
Two years later, the 1995 Rockets took Games 1 and 2 in Orlando against the Magic, went back to Houston, and swept Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, and a supremely inexperienced Magic squad that resembles a certain contemporary squad we’ve gotten familiar with this week.
That is the regal company the Knicks joined as Friday leaked into Saturday.
New York surely sweated getting there, but to the disbelief of many—both on the haters’ ship and within the Garden faithful—the Knicks are mammoth favorites to win the chip on FanDuel, boasting -520 odds to the Spurs’ +400.
The Knickerbockers trailed by 14 in Game 1 but ended up winning 105-95. They once again trailed by 12 in the first half of Game 2, led by 14 in the fourth, then watched San Antonio rip off a 14-0 run before Jalen Brunson bailed them out late.
Brunson was kinda awful, let’s admit it, shooting just 7-for-25 in Game 2 but putting on his Captain Clutch cape at the perfect time to tie the game with a midrange jumper, grab a gift from Victor Wembanyama, and hit the go-ahead free throw with 9.5 seconds left.
Karl-Anthony Towns kept building his NBA Finals resume by leading New York with 21 points and 13 rebounds. A desperate-as-you’ve-never-seen-him Mikal Bridges added 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. Brunson finished 20 points, six assists, five rebounds and five steals. Josh Hart decided it was a nice evening to improve his cardio. Mitch and Shamet were off-the-pine saviors again. Jeremy Sochan didn’t play.
Now, looking at it from a Spurs point of view—if you’re into that or are one of the two San Antonio fans still not mad enough to read this blog—I’m sorry to inform you that here comes another ominous warning.
Five teams have come back from 0-2 to win the NBA Finals: the 1969 Celtics, 1977 Trail Blazers, 2006 Heat, 2016 Cavaliers and 2021 Bucks (yay!)… but those comebacks all came after the trailing team lost the first two games on the road, not in their supposedly strong feud. Ugh, sorry to disappoint you, Coyote.
Teams that go up 2-0 own a series record of 32-5 in the NBA Finals.
The Spurs have lost the first two at their own Alamo Frost AT&T Arenadome or whatever the name of that thing is these days. No Finals team has ever recovered from that specific start to win the championship.
So, yeah. The Knicks still need two more wins. The Spurs have five chances to win four games. The math works for both heading into Game 3, but facts are facts, not Kenny Atkinson’s analytics.
The Bulls got there and won. The Rockets got there and won. New York is halfway there, and why not Knicks in four?
PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 23: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs greets Tony Parker before the game against the Indiana Pacers on January 23, 2025 at The Accor Arena in Paris, France. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Spurs legend Tony Parker spoke regarding the time he discovered Victor Wembanyama had worn his #9 Spurs jersey and what it meant to him.
“Victor was with me in ASVEL, my team, the French team that I own. And the whole time you know he was with us I had a great time and we had great talks and we won a championship. When the Spurs drafted him number one, he put a picture on his social media with my jersey when he was ten-years-old. He had a picture of my jersey. And I saw that picture and I was like ‘wow,’ he never showed it to me when he was with me in ASVEL. And he waited that moment where when he got drafted to show that picture to the world. And I saw him with my jersey. I was like ‘oh, wow.’ So the way that Michael [Jordan] inspired me, I felt very proud that I inspire some one like that.”
It stands to reason. Parker was one of the players from France to make it into the NBA. He met unprecedented success with the Spurs earning a Finals MVP in 2007, one of his four NBA titles. He’s inspired so many players over the years. But for one of his proteges and members of his team to become the biggest player on the planet, that must be quite an honor.
N ow Victor is in the NBA Finals on the same team which Parker spent a majority of his career.
Victor and the Spurs landed in New York on Saturday. They meet with media on Sunday. Game 3 is Monday night. The Spurs are facing the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. With an 0-2 hole, they have their work cut out for them.
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I will always appreciate writing for NetsDaily. There are nearly 600 comments on Friday’s article, where I reported the league-wide consensus that the Brooklyn Nets have interest in Tennessee’s Nate Ament, whether at the #6 spot or in a trade-down. Thank you all for the engagement and consistent readership; I don’t even remember the Nets playing in the NBA Finals, and yet, my fandom-turned-coverage of the team has, somehow, been as rewarding as it has been tormenting, thanks to the people who visit this site regularly.
So let’s just clarify a couple things about that report. I am not reporting that it is “likely” that the Nets take Ament, but rather, that is what people around the league believe. Brian Lewis of the New York Post, ever a trustworthy reporter, says that Ament hasn’t even been in for a workout…
Nate Ament has not worked out for the #Nets, according to sources. People around the league are saying Brooklyn holds the #Vols forward in high regard, but as of now they haven't had him in yet. #NBA
I personally doubt it’s “likely” the Nets take anybody at this juncture, over a fortnight before the NBA Draft, though their interest in Ament certainly seems legit. The noise, though, is undeniable. No prospect is linked to Brooklyn more often — it’s not even close.
And again, part of that comes from Brooklyn’s recent draft history. But just because it seems like the Nets would take Ament at No. 6 — after Egor Dëmin, everybody now knows this front office isn’t afraid to “reach” in the lottery — doesn’t actually make it more likely.
Perhaps the Nets are preying on their rivals’ preconceived notions to create some smoke, maybe they’re doing their best to facilitate a trade-down, who knows? For what it’s worth, major sportsbooks still don’t think Ament is “likely” to go at #6, though the odds are climbing. On Kalshi (sorry), Ament’s odds of being drafted at No. 6 overall have jumped from 4% to 17% in the past week, but that’s still lower than Mikel Brown Jr. and Darius Acuff.
In any case, there’s enough smoke to strongly consider Ament’s strengths and weaknesses, even if Brooklyn doesn’t trade down, which would have seemed unthinkable a couple weeks ago. He was not good at Tennessee in his freshman year, and to discuss his talents further, I held a brief Q&A with NBA Draft analyst Ben Pfeifer.
Benny Pfeif is a friend of mine and a tremendous tape-eater; no analyst has a crystal ball, but he’s demonstrated the value of his opinion many times over…
teams with an okc/boston style drive and kick offense should hope to draft ajay mitchell, who thrives in quick offense off of his rim pressure
win with burst -> threaten to score w/touch -> kick to a shooter is a flow ajay already thrives in and should be able to at the next lvl pic.twitter.com/J1QLe7N4si
His social media is, obviously, linked in that post above, and I’ll link his YouTube channel here. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Q: Nate Ament was the #4 high school prospect in the country upon graduation. What to that point made him such an exciting prospect. What, for lack of better wording, was the high-end sell?
A: Nate Ament looked to join the long line of tall wings oozing shotmaking talent and theoretical upside that the NBA typically covets. Ament coupled his 6’10” frame with dynamic on and off-ball shooting from beyond and inside the arc, some basic ball skills and impressive defensive versatility, especially on the ball. His prospect profile sat clearly below the level of Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa but the promise of a 3-and-D plus wing with latent on-ball creation enticed evaluators (myself included).
Q: Let’s break his NCAA season down into parts — how good of an outside shooter is he, really? 33.3% from deep, 37.3% on long twos, 79% from the line isn’t terrible, but that’s not the profile of a sniper. I know it’s just one season of college data, but what level of shooter do you think we’re really talking about here?
A: While Ament’s shooting profile is indeed solid, his 3-point volume, efficiency and free-throw numbers all dipped from his final AAU season (and his most recent reliable pre-NCAA dataset). He traded some of those outside shots for mid-range jumpers, which contributed to some volume deflation from 3-point range, but <8 threes per 100 possession is undeniably disappointing for a prospect with shooting as a primary sell. Plenty of prospects with similar shooting profiles have developed into effective NBA shooters, but they rarely become truly elite outside of fringe cases like Kawhi Leonard. Ament’s mid-range off-the-dribble shotmaking and flashes of movement shooting are enticing, but I view Ament as a good-to-great outside shooter rather than a game-changing one.
Q: Let’s get to the main reason most draft nerds don’t have Ament in the lottery. He shot 43% from two this season, and under 40% from two against top 100 teams. What the hell is going on there? Can we blame Tennessee’s offensive environment, does he just not have wiggle/explosiveness? How does that happen?
A: Since 2008, 11 drafted college players 6’7” or taller logged a career 2-point percentage under 45%, according to Bart Torvik. The best of these players is Jaden McDaniels, who still isn’t a scoring ace after tons of offensive development. Jabari Smith (an apt comparison for Ament, IMO) is there too, but the rest of the list consists of the Cam Reddishes, Ziaire Williamses, and Brandon Bostons of the world. It’s an undeniably concerning indicator and speaks to Ament’s lack of burst, ball-handling chops and standout contested touch.
He’s a far better foul-drawer and strength creator than in high school, but notable strength gains zapped much of the mobility he previously relied on to outmaneuver defenders with the ball. Tennessee’s spacing and supporting cast weren’t pristine by any means and and Ament occasionally flashed effective driving and finishing off two feet with a runway. Maybe he leans into the strength creation, adds a ton of muscle and takes the bully route, but it will be a tight needle to thread regardless on the path to efficient NBA scoring, especially with any on-ball creation involved.
Nate Ament curl, drive, FTs on Rueben Chinyelu.
Since 1/10, Ament has averaged 9 FTs/gm. A lot have looked like designed touches that leverage Ament’s length/strength and minimize his passing reads.
— Chucking Darts NBA & Draft Podcast (@ChuckingDarts) February 8, 2026
Q: Penultimate question: What are his most enticing secondary skills? Plus-rebounder? Rim protector/switchy? Secret passing guru despite a 1.0 assist:turnover? In other words, when the ball ain’t going in, what are you most confident he’ll contribute to an NBA team?
A: Based on my pre-college expectations, Ament’s defense significantly disappointed this past season. The aforementioned muscle gain and lessened mobility really hurt his defense, especially moving in space and making plays as a helper. At his best, Ament should develop into a fine defender, but he lacks high-end traits and feel on that end (and on offense). His off-ball lapses and technical worries aren’t as concerning as his frequently poor instincts, awareness and change of direction on closeouts and long rotations.
He’ll occasionally flash as a help-side shot blocker, but those moments were few and far between. Ament is one of the class’s least threatening playmakers, often struggling to convert easy reads in favor of tough off-dribble jumpers. He’ll high point some rebounds and his cleanest path to ancillary value comes from being extremely large and (hopefully) positioning himself well, but it’s unfortunately bleak projecting any non-scoring facets of his game to impact winning at a playoff level.
Thomas Haugh semi transition drive on Nate Ament (foul on Ament)
Oof. This should not be a difficult closeout for Nate. He’s in position and Haugh is a meh shooter, and Ament is still upright and slow laterally, gets handsy.
— Chucking Darts NBA & Draft Podcast (@ChuckingDarts) February 8, 2026
Q: Well, this has been kinda depressing, but let’s ask the big question(s) now. Assuming their interest is real, what do you think Brooklyn sees in him, like what’s the high-end scenario? Lastly, let’s say they take him at #6. Is that fine? Crazy?
A: Viewing Ament’s projection through the rosiest lens possible could lead one to value him near the top of a loaded draft class, especially if said person really values physical traits and shotmaking. Maybe the Tennessee context cloaked his true offensive self, and NBA spacing/movement unlock his game. Even for players without standout feel, ball handling or defensive chops, there’s value in sheer size and scoring, especially in certain postseason matchups. If Ament fleshes out his strength creation and becomes a high-level contested shotmaker, it’s possible he’d fit in as a stabilizing force with the size to add value on the defensive end.
However, that outcome sits at the tail end of Ament’s range and even if a player of the Tobias Harris/Jabari Smith progeny isn’t a terrible result for a top-6 pick, it’s a bleak one in a draft as loaded as 2026. In 2025, Brooklyn drafted a smattering of future complementary pieces, and that’s what Ament projects as. Maybe the Nets view themselves as such a marquee free agent/trade destination that they’ll intentionally eschew high-end star swings like Mikel Brown Jr., Aday Mara, or Kingston Flemings for better roster/size fits. But if Ament is Brooklyn’s sixth pick, it would be an undeniably disappointing selection with potentially damaging long-term ramifications. For your sake (Lucas and his lovely readers), let’s hope this is just typical draft season smoke and mirrors.
Again, another thanks to Mr. Pfeifer for his time and words. He also made this comprehensive video on Ament a couple days ago…
Again, the NBA Draft beings on June 23rd at 8:00 p.m. ET. Until then, get ready way more rumors, analysis, and everything in between.
