Category: NBA

NBA history spans 80 seasons, and as CelticsBlog readers well know, the Boston Celtics have won a league-high 18 championships. This month, we are recapping each of those title years.

In the beginning

For the first ten years of their existence, the Boston Celtics were an average team at best. They won 330 regular season games, lost 328, and never won a division title. They made the playoffs seven times, compiled an 11-19 won-lost record, and advanced to zero Finals. Meanwhile, the Minneapolis (not yet Los Angeles) Lakers won five titles.

Boston’s best player was point guard Bob Cousy, who was a New England icon after his All-American career at Holy Cross, which he led to the NCAA championship in 1947. “The Cooz” was the NBA’s perennial assists leader, and he once scored 50 points in a postseason game. Nevertheless, head coach Red Auerbach was still searching for elite big-man talent that would make the Celtics legitimate championship contenders.

He found him in the 1956 NBA Draft.

Bill Russell was a two-time All-American center who had led the University of San Francisco to a 55-game win streak and back-to-back NCAA titles. He would surely be selected before Boston could take him with the sixth overall pick. But Auerbach and Celtics owner Walter Brown worked some magic that resulted in the most impactful trade ever seen.

The Rochester Royals (today’s Sacramento Kings) had the first pick and planned to take All-American guard Sihugo Green. To ensure that the Royals didn’t reconsider Russell, Brown reportedly offered Royals owner Les Harrison the rights to book the popular Ice Capades into his Rochester arena. In those early years of the league, ticket sales that contributed to financial survival were more important than potential titles.

The second overall pick belonged to the St. Louis (now Atlanta) Hawks. Auerbach offered Boston’s all-star center Ed Macauley (a St. Louis native) and rookie Cliff Hagan in exchange for the pick, and the Hawks went for it. Why? Here’s how Dan Shaugnessy explained it in the Boston Globe in 2020:

“Red was the first NBA executive to draft a Black player, Duquesne forward Chuck Cooper in 1950. Six years later, Auerbach exploited racism in the St. Louis Hawks front office, trading two white players for the Hawks’ No. 1 draft pick. Red used the pick on Bill Russell. He knew St. Louis had no interest in building its franchise around a Black center.”

Macauley and Hagan both had Hall of Fame careers, but Boston won 11 titles with Russell, so there’s no disputing who won that trade. Furthermore, Auerbach used the Celtics’ own sixth overall pick to choose Tom Heinsohn of Holy Cross as a territorial selection. Heinsohn won eight rings as a player and two more as the Celtics’ head coach, making the Hall of Fame in both roles. (Of course, Heinsohn also became the beloved homer on Celtics local market TV broadcasts and, honestly, he could be in the Hall of Fame for that work, too.)

A footnote to the ’56 draft is that it produced a third future Hall of Fame enshrinee for Boston. Point guard K.C. Jones was picked in the second round, 14th overall, but didn’t join the team until 1958 due to military service. Like Heinsohn, Jones won eight rings playing on the parquet floor of Boston Garden and coached the team to two more. Boston’s 1956 selections were probably the greatest draft haul of all time.

The regular season

Opening Night of the 1956-57 season was in late October, but Russell’s Celtics debut was delayed until just before Christmas. He missed the first 24 games while winning an Olympics gold medal in Melbourne, Australia, then played in all of the Celtics’ 48 remaining games. Russell led the NBA in rebounding average with 19.6.

Cousy had one of his finest seasons, averaging 20.6 points per game and leading the league in assists for the fifth straight season at 7.5 per game. Heinsohn added 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and guard Bill Sharman averaged 21.1 points, joining Cousy on the All-NBA first team. All three were chosen to play in the All-Star Game. Cousy was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player and Heinsohn was Rookie of the Year.

Finishing at 44-28 (.611), the Celtics won the Eastern Division for the first time and had the best record among the league’s eight teams. Six squads qualified for the playoffs; notably, the Royals were not one of them.

Eastern playoffs

Boston received a bye for the first round, then took on the Syracuse Nationals (today’s Philadelphia 76ers) in a best-of-five Eastern Division finals. For the first time ever, the Celtics advanced via a 3-0 sweep, and only the third game was close. In a good omen for the NBA Finals, the rookies were key: Heinsohn averaged 20 points and 10 boards, while Russell delivered 15 and 28.

In yet another first, the Boston Celtics were moving forward to play for the NBA championship.

NBA Finals

The Celtics quickly learned that getting their first title would be anything but easy. Their opponents were their off-season trading partners, the St. Louis Hawks, with Ed Macauley, Cliff Hagan and the league’s best power forward, 6-foot-9 scoring machine and future Hall of Famer Bob Pettit.

Sure enough, the Hawks stole Game 1 in Boston, 125-123, in double overtime, behind Pettit’s 37 points and 14 rebounds. Macauley added 23 and 9. The Celtics recovered in Game 2, winning by 20 at home with seven players scoring in double figures.

In St. Louis, Game 3 was wild even before tipoff (see sidebar), ending in a Hawks victory and a 2-1 series lead.

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Don’t mess with Red

During warmups for Game 3 in St. Louis, some of the Celtics told Red Auerbach that the basket appeared higher than the standard 10 feet. Officials measured and found the rim was precisely at 10 feet. Hawks owner Ben Kerner thought Auerbach was pulling a bush-league trick to rattle the Hawks. The confrontation grew heated until Auerbach ended it by punching Kerner in the mouth.

The Celtics coach was not ejected or suspended, but he was fined $300 by the NBA. (How times have changed.) Auerbach later regretted the punch, especially since a few years earlier he’d been hired by Kerner to coach the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, a team that eventually became the St. Louis Hawks. But the incident illustrated Auerbach’s competitive fire in defense of his players.

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Down 2-1, Game 4 was a must-win for Boston, and MVP Cousy came through with 31 points and 8 assists to even the series. The Cs returned to the parquet to win the pivotal Game 5 behind their all-NBA backcourt. Sharman emerged from a shooting slump, making 13 of 24 field goals and scoring 32 points, aided by Cousy’s 19 assists. Back in St. Louis, Game 6 was excruciatingly tight, with no more than two points separating the teams at each quarter break, but Pettit had his own superstar performance, scoring 32 with 16 of 22 free throws, and adding 23 rebounds.

With both franchises still alive to win their first championship, the series returned to Boston for Game 7. It turned out to be a classic double OT battle with a stunning ending.

Once again, Bob Pettit led the Hawks with 37 points and 19 boards in 56 minutes. Meanwhile, Boston’s veteran backcourt of Cousy and Sharman were ice cold, shooting a wretched 5 of 40 combined. Fortunately, the rookies proved to be clutch: Heinsohn grabbed 23 rebounds and dropped 37 points while shooting 17 of 33. Russell added 19 points and 32 rebounds, and made a chase-down block that saved the game.

It wasn’t over until…

…Literally the final buzzer of Game 7, after 356 minutes, including two double OT games, when a Pettit tip-in attempt rolled off the rim. Boston escaped, 125-123. In the video below, Heinsohn called it the greatest game in NBA history, and Russell’s block the most memorable play ever.

The heroes we needed

Heinsohn and Russell made all the big plays throughout the 1957 Finals, securing Banner Number One and setting the tone for their vital roles in the Celtics dynasty of the Fifties and Sixties. If the Finals MVP award had existed then, choosing between them for a winner would’ve been a tough task.

Notable facts and stats

Bill Russell’s first experience with Game 7 occurred in the Hawks series. As one of the most clutch competitors in sports history, Russell compiled a 10-0 record in Game 7s during his 13-year career. According to research from Stat Muse, here are his statistical averages for those 10 games:

• 48.8 minutes
• 18.8 points
• 29.3 rebounds
• 3.7 assists
• 44.7% field goal shooting

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Banner Years continues tomorrow with a review of the 1958-59 season and the road to winning Banner #2.

Eagles training camp notebook: Welcoming King James to Philly originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

After the first training camp practice of the summer, Jordan Davis stepped to the microphone with a giant smile on his face and turned the tables on reporters.

“How are we feeling about LeBron being in town? Come on, give me something!”

LeBron James’ decision to join the 76ers is one of the biggest sports stories in recent Philadelphia history and it has created plenty of buzz across the street at the Jefferson Health Training Complex.

Many Eagles are excited about the arrival of King James.

“I think for what he represents in sports and sports culture, it’s huge,” Jalen Hurts said. “I think it’s huge for the City of Philadelphia. It’ll be exciting to have a figure like that in the city. What he’s done, one of the greatest to ever do it. I’m excited to be a part of that.”

The 41-year-old James is one of the greatest basketball players ever. He’s a four-time MVP, a four-time NBA champion and a 22-time NBA All-Star.

James played his first NBA game in October of 2003, just eight months after Cooper DeJean was born.

“Big fan, obviously,” DeJean said. “He’s been my favorite player since I was a kid. I think it’s pretty cool. I’ll be at a lot of the games. Get to watch him right there, hopefully pretty close. I’m excited. I think it’s going to bring a lot of joy to this city.”

While DC Vic Fangio said the Eagles had a “great sequence” this offseason to get Jaylen Brown and then James, he didn’t think it’s the greatest signing in the city’s sports history. That, Fangio says, came when the Phillies signed Pete Rose back in 1979.

Many of his players probably wouldn’t agree.

“I’m excited,” Saquon Barkley said. “I think the City of Philadelphia is a super cool place to be for sports and how involved the fans are. Having Bron here is just great for the culture.”

DeVonta Smith is a noted Boston Celtics fans and the move that precipitated James’ arrival to Philly was the trade that sent Brown from the Celtics to the Sixers. Smith chalked that up to the business of professional sports.

What does Smith think of the big news?

“Looks like the Sixers are trying to go win one,” Smith said. “Can’t be mad at that.”

More trades this summer?

Howie Roseman had a busy August last year, making five trades in the month. Here’s a refresher:

Aug. 5: Acquired CB Jakorian Bennett from the Raiders for DT Thomas Booker IV

Aug. 18: Acquired WR John Metchie III and a 6th-round pick from the Texans for TE Harrison Bryant and a fifth-round pick

Aug. 24: Acquired QB Sam Howell and a 6th-round pick from the Vikings for a 5th-round pick and a future 7th

Aug. 25: Acquired OT Fred Johnson from the Jaguars for a 7th-round pick.

Aug. 25: Acquired future 6th-round pick from the Packers for OL Darian Kinnard

Are there more trades coming this offseason? There’s always a good chance of that.

“The roster’s always a work in progress,” Roseman said. “Every day we’re coming in, we’re trying to find ways to get better. We’re communicating with every team in the league to try to find fits, to see if there’s opportunities to make ourselves better. It’s certainly incomplete at this time. It will be incomplete throughout the course of the season. Any opportunity we have– and you look at our roster, it reminds me of just all the rooms that we have that evolve over the course of time. That’s not a reflection of how we feel about our players now, excited about it, can’t wait to see them out there, but any time we have a chance to get better, to improve our team, we’re going to look at that.”

Saquon getting deep

Saquon Barkley got into the weeds a little bit on Day 1 of training camp, talking about how deep he’s going to line up when the Eagles are under center in 2026.

And a lot more goes into it than you might think.

“Depends. Depends who you are,” Barkley said. “I remember I talked to AP (Adrian Peterson), he liked to be at 8 (yards).

“ More times than not, you’re around 7, 7 1/2. Some guys like to be at 7. You get a feel with it. I might cheat it a little bit if it’s 3rd-and-3. Depends on what the defense is doing. I might step back a little bit if I feel like they’re penetrating. That’s kind of like the fun part of playing football. You can play around with that and get a feel for it.”

Where will Mannion be?

As Sean Mannion goes through his first training camp as an offensive coordinator, there’s one big decision about the season that’s lingering: Where will he be stationed?

Some coordinators and play callers like to be on the field for face-to-face communication, while others like to be in the booth for a better view.

“We’re still working through all of that,” Mannion said. “We have some simulated games here at practice where I’ll get to get a feel for both of them, but I think either way, it’s going to be a good experience. There’s certainly– that’s something we’ve already charted out a couple days to kind of work through both of those options.”

High praise for Hunt

Jalyx Hunt had a big season in 2025 and the expectations are even higher in 2026. After just a couple of practices in training camp, Hunt is off to a good start.

Just ask the guy who has to try to block him

“Tremendous growth. Super proud of Jalyx,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “Very smart player. He’s learning from every year he gets to play against us. Super dynamic, super explosive. He had a great day yesterday. He has some great moves. He’s starting to pick up on a few cues of mine and he let me know. And so I was like, ‘I really appreciate that, brotha.’ I watched the film and I was like, ‘Ah, he’s such a liar.’ I didn’t even do what he was talking about. I just got beat. 

“He’s come a long way and iron sharpens iron is how I see it. I’m excited for this year. It’s going to be a good battle in camp between us. He showed that yesterday.”

Hunt, 25, had a really good second season in 2025. He led the Eagles in sacks with 6 1/2 and interceptions with 3. He became the first player in Eagles history to lead the team in both categories in a season. What’s next for Hunt? Vic Fangio thinks a big season could be coming.

“Yeah, I am looking for that,” Fangio said. “He’s very capable of it.”

Taking some losses

This offseason was a bit of a tough one for Howie Roseman. He lost three trusted members of his front office this offseason with the departures of former assistant GM Alec Halaby, former senior VP/tertiary football executive Bryce Johnston and former VP of football operations Jeff Scott.

While the Eagles have overcome front office losses before, it still stings a bit.

“It’s bittersweet because all of those guys have put themselves in position to make career choices, to improve their lot in life, which you hope for, for people that you’re really close to,” Roseman said. “I remember I was out to dinner with my wife at one point and just said, ‘It’s going to be an adjustment for me.’ The relationships that I have with those guys, the ability to communicate, really the language, to be able to say things very short and sweet and them understand what I’m looking for, that comes with time. 

“They’re three incredibly valuable members, all of those guys. When I came in on Monday, it was obvious to me those are three of the four offices that surround me, so it’s a transition. For me, I have to evolve. I have to continue to get better and learn and to continue to develop people that are here, and I plan on doing that.”

The Eagles have since promoted Adam Berry to assistant GM, Grant Reiter to director of football administration, among other promotions and hires. It’s up to Roseman to keep the pipeline going.

Beside LeBron James choosing the 76ers, the Jazz trading Walker Kessler to the Lakers for a crazy amount of picks was probably the biggest surprise of the offseason.

Utah received two future unprotected picks as well as two pick swaps from the Lakers. The pick swaps are in 2028 and 2030 while the PIcks are in 2031 and 2033. Those swaps may not deliver much to the Jazz unless something happens to Luka Doncic. We’ll see if this is finally the season where Doncic stays healthy/in-shape (something said by every national pundit every season about Doncic).

For all those picks and that risk, the Lakers got a super star, right?

Well, no.

Did they get a player that will absolutely be better than whoever the Jazz draft in 2031 and 2033?

Probably?

At least they got a player better thant whoever the Jazz have left at center.

…

Wait, what?

So about that.

If you look at what the Jazz got from Jusuf Nurkic last season, they might have a very comparable player in terms of impact. Walker Kessler is the better rim protecter, yes, but Jusuf Nurkic might bring similar production in the areas the Jazz need and is a better player in others.

If you look at a comparison of Jusuf Nurkic and Walker Kessler at Dunks and Threes, Jusuf Nurkic is just slightly less impactful than Walker Kessler according to their Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM – an all-in-one player metric that predicts a player’s contribution to the team in points per 100 possesions). Here is their comparison.

You can see that Kessler’s impact is where it really counts in his true shooting percentage and his block rate percentile. Nurkis has a surprisingly good steal rate for his position and is a legitmate weapon assisting the ball in the Jazz offense.

When you consider that Jaren Jackson Jr. provides the blocks and weakside shot blocking that they’ll miss in Kesselerm the trade makes a ton of sense. Utah will also have Nurkic as an offensive hub at times and Jackson can play off of him at multiple spots on the floor. Here’s Jackson’s EPM profile for reference.

There’s no doubt that Utah will miss some of the elements of Kessler’s game, mostly on the defensive end. Although, Utah has set themselves up to be one of the most lethal offenses in the league and Jusuf Nurkic will be a major part of it.

You also have to consider that adding Darryn Peterson will be one of the most fascinating additions any team will make this season. Utah likely couldn’t believe how much they were getting in the Kessler trade knowing that playing Nurkic would likley soften the landing for Peterson as he enters the league. Nurkic elite assists rate will allow Peterson to receive a wide array of off-the-ball shots and won’t force him into too much on-ball playmaking responsibility too soon. Now, Peterson might be so good it doesn’t matter, but this will allow him to do things like take more catch-and-shoot threes than he might have playing with Kessler.

The more you dive in, the more the trade makes sense for Utah and gives a window into how they plan to play this season, and in the future. Congrats, Lakers, you got your guy. But if you look at what the Jazz are left with, they’re in as good a spot as they were before, if not better.

Well, that was a frantic offseason.

Last time we did one of these, it was before NBA free agency and so many possibilities existed. At the time, LeBron James returning to the Lakers was certainly on the table and few would have predicted the way free agency would go.

But, with the Lakers’ offseason now (mostly) in the rear view and the WNBA trade deadline having come and gone, there’s plenty of questions to be asked. So, fire away with any of them. And if you have any questions about the young WNBA season, send them as well.

Lastly, keep things friendly along the way!

The NBA appears to have had dueling weddings on Saturday, Aug. 1 — and a Garden villain used his to troll the Knicks.

At Tyrese Haliburton’s, 50 Cent — who appears to be an Indiana Pacers fan and has been going to games for years — performed “I Get Money,” which produced the famous “I Run New York” line in the hook.

The ceremony was shortly after Haliburton and his fiancée, Jade Jones, officially tied the knot in late July at a legal ceremony at an Indiana courthouse.

50 Cent performing at Tyrese Haliburton’s wedding pic.twitter.com/zrvVgR8jIR

— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) August 2, 2026

Haliburton, who sat last season while rehabbing an Achilles injury, which he tore during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals last June, is expected to be ready for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

During Haliburton’s career, he’s been a thorn in the Knicks’ side, notably knocking them out of the playoffs in 2024 and 2025 in the Eastern Conference semifinals and finals, respectively.

That was, of course, before the 2025-26 season, which saw the Knicks capture their first title in 53 years.

50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, has had a relationship with Haliburton for years, and his wine and spirits company Sire has had a partnership with the Pacers going back to 2022.

Haliburton even congratulated the once game-changing hip hop artist turned successful TV producer on his $15 million Las Vegas residency in October of 2024.

Jackson, famously from Jamaica, Queens, has had an adversarial relationship with Knicks fans in recent years, although he did post an AI video commemorating their title run less than two months ago.

Jackson also posted on Instagram, one day before the Pacers eliminated the Knicks from the 2025 NBA Playoffs, about his back-and-forth with Knicks fans.

“I keep receiving inappropriate messages from New Yorkers,” said Jackson — famously a troll — on Instagram. “Yes the Indiana PACERS have never lost a game when I was there. The fact that you noticed is spooky, but you can’t tell me not to go see the game it’s not right.”

Haliburton’s wedding to his longtime partner, Jade Jones, appeared to be on the same day as Donovan Mitchell, who celebrated his big day with his fiancée and R&B singer Coco Jones, with various NBA players in attendance, including Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown, Bam Adebayo and Josh Hart.

Jalen Brunson stares at Jaylen Brown and calls Josh Hart from the middle of the dance floor at Donovan Mitchell’s wedding

Knicks. Sixers. Cavs. The battle for the East is wide open.

(via fchwpo/IG) pic.twitter.com/FtU91qRW2P

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 2, 2026

Russell Wilson and Ciara were also in the building.

The NBA has yet to release its 2026-27 schedule, but Haliburton’s return is one of many things expected to make the Eastern Conference endlessly competitive this season as the Knicks enter as defending champions.

We’ll put aside for the moment news that the Nets co-owners are ending their marriage. It’s encouraging that Joe and Clara Wu Tsai issued a statement that their sports assets in Brooklyn will not be affected by their impending split, but the division of assets in any divorce can be a long, grueling process. So we will hope for the best, follow the news and wish the Tsai family well.

The other big news in the last few days will likely also have lasting results. The Nets finally signed the Magic’s Moe Wagner to a two-year, $19 million contract, essentially ending speculation that Sean Marks & co. were holding out on some last-minute roster moves. So where are we:

• The Nets have 15 guaranteed contracts after adding Wagner, Keon Ellis, Julius Randle and two first rounders in Mikel Brown Jr and Joshua Jefferson while subtracting Nic Claxton, Ziaire Williams, Jalen Wilson, Ochai Agbaji, and Malachi Smith along with the rights to second rounder Isaiah Evans who was included in the Randle/Claxton trade.
• They also have Chaney Johnson returning as a two-way along with Tyler Bilodeau, their 43rd pick. One two-way remains open but our Connor Long believes the prime candidate to fill that spot will be 24-year-old 7-footer Grant Nelson who was on the Summer League roster but didn’t play as he recovers from jumper’s knee.
• While Brooklyn also extended Day’Ron Sharpe and Josh Minott but did not offer an extension to Noah Clowney who will be a restricted free agent next summer. That means Brooklyn will have the right to match any offer he may be tendered. Motivation for the 22-year-old.
• The Nets will also certainly be the NBA’s youngest roster again this season and they lead the league in both rookie contracts (eight). They will not break their record for rookie minutes, set last season at 6,716, of which the Flatbush 5 played 5,974. (Fun fact: Drake Powell led all rookies with 1,320 minutes.)
• They retain their $9.4 million Room MLE and have roughly $4.9 million in cap space they can use this season. As for next season, they will again be among the league leaders in cap space with as much as $50 million, a function of having invested in all those rookie contracts.
• The Nets remain at the top of the league in draft assets, per Yossi Gozlan ‘s capsheets.com with 13 first rounders, 10 of which are tradeable, and 19 second rounders for a total of 32. (Next closest is the OKC Thunder with 10 firsts, seven of which are tradeable, and 18 seconds for a total of 28.)
• Then, there’s Michael Porter Jr.‘s extension. Although he can be extended at any point through next July, there is an upcoming date to monitor. If a player is extended, he can’t be traded for six months. So, if the Nets extend him by August 11, they can trade him at the deadline, February 11. After that, they can’t move him till next summer. And of course, if they and he reach an impasse, they can move him at any time up to the deadline. With so many rosters set, if that comes to pass, it might be best to wait to till then.

Despite the word that Randle has told Brown Jr. that Brooklyn’s current roster will “shock the world” and the coach’s unshakeable optimism, the Nets as we have noted, kept their powder dry believing that since they aren’t likely to contend for anything this season, there was no need to expend assets. You know, the Marksist dictate that they’ll be no big acquisitions unless they “automatically and absolutely” change the direction of the franchise. They will go for broke when the time is right, they say. In the meantime, they will have to live with the near unanimous assessment that their roster is either the 29th or 30th best in the NBA (thank you to the Milwaukee Bucks.)

Of course, as we’ve said all summer long, if Brown Jr. and Demin fulfill the potential we saw in Sacramento and Las Vegas, then that’s a huge step forward. It would mean that their big gamble — trading assets from the KD, Kyrie and Harden trades to get back lottery picks in two generational drafts — paid off … lottery luck be damned.

What might the Nets do in the waning days of free agency? If anything? They might be called on to help with some other team’s attempts to make a deal, stay below thresholds or aprons and get assets in return.

Reviewing that night in June 2024

Most fans can remember where they were on some of the biggest nights in team history. When Rod Thorn traded for Jason Kidd in 2001, then again in 2004 when he traded for Vince Carter; when Billy King sent the team’s future to Boston for three players in their mid-30’s in 2013 and when Sean Marks engineered the Clean Sweep in 2019. Then, of course, were the Big Three’s exits.

Maybe right up there in the pantheon of memory is the night of June 25, 2024 when within a space of 12 minutes, news broke that Brooklyn had swapped Mikal Bridges to New York for five firsts, a first round swap and a second and had exchanged first rounders with Houston that returned the Nets firsts in 2025 and 2026 for a three future picks and swaps, all of them acquired in trades for Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. No Nets picks were harmed in the making of this deal.

The two trades, as we have insisted ever since, were essentially one big one that involved 11 first round picks or swaps plus a second, all in Drafts from 2025 through 2031 as well as a few players, led by Bridges. It is axiomatic that if a team wins a title as a result of a trade, said team won the trade, no questions asked. That of course happened in June of this year. “F*ck them picks” became almost as familiar mantra for Knick fans as “Go, New York, Go.” The two trades were also hedges against each other. If one didn’t work, the other held out some hope.

Still, let’s take a look at where we stand as free agency 2026 winds down.

• So far, the Nets have picked up Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf, Mikel Brown Jr. and Tyler Bilodeau from one deal or the other. Figuring out the heritage of each pick can get complicated. For example, Bilodeau was taken by the Nets at No. 43 in the second round this year. That pick originally had been the Clippers but it was traded from the Suns to Brooklyn on Draft Night in 2025 as partial payment for rights to Adou Thiero. He turned out to be the 2025 second the Nets reacquired in the Knicks trade then traded after taking five firsts. The Lakers ultimately wound up with Thiero.
• Nets also control the Celtics 2030 second from that deal and they have the Mavericks second also in 2030 , acquired in the trade that sent Mamadou Diakite, picked up as last minute add-on in the Bridges trade, to Memphis for Ziaire Williams. That deal had taken place two weeks later.
• On the other side of the ledger, the Nets had to give up the Suns pick in 2025, acquired in the KD trade as part of the exchange of picks with Houston. That pick became Khaman Maluach, taken two spots after Demin.
• What’s left? The Nets control the Knicks unprotected firsts in 2o27, 2029 and 2031 plus a first round pick swap in 2028. As noted, they also have the Celtics and Mavs seconds in 2030 derived from subsequent trades. On the other hand, they still have to give up the Suns first in 2027 and the rights to the two most favorable of Mavs’, Suns’ and Rockets’ first-round picks in 2029 to Houston. Brooklyn retains the least favorable first in 2029 when they also have their own first and the Knicks.

Ya never know what will transpire but the Knicks pick in 2027 does not look like a high one. Nor do the prospects for the swap of firsts with Houston, although the Draft next year is reportedly pretty ugly, particularly when compared to the last two, generally seen as generational. The 2028 Draft on the other hand is looking much better with the addition of a couple of international prospects. After that, who knows? As for the exchange of picks, let’s assume the Suns 2029 first the Nets gave Houston is a terrific. That’s fine. Demin will be in his fourth year, Brown Jr. in his third. We’ll take it.

Final Note

The Nets historically have never turned down an overseas trip. They lead the league in games played outside North American at 23 following the NBA China Games in Macao last October. It was their fourth trip to the PRC and they’ve played in arenas across the world, in Japan, England, Mexico, Italy and Israel. A lot of international teams over the years have also visited Barclays Center from Turkey to Brazil to Israel. In fact, in October 2010, after Mikhail Prokhorov bought the team, the Nets made the NBA’s first round-the-world trip, stopping in Moscow for a practice with the new boss, then on to games in Shanghai and Guangzhou before returning home across the Pacific. Have we mentioned that the Long Island Nets have played 10 “home” games the last two season as they try to build a fan base in French-speaking Canada?

They could have added to that number this year if it wasn’t for the U.S. war with Iran…

"The NBA will not play any preseason games in the Middle East…amid the war between the US & Iran…League had discussions with Cavs, Heat, Nets & Wizards…2027 World Cup is scheduled in Doha…Knicks & Sixers played preseason games in Abu Dhabi last season"pic.twitter.com/J1n3vat5vy

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) July 31, 2026

No word on where the Nets would have played, but the team has had long-term ties with the Emirate of Qatar (a relationship that recently came in for criticism from Norman Oder, the critic and chronicler of all things at Flatbush and Atlantic.) Of course, things throughout the region have been upended and no one knows for how long. It may be a while before the NBA sends another team to the Middle East.

The Dallas Mavericks announced on Sunday that they have signed forward Naji Marshall to a multi-year extension. Though the team did not disclose the terms of the deal, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the contract is a three-year, $52.2 million extension. Marshall was entering the final year of his previous contract with Dallas for $9.4 million.

Marshall, who began his career in New Orleans, originally signed with the Mavericks in the 2024 offseason. Former general manager Nico Harrison landed Marshall on a three-year, $27 million contract, a deal that was widely praised as team-friendly. The 6’8” swingman enjoyed a career statistical season for Dallas in 2025-2026, averaging a career-high 15.2 points and 3.3 assists per game on 51% shooting from the field. Marshall parlayed that success into a new deal with the Mavericks that will roughly double his annual salary in the first year. The team also announced earlier this offseason that Marshall would switch his jersey number to 3 from his previous 13.

Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall has signed a three-year, $52.2 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN. The fully guaranteed deal takes Marshall through the 2029-30 season in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/SKFfPkHdKO

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 2, 2026

President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri issued a statement shortly after the deal was made official:

Naji has earned this opportunity through the way he approaches the game every day. He is a competitive player who impacts winning in a variety of ways. His versatility, toughness and willingness to embrace every challenge make him an important part of what we’re building

The Mavericks now have upwards of $127 million invested in frontcourt players for the 2027-2028 season. With Marshall’s extension on the books, they also have just one projected 2027 unrestricted free agent on the roster, in Klay Thompson. Marshall is the second returning Mavericks player to sign a new contract with the team this offseason after Moussa Cisse was re-signed on July 18th. Dallas still has 16 players with standard contracts on the books. That number must be cut down to 15 by the time the 2026-2027 season begins.

Naji Marshall’s three-year contract extension with Dallas will start at $18.2 million in 2027-28 and decline in the following two seasons to $17.3 million in 2028-29 and $16.7 million in 2029-30, league sources tell @TheSteinLine and @DLLS_Sports. https://t.co/eVypmGMNvK

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 2, 2026

NBA insider Marc Stein reported shortly after Charania’s initial disclosure of the terms of the deal that the extension would be front-loaded. Marshall would reportedly earn $18.2 million for the 2027-28 season, with his annual salary declining to $17.3 million the following year and $16.7 million in the deal’s final year.

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While the Lakers’ biggest frontcourt addition this offseason is Walker Kessler, they also added Kevon Looney.

At 29 years old, Looney is a veteran on these new-look Lakers. He has championship experience and can provide stability at a position that has seen a ton of turnover in LA over the years.

As an unrestricted free agent, Looney had options this summer. During a recent interview on ESPN LA’s “Mason & Ireland” show, Looney discussed how he ended up with the Lakers.

“This summer’s been great. Being a free agent this year, I didn’t know what was going to happen. Lots of moving parts to this offseason with a lot of teams. Once the Lakers made a few moves and they had a need for a center, this was my top destination and I was able to make it happen and I’m super excited.”

It’s great to hear that a player who signed with the Lakers always wanted to. As a backup, he’s likely to have a smaller role, and the first part of shining in that scenario is embracing it. So far, it seems Looney won’t be having a problem with that.

He also won’t have to face Luka Dončić anymore, which he mentioned as another positive of joining the purple and gold.

“Playing against him sucks, especially being a big man. You’re in a lot of pick and rolls. You get iso’d on. He picks on people and you got to guard him 1-on-1 and he’s probably the toughest guy to guard in the league. I got peak against him on the Lakers and on the playoffs when he was in Dallas. I’m excited to be on his team and be able to learn from him and be able to play pick and roll with him. He’s probably the best pick-and-roll player in the league. So, getting to learn how he wants me to set screens and different things like that, I’m excited about it. He’s one of the best guys in the league so it makes my life a lot easier playing with him so I’m super excited.”

Luka is a pick-and-roll king. Last year, he had 648 possessions in this action, more than any other player in the NBA. The second closest was LaMelo Ball with 593.

So, being a good pick-and-roll partner with Luka will be essential if Looney is going to have a successful stint in LA. Luckily, Looney has plenty of experience having an elite player initiating this play from his Golden State days with Steph Curry.

Looney doesn’t have to be at his prime to be a productive player for LA. All he has to do is remain healthy and do the dirty work that can help open up the offense for everyone else.

So far, he seems excited to do so. Hopefully, that’ll translate to some quality minutes on the floor in the fall.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Even when Kawhi Leonard’s return to the Toronto Raptors was nothing but a fantasy, fans have long clamoured for a very specific type of archetype.

It’s a need that the front-office has struggled to fill since leaning on champions Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka – a two-way stretch five.

Anytime a player like Chris Boucher, Precious Achiuwa, Christian Koloko or Jontay Porter knocked down a three, Raptors supporters and analysts alike didn’t hesitate to post a clip to social media. During the 2019 championship run, Leonard thrived playing next to an effective stretch-five, particularly as he probed the mid-range areas.

While Toronto has never found a similar weapon to maximize Scottie Barnes’ strengths, it makes sense that fans believe this should be a priority for General Manager and Vice-President Bobby Webster.

With the start of pre-season beginning on Oct. 3, Raptors fans can continue to voice their expertise and knowledge during the upcoming season on FanDuel.

The Phoenix Suns surprised the masses last season. Going 45-37 and reaching the playoffs after trading away Kevin Durant and buying out Bradley Beal, the year was considered a resounding success by many in the league. Sure, Dillon Brooks had the best season of his career, Collin Gillespie outperformed his contract, and role players like Jordan Goodwin and Grayson Allen brought the intensity and shooting that made Phoenix a frisky regular-season team, but the main person leading the charge was Devin Booker.

After his fifth All-Star selection, Booker joined Giannis Antetokounmpo as one of only two players in the NBA to average at least 25 points per game in each of the last eight seasons. He’s had better seasons, including multiple All-NBA campaigns, but once again, he led the charge for Phoenix.

Here’s a look at his best games of the season:

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Honorable Mentions:

The 38-piece against the Warriors

Booker had two 38-point outings against the Golden State Warriors, both of which ended in road losses. In the second contest, Phoenix had a 44-32 lead but couldn’t hold it, with Golden State taking a six-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Booker shot an impressive 21-for-23 from the charity stripe in the two games combined and 23-for-39 from two. In the first matchup, he scored more points than the number of minutes he played, something he didn’t do too much this year.

In the first two months of the season, both losses came amid some of the Suns’ best basketball of the year. The first defeat was sandwiched between the team handing the eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs their first loss of the season and a five-game winning streak, while the second came before a four-game winning streak.

Booker’s 40 not enough to beat the Celtics

In one of the team’s most back-and-forth matchups of the year, Booker had a 40-piece against the Celtics, his second-highest-scoring outing of the season. However, thanks to poor execution and cold shooting late, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum had the last laugh, with Brown scoring nearly half of his 41 points in the fourth quarter.

Booker did most of the damage from inside the arc, scoring 26 points on 13-for-17 shooting.

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3. Domination in Indiana

On the first leg of a back-to-back, Booker and Jalen Green went off for a combined 79 points in a mostly easy 123-108 victory over the Pacers, with Booker scoring 43, his most in an outing during the 2025-2026 campaign. In a year when he had a lot of struggles from three, Booker went 4-for-7 from deep and 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.

When the Pacers cut the lead to two late in the third quarter, it was Booker who took care of business for the Suns, hitting multiple triples and ending the quarter with a step-back jumper to help Phoenix extend its lead to eight.

The victory was the team’s fourth in a row, and the 39-27 record it boasted after the win marked the most games above .500 it had been all year.

2. The Dagger against the Thunder

By no means was this Booker’s best statistical performance of the season. In fact, he took only 11 shots and scored below his season average with 24 points, but when his team needed him most, he delivered.

With All-NBA defender Alex Caruso draped all over him in a 105-105 game, Booker hit one of the biggest shots of his career to complete the team’s double-digit comeback against the team with the league’s best record, which had handed Phoenix its worst loss in franchise history in the semifinals of the NBA Cup the month before.

DEVIN BOOKER HITS THE TRIPLE AND WINS IT FOR THE SUNS 🚨

PHOENIX COMPLETES THE 18-PT COMEBACK TO DEFEAT THE THUNDER! pic.twitter.com/JNPazjMXTz

— NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2026

Booker’s shot capped off the team’s most impressive win of the season and marked the start of a month when Phoenix beat the No. 1 seeds in both the Eastern and Western conferences en route to Jordan Ott winning Western Conference Coach of the Month.

1. Book’s double-double hands the Spurs their first loss of the season

Only the Oklahoma City Thunder started the season stronger than the San Antonio Spurs. After San Antonio won its first five games, Phoenix handed the Spurs their first loss of the year in dominant fashion, with Booker leading the way, scoring 28 points on 10-for-15 shooting to go along with a season-high 13 assists. In one of his six double-doubles of the season, the team was plus-26 when he was on the court as the team limited All-NBA First Team selection Victor Wembanyama to nine points on 4-for-14 shooting from the field and forced him into six turnovers.

The victory was the team’s first of the season against an opponent that would finish above .500 and the start of a 10-5 month. While Booker played point guard for a significant chunk of the season, no game demonstrated his playmaking skills more than this one, as the team led by more than 30 points at times. After this game, the Suns played with a newfound confidence for the rest of the regular season that helped them remain above .500 for nearly the rest of the year.

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What did I miss or get wrong?

Guerschon Yabusele will forever go down as a weird blip in Knicks history. Many years down the line, the Frenchman’s name will be brough up in trivia and reminiscing conversations, not just for his very tumultuous time as a Knick, but also for the incredibly selfless gesture he made that allowed the Knicks to acquire Jose Alvarado.

Yabusele, the player, left a lot to be desired. There’s really no way around it. He was put in a difficult situation where he was used in a way that maybe didn’t fully highlight his strengths. And he was playing in a very limited and inconsistent role that likely made getting into a rhythm difficult. But he did himself no favors. Yabusele started off by coming into the season a bit heavier than in the season prior. When the season began, while the effort was there, not much else was. The shooting was inconsistent, if not downright bad. The paint looks, be it in transition or off of a PnR, didn’t feel or look much better. And he just didn’t offer much in any specific area of the game.

But Yabusele unexpectedly won over the hearts of fans by doing them an incredibly big favor on his way out. To make the Knicks’ trade for the Brooklyn-native possible, he amended his contract to remove his $5.8 million player option. He didn’t need to do it, especially after the way his time with the club had gone. By that point in the season, Yabusele had fallen out of the rotation, racking up occasional DNPs and playing very sparing minutes even when he did enter the game. The Knicks have the option of presenting Yabusele with a ring and he fully deserves one after the role Alvarado had in bringing the city it’s first NBA championship in 53 years.

Recently, Yabusele spoke with as.com about his decision to leave the NBA again. “I spoke with my wife, my agents, my mentor. It’s an important decision. And it’s not something I’m saying easily; it was a long process, there were many questions.” Yabusele said. “I remembered French teammates who had gone through the same thing, who were there without playing for years. I can’t do that. And it was me who decided to leave, not them. I prefer to be the one who decides .”

On his time in New York, the reserve big man did open up about how tough it sometimes was. While he still has fond memories of the city, he did candidly say, “In New York, after two or three bad games, they’re already asking to trade you”.

On conversations he had with head coach Mike Brown about his playing time and role, he revealed that, “[Mike] explained that he wanted his five starters to play 38 minutes each, plus Mitch, who deserved his 26 minutes. And that already gives you an idea of ​​what to expect. What puzzled me most was what the coach didn’t mention about others . He talked to me about the five starters, he talked to me about Mitch, but he didn’t talk about Landry, he didn’t talk about Jordan Clarkson, he didn’t talk about all the others who were also there. If you add all of them up, technically there are no minutes left. So I understood very early on that it was going to be a very complicated year.”

One interesting point was what Yabusele said about the offensive system the Knicks were running. “ What’s curious is that when I was there, if we had moved the ball like we did at Real Madrid, a bit like in Europe, moving it around, shifting it … New York would have finished first in the conference ,” Yabusele said.

The Knicks did not finish first in the regular season, but did hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy, thanks in part to adopting a more ball-movement and player-movement oriented offense for large portions of the postseason.

Yabusele concluded the interview by speaking briefly about public enemy number one in New York, Victor Wembanyama. Having played with Wembanyama on the national team, Yabusele knows him and his game well. “It’s a problem with no apparent solution. He’s still so far from his best. Every summer you come back, play against him again, and he has a new trick up his sleeve. Just when you think you know him, something new comes out.”

Yabusele, the player, ended up being a disastrous mistake, arguably for both sides. But he seems to be a genuinely selfless, caring, and team-first kind of guy. While it’s unfortunate that the signing, which at the time brough excitement, didn’t work out. Fans should be thankful for his gesture, and root for him as he becomes one of the top three highest paid players in European basketball.

Earlier this week we had a poll up asking you to grade the Dallas Mavericks’ offseason. This was a question where I simply assumed fans would give the team an A. The results were really interesting!

There’s a lot to derive from results like this. Make no mistake, the vast majority of respondents thought Dallas had a good offseason, with 73% giving either an A or a B. But the differentiation here interests me. I am the site grump; I tend to be negative about the team, and when looking at the offseason so far, I really like what they’ve done! I voted A. There are elements of what the team’s done that I am lower on, take the Morez Johnson Jr. selection for example, but by and large I am impressed with where the team started before the draft and where the team is right now. And that doesn’t factor in any additional moves to occur before the season starts.

That a significant portion voted either B or incomplete says to me that they still want more from the team. Which is understandable, given how many things are still up in the air with the roster. Perhaps if any of these more confusing logjams at forward get sussed out, then anyone feeling less than excited about the offseason will have more reason for optimism.

Those who voted C, I’d like to know more. What has the team done that you didn’t like to grant that kind of grade? I’m curious if it’s more draft or free agency-focused. If you’re high on team there’s a number of win-total bets you can make over at our partners at FanDuel.

This week’s national poll centered on the Eastern Conference. The results, particularly following LeBron James heading East, are interesting.

I think the Knicks as clear favorites here is wild; while I don’t totally believe in the 76ers, I think the Knicks got hot and played well at the ideal time. Making it last for a playoff run is different (and harder) than being the best team in a division for the regular season. But that’s why we play the games.