The NBA is going big again, and the Warriors have taken notice.
Signing stretch big man Al Horford was a top priority last offseason. The Warriors then brought in all 7 feet and 2 inches of his former Boston Celtics teammate Kristaps Porzingis at the NBA trade deadline. That kind of size is something Golden State has never seen before, and it certainly enjoyed the idea of it.
But Porzingis now is an unrestricted free agent. Horford turned 40 years old on June 3 and has a $6 million player option. Draymond Green has a much more expensive player option at $27.6 million. The Warriors also hold a $2 million team option on Quinten Post after two seasons as a former second-round pick.
These are the three best options for the Warriors to consider.
Aday Mara, C, Michigan
Might as well start as big as we can go. Literally. Mara measured in at 7-foot-3 barefoot at the combine and 260 pounds with a 7-foot-6 wingspan and a 9-foot-9 standing reach.
He then moved well for someone that big, helping answer questions about whether Mara can guard in open space at the next level. For the champions in his one season at Michigan, Mara was a shot-blocking machine, swatting 2.6 shots per game. Mara played his best during March Madness when he had five multi-block games, including two three-block games and one four-block game.
The intriguing part of Mara’s game beyond taking up so much space defensively is his vision offensively. While his offensive game might be seen as limited right now, he’s an elite passing big man, which always is going to be music to Steve Kerr’s ears.
Mara is one of the draft’s bigger wild cards, and he would change plenty about the Warriors.
Next up is someone who was a huge help to Mara in Michigan’s frontcourt. Mara is passing to Johnson in the first three clips above, either cutting, making a move in the post or soaring to slam an alley-oop. Defensively, Johnson’s relentless motor and versatility made life much easier for Mara, too.
That’s where Johnson would immediately enhance the Warriors. He brings a winning play style and an injection of badly needed athleticism. His tape does the talking, and Johnson only helped himself at the combine. Here’s a star who has awfully similar measurements to him: Bam Adebayo.
Can Johnson develop his offensive game like Adebayo has? Shooting 78.2 percent from the free-throw line, and going 10 of 25 (40 percent) from the 3-point line in Big Ten play, is encouraging.
Johnson can guard all three levels right now. He had 10 rebounds in the national championship game, five on offense and five on defense, as the rest of Michigan’s starting five combined for 13 total. The growth of his offense will just be a bonus on top.
Morez Johnson Jr. would be a great addition for many teams drafting in the lottery.
His blend of controlled aggression and coordination at 6'10" with a 7'3.5" wingspan is ridiculous. Johnson showed off a promising shooting stroke at the NBA combine and wowed us in the crowd… pic.twitter.com/WEGRg7GKc2
After a proven track record internationally in Germany, Steinbach helped his case as a freshman at Washington. He was extremely efficient, averaging 18.5 points per game and hauling a nation-leading 11.8 rebounds per game. He might have the strongest hands in this year’s draft. That sentence alone should make Warriors fans happy.
Steinbach has the size to play the 4 or the 5, and has the potential to stretch the floor. He shot 34 percent from three last season but also shot 75.9 percent on free throws and projects to be able to extend his range. And he also can run the floor well for his size.
As a passer, Steinbach isn’t Mara. As a defender, he isn’t close to Johnson. But his offense might easily outweigh both those categories, and his rebounding, especially on the offensive glass, is another reason to believe.
Statistically, Steinbach had one of the more productive freshman seasons in recent history. He’s just 20 years old and already has pro experience, giving him youth and maturity on his side.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: Ernie Johnson Jr. interviews Josh Hart #3 and Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks after the victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. 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. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – JUNE 13: Timothée Chalamet celebrates with Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks after the victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. 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. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When I woke up on the morning of Thursday, June 11, I was not in the best mood I’ve ever experienced. Nope. These finals games for an East Coaster with an earlier bedtime are tough, and when they go down to the wire and my heart is racing at midnight and I’m looking at maybe a 1.00 a.m. sleep time if I’m lucky. When the games end in a devastating and quite frankly borderline embarrassing loss for the team you would like to see win at the hands of the team you absolutely would not like to see win, it’s even worse.
The last few weeks being a Nets fan who lives in Brooklyn has not been the most fun I’ve ever experienced either. You know why. The city worked up into a frenzy over the other team, their merch everywhere, not a drop of news on our front for weeks other than what seemed like a nice vacation that MPJ took with the boys and vague, unverifiable and very perishable draft rumors. Yuck.
So I woke up cranky. On the phone with my girlfriend I told her I was in my “Quarterly Bad Mood”. I received texts about the Nets moving back to New Jersey, etc. I continue to get asked by people I do or don’t know very well, “who I’m rooting for”(???).
Then, amidst all this, on my commute to the office, the subway doors opened and looking right at me in the little area between the seats was a tall, older gentleman, maybe in his 60’s, proudly wearing a crisp, white flat-brimmed Brooklyn Nets cap! Mood completely flipped! So, I get off that subway and call my friend Drew who is also (albeit much more casually) a Nets fan and elatedly declare us “So Back!!.” The power of seeing someone else displaying their allegiance on the morning I was feeling so down about my team turned it all around. I kid you not I ordered a Nets cap shortly thereafter. The day had brightened. Hope was not lost. It was found again in the dank air of subway tunnel.
To be a fan of this team has not been and will never be for the faint of heart. We are cursed so uniquely with bad luck that I don’t think we have any rivals in that specific category. We aren’t the Kings, a poorly run franchise who can’t get out of their own way for anything. We don’t quite feel like the Mets, cursed with something deeper, darker, more twisted than any mortal minds can fully comprehend. We are just a franchise for whom nothing seems to go right. KD’s foot, draft lottery luck, COVID vaccination policies, Ben Simmons yips, the list goes on.
But bizarrely, against all odds, where we sit right now as I am typing this all out, I actually feel… pretty good? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge anyone an ounce of frustration about how the last six years have gone, I am not here to preach. You can be mad that your basketball team is bad. The point of the sport is to be good. But I would argue that for me and my journey with this team, the ideal would be having a team that is good for a prolonged period of time in a way that feels exciting and sustainable. And we are slowly but surely tracking towards that place. Plus, I’m just not prone to pessimism or complaining! See again: “Quarterly Bad Mood”. And I understand why many, many, many Nets fans seem to be in a bad place right now, but may I suggest… A little bit of a step back and a deep breath to go along with it?
Let’s break this down because I feel like there are a few misconceptions about some things or different angles at which to view situations that I’d like to present, starting with…
The Five (Former) Rookies
If I hear one more basketball pundit on a podcast where they are paid to know about and talk about and opine about basketball chortle as they refer to the Nets as having drafted “Five Point Guards” I am going to combust. Egor is a playmaking wing. Traore is a point guard. Powell is a 3-and-D wing. Saraf is maybe kind of a point guard, more likely a bit of a combo guard. And for God’s sake, Wolf is a nearly 7-foot tall forward who can also pass and shoot a little bit for a guy his size. Let’s take a look at that again… Ok one…. One and a half….. Ok yeah. One and a half point guards. Got it. You could get creative with it and just make an entire lineup out of this group! You’d have to fudge some positions a bit and I’m not saying this is the Lineup of Death or anything, but:
Traore (6’4”)
Powell (6’5”)
Saraf (6’6”)
Denim (6’8”)
Wolf (6’11”)
Heck, they could all be still growing!
Would not look ridiculous just purely on paper positionally. Certainly not if a few of them are eating enough cheeseburgers this summer because three of them were born in 2006(!!) and still skinny!
Traore, Saraf, Demin and Powell ranked among the 20 youngest players in the league. And for Egor and Nolan, I saw flashes of some useful players. I think we need to remember that not a single one of these picks was like a “can’t miss top 4 pick prospect oh my god you can’t screw this one up” guy. You cannot just expect your No. 8 pick to be an All-Star in year 1. You want that guy to be a starting caliber player and as far as I can tell Egor is tracking in that direction. Some muscle, some experience, some improvement at the rim, you have yourself a starting caliber wing. The 3-point shooting last season was a revelation and if that sticks, it’s a huge plus skill for a guy that size.
The rest of them mostly profile as interesting depth players, which for guys taken in the late first round is pretty good! Do you know what Yang Hansen, Kasparas Jakucionis, and Asa Newell did last year? Not much! And you know what that is? Fine, too!
Do I believe in Ben Saraf? No. I’ll go on record right now and say if I am betting against one, it’s him. But can Traore, Powell, and Wolf all be productive depth pieces on a good basketball team in a year or two? Absolutely. And that’s all they need to be. Will they better? You have to hope so.
The 2018-19 team we all loved (and the team I was covering the most when I wrote of NetsDaily back in the day) was built on the backs of Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, and Jarrett Allen. Solid players, good players, winning players in some cases, but not All-Stars (God bless D’Angelo’s All-Star appearance that year but like, in the perennial sense of the word).
Also, what is the problem with taking five rookies? It gets scoffed at and never ever actually dissected by some of these basketball analysts but I would love to hear… Why is that bad? This team needs players. More importantly, it needs young players who can develop. They had 5 picks. They used them and three other rooks a total of an NBA record 6,400 minutes last season. I guess the argument could be they could have traded one of the picks? But traded it for… what?… another pick? In the future? Spoiler alert for later but, we already have those. Also could we have? You don’t know what was on the table! I like that we took five rookies, take the swings! You need the swings! Historically we have been lacking in swings!
If one of these guys is a starter and three of them are productive bench players, I truly am happy and that can make up the bones of a well-rounded NBA roster. Next year will be instructive, and we’ll see what happens, but for the most part I feel good about where the rookies are right now.
The Sixth Pick
I turned my phone off and went on a walk during the Draft Lottery. My stomach hurt the whole time, I knew deep in my bones something bad was going to occur. But wow did it SUCK to turn that phone back on and see where we landed. To be honest I wasn’t even 100% sure we could fall that far. It sucks, again I am here to agree that falling that far sucks, but…
In my life as a Nets fan, which goes back to 2002 but really in an earnest, conscious way starts in 2009 (auspicious, I know), I and we have had so few young prospects to really sink our teeth into. Brook Lopez was one and he is a beloved Nets legend. We had Derrick Favors for about 28 minutes. There was a brief moment where I really honestly had to believe in MarShon Brooks. We’ve had late-round hits, we’ve had misses, but as I mentioned earlier the draft is unpredictable and anyone outside of the top picks you just have to try to find a diamond in the rough and hope for the best.
At No. 6 … it hits a little bit different. It’s actually an incredibly unenviable spot for Sean Marks. He has to nail it. There’s a cluster of guards, a few wildcards, trade-down options, but no matter what happens nothing is going to fall into his lap. The GM’s in the top of this draft barely have to do anything, just take the guy the other ones didn’t. No one would bat an eye if Boozer goes second or fourth. Peterson drops to No. 3? Ok, sure, no bad options! Wilson would be a steal at No. 4 and a great pick at 3!
But regardless of what we do and who we choose, we will be getting a guy with the highest pick we’ve had since God knows when. I mean it’s since 2010 and Derrick Favors, but I was 14 years old when that happened. I’m literally 30 years old now. It’s not that we’ve forgotten what it’s like to root for a high-potential young guy like that, I don’t think we even know how! Genuinely! Like I don’t think we have the collective experience to understand what that player’s journey might look like and how to act and respond accordingly to it. We have to brush up.
But if we nail it, and we take someone like, I don’t know, Acuff, and he starts to show real flashes of star potential, it is going to be so much fun. And then, all of a sudden, you’re developing a young core with some real wind in their sails. Which brings me to…
Cap Space/Draft Picks/Maneuverability
Lumping all of these together because they all combine to do whatever the opposite of making my stomach hurt is. My heart rate slows down when I pull up Real GM’s Future Nets Draft Picks page.
I, like many of you reading this I’m sure, were here for the Dark Times. No notable players, no picks, no cap space, no hope. It was bad. Really bad. As bad as it can possibly get, essentially. And the scary thing is, this could refer to a couple of different periods in recent memory.
Where we are now is so, so far away from the light. Even if we have to swap our pick next year we have the Knicks pick and the presumably swapped Houston pick. The year after that we have the most incredibly convoluted Real GM pick swap explanation I have ever seen but ultimately netting out in our favor as far as I can tell (go ahead and read it and report back if you have a law degree). We have the Denver pick eventually, some more Knick picks, one million second rounders, one or two others shoved in there somewhere… It’s a lot. And that is a very good thing. And more valuable than ever given the new Draft Lottery rules.
We also have cap space. Beautiful, gorgeous cap space. The second-most in the league right now according to Spotrac and a couple of pretty easy ways to create more. Marks could use that to throw a max at Austin Reaves, take on a bad contract for more draft equity, or just use it to acquire some solid players and raise the floor of what this team can do in the immediate future… or maybe a secret fourth option I haven’t thought of yet. Point being, we have options, options, options.
Did you hear that? Options! We have maneuverability! We are RICH with both money and possibilities! We are NOT the 2016 Nets. Hell, we aren’t even the 2023 Nets. Is this going to be a good basketball team next year? No!! But we are on our way!
This takes time and patience and a huge deal of effort. Not to mention luck where, again, we are fighting an uphill battle. Not every team has Victor Wemby, Stephen Castle, and Dylan Harper fall into their laps during a rebuild…
Then, of course, there’s Jordi Fernandez and his merry band of nine — count ‘em — nine assistants. Nobody has a bad word to say about him, most of all his players. For the first time since he was hired in April 2024, his marching orders are to win games, not “play the probabilities,” a nice euphemism for tanking. Moreover, Joe Tsai had his contract and those of his assistants ripped up and extended, each with a raise as well.
On Friday night, after spending a beautiful evening having drinks with friends not far from the Barclays Center, I stopped by my bodega for a snack. The guy behind the grill was, as he always is, wearing a New Jersey Nets cap. Cool guy. I guarantee someone reading this knows where I’m referring to but I’ll dox myself for the sake of the story, who cares.
After I ordered my sandwich I told him “Hey, love your hat!” which to be clear, I have 100% said before. But he works in a bodega and serves God knows how many people a day so he has absolutely no idea who I am. He gave me a thumbs up, I went to peruse the drinks (I got a Vanilla Coke) and when he handed me my sandwich both him and the other guy who is always there said with big smiles “Here you go Nets fan!” Another sign!
I emailed NetsDaily after getting off that subway on Thursday, asking if I could write this piece and I kid you not me and a guy wearing a KEVIN GARNETT Nets jersey high-fived on Thursday evening. Yep, I figured, Nets universe is healing despite what happened on the other side of the East River.
Other teams might have such hallowed celebrities as A Couple of the Haim Sisters, Bobby Bacala, and Donald J. Trump showing up to their games. There have been more bandwagon fans created in the last two weeks than ever previously considered possible. You may be getting asked yourself who you’ve been rooting for in the NBA finals despite a lifelong, loud, and proud affiliation with the Nets. Again, it’s been a rough few weeks…
So for those of us still here, clicking on NetsDaily, reading to the end of this gratuitously long essay, sifting through the swap rights in 2028, looking up Egor’s stats for the 897th time, that logo will continue to really mean something. The hat means something, the jersey and the t-shirt… More likely than not those are your honest to God fellow Nets fans. No one in their right mind would spend money on the merch for any other reason right now.
I was in Hong Kong in April and witnessed with my own two human eyes a man wearing a crisp 2003 Eastern Conference Finals Champions T-shirt, if only I knew how to speak Cantonese… We are everywhere, don’t let anyone ever tell you we aren’t. (China, for reasons quite clear, is a special case, it’s not unique.)
We will be back, it’s a matter of when, not if. And I refuse to let anyone put my team down except for myself when I’m feeling a bit cranky. In the meantime, the other guys can enjoy their damn parade and some of my fellow Nets fans will no doubt call me pollyannish. Meh!
And you know what else: in the celebrity sweepstakes, I’ll take Ethan Hawke every day of the damn week, Thursdays included.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - OCTOBER 22: Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz grabs a rebound against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half of their game at the Delta Center on October 22, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the last few days, Jazz fans have been hearing rumor after rumor about the contract negotiations between Walker Kessler and the Utah Jazz. In multiple reports, we heard different updates on how the negotiations had left Kessler and his representation frustrated. They expected more than a five-year, $140M offer. Those things are still likely true, but the story took on a life of its own, and it was reaching a point where Jazz fans were becoming frustrated. It was a valid frustration too. Kessler is a valuable player and was supposedly going to be a part of the core going forward. Now, it felt like Kessler wasn’t as interested in that.
Today, Kessler put some of those worries to rest with a timely Instagram post.
I’ve seen what’s being said, and I want it to be clear that I have always wanted to be here – I love this city, these fans, my teammates, my coaches – that’s real to me. You don’t grow roots where you don’t want to be
It’s the perfect message from Kessler to assuage Jazz fans who were getting frustrated. Kessler has been a big part of the current Jazz roster and was considered an important, maybe even vital, part of the future.
This has to be a little frustrating to Kessler, who was probably aware that the situation could get tough, but I doubt he wanted it to get to the point where fans would turn on him like what was happening. It very well might have been all his agents doing the negotiating and losing control of the situation. Now, Kessler has taken control of it, and it will likely get the fans and public perception off his back while negotiations continue. It’s not clear how long the negotiations will last, but it is nice to know that Kessler wants to be part of the future. A future that is looking very bright.
It is their first time hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy since 1973 and the city is preparing for a party fitting of the occasion. MVP Jalen Brunson and his teammates will celebrate with the city at the Knicks' championship parade on Thursday, June 18.
Here's what you need to know for the Knicks' championship parade:
How to watch the Knicks' championship parade?
Mayor Zohran Mamdani made sure fans are prepared to enjoy the Knicks' parade whether they can attend the festivities or not. "We're bringing the Knicks Championship Parade to the people - no matter where you are," he posted on social media.
The Knicks' championship parade will run down Manhattan's "Canyon of Heroes," starting near Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan and traveling north to City Hall.
While New York is still celebrating its title — the parade on Thursday in Manhattan is expected to draw more than 1 million people — the NBA offseason is coming fast. And it's coming for the Knicks roster (more on that below).
Here is all the latest
Antetokounmpo saga drags on past draft?
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam set an artificial deadline of wanting to have the Giannis Antetokounmpo saga wrapped up by the NBA Draft. It makes sense. If the Bucks want picks in this deep draft class as part of any trade, they need it done by next Tuesday.
"From what I'm hearing this could drag on into free agency. This could drag on until July…. Boston seems a little bit from what I'm hearing and gauging, Boston doesn't seem a promising destination…. I do still believe he will be moved this offseason but I'm not as certain as I was before that it'd be done before the draft."
As NBC Sports recently reported, there is a growing belief around the league that Boston isn't all in on an Antetokounmpo trade, that it was exploring options but not serious. If the Celtics are out of the mix, that just leaves the Heat, with an offer the Bucks' front office clearly doesn't love (or they would have jumped at it long ago).
For a couple of weeks now, all the rumors out of Milwaukee have sounded like a team desperately trying to drum up a bidding war, trying to find other interested teams, to spark a market that is tepid now after being hot at the trade deadline. This sounds like more of the same, and maybe the Bucks just strike a deal with Miami at the deadline and move on.
Or maybe this drama will drag on longer — but it's not like the offers are not suddenly going to get better.
Kevin Love to the Lakers?
As we reported this week, league sources have told NBC Sports there is an increasing sense that LeBron James will re-sign with the Lakers. Money and comfort level on both sides are driving that.
If he stays in LA, LeBron may reunite with Kevin Love, reports ESPN's Marc Spears.
"I'm hearing that [LeBron's] likely coming back [to the Lakers]. ... Kevin Love could likely be joining the Lakers too."@MarcJSpears gives some insight on what could be next for LeBron pic.twitter.com/EV1Qwqiixf
As expected, Washington's Trae Young will decline his $48.9 million player option for next season, reports Marc Spears of ESPN.
This is the first step to him re-signing with the Wizards on a multi-year deal at a lower number (maybe three years, $120 million, or a little less). Young is not part of the long-term future in Washington — that will be focused around whoever they draft No. 1 next week — but he will be part of the transition.
League sources said Ballmer has maintained a firm stance against a Leonard trade, preferring to continue building around his star forward.
Will the league's eventual punishment of the Clippers for the Aspiration scandal change that? Maybe. Depends on what that punishment is. Just don't expect one of the punishments to be the Clippers being forced to void the remaining year on Leonard's contract (that's not really a punishment for either side, the Clippers would get their books cleared up and Leonard would just sign a massive contract somewhere else).
Other trade rumors
• Knicks owner James Dolan admitted that, as much as he would like to run it back with his championship roster, that may not be possible because he's not taking the team into the second tax apron. From an interview on WFAN’s The Carton Show (hat tip Hoop Rumors).
"If we could bring back the whole team, exactly as it is, why wouldn't you? But I don't know if we're going to be able to. We're willing to stretch, but there's certain things in the NBA that you'd have to be suicidal to do and we're not going to do those. One of them is the second apron. Cannot go into the second apron. … I'll write as big of a check as possible, but I can't write a check that goes into the second apron."
The core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Miles Bridges are locked down. However, Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson are all unrestricted free agents, while Jose Alvarado has a $4.5 million player option. It may be tough to bring all of them back (don't be surprised if Shamet is holding the short straw when it's all done).
• The Atlanta Hawks have gauged Jonathan Kuminga's value on the trade market, reports Michael Scotto at Hoopshype. Atlanta has until June 29 to decide whether to pick up Kuminga's $24.3 million team option for next season.
• If Boston does decide to get serious about an Antetokounmpo trade — again, all the buzz in league circles is they are not serious — then there needs to be a third team to get Brown to a new home. It had previously been reported that the Bucks didn't want Brown — a player at his peak is not a fit for a rebuilding team — but now ESPN's Spears says the feeling is mutual: "I know Jaylen wouldn't want to play for Milwaukee.
• Draymond Green has a $27.7 million player option for next season, and if he picks it up, the Warriors are open to trading him, reports Anthony Slater at ESPN. That said, the expectation is he opts out and re-signs for two years at a slightly lower number (two years, $40 million?).
Feb 25, 2026; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15) controls the ball against the Portland Pilots in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike is right on the border of being picked in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft. Ike is currently ranked as the No. 64 best available prospect, according to ESPN.
Even if he ends up going undrafted, that doesn’t mean the Aurora, Colorado native can’t find his way to making the league down the road. The best way to do that is by being signed on a two-way contract, splitting his time with a big club and its G League squad.
The 24-year-old has been a proven winner and scoring threat throughout his three seasons in Spokane, Washington. During that 101-game stretch under coach Mark Few, Ike averaged 17.8 points on a shooting split of 58.9 percent from the field, 35.8 percent on three-pointers, and 79.6 percent at the free throw line. The 2025-26 West Coast Conference Player of the Year also grabbed 7.5 rebounds per game and 31 double-doubles across that span.
As a 6-9, 250-pound leftie, he’s a tad bit undersized for the center position at the next level. Ike, who does have a 7-5 wingspan and 9-2 standing reach, will look to play a sort of throwback, brute-strength power forward position primarily.
The way that he improved his ability to stretch out the floor and controlled his personal anger after frustrating foul calls that didn’t go his way was quite noticeable throughout his final collegiate campaign at Gonzaga. Nine reported NBA franchises took notice as well this offseason while bringing him in for workouts leading up to next week’s draft.
Boston Celtics
Orlando Magic
Atlanta Hawks
Minnesota Timberwolves
Charlotte Hornets
Oklahoma City Thunder
Detroit Pistons
Los Angeles Lakers
Sacramento Kings
Ike mentioned in his post-workout interview with the Sacramento Kings that he has visited 11 total teams, all looking into taking a chance.
Few has had at least one alum drafted in four of the last five years. Can Ike make it five of the last six? Even if he fails to do so, recent Zags have found major success after grinding their way through the G League. Just take a look at Los Angeles Lakers forward Drew Timme, Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard, and Brooklyn Nets guard Malachi Smith, who all went undrafted.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
Trae Young staying in Washington for too long isn’t a sure thing.
The former Hawks guard has declined his $48.97 million player option to become a free agent, according to Andscape’s Marc Spears. It cannot be officially announced until Monday.
Washington is still seen as the leader to sign the point guard even as multiple teams are expected to show interest, according to ESPN. Young expected max-contract interest from his suitors, Spears reported.
Trae Young passes the ball in the third quarter of the Wizards’ 125-117 loss to the Warriors at Capital One Arena on March 16, 2026 in Washington. Getty Images
Young is most notably known for his time with the Hawks, the team that drafted him fifth overall in 2018. The guard spent eight years with the franchise and led the Hawks during three playoff runs.
The furthest the team went was the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, where they eventually lost to the championship-winning Milwaukee Bucks. Young became a Madison Square Garden villians during that run as the Hawks needed just five games to beat the Knicks in the first round.
In the 2024-2025 season, Young led the NBA, averaging 11.6 assists per game. But that season was his last full one in Atlanta. When the 2025 season came around, the guard sprained his right MCL in the fall and missed 22 games.
He averaged only 19.3 points per game, his second-lowest mark other than his rookie season. That led to the Hawks trading him to the Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. He played just five games for Washington because of injuries.
The deal worked out for both teams: Washington grabbed a star player to help in their rebuild, while the Hawks still made the playoffs before losing to the Knicks in the first round.
Trae Young on the Wizards. NBAE via Getty Images
But now Washington has no guarantee of keeping Young. The Wizards also have another aging star in Anthony Davis, which could lead to a quick rebuild with Washington owning the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Wizrds could land a star like BYU forward AJ Dybansta or Kansas wing Darryn Peterson to join other promising youngsters, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Tre Johnson.
Free agency negotiations in the NBA begin on June 30.
NEW YORK (AP) — New York is celebrating the Knicks in classic style Thursday, throwing a ticker-tape parade for the team that brought home the NBA championship longed for by generations of fans.
The Knicks' victory — after a 53-year drought - has electrified New Yorkers, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani has predicted that Thursday’s parade might be one of the biggest in the city's history.
The mere fact that it's happening is historic in itself. Although the Knicks won the championship twice in the 1970s, the city didn't host a parade for them either time. Then-Mayor John Lindsay had cut down on ticker-tape extravaganzas for financial and other reasons, and he instead honored the Knicks at a 1970 reception at the mayoral mansion and a jampacked 1973 ceremony outside City Hall.
This time, the city is going all out.
“There will be performances, there will be New Yorkers, there will be the team and there will be history,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday.
The parade is set to start at 10 a.m. Thursday near Battery Park and head up Broadway on the skyscraper-flanked route dubbed the "Canyon of Heroes.” The procession is to end at City Hall, where the players are to get another traditional tribute: keys to the city.
Knicks legends Walt “Clyde” Frazier — a member of the ’70s champion teams — and Patrick Ewing are expected to participate in the parade, according to a person familiar with the plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the details before they were publicly announced. The person said Mike Breen, the Knicks’ play-by-play announcer on MSG Network, was set to emcee the City Hall ceremony.
Alicia Keys, the singer who collaborated with Jay-Z on the New York-loving 2009 hit “Empire State of Mind,” has been tapped to perform.
“How could I not?” Keys said Wednesday in a social media video that featured her on the phone with Knicks forward OG Anunoby.
Police plan to deploy 10,000 officers to secure the event, which follows ebullient but sometimes chaotic street celebrations and some violence during the Knicks' run to victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
“We want people to enjoy this moment,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a planning meeting Wednesday, “but public safety comes first.”
Some 650 sanitation workers have been assigned to clean up what could be tens of thousands of pounds (kilograms) of debris, if recent history is any guide.
Ticker-tape parades derive their name from the narrow strips of paper used by telegraph-era “stock ticker” machines. New York brokerage firm workers took to tossing the paper out their office windows during parades in the late 19th century, adding a swirling aerial spectacle to the festivities.
Over the years, especially up to the mid-1960s, the city rolled out ticker-tape parades to honor visiting foreign leaders, mark historic anniversaries and hail feats in aviation, war, sports, music, space travel and more.
The Knicks' parade will be the 210th, and it comes after a ticker-tape bash for the WNBA's New York Liberty in 2024.
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AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed from Southampton, New York.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: New York Knicks owner James Dolan and president Leon Rose celebrate behind the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after their team defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. 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. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s hard to truly be a buzzkill the day before a championship parade 53 years in the making, but James Dolan really seems to be trying his hardest.
In an interview with WFAN’s Craig Carton on Wednesday afternoon, the Knicks’ owner, who had gained a nice PR boost after his 15-minute speech to the Knicks in April was leaked, said a couple of things that’ll rub people the wrong way. While one isn’t basketball-related, this one is.
"There's certain things in the NBA that you'd have to be suicidal to do. One of them is the second apron. Cannot go into the second apron. I'll write as big of a check as possible, but I can't write a check that goes into the second apron."
This wasn’t a suggestion of any sort. It truly sounded like an edict from the man who’s cutting the checks.
As you can find out more from our salary cap explainer, which will continuously be updated, this is major news for the Knicks’ roster building as they look to defend their championship in 2026-27. The Knicks currently have nine players rostered (including Jose Alvarado’s $4.5 million player option) and under $17 million in space beneath the second apron.
With five mandatory spots to fill and a projected veteran minimum cap hit of $2,457,000 for next season, the Knicks will only have $4.63 million extra to play with outside of exclusively using the vet min. If the Knicks make their pick at No. 24, that pick holds a $3.325 million cap hit, so it’ll be more like $3.77 million.
In essence, this essentially means that both Landry Shamet and Mitchell Robinson have likely played their last games as a Knick, if Dolan’s word is to be believed. The Knicks are legally able to retain both for their likely market value, but would have to exceed the second apron to do so. In late May, ESPN reported that both were likely to return, so this might be a case of the front office wanting one thing and ownership wanting another.
As reigning champions, the Knicks do have an advantage in that they’ll likely have veterans lining up for “ring-chasing discounts”, so they shouldn’t have a hard time reworking the bench around tight cap parameters, especially considering they’d be able to use at least part of the taxpayer mid-level exception in the scenario they do not exceed the second apron.
If there’s any solace in this, it’s that the Knicks will have an easier time retaining rookie wing Mo Diawara, who will be a restricted free agent. Due to the weird circumstances surrounding his contract, the Knicks are legally able to match any offer sheet, but they would have to dip into their MLE to do so, which would trigger a second apron hard cap.
This means that, if someone (ahem, Brooklyn) offered Diawara a big enough deal that he would sign an offer sheet, the Knicks would have to choose between him and retaining other key free agents to exceed the second apron. Now, it’s entirely possible that NBA teams don’t view his potential in the way we’re all drooling over and he re-signs on an effective vet min, but it’s a possibility that needs to be accounted for.
Ultimately, despite it coming from the man in charge, I wouldn’t totally rule out the Knicks exceeding the second apron in 2026-27.
Why? I don’t exactly think Dolan has all the facts memorized about the aprons, especially considering we’ve already heard through the grapevine of the front office’s long-term plan of a four-year window since the KAT trade.
The penalties for being in the second apron for one year are as follows:
Not able to use the MLE
Not able to aggregate salaries in a trade
Not able to send out cash in a trade
Not able to utilize a sign-and-trade
Not able to use a trade exception
First-round draft pick in seven years (2033) is frozen and unable to be traded
The Knicks have been hard-capped at the second apron over the last two seasons because they utilized some of these. They aggregated salaries to acquire Mikal Bridges and used the mid-level exception to sign Guerschon Yabusele. That hard cap is immediately removed once the next league year begins.
So, sure, while it would suck to not be able to use the MLE, aggregate salaries in a trade, or use the 2033 pick in a trade, it would be worth it to retain a championship roster. So why is Dolan so afraid of the second apron?
If a team spends three years in the second apron in five years, the frozen draft pick is pushed to No. 30 in the draft, regardless of what record the team finishes with. As you might guess, that’s a built-in hard cap for teams because of the risk. By then, the Knicks could be in a total rebuild and wouldn’t have anything to build off of.
But the keyword is three. One year in the second apron doesn’t change that.
Is it luxury tax-related? Well, sure. If the Knicks run a payroll that high, Dolan could pay up to $90 million in luxury taxes, depending on how much the team exceeds it by. For a guy who’s paid the most luxury taxes in NBA history (including a bunch for horrendous teams), this isn’t ridiculous to keep together a champion.
But starting in 2027-28, the Knicks will be in the repeater tac, which will likely doom Dolan to spending nine figures in the luxury tax regardless of whether he’s in the second apron, but it’s not plausible for the Knicks to duck the tax this year, so this should be treated as an unfortunate inevitability.
Ultimately, we’ll know sooner than later if the head honcho’s word is bond. It would just be very hard to replicate the team’s success without paying up to retain it.
MTA to keep viral Knicks-themed NYC subway entrance through 2026-2027 NBA season.
The Knicks are going nowhere!
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the viral blue and orange 34th Street subway entrance will be kept as is through the end of next year’s NBA season “to keep the celebration going” after the Knicks’ historic Finals win.
The Madison Square Garden station was repainted in the Knicks’ iconic blue and orange scheme June 1 to honor the New York team’s first finals appearance since 1999.
The 34th Street subway entrance will keep its Knicks theme through the end of the 2026-2027 NBA season. James Messerschmidt for the NY Post
Fans flocked to the station for the perfect photo op, with many telling The Post that the remodel should be permanent.
Hochul appeared to hear the public’s pleas, and Wednesday announced that the station’s decorations will remain through the end of the 2026-2027 NBA season — when the Knicks will defend their coveted title.
Fans flocked to the subway station when it was first repainted on June 1. James Messerschmidt for the NY Post
“As we prepare to immortalize this Knicks team in the Canyon of Heroes tomorrow, it is fitting that we preserve this iconic subway entrance into next season to keep the celebrations going. The subway and the Knicks are two of New York’s most cherished institutions and now fans headed to the Garden to see the reigning champions will receive an orange and blue welcome to every game,” Hochul said.
Oscar-winning director and Knicks megafan Spike Lee flanked Hochul as she made the declaration. Both were decked out in Knicks gear.
“Nothing but orange and blue skies all around us,” Lee said.
The subway station is right outside Madison Square Garden. Courtesy of Xavier Serrano
“New York City will be Fun City again,” he added.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber teased that preserving the themed entrance will boost the “mojo” that led the Knicks to victory.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the preservation will “keep the celebration going.” James Messerschmidt for the NY Post
The “K train” will start operations at 7 a.m. with stops stretching from 168th Street to the World Trade Center.
Thursday’s ticker-tape parade will process down the famed Canyon of Heroes — and is projected to be the city’s largest parade ever. Festivities officially kick off in downtown Manhattan at 10 a.m., but access points will open at least four hours earlier.
New York’s first ticker-tape parade was held for the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in 1886.
Teddy Roosevelt and Nelson Mandela were similarly honored, as were Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, soldiers, astronauts and Olympians, the Yankees, Mets, Giants, Rangers, Liberty, Gotham FC and so many more.
Finally, after 210 official ticker-tape parades, the Knicks get their turn to enter the Canyon of Heroes.
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of one of the most beloved teams in New York City history will be honored with the franchise’s first-ever parade Thursday morning (10 a.m.) in lower Manhattan, celebrating the Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years.
The parade will begin at Battery Park and travel up Broadway to City Hall, where the Knicks will be presented with a ceremonial key to the city.
The 1970 title team was honored at Gracie Mansion. The 1973 champs were joined by roughly 2,000 fans at a celebration at City Hall. But millions are expected to partake in this long-awaited event that will rank among the largest celebrations in the city’s history, featuring (temporary) blue and orange signs declaring “Champions Way,” 2,500 pounds of confetti and the largest police presence (more than 10,000 officers) ever assigned to a planned event.
AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
“From a playoff run that left New Yorkers breathless to a tip-in that will be talked about for decades, the Knicks have earned a hero’s welcome,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement Wednesday. “We have dreamed of this moment for generations. This Thursday, our city will rise to the occasion.”
The party hasn’t stopped since the Knicks stormed the court in San Antonio, returning from their champagne-soaked celebration Sunday to begin a whirlwind tour throughout the city.
The starters (Brunson, Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart) visited “Good Morning America” and the “Today” show, with coach Mike Brown and the rest of the team joining them on “The Tonight Show.” Brooklyn native Jose Alvarado, joined by teammate Jordan Clarkson, rode shirtless in the Puerto Rican Day Parade in his native borough.
Now, they will ride on floats that felt like a fantasy to fans who suffered through the heartbreak of the 1990s, the embarrassment of the 2000s, the false hope and face-plants of the 2010s, and the climb under Tom Thibodeau. They will come together as one, as they did at watch parties throughout the city, and while taking over arenas in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland and San Antonio, witnessing perhaps the most meaningful and unifying championship run the city has ever seen.
“Not only for the alumni, but for the fans, this was healing happening in real time,” Towns said on “Good Morning America.” “This is really a once-in-a-lifetime event you’re watching in New York sports history. They haven’t seen a win in [53] years. You’re talking about a whole generation that’s passed being told about the stories of how great the Knicks are, but not actually seeing that trophy be raised by a Knicks player … now you get to see it with your own eyes that the Knicks are, again, world champions.”
New York Knicks banners adorn the facade of City Hall ahead of the ticker-tape parade that will take place on June 18, 2026 in New York City. Getty Images
Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing, among other team alumni, will ride in the parade. Mitchell Robinson will ride in one of his custom trucks. Mike Breen, the Knicks’ longtime broadcaster, will emcee the ceremony at City Hall.
And the festivities will conclude there, with Alicia Keys singing “Empire State of Mind”:
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns #32, and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson #11, after the Knicks defeated the Spurs to win the NBA Championship. Charles Wenzelberg / NY Post
After finishing the regular season fourth in the NBA with a record of 53-29 and getting swept in the second round of the NBA Playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka Dončić admits last season was “bad,” and also revealed what kind of help he needs this offseason.
Essentially Sports, reported that Dončić appeared in two different interviews within the last week. The first was with Drafteados, revealing what kind of help he needs the Lakers to give him. The other was with Marca Jorge Quiroga, where he revealed why last season was not considered a success.
Both interviews were performed in Spanish.
Luka Dončić admits last season was “bad,” and also revealed what kind of help he needs this offseason JASON SZENES/ NY POST
When it comes down to how Dončić would like Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka to construct the roster next season, Dončić admitted the team needs more shooters and a big man to help him run the pick-and-roll.
“If I have shooters, they won’t double me as much and it helps me out. I think I always need shooters around me because I usually get double-teamed a lot, so I think I need shooters,” Dončić said to Drafteados. “And some centers who can jump high and block shots.”
The request to have more shooters and a big man around him makes sense for the six-time All-Star, as he has a wide range of success running the pick-and-roll during his eight-year career.
Defenses are forced to either play under the rim or off of it as Dončić’s playing style forces them to send multiple defenders under the rim, giving Dončić the chance to pass the ball to an open shooter or give him the opportunity to lob the ball up to a big man.
As a member of the Dallas Mavericks during the 2023-2024 season, Dončić led them all the way to the NBA Finals.
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The request to have more shooters and a big man around him makes sense for the six-time All-Star, as he has a wide range of success running the pick-and-roll during his eight-year career. Getty Images
Dallas ended up dropping the series 4-1, giving Boston its 18th championship.
The pick-and-roll played a vital part in the Mavericks success that year as Dončić had the highest frequency in the playoffs that season, running the play at 40.2%, while his teammate Kyrie Irving ranked behind him at a frequency of 28.3%.
When it came down to why Dončić considered last season a disappointment, it was simply because they didn’t win a championship.
“Whenever you don’t win, it’s a bad season,” Dončić told Marca, declining to soften the assessment even with the injury as a built-in excuse. “So if you don’t win, it’s not a good one.”
For Dončić, winning is everything. He went on to tell Marca that a roster is judged on banners, not seeding.
The New York Police Department said it will deploy more than 10,000 officers for the New York Knicks' championship parade on Thursday, June 18.
The police made the announcement on social media on Wednesday, June 17, saying that the number of police officers involved in the parade will be "the largest number assigned to any planned event."
Several security measures will be in place, including K9 units and drones.
Game 5 was in San Antonio, but NYPD arrested 63 people back home as the Big Apple celebrated the Knicks' landmark victory.
Several championship parades in New York City have been attended by millions of people. The 1996 World Series celebration for the New York Yankees brought out an estimated 3.5 million fans.
According to NBC News, officials are preparing for a “potentially historic” parade for the Knicks.
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 14: Trae Young #3 of the Washington Wizards looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 14, 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Washington Wizards guard Trae Young is expected to decline his $48.97 million player option for the 2026-27 season, ESPN’s Marc Spears reported Wednesday.
Wizards star Trae Young plans to decline his $48.97 million player option for the 2026–27 season to become a FA on Monday, sources. Washington remains the front runner for the four-time NBA All-Star as he loves the team and DC, but he still expects multiple team max interest. pic.twitter.com/a3ONGQgVJK
The four-time All-Star guard will now become an unrestricted free agent on Monday. Spears reported that Young loves the team in D.C. and that Washington remains the “front runner,” which aligns with Jake Fischer’s report that “the expectation remains that Young will find a new, longer-term agreement with the Wizards.”
Young is eligible to sign a four-year, $212.9 million contract in free agency. If he re-signs with the Wizards, that maximum contract jumps to five years at $288 million.
Young, 27, was acquired by Washington in a January trade that sent CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to the Atlanta Hawks. The nine-year veteran averaged 15.2 points and 6.2 assists while shooting 59.5% from the field across five appearances with the Wizards last season.
Young missed 67 games due to several injuries, most notably a quad contusion and an MCL sprain that forced him to miss nearly two months following the trade. Back irritation and another quad contusion caused Young to miss the team’s final 15 contests.
Michael Winger revealed on the Ryen Russillo Show that Washington’s front office ranked Young as the top 2026 free agent. Rather than wait for Young to decline his player option and test free agency, the Wizards used their abundance of cap space to acquire him via trade.
“We had two avenues to add proven talent: draft and free agency. You look at the free agent prospects in the 2026 offseason, and we had a ton of cap space. At the time, we were scheduled to have $85 million in room,” Winger said. “It was our opinion that Trae Young was the best free agent on the board … We got into friendly, professional conversations with the Hawks that escalated quickly, and we ended up trading for Trae Young.”
Wizards general manager Will Dawkins applauded Young’s court vision and said the organization acquired him to serve as the team’s floor general.
“You just see the playmaking, the scoring, the presence that he has for naturally moving and sharing the ball,” Dawkins said in March.
Dawkins praised Young’s desire to be in Washington — a feeling Young shared on a recent appearance on “The Pivot” podcast.
“I wanted to go [to Washington],” Young said. “It’s not like [Atlanta] just shipped me to Washington. Because that wasn’t the case.”
Trae Young said he wanted to come to the Wizards when he discovered he would be traded last season.
“I wanted to go [to Washington]. It’s not like [Atlanta] just shipped me to Washington. Because that wasn’t the case.”
If he re-signs, Young projects as Washington’s starting point guard alongside Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr. That leaves openings in the team’s starting unit for two of the following players: Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson and whoever Washington selects with the No. 1 pick.
With the NBA Draft now under a week away, that means that information is starting to leak and teams are starting to hone in on who they want to select on June 23.
One of the names that’s been garnering a lot of attention is one that’s near and dear to Illini fans’s hearts, Keaton Wagler.
NBA insiders, journalists and media professionals alike have been putting out reports of all shapes and sizes about Wagler while trying to predict where he may end up.
And it doesn’t seem like the kid from Shawnee, Kansas, is shying away from the spotlight either, as he even made a recent appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
Let’s take a look at all the buzz surrounding Keaton Wagler before the NBA Draft.
Keaton Wagler on SportsCenter
On June 22, Wagler joined SportsCenter for an interview about his college basketball journey and what he’s bringing to the next level.
And yes, later in the show he did dispel the rumors that he can’t dunk.
"Just different ways to use my body, use my length, offensively and defensively. … From the smallest stages to the biggest stages, I can compete with anyone."
Keaton Wagler joins SportsCenter and talks about what he learned in college and will carry to the NBA 🏀 pic.twitter.com/lgyEn9KGQT
Kevin O’Connor, NBA insider for Yahoo Sports, reported that both Keaton Wagler dropped out of a workout with the Brooklyn Nets, who currently hold the No. 6 pick.
Whether this means that Wagler has high hopes of being selected by a team with a top-four pick, the Clippers have already promised to take him if he’s available or if it means absolutely nothing, it’s an interesting piece of information nonetheless.
O’Connor mentioned both Wagler and guard Kingston Flemings, who according to reports across social media competed against one another in a workout in Los Angeles.
To be clear: Wagler & Flemings didn't drop out of a Nets workout to attend a Bulls workout. They dropped out from the Nets workout after a Bulls workout had happened the week prior.
According to ClutchPoints and their NBA insider Brett Siegel, the Chicago Bulls just might be interested in trading up for the former Illini.
It wouldn’t be the first time in recent memory that they drafted a guard out of Illinois, as the Bulls drafted Ayo Dosunmu in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft.
The Chicago Bulls hold interest in trading up from the No. 15 pick to draft Keaton Wagler, sources told ClutchPoints' @BrettSiegelNBA:
"Rival teams and personnel continue to talk about the Bulls exploring possible avenues to move up from the No. 15 pick, potentially adding… pic.twitter.com/NoJDERIykp
The suspense and buzz will almost certainly continue to build up around the former Illini as we get closer to drsft night.
And when the time comes, Keaton Wagler will hear his name called in Brooklyn, New York, walk across the stage, shake commissioner Adam Silver’s hand and his NBA dreams will become a reality.
