Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason is a free agent for the first time in his career.

The former first-round pick out of LSU has grown in each of his four seasons with the Rockets. In the 2025-26 campaign, Eason averaged 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for the Rockets, making 60 appearances (34 starts) for the team.

His player profile and potential for even more growth is why Bleacher Report writer Eric Pincus listed him at No. 13 in his free agent rankings.

“Eason represents part of the team’s young core, but he’s expecting a significant pay raise,” Pincus wrote.

“If Houston pays Eason in the $20-30 million starting range, the franchise could face apron restrictions. If the Rockets pass, letting him leave as a restricted free agent (or sign-and-trade him), the team loses youth, depth, and a tough wing who is shooting 46 percent from three-point range on nearly five attempts.”

The only players that ranked higher than Eason in the rankings are Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton, Miami Heat guard Norman Powell, Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Luguentz Dort, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu, Washington Wizards guard Trae Young, Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein, Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

The Rockets have a big decision when it comes to Easton’s future. It’s clear that the team wants to invest in him, but it comes at a certain price. The Rockets would lose a lot of their rebounding prowess and physical toughness by letting Easton walk, but they could have a lot of cap flexibility if they choose to move on.

It’s a conundrum that the Rockets have to solve this offseason. There’s reason to believe the Rockets can improve with Eason on the roster, but if they don’t bring him back, they will need to make several moves to replace his value.

TDS community, how much would you pay Eason this summer? Can the Rockets afford to let him go? Let us know in the comments section below.

Draymond Green slams NBA pundits' ‘sickening' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander criticism originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hoisted his second consecutive NBA MVP trophy less than two weeks ago, and that accomplishment didn’t happen by accident.

Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the most dominant players the NBA has seen in recent memory, as he has averaged at least 30.1 points in each of the last four seasons.

The 27-year-old former first-round draft pick is just the 14th player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVPs.

But as the Thunder’s Western Conference finals series with the San Antonio Spurs has progressed, Gilgeous-Alexander is receiving criticism from national NBA pundits for the amount of fouls he draws and all the times he falls to the court after taking a shot.

That criticism of Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t sit well with Warriors forward Draymond Green, who went on a long-winded rant about the national storylines on the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” which was published Saturday, hours before Game 7 between the Thunder and Spurs.

“This series has been interesting because the storylines from this series has been, ‘Oh man, they’re pushing [Victor Wembanyama] too much,’ to ‘Oh man, Shai’s flopping too much,’ to ‘Oh man, the referees are calling too many fouls for Shai.’ ‘Oh man, Shai’s falling too much.’ And what has not really been appreciated is the level of play on the floor, the elite level of play that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander brings to the court, the elite level Steph Curry-like play that Victor Wembanyama or Steph Curry-like excitement that Victor Wembanyama brings to the floor, where you’re watching the game and at any moment when you’re not watching that game, you can miss one of the most insane things that you’ve ever seen a player do ala Steph Curry when you’re watching Victor Wembanyama.

“And it’s ironic that none of the conversation has been about that or the play of Dylan Harper, who’s a rookie and just keep finding a way and yeah, he’s had a couple bad games but he keep finding a way. Or the elite-level defense of Stephon Castle. Elite level defense, I say it again, of Stephon Castle. The ‘Stephon Castle’s turning the ball over too much [storyline]’ to two games in a row of one turnover. Why are we not talking about these things? Because sports media f—ing sucks. It’s awful. No one talks basketball anymore. But no one knows basketball anymore because the s—t is just moving too fast, huh?

“Everything’s moving too fast. And so we want to pinpoint the thing that we can slow down. Shai’s falling. Shai’s at the free-throw line. Everybody’s complaining about Shai getting too many foul calls. And going into Game 6, Shai had shot five more free throws in the series than Wemby. But the whole complaint is Shai’s getting too many foul calls. I don’t understand it.

“‘Ah man, he’s foul baiting.’ Shai, what I will say is, you’ve reached a new level of greatness, my man. Congratulations. Your hard work has paid off. You’ve reached a new level of greatness because you have sports media heads coming out and talking about what they don’t like about your greatness. Imagine that. You got people coming out talking about what they don’t like about your greatness. That’s incredible. As if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is running up and down the court with the whistle in his mouth calling the foul for himself.

“That’s what we going to act like. We going to act like this man has on a zebra shirt and he’s blowing the whistle for himself. Or we can just act like the the the complete integrity of the NBA is all off and they just calling fouls for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The NBA ain’t got no integrity. They just calling fouls for one guy. Fortunately, that theory doesn’t work because the main guy on the other side going into Game 6 has shot five less free throws when all the complaint was happen. That’s why I’m saying before Game 6. Imagine that. So that theory don’t work.

“So, maybe we can just appreciate greatness and what Shai is showing and what he’s doing and what he’s capable of. Maybe we can just appreciate the greatness. And if we’re going to appreciate the greatness for what it is, then we got to appreciate what Stephon Castle is showing us. Then we got to really appreciate what that young man is showing us, which is elite-level defense on the back-to-back MVP of the NBA.

“Now, yes, it’s a little bit tougher. [Jalen Williams] ain’t out there. Even Jay Dub was just out there. Jay Dub wasn’t out there. Ajay Mitchell ain’t out there. It makes things a little tougher on Shai. So, give Stephon Castle his credit. Also, let’s sit back and identify what’s not there, what is there, why this isn’t happening, why this is happening.

“Man, when you take your secondary ballhandler like Jalen Williams off the floor against a great team, yes, they’ve been able to do it all regular season. Yes, they’ve been able to do it through the playoffs, but now they are playing the second-best team in the Western Conference, it catches up to them at times. Then you take your third-best ballhandler, Ajay Mitchell, off the floor, catches up to you.

“So now all of a sudden, Jared McCain has to handle a little bit more, right? I don’t know that he’s best suited handling and creating for himself. Yeah, he get to it at times, but I don’t know that he’s best suited, especially not on the road. At home, a little bit more comfortable, little bit you they got they’re going to bump you a little bit less because you get the home whistle. That’s just how things go because referees are human, right? Like so that’s just how things go. You get the home whistle, you’re gonna get a better little better whistle at home, right? So they ain’t going to bump you as much. So it’s easier for a Jared McCain at home. Struggles a little bit more on the road to get to different things, right? So now you take those two secondary ball handlers off and you got more of that. It’s tougher, right? Just a little bit tougher.

“And so, but again, give Stephon Castle his credit. I don’t know why we just can’t appreciate what these guys are doing. Everybody got an opinion, but they ain’t never did it. Everybody. HOV said it. Everybody wants to tell you how to do it. They never did it. Everybody got an opinion, though. I mean, I’ve been baffled watching people talk about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Like, he just not him, like he didn’t just win back-to-back MVPs in the NBA, which is the best basketball league in the world by a long shot.

“There’s not a close second basketball league in the world to the NBA. There’s not a close second. That’s no disrespect to anyone. That’s just a fact from a money-value standpoint, talent, just not a close second. And this guy who’s been number one hands down the last two years, we really going to try to discredit him and act like it’s all because he flopped. It’s all because he drew some fouls. That’s what we really going? You all think the NBA is that easy to where this guy just flops and go to the free throw line and he becomes like the back-to-back MVP? In this league? We’re gonna really dumb the NBA down to that. That’s a shame. It’s actually sickening. It’s sickening.

“I have a fond appreciation for the work Shai Gilgeous-Alexander puts in. And I don’t know the work he put in because I don’t see him work every day. But I do know the work he put in because I know to do that again, to be the defending champ, come back, run the MVP back again. I know the work Steph Curry put in. I’ve seen that for 14 years. And the guy that I seen do that, win a championship, and then come back and run it back and win MVP. I know the work I saw him put in.

“So, I got an idea the work Shai puts in and we just going to dumb that down to a flop and drawing a foul. Man, stop it. Really? We really not going to act like this dude can’t get a bucket any which way? We really going to do that? We really going to act like the NBA is that easy of a place to succeed that he can just fall or flop and get a foul call and go to the free throw line and he going to be the back-to-back best player in that league two years in a row and we going to act like it’s just that? I’m sick of it. I am sick of it. Why we just can’t appreciate these players, man? They doing it at a high level. I’m enjoying watching it.”

Among the national analysts to criticize Gilgeous-Alexander recently are former NFL player Chris Canty and former NBA player Jay Williams.

While some might be growing tired of how Gilgeous-Alexander plays, Green is not among them, coming to the defense of the two-time NBA MVP.

Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will have a chance to advance to their second consecutive NBA Finals on Saturday night as they host the Spurs in a winner-take-all Game 7 at Paycom Center.

Green and all of SGA’s detractors will be watching.

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Game Seven. The two sweetest words in sports.

In a matchup that felt inevitable, the Top 2 seeds in the Western Conference will meet for a winner-take-all matchup at Paycom Center tonight, with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.

Victor Wembanyama has been limited on the glass by OKC’s bigs, and my Spurs vs. Thunder props expect that trend to continue.

My NBA picks for Saturday, May 30, also dig into Jared McCain’s combo line and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring prop, as both players will be leaned on heavily by the shorthanded Thunder.

It's all part of our full Spurs vs. Thunder predictions for Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.

Best Spurs vs Thunder props for Game 7

Player	Pick
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	Over 30.5 points	-120
Victor Wembanyama	Under 12.5 rebounds	-110
Jared McCain	Over 17.5 PRA	-120

Game 7 Prop #1: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over 30.5 points

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 31+ only once in this series, but his aggression and favorable home whistles will get him past his scoring line tonight. 

At home, SGA has put up 22 field-goal attempts and 10.7 free throws, compared to just 16.7 FGA and 7.3 FTA on the road.

The reigning MVP has scored 30 points in two straight games following a loss in this series, and after finishing with just 15 points in the Game 6 blowout loss, I expect him to respond with a big game, making this line bettable to 32.5.

Game 7 Prop #2: Victor Wembanyama Under 12.5 rebounds

Victor Wembanyama compiled 41 total and 14 offensive rebounds in Games 1 and 2, but he’s grabbed just 28 with eight offensive boards over his last four.

Since Game 3, Isaiah Hartenstein has done a great job limiting Wembanyama in the paint, and Chet Holmgren has come alive with 31 boards across his last three to lead all players in that span.

Hartenstein leads all players in this series in rebound percentage, and his size and physicality will continue to present problems for the slighter Wembanyama. I’ll bet this one down to 11.5.

Game 7 Prop #3: Jared McCain Over 17.5 points+rebounds+assists

Jared McCain’s impact in the Western Conference Finals shows why he was the best mid-season acquisition in 2025-26.

Over the last five games, McCain has averaged 20 PRA and hit the Over on this combo line four times, including both of his starts. In that span, he ranks second in minutes, usage, and total possessions behind only Gilgeous-Alexander.

With Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams out again, I expect McCain to stick with the first unit, leading to plenty of opportunities to score, rebound, and facilitate. This line should be priced closer to 21.5, making it a tremendous value.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

He went from hoop dream to hoop meme.

Eight years after an exasperated Knicks fan infamously sold his “fanhood” on eBay because the team was so bad, insists he’s not crying foul now that they’ve cruised into the NBA Finals. 

“I have zero regrets,” turncoat Evan Perlmutter told The Post, after the Knicks clinched their first appearance in the championships since 1999.

The sports marketing exec from Long Island auctioned off his lifelong loyalty to the home team in 2018.

His “mounting frustration” had grown steadily as the powerhouse team of the 90s — with players like Patrick Ewing and Larry Johnson, whose posters adorned his childhood room — devolved into a league laughingstock.

The frustrated 40-year-old fan blamed the team’s front office, saying “the circus . . . started from the top.”

So in one final act of desperation, he wrote an impassioned 2,000-word cry for help on eBay, entitled, “Infuriated New York Knicks fan has had enough, selling my fanhood.”

It caught the attention of a southern California YouTuber named James Riedel, who bid a cool $3,450 — on the condition that Perlmutter become a Los Angeles Lakers fan.

He did so gladly.

“I really made him a Lakers fan,” Riedel, 30, triumphantly told The Post, noting the 2020 championship win that Perlmutter relished.

Perlmutter, a former Madison Square Garden ad-sales employee, says he’s never looked back.

“All the coaches the Knicks went through, the horrible trades, the management, how they treated the fan base year over year, decade after decade, added up,” he said.

But as the Knickerbockers this month bulldozed through one playoff opponent after another (and the Lakers were unceremoniously knocked out in round 2), he’s begun to pay the price.

“You know you want to root for the Knicks now” and other taunting texts from friends are pouring in.

Still, the traitor won’t back down.

“It’s a false sense of the team being good,” he sniffed. “The cards have fallen in their favor. They’re more lucky than good.”

And he had this prediction for Knick fans: “The Knicks aren’t going to win the finals.”

But “The Damn Knicks,” a short film by Knick fan and filmmaker Bobby Friedman loosely based on Perlmutter’s life, has a different ending: The New Yorker who sell his Knicks loyalty becomes the laughing stock of the basketball world when the team turns itself around.

As the postseason continues, the offseason discussion is just beginning for the Phoenix Suns. As many on social media know, fans are trying to solve the team’s issues from last year. They want this team to succeed, and even if most of the team is back, some changes will occur.

That leaves us to discuss another player the Suns could pursue this offseason. With the Suns’ trade verdict series going strong, I want to continue that discussion by looking at another position of need. As we know, the power forward position was a glaring hole for this Suns team, and some more size was needed.

In today’s article, we will look at someone I personally have wanted the Suns to trade for in previous years and have written about in the past. That player could step in to play the power forward position in a supplementary role, still allowing the depth to develop alongside him.

So how could the Suns go about acquiring a player like Obi Toppin? Let’s break it down.

How could it get done?

When performing a one-for-one trade, there are three possibilities the Suns have up their sleeves. The first is trading Dillon Brooks for Obi Toppin, helping the Suns shed some money.

Secondly, they could trade Grayson Allen in the deal and save some money, too.

Lastly, it is the one logging Royce O’Neale, which is the only one where they would take back a little over $4 million.

With Toppin making $31 million over the next two years, this would be a solid addition without breaking the bank or making problems worse, given the dead cap money already owed.

What makes the most sense?

As I’ve stated in previous pieces, trading Brooks isn’t the right move. He has embraced this new culture and identity that the team wants to represent. Not only that, but there have been rumors surrounding his extension with Phoenix already, and he goes to Mercury games often. He is staying to put.

The other two deals, though, are where the discussion truly begins. Indiana ranked 18th in 3-point percentage at 35.6% but struggled throughout the season. Both Allen and O’Neale would add to that and bolster their role in that department.

The question, though, is with Ben Shepperd and Johnny Furphy, do they need Allen? Both of those players resemble what he could bring to their rotation, with Sheppered being a solid shooter and Furphy a driver (even if Furphy is more of a high-flyer). This points to the fact that they already have guys on cheaper contracts, which is the case. Even if Phoenix saves money in that deal, it is not the best for Indiana.

That is why, even though the Suns do take back more money in this deal, I think the best swap is Toppin for O’Neale. He would still be in that wing room, but is more of a catch-and-shoot scorer, something the Pacers lack. Add that to a veteran role off the bench, and it makes sense.

Why this could get done

for Toppin for the Suns since the 2024 offseason. His skill set would be a perfect addition at the power forward position, without giving up too much.

The power forward room needs an upgrade, and it also needs room for Rasheer Fleming and Ryan Dunn to develop. That is why they need someone to fill the starter role (like Royce) and aid their development. Toppin would do that perfectly, coming on a team-friendly contract for starters.

Then you discuss his game, and it’s clear the rebounding, high-flying forward would bring some pizazz to this team. With his fantastic finishes, he would definitely get the fans pumped with some nice lob catches or dunks. We already witnessed Collin Gillespie with Mark WIllimas and Oso Ighodaro this year. Imagine him throwing lobs to Toppin; it’s cinema. Add that with his solid rebounding and ability to block shots, and he could fit in nicely.

This year, he suffered a stress fracture in his foot, limiting him to only 24 games. Yet in the previous two years, he missed two games combined, showing that it was only one injured year. He is someone who has excelled more as a bench player, but can fill the shoes if tasked.

You add that with a 6’9” frame, and you did find the size you were lacking in the front court from last year. For a small addition, without sacrificing too much, this is a swing I’d feel comfortable with the team taking.

For the Pacers, this is where it gets difficult. With them losing their lottery pick, it is expected they will still make a win-now move. They have the core with Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and now Ivica Zubac to make another deep playoff run. That is why keeping Toppin makes sense for them, as he has been a great culture and scheme fit. However, the question arises about Jarace Walker and his long-term future. Do they prioritize the veteran Toppin and trade Walker for a better fit, or extend Walker and trade Toppin?

Personally, I think they would rather keep Toppin, but if they were interested, Royce would aid them in three-point shooting. As I mentioned earlier, having him on the perimeter as a veteran wing could help with their shooting struggles with the young guys. With Aaron Nesmith presenting a similar playstyle, he could pose as a veteran to aid his game, while also filling in if he goes cold one night.

If the Suns really value what Toppin can bring, I am sure there is a way to get him to the Valley. With Brian Gregory and Mat Ishbia at the helm, we know they can be aggressive if they want something. That is why nothing is ever out of the question with them, and that is why I think it is still possible. If the Pacers are really looking to make moves, the Suns should call about this one.

What do you think, though? Should the Suns trade for a guy like Obi Toppin, and if so, what move would you make to get it done?

All good things must come to an end, including the Western Conference Finals and my Fraternizing with the Enemy series of back-and-forth conversations with Cray Allred of the Daily Thunder. We discuss Game 6, or expectations of the deciding game, and what our favorite parts of the series have been so far.

J.R. 

I’m so excited because … it’s cliche picking time! Shall we go with all the marbles? Or do you prefer win or go home? Maybe put up or shut up? Possibly winner takes all? While I like the whole nine yards, it sounds football related, even though it isn’t, and that’s more about intensity and extent and less about finality. Here, I’ve got it: we’re headed to Game 7 for the whole shebang. Yeah, that’s the stuff. A little light-hearted, kinda quirky but gets the job done. Perfect!

Speaking of perfect, I feel like the first half of G6 was just what we needed from this series. It was more like G1 and if there’s anything better than two powerhouse squads going blow for blow through four quarters, I don’t know what it is. If I can’t get an entire game of it, 24 minutes will have to do. Seems like we’ve kinda been making do since that gem of a game two Sundays ago when it took two overtimes to decide it. 

After kind of losing their way in Game 5, when the Spurs only got Wemby the ball with a chance to both pass or score (i.e. non-lob opportunities) on 25% of their plays, they ratcheted things up and took that stat to 54% on Thursday night. That’s a huge shift and I found that even though I was hoping for Victor to live in the lane again like he did in G1, there were enough clever San Antonio plays that I didn’t miss it. 

Unfortunately, OKC’s shooting didn’t travel well which deprived us of another all-timer. But both teams’ road shooting has been disgusting recently, and I don’t know that I can expect that to change since Game 7’s are famously poor-shooting affairs what with everyone emptying the tank because there’s no tomorrow for the losers. Whoops, one of the cliches snuck out of the first paragraph. 

Alright, I’m interested in hearing from you about what you saw on the last game, and what kind of game you expect on Saturday night. 

Cray

Gosh, that double overtime Game 1 feels like a lifetime ago. It’s been so thrilling to write through such an epic series with you, even if the games haven’t been down to the wire much since that opener.

I wouldn’t be shocked by a rock fight to conclude the Western Conference Finals for the reasons you mention. I do wonder, though, if the relatively fresh legs from the Thunder (for everyone except Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, sadly) and the last gasp from the Spurs could propel us to a more high powered finish. There was no drama that would lead to a letdown for the Spurs, and low minutes were had by all the Thunder players thanks to the blowout.

I don’t know if I’ve studied the series too much or am just out of ideas, but my analysis hasn’t changed much. Here’s my copy/paste pregame analysis of Game 6, which still sounds about right to me:

“Game 5’s offensive explosion masked some cracks in the defense for OKC, which had kept them in the series through four. An elimination Game 6 should be the boost of all boosts for the Spurs, even if they’re gassed…Wemby digging deep to find another gear is something the greats all eventually get around to. Harper could recover more health, or energy, or confidence, whatever combination of those things are holding him back.”

Wemby, Harper, and the jackals delivered for San Antonio. Shai, Chet, and tragically, JDub couldn’t for Oklahoma City.

And here’s where I was at ahead of Game 5, the last time the Spurs clawed back even with the Thunder: 

“I’m taking heart in [an even] series, the bounceback capabilities of Shai and the Thunder bench, and the reality that crazy things happen in the playoffs. Shai has always been OKC’s hope, and I still believe. SGA will find a way to look more like himself, even as the sole playmaker.”

We’ve been here before, and Shai has always found a way. He’s got less help than ever, against the most formidable defensive matchup he’s faced in his postseason career. Seven games is a long time for him to crack the code, but it’s not yet too late.

I’m curious if you agree with Stephon Castle’s assessment after Game 6: has the WCF shown the Spurs to be “collectively” better than the Thunder in your eyes, or have they been fortunate to hang with OKC without their second best player virtually all series?

J.R. 

The first thing I remind myself of when I hear an athlete talking about something related to confidence is that this is a person that is literally paid to maintain a positive attitude in the face of often ridiculous odds. Here’s an example, the Spurs were down 20 points in the second half of a game this year and came back to win. How ridiculous is that? How incredibly short must your memory be to keep taking shots when they have all been missing, while still expecting that the next one is going to go in? 

This is part of the reason that it’s not just talent and size that separates us from professional athletes, there’s a mindset difference that is a big part of the equation. And that’s the kind of sodium chloride that I season with, because sometimes a pinch isn’t enough, and you need to take things with a grain silo of salt. 

As far as whether the Spurs have been good or fortunate, I’m with the girl from the Old El Paso ad: Why not both? Once San Antonio had solidified themselves in the second seed in the Western Conference, there was a lot of talk about how they wouldn’t go very far in the playoffs because they lacked experience. And then an increasing number of NBA analysts began backtracking from that point of view. But there was enough noise in that chorus that the Spurs began championing their lack of experience. There were comments made about how they had no experience and they were proud of it and how experiences is overrated or  unnecessary.

I guess that kind of talk is helpful in the same way that the guys who had to guard Michael Jordan found it useful to think of themselves as the best players in the world instead of MJ. (I’m certain Vernon Maxwell felt that way!) After all, how successful can someone be trying to defend the goat while thinking that they shouldn’t even be on the court with him? So when I hear Castle say that, I don’t mind, but I’m also not investing in it. Of course San Antonio has benefited from Oklahoma City’s injuries. Just like the Thunder has benefited from San Antonio trying to figure out who they are on the fly and from Fox and Harper being hobbled. To say otherwise would be silly. 

Speaking of silly, I feel myself getting excited for the game like I was for the series before it began, which makes no sense as these teams have now being playing each other for almost two weeks! What have been your favorite parts of the series so far, and what have you least enjoyed?

Cray

Jared McCain’s flurries, especially Game 3. Not just because of how lovable a personality and player he is, but because of how chaotic the Thunder have been pushed to play thanks to their injuries and opponent both. McCain was not Plan A, *or* B for the Thunder rotation, but worked his way into the starting rotation with fearlessness and off the bounce juice that they so sorely needed.

This postseason has become an inverse of last regular season for OKC, health-wise. In 2024-25, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein missed huge chunks of the season while JDub and Alex Caruso led the small ball Thunder to keep enforcing their defensive will on the league’s frontcourts.

Those wings played the Mighty Mouse in the House role while their teammates scrapped and clawed at entry passes, gathers, and uh-oh kickouts when other teams fed their big trying to press the size advantage. Now underhanded in the backcourt, McCain has been the surprise next man up. 

When McCain repeatedly took Kornet and Wemby to the cup in that Game 3, I was beside myself. Our smiley little prince had in fact come to slay giants.

The brief one-on-one possessions between Shai and Wemby have been another favorite, especially since SGA has tipped Vic over a couple times. I would love to see that matchup down the stretch in a close Game 7. I can already envision the slowmo shot of the ball barely clearing outstretched arms on a Shai jumper to win or lose the game–or to watch Wemby close the gap that looked to be available for the Clutch Player of the Year’s hero shot.

Honorable mentions: Isaiah Hartenstein’s impossibly accurate rainbow floaters skying higher and higher over Wemby, and Cason Wallace’s rude ripped dribbles from Dylan Harper in the full court.

What about your favorite moments and performances? I’d imagine it would be hard for much to come close to that transcendent Wemby Game 1.

J.R. 

Wemby’s exploits are always eye-catching, and it really is astounding how often he does something I’ve never seen before. The average play is Wemby going full steam down the lane into a spin move that he finishes while traveling at near full speed with his left hand as he flies past the backboard. The extraordinary play is when he pulls up from half court at the end of a half and nails a 43-footer that nearly everybody I’ve talked to about it says that they knew was good as soon as it left his hand.

Early in the series, there were terrific plays by Harper before his injury largely took him out of his scoring in Games 2 through 5, although his defense and rebounding allowed him to keep contributing as he healed. Now he seems back to terrorizing ball handlers, driving for dunks and pulling up for jumpers all over the floor.

I’ve loved Castle’s bowling ball routine and his relentless defense. I’ve appreciated Vassell’s pinpoint shooting and his perfectly timed blocks on the much taller Holmgren. KJ’s renaissance and energy has kept the Spurs in games. And before Champagnie’s shooting came back around, his defense and intelligent play have been the setting while his timely drives for buckets have been the diamond. 

Maybe most of all there’s been the chess match we discussed before; the one that has only gotten more complicated now that we’re at the ultimate game. OKC has installed entire play sets to lift Wemby out of the weak side corner so he can’t help on drives, and San Antonio has pulled Wemby away from rebounding during free throws to the front court prep lightning quick attacks because it’s safe to assume that Shai won’t miss from the line. Finally, the wrinkles that San Antonio unveiled in Game 6 with an early flare screen leading to a high pick and roll from the left side created a whole series of scoring opportunities that OKC have yet to show they can defend. 

Which brings us to today’s concluding game where we’ll see if Wemby can go off again and lift his young team into the Finals, or whether OKC thrills their home crowd and sends the visitors back to Texas to plan for next season. It’s peak BBIQ and elite execution and while I wanted to see the Spurs advance after 5 or 6, I can’t say I’m sorry it’s come down to the best of seven. Thanks for accompanying me on the journey. All the best to you. 

The Celtics have some big questions to answer this offseason. After back-to-back disappointing exits in the playoffs, Brad Stevens and the front office are likely to make significant changes in order to bolster the roster and thrust them back into legitimate title contention.

And whether it’s a Giannis trade or a less explosive move, the Celtics need to improve their front court. 

Coming into the 2025-2026 season, the Celtics center rotation was viewed as being one of the worst in the league. While Neemias Queta showed the world that was a horrendous assessment that he is a capable and even high-level starting center, it was a disaster showing from not just Queta, but all of the Celtics’ big men in the first-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.

To be fair to Queta, it was his first playoffs, and a bad series doesn’t erase an incredible regular season, nor does it mean he can’t continue to develop and stamp himself as one of the league’s more stable and impactful centers. That being said, for the Celtics to compete at the highest level, upgrading the big man room is a priority. 

I think the context of the current league landscape as it pertains to big men is important. When you examine the elite teams over the last few seasons, most of them employ high-level big men. Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic sit alone at the mountain top and are the engines of their teams’ dominance. Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein provide an elite defensive floor and ceiling for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Karl Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson are a two-way overwhelming physical force, and Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis were dominant in their own right for the Celtics on the way to a championship in 2024. While the Cleveland Cavaliers exited the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals with a whimper, they still employed two versatile big men in Evan Mobley and Jarret Allen. The only recent Eastern Conference finalist that hasn’t employed an elite big man was the 2025 Indiana Pacers with Myles Turner, but he provided the rare skill set of being a six-foot-eleven center that can shoot the three at a good clip and protect the rim at an acceptable level.

So, how do the Celtics acquire an elite big man? Do they need an elite big man? From my perspective, there are two approaches Brad Stevens could take to revamp his big man rotation: The Big Splash approach and the Platoon Approach. 

The Giannis trade

If you have watched the Western Conference Finals and wondered how anyone can stop the alien that resides in San Antonio, the answer might be a Freak from Greece. The Giannis trade that makes the most sense to me sends Jaylen Brown to Portland, Giannis to Boston, and the Bucks get their own draft picks back with Jerami Grant, Toumani Camara, and Kris Murray as the salary that goes back to Milwaukee. Everyone is happy. 

I think the injury concerns regarding Antetokounmpo are overstated. In the 2025 season, just one season ago, Giannis played 67 games and placed third in MVP voting. He then put up 33 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists in a first round series loss to the Indiana Pacers, doing so with Damian Lillard sidelined with an Achilles tear. He dragged that team as far as one human being possibly could.

The obvious counterargument is that Giannis isn’t a traditional big man, so does he actually solve your front court issues? The data says yes. Giannis hasn’t historically played at center for the majority of his minutes, but he has thrived at the five. From 2020, the year the Bucks won the title, to 2025, in minutes with Brook Lopez off the court and Giannis and Bobby Portis on the court, the Bucks had a 7.5 net rating, a number that would have ranked fifth in the NBA this past season.

Now, imagine instead of sharing the court with Bobby Portis, Giannis is sharing the court with Jayson Tatum. Giannis is a surefire top-five talent, and in my opinion, is a seamless and versatile fit with Tatum. These types of players do not become available very often. If the goal for the Celtics is to win an NBA title, passing on the upside of a Giannis trade would be a mistake. 

Can the Celtics unlock Evan Mobley’s potential? 

Evan Mobley is a fantastic basketball player, the winner of the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year, and a versatile two-way seven-footer who in theory would be a perfect fit next to Jayson Tatum. On the other hand, Mobley is prone to disappearing acts, like when he turned in a 9-point, and 1-rebound game against the Detroit Pistons in the second round. Evan Mobley paired with Jayson Tatum would be a lethal combination. Mobley gives you the defensive versatility that you lost when Al Horford left, and he gives you an offensive pop with his passing, ability to finish around the basket, and the skill to knock down the occasional three pointer.

Where this idea falls apart is the only way for the Celtics to realistically acquire Evan Mobley is by trading Jaylen Brown. The risk is too significant. Mobley has not consistently shown that he is worth the $270 million contract he signed. While Jaylen didn’t have his best playoffs, we know he is a consistent and dominant player in both the regular season and playoffs. And that’s before we factor in Jaylen’s emotional connection to the city of Boston. If the Celtics are going to trade Jaylen Brown, it needs to be for a package that is overwhelming in some combination of established talent and draft compensation. Evan Mobley does not fit that description. 

A smaller but still quite a big splash: Isaiah Hartenstein

I will say off the top that this scenario is very unlikely. The Thunder are likely to simply pick up Hartenstein’s team option this offseason and move off another player(s) salary to ensure they stay out of the second apron. However, if OKC decide they don’t want to pay Hartenstein $28.5 million next season, then the Celtics could absorb him into the $27.7 million trade exception the team generated in the Anfernee Simons trade, via a sign and trade. Again, this is very unlikely, but maybe the Thunder think it’s time to move on from Hartenstein.

This move is obviously appealing to the Celtics as they can acquire a talented big man without having to give up any significant assets. Another reason why this trade is unlikely, is that it would push the Celtics back into the luxury tax, meaning they would not be resetting the repeater tax , which they are on track to do if they stay under for one more season. However, the Celtics could get back under the luxury tax by moving Sam Hauser or Derrick White in trades that shed salary. Stevens can worry about those boring details if this unlikely scenario eventuates. 

Big Man by platoon approach 

I’m confident Neemias Queta can be a contributor on a team that wins a championship. I’m less confident that he can anchor a rotation that doesn’t have at least one if not multiple players that are close to his talent level behind him. The most simple and clean path to the Celtics improving the big man room is through the $15 millin mid-level-exception they will have access to in the offseason. If the Celtics can sign another impact big man with their MLE while also trading for another solid but cheap big man or getting a value big man on a veteran’s minimum contract, the rotation and overall foundation of the team will be in much better shape. 

Starting with an old friend, Robert Williams III. Yes, there are injury concerns. But once we move into this group of players, we start to find significant flaws with everybody. I’m not even sure Williams will be attainable for the MLE due to his phenomenal play in both the regular season, but especially in the playoffs. Despite all of the injuries, Rob still jumps off the screen with his outlandish blend of lob finishing, rim protection, offensive rebounding and high post passing. Rob is at the top of my wish list.

Next, we try to weaken an Eastern Conference rival. Welcome to Boston, Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks are going to be up against the second apron this offseason and Robinson may become a casualty of that reality. It’s hard for me to gauge the market on Robinson, but I could see him getting a contract from anywhere between $15 million and $25 million. Robinson is not without his own injury concerns, but he appears to have found the right amount of minutes for his body to allow him to decimate opponents at the rim on both ends every night. 

Our last mid-level-exception option: Sandro Mamukelashvili. I think Mamu would be a wonderful fit in Boston. He would give the Celtics more lineup versatility with the ability to play the five or the four. A small ball lineup of Mamu, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Hugo Gonzalez, and Baylor Scheierman is packed full of skill, defensive versatility, and plus rebounding. Mamukelashvili is a high-volume shooter with a great feel for the game. He would add some needed juice to the Celtics offense. 

Moving on to the bargain bin where we welcome home another old friend, Al Horford. This is a controversial name, I know. Horford has left the Celtics at some of their lowest moments. I’m willing to look past this if he is willing to return to Boston on a veteran’s minimum contract. As we saw in the Play-In Game between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, Big Al can still turn back the clock. I believe Horford still has good basketball left in the tank, and I’m not dissuaded by the loyalty stuff. Bring Al home. 

While we are taking an emotionally complicated trip down memory lane, it feels appropriate to remind everyone that Kristaps Porzingis is a free agent. I’m personally happy to be out of the Porzingis business and I understand this opinion might feel hypocritical considering I have argued for several guys with injury concerns throughout this article. However, Porzingis’ health concerns are too much for me. KP played 32 regular season games this past season. I’m out. 

Here is where I show my bias as an Australian. Jock Landale, get ready to learn what it’s like to be a beloved role player at TD Garden. Landale would add a different, but still impactful, element to the big man group. Landale lacks the typical size and athleticism to be a starting caliber center in the NBA, but he’s big enough, is a high IQ player, has an incredible motor, and is just an all-around good basketball player. And maybe most importantly, Celtics fans would get to utilize the Jock O’clock nickname. Landale would be a shrewd signing for the veteran’s minimum. 

Some trade candidate honorable mentions: 

• Isaiah Stewart – Would the Pistons be interested in Sam Hauser and Baylor Scheierman in return for the bruising big man? Stewart didn’t cover himself in glory in the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that was likely due to a lower body injury limiting his athleticism. Stewart has shown he can be an elite rim protector while flashing some three-point shooting ability. 
• Paul Reed – If the Pistons don’t want to part ways with Stewart, can we interest them in a Sam Hauser for Paul Reed, Marcus Sasser and a second round pick trade? Giving up Hauser for this return feels like the Celtics are losing the trade. However, Paul Reed would provide the Celtics another look in their big rotation. A switchable, athletic, silky passing big. As the Celtics roster stands right now, the only way for the Celtics to utilize a switch-everything defensive scheme is by playing no centers. Reed would allow the team to switch-everything, but with a big man on the court. 
• Day’Ron Sharpe – Would the Nets send Sharpe to the Celtics for a second round pick? Sharpe would then slot into the $8.2 million trade exception that was acquired in the Georges Niang trade. Sharpe fits a similar archetype to Reed. Sharpe is athletic, young, versatile, and boasts some three-point shooting upside. Both Reed and Sharpe would be great additions to the big man group. 

Some calls are worth making even when the answer is probably no. You have to at least call about Naz Reid. The Daniel Gafford and Wendell Carter Jr. conversations probably don’t get too far either. These players would likely have to be brought in through the $27.7 million trade exception. 

Free agent honorable mentions. 

• Moritz Wagner – A Celtics legend returns home. Wagner hasn’t been the same player since he tore his ACL, but that’s why the Celtics might be able to acquire him for cheap and hope that he has a resurgent season.
• Brook Lopez – Lopez’s lack of foot speed is hitting catastrophic levels. However, he is still seven-feet tall and able to consistently stretch the floor. 
• Charles Bassey – I don’t know why Bassey can’t seem to hang on to a roster spot in the NBA. Every time I see him play, he looks like an NBA player to me. 

I’m sure I have missed the player that Brad Stevens will bring in to reinforce the center rotation, but one way or another, the Celtics big man rotation will be better next season. By adding any of the names mentioned the Celtics will have improved and that’s without baking in any potential improvement from Amari Williams, or the chance that Brad Stevens drafts the next Nikola Jokic with the 27th overall pick.

The question is whether Brad and the front office have the stomach for the big swing. The platoon approach is the safer, more financially responsible path, and it may well be enough to get the Celtics back to the Finals. But safe doesn’t win titles. The Celtics won the 2024 NBA title by aggressively pursuing Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis three summers ago. If the opportunity to land Giannis presents itself, Stevens needs to take it. If it doesn’t, the platoon approach is a viable fallback. Either way, the Celtics big man rotation will look meaningfully different next season. It has to. 

The New York Knicks have been so good that they decided adding a little plot twist to their Finals run was good to make the story a bit spicier.

Alas, Mitch’s pinky went sideways.

Good news? It was just a scare in the middle of a long tale and won’t seemingly impact the big man.

Mike Brown

On Mitchell Robinson’s injury not occurring in Game 4 or practice:

“Mitchell Robinson did not sustain his broken pinky in a game or in practice.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s surgery and limiting focus to availability:

“I don’t obviously know much about the details. Obviously, I know that he had surgery and all that. For me, it’s the same thing. I haven’t — I don’t want to know. Just let me know if he can play, and when he can play.”

On the difficulty of generalizing how players handle a broken finger:

“It varies. It’s just different strokes for different folks, you know what I’m saying? Like, it may be one way for me but a different way for him — so it’s different. That’s hard to kind of generalize [playing with a broken finger] for the entire population.”

On preparing without knowing Robinson’s Game 1 status:

“For me, I’m always going with whoever is available today. And he didn’t practice today. So we’re getting whoever we need ready to go. … I don’t want to know, just let me know if he can play and when he can play. Just like we normally would, we’re getting everyone else ready to go.”

On potentially facing San Antonio or Oklahoma City in the Finals:

“If we expect to be who we think we are, then at the end of the day it doesn’t matter. If we play San Antonio, it’ll save me some money because my family lives in San Antonio. I don’t have to buy airline tickets. But at the end of the day, both teams are great and both teams will be a challenge for us.”

On the Knicks’ offensive evolution throughout the season and playoffs:

“You know, I always look at it as just evolving. You know, I came in with an idea during training camp, and for the most part, I thought it was pretty good. It didn’t fit everybody exactly how I thought it would, and so you try to tweak some things as you move along, and we made a pretty big tweak about halfway through the year. And then in the playoffs … Atlanta, they’re really good, Quin Snyder and his group. And all these teams have been really good, and they’ve made us play a little different. We played a little different where we emphasized certain things against Cleveland that we didn’t emphasize as much against Philly, that we didn’t emphasize as much against Atlanta, and so continuing to try to find ways to help the group score in the half-court was something that we all opened our minds to. After I think Game 3, it’s like, bam, here it is.”

On navigating Finals distractions and staying intentional:

“There are a lot more distractions that you have to navigate. So you have to be, I was talking to Allan Houston and he used the right word when I was talking to him about it, but you have to be real intentional about what you’re doing because you’re gonna get pulled in so many different directions. And everybody is human and it’s natural to get pulled here, get pulled a little here, get pulled a little there and think that you’re OK. But at the end of the day, after doing the media and practice, you’re getting pulled in three or four different directions because you’re gonna have your family around you, you’re gonna have friends around you, you’re gonna have people wanting tickets, you’re gonna have people wanting you to go on this show, that show. At the end of the day, you may not realize it, but it can be fatiguing for you to do all of that stuff while trying to focus on some of the biggest games of your life. Again, going off of what word Allan Houston used, trying to be intentional about everything that we do during this time, while keeping an edge, is gonna be huge.”

On staying even-keeled amid adversity:

“I feel like I’m pretty good at that. We all have had curveballs come at you that are bigger than (Robinson’s injury) in life, and trying to even do it when you have those curveballs helps you prepare for something that is really a kid’s game. So that’s what I try to do, no matter what it is.”

On welcoming input from players and coaches when adjusting his strategy:

“I get welcoming suggestions from our players. I get welcoming suggestions from our coaches, and I always just try to say, ‘Hey, this is probably the best for the team,’ and go with it. Fortunately, it helped us out during that series, and it’s helped us out since.”

On conceptual offense and playoff adjustments:

“Everybody grows in their journey. And being an assistant in Golden State helped out a lot. Almost everything they do is conceptual. When you get to the playoffs, everybody first of all knows exactly what play is coming. So if I were sitting here going ‘Two up! Two up! Two up!’ every single one of our opponent’s assistants would be like, ‘Pick-and-roll coming.’ And they know ahead of time exactly what’s coming and the game is physical, so they’re gonna really bump you to mess with your frontcourt pace, and it’s gonna disjoint you offensively. If you can understand, OK, hey, let’s get the flow. Let’s play in flow, and it’s read-and-react based off where the ball goes and where the body goes, now it’s a lot harder for their staff to help them ahead of time … And if your guys understand concepts and can play conceptual basketball offensively, come playoff time versus very good defensive teams that only get better as you advance, it gets more physical, which can disjoint you offensively, you’ll have a better chance at having some success, because like I said, they don’t know exactly what’s coming in a timely manner.”

On Karl-Anthony Towns showing more than just scoring:

“It’s awesome because KAT, everybody looks at KAT as a scorer. ‘Oh, he can score. He doesn’t do this. He doesn’t do that, but he can score.’ And to make it — especially as an All-Star/leader/one of the guys — this far, you have to bring more to the table. And it’s great because he can be able to display to the entire world that he’s more than just a talented scorer.”

On meeting Ben Stiller and celebrity Knicks fans:

“Ben Stiller was over there. I don’t think I’ve ever met Ben, but he was over there, and she was like, ‘Ben’s over there.’ I was like, ‘Go get a picture. I’m sure he’ll take a picture with you.’ [She was like], ‘No, I can’t do it.’ ”

On getting to know Fat Joe during the season:

“I’ve actually gotten to know Fat Joe a little bit. He used to kill me about my shoes. He used to kill me. He’d try to tell me I need to get some Nikes because they got more cushion and all this stuff. He took a picture with my stepson and my stepson was fired up, and I’ve always been a fan of his. But he’s probably the only one that I’ve really gotten to know.”

On Leon Rose and James Dolan building the roster:

“Leon … and his staff have done a frickin’ fantastic, fantastic job. And I’d even take it a step further. It doesn’t happen if Mr. (James) Dolan wants to keep his hands in his pocket and not allow Leon to go do his work.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On reaching the NBA Finals for the first time:

“It means a lot. To finally, like I said after [Monday’s] game, get over that hump. Being in the conference finals is a huge accomplishment, but really, we all know what we’re all looking for is the opportunity to play in the NBA Finals. As a competitor, as an athlete, you [try] to give yourself a chance every single year. The last three years I have, but finally this year I was able to, in the third year, get over that hump and give myself a chance to see what I can do.”

On the magnitude of representing the Knicks and Madison Square Garden:

“My mom, when she immigrated here, understood the magnitude of Madison Square Garden. Madison Square Garden and the Knicks is not just an American top-end sports team, it’s a worldwide brand. And to be part of Knicks history is truly such an honor. My family has always had such respect and love for the Knicks, and my father having ties to the Knicks, it was just kind of guaranteed I was going to fall into this role of being a Knicks fan growing up.”

On Jeremy Lin inspiring his Knicks fandom:

“I truly, though, I want to give a shout-out to Jeremy Lin, because he really made me a Knicks fan and had me at Modell’s going crazy trying to find his jersey. I have so much love for Jeremy Lin, he’s one of my favorite Knicks of all time, one of my favorite players of all time. He made me so passionate about the Knicks. It’s crazy now that I’m in this position, I’m in this chair, talking to you guys as a Knicks player. Derek [Lapinski, the Knicks’ PR director] showed me the other day [a video] of Jeremy Lin on social. For him to even mention me was kind of crazy because the love I have for him and what he’s done for me and my Knicks fandom is second to none.”

On trusting the roster amid uncertainty around Robinson:

“Whatever the picture ends up being, us having those trials and tribulations for the last two years where things weren’t looking good — just like at the end of December with the 2-9, 11-game stretch — it shows that we have resilience, and we’ll go out there and we trust everyone in this locker room. It’s an unfortunate thing that happened to him. If this playoff run has shown anything, I feel, to the fans and media, 1 through 15 will go out there and put the Knicks jersey on and get the job done, and we truly believe in that. So, this is a situation that we’ve garnered enough experience and trust in each other that whatever the picture ends up being when we step on that court on Wednesday, we feel confident.”

On preparing during the extended break before the Finals:

“We have to prepare, and we’re preparing every single day for whatever the situation may be, and we’re just ready. We have a lot of days — we’ve been fortunate. It’s a fortunate thing that it happens when we have a lot of time or we can figure out a lot of the puzzle. But we don’t know what the picture is yet until we get to Wednesday next week.”

Jalen Brunson

On Juan Soto using his celebration:

“It’s pretty dope to see, for sure.”

On adjusting offensively during the playoffs:

“I feel like we’ve always had different ways to approach things. What’s the frequency of what we’re running at the time? Being able to have that in our back pocket and obviously being able to adjust during the playoffs is not that easy, but it’s definitely something that we’ve practiced and we gotta continue to make good habits out of those.”

On what leading the Knicks back to the Finals means for his family:

“That’s a question, I’d love to answer later.”

On blocking out distractions during the Finals:

“I think it’s different for everybody. I’ve been off social media. I may post one thing and then just go back to deleting it. You just gotta block out the noise. You gotta do whatever you can to make sure you’re locked in. Everyone is different. Every individual has their way of blocking out things. It’s important to not hear some of the things. When there’s negative things being said about you, it’s important to ignore them. When there’s positive things about you, it’s easy to read them and feel good. You can’t do one and not the other. So just block it out as best as you can.”

On staying locked in, entering the Finals starting on the road and after another long break:

“Comparing our situation from last time, just being mentally and physically locked in. I think that’s really important for us and that’s what we have to focus on these next couple of days.”

Mikal Bridges

On handling outside praise before the Finals:

“Just worry about what we have to do to be better. Not get too into the media and all the stuff. A lot of questions, a lot of talk about how great we are, how great we’ve been. That doesn’t matter, we just gotta worry about being ourselves and stay locked in. And go win.”

OG Anunoby

On the Knicks’ long path to the Finals:

“Jules went to the Knicks. Then Thibs was hired. Drafted Mitch, RJ, Quick. Guys coming every year, getting better and better. Jalen came, Josh, Donte, Isaiah. Each year, progression. Noticed it from afar, and since I came it’s been same thing. Getting better and better each year.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s importance and taking it day by day:

“Mitch is very important. He’s an amazing player. It’s unfortunate what happened, but I’m sure — just take it day by day now.”

On the team’s health entering the Finals:

“We’re very fortunate. No one wants to have any setbacks. Any team in the playoffs is gonna have setbacks, so we’ve been pretty fortunate. [We] had this come up, [so] just take it day by day, figure it out.”

Landry Shamet

On staying focused despite reaching the Finals:

“Job’s not done. It means everything to be going to the Finals, and we’ve got a lot more to do. Really proud of this group and happy to be a part of this group, and we all know what it’s going to require from us moving forward. That’s all I’m thinking about.”

Juan Soto

On supporting the Knicks during their Finals run:

“We just gotta keep cheering for the Knicks. Let’s go Knicks.”

Carl Banks

On winning a championship in New York:

“There’s nothing like winning a championship in New York. I want it to happen for them. It’s just everybody loves you for what you did. No one can ever take that away from you. It just changes your life.”

Darryl Strawberry

On the demands and rewards of winning a title in New York:

“There’s nothing greater than winning a title in New York because you have to deal with so much animosity through the media and fans. They demand a lot. When you finally do reach that pinnacle, it brings so much joy to everyone. And it’s forever. You’re an icon. You are a hero here … It’s very hard. But the fans love you forever. I’ll put it this way, they love you forever and they embrace you because you stood up to the challenge. It’s not just about playing here. It’s about everything that goes on. If you never played here, you would never have a clear understanding of it.”

Ben Stiller

On offering to take a photo with Mike Brown’s family:

“I am available for any picture any time with any member of Mike Brown’s immediate or extended family or friends. This man has taken us to the finals. In his first year here.”

Mike Breen

On Knicks fans enduring years of struggles:

“I’m so happy for the fan base because there were so many nights where they were dreadful, one of the worst teams in the league. The fans never went away.”

On Walt Frazier being rejuvenated by this Knicks team:

“I was worried he was going to retire because he was so sick of the bad play. Now, I think he wants to keep going year after year.”

Today Harrison Barnes celebrates his 34th birthday. As one of the elder statesmen with the San Antonio Spurs, Barnes has been a leader both on and off the court. In addition to his athletic ability, his philanthropic endeavors have been recognized throughout the league.

Barnes was drafted by the Golden State Warriors 7th overall in 2012. In 2015, he won an NBA title with the Warriors. He, along with Luke Kornet, are the two current members of the Spurs with NBA Championships.

The following year, the Warriors tallied the greatest regular season record in NBA history going 73-9. In the Western Conference Finals, they met the Oklahoma City Thunder. And on May 30, 2016 — ten years ago today — Harrison Barnes won his last Game 7 against that very Thunder team, advancing to the NBA Finals.

Can Barnes and the Spurs grant a birthday victory? Let’s blow out the candles and sing him a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

This game is going to be epic. For the young Spurs, this is the most important NBA game they have ever played. In fact, after the Spurs tied the series on Thursday night, Dylan Harper stated Game 7 will be the biggest game he’s played in. When asked what was the biggest game so far, he said, “this one tonight” referring to Game 6.

For Barnes, this is his furthest he’s been in the postseason in quite some time. He has the opportunity to make it to the big show a decade after back-to-back trips in the early years of his career. Back then, he was on the court with a generational player being coached by a man who credited much of his learning to Gregg Popovich.

While the situation may bear similarities, tomorrow’s game will determine if the Spurs will make their first NBA Finals in a dozen years. The last time Barnes was in this situation, the Warriors fought their way into their second consecutive title run. He was a young player. Now, he brings institutional knowledge to a team looking to secure a shot to play the New York Knicks next week. But first, they have to get through tonight.

Happy birthday, Harrison, may this be your best day yet.

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This is not difficult. Don’t get cute. Don’t get smart. Washington Wizards general manager Will Dawkins should keep it simple and just pick the guy they think is likely to be the best NBA player and move on to the next opportunity.

There are several reasons for this. For starters, decades of NBA Draft experience says that the answer to the question in the headline is simple: do not pick for fit. Washington Wizards general manager and the team’s decision-makers would be wise to accept this lesson, even in a year with multiple high-quality prospects.

The most famous blunder stemming from picking for fit was probably when the Portland Trail Blazers chose Kentucky center Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan because they thought they needed a center.

As former Indiana University head coach Bob Knight said, “Then play Jordan at center.”

This leads me to the second major reason to pick upside and talent over fit — team needs and fit is a moving target. The reality is that no team is so talented that they can’t use another great talent. If they’re truly having a positional logjam, they can always make a trade. It turns out, other teams will pay for talented players.

But even without injuries, team needs change fast. For example, look back to 2020 when the Wizards picked Deni Avdija over Tyrese Haliburton, in large reason because the front office at the time thought they were well-stocked at guard. After all, Bradley Beal was a two-time All-Star and John Wall was slated to return.

Their trade of Wall brought back Russell Westbrook — another guard.

The case for picking Avdija was that he had good size and and some guard-like skills, and that he’d pair well with Rui Hachimura as highly switchable forwards. That was the theory.

Except…well…Haliburton was the better prospect. No insult to Avdija but still. Haliburton was crazy productive in the NCAA, had an infectious and ebullient leadership style, and a funky-junky jumper and all-around game that just worked. He was All-Rookie, and in four seasons was a two-time All-Star, twice named All-NBA, and was the best player on a team that reached game seven of the NBA Finals.

Meanwhile, back in Washington, Westbrook wanted out after a season and suddenly the Wizards were back in the market for guards.

The point: needs change. Often fast.

The third major reason to pick talent over fit is that even savvy basketball executives have difficulty determining how players actually fit together — even when the players are established veterans. The Milwaukee Bucks paid a ransom for Damian Lillard because it seemed a sure thing that Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo would make a devastating pick-and-roll combo. On the court, they were kinda okay together but true synergy never coalesced.

The reality is that skilled players usually can figure out how to work together effectively. They can develop fit. Not always, of course — ego, money, health, and other factors come into play too. But that’s true even when positions and skills seem to fit like puzzle pieces. Think about Kyrie Irving asking for a trade after three straight trips to the NBA Finals, which included winning a championship. He wanted out from LeBron James’ considerable shadow despite what seemed to be an ideal on-court fit.

The fourth major reason: NBA teams are choosing young men in their late teens or early twenties. Most prospects — especially those at the top of the draft — have been the best player on virtually every team they’ve ever played on. Some guys will learn lessons from NBA-level competition and work themselves into stars. Some will adapt themselves into roles with varying degrees of responsibility. Others won’t rise to the challenge or they’ll get distracted and never become contributors.

Which is which is challenging enough without layering on guesses about how they’ll fit on court with other NBA players.

The only exception to the rule is if two or more prospects are essentially equals. Then go ahead and pick for a perceived positional need. This kind of thing is pretty rare, though. Especially at the top of the draft.

This year’s NBA draft is strong at the top. My stat-based prospect evaluation tool Ye Olde Draft Analyzer (YODA for short) has four players with grades consistent with being the number one overall pick in most drafts — Cam Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson. But they’re not co-equals.

A strong majority of public-facing talent evaluators believe Dybantsa has the highest upside. The betting odds at FanDuel agree on the top pick and point towards a hierarchy of Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, and Wilson.

This doesn’t mean Dybantsa should be the pick. The lesson for the Wizards is to conduct a thorough evaluations, decide which of these prospects is most likely to have the best NBA career, and then pick that guy. Let the coach and the players figure out how to make it work on the floor. Make a trade down the road if they can’t. But don’t waste time guessing at perceived fit. The first step in building a great basketball team is collecting talent.

Greetings, Panthers fans. Welcome to the weekend.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread

This one is a bit personal for me.

I’ve been a Nikola Vučević fan since he was traded from Philadelphia to Orlando, and for years I hoped the Montenegrin big man would eventually suit up for the Boston Celtics. That trade to Orlando happened back in 2012, when I was still in high school. Fast forward 14 years, and the wish finally came true when Boston acquired Vučević.

Unfortunately, 12 games into his Celtics tenure, Vučević suffered a fractured right ring finger against the Dallas Mavericks and missed the next 14 games.

In the 16 regular-season games he played for Boston, Vučević averaged 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and two assists while shooting 34% from 3-point range and 43.9% from the field.

The numbers don’t jump out, but there are plenty of explanations as to why he wasn’t an instant fit. 

The biggest factor was the injury. Vučević simply didn’t get enough time on the court with his new teammates to learn everyone’s tendencies and settle into the system. From the moment he arrived in Boston, he was already playing catch-up.

Vučević has never been known as a great defender, so adjusting to Joe Mazzulla’s system was always going to take time. With such a strong emphasis on communication and knowing every assignment, he needed reps that he ultimately never got. By the time he returned from injury, he had only four games left in the regular season to ramp up before the playoffs began.

Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens also acknowledged the impact the injury had on Vučević’s season. “He’s our only unrestricted free agent. I thought, obviously, getting traded here when he did, he had some moments. Broke his finger, that probably set him back,” Stevens said. 

There were flashes during the season that showed what Vučević could bring to the roster. Against Brooklyn, he posted 28 points and 11 rebounds. In his Celtics debut against Miami, he recorded a double-double in a win.

In the playoffs, though, Vučević struggled. 

Facing the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round was never an ideal matchup for him, and that showed throughout most of the series. His season ultimately ended with a DNP-CD in Game 7.

“This was a hard matchup for all of us. I think when I looked at it the other day, he ended up being a plus in the series, but it was back and forth with all those guys,” Stevens said.

“I thought Vuč gave us all that he had and did what we asked. It was a hard matchup,” Stevens added. “I have a lot of respect for Vuč as a person and as a pro. I know he was really good in our locker room. I thought he was a really good person to have around.”

As the team’s lone unrestricted free agent, it’ll be interesting to see what Vučević prioritizes this offseason. Is it money? A contender? A mix of both?

If the Celtics want him back, they can certainly offer him a chance to compete for another title, though it would likely need to come on a team-friendly contract, if not a veteran minimum deal.

If Vučević is open to returning, I’d be all for bringing him back on a reasonable contract. He’s still a solid frontcourt option and could provide valuable depth alongside Neemias Queta and Luka Garza.

A hard-fought Western Conference Finals will culminate in a Game Seven between two of the best teams in the NBA. The San Antonio Spurs will venture to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder after a dominant 118-91 win in Game Six. It will be the biggest game of many of the young Spurs’ careers.

The Spurs took down the defending champions in Game Six thanks to an elite defensive performance. That same level of shut-down defense has been hard to come by on the road in this series. San Antonio will need to bring the same level of aggression and attention to defensive detail they’ve had at home to the sea of blue in OKC.

It all starts with Victor Wembanyama, who has been up and down in the series. When Wembanyama dominates, the Spurs do too. Oklahoma City has done whatever they can to slow down the 7-foot-4 alien. It’s on Wembanyama and the Spurs to find a way to free him up for easy looks in this elimination game.

Oklahoma City will come into Game Seven down two key players: Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Williams suited up in Game Six but looked extremely limited. He is ruled out for Game Seven. The Thunder will rely on the two-time MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the guard duo of Jared McCain and Alex Caruso to handle the ball and guard the perimeter.

The winner of Game Seven will go on to face the New York Knicks, who are on a 10-game winning streak heading into the NBA Finals. In many ways, this series has been two heavyweights trading major blows to qualify for the championship fight. We’ll see who lands the final knockout punch on Saturday night.

San Antonio Spurs (3-3) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)

May 29th, 2026 | 7 PM CT

Watch: NBC / Peacock | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: No injuries to report.

Thunder Injuries: Thomas Sorber – Out (knee), Ajay Mitchell – Out (calf), Jalen Williams – Out (hamstring)

What to watch for:

Wembanyama’s performance

It’s pretty simple: Wembanyama has to dominate for the Spurs to win. The Thunder have done everything in their power to keep him out of the paint. They’ve put stronger defenders on him to push him out of the paint. They’ve doubled him on lobs and sent two defenders at his post touches. The Spurs responded to this in Game Six by trying to get Wembanyama involved in empty-side pick-and-rolls or setting screens to get him moving toward the paint. Wemby mainly hurt the Thunder from deep in Game Six, but he’ll do his best work inside. A standout performance would establish him as one of the best players in the world.

Winning the possession battle

Mistakes will bury a team in Game Seven. Giving up second-chance points or easy buckets off of turnovers are debilitating when the stakes are high. San Antonio has done much better at taking care of the basketball since De’Aaron Fox returnred in Game Three. They have given up some offensive rebounds here and there in this series, mainly on long boards or when Wembanyama is out of position after going for a block. Minimizing turnovers and easy offensive boards will be crucial in Game Seven.

Guard play

This series has been defined by guard play. The Spurs haven’t relented guarding SGA with physical defenders like Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell. While SGA hasn’t had a great series, his teammates have picked up the slack. McCain and Caruso have been awesome at home. San Antonio can’t let the Thunder’s role players heat up. McCain and Caruso can swing this game with their effort and shot making. Similarly, Dylan Harper and Castle can give the Spurs an edge by aggressively attacking the paint and putting pressure on the Thunder’s paint defenders. Watch out for Fox’s shot making. He’s been cold all series, but could be due for a big game.

San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT

LINE: Thunder -3.5; over/under is 212.5

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Series tied 3-3

BOTTOM LINE: The San Antonio Spurs visit the Oklahoma City Thunder in game seven of the Western Conference finals. The Spurs defeated the Thunder 118-91 in the last matchup on Friday. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 28 points, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 15.

The Thunder are 41-11 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City ranks third in the league with 34.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Chet Holmgren averaging 7.0.

The Spurs have gone 36-16 against Western Conference opponents. San Antonio is second in the Western Conference with 47.0 rebounds per game led by Wembanyama averaging 11.5.

The Thunder's 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.8 more made shots on average than the 13.0 per game the Spurs give up. The Spurs are shooting 48.3% from the field, 4.6% higher than the 43.7% the Thunder's opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points and 6.6 assists for the Thunder. Holmgren is averaging 15.1 points over the last 10 games.

Stephon Castle is scoring 16.6 points per game and averaging 5.3 rebounds for the Spurs. Wembanyama is averaging 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 7-3, averaging 113.9 points, 41.2 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 10.6 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.3 points per game.

Spurs: 6-4, averaging 116.7 points, 48.7 rebounds, 25.5 assists, 9.0 steals and 7.0 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.8 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Ajay Mitchell: out (calf), Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.