Category: NBA

Most of the time when we run these SB Nation Reacts polls at Canis Hoopus, I have a pretty good idea where the results are headed before the votes even start rolling in. It is a product of spending time in the comments section, and understanding the mood of Wolves Nation. There are certain questions where the answer feels almost preordained.

This week, though, I was caught a little off guard. Not necessarily by the winner, because the answer makes a painful amount of sense. What surprised me was the margin. We asked the Canis Hoopus faithful what the biggest thing standing between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the 2027 NBA title is, and the options were legitimate. We listed real, championship-level threats.

There was Oklahoma City, sitting there like the league’s fully weaponized basketball laboratory. The Thunder have the two-time league MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a championship already tucked into their belt, a roster that plays with relentless intensity, and more assets than just about anyone else in the league to keep tinkering, adjusting, and improving. They are young, loaded, battle-tested, and somehow still positioned to get better.

There was San Antonio, the team that ended Minnesota’s season in the second round and then kept right on moving. The Spurs are the reigning Western Conference champions, led by Victor Wembanyama. He headlines a young core that is still learning, still growing, and already ahead of schedule. That is the scary part. The Spurs were not supposed to be this far along this quickly, and yet there they were, sending the Wolves home and announcing that their timeline may not care about anyone else’s plans.

And then there were the newly crowned NBA champion New York Knicks, who now stand at the top of the league with Minnesota’s former franchise star Karl-Anthony Towns and the impossible-to-rattle Jalen Brunson leading the way. The Knicks did what the Timberwolves could not do. They took down San Antonio convincingly in the NBA Finals, winning the title and putting an end to one of the longest droughts in professional sports. That team is not going anywhere either. They have toughness, identity, star power, and the kind of championship validation that turns confidence into something more dangerous. If the Wolves can claw their way through the Western Conference gauntlet, there is every chance New York could be waiting on the other side.

Those are three extremely legitimate answers. Any one of them would have made sense. You could have voted Thunder, Spurs, or Knicks and defended the choice without breaking a sweat. But according to Wolves fans, none of those teams represented the biggest threat to Minnesota’s title hopes.

Neither did injuries, which is a little remarkable considering injuries absolutely helped cripple the Wolves this past postseason. Anthony Edwards was dealing with two bad knees. Naz Reid had the shoulder issue. Ayo Dosunmu was slowed by the calf. And most significantly for next season, Donte DiVincenzo will be recovering from a ruptured Achilles, leaving a major question mark hanging over Minnesota’s rotation before the 2026-27 season even begins. Ant, Naz, and Ayo’s issues should theoretically improve with an offseason of rest and recovery. DiVincenzo’s injury is different. Donte is not walking through that door in October ready to pick up where he left off. Whether Wolves fans see him at all next season remains very much up in the air, and even if he does return, it is fair to wonder when he will look anything like the version of himself this team expected to have.

For those who have watched DiVincenzo closely over the last two seasons, his absence cannot simply be waved away. It is easy to look at his role statistically and convince yourself that Minnesota can paper over the loss with Dosunmu, more minutes for others, or some clever reshuffling from Chris Finch. But Donte’s value was never just the box score. It was the toughness. It was the willingness to dive across the floor for a loose ball in January. It was the hustle plays, the defensive pressure, the edge, the three-point shooting, and the little bursts of energy that helped raise the team’s temperature when things started to drift. Anyone who thinks losing that will not matter does not fully understand what he brought to this roster. Going to war without the Big Ragu puts the Wolves behind the eight ball before the first game has even tipped.

And still, even with all of that, the injury bug was not the top answer.

No, Canis Hoopus voters overwhelmingly declared that the biggest thing standing between the Timberwolves and the 2027 NBA title is the Timberwolves themselves. When I put that option in the poll, I will admit, it was at least partially tongue-in-cheek. But the more you sit with it, the more obvious it becomes that the answer was not a joke at all. It was probably the most accurate option on the board.

If you understand this roster, if you have watched the Wolves at their best, you know there is enough talent here to compete with anyone. That is what makes the frustration so intense. This is not a team trying to convince itself it belongs in the conversation. This is not a scrappy overachiever hoping to steal a round. The Timberwolves have a top-tier superstar, elite defenders, versatile bigs, real depth, and enough shot-making to run with the best teams in the league when everything is connected. They have already proven they can beat Denver. They have shown they can hang with Oklahoma City. They took games from San Antonio despite being compromised. The ceiling is not imaginary. We have seen it. That is why the floor stings so much.

It starts, of course, with Anthony Edwards. He will be 25 when next season tips off, right on the doorstep of his prime, and at some point the conversation has to shift from what Ant might become to what Ant is willing to demand from himself and everyone around him. He has been through multiple NBA seasons now. He has played in multiple long postseason runs. He has seen what happens when a team tries to flip the switch too late. He has felt the physical toll of getting to the Conference Finals and the emotional toll of coming up short when the path is sitting right there in front of you.

A fully mature, fully locked-in Anthony Edwards may very well be the most dangerous weapon the NBA has to offer. That is not hyperbole. When he combines his athleticism, shot-making, defensive force, playmaking growth, and competitive fire, there are very few players in the league who can match the total package. The question is whether that version shows up consistently over 82 games and four playoff rounds. Is next season the year Ant stops saving his highest engagement level for the biggest opponents and starts setting the tone every night? Is this the year he stops drifting into hero-ball possessions when the offense bogs down and instead learns how to manipulate the entire floor like the best postseason performers do? Has the pain of the last few playoff exits burned into him what it actually takes to win a championship, not just in moments, but as a daily standard?

That is the next step. Not another highlight. Not another fourth-quarter explosion that makes everyone remember why he is special. The next step is leadership through consistency. It is setting the temperature in November so the team is not scrambling to rediscover its identity in April. It is understanding that the regular season is not a chore to endure, but the place where habits are built. It is realizing that the great ones do not simply rise to the moment; they prepare so relentlessly that the moment has no choice but to meet them.

Then there is Julius Randle, assuming he remains on the roster. There may not be a more fascinating, maddening, and important swing piece on this team. When Randle is right, he gives Minnesota something it desperately needs: a second offensive force who can create his own shot, bully smaller defenders, punish mismatches, and draw attention that opens the floor for everyone else. Peak Julius is not some theoretical concept. We have seen it. There are nights when he looks like exactly the kind of co-star Edwards needs, a bruising, playmaking, downhill force who makes the Wolves more physical and more difficult to guard.

But the issue has never been whether Randle can reach that level. The issue is whether he can live there often enough. Can he get out of his own way? Can he avoid the moodiness, the inconsistency, the possessions where the ball sticks and the offense turns into a wrestling match against five defenders? Can he be the reliable second option this team needs rather than a nightly mystery box? The Wolves do not need Randle to be perfect. They need him to be dependable. They need the version that wears opponents down, rebounds with force, defends with engagement, and understands that his greatest value comes when he is not trying to prove everything on one possession.

Jaden McDaniels faces a different kind of challenge. We saw against Denver what it looks like when Jaden turns defense into a personal vendetta. There were stretches where he looked like he was trying to remove Jamal Murray from the concept of basketball. That version of McDaniels is terrifying. The question is whether he can bring that edge night after night over the long grind of the regular season. Can he turn that playoff defensive intensity into an 82-game reign of terror on opposing offenses? Can he pair it with enough offensive aggression to punish teams that ignore him, get to his spots, and avoid becoming a corner statue waiting for the occasional kick-out three?

That matters because the Wolves are not at their best when Jaden is simply a defensive specialist. They are at their best when he is a two-way problem. When he is defending the other team’s best perimeter player on one end and then attacking with confidence on the other, Minnesota’s ceiling rises dramatically. He does not need to become a 22-point-per-game scorer. He needs to be assertive enough that opponents cannot treat him like a passenger.

The broader question is whether the entire team can finally get off the roller coaster. That was the theme of last season, and frankly, of too many stretches before it. The Wolves would look like a championship team one night and then spend the next game wandering around aimlessly. They would build a lead, then act personally offended by the idea of maintaining it. They would put an opponent on the ropes and then inexplicably step back, allowing the other team to breathe, regroup, and punch back.

That cannot be who this team is if it wants to win a championship. The small plays have to become non-negotiable. Rebounds. Rotations. Closeouts. Free throws. Taking care of the ball. Not letting a 14-point lead become a two-point game because everyone decided to chuck threes and stop defending. Not treating lower-tier opponents like optional homework. If the Wolves want a top seed, and they should, it cannot be because someone tells them home court is important. It has to come from pride, from competitiveness, from the desire to build habits that survive the playoffs.

Because yes, the Wolves have proven they do not need a top seed to win a series. They have won on the road, they have won as underdogs, and they have survived hostile environments. But that does not mean seeding does not matter. It does not mean habits do not matter. It does not mean you can sleepwalk through half the regular season and assume the best version of yourself will magically appear when the lights get brighter. The postseason exposes whatever you have been all year. If you have spent six months cutting corners, eventually the bill comes due.

That is why the poll result hit harder than expected. Wolves fans are not saying Oklahoma City is not dangerous or that San Antonio is not terrifying. They are saying that the Timberwolves already have enough to make the fight real. They are saying this team’s greatest obstacle is not talent. It is execution. It is maturity. It is consistency. It is whether the Wolves can finally stop being their own worst enemy long enough to become the team they have teased us with for the last three years.

Tim Connelly can and should make tweaks. The point guard situation still needs attention. DiVincenzo’s absence creates a real hole. The roster can be sharpened. There are moves that could matter enormously. But this is not a team that needs to be saved from itself by one massive transaction. The bones of a contender are already here. The superstar is here. The defensive infrastructure is here. The playoff experience is here. The question is whether the lessons have actually sunk in.

So when the summer ends, when the standings reset, when the new uniforms are hanging in the locker room and the Wolves get another crack at this thing, we will find out what kind of team they want to be. Are they going to sleepwalk through the regular season again, bide their time, flip the switch when they feel like it, and hope April adrenaline can cover up six months of bad habits? Or are they going to show up from the opening tip and announce that something has changed? That they have grown up. That they have had enough of almost.

In the end, that is what stands between the Timberwolves and true title contention. Not SGA. Not Wembanyama. Not Brunson. Not even the injury gods, cruel as they can be. The biggest obstacle is the man in the mirror, the nightly choice between discipline and drift, between maturity and excuses, between being a team that talks about championship standards and one that actually lives them.

The Wolves have the talent to win the title.

Now they have to decide if they are willing to become the team that does.

---

The NBA season may be over, but FanDuel Sportsbook has you covered for all of your betting needs, including the NBA draft and 2026-27 season futures. Wolves +3300 for the title, anyone?

Remember when the Los Angeles Lakers hired former Duke star JJ Redick? There were a lot of people who predicted failure, that he had no experience, that they should have gone after a more established coach, say, Sam Cassell, or Kenny Atkinson, or UConn’s Dan Hurley, for whom they were ready to open the vault.

In the end, despite the controversy, they hired Redick, and he’s panned out pretty well.

In his first season, Redick won 50 games, and this past season, he won 53. In both seasons, the Lakers finished first in the Pacific Division.

His career record now stands at 164-103.

That’s all very impressive, but even more so when you consider that this team is in a long and slow transition. LeBron James is still an amazingly effective player at 41, and he works hard to maintain his presence, but he’s not the player he was a few years ago. He doesn’t work as hard on defense as he used to, and he’s not feared in the way he once was.

Ideally, this should be Luka Doncic’s team now, but Doncic has historically been poorly conditioned, and there are those who believe that, at 27, he may have already peaked.

When you get past those two, 29-year-old Austin Reaves is getting 34.5 minutes per game, then it’s Marcus Smart, who is 32, with 28.5 mpg. Rui Hachimura pulled 28.3, De’Andre Ayton is pulling 27.2, from former Demon Deacon Jake LaRavia handled 25.2 and former Blue Devil Luke Kennard, got 32.6 minutes.

Redick has done a tremendous job with a team handling what could be a difficult transition, and an uncertain future for both stars (James for age and Doncic, essentially for durability).

In one sense, the best thing for L.A. would be if James finished his career elsewhere. He’s making $52.6 million, while Doncic is getting $54.1. Additionally, Reaves will be a free agent, and while the Lakers would like to keep him, it will be difficult to keep three guys who all want big money. Who do you let go?

We’d argue for the guy who will be 42 next year. James has had a great career, but he’s going to be a free agent as well, and at this point in his career, the math is inexorable. They simply can’t pay him what they have. We could imagine him going to Dallas for a year to mentor Cooper Flagg, or perhaps the San Antonio Spurs for similar reasons, but to stay with L.A., he’d likely have to take a big pay cut.

The Lakers won’t pick in next week’s NBA Draft until the 25th pick, which could mean a shooter like Duke’s Isaiah Evans, or a risky pick like Jayden Quaintance or Koa Peat.

If James left, they would have a good bit of money to pursue free agents, like possibly Detroit’s Jalen Duren or former Blue Devil Gary Trent.

L.A. has always been a magnet for great players, and they could pull that off again via free agency. It’s just a question of the fit.

In other words, while Redick has done a tremendous job with the players he’s had, improvement for L.A. is going to be more on GM Rob Pelinka, who, to be kind, has a reputation for not being entirely straightforward.

It’s possible he could find some talent that slips through the draft, which could happen to former Blue Devil Maliq Brown, but L.A. has just one draft pick and not that many assets they could get a good return on. And given Pelinka’s reputation, that is even more complicated.

• Lakers News: JJ Redick Discusses Importance Of Adding Depth
• Lakers feel defensive concerns of Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves backcourt are overstated
• Lakers get major Dalton Knecht trade news after disappointing season
• Austin Reaves’ return to Los Angeles in jeopardy as multiple teams expected to take big swings
• JJ Redick’s successful second season leaves no doubt about his Lakers’ future
• Luka Doncic In Constant Contact With Rob Pelinka JJ Redick As Lakers Face Promised Summer Of 26 Roster Plan
• Austin Reaves’ Next Contract Could Have Massive Implications for LeBron James’ Future in Los Angeles
• Luka Dončić Tells The Los Angeles Lakers He Needs Shooters And A Rim-Protecting Center

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One thing I’ve realized since the offseason began for the Phoenix Suns is that when they’re not playing, and I’m not writing nightly articles or recording postgame podcasts, I have a lot of time on my hands. Maybe too much time.

Thankfully, I have this outlet to help fill some of that time, and this project of identifying the best player drafted at every draft position has done a stellar job of keeping me occupied. It’s also been a fun reminder of how much NBA history is tucked away in the draft, especially when you start digging into the careers of players selected outside the lottery.

Now we move into the top 20 draft positions. And that’s where things start to get really interesting.

The deeper we’ve gone into this series, the more we’ve encountered quality role players, unexpected success stories, and the occasional Hall of Famer. But once you enter the top 20, the conversations become much tougher. Hall of Famers become commonplace. Franchise cornerstones begin appearing everywhere. And some of the debates become genuinely difficult because you’re no longer comparing good players to great players. You’re comparing great players to all-time great players.

Before we begin working through the top 20 selections, let’s take a look at where we currently stand after identifying the best player drafted at each position from 60 through 21.

Pick	Player	Year
60	Michael Cooper	1978
59	Pat Cummings	1978
58	Kurt Rambis	1980
57	Manu Ginobili	1999
56	Amir Johnson	2005
55	Luis Scola	2002
54	Sam Mitchell	1985
53	Anthony Mason	1988
52	Rasual Butler	2002
51	Kyle Korver	2003
50	Steve Kerr	1988
49	Eddie Johnson	1997
48	Marc Gasol	2007
47	Paul Millsap	2006
46	Jeff Hornacek	1986
45	Bob Dandridge	1969
44	Malik Rose	1996
43	Michael Redd	2000
42	Stephen Jackson	1997
41	Nikola Jokic	2014
40	George Gervin	1974
39	Khris Middleton	2012
38	Lou Dampier	1967
37	Nick Van Exel	1993
36	Mauric Cheeks	1978
35	Draymond Green	2012
34	Carlos Boozer	2002
33	Jalen Brunson	2018
32	Rashard Lewis	1998
31	Danny Ainge	1981
30	Jimmy Butler	2011
29	Dennis Johnson	1976
28	Tony Parker	2001
27	Dennis Rodman	1986
26	Vlade Divac	1989
25	Mark Price	1986
24	Sam Cassell	1993
23	Alex English	1976
22	George McGinnis	1973
21	Rajon Rondo	2006

And now, into the top 20 we go…

20. Larry Nance (1981)

Honorable Mentions:

• Gus Williams (1975)
• Zydrunas Ilgauskas (1996)
• Jameer Nelson (2004)
• Paul Pressey (1982)

Suns Taken at 20:

• Larry Nance (1981)

You have some solid names drafted 20th overall, and this ultimately came down to a debate between Gus Williams and Larry Nance.

Gus Williams is one of those players who has largely been lost to history. As we just watched Jalen Brunson lead a team to a championship despite being undersized, that’s somewhat reminiscent of what Gus Williams accomplished in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was a two-time All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection, and won a championship with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979. For many people, that résumé would be enough to earn him this spot.

But I’m going with Larry Nance. Part of that is admittedly hometown bias. Nance was drafted by the Phoenix Suns out of Clemson in 1981, and Suns fans know exactly how impactful he was during his time in the Valley.

Beyond that, his impact on the game extended beyond the box score. Nance became one of the league’s premier high flyers and won the inaugural Slam Dunk Contest in 1984, helping popularize an event that would become one of the NBA’s signature attractions as the league continued its rise in popularity.

He was much more than a dunker, however. During the 1986-87 season, Nance averaged 22.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, showcasing the complete skill set that made him one of the league’s better forwards. For his career, he averaged 17.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game across 13 NBA seasons.

His greatest impact may have come on the defensive end. Nance earned three All-Defensive Team selections, including one First Team honor, using his length, athleticism, and timing to become one of the better shot-blocking forwards of his era. He also earned three All-Star selections during his career.

Interestingly, two of those All-Star appearances came after the Suns traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1988. That deal became one of the most important transactions in franchise history, bringing Kevin Johnson, Mark West, the draft pick that became Dan Majerle, and additional assets back to Phoenix.For Cleveland, they received an All-Star-caliber forward. For Phoenix, they received pieces that helped build a contender. 

Either way, Larry Nance proved to be a hell of a player.

19. Tiny Archibald (1970)

Honorable Mentions:

• Zach Randolph (2001)
• Jerry Sloan (1964)
• John Paxson (1983)
• Rod Strickland (1988)

Suns Taken at 19:

• Marty Byrnes (1978)

If you want to talk about undersized players who made a massive impact on the game, look no further than the best player ever selected 19th overall: Tiny Archibald. At 6’1”, Archibald proved that size wasn’t a prerequisite for greatness.

Drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in 1970, he quickly established himself as one of the league’s most dynamic offensive players. By his third season, he was doing something that remains one of the most impressive accomplishments in NBA history: He led the league in both scoring and assists. During the 1972-73 season, Archibald averaged 34.0 points and 11.4 assists per game, becoming the first player ever to lead the NBA in both categories in the same season. It was also the first of his six All-Star appearances.

What made Tiny so difficult to defend was his ability to get downhill. He constantly attacked the basket, put pressure on defenses, and found ways to get to the free throw line. Three times early in his career, he led the league in free throws made, a testament to how relentlessly he pressured opponents.

Unfortunately, injuries interrupted what could have been an even greater career. In 1978, while playing for the Buffalo Braves, Archibald suffered a torn Achilles tendon. It was a devastating injury at a time when medical advancements weren’t what they are today. His recovery took time, and shortly thereafter, he was traded to the Boston Celtics. That’s where the final chapter of his career became complete.

In 1981, at 32 years old, Archibald helped lead the Celtics to an NBA championship. While he was no longer the scoring machine he had been in his prime, he still contributed 10.3 points and 5.5 assists per game during that title run and provided veteran leadership for one of the great teams of that era.

When you step back and look at the résumé, it’s incredibly impressive. Archibald was a six-time All-Star, a five-time All-NBA selection, the 1973 scoring champion, a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, and a Hall of Famer. That’s a remarkable career for any player, let alone one selected 19th overall.

And there’s even a connection to Arizona. Before transferring to the University of Texas at El Paso, Archibald played at Arizona Western College in Yuma, making him yet another great player with ties to the Grand Canyon State.

18. Joe Dumars (1985)

Honorable Mentions:

• Mark Jackson (1987)
• Calvin Murphy (1970)
• David West (2003)
• Quentin Richardson (2000)
• JR Smith (2004)

Suns Taken at 18:

• Tyler Ennis (2014)

As we arrive at draft slot No. 18, the honorable mention list starts getting a little longer. There are some quality names here. Mark Jackson deserves recognition for the way he orchestrated offenses throughout his career and for being one of the better pure facilitators of his era. But when it comes to the best player ever selected 18th overall, it’s Joe Dumars, and it’s really not that close.

The Detroit Pistons drafted Dumars out of McNeese State in 1985, and what they got was a foundational piece for one of the toughest teams in NBA history. Joe Dumars was a catalyst for two championship teams, and he’s also one of those players who probably doesn’t get enough credit for spending his entire career with one organization.

That’s right. All 14 years. Dumars played every season of his NBA career with the Detroit Pistons. No player in franchise history appeared in more games. He even outlasted Isiah Thomas, who spent 13 seasons in Detroit.

And while the longevity is impressive, the production was as well. From 1990 through 1993, Dumars was selected to four consecutive All-Star teams. He added two more appearances in 1995 and 1997, giving him six total All-Star selections. He earned three All-NBA honors, one Second Team selection, and two Third Team selections, while also being named to five All-Defensive Teams.

Then there’s his greatest accomplishment. In 1989, as the Pistons swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, Dumars was named Finals MVP. He averaged 27.3 points on 57.6% shooting while adding 6.0 assists per game, helping Detroit secure the first championship in franchise history.

That’s an impressive résumé. Six-time All-Star. Three-time All-NBA player. Five-time All-Defensive Team selection. Two-time NBA champion. NBA Finals MVP. Hall of Famer.

They don’t make them like Joe Dumars anymore.

17. Shawn Kemp (1989)

Honorable Mentions:

• Jrue Holiday (2009)
• Jermaine O’Neal (1996)
• Doug Christie (1992)
• Roy Hibbert (2008)
• Josh Smith (2004)

Suns Taken at 17:

• Zarko Cabarkapa (2003)

There have been some excellent players drafted 17th overall, and part of me wanted to give this spot to Jrue Holiday. And who knows? By the time his career is over, he may very well be the answer. The résumé certainly supports the argument. Multiple championships, multiple All-Star appearances, and a reputation as one of the best two-way guards of his generation make Holiday a worthy candidate.

But I’m going with the Reign Man, Shawn Kemp.

Maybe it’s because I grew up watching basketball in the 1990s. Maybe it’s because some players simply leave an imprint on your basketball soul. Whatever the reason, Shawn Kemp is one of those guys I can’t separate from that era. Heck, I used to wear a pair of black and red Kamikazes to school in middle school.

If you were around in the 90s, you understand. Shawn Kemp was the man.

Before Vince Carter. Before Blake Griffin. Before all of the modern high flyers, there was Kemp. He attacked the rim with a level of violence and athleticism that made him must-see television. Every night felt like it could produce a highlight that would live forever.

And the production matched the highlights. Kemp was a six-time All-Star and a three-time All-NBA selection. More importantly, he was the perfect running mate for Gary Payton. While The Glove was locking people down and orchestrating the offense, Kemp was finishing at the rim and terrorizing opposing frontcourts.

Those Seattle teams were fun. They never won a championship, but they were one of the defining teams of the decade, and Kemp was a huge reason why.

What’s always fascinated me about his career is how abruptly it declined. One minute, he was one of the most dominant and explosive forwards in basketball, a player receiving MVP consideration and averaging more than 20 points per game. The next, he was bouncing around the league and eventually averaging only 6.3 points per game during his final season in Portland.

It was a sharp fall for a player who once felt unstoppable. That’s why I can understand the argument for Holiday. Longevity matters. Championships matter. Consistency matters. But when I think about the 17th overall pick, I think about Shawn Kemp. I think about the dunks. I think about the Sonics. I think about those Kamikazes. So for now, the Rain Man gets the nod.

16. John Stockton (1984)

Honorable Mentions:

• Ron Artest (1999)
• Hedo Turkoglu (2000)
• Dana Barros (1989)
• Alperen Sengun (2021)

Suns Taken at 16:

• Ricky Sobers (1975)
• Zhaire Smith (2018)*

*traded on draft day for rights to Mikal Bridges

The next stop on our journey is another player who never won a championship, and I think that’s an important reminder as we work through this exercise. Championships matter. They absolutely matter. But they aren’t the sole determining factor when evaluating who the best player drafted at a particular slot was. If they were, this process would be much easier.

There are some interesting names selected 16th overall throughout NBA history, but nobody tops John Stockton.

The Gonzaga product was selected by the Utah Jazz in 1984 and, much like Joe Dumars, spent his entire career with one franchise. The difference is that Stockton did it for 19 seasons. He played until he was 40, long before that became commonplace in the NBA. And even fewer players were doing it at the point guard position.

John Stockton was simply built differently. He played all 82 games in 16 of his 19 NBA seasons, including his final year in the league. Think about that for a second. A 40-year-old point guard playing every game of an 82-game season. In today’s NBA, that almost feels impossible.

Had it not been for Michael Jordan, Stockton probably has a championship on his résumé. Instead, he became one of the greatest players to never win one. And what a player he was.

Stockton was the definition of tough, physical, and cerebral. When people say they don’t make players like him anymore, they’re right. The John Stockton archetype is dead. It doesn’t exist in today’s NBA. The game has changed too much. From 1984 to 2003, he put together one of the most remarkable careers the league has ever seen. He was a 10-time All-Star. He led the NBA in assists nine times. He was a two-time steals champion. He earned 11 All-NBA selections and five All-Defensive Team honors. He was the 1993 All-Star Game MVP and, of course, a Hall of Famer.

The numbers are staggering. The longevity is staggering. The consistency is staggering. And while I grew up watching Stockton and couldn’t stand him, mostly because of how skilled he was and how often he seemed to make life miserable for Kevin Johnson and the Suns, there comes a point where you simply have to respect greatness. John Stockton was greatness.

15. Giannis Antetokounmpo (2013)

Honorable Mentions:

• Steve Nash (1996)
• Kawhi Leonard (2011)
• Dell Curry (1986)
• Brent Barry (1995)
• Al Jefferson (2004)

Suns Taken at 15:

• David Thirdkill (1982)
• Steve Nash (1996)
• Robin Lopez (2008)

Oh, this was a hard one. The 15th overall pick might be the toughest decision I’ve had to make so far. Because in my personal Phoenix Suns pyramid, Steve Nash sits at the very top. He’s the pinnacle of what the organization represents. He’s the beacon. He’s the player I most associate with Suns basketball. And yet, much like the 2021 NBA Finals and that infamous coin flip in 1969, the Suns come up short to Milwaukee once again. Because Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player ever drafted 15th overall.

You could even make an argument that Kawhi Leonard deserves consideration for the No. 2 spot. That’s how loaded this draft position is. But when it comes to the top spot, I have to give it to the Greek Freak.

The comparison to Nash is fascinating. Both players are two time MVPs. Both transformed franchises. Both became faces of the league. But Giannis has something Nash never got. The championship. He also has more All-Star selections, which is partially a product of how early his ascent began. Nash didn’t become Steve Nash until later in his career. Giannis was a superstar before he turned 25.

And the résumé is absurd. Through 13 seasons, he’s averaged 24.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He’s a nine-time All-Star, an NBA champion, a Finals MVP, and the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year. That’s what ultimately separates him from Nash. Giannis impacts the game on both ends of the floor.

As much as I love Nash, and as much as those MVP seasons meant to Phoenix, there was always an understanding that the league still belonged to other players. During Nash’s peak years, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant were still viewed by many as the league’s dominant figures. Eventually, that baton passed to LeBron James. Nash was brilliant. Nash was unique. Nash changed the way basketball was played. But you never felt like the league belonged to him.

For a stretch, it belonged to Giannis. For two or three seasons, you could make a legitimate argument that he was the best player in the world. Not the most valuable. The best. And while this exercise isn’t solely about peak performance, Giannis checks every other box as well. He has the longevity. He has the accolades. He has the dominance. He has the championship.

Unfortunately for Suns fans, he earned that championship at Phoenix’s expense. Which makes this choice hurt a little more. But it doesn’t make it any less true. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player ever selected 15th overall. Right?

14. Clyde Drexler (1983)

Honorable Mentions:

• Tim Hardaway (1989)
• Peja Stojakovic (1996)
• Bam Adebayo (2017)
• Dan Majerle (1988)
• Maurice Lucas (1974)

Suns Taken at 14:

• John Roche (1971)
• Dan Majerle (1988)
• Earl Clark (2009)
• TJ Warren (2014)

*opted to stay in the ABA

Do you know why the Portland Trail Blazers drafted Sam Bowie instead of Michael Jordan in 1984? It’s because they had already drafted Clyde Drexler the year before and believed they didn’t need another shooting guard.

History has turned that decision into one of the most criticized draft choices of all time, but it’s important to remember there was logic behind it. Portland wasn’t passing on Jordan because they didn’t think talent mattered. They were passing on him because they already had a young player they believed could become a star. And they weren’t wrong about Clyde Drexler. They were wrong about Michael Jordan. There’s a difference.

When you look at the honorable mentions at No. 14 overall, there are some excellent players. But Clyde stands above the rest. He was smooth. He was effortless. They called him Clyde the Glide for a reason.

Drexler entered the league out of Houston in 1983 and quickly developed into one of the most dynamic players of his generation. His athleticism was elite, his ability to finish in transition was spectacular, and he could impact every aspect of the game.

Unfortunately for him, he played in the same era as Michael Jordan. That’s something many great players had to deal with.

The defining moment came in the 1992 NBA Finals when Drexler’s Trail Blazers faced Jordan’s Bulls. At the time, there were legitimate debates about who the better player was. Drexler had finished second in MVP voting that season, and some wondered whether the gap between the two stars was as wide as many believed. Jordan took that personally. What followed was one of the most memorable Finals performances in NBA history, highlighted by Jordan’s famous shrug game. By the end of the series, the debate was over.

But that shouldn’t diminish what Drexler accomplished. He eventually got his championship with the Houston Rockets in 1995, joining forces with Hakeem Olajuwon to capture the one title that had eluded him in Portland. By the time his career was over, Drexler had put together an incredible résumé. He played 15 seasons in the NBA, spending 12 with Portland and four with Houston. He was a 10-time All-Star, a five-time All-NBA selection, an NBA champion, and a Hall of Famer.

Most importantly, he was one of the defining players of his era. The problem for Clyde is that his era happened to include Michael Jordan. For almost anyone else, finishing second to Jordan would be viewed as an accomplishment. For Clyde Drexler, it became part of his legacy.

And despite that, he’s still the best player ever selected 14th overall.

13. Kobe Bryant (1996)

Honorable Mentions:

• Karl Malone (1996)
• Devin Booker (2015)
• Hal Greer (1958)
• Donovan Mitchell (2017)
• Richard Jefferson (2001)

Suns Taken at 13:

• Jay Humphries (1984)
• Markieff Morris (2011)
• Kendall Marshall (2012)
• Devin Booker (2015)

Kobe Bryant is one of those players I could never stand. Part of that is because I grew up idolizing Michael Jordan. To me, Jordan was the standard. And when Kobe entered the league, it always felt like he was doing a Kirkland Signature version of Jordan’s game. The footwork, the fadeaways, the mannerisms, the competitive fire. Everything reminded me of Jordan, and younger me wasn’t interested in accepting an imitation of the original.

I didn’t like that he dominated the ball. I didn’t like how egocentric he could be. And I certainly didn’t like how often he tormented teams I rooted for. Most of all, I didn’t like how good he was. But respect and like are two different things. I may not have liked Kobe Bryant, but I respected him immensely. The guy was a killer.

When the Charlotte Hornets selected him 13th overall in 1996 and immediately shipped his rights to the Los Angeles Lakers, nobody could have imagined what would follow. Twenty years later, Bryant retired as one of the most decorated players in league history, spending every season of his career in Los Angeles.

The résumé is staggering. Eighteen All-Star appearances. Two scoring titles. Five NBA championships. Fifteen All-NBA selections. Twelve All-Defensive Team selections. Two Finals MVPs. Twenty years with one franchise. That’s sustained greatness.

Now, I’ll admit something that often gets people fired up. I think Kobe is one of the most overrated players in NBA history.

There is no player more overrated all time than Kobe Bryant

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) June 21, 2025

Not because he wasn’t great. Because he was. The issue comes when people place him in their top five players of all time. That’s where I disagree. For me, he’s not in that conversation. I don’t think he’s a top five player ever. I don’t even think he’s top 10. But top 20? Absolutely.

Kobe Bryant was a phenomenal basketball player. He was relentless. He was fearless. He was one of the defining stars of his generation. And while Suns fans will always remember moments when Phoenix got the better of him, with Raja Bell clotheslining him and those mid-2000s Suns teams knocking the Lakers around a bit, those moments are memorable precisely because beating Kobe Bryant was so difficult. He demanded that level of respect.

So while he may never be one of my favorite players, and while I’ll continue to argue against some of the more exaggerated claims about his all-time ranking, there’s no debate when it comes to the 13th overall pick. Kobe Bryant is easily the best player ever selected at that draft position.

12. Julius Erving (1972)

Honorable Mentions:

• Tyrese Haliburton (2020)
• Cedric Maxwell (1977)
• Steven Adams (2013)
• Mookie Blaylock (1989)
• Muggsy Bogues (1987)

Suns Taken at 12:

• Phoenix has never drafted from this position 

You have some quality players drafted 12th overall throughout NBA history, and then you have Julius Erving.

Before Michael Jordan changed the trajectory of the NBA. Before Larry Bird and Magic Johnson turned the league into must-watch television. Before the modern superstar era existed, there was Dr. J. Julius Erving, who was basketball’s first truly marketable superstar.

The Milwaukee Bucks selected him 12th overall in the 1972 NBA Draft, but he never played for them. Instead, he remained in the ABA, beginning his professional career with the Virginia Squires before eventually being traded to the New York Nets. And what a career he had there. In five ABA seasons, Erving averaged 28.7 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. He won two championships, captured three MVP awards, earned five All-Star selections, and was named to the All-ABA First Team every year he played in the league.

Honestly, that résumé alone would probably be enough to make him the best player ever drafted 12th overall. The only problem is that it happened in the ABA. When the ABA and NBA merged in 1976, the Nets sold Erving’s rights to the Philadelphia 76ers, and that’s where the NBA chapter of his career truly began.

Fortunately for his legacy, he was just as spectacular there. Erving became the face of the 76ers for more than a decade, earning 11 NBA All-Star selections and seven All-NBA honors. In 1981, he won the NBA MVP award, and in 1983 he finally captured an NBA championship alongside Moses Malone, delivering what remains the most recent title in Philadelphia 76ers history.

His impact, however, goes far beyond the accolades. Dr. J changed the way basketball was played. He brought creativity to the game. He brought flair to the game. He made above-the-rim basketball cool. Many of the things we associate with modern stars originated with Julius Erving. He was a pioneer.

When you combine his ABA accomplishments with his NBA accomplishments, the résumé becomes overwhelming. Championships. MVPs. All-Star appearances. Scoring titles. Hall of Fame honors. Cultural significance. Very few players in basketball history can match that combination.

So while his path to greatness was unconventional, and while much of his early dominance occurred outside the NBA, the conclusion is easy. Julius Erving is the best player ever drafted 12th overall.

11. Reggie Miller (1987)

Honorable Mentions:

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2018)
• Jamaal Wilkes (1974)
• Klay Thompson (2011)
• Robert Horry (1992)
• Domantas Sabonis (2016)

Suns Taken at 11:

• Cameron Johnson (2019)*

*draft rights acquired on draft night

The 11th overall pick is an interesting one because recency bias can absolutely creep into the conversation. You have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who already owns two MVP awards and an NBA championship. You have Jamaal Wilkes, a Hall of Famer and four-time NBA champion. You have Klay Thompson, one of the greatest shooters in basketball history, and another four-time champion.

There are plenty of worthy candidates. But I’m going with Reggie Miller.

Drafted by the Indiana Pacers out of UCLA in 1987, Miller spent all 18 seasons of his NBA career with one franchise. In an era when stars rarely changed teams, Reggie became synonymous with Indiana basketball. And what a player he was.

Miller earned five All-Star selections and three All-NBA honors, but his impact extends far beyond the awards. He was one of the greatest shooters the game has ever seen and one of the most feared clutch performers in NBA history. Long before the modern three-point revolution, Reggie understood the value of the shot.

During the 1996-97 season, he attempted 6.6 threes per game and connected on 42.7% of them. Those numbers may not seem outrageous today, but in the context of the era, they were revolutionary. Miller was stretching defenses before most teams fully understood the value of floor spacing.

He was ahead of his time. Of course, statistics only tell part of the story. For many basketball fans of my generation, Reggie Miller wasn’t defined by percentages or advanced metrics. He was defined by moments. The battles with the Knicks. The trash talk. The impossible shots. The ability to completely silence an arena with one jumper. He had a flair for the dramatic that few players have ever possessed.

Yes, he’s near the top of every list of great players who never won a championship. That’s the unfortunate reality of playing in an era dominated by Michael Jordan and later the Shaq and Kobe Lakers. But championships aren’t the only measure of greatness. Reggie’s influence on the game, particularly as a shooter, helped pave the way for future generations. Players like Stephen Curry transformed the sport, but players like Reggie Miller laid the groundwork.

Could someone reasonably choose Shai here? Absolutely. If Gilgeous-Alexander continues on his current trajectory, he may eventually claim this spot. Could someone argue for Klay Thompson or Jamal Wilkes? Sure.

But when I think about the 11th overall pick, I think about one of the greatest shooters, one of the greatest clutch performers, and one of the most memorable players the league has ever seen. I’m giving the nod to Reggie Miller.

---

That was difficult.

There were plenty of strong arguments for other players throughout this section of the draft, and I completely understand if someone reaches a different conclusion on a few of these picks. That’s the challenge when you’re evaluating draft positions from 20 through 11. You’re no longer sorting through role players and hidden gems. You’re debating Hall of Famers, franchise cornerstones, and players who defined eras.

It’s a good problem to have. It’s also a reminder of why lottery picks are so valuable.

When you’re drafting in this range, you’re not simply hoping to find a rotational player. You’re looking for someone who can become an impact player, an All-Star, or even the face of your franchise. That’s why organizations covet these selections. The upside is immense.

What’s interesting is that many of the players selected in this portion of the draft landed in ideal situations. They joined teams that already had some level of infrastructure in place. They weren’t always asked to carry the weight of an entire franchise from day one. Instead, they had the opportunity to develop, contribute, and eventually grow into starring roles. That’s often the sweet spot in the draft.

The players selected at the very top don’t always have that luxury. Those are the players expected to change franchises overnight. Those are the players handed the keys immediately. Those are the players burdened with the expectations that come with being a top 10 selection. And that’s exactly where we’re headed next.

Tomorrow, we close out this series with the final installment, identifying the best players ever drafted at each position from 10 all the way to No. 1. The stars. The superstars. The players who were expected to carry the weight of a franchise the moment their names were called.

The 2026 NBA Draft will be immortalized for the four standout talents available at the top of the class. A.J. Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson are reportedly battling for the No. 1 overall pick until the very last second. For as good as those two players are, Cameron Boozer is the best player in the class in my view, and it isn’t really that close. Caleb Wilson’s statistical dominance and jaw-dropping athleticism turned this big three into a big four, and he appears to have the mentality required to reach his full potential.

The talent keeps coming after the first four picks, though there seems to be little consensus in the rest of the board. The draft really starts when the Los Angeles Clippers come on the clock with the No. 5 overall pick. The biggest points of curiosity will be in what order a loaded class of lead guards come off the board, and if Michigan can put three players in the lottery after winning the men’s college basketball national championship.

There are big changes from last week’s mock draft throughout the lottery with first-round just around the corner on Tuesday, June 23. Let’s dive into the movement from our previous projection after the table.

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School	Class
1	Washington Wizards	AJ Dybantsa	Wing	BYU	Freshman
2	Utah Jazz	Darryn Peterson	Guard	Kansas	Freshman
3	Memphis Grizzlies	Cameron Boozer	Forward	Duke	Freshman
4	Chicago Bulls	Caleb Wilson	Forward	North Carolina	Freshman
5	Los Angeles Clippers	Keaton Wagler	Guard	Illinois	Freshman
6	Brooklyn Nets	Darius Acuff	Guard	Arkansas	Freshman
7	Sacramento Kings	Kingston Flemings	Guard	Houston	Freshman
8	Atlanta Hawks	Mikel Brown Jr.	Guard	Louisville	Freshman
9	Dallas Mavericks	Brayden Burries	Guard	Arizona	Freshman
10	Milwaukee Bucks	Nate Ament	Forward	Tennessee	Freshman
11	Golden State Warriors	Yaxel Lendeborg	Forward	Michigan	Senior
12	Oklahoma City Thunder	Morez Johnson	Center/Forward	Michigan	Sophomore
13	Miami Heat	Labaron Philon	Guard	Alabama	Sophomore
14	Charlotte Hornets	Hannes Steinbach	Center/Forward	Washington	Washington
15	Chicago Bulls	Aday Mara	Center	Michigan	Freshman
16	Memphis Grizzlies (via Magic)	Bennett Stirtz	Guard	Iowa	Senior
17	Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ers)	Karim Lopez	Forward	NZ Breakers	Born 2007
18	Charlotte Hornets (via Suns)	Dailyn Swain	Wing	Texas	Junior
19	Toronto Raptors	Christian Anderson	Texas Tech	Guard	Sophomore
20	San Antonio Spurs	Chris Cenac Jr.	Big	Houston	Freshman
21	Detroit Pistons (via Wolves)	Cameron Carr	Wing	Baylor	Junior
22	Philadelphia 76ers	Jayden Quaintance	Big	Kentucky	Sophomore
23	Atlanta Hawks (via Cavs)	Ebuka Okorie	Guard	Stanford	Freshman
24	New York Knicks	Allen Graves	Forward	Santa Clara	RS Freshman
25	Los Angeles Lakers	Joshua Jefferson	Forward	Iowa State	Senior
26	Denver Nuggets	Koa Peat	Forward	Arizona	Freshman
27	Boston Celtics	Sergio De Larrea	Guard	Valencia	Born 2005
28	Minnesota Timberwolves (via Pistons)	Isaiah Evans	Guard	Duke	Sophomore
29	Cleveland Cavaliers (via Spurs)	Henri Veesaar	Big	North Carolina	Junior
30	Dallas Mavericks (via Thunder)	Meleek Thomas	Guard	Arkansas	Freshman

Here’s what’s changed since our last mock.

The Wizards go with A.J. Dybantsa over Darryn Peterson

It’s starting to feel like the public won’t know what the Washington Wizards are doing with the No. 1 overall pick until Adam Silver announces it. I had Darryn Peterson going first overall last week, but I’m flipping back to Dybantsa for a couple reasons. It feels like the Wizards would try to leverage Utah to trade up if they really wanted Peterson. There’s still time for that to happen, but there hasn’t been much smoke on a No. 1 for No. 2 trade the last few weeks. Dybantsa also feels like a cleaner fit in Washington’s projected lineup with Trae Young potentially signing a long-term deal this summer, plus last year’s No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson already installed at the two. Dybantsa also has fewer questions about his mental makeup than Peterson does after a bizarre freshman season at Kansas.

I’d take Cam Boozer with the first pick, and I lean Peterson over Dybantsa on my personal board, but it still feels like A.J. is the slight front-runner to go No. 1.

The Clippers select Keaton Wagler over Mikel Brown Jr.

Brown’s got a little bit of LaMelo Ball in him, and while that’s a compliment coming from me, it also carries some serious risk. The Louisville guard battled a bad back throughout his freshman year at just 19 years old, and his shot selection might make a head coach’s skin crawl early in his career. Brown also just isn’t a very good fit next to Darius Garland, because that backcourt would be too small and too vulnerable defensively. Wagler has a little more height on him after measuring 1.5 inches taller at the combine, and he also feels far less ball dominant than Brown entering the league, two factors that make him a better fit with Garland.

I like Brown a lot as a prospect for his pull-up three-point shooting ability, passing creativity, and dynamism going to the basket. He still feels a little too risky to be a top-5 pick.

The Thunder change their mind on Michigan big men

The Thunder need to try to find a Victor Wembanyama stopper in this draft, but they can go about a few different ways. Last week, I had Michigan center Aday Mara in this spot as a 7’3 center with a 9’9 standing reach who could be one of the few humans alive able to match Wemby’s length. After watching the NBA Finals, though, I’m more convinced that the best type of matchup for the Spurs superstar is a stronger and more athletic big man who wrestle him away from his spots and keep pressure on him by rolling hard to the rim and hitting the glass. Johnson checks those boxes even if he lacks ideal height for the matchup at 6’9 barefoot. I might be wrong, but I have a gut feeling the Thunder are going to prefer Johnson to Mara if both are on the board at No. 12 overall.

In this projection, Mara falls out of the lottery and into the waiting arms of the Chicago Bulls at No. 15 overall. New head coach Tiago Splitter could really use a young big man to help mold, and Mara would be ideal with a special intersection of size, passing, and footwork as he starts his tenure in Chicago.

Labaron Philon and Hannes Steinbach sneak into the lottery

I had Steinbach going No. 17 to Charlotte and Philon going No. 19 to Toronto last week, but that just feels a little low for both players. Steinbach is a pretty clear lottery-level talent in my eyes: his offensive rebounding is the sharpest skill in the draft after Cam Boozer’s processing, and soft hands and coordination on the move are also rare traits for someone with his size. I don’t see Steinbach as a defensive anchor, but he should thrive in the two-big looks that are back to the norm around the league.

Philon goes No. 13 to Miami in this projection, but it’s possible that pick ends up belonging to Milwaukee. The Bucks had Philon in for a workout, and he’d give them an element of shot creation they need after reaching for Nate Ament at No. 10 overall. The Bama also just feels like a lottery talent, so it’s hard to see him falling all the way to Toronto.

Leave your NBA Draft comments and questions below

I’ll respond to any inquiries in the comments. This draft is going to be a blast.

Mitchell Robinson is approaching unrestricted free agency with outside interest building, but early indications suggest the New York Knicks are in a strong position to retain their most prominent free agent and backup player.

The veteran center has drawn attention from multiple teams, including the meat-lacking Los Angeles Lakers, who are widely expected to explore upgrades in the frontcourt this offseason.

Despite all the whispers, noise, and supposed external interest, recent reports from different outlets point toward a potential reunion between Robinson and the Knicks.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported in Marc Stein’s substack that Robinson is “very open” to remaining in New York heading into free agency, signaling a willingness on the player’s side to stay with the reigning champions.

“The Lakers have been linked to all sorts of veteran big men in the forthcoming free agent market as well. They could emerge as a suitor for the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson and the Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams III, although sources say both players are very open to remaining in their incumbent roles with the Knicks and Blazers.”

Fischer’s information follows prior reports from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has indicated that the Knicks have already taken early steps toward keeping Robinson on the roster, prioritizing retaining the big man.

“Mitchell Robinson, he is an unrestricted free agent in two weeks here, and the Knicks are going to definitely try to keep him.

“[The Knicks] are about $8 million under the luxury tax line. They know they’re going over the luxury tax. They intend to make Mitchell an offer that will keep him.

“He might have some outside interest, but they’re going to make him a priority.

“Their front office is reporting to work today with a list of things to do. They’ve got to figure out a way to keep Mitchell Robinson on this roster.”

Albeit a backup following the arrival of Karl-Anthony Towns two seasons ago, Robinson certainly played a meaningful role in the Knicks’ championship run, providing interior defense and offensive rebounding off the bench.

In the Finals, Robinson averaged 5.6 rebounds per game, including 3.0 offensive boards. In the playoffs as a whole, Mitch averaged 4.8 points, 5.5 boards, and 1.0 stocks a pop. Not only did he do that, but he remained healthy for the major part of the season thanks to a heavy load-managing plan deployed by the Knicks, who only made him available for 60 regular-season games.

Financial considerations are an obvious part of the equation here, as re-signing Robinson could push New York closer to or beyond the NBA’s second apron, a threshold that, given the latest we’ve heard from honcho James Dolan, the Knicks are certainly not interested in stepping into.

Still, it looks like both NYK and Mitch are destined to keep their relationship going, or at least that both sides are willing to try and find some common ground, so the partnership isn’t broken so shortly after reaching the promised land together.

The news of Collin Gillespie signing a contract extension with the Phoenix Suns adds more to weeks of action in the NBA surrounding Villanova.

The New York Knicks are NBA champions with a trio of former Wildcats on the roster and now, Gillespie adds to the pot of money made from former Villanova greats.

The news broke on Saturday night of Gillespie’s new deal and it made one think, what are the contract situations of former Villanova players currently in the NBA?

Wildcats in the NBA

• Jalen Brunson: 4 years, $156.5 million with New York Knicks
• Mikal Bridges: 4 years, $150 million with New York Knicks
• Josh Hart: 4 years, $81 million with New York Knicks
• Collin Gillespie: 4 years, $48 million with Phoenix Suns
• Donte DiVincenzo: 4 years, $46.8 million with Minnesota Timberwolves
• Saddiq Bey: 3 years, $20 million with New Orleans Pelicans
• Cam Whitmore: 4 years, $15.6 million rookie deal with Washington Wizards

NOT MENTIONED: Kyle Lowry spent the last two plus years with the Philadelphia 76ers. He was rostered this past season but, while not official, shared his plans to sign a one-day deal to retire as a member of the Toronto Raptors. Lowry spent 20 years in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, and 76ers. According to Spotrac, Lowry earned $281.6 million during his career.

Jalen Brunson left $113 million on the table when he signed his extension in 2024. He wanted to give the Knicks flexiblity to keep the core together in hopes of winning championship. With that goal accomplished, Brunson is set up for a well-earned payday after the 2027-28 season. This extension could be upwards of $400 million over five years.

Brunson’s move allowed the Knicks to sign Mikal Bridges to a new four-year deal after he was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets. Donte DiVincenzo was another signing of the Knicks in free agency and made an impact for the team before being dealt to Minnesota in a deal that landed the Knicks Karl-Anthony Towns. He will enter the final year of his deal in 2026-27 and become a free agent at the end of the year.

Both Saddiq Bey and Cam Whitmore are also in the final years of their contracts. For Whitmore, it is the fourth year of his rookie deal. He was selected 20th overall in 2023. Bey is in the third year of his deal with the Pelicans.

Bey and Whitmore were part of the same trade that involved getting CJ McCollum out of New Orleans. In a three-team deal, Bey was sent to New Orleans from Washington while the Wizards brought in Whitmore.

It’s time for one of the best times of the year for NBA fans, the NBA Draft, where teams have the opportunity to draft new, exciting young players to join their team! The first round and second round will be aired on ESPN, with the first round airing only on ABC.

The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft will take place on Tuesday, June 23, while the second round will take place on Wednesday, June 24. The event will begin at 8 p.m. ET on both nights at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Then, on May 10, a lottery was held to select the first 14 picks in the draft. The first overall pick went to the Washington Wizards, who had the worst record in the league, so they won the lottery. Utah will pick second, followed by Memphis, Chicago, and the Los Angeles Clippers (in a pick obtained through a trade with the Indiana Pacers.

Like previous years, the Rockets will be hosting a draft party. This year’s draft party will be hosted at Karbach Brewery on Wednesday, June 23rd, starting at 6:00.

This season, Houston holds two picks in the NBA draft, with both picks being in the second round (pick 39 and pick 53). It is largely unknown what Houston will do with these two picks, and it is possible that they could trade the picks or trade up into the lottery; it all just depends. Historically speaking, second-rounders have a lower ceiling, but sometimes turn into great players (think Nikola Jomic, Isiah Thomas, Jalen Williams, Neemias Queeta, Jeremi Grant, and Khris Middleton, to name a few).

With all the information given, how do you all feel about the draft? Do you have any players you are after? Any moves you are predicting, let me know, and as always, be sure to check back here at the Dreamshake for all things Houston Rockets.

Date: June 23-24, 2026

Time: 7:00pm CST

TV channel: ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes

Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV, Fubo, Sling and more

When is the 2026 NBA draft?

The 2026 NBA draft is on June 23 and 24, starting at 7:00pm CST

Where to watch the NBA draft:

The NBA draft will air on ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes on June 23, and on ESPN and ESPN Deportes on June 24.

Where to stream the NBA draft:

This year’s NBA draft will stream on ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV, Fubo, Sling and YouTube TV.

The Lakers will seek to use their 25th pick in Tuesday’s first round of the NBA draft on a player who fills a need on a roster that could have up to nine free agents this summer. Yet the Lakers also are aware that picking that late in the round could leave them selecting the best player available.

They probably will be in search of a center who can be a lob threat or an athletic wing who can play defense and knock down three-pointers, two positions the Lakers crave as they try to build a team around star Luka Doncic that fits best with his style of play.

Names that NBA executives and mock drafts attached to the Lakers are Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance, Texas forward Dailyn Swain and Duke wing Isaiah Evans.

The Lakers spent time in Spain looking at 20-year-old guard Sergio de Larrea, but many NBA scouts see him going later in the first round or even in the second. According to people not authorized to speak publicly, the Lakers were impressed by their workout with Purdue point guard Braden Smith. But he’s on the smaller side (6 feet) and played four years in college, leading scouts to believe his upside is not that high and that he’ll be drafted in the second round.

The Lakers don’t have a pick in Wednesday’s second round.

After the Lakers were swept by a deep and athletic Oklahoma City team in the second round of the playoffs, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka outlined what it takes when trying to compete in the uber-tough Western Conference against the likes of the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, who became the second-youngest team to reach the NBA Finals.

Read more:Why this loaded NBA draft could hinge on what the Clippers do with the No. 5 pick

Pelinka looked at how Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell was drafted in the second round and how he flourished in just his second season, especially in the playoffs, in which he averaged 15.1 points and 4.3 assists in 11 games.

“Depth is really important, athleticism and youth. We have a lot of components of that on our roster, but we need to add to it,” Pelinka said last month during his exit interview with the media. “I think those are some of the key North Stars that we need to look at.

“One of the players that they had who played really well, Ajay Mitchell, they got in the second round. So there’s ways to add to your roster if you commit to doing the hard work and commit to the process of adding the right pieces. … We’ll be doing that through the draft and free agency and through trades. We’ve gotta find a way to have a roster that will compete with any team in the NBA. That’s what we do here.”

The Lakers do have three tradable first-round picks — 2026, 2031 and 2033 — but the latter two can’t be moved until after the draft.

Lakers star LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent and is looking for a deal from the Lakers, while Austin Reaves is expected to opt out of his $14.8-million deal so he can sign a contract with them for up to five years and about $241 million.

Still, the Lakers have to proceed with the draft to find a player.

Swain (6-7) and Evans (6-6) are the kind of athletic wings the Lakers could use, but both might be chosen before the Lakers make their pick.

The 6-9 Quaintance could slide to the Lakers because of health concerns. He played in only four games last season at Kentucky because the team was being cautious following knee surgery after he tore an anterior cruciate ligament when he played at Arizona State.

Scouts still view him as mobile, athletic and young enough — he turns 19 next month — to develop. But, Quaintance will need to rehab his knee and probably won’t be ready for the upcoming season. When healthy, scouts said, he can be the lob threat and defender that Doncic yearns to have.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Even during an early start to their offseason, the Clippers got one major win in May.

The Clippers were the quiet winners of the NBA draft lottery, where, with coin-flip odds, they swiped the Indiana Pacers’ first-round pick in a loaded draft class. The No. 5 pick can add an immediate rotation player for the Clippers while also being a potential fulcrum for what experts consider one of the deepest draft classes ever.

The top four prospects are locked. The only question is in what order Brigham Young forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson will hear their names called Tuesday night at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Washington, which picks first, Utah, Memphis and Chicago have the first shots at those potential franchise-defining players.

The first round then could turn with the Clippers’ pick.

“It puts the Clippers in an interesting spot at five,” ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo said on a conference call with reporters. “They’ve got options, including trades.”

After the top tier of primarily wing prospects, four guards are likely to go in the next wave of picks. Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. broke former No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg’s Atlantic Coast Conference freshman record with 45 points in a game, but did not play in the NCAA tournament because of a back injury after averaging 18.2 points and 4.7 assists for the Cardinals.

Read more:Lakers likely to select a big man or wing in first round of NBA draft

Kingston Flemings (16.1 points, 5.2 assists, 1.8 turnovers) became the first freshman at Houston to earn All-America honors, named a consensus second-teamer last year while leading the Cougars to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16. But Houston’s bid for consecutive Final Fours ended against Illinois and guard Keaton Wagler.

The 6-foot-6, 180-pound guard averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 turnovers as a freshman. Coming out of high school, Wagler was the lowest-ranked prospect out of the four guards jockeying for draft position between picks five and eight, but he could be the first of the group off the board.

“He has the size, and he has this brain where you see how quickly he’s improved,” Woo said. “And that, to me, is the biggest thing. But I just think people will continue to learn more about him. He’s not someone NBA teams knew about really coming into the year. … It just happened faster than we all expected.”

Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. has the attention of scouts after averaging 23.5 points while shooting 44% from three-point range, but the 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard could create a defensively challenged pairing next to Clippers point guard Darius Garland.

Garland was acquired in a midseason move that signaled a significant pivot in the team’s plans. The Clippers sent 36-year-old James Harden, who was having his highest-scoring season in six years, to Cleveland in exchange for the 26-year-old Garland and a 2028 second-round selection.

Two days later, the Clippers got even younger by sending starting center Ivica Zubac and third-year guard Kobe Brown to Indiana for 23-year-old guard Bennedict Mathurin, backup center Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and one second-round pick. One of the first-round picks turned into this year’s selection after the Pacers, who finished with the second-worst record, slipped out of the top four in the draft lottery.

Zubac, 29, was the Clippers’ longest-tenured player and top rebounder. He and Harden were two of their top three scorers.

“When we traded James and when we traded Zu, those were incredibly hard and difficult situations,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters after the season.

“But it requires that you must be honest about yourself and honest about where you’re at as a team. Usually teams, when you study team building, if they’re in this contender status, they usually take this huge drop to rebuilding. We’re not going to do that.”

The Clippers have had 15 consecutive winning seasons, the longest active streak. But they have not won a playoff series since their Western Conference finals run in 2021. Last season ended with a play-in game collapse, the Clippers squandering a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead to the Golden State Warriors at home.

The midseason trades helped the Clippers start replenishing their draft capital after the blockbuster move that brought Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to L.A. in 2019 hamstrung their assets. Because of the Cavaliers trade, the Clippers also have the 52nd overall pick in Wednesday’s second round, along with the 36th pick. The moves also helped reset the roster from the oldest in league history to one with six rotation players who are an average of 25.7 years old.

Leonard, who turns 35 the week after the draft, is entering the final year of his contract. The superstar forward averaged a career-best 27.9 points while playing 65 games, just the second time with the Clippers that he appeared in 60 or more in a season.

But the franchise still is waiting for the results of a league investigation into alleged salary cap circumvention involving Leonard and former team sponsor Aspiration. The punishment levied could include multimillion-dollar fines, a loss of future draft picks or voiding Leonard’s contract with the team.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

As we inch closer and closer to the 2026 NBA Draft, we continue our series looking at potential draft prospects. In this edition, could the Knicks take a swing at another older, two-time national champion from the Big East with their second-round pick?

The Basics

• School: UConn
• Position: SF/PF
• Height: 6’7”
• Weight: 225 lbs
• Age: 23 (Born November 11, 2002)
• 2025-26 Stats: 13.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.8 BLK, 0.8 STL, 46.4% FG, 37.4% 3PT, 85.1% FT
• Projected Draft Range: Early second round (30–40)

The Numbers

Karaban grew up in Massachusetts, but only spent his freshman year of high school at Algonquin Regional in Northborough before transferring to New Hampton School in New Hampshire, where he won New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior. With plenty of collegiate interest, he transferred again to IMG Academy in Florida for his senior year.

As a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, he earned dozens of offers and made official visits to Northwestern, Penn State, and UConn. In the end, he chose Dan Hurley and the Huskies, who were playing just their second season back in the Big East after a forgettable seven years in the AAC. He was even able to graduate high school a semester early, enrolling for the Spring 2022 semester and redshirting.

Right out of the gate, Karaban was a starter for UConn, ultimately finishing with 150 career starts in 151 games played over four years. He would go on to be named to the Big East All-Freshman Team in 2022-23, be named to two All-Big East teams, win two national championships, and go out being named to the All-NCAA Tournament team in 2026.

Throughout his career, he was known as a great shooter, shooting 37.4% from three on over five attempts a game while being one of the best free-throw shooters in college basketball (84.4%). He was never overly impressive defensively, but averaged 1.5 blocks a game as a junior in 2024-25. He also routinely led the Huskies in minutes and even led the entire Big East in 2025-26.

Skills That Pay the Bills

• Three-Point Shooting: Karaban has been an above-average shooter in three of his four collegiate seasons. The ability to knock down open jumpers will always be valuable
• Team Defense: While he isn’t some one-on-one lockdown force, he consistently makes the right reads on the defensive end, knowing when to switch, making hard closeouts, and has enough size to hold his own down low. He’s not a 1-through-5 defender, but he’s comfortable 2 through 4.
• Good Decision Maker: He’s never going to be someone to run an offense, but he makes good decisions with the ball in his hands. Playing a higher usage role at UConn than he will in the pros, he consistently had an assist-to-turnover ratio of over 2.0. He’s also got a nose for making plays off the ball.
• Size and Length: He stands 6’7” without shoes, has a 6’11” wingspan, and has an 8’8” standing reach. That’ll play for a wing in the NBA.
• Big-Game Experience: Karaban is a two-time national champion and has played in 20 NCAA Tournament games, including six Final Four games. He was the stable rock and locker room leader for arguably the best program in the country in his 4.5 years there. While the latter might not be necessary as a rookie coming into the NBA, he’s as battle-tested as any rookie in this draft.

Concerns

• Limited Offensive Game: Karaban can knock down open shots and is a strong cutter and off-ball mover. Outside of that? He’s very limited. You rarely see him create his own shot, and he’s very dependent on others creating those looks for him.
• Not Overly Athletic: Doesn’t have the foot speed to be a truly versatile defender. He’ll struggle in certain matchups against smaller guards. While he was a strong finisher at UConn, he wasn’t much of a dunker.
• Defensive Limitations: He won’t be hunted out there, but he’ll be vulnerable if he’s switched onto dynamic offensive threats. You won’t see him guarding the Donovan Mitchell’s and Tyrese Haliburton’s of the world, either.
• Age: Karaban will be 24 shortly after Opening Night of his rookie season. Many teams stay away from these types of players because of the relentless chase of youth and upside.

The Knicks Fit

If James Dolan’s word is to be believed, and the Knicks will not be going into the second apron, there will immediately be a big hole in the Knicks’ bench, as Landry Shamet will likely go elsewhere after getting a deserving raise on his last two minimum contracts. Shamet’s ability to defend multiple positions and knock down threes will need to be replaced.

Could Karaban fill that role better than, say, Mo Diawara or Pacǒme Dadiet in-house? Maybe. I’d certainly trust Karaban’s jumper to translate, and he’s a significantly more willing shooter than the team’s internal options, even if he’s not able to create his own shot. There might be a bit of redundancy considering the team already has a pure catch-and-shoot offensive weapon in Deuce McBride, but Karaban can be a solid 10-15-minute per game guy for the regular season if needed.

His big-game experience is a big plus for me. There are already four Big East alums on the roster, three of whom have won a combined five national championships. Three of them (all but Mikal Bridges) were underdrafted based on their college production. Karaban would fit in nicely with a group of guys who entered the league as older underdogs who came from flat-out winners.

NBA Comparison

• Best-Case Comparison: Late career Peja Stojaković
• Median Outcome: Sam Hauser
• Low-End Outcome: Garrison Matthews

The Verdict

Do not consider at No. 24 or in any first-round trade back: The Knicks will have their fair share of options in the first round and should go for someone with better upside than Karaban with their first pick. Considering they might need to replace Mitchell Robinson, the earlier they draft a center, the better.

Consider at No. 31, make him a Knick in a trade back past No. 35: The right range for Karaban appears to be at the top of the second round. Depending on where the board is, he could be an option at No. 31, but we could also see Leon Rose utilize his famous trade back to get an additional pick. If the Knicks select in the 35-40 range, he’s a slam dunk.

Read all our draft profiles here.

Go Knicks!

Warriors' Draymond Green says he doesn't feel pressure to win another NBA title originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green has won four NBA championships with the Warriors during his NBA career.

So what is it like for him when he doesn’t end the season with a parade and instead has to watch another team celebrate — that team this year being the New York Knicks, who celebrated their historic win on Thursday.

In an interview this week on “The Draymond Green Show,” actor and singer Taye Diggs asked Green about if he can be truly happy seeing the Knicks win a title, or if any perceived happiness for another team is simply an “act.”

“I’ll tell you what’s a little bit of an act,” Green explained. “When you put on an act is when you don’t want to see people like kind of wipe out your stuff for instance, right? Like you’re going to put on an act and be like, ‘Uh-huh. You know, I don’t really care if OKC win again or not.’ Deep down inside, you don’t want to see another team go back-to-back, like, we did that, we were the last team to do that, right?

“You want to hold on to some of that, so some of that becomes like the act in it. However, I think for me personally, when you initially lose and you’re done, you’re feeling just the competitive fire in you, it’s like, ‘God damn it, we’re done.’

“For me personally, and it could be different for me just because of the trajectory of my career, right? I’m so fortunate and blessed that I don’t have to spend every playoff season with the pressure or feeling of, ‘I have to get a championship,’ because I’ve experienced it, you know, I’ve done it four times.

“So I don’t deal with the pressure that most athletes that [have] not won deal with when it comes playoff time, which is like, ‘I need to win. I need to experience that. I need to feel it.’ Because of that, I think is why I’m able to separate and be like, all right, it’s cool. I got mine.”

In other words, once the initial disappointment of the Warriors’ season ending fades, it seems as though Green is rooting for a group to win their first title — both to protect the legacy of his Golden State teams, but also so that other players can experience that feeling.

“Like I said, being fortunate enough to win a second and a third and a fourth [title], and even when I watch today, and it’s not my teammates … you get the most joy then out of watching the guys who’s now doing it for their first time, because it takes you back to your first time. …

“‘I know that feeling. I love that feeling for you.’ And so like literally, we win our second or third or fourth, and I literally stand off to the side and watch our guys who’s winning it for the first time and just watch their emotion.”

And while Green clearly still has the desire to win an improbable fifth ring, he also has been open about the hurdles the Warriors face in that quest.

So in the meantime, he can be happy for those getting their first taste at that championship feeling.

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This week we’re going to take a break from the trade rumors and do something that’s our privilege as fans of the most successful franchise in NBA history.

We’re going to look back.

It’s May of 1971 and the ABA Finals are underway.

The league’s sprawling western division is represented by the Utah Stars, a team that finished second in the league with a 57-27 record. The best record in the league belonged to the Indiana Pacers, who finished 58-26.

The Eastern division was clearly the weaker of the two. The Virginia Squires took the top seed, 55-29, but second place belonged to the Kentucky Colonels who finished the season at 44-40.

The Colonels are on their third coach of the season.

The first 15 games were coached by Gene Rhodes, who led the team to a 10-5 record. This was not good enough for team owner John Y. Brown, who fired him, with Alex Groza coaching the team for the next two games (both wins), before being replaced by Celtic legend Frank Ramsey. Ramsey took the job on the condition that he be allowed to fly to games from his home in Madisonville, Kentucky, 150 miles away. Brown agreed to this and Ramsey took over the Colonels.

His record as a regular season coach was nothing to write home about. The team went 32-35 with him on the bench. He was noted for being something of a micromanager, even insisting on taping players’ ankles himself.

However, the Colonels caught a bit of lightning in the playoffs. In the first round, they faced off against the Floridians. The Colonels won the series 4-2, in part due to their reliance on the three point shot. During the regular season, the Colonels were mid-pack when it came to three point attempts per game, with the league’s second best success rate from beyond the arc, while the Floridians avoided the shot like the plague. The Colonels’ use of the shot reflected Ramsey’s own preference for outside shooting during his playing career with the Celtics.

In the second round, the Colonels faced off against the top seeded Virginia Squires.

The Colonels rallied from a 2-1 deficit, winning three straight games to close out the Squires 4-2. Game 3 of this series was an offensive extravaganza, with the two teams combining for 287 points in a 150-137 Squires victory; that total score remained a playoff record for both leagues until a double-overtime contest in 1992 between Portland and Phoenix.

This set up a Finals matchup with the Utah Stars. The Stars were spending their first season in Utah, having relocated from Los Angeles over the summer.

Utah had made quick work of the Texas Chaparrals, a team that would go on to become the San Antonio Spurs, sweeping them in the first round after the Chapparals won a play-in tiebreaker against the Denver Nuggets. The Stars won their four games by an average of 15.75 points.

The Stars’ opponents in the Western Division Finals were the Indiana Pacers, who had won the ABA title the year before.

This series went the full seven games, with Utah closing out the series at the Indiana State Fair Coliseum 108-101.

The Stars were coached by Bill Sharman, another Celtic legend, and one who had already tasted success as a basketball coach. He guided the Cleveland Pipers to a championship in the short-lived ABL in 1962, and had coached the San Francisco Warriors to the Finals in 1967, the year the Sixers broke through the Celtics’ dynasty and got Wilt his first championship.

Thus the 1971 ABA championship marked the first—and so far only—occasion when a pair of ex-Celtics found themselves on opposing benches jockeying for a league championship.

As was fitting for an era dominated by big men, the Stars were led by veteran center Zelmo Beaty, who was on his way to the Hall of Fame. The Colonels, on the other hand, had stayed local in the draft, picking their starting center, Dan Issel from the University of Kentucky before the season started. Issel would be the ABA’s Rookie of the Year, and would also end up in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Utah’s home court was the brand new Salt Palace, a drum-shaped venue which housed the Utah Jazz from 1979 to 1991. Although the arena could hold over 10,000 people, average attendance during the first Stars season was just 6,100. Despite filling barely half the seats in the arena, the Stars led the ABA in attendance that year. The arena, constructed as part of Utah’s bid to host the 1972 Winter Olympics, was demolished in 1994 to make room for an expanded convention center.

Kentucky played their home games at Freedom Hall, a cavernous arena on the Kentucky State Fairgrounds that was designed to house the Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show, a confusingly named event that requires almost a hundred yards of clear floor space. Aside from seats located along the sides of the court, the arena was not well-suited to basketball, although it could host over 16,000 fans during the years the Colonels played there. The venue also hosted six NCAA Final Fours between 1958 and 1969. It’s still standing, and still hosting horse shows and basketball games.

The Finals went seven games, and featured, among other things, Frank Ramsey bringing a bottle of oxygen to Utah to help cope with the high elevation (Salt Lake City sits at 4225 feet above sea level, which is high enough to give you a nice bout of altitude sickness, as I can personally attest).

In the first game of the Finals, Utah stomped Kentucky, 136-117. The only highlight for Kentucky was a surprising 36-point performance by Darel Carrier, who made six of seven three-point attempts. Utah had six players score in double figures and three players with more than 20 points, including a pair of reserves.

The Stars had little difficulty winning Game 2, 138-125, and they looked to be well on their way to dominating the Colonels until the series went back to Kentucky. Here the Colonels won a pair of close contests to even the series.

The teams continued to swap home court victories over the next two games, with Kentucky squeaking out a three-point victory in a classic Game 6 that pushed the series to a deciding Game 7. Kentucky was clinging to a slim lead when Dan Issel was sent to the bench with five personal fouls in the third period. With him out, Cincy Powell stepped up and kept the Colonels in the game by scoring 20 of the team’s 31 points over a 21-minute span as Utah edged out to a slim lead.

Kentucky fought back late in the fourth and put the game away at the free throw line, nailing all four attempts over the final 33 seconds. A bid by Red Robbins to tie the game with seven seconds to go off a deliberately missed free throw and a three-point attempt went nowhere when Dick Nemelka’s shot bounced off the rim. The game also featured a small shower of beer cups and debris from the stands when the scorekeeper apparently failed to sound the buzzer at the end of the third period allowing a late Utah basket to count.

The series shifted back to Salt Lake where Utah won the deciding game by ten, despite 41 points from Dan Issel, playing his final game as a rookie.

The Finals MVP was Zelmo Beaty, who had been an NBA All-Star before jumping to the upstart ABA.

Frank Ramsey was fired by John Y. Brown at the conclusion of the series. Ramsey settled down to a quiet life in Madisonville, eventually becoming a bank president.

Bill Sharman parlayed his ABA championship into a head coaching gig with the Los Angeles Lakers. He hired ex-Celtic KC Jones away from Harvard University, and these Celtic-tinged Lakers went on to record a then NBA record 69-13 record which featured an astonishing 33-game winning streak. When the Lakers won the title that season, it made Sharman the only coach to win a title in three different professional basketball leagues.

Sharman was also one of two coaches to win a title in the NBA and the ABA. The other, Alex Hannum, had been Sharman’s college teammate with the USC Trojans.

When Sharman retired from coaching in 1976, he took the Lakers’ general manager slot, a post he held until 1982.

The Colonels’ owner, John Y. Brown, would win an ABA title in 1975 and then sell Dan Issel’s contract to the Baltimore Claws. After the following season he took a three million dollar buyout from the NBA to extinguish the Colonels franchise. He said that he had no interest in being in the basketball business at the time, and then went on to buy a controlling stake in the Buffalo Braves later that same year.

In 1978, Brown finagled a franchise swap with Irv Levin, who owned the Celtics. The idea was that Irv Levin wanted to move a team to his home state of California, and there was no way on earth that this team would be the Celtics. The Braves, however, were teetering on the brink of disaster and were easily packed up and moved to San Diego, where they became the Clippers.

Thus, John Y. Brown ended up owning the Celtics, and one of the first things that he did was trade three first round picks for Bob McAdoo. Now, McAdoo was a great player, but he was in no way worth three first rounders. Brown did this without bothering to consult with Red Auerbach—in fact this was the second trade Brown executed without talking to Red first. Red was so incensed by this that he seriously entertained thoughts of leaving the Celtics and joining the Knicks

Brown’s tenure as owner of the Celtics was short-lived. After the 1978-79 season, Red delivered an ultimatum to Brown, having an offer to run the Knicks in his back pocket: “Either you go or I do.”

Brown, who had not yet dealt with anyone that had Red’s record and personality—folded. He sold his stake in the Celtics to co-owner Harry Mangurian in 1979.

Ramsey and Sharman, of course, had played together with the Celtics in the late 1950s. Ramsey was Sharman’s backup and the NBA’s first real sixth man.

Sharman was part of the Celtics’ title winning teams in 1957, 1959, 1960 and 1961. Ramsey was also part of those teams, as well as the teams that won in 1962, 1963, and 1964. He was replaced as the team’s sixth man by John Havlicek.

Sharman’s number 21 and Ramsey’s 23 both hang in the rafters above the Celtics’ home court.

While free agency provides lots of uncertainty, there are two known facts heading into this upcoming summer.

The Lakers have a lot of cap space and the Thunder need to shed salary.

After years of building up a contender through the draft, Oklahoma City is now experiencing the hardships that come with the CBA. In order to avoid going above the second apron, a shedding of salaries will need to happen.

One of the prime candidates is Lu Dort, a talented wing with limitations and a contract set to pay him $17.7 million next season. With players around him fit to take his spot in the rotation, it’s easy to see him dealt this offseason.

It’s not a shock, then, to see that the Lakers have reportedly called about Dort. According to NBA beat writer Jake Fischer, LA has checked in on Dort ahead of the start of free agency.

I’m also told that the Lakers have called the Thunder about swingman Lu Dort’s availability.

Oklahoma City is facing a well-chronicled roster crunch, with 15 players currently under contract and two first-round picks to make at Nos. 12 and 17 barring draft-night trade activity, sparking a belief that the Thunder might be open to trading Dort after picking up his $17.2 million team option to make it easier to re-sign big man Isaiah Hartenstein. Oklahoma City holds a $28.5 million team option on Hartenstein and is generally seen as a lock to retain his services either by picking up the option or working out a longer-term deal with him at a lower annual salary.

Last season, Dort averaged 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 38.5% from the field and 34.4% from the 3-point line. Across the board, those were the worst averages and percentages of his career outside of his rookie season.

It was also the fewest minutes he’s played per game, a sign of his diminishing role with the Thunder. Across his career, he averages 11.6 points per game and shoots 40.5% from the field and 34.4% from range.

All that being said, offense has never been his calling card. Dort has been one of the premier perimeter defenders across recent seasons. In 2024-25, he was named to the All-Defense First Team.

However, in becoming one of the top defenders, he’s also gained a reputation as one of the dirtier defenders in the league. Things reached a boiling point last season, in particular, when Dort had a series of dirty plays that drew the attention of fans.

There are certainly pros and cons for acquiring Dort that the Lakers will weigh. He’d certainly improve the defensive talent and depth of the roster, but at a price.

The Lakers would be doing the Thunder a big favor, so he’d likely come at a discounted cost. Does that make him a gamble worth taking?

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

According to Michael Scotto, the Utah Jazz have interest in re-signing Jusuf Nurkic.

Reporting on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks, Jaylen Brown, Tyler Herro, Kawhi Leonard, trade talks for the Pistons, Nets, Timberwolves, Raptors, and Nuggets. Plus, updates on free agents and extension candidates for the Suns, Thunder, Magic, and Jazz. https://t.co/76AU2Zjbz7

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 21, 2026

There’s not a lot here other than the simple statement about Utah wanting Nurkic back. From Scotto:

The Utah Jazz has expressed interest in re-signing center Jusuf Nurkic, league sources told Hoopshype. 

There you have it. The Jazz have interest, which makes sense. Nurkic had a nice season with the Jazz and appeared to enjoy his time with the team and the team’s style of play. His mix of passing, rebounding, and scoring fit really well with the Jazz. He played so well for Will Hardy that he ended up having a three-game triple-double streak last season. That mix of talent and proof of concept for Utah made him seem like a no-brainer to bring back. All that said, it will have to be on a reasonable contract. If Utah can get him on a veteran-minimum type of deal, it could be a great addition.

Utah does need to think about center depth. Walker Kessler is most likely joining the team next season, but he hasn’t had the best injury history. Some security at center would be a good idea in case Kessler has another injury.

All in all, it makes sense for the Jazz to bring Nurkic back. He fit perfectly with what Utah did last season, with the center being a hub at times in Hardy’s offense. Utah lacked some playmaking last year so that may not be as big of a need next year, and they may change their style, but it would be nice to have some continuity as well to what they’re doing.

Jose Alvarado is enjoying himself following the Knicks’ championship — perhaps a little too much.

Early on during the Knicks’ historic playoff run, Alvarado said he would get drunk for eight days straight if they were to win the NBA Finals.

“If we win, I’ma be drunk for eight days,” Alvarado said on the “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast in May. “I’m having a party in like every state.”

“Y’all gonna think I’m the MVP,” he added. “Y’all gonna be like ‘yo he got the MVP.’”

Now that the Knicks have won, Alvarado appears to be updating fans on his condition after seven days.

The guard posted a picture of him lying down on a table with a hat over his face to his Instagram story on Saturday, with the caption reading: “Day 7.”

Alvarado, a Brooklyn native, has been perhaps the most energetic throughout the championship celebrations.

He was seen celebrating at both the Knicks’ historic ticker-tape parade as well as the Puerto Rican Day parade last week.

At Thursday’s parade up the Canyon of Heroes, Alvarado grabbed a boombox and microphone and started hyping up the massive crowd.

“We brought the trophy home. Let’s party, baby, let’s party. Knicks in five,” he yelled while standing on one of the floats.

Growing up a Knicks fan in the five boroughs, the championship has a special meaning for Alvarado, who the Knicks picked up at the trade deadline.

“It’s really something I can’t put in words. I’m blessed,” he said before Game 1 of the finals. “I can’t even say it’s a dream, I never thought about being in the finals playing for the Knicks. But I’m here, I’m extremely excited.

“I’m a kid from the city living a dream.”