Category: NBA

Michael Porter Jr. was at the Fanatics Fan Fest in New York Friday and made a bit of news both on the free agency of his friend and former Denver Nuggets teammate Peyton Watson as well as his own.

While most pundits do not put the Brooklyn Nets in the forefront of potential landing spots for the 6’9” 23-year-old Watson, there he was with Porter Jr. yesterday at the Jacob Javits Center on Manhattan’s West Side pushing the idea. As a fan recorded, MPJ has not giving up on bringing PWat to Brooklyn…

His key line from an impromtu conversation involving him, Watson and a fan went something like this:

“He boutta sign for $130 million. I’m tryna get him in Brooklyn, though.”

At the moment, pundits think Watson who averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists with 49/41/73 splits last season, is likely to return to Denver or wind up in a sign-and-trade with the Bucks, Clippers or Hawks. That’s what Tony Jones wrote for The Athletic Friday. He doesn’t even mention the Nets, in fact. Last week, Jake Fischer also didn’t mention Brooklyn in his analysis of Watson’s free agency. The Nuggets want to keep him and basically have tried to scare off competitors by indicating they will match any offer for the restricted free agent. Sign-and-trades, while possible, are tricky under the new CBA.

The $130 million figure MPJ mentioned would seem to match the prevailing league wiseom that Watson wants a starting salary of around $25 million and a five-year deal.

It’s always possible that Porter Jr. was trolling fans but the close friendship between the two has been one big reason that, until recently, the Nets were thought to be legitimate contenders for Watson’s services. Porter mentored Watson in his early years in Denver. The Nets of course still have a deep cache of draft assets including 10 tradeable first round picks which became more valuable with the change of NBA lottery rules. Ironically, their biggest non-draft asset would have to be Porter.

Putting Watson aside, however, the comment by MPJ had additional revelance in that he readily admitted he was recruiting for his current team. This week, Sean Marks told media in Las Vegas that while he wants to MPJ back and happy, he was not in a rush to engage Marc Bartelstein. Two days later, Chris Haynes of TNT speculated that if there isn’t progress in talks on an extension, the Nets might deal MPJ, which seemed unlikely considering all the positive things the two sides have had to say about their relationship. Indeed, Haynes said it’s possible the two sides could talk as early as this weekend.

Porter, 28, will earn $40.8 million next season has been eligible since June 19 for a four-year extension worth as much as $234 million. It’s likely a final number would be more in the four year, $160 million range, however.

And in a live interview on ESPN from the FanFest, MPJ once again talked about his happiness with the Nets and their fans while adding “we’re building something special over there.”

“It’s really an honor because as an athlete because during the season, a lot of it is going to the gym, going to play games, coming home and you don’t get a chance a lot to interact with the fans and see how much love they really have. So to come out here and shake people’s hands and sign their autographs and take pictures of them is really an honor.”

Asked to compare his experience in Denver where he won a championship with last year in Brooklyn where he was mired in rebuild. Porter put this spin on things.

“Las year, it was a like new rookie season. It felt that drastic of a chance — in Denver being one of the younger guys, part of an established culture and winning a championship to come to Brooklyn and be the leader on the team, one of the oldest guys on the team — we have five rookies, youngest team in the NBA — was a completely different role that I had but it was soemting that I cherished and we’re building someon this special over there.”

There’s no urgency for the Nets to ink an extension with Porter. They have until next summer to finalize things. And it’s not at all absurd to suggest that Marks wants the additional team — and cap resources — to work on other possibilities. Perhaps PWat?

The NBA is a community. Even when players are on different teams, the degree of separation between them and other organizations is small.

Quentin Grimes is a perfect example. On the surface, he is the newest Laker and a five-year player who has spent most of his time in New York and Philadelphia.

However, for a brief moment, he was a teammate of Luka Dončić on the Mavericks. And when you factor that he’s worked out multiple times with Lakers head coach JJ Redick, even staying at his guest house during one of those sessions, it’s obvious he is entering into this new situation with some familiarity.

During an interview on ESPN LA’s Mason & Ireland Show, Grimes discussed the ties he’s had with the Lakers.

“I think everybody wants to be wanted as a player and I feel like there was a lot of mutual interest between me and the Lakers for a while now. “Nobody expected Luka [Dončić] to be with the Lakers and we had a good little run with Dallas. I knew JJ [Redick], I knew Jarred Vanderbilt, I knew Kurt Rambis and Greg St. Jean and everybody so it was kind of like a no-brainer and a great fit honestly.”

Grimes has the respect from his new team, which should make chemistry a breeze. Redick wouldn’t have worked with Grimes before if he didn’t like his game and work ethic.

Still, it’s almost a certainty that other teams had interest in Grimes as well. So it’s going to take more than that for a player to join a franchise. Besides his four-year, $60 million deal, Grimes selected the Lakers because the role he was pitched enticed him.

He elaborated on this during the next portion of his interview.

“That was really one of the bigger selling points. Talking with JJ and then having them be able to pitch me what my role [will] look like, having a pretty big offensive role within the team. But also having a big leadership role on defense as well as taking on that challenge every night of guarding the best players and wanting that responsibility. I want to have that challenge every night. So, that was really the two main things when I was choosing [a team] in free agency.”

Grimes averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game last season. With six of LA’s top 10 scorers from last year gone, there is a need for additional scoring and Grimes could be the answer.

What’s also interesting from this quote is Grimes viewing himself as a defensive leader. He’s assuming that he’ll defend some of the best players on most teams. Grimes being a top two-way player for the Lakers is a big ask, but he’s looking forward to answering the call.

Knowing Grimes has a connection with LA’s superstar, their head coach, other players on the team and the front office people, he knows what he’s getting into.

Grimes understands the pressure and is up for the challenge. The interest has been mutual and this fall we’ll hopefully see why both sides wanted this partnership to happen.

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

You would believe there was a regular-season game played on Friday, as the SummerKnicks and the SummerMavs combined for a dumb 198 points in both team’s Summer League Consolation game.

New York used 15 players, and Pacome Dadiet had himself a day to preserve his value entering next season while big man Liam Robbins put up a solid outing to remain alive in the race for a spot as a backup center. Here’s today’s links and notes.

• No recap nor Scenes, so here’s a bunch of notes from Sin City’s finale.
  • Dadiet dumped 19 points in 23 minutes on a 7-of-15 shooting performance (still 1-of-5 from three) and added five boards, a dime, and a steal to that. He committed two turnovers and finished with a minus-12, but you can’t win all fronts.
  • Robbins put up 14 points, went perfect on two attempts from the charity stripe, and pulled down four rebounds while swatting a shot from the SummerMavs in 20 minuts of playing time.
  • Tyler Nickel got his cardio up with a 30-minute run in which he hoisted a monster 11 treys but hit just three of them. Still, nine points for the neophyte to go with two rebounds, three dimes, three steals, and just one turnover.
  • The rest of your mob — starters and benchmen included — didn’t feature anyone playing above mediocrity levels. Dillon Jones went 6-5-2, Jack Kayil put up a goose egg with zero points on just two shots (10 minutes) but three assists and a rebound, and Jaden Akins the only other double-digit scorer with a solid 11-2-3-2 stat line.
• Not that we didn’t already know, but the Summer League is over and the Knicks’ frontcourt problem is still the one roster issue pending fixing. The Daily News’ Kris Winfield argued that New York has enough spacing and could live without giving Tyler Nickel the last standard contract, especially with Landry Shamet already around, prioritizing adding a center between now and tip-off time next October.
• Kris also touched on Deuce McBride’s long-term future, which might be connected to the upcoming financial squeeze the Knicks will need to navigate with Karl-Anthony Towns extension-eligible and Jalen Brunson due for another deal soon enough. Deuce is likely to ask for a sizable salary (a la Mitch), so unless somebody/everybody takes less or the cap sheet changes, odds are he departs before or on July 1, 2027.
• Related to everything discussed above, Daily Knicks’ Jack Simone expanded on how Nickel could represent exactly the kind of player contenders like the Knicks need under the current CBA if they want to stay on Tier S.
• Jack Kayil’s situation is perhaps more frustrating, and our own John Grove couldn’t have written about it any better. A two-way contract is the obvious out-of-context path and would allow the Knicks to keep Kayil in Westchester, but that would prohibit New York from paying his ALBA Berlin buyout, and he would have to cover it himself, which is not exactly a reasonable request for a 20-year-old starting his career. Read the story for a much better understanding!

“If the Knicks choose to offer Kayil a two-way contract, NBA regulations prohibit them from paying his overseas buyout. According to the rules, the buyout would have to be executed strictly between the player and ALBA Berlin. Yes, Kayil would have to independently pay for his buyout in order to accept a two-salary. Truthfully, this financial decision is unlikely.

“While a two-roster spot may be available, the Knicks likely lack the cap space to offer their 20-year-old guard a standard NBA contract. That contract is the only legal way New York can cover his international buyout. Of course, this dampens things a little bit.”

• Brunson refused to sign a Giants helmet at Fanatics Fest, and instead ended up scribbling “Go Birds” on it.
• In his talk with The Wall Street Journal, Brunson revisited his discount deal ($113 million left on the table!), his preference for financial security, and touched on his lifestyle, big-money purchaes, and a bunch of other staff.
• Pat Benson of Kicks on SI must have had a blast of a time speaking to Jose Alvarado on his partnership with AND1. The match is perfect and I can’t love it anymore. Here’s one (can you guess the question?), but go read all of his quotes!

“Fat Joe, J.Lo— and Wemby!“

• Anthony Edwards was at the Fanatics Fest and talked about Jalen Brunson — not Victor Wembanyama — as well as about KAT and the “cheat code” advice he gave him heading into the NBA Finals.
• Fred VanVleet is finding inspiration in the Knicks’ title run.
• John Calipari spoke extensively with the New York Post and shared a lot of stuff about his former pupil Towns. Spoiler: don’t flop. Full quotes: in today’s Bulletin.
• Charles Barkley brought his Michael Jordan feud to the table, which lasted 15 years but has seemingly, finally, ended!?
• LeBron James said his daughter Zhuri is the deciding factor in his upcoming free-agency decision. Zhuri did not answer James’ question about where to go next immediately after he told him about his departure from Los Angeles, and would tell him later, or simply even write her feelings down at some point. Imagine Zhuri choosing Memphis.

He puts the New York in the Knicks.

Knicks guard Jose Alvarado is still riding high off New York’s championship win — and hoping to inspire local youth with his story.

The Brooklyn native, who grew up in the Roberto Clemente projects in Williamsburg, said the positive to being the only native New Yorker on the team is he can show city kids “that there is hope.”

When asked what it’s like to be the sole player from NYC, Alvarado, 28, said “it’s the best.”

“Especially when you win a championship,” he told The Post from the ESPYs red carpet at the Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center on Wednesday.

“It’s cool being home and being a kid from here and just to experience all this.”

Surprisingly, his teammates don’t ask him for tips on the best food spots in the area, Alvarado said.

“I mean sometimes, but you know, they already know where to go to get good food … But I just go to my own spots where I’m from.”

His father, Jose Sr., a union electrician with Local 3, moved the family to Flushing to give his then 8-year-old son more opportunities in sports.

“My dad is a hard-working man, so he got me in the right situation with my mom, and so it was just perfect,” he said.

After the Knicks won Game 5 in San Antonio, Alvarado changed out of his series-clinching uniform in the locker room — and gave his jersey, shorts, sneakers, headband and even NBA champions t-shirt to his father.

“He thrives on every accomplishment I had in my life, he takes it and basically hangs it like a trophy … uniforms, trophies, everything.”

Every player showers the team they joined with praise upon signing. However, with the Lakers, it’s typically a bit more authentic.

The Lakers are a big brand and garner attention and respect that few NBA teams can. Given their rich history and championships, players often enter the franchise with strong emotions about the Lakers.

Sandro Mamukelashvili is no exception.

In an exclusive interview with Khobi Price of the California Post, he outlined why he’s excited to don the purple and gold this upcoming season.

“Just the name itself – all of the legends play for the Lakers,” Mamukelashvili told the Post of why he signed with the Lakers. “The organization is a very high-level organization. They’re starting a new page and it’s just unbelievable to be part of it.”

Mamukelashvili, who got a “Mamba Mentality” tattoo while he was in college at Seton Hall, grew up a fan of late Lakers icon Kobe Bryant.   

“I could only imagine this really in 2K, that I would be playing for this team,” Mamukelashvili said. “I’m so excited, so happy. The coaching staff is amazing and I can’t wait to just put the jersey on, go out there and just play my heart out every night. You gotta have a chip on your shoulder when you play for the Lakers.”

It’s one thing for a player to compliment the Lakers and talk about their love for Kobe Bryant. It’s another for that player to have a Bryant tattoo on their body.

It certainly sounds like Mamu is aware of the special position he’s in and is ready to make the most of it.

Clearly, Mamu has a ton of love and respect for the Lakers. After all, he signed with them, so obviously it’s where he wants to be. Hopefully, that will translate into production this year. Last season, Mamu averaged a career-best 11.2 points along with 4.9 rebounds per game. He also shot 38.9% from 3-point range.

While playing for the Lakers is a high-pressure environment, and Mamu and other new players like Walker Kessler will certainly feel that, in the end, all fans want is for guys to give their all.

If Mamu is hustling hard and playing with that chip on his shoulder he talked about, he will become a fan favorite. All he has to do now is match his words off the court with his play on it.

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

The 2026 NBA Summer League is a wrap for the Knicks after a 110-88 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. New York went 1-4 during the exhibition games. But the five games offered a chance to see how some of the Knicks’ recent draft picks would fare in larger roles.

From the rookie showings of Tyler Nickel and Jack Kayil to Mohamed Diawara’s failure to launch, let’s focus on four takeaways from the five-game stint in Las Vegas.

Rookie review

On draft night, the Knicks made a series of deals to move out of the first round. In the second round, the club might’ve found two players with potential in Nickel and Kayil.

Selected 47th overall, Nickel has the clearest path to an NBA role. He is a lights-out shooter with a lightning-quick release. Nickel made 19-of-46 threes (41.3 percent) during Summer League. At the NBA level, the three-ball will be how he contributes, and he showed that in Summer League as 46 of Nickel’s 56 (82 percent) field goal attempts were three-pointers. He’ll have to work on his handle as well as attacking closeouts. Nickel was better than advertised on defense. He competes and was mostly in the right spots.

Picked 39th overall, Kayil showed flashes of being a reliable combo guard. He can run a pick-and-roll and create pull-up jumpers or stepbacks, and he looked comfortable as a passer. A 19-point, three-steal, four-assist game against the Detroit Pistons was a good showing from the 6-foot-3 guard. Still, he has some work to do. Kayil shot only 34.2 percent from the field in four games.

As Ian Begley recently noted, if the Knicks sign a third center, they wouldn’t have enough financial wiggle room to offer Nickel or Kayil a standard NBA contract. With MilesMcBride, Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet all on the roster next year, having Kayil stay overseas would make the most sense. Nickel could be in line for a two-way contract.

Small sample size

A rotation player for parts of his rookie season, Diawara seemed poised to have a strong Summer League. But those hopes quickly faded as the 2025 second-round pick struggled. Diawara was just 1-for-14 (seven percent from the field), scoring seven points in 49 minutes, before missing the last three contests with a finger injury.

Diawara didn’t hit enough shots from deep (1-for-10 from three) to keep the defense honest, and he wasn’t able to find clean lanes for drives to the rim.

Despite the shooting struggles, there were some positives. Diawara did a good job on the boards, collecting 5.5 rebounds per game. He also flashed good vision with some nifty passes, though it didn’t lead to many makes from his teammates.

It’s an extremely small sample size in a very different role for the 6-foot-9 forward. And it’s fair to say the lack of a true point guard on the floor was a factor in the results.

Third-year pressure

One of the rare third-year players participating in Summer League, Pacome Dadiet had an uneven showing. In four games, the 2024 first-round draft pick averaged 15.3 points, but shot just 36.4 percent from the field and 16.0 percent from behind the three-point line.

Though he struggled to put the ball in the basket at an efficient rate, Dadiet showed some signs of growth. He was much better off the ball, cutting to the rim for a few finishes near the basket. Also, Dadiet’s defensive activity was adequate.

Dadiet is still just 20 years old, but the NBA is a quick-moving league with windows of opportunity closing faster than a New York minute. The Knicks already have three wings in OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart as starters. Diawara passed Dadiet on the depth chart last year. The Knicks will decide whether to pick up the fourth-year team option on Dadiet’s contract in the fall.

No solutions at center

With Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond as the only centers on the roster, the Knicks are still in search of help at the position. Summer League hasn’t provided a clear solution to the Knicks’ center depth problem. Seven-footer Liam Robbins started for New York’s summer squad and provided middling results. He was a large presence in the middle and a deterrent at the rim, blocking 2.0 shots per game. Robbins also finished well around the rim.

But he has flaws. Robbins is slow-footed, which led to a lot of fouls. At 27 years old, the former Vanderbilt center has flirted with the three-pointer but hasn’t been accurate. He shot 20 percent on long-distance attempts during Summer League and hit just 30 percent of his attempts last season in 32 G League games with the Rip City Remix.

LeBron James knows what it’s like to have the entire NBA in a chokehold as they wait on his free agent decision. James did it in 2010, 2014, 2018, and somehow he’s doing it again even on the brink of his 42nd birthday. James told the Los Angeles Lakers he would be playing for a new team in the 2026-27 season at the end of June, and after weeks of speculation on the best fits and most likely landing spots, it’s finally time for him to announce his choice.

The expectation is that James will sign in the coming week, and no one really knows where he’s going to land. The Golden State Warriors were a serious contender for a bit, but it seems like they’re out now that they won’t meet the Wizards’ ridiculous asking price for Anthony Davis. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also in pursuit of James, and both make a lot of sense given their championship history with LeBron. There’s one more team consistently mentioned in these free agent discussions, and at this point it doesn’t seem like a fluke: the Philadelphia 76ers are lurking as a very real suitor for LeBron, and it’s starting to feel like it could really happen.

The Sixers appear to have piqued LeBron’s interest following the shocking Jaylen Brown trade. ESPN reported that Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid have all been talking to LeBron about joining the Sixers. Maxey is a Klutch client like LeBron, and something like that tends to carry some weight when Rich Paul is running the show.

The Sixers were the first team listed on Paul’s infamous whiteboard detailing LeBron’s suitors. At Fanatics Fest this week, James said he wants to “trust the process” when making his free agency decision, which could be seen as a nod to the Sixers’ infamous tanking plan from a decade ago.

ESPN insider Shams Charania reported that James is taking the Sixers’ pitch “really seriously.” Charania has consistently mentioned Philly as a top-3 suitor for LeBron alongside the Heat and Cavaliers. ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin said “it seems like an Eastern Conference team will win the LeBron James sweepstakes,” in his most recent update.

New Sixers lead executive Mike Gansey is an Ohio native like LeBron, and LeBron actually beat him out for the 2001 Ohio Mr. Basketball award as a sophomore when Gansey was a senior. Gansey came over from the Cavs’ front office, and he was working there at the end of LeBron’s last Cleveland tenure. His brother also tweeted out this photo of Gansey and James together in high school.

It’s understandable if people think LeBron won’t pick the Sixers because it would be weird for him to end his career in Philly. Well, what if this isn’t his last year in the NBA? James pushed back against the idea that aging athletes should retire a Fanatics Fest and cited Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones as an inspiration. I’d also note that LeBron is basically the godfather of “player empowerment” in the NBA at this point, and he’s always marched to the beat of his own drum in free agency, from bolting to the Heat in 2010 to returning to the Cavs in 2014 to choosing the Lakers in 2018.

Fans are reading the tea leaves around the LeBron discussion, and they’re starting to think the Sixers might actually be the pick.

I had the 76ers at No. 12 in my way-too-early power rankings, which was in the same range as the Cavs (No. 10) and the Heat (No. 14). What Philly really needs right now is a starting caliber four man. It’s hard to do any better than LeBron.

A starting lineup with Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Brown, James, and Embiid could be box office, and Philly would still have Dean Wade, Labaron Philon, Anfernee Simons, Dominic Barlow, Justin Edwards, Ariel Hukporti, and Adem Bona off the bench. The center position is definitely a worry given that Embiid misses so much time every season. That’s also a lot of guys who need the ball in their hands without a ton of shooting around them, but there’s no denying the Sixers with LeBron have a stacked roster.

LeBron to the Sixers makes more sense than people want to believe, especially if it’s only for one season before he bounces to Cleveland or Miami a year from now. James has four rings, and he wants one more. Philly might actually give him the best chance to get it.

This offseason looks much different than previous ones in the eyes of the Knicks and their fans, filled with celebration and catharsis instead of hunger and regret. But their magical 2026 championship run isn’t reason enough to take summer lightly; if they want to repeat, they’ll need to be even better in a restocked East.

With that in mind, let’s go over each returning player to determine what key skill they should be working on bringing into 2026-27 to help defend the throne.

Jalen Brunson - Passing through pressure

It’s no easy task to find fault in one of the greatest playoff and NBA Finals performances ever strung together on hardwood, but if there’s one thing to nitpick, it would be some of Brunson’s sloppy passing, most evidently in the Finals. 

The Spurs’ length and pressure gave him fits, leading to a muted 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio in that series.

Brunson often found himself in the paint only to try and squeeze a tough interior pass through or get intercepted spraying out to the weak corner. He tightened up down the stretch, but can further improve this part of his game with some ball fakes and better decisions. 

Mikal Bridges - Pick-and-roll and isolation playmaking

Bridges was invaluable and hilariously efficient in New York’s playoff run, but at times it felt he had a little more to give when Brunson was being pressured, and the Knicks needed an extra dose of ball-handling. 

He stepped up with his shooting as others like Jose Alvarado took over more ball-handling duties, but this could be an area for Bridges to tap into more.

His mid-range game is so effective; being comfortable using a screen or developing some kind of go-to dribble move that creates some space when he’s out on the perimeter could take his game to another level -- it would also make defenses second-guess giving him a favorable matchup.

OG Anunoby - Scoring mentality 

Anunoby elevated his game to its peak potential during the playoffs, averaging 20 points on 62 percent shooting from two and 49 percent from three while maintaining his elite defense on the other end.

He’s long worked to develop a Kawhi Leonard-esque isolation game and wanted the opportunity to show it off, but emerged as the ultimate complementary scorer by simplifying his attack to its most dangerous looks.

Boiling it down to timely cuts, threes, and one or two dribbles utilizing his strength was key, and if he carries that mentality over to next season, he could bring this championship level of play every day. He’s now got the confidence and formula to average 20 while keeping in the flow of the team’s offense. 

Josh Hart - Three-point confidence

It’s a familiar tune, but even as late as last year’s Conference Finals and NBA Finals, Hart turned down open three-point looks because he was either struggling or thought there was a better shot available. 

Given he hit 41 percent of his threes during the regular season and 37 percent in the playoffs after the Hawks series, he needs to start putting them up with confidence, especially when opponents leave him alone. 

Karl-Anthony Towns - Driving without hooking

All the way up to the decisive Game 5 of the NBA Finals, despite the incredible performances along the way, Towns still couldn’t get a superstar or even an All-Star whistle from the officials.

A lot of contact will be allowed so long as you’re built like a bulldozer, but the non-calls aren’t as damaging as the offensive fouls he picked up for hooking opponents’ arms on drives.

The ring likely won’t change how he’s called either, so if he can at least work to take this obvious whistle out of his game, chances are he’ll stay on the floor more for the repeat run -- the Knicks will need it given what he provided on both ends. 

Miles McBride - Ball-handling

McBride probably had the quietest postseason of the regular rotation, as the pressure defenses pushed him off the ball and made it difficult for him to find any offense outside his spot-up game. This has been an ongoing critique throughout his career, so nothing new here, but a big leap in his dribble could set him up for a bigger role next season. 

Jose Alvarado - Consistency

The booms for Alvarado will be heard for generations to come -- eight massive points in the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the NBA Finals above all -- but they were often preceded by busts in both the regular season and postseason. 

If he can work on bringing a more consistent performance night in and night out, his spot in the rotation should reflect that, and the Knicks would be major beneficiaries. 

Landry Shamet - Screen navigation and strength 

Shamet became a hero in the later rounds thanks to his shooting, but at times struggled during his Finals minutes battling through screens and trying to defend San Antonio’s trio of skilled guards. Some added core and lower body strength would go a long way here to making him an even more consistent contributor instead of a matchup-dependent option. 

Jordan Clarkson - Spot-up threes

Clarkson re-invented himself after a midseason benching to become a defensive hound and consistent paint toucher; the only piece that felt missing was his ability to spread the floor. 

If he can lock in that corner catch-and-shoot three, he’ll be able to contribute even more next season. 

A curious statistic is making its way across social media that connects four Houston Rockets players in a not-so-good way. Here’s a list of the worst layup FG% in the NBA over the last 5 seasons (min. 600 layup attempts)

So who’s on the list? Fred VanVleet, Clint Capela, and Tari Eason are all here. But each guy has a reason to be around. That figure provides some valuable context, but it doesn’t capture the full story.

Maybe VanVleet’s choice is the least surprising of all. He’s only 6′ so when he gets to the hoop, he’s going against a lot of taller defenders. He doesn’t finish at the rim with his athleticism. Instead, he’s driving to contested layups over shot blockers. But the point is, he’s ready to assault the paint even if it’s at a lower rate of conversion. It causes defenses to collapse, opening up possibilities for his teammates. Finishing percentage is only a small part of his overall offensive value. He’s still one of the top playmakers and one of the better volume 3-point shooters in the game.

Of the names on the list, Eason and his athleticism is the most surprising one. He’s relentless and high-energy, so he’s often throwing up off-balance shots in traffic. He presses the issue, he gets up the floor before the defense is set, and he produces turnovers. Those hard fouls can lead to some tough layups. But he’s a net positive due to his superb defense, rebounding, and ability to create additional possessions.

The biggest surprise could be the inclusion of Capela. He’s a traditional big man, dunks it and finishes at the rim, so you’d assume a much greater layup percentage. The number shows that he takes a lot of his non-dunk attempts in heavy contact or tough putback scenarios after offensive rebounds and not clean receptions in the pick-and-roll. However, Capela’s inclusion does make more sense when you factor in his age.

So really, this ranking just proves you can’t put someone in a box with one stat. VanVleet, Eason, and Capela all have trouble finishing layups, but they bring different ingredients that have helped make them vital pieces to the Rockets’ roster and winning culture.

The results weren’t even close on this one. And they should have been. We’re biased as Washington Wizards fans, right?

In our SB Nation Reacts survey this week we found that 72% of respondents believe AJ Dybantsa will have the best NBA career, well ahead of Caleb Wilson (12%), Darryn Peterson (8%), and Cam Boozer (8%).

It’s easy to see why. Dybantsa is widely viewed as a franchise-changing talent, and Wizards fans clearly hope he’s the player who leads Washington’s rebuild into the future. The other players will also have great careers, don’t get me wrong. But we are certainly behind our guy, AJ Dybantsa!

Even if the FanDuel odds of the Wizards beating the Hawks tomorrow aren’t great (and they are underdogs), I can’t wait to cover this team toward what I hope will be multiple playoff runs in the not-too-distant future.

LAS VEGAS — When the Lakers hosted Peter Suder for a pre-draft workout, they were drawn to his basketball IQ.

His unselfishness. 

His competitiveness. 

All — especially the latter — were on display March 6 when Suder and the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks were on the cusp of an undefeated regular season and becoming the only unbeaten team in Division I men’s basketball.

The last obstacle in their way? 

A road matchup against their in-state rival, the Ohio Bobcats, at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio.

Suder, the 2026 MAC Player of the Year, didn’t have his typical performance. But he made multiple clutch plays, scoring five of his 13 points during overtime, to help the RedHawks clinch the undefeated regular season, much to the dismay of the fiery crowd of 10,740.

“They were talking trash and letting us hear [it] the whole game,” Suder told The California Post. 

Trash wasn’t just being talked — it was being thrown, too. 

Wrappers. 

Beer cans. 

Any piece of trash in sight. 

The Ohio fans made their feelings clear toward the RedHawks. And so did the Miami players, flipping off the fans during the chaotic scene. 

“We started to get hit in the face with some trash when they’re throwing it at us, and it kind of just came out,” Suder told the Post. 

Suder’s interaction with the fans went viral as he waved goodbye to the Ohio fans while saying, “F— k you, b——s.”

“It was awesome, I’m not going to lie,” Suder told the Post. “I enjoyed it.”

As Suder exchanged his red-and-white Miami jersey for the Lakers’ purple-and-gold uniform after signing a two-way contract with the franchise after going undrafted, his competitive nature has continued to be displayed. 

Even when his shot hasn’t fallen during the Lakers’ summer league slate, which continues Saturday with their Las Vegas summer league semifinals matchup against the Warriors, Suder’s still diving for loose balls. 

Hustling to create or save possessions.

Suder hasn’t shot as efficiently as he did in college, converting 33% of his shot attempts and 22.2% of his 3-pointers through six exhibitions. 

After shooting 42.1% during his final season with the RedHawks, he knows that’ll be a significant factor for success in his NBA career.  

“The No. 1 thing is for me to be successful and get a really good role at the NBA level and play consistent minutes, [I] got to be able to shoot the cover off the ball from 3,” he told the Post. “That’s got to become my bread and butter. And, obviously, I can make plays off of that, make other people better, make myself better, whether it’s finishing at the rim, just different types of things. But the No. 1 thing that they loved about me was just competitiveness and toughness, just not backing down from anybody.”

Suder is also aware of the “stereotype” he’ll be a part of in the NBA.

Which is why he’s working on his lateral quickness to help him become a more respected defender. 

“My stereotype in the NBA is to be a 6-foot-4, 6-foot-5 catch-and-shoot guy,” Suder told the Post. “The main thing that NBA teams do nowadays is they see an advantage that they like, and they just go at it and they just keep doing it until, basically, you earn their respect that you can guard the ball. So that’s one thing I’m going to definitely have to do. Whether it’s like plyometrics in the weight room, a bunch of mobility, just different types of things to get quicker. Whether it’s getting the body fat down.

“There’s so many little aspects that you can create, even if it’s a 0.2 second quicker that can win basketball games or help you guard somebody that’s smaller and quicker than you.”

Summer league has been the first step for Suder to get used to the differences between what he faced in a mid-major conference and the NBA.

“He’s going to be put in some different positions,” summer league coach Ty Abbott said. “He’s going to handle, he’s going to be off the ball a little bit, and for him it’s just about being aggressive, being confident, and coming in and … play your game. You got open windows, find windows, and then when you have the window, shoot it. So it’s about his shot-making ability, and then ability to be a little bit versatile, handle the ball a little bit, kind of a jack-of-all-trades thing there as well.”

After a horrific start to NBA Summer League, including shooting 1-of-10 against the New Orleans Pelicans, it looked like Phoenix Suns two-way guard Koby Brea turned a corner against the Milwaukee Bucks when he hit 6 threes on 12 attempts in the team’s 95-88 win on Monday. Fans seemed happy (and relieved) for him.

In the next game against the Detroit Pistons, Brea’s struggles returned. Despite the win, he shot just five times and scored five points on 33% shooting from the field in 26 minutes.

The stat line for Brea through four games in Las Vegas? 7.8 points on 27/29/75 splits with 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 27.7 minutes played. He has sported an offensive rating of 84.4.

Known for his shooting prowess and possessing one of the regular-season roster’s three two-way contract spots, the 2025 second-rounder who spent time at Kentucky and Dayton in college is one of the focal points of the team’s Summer League roster, which is why fans have been paying close attention to his performance and are split on how concerned they are with him.

Half of the polled fanbase being nervous about Brea does not surprise me. Being retained on a two-way deal with a roster that mostly remained the same from a season ago, turnover is needed for the team to once again surpass its projected win total, and any player who is on the team not demonstrating an ability to help the squad could hinder that. Phoenix also has a lot of guards, including the recent two-way signing Pat Spencer.

While he shot 43% from deep last season, he took just 30 threes in his 12 games played, and more than 50% of them came in games 81 and 82 of the regular season, when Phoenix and their opponents were preparing for the postseason and were against lower-level competition. So while the percentages were strong, they are heavily skewed from just two of his 12 games.

When a player is given ample opportunities after a season with an organization, it is ideal for them to show signs of improvement in the Summer League and demonstrate that they are not meant to play more than a handful of games. The team shut down Koa Peat, Rasheer Fleming, and Khaman Maluach after the three showed strong performances in the team’s first four games. Brea has had just one good game.

He has another chance to prove himself in what could be the team’s last Summer League game of the season, but with 75% of his games him shooting under 34% from the field, it’s reasonable that half the fanbase is worried about Koby Brea’s play.

He provided some courtside inspiration.

Knicks guard Tyler Kolek thinks having Celebrity Row mainstay Timothée Chalamet play him on the big screen would be a slam dunk.

“That would be amazing,” he told The Post from the ESPYs red carpet at the Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center on Wednesday. “We’ll see if he agrees to that.”

During Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Kolek drained a clutch three-pointer during the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ historic win over the San Antonio Spurs — and Chalamet went viral for jumping out of his Madison Square Garden courtside seat and shouting, “White boys!”

Knicks fans online quickly began pointing out the uncanny resemblance between the two.

So when Kolek posted a photo of himself holding the championship trophy on Instagram, a follower said, “Timmy gon play you in the Knicks documentary.”

“And he’ll play Timmy,” another joked.

Kolek has been having a ball since the team took home their first NBA title in 53 years.

“It’s been amazing. I mean, the city has been on fire,” the former Marquette star said.

“I got out of the city a little bit, just to kind of get some grounding, get back to reality, take a little deep breath.

“But coming to the ESPYs, going to Fanatics Fest this week, the World Cup Final, it’ll be good to be back.”

The Rhode Island native, who signed with the Knicks in 2024, also revealed why he believes the team won the title.

“I think it’s the way that we play together, the way we care for each other. That’s the most important thing. You see a lot of people worried about their individual stats,” he said.

“And I feel like our team just came together as one and accomplished the goal that we set our minds to.”

Kolek, whose girlfriend, Alexi Sousa, was by his side at the ticker-tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes, said he is planning to keep his championship merch for his future children.

View this post on Instagram

“I gotta keep it … maybe frame a jersey. I got a ball from the Finals too,” he said.

“Just keep that stuff for my kids, you know, for me later in life.”

The 6′ 2” reserve guard, who boasts 265,000 Instagram followers, said one of the most iconic moments during the Finals run was watching the videos of people cheering outside of Madison Square Garden.

“All the videos outside that I saw of people rioting in the streets, going crazy,” he said, “those have definitely been my favorite.”

We’re getting down to the final stretch.

LeBron James is weighing his options and will soon decide his next stop, after he informed the Los Angeles Lakers in late June that he would be moving on from the franchise.

James has been deliberate during his unrestricted free agency, and earlier in the week, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told USA TODAY Sports that James has all the information he needs from prospective teams. Now, it’s all about the waiting and the announcement – for the prospective teams, basketball fans and the NBA at large, including commissioner Adam Silver.

Here are predictions from USA TODAY Sports NBA experts on where LeBron James will decide to play next season:

Lorenzo Reyes: Miami Heat

I do think the Cavaliers are a stronger pull as far as storylines go; Akron, Ohio is James’ home and Cleveland is the team that selected him first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft. But, on a basketball level, I don’t love the fit. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are both ball-dominant guards who do best when they’re initiating. James, at this stage of his career, is a better facilitator than he is a pure scorer. Cleveland, in my estimation, forces James to sacrifice parts of his game.

In Miami, he can be far more of a creator, as the Heat currently lack a pure distributor. And when paired with Giannis Antetokoumpo, this would give Miami two of the elite transition players – if not the two best fastbreak players of all time. The Heat would still need to add some shooting, but Miami would instantly improve their standing as a competitor in the East. I also have a hard time seeing James, in his 24th season, playing for a new franchise.

The NBA is ready to roll out their schedule featuring 25 national TV broadcasts throughout the season including opening week and the ever popular Christmas matchups. If the basketball gods are pumping on all cylinders, the yuletide will showcase Miami facing off against Milwaukee, the 76ers playing the Celtics, and the Spurs returning to Madison Square Garden.

There’s just one problem. LeBron James has yet to announce where he will play next season.

Adam Silver on LeBron’s free agency decision:

“I would like him to make his announcement already, so he can finish the schedule. Because as you might imagine, the teams are calling us, the networks are calling us, and everybody wants to lock in the schedule. But it will influence how we set the schedule, how we set opening week, Christmas Day, etc.”

It sounds strange that the oldest player is the hold up until one hears that player is LeBron. If/when he does sign with a team, James enters his twenty-fourth season. Truth be told, it wouldn’t be Christmas without King James. He’s played a record 20 Christmases, and currently 19 seasons straight.

That said, one option is for the league plan as if LeBron was retiring. It isn’t befitting of of one of the greatest to ever play the game, but then again, is it appropriate for the league to hold up for one player?

Make no mistake, his signing is a major event for the league, but perhaps James is milking it a little too long. He has to have an idea of where he wants to go, and any team is prepared to graciously roll out the red carpet. While understanding that this is most likely his laster hurrah, he could be more expedient with his plans.

What do you think, Pounders? Share in the comments below.

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