Category: NBA

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Celtics fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Social media speculation turned into unfounded internet rumor last weekend when Sports Illustrated’s John Karalis — a longtime veteran beat reporter — suggested that Brad Stevens lob a call into the Golden State Warriors to inquire about the availability of one Steph Curry.

Karalis wrote last week:

Could the Celtics get in on that?

The first thing to consider is that we don’t know what Curry’s market will be. We saw Jaylen Brown go for less than expected, and at Curry’s age, who knows how the bidding would go. He’s still incredibly effective, but the injuries tend to pile up for guys his age, especially ones who run as much as he does. 

I’ll come up with a package. It might be great. It might suck. But it’s what Boston can do right now, and where it lands on that spectrum depends on what others are offering. 

My trade package is going to be George, the picks acquired from Philadelphia, and Sam Hauser for Curry. 

It was a harmless hypothetical in the doldrums of the NBA news desert and Karalis clarified his comments after the idea caught fire, but it does raise an interesting question for Brad Stevens: how does the front office fill out the roster around Jayson Tatum as he enters his prime?

Paul George is in the max slot for now with next season guaranteed and a player option for 2027-2028. The 36-year-old probably isn’t the ideal running mate next to Tatum — the younger Jaylen Brown would make more sense in terms of basketball fit. However, if the short-term plan is to partner JT with an older veteran, who should the Celtics target?

In the twisted nature of how all the teams’ timelines are connected, Tatum’s best team-up could be all the players that have been already linked to Curry. It was rumored that to land LeBron James, the Warriors needed to deal for Anthony Davis first. That didn’t happen and James ended up with Brown in Philadelphia. Kevin Durant, of course, spent three seasons in Golden State and raised two Larry O’Briens.

And we threw in Kyrie Irving into the poll just to watch the world burn. Funny, not funny?

Vsevolod Ishchenko was the #56 pick in the NBA Draft this past June, selected by the Chicago Bulls. In rapid succession, his rights moved to the Los Angeles Lakers for cash considerations, then on to the Dallas Mavericks, also for cash considerations.

With Dallas, Ishchenko came stateside to play in the Summer League where he logged time across five games, averaging 9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. With that, he also averaged 3.4 turnovers per game. His numbers – especially when considering he is a 21-year-old who joined a team of strangers in a foreign country for two weeks – were generally solid. However, the high turnover rate spoke to his adjustment to the NBA game, both in terms of size and speed. He certainly showed flashes and it’s reasonable to think he could develop into a rotation player in the future, but it is difficult to argue that he could use some more seasoning.

In respect of that seasoning, he was highly unlikely to get enough of it in Dallas this coming season. To that end, rumors now suggest he will be heading back overseas to play for Lokomotiv Kuban of the VTB United League in Russia. “Loko” is the same team he played for up until draft night, so this is a return home for him (literally and figuratively). As a result of the move, Dallas gets to stash him overseas to get more reps and playing time than he would at the NBA level, allowing him to develop further before potentially bringing him back at some point in the future.

The Mavericks tighten up their roster a bit with the move as well, getting down to a more manageable number required for the start of the upcoming season. Of course, more moves could be on the way, but for now Dallas managed their roster without pulling the trigger on a trade.  

As you can imagine, there is not yet an overabundance of news on a transaction like this, so we will continue to keep you posted with updates as they come. For now, feel free to comment below or join the ongoing conversation in the Feed.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

It was announced that in 2028, a new WNBA franchise will reside in Cleveland, Ohio. In a live-stream unveiling on August 4th, a presentation group include Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman, it was revealed what the newest chapter of Cleveland’s part in the WNBA.

The name decided upon is the Cleveland Sirens. The name was chosen “for Lake Erie’s power and pull”.

The last time there was a WNBA franchise in Cleveland, it was under the Cleveland Rockers, who eventually were dissolved as Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund no longer wanted to house the franchise.

For those hoping the Rockers would return in the unveiling, they were at least mentioned in the press release.

“Cleveland gave the world rock and roll, then brought that sound to the WNBA stage. Now, we’re back. With a different song. A louder one.”

Grant Gilbert spoke on that when there was polling and research poured into the design and naming of the franchise that the city was proud of Lake Erie and wanted to bring that pride into something new.

Siren’s president of basketball operations, Allison Howard, went on to describe the rationale and passion the creative team and fans of women’s sports have shared in this process.

“The Siren is very powerful, unapologetic, relentless. We see it as the epitome of power and the best team name. Even from the logo you can feel the energy and thunderous passion.”

“She is ready. This (unveiling) is really a testament to the fans in this building. She has been here, just like the fans of women’s sports. She is here and she is ready to usher in a new era of women’s sports.”

It was also unveiled that the team’s motto will be “Hear the Call”. Further details, including uniforms, will be announced at a later date to be determined.

The Celtics and several other teams await the appeals process following a shocking federal court ruling this past week that could allow Class of 2022 players like Dillon Mitchell to return to college for a fifth season. St. John’s would reportedly have a roster spot and interest in Mitchell’s return, according to Adam Zagoria.

Mitchell remains unsigned, another significant factor after a recent challenge by a former NBA player who signed a contract with a team fell flat. The Celtics, who typically leave their 15th roster spot open into the season, probably intended to sign Mitchell, their second-round pick, to a two-way contract worth $678,882 this year. Conversely, name, image and likeness (NIL) deals available to a college star in New York City could reach $1-million in value. For Mitchell, that’s part of the appeal of returning to college.

The Celtics have until Sept. 5 to make a contract offer that would maintain their rights to Mitchell over the ensuing season, but that only lasts until the subsequent NBA Draft. For what it’s worth, a longer look at the NBA CBA revealed a complicated outlook for Boston maintaining Mitchell’s draft rights should he return to college. It allows for a player to enter as many as two NBA drafts, an initial and subsequent draft. The Celtics’ exclusive rights to sign Mitchell would expire with the arrival of the 2027 draft, which Mitchell could then enter.

Mitchell’s return to college differs from a traditional draft-and-stash setup, because the CBA outlines a professional contract outside of the league as the pretense for a team indefinitely maintaining a player’s rights. That’s why the Hornets and the Knicks (following a trade) maintained James Nnaji’s rights after the former second-round pick joined Barcelona before successfully returning from draft declaration to college basketball himself last summer. Mitchell’s move would more closely mirror a player who decided to sit out one season rather than sign with the team that drafted him.

Of course, Boston and Mitchell, could agree to a contract ahead of that date, and still have the ability to sign a standard contract for this season worth roughly $1.4 million, which would keep the Celtics below the luxury tax threshold. The NCAA also expressed its intention to appeal the court ruling, which could factor in Mitchell’s decision. Returning to college would not only carry that uncertainty, but also push back a year of development within an NBA organization.

Mitchell would begin his professional career in a crowded mix of wings on the Celtics’ roster including Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, recently extended Jordan Walsh, Hugo González, Ron Harper Jr. and fellow rookie Chris Cenac Jr., who could play some minutes at the four. The team also signed undrafted rookie Tucker DeVries to a training camp contract. John Tonje, the team’s standout scoring wing during Summer League, left Boston for a two-year, two-way deal with the Trail Blazers.

DeVries has already played five college seasons. Milos Uzan, another Celtics training camp signing from Vegas, could also explore his eligibility for a fifth season.

Rick Pitino and St. John’s, who have a rare open roster spot, will undoubtedly hold out hope for Mitchell’s return after a Sweet 16 run powered, in part, by his emergence as a playmaker. The Celtics can trust that he’ll remain committed to Boston in one year. They expressed some surprise and excitement that Mitchell fell to them at No. 40, Mike Zarren even revealing that Boston considered moving up to acquire him, but the constantly evolving college basketball landscape could make that acquisition too good to be true.

The NCAA filed its notice of appeal on Sunday and the court gave both parties one week to brief the issue of pausing the ruling that would allow Mitchell to return for a fifth season. The court ruling came as a result of the NCAA’s five-for-five rule, which would start a five-year clock across five seasons from the date of beginning of a player’s eligibility. A federal judge ruled that should apply retroactively to players from the Class of 2022, like Mitchell, New York’s Tyler Nickel and the Grizzlies’ Richie Saunders who did not have a fifth year of eligibility.

The Celtics have signed 14 standard roster players and have second-year center Amari Williams, Mitchell, Uzan and DeVries in play for two-way deals into training camp late next month.

Once again, you guys delivered with a whole slew of questions for our mailbag covering a wide variety of subjects. So much so, in fact, that we’ve split it up into two parts once again.

There were a lot of questions about JJ Redick, the scheme the Lakers will run and things more or less related to coaching, which we’ll save for a piece tomorrow. Today, let’s tackle the other questions about Luka Dončić, Walker Kessler, the team’s offseason and potential breakout candidates.

It has certainly been interesting that the Lakers have continually not been linked to any power forwards despite having a glaring hole in that position on paper. In fact, they’ve gone out of their way to push back against a potential option in PJ Washington.

Could we be looking at it wrong, then? Maybe the team is focusing on Luka as a forward rather than a guard on defense, which could make things fall in place. It would resemble the 2019-20 Lakers, where LeBron was the point guard offensively and the four defensively.

Luka is obviously not a great point of attack defender, so moving him far away from that situation makes sense. He’s a good rebounder and putting him near the basket to grab and go would also have benefits.

But, as noted, the fact the team is targeting a wing and not a power forward seems to be one of the biggest indications of the team’s mindset.

For the first question, I think that’s something that hasn’t been discussed enough. Particularly when it comes to Walker Kessler, I think playing alongside an elite pick-and-roll ballhandler will be a huge boost. Even Austin Reaves is a great pick-and-roll guard, too. But we’ll talk about Kessler more shortly.

As you noted, though, Luka makes guys around him better. The Lakers seem to be banking on that as none of their signings were high-profile players. It’s a fair bet to make because Luka does make players better.

LA targeted some underutilized players like Sandro Mamukelashvili and Quentin Grimes with hopes of them increasing production. Luka certainly played a role in that calculation. Projecting how good they’ll be, though? That’s tough. I’m really intrigued by someone like Grimes in a bigger role.

As for the second question, I won’t give a player-by-player breakdown, but the Lakers definitely skewed more toward offense in free agency. They moved away Marcus Smart, their best perimeter defender last year, but did bring in Kessler, who should be an above average rim protector.

Outside of that, none of the players who departed or were signed are known for their defense. The Lakers seem more focused on building an elite offense.

Well, I can tell you that if the end goal is getting pundits to admit they were wrong, it’s a fruitless task.

Him not being an All-Star is something that was mentioned quite a bit after the trade, but being named an All-Star is a bit obvious as a way to prove doubters wrong.

I think being a defensive anchor for a contending team would go a long way in that. If the team is a top-10 defense and Kessler is available for at least 65 games, that would go some way in proving LA right.

I don’t look too much toward the offense because I think Luka can turn just about any serviceable big man into a viable threat in the pick and roll and Kessler is much more than that.

I was pretty surprised at how little the Lakers valued a lot of the role players from last year’s team. For example, given how highly they talked about him in the exit interview, I thought it was a certainty Luke Kennard would be back.

I would say I’m surprised they let Marcus Smart leave based purely on the contract he signed. But perhaps the team wasn’t ready to commit multiple years to him considering how banged up he is. They also had a pretty clear mission of getting younger.

That’s also why it was surprising they didn’t bring back Rui. I was a fan of him personally and would have liked for them to bring him back, but I also acknowledge he’s a player with very clear strengths and very clear weaknesses. But it would have definitely been interesting to see him in the starting lineup not alongside LeBron as the pair always felt a little redundant.

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

Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question in the comments section here or on Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @BobbyBuckets313. If you’re on BlueSky, you can also send to @bobbybuckets313.bksy.social.

Join us live on Thursday with guest Sean Murphy as we play an “If, Then” game about cause and effect as we get closer to next season. What predictions/situations would you like us to discuss? What other questions do you have for the podcast?

Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.

The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.

The Pindown: a Detroit Pistons Podcast Vitals:

When: Thursday, August 6th at 4:30 p.m. ET

Where: Detroit Bad Boys YouTube Channel

How to submit questions:

• Detroit Bad Boys Website: Comment section of the weekly Pindown episode articles.
• Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message to 45 seconds or less.
• Twitter: @detroitbadboys, @BobbyBuckets313, or @therealwesd3
• YouTube: Chat section of The Pindown live recording — Subscribe here

As always, leave any questions or topics you want to be discussed in the comment section below.

Go Stones.

Boston College has dismissed men's basketball radio broadcasters Kevin Collins and Josh Maurer ahead of the 2026-27 season.

In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Aug. 3, Collins said he and Maurer were dismissed from their roles on July 30, ending a multi-year partnership for the broadcasting duo. Collins had called Eagles games the past 13 seasons.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Watch college football US LBM Coaches Poll reveal. See who made preseason Top 25

"To say I am gutted would be an understatement. My (13-plus) year BC career spans 378 games, 3 coaches, and 4 athletic directors. Broadcasting BC Basketball was my dream job," Collins said in a statement. "... I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to Mike Winn, who supported me tirelessly as I grew in this industry. My partner, Josh Maurer, I love like a brother.

"Josh empowered me as an on-air broadcaster and for his faith in me, I am forever in his debt. Thanks to BC Nation and all the sicko's that stuck with us every game!"

Easily the hardest tweet of my career. Love you @JoshMaurerPxP and sorry it had to end this way 💔

Huge thanks to Mike Winn, Josh Maurer, and Danya Abrams for supporting and empowering me over the last 13+ years.

I will always be an Eagle 🦅 #WeAreBCpic.twitter.com/NoLKNhUN43

— Kevin Collins (@Kevin_R_Collins) August 3, 2026

Maurer, who additionally serves as a play-by-play radio broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers, has not made any public comments.

Awful Announcing reported the decision to fire Collins and Maurer came from Boston College first-year men's basketball coach Luke Murray, who reportedly wanted to remove anyone in the program with ties to the previous coaching staff.

Boston College athletic director Blake James said in a statement to the Field of 68 that administrators made the decision in consultation with their multimedia relations partner, Van Wagner.

"The decision to not renew the contracts of our men’s basketball radio announcers was made by Boston College Athletics administrators in consultation with our MMR partner. We wish both Kevin and Josh the best going forward," James said in a statement.

Boston College has not responded to a request for comment by USA TODAY Sports at the time this story published.

Murray, who had been one of the top assistants at Connecticut under Dan Hurley and helped the Huskies to back-to-back national championships in his tenure, was hired in March to rebuild the Boston College program that has gone 184-290 overall and 73-200 in ACC play over the last 15 seasons.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boston College dismisses longtime men's basketball radio broadcast crew: 'Gutted'

In case you missed it, new Philadelphia 76er Jaylen Brown went skydiving in Egypt a few days ago. While there’s nothing inherently dangerous about participating in a tandem skydive with a qualified instructor, ‘Sixer falls from the clouds’ is something we haven’t checked off this organization’s cursed injury bingo card, so maybe better to play it safe.

Afterwards, Brown went on a Twitch stream Monday and donned a Sixers jersey for the first time. It’s cool to see he’s fully embracing the new squad. I would definitely be worried about a Jaylen Brown revenge tour if I were the rest of the league. He also clearly enjoyed his skydiving experience, calling for his Sixers teammates to do a group skydive if they win the championship.

Brown said LeBron texted back, “Boy, hell naw,” which I think accurately speaks for the ‘41-year-old, father of three’ broad demographic to the skydiving suggestion.

This is obviously just some good-natured offseason nonsense, but it is great to see that this new group already seems pretty tight and chatting regularly. The talent is clearly there for this Sixers roster heading into the season, but the other elements they’ll need for success are health (which you can help to some extent with load management but is largely out of your control) and team chemistry. If what we’ve seen thus far this offseason is any indication, the chemistry is looking very good as we approach training camp next month. Vibes are high in Philadelphia and it’s only fair to imagine a special season on the horizon.

Another day in August means bad news for sports fans. Good news for me, it’s kinda cloudy and rainy today so I can’t complain. Links and notes below.

• Mohamed Diawara brought some calm to our shores and revealed he’s fully recovered from the finger injury that ended his Summer League early. The second-year forward revealed that he underwent surgery but is already back on the court.

“I’m in good shape. My finger is fine, and the operation went well. I’m back on the court and excited to start the season.”

• Knicks Senior VP Gerson Rosas has left the building.
• The Knicks ranked in the bottom third of The Athletic pundit David Aldridge’s offseason rankings despite retaining most of their championship roster.
• It could be worse. The Knicks were entirely absent from SB Nation’s list of seven teams expected to improve significantly compared to last year.
• Jeremy Sochan is officially moving on after his short championship stint in New York. Sochan joined the Knicks two days after San Antonio waived him in February and then proceed to make them eat it whole. Knicks legend.
• Kevin Durant believes Philadelphia’s collection of scorers makes the revamped 76ers a legitimate championship contender, and compared Philly to a very familiar team.
• Carmelo Anthony would not have followed Jalen Brunson’s example by sacrificing approximately $113 million, questioning JB’s decision and whether he’d ever recover that deficit.

• Kendrick Perkins argued that Karl-Anthony Towns, now eligible for a very sauce extension, should not be expected to accept less than less-accomplished players around the league.
• Guerschon Yabusele said leaving the NBA for Panathinaikos was his decision after concluding that he could not spend another season buried on the bench. Yabusele sounded mad at Mike Brown telling him the five starters would play approximately 38 minutes each and Mitchell Robinson deserved another 26. Once Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson and the remaining reserves were considered, Yabusele understood there would be almost no playing time available. Cold world.
• A recent medical study found some correlation between increased minutes and Achilles ruptures in NBA players. Injured players averaged more minutes than their season averages over the 10- and 15-game stretches preceding the injury. The NBA is disputting it.
• Dwyane Bacon said he never wanted to join the Knicks and eventually fired the agent who pushed him toward New York.

“I didn’t want to go to New York, but my my agent wanted me to go to New York. End up firing him, going into the office, telling Leon Rose and and Wes, I don’t want to be here. I appreciate y’all. No, I said it was so respectful. Like I appreciate y’all. But I just came off a season of me playing every game and averaging double figures in the league, which is very hard to do. And I’m I’m just getting started.”

• The Mavericks have explored Klay Thompson’s trade market, and Klay wants to move to LA.

It’s been a quiet few weeks for the Washington Wizards after a seismic June and July saw them select AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick, complete a promising Las Vegas Summer League and acquire several depth pieces.

August projects as less exciting. But that doesn’t mean it’s a month without importance.

Below is a rundown of key dates to watch as the 2026-27 campaign approaches.

August 6: Anthony Davis becomes extension eligible

Six months after acquiring Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks, the Wizards face a significant decision: Should they sign the oft-injured forward to a lucrative contract extension when he becomes eligible on Aug. 6?

In two days, Davis can sign a four-year, $275 million maximum extension that would pay him $76 million during his age-37 season.

Skeptics strongly oppose offering a max extension to a player who’s played just 71 combined games over the last two seasons and has appeared in more than 56 games in a season only once since the 2018-19 campaign.

These concerns were magnified after the Wizards gave Trae Young a four-year, $212 million extension after his recent injury-filled season and despite a league-wide belief that they could’ve retained him for less. If the Wizards give Davis a max extension that replaces the player option in his current deal, they would owe nearly $550 million in guaranteed salary to Young and Davis through the 2030-31 season.

Similar durability questions existed when Washington acquired Davis at the trade deadline. But Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said the team acquired the 10-time All-Star to “be a Wizard.”

“Anthony Davis wants to be here. We want him here,” Dawkins said after Round 1 of the 2026 NBA Draft in late June. “We’ll have that [extension] conversation in the middle of August when we can officially have that.”

Dawkins highlighted how Davis complements Alex Sarr, the team’s 21-year-old center who blossomed as a sophomore. He felt Sarr, who last season defended an NBA-best 9.7 shots at the rim per game, needed a defensive partner to share some of that burden.

Enter Davis, who is a game-changer at the power forward position. His rim protection and interior defense were unmatched during his peak years, as represented by his five NBA All-Defense selections and three blocks titles.

Given Davis’s injury history entering his age-33 season, searching for a max extension makes sense. When healthy, he’s a walking 20 points and 10 rebounds with elite rim protection skills.

The issue for his camp, as it was when rumors of the Golden State Warriors’ interest in him emerged, is that the Wizards are in no rush to extend or trade him. There’s no mounting pressure or approaching deadline that will force Washington’s hand.

Davis is still owed more than $120 million over the next two seasons, including a $62.8 million player option for the 2027-28 campaign. It appears the Wizards prefer to watch Davis play with this group before making any consequential decisions regarding his future.

Committing another $275 million to an injury-prone forward before he plays a game for Washington fits into the “consequential decisions” category, which makes this storyline one to watch.

Filling the final roster spot

After selecting AJ Dybantsa and trading for Khris Middleton and Deandre Ayton, Washington’s reshaped roster sits at 14 standard contracts:

Guard: Young | Johnson | Carrington

Wing: Dybantsa | George | Coulibaly | Riley

Forward: Davis | Champagnie | Middleton | Whitmore

Center: Sarr | Ayton | Vukcevic

Two-way: Watkins (torn ACL) | Reese | Okpara

Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto reported the Wizards’ interest in adding point guard depth. Jake Fischer reported Washington’s interest in veteran guards Russell Westbrook and Gabe Vincent, both of whom remain free agents.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last week that Washington held talks with DeMar DeRozan, who’s also drawn interest from the Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Anthony Gill, who’s spent the last six seasons with Washington, remains unsigned. The 33-year-old forward is well-liked in the Wizards’ organization and is a candidate for that 15th roster spot.

Gill re-signed with the Wizards on Aug. 7 last offseason. While it’s possible he again re-ups in Washington, sources tell Bullets Forever that Gill has drawn significant overseas interest.

Schedule Release

The NBA is expected to release the 2026-27 schedule some time in mid-August. For reference, the 2025-26 schedule was released on Aug. 14.

The Wizards are expected to earn more national TV games thanks to Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, plus the arrival of Young and Davis in the Nation’s Capital.

When the offseason arrives and you find yourself wandering through the basketball desert that exists between the draft, free agency, and training camp, you have two options. You can look forward and project, or you can look backward and reflect.

As we navigate this wasteland over the next few weeks, I thought it’d be fun to revisit some of the strangest statistical anomalies in Phoenix Suns history.

We’ll begin this little summer series with a number that feels almost impossible when you first see it. That’s the point of this series. Statistical anomalies. One-off moments that are difficult to explain.

The first one? The most free throws ever attempted by the Phoenix Suns in a single game. It also stands as the second-most free-throw attempts by any team in NBA history and remains the most free throws made in a single game. The final tally was an almost unbelievable 61-of-80 from the stripe, a record set on April 9, 1990, against the Utah Jazz. More than three decades later, no team has managed to top it.

When you go back to the 1989–90 Phoenix Suns, you find one of the best offensive teams in franchise history. Phoenix finished second in the NBA that season, averaging 114.9 points per game behind a franchise record 27.2 points per game from Tom Chambers. His fellow All-Star and Second Team All-NBA teammate, Kevin Johnson, averaged 22.5 points and 11.4 assists per game. What’s interesting is that Chambers’ 27.2 points per game ranked fourth in the NBA that season behind Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, and Patrick Ewing. Johnson’s 11.4 assists ranked third, trailing only John Stockton and Magic Johnson.

As the regular season neared its conclusion, Phoenix hosted the Utah Jazz in a matchup between two of the Western Conference’s best teams. The Suns entered the game at 50–25, while the Jazz were 51–22. The teams met at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and what followed was one of the strangest games in NBA history.

Phoenix carried a 74–65 lead into the fourth quarter, but Utah scored 36 points in the final period to force overtime. The Suns ultimately prevailed, 119–115. The reason we’re talking about this game, however, isn’t because it was an overtime victory against the Jazz down the stretch. It’s because a combined 84 personal fouls were called. As a result, the Suns attempted 80 free throws due to the 52 fouls called against Utah.

Kevin Johnson went to the line 24 times, making 23. Tom Chambers was 17-of-22. Kurt Rambis went 6-of-12, and Eddie Johnson came off the bench to shoot 10-of-11. The whistles never stopped. Four Jazz players fouled out. John Stockton, Thurl Bailey, Bob Hansen, and Eric Johnson never made it to the finish line. Karl Malone and Blue Edwards each finished with five fouls, and four other Utah players ended the game with four personals.

Those 80 free throw attempts remain the most in Phoenix Suns history. They’re also the second most by any team in a single game in NBA history. The record still belongs to the Syracuse Nationals, who attempted 86 free throws in a five-overtime game against the Anderson Packers on November 24, 1949. The Packers, for what it’s worth, attempted 75 free throws themselves.

What does remain an NBA record, however, is the number of free throws made. No team has ever made more in a single game than the Phoenix Suns did in April 1990, when 61 of their 119 points came at the charity stripe.

“The good thing about it is we pulled this victory out. The bottom line is you’ve got to win the game any way you can,” Eddie Johnson told The Arizona Republic. “It was definitely the strangest game I’ve been associated with.”

Phoenix would meet the Jazz again a few weeks later in the first round of the playoffs and defeat them 3–2. Across that five-game series, the Suns attempted 170 free throws. That means their 80 attempts in one regular season game equaled 47% of the total they attempted during an entire playoff series against Utah.

Phoenix also finds itself on another unique list. The Suns are tied for the fifth most free throw attempts in a playoff game, which occurred on June 5, 1993, against the Seattle SuperSonics. They are also tied for the most free throws made in a playoff game, sinking 57 that night. The only other team to reach that number was the Boston Celtics on March 21, 1953.

So there’s your statistical anomaly. No team has ever made more free throws in a single regular season game than the Phoenix Suns, who made 61 against Utah in 1990. They are also tied for the most free throws ever made in a playoff game, with 57 against Seattle in 1993.

That’s what makes sports history so much fun to revisit. Every franchise has records that feel inevitable and others that seem impossible. This one belongs firmly in the second category. 80 free throws. 61 makes. A game where the whistle became the main character and the Suns walked away with a record that has survived more than three decades of basketball evolution. If this series is about uncovering the strangest statistical corners of Suns history, it’s hard to imagine a better place to start.

August is usually dead in the NBA. The top free agents are mostly off the board, the summer’s biggest trades have been completed, and at this point trying to take a stab at preseason power rankings feels appropriate.

This year feels a little different. The Kawhi Leonard trade between the Clippers and Raptors is still in limbo because of the league’s pending cap circumvention investigation. There’s been little movement on the restricted free agent market with teams making full use of their leverage to avoid overpaying their players. There are also some quality veterans still available, even if it’s unlikely that any of them truly impact this year’s championship chase. Don’t rule out a late summer blockbuster just before training camp either, because those have become increasingly common in recent seasons.

It’s been a while since we checked in on the NBA’s top remaining free agents, so let’s give out some predictions on where they may eventually end up.

Jonathan Kuminga: Los Angeles Lakers

No one sees Kuminga as a future star anymore, but he can still add some downhill power and scoring punch for the right price. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Lakers are the three teams he’s been connected to lately, and it feels like Los Angeles offers the best opportunity for Kuminga to boost his value in future years. The Lakers still desperately need some help on the wings, and Luka Doncic should be able to get Kuminga good shots in transition and on cuts to the basket. Kuminga’s volume scoring could come in handy too if Doncic and Austin Reaves are both off the floor or miss time with injury. The Lakers have floated a three-year, $45 million sign-and-trade deal, but assuming Atlanta doesn’t want to take on Jarred Vanderbilt, I still think there’s a match on a one-year contract for around the minimum.

Peyton Watson: Cleveland Cavaliers

Watson is the most interesting remaining player on the free agent market, not necessarily because he’s the best (that’s Jalen Duren), but because it actually feels like there’s a chance he changes teams. The Nuggets are already in the second apron after matching Spencer Jones’ deal. Sure, Denver could still trim salary up until the trade deadline to avoid those penalties, but it’s going to get even trickier to do if they retain Watson. Right now, Denver is reportedly offering Watson a five-year deal below the mid-level exception, which his camp surely views as a slap in the face. There’s already some talk of what the Nuggets would be willing to accept in a trade, starting with a future first-round pick, and Watson is young enough (soon-to-be 24 years old) to make that palatable for a desperate team like Cleveland. The Cavs have done a whole bunch of nothing this offseason, and they’ve been after an athletic wing for years. I could see Cleveland finding a way to unload Dennis Schroder, then offering Max Strus and a future pick or a pick swap to Denver for Watson. I think that would be good value for the Nuggets if Strus can actually stay healthy, and it’s also a worthwhile swing by Cleveland if Watson can sustain his improved play late in the year.

Jalen Duren: Detroit Pistons

Duren topped our free agent rankings heading into the summer, and he remains unsigned. The Pistons have done well to use their leverage in restricted free agency to try to get him on a team-friendly deal after his Third-Team All-NBA season was weakened by a poor playoff run. Duren is threatening to play on the qualifying offer right now to become an unrestricted free agent next year, but it’s hard to take a $9 million deal if the team is offering $140 million guaranteed. Ultimately, I think Duren swallows his pride and accepts what feels like a fair contract for both sides.

James Harden: Cavaliers

It’s widely assumed that Harden will be back in Cleveland; the only question is what the contract will look like. The Cavs are reportedly discussing two- and three-year deals with Harden, but they need to be careful on the brink of his 37th birthday. Harden is still very good, but the drop-off cliff can come at any moment. Cleveland would be wise to try to get a partial guarantee on the second year of the deal.

Bennedict Mathurin: Los Angeles Clippers

The Pelicans, Bulls, and Mavericks all reportedly have interest in Mathurin, but his status as a restricted free agent is going to make it hard to pry him out of LA if the Clippers actually want to retain him. Any sign-and-trade deal has to be three years, and that feels like a big commitment for any of his suitors. Instead, Mathurin is probably best playing on a 1+1 contract with a second-year option, and that’s something the Clippers can easily match. I expected New Orleans to make a serious push, but the most likely outcome is a return to the Clippers.

DeMar DeRozan: Miami Heat

It’s finally time for DeRozan’s ring chaser era after his release from the Kings. Miami, Toronto, Washington, Golden State, Denver, Detroit, and Cleveland have all been mentioned as possible suitors, and he’d be a nice addition for any of them at the minimum. The Heat ideally need more outside shooting next to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, but I like the idea of DeRozan leading bench units while also helping boost the offense if Giannis misses time with injury.

After briefly coming back stateside, Victor Wembanyama is back in overseas as he prepares to participate in this year’s round of Wold Cup qualifiers with Team France. But he is not alone, as according to RC Buford, “8-10” other Spurs are set to join him, which is at least 2/3 of the roster. “They want to grow. Just seeing Victor calling his team and saying, ‘Hey, come over here and spend a week with me’ (shows leadership),” Buford told French YouTube show TRASHTALK.

Bufford didn’t say which Spurs would be there, but we already know Dylan Harper is one of them. Not only was he seen surprising a fan at the NBA Summer House in Paris…

…but he has already visited the Eiffel Tower.

It won’t be long before those Spurs and all the others are back in Paris. They will play the New Orleans Pelicans there on January 14, 2027, followed by another match-up in England on the 17th. As far as this trip is concerned, hopefully we get plenty more videos of the other Spurs who go!

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

The Dallas Mavericks have made a multitude of changes so far this offseason with much of the roster being reformed.

With a roster full of tall, versatile players, it makes slotting players into defined positions very difficult.

I have slotted players based on their offensive roles and responsibilities rather than what they would traditionally play based on size.

Following a traditional position list is very difficult with this team, as most players are between 6’7 and 6’9, with all having versatility on both ends.

PG:

Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall, Sergio De Larrea

The point-guard position is easily the most interesting story on this entire team, and in my projection it looks very unique. All three players listed are 6’7 or taller, with Flagg and Marshall being point-forwards rather than traditional guards.

So why are Marshall and Flagg listed here?

Because of their respective roles in the Mavericks offense. Both players will take on a large responsibility of ball-handling, and will be asked to create a large amount of shots for both themselves and others.

I have maintained the opinion that Flagg’s future is to be a LeBron-esque jumbo ball-handler, and with the current roster build, it becomes even more obvious.

Sergio De Larrea will be an interesting player this season, as his passing is wholly unique throughout the entire roster, but his struggles to create on-ball will limit his impact as a rookie.

SG:

Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Marcus Sasser

With Flagg and Marshall playing as de-facto point-guards, Irving slides into the shooting-guard spot.

This role fits what Irving will do next season, as expecting the 34 year-old to do a lion share of the creation will not end well. It also fits what his role has been as a Dallas Maverick, where his off-ball value has been immense.

Christie projects as a starting wing even though he is technically 2nd in this depth chart.

Sasser may be built like a traditional point-guard, but his skillset skews towards scoring and shooting, meaning his value is found more as an off-ball player.

SF:

Zaccharie Risacher, Klay Thompson, Tarik Biberovich

The other wing position is possibly the most in-flux spot on the team, as Risacher and Biberovich are newcomers, and veteran Thompson is unlikely to be on the roster come October.

Risacher could be the main casualty of the Mavericks redundancy at forward, as he will have to outplay a multitude of veterans to find minutes. But if the Mavericks view Risacher as an important future piece he will have to play, even if it leads to unhappiness for other, better, players.

Biberovich was an underrated part of the Santi Aldama trade, and while his minutes could be sparse to start the season, he will provide valuable shooting, and could become very important if trades happen.

PF:

P.J. Washington, Morez Johnson Jr., Santi Aldama, Caleb Martin

When you talk about the Mavericks, the first concern most people have is the absurd number of power-forwards they employ.

And this offseason has only led to more of a redundancy, as the Mavericks made aggressive moves to trade for Aldama, and draft Johnson Jr.

The rotation of these players will be fascinating, with Aldama being the only one who is a consistent three-point shooter. Finding minutes for Johnson Jr. is paramount for his development; although, he could find more minutes at the center position.

And that’s not to mention Washington, who has been a starting level player on a championship runner-up, and will more than likely start.

It is undoubtedly a log-jam, with the only real solution being a seemingly unlikely trade of Washington.

C:

Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, Morez Johnson Jr.*, Moussa Cisse

Finally we have reached the big-men, where the logical starting point is Lively II.

Lively has been an unbelievably impactful player when he plays, with every advanced metric suggesting that he borders on a top-10 center.

But he doesn’t play, with the former lottery pick appearing in less than half of possible games in his career.

Due to this, it makes sense to have plenty of insurance, with Gafford and Cisse providing similar skillsets.

But Gafford is unlikely to be on this team past the trade deadline, as multiple Mavericks front offices have dangled him in trade rumors. Yet he remains on the team due to his diminished value and overpriced contract.

I also chose to include Johnson Jr. as a center, seeing as how he exclusively played the position in summer league, and could project as a center long-term.

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

The regular season

When the 1958-59 season began, Bill Russell was in an unfamiliar position: he was not a reigning champion.

From his junior year in college through his rookie year with Boston, Russell’s teams won two NCAA titles, an Olympics gold medal, and the NBA championship. In his second season as a pro, the Celtics again made the NBA Finals but lost a rematch with the St. Louis Hawks – largely because Russell badly sprained his ankle in Game 3, missed Games 4 and 5, and gave it a try in Game 6 but was too injured to continue.

The Hawks took their four wins by the point margins of two, three, two and one. In the closeout game, St. Louis superstar forward Bob Pettit took full advantage of Russell’s predicament, scoring 50 points on 19 of 34 from the field and 12 of 15 free throws, while also grabbing 19 rebounds. All for the Hawks to win by one point.

So, when the next regular season began, it was clear the Celtics were on a mission. Little did they know, they were taking the first step toward making history and beginning a stretch where they would not be beaten for a long, long time.

In December, they ripped off 11 straight wins, and in January they tacked on an eight-game streak. They were the highest-scoring team in the league, including smashing league records with a 173-139 onslaught of the Minneapolis Lakers. Tommy Heinsohn scored 43 points, and Bob Cousy set a new league record with 28 assists.

The Celtics finished with 52 wins and 20 losses, the NBA’s best one-season record to date. Red Auerbach had built a loaded roster, as represented by the backcourt: starters Cousy and Bill Sharman, backed up by Sam Jones and rookie K.C. Jones. All four are now in the Hall of Fame. Boston even had a two-sport star you may not have heard of (see sidebar below).

Eastern playoffs

Even with all that talent, the Celtics needed seven games to beat the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers), who had their own go-to guys in Dolph Schayes, one of the top players in the fledgling years of the league, and George Yardley, All-NBA and one season removed from being the league’s scoring leader.

Through six games, the series was tied as each team won all its home games. In Game 7 in Boston, Schayes and Yardley combined for 67 points, but the Celtics prevailed with seven men in double figures. Sixth man Frank Ramsey was Boston’s high scorer with 28. In addition, the Celtics outrebounded the Nats, 89-62 (Russell grabbed 32), leading to 20 more field goal attempts in a game Boston won, 130-125.

NBA Finals

The Celtics expected a rematch with St. Louis, which led the Western Division at 49-23, but the Hawks were stunned in six games by the Minneapolis Lakers. Thus, the first-ever installment of the Celtics vs. Lakers rivalry was set.

The Lakers were led by sensational rookie Elgin Baylor, a 6-foot-5 forward who was a gifted scorer. Baylor was a deft finisher around the rim, and his herky-jerky dribble moves consistently got him to the basket or to the free throw line. He won Rookie of the Year, was first-team All-NBA, placed third in MVP voting, and averaged 28.3 points per game during Minneapolis’ upset of St. Louis.

However, Baylor couldn’t carry the Lakers to victory against the more talented, motivated Celtics. Boston’s defense, backstopped by Russell, held the rookie to 33.3% shooting from the field and the Celtics swept the Lakers, 4-0.

It was over when…

The series truly might have been over before it began. As author George Sullivan noted in his book, “The Picture History of the Boston Celtics,” Minneapolis came into the series having lost to Boston 22 consecutive times over the previous two years.

Despite that, the Lakers gave it their best shot in Game 1. Baylor dropped 34 points, but the Celtics prevailed at home, 118-115. Minneapolis had no answer for Ramsey, who notched 28 points.

Turning point

If the Lakers still had a chance, it vanished in Games 2 and 3, when Baylor was held to 13 and 14 points, respectively. The Celtics won both by double digits to take a 3-0 series lead.

The heroes we needed

In Game 4, Heinsohn, Ramsey and Sharman combined for 76 points on 33 of 67 shooting for a 118-113 closeout.

Notable facts and stats

• The Celtics and Lakers franchises have gone on to meet for the championship 12 times. Boston leads the rivalry, 9-3.
• It wouldn’t be true in all those meetings, but in this series, it was the Celtics who had an advantage at the free throw line. Boston made 111 of 158, while Minneapolis made 86 of 117.
• This championship began Boston’s eight-peat — eight consecutive titles from 1959 through 1966. No other NBA franchise has won more than three straight.

Gene Conley: The two-sport star who made history with Boston

You’ve probably heard of Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders, who were major stars in both professional baseball and football. You may also know that Celtics legend Danny Ainge played three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays before going to basketball full time.

But do you know the name Gene Conley? He was a two-sport star who arguably topped them all.

Conley was a 6-8 forward selected by the Celtics in the 1952 NBA Draft. As a rookie, he came off the bench for 12 minutes per game, averaging 2.3 points and 4.4 rebounds. However, also in 1952, Conley won 11 games as a pitcher in the Boston Braves minor league system and made his Major League Baseball debut by pitching in four games for the Braves.

That modest start led to bigger things. For the next five seasons, Conley stepped away from the Celtics to pitch full-time for the Braves, who had relocated to Milwaukee. The highlight of that stretch was winning the 1957 World Series in seven games over the New York Yankees. His most notable teammate was Hank Aaron, who went on to hit 755 home runs, breaking Babe Ruth’s career record. Conley pitched 11 seasons in the majors (including three with the Boston Red Sox), finishing with a 91-95 won-lost record and four all-star game appearances.

Conley returned to play for the Celtics in 1958 and was a member of the 1959 championship team led by Bill Russell. Conley also won titles with the Celtics in 1960 and 1961, all while simultaneously continuing his pitching career, since at that time the baseball and basketball seasons did not overlap. His NBA career totals were 5.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game over six seasons.

To sum up, Conley won four pro sports championships and remains the only athlete to win titles in both MLB and the NBA. He beat the Yankees in the World Series and the Lakers in the Finals. Moreover, he was a teammate of arguably the greatest home-run hitter of all time and the basketball star who won more championships (11) than any other individual in the four major U.S. sports. That resume has never been matched by any other two-sport athlete, and it never will be.

Banner Years continues tomorrow with a review of the 1959-60 season and the road to winning Banner #3.