Category: NBA

Not an impressively overloaded post, but one with some spicy topics.

• The Knicks’ full 2026-27 schedule is out, and Michael Zeno has you covered on that front with everything you need to know.
• New York, as well as the Spurs, Lakers, and Sixers, just received royal NBA treatment.
• In worse news, the Knicks are losing assistant coach Jordan Brink to the Bulls. Brink, in case you didn’t know, was the mastermind responsible for New York’s replay challenges under both Tom Thibodeau and Mike Brown.
• Jalen Brunson could be headed to your nearest streaming service, Mariska Hargitay teased on the “Today” show.
• Miles McBride and the Knicks did not agree to an extension before the important Aug. 11 deadline, making a new deal before the season increasingly unlikely, as he wouldn’t be able to be traded before the deadline. According to the New York Post’s Jared Schwartz, it’s not that the Knicks tried that hard to complete that extension. Keep your eye on the rumor mill, folks.

“But agreeing to an extension now would deprive the Knicks of one of their best trade assets, given McBride’s age, production, low salary and walk-year status. If they want to make a midseason trade to reinforce other areas of need, McBride would be one of the best candidates who could actually get them someone valuable in return.

“And clearly, the Knicks weren’t hell-bent on getting an extension done before that deadline. For as important of a contributor as McBride has been, it will be difficult to keep him long-term. He averaged 12.0 points per game on stellar 41.3 percent shooting from 3-point range last season, and has also been one of the Knicks’ best perimeter defenders since breaking into the team.”

• Andre Drummond’s recent lack of availability — he’s missed 61 of the last 164 games — should create some urgency in the Knicks’ search for a third center, Kento Kato warns.
• That’s obviously because the Knicks’ center depth remains their clearest roster weakness mid-August, as Kris Pursiainen broke down on Friday.
• Yet another woman has been charged with aggravated robbery after allegedly robbing two Knicks fans at knifepoint in downtown San Antonio during the NBA Finals. Sheesh…
• Charles Oakley’s lawsuit against Madison Square Garden and James Dolan was dismissed… for a third time, continuing a legal saga that dates back to Oakley’s 2017 ejection from MSG.
• Amar’e Stoudemire is officially a HOFer, and he got words for the Knicks.

“I did embrace it. Going to New York at that time, the team was in a deficit. [One] playoffs in 10 years, no All-Stars … A lot of players did not want to go to New York during that stretch. But me, I loved the challenge. That brings out the best in me.

“I wanted to bring players to New York to experience what I experienced in the city. We were able to bring in Carmelo and I think the energy of having me there showed the rest of the league, hey, New York can be a destination place.”

Amar'e Stoudemire in Knicks Finals hat at his Hall of Fame press conference: "Going to New York at that time (2010)…one playoffs 10 years, no all-star starters since Patrick Ewing (14 years), a lot of players did not want to go to New York…but I love taking on a… pic.twitter.com/TiOPv0h2P2

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) August 15, 2026

• The Lakers are changing ownership again after they did so less than a year ago.
• Speaking of the Lakers, Empire Sports Media’s Alexander Wilson reasons their latest sale at a $12.5 billion valuation makes the Knicks “impossible to price.” Will a gaudy offer see James Dolan finally surrender?
• Former Los Angeles resident Chris Paul could move from retirement into an NBA front office. Funnily enough, ESPN reported on Thursday that the word around the league suggests CP3 is a possible candidate the Lakers might consider to hand an executive role once the sale is completed and pending further changes. No need for reminders of the Lakers’ love for Paul, amirite?
• Out of the blue, Russell Westbrook is retired for good after 18 NBA seasons. Don’t stop watching the announcement clip.
• Shaquille O’Neal said on the “Boardroom” that he does not miss playing in today’s NBA because modern players are all “cupcakes.”
• Dillon Brooks is already looking forward to facing LeBron James and the 76ers on Dec. 30, which happens to be James’ birthday. “That’s more ammunition for me to win that game,” Brooks said. Asked whether he was disappointed that James’ move East means they will meet less frequently, Brooks replied, “Not at all, but I’ll build up for the games that we play.”
• A New York pizza shop has turned the Knicks’ Finals victory over Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs into a first-aid joke.

This choking hazard sign in soho featuring Wemby is incredible 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/8eHga6EnIe

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) August 13, 2026

For what feels like the first time in some time, the excitement is palpable for the upcoming Utah Jazz season. With the addition of Darryn Peterson in the lottery, the addition of Jaren Jackson Jr., and the clear goal of pushing for wins, Jazz fans are excited for a season like they haven’t been since the height of the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert days. Our most recent Jazz Reacts survey shows they’re probably more excited now than even then.

In the history of all the polls we’ve done, I’ve never seen one this lopsided. The fact that 96% of fans are excited for this season is remarkable. The diehard fans know how good this team will be too. FanDuel has the Jazz at 36.5 wins, but that seems extremely low for this team. I think an over/under around 45 is much more accurate to what Utah will do.

There’s no doubt that there’s always a level of optimism for fans when a season starts, but this feels different. This feels like the beginning of something special. There’s a lot of hope riding on the shoulders of Darryn Peterson as the pick that Utah tanked for. It might be too much pressure for a lot of players, but Peterson looks like he has the demeanor to take the Jazz to another level. All we can do now is wait for the season to start. All our questions will be answered very soon.

Charles Oakley’s lawsuit against Madison Square Garden and owner James Dolan was dismissed for a third time Friday, concluding another chapter to the legal battle involving the former Knicks star that dates back to when he was ejected from the Garden following an altercation with security guards in February 2017. 

MSG said in a statement that the claims were dismissed by the court “in their entirety” and that it planned to pursue legal action against Douglas Wigdor — Oakley’s lawyer — and “his unscrupulous law firm.” Wigdor, in a statement to The Post, expressed disappointment with the court’s ruling and still hoped for a jury trial. 

“For more than nine years, Mr. Oakley’s lawyers have pursued claims they knew were false,” MSG said in its statement. “Those claims have now been dismissed by the Court in their entirety — for a third time. We are pursuing legal action against Douglas Wigdor, and his unscrupulous law firm, to hold them accountable for years of frivolous litigation and their blatant abuse of the judicial system.” 

The case was initially tossed in early 2020, revived later that year, tossed again in 2021 and then revived for a second time in May 2023. 

“We are disappointed with the Court’s rulings,” Wigdor said in his statement to The Post. “We believe there are conflicting accounts and only a jury can decide what exactly happened. We are hopeful that the Second Circuit will agree for a third time and remand the case for an immediate jury trial.” 

Oakley, who spent 10 years as a player for the Knicks and was a key piece of the franchise’s success in the 1990s, was arrested and removed from the Garden during the Knicks game on Feb. 8, 2017, and while the charges were dropped, he filed a lawsuit later that year — alleging, in part, assault, false imprisonment and defamation. That lawsuit was dismissed in February 2020. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of the battery and assault claims in November 2020. When the appeals court reversed it for a second time in 2023, it ruled that the “question of whether the use of force was reasonable under the circumstances is generally best left for a jury to decide.” 

But more than three years later, a third dismissal followed. In circuit judge Richard J. Sullivan’s opinion and order, he wrote that “no rational jury could conclude that Oakley reasonably feared himself at risk of wrongful physical contact — let alone that MSG intended to stir such an apprehension.” 

“Even though the alleged assault occurred in the middle of Madison Square Garden in front of 19,000 and scores of cameras, Oakley concedes there’s no other witness — besides himself — who says he was pushed to the ground,” Sullivan wrote on the first page of his opinion and order. 

Oakley’s public feud with Dolan has loomed over the Knicks since it began. The Post’s Jared Schwartz reported in 2025 that the team was willing to welcome Oakley back as a “celebrated team alumnus” if he dropped the lawsuit. An initial ban instituted by Dolan in 2017 had been lifted. Oakley attended playoff games on the road during the Knicks’ championship run in the spring. 

“Ample evidence — including videos from multiple angles and the unanimous testimony of every witness (even, to some extent, Oakley himself) — shows that Oakley had a reasonable opportunity to depart the Garden, that he instead resorted to physical violence, and that he was never pushed to the ground,” Sullivan wrote.

Tyrese Haliburton thinks his return should be a bigger deal — and he makes an interesting point.

The Pacers star is at least making a triumphant return this season, over a year after rupturing his Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.

But while appearing on the “Numbers On The Board” podcast this week, Haliburton unleashed his emotions after learning that the Pacers would begin their 2026 campaign in, of all places, New Orleans.

The Pelicans are expected to be among the weaker teams in the Western Conference, with an over/under of 27.5 wins on DraftKings.

“Name any other person that you compare to my level of a basketball player, wherever you have me ranked. If they tore their Achilles and missed 16 months, do you think that game would be on national television?” Haliburton asked the hosts, all of whom said yes.

“Do you think that game would be at home, if not on national television?” Haliburton followed up, as the hosts again agreed.

“Do you think that that game would be at New Orleans?” Haliburton added, with a smirk on his face.

Did the NBA disrespect the Pacers with their opening night matchup? https://t.co/kurpzCayvDpic.twitter.com/fi2ttX538p

— Numbers On The Board (@notbpod) August 13, 2026

Haliburton continued after the panel reacted to his questioning.

“When I saw the schedule, I was like, ‘Oh wow!” he said. “Shoutout [Pelicans star] Trey Murphy [III], love my boy, Trey. Love New Orleans. But I was shocked to see that.”

Yes, the Pacers are starting their season with the Pelicans.

Not with the Knicks, Cavaliers, Thunder, Pistons, Celtics, Heat or Hawks.

Nope — the Pelicans.

The Pacers and Pelicans don’t have a rivalry, nor do they have a recent high-profile trade.

They’re not even in the same conference, to Haliburton’s point.

The two-time All-NBA and All-Star guard averaged 18.6 points and 9.2 assists, shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three last we saw him in 2024-25.

Memorably, he pushed the Pacers into Game 7 of the NBA Finals, where the team pulled off several dramatic comebacks and signature performances en route to a near-championship.

Even in Game 7, before Haliburton’s injury, he drained three 3-pointers in just seven minutes of play.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers sending Dennis Schröder and cash considerations to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Tre Mann, per ESPN, the 32-year-old guard now adds a dubious distinction to his NBA resume.

It marks the ninth time Schröder has been traded, making him the second-most moved player in league history. First on the list? That honor belongs to Trevor Ariza, who was traded 11 times in 18 years from 2004 to 2022 and played for 10 different teams. The Hornets will be the 12th team Schröder, entering his 14th NBA season, suits up for.

There's also a couple of more coincidences that tie the two well-traveled journeymen together: most notably, they both had multiple stints with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ariza arrived in LA via trade in 2007, and though a fractured bone in his right foot kept him from contributing heavily to the Lakers' Finals run that saw them lose to the Boston Celtics in six games that season, he played in all 82 games for the only time in his career in 2008-09 and emerged as a key role player in the playoffs, averaging 11.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and shooting 47.6% from 3-point range as the Lakers brought home their 15th NBA championship. He left that offseason in free agency, signing a five-year, $33 million contract with the Houston Rockets.

He later returned to the Lakers for one more run in purple and gold in 2021-22, though a right ankle injury that he underwent a procedure for in October ended up derailing his season. Ariza was waived on April 7, 2022, after playing in just 24 games, starting 11 of them, and averaging just four points while shooting 33.3% from the floor and 27% from deep. He never played in the NBA again.

While Schröder never overlapped with Ariza in LA, he missed him by just a year on both ends. The Lakers traded for Schröder, in a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Danny Green and the draft rights to Jaden McDaniels, just ahead of the 2020-21 season as part of a retooling in their ill-fated title defense. He averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 assists on a 43.7% field-goal percentage and 33.5% from 3-point range in 61 games played. But in the postseason those numbers dipped to 14.3 points and 2.8 assists on 40% shooting (30.8% from 3) as the Lakers were bounced in the first round by the Phoenix Suns in six games.

There were rumors (and many, many memes) about Schröder reportedly turning down an $84 million contract extension with the Lakers, but he later claimed that wasn't true. He eventually signed a one-year, $5.9 million deal with the Celtics in the 2021 offseason but returned to the Lakers a year later, telling ESPN's Dave McMenamin he had "unfinished business."

His individual numbers took another small dip in 2022-23 as he averaged 12 points and 4.5 assists on 41.5% shooting, but Schröder had arguably his biggest moment in purple and gold in their play-in game against the Minnesota Timberwolves when LeBron James, driving under the basket, dished the ball to Schröder in the corner and he drained a tiebreaking 3 with 2.4 seconds left in regulation. The Wolves still managed to force overtime, where Schröder again came up clutch with two game-winning free throws to complete LA's unlikely rise from 13th in the West at the trade deadline to the seventh seed.

Since that 2023 Western Conference finals run, Schröder has played for the Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Cavaliers and now, the Hornets. He's one team away from tying Ish Smith's NBA record of playing for 13 different teams in his NBA career.

But it's not like the latest move doesn't make sense; it does, for all parties involved. The Cavs are now $32 million under the first apron and have more flexibility to fill out their roster as they pursue a new deal for James Harden, while Charlotte adds a veteran ball handler to a young but talented locker room that includes Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Coby White and Naz Reid, who they acquired earlier this summer in the LaMelo Ball trade.

More importantly, Schröder brings playoff experience — something the Hornets haven't experienced since 2016.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dennis Schröder has now been traded 9 times. Is that the NBA record?

Toward the end of his conversation with the California Post on Wednesday, soon-to-be Lakers co-owner Bob Iger had a clear message after he and business partner Josh Kushner agreed to purchase the franchise from Mark Walter for a historic valuation of $12.5 billion. 

“It’s just premature to speculate at all about what we plan to do,” Iger told the Post. “Because frankly, we haven’t made any plans yet.”

More than understandable considering the opportunity to buy the Lakers didn’t make itself available to Iger and Kushner until very recently. The agreement came together within three days, according to Iger.

But that hasn’t stopped speculation from happening anyway. 

Immediate questions swirled about Jeanie Buss and whether she would remain the franchise’s governor after having an agreement with Walter to remain in the role for at least five years.

Iger told the Post he and Kushner intend to honor that agreement.

But an ESPN story fueled more speculation, with the outlet reporting Thursday multiple people around the league suggested that the recently retired NBA legend Chris Paul could have a role in the Lakers’ front office if there are changes. 

Iger, who was a longtime season-ticket holder for the Clippers, and Paul built a strong relationship while CP3 played for the Clippers from 2011-17, and have remained close since. 

It’s too early to tell whether Paul would be interested in a front office role with the Lakers. It also isn’t certain whether the Lakers would be interested in adding Paul to their front office.

But if Paul did join the Lakers in any capacity, it would be an ironic next chapter for his NBA life.

Chris Paul ––– a Laker?

It’s almost been 15 years since Paul was nearly traded to the Lakers in December 2011.

At the time, the hope was that a then- 26-year-old Paul would help the Lakers contend for championships during the backend of Kobe Bryant’s prime, while also being the player they could build around in the 2010s.

But the trade was infamously nixed.

And Paul spent the next six years revitalizing the Clippers, the Lakers’ cross-town rival, while the Lakers slowly started to struggle until LeBron James joined the franchise in 2018. 

But if Paul is able to join the Lakers in any capacity, it could provide him with the opportunity to contribute to a franchise he could’ve been with – albeit in a significantly different way.

Only Paul can answer whether that’s a step he wants to take after retiring from a 21-year playing career this past February. 

But people around the league see the potential fit for Paul in a front office role.

A front office member on an Eastern Conference team told the Post they could see Paul, at least initially, best fitting in as a consultant as someone who people around the organization can pick the brain of the 12-time All-Star. 

“Just comes down to commitment and how much he listens,” the front office member told the Post of Paul’s fit as an executive. “Understanding [the] game at such a higher level goes such a long way.”

Another front office member for another team speculated going into coaching could be a better option for Paul, citing his playing career accolades.

“Such a student of the game, he’s used to leading on [the] floor and in a locker room,” they told the Post. “Could just see it translating well, in my opinion.”

They added: “But I could see either front office or coaching in his future.”

The next step for Paul – and the Lakers – aren’t known.

But Paul joining the Lakers could be a fascinating twist in a journey for the legendary point guard and franchise that have witnessed several of them.

Mark Walter said he loved owning the Lakers but decided recently it was time to sell.

Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner wanted to own an NBA franchise and had the money for a big purchase.

The framework for a deal was consummated in a matter of days, Iger said, although the sale needs to be approved by the NBA Board of Governors.

Iger and Kushner paid $12.5 billion for the Lakers. Walter’s flipping of the franchise netted him a $2.5-billion profit after only 14 months of ownership. It is the highest-ever price paid for a sports team and comes as Walter’s business is facing a federal probe.

Kushner, whose older brother Jared is President Trump’s son-in-law, founded the Thrive Capital firm in 2009 and has amassed a net worth estimated by Forbes at more than $5 billion.

One of Thrive’s subsidiaries, Thrive Eternal, focuses on sports acquisitions, purchasing and selling a stake in the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies before acquiring stakes in the Miami Heat and the MLB’s San Francisco Giants , among others.

Read more:Buying the Lakers cements Bob Iger's longtime dream of owning major sports franchises

Kushner and Iger were also championing a potential NBA expansion team in Las Vegas through Thrive Eternal until the opportunity to simply pay cash for the league’s most iconic franchise presented itself.

Iger befriended the Lakers’ current head coach JJ Redick when Redick played for the L.A. Clippers from 2013 to 2017. Iger has long been a Clippers fan, telling Redick on a podcast in 2021 that he grew up a New York Knicks fan and their rivalry with the Lakers made rooting for the purple and gold when he moved to L.A. in 2000 “not in my DNA.”

Why would he, without hesitation, become keen on the Lakers?

The Lakers are the “epitome of an eternal asset,” Iger told Bloomberg this week.

A spokesperson for Iger and Kushner said neither were available to speak to The Times until the sale of the Lakers is completed.

In April, Kushner wrote on social media that Iger “leads with boldness and conviction because he knows what he is building and why.” Their mutual admiration began in 2018 when their wives — former models who went on to have successful business careers — became friends.

Iger joined Thrive for a short time in 2022 after resigning from the Walt Disney Co., and returned to Kushner’s firm in March after serving a second stretch as Disney’s chief executive from late 2022 to earlier this year.

Iger is a close friend of NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who introduced Iger to his wife, Willow Bay, in the 1990s when she hosted the television show “NBA Inside Stuff.” Bay is now dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Iger and Bay married in 1995 and moved from New York to Los Angeles in 2000. Soon, he was regularly attending Clippers home games. Owning the Lakers may never have crossed his mind until a week or so ago. Now he’s all in.

Read more:Bob Iger, Joshua Kushner to buy Lakers from Mark Walter's ownership group for $12.5 billion

“Grateful, appreciative, excited to own something that’s as iconic as the L.A. Lakers,” Iger told the California Post. “Josh and I are avid NBA fans. And [to] have an opportunity to own not just any NBA team, but the L.A. Lakers is extraordinary from a life experience perspective and business perspective. It’s still sinking in. We’re very excited.”

Iger acknowledged it is too soon to articulate a strategic plan.

“We are fans,” Iger told the outlet. “We respect the value that’s been created, both on the court and off. Our intention is to build this great franchise from a position of strength in many respects as an organization.

“It’s just premature to speculate at all about what we plan to do, because frankly, we haven’t made any plans yet. Again, we go into this with an appreciation of who the Lakers are. And we just want to build value from today on.”

Walter’s decision to sell the Lakers shocked the sports world. In his short tenure as owner, the team said goodbye to LeBron James, gave Austin Reaves a long contract extension, traded for impact center Walker Kessler and signed several complementary players.

Read more:Plaschke: Too many questions, not enough answers. Lakers sale doesn’t pass smell test

Walter is also majority owner of the Dodgers and the L.A. Sparks of the WNBA. He owns minority stakes in professional soccer teams Chelsea FC and RC Strasbourg Alsace and the Cadillac Formula One team. And he owns the entire Professional Women’s Hockey League, which named its championship trophy after Walter.

It became public recently that federal officials were investigating his business empire. The investigations by the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Delaware insurance regulator are focused on $21 billion in possibly fraudulent loans made by two Delaware life insurers that Walter owns to companies also tied to him. Such potential conflicts of interest must be reported to regulators.

Walter and his firm have denied any wrongdoing. He has declined to answer questions about the sale and whether it was connected to the probe.

The Dodgers have said Walter has no intention of selling that team.

Iger, in interviews this week, described the deal as happening very quickly.

“We were involved in pursuing the new franchise in Vegas,” Iger told the California Post. “And while that happened, it was suggested to us that maybe Mark Walter would be interested in selling his stake in the Lakers. And we immediately decided that given the value of the franchise and the iconic nature of the team, that we would be really smart to pursue it. The deal came together in three days. It’s that simple.”

Simple, yet shocking.

“I love surprising the world,” Iger said.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

When it comes to basketball conversations about who is the greatest of all time, it’s often a debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James. But when it comes down to top five of all time, both of them are usually a sure thing to be in it.

The X account, @MindOfBron, showed a live video of former Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson during a live stream with streamer PlayqueBoyMax, where Thompson revealed his shocking top-5 all-time NBA players and left Jordan off the list.

Thompson began the list by listing former Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal as his center, then put Tim Duncan and LeBron James as his two forwards.

Struggling to decide with his hand rubbing against his head, Thompson ended up choosing Kobe Bryant over Jordan at shooting guard.

“I gotta go with Kobe at the two,” Thompson said. “I love Mike, but I just grew up watching Kobe. I got to play against him. 81 [point game,] twelve threes, you know, gold medals. God, I love MJ, but Kobe is like a carbon copy of Mike. Imma go, Kobe just cause that’s my era.”

Thompson then said he would put Steph Curry at point guard, and added that he is “loyal to my PG of the past.”

Immediately after Thompson’s top 5 was revealed, basketball fans across the internet commented on the post that had over 457.7 thousand views in a day and had mixed reactions about Thompson’s list.

“stayed loyal to steph” no he just has common sense and knows steph is the greatest player ever at the position and it’s not relatively close

— steph better (@Kypsiw) August 14, 2026

The X account @Kypsiw responded to the video and said: ” ‘Stayed loyal to steph’ no he just has common sense and knows steph is the greatest player ever at the position and it’s not relatively close.”

The account @GrindHard0990 commented, “NO JORDAN FOR A REASON…DUDE A– FR…”

The backlash on Thompson continued when the account @ThehoopCentral reposted the video, and the account @ItsMichaelJ commented a GIF of Jordan hysterically laughing with a tablet in his lap.

@AriiKruse1 commented, “Great lineup, but who takes the final shot in clutch moments?”

Thompson wasn’t the only one receiving backlash, as the account @Jay_Jay9517 commented on it, and took a shot at PlaqueBoyMax by saying, “These streamers are so lame, dude looks like he would rather be anywhere else than sitting next to one of the greatest NBA players of all time. .. not even engaged in the conversation.”

---

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No.

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

This week, we finally touched on the elephant in the room re. Giannis: the notion that Bucks GM Jon Horst waited too long to trade him. This week’s polling results were fascinating because, to me, they showed how being a team fan and having a deeper connection to its players can change how people view the choices the team makes, compared with how an outsider views those choices.

Outside the fanbase, the prevailing view is that Horst messed up by waiting too long and losing much of his leverage when he traded Giannis. But inside the fanbase—while many accept that, in a nutshell, Horst could have done better strategically—most fans (59%) were fine with the Bucks GM waiting because they preferred he try everything to keep Giannis and fail than not exhaust all options. That said, a substantial portion of the fanbase (41%) still thought he waited too long. Each to their own!

Many of the fans who sat in the majority had other critiques of Horst—along with nuances they pointed out—but were ultimately steadfast that he did the right thing in his handling of Giannis, specifically:

BenDranklin3000: I will always stand by the opinion that when you have an absolute generational talent, you do everything you can to try to build around him. Even more so when he is actually a good dude and also actually likes the city of Milwaukee. Watching Giannis get teary-eyed while watching videos of fans thanking him and wishing him well while he is adjusting to his new surroundings is unheard of… And while there were some ugly moments, I will always love him, and that is all the justification I need to say we did the right thing in trying to make things work

LombardiStanleyO’Brian: Looking back at this… 100% yes. But at the present moment of that summer, equally 100% no. The Bucks were coming off a slim playoff exit at the hands of a magical Pacers run. After that, we waived and stretched Dame to steal a massive piece of their team in Myles Turner, and within a weak East, we looked like on paper title contenders. Sadly, a combination of bad Doc Rivers, Giannis’ injury, and just plain poor basketball doomed us. At the moment then, it looked like a great move on the surface, but like so many of Horst’s moves, it didn’t end up panning out.

Now for those who stood more toward the opposing opinion:

Harms: I voted No. I agreed with Sam Vecenie on the Game Theory podcast that Giannis should have been traded a year ago to extract more value. I can’t really fathom, with the benefits of hindsight, why anyone would choose the route we took as being better than potentially getting a better package and a quicker start to moving on. I get the sentimental feelings about it, but had I known that Giannis had been that aggressive with wanting out of Milwaukee, I would have moved him last year.

Check out FanDuel, the official sportsbook of SB Nation.

Chemistry with this iteration of the Lakers will be an uphill challenge. Many of them have never played together and will need to learn one another quickly to succeed on the court.

That’s one of the reasons why Luka Dončić‘s mini-camp in Slovenia is such a good idea.

Though there are a ton of new faces in Los Angeles, some already have connections, including Bronny James and Ziaire Williams.

On the Lakers’ YouTube channel, Williams discussed how he’s been teammates with Bronny before.

“Shoutout fellow Laker Bronny in the cut. That was my freshman right there. It’s going to be fun playing with Bronny again. We grew a lot together at Sierra Canyon and we’ve been friends ever since. So, it’s been cool to see him make it to the big leagues and keep progressing, keep getting better. I’m excited to be back on his team again.”

It’s going to be pretty cool for Sierra Canyon, and really all of California, when these two are on the floor at the same time.

While the degrees of separation in the NBA are small, it’s still rare for high school teammates to be on the same team at this level. The fact that the Lakers play just 31 miles from their high school is amazing and shows how small this world can be.

As a Californian, Williams has always loved the Lakers. So joining this iconic franchise certainly feels like a full-circle moment for him, which he described further in the aforementioned video.

“Seeing my name on the Lakers jersey was super surreal. A blessing. I can’t even explain it in words. I’m just so excited to be back home, play in front of the fans, my family. I would have never imagined this day would come true.”

With a bond to the city, the franchise and even one of his teammates, things are starting pretty well for Williams as a Laker.

This will be his third team in six years, but if Williams makes the most of this opportunity, it could be the place where he solidifies himself as a quality wing player.

Williams joined LA on a modest deal, and if he can be a solid defender and 3-point shooter, exceeding expectations is certainly on the table.

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

The estate of late Memphis Grizzlies player Brandon Clarke will receive a life insurance disbursement for his full $12.5 million salary that was owed next season.

Agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, who represented Clarke, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports Friday, Aug. 14 that Clarke’s contract was fully protected for death through a life insurance policy purchased by the Grizzlies. The full $12.5 million amount will be disbursed to Clarke’s estate tax-free.

There are multiple ways players and their representatives can negotiate life insurance policies and post-death protections in player contracts. From no coverage whatsoever, to standard death protections that count a player’s salary as a taxable event, agents can also negotiate to have the player’s team purchase the life insurance policy. This last option allows for a player’s full salary to be paid out tax-free, providing a massive benefit to the player’s estate.

As for the remaining portion of Clarke’s $12.5 million salary for the 2025-26 season that had been owed at the time of his death, Bartelstein confirmed that amount is being paid out to his estate through October 2026; NBA contracts are paid in installments, so the remaining amount will be disbursed in those regular installments.

There had been conflicting reports concerning the remaining salary on Clarke’s contract, which was set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season. Front Office Sports reported Thursday, Aug. 13 that Clarke’s estate would not receive the $12.5 million that had been owed to him next season.

On May 12, the Grizzlies and Clarke’s representatives at Priority Sports each issued separate statements announcing Clarke’s death. He was 29 years old.

On Friday, Aug. 7, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office announced that Clarke died from the effects of heroin and cocaine and ruled the death an accident.

Clarke was pronounced dead by authorities on May 11 after being found unresponsive in his bedroom, according to the announcement. A deputy medical examiner conducted an examination of Clarke at the DME’s Forensic Science Center on May 12 and the cause and manner of death were certified Aug. 7.

Clarke was the No. 21 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga and enjoyed initial success in the league, earning all-rookie honors while averaging a career-high 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension with Memphis in 2022.

Clarke's sudden death happened almost six weeks after he was arrested in Arkansas for improper passing, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing and exceeding the speed limit and trafficking a controlled substance. He had just finished his seventh NBA season, all of which he spent with the Grizzlies.Clarke allegedly led Cross County Sheriff's Office deputies on a miles-long chase on April 1, with speeds reaching over 100 mph, and was found with over 230 grams of kratom in his possession, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Memphis Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Clarke's career had been derailed in recent years by injuries. He played in just six games during the 2023-24 season due to a torn Achilles and missed all but two games this past season due to calf and knee ailments.

Contributing: Mark Giannotto

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brandon Clarke's estate will receive full $12.5 million life insurance

San Diego Padres (65-57) at Cleveland Guardians (59-63), August 14, 2026, 4:10 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Progressive Field – Cleveland, Ohio

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In Cleveland for the weekend. pic.twitter.com/BjZRN84vha

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— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 14, 2026

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