Category: NBA

Dwight Murray Jr. and Isaiah Wong are officially joining the Brooklyn Nets organization. This morning, the team signed both players before waiving them shortly after. The Nets traded for Murray Jr.’s rights earlier this month and then Wong’s two days later.

What might seem like an odd transaction on the surface is actually a move commonly made by NBA teams ahead of training camp. When a team sign-and-waives a player, it secures that player’s G League rights and the opportunity to offer them a cash bonus of $91,000 on top of the G League max of $49,000. It’s highly likely that’s what Brooklyn is doing here to get Murray Jr. and Wong on the Long Island Nets roster. It’s also possible the two will be in Brooklyn for camp.

Murray Jr. has technically been a Net before. He played for Brooklyn in the Summer League this year, appearing in two games where he averaged 5.0 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game. He’s also played two seasons in the G-League already. There, he averaged 8.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 23.5 minutes per game.

‼️OMS CLIENT CONTRACT SIGNING‼️ We are thrilled to announce that our guy, Dwight Murray, Jr. @lildwight_23 has officially signed his second NBA Exhibit 10 Contract! He has come to terms with the Brooklyn Nets @BrooklynNets who he spent the 2026 NBA Summer League with!

Dwight is… pic.twitter.com/txNa8KFUr8

— One Motive Sports (@OneMotiveSports) September 15, 2026

Wong, however, has more experience at the pro level. He’s appeared in 21 NBA games over the past two seasons, including 20 with the Charlotte Hornets during their 2024-25 campaign. He’s also spent time in the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers organizations. In the G-League, he’s played 59 games while averaging 16.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 28.9 minutes per game.

"Where you been all my life Isaiah Wong!?" 🔥

Incredible sequence of plays by the rookie ✨ pic.twitter.com/nv6D4pN7DG

— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 7, 2024

After Charlotte didn’t renew his deal last season, he went overseas, playing first in Lithuania with Zalgiris, a Euroleague team, then in Spain with Gran Canaria. Wong averaged 14.6 points a game along with two assists and two rebounds. Wong’s grandfather was Chinese.

After filling their final two-way slot almost two weeks ago via Grant Nelson, the Nets certainly appear focused on solidifying their G-League roster here in September. Brooklyn’s training camp opens on September 29. Long Island’s a month later. The NBA G-League regular season begins on November 6.

Free agent forward John Konchar has agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Knicks, his agent told ESPN.

At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Konchar is bigger than most guards coach Mike Brown can put on the floor. He guards multiple positions and rebounds like a forward, not a backcourt piece.

The signing gets the defending champion Knicks to 14 players on standard contracts, with training camp opening Oct. 1 and roughly $3.2 million of room left below the second apron.

Konchar is entering his eighth NBA season. Though he plays different positions, he essentially replaces Mitchell Robinson, who left this offseason for a three-year, $47 million deal with the Celtics.

Last season, split between Memphis and Utah, Konchar averaged 4.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals in 56 games. He got more run in Utah and made it count, shooting 44.5% and posting a career-high 5.9 points a game.

According to reports, the Heat, Magic and Raptors were interested in him as well. The Knicks got him for the price of a roster spot, and got a body who can do a little of everything.

Konchar went undrafted out of Purdue-Fort Wayne in 2019, and he has had a long, winding road to Madison Square Garden. Memphis traded him to Utah in February. Utah traded him to Minnesota in August with Cody Williams for Josh Green and cash. Minnesota waived him the same day to free up the money to fit Jonathan Kuminga under the second apron.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York Knicks signing John Konchar to one-year deal

The Knicks did some end-of-roster maneuvering Tuesday.

They signed guard John Konchar and center Drew Eubanks to one-year deals, The Post confirmed.

Eubanks’ deal is nonguaranteed. It was not immediately clear whether Konchar’s is guaranteed.

Both will battle for a roster spot.

If either makes the roster, it would bring the Knicks to the required minimum of 14 standard NBA contracts.

If it’s Konchar, though, it would leave them with only two true big men in Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond.

Teams are allowed up to 15 standard contracts, though the Knicks likely can’t reach that number and stay under the second apron.

Konchar, a 6-foot-5 defensive-minded guard, spent time with the Grizzlies and Jazz last year and averaged 4.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

For his career, the 30-year-old Konchar has shot 34.9 percent from 3-point range.

The 6-foot-10 Eubanks, 29, spent last year with the Kings, averaging 5.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

The Knicks lost much of their frontcourt depth this offseason with Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti signing with the Celtics and 76ers, respectively.

Training camp is set to begin Sept. 28.

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The Knicks also signed 7-foot center Liam Robbins, who showed promise with the team at Summer League, to an Exhibit 10 contract.

He will battle for a two-way deal at training camp — the Knicks still have all three of their two-way slots available.

They announced the signings of Jaden Akins, Igor Milicic Jr., Mitchell Mascari, Toby Okani, Nick Jourdain and Paul Zilinskas to Exhibit 10 deals.

They were all subsequently waived, meaning they are likely headed to the Westchester Knicks in the G-League if they clear waivers.

These roster gymnastics allow the players to make a little extra money.

The Knicks are rounding out their bench with a new signing.

New York is signing John Konchar, according to GSL Sports Group, which represents the forward. Konchar chose the defending-champion Knicks among a group of suitors, so he comes to New York with a legitimate chance to make the regular-season roster. Additionally, center Drew Eubanks is signing with New York on a camp deal and will be competing for a roster spot, per SNY sources.

Konchar spent his first seven seasons with the Grizzlies before landing with the Jazz in the middle of last season. With Memphis, he averaged 14.5 minutes, 3.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 30 games last season, but produced more with Utah. Across 26 games with the Jazz, Konchar averaged 26.2 minutes, 5.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and three assists per game.

Utah traded Konchar and Cody Williams to the Timberwolves in exchange for Josh Green and cash considerations this offseason. Minnesota then waived Konchar in late August. 

Eubanks’ 2025-26 season in Sacramento was cut short in March following surgery to repair a UCL tear in his left thumb. The veteran is expected to be fully healthy for training camp, which begins later this month. A strong presence around the basket, he will presumably compete for a role as New York’s third center. Across 42 games in Sacramento last season, Eubanks averaged 5.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 13 minutes.

Both Konchar and Eubanks are on one-year deals. ESPN first reported Konchar’s agreement with the Knicks.

If Konchar or Eubanks makes the roster, the Knicks will be right up against the second apron (unless they make a trade). Knicks owner James Dolan has said that he doesn’t want to exceed the second apron in team salary.

The Knicks also have three open two-way spots. One of those spots will presumably go to second-round pick Tyler Nickel. Big man Liam Robbins, who signed an Exhibit 10 deal on Tuesday, will presumably compete for another two-way spot. Who will get the third two-way spot? Former two-way player Kevin McCullar Jr. has been playing with some Knicks players in informal workouts this month. Other players the Knicks have been in touch with as training camp nears: big men Duop Reath and James Wiseman, per SNY sources.

Just when everyone had (mostly) healed and moved on from all of the emotions surrounding the Deandre Ayton era, we were reminded of a decision made in 2018 that wasn’t nearly as close as we believed. Former Phoenix Suns head coach Igo Kokoshov recently spent time on the X&O’s Chat podcast, stating, “We never, literally never, had a single serious strategic conversation about who we were going to draft, which gave me more than enough of an indication that the decision had already been made. So, Robert Sarver went to Arizona, so he had an emotional connection to Ayton.”

“We never, literally never, had a single serious strategic conversation about who we were going to draft… Robert Sarver went to Arizona, so he had an emotional connection to Ayton.”

Igor Kokoskov on the Phoenix Suns not drafting Luka Doncic 😬

(Via @BrunoFeliks44 & @XOsChat) pic.twitter.com/t1HpE9JQW3

— Erik Ruby (@ErikRuby) September 15, 2026

This provides a degree of validation to what many Suns followers have speculated and feared. If true, it means the 2018 front office was not even permitted to consider a generational talent. Not 20-20 vision here, but rather a player who was regarded so highly that a case can be made he hasn’t fully lived up to projections made at the time of that draft. Not allowing his consideration adds another song to Sarver’s “Worst of” album.

Many of you are probably playing the mental what-if game right now. What if we had made that selection to pair Luka Doncic with Devin Booker (and Mikal Bridges as part of that same draft)? Like all basketball — and life — the ripple effect of one event is impossible to determine. There is no way to know how the big man rotation would have worked out. Doubtful we would have had a CP3 signing. Unknown if the level of defense would have allowed an NBA Finals run. Dominos such as signing KD also may not have fallen. Maybe that perfect frontline/defensive piece would have come along, and we’d all have t-shirts with two trophies on them now.

There’s just no way to know. But we do know the disgraced owner adds another chapter to a disappointing legacy.

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On Tuesday, the Washington Wizards announced that they have re-signed forward Anthony Gill. Per various reports, the contract is for one season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

The Washington Wizards have re-signed Anthony Gill to a one-year deal, league sources told @hoopshype. Gill has shot 54.5% from the field over the past six seasons with the Wizards and has been a beloved locker room presence. Gill now holds Washington’s 15th roster spot. pic.twitter.com/M6Jv6nt3Hn

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) September 15, 2026

Gill is the longest tenured Wizards player among players on the active roster, entering his seventh season in Washington. He averaged a career-high 5.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in 55 appearances in the 2025-26 season. Gill’s time extends back to the 2020-21 season, the last time Washington made the NBA Playoffs.

The 2020s has certainly been a time where the Wizards started the decade with a playoff appearance but were never able to come back close anytime since. Much of it is their own doing due to their rebuild, but my point is that rosters often turnover completely over six years when there is a significant front office shift. And despite it all, Gill has remained as a consummate professional, getting minutes where he can while setting a good example for younger players.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

When it comes to the Clippers-Kawhi Leonard salary cap circumvention scandal, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver believes it’s time to move forward.

At least for the NBA.

Among the many things he made clear during his media availability Tuesday following the NBA’s Board of Governors meetings was this: He doesn’t expect for there to be any further sanctions stemming from the scandal.  

“The discipline is final,” Silver said during his first public comments since the league announced harsh punishments against the Clippers two weeks ago.

The NBA, through an independent investigation conducted by the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, found the Clippers violated the league’s salary cap circumvention rules by “initiating off-court income opportunities” for Leonard with four different companies that also did business with the team.

The league dropped staggering punishments on the Clippers, fining the franchise $30 million, suspending owner/chairman Steve Ballmer for one year and stripping the franchise of five first-round draft picks from 2029-33.

President of business operations Gillian Zucker (one year) and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank (six months) were also suspended for their roles in the scandal.

But the initial report alluded to potential corroborating evidence, which left the door open for further punishment.

That was put to bed on Tuesday.

Ballmer said in a Sunday statement he has “sincere regrets” and apologized to fans, and acknowledged the franchise was complying with the penalties assessed by the league.

Leonard was forced to pay the NBA $700,000 for restitution for improper benefits provided by the Clippers, while his uncle and former business manager, Dennis Robertson, has been banned by the NBA from all business dealings for five years.

Silver said he met with Leonard but didn’t want to get into the details of his conversations with the National Basketball Players Association that led to Leonard’s punishment. 

Leonard was finally traded back to Toronto Monday after a deal between the Clippers and Raptors was agreed to in late June but delayed because of the investigation. 

“I think we all agree it’s time to move forward here,” Silver said. “[NBPA Executive Director] David Kelly represented his player well and the interest of the Players Association. All I can say is I think we reached a fair outcome for everyone.”

As for the Clippers, Silver said the league looked at previous violations when figuring out how to punish the Clippers.

“There is precedent of a team for cap violation, circumvention violation, losing five picks, Silver said. “That was something we looked to.”

He was referencing when then-NBA Commissioner David Stern stripped the Timberwolves of five first-round draft picks (selections in the drafts from 2001-05) in October 2000 for circumventing the salary cap for Joe Smith. 

The NBA gave the Timberwolves back their 2003 first-round draft pick in December 2000 after then-owner Glen Taylor accepted a suspension and executive Kevin McHale took a leave of absence. 

By December 2001, the league also restored the Timberwolves’ 2005 first-round pick.

But, at least for now, it doesn’t appear the Clippers will be getting any of their draft picks back.

Silver acknowledged the tough place the Clippers’ sanctions puts their fans in.

“To your point, I think that’s in some ways the most difficult part of adjudicating these disputes,” Silver said. “Because while there have to be competitive consequences, our view, if these rules are violated, we still want to be a 30-team league. We recognize that in some ways we’re unfortunately punishing the fans of that team as well. That’s the balance we’re trying to seek.

“I don’t think in any way we’ve done permanent damage to this franchise. No question, this is a setback for the team. As I said, the ultimate goal in terms of these type of sanctions is to ensure that other teams don’t engage in this type of behavior in the future. So there has to be something beyond suspensions and financial consequences. That has to go directly to competition.”

Adam Silver heard what Steve Ballmer said in his apology — and appeared to notice what the now-suspended Clippers owner did not say.

Speaking Tuesday after the NBA Board of Governors meetings, Silver was asked whether Ballmer’s Sunday statement went far enough despite stopping short of admitting that the Clippers circumvented salary-cap rules.

“Putting aside the precise words he chose to use, most importantly he indicated a willingness to accept the league’s decision in this case and the accompanying sanctions,” Silver said.

That change in posture mattered. Ballmer had previously rejected the investigation’s findings, but said Sunday that the Clippers would comply, had paid their $30 million fine and would move forward. He also apologized and accepted responsibility as principal owner.

Silver suggested Ballmer may have had a reason to avoid an admission.

“There are other inquiries that have nothing to do with the NBA that the Clippers and Steve Ballmer are now dealing with,” Silver said, adding that Ballmer may need to “choose his words carefully.”

Silver did not identify those inquiries or accuse Ballmer of a federal crime. But the Justice Department has reportedly opened a criminal investigation into the Clippers’ dealings with Kawhi Leonard, leaving the owner potentially exposed beyond the league’s disciplinary process.

The NBA hammered the Clippers with a $30 million fine and the loss of five first-round picks after finding salary-cap violations. Ballmer was suspended for one year, while Leonard was ordered to pay $700,000.

The Clippers were not represented at the meetings because they are appointing an interim governor, who must be vetted.

Despite the outside uncertainty, Silver signaled that the NBA’s case is effectively closed. The discipline is final, and Ballmer’s decision to stand down marked a sharp break from the organization’s early defiance.

Silver expects further conversations with Ballmer over the next year and sees every reason for him to return as an owner in good standing after serving his suspension.

The NBA is ready to turn the page. Whether federal authorities are is a separate question — and perhaps why Ballmer chose every word with care.

During his post Board of Governors news conference in New York, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made it clear there weren’t any warning signs about the scrutiny surrounding Mark Walter before he became the majority owner of the Lakers.

Walter, who had been the Dodgers controlling owner since 2012 and a Lakers minority owner in 2021, agreed to purchase the majority ownership stake of the Lakers from the Buss family in June 2025 at a valuation of $10 billion. 

Three months later, the FBI seized Walter’s phone and computer in September 2025 as federal prosecutors started a wide-ranging investigation into the financial dealings of Walter’s businesses.

And one month later, in October 2025, Walter was officially approved as the Lakers majority owner and purchased the franchise.

“I will say at the time that we vetted Mark Walter to be the principal governor of the team, again, he was already a part owner, minority owner in the Los Angeles Lakers. We went through the full process we all do,” Silver said Tuesday. “We spoke to governmental agencies. We spoke to, in the case of Mark Walter, a heavily regulated insurance agency. We spoke to other leagues in which he has investments. We found no red flags.”

After less than a year of leading the franchise, Walter sold the majority ownership of the Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger in August at a historic valuation of $12.5 billion.

There’s been an ongoing investigation into Walter’s business empire.

Walter’s holding company, TWG Global, released a statement in late August defending business practices and denying any wrongdoing. 

The statement also made it clear the Dodgers are “not being sold and no sale process has been initiated,” and added that Walter/TWG isn’t considering selling their stakes in the Cadillac Formula 1 team or any other part of TWG Motorsports.

In addition to the Lakers, Walter and his business partner, Todd Boehly, are looking to sell their stakes in Chelsea Football Club.

Silver said he didn’t know Walter was selling the Lakers until after the deal was made with Kushner and Iger.

“Even to this day, as you know, these are — call them allegations,” Silver added. “There are issues that are now being looked into. Independent of Mark Walter choosing to sell his team right now, he was not being investigated by our league. I don’t know what’s happening in other leagues right now…I had no prior notion that he was intending to sell his team until I heard from the buyers that they had a handshake with him.”

Two of Walter’s companies — Delaware Life Insurance Company and its affiliate Clear Spring Life and Annuity — received grand jury subpoenas in February.

Federal prosecutors in New York and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are undergoing their own separate investigations. 

The scrunity surrounding Walter has raised questions whether the NBA should’ve approved for him to become the Lakers owner. 

But Silver defended the league’s vetting process for owners and ownership groups.

“We take the vetting process very seriously,” Silver said. “A lot of what we do is intensive database searching. You would think in this day and age with AI and everything else, everything is centralized. It’s not. In many cases, you’re going state by state. In certain cases, people are of industries that are regulated state by state. So you have to go there as well.

“We also talk to as many people as we can find who have knowledge about these people. We do interviews. But beyond that, I will say we’re always reassessing to see if we can do more. In fairness to the parties involved, even Mark Walter, as we sit here, I know no more about him than we did when we vetted him. I read newspaper articles. In fairness to him, I don’t know where those investigations are going to come out. I don’t know where any government inquiries are going to come out. We’re always seeing if we can do things better. I don’t see a trend or some widespread issue certainly among our principal owners that gives me cause for concern.”

The 2026-27 NBA season could determine whether the Golden State Warriors extend their aging foundation or finally tear it down.

Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler are all playing on expiring contracts, giving Golden State an opportunity to disband its veteran core if the season begins poorly.

Marcus Thompson II, who has covered the Warriors for more than a decade as a beat writer and columnist for The Athletic, raised the possibility of Green being traded during an appearance on “The Kevin O’Connor Show.”

“I think this might be the time,” Thompson said. “Right now, we’re gonna figure out what happens next. I think by the trade deadline, we’ll know. This is gonna be tough, and we could really, fully be saying goodbye. Draymond could be traded at the trade deadline.”

Thompson could also envision Butler being moved, but he did not believe the Warriors would consider dealing Curry, whom he described as a franchise “lifer.”

Moving Green would not be simple. He would be an expensive rental earning $27.7 million and likely would not command the return he once did, despite remaining one of the NBA’s most impactful defensive players.

A contender looking to upgrade its defense could still pursue Green without surrendering a major portion of its future.

Butler presents a different complication. He turned 37 on Monday and is recovering from the torn ACL he suffered last season. The veteran forward is not expected to return until late January or early February.

Golden State acquired Butler from the Miami Heat at the 2025 trade deadline. The move has not produced the intended results, with Butler appearing in only 68 games for the Warriors over parts of two seasons.

Thompson noted that Golden State has approximately $100 million in expiring contracts, much of it attached to the core of its roster. That flexibility would allow the front office to make a dramatic pivot if it determines the current group can no longer contend.

“That’s the core players,” Thompson said. “Klay’s already gone. If Draymond leaves, there’s a sense you could feel like they just might start this thing completely over.”

Resetting during the final years of Curry’s career would be seismic, but the Warriors are already attempting to build their next generation. Coach Steve Kerr recently praised the influx of young talent on Golden State’s roster, particularly No. 11 overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg.

If the Warriors stumble, the trade deadline could become more than an opportunity to adjust the roster. It could mark the end of their championship foundation.

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NEW YORK — NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the punishment of the Los Angeles Clippers for their role in circumventing the salary cap is final and was meant as a deterrent for other teams not to engage in breaking league rules.

Silver discussed some of the league's pressing matters as they concluded the two-day Board of Governors meeting in midtown Manhattan, while preparing for their 81st season starting Oct. 20, when the New York Knicks begin their defense of the championship against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Los Angeles had five first-round picks taken away, was fined $30 million, and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was suspended from all league and team activities for one year for what the NBA said was the team "knowingly seeking to help" star forward Kawhi Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities.

Two other Clippers executives were suspended, and Leonard was fined $700,000 for their roles in the scheme; they were not represented at this Board of Governors meeting. Ballmer apologized to the team's fans and said in a statement he won't fight the salary-cap circumvention penalties.

Silver said during a press conference that there was difficulty in punishing the team, but there had to be "competitive consequences" for rule violations, and he doesn't think that he has done permanent damage to the franchise.

"We still want to be a 30-team league, and we recognize that, in some ways, we're unfortunately punishing the fans of that team as well. And so that's the balance we're trying to seek," Silver said. "The ultimate goal, in terms of these type of sanctions, are to ensure that other teams don't have to engage in this type of behavior, in the future, so there has to be something beyond suspensions and financial consequences, and that has to be to regulate competition"

The Clippers concluded the June 30 trade that sent Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors, where he helped win the NBA championship in 2019, for forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, as well as two unprotected first-round picks, one first-round pick swap, and two second-round selections. That deal had been on hold at the team's discretion while the NBA concluded its investigation into the Clippers.

Latest on Lakers sale

Silver also updated the situation with the Los Angeles Lakers, which is being sold by Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner and TWG Global CEO Mark Walter for a record $12.5 billion to businessman Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss is challenging that sale, saying her five siblings don't have the right to sell the family's 17.8% remaining stake in the team. Buss, by virtue of having more than 15% ownership of the team, remains the Lakers' governor.

Silver said he had no prior knowledge that Walter, whom federal prosecutors are investigating for potential financial improprieties at two insurance companies he controlled, wanted to sell the team until he heard from buyers who had a handshake deal with him. When dealing with Walter, Silver said the league found no red flags when he originally bought the team in October 2025.

"Even to this day, as you know, these are allegations," Silver said. There are issues that are now being looked into, but independent of Mark Walter choosing to sell this team right now, he was not being investigated by our league."

NBA expansion?

Silver discussed the potential league expansion into Las Vegas and Seattle, as well as the situation in Portland with the Trail Blazers, where the fight for a new arena drags on under owner Thomas Dundon.

Silver made it clear that the team needs a new arena to replace the Moda Center, which opened in 1995 and is considered one of the league's worst venues. He added that they haven't discussed the team relocating and that it would be a "failure" if the team moved.

"It is important, at the same time, that Tom Dundon reaches a deal with the city officials and the state elected officials that makes operating important and viable for the long term. So that's what we're focused on."

There is no timetable for the expansion of the new teams, the last of which was added in 2004 with the Charlotte Bobcats, bringing the league's total to 30. The Bobcats were renamed the Hornets a decade later.

As far as Vegas and Seattle, Silver said the next round of bids will be coming in shortly.

"I think that there is real excitement around either, you know, a renovated T-Mobile Arena," Silver said of Vegas. "I think it still needs some significant improvements, but at the same time, there are groups who have presented plans to go, what I would call, you know, a modern entertainment palace in Las Vegas, and it's a unique market."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA commissioner admits Clippers discipline incidentally 'punishing the fans'