Category: NBA

Who: Summer Suns vs. Summer Trail Blazers

When: 8:00pm Arizona Time

Where: Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, Nevada

Watch: Arizona Family Sports, ESPNU

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Summer.
Summer who?
Summer Suns basketball baby!!!!!!

That’s right. It’s time to watch some Phoenix Suns basketball! It’s time to see purple and orange back on the court! For an organization with so much youth pushing to the front of the line, that makes Summer League feel different. It feels exciting. It feels worth paying attention to.

I think back a few years, when the only thing we really had to latch onto was Jalen Smith. He gave us something to cheer for. He earned All Summer League First Team honors in 2021, and that was enough to keep us watching. Then they paired him with Jaleen Smith, which always felt like someone in the Suns’ front office was running an elaborate practical joke on the fan base.

This year carries real intrigue.

Khaman Maluach is taking the floor after being selected as the tenth overall pick a year ago. Koa Peat is making his professional debut. Rasheer Fleming is slated to be a part of the Suns’ rotation this season. Koby Brea is ready to let it fly every time daylight appears. While the NBA roster is built to compete today, the franchise’s future checks into the game tonight in Las Vegas. These are the players we want to watch. These are the players who need every possession they can get.

Summer League has always been its own strange little carnival. I watched number one overall pick AJ Dybantsa last night turn into a one-man scoring expedition on his way to 27 points last night. Chemistry comes and goes. Offensive flow disappears without warning. Everybody wants to prove they belong, and sometimes that means the ball sticks like it owes somebody money.

The hope with Phoenix is that you see the fingerprints of the organization. A strong system leaves clues as roles become recognizable. The ball finds the open man. Defensive rotations happen instinctively, not in panic. Three of these players are expected to spend most of the season with the Suns. Another will be filling it up in the Valley. Tonight is an opportunity to see whether that foundation already exists.

No matter what happens, expectations need to stay grounded. Never too high, never too low…the Ricky Rubio philosophy. I know myself well enough to admit I probably won’t follow that advice.

Summer League is the last neon sign before the highway disappears into the endless desert of the NBA offseason. After this, the landscape turns into heat shimmer, podcast hypotheticals, and counting the days until October. That’s why nights like this matter. It’s basketball. It’s hope. It’s the first glimpse of whatever strange ride this franchise has planned for us next.

Probable Starters

Here’s my best guess…

Injury Report

Suns

• Nothing reported

Trail Blazers

• Nothing reported

What to Watch For

There are plenty of things to watch tonight against the Trail Blazers, and it all starts at the center position. While the Suns were busy drafting Khaman Maluach last summer, Portland selected its own center in the first round. Yang Hansen was taken 16th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, setting up an intriguing opening matchup for Maluach in Summer League.

These two have met before.

Last November in the G League, the two first-round centers met for the first time. It was clear Hansen had the physical advantage. Although both are listed at 7’1”, Hansen outweighs Maluach by roughly 20 pounds, and he used that strength to bully his way to 14 rebounds. Maluach finished with only three boards in the 107-104 loss to the Rip City Remix.

Defensively, however, Maluach did a solid job. He held Hansen to 4-of-11 shooting and only eight points. The problem was foul trouble. Maluach fouled out after scoring nine points of his own.

Both players were underutilized by their big league clubs last season, and the hope for progression begins with their performances in Las Vegas. This makes this a fascinating Summer League rematch. Hansen is a polished offensive prospect but has had a hard time getting his footing in the NBA. Maluach’s calling card is his rim protection. We have a pretty good idea of what that battle could look like.

What interests me more is the other end of the floor. How does Maluach attack Hansen defensively? Can he show growth offensively against a physical player who has already given him problems? That’s one of the biggest things I’ll be watching tonight.

I’ll also be keeping a close eye on Rasheer Fleming. During last year’s Summer League, you could clearly see the physical tools. The feel for where he needed to be on the court still had room to grow. As the season progressed, both with the Valley Suns and Phoenix, you could see that development taking shape. I’m hoping he looks like a true NBA player this time around. When you watch Summer League, certain players pop. Fleming has the chance to be one of those players.

Then there’s Koa Peat. I simply want to see what he looks like next to NBA-caliber talent. We know he’s a big wing, but you never truly appreciate a player’s size until you see him standing next to everyone else. Watching him alongside Fleming should provide a much better perspective. More importantly, I want to see how he moves, how he processes the game, and how comfortable he looks in this environment.

And, of course, there’s Koby Brea. We already know he can shoot the basketball. I’d like to see a little more than that. Maybe it’s creating off the dribble. Maybe it’s applying more pressure defensively. Maybe it’s showing a little more athleticism with the ball in his hands. Right now, he’s a very one-dimensional prospect. Hopefully, he can show there’s another layer to his game. He’s also the oldest player in this group, so the developmental runway isn’t quite as long. That’s what makes these Summer League minutes so valuable for him.

Prediction

My prediction? Overreaction.

I think Maluach is going to have a difficult time against Hansen because of the size and strength mismatch. We might not get the performance we’re hoping for in Game 1. It’s a tough way to begin Summer League because he’s facing someone who also has something to prove and has the physicality to move him off his spots.

I do think we’re going to be pleasantly surprised by how Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat look together on the floor. That’s where my attention will be. The box score doesn’t matter nearly as much as how comfortable these young players look within the flow of the game.

I predict we’ll walk away a little underwhelmed by Maluach’s production, but pleasantly pleased with what we see from Fleming and Peat. And Koby Brea? He’ll knock down four three pointers, and everyone will be convinced he’s the next Grayson Allen.

Summer Suns 108, Summer Blazers 97

It has been an oddly slow week on the Spurs’ free agency front. Ever since the moratorium period ended at 11 AM on Monday, everyone has been waiting for Victor Wembanyama to sign has max rookie contract extension, which would be worth up $251 million (25% of the salary cap) over five seasons, beginning in the 2027-28 season. The wait for it to happen has been odd but of not of concern, mainly being chalked up to him being on vacation in France.

Now, we’re getting news that there might be a reason for the hold up, but it isn’t for anything concerning, such as the Spurs are holding back or he’s unsure if he wants to commit. On the contrary, rumor is starting to swirl that he may actually be considering signing for less than the max to provide the Spurs more financial flexibility in the future, as was first reported by Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. This came after Wemby had tweeted for the first time since March and only 69th time ever, sending a promising but cryptic message of, “Spurs Family, I am here to stay. Whatever it takes.”

This likely won’t be confirmed until they officially announce the new contract, but RC Buford, Brian Wright and Mitch Johnson are reportedly in France, so news could come any minute now. No one was expecting Wemby to pull a Tim Duncan on his first ever contract extension of his career, but it’s possible he is seeing teams having to break up star cores or strip their depth to avoid second apron ramifications and wants to assure they can keep their young core together, with Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper likely set for big paydays (even if not max extensions) in the coming years.

His extension can be upgraded to a supermax worth $300 million (30% of the salary cap) if he earns All-NBA honors or wins MVP or Defensive Player of the Year in the 2026-27 season.  It is unclear how that would be applied if he signs for less than the maximum.

Detroit Basketball is back.

Ebuka Okorie’s first game in a Pistons uniform saw him score 20 points to go along with four assists and two steals. He shot 8-for-16 (50%) from the field including 2-for-5 (40%) from deep.

Scoring

The guy can flat out score.

You can see how easily he can get to the rim with his speed and quickness. He’s too fast to full-court press or try and catch in possession. He makes splitting the roll defender look way easier than it should. He looked calm, cool, and collected as he never looked rushed the entire night.

Shooting

Okorie’s two threes were both off-the-dribble. The first game after he split a pick-and-roll where Johni Broome was too far away to help and Ebuka made him pay. The second was a shot he created himself where he got the defender to bite on a pump fake before hitting the step-back.

Defense

Ebuka was active in the passing lanes last night. Both steals came from him jumping into a lane to force a turnover, and his second steal ended in a great up-and-under finish at the rim.

I wanted to highlight his playmaking, though, it’s difficult to find clips of Summer League games. He had a couple of fantastic passes out of pick-and-roll sets to find open shooters although their shots didn’t fall. While he didn’t get to show off his playmaking abilities as much given his supporting cast at Stanford, I think he has real ability to be a true point guard and I hope we continue to see more of that throughout Summer League.

Game 2 will take place on Sunday, July 12th against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 4PM EST.

Go Stones.

Michigan basketball has a new full-time head coach.

The Wolverines did so by simply removing the interim tag of Mike Boynton, who was the de facto leader of the program following the departure of Dusty May to take over the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.

Boynton, who has previous head coaching experience after leading Oklahoma State from 2017-24, served as May's assistant and defensive coordinator for two seasons at Michigan. He also has done a good job of retaining Michigan's talent following Mays' exit for the NBA, with several top players, incoming transfers and recruits maintaining their commitment to the Wolverines.

"Mike is a veteran assistant with strong head coaching experience and a clear understanding of the standard we expect at Michigan," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement announcing the move. "Over the past two seasons, he has been an invaluable member of our staff, bringing stability, leadership and perspective during an important period of success. Our players and staff believe in his vision, are committed to his leadership and are excited for the opportunity to pursue great success together this season."

REQUIRED READING: Michigan basketball loses assistant to Dusty May and Dallas Mavericks

LeBron James is golfing. The NBA is guessing. Rich Paul is telling everyone to relax.

As teams continue making their best pitch to the 41-year-old star, James has been spending his time with family and friends, including a golf outing with Draymond Green that immediately sent the rumor mill into overdrive.

But according to Paul, James is on his own timeline.

Appearing on the latest episode of Game Over with Max Kellerman, James’ longtime agent made it clear that the 41-year-old star is operating on his own timeline as he weighs where he will play in his 24th NBA season.

“There is none. I wish I knew,” Paul said when asked about a timeline. “He’s taking his time. He’s really evaluating things. I’ve really left him alone. Play golf, do the things you need to do. He understands where things are. When he’s ready, he’ll let me know.”

That answer captures the state of the NBA offseason right now.

James is the biggest name left on the market, but his free agency does not look like his previous turns in 2010, 2014 or 2018.

This time, he is not expected to command a max contract or force teams to preserve massive cap space. For the most part, his suitors are already built. James is expected to choose based on fit, title odds and what Paul described as “complete happiness.”

That has left several contenders trying to make their case.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that leading suitors have been sending voice notes to Paul, who then forwards them to James. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers have all been linked to the four-time MVP.

Golden State offers the dream basketball pairing with Stephen Curry, but Paul framed the Warriors’ appeal in more practical terms. If James is judging strictly by postseason danger, Paul said Golden State is the kind of team “you definitely don’t want to play” in a playoff series.

Cleveland offers the obvious emotional pull. It is home, and a third stint with the Cavaliers would give James a storybook ending where his career began.

Miami offers familiarity and another chance to chase a title in a place where he already won two

Philadelphia has become a more serious wild card after adding Jaylen Brown to a core with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The Timberwolves are a ready-made contender built around Anthony Edwards that could desperately use one veteran superstar to steady the wheel come playoff crunchtime.

Even at 41, James remains more than a ceremonial addition. He averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season while still showing he can tilt high-level games.

But Paul’s message was clear.

James is not rushing.

Teams can send their pitches. Fans can search for clues. But, ultimately, we will all have to wait.

When LeBron is ready, Rich Paul will know.

And not a minute before.

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Steph Curry excited to play with ‘confident' Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors added some much-needed youth this offseason when they selected forward Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft.

Warriors superstar Steph Curry expressed his excitement about playing with the 23-year-old rookie, who has been one of Golden State’s standout performers so far during the 2026 NBA Summer League.

“I watch all the summer league games. I haven’t been there in person, but he looked very confident, poised and competitive,” Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole at the 2026 American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe.

“He’s a champion. And I’m excited to get out there and figure it out with him. Rookies are awesome because they bring such good energy to the locker room, especially guys with the talent like him, so that’s what we need.”

Lendeborg posted a double-double on Thursday in a Summer League matchup against the Dallas Mavericks with 21 points and 10 rebounds. This showcase came days following his 19-point performance during his Summer League debut against the Los Angeles Lakers on July 3 and his 11-point showing in the Warriors’ win over the San Antonio Spurs on July 5.

So far this NBA Summer League, Lendeborg has proven himself to be a scoring threat who can complement Curry and fit nicely into coach Steve Kerr’s system.

The 6-foot-9, 241-pound forward is bringing his championship pedigree from Michigan to a Golden State team that also knows a thing or two about winning titles.

During the 2025-26 NCAA season with the Wolverines, Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in 40 contests and shot 51.5 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from 3-point range.

Once NBA training camp begins, Lendeborg will get to share the court with the player he used to “hate” in Curry when he was growing up as a fan of NBA star Kyrie Irving.

It certainly will be a full-circle moment when the two players start working together as teammates ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.

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July 6 came and went and the Brooklyn Nets trade sending Nick Claxton to Chicago and Julius Randle to Brooklyn didn’t get officially approved. The reason was mundane: a late add to the trade, the Bulls Mouhamadou Gueye, couldn’t be dealt until July 9 because he had been acquired by the Bulls on April 9 and this couldn’t be moved for 90 days under the CBA rules.

Then July 9 came and again, nothing. While the delay only currently affects rookie Joshua Jefferson’s availability for the Vegas Summer League — the Nets acquired his Draft rights in that deal, the reasons why nothing happened this time were not so easy to explain. Was it possible that the trade is being expanded or that the Nets were trying to determine how the trade will affect other issues going forward?

Finally, on Friday, just before the Nets and Knicks were to tip off in a Las Vegas Summer League contest, the deal is done. The Nets announced it themselves…

Marks welcomed Randle, now on his fifth team since being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers out of Kentucky in 2014 with the seventh pick in the first round.

“Julius is an extremely accomplished player who will raise our level of physical toughness and competitiveness,” said General Manager Sean Marks. “His veteran leadership and big game experience will be immensely impactful to our young players as we continue to grow as a team. We’re excited to welcome Julius and his family and look forward to making them part of our Brooklyn community.

Marks also wished Nic Claxton, the team’s longest serving player, well.

“The decision to part with Nic was not an easy one. Over his seven seasons with our team, Nic was an exemplary representative of our organization and the borough of Brooklyn. It’s been rewarding to witness Nic’s growth as both a player and a person throughout his time with the Nets and we wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future. We are thankful for the impact Nic had here and he’ll always remain part of the Nets family.”

Claxton was drafted at No. 31, the first pick of the second round, in 2019, just days before the Nets made their Clean Sweep by getting commitments from Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan. So he survived all the ups and downs of the organization over the next seven seasons, including the trade for James Harden, the collapse of the Big Three after only 16 games, the trades of all three, four head coaching changes and the rebuild.

The Nets celebrated the completion of the deal by welcoming Randle, one of the games top power forwards, to the organization…

Randle will turn 32 years old in November, making him the oldest player on the roster by nearly three years. He just averaged 21/7/5 in his second and final season with the Wolves, during which there was noise about his fit (or lack thereof) in the locker room. With the Nets, Randle gets to return to New York City, where he wore a Knick uniform for five seasons, and attempt to help lead the Nets toward a playoff spot.

His most productive seasons in terms of individual stats came with the Knicks where over his tenure he put up better 22 points a game, grabbed nearly 1o boards and nearly five assists, winning the Most Improved Player award in 2021 and being selected both to the NBA All-Star team and All-NBA. But the Knicks did not win with him and Leon Rose sent him to Minnesota in a blockbuster trade that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to MSG.

The first on-court effect of the trade is that Jefferson is now on the Brooklyn Summer League roster. He will not play vs. the Knicks Friday evening but will be be available on Saturday when the Nets play the Atlanta Hawks at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The announcement ends speculation that the trade could be expanded beyond the original teams. There was one minor wrinkle. Gueye will now move from the Bulls to the Hornets rather than the Timberwolves as originally reported. No new assets were moved. The number of guaranteed roster spots on the Brooklyn roster remains at 15 with the Nets payroll jumping $8.75 million, the result of a $5.78 million difference between Randle and Claxton’s salaries and the $2.97 million guaranteed rookie salary for Jefferson. Evans as a second rounder does not have a guarantee.

The Nets absorbed the Randle contract into cap space, dramatically reducing what’s now available for any significant move in free agency, barring a trade…

Prior to the announcement, Jake Fischer of The Steinline suggested that the Nets were reviewing their cap space, etc., and other financials. He put it in the context of various teams’ pursuit of Peyton Watson, the 6’9” Denver Nuggets power forward who’s a restricted free agent and has been rumored to be a Nets target.

Brooklyn does still possess the cap space to furnish Watson with an offer sheet in his desired salary range, but I’m told that the Nets have been internally assessing how to utilize their available spending power before officially completing their multi-team trade with Minnesota, Charlotte and Chicago that will bring Julius Randle to Barclays Center and transport LaMelo Ball from the Hornets to the Timberwolves.

The Nets have not been keen, though, on plying Watson with an offer sheet in that $25-plus million range. It’s a ballpark, remember, that stems from Nuggets swingman Christian Braun’s five-year, $125 million rookie scale extension last October.

If Brooklyn did value Watson in that range, Denver surely would have seen an offer sheet for the 23-year-old by now. Unless the Nets’ stance changes, Memphis’ offer sheet to Quinten Post that Golden State declined to match would remain the lone offer sheet tendered to a restricted free agent to date this offseason.

That’s a bit more specific than Fischer’s comments two days ago when he said that the Nets were nothing more than a “conceptual suitor” for Watson indicating that Sean Marks & co. weren’t that interested in the 23-year-old at least at the price tag he preferred. (Fischer also stated that while the Clippers pursuit of PWat is complicated by the still unresolved Kawhi Leonard scandal, the Hawks may be ready to enter a sign-and-trade discussion.)

There remain some housekeeping matters for the Nets as well. They have yet to officially sign Moe Wagner. They can pay the 6’11” center either out of that remaining cap space or sign him out of the $9.4 million room MLE they have access to. According to a report by Mike Scotto, Nets and Wagner agreed to a two-year, $19 million deal so his first year would fit neatly in the MLE. Timing, it should be noted, is critical to managing cap space. The Nets currently have or could easily access up to $25 million.

Malachi Smith, the rookie guard, is in the second year of a two-year, totally non-guaranteed deal. Indeed, on Friday afternoon, Smith posted a promotion for his annual youth camp in his hometown of Belleville, Ill. He contained no reference to the Nets, not in the text or in the accompanying photos…

It also seemed odd that Smith didn’t accompany the Nets Summer League team to either Sacramento or Las Vegas despite being one of the team’s youngest players. Later Friday, the Nets requested waivers on Smith.

Then, there’s the big ticket: extending Michael Porter Jr. Porter is eligible — and has been eligible for weeks — to sign an extension up to four years and $234 million. No one expects the deal to reach those heights but there’s been speculation that he could wind up with a deal for four at $160 million that would include a jump in his salary next season from $40.8 million to $49 million then a drop-off in years after that.

That contract signing could easily be the final inking of free agency.

There’s no indication that MPJ wants to leave and a number of indications that the Nets would like to keep him. It’s not just that he averaged 24.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists and shot 46/36/86 last season. He has also become a mentor to the team’s youngsters. Just last week, video of him hosting four of last year’s rookies at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri in May recirculated…

And as noted, he recently hosted Watson, his former Nuggets teammate, on a yacht in the Mediterranean. Does that mean anything other the two, who have been close, remain friends?

There’s also a possibility that the Nets could try to move him, as Brian Lewis suggested Thursday on Erik Slater’s Locked on Nets podcast, but at this point that seems unlikely.

Charles Barkley explains blunt reason why LeBron James shouldn't join Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LeBron James continues to weigh his options as he searches for a new home to end his illustrious NBA career.

The Warriors still are believed to be one of those options, even if the odds are slim. But Charles Barkley doesn’t believe James should take his talents to Golden State, and the outspoken TV analyst really sees only one reasonable avenue for the four-time NBA MVP.

“His only move in my opinion is to go back to Cleveland,” Barkley told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole at the 2026 American Century Championship in South Lake Tahoe. “If he goes to Golden State or somewhere else, it’d be like he’s chasing Michael Jordan and trying to win more championships.

“He don’t have any affiliation with those other teams. His only affiliation is where he was born in Cleveland, Ohio. So I think he should go back to Cleveland.”

James was born in Akron, Ohio, about 40 miles south of Cleveland.

He spent the first seven years of his NBA career with the Cavaliers before joining the Miami Heat in 2010. He returned home to Cleveland in 2014, where he spent the next four seasons and finally brought a championship to the Cavaliers in 2016 — the first and only in franchise history.

Now, after informing the Lakers he would not return to Los Angeles for the 2026-27 NBA season, several teams, including the Cavaliers, Warriors, Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers, have been rumored as top suitors.

On top of Barkley wanting James to go to the Cavaliers because it makes sense as his hometown, Barkley also doesn’t understand why James would want to join an aging Warriors team headlined by 38-year-old Steph Curry, 36-year-old Draymond Green and 36-year-old Jimmy Butler.

“If he goes to the Warriors, all they got to worry about is do they have enough Depends and Bengay with all them old-ass geezers they’d have on the team. So, seriously, he should not go to Golden State. Between Steph, Draymond, Jimmy Butler and LeBron, they’d have to get a lot of Depends. He should go to Cleveland, where he grew up, and it’d be a great way to finish his story.”

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LeBron James is not the same player he was years ago.

This is somewhat of an obvious statement. James will turn 42 in December and has the all-time record mileage of 23 seasons spanning 1,924 regular and postseason games. Yet James is still an impact player, one who still has a unique, play-making skill set and averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game last season in 60 appearances.

So as James considers his playing options after informing the Los Angeles Lakers he would be moving on, fit remains a significant factor. But which team would stand to gain the most from James?

We take a look at his options below:

More: LeBron James landing spots: Rumors, updates and latest on free agency decision

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The Brooklyn Nets headline the Summer League slate today, as their deep roster and NBA experience give them a clear edge against the New York Knicks. 

I’m also backing Cameron Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies against Caleb Wilson and the Chicago Bulls, along with the Oklahoma City Thunder and lottery selection Aday Mara.

Check out my NBA Summer League picks for Friday, July 10.

NBA Summer League predictions for July 10

Pick
Nets moneyline	-244
Grizzlies moneyline	-177
Thunder moneyline	+108

Today's Summer League Picks

Nets moneyline (-244 at Kalshi)

The Brooklyn Nets are heavy favorites for a reason, as they bring plenty of recent experience and talent to the court in Las Vegas. Brooklyn went 2-1 in Salt Lake City, as Egor Demin led the way with 23 points and 7.5 assists across two games. No. 6 pick Mikel Brown Jr. finished with 10 points and four dimes in his lone appearance, and he’s expected to see more run moving forward.

Brooklyn welcomes back all four of last year’s first-round selections in Demin, Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, and Danny Wolf, who each averaged at least 20 minutes while playing 44+ games. Two-way man Chainey Johnson saw NBA run last year, and he’ll be with the team for action in LV.

Conversely, the New York Knicks' Summer League roster features Pacome Dadiet, Mo Diawara, and Dillon Jones. Diawara saw the most playing time of the trio last season with 9.2 minutes per game, and the majority of New York’s roster is comprised of 2026 undrafted players.

Grizzlies moneyline (-177 at Kalshi)

The Memphis Grizzlies started a soft reboot last season, partly due to necessity and partly due to recurring injuries. With Ja Morant off to Portland, a new era has officially arrived in Memphis.

Several new faces saw meaningful run in 2025-26, including Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Taylor Hendricks, Cedric Coward, Walter Clayton Jr., Javon Small, and Jahmai Mashack. All six players recorded multiple starts for Memphis a season ago, and they added Duke standout Cameron Boozer with the third pick in the draft.

Although the Chicago Bulls’ roster isn’t bereft of talent, Memphis’ Summer League roster may be the best in the Association. The Grizzlies aren’t rivaled in depth, experience, or talent.

Thunder moneyline (+108 at Kalshi)

Despite being winless in Summer League action thus far, the Oklahoma City Thunder should be favored against the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been afforded two wins against weak Miami and San Antonio rosters.

OKC's roster includes a pair of Top 16 picks from this year’s draft in Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz, as well as Buddy Boeheim, Brooks Barnhizer, and Payton Sandfort, who all appeared in multiple NBA games last season.

The edge goes to the experienced team, which is still hungry to earn its first Summer League victory.

Friday’s NBA Summer League parlay

Nets moneyline

Grizzlies moneyline

Thunder moneyline

+359 at Kalshi

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The 2026 Las Vegas Summer League Dallas Mavericks looked an awful lot like the 2025-2026 Mavericks’ NBA rotation in their opener. There were athletic forwards, multi-tool bench wings, precisely two three-point shooting guards who could not touch the paint without a screen, and one young forward tasked with carrying it all. Morez Johnson Jr. may not have the sheer offensive versatility of a Cooper Flagg, but he did his damnedest nonetheless to fill the role. Here are a few thoughts I had about Morez and some other key contributors to the Summer League squad in their first game against Yaxel Lendeborg and the Golden State Warriors Gold team.

Tobi-Wan a.k.a. The New Project 6’9” Apprentice: Tobi Lawal

Tobi Lawal is a capital “A” Athlete. Offensive rebounds, a crazy put-back slam, a weak-side block, and even a made three. Tobi’s loudest plays exploded off the screen as the springy Brit bounded around the court as if it were a bounce house.

Now, Tobi Lawal is also a capital “Z” Zero-level scorer. He needs to find a way to use his physical gifts to steal morsels of defensive attention until he becomes some semblance of a shooter or scoring threat beyond cuts for lobs. He also needs to continue adding muscle to his frame and reps/experience on defense. His best bet to stick in a winning team’s rotation long-term is to become the kind of defender Derrick Jones Jr. or P.J. Washington became, which allowed them to have staying power despite their offensive limitations.

Despite the flaws on display, it was easy to see why Tobi’s tools, infectious energy, and possible development curve, given that he picked up basketball at 16 (only seven years ago!!!), drew Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz to him in the second round of the draft.

Sole Occupant of the “Livin’ Like Larry” Zone: Sergio “Larry” De Larrea

Larry’s handle is unfortunately about as far away as I feared, but as he gets stronger, it should improve. His driving and finishing should also improve as he progresses along this path. His handle was often further from his body than you would like and easily disrupted by bumps and even a carelessly placed dribble or two. However, aside from a loud whiff on an early lob, his passes were on time, on target, and delivered with great touch. Sergio’s lobs were especially sublime, leading to a flashy basket or two for his front-court teammates as he put up five assists to only one turnover.

Larry’s shot, also very unfortunately, did not fall much on this night. While he did continue to shoot when open looks were available, to his credit, a shot diet of mostly spot-up attempts with a few pull-ups, pick-and-roll drives, and cuts mixed in led to a one-for-nine performance from beyond the arc and 3-for-14 from the field overall. The one three-pointer he did hit was a corner catch-and-shoot look sometime in the third quarter. De Larrea’s shot looks fine overall and likely won’t require too much work, but his release will have to get faster. There were too many shot attempts rushed or otherwise altered by an NBA-speed defensive closeout because Sergio took too long to dip, load, and release the ball. The necessary tweaks should come with time and training, but this will be an issue for him to overcome in the short term.

Other than the shot failing him, Sergio played a fine floor game and used his height and length to rack up a steal and a block each on his way to an overall solid first outing for the Mavs.

Rez the Conqueror a.k.a. The Prodigal 6’9” Version 2: Morez Johnson Jr.

Morez is a real glass eater on both ends with a very promising close/short mid-range touch. He cranked out a couple of and-one plays on a drive from the right wing in the 4th and a sick lob from Sergio De Larrea towards the end of the comeback that almost was. Rez’s poise in short roll situations, raw strength, agility and activity on defense, relentless effort on the glass, connective passing and flashes of shooting touch combined for a truly inspired debut outing. The sky is the limit for that young man, and Cooper Flagg and Dusty May will very likely be the developmental catalysts who send his game into orbit. Get excited, Mavericks fans!

As amazing an outing as this was for the former Michigan Man, there are a few nits to pick even for him. Rez’s jumper (he made one from three tonight, by the way!) looked smooth enough, but the release needs to speed up to beat pro-level contests. We also need to see him be as willing to shoot it from the wings and corners as he was from the top of the arc out of pick-and-pop situations. The drives to beat slow-footed closeouts were intriguing, but also revealed just how weak his handle is. He will not be able to drive in a straight line even the distance from the wing to the basket until his handle improves a bit. I have faith that he and the coaches will recognize that and work to open that up for him later on.

No matter the nits picked or the game’s result, there is no way to come away from this Morez Johnson Jr. performance (against former Michigan teammate and current Summer League stud, Yaxel Lendeborg no less!) feeling anything less than absolutely jazzed. Rez has so much to give the game, so much more to learn about it, and he leaves whatever he has on the floor every night. You can’t not root to see a guy like that back-to-back with Cooper Flagg as they fight off the horde together this regular season.

Baby Driver a.k.a. The Newest Project 6’9” Apprentice: Vsevolod “Seva” Ishchenko

Seva is not yet physically ready for NBA games, but that kid attacks the basket with zero fear, has some craftiness and pace to his drives, and is unafraid to whip risky kick-outs to shooters. He even notched a sick, overhead corner skip pass through traffic to Tyler Smith during the Mavs’ fourth-quarter comeback.

Rail-thin as he is, the Russian wing isn’t yet strong enough to consistently absorb contact at/on the way to the rim nor put his defender in jail when called for, but he clearly wants to be. He drives with the confidence of a player twice as strong and even swerved his way to an and-one, a layup under the rim with a bump to the back, and a couple of trips to the free-throw line for his troubles.

Seva’s game and physique both clearly need some fine-tuning, but the bones (and I do mean bones) of a truly intriguing Swiss Army knife role player are there for those with the eyes to see.

New Max Christie: John Poulakidas

Poulakidas has a burner from three as advertised. Doesn’t have much else at the moment, but that’s okay for now. John has two jobs: Shoot threes. Make threes. Everything else is secondary for him, and despite a cold start, he did just that once he got rolling. With Poulakidas’ performance to close last regular season (even in silly season) and Tarik Biberovic on his way across the sea on a reported two-year, $6 million deal, Cormac Christie may not have much room to slump for another 30 games. At least, he won’t have much room to do so and demand much for a contract extension, which he is eligible for now.

JJ Barea’s Spiritual Successor: Ryan Nembhard

Ryan ran the offense, as was required for this inexperienced group. He seemed less aggressive as a scorer (despite shooting 15 times) than last summer league. Wonder how much of that is his role in the actual NBA games he played overriding the confidence he should have against the newer summer league players. He was likely following the marching orders given to him, but no one on this team could touch the paint off the dribble consistently except Seva, so I would’ve liked to have seen a bit more of that grabbing the defense’s attention from Nemby.

That said, aside from the team-wide shooting woes and smoking an open layup or two, Ryan played an excellent floor game. 11 assists to only two turnovers is good business from the older guard. He also has clearly added some needed muscle since we last saw him in the regular season. Those muscles unfortunately didn’t lead to him being able to force the issue towards the rim much or stop L.J. Cryer from lighting him on fire in the third quarter.

Ryan’s playmaking and turnover suppression were impressive, and we will have to hope that the shooting (for the whole team) levels out to emphasize just how far ahead of most summer league guards he is in those areas.

The Summer League Mavericks have already given us so much to be intrigued by and so much to wring our hands over. We’re likely to witness five games of elite Summer League overreactions on both ends of the spectrum. There will be games, like this one, where Morez looks like a world beater. There will be games where the team can’t throw it into the ocean from three. There will also be moments and games when Morez looks a bit lost (à la Dereck Lively II in his rookie year), and other team members step up. I can’t guarantee how many of which and when we’ll get them, but I can guarantee that I’ll be watching. You should too.

Rich Paul did not say LeBron James is headed to the Golden State Warriors.

But he did explain why the idea should still scare the rest of the NBA, even if the average age of that hypothetical group would be impossible to ignore.

During a discussion about James’ free agency on Game Over, Paul was asked by host Max Kellerman about the Warriors as a possible landing spot. His answer was not built around nostalgia, market size or even the novelty of finally putting James next to Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

It was about how miserable that team would be to face if everything broke right.

“If we’re talking strictly basketball, you don’t want to play them,” Paul said. “You definitely don’t want to play them in a playoff series. You don’t want to get to the trade deadline and have little surface edges type of moves made. You talk about just basketball brilliance of mind and experience, production. It’s pretty tough, Max.”

That is the entire Warriors case in one quote.

Curry recently echoed a similar idea when asked how he would pitch Golden State to James.

“Do you want to play good basketball and be around people that know how to play the game?” Curry said.

Golden State may no longer be the cleanest favorite in the LeBron sweepstakes. The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to hover as the storybook option. The Miami Heat offer familiarity and a loaded roster. The Philadelphia 76ers have become more intriguing after adding Jaylen Brown to a core with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Still, Paul’s Warriors point should be taken seriously.

A healthy group of Curry, James, Green, and Jimmy Butler would be one of the smartest and most experienced postseason cores in the league. It would not be the youngest or most explosive version of a superteam, but it would be ruthless in a playoff series.

That is the version nobody wants to see.

But there is one glaring stipulation Paul pointed out: availability.

The Warriors’ recent playoff history has been defined as much by health as by brilliance. When their main pieces were available, they were dangerous enough as a No. 7 seed to knock off the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in a seven-game series in 2025.

The next round against Minnesota showed the other side of that equation. Once Curry went down after Game 1, the Warriors no longer looked like a dangerous veteran trap. They looked vulnerable. The Timberwolves won four straight games while Curry watched from the bench.

That is why any LeBron-to-Warriors scenario has to be viewed through two lenses.

Strictly basketball, that group would be a nightmare. No contender would want to deal with Curry, James, Green, and Butler in a playoff series if all four were upright and connected.

But the Warriors’ championship case would not just depend on names.

It would depend on Curry’s body holding up. It would depend on Butler fully bouncing back from a serious ACL tear. It would depend on Green staying available and James having enough left in Year 24 to tilt a series.

That has not always been the case in recent years.

LeBron would not make the Warriors young again.

But he could make them dangerous enough, smart enough and annoying enough that nobody would want to find out what they look like in April.

Steph Curry claims LeBron James deserves patience with NBA free agency decision originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The world still is waiting for superstar LeBron James’ highly anticipated decision on which team he will sign with during the 2026 NBA free agency period.

With time continuing to pass by without any reports or official announcements, Warriors star Steph Curry believes James should be able to take his time throughout this process.

“It’s funny because I know we’re getting that question a lot. LeBron is going to make the decision that he wants, and he deserves the space and patience to make it,” Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole at the 2026 American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe.

“Like I said the other day, he can call all 29 other teams, and I’m pretty sure they would try to figure out [how] to get him there, so it’s just a matter of what he wants to do.”

Despite reportedly not being one of the top teams in the running to sign James, the Warriors still have a chance to land the 22-time NBA All-Star and potentially find the missing piece for another shot at an NBA championship.

“It’s an interesting situation with Jimmy [Butler] being out for half of the [2026-27 NBA season] or however many games, and with Moses [Moody] as well,” Curry also said.

“Any reinforcements help, but just the idea, when you have a hole to fill with those two guys out, our job is to go hold it down until they get back and see how far we could go. Injuries, they suck. [James] can help any team.”

James and Curry, along with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, previously won a gold medal together at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Curry shared how memorable that summer was for him, playing alongside one of the greatest players in NBA history.

“It was a dream come true, man,” Curry claimed.

“One, for me, just playing in the Olympics. And two, because at the stage of my career, [James] had had that experience plenty of times, [Kevin Durant] as well, and to be able to play with those two guys, it’s memories for a lifetime, especially knowing how we got it done and got the win.

“So, all of the battles that we’ve had, to have that moment where we shift all that energy towards winning and figuring it out together, it was special.”

After several years of battling each other, including four consecutive NBA Finals matchups from 2015 to 2018, James and Curry teaming up in the NBA finally became a possibility. But, at this point, it still remains to be seen if the two future Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductees will both don the Warriors jersey next season.

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