The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center on Thursday for Game 1 off this year’s Finals. The two franchises had different paths to the championship stage, but the Thunder’s regular season dominance earned them home-court advantage in the series.
How exactly does the NBA determine where the Finals begin? Here’s a glimpse at how home court works for the NBA Finals, as well as how important it is in determining a champion:
How is home-court advantage determined in the NBA Finals?
Unlike the first three rounds of the playoffs, where home-court advantage is granted based on seeding, the team with the better regular season record gets it in the NBA Finals.
This year, the Thunder have the advantage in both seeding and record. They earned the West’s No. 1 seed with a 68-14 regular season record, while the Pacers were the East’s No. 4 seed with their 50-32 record.
In most cases, the team with the higher seed also has the better record. Since 2008, only two teams have started the Finals on the road despite being the higher seed. In 2019, the 57-25 Golden State Warriors were the No. 1 seed in the West but had to play Game 1 of the Finals in Toronto against the 58-24 Raptors, who entered the playoffs as the East’s No. 2 seed. Three years later, the No. 3 Warriors went 53-29 during the regular season and the No. 2 Boston Celtics went 51-31, so home court was granted to Golden State.
While the method for determining home-court advantage differs in the Finals, the series layout is consistent through all four rounds of the playoffs. The team that hosts Game 1 also hosts Games 2, 5 and 7. The team that begins the series on the road hosts Games 3, 4 and 6.
How often does the team with home-court advantage win the NBA Finals?
It definitely helps to have home-court advantage in the NBA Finals.
Excluding the Orlando bubble in 2020, 56 of the 77 teams with home-court advantage in the NBA Finals went on to win the championship — including last year’s Celtics.
How often does the home team win Game 1 in the NBA Finals?
Home-court advantage plays an even bigger role at the start of the Finals.
Fifty-nine of the 77 teams that began the series at home won Game 1, good for a .766 win percentage.
How often does the home team win Game 7 in the NBA Finals?
Home court has a similar effect on Game 7s in the Finals as it does Game 1s.
Of the 19 Game 7s in Finals history, the home team came out on top 15 times (.789 win percentage). The Celtics (1969 and 1974), Washington Bullets (1978) and Cavaliers (2016) are the only teams to ever win a Finals Game 7 on the road.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article was published in June 2024.
The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives to the basket during a March game against the Indiana Pacers at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.Photograph: William Purnell/Getty Images
What the Thunder need to do to win
The Thunder’s path to victory is to continue to be the most fearsome defensive unit we’ve seen in recent years. They play an uber-aggressive, hyper-switchable form of defense that has suffocated opponents all year long. It means they give up a lot of fouls, but they also get away with a bunch and force turnovers more than anyone else in the league. Keep that up and, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander getting his customary 32 points a night, they won’t be stopped. Ryan Baldi
It may sound overly simplistic to say make shots, but if Oklahoma City don’t end up hoisting the trophy when all is said and done, it will be because they, quite frankly, did not. They are the better team by every metric, with the better best player, better defense, and home court advantage. But their jump shot has been their only achilles. If shots fall, so will the confetti when all is said and done. Claire de Lune
Set the tempo and harry Tyrese Haliburton. OKC thrive on dictating pace and forcing turnovers, the sort of pressure that Indiana’s disciplined offense has yet to face at this intensity in the postseason. With waves of defenders like Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace swarming the ball on the perimeter and inside, the Thunder can derail the Pacers’ rhythm, cool their three-point barrage and win the possession battle. If they do that, SGA will take care of the rest. Bryan Armen Graham
Play their game and take the Pacers out of theirs. The Thunder thrive in transition. If they can shut down Halliburton and Pascal Siakam and turn those defensive stops into easy buckets, they control the series. Their roster is so deep, so talented, so high-energy and so well-coached that you wonder if anything short of an act of god will deny them in their quest for the franchise’s second championship. Andrew Lawrence
Schedule
Best-of-seven-games series. All times US eastern time (EDT).
Thu 5 Jun Game 1: Pacers at Thunder, 8.30pm
Sun 8 Jun Game 2: Pacers at Thunder, 8pm
Wed 11 Jun Game 3: Thunder at Pacers, 8.30pm
Fri 13 Jun Game 4: Thunder at Pacers, 8.30pm
Mon 16 Jun Game 5: Pacers at Thunder, 8.30pm*
Thu 19 Jun Game 6: Thunder at Pacers, 8.30pm*
Sun 22 Jun Game 7: Pacers at Thunder, 8pm*
*-if necessary
How to watch
In the US, all games will air on ABC. Streaming options include ABC.com or the ABC app (with a participating TV provider login), as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, fuboTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and Sling TV (via ESPN3 for ABC games). NBA League Pass offers replays, but live finals games are subject to blackout restrictions in the US.
In the UK, the games will be available on TNT Sports and Discovery+. As for streaming, NBA League Pass will provide live and on-demand access to all Finals games without blackout restrictions.
In Australia, the games will broadcast live on ESPN Australia. Kayo Sports and Foxtel Now will stream the games live, while NBA League Pass will offer live and on-demand access without blackout restrictions.
What the Pacers need to do to win
They need to keep playing fast and take care of the ball. It’s something they are remarkably good at: they have the third-lowest turnover rate in the league. But they’re up against a turnover juggernaut and an outstanding transition defense. This could be an irresistible-force-v-immovable-object type of deal. RB
While they’re an indisputably great team, Pacers are, in many ways, a lesser version of their finals adversary, the Thunder. To win it all, their best players are going to have to bring it. They need sensational star performances from Siakam and Haliburton, and they need them nightly. That, and to not turn the ball over. That’s something they’re typically fantastic at, but that the Thunder are even more fantastic at disrupting. CDL
Keep the ball moving and keep their composure. Indiana lead the playoffs in three-point shooting percentage and rarely turn the ball over: two trends need to preserve under OKC’s relentless pressure. Haliburton’s turnover-averse style will be tested like never before. If the Pacers can maintain their pace and exploit mismatches when the Thunder go small, Siakam’s versatility could help tilt the series in their favor. BAG
Get boards, something they struggled to do all season and could well struggle to do again against the Thunder’s foreboding frontline. But if Siakam, Turner, and Benedict Mathurin are willing to get scrappy in the paint, they might find that they actually have a toughness advantage over Oklahoma City’s “tall” men. AL
Is having two small-market teams in the NBA finals a problem?
Give Adam Silver a dose of truth serum and I’m sure he’ll tell you he was rooting for the Knicks to get to the finals. This one probably isn’t going to break any viewership records. But it is a fascinating match-up between two unique teams with a star of the league on either side. What’s not to love? RB
There’s this weird, very online plague of the “Couch GM” that seems to be constantly preoccupied with NBA ratings, as if they directly affect their own lives in any meaningful way. The truth is, they don’t even affect the NBA itself much: a new $76bn television rights deal was just negotiated and expansion is coming. The league will be just fine, even if the casual fan doesn’t find an Indianapolis v Oklahoma City final scintillating. True basketball diehards know this should be a wildly entertaining series.CDL
Only if you think TV ratings matter more than basketball. This is a stylistic dream matchup between two fearless, homegrown teams. The NBA should celebrate franchises that built smartly and play joyfully. This series is a vindication of substance over star-chasing. BAG
Only for the small-minded. Indiana have an NBA pedigree and a state basketball lore that would make for an epic underdog story and a great redemption story for Rick Carlisle, who may well have won his lone NBA title in his first stint with the Pacers if the Malice at the Palace hadn’t happened. As for Oklahoma City, they certainly didn’t have trouble attracting a crowd when Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden were leading the championship charge. (Sure, they were facing the Heatles, but still.) Even old-timers like me, who still feel like this slickly run operation should be in Seattle, won’t be able to stay away just because we’ve been invested in this story for too long and need to see where it ends. AL
The coaching advantage goes to ...
Mark Daigneault was Coach of the Year in 2024 and probably should have won it again this year. But Rick Carlisle is a former Coach of the Year, too. And although his award came more than two decades ago, his work in Indiana has proven he remains one of the league’s best. And Carlisle has one thing that Daigneault does not: championship experience. The edge goes to the old guy. RB
This one is actually a push. Carlisle obviously has the more storied resumé and the championship pedigree, but Daigneault’s Coach of the Year win last season was well deserved: he’s done a bang-up job of getting the youngest roster in the NBA to buy into the egoless, defense-driven identity that made them a 68-win team on the doorstep of a championship. CDL
Mark Daigneault, just. Carlisle may have the best total body of work of any coach that’s not in the Hall of Fame (yet), but Daigneault’s adaptability and calm control have guided OKC’s young core beyond expectations. He’s leaned into their defensive versatility and late-game composure: two areas that could tilt the margins in a long series. BAG
Mark Daigneault. He who has the best players has the advantage. AL
Unheralded player to watch
Aaron Nesmith came into the league with a reputation as a deadly three-point shooter, only for his shooting to desert him in his first stop in Boston. With the Pacers, he’s reinvented himself as a lockdown wing defender who plays with OKC-like intensity. And he came make shots now, too. RB
Andrew Nembhard, the third year guard out of Gonzaga, is probably a name with which the average NBA fan is unfamiliar. But if the Pacers are able to pull off a shocking upset in this series, it will almost certainly be, in part, due to Nembhard’s key contributions on the defensive end. The defensive pest had Jalen Brunson in the seventh circle of hell in the Eastern Conference finals, and he’ll need to bring the same pressure against Gilgeous-Alexander for Indiana to have a chance in this series. CDL
Jalen Williams. Everyone talks about his defense and playmaking, but he’s due for a scoring breakout. With Indiana selling out on SGA, Williams will feast on open threes and scrambled closeouts. If he starts hitting at his usual clip (38.2% career from deep), OKC’s offense becomes near unguardable. BAG
Alex Caruso. Talk about a man who contains multitudes: Caruso doesn’t just keep the OKC offense on pace when SGA is out of the game while providing elite defense. (His shackling of Nikola Jokić helped the Thunder pip Denver in the West semi-finals.) He’s the veteran in the Thunder huddle with championship experience, winning his ring with LeBron’s Lakers inside the Covid bubble in 2020. If at any point the young Thunder begin to doubt themselves, the Carushow will be where they turn to for succor. AL
The finals MVP will be …
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It’s the consistency. The foul-baiting can be grating but it’s impossible not to admire how SGA appears to have figured out the game of basketball over the last couple of seasons. He has his spots and he knows exactly how to get to them. It’s also nice to see a masterful offensive guard who isn’t a complete zero on the other side of the ball. RB
It is rare for a player to win both regular season and NBA finals MVP in the same season; it’s only happened 15 times in league history. But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the slinky, shifty guard with shades of Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant in his deep bag, is about to do it. While Oklahoma City have a deep team, and both Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren have gotten shine this postseason, if they win it all, it will be on the back of Gilgeous-Alexander, and he’ll get rewarded accordingly. CDL
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s been the steadiest closer in the playoffs, turning midrange mastery and calm isolation into winning basketball. If Oklahoma City win the title, it will be because SGA took over in crunch time and made the leap from All-NBA to undeniable superstar. BAG
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s been dominant all season, and his playoff level has yet to drop. In his two regular-season games against Indiana, he averaged 39 points (on 56% shooting), seven boards and eight assists against one turnover – total. Put simply: this is his year, and he won’t be denied. AL
Your winner will be …
Thunder in five. They’ve been utterly dominant all season. That’s mostly been the case for the playoffs too, allowing for some Jokić magic in the second round. The Pacers have been a ton of fun to watch, have impressive depth and a rising star in Haliburton. But the Thunder are deeper, more talented and have the best player in the series – that’s a recipe for a gentleman’s sweep. RB
Thunder in five. If the Pacers had drawn literally any other Western Conference foe, I would give them a better chance in this series. But unfortunately for Indiana, they drew, in my estimation, the far better version of themselves. Indiana is great at forcing turnovers: Oklahoma City do that better. Indiana take great care of the ball: OKC even moreso. The Thunder have the MVP, the better defense, the better bench. They have been the best team in the league at home this season, and they have home-court advantage in this series. While the Pacers’ run to the finals has been impressive all the way, and I see them winning a game, I think the Thunder will make relatively quick work of them en route to a Larry O’Brien. CDL
Pacers in seven. I picked the Thunder at the start of the playoffs (flex) and my inner Dean Oliver is still inclined to think their historically good metrics will see them through. But management wants someone to make the case for Indiana so here we go. The Pacers’ blistering pace, surgical ball movement and deep rotation give them a real shot at disrupting Oklahoma City’s rhythm. Haliburton’s vision fuels an attractive, crowd-pleasing offense that doesn’t rely on isolation or volume threes. If they can turn it into a track meet while taking care of the ball like they have all year, Indiana’s chaos could outlast OKC’s control. BAG
Thunder in six. Again: they’re loaded, high-energy, extremely well-coached and hungry as hell. Denver needed the world’s best player to take OKC to seven games. While the Pacers have their virtues, and a bona fide go-to guy in Halliburton, they don’t have enough to stop a team that seems like it has been on an inexorable march toward a championship since the season tipped off in October. For me, the question isn’t if Thunder will win, but whether GM Sam Presti can keep this squad together long enough to make a dynastic run for the ages. AL
This isn't a surprise, but NBA Commissioner confirmed what had already been discussed: The 2026 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles will be a USA vs. World format.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirms there will be USA vs. the World in the 2026 All-Star Game
This is a natural fit, given that the All-Star Game broadcast is moving to NBC and falls during the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics next February. While Silver was vague on details, this is expected to be a Ryder Cup-style format, featuring the USA vs. the World.
Will that get players to actually care about the All-Star Game rather than just go through the motions? Asked about it last All-Star weekend, the international players seemed more enthusiastic about the idea than the Americans.
"I would love that. Oh, I would love that," the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo said. "I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format. I would love that. For sure, I'd take pride in that. I always compete, but I think that will give me a little bit more extra juice to compete, like having Shai, Jokic, Luka, Wemby, Towns, Sengun. I know those players — obviously I'm missing some guys that I cannot think from the top of my head, going against the best U.S. players. I think it would be fun. I think that would be the best format."
"I would love to. My opinion is that it's more purposeful," the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama said. "There's more pride in it. More stakes."
The top end of a hypothetical world roster would be stacked — the last seven MVP winners were international players. The world team would feature Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Antetokounmpo, Wembanyama and more. An American team likely would feature LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jalen Brunson, and its roster likely would be deeper than the World Team.
It's going to be entertaining to watch when it rolls around next February.
And while an Oklahoma City Thunder-Indiana Pacers Finals might not have all the glitz and glamour that comes with a Los Angeles or New York franchise playing, it’s a matchup that excites former Warriors guard Shaun Livingston.
“I like it,” Livingston told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole on Wednesday. “I mean, you look at those teams … they’re playing the best basketball obviously, you know, as a team. The connectivity, the way they’re sharing the ball, defensively, there’s great coaching on both sides. Just the way the chess match that’s being played, the game within the game and then, you know, the stars, obviously, they’re playing at a high level.”
And while the youthfulness of the two teams and their stars don’t bare many similarities with the current Warriors roster, Livingston said he sees some between the Thunder and his 2014-15 Warriors squad.
“They remind me of our first year, you know, and the way that they’re connected and also defensively the way that they can just really bite down and lock into guys, 1 through 5,” Livingston told Poole.
That first NBA championship of a now dynastic Warriors teams not only torched teams with a high-powered offense led by Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, but also played flawless defense, headlined by Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green, especially in the postseason where they held opponents to an NBA-best 98.8 defensive rating en route to the team’s first title since 1975.
The three-time NBA champion also mentioned the fact that only four players on the collective rosters have Finals experience — Thomas Bryant, Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam for the Pacers and only Alex Caruso for the Thunder — and compared that to his own experiences.
“I remember our first year,” Livingston told Poole. “Just, the lights, they’re bright. That first game, it’s almost like you got to calm yourself and kind of get into the flow because you want it so much. You want to win the whole series just in that first moment because of the intensity and energy.”
While both teams in this year’s matchup have at least one player with Finals experience, that Warriors 2014-15 roster had zero.
When asked about who he expects to win, Livingston said he just wants “to see good basketball” before telling Poole that he does have the Thunder winning due to his Western Conference ties.
Last season, Joe Mazzulla became the youngest head coach since 1970 to win the NBA championship when the Boston Celtics topped the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Mazzulla was 35 years and 353 days old at the time.
In the 2025 NBA Finals, Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault would still be one of the youngest head coaches to win a championship.
Daigneault is in his first NBA head-coaching role after taking over in 2020. He was the head coach of Oklahoma City’s developmental team, the Blue, from 2014 to 2019 following some years as an assistant coach at the college level.
Now in the fifth year of his job, Daigneault can help Oklahoma City make history with a series win when it faces the Indiana Pacers, led by head coach Rick Carlisle, who has two NBA rings to his name (in 1986 as a player and in 2011 as the Mavs’ head coach).
Here’s everything to know about Daigneault, the Thunder head coach:
Who is the Oklahoma City Thunder’s head coach?
The Thunder head coach is Mark Daigneault.
Where is Mark Daigneault from?
Daigneault is a Massachusetts native. He was born in Leominster, Worcester County.
How old is Mark Daigneault?
Daigneault is 40 years old. He was born on Feb. 23, 1985.
Did Mark Daigneault play in the NBA?
No, Daigneault did not play basketball at college or the NBA but attended UConn and Florida.
How many teams has Mark Daigneault coached?
Daigneault has just coached the Thunder at the professional level. He joined in 2020 and has seen a steady growth from record and playoff-run standpoints.
What is Mark Daigneault’s record with the Thunder?
Here’s a year-by-year look at Daigneault’s record since joining Oklahoma City:
2020-21: 22-50
2021-22: 24-58
2022-23: 40-42
2023-24: 57-25 (lost in second round to Dallas 4-2)
2024-25: 68-14 (NBA championship finalists)
What is Mark Daigneault’s coaching style?
Daigneault is a progressive coach who continuously adds to his clipboard with new tactics and schemes. He’s been touted as open-minded and innovative, finding new ways to optimize his players, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander becoming the league MVP and Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren developing into top-three players on a championship finalist team.
Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace are also examples of players on the squad who improved and moved into key roles under Daigneault.
What are Mark Daigneault’s coaching accolades?
Since joining the Thunder in 2020, Daigneault has won the NBA Coach of the Year award once, in 2023-24. He was named an NBA All-Star Game coach in 2025. He could add an NBA title to his resume should Oklahoma City beat Indiana for the franchise’s first ever championship, too.
Has Kristaps Porzingis played his final game as a Boston Celtic?
The Celtics must shed roughly $20 million in salary this offseason to get under the second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax. That means they will have to part ways with at least one rotational player, and Porzingis is a prime candidate to be moved.
Porzingis is entering the final year of his contract, which carries a $30.7 million salary cap hit. If the C’s prefer to maintain their core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White, that might make Porzingis the odd man out.
What would the Celtics get in return for the do-it-all 7-footer? MassLive.com’s Brian Robb laid out a scenario in which Boston would send Porzingis to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for old friend Robert Williams and Matisse Thybulle. Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix and Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor shared their takes on that hypothetical deal during NBC Sports Boston’s The Off C’Season special.
“If Porzingis can play, if he’s shaken whatever this illness was, he brings a lot more value than Robert Williams,” Mannix said. “You want a guy that — on a lesser contract — that has shown he can play with Jayson Tatum, has shown he can fit in alongside Jaylen Brown. If you can keep him around on a better deal, that’s probably better long-term for the Celtics.”
While Porzingis has been key to the Celtics’ success, he has struggled to stay healthy. He missed 25 games in 2023-24 and 40 games in 2024-25. He was limited throughout Boston’s 2025 postseason run due to a nagging illness.
Despite those health concerns, O’Connor believes the Celtics should do everything in their power to avoid trading Porzingis, especially if the Williams/Thybulle return is the best they can get.
“You’ve got to see how he looks with Latvia (in the EuroBasket 2025 tournament), and possibly you take him into the season, because he’s still a major X-factor,” O’Connor said. “Still has shown what he can do to this offense, the layers he brings to this team that loves to shoot 3s. His post-up, his ability with his size, and obviously his defense as well.
“Porzingis is a guy I’d prefer to keep, considering his value is so low right now. And if you’re only getting back Time Lord (Robert Wllliams), who, I love him, but injury-prone, hasn’t shown a lot, and Thybulle, who cannot shoot at all and hasn’t for multiple teams, that’s not a great return for Kristaps Porzingis.”
With Porzingis likely on the trade block, plus Al Horford and Luke Kornet set to hit free agency, the Celtics’ frontcourt could be overhauled this summer. It’ll be an eventful offseason for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens as he navigates the team’s challenging financial situation.
Watch the full episode of The Off C’Season in the video below:
Warriors icon Draymond Green doesn’t agree with his friend and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James’ recent proposal for the NBA to give teams a month off before the playoffs to address fatigue-related injuries.
Green explained why James’ proposition might be counterproductive on Tuesday’s episode of the “Draymond Green Show” podcast.
“I know Bron talked about there being a month off before the playoffs; I don’t know that that’s possible,” Green said. “A, guys will get a bit out of shape and can have an adverse effect, guys getting back in, and all of a sudden, you pull something because it’s been a month.
“So I don’t know if a month is the right answer, but two weeks – ain’t no NBA player getting out of shape in two weeks, but you can get a lot healthier in two weeks.”
Green believes a month off might be too much rest for players. Though, as he mentioned, some rest might be desirable.
The four-time NBA champion cited hamstring injuries to superstar Golden State teammate Steph Curry and Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon as proof that moderate recovery time can be helpful, as the pair of players didn’t have enough time to return to near 100 percent amid their respective teams’ eventual eliminations.
Green explained how the current postseason format generally has teams playing every other day, which doesn’t leave much time for rest between travel, rehab and schematics.
“You look at Steph Curry pulling a hamstring … Aaron Gordon saying there should be two days in between games – I agree,” Green said. “Here’s the thing: if you end up with a series like [against] Houston, and there’s a day in between games, that’s a four-hour flight from San Francisco to Houston on a day in between games, your rest day.
“By the time you land in Houston, it’s eight o’clock at night … By the time you make it to the hotel, it’s dark. … everything’s quick, you’re trying to get ready for bed. So the recovery process ain’t great.”
James’ proposition probably isn’t the answer. But Green – and probably all of Dub Nation – would like to see an NBA playoffs where rest allows the best players to stay on the floor.
“Is it about bunching in games, or is it about the best team winning and putting your best product out there on the floor for the fans? And I think that’s where you run into the issue,” Green said.
Not even Jaylen Brown is safe from trade talks this offseason as the Boston Celtics look to shed significant salary.
Just about everyone from the 2024 championship core is on the table with the C’s aiming to avoid the restrictive penalties associated with being in the second apron of the luxury tax. They will have to move at least one rotational player, but another option is to wipe the slate clean with a full reboot.
“The team I’d watch the closest with Jaylen Brown is probably the Spurs,” Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated said Wednesday on NBC Sports Boston’s The Off C’season special. “Sure, I think (the Spurs would) love to make a run at Giannis, but do the Bucks ask for Stephon Castle? Like, is that on their wish list? And if it is, I can’t see San Antonio doing a deal like that.
“One of the concerns people in San Antonio told me about is, you go and deal for a guy like Giannis, all of a sudden you’ve created a championship window, but it is a window with a closing date. You’ve got De’Aaron Fox, who’s in his late 20s, Giannis in his early 30s, and the last thing they want is to have a roster after those guys kind of age out where when (Victor) Wembanyama is maybe looking around going, ‘All right, where are the young guys I’m going to play with after that?’
“It certainly is a problem for another day, but that’s on the mind of the San Antonio Spurs. That’s why they want to hold on to Stephon Castle, so he can be that second guy opposite Wembanyama for a long time, assuming they trade that No. 2 pick.”
As Mannix puts it, the Celtics would be a more attractive trade partner for the Spurs because they likely wouldn’t require a player like Castle in return. Instead, the deal would center around the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft — likely Rutgers standout guard Dylan Harper.
“I think if you’re Boston, you’re not going to ask for a Stephon Castle. You’re not going to get a Stephon Castle in a potential Jaylen Brown deal,” Mannix added. “You would get the No. 2 pick back in return. You would get the Devin Vassells, the Keldon Johnsons, future first-round capital. That’s something I’d watch if and when the Giannis Antetokounmpo stuff shakes itself out over the next few weeks.”
Yahoo Sports NBA insider Kevin O’Connor asked Mannix whether the Spurs would put the No. 2 pick on the table for Brown in a potential swap.
“Oh, absolutely. I don’t think Boston does that deal without the number two pick,” Mannix answered. “I think Jaylen — for San Antonio — is worth giving up a player that most people talk about as a potential franchise guy in Dylan Harper.
“People that I talked to really like (Harper), but I think Jaylen Brown is — at his age with his contract status, his playoff pedigree — I think that’s worth it. And all of a sudden, you’ve got Fox, you’ve got Brown, you’ve got Castle, and you’ve got Wemby backstopping that team. That’s a championship contender in the Western Conference next season.”
It will be a fascinating offseason for the Celtics and unquestionably the most challenging yet for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens. Even if Brown stays put, Stevens will have to make some agonizing decisions this summer with other key players — perhaps as soon as this month, with the 2024 NBA Draft set for June 25.
Here's the latest news and buzz on the Knicks' search for a new head coach...
June 30, 5:50 p.m.
The Knicks will have a second interview with Mike Brown for their head coaching job, according to multiple reports.
Brown, 55, is one of four known candidates to have already interviewed for the vacancy along with Taylor Jenkins, Micah Nori, and James Borrego.
SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley noted on June 27 that Brown "has made a good impression during the interview process and garnered support."
ESPN's Shams Charania also mentioned that Brown has "emerged as a strong candidate" for the Knicks' job.
Brown owns a career 454-304 (.599) head coaching record with two Coach of the Year awards (2008-2009, 2022-2023) and has made one trip to the NBA Finals in 2007 with the LeBron James-led Cavaliers.
June 25, 6:26 p.m.
The Knicks have identified another assistant who could potentially be their next head coach.
New York is interviewing New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach James Borrego after the team granted the Knicks permission to speak with him, SNY NBA insider Ian Begley confirmed.
Borrego is the fourth known candidate to interview with the Knicks, joining Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori and former head coaches Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown. Begley notes that the door is still not closed on Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd.
Borrego, 47, does have head coaching experience. He was named interim coach of the Orlando Magic in February of 2015 and finished with a 10-20 record. After three years as a Spurs assistant, he was hired as the Charlotte Hornets head coach in 2018. In four seasons, Borrego had a 138-163 record.
June 24, 8:58 a.m.
The Knicks are interviewing Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori for the head coaching job, SNY NBA insider Ian Begley confirmed.
This makes three candidates who've interviewed for the vacancy, as New York completed its initial interviews with Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown last week.
Nori, 51, has been the lead assistant coach for the Timberwolves under Chris Finch since 2021 after previous stops as an assistant with the Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, and Toronto Raptors.
June 12, 5:10 p.m.
Former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins remains squarely on the Knicks' radar as they continue their search for a new head coach, per people familiar with the matter, according to SNY NBA insider Ian Begley.
Jenkins, 40, was fired by Memphis after nearly six seasons with nine games remaining in the 2024-25 regular season despite having a 44-29 record at the time. It was reported that the Grizzlies were anticipating on firing him after a first-round playoff exit, per ESPN.
The Grizzlies still made the playoffs with a 48-34, earning the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. They were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in four games.
Jenkins owns a career coaching record of 250-214 (.539) with his best season coming in 2021-22 when he led the Grizzlies to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed. That team lost in the conference semifinals, falling to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
New York is not in any rush with its search and are casting a wide net of candidates, Begley reported Wednesday.
June 11, 9:07 p.m.
The Knicks reportedly asked another team about the status of their head coach and were denied again.
Per Johnson, the Bulls "value Donovan highly for his coaching acumen, communication skills and ability to connect with players and all members of the organization."
June 11, 6:03 p.m.
The Knicks requested permission to interview Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder but have been denied, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
Syder is the fourth currently-employed coach to have their team deny the Knicks' request to speak with them, joining Ime Udoka, Jason Kidd and Chris Finch.
Snyder began his head coaching career with the Utah Jazz (2014-22), amassing a 372-264 record and a 21-30 record in the postseason. Snyder then joined the Hawks, where he's led the team to a 86-93 record in the regular season and a 2-4 record in the playoffs since the 2022-23 campaign.
June 11, 9:22 a.m.
The Knicks requested permission to interview Jason Kidd, which the Mavericks declined, per multiple reports.
New York also recently asked for permission to speak with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch -- with those requests also denied.
June 7, 2:58 p.m.
Former Villanova head coach Jay Wright is not a candidate for the Knicks job, SNY NBA insider Ian Begley confirms.
Knicks team president Leon Rose and Wright have a close relationship and speak regularly, but because of that, Rose knows Wright is very happy as a retiree, Begley notes.
Of course, many speculated Wright could be a candidate because he coached Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges in college. Wright retired in 2022 after 21 seasons at Villanova and is now a college basketball analyst on CBS and TNT.
June 6, 1:18 p.m.
Ime Udoka, Chris Finch, and Jason Kidd are among the coaches currently under contract who the Knicks have degrees of interest in, reports SNY NBA insider Ian Begley.
Per Begley, the Knicks will request permission from the Mavericks to interview Kidd.
Marc Stein was first to report the expectation that the Knicks would ask to speak with Kidd.
Kidd, 52, has been the Mavericks' head coach since 2021.
Udoka is the head coach of the Rockets, while Finch is the head coach of the Timberwolves.
Kidd wrapped up his Hall-of-Fame playing career with a stint with the Knicks, so there is some familiarity between the two parties.
If the Knicks wind up hiring Udoka, Finch, or Kidd, they will be required to send compensation to their former team.
June 4, 2:41 p.m.
The Rockets have "no interest in entertaining" a scenario where they allow head coach Ime Udoka to leave for the Knicks job, reports Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
Per The Athletic, Udoka and the Rockets are "committed to the long-term project and are actively preparing for a busy offseason."
Udoka, 47, has been the Rockets' head coach since the 2023-24 season.
He served as the Celtics' head coach from 2021 to 2023, and has worked as an assistant for the Spurs, 76ers, and Nets.
Additionally, Begley noted that people recently in touch with the team have downplayed the idea of Mike Malone being a slam-dunk hire.
Begley also noted that the early read is that Dan Hurley isn’t at the top of New York’s initial list, adding that Ime Udoka was a name he had heard mentioned. To hire Udoka, the Knicks would have to get permission from Houston and give the Rockets compensation to let Udoka out of his deal.
As far as Jason Kidd, Begley reported that he can’t see the Mavericks even entertaining the idea of letting Kidd go.
The Boston Celtics might be the most fascinating franchise ahead of what could be a very exciting NBA offseason.
The Celtics are one of three teams in the second apron, and based on what their roster could cost next season, it would make sense to shed some salary this summer and create future flexibility.
With superstar forward Jayson Tatum sidelined as he starts a lengthy recovery from Achilles surgery, the Celtics could choose one of several different paths. Do they make a couple minor changes and try to remain competitive in a weak Eastern Conference next season? Or do they take a bit of a step back, make moves with an eye toward the future and look to be a serious contender two seasons from now?
And what does the rest of the league think of the Celtics’ dilemma?
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix answered that question Wednesday on NBC Sports Boston’s The Off C’Season YouTube show.
“Whenever I talk to teams about Boston, they’re almost viewed as a target where they’ve got a little something for everybody,” Mannix said. “If you want a wing player, you can try to pull Sam Hauser out of there. If you need a defensive-minded guard, Jrue Holiday is available. I just think teams are waiting to see how deep the cuts with Boston are going to go. We all know they’re going to slice away some of this payroll.”
Which players could be available if the Celtics are looking to shed salary?
“Hauser, to me, is the most likely candidate to go, just because you have (Baylor) Scheierman there to effectively fill his role,” Mannix said. “I think they’d love to find a home for Jrue Holiday, just because of the contract and where they are as a team. (Kristaps) Porzingis, who knows? I don’t think they want to take on contracts that go on longer than Porzingis’ deal, but he’s certainly available.
“Teams I’ve talked to just aren’t fully sure what Boston wants to do. Do they want to just nibble around the fringes and get under the second apron, or do they really want to reboot this thing, take that full gap year, and go into 2026-27 with Jayson Tatum and some other stuff as the centerpiece of the team?”
Hauser is about to enter the first season of a four-year extension worth $45 million. He is a career 42 percent 3-point shooter and can hold his own defensively. Hauser’s quality outside shooting and modest salary could make him attractive to a bunch of teams.
Holiday has two more years, plus a 2027-28 player option, left on his contract with an average annual salary of $33.6 million. The veteran guard is still a decent scorer, is a very good defensive player and has plenty of championship experience.
Porzingis is entering the final year of his contract with a $30.7 million salary cap hit. The veteran center is a good 3-point shooter and a strong interior defender, but he’s not very durable. Porzingis has played in 99 of a possible 164 regular season games since joining the Celtics.
The Celtics ran it back with their championship roster in 2024-25, and just like the previous five defending champions, they didn’t make it past the second round of the playoffs. Now the hard part has arrived. How will Brad Stevens and his front office staff tweak the roster? It’ll be exciting to watch it all unfold.
Watch the full episode of The Off C’Season in the video below:
PHOENIX (AP) The Phoenix Suns hired Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as their head coach, opting for a young, emerging leader to rebuild a franchise that has regressed over the past few seasons, a person familiar with the search told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the hire hasn’t officially been announced.
Ott will be the team’s fourth head coach in four seasons and replaces Mike Budenholzer, who was fired following a miserable 36-46 season that ended without a trip to the playoffs despite the high-priced trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
The 40-year-old Ott has worked for the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Cavaliers. He also worked as a video coordinator under Tom Izzo at Michigan State, which is where Suns owner Mat Ishbia played as a walk-on from 1999 to 2003.
It remains to be seen if Durant or Beal will be on next season’s roster - both could be moved in trades. Booker seems like the only player on the roster who is truly untouchable after 10 seasons in the desert, including four All-Star appearances.
Ott and fellow Cavs assistant Johnnie Bryant were the two finalists for the job. Both worked under Kenny Atkinson, helping lead Cleveland to a 64-18 record this season, which was the best record in the NBA's Eastern Conference.
Ishbia and general manager Brian Gregory led a lengthy, deliberate search that lasted 1 1/2 months and included more than a dozen candidates. Gregory also has Michigan State ties as a former assistant coach.
ESPN first reported the hiring.
Ott takes over a franchise that's had a quick rise and fall over the past five years.
The Suns made the NBA Finals in 2021 with a core that included Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Chris Paul, Cameron Johnson and coach Monty Williams, but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. Phoenix had the best record in the NBA the next season before losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round.
Ishbia blew up that nucleus shortly after purchasing the team in 2023, trading for a superstar in Durant, but the Suns lost again in the postseason's second round, this time to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets. Williams was fired following the season, which started the franchise's sideline shuffle.
The Suns traded for Beal - a three-time All-Star - and hired coach Frank Vogel during the ensuing offseason, but the group never seemed to gel. Phoenix was swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening round of the playoffs in 2024, leading to Vogel's firing.
Budenholzer replaced Vogel before last season, but the Suns didn't even make it to the play-in tournament in 2025. Ott worked under Budenholzer as the Hawks' video coordinator from 2013 to 2016.
Just about a month removed from Steph Curry’s Grade 1 hamstring strain in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, the “what if” still remains for the Warriors.
Curry’s former teammate, Shaun Livingston, agrees with most fans in saying that the Warriors would have had a chance to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves had the injury not occurred.
“They definitely have a shot,” Livingston told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole on Wednesday. “There’s no question about it. He changes the game, he changes the series and the outlook and the way you strategize for the team.”
The 11-time NBA All-Star averaged 24.0 points, 5.7 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game in the Warriors’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets and was locked in Game 1 against the Timberwolves, as he had 13 points in just 13 minutes played prior to sustaining the injury.
“When you have guys that go down like that, it’s just, again, there’s so many ripple effects that come out of a player going down,” Livingston told Poole. “Just all these different second and third order effects, you know, to a guy going down. So, I really feel like obviously the Warriors were robbed in that series with injuries. They put a valiant effort up but again we’ll never know because injuries are just a part of the game.”
Curry, 37, racked up four championships with the Warriors, but the chance at a fifth title run this past season could be a “what if” that’s brought up for the foreseeable future.
When the Knicks first paired Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the offensive possibilities seemed endless. Brunson is one of the best shot creators in the NBA and has elevated as a three-point shooter, especially off the dribble.
Towns is one of the best shooting big men in NBA history. And the stats show it. Towns shot 42 percent from deep during the 2024-25 season and is a career 40 percent shooter from three. The pairing of the two All-Stars worked in a general sense. New York won 51 games and advanced to the Conference Finals.
Brunson (26.0 points) and Towns (24.4 points) both made All-NBA teams and were productive on the floor. But beyond the individual stats, Brunson and Towns didn’t find ideal balance. Both players seemed like two ships passing in the night.
Initially, the Brunson-Towns pick-and-roll was a massive success as New York’s offense was ranked first in offensive efficiency through the first 20 games. However, the team ran fewer of the action as the season progressed. There were some factors hindering the pick-and-roll. With Josh Hart on the floor with both stars, teams would have their centers check Hart and wings defend Towns. Also, Brunson and Towns both seemed more comfortable attacking in isolation or off the drive.
That strategic adjustment allowed teams to switch defensively on the Brunson and Towns pick-and-roll. New York’s offense faded as the season wore on, falling to just 16th in offensive efficiency after the start of the calendar year. It felt like both stars were playing in separate cubicles and not interacting on the floor. Brunson only assisted Towns five times during the Eastern Conference Finals.
Defensive challenges
An even larger concern for the duo was on the defensive end. Both Brunson and Towns are limited defenders. New York was able to reach a passable 13th in defensive efficiency during the regular season. The rest of the Knicks’ core seven-man rotation are plus defenders. New York’s starting lineup asks players like OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges to make up for the limitations of their two stars.
Opposing teams emphasized going after both Brunson and Towns all year long. Defense was an issue for Towns throughout the postseason, as he looked lost at times defending the pick-and-roll. The center was often in no man’s land, backing up towards the basket and conceding open looks to players like Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton at various points of the playoffs. New York’s season essentially ended with Haliburton hunting Towns over and over again for midrange floaters down the stretch of Game 6.
In the playoffs, New York was outscored by 3.39 points per 100 possessions in 493 minutes with both Brunson and Towns playing together according to PBP Stats. Lineups with just one of either player on the floor were more effective.
After the Knicks let go of head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday afternoon, the next head coach in line will face a tall task. They will have to find a way to optimize Brunson and Towns where both players are able to be their best selves on offense and fit together.
New York’s defense will always have a ceiling based on Brunson and Towns’ deficiencies on that end of the floor. But improving the offense—which ranked fifth during the regular season—is possible. There’s some low-hanging fruit. New York doesn’t generate many three-pointers. Under Thibodeau, the Knicks didn't rely on ball movement often. Finding a better way to utilize both stars would be a step in the right direction. New York could feature more five-out lineups with shooting to open up space for drives.
That should be one of the first things the Knicks look at as they pursue candidates. For the next Knicks head coach, finding the right balance for both Brunson and Towns will be the deciding factor in the franchise’s quest to win an NBA championship.
In any sport, if a general manager or owner is going to fire a successful head coach, they should have the next candidate lined up and ready. Or, at the very least, have a clear succession plan.
That does not appear to be the case in New York after they fired Tom Thibodeau, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, who wrote, "all initial indications … suggested that the Knicks do not have a locked-in succession plan at head coach."
While several coaches are being speculated about — Michael Malone (some Knicks insiders say that's not happening), Jay Wright, Taylor Jenkins, Johnnie Bryant — Stien dropped this wild rumor:
"Two head coaches who are not currently available but said to interest the Knicks, according to league sources, are Dallas' Jason Kidd and Houston's Ime Udoka."
That's not happening. Ignoring the question of whether either of them would want to leave promising younger teams — in Kidd's case the chance to coach No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg — to work for James Dolan, there is no chance Houston or Dallas would give New York permission to talk to their coaches.
Which brings us back to the initial issue: if you're going to fire a successful coach like Thibodeau, you have to have a succession plan in place, and that appears not to be the case in New York.
Warriors icon Draymond Green revealed his top-five list of the NBA’s all-time defenders on Wednesday and initially crowned himself the greatest.
“What you should understand about me is that I think I’m number one on that list,” Green declared on the latest edition of the “Draymond Green Show” podcast. “However, I think top five, to go in order, I’m really not a fan of those.”
Though Green shared his list, explaining that there is no order or science to it.
“But who I would regard as my top five defenders of all time? I definitely put myself in that list; Ben Wallace is on that list; in my opinion, Tony Allen is on that list; Tim Duncan is on that list. And the last one on that list? … My fifth would go to – who I did have the opportunity to see very young in my life, but more film around him – Hakeem Olajuwon.”
Green undoubtedly has a strong case for the top spot on his own stacked list.
The 13-year Golden State veteran has found his way onto nine All-Defensive teams and was the 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year and steals leader. Green has quarterbacked the Warriors’ defense to four NBA championships, too, and also is a four-time All-Star because of his two-way prowess during the franchise’s dynastic era.
Meanwhile, Wallace, Allen, Duncan and Olajuwon all were like Green as defenders, making his choices clearer. They were leaders who gave opposing offenses fits every time they laced ‘em up, just like Green still does to the game’s best scorers and facilitators today.
Green mentioned two other NBA greats who come to mind when considering the game’s greatest defenders, but he mentioned they weren’t included in his list.
“Also, understand that I’m not including Wilt Chamberlain; I’m not including Bill Russell,” Green said. “I didn’t see them play. I have the utmost respect for those guys – the pioneers – the utmost respect. But I’d be lying to you if I’m like, ‘Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain.’ Like, I’d be just going off of stats, and I don’t love when people do that, because there’s an eye test, and I haven’t seen enough of their games to say that.
“So, understand I’m not excluding them – I was born in 1990, and that’s my only reason for not including them. Saying all of that … my top five in no particular order: myself, Tim Duncan, Ben Wallace, Hakeem and Tony Allen.”
Fair enough.
Green wasn’t alive to witness the greatness of Chamberlain and Russell. But he has been around to see Wallace, Allen, Duncan, Olajuwon and, of course, himself flourish on the defensive side of the court.
