Category: NBA

Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep-down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week, the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — gives their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.

Fantable Questions of the Week

Q1: The Suns need to get bigger at power forward. Rasheer Fleming is the only real choice currently on the roster to accomplish that.

Would you prefer him to be penciled in as the Suns’ starting PF for 2026-27 or should the Suns look for a veteran (either through a trade or free agency) to take on that role for now?

Diamondhacks: The Suns don’t need a bigger power forward. We need defensive rebounds, which is fairly straightforward, and better team shot quality, which is fraught and complicated. Personally, I’d consider acquiring Josh Giddey, who might be uniquely qualified to improve on both deficiencies. Of course, you would have to give him the ball, and there’s only one, so I don’t expect it will ever happen.

Absent acquisitions, I’d pencil in whoever’s our most productive all-around “4”, regardless of salary, history, or potential. That’s how a healthy meritocracy, which elevates the entire team, should work. Right now, O’Neale is better than Fleming in: free throw percentage, three-point shooting, defensive rebounding, outlet passing, (clears throat), screen setting, ballhandling, half-court decision making, and court awareness. Rasheer’s probably better at most everything else, presumably working diligently on the other stuff. He doesn’t need to be better than Royce at everything, of course, but that’s how I would frame the evaluation between now and opening day.

Ashton: Anytime this question is asked, I am left wondering with what money? The Suns have roughly $9 million to commit when it is all said and done, and when a team is that close to staying under the luxury tax through cap gymnastics, my brain turns into a pretzel. So, the writers can unravel it for me.

Summertime is the time to float outlandish trade ideas on the board and I enjoy the takes. I always have. Or Rod can just correct me on what aspects of player retention the Suns are looking at, and then round down or up since pennies aren’t accepted anymore.

I did a quick scroll through available UFAs that might be affordable for the Suns. Not RFAs or team/player options, just using that $9 million in mind and leaving the trades to those who know better than I.

Of course, you keep Fleming, but asking him to man the PF starting role is a big one. And the question was asked about who could be available with size in the power forward free agent market? Okay, I omitted size and went with potential talent.

I like the following:

• Jeremy Sochan
• Marvin Bagley
• Mouhamed Gueye
• Dean Wade (the name sounds cool – I know nothing about him)
• Nicolas Batum

But if we are all talking weird trade ideas. The Suns should trade for Bronny James. That would put two of his sons in the Great State of Arizona and LeBron likes to puff about having more family time. Well, coming off the bench and enjoying the heat with Scottsdale golf courses, he might do it at a vet min. This will never happen, of course, he likes LA.

OldAz: I know that this question is really asking about bringing in another STARTING power forward, but when I read the question, I couldn’t help but think of the Old El Paso taco shell commercial (and meme) where the little girl quizzically asks, “Why not both,” to which everyone reacts as if she just cured cancer. That is the only correct answer here.

The Suns should pencil Fleming in as the starter, AND go get the best PF they can get using the assets they have and are willing to use. If that player is on the level of Julius Randle or the version of Brandon Ingram that the Suns faced in the playoffs a few years ago, then no one will complain when Fleming has to come off the bench and compete for minutes. OTOH, when that player is similar to Bobby Portis, 2021 Jae Crowder (ie, a bigger Royce O’Neale), then Fleming has a competent backup, and Ott has no excuse for any more 4 guard lineups that leave their center hanging out to dry.

Rod: I would go ahead and pencil Fleming in as the starting PF for next season while searching for a quality backup. If, however, during that search, they turn up a very good deal for someone who could in fact be the starter they need, they should jump on that. It all depends on what the Suns would have to give up to get another PF to add to the roster. If the price is too high to get anyone who could potentially start, then go after the best quality backup they can afford and roll with Fleming as the starter.

Q2: Across the board, Ryan Dunn’s stats changed little between his first and second seasons. Do you still have faith that he can significantly improve in year three?

Diamondhacks: A Dunn breakout resembling starter quality seems more likely in year four or five. But I’m willing to wait, because outside of our centers, Ryan’s the best two-way rebounder on the team, and to the extent we’re leaning into the likes of Booker, Green, and Brooks hoisting sixty shots a game, there’s going to be a heck of a lot of rebounds.

Ashton: Remember last season when the board was abuzz with Brooks and Dunn? Yeah, that did not quite work out, and I really only like a few country songs. Certainly not this generation of country songs. So, in that vein, Dunn is Done. Those calling for trading him are correct.

In an offensive scheme, you have to show growth. Dunn (and a few others) were unable to do it. A trade to another team may?

For that matter, what is the offensive scheme? Just let Booker and Green hoist shots? This is a bit of a dig on Coach Ott’s system, but I really could not describe it to you.

OldAz: So you’re telling me the stats from his rookie season, where everyone was so high on him and happy, and his sophomore season, where fans have howled about wanting to trade him, were basically the same? It’s amazing how much expectations can change.

In his rookie season, Dunn was one of the only players who looked like they cared at all on the defensive end. Last year, he struggled at times with the new system, but I don’t remember ever questioning his effort. I still believe he can improve on both ends and that his jumper doesn’t look that bad. He just needs time and some consistent effort put into letting him develop, and I think he will be just fine. Whether he gets that opportunity with the Suns, however, is a totally different question.

Rod: After this last season, my hope in Dunn significantly improving has dimmed quite a bit. I still think he can improve in certain areas and that he’ll at least be a solid backup/rotation player, but I’m not really expecting much more than that. I’m not sure at all what goes through his head on the court, but at times I think he’s his own worst enemy. In some games, he’s looked almost timid on offense, and in others, he seemed to throw caution to the wind and play reckless at times. And the only reason I can see for his sub-standard FT shooting is something mental, perhaps a lack of confidence. He seems to have all the tools to get the job done, but just hasn’t managed to put it all together and become more than he currently is yet.

Q3: Some fans have expressed the opinion that the Suns should go ahead and sign Koby Brea to a standard NBA contract this summer instead of another two-way contract if he’s brought back. What’s your opinion on whether Brea should be re-signed and how?

Diamondhacks: In college, Brea’s Treyahs (this rhymes, not a real word, and not a typo 😊 ) speak to Koby’s repeatable stroke and elite concentration. As does his 90% FT standard. But does he have any game, at all, beyond that? When professionals guard? Sub 32% in G-League? His stroke seems sufficiently intriguing to keep on a two-way, but I don’t understand his overall game well enough, if he has one, to commit to a full.

Ashton: Nope. Suns fans were correct in identifying Collin Gillespie as an early riser, and Koby was also identified by many during Summer League as another.

But it comes back to the financials, and this is not something that Suns do. That razor-thin margin between repeater tax, heck, even $10 million more into the first apron is brutal or $20 million more into the second apron.

If they can keep Koby on a two-way, then that is the path to take. CBA and economic realities are what they are.

OldAz: Why would they do this when they don’t have to, and certainly not do it earlier than they need to? Brea has yet to show consistently that he can contribute at the NBA level or even stay on the back end of the roster. I would wait until he proves he belongs and maintain flexibility as long as I can if I was in the Suns front office.

Rod: There’s been a lot of talk about Brea’s three-point shooting. If you take out his 6 of 9 performance in the final game of the season against OKC’s bench players, he made a very modest 33.3% of his three-point attempts this season. He only did slightly better in the G League at 34.9% against lesser competition. At this point, I think the jury’s still out on him as to whether he’ll become more than just another guy with a lot of potential. I’d be fine with bringing him back on another two-way contract, but right now I don’t think the Suns should use one of their standard contract roster spots on him.

As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!

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Quotes of the Week

“When I talk about the identity, one of the things that’s really important is … when our fans leave the arena, here’s what I want them saying: Man, that team plays hard!” – Brian Gregory

We asked Suns fans to describe this season their own words… here's what they said 🤩💜 pic.twitter.com/cWPMEzwt3t

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 19, 2026

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Suns Trivia/History

On May 16, 1976, the Suns defeated the defending NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors, 94-86 in game seven of the Western Conference Finals to earn their first conference championship and their first trip to the NBA Finals to face the Boston Celtics.

On May 16, 2000, the Suns were defeated 87-65 by the LA Lakers in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals and eliminated from the playoffs 4-1. The 65 points scored by the Suns is the franchise record for the lowest point total ever in any game, playoff, or regular season. Only one Suns player — reserve player Todd Day — scored in double figures (barely with 10 points). The team made only 28.8% of their shots from the field. None of the starters made more than 27.3% of their field goal attempts and were a combined 11-of-52 from the field.

On May 22, 2006, the Suns defeated the LA Clippers 127-107 in the 7th game of the WC Semi-Finals to take the series 4-3. The Suns played only seven players that night, with two starters playing over 40 minutes (Shawn Marion, 45 mins, Tim Thomas, 42 mins) and the rest of the starters playing between 35 and 39 minutes each. The two bench players utilized that night (Leandro Barbosa and James Jones) played a combined 40 minutes. All seven scored in double figures with Marion leading the Suns with 30 points. The leading scorer for the Clippers was Elton Brand (36 points), who played all but 5 seconds of the game.

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Important Future Dates

Mid-June (date TBD) – Teams can begin negotiating with their own free agents (following the Finals)
June 23 – NBA Draft First Round, 8 ET (ABC/ESPN)
June 24 – NBA Draft Second Round, 8 ET (ESPN)
June 30 – Teams can begin negotiations with all free agents
July 6 – Moratorium ends, official free agent contract signings can begin
July 9-19 – NBA 2K Summer League 2026 in Las Vegas

We are less than six weeks away from the 2026 NBA Draft, and a pair of former Mountain West players competed in the NBA G-League combine last weekend. Did they help their stock during the 44-player showcase in Chicago, Ill.? Let’s examine!

MJ Collins, G, Utah State:

Skinny: Neither Collins nor Henley were one of the handful of players who were invited to the NBA Draft combine. But Collins was the better of the two in the workouts. The athletic guard had the fourth-highest standing vertical (32.5”), third-highest max vertical (39.5”) and ninth-fastest pro-lane shuttle time (10.64) of the 44 participants.

Additionally, Collins shot the ball fairly well in the workouts. He scored just five points on five made free-throws in the scrimmages (0-3 FG), but Collins netted 24 of his 30 mid-range pull-up jumpers and excelled in the 3-point star drill (the final numbers said he went 26-of-25 … obviously a typo, but I’m not sure in which direction, so I don’t have a final number).

All in all, it was a good combine for Collins, even though his performance in-game didn’t help his stock.

Verdict: Stock Neutral

Projection: Undrafted free agent, two-way

Jaden Henley, G, Grand Canyon:

Skinny: Conversely for Henley, I don’t think he tested particularly well (relative to his peers), but he was as advertised in game.

Henley was a wrecking ball. He led Team 4 with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting in 20 minutes, totaling eight rebounds, one assist and one steal. He missed his lone two 3-point attempts while knocking down all five of his free-throws.

Conversely, his poor shooting from 3-point range carried over into the workouts, where I wanted to see some improvement. He only made nine threes in the star drill, tied for the third-fewest; only Liberty’s Zach Cleveland, George Washington’s Rafael Castro (who impressed) and North Dakota State’s March Strickland finished with fewer. He shot 11-for-25 on the spot-up shooting drill (one fewer than Collins) and 17-for-30 on the pull-up shooting.

Henley, a hyper-athletic slasher, shot just 30.7 percent from beyond the arc (2.5 3PA) across four collegiate seasons, including 26.8 percent in his lone season at Grand Canyon. He has an intriguing skillset, but one that desperately needs an efficient shot. I think he helped his stock, but that weakness will still exist until it doesn’t.

Verdict: Stock Up

Projection: Undrafted free agent, two-way

Headed into this past regular season, the Rockets offered Tari Eason a four-year, $100 million extension with protections tied to injuries given Eason’s already extensive injury history. Eason kindly rejected that offer and chose to bet on himself. Now that the dust has settled on the 2025-2026 season, we can begin to answer the question of whether he won that bet or not.

The 6’8” Forward out of LSU made himself a fan favorite immediately in his rookie season with his intense effort and tenacity on the court, specifically on the defensive end. Eason played all 82 games that season, and it appeared that Rafael Stone may have gotten the steal of the 2022 NBA Draft. While there is a chance that can still be the case, unfortunately Tari Eason hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season since his rookie campaign.

In 2023, he suffered from a lower leg stress reaction and benign bone growth issue. From 2023-2025 he continued to have soreness and would miss a multitude of games for injury management. In 2024, he missed two games due to concussion. He’s missed time this past season with both ankle and oblique strains and only played in 60 games, which was the most he’s played since his rookie season. The positive for Eason is that both of those injuries are not the kind of soft tissue injuries that wouldn’t throw up too many red flags under normal circumstances, like an ACL or Achilles injury would. However, with Eason’s previous health issues it raises some cause for concern.

Aside from the health portion of the question of whether Tari was right to bet on himself, when he was on the court, did he play well enough to earn a max contract as a restricted free agent? In the 60 games Eason played, he logged 25.8 minutes per game, scored 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. Eason shot 41.6 percent from the field including 35.8 percent from the three-point line, 77.6 percent from the free-throw line, and a true shooting score of 51.4 percent. Granted, that Eason is the kind of player that puts up numbers strictly with effort and hustle, having zero plays drawn up to specifically get him a shot, those numbers do not add up to a max contract, which for Eason would be in the range of about five years $240-245 million from the Rockets and four years $178-180 million should another team offer it to him.

For Eason to win this bet he made on himself, he will need to get more than the Rockets initially offered him, either from another team or from the Rockets if they decide to match the offer, but one thing I do know, Tari Eason is not getting a five-year max contract from the Rockets. If I’m wrong, then I will resign my post as a staff writer on this beloved website. There is no chance. However, can he get more than the Rockets initial offer? Well, sure… it’s the NBA, and there is always one team that is willing to overpay or at least pretend to be willing overpay to put the pressure on the Rockets to match in order to keep the player they drafted. But if I am being honest, I don’t believe Tari Eason deserves much more than the initial contract the Rockets offered him. It’s possible he will get less.

The thing I would point out if I were Eason’s agent is that his soft tissue injuries were not severe, and that Tari stepped up his scoring output in the playoffs. He scored 13.8 points per game in 32.5 minutes played per game. He shot 47.7 percent from the field, (I’d point to his career and regular season three-point percentages) 84.6 percent from the free-throw line and a 58.7 true shooting percentage. The one thing I do like is a guy who steps his game up when the stakes are higher. Tari Eason is going to have to convince either the Rockets or another NBA team that he is that exact type of player, that he will continue to be that type of player, and that he is going to be healthy if he wants any shot out pacing the extension he turned down last summer. If not, 2025-2026 will be the season Tari Eason bet on himself and lost.

It’s clear that for right now, the Western Conference belongs to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the San Antonio Spurs are next up, trying to take them down.

That leaves the Lakers just out of the conversation and trying to improve enough to be a threat to these two young teams. One clear weakness the Lakers have is a lack of depth.

The Thunder were able to play more players for longer stretches in their series against the Lakers. The Spurs have also played nine-plus players for 10 or more minutes in most of their playoff contests.

Meanwhile, LA’s rotation continued to shrink in the postseason, and few players cracked double-digit minutes. In Game 4 against OKC, Lakers head coach JJ Redick essentially played just seven players. The only other players who saw the court were Adou Thiero and Jarred Vanderbilt, and they both played just three minutes.

It’s not sustainable to only play seven guys for months of playoff basketball, but that was the situation Redick was in.

However, now that the postseason is over, the Lakers can assess their roster and bring in guys who can be part of their rotation and contribute to winning basketball.

Redick spoke about depth, continuity and where the Lakers stack up against the best in the West during his exit interview.

“I don’t necessarily view depth as a rotation thing,” Redick said. “Whether you play eight, nine, whether you play 11, 12, you need to have depth and that depth typically comes in the roster spots 10-15. Whether that’s internal development, draft, trade, free agency, whatever that is, we need to build depth beyond just an eight- or nine-man rotation because you’re naturally going to have injuries…It really is about just building that depth.

“We can figure out, as coaches, what a rotation looks like. But you look at OKC’s roster, you look at San Antonio’s roster, those guys, they have 13 high-level rotation players, minimum. That’s a luxury to have in the NBA and it’s one of the reasons those teams are really good.”

Based on how Redick used his roster, it’s clear the Lakers don’t have 13 high-level rotation players. OKC and San Antonio do, and that’s why they are still playing and Los Angeles is not.

Sure, Luka Dončić was out, and he would’ve absolutely helped, but not enough to turn a sweep into a series win.

The tricky part for the Lakers is that they were a very good team, but need to make moves to become great. How can they balance keeping all the things that made them a 50-win team while making enough changes to take a leap?

“I believe in continuity, but…If you’re trying to win a championship, which this organization is, and I’m trying to win a championship, ” Redick said. “I know [Rob Pelinka] is trying to win a championship. I know Jeanie is. I know Mark is.

“We’re trying to win a championship and so you have to be realistic and assess where you’re at. We’re not good enough right now. There probably will be some continuity. There probably won’t be. But that’s what the next two months are for.”

Redick left room for some continuity, but he said it as clear as day that LA isn’t good enough. If they’re trying to win a title, change is needed.

Sure, the Lakers would like to retain Marcus Smart, and bringing back Austin Reaves is a priority, but this is not a run-it-back roster.

Over the summer, we’ll see what that change looks like, but if the Lakers front office does its job, they’ll bring in the players Redick needs so that this time next year, he has enough guys to take on the Spurs and Thunder and have a legitimate shot at beating them.

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

The saga surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with the Milwaukee Bucks got another curveball this week when one of his teammates aired out some behind-the-scenes details about this past season that weren't flattering for former Bucks coach Doc Rivers or the franchise's Greek superstar.

Myles Turner revealed on an episode of his "Game Recognize Game" podcast with WNBA star Breanna Stewart that Rivers had a policy in which he didn't fine any players and "guys were late all the time. Guys were showing up to film whenever they want. Guys were missing meetings. It was one of the craziest things I've personally experienced."

"We literally, if the plane took off 2 o'clock, we weren't leaving until 4:30," Turner continued in comments that were published on Thursday, May 14. "I'm being so serious, bro. It was crazy, dog. Guys were hours late to the plane. It got to the point where I just knew not to show up until like an hour after they said the plane was going to take off. It was crazy."

Stewart asked Turner to name to worst culprit for being late. Turner responded without hesitation: "Giannis."

2026 NBA DRAFT: How good is this class? Wizards GM, prominent agent weigh in

"Giannis is going to show up whenever he wants, really, you know? I think that kind of just came with the territory of that," Turner added, "and once I kind of saw what was going down, I was like ... more power to you. They ain't going to fine you. Do what you do, except when we're going to Dallas (near his hometown of Bedford, Texas)"

Turner just completed his first season with the Bucks after signing a 4-year, $108-million contract last year to potentially help Milwaukee remain an Eastern Conference contender alongside Antetokoumpo. But the Bucks struggled most of the regular season, with Antetokounmpo in and out of the lineup due to injuries while dealing with steady trade speculation.

Antetokounmpo has one year left on his contract, with a player option for the 2027-28 season. Bucks ownership stated it plans to either sign Antetokounmpo to a new max contract extension or trade him and hopes to have a resolution on his future with the franchise before the NBA Draft. The team's front office is already listening to potential deals, according to reports.

The Bucks parted ways with Rivers after finishing with a 32-50 record and missing the postseason. The team hired former Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins to replace Rivers and received the No. 10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Doc Rivers never gave out fines, players late for planes, and getting fined for not boxing out. 😂

NEW EPISODE of Game Recognize Game with Stewie and Myles OUT NOW.

Watch on YouTube👇🏼https://t.co/RrTE4wnLZ8@breannastewart@Original_Turnerpic.twitter.com/pgIZDgyFzu

— Game Recognize Game (@gamerecgamepod) May 14, 2026

Turner said he had never been on an NBA team before in which the players weren't fined, and expressed surprise at the lack of structure and disciplinary protocols under Rivers.

"Any other team I've been on, guys got fined. And there was a sense of order and a sense of understanding," Turner said. "So yeah, you're late to the plane? Fine. You're late to treatment? Fine. You're late to film? Fine. But I personally did not experience that last year for the first time in my career. So we'll see what Taylor Jenkins does."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Myles Turner says Bucks, Giannis 'late all the time' under Doc Rivers

Steve Kerr reveals how much input Steph Curry, Draymond Green had on return originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Plenty of factors were at play in the decision of whether or not Steve Kerr would return as Warriors coach this offseason.

And while Kerr’s allegiance to Steph Curry and Draymond Green likely played a significant role from the coach’s side of things, the Golden State stars didn’t meddle in the decision-making process within the organization.

At his first press conference since his new Warriors contract became official, Kerr was asked Friday about his communication with Curry and Green during the weeks of uncertainty, as well as how much input the players had.

“I was in touch with both of them,” Kerr told reporters. “They did not have any impact or influence on whether I was going to be the coach, and that’s a credit to them.

“You know, I think one of the strong points of our organization is that our best player, who is one of the greatest players in the history of the game, is not telling [general manager Mike Dunleavy or owner Joe Lacob] what to do. He understands the repercussions of that if he wanted to go down that path, and it’s not healthy.

“It usually doesn’t work out well when a player tries to dictate what an organization does. So Steph has always recognized the sanctity of that wall that should exist, but we had a lot of discussions and talked about everything, talked about our team and some of the things I’ve just mentioned where we can get better.”

As Kerr stated, Curry has been heralded throughout his career for not interfering with major organizational decisions, despite his superstardom. In the end, though the Warriors haven’t been as successful recently as they have desired, Kerr emphasized the long-standing trust between players and coach in his ultimate decision.

“I know [Curry] wanted me to coach,” Kerr continued. “I know I wanted to coach him, and that mattered, but ultimately we have a really special, strong bond that should carry over into our success as a team. I think I have a better chance of coaching this team than anybody else because of that relationship, my relationship with Draymond, my intimate knowledge of our team and our organization.

“And, as I said from the beginning, I still love what I do. If I were tired and burned out, then I would not be doing this, but I love my job, I love coaching the Warriors, being in this city, being in the Bay. It all worked out.”

So, it seems as though Kerr’s return was the outcome everyone wanted. But now, what remains is whether or not Kerr, Curry and Green can compile one last deep run together in the NBA playoffs.

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Isaiah Thomas last suited up in a Boston Celtics uniform nine years ago, facing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals. He spent the remainder of his career playing for eight different teams, all while never relinquishing his desire to return to Boston.

At the same time, the respect and reverence Thomas had and left behind in Boston never faded. In 2019, as a member of the Denver Nuggets, he was honored with a tribute video at TD Garden midway through the first quarter of a regular-season matchup. This past season, as part of the organization’s “Legendary Moments” campaign, Thomas was welcomed back and sat courtside next to team owner Bill Chisholm on Dec. 19 — a night again marked by a video tribute during a game against the Miami Heat.

Now, that connection has come full circle. According to The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, Thomas will return to the Celtics as a professional and college scout, contributing primarily from the Seattle area, and reuniting him with the franchise where he became a two-time All-Star and MVP candidate.

Himmelsbach also reported that Thomas has already gotten started, joining team executives at the NBA Combine this week in Chicago.

Thomas, now 37 and two years removed from his last NBA appearance, has long awaited an opportunity to contribute to the Celtics once again. Before signing a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns in March 2024 for his final run as a player, Thomas floated the idea of signing with the Celtics, vowing to provide leadership and not needing a single minute on the floor. Boston, at the time, had an open roster spot following February’s trade deadline and before the team began exploring the buy-out market.

The front office passed on Thomas, and four months later, the Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals.

Boston acquired Thomas in a trade with Phoenix in 2015. Then-head coach Brad Stevens didn’t start Thomas until the following season, playing him off the bench for the final 21 games of the 2014-15 season. Even on a rebuilding, 40-42 roster led by Jeff Green and Avery Bradley, the Celtics made Thomas earn his spot.

He made his first All-Star Game in his first full season with the Celtics, averaging 22.2 points in 72 starts. The following year, Thomas wrote his legacy in Boston. He earned a second straight All-Star selection, averaged a career-high 28.9 points, and finished fifth in MVP voting behind Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and LBJ — and ahead of Stephen Curry.

In the 2017 NBA playoffs, Thomas elevated his game even further. He helped the Celtics rally from an 0–2 deficit in the first round against the Chicago Bulls, then delivered a 53-point performance in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Washington Wizards, a series Boston went on to win in seven games.

Thomas fell short in the conference finals, departing after 18 minutes in Game 2 versus Cleveland with a right hip injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the series. That was the catalyst for then-president of basketball operations Danny Ainge to trade Thomas for Kyrie Irving months later in the offseason.

That was the beginning of the end for Thomas, who in Boston was at the peak of his career and had done everything to earn a max contract.

His contributions weren’t enough to raise a banner, but they were among the organization’s most pivotal stepping stones. Just before the arrivals of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Thomas helped make the Celtics an exciting, watch-worthy team again. They weren’t the overwhelming favorites in the East like Cleveland, but they were a fearless underdog capable of hanging with the league’s top dogs.

In April 2016 against the Warriors, Thomas scored 22 points as the Celtics ended Golden State’s 54-game home winning streak. Against the Heat in December 2016, he set a then-career high with 52 points and cemented himself as the “King of the Fourth,” scoring a franchise record 29 points in the final quarter alone.

“I’ve opened my arms to try to come back in so many ways,” Thomas told reporters four years ago as a member of the Charlotte Hornets. “It’s not even about playing and trying to pick up where I left off, I’m past that moment, but I know there’s been times where I can help in that locker room. I’m not in there every day, so I can’t speak on what’s going on. This is from the outside looking in, but I’ve felt there’s been times where Brad could make a call and give me an opportunity and it hasn’t happened.”

Thomas added: “That’s disappointing in a lot of ways because I love Boston. I love everything about the city of Boston and the people who showed me the most love is obviously from Boston.”

Over the years, the team has kept its doors wide open to Celtics of the past. Paul Pierce is a frequent visitor at practices and a regular presence at games. Sam Cassell and Phil Pressey are members of Joe Mazzulla’s coaching staff. Rajon Rondo made a visit three years ago after receiving an invite from Mazzulla, as did former Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau just before Opening Night this past season.

During his run with the Celtics, Thomas wasn’t surrounded by a star-studded cast — and it still didn’t matter. At 5-foot-9, he consistently overcame physical limitations, just as he did in Boston, where he helped turn a post–Big Three rebuild into immediate gratification before handing the reins to Tatum and Brown.

In the history book of Celtics basketball, Thomas has a chapter of his own. It’s arguably the most sentimental, making a reunion long overdue for one of the franchise’s most beloved all-time legends.

Just like in the 1st round against the Orlando Magic, the Pistons have reached the point of win or go home as they face elimination against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland. If there is one positive for the Pistons it is that they only have to win two games in a row to steal the series rather than the three they had to against Orlando.

Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland came with a bit of controversy as what many thought was a missed foul on Ausar Thompson at the end of the game kept the game tied before the Pistons lost in Overtime. The Last Two Minute Report by the NBA has since disproven the controversy by confirming the correct call was made, but it has still led to a ton of discourse.

The bottom line about Game 5 is that the Pistons put themselves in a position to win multiple times during the game and couldn’t seal the deal. You can complain about the foul and free throw discrepancy, and those are valid things, but the Pistons blew a 15-point lead in the 1st half and also a 9-point lead with two minutes left.

Now, they have to go to Cleveland with their season on the line where the Cavaliers have not lost a game during the postseason so far.

Vitals

Where: Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH
When: Friday, May 15 at 7 pm EST
Watch: Prime Video
Odds: Cavaliers (-3.5)

Analysis

The big takeaway from the last three games amongst Pistons fans is the foul discrepancy and how many more free throws the Cleveland Cavaliers have taken. In Cleveland’s three straight wins, they have shot a total of 100 free throws while the Pistons have only shot 52. I don’t think I really need to say much more about it here that hasn’t already been talked about to death online.

The biggest reason why the Cavaliers have taken control of the series is because their stars have stepped up while the Pistons have gotten very minimal contributions out of anybody but Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris. It reached a breaking point in Game 5 as Jalen Duren was benched for the whole 4th quarter and overtime in favor of Paul Reed, who is one of the few bright spots outside of Cunningham and Harris.

In Games 1 and 2, the Pistons were able to successfully hold James Harden in check to the point where despite 23 and 31 point games by Donovan Mitchell, they were still able to come out on top. Since those first two games, Donovan Mitchell has kicked it up to another level and James Harden has gotten things rolling. It has scrambled the Pistons defense as they have to sell out more to stop both player’s dribble penetration and it has allowed the Cavaliers to get players like Evan Mobley, Max Strus, and Jarrett Allen rolling with easy looks.

You can say it is due to an uneven whistle, but the bottom line is that unless the Pistons make adjustments to how they are defending Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, this series will be ending tonight.

The Pistons have done a bad job defending the three point line as the Cavaliers have gotten quite a few open threes after long possessions because the Pistons lose focus or rotate off somebody too much. The Cavs are too good of a shooting team to consistently allow that to happen.

The Cavaliers have successfully matched the Pistons physicality on defense and are able to bring doubles on Cade to force other players to beat them. That did not happen on Wednesday down the stretch. All the Pistons had to do was make one of the wide-open shots that Cade generated off of a pass out of a double and the controversial call doesn’t matter and we are discussing the Pistons closing out a series tonight.

You can blame the refs all you want, but the bottom line is despite the foul and free throw discrepancy, the Pistons have held leads in 2 of the last 3 games in the 4th quarter and could not seal the deal in either one. Young teams have to learn how to win in the playoffs and the Pistons were able to get the job done against the Orlando Magic, but the Cavaliers are an older, more experienced team with a ton of players that have played a lot of playoff games.

They know how to game the system whether you like it or not. And those plays around the margins can make all the difference in winning or losing a playoff series.

The Pistons are not dead in the water. But, if they want any hope at winning this game and returning home for Game 7, their execution down the stretch has to be much better. The amount of free throws each team have shot won’t matter if you execute your offense and do a better job at defending and creating turnovers. The Cavaliers are prone to doing it as they proved in Games 1 and 2.

JB Bickerstaff and the players can discuss the uneven whistle all that they want, but it is clear at this point that the team that led the league in fouls during the regular season is going to foul a lot. The Cavs know it and have put together a gameplan that focuses on it. Now, the Pistons have to put together a gameplan of their own to counteract it.

Lineups

Cleveland Cavaliers (3-2): James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Detroit Pistons (2-3): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Question of the Day

Do the Pistons get it done and force another Game 7?

What Joe Lacob told Steve Kerr that gave coach confidence in Warriors return originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Joe Lacob made it clear what his expectation is for the Warriors each and every season.

Which was, in part, why Steve Kerr was confident in his decision to return to Golden State for two more seasons.

The Warriors coach spoke to reporters for the first time since signing his new contract, and was asked about his relationship with Lacob over the years and currently, as the team navigates a difficult path back to playoff contention.

“Joe and I have great respect for each other,” Kerr said. “I was here as a player all those years at Oracle when the crowd was loving it and the team was lousy. It just was. The team did not have what it haves now, which is really strong leadership, incredible infastructure and a vision for winning. Everyone boo’d Joe when he said ‘We’re going to win a title’ or ‘We’re trading Monta [Ellis]’ or whatever it was, right? You can’t argue with the results.

“Joe came in here, and he built a pretty incredible organization, on the business side, on the basketball side. We’ve had a great partnership. It doesn’t mean we always agree, nor should we. We want to be pushing each other.”

In recent weeks, when Kerr was deciding whether or not he wanted to return and coach the Warriors, he spoke with both Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy on multiple occasions, and one thing Lacob said in those meetings stuck with him and gave him confidence that the organization still is dedicated to winning.

“The only thing I would reveal from our conversations, and I don’t think he would mind if I shared this, but we were talking about our injuries and how this is the first time where we can’t realistically just say, “Hey, let’s win a title next year,’ you know?” Kerr recalled.

“He just said, ‘You know, I’m the owner, and I can’t help but just say I expect to be in the playoffs every year and have a shot.’ Frankly, that’s one of the reasons why we have done that is because of his vision and his passion. I admire that. I love that. I think he sees the same thing in me. We’re both incredibly competitive. He’s going to be frustrated with things that I do, and I’m going to be frustrated with his reaction sometimes on the sideline if he’s upset with something.”

If winning was not Lacob and the Warriors’ No. 1 priority, there is no doubt in Kerr’s mind that he already would have called it quits by now.

“That’s all part of it, but we have great respect for one another, and we share the exact same goal,” Kerr explained. “That’s ultimately why I’m coming back, because if that didn’t exist, then this would have ended.

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The National Basketball Association might have leaked the script for the upcoming conference finals, hasn’t it?

On Thursday evening, the NBA released all possible scenarios for the Eastern and Western Conference Finals, both of which have one team already locked into the matchups—OKC Thunder in the West, New York Knicks in the East—but their opponent still to be determined.

If Cleveland wins Game 6 Friday, Game 1 of the ECF between Knicks and. Cavs will be played:
3:30 pm EST on Sunday at MSG https://t.co/9vKQaa9PK1

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) May 15, 2026

Interestingly enough, the NBA announced the tip-off time for a potential Knicks-Cavaliers ECF, assuming Cleveland beats Detroit in Game 6 later today, setting Game 1 for 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The potential Pistons-Knicks tip-off time in case Detroit beats all odds and advances in seven games? Not even in consideration for the NBA!

Make of that whatever you want, but hey, I wouldn’t complain having the Pistons and the whole ridiculous Deeeeee-trooit baaas-keeet-baall chant the hell out of the picture.

The Cavs won Game 5 on Wednesday, bringing their semifinals matchup to a 3-2 balance with Detroit facing back-to-back win-or-go-home games going forward, starting today… in The Land. None of those teams had won away from home before the Cavs beat the Pistons on the road, taking a series lead for good and making it hellaciously tough for a postseason-underperforming Detroit squad to pull off the miracle and advance.

Tip-off today is at 7 p.m. ET. If you still have popcorn left, grab a whole bunch and enjoy this war while the Knickerbockers get back to practice in their Tarrytown facilities, patiently waiting for their next victim.

On top of that, it’s been announced that Knicks’ all-time great broadcaster Mike Breen will be on the call for all of New York’s ECF games, with ESPN holding the broadcasting rights for the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals.

All jokes, but good times all around, ain’t em?

🚨Knicks ECF SCHEDULE:

1️⃣
-Sun May 17 (if Det-Cle goes 6)
-Tue May 19 (if Det-Cle goes 7)
2️⃣:
-Tue May 19 (if Det-Cle goes 6)
-Thu May 21 (if Det-Cle goes 7)
3️⃣Sat May 23
4️⃣Mon May 25
5️⃣Wed May 27 (if nec)
6️⃣Fri May 29 (if nec)
7️⃣Sun May 31 (if nec)

⏰TBD
🏟️TBD
📺ESPN &/or ABC pic.twitter.com/CWbx3Vzj33

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 14, 2026

Myles Turner’s loose lips showed just how much of a sinking ship the Milwaukee Bucks were this season — with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the forefront of it all.

The Bucks’ star center, signed to a four-year, $108.9 million deal last offseason in a shocking move after the Pacers let him walk, told “Game Recognize Game” podcast co-host Breanna Stewart that Milwaukee had many problems under the hood, including tardiness.

“Bro, we literally — if the plane took off at 2 o’clock, we weren’t leaving until 4:30,” Turner said on the latest podcast. “I’m being so serious, bro. It was crazy. Guys were hours late to the plane. It got to the point where I just knew not to show up until like an hour after they said the plane was taking off. It was crazy.”

When Stewart asked who the biggest infringer was, Turner had one name on the tip of his tongue.

“That’s easy: Giannis,” he said. “Giannis is gonna show up whenever he wants really, you know? I think that it kinda just came with the territory. And once I saw what was going down, I was like ‘Hey, man, more power to you. They ain’t gonna fine you. Do what you do.'”

When Stewart, star of the WNBA’s Liberty, said her new coach Chris DeMarco added a fine system that includes $25 penalties for missed free-throw box-outs, Turner added that now ex-Bucks coach Doc Rivers, who has since retired, “didn’t fine anyone ever.”

“Guys were showing up to film whenever they wanted to show up; guys were missing meetings. It was one of the craziest things I’ve personally ever experienced,” Turner said.

On other teams, he said, players were fined regularly.

Doc Rivers never gave out fines, players late for planes, and getting fined for not boxing out.

NEW EPISODE of Game Recognize Game with Stewie and Myles OUT NOW.

Watch on YouTubehttps://t.co/RrTE4wnLZ8@breannastewart@Original_Turnerpic.twitter.com/pgIZDgyFzu

— Game Recognize Game (@gamerecgamepod) May 14, 2026

Taylor Jenkins, the Bucks’ new coach, will need to make changes following a horrific 32-50 regular season.

Antetokounmpo appears likely to be traded this offseason, given the extent of the dysfunction Turner described, as well as public comments from front office executives when the team introduced Jenkins.

“We will do what’s best for Giannis and what’s best for the organization,” Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam said during a press conference to introduce Jenkins. “We don’t know whether Giannis will stay with us or not, but we’ll work through that with Giannis in the coming weeks.”

The expectation is that a solution to this incoherent situation will be found before the 2026 NBA Draft in June.

Antetokounmpo has been publicly upset with the franchise that held him out to end the season due to injuries, public stating that he was healthy enough to play.

His next team odds have the Celtics as the primary option to trade for his services, should he be dealt this offseason.

I had the incredible experience of being Brew Hoop’s eyes and ears at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago this past week. As much as I didn’t want to leave, I’m home now, but I left with plenty of thoughts on prospects the Bucks may be targeting with their 10th overall pick. There was a lot to take in at the Combine, and a laundry list of names have been linked to Milwaukee, so to make things easy, we’ll start with the guys Eric Nehm reported have met with the Bucks so far. Here are some notes on all of them:

Darius Acuff Jr.

Most of the concerns surrounding Acuff have involved his (lack of) size. It’s no secret that small guards are an endangered species right now. But Acuff measured better than some may have expected, slotting in at 6’2” barefoot with a 186-pound frame and a 6’7” wingspan. He plays smaller than his size to some degree, but those are still encouraging numbers. Ultimately, though, it feels pretty unlikely that the Arkansas stud will fall past Brooklyn and Sacramento, so scouting him is just due diligence for Milwaukee.

Nate Ament

Ament has all of the parts needed to build a good player, but he doesn’t come with an instruction booklet. The Tennessee forward came out for his athletic testing at the same time as some big guys, including Cam Boozer, Hannes Steinbach, Aday Mara, and Caleb Wilson, and he looked right at home beside them with his 6’9.5” barefoot height and 6’11.5” wingspan. He needs to fill out with more muscle, but he has a real NBA build. He fared pretty well in shooting drills, but the form will definitely need several tweaks if he’s going to be a real deep threat. 

Mikel Brown Jr.

Brown killed it at the Combine. His measurements were great; at 6’3.5” barefoot with a 6.7.5” wingspan, he has real combo guard size, which is important if he’s going to be playing alongside Ryan Rollins. Brown also shot the leather off the ball in drills. His jumper is as effortless and clean as anyone’s in the class. It’s tough to imagine him falling to 10 unless teams get really scared about his noted back injury worries.

Brayden Burries

Burries was another standout performer at the Combine, even if he didn’t make quite as much noise as Brown or the guy we’ll touch on next. He tested well athletically, posting a 38.5-inch maximum vertical and some quick pro lane drill and 3/4 court sprint times while also measuring in at nearly 6’4” barefoot and 215 pounds. Burries also scorched nets in the shooting drills. He’s another guy who could fit next to Rollins in the backcourt pretty seamlessly. 

Cameron Carr

No player helped their stock more at the Combine than Cam Carr. His athletic stuff was impressive, and then he came out and dominated the second scrimmage on Wednesday, going for a LOUD 30 points in 27 minutes. He’s one of the best true three-and-D wings in the draft, and he proved himself to be worthy of consideration at 10 for the Bucks if Giannis sticks around, as long as Yaxel Lendeborg isn’t still on the board. 

Chris Cenac Jr.

Unless the Bucks know something we don’t, Cenac would be a reach at 10. He’s pretty raw and doesn’t have a defined role, but he does have some intriguing tools, which he showed off in Chicago. The Houston product is 6’10” with a 7’5” wingspan and a 37-inch max vert, and his jumper is a lot smoother than what most guys his size are working with. 

In media availability, I asked Cenac how he thinks he’d be able to match up with centers early in his NBA career. He said “it’ll definitely be a challenge, but you know I’m never running from the fire, I’m definitely ready to jump in the fire and see what it’s like and go out there and compete.” He’ll probably be more of a power forward as a rookie, but if he can find some more consistency from deep, that would open up some enticing double big possibilities with him alongside Myles Turner or Giannis. Again, though, he’s not likely to hear his name called 10th overall.

Aday Mara

Not that it was a total shock, but Mara wowed the draft world when he got marked at 7’3” barefoot with an almost 10-foot standing reach. He shot the ball surprisingly well for a guy of his giant stature, specifically during the movement shooting drills, which is honestly pretty scary. However, his form isn’t NBA-ready: it’s slow, and he struggles to put enough arc on the ball. His stretch potential is something to keep an eye on if he’s going to be paired with the Greek Freak.

Labaron Philon

Philon didn’t do much to stand out in either direction at the Combine, which could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. He’s firmly in the running for the 10th pick right now, given he’s a tier behind the Acuffs and Browns of the world on most boards. So, I asked him if he views himself as a true combo guard at the next level and what his favorite way to play offensively is because, again, he could be sharing the floor with Ryan Rollins. His answer: “I don’t really have a preference, I like playing on the ball, off the ball. I think I can do both at a great high rate, so being able to find a mix between playmaking and scoring, really.”

Keaton Wagler

Wagler’s measurements were a tad concerning, with a meh 36-inch max vert and a wingspan that only exceeds his height by an inch. On top of that, he shot surprisingly poorly during drills. This is a case where the larger sample size has to be trusted over the Combine results, although that should always be done anyway. Meeting with the Illinois star is mainly due diligence too, though, with steam picking up quickly for him to land with the Clippers at 5.

Tyler Tanner

Tanner broke the news during media availability that he met with the Bucks on Wednesday. Milwaukee’s interest here is interesting, because the Vanderbilt guard is only ranked in the top-10 by Twitter’s spreadsheet scouting battalion. He unfortunately tanked his stock this week, measuring in at 5’11” barefoot and failing to make an impact in scrimmages (although his decision to play in them as a projected first-round pick was commendable). Tanner will probably return to school, so maybe Jon Horst is doing his 2027 homework early.

Here are some brief notes on some other players worth talking about despite not officially being connected to the Bucks:

Yaxel Lendeborg: Tested not-so-well athletically, but no reason for worry here because he’s a proven awesome functional athlete. Shot it well in the spot-up drill specifically. Met with and worked out for Milwaukee last year, per Nehm.

Hannes Steinbach: Posted measurements of 6’10” barefoot with a 7’2” wingspan and weighed in at 248 pounds. He’s a big fella. The Bucks visited him at workouts recently, again according to Nehm.

Karim Lopez: Didn’t look good in the athletic testing, and his jumper is all over the place. He’s even rawer than Nate Ament.

Dailyn Swain: It was a rough week for the Texas wing. His shot looked clunky during drills, and he had a pretty quiet scrimmage on Wednesday. He opted to sit out of Thursday’s game, but many thought he should have played again.

Morez Johnson Jr.: Had a fantastic showing in every sense. The only blip for him was the spot-up shooting drill. The Michigan forward feels like a lottery party crasher that Milwaukee needs to have on their radar.

Jayden Quaintance: Didn’t do athletic testing. The jumper is gross (which is fine). When I asked him how he thinks he can fit alongside another big at the next level, he said “I feel like my versatility and the way that I move, I feel like it’s different than a lot of bigs, so I feel like we’ll be able to kinda occupy the same space and I’ll be able to do different things to play different roles, especially defensively, and offensively, spacing-wise as well with my quickness and the speed that I have.”

Ebuka Okorie: The Stanford guard’s measurements were better than those of some of his peers (6’1” barefoot, but a nearly 6’8” wingspan and a 37.5-inch max vert). Shot it really well. A potential late riser—he’s not at all significantly worse than other guards projected in the range of the 10th pick.

Stay tuned for more in-depth analysis of these prospects from Brew Hoop, both in written and podcast form!

Steve Kerr reveals how his wife's ‘meaningful' reminder helped Warriors decision originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The days and weeks leading up to Steve Kerr’s decision about his Warriors future were emotional, to say the least.

While he engaged in productive conversations with team owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy, and even kept in touch with star players Steph Curry and Draymond Green, he also had several discussions with those closest to him, including his wife, Margot.

And one message from Margot helped change his entire perspective.

“She said, ‘You might coach again someday, but you’ll never coach the Warriors again,’ ” Kerr recalled Margot telling him while speaking to the media Friday after signing a new contract with Golden State. “That was really meaningful to me because I love this team, I love our players. That struck me.

“I couldn’t imagine walking away from the Warriors.”

"You might coach again someday, but you'll never coach the Warriors again."

Steve Kerr shares how a message from his wife helped with his decision 🥹 pic.twitter.com/CPjXMzAt6h

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 15, 2026

So he agreed to a two-year contract extension to return as coach and continue his decorative 12-year tenure with the team, in which he’s helped bring four NBA titles to the Bay.

Once Margot helped get his emotions together, he turned to the Warriors brass to make the logical decision.

“So at that point, it was really, ‘What do you guys want to do?’ ” Kerr remembers asking Lacob and Dunleavy. “We had great meetings, and over the course of about a week, we agreed. Let’s do it. So here I am.”

The decision is just one of the many important ones Golden State leaders will have to make this offseason, as they will now shift their focus to roster construction with several key players, such as Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, set to miss the start of the 2026-27 season.

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