Category: NBA

While the Lakers are oozing with talent at the top of the roster in Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler, this team has two things it lacks: veterans and championships.

With a push toward youth, LA has just one player who’s over 30 who also happens to have lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy in Kevon Looney.

The former Warriors and Pelicans center signed a one-year deal with the purple and gold, fulfilling his wish of becoming a Laker. In an interview on ESPN LA’s “Mason & Ireland” show, he discussed embracing his role and being ready to bring his experience to this team.

“Just filling that backup center role, being a veteran for this team and bringing some championship experience to the team. Just bring that toughness that I always try to bring every time I play. That’s what my role’s going to be and I look forward to getting out there and showing people what I can do.”

Given that Looney was with Golden State for most of their title run, he witnessed firsthand what it takes to dominate the NBA. Those championship habits are something he can share with a player like Kessler, who has never even played in a playoff game and is now on a team with a goal of winning it all.

If Looney is willing to teach Kessler everything he’s learned during his decade in the league, that might make his signing to the Lakers worth it regardless of his performance on the court. However, Looney believes he still has more to contribute than just words of wisdom.

“I got a chip on my shoulder. I want to just show people what I can do. I want to be one of the best offensive rebounders, one of the best rebounders in the league. I want to be one of the best role players in the league. I want to bring a lot of spark to our bench and a lot of leadership.

My goal every year is always to play every game and be consistent. I had a couple injuries so I wasn’t able to meet that goal last year so I want to get back on the right step and prove myself all over again and show them why I’m an ironman, a tough man and one of the best rebounders in the league.”

Throughout his career, Looney has always been a great offensive rebounder. Even last season, playing in just 21 matchups, he averaged 2.3 offensive boards per game. That level of production would’ve made him the second-best offensive rebounder on the Lakers.

If Looney can remain healthy, he is on track to be a star in his role. He understands what the Lakers need from him and has the skill set to provide it.

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

Former NBA champ Paul Pierce and Princess Santiago, an event director in Los Angeles, still are at odds over a custody agreement for their son, King Rafael, whom they welcomed in February, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.

Santiago — who previously filed a paternity suit in January, claiming Pierce was the father of her son — provided alleged text messages with the NBA Hall of Famer as part of their ongoing case over custody and support.

“I just wanted to let you know that your son is here. He was born today,” Princess wrote to Pierce on Feb. 6, per TMZ. “If you’d like to see him tomorrow, let me know.”

It does not appear that Santiago received a response from Pierce.

The outlet published an image of another alleged text exchange dated April 13, which showed Paul as saying: “Just found out today officially that’s my son so anyway I can at least see him.”

Santiago responded two days later and said, “Hello and congratulations, Paul. 99.99%. Anyway, you had the opportunity to take the test I paid for either before or after the birth.

“Instead, you chose not to and ignored my entire pregnancy with him; you prioritized love interests, vacations, other people and things over your son with wanting to know the truth.

“I’d appreciate you having a bit more respect for me as his mother and your son from here forward. Ive never kept you from King before or after his birth and I still won’t. I do appreciate that you’re beginning to step forward and finally acknowledge him.”

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The message continued but was cut off in the TMZ image.

Santiago, in another alleged message dated April 30, said, “If you want to be a father to him, cool. If not, I’m not going to beg you.”

Santiago is asking the court for sole legal and physical custody of their child, as well as child support payments. 

The amount she is seeking for the payments has been redacted.

Santiago, who said she is unable to work because she has to care for her son, claimed Paul refused to turn over all of the relevant financial info to determine how much he had available for support payments.

She alleged Paul has rejected her efforts to co-parent.

Paul filed court docs opposing Santiago’s previous request for $30,000 per month in child support, plus another $100K for legal fees in the case, TMZ reported on July 31.

At the time, Paul, who said he was willing to provide support to Santiago, explained that his income was steadily decreasing and that his checks from his previous gig with Fox Sports 1 were coming to an end in September 2026.

In January, TMZ reported that Santiago filed a paternity suit claiming Pierce is the father of her son, and requesting genetic testing from Pierce.

Pierce and his ex-wife Julie Landrum have three kids together: daughter Prianna and sons Prince and Adrian.

Pierce played 15 of his 19 NBA seasons with the Celtics and won a championship and Finals MVP with Boston in 2008.

The Celtics retired his No. 34 jersey in February 2018, after her retired the year before.

The dream that star St. John’s forward Dillon Mitchell would turn down an NBA contract and return to the Red Storm for his fifth season of college basketball was only that: a dream.

The Boston Celtics shut the door on rumors that Mitchell would come back to college and use his extra year of eligibility granted by a Colorado federal judge, announcing that it has signed its 40th overall selection in the 2026 NBA draft to a two-way contract, voiding the former Red Storm standout’s remaining amateur eligibility. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Mitchell becomes the second former St. John’s star selected in this year’s NBA draft to sign a professional contract. Zuby Ejiofor inked a four-year rookie-scale contract worth $17.3 million with the Atlanta Hawks not long after he was drafted with the 23rd overall pick. Bryce Hopkins has yet to sign a contract with the Denver Nuggets after getting drafted with the 49th overall pick, but wouldn’t have been eligible to return to college anyway after his five-year eligibility clock expired.

The Celtics rookie stood out amongst his peers during the NBA Summer League, averaging 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and even tripling his senior year three-point output, firing 3-of-8 from long range across three games.

Mitchell can earn only $678,882 on a two-way contract, half the value of a guaranteed rookie minimum deal, and is limited to playing up to 50 NBA games. This means Mitchell is most likely splitting time with the Boston Celtics and developing with their G-League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.

In his only season with the Red Storm, the former McDonald’s All-American posted 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game on 55.9% shooting from the field, securing positions on the All-Big East Third Team and Big East All-Defensive Team.

As Mitchell is now off the board and St. John’s still has one remaining roster spot to fill, the Red Storm will focus on finding a starting-caliber replacement for stellar Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman at power forward.

The Red Storm are reportedly one of the many teams eyeing All-SEC forward Keyshawn Hall, one of the many seniors returning to college basketball for a fifth season. The well-traveled 6-foot-7 swingman never spent more than one season playing for a single team, hopping between UNLV, George Mason, UCF, and Auburn. Hall led the Tigers in scoring and rebounding last season, averaging 19.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest on 45.1% from the field, 37.9% from three, and 85.7% from the free-throw line.

Kings reportedly not discussing Zach LaVine buyout after player option exercised originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After exercising his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 NBA season, Zach LaVine is set to remain with the Kings.

Though this summer appeared to signal the start of a rebuild in Sacramento, both LaVine and Domantas Sabonis remain on the roster. And that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon, at least in LaVine’s case.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported this week the Kings aren’t looking to let go of LaVine, as they did recently to DeMar DeRozan.

“One source close to the process told The Stein Line that the Kings are operating under the premise that LaVine will start the season as a King and added that “no buyout” is being discussed,” Stein wrote in his Substack on Monday.

As Sacramento seeks a transition to a new core centered around 2026 NBA Draft No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr., LaVine’s future with the Kings was a question mark entering the offseason. But after some unsuccessful trade discussions around Sabonis, both veterans seemingly will be back for the upcoming campaign.

Like Sabonis, LaVine is coming off an underwhelming season in which he played just 39 games before undergoing season-ending finger surgery in February. The 31-year-old averaged 19.2 points per game — his lowest average since 2017-18 — as well as 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 47.9-percent shooting and 39.0 percent from deep.

Now, LaVine will be expected to help mentor the Kings’ younger players as the organization looks to build for the future.

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Where Warriors' Draymond Green redrafts himself in his star-studded 2012 class originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green has been waiting years to settle this argument on his own terms.

The Warriors forward used his podcast “The Draymond Green Show” to redraft the loaded 2012 NBA Draft class — and rather than simply ranking players by name recognition, Green laid out the criteria first.

“On my redraft, I’m redrafting off body of work,” Green said. “That’s individual accolades, that’s team accolades, and the whole thing mixed together.”

By that standard, Green kept the top two spots unchanged from the actual draft. Anthony Davis stayed at No. 1 overall, with Green pointing to his inclusion on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, a championship and nine All-Star selections. Damian Lillard held at No. 2 overall behind nine All-Star nods and seven All-NBA selections of his own.

Then came the placement Green clearly had been building toward.

“At number three will be yours truly, myself, Draymond Green,” he said. “That is nine-time All-Defensive Team, Defensive Player of the Year one time, four-time NBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist — although that don’t matter on here — two-time All-NBA: one-time Second Team, one-time Third Team. Make no mistake about it, that is number three.”

The résumé speaks for itself, but the context around it makes the placement even more remarkable. Green actually was selected 35th overall in 2012 — in the second round — and remains the only player in NBA history to be drafted that late and still go on to win at least four championships and make four All-Star teams. Nobody else picked outside the lottery that year, or in most drafts before or since, has matched that combination.

Green also made a point of shouting out two former teammates from that same class. He praised Harrison Barnes, the No. 7 overall pick by the Warriors that year, and Festus Ezeli, whose career was shorter but whom Green still credited as effective during his time with the Warriors. Both players shared in the championship runs that now anchor Green’s own case for No. 3 overall in 2012.

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LeBron James is a Philadelphia 76er. I know you’ll have read that a lot by now, but I don’t think another mention hurts when it still feels this surreal.

There’s so much to think about with LeBron’s arrival. Beyond the excitement that the possible greatest player of all time chose Philly for his final ring chase, signing on the absurd value of a minimum contract, there are all the basketball nuances to consider. How much will he even need to score on a team with Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and another rising star in VJ Edgecombe? How will LeBron perform defensively as the new power forward? How will Nick Nurse stagger the team’s stacked array of stars and scoring talent?

There’s lots to think about and look forward to. 

For now, though, let’s focus on LeBron’s new All-NBA teammate, Tyrese Maxey. Because their relationship on the court has the potential to be the most entertaining and dynamic of any new combination LeBron will form on the team.

We all know Maxey has blossomed into a stellar, high-volume scorer. He just set a new career-high with 28.3 points per game on a 58.8 true shooting percentage last season (his most efficient season in three years) as he made the All-NBA Third Team for the first time. At every level of the floor, Maxey’s versatility and efficiency as a scorer has reached elite levels. He can burn opponents not only with his speed and acrobatic finishing, but his smooth dribbling and pull-up shooting. And along with his scoring talent, his passing has steadily improved over the course of his career as well. He’s a sharper playmaker and pick-and-roll leader who takes great care of the ball, and just averaged a career-high 6.6 assists to only 2.4 turnovers per game.

However, Maxey has always thrived most when he’s able to spend a healthy amount of time doing what he does best: being one of the top off-ball scorers in the NBA.

He’s always excelled as a frenetic attacker off the catch with how he can burst downhill against closeouts and scrambling defenses, and his shooting off movement and running off screens has only improved throughout his career. He can hit threes on the catch and around screens at speed, at tough angles, and from well beyond the arc. Apart from a down spell in 2024-25 with three-point shooting, Maxey has routinely shot lights out on catch-and-shoot threes for years:

2022-23: 45.5 percent on 3.5 attempts per game

2023-24: 44.4 percent on 3.1 attempts per game

2025-26: 41.7 percent on 3.4 attempts per game

Maxey got to do that more for part of last season next to Edgecombe and Paul George (when the latter was actually available), but 2024-25 in particular showed where Maxey’s performance can be hindered by a higher on-ball workload. For starters, he had a career-high usage of 29.8 percent (slightly above his 29.4 in 2025-26). On top of that, he was assisted on by far the lowest percentage of his two-pointers (30.7) and three-point attempts of his career (49.1 — well below the second-lowest mark of his career last season at 59.5). It’s the least efficient season he’s had apart from his rookie year, finishing with a 56.2 true shooting percentage.

Not having a sky-high creation workload is where Maxey excels most. This is where LeBron can help Maxey be his best.

James can operate anywhere. He can lead pick-and-rolls, be a passing hub from the top of the floor in slower possessions, still run out and orchestrate transition play alongside the speed of the Sixers’ guards, play from the post and elbows, be a screener and short roller. LeBron’s a brilliant passer in all these situations. He can manipulate defenses in any scenario, and Maxey will be there to take advantage. Whether he’s attacking off the catch, flying off pin-downs and flare screens, or simply darting around as a cutter or relocating for threes, LeBron will be able to find him at just the right time, with just the right pass placement.

Imagine swapping guys like Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart in some of the possessions below, who need to favor staying in the corner, for Tyrese Maxey. The potential for how Maxey can be used is night and day in comparison. Maxey is going to make a killing in simple possessions where LeBron drives and kicks after instantly collapsing a defense, passes from the post, or with Maxey using easy actions like slip screens, running floppy, or inverted pick-and-rolls to dart into space at the arc.

Last season, LeBron calmly averaged 7.2 assists per game alongside Luka Dončić and assisted on 34.1 percent of the Lakers’ made field goals when was on the floor. He’s even the NBA’s all-time leader in three-point assists, with 23 years of perfecting the craft of setting up others for easier looks at the arc. That, combined with how effectively LeBron still attacks the paint and collapses defenses inside (he scored 11.1 points per game in the paint last season, still good enough for 20th in the league) will only create more opportunities for Maxey and others to get open.

We also can’t overlook how the downhill pressure of Jaylen Brown, who ranked second in the NBA in drives per game last season at 19.1, is going to help create space for Maxey.

Just think of the headaches defenses will have against a LeBron-Embiid pick-and-roll, too. Embiid doesn’t need to be exploding down the lane to still pull in defenders with the threat of him attacking inside, getting mismatches, or chances to find close positioning inside to set up for easy scores. Maxey should find plenty of space when he’s running off pin-downs or cutting into space alongside these actions.

The potential of the Maxey-LeBron two-man game is tantalising for the Sixers as well. Dribble hand-offs can be a great tool for Maxey, partly due to the danger James will pose if he gets a switch thanks to the size, speed and downhill force he has. If defenses double LeBron, that only frees up more space for Maxey to run into space for three or cut. If Maxey pulls the attention of both defenders towards the arc, that leaves chances for LeBron to keep the ball himself and fly into the paint.

Having LeBron’s elite short-roll passing — whether that’s to eventually kick back out to a relocating Maxey or other shooters — is going to be another fun new wrinkle for the offense.

Over the last week, there’s been plenty of talk about there only being one ball and how will the Sixers’ offense work with so many stars. Of course, a team with this much new talent will need time to figure things out. Yet everyone getting a few less touches hardly seems like as much of an issue when LeBron’s passing and gravity will be creating easier looks for everyone else.

And as for Maxey, being a top off-ball/secondary scorer next to one of the very best passers and basketball minds we’ve ever seen… How could that not help him?

It’s also easy seeing LeBron embracing the role of lead playmaker on this team. We’ve already seen what he can do when he leans into an even more pass-heavy role, like when he operated as the Lakers’ clear-cut point guard in 2019-20 and led the league in assists for fun with 10.2 per game.

Sure, there’s only so much you want to take the ball out of Maxey’s hands. Clearly you don’t want to demote him to standing in the corner — but that’s not going to happen when he has such skill operating off ball.

Maxey is eager and willing to adapt his role anyway.

As Chris Haynes has mentioned, the Sixers’ guard was “relentless” in his recruitment of LeBron, doing all he could to communicate and convince LeBron that Philadelphia was the right place for him to be. That included Maxey emphasizing he’d make any sacrifices needed to his own game to make the fit right for James.

It’s inevitable Maxey’s usage will drop now the Sixers have added Brown and LeBron, but this is where firmly staggering stars, finding optimal duos, and giving each star a healthy dose of usage will be key. Having the option to have multiple stars and creators on the floor at all times can be a superpower for this team, not a flaw.

This also gives the Sixers the kind of top-end creation and depth so they have security for any times LeBron or Embiid are injured, or simply need rest to help ensure they are in the best condition possible to go all out in the playoffs. That matters even more than ever now, with the added urgency for LeBron to win another ring in his last two seasons.

Top-end depth is one of the many luxuries of this reloaded team that Mike Gansey has assembled (shoutout Gansey for a truly ridiculous debut offseason as president of basketball ops. What an all-time entrance to a front office.)

When next season rolls around, with LeBron in town, the stage will be set for Maxey to be the best, most efficient version of himself yet.

Has Jaylen Brown talked with Jayson Tatum since trade? ‘Not really' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Celtics drafted Jaylen Brown with the No. 3 overall pick in 2016. The Celtics drafted Jayson Tatum with the No. 3 overall pick a year later.

Together, they represented both the present core and the entire future of the Celtics organization, working hand-in-hand as a superstar duo and winning a championship together in 2024.

Throughout that journey, outsiders wondered how close the Jays were off the court. And while that relationship might have evolved over time, it appears to have ended on a sour note.

On Thursday, when Brown was officially introduced as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, he was asked if he’s spoken to Tatum since the trade went down more than a month ago.

“Uh, not really,” Brown answered.

That is, of course, a surprising reality, considering that the two stars worked together as the faces of the franchise for so long. But it’s also in line with what many considered or assumed to have been a professional — but not necessarily personal — relationship between Brown and Tatum.

“We won a championship together, so anybody that you win a championship [with], you would think like that’s what a brotherhood or a lifelong legacy would entail,” Brown said when asked if he and Tatum hoped their on-court partnership would continue. “Obviously, there’s ups and downs with any type of relationship, for sure. But on my end, it’s nothing but respect. Besides when he plays the Sixers, I hope he does well. But other than that, everything for me is just based on respect.”

Brown also shared some leftover distaste about how the process of being traded played out slowly at the start of the summer.

“The whole process,” Brown said when asked what bothered him about the Celtics’ handling of his availability in trades. “But to be honest, my mind is so focused on what’s in front of me. To be honest, I’m moving on. Maybe one day we’ll share the details of how everything transpired and all the moving parts that took place in this. Obviously, it’s a lot of speculation. I feel no need to chime in on it, because I’m focused on what’s in front of me.”

With the LeBron James era officially over, it is time to move on to the Luka era and all his new teammates with the cap space the Lakers have used this offseason.

While the Lakers may have assembled a new squad this summer, many of the players already had connections to one another, which could speed up the process of building chemistry.

Let’s take a look at those.

Walker Kessler

Walker Kessler and Austin Reaves played together at the FIBA World Cup in 2023. Kessler has also played with Jared Vanderbilt for half a season in his rookie season.

Collin Sexton played with Kessler in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, developing a great chemistry with one another.

Quentin Grimes

Quentin Grimes has played with Luka Dončić in the season after the Finals run and hold each other in high regard as despite not playing together very long. JJ has a connection with Grimes as, prior to him becoming coach of the Lakers, the pair worked out with JJ showing the process of being a professional.

Sandro Mamukelashvili

Luka has already reached out to Mamu about the fit together and how that will work. Mamu also played in Europe with Virtus Bologna while Luka was with Real Madrid.

Collin Sexton

He has chemistry with Kessler from his Jazz days. Collin Sexton was on Redick’s podcast “The Old Man and the Three.”

Jaden Hardy

Jaden Hardy played with Luka for two-and-a-half seasons with the Mavericks and was even part of the 2023-24 Finals run.

Ziare Williams

He has chemistry with Bronny James from Sierra Canyon High School. He has also played with Jake LaRavia with the Memphis Grizzlies in his early years.

Kevon Looney

He doesn’t have any chemistry with any of the current players on the roster, but he has lots of experience with ex-Lakers or soon-to-be Lakers in the following seasons with D’Angelo Russell, Dennis Schröder, Juan Toscano- Anderson, Quinn Cook, and JaVale McGee.

Matisse Thybulle

Matisse Thybulle doesn’t have any connections to current players on the roster, but during his time in Portland, he played with players who have played in Los Angeles. Those include Josh Hart, Shaquille Harrison, Skylar Mays, Gary Payton II and Cam Reddish, both prior to and after being on the Lakers. JJ Redick also talked with him on his podcast four years ago.

With these connections among themselves and with the Lakers franchise, it should help develop chemistry. And with Luka hosting a mini camp in Slovenia, it should help build even more bonds to start the 2026-2027 NBA season.

Kings reportedly discussed Domantas Sabonis trade with Celtics, Pistons originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It is no secret the Kings are in a rebuilding phase, as they look to build around a new, younger core led by the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Darius Acuff Jr.

But as that focus shifts towards the promising rookie, general manager Scott Perry still must figure out what to do with some of Sacramento’s high-paid veterans on long-term deals, namely Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine.

There have been several reports in recent months regarding the Kings’ attempts to trade Sabonis, including unsuccessful discussions with the Toronto Raptors at the NBA trade deadline in February and the Charlotte Hornets prior to the NBA Draft in June.

And now, as ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported in a story this week, Perry also engaged in trade talks with the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics involving Sabonis, who underwent season-ending knee surgery on Feb. 18.

“Perry visited with restricted free agent center Jalen Duren in early July and explored the idea of a sign-and-trade swap of big men,” Slater wrote, “but the Detroit Pistons balked at the idea of losing Duren for Sabonis, league sources said.

“There were predraft conversations about Sabonis with the Charlotte Hornets (who held pick Nos. 14 and 18) and at least one phone call with the Boston Celtics, team and league sources said, but nothing materialized. In Charlotte’s case, the idea would’ve been to pair Sabonis with point guard LaMelo Ball, but the franchise instead opted to trade Ball for draft picks and lean further into a youth movement.”

Duren, a 22-year-old NBA All-Star last season with the Pistons, perhaps would have been a better fit for the Kings’ new timeline with Acuff. But now, it appears Sabonis is set to return to Sacramento for the 2026-27 NBA season.

The veteran big man, who turned 30 in May, is coming off a disappointing year in which he played just 19 games; his 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game all were his lowest marks since his third NBA season in 2018-19.

Slater also reported Sabonis “has expressed a willingness to recommit and buy-in to this season’s team,” citing sources with the Kings. Sabonis still is owed just over $94 million over the final two seasons of his current contract. And though he is eligible for an extension, that isn’t currently on the table, according to Slater.

With LaVine seemingly remaining with the Kings as well, it’s set to be an interesting campaign for Sacramento as the team looks to transition from one core to another.

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After being run out of town five years ago, Ben Simmons posted on social media that he’s currently lacing up The King’s boots.

The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft had such a bad time in Philadelphia that he had to be sent out in a trade and was even kicked out of practice at one point, but is now posting pictures of LeBron James basketball sneakers after the all-time great signed with his former team.

Simmons said in June he “maybe [will] go back to Philly” in an attempt to reignite his basketball career despite flaming out of the league and beginning a professional fishing career.

Though those June comments are when James to the 76ers looked like a non-possibility.

With James now in the fold, the 76ers are among the NBA Finals favorites, as the team has also added Jaylen Brown to complement other high-end talent.

Simmons had a phenomenal start to his career in Philadelphia, averaging at least 15.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game in each of his first three seasons while also being named first-team All-Defense twice in that span.

However, in year four, he had a nightmare playoff series against the Heat that apparently caused serious harm to his career.

Simmons, 30, forced a trade out of Philadelphia and had a bizarre mental block that ended with him often passing on open layups when he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden.

Another potential destination if he did return to the NBA would be in Miami.

“Miami would be nice. And not because it’s Miami,” Simmons said. “I like Erik Spoelstra, I like the Heat, I like their organization, I like the culture.”

The Philadelphia 76ers traded Johni Broome to the Los Angeles Clippers last week in order to create enough cap space under the first apron to sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a veteran’s minimum deal. Yesterday, that signing was made official.

Per Sixers Public Relations:

“Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey announced today that the team has signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

In 51 appearances (14 starts) with Memphis last season, Caldwell-Pope averaged 8.4 points on 41.0-percent shooting (91.3% FT), 2.7 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 21.3 minutes. He recorded a season-high 20 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc on Jan. 2 against the Lakers.

Since entering the league in 2013, the University of Georgia product has shot at least 38.3-percent from deep in six of his 13 seasons, including a career-high 42.3-percent from three in 2022-23. 

A two-time NBA champion with the Lakers in 2020 and Nuggets in 2023, Caldwell-Pope has appeared in 67 career postseason games, averaging 9.7 points on 35.8-percent shooting from deep, 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in 32.4 minutes. 

Caldwell-Pope has appeared in 11 NBA Finals games (all starts), averaging 10.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in 32.5 minutes. He poured in 17 points in Los Angeles’ Game 6 series-clinching win against Miami on Oct. 11, 2020. 

Originally selected by Detroit in the first round (8th overall) of the 2013 NBA Draft, Caldwell-Pope has produced career averages of 11.0 points (42.7% FG, 36.5% 3FG, 82.6% FT), 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 steals in 963 games (784 starts) with the Detroit Pistons (2013-17), Los Angeles Lakers (2017-21), Washington Wizards (2021-22), Denver Nuggets (2022-24), Orlando Magic (2024-25), and the Memphis Grizzlies (2025-26).

Caldwell-Pope will wear No. 1 with the 76ers.“

The new piece of information was Caldwell-Pope wearing No. 1, last donned by Andre Drummond, with James Harden also being a recent Uno, and the longest-tenured Sixer to wear the number being Slammin’ Sammy Dalembert. We’ll see how much Caldwell-Pope can positively contribute coming off a couple down years in Orlando and Memphis. Undeniably, though, he has more left in the tank than a couple other veterans whom the Sixers have used to occupy end-of-roster spots in recent years. Plus, if it makes LeBron happy, we’re all happy.

The best thing about the parity era of the NBA is that almost every team believes they are one or two moves away from contention. It can also be something of a double-edged sword when teams get desperate and make shortsighted deals that could negatively affect their chances for years to come if they don’t go right.

It’s always hard to tell which bold decisions are going to pay off. I was a big fan of the New York Knicks trading for Karl-Anthony Towns, but a lot of outlets thought his huge contract and poor defense made him a toxic asset. The Knicks ended up looking like geniuses for the KAT trade during their 2026 championship run. I also liked the Phoenix Suns’ trade for Kevin Durant a couple years ago, and that one ended up being a massive whiff on my part.

Big risks can equal big rewards in the NBA, but some of the decisions this summer already seem destined to age poorly. Here’s my list of the worst moves of the NBA offseason thus far.

7. Lakers break the bank for Walker Kessler

Of all the moves on this list, this one has the chance to come back and bite me. I’m pretty high on the Lakers entering the season. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves needed a defensive-minded center behind them, and Kessler was the best one available on the market. I don’t even really have a problem with Kessler’s contract, a four-year, $130 million deal, which seems fine for a solid starting center. My issue is what the Lakers gave up to get him, sending two unprotected first-round picks and two swaps to Utah for the right to pay him. That’s a superstar haul for a player who has never come close to being an All-Star before, and I doubt he’ll ever achieve that status. The deal also means the Lakers don’t have a first-round pick to trade for the next seven years. Los Angeles might have the worst forward room in the league at the moment, and they have no way to upgrade the roster after overpaying for Kessler. This could work out if Luka looks like the best player in the world and Kessler looks like prime Rudy Gobert, but it’s just way too risky for a player who has accomplished very little in his NBA career thus far.

6. Knicks letting Mitchell Robinson walk

I understand that no team wants to be in the second apron right now, but I think it could have been worth it for the Knicks to re-sign Mitchell Robinson. I understand the logic of letting him walk to the Boston Celtics: he’s often injured, and his miserable free throw shooting makes him a liability late in games. Still, Robinson’s force on the offensive glass and ability to protect the rim made New York both a better team, and a huge pain in the ass to go against. His offensive rebound late in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals helped the Knicks win their first championship since 1973. This team could absolutely repeat this year, but they lost a key piece because they didn’t want to go into the second apron to retain him. Andre Drummond is a pretty big downgrade for a team with ambitions of going back-to-back.

5. Bulls take on Nic Claxton without assets

The Bulls entered the summer with the most salary cap space in the league, but they immediately blew a huge chunk of it by taking back Nic Claxton from the Nets in a three-team trade. The Bulls didn’t give up anything to get him, but Claxton’s play has fallen off so much in recent years that Chicago should have received assets just to take on his contract ($44 million owed over the next two years). If you’re going to be a total non-shooter at center like Claxton, you better be able to rebound well. Claxton is very weak on the glass, finishing in the 27th percentile of defensive rebound rate last year. Unless that perks up, this won’t be a good move for the Bulls, and he’ll be an anchor on their cap sheet next season, too. Claxton was pretty good a few years ago when he was patrolling the backline next to Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, but a back injury has slowed him down and made him look like a shell of himself in what should be his prime years. I actually think Claxton might be the third best center on the team this year behind Jalen Smith and Zach Collins. The Bulls should have waited to see what else was out there on the market before immediately wasting so much money on Claxton.

4. The Pelicans doing absolutely nothing

The Pelicans only made one move this offseason, and it was a super confusing one, re-signing DeAndre Jordan to a two-year, $8 million deal with both seasons guaranteed. Does New Orleans realize it finished 26-56 last year? Does it know basically everyone else in the West improved? The Pelicans have some talent on the roster with Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Derik Queen, and Jeremiah Fears, but they can’t possibly think the status quo from last season is good enough. They would have been wise to sell high on Murphy, but they reportedly rejected some strong offers for him. Everyone blasted the Pelicans a year ago for getting too aggressive in their draft night move for Queen, and it apparently paralyzed them into inactivity this summer. Most teams will at least throw a few ideas at the wall. The Pelicans just sat in silence.

3. Suns trading for Miles Bridges

Future first-round picks are at a premium in this era of the NBA, and Suns gave away a super valuable one by sending an unprotected 2033 pick to Charlotte for Miles Bridges. That’s not all Phoenix gave up in the deal: they also parted with two solid role players in Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale. A team should be able to land an impact player when trading that type of package, and I just don’t think Bridges is good enough to fit the bill. He’s a spacey off-ball defender who ranks near the bottom of the league in steals and deflections, and it’s no coincidence that Charlotte’s defense was much better with him off the floor, going from a 117.1 defensive rating when he was on to a 112 defensive rating when he was off. Bridges also still isn’t a reliable outside shooter after only hitting 32.3% of his triples across the last two seasons combined. The skeptic in me says the Suns only made this move because of Bridges’ Michigan State connections, and they were willing to overlook his horrifying history of domestic violence to do it. I like a lot of the Suns’ other moves this summer, but this one just wasn’t worth it.

2. Wizards give Trae Young a max contract

It’s rare that a contract becomes the worst deal in the league from the second it’s signed, but that’s exactly what happened when the Wizards decided to give Trae Young a four-year max extension worth $212 million. No one else in the league would have given Young that contract, which makes me think the two sides had a handshake agreement when Washington made the trade deadline deal for the former Hawks star in February. Young hasn’t played like a max player since he led the Hawks to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, and that series was so long ago that Ben Simmons was a focal point in it. Washington is clearly sick of being in the NBA cellar, but I’m skeptical of the fit between Young and newly drafted No. 1 overall pick A.J. Dybantsa. Both players like the ball in their hands and are somewhat shaky as floor spacers. Young is of course still one of the very worst defenders in the NBA. If Young can finally embrace movement shooting and setting screens, there’s a chance his excellent playmaking does help elevate the Wizards’ young core. This just felt like a massive overpay from the second it was signed for a team that still needs a lot more help.

1. Gary Trent Jr.’s $64M deal from the Bucks

Trent made a combined $5.8 million over the last two seasons. He’s coming off arguably the worst season of his career, yet he just cashed in with a massive $64 million deal from the Milwaukee Bucks. This contract reeks of cap circumvention. It sure feels like there was an agreement behind closed doors for the Bucks to eventually give Trent a big day after he signed two small deals, and they ended up rewarding him even though he didn’t earn it. Trent was legitimately one of the worst players in the NBA last year, ranking in the eighth percentile of EPM and the third percentile of estimated wins. He’s a complete zero defensively who can’t do much on offense other than hit some spot-up threes. The NBA is reportedly investigating the deal, but there’s no punishment for Milwaukee that would be worse than actually paying out this contract. The Bucks have plenty of young guards that need playing time, and now one of their highest paid players will be someone they have literally no use for. There’s just no way to defend this deal, even if everyone knows exactly how it came to be.

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 finished last season 10th in defensive rating.  Do you believe they will be better, worse, or about the same defensively in 2026-27?

GuarGuar: I think overall we will be around the same defensively, maybe slightly better overall with our rating. 10th is pretty good overall, so it’s not really a big problem if we finish the same. However, we were really streaky defensively last year, and I’d rather we be consistently around 10 all year than 6 for half the season and 18ish for the other half…as was the case last season. More minutes for Fleming and Maluach should help us defensively, and I expect Ott to play fewer small-ball lineups this season.

zenzino: I knew this set of questions was coming when grey_hound asked, “What happened to defense? All the answers seemed focused on offense,” and Keratosis concurred, saying many were guilty of that. In another part, Rod said he’d been going easy on us. I said, “Bring it!” And it’s been brought.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but my lineup ideas took defense into account. The reason it “seems” like the focus is on offense is that I’m not worried about defense. The grit and tenacity that last season’s Suns built their reputation on were largely about playing defense for 48 minutes. The foundation this coaching staff preaches is getting more offensive possessions on the defensive side of the ball.

I believe the Suns will be a little better on defense this year. Whether that translates to them moving up in the ranking or not depends on other teams.

Because of injuries and other factors, the Suns slid a little in the second half of the season. If they stay healthy, I don’t see that slide happening again.

This is also where the continuity comes in. Team defense, way more than offense, takes time and chemistry to develop. This is why (in addition to players wanting to show out) you don’t see any team defense in All-Star games and not much in Summer League. It takes time to learn those defensive schemes and learn the strengths and habits (good and bad) of your teammates.

I don’t think the Bridges trade necessarily made them better on defense, but it didn’t make them worse, either. Sheer and Man Man getting more experience will give them additional defensive length as well.

So, yeah…I definitely expect them to be in the top 10 and maybe move closer to 5 than 10.

Ashton: Well, shame on me for not realizing that the Suns finished 10th out of thirty teams. That isn’t bad. Also, I am just not a huge fan of defensive metrics, but a few commentators got up in arms about the lack of defense articles. So, what does Rod do? Dump the whole thing on the Fantable.

To me, defensive ratings are complicated and not the first stat I run to after the game. This is the formula.

Defensive Player Rating = (Players Steals*Blocks) + Opponents Differential= 1/5 of possessions – Times blown by + Deflections * OAPDW (Official Adjusted Players Defensive Withstand)

Yeah, screw that. That formula has been in place for over 20 years! I am not doing the math on that, as other factors come in. Such as, is the player a defensive pest? Can they smash-talk while switching? Are they going to get T’ed up and spend time on the bench? We know Brooks will take a seat. Booker will whine at the refs and take a seat. My guess is Bridges will be an enforcer based on his past history and probably have to take a seat. And I am not running the numbers on what losing RO and GA meant for the defense, but GA was decent. Also, I like watching defense based on the eye-test metric, but I can only watch one side of the court at a time. I would also add if the player stayed at a Holiday Inn the night before as a metric.

Another weird item is that I randomly ran into articles taking a skeptical view of both NBA and PFF (Pro Football Focus) analytic metrics over the course of putting this response together. Do not get me started on AI; it is a glorified data scraper that doesn’t like to play nicely in the “sandbox”. PFF was created by some British guy (shout-out to British Suns Fan) to better understand the game using hand-charted stats, and it was revolutionary for its time. But I tended to be on the side with the skeptical point of view. If the analytics were spot on, then we would all be rich on player prop bets or “Kashi market predictions”. Use the eye test and realize that analytics are helpful but not the end-all, be-all for capturing the nuances of mindset and play.

I still have to answer this question, and I think ranked 10th in defensive metrics is a pretty high bar to clear. Credit to Coach Ott, but I think the Suns regress from the mean. Call it closer to 15th in the league.

Rod: Overall, I see the Suns being at least as good, and likely better, defensively in 2026-27. A lot of that will depend on Ott, his lineups, and his player rotation schemes. I believe many of the Suns’ best defensive players will likely start games on the bench, and the more court time they get, the better the team’s overall defensive rating will be. There’s so much depth on this team; Ott needs to be the anti-D’Antoni coach and use that depth instead of running his starters ragged. I hope to see none of our starters playing more than 30-32 minutes a night because of that depth.

Q2: Which players would you put on the court as your Suns “All-Defensive Team” in 2026-27?

GuarGuar: My All D team for this season would be:

Goodwin
Brooks
Dunn
Fleming
Maluach

All those guys are dawgs on defense and get after it.

zenzino: Ok, let’s go.

Starting with the backcourt: Booker and Goodwin.

Yeah, I said Book. Deal with it. He’s a big, strong guard who doesn’t shy away from physicality. Olympic Book was a defensive stopper and he brings some of that to his NBA game. Is he always the best defender? No. Defense takes a lot of energy and he’s asked to do a lot of different things on this team. But, when he needs to be, he’s the best defensive guard on this team (yeah, I said that, too).

Goodie is a pest. He’s active, tenacious, and physical with good size and strength. His defensive rebounding ends opposing teams’ offensive plays.

Frontcourt starting with small forward: has to be Dillon Brooks.

He sets the tone. Physical and annoying, he gets under players’ skin. I really don’t think there’s any better option at SF.

The power forward position is the toughest one for me. The obvious answer is Miles Bridges. And while I can’t say I am well-versed in the ins and outs of his game, scouting reports say he is an able defender who often loses interest in defense. This could be my ignorance, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say Rasheer Fleming.

The question says ’26-’27 and not ‘to start 26-27’. So I am projecting that, for next season as a whole, Sheer will be the best defender at the power forward position. As I said in the SL Fantable, while Fleming didn’t show out, he quietly showed improvement in footwork and positioning, and the ability to guard 1-5.

Center is a tough one. I could do the same thing I did with the power forward position and project out but, I don’t think I’m going to do that. Man Man showed great improvement in SL, but he still has defensive areas that need significant improvement. While Oso can do certain things better than the other two (ball-handling, passing) I still have to give the edge to Mark Williams in rim protection and overall defense.

I think it’s interesting that so many people think MW is disposable at this point. His injury was a key reason the Suns’ defense declined towards the end of the season. Obviously, his health is always an issue. But he’s only 24 and will also get better if he can stay mostly healthy. He’s been in the league twice as long as Oso but has only played 26 more games.

So, to sum up, my All-Defensive Suns team is:

Booker
Goodwin
Brooks
Fleming
Williams

Ashton: If you made it through my rant on Q1 on analytics, I am still ready to rant. Analytics do not predict the future. But we only have current analytics from the 2025 and 2026 seasons to answer this question. What remains are at least three players. Booker, Brooks, and CG. Okay, pencil them in. Oh yeah, you have to pencil in Oso as well. Now, what to do with the forward position? I know! Let’s play everyone’s favorite subject. Small Ball!

CG (PG)
Booker (SG)
Dunn (SF)
Brooks (PF)
Oso (C)

I still think Brooks and Dunn are interchangeable at the forward position. Dunn needs to be brought in for what he was meant to be, a defensive wizard.

Rod: First off, I’m not considering offense as part of this equation. I’m looking at this strictly from the point of view of who put on the court if all you’re concerned with is getting a defensive stop and getting the ball out of the opponent’s hands. With that in mind…

We’ve got to have Goodie on this team. All hustle, all the time, and 13th in steals last season make him a no-brainer choice here.

After Goodie, the choices become a little more subjective as I think there are more than just 4 other players you could select for this team. Depending upon the matchups with the opponent’s lineup, you could tailor the defense to them specifically…but for now I’ll just go with a kind of “generic best” that I think would defend well in almost any situation.

At SG and SF, who do I choose? Brooks comes to mind first in this group, but then we’ve also got Highsmith and Dunn…plus Fleming at SF if we really want to go big on D. Oh, isn’t it good to have so many choices!?!

For the PF slot, we’ve got Fleming and perhaps Oso to consider. Fleming has the better physical tools, but Oso’s BBIQ and versatility can’t be dismissed easily.

And at center, Williams or Maluach? Mark actually had the best defensive rating on the team last year, but I love the way Khaman challenges people at the rim. Intimidation also plays a part in defense, and if Khaman develops a rep as a shot-blocker early on, that could push him into the top center spot for this team.

It’s certainly still mostly pure guesswork on this question, but, for now, my All-Defensive lineup would be Goodie, Dunn, Brooks, Fleming, and Maluach.

Q3: Which Suns player do you believe has the best mix of offensive and defensive talent?

GuarGuar: I’d probably say Dillon has the best mix of offensive and defensive talent. He’s really improved these past couple of seasons offensively, and we know the impact on D he brings on a nightly basis. He might be slightly overrated as a defender, but his energy on that end is very much real and contagious.

zenzino: I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of disagreement on this from the Book haters, but Devin Booker is the best two-way player on the team.

Obviously, he’s the best offensive player on the team with his ability to create shots for himself and for his teammates. His mid-range is money, he can drive to the basket, and while he shouldn’t be a volume 3-point shooter, he can hit them at a decent clip when he’s allowed to pick & choose when he shoots them. He has a lot of gravity and is top 10 in the league at getting blitzed for a reason: everyone in the league respects his ability to score. In his ‘down’ year last season, he still averaged almost 26 points and 6 assists per game.

Granted, he’s not the best defender on the team. But he’s much better than most give him credit for on BrightSide. As I said in the last question, as a guard, he plays with size and physicality. We saw him be a lockdown defender during the Olympics. We’ve seen it in key moments for the Suns.

Some might say, Dillon Brooks. While Brooks is a better defender and his offense was huge for the Suns last season, we don’t know if he can keep that up now that opposing teams know that side of his game. He can create his own shot, but he went to the ‘Kobe Bryant School of Passing,’ so we know when he wants to score, he’ll take the shot whether he should or not, and is not good at setting up his teammates. His 3-point percentage also went down from 39% to 34% last season because his strength is catch-and-shoot 3s.

Yup, I’m pretty comfortable saying Booker is the best two-way player on the team.

Ashton: It is clearly Booker with the best offensive and defensive skill set. All the metrics align, and he is the one I would want on the court in any crunch.

Rod: I pretty much have to go with Brooks on this one. He plays hard on both ends, keeps the rest of the teams pumped up to play D, and, in general, gets under the opposing teams’ skin. He doesn’t always make the best decisions on the court, but he has the confidence to make one and go with it rather than hesitate. On D, he also doesn’t back down from anyone. The Suns have a few better offensive and defensive players, but I don’t believe any other player on the roster has a better two-way skill set than Brooks.

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

Suns Trivia/History

On August 5, 1999, the Suns traded Pat Garrity, Danny Manning, a 2001 1st-round draft pick, and a 2002 1st-round draft pick to the Orlando Magic for Anfernee Hardaway. Two years later, as part of a three-team trade, the Magic would trade that same 2002 first-round pick back to the Suns along with Bo Outlaw in exchange for Jud Buechler in order to shed salary and create cap space. The 2002 1st-round pick that was traded away and later reacquired by the Suns was ultimately used by the Suns to draft Amar’e Stoudemire. If not for the Suns’ second trade with Orlando, Amar’e Stoudemire would have likely never been a Phoenix Sun.

On August 8, 2000, Kevin Johnson retired from the Phoenix Suns for the second and final time after being called back into service during the regular season after Jason Kidd broke his ankle. Although Johnson had not played in an NBA game since April of 1998, he stepped right back into the Suns’ starting lineup almost 2 years later to start in six of the Suns’ final 10 regular-season games and came off the bench to play in all nine of the Suns’ playoff games before the team was eliminated in the 2nd round by the Lakers. After his 2nd retirement, KJ went to the NBA on NBC studios to call games during the 2000-01 regular season.

Important Future Dates

Sept. 28 – Media Day
Sept. 29 – Training Camp opens
Oct. 5 – Suns @ Pistons (preseason) 4:00 PM
Oct. 7 – Suns @ Bulls (preseason) 5:00 PM
Oct. 10 – Suns vs. Spurs (preseason) 7:00 PM
Oct. 14 – Suns @ Spurs (preseason) 5:00 PM
Oct. 16 – Suns vs. Jazz (preseason) 7:00 PM
Dec. 15 – Most players signed to new contracts can be traded
Jan. 5 – 10-day contracts may now be signed
Jan. 10 – All NBA contracts are guaranteed for the remainder of the season
Jan. 15 – All players signed to new contracts can be traded
Feb. 11 – Trade Deadline
Feb. 19-21 – NBA All-Star 2027

Over the past few years, the Houston Rockets have assembled one of the most talented young teams in the NBA.
A large portion of such trade value is retained.

If another superstar enters the trade market, Bleacher Report thinks Houston has two of the most valuable players in the league to offer.

Grant Hughes of B/R ranked Amen Thompson at number five and Reed Sheppard at number 10 in his July 31 assessment of the NBA’s top ten trade assets, and Houston was the only team with two players on the list. However, we all know the Rockets are very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very unlikely to trade Amen Thompson, so for the purposes of today’s discussion, let’s focus on Reed Sheppard.

Sheppard, who is ranked No. 10, gives Houston another young talent who might draw a lot of attention.

Despite having a little role early in his career, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft has continued to be a fascinating member of Houston’s backcourt. However, even with all that, I am unsure if I would keep Reed Sheppard. Reed Sheppard’s main strong suit was shooting, which he was good at as he shot 39% from three, but it feels that’s his only calling card offensively.

After Sheppard made 39.4% of his 3-point attempts the previous season, Hughes emphasized his shooting. The Bleacher Report writer also mentioned Sheppard’s career statistics of 18.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per 36 minutes. “If he develops as a playmaker and figures out how to survive being a target of the opposing offense,” Hughes wrote, “Sheppard has legitimate star potential.”

Houston has more trade weapons than just their two young guards. The Phoenix Suns’ 2029 first-round pick, which will ultimately belong to either Houston or the Brooklyn Nets, was named by Bleacher Report as the NBA’s third-best trade asset. Hughes listed the Rockets’ hold over Phoenix’s 2027 first-round choice as one of the league’s most valuable future assets. Houston has a lot of versatility because of that collection.

Without making another significant trade, the Rockets can keep developing around Sheppard, Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Kevin Durant. But Houston has the youthful skill and draft money to make a strong offer if a player who could change the franchise becomes available.