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Boston Celtics (0-0) vs Toronto Raptors (0-0)
Friday, July 10, 2026
9:00 PM ET
Summer League Game #1
TV: ESPN, NBCSB
Cox Pavilion
This is the first Summer League game for both of these teams as neither team played in Salt Lake City or California Summer Leagues. The Raptors are playing in the first of back to back games and will face the Houston Rockets on Saturday. The Celtics won’t play again until Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets.
Both teams are mostly Rookies with some having played in the G-League. The Celtics have 13 rookies listed with 2 players with 1 year NBA experience and 1 player, Alondes Williams, with 3 years experience with Brooklyn, Miami, Detroit and Washington. The Raptors have 12 rookies listed with 4 players having 1 year experience.
The Celtics are coached by Amile Jefferson. Jefferson was named Director of Player Development for the Duke Blue Devils in 2021. He was promoted to assistant coach at Duke for the 2022-23 season. In 2023, Jefferson became an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics under head coach Joe Mazzulla. Jefferson played for the Celtics on an Exhibit 10 contract before being hired as an assistant coach.
The Raptors are being coached by Ivo Simovic. Simović began his coaching career in 2001 in Belgrade. Simović spent two summers working as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs during 2013 NBA Summer League and 2014 NBA Summer League season. He spent 1 year as an assistant and 1 year as head coach of the Hartford Hawks. He spent a season as an assistant coach at UCLA. From 2023 to present, Simović has been an assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors under Darko Rajaković.
Celtics Summer League Roster
Mohammad Amini #54 R
Chris Cenac, Jr #12 R
Tucker DeVries #41 R
Hugo Gonzalez #28 1
Caleb Grill #37 R
Curtis Jones #26 R
Kyle Mangas #43 R
Dillon Mitchell #20 R
Hank Morgan #51 R
Nick Pringle #40 R
Day Day Thomas #38 R
John Tonje #8 R
Milos Uzan #29 R
Chauncey Wiggins #50 R
Alondes Williams #46 3
Amari Williams #77 1
Head Coach
Amile Jefferson
Celtics Players to Watch
Hugo Gonzalez – Celtics fans will be watching for a big Summer League showing from Gonzalez. The Celtics reportedly turned down the Giannis trade because they didn’t want to include Gonzalez in the package. Hugo was the 28th pick in last year’s draft. In last year’s Summer League, he averaged 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 14 minutes per game last season. His +11.9 rating was the highest for any rookie that played at least 100 minutes. He is coming off a successful showing in World Cup qualifiers where he had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a win over Denmark. Because of his play there, we may or may not see much of him in Summer League.
Chris Cenac, Jr – Cenac was the 27th pick in this year’s draft. He is 19 years old and was a highly recruited center going into his one season at Houston. He averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in college, while shooting 48% from the field, 33% from beyond the arc and 62% from the line. He has a combination of size and athleticism that makes him a very intriguing player. He was signed to a standard rookie contract and will likely split time between the parent club and Maine this season.
Dillon Mitchell – Mitchell is a 4 year college player who was drafted with the 40th pick. He is 6’8″ with a 6’10” wingspan. He is a super athlete, good finisher, rebounder and defender. He averaged 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game over 37 games with 25 starts last year. He was named to All Big East 3rd team and Big East All Defensive team. He is an excellent defender but weak on offense. He shot just 19.3% on 3’s and 48.8% on free throws.
Amari Williams – Amari was the 46th pick in last year’s draft. He spent most of last season on a 2-way deal but was converted to a standard contract at the end of last season. He averaged 1.4 points, and 1.8 rebounds in 6.6 minutes with Boston last year. He averaged 15.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.8 blocks with Maine last season. There are reports that he has grown to 7’2” since being drafted but he is listed at 7’ even with a 7’5” wingspan for Summer League. Hopefully he can put the pieces together and dominate this game. He has already been signed to a 2-way contract for this season.
Toronto Raptors Roster
Jaden Bradley #8 R
Tyreke Key #11 R
Nate Bittle #12 R
Seth Lundy #13 1
AJ Hoggard #16 R
Jalen Celestine #18 R
Tyson Degenhart #20 R
Brandon Angel #21 R
Allen Graves #22 R
Chucky Hepburn #24 1
Nimari Burnett #25 R
Collin Murray-Boyles #30 1
Jamarion Sharp #33 R
Aziz Bandaogo #35 R
Malik Thomas #41 R
Alijah Martin #55 1
Head Coach
Ivo Simonic
Raptors Players to Watch
Collin Murray-Boyles – Murray-Boyles was the 9th pick in last year’s draft. He had a very good first season with the Raptors. He played small ball center for much of his rookie season. He averaged 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 57.9% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc. In the playoffs, he averaged 14.4points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. The Raptors would love for him to make another leap in his sophomore season but won’t likely play a lot in Summer League for them.
Allen Graves – Graves was the 19th pick in this year’s draft. He is a defense first player and excels at steals and blocks. He is 6’8″ tall and will likely be a stretch 4 or small ball 5 for the Raptors. He averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.9 steals in his only college season. He shot 41% from beyond the arc, so even though he thinks defense first, he is also a very good shooter.
Alijah Martin – Martin was the 39th pick in 2025. He played the majority of his first season in the G-League but was given a standard deal at the end and played 23 games with the Raptors, averaging 6.3 minutes per game. in 40 games for the 905 in the G-League, he averaged 18.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 39.6% from beyond the arc.
Questions
How many minutes will Hugo Gonzalez play for the Celtics? He is coming off of time with the Spanish team at the World Qualifiers. He also has a full season with the parent team last season. But the Celtics should want to see him play as much as possible to help him take a leap in his sophomore season.
How many minutes will Collin Murray-Boyles play for the Raptors. As with Gonzalez, Murray-Boyles has a full season with the parent club under his belt. However, he played more minutes and had a bigger role on the team than Hugo did. He proved to the Raptors that he can play so he may not see many minutes for them in Summer League.
Victor Wembanyama is extension-eligible this offseason and is the definition of a no-brainer max player.
Wembanyama and his Spurs just lost in the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks — a team that could be built out as a title contender because Jalen Brunson took a massive discount on the max contract he was offered ($113 million off the max he could have asked for).
Did that give Wembanyama ideas?
Spurs family, I’m here to stay.
— Wemby (@wemby) July 10, 2026
Whatever it takes
This implies that an agreement on an extension was reached and that Wemby will take less than the full max, something Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported as a rumor circulating at Summer League in Las Vegas.
Wembanyama, the reigning unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, would qualify for a Rose rule 30% max contract, estimated to start at $53.5 million and be worth more than $300 million over the course of the five-year contract.
The Spurs can see financial reality and the NBA's tax aprons coming for them. Wembanyama is extension-eligible this summer (the contract would kick in for the 2027-28 season), then Stephon Castle is eligible for his extension next summer, then Dylan Harper the year after that — all of that on top of De'Aaron Fox's four-year, $221.7 million extension that kicks in for next season.
Any discount Wembanyama takes helps keep a young roster that has already been to the NBA Finals together long term. His desire to win is no secret, but don't expect NBA superstars to take a discount so owners can save money on the tax to become a trend.
Earlier this week, we asked Cleveland Cavaliers fans which Eastern Conference team improved most this offseason. Four teams have made drastic moves that are expected to change their playoff trajectory. However, one team stood out more than the rest.
Over two-thirds of Cavs fans surveyed thought that the Philadelphia 76ers improved most from a group that included the Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, and Boston Celtics.
Philadelphia winning the poll isn’t too surprising. They made the flashiest move of the offseason by swapping out Paul George and draft capital for Jaylen Brown. Brown was a peripheral MVP candidate last season. Putting him in the place of George should be an instant upgrade.
That said, I am surprised that the Raptors didn’t get some more support here. Assuming that the trade for Kawhi Leonard actually goes through, they should be on the shortlist of Eastern Conference contenders and present matchup issues for a Cavs team that struggled against them last postseason.
The Heat and Celtics’ place in the poll feels warranted. Miami should be much better with the addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo, but it’s fair to wonder if they are true threats in the East without additional help.
The odds on FanDuel show a tightly contested battle for the top of the Eastern Conference next season.
Currently, the defending champion New York Knicks are the favorites to have the top seed in the conference at the end of the season at +310. Behind them are the Celtics (+440), Detroit Pistons (+450), Cavs (+800), Sixers (+850), and then the Raptors (+1000).
The odds to win the 2027 Finals don’t reflect that order. The Knicks are the top team in the East at +900, followed by the Celtics (+1300), Raptors (+1600), Sixers (+2200), Pistons (+2200), and then Cavs (+2200).
We’ll see how this shakes out soon enough. And we’ll see how the possible return of LeBron James to the Eastern Conference potentially shakes the odds up even more.
The California Classic was plenty of fun for Nets fans. Egor Dëmin absolutely showed out, and Mikel Brown Jr. showed up just in time to make a serious first impression. Now, they’ll take their talents along with the rest of the summer squad and head over to Las Vegas to play the Knicks. Their summer hype is a well-earned celebration tour. Brooklyn’s summer holds a lot of weight as they assess their rotation entering the 2026-27 season.
Four games… then 3+ months until the next game. Enjoy them!
The Nets’ other two-way player, and second-round rookie Tyler Bilodeau, was electric beyond the arc. His 3-point shooting has always been his calling card, nailing 46.4% of his 3-point attempts at UCLA last season. He quickly flashed that ability in two Summer League games, averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 26 minutes per game while converting 58.3% of his 3-point attempts. He even drilled four triples in just the first half of the Nets’ final game at the California Classic.
– Connor Long’s full preview here.
Share your thoughts and react, but please be respectful. NetsDaily prides itself on being a safe space for Nets and basketball fans alike to have healthy conversation. Reach out to Anthony Puccio or Net Income with any issues.
In the meantime, check out The Brooklyn with Pooch & Collin as they talk about the California Classic, offseason, and what to look for in Las Vegas.
Skip the Cirque du Soleil, go past the roulette table, and head straight to the basketball court, because Summer scrimmages are back in Vegas, baby! Will the games be pretty? Unlikely. But they will give you an early look at the Knicks’ young talent (e.g., Jack Kayil, Tyler Nickel) and give rostered players (e.g., Mohamed Diawara, Pacome Dadiet) a chance to prove they deserve more attention heading into training camp. Expect Diawara and Dadiet to carry much of the offensive and defensive workload. Across the floor, the Summer League Nets will field a promising young roster led by Egor Demin, Mikel Brown Jr., Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf. Expect them to give T.J. Saint’s squad a run for their money!
Tip-off is 6 pm EST on Amazon Prime / Gotham. This is your game thread. This is Nets Daily. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be good humans. And go Knicks!
There’s a lot of noise — some informed, some not — that LeBron James is signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers in free agency. However, nothing is set in stone or guaranteed until James or his team announces where he plans on playing next season. And rumors are flying in every direction.
To prove that point, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on a recent radio interview that a “good source” told him that James signing in another city was a “done deal.” He didn’t say that it was a done deal or that he was reporting it. The point here was to say that there are rumors in other cities as well.
Figuring out which other team Windhorst could be referring to is anyone’s guess. The Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Golden State Warriors all make compelling cases to varying degrees.
Along the same lines as someone saying they’ve heard other things, Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that he had a team tell him that they thought the Heat were the favorites. He then pointed out that he didn’t know what led that team to say that.
At this point, we still don’t know anything for certain. While it seems the Cavs are the ones expected to land James, other teams make compelling cases as well. And those other teams still feel like they are in the race for LeBron.
We’ll figure out how this ends in due time. All we can say right now is that it doesn’t seem like LeBron is in any type of rush to make a decision. The endless speculation and rumors could drag on for anywhere from several more hours to several more weeks.
There are three kinds of NBA jerseys you see at Las Vegas Summer League. There’s affectionate, ironic, and regrettable. The first category is simple: Steph Curry No. 30, Kobe Bryant No. 8, Kobe Bryant No. 24, Kobe Bryant Lower Merien High No. 33. There’s a lot of Lakers fans at Summer League.
Ironic is the kind of jersey you see on a hipster at Coachella or that I was wearing Thursday: A No. 34 Mike Dunleavy, Junior in Thunder-the-Mascot-Era lettering. The guy sitting in front of me was rocking a No. 77 Gheorghe Muresan Washington Wizards jersey, honoring My Giant himself. It shows you are a Ball Knower, more than simply a Ball Fan.
The regrettable is when you’ve spent big on a jersey and made a huge mistake. Like when my father bought me a Michael Crabtree jersey for my birthday, but Crabtree held out from the San Francisco 49ers for months, so Dad simply pretended he forgot to get me anything until four months later, when Crabtree finally signed, thanks to the intervention of MC Hammer.
That applied to the young Utah Jazz fan sitting in our row wearing a Walter Clayton, Jr. jersey. Clayton was the hero of March Madness in 2025, winning a title with the Dubs’ own Will Richard. The Jazz traded up to get him in the first round and this Jazz enthusiast bought in early. Then, Keyonte George solidified himself as Utah’s point guard of the future, and Clayton was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Jaren Jackson, Jr. trade.
Lucky for him, the “ironic jersey is really just a regrettable jersey + time. That WCJ jersey is going to be incredible when President Barron Trump holds White House Lawn Coachella in 2047.
There were quite a few Darryn Peterson Jazz jerseys in the arena, as he was making his summer debut against No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa after the Warriors beat the Mavericks. Fewer Dybantsas, perhaps because Salt Lake City is simply closer to Vegas than Washington D.C. is. Plenty of Kobes, Plenty of Stephs, but fewer LeBron jerseys than usual, perhaps because he’s not on a team yet — Lakers fans got spurned, Cavs fans don’t want to jinx it, Heat fans are wearing Lionel Messi jerseys.
Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of New York Knicks jerseys this year after they won the title, though the variety of merchandise is a wider range. I saw a Patrick Ewing jersey, an OG Anunoby shirsey, multiple NBA Champions t-shirts, two Jalen Brunsons, and one Karl-Anthony Towns. It might be that Knicks merchandise was selling out even overseas, so people had to take what was available. That is not meant to disparage Anunoby, Anne Hathaway’s favorite basketball player, one bit.
For the trip, I’m torn. I always wear an MDJ as a tribute, but I also packed a Jazz Jeff Hornacek jersey I bought for a video making fun of how he rubbed his face during free throws, well after he retired, clearly a banger. But am I too old for ironic jerseys?
No. Because if I don’t wear the Brooklyn Nets Jersey of Kris Humphries, the love of Kim Kardashian’s life, every year at Summer League, that means I wasted the $5 I paid for it at their online store, which was still inexplicably stocking it in 2015, two years after he left the team. Kim K. did him wrong!
Victor Wembanyama might be willing to leave money on the table to help the Spurs build around him.
The San Antonio superstar is considering signing a rookie-scale extension below the maximum value available to him, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, a move that would preserve more financial flexibility for the franchise.
The report came after Wembanyama, 22, posted a cryptic message that seemingly addressed the extension talks.
“Spurs family, I’m here to stay. Whatever it takes,” Wembanyama wrote on X with a black heart emoji.
Spurs family, I’m here to stay.
— Wemby (@wemby) July 10, 2026
Whatever it takes
The French sensation didn’t explicitly reference his contract situation, but Fischer’s subsequent report raised the possibility that “whatever it takes” could include accepting less than the full amount available to him.
Wembanyama is eligible to sign a five-year, $251 million maximum rookie-scale extension this summer.
The deal could grow to roughly $301 million if he qualifies for a higher maximum salary through certain league honors.
Anything less than that number would go a long way toward helping the Spurs keep their young core together.
Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, who were selected near the top of the draft in consecutive years, could command massive rookie extensions of their own if they continue developing alongside Wembanyama.
San Antonio has already made a major financial commitment to De’Aaron Fox, whose four-year, approximately $229 million extension begins with the 2026-27 season and runs through 2029-30.
Fox is set to make approximately $55 million during the 2027-28 season, when Wembanyama’s next contract would begin.
The Spurs also have five other players, including Devin Vassell at around $27 million, set to make $10 million or more next season.
Wembanyama accepting a less-than-max deal would provide breathing room under the NBA’s increasingly restrictive luxury-tax aprons that have been a massive strain on team-building in recent years.
Earlier this offseason, the Knicks let Mitchell Robinson walk for Boston in part due to second-apron restrictions that Wembanyama could help the Spurs avoid.
Rockets VSL vs Nuggets VSL
Time: 7:30 PM CST
Watch: ESPN2
Where: Pavillion, Las Vegas, NV
Tonight the Houston Rockets begin their 2026 Las Vegas Summer League experience. Unlike last year, there is a draft pick playing, the somewhat controversial Bruce Thornton. Thornton was taken with the first pick in the second round. A trade with the New York Knicks made this possible, but don’t expect the Rockets to make a lot more 2nd round picks soon, as they currently don’t have any in upcoming seasons. On the other hand, the Charlotte Hornets have 20 of the things, and they’re basically the fungible currency of trades in the NBA these days.
Thorton was drafted as a 22 year old senior out of Ohio State, though he had offers to play at other major programs, like Jabari Smith’s Auburn. He’s meant to be a polished three level scorer, and his physique, power and height are reminiscent of Jalen Brunson and Kyle Lowry. If anything like that outcome happens for Thornton, it’s a spectacular pick. Even if he’s simply a useful bench guard in heavy rotation, it’s a very good pick. If he sticks around on the bench, and stays in the NBA, it’s a good second round pick. If none of that happens, it’s a typical second round pick, just to set the bar for what to expect here.
The Rockets described Thornton as an analytics darling, and he should be ready to go in VSL, as a four year college player. As a scoring point guard, the sort of player that typically looks best in Summer League’s chaotic and unstructured action. Since the Rockets offense can also be described as chaotic and unstructured (when it’s not being predictable and easily defended) this is a good test.
The Rockets have another player or two that might make the roster on the squad for summer league. College senior Qudir Copeland signed with the Rockets as an undrafted free agent. He was expected to either be a late second round pick, or go undrafted. He might be a good pickup, as he has good size for a guard. He’s described as a good rebounder, he defend decently, has a decent handle, and is a high effort player. Copeland’s shooting is a real concern, in that he doesn’t shoot all that well, or that often. Sound like a perfect Rocket.
Anyhow, we’ll get to see a couple of new Rockets, or at least potential Rockets. Along with an old friend of TDS: Daishen Nix. He’s back. Again. Commence to rejoicing, Nix fans!
The Rockets VSL team will be coached by Will Huntings non mathematical genius (probably) cousin, Will Dunn.
LAS VEGAS — Trae Young spent Thursday night in Las Vegas (well, at least the early part of Thursday night) sitting courtside, watching the future of the Wizards, AJ Dybantsa, look special in his debut. How did he react to that?
"I'm ready to play tomorrow," Young said Friday morning. "I was just seeing that last night. I mean, I'm just ready to play. Excited to be a part of this team."
Young signed a four-year, $212.8 million contract extension with the Wizards, locking him in with the team. On Friday morning, the team made it official at a press conference announcing the deal.
That contract raised a lot of eyebrows around the league. Young made $46.4 million last season, and there was no trade market for him at the deadline — Atlanta essentially salary-dumped him to Washington. The expectation around the league was that Young would sign an extension, but at a considerably lower per-year number. His value wasn't there. Instead, the Wizards gave him a raise.
Young heard all the talk and shrugged it off.
"That ain't nothing new. I mean, it isn't the first time all this has gone on…" Young said. "I don't really care about what other people think. You know what I'm saying? I only care about what the people in this organization think, my teammates think, and how we're gonna get better and how we're gonna find ways to win the game. So whatever everyone else has to say, I mean, it's all irrelevant to me."
Will Dawkins, the Wizards' general manager, talked about how well Young fits this team on and off the court. Dawkins said he wanted to build a team with multiple shot creators and decision makers so that this isn't the Trae Young show. Dybantsa will get his chances — he was impressive with the ball in his hands in Vegas — and Anthony Davis can serve as the hub of an offense for a stretch. Washington has built a balanced roster of youth and veterans.
"You have a mixture of both, that's this makes great team," Young said. "I mean, you can't have a team full of just older players that can't run. You can't have a team with just young players that don't know the game, been in those experiences. So you have a mixture of both."
These kinds of press conferences rarely yield real insights or news, but one thing that was clear from this event is that Young is excited to be in Washington and with this team.
"Will (Dawkins, Wizards GM) said it, that's the reason why you got to have guys like me and AD, because those young guys have shown that they're ready to make that next step," Young said. "And I'm just I'm just happy to be a part of it."
Back on June 24, the second night of the NBA Draft, fans were aghast that the Nets, who picked at No. 43 weren’t going for a big man, preferably one who can protect the rim. Why didn’t they use their cache of 21 second rounders to take Trevon Brazile of Arkansas, taken by the San Antonio Spurs at No. 35, or Baba Miller of Cincinnati taken by the Los Angeles Clippers one pick later?
Then when the Nets selected 6’9” power forward and sharp shooter Tyler Bilodeau of UCLA and Billings, Montana, at 43, there were more questions, starting with “Who?!?” and “Why?!?” Fans wanted to know “Why Not Henri Veesar?” the Estonian seven-footer who played at North Carolina and was still on the board (and would be till No. 52) or Ugonna Onyenso of Virginia and Nigeria, who lasted till No. 53.
Bilodeau was unknown to a lot of fans. Until ESPN’s Jeremy Woo listed him at No. 60 and last in his final mock draft two days earlier, he had not made any of the major media’s mocks despite being the top 3-point shooter in the Class of 2026. After he was selected, the Nets moved to sign him to a two-way deal, as they often do with mid-second round picks.
Now, after two games in Sacramento’s California Classic, outrage has subsided a bit and some fans are calling Bilodeau, the next Joe Harris or a taller Joe Harris (by three inches.) We should be so lucky. Harris was taken at No. 33 in the 2014 draft and finished his career with the third best 3-point shooting percentage of all time, having twice led the NBA in 3-point percentage, even beating Steph Curry in the 3-point contest in 2018.
The big change of opinion came in the third game in Sacramento when he scored 18 points, grabbed five rebounds, handed out two assists and hit 4-of-6 from deep. So far, so good. Bilodeau who may not be athletic but has a 7’1” wingspan and big frame is averaging 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds while shooting 55.6% overall and 58.3% from deep, that latter figure the beneficiary of some no-long passes from Brown Jr.
“Yeah, you don’t find dudes at 6-9, 6-8, they could shoot it like that. You don’t. Those are rare. And he’s very versatile on both ends of the floor,” Brown Jr. told The Post. “[He’s] definitely one of those guys that once he sees one or two go through the basket, let’s try to find him. Because once he’s hot, he’s hot.”
Similarly, Egor Demin liked what he saw in Sacto.
“It’s very encouraging. He’s a very big target, first of all; that’s his main advantage. His shot is very quick. That’s something I noticed…that’s one of the main emphasis for me when I’m working out my shot, was how fast can I shoot in a non-game situation to translate it better. His shot, it’s incredible,” Dëmin told the Post. “It’s going to be great for him to make this transition, and benefit the team with his shot. It’s obviously amazing.”
Bilodeau told ND’s Shara Talia Taylor he enjoyed himself…
His head coach, Dutch Gaitley, the defensive specialist on Jordi Fernandez staff, was balanced, starting with his D. He could be hunted by opposing teams at the next level.
“He’s going to guard 4s or 3s, but we switch so much, eventually teams will (say), ‘Hey, let’s test this guy’s footwork,’ ” Gaitley told The Post. “Can he guard? Switch on the ball and hold his own?
“Then the next level is hold his own, but also be able to dictate to them, ‘Hey, I may be fearful I’m going to get beat, but if I get beat, I’m going to get beat in this direction because I know my help is going to be there.’ Know right-hand, left-hand dominant, our help is baseline or help’s middle. If he can lock into those things, he’ll be able to be successful.”
Then, said Gaitley, it’ll be learning the Nets system mostly in the G League which opens November 13. There will be a lot of work including how he can contribute when that shot isn’t falling.
Bilodeau will have an opportunity. As a two-way, he can be active in Brooklyn for up to 50 games before the Nets will have to make a decision on whether to convert him to a standard deal. In the meantime, expect him to light up the G League.
So why did the Nets take Bilodeau. They didn’t say but one factor you have to think played into their thinking. When you have great passers like Demin and Brown Jr., they enhance the value of a sharp shooter. Joe Harris knew that too.
LAS VEGAS — It’s no secret that the Lakers are pursuing unrestricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga.
And at this point, it’s clear that Kuminga would like to be a Laker.
But the two sides aren’t close on an agreement because the Lakers’ lastest offer isn’t what Kuminga’s side is seeking from L.A.
The Lakers’ latest offer, a source told the California Post, would have Kuminga earning an average annual salary around $10 million.
At this point in the league’s calendar – almost 1 ½ weeks into the start of free agency – the number of double digit salary deals are becoming less common.
But the vision the Lakers have pitched Kuminga on – being the team’s starting wing who completes the puzzle of the team’s offseason of building around superstar Luka Doncic – doesn’t match the offers the Lakers have made to Kuminga at this point.
Especially when factoring in the fact the Lakers agreed to long-term deals with Quentin Grimes (four years, $60 million) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (four years, $52 million), both of whom will make at least $13 million next season despite at least one of them coming off of the bench if Kuminga joins the Lakers.
It’s clear Kuminga wants more from the Lakers.
The problem for the Lakers?
They’ve already used up the $52-plus million in cap space they entered the offseason with on Grimes, Mamukelashvili, Walker Kessler (four years, $130 million), Collin Sexton (two years, $19 million) and Kevon Looney (one year, $3.9 million).
The Lakers would have to shed a little over $10 million in salary to create enough cap space to outright sign Kuminga – and that’s before factoring in the deals for Sexton and Looney, which aren’t official yet, or the re-signing of Austin Reaves (four years, $185 million).
Once the signings of Sexton and Looney are official, the Lakers would have to shed around $20.8 million of salary to offer Kuminga a $10 million per season deal.
And that clearly won’t be enough to get the 23-year-old athletic forward in the Purple and Gold.
As the Post reported on Wednesday, the main avenue for the Lakers to acquire Kuminga would be in a sign and trade with the Hawks.
The Hawks, a source to the Post, are willing to execute a sign-and-trade with the Lakers around the framework of Kuminga going to L.A. and the Hawks receiving Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap – the lone option the Lakers have of trading a first-round pick this summer. Los Angeles also has three second-round picks (Wizards two picks and its own 2033 pick) available to trade.
Kuminga’s contract would have to be for at least three or four seasons (not including option seasons), and the first season must be fully guaranteed, if the Lakers acquired him in a sign and trade.
A sign-and-trade would allow for the Lakers to pay Kuminga a higher salary and retain his Bird Rights without having to sacrifice depth from their roster.
And if the framework of the sign-and-trade for Kuminga is still on the table beyond Thursday, the Lakers should jump on it.
Vanderbilt has two years and $25.7 million left on his four-year, $48 million contract extension he signed with the Lakers in September 2023. He has a $12.4 million salary for 2026-27 and a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28.
The Lakers have been willing to trade Vanderbilt, according to multiple sources who spoke with the Post who were granted anonymity so they could speak freely, as well as other players on the roster in order to create more roster-building optionality.
Vanderbilt hasn’t been a consistent top-nine rotation player for the Lakers when the roster is healthy. And even when healthy, Kuminga has been a better and more dynamic player than Vanderbilt.
And the pick swap would simply be the price of doing business. And if the Lakers are better than the Hawks in six years – which they expect to be with Doncic on the roster – the pick swap becomes less of a factor.
But then there’s the matter of how much the Lakers should pay Kuminga.
If the Lakers acquire Kuminga in a sign-and-trade including Vanderbilt and the pick swap, the most they’d be allowed to pay Kuminga for 2026-27 would be around $21.5 million, which would also keep the Lakers below the first apron threshold they’re hard-capped at.
This is a salary range around Kyle Kuzma ($20.5 million), Dillon Brooks ($20.9 million), Christian Braun ($21.5 million), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($21.6 million), Norman Powell ($22.5 million), and Miles Bridges ($22.8 million). But outside of Braun, every other player in that salary range is either on an expiring deal or has a team option for the 2027-28 season.
But on a three- or four-year deal, which the Lakers would be required to sign Kuminga to in a sign-and-trade, they should stick to a salary range between $16-19 million. Duncan Robinson ($15.9 million), Nikola Jovic ($16.2 million) and Patrick Williams ($18 million) are among wings/forwards who are in this salary range for next season.
Kuminga is not only better than most of these players, but also has higher upside because of his youth, athleticism and skillset.
Kuminga would be worth that salary range for the Lakers before even factoring in the fact he fits exactly what they need around Doncic and Reaves because of his physical profile, youth, skill and athleticism.
They’d be paying not just for what he is not, but the player he could develop into. Especially playing off of Doncic and Reaves.
Or that their options for a starting-level wing/forward who could be a long-term fit are limited.
The Lakers must get a deal done for Kuminga.
Their offseason is already a success without Kuminga, but would be an overwhelming success with him.
And they don’t have to break the bank to get Kuminga. But it’s time for the Lakers to back up the sentiments and vision for Kuminga with their offer.
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Steph Curry shares unbothered response to the ‘superstar whistle' debate originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry has heard the debate about the superstar whistle. He still is not interested in joining it.
The four-time NBA champion addressed the long-running conversation around his lack of preferential foul treatment during an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole — and his response was as unbothered as his on-court demeanor suggests.
“Conversations that I don’t need to be a part of,” Curry told Poole on “Dubs Talk” at the American Century Championship in South Lake Tahoe. “I play basketball; figure it out as I go. I try my best not to complain out there on the court and just figure out whatever the challenge is. That’s my mindset.”
The debate Poole referenced still is a genuine one in NBA circles. Despite being the greatest shooter in league history and one of the most decorated players of his generation, Curry has averaged just 4.3 free throw attempts per game over his career — a figure that still is remarkably low for a player who commands as much defensive attention as anyone in the sport. This past season, he averaged 5.1 attempts, still well below the marks posted by players of comparable offensive impact.
The explanation, as analysts have long noted, still is rooted in how Curry plays rather than how officials treat him. He still is one of the least physical drivers in the league — his game still is built around creating space and shooting rather than drawing contact — and he still is, by most accounts, one of the worst in the league at selling contact when it does occur. He does not flail. He does not sell. He finishes, misses, or moves on.
In a league where stars routinely work officials and complain after non-calls, Curry still is the exception — not because he does not notice, but because he genuinely does not seem to care.
That might be the most Steph Curry answer he has ever given.
The NBA’s investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers possibly circumventing the salary cap via a no-show endorsement deal with Kawhi Leonard has officially become a basketball controversy.
The Clippers and the Toronto Raptors announced this week their trade involving Leonard is on hold pending the outcome of the league probe. The possibility that Leonard’s contract will be voided and that he will be suspended are two variables that dramatically impact the trade’s value and could lead to a reworked trade package.
Last month, the Clippers agreed in principle to trade Leonard to the Raptors for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap, and two second-round picks. Leonard, 35, previously played for the Raptors in 2018-19; the team won the NBA title that year, and Leonard was named Finals MVP.
Leonard, however, is a central figure in an alleged plot by the Clippers to pay him millions beyond his player contract—a direct violation of the CBA.
Last year, journalist and podcaster Pablo Torre, of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, broke the news that Leonard and then-Clippers sponsor Aspiration signed a four-year endorsement deal in 2022 that didn’t obligate Leonard to perform services and would have ended if the forward had been traded.
The Clippers have denied the allegations and stressed several reasons to question them.
Aspiration, which was renamed Catona, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last year and its co-founder, Joseph Sanberg, was recently sentenced to 14 years in prison for wire fraud. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has said he lost $60 million to Aspiration and contends he was a victim of Sanberg, whom the U.S. Department of Justice has called a “con man” who used lies and exaggerations to “prey on investors and lenders.”
Sanberg has also cooperated with the NBA’s investigation, a point Ballmer portrays as problematic as it relates to his team. Not only is Sanberg’s credibility highly questionable, but he arguably had an incentive to make himself seem useful to the NBA.
Before Sanberg was sentenced to prison, attorney David Anders, whom the NBA retained to investigate the Clippers, wrote a letter to the presiding judge describing Sanberg as sharing “information that was relevant to our investigation” and helping them “develop a more complete understanding of key events.”
Much of the attention on the scandal has focused on potential consequences for the Clippers and Ballmer.
If NBA commissioner Adam Silver determines the Clippers violated the CBA, he could strip away Los Angeles draft picks, suspend Ballmer and impose various fines on both. Circumventing the cap undermines fair play and provides a team with an unfair advantage since it gives that team an advantage over teams that follow the rules.
In 2000, Silver’s predecessor as commissioner, David Stern, ordered the forfeiture of five first-round picks from the Minnesota Timberwolves and imposed a $3.5 million fine for a salary cap scheme. The Timberwolves agreed to pay forward Joe Smith less in initial one-year contracts so they could sign other players those seasons in exchange for promising to later sign Smith to a long-term, lucrative deal after they acquired “Larry Bird rights,” which let a team go over the cap to keep a player. Stern also voided Smith’s 1999-2000 contract with the Timberwolves and by also voiding Smith’s previous Timberwolves contract (1998-99), effectively stripped Smith of his Larry Bird rights.
If Silver reaches similar conclusions about the Clippers, he could impose a hefty penalty. However, the commissioner could determine a lesser penalty, or even no penalty, is appropriate if he concludes the evidence is uncertain and unreliable.
The Clippers insist they have “fully cooperated” with the investigation, including by “participating in dozens of interviews” and “providing tens of thousands of documents.” Silver, who like several of his deputies is an accomplished attorney, has also said while the NBA is not a court of law, it values due process and fairness and that the “mere appearance of impropriety” isn’t enough.
To that point, Silver said last fall the investigation must be consistent with “any process that requires fundamental fairness” and one that reaches decisions based on “the totality of evidence.”
Article XIII of the CBA states that the commissioner can void any player contract, or any renegotiation, extension or amendment of a player contract, as one type of penalty for salary cap circumvention. Leonard is set to be paid $50.3 million in 2026-27 in the third year of a three-year, $149.5 million deal. The obvious risk to the Raptors would be if, after trading for Leonard, his contract for 2026-27 is voided. The team could conceivably sign him to another deal, but the risk of contract forfeiture alone is a reason to delay consummating the trade.
In the scenario of contract voidance, Leonard could borrow a page from the Smith playbook, as Smith challenged Stern voiding his contracts. However, an arbitrator upheld Stern’s decision. Then-NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik said the arbitrator “recognized the importance of enforcing the provisions relating to secret agreements” and demonstrated “that if you enter into secret agreements, the consequences of getting caught can be fairly significant.”
Leonard could also be suspended by the league, meaning regardless of his contract status, he would be ineligible to play.
Both the uniform player contract and CBA contain language that permits Silver to punish Leonard if the commissioner concludes Leonard acted wrongly. For instance, if the NBA concludes the Clippers knowingly circumvented the cap through its dealings with Aspiration, the NBA might also conclude Leonard—who stood to benefit financially—was aware of the plot and thus “in on it.”
The uniform player contract requires that an NBA player “conduct himself on and off the court according to the highest standards of honesty, citizenship and sportsmanship.” It also forbids a player from doing “anything that is materially detrimental or materially prejudicial to the best interests of the team or the league.”
The league could also punish Leonard if it determines he wasn’t fully cooperative, including in the candor and forthcoming nature of his statements and in evidence he’s shared or not shared. Article VI of the CBA obligates players to “cooperate with investigations of alleged player misconduct conducted by the NBA.”
Further, the league constitution contains far-reaching language that is potentially on point. Through Article 35, Silver can suspend for a definite or indefinite period a player who, in Silver’s opinion, made statements that are detrimental to the best interests of basketball or to the NBA or partook in conduct that “does not conform to standards of morality or fair play” or is “prejudicial or detrimental” to the NBA.
Leonard would have the right to contest a punishment. A suspension of 13 or more games can be appealed to a neutral grievance arbitrator, while a suspension of 12 or fewer games can be appealed to Silver or a designee of the commissioner’s choosing. Leonard could not only argue he is innocent, but even if he is at fault, that the punishment is excessive given past player suspensions. Leonard might also assert he too is a victim of Sanberg as the bankruptcy records indicated that Aspiration owed KL2 Aspire, Leonard’s limited liability company, $7 million.
In short, the Raptors are wise to wait to see whether the NBA finds the Clippers at fault and, in doing so, terminates Leonard’s contract or suspends him. The league has discretion on when it concludes its investigation and when it announces what, if any, actions will be taken.
If Leonard becomes available for a shorter period to Toronto than the whole season, the team could demand a reworked deal—such as sending back fewer draft picks to LA.
So the Clippers and Raptors might have to hold on for a bit. So, too, will their fans.
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