Category: NBA

Our latest mailbag delivered plenty of great questions, but one topic came up time and time again: LeBron James.

His future is going to be not just the biggest question of the Lakers’ offseason, but one of the biggest in the league as a whole. He’s already broken basically every record in terms of longevity while still showing he can perform at a high level this season.

But with the Lakers looking to move into the Luka Dončić era, does it make sense to also take part in the LeBron retirement tour?

Let’s dive into that debate with your questions.

So, let’s try to have that conversation with nuance, because I agree that there are multiple ways to come at this from both sides of the argument.

Depending on when you asked the Lakers during the season, their thoughts on LeBron’s future with the franchise would have been different. For much of the first half of the season, all the signs pointed to the two sides going their separate ways this summer.

Then, the team figured some things out heading into March, LeBron looked great as a willing third fiddle and the Lakers played their best basketball of the season. They legitimately looked like a contender for most of the month, including beating the team that is currently up in the NBA Finals in a rout.

For LeBron, when everything else went awry for the Lakers heading into the playoffs, he stepped up in a way that should also provide some encouragement that he has something to offer for a title-contending team.

Now, even taking that into account, there are other things that come with having LeBron on the team. No matter if he’s the best player on the team or the third option, he’s always going to be a focal point. Conversations will revolve around him.

He also brings pressure that will stress-test a team throughout the year. Whether it’s due to reasons on the court or off of it, there will be multiple times during the campaign where the team’s resolve will be tested.

You also have to account for a regular season in which he’s not going to be going all out throughout. He paces himself, which means you’re likely going to lose games in December and January because LeBron is pacing himself for the postseason.

It is also impossible to fully move into the Luka era with LeBron still on the team. Everyone can acknowledge that this is Luka’s team and Luka’s franchise, but with LeBron on the roster, it won’t fully feel like that.

And yet, even with all those qualifiers, he led the team to a playoff series win as the central figure with Luka and Austin Reaves. It truly can’t be understated, even if it came against an underwhelming Houston side, that LeBron still has enough juice to carry a team in the playoffs.

This is not an easy decision. There are pros and cons, as suggested in the comment/question, about parting with LeBron. Is it worth moving on and into the Luka era if it means moving on from a player who is still capable of contributing at a high level?

I think one aspect that hasn’t been discussed enough is that, if the Lakers should and do move on from LeBron, there is a huge statistical void that will have to be filled.

Last season, he averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game. If you take that off the team, that’s big, big numbers they have to replace. And that’s to speak nothing of the ways he impacts the team outside of the stat line. The knowledge and experience he has is invaluable and irreplaceable.

No one player can replace LeBron statistically. Even if the Lakers replace him in the aggregate, which is how they’ll have to approach things, and are able to find nearly 21 points and over seven assists and six rebounds per game, there are still ways they’re not going to be able to replace him.

And needing to do all that this summer with a free agent market that isn’t exactly brimming with top-end talent makes it more difficult. They could find solutions via trade, but that will be difficult given the other needs the team will also have.

Can they replace LeBron’s production while also finding athleticism on the perimeter while also finding a center option for the future? One player could fill multiple of those needs, but it makes a tough offseason even more difficult.

The Lakers may be better in the long run by parting ways with LeBron and entering the Luka era, but it will also likely hurt them in the short term.

I’m going to ignore all of the doom and gloom of the second comment because I want to focus a bit on LeBron’s upcoming contract and both of these questions commented on that.

I don’t think LeBron is under any illusion that he’s a massive contract guy anymore. Even if he is, the free agent market is going to let him know that’s the case. The only contending team that could offer him that type of money is the Lakers and they’d be bidding against themselves for that matter.

It’s hard to see a scenario where LeBron’s contract is much more than the mid-level exception — which will be roughly $15 million this year — because that’s what the market is going to dictate. Again, if you think he’s getting more than that, it’s because you think the Lakers are going to cave and just give him a bunch of money.

You can point to how the team handled the end of Kobe Bryant’s career, but I’d argue that…

1. That was a different front office
2. That was different ownership
3. That was a Lakers team set for a rebuild and not one set to contend

I don’t disagree that giving LeBron a deal around $30-35 million basically dooms the rest of their free agency plans. I also don’t think that he is getting that deal.

Now, on the flip side of that, I’m not ever going to criticize someone for taking money. If the Lakers offer LeBron $30 million, my anger would be at the front office, not LeBron. By the same token, I’m not going to tell or expect a player to take less money to be competitive.

It’s nice if a player does take a discount to help the team win, but it’s not their job to take less money and if I was in their shoes, I can’t say I’d be willing to take less money to compete. This is life-changing money, even if LeBron is a billionaire. He came from nothing. I’m not going to criticize or expect him to take less.

Having said that, it is substantially easier to build a title-contending team if LeBron takes significantly less money, obviously. I’d question how much he wants to bring a title to Los Angeles on his way out, since he already brought the city a title. I doubt those are his motivations.

There was also the comment LeBron made about when he would decide his future. He gave a timeline of late June through August where he would make his decision. The Lakers aren’t going to wait on him, so if he wants to make a decision after the beginning of July, then he’s returning to the Lakers on a minimum. I’m not reading too much into that for now, but it did pique my interest.

If you want to make the case for why he would stay in Los Angeles, I think a more compelling argument would focus on the family roots he has in the city. Does he really want to relocate his family again for what will likely be a one-year retirement tour? Does he want to live alone during that time if they remain in LA?

Considering how much he speaks about his family and how close he is to them, I venture to think neither of those are options desires.

If I were to guess, I think LeBron is back in Los Angeles for one more season next year. I genuinely do not know what the contract will be. I don’t expect it to be north of $20-25 million because that really starts to handicap the Lakers this summer.

What I do know, though, is that moving on from LeBron this summer is going to create even more holes for the Lakers to plug in an offseason with plenty of them already.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

It’s safe to say Air Corgi’s NBA Finals appearance didn’t go the way Spurs fans probably hoped.

Air Corgi — real name Lilo — is a dog with 1.6 million followers on TikTok who predicts the outcome of several sports games by pushing a ball down stairs into a basket, was in the building for Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs in San Antonio on Wednesday night.

But after the Knicks downed San Antonio 105-95 in thrilling fashion Wednesday night, Lilo is 0-for-1 on her NBA Finals prediction after picking the Spurs to win the opener and ultimately the series in seven games.

Corgi’s prediction ruffled some feathers on X, with some even joking the dog was fraudulent and mentioning how she incorrectly predicted the 2025 NBA Finals by picking the Pacers to win in six games.

Despite her prediction, Corgi still received a standing ovation from fans in the second quarter Wednesday night and was lifted in the air.

San Antonio’s video scoreboard even showed a dog bouncing a ball into a basket, mimicking what Corgi does on TikTok.

Even with some calling her a fraud, Corgi pulled off a remarkable feat last month.

She not only correctly predicted the Spurs would beat the Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference finals, but correctly predicted the outcome of every single game.

The dog also correctly picked the Knicks to beat the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, though she predicted a six-game series instead of the eventual sweep.

Corgi doesn’t only predict NBA games, however.

She also predicted the Stanley Cup outcome on Tuesday, picking the Golden Knights to beat the Hurricanes in six games.

Air Corgi looks to make it 1-of-2 in her NBA Finals prediction Friday night, where she chose the Knicks to steal Game 2.

San Antonio and New York square off in Game 2 Friday at 8:30 p.m.

Blaming officiating is something every fanbase in every sport has done. A lot of times, it’s overblown or unreasonable. Sometimes, it’s not. A lot of Knicks fans would argue that last night’s Game 1 would be categorized as the latter. And they may have a very good case.

At one point in the game, the Spurs had taken seven free throws to the Knicks’ zero. Not too long after, the attempt discrepancy ballooned to 10-1 Spurs. And at halftime, the Spurs had 12 attempts, while the Knicks had managed to scrape together a paltry three attempts. Thanks to a few calls in the second half and some garbage time free throws, the Knicks did end up taking 18 free throws, while the Spurs took 25 in total. Now, looking at free-throw attempts alone as a way of judging the quality of officiating can be a slippery slope.

Every team is different, which means shot diet, physicality, and pace can all play factors in how many free throws a team deserves to get, or doesn’t deserve to get. But in general, players, coaches, and fans alike ask for one thing- consistency. And that’s where the Knicks have a justifiable argument.

On one end of the floor, Victor Wembanyama was getting to the free-throw line for some marginal contact and ticky-tack fouls. As you can see below, Wembanyama benefited from some soft calls considering it’s the Finals.

Now, yes, some of the calls Wembanyama got were warranted. By the books, they are fouls. But what fans didn’t understand was that the same kind of calls were not going the other way. Below, you can argue that Landry Shamet tries to sell the call. And if the refs were allowing the Knicks to play with the same kind of physicality, I don’t think there’d be as much of an uproar. But those seem like odd no-calls considering the whistle Wembanyama was getting. But that wasn’t even the worst parts.

It’s one thing for Shamet not to get a call, because as good as he’s been, and as beloved as he’s become, he’s just not a star. Brunson, on the other hand, is. A multiple-time All-Star and All-NBA player, while being the face of one of the most popular franchises in the league. What’s his reward? A measly four free throw attempts. And it’s not like he was taking only three-point shots.

Brunson spent much of the first half driving to the rim and taking contact. I think fans understood that the whistle may be Spurs-friendly due to the location of the game. But some of the no-calls were just too egregious. In the play below, Dylan Harper gets a handful of Brunson’s jersey, and it’s clear as day. Somehow, this resulted in a no-call.

Later on in the first half, Luke Kornet steps on Brunson’s ankle after the layup. Also, a no-call.

And the play below was almost just as bad. While this one hasn’t been talked about as much because it did result in a call, Scott Foster misses a clear swipe across the arm, and only calls it when Brunson is fouled a second time on the shot.

If anything, the 25-18 free-throw discrepancy doesn’t do the one-sided officiating job justice. While things did balance out a bit in the second half, it was one of the more egregiously biased whistles in recent memory. Again, all the Knicks want is some consistency. San Antonio should not be allowed to shove, grab, and step on players if they are getting to the line for marginal contact.

With the Knicks’ odds of winning it all at -132 on FanDuel now, it will be interesting to see if the officiating continues to be a topic of discussion. A more Knicks-friendly whistle could sway the odds even more in their favor, while the continuation of last night’s whistle could swing the odds back in favor of the Spurs, who do currently have a -235 odds to win tomorrow night’s Game 2.

Celtics assistant coaches Tony Dobbins and Tyler Lashbrook could both become NBA head coaches next season. Lashbrook is a finalist for the Portland Trail Blazers head coach position, while Dobbins is in the mix for the Dallas Mavericks head coach position.

Dobbins has been with the Celtics since 2017 and is one of Joe Mazzulla’s four front-of-bench assistant coaches, while Lashbrook has been with the team since 2023 and works primarily on the offensive (and player development) side.

What Tony Dobbins brings to the Celtics

Tony Dobbins is one of the Celtics’ longest-tenured assistants and an important member of the defensive team. He is a former professional basketball player who went undrafted after an illustrious career at Virginia Tech (1999-2000) and Richmond (2001-2004) as a defensive specialist. Dobbins spent a few years in the G League, but the majority of his 13-year pro career took place overseas, where he laced up for professional clubs in Italy, Greece, France, and Spain.

Dobbins has been a Celtics assistant coach since 2017, beginning in the film room and rising through the ranks over the past decade. Dobbins was the Celtics’ Summer League head coach in 2023. This past year, he was the assistant coach who worked most closely with Jayson Tatum as he rehabbed his Achilles injury.

“He’s one of the best people you’ll ever be around,” Jayson Tatum told CelticsBlog last year.

“I can’t thank him enough for his selflessness and just really being engaged with me every single day,” Tatum said after making his return from his Achilles injury.

Before that, Dobbins worked most closely as Jaylen Brown’s lead coach. He’s widely known as one of the most patient and even-keeled people on the Celtics’ sidelines.

“Tony is always keeping everybody level-headed – reminding me, and reminding our team just to breathe,” Brown said in February. “Managing the emotions of the game is what he speaks to a lot, because the better players — the better professionals — can manage their stress levels and their emotions during the game, so that they can see the game clearly.”

Marc Stein reported on Thursday that the Mavericks are expected to interview a dozen or so prospects to replace Jason Kidd as head coach. In addition to Dobbins, that list includes Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Houston Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, Toronto Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela, and Miami consultant
Noah LaRoche.

What Tyler Lashbrook brings to the Celtics

Tyler Lashbrook is one of the lead voices in the Celtics’ offense team and a key part of the team’s player development. He was the head coach of the Maine Celtics during the 2024-2025 season before returning to the parent club this year.

Before joining the Celtics in 2023, Lashbrook was with the Philadelphia 76ers since 2014. He began as an intern in the film room and worked his way to becoming a video coordinator and player development coach.

Lashbrook was a player development coach in Boston during the championship season before becoming a head coach in the G League for the first time last year.

Lashbrook is reportedly one of three finalists for the Trail Blazers head coach position, a list that also includes interim head coach Tiago Splitter and longtime Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, per Marc Stein.

If either Dobbins or Lashbrook is selected for their respective head coach roles, they’ll become the latest in a long line of former Celtics assistants to land head coach positions. Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee and Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy were both recently Celtics assistants, while Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was the Celtics’ head coach in 2022.

The Jalen Brunson-Spurs fan mystery that stemmed from Game 1 continues.

After the Knicks’ 105-95 series-opening win at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, the ESPN broadcast caught the three-time All-Star in a spat with fans near the scorer’s table.

Referee Scott Foster quickly noticed and tried to turn Brunson’s attention elsewhere before his Knicks teammates came over to do the same.

The NBA is reportedly investigating a pair of “vulgar” courtside fans, though the San Antonio crowd offered a lot of potential persons of interest.

X account New York Basketball posted a series of clips from the final minutes of the ESPN game broadcast, with the incident beginning in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.

The video begins with 20.6 seconds left on the clock while OG Anunoby is at the foul line and Brunson wandering toward the scoring table and seemingly hearing chirping from the sidelines.

The video shows Brunson appearing to have words with a fan in a white hat.

The two seemingly went back and forth for a bit before Foster took notice and the woman next to the fan in the white hat seemingly chimed in.

Later, Brunson dribbled the ball over to the same sideline as the scoring table as the final buzzer rang out. Foster stood between the guard and the fans Brunson appeared to be conversing with.

The Post’s photographers snapped pictures as a heated Brunson chatted with Foster, gesturing behind the official, as Jose Alvarado and Miles McBride made their way over to the fuss.

It’s unclear what was said in the brief exchange with Foster. 

Alvarado tried to pull Brunson away twice before pushing him along to the Knicks’ sideline area to talk with ESPN’s Lisa Salters for the broadcast.

While walking away, Brunson looked back as he walked with McBride, and as Karl-Anthony Towns passed them to head toward the fans, the backup guard seemingly said, “Hey, don’t.”

Additionally, before Brunson started his interview with Salters, Alvarado came by to say something in Brunson’s ear.

Despite exiting the game in the first quarter for a big Knicks injury scare, Brunson found a way to be Captain Clutch yet again down the stretch.

He delievered as the Knicks crawled out of a 14-point third-quarter deficit and tallied 30 points on 12-of-31 shooting across 37 minutes.

The Spurs host Game 2 on Friday before the series heads to New York, and it seems some courtside seats for the second go-round may have just opened up.

ESPN may have some explaining to do.

Despite improved presentation during Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night with vintage trademarks returning, the network is under scrutiny Thursday morning as keen-eyed observers caught something bizarre.

ESPN aired an AI-generated image of former Spurs star point guard and four-time champion Tony Parker smiling and waving his finger up and down.

The image had Parker wearing a racing Spurs jacket with the Western Conference logo on one sleeve and what looked to be an American flag on the other.

Parker was also wearing a black and gray hat sideways with confetti falling in the background.

Several fans took to X to voice their concerns over the image, which ESPN showed while cutting to a commercial break in the second half.

“Could ESPN really not find a genuine shot of Tony Parker as they cut to an ad break? Just had to use AI,” ABC News journalist Jon Healy said on X Wednesday night.

“AI sucks. This isn’t Tony Parker. Do better. Gross,” WFLA sports anchor Jeff Dubrof posted to X.

Parker, a six-time All-Star and the 2007 Finals MVP, formed a dynamic duo with all-time great Tim Duncan in San Antonio.

The point guard spent 17 seasons with the Spurs before joining the Hornets for his final year in 2018-19, and averaged over 15 points per game in 11 of those years.

He posted a career-high 22 points per game in 2008-09 while shooting over 50 percent from the field.

In their first NBA Finals game since Parker was on the team back in 2014, the Spurs blew a 14-point second-half lead and fell to the Knicks 105-95.

Phenom Victor Wembanyama struggled to find his footing, with the 22-year-old shooting just 6-of-21 from the field despite tallying 26 points and 12 rebounds.

San Antonio looks to even the series in Game 2, which is set for Friday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.

She’s having a ball.

Flub-prone Knicks fan Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday dribbled up another awkward show of support for the team’s bid to win the franchise’s first NBA championship in 53 years.

Hochul, during a news conference about readiness for soccer’s upcoming World Cup, declared herself a fan of all sports.

“I’m fired up. I’m a huge sports fan, whatever it is,” she said.

“If there’s a ball involved, I love it. So, we’re excited, New Yorkers.”

The cringey comment came at the end of Hochul’s remarks and dovetailed with her recent failed attempt to dunk on President Trump’s own Knicks fandom.

Hochul last week tried to undercut Trump’s claim to be a lifelong Knicks supporter by snarkily saying, “I’d ask him to name the starting lineup from the 1993 championship team and see how he does.”

As any long-suffering Knicks fan knows, the orange and blue team last won a championship in 1973.

During 1993, the Knicks blew a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls — who went on to win the championship that launched the team’s first “three-peat.”

The Knicks did make it to the NBA Finals in 1994, but lost to the Houston Rockets. They also did so in 1999, falling to the San Antonio Spurs.

Undaunted by the flub, Hochul began her remarks Thursday by rhapsodizing over the Knicks’ latest championship drive and bafflingly comparing it to dawn.

“Let’s keep it going, Knicks,” she said. “I was just reflecting on the crack of dawn — literally crack of dawn — when the skies are orange and blue, early this morning when I took my walk and you know what I noticed? New Yorkers are making eye contact again. It was shocking. People looking up and have an extra lift in their step and wearing their Knicks gear as I was trying to go incognito but everybody seems to notice.

“There’s something magical in the air. So, it’s a very special day. Go Knicks. Make us all so proud.”

Hochul then tempted fate by invoking a jinx.

“They will be up until the fourth game and then they’ll be done,” she said, before catching herself, “I didn’t say that. I did not jinx anything, OK?”

Welcome to our annual Lakers season in review series, where we’ll look back at each player on the team’s roster this season and evaluate if they should be part of the future of the franchise. Today, we continue our series with a look at Jaxson Hayes.

Coming off a year in which he was thrust into a starting role after trading away Anthony Davis midseason and then a playoffs that saw him benched entirely in favor of 48 minutes of small-ball groups, Jaxson Hayes came into his third season with the Lakers looking for a bit of redemption that would only really come by being properly slotted back into a reserve role.

With Deandre Ayton signed as a starter, Hayes did just that, reestablishing himself as a more than capable backup center who flashed increasingly strong chemistry with both Dončić and Austin Reaves in bench groups. He even proved productive and ready to step into a larger role on nights when Ayton was unavailable or not at his best.

Hayes did not play well every night, as his issues with discipline and focus could resurface on any given night. But Hayes did mostly play hard, and his combination of motor, athleticism and general pick-and-roll know-how allowed him to positively impact the Lakers offense in ways that truly complemented his team’s best playmakers.

Ultimately, relative to his salary and slotting in the rotation, Hayes was one of the more impactful performers in executing his job and playing his role on a night-to-night basis. Whether he’s ever able to expand beyond a backup role on a team with real title aspirations is a question with more doubts than not, but that’s not to say he cannot help a good team. After all, he did that this year and it looks like he’ll continue to be able to do so for years to come.

How did he play?

Of Hayes’ three seasons with the Lakers, I think this past year was easily his best. He shot a career-best 75.6% from the field, was a monster finisher around the basket with 122 dunks (second on the team to Ayton’s 123), fouled less while showing more discipline on defense, showed real improvement on the offensive glass and played with better motor over the course of the full year.

His finishing was particularly impactful, especially as a contrast to Ayton’s more varied attack that relied more on short jumpers, baby hooks and flip shots in and around the paint. Hayes made progress with these sorts of shots too, but he remains one of the more ferocious finishers in the league and had countless highlight dunks over the course of the season.

Whether in the pick-and-roll or just running the floor in transition, Hayes’ dynamism as an above-the-rim threat helped grease the wheels of the Lakers’ offense by drawing attention to the paint so the team’s outside shooters could get good looks and by serving as a release valve for the team’s primary shot creators. With a great catch radius and good hands, Hayes’ finishing truly was helpful.

Of course, there are limitations to being almost purely a roll man within this team’s offense and when teams switched or were able to play the Lakers’ pick and roll with just two defenders without surrendering the lob, Hayes could be neutralized and mostly taken out of the game offensively. But when teams did overcommit to Luka and Reaves, or if their general coverages were not tight enough, he could make them pay.

That said, he still made his fair share of mistakes. The illegal screens and committing a silly foul/sniping at the refs when he thought he was wronged are two of the more enduring mistakes he needs to clean up. His focus could also drift at times and if he was not locked in, he would deservedly find himself back on the bench or see his minutes reduced.

But, for the first time in his Lakers tenure, Hayes’ minutes felt less defined by the negative aspects of his game than by what his positive contributions were, which is huge progress from where he was even a season ago.

What is his contract situation moving forward?

Hayes enters this summer as an unrestricted free agent. After making a shade under $3.5 million this season, and coming off one of his better years while squarely in his physical prime and focusing on getting stronger, I would imagine he’d be looking for at least a small raise, whether on the Lakers or elsewhere.

The Lakers do have Hayes’ Bird rights and could easily bring him back at a reasonable number, but it remains to be seen if they’ll renounce those rights to try to maximize their cap space or if they’ll simply keep his relatively small cap hold on their books. If the latter, it would clearly signal their desire to keep him in the fold as a rotational big whose offensive game really does complement the team’s best playmakers.

Should he be back?

I would certainly support Hayes returning next season, especially if he’s making close to what he did this year (or a slight raise). Hayes fits well with Luka — while also sharing an agent with him and just getting his Slovenian passport to play on the national team with him too — and his general athleticism and speed are assets I believe the Lakers should continue to try to leverage as a part of their team-building strategy around Dončić (and Reaves, should he return).

Further, I’m a firm believer that as players age and show even small bits of growth while playing through their prime seasons, teams would be wise to not let guys like that walk after investing multiple seasons into their development. Hayes fits that profile neatly, and I think the Lakers would benefit from continuing to see if he can round out his game in the right ways to have him develop into an even more productive rotation player.

You can follow Darius on BlueSky at @forumbluegoldand find more of his Lakers coverage on the Laker Film Room Podcast.

An arbitrator has ruled that Terry Rozier must forfeit the majority of his $26.6 million NBA salary for the 2025-26 season due to a violation of his Heat contract.

Rozier was arrested by the FBI last October for alleged involvement in an illegal gambling scheme and has since pleaded not guilty. In late May, the arbitrator decided that Rozier breached his contract obligations because the conditions of his pretrial release in his criminal case left him in violation of the contract.

Rozier’s release conditions banned him from contacting anyone with the Heat and Hornets, and imposed travel restrictions.

Initially, the arbitrator ruled the Heat must pay Rozier his full salary since it ruled that he couldn’t be put back on unpaid leave by the NBA, which he was placed on when indicted by New York’s Eastern District.

Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, then stated that the team decided not to make payments to Rozier “almost immediately,” forcing a second round of arbitration in early April, per the court filing.

In his most recent court filing on Wednesday, Trusty asked that Rozier’s release conditions remove the Hornets from the no-contact list, as they removed Heat personnel from the no-contact list after his release from the team. Trusty argued that changing the condition could affect his ability to play in the NBA as the free agency negotiation period begins this month.

“Under the current ruling of the arbitrator, an inability to play for or against the Charlotte Hornets would constitute a ‘failure to perform services’ by Mr. Rozier and substantially diminish or eliminate any chance of being contracted by an NBA team,” Trusty wrote in the document.

Rozier is scheduled to be arraigned next week on new charges, including sports bribery and honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and will plead not guilty, per Trusty.

Rozier pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in October, when he also pleaded not guilty.

2026 NBA mock draft roundup: Fresh Celtics predictions amid Spurs-Knicks Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The 2026 NBA Finals began Wednesday night when the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs by overcoming a double-digit second-half deficit to win Game 1 on the road.

Jalen Brunson’s 30 points and fourth-quarter heroics dominated headlines after the game, but the real star of the series opener for the Knicks was center Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 18 points with 12 rebounds. But more importantly, Towns played really good defense against Spurs superstar center Victor Wembanyama.

It was another example of how important it is to have a center capable of guarding the league’s best big men. Many of the top contenders have a center who can impact games at a high level. That list includes Wembanyama and Towns, as well as Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Chet Holmgren, Evan Mobley and Alperen Sengun. Giannis Antetokounmpo could potentially be traded to a contender this offseason.

The Celtics are lacking in this department.

Neemias Queta had an excellent regular season as the starting center, but he was far less effective in the playoffs against Embiid. Queta scored fewer than 10 points in five of the seven first-round games against the Philadelphia 76ers, and he was also in foul trouble in several of those matchups.

One place where the Celtics can upgrade their frontcourt is the 2026 NBA Draft later this month. The C’s have the No. 27 overall pick in the first round.

Here’s a list of potential Celtics targets in Round 1 based on recent predictions from experts in 2026 NBA mock drafts.

Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo Sports: Sergio De Larrea, Wing, Valencia (Spain)

“The Celtics had good luck last year taking Hugo Gonzalez in the late first round. Why not go with another Spaniard? De Larrea is a tall playmaking guard with major feel and a knockdown jumper who thrives within team concepts. He suffered a dislocated shoulder that ended his 2024-25 season and removed him from draft boards, but it ended up a blessing in disguise since he returned with a bigger role and stronger production for a great team in the EuroLeague. With size, smarts and defensive versatility, he could carve out a role in the NBA if his international skill can translate.”

David Cobb, CBS Sports: Ebuka Okorie, PG, Stanford

“If you pop in the film of Okorie’s 36-point outburst from Stanford’s Jan. 14 win over North Carolina, you’ll wonder why he slipped this far. He followed it up with three more 30+ point showings during one of the most unexpectedly dominant freshman seasons in college basketball. The margins are slim for making it in the league as an undersized scoring guard. But if nothing else, perhaps he can sustain an NBA bench unit.”

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation: Tyler Tanner, Guard, Vanderbilt

“Tanner might be destined to return to college after being one of the most divisive players in this year’s class. He was one of the very best players in college basketball as a sophomore, but he’s just so small at a tick under 5’11 barefoot and 167 pounds with a 6’4.25 wingspan. He definitely plays bigger than his size on both ends with a sixth sense for forcing turnovers and a rare ability to dunk on your head for such a tiny guard. I have questions about his three-point shooting and creation ability at the next level. He’d be a great flier in this range.”

Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report: Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina

“The Celtics typically load up with as many shooters as they can get, and they naturally have an affinity for floor-spacing bigs. Once financial constraints forced them to split from the likes of Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis in 2025, they pivoted to Luka Garza and Nikola Vučević. But Vučević is a free agent now, and Garza is unproven as a rotation regular, so Boston could continue its stretch-big search with Veesaar. He is a 7’0″ play-finisher both around the rim and beyond the three-point arc.”

Danny Chau, The Ringer: Joshua Jefferson, SF/PF, Iowa State

“The Celtics could stand to improve their secondary playmaking, regardless of position. The way the board has fallen, Boston could land one of the best passers in the class while also shoring up its frontcourt depth. Jefferson may not have ideal length for his position, but he makes up for that with brute strength, quick hands, and excellent two-way instincts. At their best, the Celtics exhibit a five-man flow that adapts to the coverage at hand. Having a quick processor like Jefferson on the floor would help keep things in motion.”

What in the world is going on with the Clippers?

It was eight months ago when reports surfaced that Steve Ballmer, owner of Los Angeles’ “other” team, was accused of circumventing the NBA’s salary cap rule by using Aspiration, a now-defunct green banking company, to pay star Kawhi Leonard $28 million for a “no show” job.

Almost immediately once the accusations became public back in September 2025, an investigation, led by David Anders and the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, began.

Ballmer and the Clippers initially welcomed the investigation, claiming innocence in two press releases sent out that day by saying, “Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct related to Aspiration. Any contrary assertion is provably false.”

However, eight months later and no definitive end appears in sight. And NBA commissioner Adam Silver has had enough.

“The investigation has been conducted by a law firm independent of the NBA,” Silver said Wednesday prior to Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs. “Yes, ultimately we’re paying their bills, but they are doing the work independent of the league office, and my instruction to them is we can’t be investigating forever, but at some point, we have to wrap it up.

“But at the same time, the most important thing is that we get it right.”

If Ballmer and the Clippers are to be believed — their innocence that is — then why has this investigation taken so long? The NBA had an entire regular season — and most likely an entire postseason — during that span, including the Clippers hosting NBA All-Star game in February.

Silver spoke more on that topic Wednesday night.

“I think it’s clear they’re far along,” he said. “I think those reports are reading all the time from people who are being interviewed by them, and I think they understand that you can keep going on and on.

“But I think we’re close to the point now where I think we need to wrap this up because you also need finality. Their team has to understand what the situation is they’re going to be operating under, and so do the other 29 teams.”

The backstory began in September 2021 when Ballmer partially funded the Aspiration with a $50 million investment from his personal LLC, according to Pablo Torre.

Two weeks later, the Clippers and Aspiration announced a $300 million partnership, which included at the time a patch on the Clippers jerseys and continued sponsorship in the Intuit Dome.

The following April, Leonard signed a four-year, $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration. This came nine months after he signed a four-year, $176.3 million max extension to stay with the Clippers.

The investigation came to life when Torre reported that an unnamed employee who purportedly worked for the banking company said Leonard’s sponsorship deal “was to circumvent the salary cap.”

In an interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne in September 2025, Ballmer stated that he had no prior knowledge or involvement in Leonard’s deal with Aspiration.

“The notion that Steve invested in Aspiration in order to funnel money to Kawhi Leonard is absurd,” the Clippers said in a statement at the time. “There is nothing unusual or untoward about team sponsors doing endorsement deals with players on the same team. Neither Steve nor the Clippers organization had any oversight of Kawhi’s independent endorsement agreement with Aspiration. To say otherwise is flat-out wrong.”

Since then, Aspiration went bankrupt and co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud.

Prosecutors were originally seeking 18 years in federal prison after saying Sanberg defrauded investors and lenders out of $248 million by fraudulently obtaining loans, falsifying bank and brokerage statements, and concealing that he was the source of some revenue booked by the company

For now, it’s still a wait-and-see game — with all eyes on what Silver will do once the investigation is completed.

“I certainly hear and read things all the time about the perception of what really happened or didn’t happen here, and my only reaction is I think I wouldn’t be doing my job if ultimately I issue the determination based on perception,” Silver said. “My job is to follow the facts, and what essentially happens here is that … findings will be made by this independent firm. That’s presented to me. It’s then ultimately my role to determine what the appropriate discipline, if any, should be meted out based on their findings.

“So it’s sort of two independent processes there, and that’s what’s happening right now.”

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No team is as good or as bad as its most recent game. This is the truest of gambling axioms, though it may not apply to a team’s 12 most recent games. Regardless, do not overreact to the New York Knicks’ 105-95 win in Game 1. 

The books are not, installing San Antonio as a 6.5-point favorite.

But this is a Knicks vs. Spurs props article, and these NBA picks run counter to some sportsbook movement simply because the value is too distinct to be explained away via one game.

Game 2 tips off at 8:30 ET on Friday, June 5.

Best Knicks vs Spurs props for Game 2

Player	Pick
Jalen Brunson	Over 6.5 assists	+120
Victor Wembanyama	Under 26.5 points	-110
Karl-Anthony Towns	Over 1.5 3-pointers	+150

Game 2 Prop #1: Jalen Brunson Over 6.5 assists

Jalen Brunson’s assists prop was set at 6.5 in Game 1, and the Under was priced at +115.

Yes, the New York Knicks star dished out just two assists while taking 31 shots (not a typo), but this is still an overreaction.

If anything, Brunson’s inefficient-though-heroic Game 1 should strengthen the argument that he will move the ball in Game 2. The San Antonio Spurs should leave him little choice.

Postseason series are defined by adjustments. San Antonio will focus its defense on preventing Brunson from beating it again. For that matter, Brunson should devote himself to not going 12-of-31 from the field again. To some degree, New York got away with one in that regard.

But mostly, one game should not flip the plus-money on this prop. That is an overreaction that creates value.

Game 2 Prop #2: Victor Wembanyama Under 26.5 points

Only headlines keep this prop elevated. Victor Wembanyama has fallen short of this modest points prop in three of his last four games. He did not reach 27 points in four of the seven games in the Western Conference Finals and in four of the six games against the Timberwolves.

Remove ejections and injuries, and Wembanyama has still fallen short of this number in nine of 16 genuine games this postseason.

In this matchup, Wembanyama faces a stiffer defensive challenge than the public is willing to acknowledge. For years now, talking heads and the basketball illiterate have thrown insults at Karl-Anthony Towns because they refuse to learn the game or consider a player's humanity. 

Their simultaneous ignorance and arrogance prevented them from seeing his quality defense, particularly his lower-body strength.

Towns’s strength keeps Wembanyama off balance more than he is used to, as well as further from the rim. Credit Towns for Wemby going 6-of-21 in Game 1. Only his 12-of-13 free-throw shooting got the Frenchman to 26 points.

This has not been a postseason of consistent scoring from the Defensive Player of the Year. This NBA Finals shouldn’t be, either.

Game 2 Prop #3: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 1.5 3-pointers

Speaking of overreactions, this prop was priced at +120 in Game 1. Then, Towns went 0-of-2 from deep, boosting this payout to +150.

The odds increase makes some sense. Towns taking only a pair of 3-pointers is concerning. But the Spurs should try to cut off his drives to the rim after their success in Game 1. And doing so should naturally increase Towns’s 3-point attempts.

Going 0-of-2 in Game 1 lowered his postseason 3-point shooting percentage to 46.8%. Someone hitting nearly half their 3-pointers should not be priced at +150 to hit a pair of threes in Game 2.

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