Category: NBA

OK, it’s not like they have to after having one of the splashiest offseasons of all time.

In recent history, the Sixers haven’t been the most prolific at finding cheap, productive talent on the two-way market, but that wasn’t the case in 2025. Last offseason they brought in Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker, both of whom were converted to standard contracts and played over 60 games for Philadelphia last season. Barlow was a contributor in their playoff run as well, making nine postseason appearances.

Heading into this season, the Sixers are using their two-way contracts on two more Portland Trail Blazer castoffs: Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert. They are reportedly leaving their final spot open heading into training camp, according to Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com.

Love was a four-year college guard who signed a two-way with Portland after going undrafted in 2025. He played in 49 games as a rookie with one start. He got 20 minutes a game in that time and averaged 10.4 points shooting 38% from the field and 31% from three along with 2.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

Rupert is a 6-foot-7 wing who was a mid second-round pick back in 2023. He played just 139 games in his three seasons as a Blazer, averaging 12 minutes a game putting up 3.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists. After being waived in February by Portland, Rupert was picked up by a Memphis Grizzlies team playing for lottery balls and got the most opportunity of his NBA career.

Playing 30 minutes a game for the Grizzlies he averaged 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game shooting 42% from the field and 33% from three. Those were also improvements on his 38 FG% and 32 3PM%.

That uptick in steals feels like the most worth monitoring if Rupert is going to make an impact as a Sixer. The most encouraging sign is probably that he was forcing steals at the same rate in his 48 games for the Trail Blazers before being cut. The per game production was lower because he was playing a third of the minutes, but he posted a steal rate over 2% for the entire 2025-26 season, putting him in the 80th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.

An important factor in how much impact either two-way will have with the Sixers (assuming they make it through training camp) will be that they will hopefully have much less rotation minutes up for grabs than a season ago.

Barlow proved his value in the starting lineup early last season, but that opportunity to start came in large part due to preseason injuries to Paul George and Trendon Watford. Walker also saw more minutes for this reason, as well as the center rotation, which is always in need of bodies.

The forward rotation obviously revolves around LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. While James will certainly miss his fair share of regular season games, Brown should be quite an innings eater for a player of his caliber. The Sixers roster felt like it was in more of a transitional phase at this point last season as well, more willing to take chances on giving two-ways regular season minutes. Rupert would have to have one hell of a training camp and preseason to crack a bench rotation featuring Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but if he becomes a guy that forces a lot of steals, that’s something his coach is a big fan of.

Love’s journey to minutes feels even harder. The Sixers brought in Anfernee Simons to come off their bench and used their 2026 first-round draft pick on Labaron Philon Jr. A score-first guard, Love had some impressive games as a rookie. His career high is 26 points against the Warriors back on Nov. 23.

As someone who will turn 25 years old just before the start of training camp, he’s about as old as it gets for someone with his experience. He doesn’t exactly fit a need on this team, but he is still a seasoned bucket getter who’s had a moment or two at the NBA level.

As it stands, it’s unlikely the Sixers will get as much two-way contribution as they did a season ago, but two-way contributions aren’t always the thing you see coming. Who, if anyone, emerges with the third spot will be an intriguing training camp storyline. Now that this team aspires for true playoff success again, they hope to be less reliant on two-way players in the rotation.

Sixers pre-camp questions: Can retooled 2nd unit get the job done in playoffs?  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ new era is on deck.

With LeBron James and Jaylen Brown on board and training camp set to begin in late September, we’re taking a look at key questions for the 2026-27 Sixers. 

We’ve asked: 

• Just how dramatic of an impact will James make?
• What role will Brown play on his new team?
• Will the Sixers be healthy when it matters? 
• Who will the Sixers run their late-game offense through?

Next up: Can the Sixers’ retooled second unit get the job done in the playoffs? 

The Sixers’ offseason transformation wasn’t solely about the stars. Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Ariel Hukporti, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and rookie Labaron Philon Jr. are all new bench pieces. 

The 33-year-old Caldwell-Pope is hoping to earn a third NBA championship. Hukporti won his first title as the third-string center on the 2025-26 Knicks. 

The Sixers have also added a pair of new two-way contract players in Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert. Their third two-way slot remains open. Tacko Fall, Jameer Nelson Jr. and Dillon Jones are among the players who have signed Exhibit 10 deals with the team.  

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse will work to land on optimal rotations. He likely won’t start with perfection, although the clarity of Wade and Simons’ roles should help. 

Both Simons and Wade project to be integral, every-game bench players when they’re available. Wade’s main tasks will be playing stellar, dogged on-ball defense and sinking open jumpers. Simons will be asked to launch three-pointers and mesh smoothly with his fellow guards. He averaged 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season in 24.9 minutes per game.

The 27-year-old is eager to play with starters Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. 

“Just helping them out as much as I can,” Simons said in a July virtual press conference, “whether it’s handling the ball or being off the ball, giving them space to work. … Just doing whatever it takes for us to be successful as a team. People say Tyrese had a big workload the last couple years — him and VJ. I’m just here to help them in any way they need to relieve some pressure.” 

As far as both simple shotmaking and team spacing, Simons’ deep range should benefit the Sixers. 

He attempted 5.5 shots per game between 25 and 29 feet last year (and made 38.0 percent). For a player who averaged under 25 minutes, that’s quite a high number. All-Star guards Anthony Edwards and Jamal Murray also attempted 5.5 jumpers per game from the same range.

Simons last played in February because he aggravated a left wrist fracture, but he said in July that he was “fine” physically.

“I’m pretty much completely healed now,” Simons said. “I haven’t felt it in a long time, so there’s no concern with that.” 

Philon is another bench guard worth highlighting, especially given that Nurse on draft night called the Alabama product “talented enough to play” as a rookie. 

The shifty 20-year-old showed off all sorts of offensive skills as a college sophomore, posting 22.0 points and 5.0 assists per game. His efficiency dipped in summer league, but Philon still impressed over four games in Las Vegas and averaged 18.5 points, 5.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds.

“I think he’s another fast, exciting guy that kind of plays a lot like Tyrese and VJ,” Nurse said. “The speed, athleticism, quickness, deep range, the creativity with the ball. He’s a pretty good pick-and-roll player already, probably more advanced than a lot of guys coming into the NBA. We’ll have to see. … I think it’s just another really fast, exciting guy.”

We imagine Philon will have regular-season opportunities to prove he deserves consistent rotation minutes. Perhaps the No. 22 overall pick will capitalize and surge into the playoff spotlight much like Maxey did as a rookie. 

While Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond and Trendon Watford departed the Sixers in free agency, Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona, Justin Edwards and Jabari Walker are back. 

Those four players all experienced playoff basketball for the first time last season. Walker was outside of Nurse’s rotation, but Barlow, Bona and Edwards each received meaningful minutes. 

For Barlow, the path to a greater role appears to be continued success as a hustling, savvy frontcourt player and significant strides as an outside shooter. Edwards will aim to be a dependable 3-and-D wing. Bona will try to reduce his unnecessary fouls while keeping the core of his energetic, rim-protecting game. He may very well compete with Hukporti for the No. 2 center spot behind Embiid. Anyone seeking to cement a place on the second unit will know that defensive rebounding matters and the Sixers must improve as a team in that department. 

The Sixers certainly might tinker with their bench personnel during the season, but they’ve got an intriguing mix of veterans and youngsters as things stand.

Just like with their starters, they’ve upgraded on the surface but will need to meet expectations once the games begin and thrive in the postseason.

Every day, we’ll take a closer look at another member of the 2026-27 Phoenix Suns, examining what they bring to the roster and what their role could mean for the season ahead as we count down to training camp and the preseason.

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Haywood Highsmith

Forward, 6’5”, 220 lbs, 29, 7th season

The last edition to the 2025-2026 Phoenix Suns roster, Haywood Highsmith wasn’t able to find his groove as a member of the Phoenix Suns, dealing with injuries before and during his first season with the team. Signing with Phoenix during the NBA All-Star break, his acquisition was viewed by local experts as an insurance policy in case the team lost any forwards during the offseason.

While the team traded away two of their main forwards from the past few seasons in Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, acquiring Miles Bridges and drafting Koa Peat puts Highsmith as a reserve who will get minutes in the waning moments of blowouts, or if a forward ahead of him on the depth chart suffers an injury.

On a non-guaranteed deal until January 10th, he’ll have to earn his spot on the roster with a strong training camp and preseason.

Last Season

Highsmith played in just seven games for the Suns in the regular season and appeared in two postseason games, coming off the bench in all of them. The team signed him while he was recovering from meniscus surgery and it limited him and forced the team to sit him out games after he returned. Playing more than 15 minutes just three times in his ten total games including the playoffs last year, his best game came against the Boston Celtics back in March when he scored 16 points and hit four threes. Amid on low-efficiency, he hit 57.1% of his triples on a small sample size.

With Rasheer Fleming emerging as primary backup forward once Ryan Dunn’s minutes started to decrease, Highsmith’s value to the team diminished before he even played a game with Phoenix. He played more than 13 minutes just three times in his appearances.

A member and a key contributor to the 2022-2023 Miami Heat team that made a miraculous Finals run as an eighth seed, Highsmith didn’t score a single point and took two shots in his eleven minutes and two appearances in the team’s short playoff run against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	STL	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
7	13.0	5.4	1.9	1.0	0.6	52.2%	57.1%	85.7%	117.8	116.1	+10

Contract and Roster Context

Initially signed to a two-year deal, Phoenix waived and resigned Highsmith in August for more financial flexibility. Currently on a one-year, $3 million deal, his salary becomes fully guaranteed on January 10th, 2027. If he makes the roster, he’ll be eligible to be traded on December 15th. He currently sits behind Miles Bridges and Rasheer Fleming on the depth chart.

What He Brings

An improved three-point shooter since coming into the league from Wheeling University in West Virginia, Highsmith is one of the team’s most experienced players when it comes to playoff experience. He didn’t play in the playoffs, but was a part of the 2018-2019 Philadelphia Sixers team that suffered a heartbreaking defeat to the Toronto Raptors after Kawhi Leonard’s Game 7 buzzer beater, was a member of the Miami Heat when they made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022, and then the NBA Finals as an eighth seed in 2023; and has experienced going home early in the playoffs in his last two years in Miami and last year in Phoenix.

If Bridges or Fleming get hurt or go through any struggles, Highsmith will be ready to check in. He’s made the playoffs every season of his career and knows what it takes to be a quality regular-season team and knows how to play alongside ball-dominant players and All-Stars after years alongside Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler.

If his name is called, he’ll provide Phoenix with a gritty defender, a floor spacer and someone who doesn’t need the ball to make an impact.

What Needs to Improve

Availability. While he played 130 combined games in his two previous seasons, Highsmith was limited to just seven games last year after dealing with a meniscus injury, made his regular season debut in March, and had to miss games once he returned to manage the injury.

Assuming he comes into the season healthy, Highsmith needs to improve as a free throw shooter. While he shot 86% from the charity stripe on just seven attempts last year, he’s a career 62% free-throw shooter, which limits his abilities late in games. If Highsmith can become more consistent from the line, Suns coach Jordan Ott can rely on him more late in games if Fleming or Bridges get in foul trouble or are injured.

Prediction

I do believe Highsmith will make the roster. There aren’t many free agents under 30 who have as much playoff experience and floor-spacing abilities as he does, and for a Phoenix Suns team determined to make a jump in the standings into the top-four, his skillset is valuable if needed.

While I don’t expect him to play every game, when he’s in, he’ll be a low-maintenance wing that matches up against the other team’s 3’s and 4’s. I see Highsmith putting up as many threes as possible in his limited minutes to align with Ott’s three-point-centric approach.

Stat Prediction: 60 Games, 5.3, 2.1 RPG, 0.9 APG, 45.8/38.3/74

Final Word

The Suns should want Highsmith to make the team. They already have a flurry of young players whose roles and potentials are undefined. Highsmith is in the middle of his best seasons and can be a consistent voice for a hungry team devoid of heavy playoff experience outside of a few key players. If he comes in and makes an impact on the team’s spacing when he’s needed and stays healthy, the team should be happy they took a flier on an injured player at the All-Star break a season ago.

Even though Cormac Ryan has been ranked 18th, projecting the role he plays this season is harder than you assume it would be. After bouncing around the league for a while, Ryan began last year playing for the Herd. I highly doubt that, at 27 years old, he was on the Bucks’ radar at all to begin the year, but credit to him: the man kept knocking on the door until he got his shot… and man, did he take advantage. In the 11 NBA games Ryan played to end the season, he averaged 14.3 PPG on .52/.45/.92 splits! Like, it was shocking how natural the NYC native looked on an NBA floor; he did everything you would want from a fourth or fifth starter and even showed some advanced shotmaking in the lane.

Now, we should pump the brakes just a tad and consider that 1) there wasn’t exactly serious basketball being played in a lot of these games, and 2) there was no scouting report to go off. For the most part, Ryan got to play consequence-free hoops against guys who had no clue who he was. That said, dropping 25 points on 9/14 shooting against what was a mostly healthy Rockets team isn’t nothing; many NBA players could never come close to that. At this point, I am comfortable in my assessment that there’s clearly something to continue exploring with this guy… the issue, of course, is that the minutes aren’t there for the Bucks to do that exploring.

And not to be a downer, but another assessment I feel confident in is that Ryan’s ceiling as a player does not exceed the aforementioned role as a fourth or fifth starter/tertiary creator. Like 80% of basketball players, he is not a primary option, and he never will be. We saw evidence of this at Summer League, where Ryan was often entrusted to be the team’s lead guard and command a high usage—it was not pretty. He averaged 11.0 PPG, 1.5 APG, and 3.5 TPG on .35/.35/.40 splits.

So at once, you have this duality: Ryan killed it in a relatively siloed role at the NBA level, then stunk it up at a much lower level in a significantly bigger role. To me, that really seals the deal on what he is and, crucially, what he is not. Regardless, I hope the coaching staff can find pockets this season to get Ryan into the rotation and keep gathering data on him. Maybe last season’s flurry was a flash in the pan; maybe it was more—only one way to find out.

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And onto 17 we go…

What Steve Kerr expects from Draymond Green in Warriors' season of change originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After being eliminated in the NBA Play-In Tournament last season, the Warriors are due for a reset, and roles will have to change within the franchise in an effort to become a competitive playoff team again.

Head coach Steve Kerr shared with Tom Tolbert what this transition period will look like for Draymond Green.

“Since he shared what I shared with him in private,” Kerr stated on a recent episode of the “Tom Tolbert Show”. “I feel it’s only right that I share what he shared with me in private. At the end of the year, we had our exit meeting, and he said, ‘Hey, I want to thank you for your patience because you’ve been really patient with me.’ I think it’s been well worth it. He’s a guy I will say forever; we don’t have a single championship without him. This year I need the same patience from him.”

Kerr will need grace from Green as the Warriors search for their true identity. First-round draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg thrived in the Summer League, but we will have to wait and see if that stellar performance will translate to regular season games.

Yaxel Lendeborg is ON FIRE from deep 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lbGXR94O26

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) July 4, 2026

“It is going to be an interesting year,” Kerr continued. “A transition year of sorts. We’re going to do some things differently. He and Steph obviously have this great rapport. We’re not going to take away from that, but he’s going to have to adapt a little bit, and it’s probably going to be a little frustrating times. So, I’m going to need his patience, too.”

Golden State was in the running to land Green’s good friend and NBA legend, LeBron James, in free agency this offseason. Once James decided to head to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Warriors were left with a nearly identical roster to last season.

“We have to cut back on the turnovers, Kerr admitted. “I want him (Green) shooting the three. He may not be a super high-percentage shooter, but possessions are good for us when he shoots.

Green averaged 2.7 turnovers per game last season, which was the seventh-most among all forwards in the NBA. He shot 32.6 percent from distance, which is slightly above his career average.

“For us to be good,” Kerr concluded. “We’ve got to find a much more streamlined, efficient way to play.”

Staying healthy and limiting turnovers will both be essential if the Warriors want to compete with a stacked Western Conference and make the postseason.

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Last year I had the pleasure of attending the “Coach the Coaches Clinic” at the Frost Bank Center. It took place early in the day hours before the arena began filling seats for the annual Silver & Black Scrimmage. It was so successful that they have added the event to this year’s Silver& Black Scrimmage.

To be clear, the event does not feature Gregg Popovich. It is named in his honor for the expanse of knowledge he has shared with coaches over his decades. Whether on his staff or not, he served anyone who came to him for tutelage.

The invitees are basketball coaches representing all levels of players — collegiate, high school, middle school, recreational, community centers, AAU and club. The seminar was also open to officials, athletic directors, trainers, and aspiring coaches (that’s me).

Last year’s two-hour program featured a variety of skill demonstrations including defense, shooting, and player development. The event featured players from TMI Episcopal demonstrating with the coaches. At the time, their head coach was Monty Williams and the team included his sons as well as Tim Duncan’s son Draven.

This year has much of the same structure built in. Head coach Mitch Johnson will discuss leadership, team culture, and competitive preparation. Lead assistant coach Billy Donovan’s focus is on program building, player development, and winning culture. Assistant coach Mike Noyes will speak on teaching, coaching strategy, and purposeful practice design. And player development assistant coach Jimmy Baron will share on shooting and skill development for every level.

The event is free and includes a ticket to the Silver & Black Scrimmage taking place later in the afternoon.

Click HERE to register.

“Seats are limited. Register by Friday, October 2, or before spots fill—whichever comes first.“

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September belongs to football. We all know that, and most of us are OK with it. 

But some of us – even those who love football, too – are counting down the days to basketball season. It’s never too early to look ahead and predict how this Celtics season could unfold. 

The goal here is to have a little fun and make some educated guesses that might be a bit outside the box or slightly unexpected. With that in mind, here is one statistical prediction for each player on the roster:

Jayson Tatum will have multiple regular-season triple-doubles.

It was the year of Jaylen Brown last year. Now, it’s the year of Jayson Tatum. He has five regular-season triple-doubles in his eight-plus-year career, but no regular season has featured more than one.

This year, he gets at least two (maybe even three or four). Tatum remains a criminally underrated rebounder and passer, and he’ll take those skills to another level this year with Brown gone.

A long-awaited moment from last season… the return of Jayson Tatum 🍀

298 days after tearing his Achilles, JT dropped a near triple-double in his season debut at home in March.

He'll open next season on the road against the Pistons on 10/20! pic.twitter.com/lH5TEFaolY

— NBA (@NBA) September 4, 2026

Paul George plays in 57 or more games. 

I know, I know. Don’t jinx it. I’m sorry in advance. Paul George has had one of the more bizarre careers of this generation. Somewhere along the way, a lot of people forgot just how good he is at basketball. 

Is he the same George who tore it up in Indiana? Nope, but he’s still an excellent all-around player – as long as he’s on the floor. He’s only played 57-plus games once in the last seven seasons, but I’m going to predict that he does so this year. But no, you still shouldn’t draft him in your fantasy league.

Derrick White finishes with shooting splits of 43/38/86 or better.

Derrick White shot 46.1 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from 3-point range and 90.1 percent from the line in 2023-24. Obviously, that was a special team and he benefited from the talent around him, but I think last year was an outlier rather than a regression to the mean. He’s poised for a big bounce-back year as a shooter after seeing his percentages dip to 39.4 from the field and 32.7 percent from distance. 

You just know he’s been in the lab a little extra this summer, and I’m confident it will pay off in a major way this season. He flirts with 45/40/90 and doesn’t quite get it, but it’s still a major step in the right direction that has a ripple effect throughout the roster. White is probably the biggest X-factor for this team, and seeing him hit his shots provides a jolt and helps others do the same.

Payton Pritchard averages career highs in points, rebounds and assists per game.

Payton Pritchard’s scoring, rebounding and assist numbers have all increased every year since 2022-23, and there’s no reason to think that won’t be the case this year. Last year, he ended up at 17 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds. I think 18.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds is a reasonable guess. Those aren’t quite all-star numbers, but they’re not far off. 

Neemias Queta makes his first career 3-pointer.

Neemias Queta is a fun player, so this one could go in a lot of different directions, but I think he’s going to surprise people this year with his mid-range shooting. All I want from him is the wherewithal and confidence to be able to turn to the basket and hit a free-throw-line jumper when defenses dare him to do so in the pick and roll. That slight shift in mindset will briefly translate to one 3 (maybe even two or three) in a magical moment for the Celtics and their fans. 

Neemias Queta with another monster game for Portugal 😈

20 PTS
11 REB
3 AST pic.twitter.com/q4UmIvC7sY

— FIBA Basketball World Cup 🏆 (@FIBAWC) August 31, 2026

Sam Hauser shoots between 35 and 45 percent from 3-point range every month.

Sam Hauser ended up having a decent shooting season last year (not great by his very high standards, but still solid), but it was a bit of a wild ride to get there. He hit just 27.5 percent of his attempts in November, reached 45.1 for January, dipped to 33 percent in March, then hit 52.6 in six April games. This year is less erratic and more consistent, with nothing quite as high or quite as low.

Mitchell Robinson shoots 50 percent or better from the free-throw line.

The Celtics are truly excellent when it comes to player development, and I believe they’ll find some slight tweak to Mitchell Robinson’s motion that allows him to improve on his 40.8-percent mark from last year. He won’t suddenly become Steph Curry, but he’ll get to a point where he’s not as much of a liability and teams won’t be able to hack him without hesitation.

Baylor Scheierman averages at least 2.5 assists per game.

Baylor Scheierman is starting to get comfortable as a shooter, defender and glue guy. The next step for him is to return to the playmaking style he displayed in college. Scheierman averaged 3.6 assists in college, and I say he gets to 2.5 this year (compared to 1.5 last year) – even with the ball in his hands a lot less than it was at South Dakota State and Creighton.

On a night he's honored for being the first man in NCAA history with 2000 points, 1000 rebounds, 500 assists and 300 three-pointers, Baylor Scheierman turns in Creighton's first points/rebounds/assist TRIPLE DOUBLE in program history. pic.twitter.com/5EnuFlXe4A

— Rob Anderson (@_robanderson) February 14, 2024

Hugo González averages at least 1.3 steals per game.

He averaged 0.6 last year in just 14.6 minutes. It’s fair to assume his minutes will increase this year and the steals will increase naturally as well. Last year, 1.3 would have put him in the top 60 in the NBA, and I say he gets there this year.

Jordan Walsh has a game with at least 3 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals. 

I think Jordan Walsh is poised for a breakout season. He doesn’t get enough credit for his role last year, and I think he’ll start to get more this year as he continues to trend in the right direction. That will result in at least one game where he stuffs the stat sheet in every area. He came close to the feat last year, and this year he gets it done.

Ron Harper Jr. drops 30 at least once.

Ron Harper Jr. is capable of erupting on any given night. I think he’ll play regularly, but there will be a lopsided game this year where he goes nutty and hits 30. He came close with 27 in the regular-season finale last year, and this year I think he hits the mark.

Mike Conley Jr. shoots 40 percent or better from 3-point range.

This is an ideal setup for Mike Conley Jr., where he’ll get high-percentage looks as a result of the Celtics’ ball movement. All he has to do is knock them down, and I think he will at a very high clip with not much volume.

Luka Garza averages fewer than 2 fouls per game. 

Luka Garza fared admirably whenever his number was called, but it’s also clear his defense needs to improve to remain in the rotation with Robinson in the picture. This year, he cuts down on the fouls and averages fewer per game than he did last year (2.3). 

Amari Williams hits double digits multiple times. 

He came close last year. This year, he finds a way to get 10-plus points – not just once, but two or three times. It will be tough for Williams to get regular playing time with Queta, Robinson and Garza all ahead of him, but he proves he belongs and carves out more of a role than last season. 

Chris Cenac Jr. has a game with three-plus blocks.

Chris Cenac Jr. is better defensively than people think. He moves well for his size, has long arms and alters shots at the rim. I say he has a game this season where he swats a few shots and fires up the crowd.

Dillon Mitchell has at least three dunks that bring the house down. 

Dillon Mitchell can really get up and is a candidate for the Slam Dunk Contest down the road. He displays that skill in stretches this year and leaves fans in awe on multiple occasions. 

If you’re wondering why this season feels different, it’s because it is.

Jazz fans are entering territory they haven’t been in ever before. What territory am I talking about? I’m talking about the potential we have with Darryn Peterson. I’ve been spending the last few months since the draft and summer league trying to grasp what this season will look like. It’s been difficult because it’s got some incredible potential. The worst case for this team, outside of injury, is that they’re a play-in team. To me, that’s the floor for this team, and I don’t think that’s very debatable. The amount of talent alone on the Jazz is enough to compete night after night. If they’re well coached, which I think they will be, they should have a .500 record.

It’s the best-case scenario that’s hard for me to grasp. Darryn Peterson has a chance to take this team to incredible levels. Now, it’s important to remember that even the best rookies have an adjustment period and struggle in their rookie seasons. Even LeBron James had some struggles to start his career. Although James averaged 39 minutes per game in his rookie year, which is pretty wild considering how many minutes players play in today’s game.

But speaking of LeBron James, there was no question whether James should start in his debut with the Cavaliers. In his first regular-season game, he had a stat line of 25 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. Oh, and that was in 42:50. That season, the Cavs went 33-46, but the Cavaliers knew they had a special player on their hands right away.

In Utah, it seems like there are fans who wonder whether Darryn Peterson should start. Maybe that’s because of the Jazz’s history of deciding that arbitrary, unspoken rules mattered more than building toward contention. Deron Williams, a player the Jazz traded up to #3 in the lottery for, was forced to come off the bench for Keith McLeod. No offense to Keith McLeod, but he averaged 5.5 points in his career while shooting 35.7% from the field. Starting McLeod over Deron Williams was a ridiculous decision and contributed to future divisiveness between Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan. What makes that even more idiotic was how good Deron Williams became, and that coming off the bench proved to only keep him from flourishing sooner.

I personally don’t think that will happen with the Jazz, at least I hope not. The reason? Utah’s new Darryn has the chance to be incredibly special. And even though the Jazz have a team filled with talent ready to go, some of them former all-stars, Peterson could already be the Jazz’s best player. Yes, he might be the best player right now. What’s crazy about Peterson is how complete a player he already is. You name it, he’s doing it, and doing it well. Shooting? He was the primary option on a Kansas team without a lot of shooting around him. His usage rate was high, and he managed to shoot 38% from three for the season, and that was while battling injuries, cramping, and a coach who let him take the blame for everything from the media. That shooting is even more impressive when you consider that it was the biggest question for him going into Kansas. In High School, he was a playmaking guard who electrified with his ability to literally do it all. And that’s the new question for Peterson. Even though he showed it in High School, the question has been why was his assists/turnover ratio in college not good? Well, he may have already answered that with a 12-assist game in summer league when he was on the floor with NBA-caliber talent in Ace Bailey and Cody Williams. What happens when he is surrounded by Ace Bailey AND Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen, and Jaren Jackson Jr.? Something tells me that playmaking is going to look better. It’s also not just offense where Peterson shines, he’s also a plus defender who averaged 2 SPG at Kansas. The only weakness you can really point to is a lack of experience, which will be fixed as soon as he gets on the floor.

What I’m trying to say is that Peterson has a chance to take this team to new heights. It may not happen this year, although I won’t be surprised if it does, but this season will show us just how far this Jazz team can go. If Darryn Peterson reaches his apex potential, Utah may not just be in new territory with a top pick in the draft, but do something it hasn’t done before, win a title.

Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said the team will comply with the penalties handed down by the NBA for salary cap circumvention, he announced in a statement Sunday, Sept. 13.

A league-backed investigation that spanned 11 months concluded the Clippers circumvented the salary cap with its alleged facilitation of "no-show" endorsement deals for Kawhi Leonard, their former star forward.

In his statement, Ballmer said the Clippers will not pursue any legal action against the league.

"This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets," Ballmer's statement read. "I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.

"We are committing to put this chapter behind us. We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward."

WHAT TO KNOW: NBA punishes LA Clippers over Kawhi Leonard deals

Following the conclusion of its investigation, the NBA announced that the Clippers would lose five future first-round draft picks and a $30 million fine. Ballmer, along with team executives, also received a suspension.

Ballmer and Lawrence Frank, the team's president of basketball operations, had continuously expressed their innocence publicly during this past season.

Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000 for restitution related to covered personal expenses, but the star player was not suspended for the upcoming 2026-27 season. 

Leonard's status with the Clippers remains unclear for the upcoming season. He's expected to be traded by Los Angeles to the Toronto Raptors in a deal that was put on hold pending the results of the NBA investigation.

Ballmer's statement comes as the NBA's board of governors get set to start meetings in New York this week. The U.S. Department of Justice also has reportedly opened a criminal inquiry into the Clippers' dealings with Leonard.

Read Steve Ballmer's full statement

Here is the full statement issued by Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer Sunday night:

A statement from Steve Ballmer. pic.twitter.com/YvhdXA8dQf

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) September 14, 2026

Contributing: Lorenzo Reyes

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steve Ballmer to comply with Clippers' penalties: 'I have sincere regrets'

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer released a lengthy statement Sunday night apologizing to fans and accepting the findings of an NBA investigation of salary cap violations.

“This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets,” Ballmer said in the statement released 11 days after the NBA first sanctioned the owner and his team. “I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.”

The NBA handed down stiff penalties to Ballmer and the Clippers after the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz found “a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations” that benefited Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.

The investigation found Leonard received $66 million in cash and equity from four companies facilitated by Ballmer and Clippers executives at the behest of Dennis Robertson, Leonard’s uncle and then-agent. Ballmer invested $60 million in Aspiration Partners, while Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance received $22 million from the Clippers in consulting fees.

Read more:Read the NBA's investigation of the Clippers, Steve Ballmer, Kawhi Leonard

The Clippers initially protested and vowed to use all means available to contest sanctions that included banning Ballmer from all league activities for a year, fining the team $30 million and taking away five first-round draft picks in the 2029, 2030, 2031, 2032 and 2033 drafts.

Leonard previously agreed to pay a $700,000 fine and did not contest the sanctions, removing the possibility of the case going to arbitration because the mechanism only exists for players and not teams.

“We are committing to put this chapter behind us,” Ballmer’s statement read. “We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine and are moving forward. While there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus. Team owners should support, not distract.”

Two of Ballmer’s top executives were also sanctioned, altering the way the team will have to operate moving forward.

Read more:NBA hammers Clippers, Steve Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard following investigation

Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker was suspended without pay for one year for “being primarily and directly culpable for the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for providing false and misleading statements to investigators.”

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank was suspended without pay for six months for “his involvement with the impermissible endorsement arrangements and for approving impermissible expenses incurred by Mr. Leonard and his family.”

Ballmer, however, has assembled a deep front office staff, giving the Clippers a number of options to offset the loss of those who are suspended.

“The challenges ahead of us are significant, but so is our resolve,” Ballmer wrote. “We will continue to build our team and invest in our community. The confidence of our fans is our priority. With our talented roster, outstanding staff and clear vision, I am certain that we will compete at the highest level and be an organization our fans can be proud of.”

Read more:Plaschke: NBA drops the hammer on The Cheatin’ Clippers, and they can't shed the stink

The decision to comply with the sanctions rather than attempting to contest them in the court could help resolve one of the biggest outstanding offseason items the Clippers face.

Leonard’s trade to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for forward Brandon Ingram, shooting guard Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, a pick swap and two second-round picks was put on hold while both teams awaited investigation results.

With the NBA stripping the Clippers of five future first-round picks, the package they are expected to receive when the Leonard trade is completed would have a substantial impact on their future roster-building options.

Read more:Swanson: Kawhi Leonard is a Hall of Fame scam artist who deserves Clippers fans' boos

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, in the wake of the NBA punishing his franchise for circumventing the league’s salary cap by “initiating off-court income opportunities” for star forward Kawhi Leonard, said he has “sincere regrets” and apologized to fans as part of a lengthy statement he issued Sunday night.

“This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets. I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and my fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.”

The NBA’s independent investigation, which was conducted by the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, found a “pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, a prior offender of the salary cap circumvention rules,” per the league’s statement on Sept. 2

The league dropped staggering punishments on the Clippers, fining the franchise $30 million, suspending Ballmer for one year and stripping the franchise of five first-round draft picks.

President of business operations Gillian Zucker (one year) and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank (six months) were also suspended for their roles in the scandal.

It appeared the Clippers were not going down easy after the NBA dropped the hammer on them.

In the immediate aftermath, the franchise issued a statement saying it “vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence.”

But Ballmer was singing a different tune.

“We are committing to put this chapter behind us,” Ballmer’s statement continued. “We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward. While there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus. 

“Team owners should support, not distract. The challenges ahead of us are significant, but so is our resolve. We will continue to build our team and invest in our community. The confidence of our fans is our priority. With our talented roster, outstanding staff and clear vision, I am certain that we will compete at the highest level and be an organization our fans can be proud of.”

Leonard was forced to pay the NBA $700,000 for restitution for improper benefits provided by the Clippers, while his uncle and former business manager, Dennis Robertson, has been banned by the NBA from all business dealings for five years.

In a statement he issued after the league’s punishments were announced, Leonard stated he accepted “full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family.”

His statement continued: “I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap.”

Leonard also alluded to returning to Toronto as part of the trade between the Clippers and Raptors that was agreed upon in late June but was halted in light of the investigation.

Federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the franchise over allegations it circumvented the NBA’s salary cap.

It wasn’t clear what possible crimes federal prosecutors are investigating, or which people are the target of the federal inquiry. It also wasn’t clear whether criminal charges would come from the investigation.

Spokespeople for the Clippers and the NBA didn’t respond to messages from The California Post on asking about the investigation.

The Department of Justice is the second government entity to investigate the Clippers-Leonard scandal.

Daktronics acting CFO Howard Atkins said during a recent earnings call with investors that the Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking information concerning the South Dakota-based company — which built the $100 million video board inside the Clippers’ Intuit Dome — and its relationship with Leonard.

Daktronics, along with Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless and Lockton Insurance, was one of the four companies with endorsement deals with Leonard that were at the center of the NBA’s investigation.

How good will the Lakers be next season? 

Depends who you ask. 

In an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Charles Barkley said the Lakers are “probably better” than the 2024 Dallas Mavericks, whom Luka Doncic carried to the NBA Finals.

On the other end of the spectrum lies Norman Powell, an 11-season NBA veteran who was named an All-Star for the first time in his career last February while playing for the Miami Heat. When Powell was asked who’s the most overrated team in the league during a conversation with streamer N3on, he named the Lakers. 

That’s the fun of this. When it comes to the Lakers, no one knows what their ceiling will be. 

LeBron James left in free agency after spending eight seasons with the team, including carrying them to their first championship in eight years in 2020. They revamped their roster, adding 10 new players. They went all in on Walker Kessler, hoping he’ll transform into a star. 

So, who’s more right about the purple and gold: Barkley or Powell?

Sorry, Chuck, while it’s great that you’re a Laker fan now that LeBron has left, Powell is right here. The Lakers won’t be able to compete with the most elite teams in the West next season.

The West is just too deep.

Lakers Overrated

Even if the Lakers had no holes, they’d be fighting an uphill battle against the Thunder and Spurs, each of whom have a seemingly endless cadre of young legs and talent.

But as things stand, the Lakers are shaky in several key areas, most notably with their porous perimeter defense. They need time to build chemistry. It remains to be seen whether Kessler and Austin Reaves are going to live up to their lofty contracts.

The Lakers might be good. But it’s hard to imagine they’ll be great next season. They’re still a few tweaks away from that. They need reinforcements. They need time to jell.

There’s no margin for error in the West.

We saw how the Lakers performed against the 2025 champion Thunder last season, you know, when they lost their four regular season games by an average of 29.3 points before getting swept by Oklahoma City in the second round of the playoffs. Then the Spurs beat the Thunder to reach the Finals. Those teams are good good.

Are the Lakers really that much better than they were last year? Are they better at all considering they lost James, who pretty much single-handedly led the Lakers past the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs?

Quite frankly, the answer is no.

Make no mistake about it: The Lakers are on the right track.

They got younger. They got faster. They added a skilled center. They’re on their way. But they haven’t arrived. Far from it.

Sure, as long as Doncic is on the Lakers, they’ll be in the mix. He’s hellbent on winning his first championship after the Mavericks stunningly traded him to the Lakers in February 2025.

Last season, he led the league in scoring (33.5 points), was third in assists (8.3) and finished fourth in MVP voting. Before suffering a hamstring strain that sidelined him for the playoffs, he averaged 37.5 points, 8 rebounds and 7.4 assists in March, leading the Lakers to a 15-2 record over that stretch. 

Expect him to be even better next season.

But he still doesn’t have enough around him to get past the Thunder or Spurs.

Reaves, whom the Lakers signed to a four-year, $180 million deal (the richest contract in NBA history for a player who went undrafted) is a borderline All-Star.

Kessler whom the Lakers mortgaged their future to acquire, giving up two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two first-round pick swaps (2028 and 2030), while signing him to a four-year, $130 million deal, is one of the top rebounders and rim patrollers in the league.

But the Lakers need to be virtually bulletproof to reach the championship round. And it’s obvious that at this point they’re not.

Could the Lakers finish top-four in the West? Sure.

Are they Finals bound? No.

Are they the most overrated team in the league? Arguably.

The Lakers are on their way to trying to compete for their first championship since 2020. But being on the freeway is a far cry from approaching the coveted two-car driveway of basketball nirvana.

And right now, it’s impossible to see the Lakers parked there come June.

The new look Lakers are already catching strays.

Bulls All-Star guard Norman Powell named the Lakers as the most overrated team in the NBA on a recent Kick stream with internet personality N3on.

N3on: “Who is the most overrated team in the NBA?”

Norman Powell: “The Lakers” pic.twitter.com/MnFdaLd0oS

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 12, 2026

Powell was formerly a cross-town rival of the Lakers, having some of the best years of his career with the Clippers from 2021 through 2025.

Powell’s remarks come at an interesting time for the Lakers franchise. The offseason featured a slew of dramatic events including the departure of LeBron James and owner Mark Walter selling the team amid a federal investigation.

As for the Lakers’ roster, general manager Rob Pelinka orchestrated a massive overhaul headlined by center Walker Kessler’s four-year, $130 million deal. LA’s new trio features Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Kessler.

Many experts are predicting the Lakers to finish the 2026-27 season as a fringe playoff team, rather than a legitimate contender. Thus, Powell’s comments seem unwarranted.

But the guard formerly played for the Clippers from 2022-25, so his remarks may be coming from the crosstown rivalry.

The Lakers have much to prove with Doncic officially at the helm of the organization. The star guard faces immense pressure to transform the Lakers into a championship team.

Doncic will have to show he can do just that this season.