Category: NBA

It didn’t take long for the Phoenix Suns to find a replacement for sharpshooter Grayson Allen, whom they dealt to the Charlotte Hornets to acquire power forward Miles Bridges. In the first hours of NBA Free Agency, the team agreed to a two-year $13 million deal with sharpshooter Luke Kennard, who is set to fill the bench role that Allen gave the Suns the past few seasons.

When they were at Duke together, here’s how the two teams’ games compare to each other.

Attributes/Intangibles

Grayson Allen

Height: 6’3”

Age: 30

Weight: 198 pounds

Contract: Going into the third year of a 4-year $70 million contract he signed back in 2024

Years in the NBA: 8

Games played: 454

Luke Kennard

Height: 6’5”

Age: 30

Weight: 205 pounds

Contract: Just signed a two-year, $13 million deal

Years in the NBA: 9

Games played: 538

Some extra tidbits

Despite Allen being the older player, Kennard is the one who’s been in the league longer. Allen played four years at Duke, while Kennard spent just two seasons there. Kennard has played roughly a full season more of games and 10 more playoff games, but Allen has one more playoff appearance after making them in five out of his last six seasons.

Career Averages

Grayson Allen

Points per game: 11.2

Rebounds per game: 3

Assists per game: 2.2

Shooting Splits (FG/3PT/FT): 44.3/40.3/85.7 shooting splits

Last season’s averages: 16.5 points, 3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game on 40.3/34.9/85.7 shooting splits in 51 games played with the Phoenix Suns.

Luke Kennard

Points per game: 9.6

Rebounds per game: 2.8

Assists per game: 2.8

Shooting Splits (FG/3PT/FT): 46.6/44.2/88.5 shooting splits

Last season’s averages: 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game on 53.3/47.8/91.3 shooting splits in 78 total games with the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers.

Some extra tidbits

Allen had his best season last year, but lower-body injuries required him to miss 31 games. Allen has typically played more minutes with his teams than Kennard has, and scores slightly less efficiently. Both take more threes than twos. Kennard has never started more than 25 games in a season, while Allen has played the role of reserve and starter almost evenly throughout his career. He started in 74 games his first season in Phoenix, only seven the next, and in 53% of his games during the 2025-2026 campaign.

Playstyles

Grayson Allen

A shooter mostly to start his career, Allen has developed his playmaking and passing abilities in recent seasons. He had his two highest assist seasons with Phoenix, and when Bradley Beal and Devin Booker endured injuries in the 2023-2024 campaign, he was thrust into numerous ball-handling and point guard duties. In February of 2024, when Booker and Beal missed time, Allen averaged 4.1 assists per game and had a career-best 14-assist game against the Utah Jazz, playing point guard.

This past season, taking the most shots of his career (he took 13.1 per game, his second-most is 9.1), Allen’s efficiency dipped as he became more of a volume scorer and someone Phoenix relied on to create offense. He got to the line more than he ever has per game, which coincided with more shot attempts and turnovers. Additionally, he’s become more of a defensive playmaker, diving for loose balls, and was second on the team in steals per game last year.

Luke Kennard

For the entirety of his career, Kennard has been a marksman. He holds the highest three-point percentage out of any active player, including the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made, Steph Curry.

Playing alongside dynamic playmakers such as Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Ja Morant, he’s at his best when he’s being set up for shots, which is why one of the best games of his career came in Games 1 and 2 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs this year against the Houston Rockets when he scored 27 points and 23 points respectively as James was looking for him to find open shooters.

Unlike Allen, Kennard hasn’t been thrust into a main scoring role recently. He hasn’t taken more than 10 shots per game or averaged more than 26 minutes a game since his third season, and his role in Phoenix projects to be no different.

While the Phoenix Suns are getting a cheaper, arguably better shooter, Luke Kennard is not the offensive nor defensive playmaker that Grayson Allen has become, but they filled a hole that they created when they acquired Miles Bridges.

The Los Angeles Lakers have completely revamped the roster ahead of the 2026-27 season, headlining the offseason by signing center Walker Kessler to a four-year, $130 million deal.

Kessler, who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Utah Jazz, turned down a five-year, $140 million contract extension from the organization. Instead, the 24-year-old chose to join the Lakers on a more lucrative contract.

But is that really the case?

As a state, Utah has a flat individual state income tax rate of 4.45%, meaning there are no income brackets or top marginal rates. Because it’s a flat tax, all taxable income is taxed at the same rate regardless of the total amount and the state does not have any additional local income taxes.

By comparison, California’s notorious top state income tax rate reaches 13.3%; the highest in the nation. The actual rate is 12.3%, but the state also imposes a 1% surcharge for mental health services as well. Add in the 1.2% State Disability Insurance tax California requires everyone to pay, and Kessler is expected to lose 14.5% of his paycheck to California taxes.

Kessler accepted Los Angeles’ four-year, $130 million contract over the five-year, $140 million offered by the Jazz. While many within the league believe the Lakers massively overpaid a player who has yet to make an All-Star or All-NBA team — his only accolade is being named first-team all-rookie — it turns our Kessler’s actual take home will be less than what he would’ve received in Utah.

Kessler’s AAV (average annual value) in Los Angeles will be $32.5 million, which means he’ll lose $4.7 million in taxes in California, making his take home amount $27.8 million per season. Over the course of his four-year contract, Kessler is expected to lose $18.8 million and bring home $111.2 million.

If Kessler had stayed in Utah on that deal, his AAV would’ve been $28 million per season. He would’ve lost $1.3 million in taxes every season, making his take home amount $26.7 million. Over the course of his five-year contract, Kessler was expected to lose $6.5 million and bring home $133.5 million.

That means the price of playing alongside Luka Dončić is going to cost Kessler $22.3 million over the course of his contract.

This would directly conflict with reports that Kessler rejected the Jazz’s offer because he wanted more money. There were, however, other reports that the center was frustrated with Utah and the handling of his contract.

The strained relationship likely opened the door for the Lakers to trade for Kessler and ultimately sign him to the four-year deal. This summer marks a new era for the purple and gold.

Earlier this week, LeBron James informed the Lakers he would not return for the 2026–27 season, officially ending his tenure with the team after eight seasons.

Now, the Lakers are embarking on the next stage of the organization with Dončić, Austin Reaves and Kessler at the forefront.

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Summer League has become a particularly special time of year for Nets fans over the past two seasons. Last summer, Brooklyn’s 2025 No. 8 pick, Egor Dёmin, headlined a roster packed with rookies. This year, No. 6 overall pick Mikel Brown Jr. leads a squad with even more young pieces to get excited about.

The action kicks off against Sacramento and Darius Acuff Jr., whom the Nets passed on in the lottery. It’s a matchup that’s already fueling heavy debate across sports talk shows. It’s all in fun and they’re all exhibition games. Enjoy!

Full Schedule & TV Info

Full Roster

Drake Powell missed last year’s Summer League so he’ll be making his debut in this area. On the flip, Nolan Traore is out after the Nets announced the Frenchman had a scope on his knee.

Since I’ve had the pleasure of covering games and being around the team for this illustrious blog, I’ve felt proud in my ability to divorce myself from the fandom of the team I grew up with. It’s been easier than I thought it would be to leave those feelings at the door, and that’s only gotten easier over the course of five seasons.

The Sixers trading for Jaylen Brown somehow invoked an extremely negative response that can only be attributed to an irrational fan. The more time that’s passed since Shams Charania broke the news, I’ve come back to Earth a bit, but the vibes of this trade reeks to me in a way I haven’t been able to get over.

Let’s start with why this thought process feels irrational. Brown is a much better basketball player than Paul George at this stage of their careers. That’s before even factoring in George having one of the least appetizing contracts in the league.

Brown solves the most immediate issue for the Sixers’ roster. He isn’t just a star that can carry the team through the slog of an 82-game season, but he’s proved to be one of the most durable stars in doing so. It’s been flat out difficult to parse through the draft compensation the Sixers are sending to Boston in this deal, but the protections are a lot better than just giving the 2028 LA Clippers unprotected pick to the Celtics.

So, why don’t I like this trade?

The biggest reason might be straight up cowardice. The Sixers have had transactions where it’s looked like they’ve pulled one over on the Celtics, only for it to turn into an abject disaster. Stealing Al Horford away killed a season of Joel Embiid’s prime, and nearly cost the Sixers their shot at VJ Edgecombe in the process of unloading his contract.

Markelle Fultz was a slam dunk No. 1 overall pick in a loaded draft class, and the Sixers only had to cough up one extra middle-of-the-first-round pick to get him. Nine years later, Fultz’s NBA career looks over while Jayson Tatum racks up All-NBA team appearance after appearance.

Now, the Sixers have acquired Brown when his trade value was reportedly reaching a low point. It’s honestly great process for Mike Gansey and company to jump on this opportunity, but the fact that it’s a deal with the Celtics has me waiting for the other shoe to drop. I can’t help but feel the Celtics are cooking up something diabolical for next summer using George’s expiring contract, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

A big reason for this feeling is the fact that it was the Sixers that caused this Celtics tailspin in the first place. Their comeback from a 3-1 series deficit had Brad Stevens saying the team needs major changes while Brown was rushing to Twitch to defend his performance in that series. Now it feels harder to laugh at the situation with Brown a big part of this Sixers roster.

If it was any other team that made this trade with the Celtics, my gut reaction would probably be that they got fleeced, but I can’t get this boogeyman feeling out of my head. It’s exacerbated my concerns about Brown as a star-level player, also to an irrational degree.

For as bad as George’s contract is, he looked really good in that Boston series. The caveat that he had much less of a burden to carry is necessary, but George outplaying Brown for prolonged stretches is a big reason why the Sixers pulled off that comeback.

Speaking of contracts, another thing that gave me pause was the idea of giving Brown an extension. George may be one of the most overpaid players in the league, but that deal comes off the books in two years. Even being a younger, better player, Brown’s current contract is looked at as a team-building constraint by many under this current CBA. It sucks for Brown and many other players of his caliber, but the maximum contracts are harder and harder to justify giving out to a non-top-five player in the league.

That’s harsh to a guy like Brown, who is a perennial All-NBA candidate himself. To slow things down a little, Brown is under contract through the 2028-29 season. The Sixers don’t need to be in any rush to hand him a new deal. Whether they do so will have a big impact on if I still feel this negatively about this trade.

Your appetite for this trade probably varies a lot on what you think the Sixers timeline is or should be. I’m personally of the mind that their best path forward is waiting for VJ Edgecombe to age into his prime and wait for bad money to come off the books.

Because I prefer the longer-term approach, this trade reminds me a lot of the Sixers trade for Jimmy Butler in 2018 — in good ways and bad. That trade drastically accelerated the windows of Embiid and Ben Simmons, throwing them into the fires of immediate title contention in just their second trip to the playoffs. At the same time, Butler fit so well with Embiid they nearly beat the team that would eventually win the Finals that year.

With Tyrese Maxey currently in his prime, this Sixers team might be better equipped to absorb a star like Brown and go for it again. If Embiid is correct in the confidence he had in his left knee after this past season ended, they’ll really be cooking with gas.

Embiid’s health will always be a huge if though, too uncertain for me to make any big short-term risks at the moment. I’m probably overthinking this. Even as each hour since the trade has been broken, I feel I’ve come back to Earth on this more and more. Besides, the only people who seem to dislike this trade more than me are Celtics fans.

While the Lakers have addressed their strongest need by reportedly trading for Walker Kessler, they still have gaps to fill in their roster.

Specifically, at the wing position. As currently constructed, the team lacks wings and needs more perimeter defense. Many players are already off the board, but there are still some quality wings on the market.

In a Wednesday night report, Dan Woike of The Athletic mentioned Jonathan Kuminga as a player the Lakers could acquire this offseason.

The team, according to league sources who were granted anonymity to freely discuss the Lakers’ offseason moves, is still seeking a young wing to help its perimeter defense. A high-upside swing receiving significant consideration, per league sources, is former Golden State Warrior and Atlanta Hawk Jonathan Kuminga, whose $24.3 million team option was recently declined by Atlanta.

The Lakers reportedly called the Warriors about Kuminga last offseason, so it’s no surprise they are still interested in his talent. Kuminga is an example of how quickly free agency can change.

The Hawks declining his team option was a surprise, and it doesn’t appear that Atlanta wants to agree to a smaller deal. So, he’s now one of the most intriguing unrestricted free agents.

Kuminga is a player with a ton of potential. So far, it hasn’t materialized into him becoming the best version of himself. His saga with the Warriors was exhausting, and when he got his fresh start in Atlanta, they clearly didn’t see enough to want to retain him.

Still, he’s a young wing and in need of some redemption. If he comes to the Lakers and has a breakout season, it could alter the trajectory of his career.

Besides his respectable defense, Kuminga is an all-around solid player. Last year, he averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. That level of production is hard to find in unrestricted free agency.

As usual, this will come down to money.

The Lakers have reportedly spent a ton by trading for Kessler and adding Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili. However, if they can agree on terms, Kuminga would be a great pickup.

The Lakers need exactly what he can provide, and playing well here could lead to a bigger payday in the future. Malik Monk and Dorian Finney-Smith followed this path to success, and Kuminga could do the same if he so chooses.

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

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The Boston Celtics trading former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers dramatically impacted NBA Finals odds at sportsbooks and NBA prediction market prices.

Key Takeaways

• The 76ers are fifth in odds to win the NBA Finals at BetMGM.
  
  
• Kalshi and Polymarket bumped the 76ers from 1% chance of winning the title to as high as 6%.
  
  
• Reports suggest Brown wore out his welcome in Boston.

Brown, who spent his first 10 years in Boston was traded for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-rounders Wednesday.

BetMGM shared with Covers that the 76ers were only +6,600 (1.5% implied chance) to win the Finals before the trade. They vaulted to +2,000 (4.8% chance), which is fifth on the board.

BetMGM also noted 35% of bets and 40% of money wagered in the NBA Finals futures market -  both highest amounts - were on the 76ers. That represented roughly a 13-hour period from approximately 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday through 7 a.m. on Thursday.

.@sixers odds to win NBA Championship at @BetMGM

Before Jaylen Brown trade: +6600

After: +2000 ⬆️

40% of money (most) is on 76ers to win the NBA title since the trade pic.twitter.com/IKcen9N6MP

— BetMGM News (@BetMGMNews) July 2, 2026

A similar trend emerged in the Eastern Conference futures market. The Sixers moved from +2,000 (4.8% chance) to win the conference pre-trade to +700 (12.5% chance), drawing 54% of bets and 68% of the handle during the period after the trade was reported.

The Celtics did not enjoy the same surge in NBA championship odds. They fell from +700 (12.5% chance), the third-shortest amount and shortest in the East to +1,400 (6.7% chance). They also lengthened from +260 (27.8% chance) to +450 (18.2% chance) to win the conference.

The Sixers now have the second-largest share of tickets to win the title (8.8%), only behind the Golden State Warriors (15.7%). They’re also third in handle (9.4%), trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder (32%) and Warriors (12.5%).

Prediction markets adjust to trade

Just like sportsbooks, NBA prediction markets underwent significant changes after the Brown trade was reported.

Market data from Polymarket shows the Sixers jumped from 1.1% to 5.7% by Thursday morning, peaking as high as 6%. The Celtics dropped from 8% to 6%. 

The Thunder (21%) and San Antonio Spurs (17%) are the obvious market leaders, followed by the defending champion New York Knicks (11%). The Celtics are still fourth, although the Sixers and Miami Heat (5.8%) are just behind.

Kalshi’s markets went through a similar adjustment. The Sixers went from 1% to 6% by 8 a.m. on Thursday, although they dropped back down to 4% during the two ensuing hours.

Kalshi also dropped the Celtics from 10% to 7%, which, like Polymarket, is fourth on the board.

The 2027 Finals are still about a year away, but Kalshi and Polymarket already reported approximately $10.5 million in total combined trades in their next champion markets.

Rivalry renewed

The Brown trade will add another chapter to the Celtics-76ers rivalry. The two teams will meet the customary four times during the regular season.

The 76ers recovered from a 3-1 deficit to eliminate the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs last year. Brown went on a livestream the following day and said Sixers star center Joel Embiid was a flopper.

"Flopping has ruined our game."

Now Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid are teammates 👀

(via fchwpo/Twitch) pic.twitter.com/ctIl1dmzwJ

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 1, 2026

Sources told The Herd's Colin Cowherd that Brown has a “disease” which made him think he was always the smartest in the room, leading to strained relationships in Boston.

NBA sources believe Jaylen Brown thinks he’s the smartest person in the room, per @colincowherd

“I had two NBA sources … two people in the league, one an executive, one a scout, say that Jaylen Brown has — it’s a disease. He suddenly thinks he’s the smartest guy in every room… pic.twitter.com/aBhgNSfXiF

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 2, 2026

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.

The Knicks might be doing anything to bring in external players through free agency, but that’s reasonable considering how busy they are in filling out their Summer League roster.

New York announced its roster on Thursday morning, but I had already written this post and it’s going nowhere. So instead of revealing two signings, let’s consider this a meetup.

Today’s Casa Knicks entries are North Dakota forward Treysen Eaglestaff, who is joining after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, and Westchester product Toby Okani is also expected to play with the SL squad in Las Vegas, giving the organization another long wing with pro experience.

Eaglestaff is a 6-foot-6 wing from Bismarck. He made his name in his hometown of North Dakota, where he spent three seasons and averaged 18.9 points as a junior, earned second-team All-Summit League honors, scored 40 points against Alabama, and dropped a Division I season-high 51 points.

He transferred to West Virginia for his final college season, starting 35 games and averaging 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 39.7% from the field and 34.3% from three. That dip in production helps explain why he went undrafted, but his size remains there, while he has good enough shooting mechanics and scoring touch as to earn a July look from the Knicks and perhaps land a minors deal from New York or another organization.

Okani (not to be confused with Ohtani) is a more familiar name. A 6-foot-8 wing from West Orange, New Jersey, he spent time with the Westchester Knicks last season (34 games, 12 as a starter) before earning a late call-up with the Memphis Grizzlies. In the G League, he averaged 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19.7 minutes, shooting 35.9% from the floor and 27.9% from beyond the arc. The free-throw shooting was even worse, with Okani bagging freebies at a 47.6% clip.

In the NBA, Memphis gave Okani six games, including four starts, and he averaged 10.0 points and 3.5 rebounds playing (somehow) 36.2 MPG. Before turning pro, Okani played at Duquesne, UIC, and West Virginia. His best college season came at UIC, where he averaged 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks, earned MVC All-Defensive Team honors, and led the conference in blocks back in 2024.

The Knicks open Summer League play July 10 against the Brooklyn Nets, then face the Spurs, Pistons, and Warriors.

Welcome to the club, Treysen and Toby!

You can follow Antonio on Twitter at @chapulana.

While paydays are aplenty in free agency, the fluidity of it all can leave some on the outside looking in.

Despite the Lakers being swept out of the playoffs, Rui Hachimura came away a big winner after his postseason performance. Most predicted he would receive one of those paydays once the offseason rolled around as a result.

However, as we discussed on Wednesday, LA’s flurry of moves left him as the odd man out, as some had predicted. At the time, the Spurs were still a contender for him. However, San Antonio soon chose Tobias Harris on a two-year deal over Rui.

Now, Rui is still without a new contract and the teams that can and would have interest in him have dwindled significantly. The result, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported on Thursday, is people around the NBA wondering if he may be returning to Los Angeles after all.

That Hachimura remains unsigned caused several league sources to wonder whether the Lakers are planning some sort of trade or using the stretch provision on perhaps Jarred Vanderbilt or Deandre Ayton to be able to offer Hachimura more.

There are two reasons why this is still unlikely.

First, the Lakers would still need to do some reshuffling of the roster to shed one or both of Jarred Vanderbilt or Deandre Ayton’s salaries. That could come via an unlikely trade or by waiving and stretching one of them, with Vando being the far more likelier option.

Even if they are able to open up cap, there aren’t any realistic scenarios in which Rui signs a deal close to his value or the deal he was just on. Perhaps there’s an avenue where the Lakers sign him to a short-term deal with the premise of paying him more money in the future, but the end result of him being underpaid in year one remains the same.

For Rui to get to that point, the market would have to completely dry up on him, which is already close to happening, and he’d have to value being in LA with teammates and a staff he already has a report with as opposed to starting anew.

I won’t pretend to know Rui’s thinking in that aspect, but it does feel like things are still many steps away from that end point. A surprise trade or a new team being interested could change things quickly and Rui could sign a new deal elsewhere, still.

But after seeming like a done deal that he was gone on Wednesday, it looks like the door may still be cracked open.

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

Count Bill Simmons among the Boston Celtics fans who were stunned by how the little the team got when they traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. But what Simmons was going through at the moment the transaction went down made for a one-of-a-kind reaction.

Simmons, a longtime Boston sports supporter, gave his first thoughts on the move during a live recording of "The Bill Simmons Podcast" on Thursday, July 2, and revealed that he found out Brown had been traded from his wife after finishing a colonoscopy at a medical facility around 3:20 p.m. PT. She then told Simmons the details, which featured the Celtics receiving Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks from the Sixers.

"I'm not really coherent ... and I'm like, I think I'm dead. I think I died," Simmons said on the broadcast. "The anesthesia killed me and now I'm a dead person."

This is one of those moments in your fandom you might remember forever — where you were when you found out the Philadelphia 76ers traded for Jaylen Brown.

For me, I was on my couch, taking a few bites of the dinner I had just made and settling in. Then, a notification on my phone from X popped up. The Sixers had traded Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks for Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown.

My first reaction? “No f*cking way.” I actually said it out loud, to my phone screen, alone in my living room.

And I meant it with all sincerity. I double-checked to make sure it was actually ESPN’s Shams Charania, and not Scams Charania or Slams Charania or some other fake troll username. Nope, it was the real Shams. Then I took a moment to wonder if he had been hacked by a troll somehow. Unlikely, and would be especially cruel, but it would be the sort of thing to happen to the Sixers.

I think that’s why this feels so monumental. I didn’t think this franchise could surprise me anymore, in a good or bad way. From The Process through Collargate, to crushing repeated injuries, to player drama around the likes of Ben Simmons and James Harden, to seemingly freakish occurrences like Kelly Oubre Jr. getting hit by a car or Markelle Fultz forgetting how to shoot, to a Paul George drug suspension, to the highs of drafting a player like VJ Edgecombe to the lows of the 2024-25 season… and that’s just naming A FEW of the headlines from the last decade or so.

I didn’t think this franchise could surprise me ever again, honestly.

Until they did. Boy, did they ever. And I love it.

Now, as someone who has covered this team for years now and was a fan of them long before, there is a certain level of fear and apprehension that comes with anything seemingly good happening to the franchise. At times, I’ve almost been convinced the team was cursed by some unknown force in the universe. I’ve often pondered if the Camden practice facility had accidentally been built on a sacred burial ground.

But, today, I’m going to let myself be excited, as a Sixers journalist and as a fan. The reason for that is simple: I love this deal. This was a good deal. A great deal, even. A no-brainer. Hindsight will always be 20/20. Views on the deal could sour in the future if Brown suffers some freak Sixers-esque injury or PG experiences some late-career resurgence in Boston… but it still will not change the fact that this is a deal you do right now 100 times out of 100 if you are Philadelphia.

Let’s look at it practically. The Paul George contract was one widely regarded as one of the worst in the league for its length and cost. Brown makes a similar amount, with one season added, and is 6.5 years younger than PG. Brown is in his prime, much more available — Brown playing 134 games across the last two seasons compared to PG’s 78 — and is simply a better player than PG by a fair margin.

Just look at last season for a small example. Brown played nearly twice the amount of games George was able to (due to injuries and the drug suspension) and averaged a career-high 28.7 points as well as 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 71 contests. George had his moments across his 37 games, but averaged just 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Brown was an All-Star, as he’s been for the past four seasons in a row. George hasn’t been an All-Star since 2023-24.

If you don’t want to listen to me, to the stats, or to your own eyes, maybe you’ll take it from Ringer, who has Jaylen Brown at No. 14 in their Top 100 NBA Players for 2025-26. George was ranked No. 66.

Next up is what they gave up in addition to PG. Boston was reportedly asking for the likes of VJ Edgecombe, George and five first-round picks, per Charania. By the time the deal was made, they got just three of those seven asks, with the Sixers keeping the young standout Edgecombe and giving up just two first-rounders — the 2028 (Clippers) of which feels like the biggest loss, if you can even call it that. It is a smaller haul of assets than an injury-prone, 35-year-old Kawhi Leonard just garnered.

I’m not sure how Mike Gansey did it. Perhaps just taking advantage of what felt like a questionable desperation from the Celtics, but welcome to Philly, Mike!

None of this is to say I’ve never criticized or said a bad word about Brown. He’s not infallible, nor am I. I’ve said his Twitch stream antics complaining about flopping and officiating after Boston’s playoff exit was lame. I thought it then, I still do now. I have absolutely personally complained about his forearm push-off method on offense. Now, you’ll also see “reports” from mysterious “league sources” about his personality or his locker room presence being this negative thing.

Not only is Brown a good enough player on his own to outweigh those things, but what the Sixers franchise gets from doing this deal even moreso outweighs all of it by a fair margin. Now, the Sixers have the opportunity to — especially with maybe a little more support pieces down the bench — make an actual contending push with Joel Embiid and Brown for the next few seasons. Even if nothing ends up coming from it and their contracts both end without a championship, you reset in a few seasons with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe at the helm instead. That’s really not a bad spot for the franchise to be in.

All in all, the reality is time will tell what will ultimately come of this blockbuster between the Sixers and Celtics. Maybe all of my writing and posts about this will join the hall of freezing cold takes in a few years. But again, hindsight will always be 20/20! Right now, at the time the deal is being made, this was an absolute no-brainer for Philadelphia.

And I love that they did it.

The biggest question in NBA free agency is where LeBron James will go next.

The four-time NBA champion informed the Los Angeles Lakers he would not return for the 2026-27 season. The news officially kickstarted a new era in LA, but also caused a league-wide stir given James’ desire to find what could be his final destination before retirement.

James has reportedly narrowed down his decision to two teams: the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Warriors insider Nick Friedell reported an update on the 41-year-old.

“It’s about a 50/50 right now. It’s Golden State and Cleveland,” Friedell said. “I just don’t see another team that makes that much sense.

The San Antonio Spurs were previously considered a potential contender in the LeBron sweepstakes, but the rumor was shut down Wednesday. Friedell made his case as to why James would fit so well with the Warriors, but noted the storybook ending would be with Cleveland.

“LeBron is looking for basketball happiness at the end. There’s no better place to do that than here, flatly. He’s got a chemistry with Steph. He knows Draymond for all these years. He knows what Steve Kerr’s all about. They lived it and won a gold medal together in Paris at the Olympics.

“The Warriors, on top of all that, and I think this has gotten lost in the shuffle. They let their players be who they are. Look at Jimmy Butler.”

James began his career in Cleveland and returned for four more seasons before signing with the Lakers ahead of the 2018-19 season.

James is looking for complete happiness in the twilight of his career and only he knows where he can find it.

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Today is a tough one, Celtics fans. It’s the day after what’s being viewed as potentially one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, and we’re on the wrong end of it.

We’re not used to being in this position. The Celtics are the franchise that wins those trades and turns them into banners. Consider Boston’s greatest hits.

• 1956, Red Auerbach trades two future Hall of Famers, Ed Macauley and draftee Cliff Hagan to the then-St. Louis Hawks for rookie Bill Russell. Eleven championships ensue.
• 1980, Auerbach sends two first-round picks (no. 1 overall plus no. 13) to the Golden State Warriors for center Robert Parish and overall pick no. 3, which became Kevin McHale. Parish and McHale win three titles on their way to the Hall of Fame.
• 1983, Auerbach roasts the Phoenix Suns, acquiring Dennis Johnson and a first-rounder for back-up center Rick Robey. DJ wins two rings with Boston.
• 2007, Danny Ainge gives up young star center Al Jefferson, four other expendable players, and a pair of first-round picks for all-time great Kevin Garnett. Banner 17 follows.
• 2013, Ainge tops himself by shipping a package of players and picks – headed by two aging superstars, Garnett and Celtics legend Paul Pierce – to the Brooklyn Nets for a bunch of players and first-round picks. Two of those picks result in nine seasons of The Jays, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, becoming arguably the best duo in the league.
• 2017, the Celtics win the draft lottery thanks to the Nets trade, and Ainge completes his masterful trade trilogy. Confident that his draft target, Tatum, will be available at no. 3 overall, Ainge sends the top pick in the draft to the Philadelphia 76ers for the third pick plus a future first-rounder. The Jays win Banner 18 together.

Now the Sixers might have their revenge. The NBA world certainly thinks so. Reaction has been pretty much unanimous.

Even frequent Celtics critic Kendrick Perkins got this right.

This appears to be the first time the Celtics have traded away an all-NBA talent who’s undeniably in his prime. To be fair, we don’t yet know why the Celtics took this deal. Was it a financial decision because Brown is in line for a massive contract extension? Also, why could they not get a better return? We can only hope there’s a second trade lined up that will take the sting out of this one. But until more is revealed, all we can do is compare this deal to the most notable trade failures.

• Paul Westphal – Auerbach drafted the athletic point/shooting guard in 1972, and two years later Westphal helped the Celtics win their first title since Bill Russell had retired. However, a year later, possibly because Westphal was up for a new contract, Red traded him to the Phoenix Suns for guard Charlie Scott, who was on the downside of a Hall of Fame career. The Cs won one title with Scott, but he was gone less than two years later. Meanwhile, Westphal hit his prime, made all-NBA four times, and also was voted into the Hall of Fame.

• Joe Johnson – Like Westphal, Johnson was drafted by Boston, who already had Paul Pierce. They might’ve become the precursor to The Jays, but Johnson didn’t even last his rookie year before being shipped to the Suns by impatient general manager Chris Wallace. The Celtics received rotation players Tony Delk and Rodney Rogers, but Johnson played 18 seasons and scored more than 20,000 points.

• Chauncey Billups – Yet another young talent traded too soon. Billups was the third overall pick in 1997, but Celtics president Rick Pitino gave him just a half-season in green before exiling him to Toronto for point guard Kenny Anderson and others. Billups ultimately played for seven teams, but he also was named multiple-time all-NBA and all-defense, plus a Finals MVP with the Pistons.

• Kendrick Perkins – At the 2011 trade deadline, Danny Ainge gambled and lost. The Celtics were leading the East with a 41-14 record when Ainge surprisingly sent Perkins to Oklahoma City for short-term rental Nenad Krstic and talented wing Jeff Green. The justification was that Boston had enough other bigs (including the aging Shaquille O’Neal) to continue their run – but that backfired. The deal disrupted team unity, Shaq missed virtually the entire second half of the season with various hip and leg injuries, and the post-trade record was just 15-12. The Cs fell to third in the East and suffered a second-round playoff exit. Green also missed the entire next season due to a heart condition.

• Bob McAdoo – In 1979, the Celtics were rebuilding, and they had a new owner, the volatile John Y. Brown. Auerbach had collected three first-round picks for that year’s draft, but Brown impulsively traded them to the New York Knicks – without consulting Red – for the high-scoring McAdoo. Problem was, the forward-center didn’t hide that he had no interest in playing for Boston. Ultimately, McAdoo appeared in only 20 games in green and white, and the Celtics finished with what was then their worst record ever, 29-53. Fortunately, Auerbach salvaged the bad trade by sending McAdoo to the Detroit Pistons for the draft picks that became Parish and McHale, as described above.

That brings us back to Jaylen Brown.

All of this happened so quickly. It was just a few days ago when the Milwaukee Bucks traded Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, rendering moot the speculation that the Celtics had offered a trade package led by Jaylen. The basketball arguments against trading Brown for Antetokounmpo included Giannis being two years older, his injury history, and not wanting to see JB suit up for a conference rival.

But what’s come to pass is worse on each of those levels. Paul George is seven years older than Brown, has played more than 56 games just once in the past seven seasons, and now Brown will be on the side of Boston’s oldest and most bitter divisional rival. The fact that this comes just after the Celtics blew a 3-1 lead and lost to Philly in the playoffs for the first time since 1982 makes the situation infinitely worse.

While this deal has similar vibes to the McAdoo trade, it remains to be seen if Stevens can imitate Auerbach and find a way to turn this L into a W. If he can’t, the unfortunate judgment here that this trade will indeed turn out to be the worst one in the 80 seasons of Boston Celtics history.

Celtics roster reset: Depth chart, contracts and more after Jaylen trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The 2026-27 Boston Celtics will be almost unrecognizable to those who have followed the team closely over the last decade.

After 10 memorable seasons with Boston, superstar Jaylen Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday in exchange for Paul George, two first-round draft picks, and two second-rounders. The move was met with stunned reactions across the NBA world as Brown will continue his career with a storied Eastern Conference rival — one that ended Boston’s season in the first round of the 2026 playoffs.

The Celtics also were criticized for bringing in George, who turned 36 in May and will be owed about $57.7 million in 2026-27. It’s hard to believe Boston couldn’t have gotten a better return for someone of Brown’s caliber.

Nonetheless, the C’s will move on without their 2024 NBA Finals MVP and with a new-look roster already taking shape. They addressed their need for frontcourt depth by signing ex-New York Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson in free agency and added guard depth with veteran Mike Conley Jr.

Here’s a full breakdown of the Celtics’ roster, contract situations, and more following the Brown trade:

Updated depth chart

A Celtics depth chart without Jaylen Brown will take some getting used to. Paul George replaces Brown in the C’s projected starting lineup.

Mitchell Robinson gives Boston much-needed frontcourt depth behind Neemias Queta. Mike Conley will provide the Celtics with guard depth behind Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, while bringing a respected veteran voice to the locker room.

Draft picks Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell will almost certainly spend the season in Maine.

Contracts

• Jayson Tatum: $58.5 million for 2026-27 (contract expires after 2028-29; includes player option for 2029-30)
• Paul George: $57.7 million (player option for 2028-29)
• Derrick White: $30.3 million (expires after 2027-28; player option for 2028-29)
• Mitchell Robinson: $15 million (expires after 2028-29)
• Sam Hauser: $10.8 million (expires after 2028-29)
• Payton Pritchard: $7.8 million (expires after 2027-28)
• Ron Harper Jr.: $3 million (expires after 2028-29)
• Hugo Gonzalez: $2.9 million (team options for 2027-28 and 2028-29)
• Luka Garza: $2.8 million (expires after 2026-27)
• Dalano Banton: $2.8 million (expires after 2026-27)
• Baylor Scheierman: $2.7 million (team option for 2027-28)
• Neemias Queta: $2.7 million (expires after 2026-27)
• Jordan Walsh: $2.4 million (expires after 2026-27)
• Mike Conley Jr: $2.4 million (expires after 2026-27)
• Amari Williams: Two-way

George’s contract includes a 15 percent trade kicker, bumping his $54.1 million salary for 2026-27 up to the 35 percent max of approximately $57.7 million. His bloated contract makes acquiring him in exchange for Brown even more of a head-scratcher, as Boston’s cap situation remains virtually unchanged.

Harper re-signed with the Celtics on a three-year, $9 million contract. Boston exercised Banton, Queta, and Walsh’s team options.

Robinson signed a three-year, $47.4 million contract in free agency. Conley joined on the veteran minimum.

Rookies

• Chris Cenac Jr. (27th overall pick in 2026 NBA Draft)
• Dillon Mitchell (40th overall pick in 2026 NBA Draft)

Cenac and Mitchell are expected to sign two-way contracts and begin the 2026-27 season with the G League Maine Celtics.

Unrestricted free agents

• Max Shulga
• John Tonje

Shulga, a 2025 second-round pick, didn’t get his team option picked up and is now an unrestricted free agent. The VCU product appeared in 11 games for Boston last season.

Tonje was acquired by the Celtics in exchange for Chris Boucher and a future second-round pick at the NBA trade deadline in February. He signed a two-way contract with the C’s on March 1.

Tonje appeared in six regular-season games for the Celtics, including a season-high 13 points against the Magic in the regular-season finale. Boston didn’t pick up his team option this summer.

Draft picks and TPEs

Future first-round draft picks

• 2027: Own
• 2028: Top-1 protected first-round pick swap with Spurs
• 2028: Most favorable of Sixers or Clippers
• 2029: Traded away (will go to Blazers or Wizards)
• 2030: Own
• 2031: Own
• 2031: Unprotected Sixers pick

The Celtics received a 2028 first-rounder and a 2031 unprotected first-rounder from Philly in the Brown trade. They also acquired two second-round selections.

Notable traded player exceptions

The Celtics created a huge $27.7 million TPE in the Anfernee Simons trade, which expires at the 2027 trade deadline.

They also have an $8.4 million TPE from the Georges Niang trade and a $4.7 million TPE from the Jrue Holiday trade.