Category: NBA

Sizing up the Eastern Conference after Sixers' LeBron James signing  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LeBron James has switched coasts and conferences with his move from the Lakers to the Sixers.

What kind of competition will James and the Sixers have in the East? Below is a summer rundown on the 10 teams that made the playoffs or play-in tournament last season. And an honorable mention should go to the Indiana Pacers, who may very well improve dramatically from last year’s 19-win season with Tyrese Haliburton back on the floor.

Pistons 

Detroit racked up 60 wins in the 2025-26 season, four more than the No. 2 seed Celtics. They fell to the Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs.

The Pistons have added John Collins,Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince, Gary Harris and rookie guard Ebuka Okorie. Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, Caris LeVert and Marcus Sasser have gone elsewhere. All-Star center Jalen Duren’s restricted free agency remains unresolved.

It’s tough to properly assess the Pistons until the Duren saga ends. They’ll hope the net result of their moves is an upgraded supporting cast around Cade Cunningham and deeper playoff progress. 

Celtics 

Joe Mazzulla won 56 games last year … his lowest number in four seasons as Boston’s head coach.

Of course, the Celtics’ main summer transaction was trading Jaylen Brown to the Sixers in exchange for Paul George and draft picks. They’ve also signed Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley Jr.

It wouldn’t be shocking at all if the Celtics stayed near the top of the East standings, but we imagine they’ll need good health for Jayson Tatum and the 36-year-old George. Boston would also benefit plenty from continued growth by young players like Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez. 

Knicks 

The Knicks will enter next season with close to the same roster as their championship-winning team. The backup center picture has changed with Robinson out and Andre Drummond shifting from Philadelphia to New York. Third-string big man Ariel Hukporti left the Knicks and joined the Sixers.

The team’s thorough dominance of the East playoffs last year should not be overlooked.

After falling behind 2-1 in Round 1 against the Hawks, the Knicks won their next 13 games. They polished off a second-round sweep of the Sixers with a 30-point victory in Philadelphia. The East Finals concluded with the Knicks’ 37-point demolition of the Cavs in Cleveland. 

At least for the time being, the Knicks have a leg up on the Sixers in terms of knowing the exact recipe for playoff success with their current roster. They may be more reliant on one star, but Jalen Brunson is fresh off a Finals MVP performance and the Knicks certainly don’t lack talent around him with players like OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. 

Cavaliers 

The Cavs missed out on another James homecoming and haven’t yet done much of note this summer. They picked up Croatian forward Mario Hezonja on a one-year deal. Dean Wade left Cleveland to sign with the Sixers.

As has been the case the past few years, it would be great for the Cavs if Evan Mobley took a step or two forward offensively. Mobley’s three-point percentage dipped to 29.7 last season. The Cavs again appear likely to lean heavily on the Donovan Mitchell-James Harden backcourt.

Raptors 

The Raptors’ trade to bring back Kawhi Leonard is pending because of the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers’ reported salary cap circumvention.

In the event the deal goes through, Leonard is the kind of player who would considerably raise Toronto’s ceiling when healthy. The Raptors were excellent on defense last year, finishing fifth in the league in defensive rating. Toronto drafted forward Allen Graves with the 19th overall pick and signed Kyle Anderson in free agency. 

Hawks 

Atlanta’s had an intriguing offseason after returning to the playoffs last year. The Hawks might wind up ahead of some teams with flashier names in the standings. 

Their moves include drafting Kingston Flemings (No. 8) and Zuby Ejiofor (No. 23) and acquiring Luguentz Dort,Aaron Wiggins and Devin Carter. Can Jalen Johnson keep improving following his first All-Star nod? 

Sixers 

No other team in the East matches the Sixers’ pure star power. Between James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers have an absurd 36 All-Star selections (James is responsible for 22 of them, but the other three are all multi-time All-Stars). 

The Sixers aren’t flawless. The sheer volume of offensive talent doesn’t guarantee everything will flow smoothly from the jump. Embiid’s health is still highly important and he’s struggled to avoid injuries for a sustained stretch since his 2022-23 MVP season. 

However, it’s quite realistic for the Sixers to aspire to win the East. They’ll plan to start by earning home-court advantage for the first time in Nick Nurse’s tenure as head coach and giving themselves an easier path in the playoffs. The Knicks were unquestionably the superior team, but fatigue was a factor for the Sixers in last postseason’s second round after their Round 1 battle with Boston.

Magic 

The Magic blew a 3-1 lead in their first-round series against Detroit and then replaced head coach Jamahl Mosley with Sean Sweeney.

Again, it’s very valid to wonder whether Orlando can be an adequate three-point shooting team. The Magic made 34.3 percent of their three-point attempts in the regular season (27th in the NBA) and 32.8 percent in the playoffs. 

Hornets 

After starting 11-23 last season, the Hornets went 33-15. They had the NBA’s best offensive rating and fourth-best defensive rating over that period.

Charlotte has made major roster changes this summer, shipping out LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. Naz Reid, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and rookies Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson are among the new Hornets. 

Heat 

Before all the Sixers’ action, the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade was the talk of the NBA offseason. Bobby Portis and Tim Hardaway Jr. are also on board in Miami.

The Sixers and several other East squads seem to be more well-rounded than the Heat, but Antetokounmpo is a bona fide superstar, Bam Adebayo is a three-time All-Star with six All-Defensive Team selections, and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra habitually extracts the most he possibly can from his team. 

Last week we ran a poll asking a kind of complicated question that had two possible answers: which big Dallas Mavericks trade did you think was better? The big, eventual multi-team trade for Santi Aldama and the rights to Tarik Biberovic or the Mavericks trading for former Atlanta Hawk and number one overall pick Zaccharie Risacher?

Fans ended up in a somewhat divided place, with 62% of fans voting for Aldama and the rights to Biberovic and the other 38% siding with the Risacher deal. First, it should be noted that both of these trades on their own are excellent business for the Mavericks. On the Aldama deal, they get a good look at a player that’s improved every season as well as the rights for a top-tier European shooter (who they then signed to an amazing deal). With Risacher, they traded a former UDFA for the former number one overall pick.

I also asked this question because at the time, I was considering it as well. After a few days and reading the comments to the poll, I’ve settled on the Aldama trade. The deciding factor for me ended up being the team option in next year’s deal for Aldama. He’s a player about to enter his athletic prime, so being able to have him in house for up to two seasons to consider what’s next is a big deal. This is a very underrated player.

Risacher’s challenge lies with where he was drafted above all else. If he were the 17th pick this STILL would be good business due to what Dallas sent out, but they also have to decide on his player option for the 2027-28 season very soon and that’s annoying given that he won’t have played in a Dallas uniform yet. But he’s not yet shown anything in the NBA, so perhaps Dallas opts in a gives him a two-season look while having him as a potentially large expiring contract NEXT season. And hey, he’s sitting at +10000 over at FanDuel for Most Improved Player next year, so that’s something to look forward to if you’re the very hopeful type.

Former Wisconsin Badgers star John Tonje has had an eventful start to his NBA career through just one season.

Selected with the No. 53 pick by the Utah Jazz in the 2025 NBA Draft, Tonje was sent to Utah’s G-League team, where he played alongside fellow former Badgers Max Klesmit and Steven Crowl. The guard earned a big role from the jump as a starter, playing in 31.3 minutes per game for the Salt Lake City Stars.

In that action, Tonje averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from deep. However, his stint in Utah was short-lived as he was dealt at the trade deadline to the Boston Celtics in a deal that sent veteran forward Chris Boucher and a second-round pick back to the Jazz.

Tonje then saw his first NBA action, being converted from a two-way contract to an NBA contract, and he played in six games for the Celtics over the rest of the regular season. In 7.0 minutes of action per game, Tonje averaged 2.5 points and 1.0 rebounds, while shooting 28.6 percent from the field and 30 percent from three.

The wing moved back and forth between the NBA team and Boston’s G-League team, the Maine Celtics. In 11 games with Maine, Tonje averaged 18.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists across 31.5 minutes per contest, shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three.

This offseason, Tonje got the chance to play for Boston’s summer league team and turned out a strong performance there. In five games, he averaged 14.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists. That got him his next NBA opportunity: a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, which ESPN reported over the weekend.

The deal is a two-year contract, according to HoopsHype, and fills the last two-way slot for the Trail Blazers on their roster, joining Chris Youngblood and forward Jayson Kent.

Warriors reportedly discussed Jaylen Brown trade with Celtics near NBA deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors might have been in the mix for Jaylen Brown much sooner than the Philadelphia 76ers.

Five months before the Boston Celtics stunningly dealt the five-time NBA All-Star to Philadelphia on July 1 for Paul George, two first- and two second-round picks, Golden State was a team Boston considered moving one of its stars to.

ESPN’s Shams Charania joined Stephen A. Smith on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on Monday, where he discussed the Warriors’ failed pursuit of LeBron James, who ultimately signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, and detailed trade conversations, centered around Brown, between Golden State and the Celtics before the league’s Feb. 5 trade deadline and how the James pursuit might have been different had the Warriors pulled off a move for Brown earlier in the season, rather than him falling into the 76ers’ laps this summer.

“The Warriors could’ve got in the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes if they wanted to give up four first-round picks-ish, in that range,” Charania told Smith. “They decided not to from my understanding. Those two teams, the Warriors and Celtics did talk about a Jaylen Brown trade around the trade deadline, and it was around several first-round draft picks, potential swaps, and seconds.

“The Warriors decided not to go down that route, and so that’s on them. That’s the decision they made.”

Had Golden State added Brown at the deadline, or James’ longtime Los Angeles Lakers teammate Anthony Davis this offseason, Charania believes those moves could have propelled the Warriors to the front of the line for James.

“If they had went out and got that done, does that make LeBron James more viable?” Charania added. “What if the Warriors had gone out and been willing to give up several draft capital to go get an Anthony Davis from Washington, does LeBron James follow suit? My understanding was, if the Warriors were able to get Anthony Davis, they had as good of a chance, if not better than anyone, to get a LeBron James, and I think you have to look at that in the calculus of everything.”

Now, Golden State has neither star — and as of Monday, zero new additions at all to its roster almost one month into free agency.

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The largest and fairest criticism levied against sports video games is a lack of imagination and innovation. It’s perceived by a majority of gamers that each year developers make some small tweaks, update rosters, and trot out the same game — knowing full well that FOMO will carry them over the finish line, as players become desperate to have the newest title. Subverting those expectations is a large part of what makes NBA The Run special. Sure, it has its roots based in the NBA Street franchise, which was a modernization of NBA Jam’s DNA, but developer Play by Play Studios has created an exciting, unique foundation unlike anything else in sports gaming, which could blossom into something truly special, provided they can garner the support.

It’s been over a month since NBA The Run was released, and the choice to hold off before reviewing the game was part circumstance and part intentionality to see how it would settle in for the long run. This game is inherently an online-only experience, with the only available offline mode (for now) being practice. That is the design of this game. It’s supposed to be competitive, 3v3 street basketball, which might look purely arcade-focused from afar, but it has serious chops when it comes to being an online game, complete with a burgeoning metagame that makes the experience unlike anything else in sports video games right now.

The fundamental format of the game is baked into its title. Players embark on “runs,” a series of tournaments that end after four wins by taking home the championship against other teams of real players. Lose early and you’ll be bounced back to the menu to start another run, with the reward for winning it all being more XP to level up your account and more in-game currency used to unlock players, jerseys, dunks, taunts, and more. The major wrinkle to this format is that every game in a tournament is subject to a roulette spin that determines the ruleset for the game. You might roll up a standard “first-to-15” game, but there’s also a chance to hit something like “Dunk City,” where all dunks are worth three points, with every other bucket being worth one — and the same exists for three-pointers and alley-oops. These rule differentiations are critical because it ensures there’s no singular strategy that results in an easy win. Field a team of Steph Curry, Damian Lillard, and Kevin Durant and yeah, you’re going to have the edge in those three point game modes, but hit one that rewards points for dunks, or deducts the opponent’s points for blocked shots and you’ll be in trouble.

Every major NBA star you could ask for is in the game. There are currently 40 NBA players in the game, with almost every team having at least one star player. In addition, there are throwback versions of LeBron James (Cavs rookie), Kevin Durant (Sonic rookie), Steph Curry (rookie), Luka Doncic (Mavs rookie), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Clippers rookie) with unique stats that better reflect where they began their NBA journey, compared to right now. Each of these players is defined not only by their stats, but unique animations that wildly change the makeup of a game. Sure, everyone has the same animation for a running three — but only Dame has a fadeaway from beyond the arc that’s very difficult to block.

These nuances are what make the game special. Composing a team is random unless you run with friends, but a solid team composition is everything to having success. Initially, I tried almost every player in the game to find someone who represented my style, finally settling on Amen Thompson as my go-to player. Thompson operates like a supporting piece, using his lockdown defense and solid passing to be a glue guy on a team with established scorers. I’m not looking to stuff the box score with scoring, but my success is measured through how I can effect the game with steals, blocks, and assists.

Spend more time with the game and the player nuance really lifts the experience to another level. It hurts when you’re up against a good Victor Wembanyama player who knows their block timing, and a good SGA player can be a nightmare on both ends of the floor — breaking ankles with his handling before driving to the bucket, then swiping the inbound pass for another easy bucket.

For all this praise there are unquestionably some pain points to the experience along the way. The decision not to have goaltending is fine, because it keeps games moving quickly — but this has been an area players have learned to exploit with Wemby, parking themselves under the hoops to snatch any three-point attempts that come their way. Last week the game released its first major roster update, adding AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer to the game — with all three being extremely problematic. Developers were so generous with their stats that they are immediately three of the best players in the game, with Dybantsa especially being so overpowered that he towers over every forward in the game.

Developers have been quick to listen to the community and patch the game where needed, and right now these three rookies all need to be toned way, way back. It’s understandable to want to make them good enough to entice people to play as them, but there’s no excuse to make Dybantsa better than Durant and LeBron out of the gate, make Peterson functionally better than Steph Curry in every way, or Boozer to be the best offensive big man next to Nikola Jokic.

Regardless, it’s fun to see these discussions unfolding on Reddit and inside the community. This is the first time I can recall a sports game being discussed in the same vein as League of Legends or Rainbow Six Siege — deep, hardcore esports titles. Not that the input requirements are as taxing, or it’s quite to that level, but this is a competitive game with a chance to really mave waves long term, which is also the achilles heel here.

It’s impossible to discuss the future of NBA The Run without addressing the 10,000-pound elephant in the room: NBA 2K27 is coming. It’s the yearly sports title that no matter how much it can frustrate people, still absolutely dominates the space when it comes to breadth of modes. Ideally there would be a competitive niche that NBA The Run can dominate alongside 2K — but the roadmap for updates feels a little too slow and ponderous when a juggernaut is baring down on the already small community The Run has built. Players are clamoring for NBA legends, opportunities to add the greats from the past into this new format — but it might be another month or two before any meaningful changes are made. Compound this with growing frustration at a slower-than-average progression system and the imbalance of the rookies (which can only be unlocked at rank 25) and it makes for a questionable impression picking the game up late.

If you look at NBA The Run as a game right now then it’s just okay. It’s a fun experience that feels good with its fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay. When looking at the game as a foundation for something in the future, that’s where this gets really special. Developers have built a game which really is unlike anything else we’ve seen in sports games for some time — opening the opportunity to blend real-world athletes with online metagames to make a fascinating tournament game that has real esports potential.

The question is whether this game has the gas to bring in enough players to establish itself by the time that reality is fully realized. I truly hope it does, because the game is a blast — but that is the unknown part of this equation.

Bold Steph Curry contract extension idea for Warriors floated by Brian Windhorst originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Could Steph Curry conceivably play the 2026-27 NBA season without a contract for the 2027-28 campaign?

In the mind of ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, that’s the only way for the Warriors to retool the roster.

The 38-year-old Curry has one season left on his current Warriors contract, and on Aug. 29, he becomes eligible to sign a two-year, $136.7 million extension with Golden State.

On Monday’s episode of ESPN’s “Get Up,” Windhorst made the case for the Warriors telling Curry NOT to sign an extension before the start of the upcoming season.

“He is 38 years old,” Windhorst told host Mike Greenberg and fellow panelists Monica McNutt and Jay Williams. “He has said that he wants to play several more seasons. The Warriors are not giving up. They are missing and swinging a lot, but they are still swinging. The idea that the Warriors are a championship contender this year is ridiculous. They are not. But the idea that the Warriors are finished and cooked and never competing again, I give you the 76ers. They are going to keep trying.

“And one of the ways they can keep trying, quite frankly, is if Steph Curry doesn’t sign a contract extension this summer. Everyone’s watching to see if he will sign a contract extension.

“I submit [that] the Warriors should say, ‘Don’t sign a contract extension, let yourself become a free agent next summer. We’ll do a one-year deal with Draymond Green. Let’s clear $90 million in cap space and see what we can do in the market next year.’ You can’t win every year. Steph is going to try every year. The Warriors are going to keep trying. I don’t want to hear boo-hoo about an organization that went to six Finals in 10 years and won four championships, and is still working with a 38-year-old star.”

Windhorst’s thinking is that tying up $65-70 million per year with Curry’s expected extension limits what the Warriors can add around him.

But if Green re-signs for just the 2026-27 season, and Curry doesn’t sign his extension, they would become free agents next season, along with All-Star wing Jimmy Butler, giving the Warriors flexibility to add one or two big-time stars through free agency or via trades.

Then they could bring Curry back on a smaller contract.

The Warriors have swung and missed on numerous high-profile free-agent and trade pursuits over the last two years, including LeBron James last week, and as of July 27, they likely will return exactly the same roster they finished last season with.

So a roster overhaul in the next few years is almost assuredly going to happen, though it might have to wait until after Curry has retired.

Windhorst has been known to see the bigger picture, but it’s hard to envision Curry turning down $136.7 million when it’s unclear what that might lead to next summer.

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While Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was celebrating his 59th birthday on Friday, the rest of the NBA universe went into a frenzy following the news that LeBron James will be signing with Philadelphia.

With The King comes a new batch of lofty expectations.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James said in a post on X.

As we are all aware, the Sixers have not made even the conference finals since 2001. Outside of the pressure to stay healthy throughout the playoffs, most of the pressure will land on Nurse throughout the season to ensure a championship run.

Nurse and the Sixers have avoided true contender expectations over the past two seasons, whether by design or necessity.

Entering the 2024-25 season, the Sixers had objectively the best offseason with the Paul George signing, yielding sky-high expectations. But they got hit by the injury plague the moment the season began, ushering in their worst record (24-58) since 2015-16.

Last season saw the Sixers enter with very reasonable expectations, likely a play-in team but possibly a 4-6 seed in the conference, early exit. They finished the season being swept by the Knicks in the second round, but completed a thrilling 3-1 comeback against the Boston Celtics in the first round.

Thus, the upcoming campaign will be only the second season Nurse has had to realistically deal with championship expectations. The first was his first season with the team in 2023-24, where they lost to the Knicks in the first round after making the playoffs as a play-in team. But even that season featured a James Harden holdout and another Joel Embiid meniscus tear.

This season, the Sixers field one of, if not the best roster in the NBA on paper, and are receiving the national pressure to perform. As long as the players are healthy, lots of the pressure will be directed at Nurse.

The problem to solve will be how to effectively utilize the Sixers’ four playmakers on offense. We saw at the end of the season various moments where Tyrese Maxey was struggling to be as impactful with Embiid being the centerpiece of the offense. It threw Maxey off the rhythm he established through the first 3/4 of the season which earned him All-Star starter honors.

Bringing in Jaylen Brown, who put up career-best figures in scoring (28.7 ppg), assists (5.1) and usage rate (32.5%) will not only force Nurse to stabilize Embiid and Maxey in his game plan, but add another layer in the shape of an All-NBA player.

James will absolutely help ease the pressure off Nurse at times thanks to his infinite basketball IQ and playmaking. There may also be times where James’ gravitas increases the pressure on coach. We have seen multiple iterations of “LeCoach” from a far throughout his career, so it will be of great curiosity to see whether Nurse meets the Philly version over the next two seasons.

Even with the monstrous acquisitions of Brown and James, Mike Gansey has delivered Nurse a pool of role players he will have to weave into the mix. Led by second-year guard VJ Edgecombe as the fifth starter, Nurse leaning into a transition-heavy gameplan could reap benefits during the regular season from the bench mob as well.

Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon Jr., Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti and even new addition Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all have something to bring, especially in a fast-paced environment. And as long as James’ legs remain under him, we know what he can do with a full head of steam.

The pressure for Nurse will be how he marries that clear shift of priority from a team-building standpoint with the slow-paced nature of Embiid and James’ halfcourt game.

Can Nurse effectively convince Embiid to trade post ups for more threes to help space the floor? Can the coaching staff shift Embiid’s focus from majority offense to majority defense and avenge the dismal season we saw from him as a rim protector and rebounder last go-around? Will Nurse, and the organization at large, keep Jaylen Brown fulfilled in the wake of the ugly Celtics split and looming contract extension? Will Nurse establish that working relationship with James to avoid any “LeCoach” drama? Who will rebound the basketball?

Safe to say it will be exhilarating pondering these questions throughout August and as we approach training camp. What about Nurse or the strategy this season are you excited to have answered? Leave it in the comments below.

Entering his fifth year as the Sixers coach, it would be hard to argue more pressure has been on the Iowa native than there will be this upcoming season. The good news is, he will not be wearing as heavy of a load as the sole Finals-experienced main character for the Sixers. Five seasons of championship winning experience has just landed in Philadelphia.

LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers does not directly change anything for the Dallas Mavericks. Philadelphia added him on a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, giving LeBron another championship opportunity while allowing the Sixers to add him without dismantling the expensive core they had already assembled. He now joins Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid in what may be the most star-studded starting lineup in basketball.

On the surface, this is entirely Philadelphia’s story.

By February, however, it could become extremely relevant to Dallas.

The Sixers now have a legitimate championship ceiling, but they also have a top-heavy roster built around two aging or injury-prone stars and very little financial breathing room. Their five biggest non-LeBron contracts account for roughly $176.6 million this season, with Embiid, Brown and Maxey alone making nearly $156 million. Philadelphia’s total listed payroll was already approximately $207.9 million before accounting for LeBron’s new deal. Behind its stars, the roster quickly reaches players such as Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon Jr., Dominick Barlow, Ariel Hukporti, Adem Bona and Johni Broome.

There are useful players in that group, but the Sixers did not sign LeBron to patiently evaluate whether their young reserves are ready for high-leverage playoff minutes. They built this roster to win immediately. If their depth becomes a problem during the regular season, Dallas possesses several veterans who could provide exactly what Philadelphia needs.

Philadelphia’s biggest battle may be reaching April intact

When healthy, Philadelphia’s starting five should overwhelm most opponents with talent. The problem is that the Sixers cannot responsibly assume everyone will remain healthy.

Embiid’s availability has shaped nearly every recent Philadelphia season. Even when he is active, the Sixers must manage his workload with the postseason in mind. LeBron is entering his 24th season at age 41 after seriously considering retirement, and although he remained productive last year, Philadelphia should not expect him to carry an exhausting 82-game workload. (AP News)

That is before considering the normal injuries that affect every team. Brown, Maxey or Edgecombe could also miss time. Philadelphia does not merely need seven or eight players it trusts in May. It needs enough capable veterans to protect its stars between October and April.

The Mavericks have accumulated those kinds of players, even if their own roster remains strangely imbalanced.

Daniel Gafford could protect Embiid during the regular season

Daniel Gafford is probably the most obvious connection.

Philadelphia’s reserve centers are young and largely unproven. Gafford would give the Sixers a dependable starting-caliber option who could protect the rim, screen, rebound and provide vertical spacing without demanding touches. More importantly, he could start whenever Embiid rests and help Philadelphia avoid chasing regular-season wins by overworking its franchise center.

Gafford does not need to close every playoff game to justify the acquisition. His value would come from helping Embiid reach those games healthy.

Dallas has Gafford under contract for roughly $17.3 million this season, followed by approximately $18.1 million and $19 million over the next two years. That is not cheap, but it is reasonable for a proven center entering his prime. With Dereck Lively II, Morez Johnson Jr. and Moussa Cisse also on the roster, center may be the easiest position from which Dallas can trade.

Dallas has the exact wings contenders chase

Naji Marshall might be an even easier basketball fit. Philadelphia already has plenty of star power. It needs players who can defend multiple positions, survive physical playoff possessions and contribute without dominating the ball.

Marshall can do all of that. He could defend alongside Brown and LeBron, attack mismatches and keep the offense moving when one of Philadelphia’s stars rests. His approximately $9.4 million salary also makes him much easier to incorporate into a deal than some of Dallas’ more expensive veterans.

Klay Thompson would offer a more specialized skill. The Sixers will need shooting around Embiid’s post touches and LeBron’s drives, especially in playoff series where opponents aggressively load the paint. Klay no longer needs to be treated as an All-Star to hold value. On this roster, he could be a movement shooter whose presence creates space for everyone else.

P.J. Washington would likely be Philadelphia’s ideal target, but he would also be the most expensive. Washington can defend across the frontcourt, rebound, space the floor and close games without requiring the offense to run through him. Those are championship-level complementary skills. He is also entering the first season of a four-year extension worth nearly $89 million, so Dallas should demand legitimate young talent or draft compensation before considering a deal.

Santi Aldama occupies a slightly different category because Dallas just acquired him and could view him as part of Cooper Flagg’s long-term supporting cast. Still, his combination of size, shooting and passing would make him attractive to Philadelphia. Aldama could play beside Embiid, cover frontcourt minutes when LeBron sits and give the Sixers a more offensively versatile reserve big. His 2027-28 team option also provides contractual flexibility.

Kyrie Irving is the massive possibility in the background

There is also the Kyrie Irving factor.

Before LeBron chose Philadelphia, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor reported that James had been angling to reunite with Irving in Cleveland and that the Cavaliers and Mavericks had explored whether a deal could be constructed. Dallas reportedly did not make Kyrie available, but the interest confirms that LeBron still wants to play with his former championship teammate.

That does not mean Kyrie will be traded to Philadelphia. His approximately $39.5 million salary would make a deal complicated, and the Sixers already employ several high-usage perimeter players. Dallas should not move him simply because LeBron wants a reunion.

Still, LeBron’s interest matters. If Philadelphia reaches the deadline believing it needs another elite half-court creator, Kyrie could become the ambitious version of this conversation. The more realistic outcome remains the Sixers targeting one or two of Dallas’ role players.

Philadelphia’s urgency can become Dallas’ leverage

The Mavericks should not trade productive players simply to clear their crowded roster. They should wait for contenders to become desperate enough to pay.

Philadelphia could become exactly that kind of buyer.

LeBron’s contract is inexpensive, but his timeline is not patient. Embiid’s health does not allow for patience either. Every injury, losing streak or exposed weakness will increase the pressure on Philadelphia’s front office to improve a roster built specifically to chase a championship now.

Dallas is operating on a completely different schedule. Cooper Flagg is 19. Morez Johnson Jr. is 20. Zaccharie Risacher is 21. The Mavericks can afford to turn older veterans into picks or younger players without abandoning their long-term direction. Their abundance of forwards and centers may look awkward today, but it could become valuable inventory once contenders begin shopping for help.

LeBron James did not sign with the Mavericks.

His decision may still help them.

Philadelphia now has the stars required to win a championship, but it may eventually need Dallas’ depth to survive long enough to do it. The Mavericks should be ready to take advantage when that need becomes urgency.

With LeBron James signing in Philadelphia, it felt like the last major piece of a wild offseason. For the Knicks, their rotation has been long settled, with the team doing little but retaining their championship core early, signing Andre Drummond as a replacement for Mitchell Robinson, and drafting a couple of new prospects. 

But there are still some straggling questions before we enter training camp. 

Here’s three we’ll need answers to before New York kicks off its attempted repeat run...

Who gets the last roster spot?

The Knicks have one open roster spot they can fill using a minimum contract without encroaching on the second apron. They already took a shot at signing restricted free agent Moussa Cisse, but the Mavericks matched their offer sheet. 

Third-string center is their biggest need, with options like Nick Richards, Tony Bradley, Drew Eubanks, and Kevin Love still available. They could bring back Jeremy Sochan as a small-ball five, or live with OG Anunoby sliding up a position more often to take a swing at a better player elsewhere.

Bruce Brown, Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook, Nicolas Batum, and DeMar DeRozan are still free agents, but New York has yet to be linked to them. Signs point to a big, and the question remains which one ends up in the blue and orange.

Who gets the two-way deals?

Along with the last roster spot, the Knicks get three two-way slots to fill. These are often granted to developmental prospects or fringe veterans, but a couple may be up for grabs in New York’s case.

Their two rookies -- Tyler Nickel and Jack Kayil -- impressed enough at Summer League to warrant two-way deals. However, Kayil is more of a project and would be deep behind a packed guard rotation. Combine that with the earlier reports of the Knicks wanting to stash him overseas, and it’s possible somebody else gets his spot. 

Depending on Kayil, there’s still one or two two-ways to fill. One option is bringing back Kevin McCullar Jr., whom the Knicks drafted in 2024 and saw sparse minutes last season.

They could also return other members of their 2026 championship squad, like Dillon Jones or Trey Jemison III. Another option is bringing in new blood from this year’s Vegas Summer League squad like Liam Robbins, another center. 

How will Karl-Anthony Towns' extension talks play out?

The Knicks have already shown an aversion to going into the second apron by allowing Robinson to walk, and now they’re faced with another tough decision. Towns, a key piece of their championship run, is due for an extension worth up to $68 million annually, with an October deadline and player option for 2027-28 looming.

New York will obviously want a haircut off a maximum offer to retain flexibility and the rest of this core, especially with a new Jalen Brunson payday coming shortly after. How does Towns react to that, and is there middle ground when he could be looking to maximize value on possibly his last large contract in the NBA? 

Fans better hope they can come to a resolution, as the alternative means potentially losing him to free agency as soon as next summer. Worse yet, it could serve as a distraction during this season, which could end in the Knicks trading him instead of risking losing him for nothing, much like they did with Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley. 

The Houston Rockets have not made as much of a splash this summer as they did last year, when they acquired Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns.

This offseason has been all about adding veterans to the mix, which is why the team signed point guard Marcus Smart from the Los Angeles Lakers and Bogdan Bogdanovic from the Los Angeles Clippers. They are also getting Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams back into the mix, which will hopefully make the Rockets a more complete team. Because of this, their lack of major moves shouldn’t be viewed as a negative, at least not yet.

“Houston is banking on Fred VanVleet’s return from injury (torn right ACL) and another year of collective development for its young players to translate into postseason progress. It’s not a terrible bet given that the Thunder, Lakers and Timberwolves all lost key players this summer, but it will require Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun to function more effectively as a partnership in their second season together,” ESPN contributor Ben Golliver wrote.

“This much is clear: The pressure will quickly mount on Stone to make changes if Houston can’t fix its clunky offense, which fell to pieces in the playoffs.”

The Rockets have been building this team together for several years, so their lack of progress from 2025 to 2026 isn’t going to lead to a massive breakup. However, the pressure is now on for the team to perform in the upcoming season.

Houston hopes that VanVleet’s presence back in the lineup will organize the offense and keep the team focused on that end of the floor. In terms of defense, improvements from Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason and Amen Thompson will be key.

There are still several flaws with the Rockets, but the path is there for them to be one of the best teams in the Western Conference, giving them a chance to compete with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder to challenge them in a playoff series.

Let’s start this off by being completely honest about New York’s point guard history. For the better part of the last three decades, the position has been a total nightmare. The Knicks spent years wandering through a wasteland, hoping for someone competent enough to run a simple pick-and-roll or bring the ball up without causing a turnover against a press. As fans, we talked ourselves into the Emmanuel Mudiay reclamation project. We lived through the Alexey Shved era. We found ourselves debating Frank Ntilikina’s defensive metrics and trying to convince each other that Chris Duhon was a long-term answer.

However, when you trudge through the muck and zoom out a bit, a different story comes to life. When the Knicks actually have an elite floor general, the team does not just compete. They win championships. 

This Mt. Rushmore is not about empty box scores. It is not a mountain for guys who sold a lot of shoes and put up 20 points a night while the team zombie-walked to 50 losses. Yeah, I am looking at you, Stephon Marbury. It is not even about brief, two-week flashes of global phenomenon status, either. Jeremy Lin, we will always love you, but a fortnight does not make the mountain. Our Mt. Rushmore is reserved for impact on winning, setting the culture, and elevating the franchise when it mattered most. 

Two spots on the mountain are already set. Just look to 1970, 1973, and 2026. Today, we look to carve out the final two faces. Of course, we need to show some love to the undisputed point guard royalty in New York.

Walt “Clyde” Frazier

Walt “Clyde” Frazier may be known by most younger fans as the guy with the cool suits and rhymes for days. But before he blessed the MSG Network with his commentary, he served as the engine behind the Knicks’ only two championships of the 20th century. Without him, New York basketball history looks very different. 

For his era, Frazier’s numbers are insane. Thriving at both ends of the court, he averaged 19.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game, while also making the All-Defensive First Team seven times. In a time dominated by the likes of Jerry West and Oscar Robertson, Clyde settled in as the premier two-way perimeter player. Consistently turning defense into transition offense, he possessed a top-notch ability to read passing lanes and cause turnovers.

The main reason Frazier’s face is the first one carved into our Mt. Rushmore of Knicks floor generals is Game 7 of the 1970 Finals. Yes, we all know the game because of the Willis Reed injury and the legendary tunnel walk. However, the only reason the Knicks actually won that game was that Walt completely carried the team. On the biggest stage imaginable, he recorded 36 points, 19 assists, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals. To this day, his performance in that game remains one of the most clutch in NBA history.

Jalen Brunson

After Frazier, the next obvious point guard to make the mountain is Jalen Brunson. When Leon Rose signed Brunson away from Dallas, the national media had a field day dubbing the acquisition a massive overpay for an undersized secondary option. Boy were they all wrong. Instead, Brunson pulled the Knicks out of the dark ages and turned New York back into the basketball hotbed it’s supposed to be. 

Brunson’s footwork in the paint, his midrange mastery, and his unmatched will to win late in games transformed New York’s gritty, hard-working roster into an offensive powerhouse. He racked up All-NBA selections, typically kept his point total close to 28 points per game, and took on the heaviest offensive burden. 

Of course, his spot was cemented when he led the Knicks to the 2026 NBA Championship. Breaking the curse that haunted this fanbase for generations, Brunson buried the 90s heartbreaks and 2000s embarrassments for good. There is no debate that his face is right next to Clyde’s on the giant rock.

The Final Two Spots

So who fills the rest of Mt. Rushmore? This is where the real debate begins. There are a few point guards who left their mark on the franchise, but only two can join Clyde and Brunson.

If we consider breathing life back into Madison Square Garden, Mark Jackson has a case. Drafted 18th overall in 1987 out of local St. John’s, Jackson immediately electrified his hometown team after the Knicks suffered through a rough few years in the mid-80s.

Averaging 13.6 points and 10.6 assists a game, Jackson won the 1988 Rookie of the Year. The next season, he made his way to the All-Star team. Flashy, tough, and elite at setting up his teammates, Jackson embodied a true New York point guard. He successfully orchestrated the offense, assisting in the rise of another Knicks legend, Patrick Ewing. Mastering the alley-oop and executing the teardrop floater, Jackson helped build a foundation of success that lasted a decade.

Sometimes, it serves us well to dive back into New York’s deep history, even if the highlights can be tricky to decipher.

Dick McGuire was the original point guard behind Knicks basketball. Another St. John’s product, “Tricky Dick” was a skillful and unselfish playmaker known for his behind-the-back passes. Leading the NBA in assists as a rookie in the 1949-1950 season, McGuire made five All-Star teams during his eight seasons in New York.

Of course, the real argument for including him is the sustained success the Knicks experienced with him at point guard. He led New York to three consecutive NBA Finals, garnering enough respect in the franchise to share in the retirement of his number 15, along with Earl Monroe. Though most of us were not around to watch McGuire strut his stuff, you don’t lead a team to three straight Finals and share the rafters with “The Pearl” for being a slouch.

We cannot have a serious conversation about the point guard position without showing a little love to Charlie Ward. Possessing all the traits of the ’90s Knicks, he was a true glue guy and a fan favorite.

A former Heisman Trophy winner, Ward successfully translated his football player mentality to the basketball court. Never the most athletic or fastest player, he earned his playing time through intelligence and toughness. Ward started 68 games during the lockout-shortened 1999 season and ran the point for the eighth-seeded Knicks as they made a miraculous run to the NBA Finals. A complete pest defensively, he also served as a reliable 3-point shooter for his era.

While it’s important to mention Ward, he does fall just short of making the mountain. An elite role player, he lacked the franchise-altering accolades of Jackson or McGuire.

After traveling through the eras, sifting through the stats, and considering the cultural significance and impact on winning, the final Mt. Rushmore for Knicks floor generals is set. At the end of the day, the mountain belongs to Walt Frazier, Jalen Brunson, Dick McGuire, and Mark Jackson. We have our two champions in Clyde and Brunson representing the highest moments in New York basketball. We have a pioneer responsible for building an early foundation and setting the standard in McGuire. Finally, there is the hometown kid who helped bring magic back to the Garden in Jackson.

So, where did I go wrong? Is it right to leave a member of the 1999 run off the mountain, or should Ward replace McGuire? DoesMarbury’ss raw talent warrant deeper consideration, or was it right to write him off completely? Make sure to share your thoughts and your point guard Mt. Rushmore below.

LJ Cryer's small offseason change could benefit him, Warriors in 2026-27 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LAS VEGAS — The best ability, in LJ Cryer’s case, really is availability. 

“The main thing for me is just getting my body healthy, because when I’m healthy, I’m able to help the team,” Cryer said to reporters at Chase Center during Warriors Summer League Media Day. “… With me being a younger guy, I just got to be more available. … The more healthy I get, the more I’ll be able to bring to the table.”

Aside from a right foot injury that sidelined him for a large chunk of his sophomore year at Baylor, Cryer was relatively healthy throughout his five-year college career. But the start to his Warriors career didn’t go as smoothly from a health perspective. 

Cryer dealt with a back injury off and on throughout December and January prior to him making his NBA debut with the Warriors on Jan. 19. He didn’t play a single game in February – not in the G League or NBA – because of a recurring hamstring issue. The same problem caused him to miss two games in March. 

An illness in April sidelined him for another two games, and then in the third-to-last game of the regular season on April 10, Cryer sprained his right ankle coming down from a shot when he landed on Jarred Vanderbilt’s left foot in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers. 

All in all, Cryer played in 36 games throughout his rookie year. He appeared in 18 games for Golden State, and another 18 for the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. That’s a strong number for someone who went undrafted. However, the inconsistency of Cryer’s availability was far from satisfactory in his own self-evaluation. 

So, Cryer got to work. He stayed back in the Bay and could be seen running on the Embarcadero after a long workout at Chase Center. Injuries can often be out of a player’s control. Bad luck, as the Warriors learned all last season, is as real as it gets. Preparation is what athletes can control. 

The change for Cryer started before the weight room. His focus has been how he serves his body, starting with how he fuels it. And he already can feel the results. 

“I changed my diet, that was the main thing,” Cryer said in Las Vegas after the Warriors’ summer league win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. “And then I’ve been tracking my sleep. Those are the two most important things.”

Cryer, 24, played for two prestigious college programs in Baylor and Houston. He comes from a family of athletes, following in the footsteps of his parents who met as collegiate athletes at Grambling State. His younger brother was a college football player at Florida State, and Cryer has a long family lineage of other college athletes as well. 

Discipline always has been a part of Cryer’s DNA. Stepping into the NBA also opened his eyes to a new understanding of what it takes, including the smallest details. 

“Oh, I cut out a lot of foods,” Cryer said. “Just understanding what to put in your body. Obviously I had an idea of what to do, but sitting down with the performance staff and getting the detailed plan has helped me.” 

What he eliminated is what we all could cut back on from time to time.

“Probably sweets, like candy. Stuff like that,” he says.

How did the change in diet and sleep translate to the court? The sharp-shooting point guard lit it up in summer league. 

Cryer’s comments about no longer eating junk food and improving his sleep actually came after his lowest-scoring game of the summer when he tallied eight points, yet led the Warriors in assists (five) without any turnovers and was a game-high plus-17. It was Cryer, not top draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who led the Warriors in scoring during their summer league championship run in Las Vegas. Cryer, in six games in Las Vegas, averaged 15 points per game and had a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. 

Cryer’s summer league began with hot shooting at the California Classic on his home court, and it only continued for him in the desert. Cryer, in eight total games, averaged 14.0 points, second to Lendeborg’s 14.9. Each led the Warriors with 32 assists. Beyond the arc is where Cryer made his money, just like he can for Golden State. 

Cryer this summer took 7.9 threes per game and made them at a 41.3 percent clip. His 63 3-point attempts were 26 more than any of his teammates, and they accounted for 75 percent of his total shots. The role Cryer can have on the Warriors in Year 2 is clear, and he’s making sure to show the franchise he’s ready to step into bigger shoes.

The way he can shoot the ball from long distance stands out most, but Cryer feels like a much better overall player as he prepares for his second pro season. 

“Just all around,” Cryer said. “I think it’s due to me to working on my body this summer, just being more healthy. So I feel like I’ve taken a jump in every aspect of my game.”

The microwave scorer the Warriors still need might already be on their roster. Cryer, in his 18 games with the Warriors last season, averaged 5.2 3-point attempts and shot 39.4 percent. He made multiple threes in 11 games, which came after letting it fly in Santa Cruz. In his 18 G League games, Cryer shot 44.9 percent from 3-point range while taking 10.3 threes per game. 

Pat Spencer’s departure opens a spot for Cryer to be the Warriors’ third point guard as the roster is currently constructed, whether he’s on a two-way contract or the 15-man roster. Even if they add another ball-handler, there still needs to be a spot for Cryer, who already is the Warriors’ second-best 3-point shooter, behind only Steph Curry, the greatest of all time. 

Size isn’t on Cryer’s side. Generously listed at 6-foot, Cryer is a strong 202 pounds. Getting his body right and being available as much as possible for an older Warriors team is his ticket to next season and beyond. 

One small change can lead to big results for Cryer and the Warriors.

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Warriors' Steph Curry has matter-of-fact reaction to LeBron James choosing 76ers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry is not surprised by LeBron James’ long-awaited decision.

Despite the former’s efforts to recruit the latter to join the Warriors in NBA free agency this offseason, James ultimately signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers over the weekend after weeks of recruitment by a handful of prominent teams.

Curry, speaking exclusively to The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson for a recent story, shared his reaction to James choosing Philadelphia over other teams, like Golden State.

“That’s why you don’t envision anything until it happens,” Curry told Thompson. “There’s a lot of moving parts.”

When James initially left the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this offseason, the Warriors were believed to be the most likely landing spot, but Golden State adding the 22-time All-Star became less and less likely in the weeks to follow.

James probably was the Warriors’ most realistic big-ticket addition this offseason, and after he chose to sign elsewhere, Golden State now must figure out where it goes from here and how it will improve and round out its roster for the 2026-27 NBA season with key players, like star forward Jimmy Butler and sixth-year wing Moses Moody, likely to miss significant time.

“The through line,” Curry shared with Thompson, “which is hard on anybody in this situation, especially with us keeping this thing together, is knowing that when Jimmy got hurt and Moses got hurt, the whole calculus of everything changes. How do you get through their absence and still stay at a certain level? And then how that goes into this year. It’s the same deal. So I’m a realist on that.”

“You hope that they both come back healthy and we can play at a level that keeps us relevant and competitive and builds a foundation so that we can figure out what it looks like. But that is the situation. We don’t live in any alternative universe.”

Golden State still has multiple roster spots to fill, so additional moves are expected before the start of training camp in late September.

Who will those players be? That remains a mystery to Curry. And probably the Warriors, too.

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Former Blue Devil Wendell Moore has been in the NBA for four years now, and he hasn’t really established himself, and it looks like he’s going to go a different direction.

Moore is reportedly talking to several European teams, including Partizan Belgrade and Hapoel Tel Aviv. However, he may be more interested in BC Roma SPQR.

The ownership includes Donnie Nelson and Luka Doncic, and the team plays in Serie A, which is the highest level in Italy.

The thing about the NBA is that the margin of error is razor-thin. For most of us, Moore would be a stunning athlete, but on the NBA level, as it has turned out, he’s probably marginal.

In Europe though, he could have a long and lucrative career. It’s probably a smart move.

• Partizan reportedly close to deal with former NBA first-round pick Wendell Moore
• Detroit Pistons’ 24-Year-Old Free Agent Could Leave NBA

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