Category: NBA

This isn’t just another puff piece by a Minnesota Timberwolves fan celebrating Karl-Anthony Towns.

As much as I would love to flood the internet with more positivity and reveling in Towns’ most recent accomplishment, I’ve actually been thinking about why I’ve been rooting for Towns to win the championship this postseason.

When watching an NBA game, my flowchart of “Who am I rooting for?” has usually gone something like this:

1. Are they the Timberwolves?
2. If they aren’t, which team’s victory/loss would benefit the Timberwolves more?
3. Which team’s victory/loss would lead to the Timberwolves catching fewer straws?

_{*Just as important, everything would be inverse if you replace Timberwolves with Lakers}

During the 2026 NBA Finals, all indications should’ve pointed towards me rooting for the San Antonio Spurs. If the Spurs won it all, it would likely mean they would keep the team together. A team that the injury-riddled Wolves took to six games (astronomical point differential aside). A San Antonio loss would likely prompt them to add more firepower in the offseason, rebalancing their roster along the way. Additionally, Minnesota losing to the eventual champs sounds a lot better than losing to the eventual runner-up.

Additionally, a New York Knicks victory should be to the Wolves’ demise. Fans and talking heads would be champing at the bit to ridicule Minnesota for giftwrapping banner number two to New York in the form of Towns. In fact, Towns would be just the latest top-10 draft pick that the Wolves failed to build around, then traded, and then won the Larry O’Brien Trophy in just two seasons with their new team. Meanwhile, the bulk of the Timberwolves’ offseason content is about how they can try to trade one of the players they received in that very same trade.

By this logic, rooting against the Knicks should have been a no-brainer.

However, I still found myself pulling for New York. I was willing to ignore my aforementioned flowchart even if it came at the expense of my favorite team. Why was watching Towns claw his way towards a title with the Knicks so much different than, say, Andrew Wiggins with the Golden State Warriors four years ago? I’ve met both players face-to-face multiple times, and they were always nothing but pleasant to me. They both tried, to the best of their own respective abilities, to win in Minnesota without ever the peep of a trade request.

It was because of how I personally viewed these individuals as humans.

My admiration for Towns has already been detailed here on Canis Hoopus. He’s someone who, by multiple accounts, is a grade A person off the court. Whether it’s been within the local Minnesota community or as someone who regularly uses his platform to uplift the disenfranchised, Towns is someone that I’ve always been proud to root for. It’s always been about more than basketball with him.

Conversely, I wrote a whole piece about players I love rooting against four years ago. So much angst, Leo! So, have I just become soft now? Has the birth of my first child turned me into a “snowflake” who just wants everyone to get along? I doubt that very much.

What I’ve grown to realize over the years is that everything shouldn’t have to be in binaries. Just because I was rooting for Towns didn’t mean I was rooting against the Wolves. That didn’t even mean I was rooting against Victor Wembanyama, who was openly critical of ICE activity in Minnesota, nor the Spurs franchise, who are one of the NBA organizations most openly critical of our current government.

On the flip side, rooting for Towns didn’t mean I was rooting for former Wolves assistant coach Eric Daniel “Rick” Brunson, given the previous sexual assault allegation raised against him. It didn’t mean I was rooting for James Dolan and his laundry list of transgressions (including an eerily similar SA allegation). There are often both good and bad people on both sides. And there are usually more than just two sides.

Can I root for an athlete even if they play on a team with a rotten owner, or have rotten teammates?

Can I root for a musical artist even if they’re signed to a rotten label?

That’s perhaps a different discussion for another day, but in this particular case, I find it easier to cheer for and follow athletes who are simply good people and not overanalyze the rest.

People like Ricky Rubio, who has had huge success the last couple of years playing with his first professional team, Joventut Badalona (sadly, they just got eliminated in the semi-finals of the Spanish Liga ACB playoffs), while continuing to do great work in the cancer research arena with his foundation.

People like Gorgui Dieng, who has continued to pour into his home country of Senegal, uplifting the youth and sports communities along the way. This is why Canis Hoopus writes stories about these former players, all three of whom were recipients of NBA Cares Community Assist awards.

There will always be people who root for players for different reasons. Some may root for players that have an aesthetically pleasing style of hooping (Curry, Kyrie). Some may root for players of the high school jock ilk (Kobe, or the ringless Jimmy Butler). Some may not even care about the players themselves, as long as they help bring a championship to your favorite team.

People will try to change you or ridicule you for your choice.

But this is a reminder that it is always okay to root for good people.

When it comes to making offseason NBA roster improvements, the paths are clear even when the eventual outcomes aren’t.

There are unrestricted free agents. 

There are restricted free agents. 

There are trades.

And then there’s the draft — the most volatile path when factoring in that NBA franchises are taking shots on players who are typically teenagers or in their early 20s.

But the Western Conference finals between the Spurs and Thunder showed how consequential the draft can be for setting up short-term and potential long-term success. Especially in the modern NBA in which teams’ spending and roster machinations can be limited depending on whether they’re over the first or second apron. 

And after their last two first-round picks haven’t produced in the ways they’ve hoped (2023 pick Jalen Hood-Schifino, no longer in the NBA; 2024 pick Dalton Knecht, fell out of the rotation last season), the Lakers can’t afford to whiff with the No. 25 pick in the NBA draft in less than two weeks. 

Who should the Lakers target with their first-round pick?

Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky big

2025-26 stats: 5 points, 5 rebounds, 16.8 minutes

Measurements: 6-foot-9 (without shoes), 253 pounds, 7-foot-5 ¼ wingspan, 9-foot-1 standing reach  

The skinny: Quaintance started his collegiate career at Arizona State, where he quickly became one of men’s college basketball’s most versatile defenders. But he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in February 2025 during his freshman year with the Sun Devils, cutting his first collegiate season short. Quaintance only played 67 minutes across four games with Kentucky after making his season debut in the Dec. 20 win over St. John’s because of swelling in his right knee. His medicals and health will be a significant factor in where he winds up being drafted, but Quaintance’s shot blocking, defensive switchability, athleticism and finishing could make him an impactful player as a rookie. 

Tarris Reed Jr., UConn big

2025-26 stats: 14.7 points, 9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2 blocks, 27.3 minutes

Measurements: 6-foot-9 ¾ (without shoes), 263 pounds, 7-foot-4 ¼ wingspan, 9-foot-2 standing reach  

The skinny: Reed played collegiately at Michigan for two seasons, including a full-time starter as a sophomore, before transferring to UConn for his last two seasons. He led the Big East in field-goal percentage in 2025-26 at 60.7, showcasing good touch around the basket after powering his way toward the rim. He weighed in as the second-heaviest player at the NBA draft combine, and he uses his strength very well on the interior as a scorer or rebounder. 

Chris Cenac Jr., Houston big

2025-26 stats: 9.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 24.8 minutes

Measurements: 6-foot-10 ¼ (without shoes), 239 pounds, 7-foot-5 wingspan, 9-foot-0 ½ standing reach  

The skinny: Cenac was a consensus five-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, immediately starting for a Houston team coming off a runner-up finish in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. His mix of size, fluidity and athleticism make him an intriguing long-term prospect. But he needs to get stronger. Although he likely won’t be ready to contribute to an NBA team as a rookie, taking a patient approach with his development may be worth it.  

Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s big

2025-26 stats: 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.1 blocks, 30 minutes 

Measurements: 6-foot-7 ½ (without shoes), 245 pounds, 7-foot-2 wingspan, 8-foot-11 standing reach  

The skinny: Ejiofor played for the Red Storm under Rick Pitino the last three seasons after starting his college career at Kansas. Though undersized, Ejiofor projects to be a versatile defensive big man who can switch 1-5 and protect the rim because of his motor, strength, length, quickness, awareness and IQ. He’s a more limited offensive player because of his lack of shooting but can make up for it with quick decision-making as a passer and sound screening, which further unlocks his playmaking. 

Allen Graves, Santa Clara forward

2025-26 stats: 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 1.8 assists, 0.9 blocks, 22.6 minutes

Measurements: 6-foot-7 ¾ (without shoes), 225 pounds, 7-foot wingspan, 8-foot-10 ½ standing reach  

The skinny: Graves was the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and an All-WCC first-team honoree after putting up tremendous counting and advanced stats coming off the bench for the Broncos. His combination of size, defensive playmaking, shooting, passing and general all-around skill set made up for his lack of traditional athleticism.

Do Heat have edge over Celtics in potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Now that the NBA Finals are over, the biggest story in basketball is the future of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo has played the first 13 years of his career with the Bucks and led the franchise to a championship in 2021 — its first since 1971.

But it appears his time in Milwaukee could be comingto an end, and with the 2026 NBA Draft set to begin next Tuesday, a deal could potentially happen in the short term.

The two teams most often mentioned in Antetokounmpo trade rumors over the last few weeks have been the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.

The Heat are seemingly always in the mix when a huge star is rumored to be available. The Celtics need an upgrade at center and have the ability to put together a compelling trade package. And unlike several other contenders, the C’s still control a bunch of their future first-round picks.

So, which team has the edge in the race for Antetokounmpo? What’s the latest on this situation? The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn provided an update on Monday’s edition of NBC Sports Boston’s Boston Sports Tonight.

“I don’t think (Giannis) is going to be a Celtic, and that’s just from what I’m hearing,’ Washburn said. “I think the Celtics are gauging what it would take to get Giannis to Boston and trying to figure out whether they want to move Jaylen Brown.”

Washburn later added: “I do think Miami has the edge on this, but I do think Boston is kinda sniffing around and finding out could you even acquire Giannis without sacrificing Jaylen? That would be a big question. What is exactly Milwaukee looking for? Who is the third team involved? Because it’s gonna have to be a third team involved.”

Tim Reynolds, a Miami-based NBA writer for the Associated Press, gave the following update on X late Monday night.

There’s no question that Antetokounmpo is still an elite player entering his age 32 season. His record speaks for itself: Two league MVPs, 10 All-Star appearances, nine All-NBA appearances (seven first team), a Finals MVP and one championship, among other accolades.

Antetokounmpo is also two years older than Brown and more injury prone. The Bucks star played in only 36 games last season and has appeared in 70-plus games in a single season only once since 2019. Antetokounmpo also has advanced past the first round of the playoffs just once since 2022, and outside of the 2021 title, the Bucks have been perennial playoff underachievers.

We also have plenty of evidence that the duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum is championship-caliber. They have played in five Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals (one title in 2024) together.

Either way, it’ll be fascinating to watch the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes play out. A top-five player being traded always shifts the balance of power in the league.

Stats disprove Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas' Steph Curry-Jalen Brunson comparison originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors superstar Steph Curry is such an elite shooter that, sometimes, even Hall of Fame players can forget how good of an all-around offensive player he is.

That’s the case with Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who, before the 2026 NBA Finals wrapped up on Saturday night, delivered an odd breakdown comparing Curry’s path to success with his and that of New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.

“Here’s where it separates. Curry did it at 6-foot-3, more or less, shooting, scoring. Brunson and I, if Brunson becomes a champion, right? We did it scoring and assisting,” Thomas said last Friday on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back.” “That is something totally different and that’s why it’s so unique in terms of what you’re watching because he can assist and then he scores. Curry was more just a scorer, so there are two different ways of doing it.

“Now, with Brunson and I being smaller, we cannot measure ourselves by this analytics category criteria that has been established in the basketball world that only fits and suits the 6-foot-6 and above player. So, if you’re 6-foot-6 and above, these analytics numbers and criteria fits you but if you’re trying to win as a small player, we cannot play to that criteria of statistical analyzation. So we need to figure out how we can win without being measured by the 6-foot-6-and-above guy. And Brunson has settled into that. So, I’ve done it. He’s trying to do it. Curry did it at 6-foot-3.”

During the Knicks’ incredible 19-game run to the 2026 NBA title, Brunson averaged 28.4 points and 6.1 assists.

So, in Thomas’ mind, Curry had to have averaged more points and fewer assists per game during his four championship runs, right?

Unfortunately for Thomas, the stats don’t back up his claim.

During the Warriors’ 2014-15 title run, Curry averaged 28.3 points and 6.4 assists in 21 postseason games. Two years later, with Kevin Durant on board, Curry averaged 28.1 points and 6.7 assists in 17 playoff games.

During the Warriors’ 2017-18 title run, in which Curry missed the first round, he averaged 25.5 points and 5.4 assists in 15 games.

In 2022-23, with Durant long gone and Curry the focal point of the offense, he averaged 27.4 points and 5.9 assists en route to NBA Finals MVP.

Over those four title runs, Curry averaged a cumulative 6.11 assists in 75 games.

As a kicker, Brunson averaged 10.1 made field goals on 21.7 field-goal attempts during the now-completed playoff run. Curry’s highest title-run numbers came in 2015 when he averaged 9.5 made field goals on 20.9 field-goal attempts.

Thomas, if anything, is the outlier. During his two title runs with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990, he averaged 19.4 points and 8.2 assists. Curry and Brunson are more alike than Thomas is to either of them.

Yes, Curry is known for his scoring and less for the other aspects of his game. But to say he didn’t score and assist on his way to success isn’t accurate.

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The offseason is officially upon us and the Dallas Mavericks have both a coaching hire and two draft picks to think about in the near term. Regarding the former, it is now being reported that no fewer than five candidates are known to be on the Mavericks’ radar. Those names include Micah Nori, Royal Ivey, Jama Mahlalela, Tony Dobbins and Terry Stotts.

The following is a high-level overview of each candidate and their coaching resume.

Micah Nori – Minnesota Timberwolves

The 52-year old Nori has been an assistant coaching fixture in the NBA for 17 straight seasons. He spent his first four with the Toronto Raptors, followed by two with the Sacramento Kings, three with the Denver Nuggets, three with the Detroit Pistons and the prior five years with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

His time spent in Toronto is of particular note, as it was there he assisted under head coaches Jay Triano and Dwane Casey. Ironically, the former is a current assistant coach for the Mavs (though that may be short lived after the departure of Jason Kidd) and the latter was an assistant for Dallas when the Mavs won the championship in 2011. More relevant however, is Nori’s brief bit of time crossing over with Masai Ujiri when the current Mavs’ President was the assistant GM in Toronto. Mavs’ fans are familiar with Nori from their 2024 Playoffs matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves. During that series, Nori worked the sideline as a de facto head coach for the Timberwolves while Chris Finch sat second row as he recovered from a knee injury.

Simply put, Nori has been around the block and worked with some of the best coaches and best players in the game today, making his candidacy highly plausible.

Royal Ivey – Houston Rockets

Ivey, at age 44, has accumulated a solid 10-year assistant coaching career of his own, following a 10-year playing career in the NBA. He spent two years with the Oklahoma City Thunder, then two with the New York Knicks, followed by three with the Brooklyn Nets and three with the Houston Rockets.

Ivey was born in New York, but has ties to Texas by way of his collegiate playing days at the University of Texas at Austin. Something of a journeyman in his NBA playing days, Ivey quickly transitioned to a coaching career where he has been ever since. Beyond assistant coaching in the NBA, Ivey served as head coach of the South Sudan national team, eventually coaching the team in its first-ever Olympic berth in 2024.

Ivey may not be getting quite as much attention as someone like Nori, but he brings his own unique experiences from his time both at home and abroad.

Jama Mahlalela – Toronto Raptors

Aside from a two-year stint as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors from 2021-2023, the 46-year old has spent significant time with the Toronto Raptors. His tenure began back in 2006 as part of the community development team and then served as Director of Basketball Operations for NBA Asia. Beginning in 2013 and for five-straight years, Mahlalela was back serving as an assistant coach in the North, then took on the head coaching reigns for the Raptors’ G-League affiliate. From there, it was another year as an assistant with the Raptors, then the aforementioned Warriors stint, then a return to the Raptors for the past three years.

Although he was technically uninvolved with the Raptors during their 2019 championship run, as he was concerned with his head coaching duties with the G-League team, he did net himself a more direct championship in his short run with the Warriors as an assistant in 2022. He brings a unique resume with his time spent in Hong Kong running NBA Asia overseeing clinics and other developmental programs.

Mahlalela has a diverse background and is certainly very familiar with Ujiri from their overlapping time in Toronto, making him another candidate with direct ties to the current Mavs’ regime.

Tony Dobbins – Boston Celtics

The 44-year old Dobbins has the least extensive coaching resume of the group, having been an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics for the past six years.

Dobbins went undrafted in the 2004 NBA Draft, but nonetheless had himself a playing career in both the G-League and overseas until 2017. Beginning in 2020, he kicked off his coaching career as an assistant with the Celtics, where he has been ever since. His championship ring came at the expense of the Mavericks in 2024 giving him some hardware like others on this list.

Dobbins arguably has less than the others in terms of experience, yet has been part of a highly regarded franchise and got himself a ring in relatively short order.

Terry Stotts – Golden State Warriors

We previously covered Stotts in a standalone article earlier this month, so we’ll avoid a redundancy here. Suffice it to say, Stotts is a basketball lifer with strong connections to the Mavericks’ 2011 championship team. He was an assistant coach under Rick Carlisle at the time, before moving on to become head coach for the Portland Trailblazers for nine seasons.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

This just warmed my heart:

Just two days after a heartbreaking ending to their 2025-2026 campaign, Victor Wembanyama and Julian Champagnie visited Methodist Children’s Hospital. They brought smiles and lifted the spirits of several young patients.

Wembanyama, who has broken records and exceeded expectations all season, had comparisons to the greatest all-time players at each turn.

Julian Champagnie also set Spurs franchises records for three-pointers in a single game (11), in a season (195) and in the postseason (61).

While the duo were bringing smiles, they also handed out some Spurs shirts and collectibles.

Known for their community outreach, the Spurs are no strangers to making appearances, especially to those experiencing hardships. It’s a wonderful opportunity to bond with fans and spread some joy.

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

Since posting the YODA Big Board, the number one question I’ve gotten is about the somewhat unorthodox ranking of University of Michigan big guys — Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, and Morez Johnson Jr.

Below are there ranks according to Ye Olde Draft Analyzer (YODA), my stat-based draft analysis tool, and the Rookie Scale Consensus Mock Draft:

Why the disconnect?

To answer that question, let’s back up and look at how YODA works. As previously written, YODA is calculated using box score stats, objective measures of physical tools from the draft combine, as objective as I could find (or develop) measures of level of competition, expected NBA position, and age. All that information roils around in the spreadsheet and spits out a single score for each prospect.

Deciding on a future position is the least objective part of the process — it definitely involves some art. For example, a coach might consider a player a forward in his program even if the player doesn’t have the shooting, ball handling or playmaking necessary to play that position in the NBA. If a guy can’t make threes — or doesn’t even take them, he’s going to have to play center in the NBA, even if he’s skinny as a rake or 6-6.

Flip side of the coin, a 6-6, 250 pound collegiate “center” probably won’t succeed in the middle at the NBA unless he has extreme physical tools (long arms, outlandish leaping or agility) or has previously unrevealed skills like the ability to knock down threes consistently.

Anyway, In terms of raw statistical production, Lendeborg comes out on top. By a little. If we say Lendeborg’s stats rate a 10, Johnson’s are worth a bit over 9, and Mara’s right about 9. All of them put up impressive numbers consistent with players who successfully transition to the NBA.

Johnson and Mara rebounded a bit better. Lendeborg shot well (with three-point range) and did more playmaking (though Mara’s assists were excellent for a center), and all three showed strength as defensive playmakers — Lendeborg and Johnson with steals and blocks; Mara with 4.4 blocks per 40 minutes. All things being equal, Lendeborg’s production score was slightly more impressive than the other two.

But all things are not equal. I mean, level of competition is exactly equal for these three, but trying to determine who’s going to have the best NBA career involves a few more steps.

Age matters. When it comes to the NBA Draft, younger is better. Player peak and career trajectory research indicates that players typically make their biggest leaps in their early 20s, peak around 26-27 and then more or less maintain into their early 30s. At which point, most players get worse or get injured — or both.

In arguing against age restrictions to enter the NBA Draft, former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban once said he wanted the option to pick high school players. He said he’d rather have players develop in his organization with professional coaches than on a college campus.

In terms of age, Johnson has the advantage (he’s 20), followed by Mara (21), and Lendeborg (23). Lendeborg is on the old side for a top NBA prospect. That’s not to say he won’t succeed (or even have a long career) — plenty of players have started their NBA careers as old or older and gone on to great things. Some have started late and had long careers.

But YODA (and eyeball scouts) has to consider the norm. And the norm is that 23-year-olds don’t make Big Jumps in production the way a 20-year-old would.

That 23-year-old can and will get better. But, on average, he has less room to get better because he’s already had more time to develop — physically, skills, experience, etc. And it comes into play when assessing statistical production. Did he post the great numbers because he’s a great player or because he’s 2-4 years older than most of his competitors?

Lendeborg was slightly more productive overall than his younger teammates. That age difference closes the gap. Basically, YODA is less impressed by Lendeborg’s production than it would be if a 20-year-old put up the exact same numbers against the exact same competition.

In predicting who will make the best NBA player, physical tools matter as well. They’re not everything, but they do make a difference.

Mara is massive, measuring 7-3 in socks with a 7-6 wingspan at the combine. Johnson measured 6-9, but with a 7.3.5 wingspan — just 2.5 inches shorter than Mara’s. Lendeborg was shortest (6-8.75), though he also had a wingspan above 7-3.

The way this ends up in YODA is that Mara’s and Lendeborg’s scores get bumps for size (Lendeborg helped a bit by my estimation that he’ll play more forward in the NBA than center), while Johnson gets neither bump nor ding. He’s basically right in the normal range for an NBA big.

Agility and leaping ability are important attributes, and at the combine Johnson established a clear advantage. He scored well enough to get bumps in both categories. Mara got dings in both — he was slow and ground-bound. Lendeborg was in the normal range for a forward on agility but got dinged for subpar vertical measures.

So, the way things look to YODA, the three Michigan big guys have comparable overall statistical production against equally challenging competition. Johnson gets the higher scorer because he’s younger and has better physical tools. Lendeborg is next because of his positional versatility. Mara brings up the rear (and rates as a late first or early second in most draft classes) because while he’s huge and was productive in college, he was slow and jumped poorly as compared to other center prospects.

Predicting who will be the better NBA player is not strictly about who was the best college player. Those other factors have to be considered. And in the case of the Michigan bigs, the YODA system has somewhat different predictions than others.

Should the Hawks keep their eighth overall pick, they’ll have an opportunity to draft one of a handful of ‘second tier’ prospects in one of the most hyped draft classes in a long time.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at Keaton Wagler, a 19-year-old 6-foot-5 guard from Illinois that has rocketed into the lottery discussion over the past 12 months in the very strong 2026 NBA Draft. In his lone college season, he averaged 17.9 points, 4.2 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 45% from the field, 40% from three, and 80% from the free throw line.

Wagler is a silky ball handler and a savvy pick-and-roll operator, but he comes with questions about his high-end athleticism, off-ball engagement, and fit in an NBA team defense. Let’s dive into the good and bad in a player the Hawks could still see on the board after the first seven picks.

Offense

Keaton Wagler isn’t a point guard by trade, but he operated on the ball as the focal point of the Illinois offense due to his offensive gifts. Like a lot of right-handed players, he prefers to go left to get to his shots. Still, he’s a steady operator on the ball who can comfortably change pace like a point guard — whether pushing in transition or resetting the action in halfcourt sets.

Although his first step isn’t overly explosive, he can self-create at an NBA-level already with an array of hesitation dribbles, crossover and step backs pull up jumpers. He does well to get skinny dribbling in traffic and is great at keeping his dribble alive even when pressured. He shot 40% from three on 5.9 attempts per game, and with his smooth shooting mechanics and deep range, that mark was no fluke:

When he gets all the way to the rim, he’s skillful finisher with either hand — although his 58% scoring efficiency at the rim could stand to improve. Still, the frequency with which he gets to the rim off the dribble is among the best in the class, and with some added bulk on his frame, one can imagine his conversion rate on those attempts will increase:

Additionally, he’ll step into the league as an advanced catch-and-shoot artist already with the ability to find gaps in the defense around the arc.

But one area of improvement going forward will be his efficiency from floater range, especially considering the trees that exist on NBA teams at the next level. He doesn’t look comfortable lofting balls higher when shooting from just outside the restricted area, and per databallr, he shot below 50% from between three and seven feet from the rim.

Other than that, his Illinois shot profile is readymade for 2020s basketball — very little mid-range fat and a heavy dose of rim (35% of shot attempts within five feet) and three (48% of shot attempts). He also sported a healthy .476 free throw rate in his one-and-done season with the Illini. These factors, plus of course being an elite shot-maker, helped him manage a 60% true shooting percentage in his one-and-done season.

Wagler isn’t a transcendent passer or anything, but he sees the floor well and typically makes the correct pass when needed. Last season, he averaged 7.6 assists per 100 possessions against just 3.2 turnovers per 100 possessions — a healthy 2.4:1 ratio. He should settle into being a secondary playmaker at the next level with some upside on a team with a primary creator already in place.

Handling ball pressure is a big asset for Wagler, and you rarely see silly turnovers or misreads when doubles come his direction. His pick-and-roll game is advanced with the ability to hit bigs with pocket passes or spray passes to the corner if defenses over-help. But his biggest asset is the ability to find space for his step back three-point, and his reading of screen coverages combined with his shooting off the dribble will create real gravity to open up his teammates.

I do worry about his tunnel vision when driving into the lane. He’s not a very good passer out of drives or from under the rim at the moment, and that combined with his issues finishing through traffic could spell trouble initially at the next level:

Still, the overall offensive package is worthy of him going top 5 in my humble opinion. He’s a player that blends scoring, relocation for kickout threes, and playmaking in an enticing package for scouts and bloggers alike.

Defense

Wagler measured 6’5” without shoes at the NBA Combine with just a 6’6.25” wingspan underlining his average-at-best measurables. There has been a lot of handwringing about his lack of physicality and explosion — and these are real concerns — but he did register a 36-inch max vertical, 11.05-second lane agility run, and 3.00-second shuttle run which were all strong marks for guards of his general stature.

At the moment, he’s not quick enough to guard NBA point guards and he’s not strong enough to switch and credibly guard bigger NBA athletes. But in time, and with a concerted effort in his strength and conditioning program to fill out his slight frame, he could be a positive player on this end even if not a high-level one.

Defensively, his lack of strength is serious issue at the moment. He’s often bullied when defending drives more often than you’d like to see from a wing defender:

But he can sometimes use his wiry 188-pound frame to cause disruption despite low steals numbers. He processes plays on the defensive end rather well and is typically in the right position to make plays.

He manages to affect some shots both when closing out on the perimeter and even sometimes in rim protection duty (0.7 blocks per 100 possessions). I think he’ll eventually be a solid enough team defender with enough awareness to rotate and help when needed. But at the moment, he’s fairly prone to lapses on this end.

The upper body frailty shows up when navigating screens as well. He’ll have to get a lot stronger so as to not get walled off by basic on-ball screens.

The defensive motor can run a bit hot and cold, especially when defending off the ball, so keeping him engaged possession after possession will be a focus for his next coaching staff. But there have never been any red flags over his work ethic or competitiveness. I do believe he’ll work his way into being a team defender that doesn’t get picked on in time.

Wagler was a high usage player on team that stormed into the final four, playing in all 37 games and averaging 34 minutes per contest. I think this heavy workload sapped his ability to make plays on the defensive end, especially for a player who isn’t fully physically mature.

Ultimately, he’s not a particularly impactful or versatile defender coming into the league — one who will likely be assigned to the weakest opposing perimeter player. But there is a development path there for him to turn some heads defensively down the road.

Possible fit on the Hawks

I won’t mince words: if Wagler is sitting there available when the Hawks draft at 8, in my mind he’ll be the best player available — barring something crazy happening. He won’t go top 4, and there’s a chance all of the Clippers, Nets, and Kings all pass on him for high players on their respective boards, but I believe Wagler’s upside is as high as anyone’s in this draft not named Boozer, Dybantsa, Peterson or Wilson.

I try not to get too caught up in player comparisons, but he is in a similar mold to CJ McCollum — a two-guard with the on-ball creative skills to be an efficient 20-plus per-game scorer in the NBA. But his size and playmaking both have projectable potential beyond that of the veteran who buoyed the Hawks down the stretch of last season.

Although the Knicks’ title run has made the first-round series against them seem less disastrous, Atlanta could still use more ball handling and pull up shooting. Wagler would be a great fit in the backcourt with Dyson Daniels, who is obviously more pass-first and much more defensive-minded in that duo.

In total, among the ‘next tier’ of guys including Mikel Brown Jr., Aday Mara, and Kingston Flemings, Wagler’s skillful package on offense gives him the edge on my big board.

The 2026 NBA Draft is nearing. The draft is on June 23rd and 24th — the literal definition of around the corner. 

The Houston Rockets hold two picks in this year’s draft, which is a bit unusual, as the Rockets typically sacrifice their draft picks for proven talent. Buy and large, the Rockets have generally been in a contending state.

When jockeying for a title, you have to go all-in. The window is short. This year’s Rockets team has several needs. 

And just two second-round draft picks, the 39th pick and 53rd pick. However, this is a loaded draft, at both the top and the back end. The Rockets can add difference makers at both spots.

I put on the General Manager hat and made the selections for the Rockets. 

Pick #39 – Ugonna Onyenso- Center -Virginia

There’s a possibility that Onyenso may not be on the board when the Rockets make this pick. Onyenso has been going in the early 30s in many mock drafts, in part because of the number of big men that decided to return to school, in the name of NIL riches (and development, in some cases).

Onyenso is a bit limited offensively, but he’s shown the ability to knock down the occasional outside shot. And he’s got good touch around the rim. 

But let’s face it. This pick isn’t about offense. It’s about Onyenso’s defensive strengths, particularly rim protecting and/or shot blocking. He was one of the best in the country at it. Cam Boozer saw firsthand, as Onyenso blocked four of his shots, when they faced off. Onyenso averaged a nation-leading 2.9 blocks (and a 17.4 percent block rate).

His 7-foot-5 wingspan is tough for opponents to deal with. And Houston needs to be looking for a long-term replacement for Steven Adams. 

It’s worth taking a gander around other mock drafts to see what other prognosticators have the Rockets doing with this pick. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman actually has the Rockets taking Onyenso here as well.

However, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has the Rockets taking Purdue point guard Braden Smith here.

Pick #53 – Otega Oweh -Wing-Kentucky 

The Rockets need wings that can shoot from deep. Otega Oweh isn’t exactly that.

But his outside shot is a work in progress. In his first year as a starter at Oklahoma, he made 37.7 percent from long range. He made 35.5 percent from three in his first year at Kentucky and 33.3 percent this past season.

The percentages have declined slightly but the volume has gone up (1.7 attempts as a sophomore, 2.1 attempts as a junior and 3.8 attempts as a senior). His outside shot needs continued improvement. But it’s not like Oweh can’t score.

He averaged 18.6 points this past season, which led Kentucky and ranked sixth in the SEC. He’s marvelous at attacking and getting to the rim.

It’s tough to stop him when he gets downhill. And he’s a good defender, which will get the attention of Rockets coach Ime Udoka.

A quick peruse around other mock drafts shows Wasserman’s projection of the Rockets selecting Wyatt Fricks of Marshall here. Vecenie has the Rockets taking UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau.

As for the top pick, our friends over at Fanduel have AJ Dybantsa at -450, followed by Darryn Peterson at +380, Cameron Boozer at +1700, Caleb Wilson at +7500 and Darius Acuff at +20000.

If you look down the bench of every NBA team, you’ll see all types of different stories, journeys, and life experiences.

Since the NBA established two-way contracts to allow teams to go past the 15-man roster limit to build organizational depth in 2017, that’s never been truer.

While two-way guys are almost always rookies or relatively young players who would otherwise be populating G-League rosters, they’re still in a unique spot of being able to bridge the major and minor leagues of the sport, similar to a baseball player on a 40-man roster. As such, you’ll see them suit up in games at times, whether consequential or not, but see them in street clothes come playoff time.

Here are the players to sign a two-way contract with the Knicks from 2017-25 and how many games they played for the team:

• Luke Kornet, July 2017 (66 games)
• Isaiah Hicks, October 2017 (21 games)
• Allonzo Trier, July 2018 (88 games)
• Kadeem Allen, January 2019 (29 games)
• Ivan Rabb, October 2019 (0 games)
• Kenny Wooten, January 2020 (o games)
• Jared Harper, November 2020 (8 games)
• Theo Pinson, November 2020 (17 games)
• Myles Powell, April 2021 (0 games)
• Jericho Sims, August 2021 (177 games)
• Luka Samanic, October 2021 (0 games)
• Feron Hunt, March 2022 (2 games)
• Trevor Keels, July 2022 (3 games)
• DaQuan Jeffries, November 2022 (17 games)
• Duane Washington Jr., February 2023 (0 games)
• Moses Brown, March 2023 (0 games)
• Jaylen Martin, July 2023 (0 games)
• Nathan Knight, July 2023 (0 games)
• Dylan Windler, July 2023 (3 games)
• Charlie Brown Jr., October 2023 (8 games)
• Jacob Toppin, October 2023 (25 games)
• Dmytro Skapintsev, December 2023 (2 games)
• Ariel Hukporti, July 2024 (79 games)
• Boo Buie, November 2024 (0 games)
• Matt Ryan, December 2024 (19 games)
• MarJon Beauchamp, March 2025 (6 games)

A lot of forgettable names here. A couple of good pulls who played briefly for mediocre teams. A few of these guys used their time on a two-way contract to parlay it into guaranteed contracts and multi-year careers. Overall, many of these dudes came and went with their NBA careers.

For Trey Jemison III, Dillon Jones, and Kevin McCullar Jr., none of them were able to dress for the postseason, no matter what injuries or circumstances affected the 15-man roster. Their season was functionally over the second the team lost to the Charlotte Hornets on April 12.

But what they did beforehand still matters, and what they meant as locker room guys throughout the postseason does as well. Every player to wear the orange and blue this year contributed to this story, and will get a ring to show for it.

While these three got to enjoy the celebration with their teammates, I’d be remiss to not mention Tosan Evbuomwan, who started the season on a two-way deal and appeared in five games before being released on January 7. He never scored a point and played just eight minutes, but he goes down as one of the 20 men to contribute to this run.

Let’s start with Jemison, who’s already rubbed shoulders with the likes of LeBron James and Luka Doncic as a brief member of the 2024-25 Lakers in one of the now five stops in his career. Undrafted out of UAB in 2023, he’s additionally played for Washington, Memphis, and New Orleans across two seasons before inking a two-way contract in the 2025 preseason to join the Knicks.

Despite not playing a big role in the season, he played seven minutes on Opening Night against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to an injury to Mitchell Robinson, serving as the backup center while Ariel Hukporti started in place of an also-injured Josh Hart. He wouldn’t see the floor for another 32 days, but was here all season long.

He played a season-high 18 minutes in the NBA Cup hangover game against the Pacers, scoring five points and five rebounds. He’d occasionally sub in for brief spells when a big man was injured, playing a total of 13 games and 82 minutes before donning street clothes for the rest of the run.

While he didn’t play, he stayed somewhat in the public eye through his wife’s Instagram. Alex Glover, a former SMU volleyball player, posted her and Trey’s gameday fits throughout the playoff run, something that continually showed up on my feed for the last 8 weeks.

You’re an NBA champion, Trey. Enjoy it.

Next, a two-time champion. Someone who, briefly, thought he was a Knick on draft night, but got an opportunity of a lifetime when he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder just minutes later, winning a title in his rookie year before circling back to New York to complete the Patrick McCaw special.

Dillon Jones grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, spending the first three years of his high school career there before transferring to Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas for his senior year. A three-star recruit, he got a scholarship at Weber State, where he enrolled in the fall of 2020. After four years, including a strong senior year which saw him win Big Sky Player of the Year, he declared for the 2024 NBA Draft, where he was a late first-round prospect.

When the Knicks were on the clock at No. 24 that year, they swiftly traded the pick to the Washington Wizards, acquiring No. 26 and No. 51. In typical Leon Rose fashion, he didn’t hold onto that first-round pick, trading it to the Thunder for five second-round picks. They used one of those picks (and two others) to trade up for Tyler Kolek later that night.

Jones just so happened to be picked 26th, joining the Thunder while technically spending a few minutes as a Knick and legally being drafted by the Wizards because of the NBA’s moratorium. Joining a team that drafts multiple players a year with dozens of pending picks in the future, Jones entered a crowded room in a draft class that included Ajay Mitchell (also briefly a Knick) and Nikola Topic.

As such, on a team that would go on to win a championship, he didn’t get to play much. He got into 54 games, starting three, but would usually only be called on due to injuries. Come playoff time, he played mostly garbage time throughout 10 appearances, but was a champion, and that’s all that matters.

But the problem with him being on the most stacked roster with a lot of assets is that the pieces on the boundary are expendable. Exactly one year after being drafted, he was salary-dumped back to the Wizards, who later waived him in October. Just like that, he was out of a job just 16 months after being a first-round pick.

When the Knicks waived Evbuomwan in January, a two-way spot was open, so the team decided to pick up a guy with a championship in Jones to fill the roster spot.

He only got into seven games, played just 39 minutes, and scored just nine points as a Knick, but somehow found his way into big moments. He was the first player I saw holding the Eastern Conference Champions trophy after the ceremony. He was the one draped over Karl-Anthony Towns after the miraculous Game 4 comeback.

He’s the only player on the roster who can say they’re a two-time champion. No asterisks needed; it’s an exclusive group. Congrats, Dillon!

Kevin McCullar Jr.’s journey came full circle in a way you wouldn’t expect.

Born and raised in San Antonio, he was a star at Karen Wagner High School before fracturing his tibia as a junior. Instead of returning for his senior year, he elected to graduate a semester early to get a head start at Texas Tech, where he had committed as a four-star recruit.

He spent four years with the Red Raiders, evolving into a gritty, do-anything wing playing 30 minutes a night by his junior year before deciding to take it up a notch, transferring to Kansas for his redshirt senior season and playing two years there due to COVID-19 eligibility rules. It turned out that the sixth year was the charm for him, as he blossomed into one of the best players in the Big 12 in 2023-24, being named a Third-Team All-American.

But while his age was certainly a factor for why his stock was low entering the 2024 draft, McCullar also hadn’t shaken the concerning medical history. He suffered a bone bruise that hampered him for the final two months of the season in January 2024, ultimately requiring surgery on it after it proved too difficult to play on when the Jayhawks made the NCAA Tournament.

Those concerning medicals saw him plummet down the board after once being viewed as a sleeper at the back end of the first round. The 23-year-old finally saw his free-fall end at No. 56, when the Knicks, who traded back from No. 40 to pick up a 2028 2nd, selected him as the third member of their four-player class.

His knee injury would hold him out of Summer League, and we wouldn’t see him on the basketball court until he suited up for the Westchester Knicks on January 31, 2025. He made an impact for the G-League club right away as he built back to full strength, ultimately playing in four games with the big league club towards the end of the season.

He had to wait a concerningly long time to be re-signed on a two-way deal for 2025-26, but it was clear early on that the Knicks really thought highly of a healthy McCullar. He dropped 30 in a Summer League game, he had a 30-11-5 game down in Westchester, and when he was suddenly called upon to play a rotation role in late December due to injuries, he was ready.

Out of nowhere, McCullar was the most impactful player on the floor in the December 27 win in Atlanta, playing 23 minutes and putting up 13 & 8, looking like a mini-Josh Hart.

That performance gave him a rotation spot for the next two weeks, but as the Knicks went through the three weeks from hell and both Hart and Landry Shamet returned from injury, he went back to Westchester.

He’d ultimately top his career high with a 14-point game in Game 82 against the Hornets, the last time we’ve seen him play. Of the three two-way guys, I’ve noticed him the least over this playoff run, but I think it’s clear that the Knicks seem to have the most invested in him. Going into next season, it’ll be interesting to see if he’s earned a full-time roster spot, or if he’ll have to look elsewhere for a fully guaranteed payday.

But that’s for July. Enjoy it, Kev, you’re a champion!

–

(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)

The year of New York

Sometimes it’s just your year. When infectiously optimistic young mayor Zohran Mamdani was elected this past fall, there was a palpable vibe shift in the city. That’s not to say that there’s a direct correlation between the New York Knicks being NBA champions and the era of buoyant positivity permeating the city, but it’s also not to say there’s not one. Other American cities will, inevitably, have their moment in the sun again soon. But 2026 is the year of New York (someone get that memo to the Mets).

Related: Knicks in five and the NBA is alive: New York’s era-defining title is a win for the believers

The Spurs aren’t going anywhere

It may come across as condescending to you’ll get ‘em next time a group of professional athletes who were on the verge of a championship, but the it doesn’t feel like the San Antonio Spurs just squandered a golden opportunity. If anything, they far, far overachieved this year: it’s almost entirely unheard of for a young team to make it all the way to the finals in their first rodeo. The core of Victor Wembanyama (22 years old), Stephon Castle (21) and Dylan Harper (20) certainly took their lumps along the way, and lessons learned are often painful. But it’s not looking through rose-colored glasses to say that this Spurs team will be rodeo-ing for many seasons to come.

The Thunder are not inevitable

As the saying goes, that’s why they play the games. I’m old enough to remember nine months ago, when the Oklahoma City Thunder seemingly didn’t know how to lose and everyone in the NBA media ecosystem was talking about how they were going to cruise to a repeat championship. Flash forward to the present: where the formidable Thunder met their end against the pugnacious Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. Oklahoma City will absolutely be heard from again, and it wouldn’t be shocking if they wound up back in the finals next year. But let this be a lesson: in an era of parity, dynasties are best left labeled in hindsight, not prematurely.

LeBron shouldn’t retire yet

A 41-year-old with a beard full of grey being the guy to single-handedly backpack his team to a first-round playoff victory sounds fantastical. But there is one timeline in which it’s possible: the one with LeBron James. James has been asked about retirement relentlessly for the past several seasons, and the question is understandable. He is old enough that his own son is now his teammate. But he is, quite frankly, still too damn good to hang it up. When the Lakers found themselves without their top two scorers – All-NBA first-teamer Luka Dončić and guard Austin Reaves – the then-third option had to pull his cape out of the closet. He responded by dragging Los Angeles through the first round almost by force of will. Wherever James ends up next season, it simply cannot be retirement.

Related: ‘He is him’: indomitable Jalen Brunson quiets doubters as Knicks end 53-year wait

It’s a 48-minute game

Everyone who has played any level of organized basketball has heard the same refrain: “We gotta play all 48.” But it’s rare that playing 46 or 47 minutes worth of high-level hoop comes back to bite you … anywhere besides the NBA playoffs. This year’s eventual champions, the Knicks, are that fact personified: clawing back from down 29 points in the second half of Game 4 to complete the largest comeback in NBA finals history. They knew what all great, connected, fearless teams know: it’s never over until it’s over. All it takes is, as captain Jalen Brunson put it after the Game 4 comeback, “chipping away”.

Steph needs help

Listen, maybe it’s just over. But Stephen Curry is still really, really good, and I for one am tired of watching him flame out in the play-in or, at best, the first round year after year. At this point, the 2022 championship feels like a fever dream. Maybe the answer is a 2024 Olympics-style reunion with old rival LeBron James. Maybe the long-rumored Giannis Antetokounmpo pipedream somehow comes to fruition. The Golden State Warriors are running short on time. They need solutions, and quickly. Otherwise, the flashes of brilliance Curry still delivers every spring will become increasingly fleeting, until one day they’re gone.

The Twitter DMs were real

Do we have concrete proof that the controversial, mean (and, if we’re honest, occasionally hilarious) Twitter DMs leaked earlier this season actually came from the keyboard of Kevin Durant? Not exactly. But the evidence is mounting. The most damning exhibit may have been the first round of the playoffs, where Durant’s Houston Rockets were bounced by a Lakers squad relying on meaningful postseason minutes from not only LeBron James Sr, but also junior. Death by Luke Kennard is a pretty scathing indictment all by itself. The Rockets were a walking reminder that talent and chemistry are not the same thing. They looked discombobulated and unmoored with or without Durant in the lineup, but they often seemed to be having a lot more fun when he wasn’t.

Related: Burner account or not, Kevin Durant is bitter, petty and entirely relatable

The Hawks will be great next season

The Knicks won 16 of 19 games during their march to the title, but two of those three losses came in the first three games of the opening round. The opponent? A feisty Atlanta Hawks team that finally admitted defeat on the Trae Young experiment and embraced the future in the form of Jalen Johnson and his Most Improved Player running mate Nickeil Alexander-Walker. In exchange for Young, Atlanta landed the perfect veteran steward in CJ McCollum, who, as shocking as it may sound, was the only player in the entire postseason to consistently make the Knicks look mortal. Add in all that athleticism and depth, plus the No 8 pick in this year’s draft courtesy of the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Hawks should enter next season with a puncher’s chance in what promises to be a fascinating Eastern Conference.

Philly need to turn the page

Speaking of embracing the youth movement, there’s another team in the Eastern Conference that could stand to do the same. For a brief moment – around the start of the second round – it looked as though the stars were finally aligning for this moribund version of the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid looked like an MVP candidate again. Paul George didn’t look like a walking contractual albatross. Everything was clicking in a way that seemed to validate the grand vision that Daryl Morey had spent years chasing. Then the wheels came off. Morey is out of a job, and the underlying reality has reasserted itself. If there’s a path forward for Philadelphia, it probably doesn’t involve squeezing one more run out of Embiid and George. It involves turning the page, embracing the future, and building around Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe instead.

The Celtics should shake it up

There will be several coaches on the hot seat this summer. Joe Mazzulla, fresh off a Coach of the Year award, probably won’t be one of them. But he showed some serious warts in these playoffs – and, honestly, last year’s too – with his apparent unwillingness to stray from a three-point-heavy dogma even when circumstances demanded it. The pithy press conference quotes are cute and all. They become a lot less charming when your team keeps running aground on the same shoals every postseason. Beyond any tactical adjustments, the Boston Celtics have a major personnel decision to make. Jaylen Brown, the mercurial star who appeared to relish his months-long stint as the team’s No 1 option, may never have more trade value than he does right now. My takeaway? Sell high on Brown, and use the return to retool both the roster and the philosophy underpinning it.

Related: Ecstasy and chaos grip New York City after Knicks win long-sought NBA title – in pictures

The Timberwolves lost the trade

There was a time, not all that long ago, when the blockbuster trade that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns looked like a genuine win-win. While Towns didn’t exactly cover himself in glory during the title-clinching Game 5 of the NBA finals, that debate was settled this postseason. Randle once again proved more liability than asset when the games mattered most, while DiVincenzo will spend most, if not all, of next season recovering from an achilles tear. Meanwhile, Towns was indispensable during the Knicks’ march to the championship. He was particularly brilliant in Games 1 and 2 of the finals, helping set the tone for a dominant series victory and validating the gamble New York made when it acquired him.

Don’t make too much (or too little) of the regular season …

Somewhere between “the NBA regular season is irrelevant” and “the NBA regular season is the bible” lies a more nuanced truth: there is plenty to be gleaned from the six months between October and April, but none of it is definitive. Take, for example, the Detroit Pistons, who steamrolled the Eastern Conference for much of the regular season but carried glaring playoff-centric flaws that were obvious to anyone looking closely enough. Or the Knicks, who faced the opposite problem: a team that wasn’t blowing the doors off opponents during the 82-game marathon because it was clearly ironing out wrinkles in preparation for the 16-game sprint. The signs were there all along, not least when they captured the NBA Cup in December. On the other side of the ledger sat the Spurs. Their regular-season dominance over the Thunder turned out to be more than a curiosity; it was a preview. When the Spurs knocked Oklahoma City out in the conference finals, the warning signs had already been there for months. So by all means, take lessons from the regular season. Just don’t mistake them for gospel.

… and don’t trade for James Harden

There’s a famous meme, born from a scene in Arrested Development, in which one character asks: “Did it work for those people?” The response: “No, it never does. I mean, these people somehow delude themselves into thinking it might ... but it might work for us.” That, in a nutshell, is the James Harden experience. Every few years, a different NBA front office succumbs to a kind of selective amnesia. Executives are charmed by Harden’s remarkably regular-season production and convince themselves that this time will be different. They willingly suppress the memory of the playoff shortcomings that have followed him throughout his career until, inevitably, those memories come flooding back in painful fashion. Then comes the disappointment. Then the trade request. Then the wheel spins again. I will never fully understand how the optimism persists, but the Cleveland Cavaliers became the latest franchise to learn the same lesson as so many before them: when the calendar turns to April, May and June, Harden simply cannot be treated as a dependable No 1 option.

Related: When I chose the New York Knicks, I was also choosing to live. This title moment is what it was all for

A savvy front office is paramount

There was one trait shared by the three best teams in the playoff field – the Thunder, Spurs and Knicks – they were run by smart, shrewd front offices. Their intelligence manifested in different ways. Oklahoma City and San Antonio largely built through the draft. New York took a more aggressive path, assembling their core through trades and free agency. But all three organizations excelled at the same fundamental task: roster construction. You may not have the Thunder’s seemingly endless depth. You may not have the Spurs’ lottery fortune. You may not possess the je ne sais quoi, culture and sheer stubborn resilience that powered the Knicks to a championship. But putting smart people in charge is one of the few competitive advantages available to every franchise.

You can win with a small guard

Becky Hammon is a brilliant basketball mind, a damn good coach and, unfortunately, the source of a quote that will live in infamy. “If your best player is small, you’re not winning,” Hammon said in 2023 while arguing that Brunson, listed at 6ft 2in, could never be a true No 1 option on a championship team. Given that Brunson now possesses both an Eastern Conference finals MVP and an NBA finals MVP trophy, it goes without saying that the take did not age particularly well. If the NBA teaches the same lesson over and over, this season hammered it home more forcefully than most: there is no single blueprint for superstardom. Brunson has flaws. Plenty of them. He is also one of the most outrageously clutch players the league has ever seen. The goal is not to find a flawless basketball demigod molded in the image of ames or Michael Jordan. The goal is to find a truly great player, one capable of leading a locker room and elevating teammates, then intelligently and relentlessly build a roster that amplifies his strengths. The Knicks’ radio broadcaster Tyler Murray captured it perfectly in his final call of the season: “The 2026 New York Knicks will forever be remembered as the team that proved no lead is too big, and no guard is too small.”

Three best guards Warriors could take with No. 11 pick in 2026 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Make no mistake about it, Steph Curry remains a superstar who still is playing at an elite level when healthy. He also just missed 39 games and will turn 39 years old at the end of the next NBA season.

The Warriors need more backcourt help around him, and more depth at both guard positions in general. Curry remains under contract and isn’t going anywhere. Brandin Podziemski is under contract and is eligible for an extension this offseason to avoid restricted NBA free agency next offseason. 

The only other healthy guard under contract is Will Richard, who was a pleasant surprise as a second-round rookie. The only other guard under contract outside of Richard is Moses Moody, who is rehabbing a torn patellar tendon, and he’s more of a wing. 

Between age and the state of the current roster, guard play needs to be an upgrade for the Warriors. Here are three who could be available with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. 

Brayden Burries, PG/SG, Arizona 

Of these three prospects, Burries is the least likely to still be available when the Warriors are on the clock. There isn’t one trait of his that jumps out over the others. Burries is a combo guard who can do a bit of everything, as he displayed in his one season at Arizona. 

He was Arizona’s leading scorer at 16.1 points per game, and was their leader in both 3-pointers made (70) and steals (59). Burries has every ability to make a difference defensively and offensively, and at the least can complement teammates around him well. As an older freshman who will be 21 before his first NBA game, Burries plays like a high-IQ, high-motor impact guard.

Burries showed up for spotlight games and always seemed to bounce back. He scored just seven points on 1-of-5 shooting in his first game against Houston, only to then outscore Kingston Flemings 21 to eight for a five-point victory in the conference tournament championship game, which came one game after scoring only three points. In front of Warriors coach Steve Kerr in the Sweet 16, Burries was awesome against Darius Acuff Jr., scoring 23 points with five rebounds, two steals and two threes in a blowout win against Arkansas. 

Like a lot of the top guards in the draft, Burries has a range of places he could go to in the lottery. The Warriors sure would be happy to see him still available at No. 11. 

Labaron Philon Jr., PG, Alabama 

A lead guard in the SEC who averaged 22 points per game, shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 39.9 percent behind the 3-point line on high volume, almost always will be seen as a top 10 pick. Playing under the rim and weighing 176 pounds almost always pushes you to the back end of the first round. Philon falls somewhere in the middle. 

Though he isn’t an elite athlete, Philon is silky smooth with the ball in his hands. He played two seasons at Alabama, is younger than Burries, and truly made the leap as a sophomore. His points per game jumped 11.4 points, he essentially shot 40 percent after shooting a lowly 31.5 percent as a freshman, and he dropped 35 points on Michigan for his final game in college. 

How many players on the Warriors last season could beat their man off the dribble and be a real scoring threat? The list isn’t a long one. Philon would be an immediate jolt of offense in that regard. 

Even with having such a slender build that calls for real questions defensively, Philon has to be an option for the Warriors. 

Christian Anderson, PG, Texas Tech 

Speaking of making the leap as a sophomore, Anderson did exactly that. 

He went from making the Big 12’s All-Freshman team to then being named the conference’s Most Improved Player. Anderson averaged 18.5 points and 7.4 assists per game while shooting 41.5 percent from deep on an eye-opening 7.9 attempts per game. Playing mostly at 19, and now 20, Anderson led the Big 12 in minutes and assists, along with ranking fifth in points per game, but did finish second in total turnovers. 

If he were bigger, he’d be going a lot higher in the draft. Anderson came in slightly below 6-foot-1 barefoot at the combine and weighs 180 pounds. However, he does have a 6-foot-6 wingspan, and the tape should speak for itself as someone who wasn’t deterred anywhere on the court. 

Anderson is more of a trade back option for the Warriors, or trading back into the first round after making their first pick. Adding him would bring a lot more instant excitement to Chase Center.

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While the Lakers are set to reshape their roster this offseason, there is something to be said about continuity as well.

Coming into this season, most expected it to be a sort of transition season from the LeBron James era to the Luka Dončić era. One of the primary objectives was to identify players on the team who complemented Luka and could be part of the next iteration.

Obviously, the team’s success changed expectations along the way, but the overall idea remains. The Lakers certainly got answers about who should and shouldn’t be around next year. The next step will be deciding who to keep and who to part ways with.

Two players who flourished this year, particularly at the very, very end of the season, were Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes. Both are set for unrestricted free agency but it looks like the pair could be prioritized by the Lakers this summer.

On Monday, Dan Woike of The Athletic reported that are believed to be internal free agents the team prioritizes this offseason.

The belief is that Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes are players the Lakers would prioritize bringing back as they try to best fit a roster around Dončić. And each piece of the puzzle the Lakers feel they need to add into their cap space takes up a slice that could go to James.

There is logic as to why the Lakers feel this way about both players.

With Rui, while there is plenty of discussion of areas his struggles, like his rebounding or defense, they don’t grow 6’8” forwards who are lights out 3-point shooters on trees. Even if he isn’t the perfect fit next to Luka, he is still a great one.

And even if things don’t work out, signing Rui to a deal and figuring out a trade later is a better option than losing him for nothing this summer.

As for Hayes, there is obviously the aspect of him being a solid rim-running center who has good chemistry with Luka. The friendship between the two, which led to Hayes actually getting a Slovenian passport, is also a factor.

That being said, he’s someone who has, more often than not the last two seasons, been unplayable in the playoffs. Even if he found a more suitable role as a backup big man, could the Lakers take a swing at another option in the backup center role?

It is that balance of continuity versus roster reshaping that the Lakers will have to grapple with as free agency opens.

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

The New York Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years may have been built on many things: Jalen Brunson’s brilliance, Mike Brown’s steady hand, a suffocating defense and a healthy roster when it mattered most.

According to much-maligned team owner James Dolan, it may also have required a little self-denial.

A video released Monday by the Roommates Show podcast revealed that Dolan urged Knicks players to consider abstaining from sex during what he anticipated would be a 10-week march to an NBA title, part of a broader appeal for sacrifice delivered shortly before the playoffs began.

“I had this idea that maybe you should give up sex for the next 10 weeks,” Dolan told players during a surprise speech to the team on 3 April. “The Spartans, they denied themselves, right, so they can have an edge. Get the edge.”

The remarks came as part of a lengthy address in which Dolan implored the team to seize what he described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end one of the longest championship droughts in North American sports.

“This team can win it all,” Dolan said. “I don’t know if you understand what it would mean for you to win the championship this year. It would be life-changing for all of you.”

At the time, the Knicks had five regular-season games remaining. They would go on to win four of them before resting starters in the finale, then storm through the postseason with a 16-3 record, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games to capture the franchise’s first title since 1973.

Related: Knicks in five and the NBA is alive: New York’s era-defining title is a win for the believers

Dolan’s comments have quickly become the most discussed portion of the speech, though the owner framed the suggestion as part of a wider message about commitment and discipline. He urged players to improve their diets, prioritize sleep and eliminate distractions during the playoffs.

“It’s not a long time,” Dolan said. “Sacrifice everything you’ve got these next 10 weeks to win that championship.”

The Knicks owner also acknowledged that any championship pursuit would require buy-in from players’ families.

“Go home, talk to your wives,” Dolan said. “Don’t tell them it was my idea. But let them know what this commitment is going to be like, and how they’re going to have to sacrifice too.”

“They were a little surprised, but the words hit,” a source told SNY.

Whether any Knicks players followed Dolan’s advice remains unclear. One person who apparently did not was head coach Mike Brown.

Speaking to the New York Post after the video surfaced, Brown said he had no intention of implementing the owner’s recommendation in his own household.

“There was no way that I could get that done,” Brown told the Post.

The speech was delivered during Brown’s first season in charge after replacing Tom Thibodeau, a controversial coaching change that Dolan also addressed during the meeting. He told players that Knicks leadership believed the roster was talented enough to compete for a title but needed a more collaborative approach.