BROOKLYN, NY - NOVEMBER 28: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball as Terance Mann #14 of the Brooklyn Nets plays defense during the 2025-26 Emirates Cup on November 28, 2025 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s somewhat strange that in the year 2026, we still have to piece together NBA preseason schedules bit by bit over time from different sources, but we found another part of the puzzle on Monday afternoon, courtesy of the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets have announced their preseason schedule for the 2026-27 NBA season.
Brooklyn will be playing at the Hornets on Oct. 6, vs. the 76ers on Oct. 8, at the Wizards on Oct. 12, and at the Heat on Oct. 14.
— Sharif Phillips-Keaton (@SharifKeaton) July 27, 2026
The Sixers will take the floor at the Barclays Center at 7:30pm ET on Thursday, Oct. 8. Brooklyn selected Mikel Brown out of Louisville with the sixth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, so it will be fun to get an early look at him.
As previously announced, Philadelphia will play in Boston on Saturday, Oct. 10, with the Celtics coming back to Philly on Friday, Oct. 16. As things stand then, the game in Brooklyn could be our first chance to see LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in Philadelphia 76ers uniforms.
With the new stars joining the fold, there is bound to be a ton of increased interest around the Sixers this season, to put it mildly. There are already reports of get-in prices for the announced preseason game in Philadelphia well eclipsing the average regular season price from a season ago. Reporting came out today that the Sixers will receive the maximum allowed 34 nationally-televised games this season.
The 76ers are expected to receive 34 national TV showcases this season—the most allowed under the NBA’s current rights deal.
LeBron James signing with the Sixers means NBA fans can expect plenty of Philly on their TVs.
We’ll await word on any additional preseason contests, in addition to the full NBA regular season schedule. There will surely be plenty of premium matchups on tap. For now, enjoy this time with the Philadelphia 76ers at the center of the basketball universe, for good reasons for a change.
PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 25: Khaman Maluach #10 of the Phoenix Suns and Isaiah Hartenstein #55 of the Oklahoma City Thunder play defense during Round One Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Look. I am not the type of person who overreacts to every Summer League game. But Khaman Maluach may have temporarily lifted that thought process from me. He looked stronger, he looked more confident, his shot looked more fluid, and his movement looked more fluid. He looked too good for Summer League, which is exactly what you want to see from the 2025 lottery pick.
Here is the part that got my attention. This was not one loud night in Vegas that we can wave off as noise. Maluach put up a double-double in every single game he played. Four games, four double-doubles.
He led the entire Summer League in rebounding and finished averaging 19.5 points, 12.8 boards, 2 blocks, and a steal and a half a night. Then he was voted onto the 2026 All-Summer League Second Team, the first Sun to earn that honor since 2021.
Khaman Maluach was a force in the paint at NBA Summer League!
💪 19.5 PPG 💪 12.8 RPG 💪 1.3 SPG 💪 2.0 BPG 💪 40.0 3P% 💪 53.2 FG% 💪 Summer League Second Team
Now rewind twelve months. Last summer, in his first crack at Summer League, Maluach went 1-for-6 from three in his opener and barely made a dent protecting the rim. This summer, he dropped a career-best 21 on the Bucks with four blocks and finished plus-18 in a win. That is a full rebuild of a game in one offseason. Weight room, footwork, touch, confidence, all of it, and he showed up looking like a different player.
Remember what we actually watched last season. Forty-six appearances. Three points a night. Barely saw the floor. He spent his rookie year as the third center on the roster, bouncing between the NBA bench and the Valley Suns, buried behind Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro. Phoenix drafted him as a project and treated him like one. Fair enough. He was 19 and raw. However, being the 10th overall pick in a strong draft comes with certain expectations, project or not.
The project is starting to look closer to coming into fruition in terms of being an impactful contributor.
Here is where I lose some of you. Phoenix just handed Mark Williams a three-year, $38 million guaranteed deal this summer. On paper, that is your starter. The front office has said all the right things too. No pressure on Maluach. Let him progress. Show growth. Brian Gregory basically said the minutes will work out over the course of the season. I hear all of that.
But re-signing Mark Williams and starting Mark Williams are two different conversations. Williams is a good player when he is on the floor. The trouble has always been keeping him on the floor. He has been dragging an injury history behind him for years, and a big man who cannot stay available is a starting job sitting there waiting to open up. Phoenix knows this. It is exactly why they kept four centers and why they protected Maluach’s timeline instead of forcing it. That runway does not vanish the second the kid outgrows it.
And that is the real case here. Forget the idea of handing a 20-year-old the keys on opening night just to make a statement. The honest question is who this team actually needs on the floor to start mattering again. The Suns went 45-37, snuck into the play-in, and got swept out of round one by OKC. This roster is retooling around youth, defense, and Miles Bridges. A rim-running, shot-blocking, floor-stretching center who just bullied an entire Summer League fits that direction cleaner than a hold-the-fort veteran does.
So how does this actually play out? I am not naive. Williams almost certainly starts game one. Jordan Ott gives the veteran the first look, and Maluach opens the year in the rotation, earning trust. But watch the trajectory. One Williams injury, one cold stretch, one week where Maluach’s motor and length are simply the better answer, and the depth chart flips. Once it flips, I do not see it flipping back.
Suns center Khaman Maluach was great in Vegas. Made second team All-Summer League. Was easy to see why.
Looked much more decisive with his footwork and balance on his rolls. Made shots. Felt enormous on defense.
The tell for me is his belief. Maluach does not carry himself like a kid hoping it works out. He talks about not wasting reps. He plays like he expects to win the matchup every trip down the floor. That is the part you cannot coach, and it is the part that turns a “project” into a starter faster than anyone plans for.
Call it a hunch. Call it Summer League fever if you want. I already told you I do not do this often.
But by the time we hit the meat of this season, Khaman Maluach is going to be the guy finishing games at center in Phoenix. Betting against that is going to look silly a whole lot sooner than people think.
Masai Ujiri at TIME100 Sports Gala held at Pier Sixty on July 16, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images) | Variety via Getty Images
It’s been less than three months since the Dallas Mavericks tabbed Masai Ujiri as their president of basketball operations, giving him the chance to turn things around after former general manager Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, setting the franchise up for a rebuild.
Ujiri hasn’t been with the Mavs long, but he has made numerous moves that have put the Mavs in a position that’s far different from when he first came on board. This has set the stage for Cooper Flagg to be the true centerpiece of the team moving forward.
“The best part about Ujiri’s first wave of moves is that he targeted players who should make life easier for franchise forward Cooper Flagg: Johnson makes plays on both ends thanks to his motor and physicality, de Larrea creates scoring opportunities with his excellent vision, and Risacher adds complementary spacing. Kyrie Irving’s return from a seasonlong absence should be beneficial, too, even if the 34-year-old guard can’t fully recapture his pre-injury form (torn left ACL),“ ESPN contributor Ben Golliver wrote.
The Mavs are far from a finished product, but they are moving in a defined direction, which is promising to see. The switch from Jason Kidd to Dusty May is one that isn’t guaranteed to work, but it at least signals a new chapter for the franchise, which could be exactly what they need to move on from the Doncic era.
At the very least, Ujiri has made the Mavericks an interesting team to watch going into 2026-27, where he will have a chance to truly shape the roster in his image, one that he hopes will win a championship much like he did with the 2019 Toronto Raptors.
Mavs Moneyball community, what do you make of Ujiri’s high level of activity so far? Let us know in the comments section below.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 5, 2026: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Crypto.com Arena on February 5, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
I’m coming home.
That was the framing behind LeBron James’s second decision in 2014. After winning two titles in Miami with the Heat, he was ready to come home. Northeast Ohio always had a special place in LeBron’s heart. Something bigger than basketball, a calling, an obligation. However, as LeBron began pondering where his “final stop” in his basketball career would be, it was only natural that home would be one of the landing spots.
When it was announced via LeBron’s socials (Instagram and X) that he would be joining the Philadelphia 76ers, it sent shockwaves throughout the league. Since this seismic announcement, teams in the mix (Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, and Cleveland Cavaliers) and their fans are left reading the post-decision nuggets to find out where their pitches fell short.
The Cavaliers and their fans were probably the most heartbroken. Did LeBron owe them or the fans a return? No. LeBron delivered the crowning achievement of the franchise, a title in 2016. That cements a love shared between the fans, the King, and the Cavaliers.
However, there is something unsettling about the decision to join the 76ers. Nothing about the franchise, its players, or fans evokes this feeling of ire. It’s more so LeBron’s summer and the information that is trickling out about this decision that draw questions about LeBron’s intentions not only for 2026, but one cannot help but wonder what 2014 really was about.
2014 was always framed as being about the love LeBron had for Northeast Ohio. A wrong (The Decision) in his life that needed to be corrected. Something that he carried with him during his four years in Miami. This was a decision made out of searching for happiness, fulfillment, and a calling to achieve something higher than basketball.
Even reading through the letter published in Sports Illustrated, it is hard not to remember how incredible it felt that LeBron loved the same area of Ohio as much as its fans and wanted to repair a relationship that was fragmented in 2010.
When you zoom out on LeBron’s past decisions, Miami in 2010, Los Angeles in 2018, and now Philadelphia in 2026. There is a thread that makes his 2014 decision a little less heartwarming if you look deeper.
The allure of talent is what James has been seeking. It’s something that drew LeBron to Miami with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Los Angeles with Anthony Davis in the works, and now Philly with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown. It can’t be ignored that Cleveland in 2014 offered a similar template: a team with appealing talent (Kyrie Irving and soon-to-be Kevin Love), moveable assets to tinker with the roster (Andrew Wiggins, Dion Waiters, and Anthony Bennett), and a roadmap to a title.
Now, nothing can be said definitively about LeBron’s reasoning; I certainly cannot. I will say to put my tin foil hat on, that the thought that maybe 2014 for LeBron was less about coming home and more about setting up his next chapter at chasing a title. While LeBron achieved this goal, and I’m grateful for everything he’s done for the franchise and the city, the Philadelphia decision and approach to free agency raise questions about the sentimentality of 2014.
While the Philadelphia choice appears jarring, given the context of it being his final chapter, it follows the throughline of 2010-2026 that LeBron wants to be surrounded by the best talent available. The final chapter is about what all other chapters have offered in his career: a chance to win a title.
LeBron spending so much time in Northeast Ohio over the last month or so certainly added fuel to the fire. Stretching it out for so long with Cleveland being in the discussion made it seem like there was more of a chance than not that this final chapter was going to end in wine and gold. Instead, as new articles continue to trickle out, it was clear Cleveland was never really in a position, never mind pole position, to land the franchise icon.
If there was such a connection to the Cavaliers, it would be hard pressed to not end the career at home. The difference in talent between Philadelphia and Cleveland is close enough that going home one last time would be hard to refute. LeBron appears to have moved past this option rather easily and instead is choosing what he perceives as his best chance to win a title.
Whether or not LeBron wins a championship with Philadelphia is yet to be seen. However, LeBron has made Cleveland seem like they were more of a chapter in the story of his career than the place he romanticized in 2014.
In 2014 LeBron wrote, “I always believed that I’d return to Cleveland and finish my career there.” In 2026, this sentence seems slightly disingenuous.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Jordi Fernandez of the Brooklyn Nets looks on against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum on November 29, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another summer is flying by, and with that, so is another NBA offseason. Just over a week removed from the Summer League’s conclusion, we still have a roughly two months before we’ll see the Nets in action again. This week, however, we did learn who they’ll be up against once they return.
Monday morning, the team announced its 2026 preseason schedule. It includes the following four matchups:
October 6th at the Charlotte Hornets (7:00 p.m. EST)
October 8th vs the Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 p.m. EST)
October 12th at the Washington Wizards (7:00 p.m. EST)
October 14th at the Miami Heat (7:30 p.m. EST)
That’s only one preseason game at the Barclays Center. The Nets had only one at home last year as well, although two of their four were played overseas.
With these being preseason bouts, there’s no telling who’ll suit up for any of them. That being said, most of Brooklyn’s opponents present compelling cases to watch from a roster standpoint. After the Hornets, its three first-looks at new-look squads: LeBron James and Jaylen Brown with the Philadelphia 76ers, Anthony Davis and AJ Dybantsa with the Washington Wizards, and Giannis Antetokounmpo with the Miami Heat.
One notable Summer League absentee this year was Nolan Traoré, who sat out after having a scope on his right knee. However, C.J. Holmes of the New York Daily News reported that the guard should be healthy by the start of training camp, which begins just prior to the preseason. Traoré was also seen getting shots up in Vegas a few weeks ago, even if refraining from any actual game action.
Nolan Traore isn’t playing in Summer League because of his knee scope, but he made the trip to Vegas and is progressing well. #netspic.twitter.com/uhNP3GvqrX
The YES Network will cover and televise each preseason contest this year. The NBA and the Nets released the full regular season schedule on August 14th last year, so keep an eye out for that in the coming weeks as well.
Expect some free agent movement this week, now that the LeBron James saga is over (Draymond Green still has to sign with Golden State and James Harden with the Cavaliers, for example). Here are a few of the rumors flying around the league.
"The Mavericks have continued to rebuff trade feelers for the 34-year-old who has nine career All-Star nods. The working expectation since our report last month is that Irving should begin next season in Dallas alongside Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg to at last launch his long-awaited comeback from knee surgery in late March 2025."
Could that change by the deadline? Maybe. This is the NBA, good luck predicting who will be available at a deadline six months into the future. But for now, no deal.
Stephen Curry’s future
The Warriors missing out on LeBron James — he rightfully didn't see Golden State as a team competing for a title next season — and Stephen Curry heading into the final year of his contract, it has led to idle speculation about what Curry will do next. Could Curry decide to finish his career in Charlotte, where his father played and he grew up and played his high school ball?
"He is in the last year of his contract, no player option or anything like that. This is the last year, it's $62 million; huge number, he's worth every cent. On Aug. 29, he has the opportunity to sign a two-year extension. If he wants all the money, and he has earned it in spades, he can get two years and like $135 million. If that's what he wants on Aug. 29, the Warriors will give it to him in two seconds...
"If Steph wants to apply pressure to the Warriors, would he hold off on signing that extension to make sure that they keep pressing? But I just want to tell you that there's so many different ways to look at this. If Steph Curry decided not to sign an extension this summer, it wouldn't necessarily mean that the Warriors are in trouble of losing him. It could possibly mean the Warriors are plotting another giant move because Jimmy Butler's in the last year of his contract. When Draymond Green re-signs at some point, it's going to likely be on a one-year guaranteed deal. I'm not sure if they're going to extend Brandin Podziemski or not, but they are in position to clear $130 million, $140 million in cap space if they want, if Steph agrees. And so, while the Warriors are not in a good position now... I would just say look what the 76ers were eight weeks ago and then apply this to the Warriors. If you want to give up on them and say they're done, go ahead, you could be right. I don't think that's necessarily the case."
It would be shocking to see Curry leave the Warriors: He wants to stay there and they want to keep him. He'd also be open to delaying signing a new deal if it brings in talent around him. Never say never in the NBA, but don't expect Curry to be looking to bolt the Bay Area.
Peyton Watson’s options
Denver's Peyton Watson joins Detroit's Jalen Duren as this year's examples of why players and agents hate restricted free agency.
Denver is in a financial crunch as the only team currently over the second apron, plus they are dealing with the repeater tax, which could well drive the team's tax bill up to more than $100 million (that's on top of the salary they pay out). The Nuggets are looking to save every penny. From Watson's perspective, all the teams that could offer him the deal he wants (north of $25 million a season) used their cap space elsewhere, which leaves Watson with little leverage in the negotiations.
His one threat: Play for the $6.5 million qualifying offer and become a free agent next summer. He's considering it, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
The risks are huge in doing so. Denver is believed to have initially offered in the range of four years, $70 million ($17.5 million per season average), according to Stein. That was understandably insulting to Watson, who saw the same franchise give Christian Braun five years, $125 million ($25 million a year) a year ago — and Watson completely outplayed and was much more crucial to Denver last season. Hypothetically, say Denver upped its offer to four years, $80 million ($20 million a season), Watson could play for the qualifying offer, but that still leaves $73.5 million in guaranteed money on the table in a sport with injury risks and relatively short careers. Even if Denver's offer is lowball, it's life-changing money for Watson and his family. Taking the qualifying offer is a huge gamble.
Watson and his agent reportedly tried to drum up a sign-and-trade, with the Clippers and Bucks reportedly interested. However, since Denver is currently over the second apron (after matching the Spencer Jones offer sheet), it could not take back a player in any sign-and-trade deal. Denver would have to make another salary dump move to get below the apron just to do a sign-and-trade, all of which makes it unlikely.
Nobody thinks Denver is going to finish the season over the second apron, the Kroenke family has never done so, meaning some kind of move is needed eventually. If the Nuggets re-sign Watson to a new deal, that will make it that much harder to get below the second apron.
What is up with Russell Westbrook?
One big name free agent without a lot of buzz is future Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook. The reports out of Sacramento are that the Kings do not want him back as they try to pivot to a new era around just-drafted Darius Acuff Jr.
The market for Westbrook — at age 37, with him being inconsistent the past couple of seasons — has been dry. Westbrook had been linked to Miami, but Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports the Heat are not going after Westbrook, particularly after an NBA head coach warned Heat coach Erik Spoelstra about bringing in the nine-time All-Star, saying he is difficult to coach. Whether or how much that played into Miami's thinking is unclear.
It is possible Westbrook is not signed at the start of training camp, maybe even the start of the season, according to reports. However, as teams get into the season and realize they need depth at the one (or injuries hit), Westbrook will get a call.
Nearly three months before the 2026-27 NBA season tips off, a surprisingly large batch of intriguing players still remain available. The wait for James also meant teams waited to know how best to allocate the last remaining spots on their roster within the league's salary cap constraints.
So there are emerging stars dealing with complicated and increasingly contentious contract standoffs like Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets wing Peyton Watson. There are former superstars trying to extend their career like Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal and Kevin Love on the market. There are familiar faces and proven role players who can help a team over the course of the 2026-27 regular season. There are more moves to be made.
James may have been the biggest domino to fall in NBA free agency, but there are more pieces on the board. Here are the 20 best NBA free agents still on the market:
NBA free agency predictions: Where top remaining free agents could sign
Jalen Duren: Though the Pistons and Duren might not come to terms on a long-term deal this offseason, he doesn't have many options than to play in Detroit for at least the 2026-27 season.
James Harden: The 17-year veteran is expected to resign with the Cleveland Cavaliers after opting out of his pre-existing contract to allow the franchise more financial flexibility in its pursuit of James.
Peyton Watson: The Nuggets' salary cap situation got trickier when they had to match the Thunder's offer on restricted free agent Spencer Jones and Denver might decide to shed salary as a result. Doing that, however, would be in an effort to retain Watson, who is still waiting on an offer from another team the Nuggets would have to match.
Draymond Green: The Warriors are expected to re-sign Green to a new multi-year deal after he opted out of the $27.7-million player option for the 2026-27 season in order to better facilitate the team's pursuit of James.
Jonathan Kuminga: The Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers remain intriguing landing spots for Kuminga, but it's likely to be at a lower salary figure than he hoped for when free agency began.
DeMar DeRozan: The Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavalier and a return to the Toronto Raptors have been among the reported possible destinations for DeRozan, who was released by the Sacramento Kings earlier this offseason.
Apr 14, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) moves the ball during the second half during the play-in rounds between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Timberwolves are making a push towards the top of the Western Conference after falling short of the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2023.
The Wolves were eliminated in six games at the hands of the eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs, so they opted to try and raise their ceiling by acquiring LaMelo Ball in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets.
“Edwards and Ball have the potential to be the NBA’s most electric guard tandem, but Ball’s lack of playoff experience, injury history and sometimes careless style of play combine to make this a huge gamble,” ESPN contributor Ben Golliver wrote. “How many executives would be willing to bet multiple years of Edwards’ prime on a player with as many questions as Ball? And how many would do so after the longest stretch of sustained success in their franchise’s history?
“[Tim] Connelly’s willingness to buck conventional wisdom has been one of his biggest strengths. Will it come back to bite him this time?“
If Ball emerges as a top point guard in the NBA, it could give the Wolves the best backcourt tandem in the league. That could be the winning formula to get the Wolves to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
It could all come crashing down, but the Wolves should be commended for making an attempt to try and improve their roster even at the risk of falling behind.
Canis Hoopus community, what do you make of Connelly’s decision to trade for Ball? Let us know in the comments section below.
It hasn’t been the earth-shattering offseason that some Houston Rockets fans wanted. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t been consequential.
Marcus Smart is a significant addition. There’s some hope (isn’t there? Some?) that Bogdan Bogdanovic has a bounce-back year. Bruce Thornton looks like he could crack the rotation.
There’s also a returning Fred VanVleet (optimism levels may vary) and Steven Adams, plus the potential for internal development from young players. So, the Rockets have plenty of opportunity to improve on their 2025-26 win total.
According to the results of the latest SB Nation Reacts poll, you mostly agreed.
Rockets expected to improve by fans
So, there it is.
A sturdy 55% of you think the Rockets will get better. A solid 27% think they’ll stagnate, and 18% of you are not invited to my birthday party.
If there’s any valid reason why this team could worsen, it would be the competition rising. The Utah Jazz will be ready to compete. The Minnesota Timberwolves added LaMelo Ball. Even the Los Angeles Lakers might look more cohesive after dropping LeBron James and signing Walker Kessler:
Although they’ll miss Smart very badly.
Likely, the Rockets’ front office isn’t even thinking about regular season wins. They’ve been there and done that at this point. The more meaningful bar for success in 2026-27 will be playoff performance. The Rockets need to win a series, or there will likely be major consequences.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The subject is the upcoming season. You expect the Rockets to get better, and it’s a reasonable expectation. They ought to have better health luck by virtue of sheer probability, and they’ve made some sneaky additions:
Even if they didn’t rock your world.
Want to put your money where your mouth is? Find your way to FanDuel, who are kind enough to sponsor these polls. You can bet on the Rockets’ regular season win total, and lots of other stuff if you’re so inclined.
“This is 2026," the Milwaukee Bucks forward said in a July 26 post on X. "People cosplaying as things they don’t have the authority, the talent, or the track record to actually be. Just for content.”
Kuzma, 31, added that he believes many people are "auditioning," and not "building," implying they are putting on an act in public.
“A mayor playing president. A founder playing operator. A content creator playing one-on-one thinking he’s a pro. A 25yr old with a ring light playing economist. Everyone auditioning. Nobody building,” his post said. "Were raising a generation that learning the reward isn’t in doing the thing it’s in looking like you did the thing. The clip is the career. The pose is the product. The soundbite is the substitute for a life’s work."
He added: "Don't fall for distractions."
The mayor's office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for a comment on Kuzma's remarks.
NYC mayor calls on federal government to arrest Netanyahu
Mamdani earlier this month told the The New York Times the city's legal department was looking at options for Netanyahu's arrest in NYC ahead of his expected attendance at the United Nations in September.
However, with no clear legal path to force an arrest, Mamdani called on the federal government to take action. "As I've said, I agree with the [International Criminal Court] that Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for his crimes, as I do for anyone else charged by the ICC," Mamdani said last week.
Netanyahu responds to Mamdani
Netanyahu said that he still plans to visit New York City for the United Nations' General Assembly, despite Mamdani's comments.
The Israeli prime minister accused Mamdani of "fomenting hate" and said Mamdani is "supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers: Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone."
Kuzma, meanwhile, didn't stop with his post, responding to those criticizing his opinion.
LOL, I'm supporting a Zionist genocide because I'm pointing out an opinion of someone cosplaying, and you all just fall for it, lol. Got you. Yeah, I'm a terrible human. Makes total sense.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 19: Sons of Dell Curry, Stephen and Seth Curry watch the jersey retirement celebration with family during halftime of a basketball game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Orlando Magic at Spectrum Center on March 19, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors are in flux for the first time in over a decade after their failed attempt to land LeBron James. It effectively means the team is running back the same trio of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green — while hoping that rookie Yaxel Landeborg, and the return of Moses Moody can be enough of an addition to do something for them. Butler is currently out with a torn ACL, but he should be ready to go before the playoffs. Now the team that seemingly always has the answers is left without one, left simply hoping that their biggest competition around the back-end of the playoff cut managed to get worse this offseason.
As a result, the Warriors are little more than a middling team in a Western Conference that boasts the Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, and Timberwolves. That’s before we even talk about the juggernauts the East is building in Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Miami. Golden State ranked No. 23 out of 30 teams in our way-too-early NBA power rankings following LeBron to the Sixers. As a result, there’s speculation on whether Golden State could actually look to part ways with Steph Curry, accepting that they might not be in the position to assemble a real contender around Curry — while also understanding that if they want to rebuild into a contender, it will take assets they currently don’t possess.
Enter the Charlotte Hornets, who are in a bizarre, unique circumstance to make the sentimental value play for Curry, a Charlotte native who has pounded the drum at Panthers games, was in attendance for his dad’s jersey retirement, and fondly remembers hanging out with Muggsy Bogues in the Hornets locker room at their peak. The refrain of “Bring Steph Home” has been a yearly meme for Hornets fans, more or less ever since Charlotte missed out on drafting Curry in 2009 as the Bobcats — always said tongue-in-cheek, as if Steph would ever want to leave the Warriors to come back to North Carolina.
Maybe now that is becoming a real possibility. Not only is there talk about the Warriors potentially facing a Steph reckoning, but the Hornets represent one of the few teams that have the assets, and might be foolish enough to give them to add a 38-year-old star to a young, building roster. Couple all this with the fact that Steph has mentioned Charlotte off-hand as a potential landing spot for him other than Golden State over the years, and it’s stoked the flames of the rumor mill.
The question now is how much sense this really makes for anyone involved.
Why it makes sense for the Warriors to trade Steph
It never, ever works to be the team left holding the bag. Ideally you’d want to keep Curry, form another championship run, and have him sail off into the sunset as a winner, but that doesn’t feel like it’s in the cards right now. They made their play for LeBron, it didn’t work, so they’re left on a bit of an island right now.
The Warriors could still be really good if Jimmy Butler can get healthy in time for the playoffs this year, but they’re still a significant step behind the competition in the West. As painful as it might be, this could be a really great opportunity to bid Curry farewell, get some draft picks back, and not take on any bad salary with Charlotte still holding a mammoth trade exception they can use to absorb Curry’s contract.
Why it doesn’t make sense for the Warriors to trade Steph
At what point is it all worth it? Trading Curry and blowing up the roster is a PR nightmare, and fans don’t often want to hear about the draft capital they’d get in the future. Would two firsts and several second-round picks get it done? Would the Warriors need three firsts to entice them enough? The return would need to warrant the marketing hit the team would take, and at some point future capital just isn’t worth it, especially if you’re concerned that Charlotte is on the upswing and those picks won’t be lottery protected.
Truthfully, Charlotte won’t trade either Brandon Miller or Kon Knueppel to get this deal done. There is no planet in which the franchise parts ways with either of its two remaining star players, even to get Steph Curry. They will be playing the draft pick game, and that’s a hard sell when it means losing a Hall of Fame player like Steph.
Why it makes sense for the Hornets to trade for Steph
Curry is an ideal schematic fit for what Charles Lee and the Hornets are trying to do. This team wants to shoot threes, grab rebounds, and basically do nothing else. The potential lineup the Hornets could bring with Steph is simply comical when it comes to their potential from beyond the arc.
Steph Curry / Kon Knueppel/ Brandon Miller/ Naz Reid/ Hannes Steinbach
That’s FOUR starters who can all shoot, with Reid being a glue guy in the paint. Then you factor in the bench with Coby White and Christian Anderson Jr. being three-point specialists, with Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabate as the requisite rebounders.
The addition of Steph basically just heightens what the Hornets do, but takes it to an entirely new level. Perhaps more importantly, it also solves the biggest problem Charlotte has right now: Public perception. The team took a mammoth hit by trading away LaMelo Ball, appearing to some fans like they don’t care to compete. I’m on the record saying I think it was ultimately a smart move that will be addition by subtraction, but that doesn’t make it inherently easier to swallow the loss of a star like Ball.
Bringing Steph Curry to Charlotte changes all that. You bring such a beloved player to Charlotte, who literally grew up in the Hornets locker room of the early-90s with his dad Dell, the same Dell Curry who now calls games for the Hornets on TV — the narrative writes itself.
Why it doesn’t make sense for the Hornets to trade for Steph
What precisely is this team trying to achieve? Moreover, what can it achieve in the Eastern Conference right now? Sure, adding Curry might be enough to get them over the hump from play-in team to playoff team — but is that really worth mortgaging a future they went through considerable pain to attain?
The biggest arrow in Charlotte’s quiver is the amount of draft capital they have in upcoming years. The 2025 NBA Draft was a home run that landed the Hornets a future cornerstone in Knueppel, but valuable role players in Kalkbrenner and Sion James. If that’s indicative of the team’s scouting potential, then giving up future assets to acquire Curry right now is a mistimed move, rather than waiting for some of these aging stars to wear out in the East, then strike in a few years when teams are rebuilding.
It also raises questions about the leadership structure of this team. One of the main reasons Coby White re-signed with Charlotte was getting a bigger role at the point, and the assumption is that removing Ball’s presence on the roster would allow for Miller and Knueppel to assume leadership roles. That all goes out the window if you bring in Steph, who would immediately make the Hornets his team.
While it might be a great basketball fit, it’s a bad organizational fit at this juncture.
What happens when the dust settles?
It would take something mammoth for the Warriors to actually part ways with Steph Curry. There have been too many years of shared emotions, too much bonding between Curry and Steve Kerr to let all this get washed out because Golden State couldn’t land LeBron James.
The smartest move would be the wait, play out the first part of the season, then see who comes available at the trade deadline who could potentially take the Warriors from a fringe playoff team and push them even further. Someone is going to blow things up once more, and the best position would be to ride Curry/Butler/Green until the wheels really fall off.
There’s always a little wiggle room though, and if there’s one team desperate enough to swing for the fences it’s the Charlotte Hornets. Never say never.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Oct 11, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) looks for a teammate to pass to during the second quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 13: John Tonje #8 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on July 13, 2026 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
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.
If you wonder what that is going to look like on the court, join the club. What we do know is that he will wear No. 23 and what his uniform will look like.
“There is no doubt LeBron is one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball and there are no words to measure the impact he’ll have on this organization,” 76ers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey said in a statement. “I have had the pleasure of knowing LeBron since high school and have seen the high-level impact he’s produced at every stop of his basketball journey. He is a consummate professional, the ultimate competitor, and a tireless worker. But he is also an incredible person with natural leadership traits, a family man, and someone who possesses unwavering commitment to community and those around him."
LeBron to Philadelphia was a plot twist few saw coming, but Tyrese Maxey — who shares an agent with LeBron — "was among a small group of people who got some inkling late Thursday night that James would ultimately choose the Sixers," reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Maxey, as well as Jaylen Brown and especially Joel Embiid, recruited LeBron James hard.
Another key factor in LeBron's decision was the idea he could live at least part time in New York City and commute to Philly for games and New Jersey for practice (the 76ers practice facility is in Camden, New Jersey). LeBron's agent, Rich Paul, said on his podcast, "If the Knicks hadn't won, there would be no board. He'd be going to the Knicks." But the Knicks did win the title and spent the offseason trying to keep the band together, not add LeBron.
However, as Marc Stein put it in his newsletter: "Proximity to New York City indeed emerged as a significant bonus lure" to get LeBron to Philly.
All that matters now is that LeBron is officially a 76er. It should be added that LeBron's contract has a 15% trade kicker if he gets moved, but that is far less likely than him signing with the 76ers in the first place.
