Category: NBA

BRIGHTON — At age 38, Mike Conley is entering his 20th NBA season. Two years Conley’s junior, Paul George is entering his 17th campaign.

Together, the Celtics’ two veteran players have accomplished a boatload: they’ve combined for 10 All-Star appearances and collectively scored more than 36,000 career points. They’ve each made the NBA playoffs 12 times.

Still, despite their long list of accolades, neither Celtics offseason addition has achieved the thing they want most: an NBA title.

As such, on Tuesday afternoon, when Conley and George sat side-by-side at the Auerbach Center podium for their introductory press conference with the Celtics, the two made clear how desperately they wanted that to change.

“I believe I’m a winning guy,” George said. “And so that’s always gonna be a chip on my shoulder.”

Mike Conley explained he chose to sign with the Celtics as a free agent in pursuit of his first-ever championship, while George stressed that joining such a banner-filled organization only increased his own desire to win one.

“You look around the league, there are very few organizations and teams that you look at that honestly are trying to win every year,” Conley said. “The culture here in Boston speaks for itself — the championships, the banners, the fanbase.”

Conley, who will likely serve as the team’s backup point guard, noted he still feels he has plenty to give on the court this year. But it’s his off-court leadership that might end up being most impactful when it’s all said and done — and a burning desire to win his first-ever NBA championship at age 38.

“It’s that sense of urgency that maybe reignites that for the guys who have been on this team who’ve already won it,” Conley said. “To kind of continue to push them every day, continue to show them how bad we want to win in practices and try to translate that to games.”

In a similar vein, when George was asked about his overall impressions of the Celtics, he emphasized his own desire to win a title: “When you think of Boston, it’s winning.”

“I haven’t won yet, so I’m on the other side of that,” George said. “So the chip on my shoulder is — I believe I’m a winning player. I believe I’m all about winning, being a winning teammate, a winning locker room guy.”

And, both players stressed that they planned to bring desperation and urgency to a Celtics squad that is just two years removed from a title.

Many on the current Celtics roster do have championship experience

Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, and Jordan Walsh were all on the 2024 title team, as was the majority of the current coaching staff, minus a few exceptions.

On top of that, Mitchell Robinson, who has yet to be formally introduced in Boston, joins the Celtics just a few months removed from his first-ever championship with the Knicks,

Joe Mazzulla said the Celtics will tap into all of the different experiences that the new additions bring to the roster, both Robinson’s newfound championship pedigree and Conley and George’s pursuit of a first-ever title.

“We have Mitch, who’s coming off a win, so we have to take that wisdom and experience. He was around great coaches and great players,” Mazzulla said. “And Mike alluded to it — Mike and Paul have a different perspective on not getting there yet, and that desperation, and we need to be able to leverage that as a team, and that’s where they could lead and help us.”

Paul George is a 9-time All-Star, a 6-time All-NBA member, and a 4-time All-Defense team member. He’s won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA. He’s scored nearly 20,000 points in his regular-season career.

Still, he’s well-aware of the one thing his resume lacks, and he’s eager to change that.

“I’m a guy that, when it’s all said and done, where my legacy falls [when] being compared to guys in my category, I’ve yet to have something to show for it.”

Let’s face it, last June’s big move, the three-team deal that brought Julius Randle to Brooklyn, was a salary dump on behalf of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nets got the 31-year-old Randle — and a second first round pick in the next night’s draft — for Nic Claxton who wouldn’t even be sent to Minnesota.

Claxton would wind up with the Chicago Bulls. The T’Wolves got a second rounder from the Nets, along with cap space and a big trade exception. The deal permitted Minnesota to sign Ayo Dusumu to a five-year $112 million deal hours later. Clearly, the T’Wolves valued the young Dusumu over the veteran Randle.

Still, it should wind up as a good deal for Sean Marks & co., just like last year’s big salary dump with Denver Nuggets that brought them Michael Porter Jr. Randle is one of a handful of players to average 20+points, grab 6+ rebounds and hand out 5+ assists last season … and he played in 79 games.

There are a lot of people though who look past that stat and the three NBA All-Star selections and two All-NBA selections and see a relic of another era, someone who makes his money pounding in the paint. Most of all they wonder how Randle can fit with MPJ. Those two will be getting the bulk of the minutes upfront along with Day’Ron Sharpe.

Steve Lichtenstein writing for his Steve’s Newsletter laid out the basics.

It can be tricky for a HC to have two players who consider themselves the team’s alpha, especially when one, in this case Porter, will be playing on an expiring contract (barring the remote event an extension agreement is reached before the season). Randle has a $35.8 million player option for 2027-28.

Porter is coming off the most prolific season of his seven-year career in nearly every raw category, not to mention breaking his previous high usage percentage by a large margin. With the exception of the 18 games he played with Cam Thomas, Porter was typically Brooklyn’s sole available offensive force, which he seemed to relish by performing at an All-Star level (even if he was robbed of the honor).

That offense was the worst in the NBA in both offensive efficiency and points scored last season. Any help would be welcomed and Randle could be a big help. He’s seen as having done a good job deferring to Anthony Edwards in Minny after being “the man” with the New York Knicks. And in a talk with the media at the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center a few days back, he dismissed any concerns. Two different games that can mesh, he said in essence.

“I told him that like players like him, I love playing with because of how well he can space the floor,” Randle said of MPJ’s forte. “He loves big shots, big moments, and, like, they always seem to know exactly like where to be. He does it at an extremely high level, so I’m excited.”

Lichtenstein said he can see how Jordi Fernandez could stagger the two player (perhaps giving the overage to Noah Clowney?) and utilize Randle’s underrated passing. He’s averaged better than five assists per game over the past six years. Here’s how Lichtenstein envisioned the fit when the two are on the court together:

Fernandez used a variety of screen techniques and dribble handoffs to free Porter last season and that was with non-shooting center Nic Claxton often acting as the hub. NBA.com tracking had Porter leading the team in offensive miles run per game, an absolute necessity given all the attention he received from opposing defenses. It may take a while for Randle to replicate that chemistry, but his superior scoring prowess should make things easier because opponents will have to think harder about the consequences from ignoring him with the ball in his hands like they routinely did with Claxton.

Lichtenstein also debunks the notion that Randle takes too many dribbles, writing “his average dribbles per touch generally a little over 2.0. That’s not a ton, maybe a little over the league median.”

Brian Lewis tackled the same issue today for the Post. He pointed out that the combination could help the Nets get to that nirvana of quick shots and quick decision-making they’ve prioritized in their personnel choices during the rebuild.

Randle averaged 4.02 seconds per touch last season, which would have trailed only backup point guards Ben Saraf and Nolan Traoré on the Nets. Meanwhile, Porter got off the ball quickly, his scant 2.17 seconds per touch the quickest of all the Brooklyn regulars.

Lewis also mentions that should the two mesh, that could make for better trade packages in return for MPJ, come the early February deadline.

That ability to play off a ball-dominant scorer should make Porter a good fit to scale into any offense and alongside any star, making him all the more valuable to a contender before the trade deadline. But while the Nets still have both he and Randle together, it should make the duo effective.

Of course, there’s the other end of the court where neither Porter Jr. nor Randle are seen as stalwarts on D. Far from it.

“Jordi’s gonna want to play with a high pace and the right way, but you’re gonna hang your hat on the other end of the court as well,” said Marks in Las Vegas. “Defensively — not only Julius and MPJ, but the entire roster — our expectations are diving on the floor for loose balls, being a disruptor, hands in the passing lane, and just playing a brand of basketball that the borough can get behind.”

As Lichtenstein wrote:

However, we all should be horrified at the prospect of a defensive nightmare with the two on the court. Just among the Atlantic Division’s forwards, which one is guarding Philadelphia’s LeBron James, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, and Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard? Randle tried his hand at taking New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns in their two meetings last season—it didn’t go well, per NBA.com’s tracking. Towns scored 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting with Randle as the nearest defender.

But if you assessed Randle’s defensive metrics as substandard, they looked stellar in comparison to Porter, whose effort on that end is often lacking on and off the ball. Neither player is known for sprinting back in transition either, so that’s going to be a major problem.

Or as Lewis noted, it’s not beyond Fernandez’s desire for D to suggest that the Nets could occasionally bench his two scorers. Bottom line, though, for Randle will be able to put points on the board. The Flatbush 5’s growth should help and Mikel Brown Jr. proved he could score in a number of different ways while at Louisville.

Randle told Lewis that having two established scorers should help the youngest team in the NBA grow. He was asked if he and Porter Jr. have talked about the fit since Randle was traded back on June 23.

“A lot. We talked a lot and spent some time together for a few days,” Randle said of Porter. “And he’s cool. We’ve been around for a minute, and understand each other’s games very well and how we can really complement each other, honestly.

“[We are] two guys who can obviously both score the ball, but do it very different ways; his ability to be able to catch and shoot and move being a big wing, move off the ball. And me, my ability to be able to create off the dribble and with my passing.”

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

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Rasheer Fleming

Power forward, 6’9”, 240 pounds, 22 years old, 2nd season

Ah, Rasheer Fleming. He’s a player with much promise, and someone you can’t help but get excited about when you project who and what he could be. Expectations must be tempered, of course. He was taken with the 31st pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, meaning 30 teams passed on him for a reason. But when we watch him play, as he glides with his condor-like wings, your heartbeat starts to spike. He looks like an NBA player, which sounds like half-assed scouting. But when you see it, you know it.

After a freshman year in which he showcased promise, the true test begins. The sophomore year is typically when we see the largest developmental jump, as prospects no longer are taken aback by the inaugural sights and sounds of the Association and have had an entire summer to focus on strength training, film study, and routine.

For an organization that needs its young talent to pop, Fleming represents the possibilities for the next phase of Phoenix Suns basketball. While the expectations that sit upon his broad shoulders aren’t nearly as heavy as those of his fellow draftmate Khaman Maluach, a season in which he plateaus developmentally would hurt the long-term viability of the franchise.

Last Season

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	STL	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
55	12.2	4.3	2.3	0.3	0.4	40.5%	34.6%	55.9%	112.7	106.6	+97

Rasheer made his NBA debut last season in the second game of the season, and scored his first NBA points in the team’s third. And while the stat sheet says he played in 55 games last season, his usage in the rotation was sporadic. Such is life for a rookie drafted in the second round. It wasn’t until late February that we began to see Felming with regularity, and with repetitions, we began to see what he could be as a player.

In the Suns’ final 25 games, Fleming played in 24 of them, averaging 18.9 minutes, 6.6 points, and 3.4 rebounds. He shot 40.2% from three-point range while averaging 1.3 stocks (steals + blocks). He was displaying his ability as a true 3-and-D player, impacting both sides of the floor. You couldn’t help but smile seeing him deny someone on one end and pump a three-ball in on the other.

Rasheer Fleming Highlight Reel pic.twitter.com/x9ONg6vOqk

— Rasheer Fleming Muse (@Fleming_Muse) March 20, 2026

He scored 10+ points in only 5 of his appearances, which is fine when you consider the role he was being asked to fulfill as a reserve. If you’re looking at box scores in an effort to define the productivity of a rookie, you’re certainly going to walk away disappointed. If you were to look at his only start of the season, game 82 when the team rested all of their regulars, there was a fortification of the promise Fleming brings. He scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-7 from deep, adding 6 rebounds, 3 stocks, and 2 assists.

Fleming was pretty much a non-factor in the postseason as the Suns were swept by the Thunder, although he could have been if he had been provided more opportunities. I know, I know…the ‘Disease of What If’. What if he had more run? It would’ve made sense, as one of the ways to jam up two-time MVP is to throw length at him at the point of attack. It’s something the Suns chose not to do, and SGA made them pay. When Collin Gillespie guarded him for 71.9 partial possessions, he scored 30 points on 58.8% shooting and 40% from deep. Fleming guarded him for just 1.8 possessions. The result? A block.

Put it in the Louvre pic.twitter.com/SU3tzGihvT

— Rasheer Fleming Muse (@Fleming_Muse) April 28, 2026

We’ll never know what would have happened if Fleming played more than 18 minutes in the postseason. And at this point in time, we don’t have to. What’s done is done, and we’re looking forward to what he could be, not at a series that was ultimately sealed before the tip ever occurred.

Contract and Roster Context

Fleming is entering year two of a four-year, $8.7 million contract. It is guaranteed through the end of next season, with 2028-29 being a team option.

What He Brings

Hope. That is, from a fanalyst perspective, what Fleming brings first and foremost. Effective rosters are built upon the prospects that flourish within the system. These are the players who become fan favorites. Not the mercenaries, not the veteran minimums. It is the players you draft and develop who have your heart the most. Mikal and Cam. Rasheer and Khaman. That thread of “they are ours” is what endears them to a fanbase.

Exploring the traits Fleming possesses fortifies that hope. He can shoot. He can defend. He has length, athleticism, the ability to rebound, the ability to play small-ball five, and adds size. From a prospect perspective, you salivate over the upside. From a realist perspective, you know that continued development and patience must be practiced in order for him to maximize when you believe he ultimately could be.

He should see more opportunities this season, slotting in as the backup power forward. And I assume that his versatility will put him in some unique rotations where he will shine as an ancillary player. The injury to Mark Williams should open the door for him to play center in lineups when speed and spacing are prioritized. I’m interested to see him in as a small forward as well, in lineups that emphasize size and rebounding.

What Needs to Improve

For any sophomore, the goal is not to plateau. To continue to grow and develop. What does this look like for Fleming? It starts with consistency and decision-making.

Consistency can only occur when opportunity is provided, and we witnessed this in the final 25 games of last season. That needs to carry over into this season. Consistency in shooting, consistency in positioning, consistency in rebounding, effort, and defensive discipline. If you look at who Rasheer was during Summer League in 2025 and who he was a season later, you see growth. But that needs to carry over into the minutes he will be provided this season.

Decision-making is another opportunity for Fleming. There are times you can feel him thinking just a half-second too long, and processing speed needs to become instantaneous rather than processed. That ability to react quickly is the difference between a rotation player and someone sitting on the bench.

Prediction

This is a big year for Fleming, with plenty of opportunities. His versatility should give him numerous looks in different lineup combinations, and I believe he will thrive. What does thrive mean? It’s not necessarily statistical dominance, rather, it’s someone who can contribute to the greater good of the team in a multitude of ways. The skill set is there. It’s time to see the execution.

I feel that we’ll look back at the 2026-27 campaign for Fleming as one in which growth occurred. Where confidence grew. Where he impacted the game with regularity. Will there be hiccups and mental lapses? Of course. But by the end of this season, we will have confidence that this is a rotational piece moving forward, if not a core piece.

Stat Prediction: 71 games, 7.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 48/37/72 splits

Final Word

If there is one thing that is clear, it is that I am a Rasheer Fleming Stan. I believe he has the ability to be the Suns’ version of Kawhi Leonard, without all the cap-circumvention crap. He may be quiet and unassuming, but he’s an absolute beast on the hardwood. He can lock you up and hit you with a dagger three on the other end. Does he possess the upside that Kawhi does? Probably not. He possesses the intangibles that every team needs in order to be successful. It now comes down to what happens between the ears.

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Nov. 4

Today in sports history

Today is Nov. 4. On this date in:

1923: Chicago Bears founder, co-coach and player George Halas returned a Jim Thorpe fumble 98 yards for a touchdown in a 26-0 victory over the Oorang Indians, setting an NFL record that stood for 49 years.

1951: The United States captured the Ryder Cup at Pinehurst, defeating Great Britain 9½-2½ with a team led by Sam Snead.

1959: Chicago Cubs slugger Ernie Banks was named National League MVP for the second consecutive season after another power-filled year at shortstop.

1961: Philadelphia Warriors star Wilt Chamberlain began an NBA-record streak of 65 consecutive games scoring at least 30 points.

1962: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Bill Gadsby recorded his 500th career point in a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, becoming the first defenseman in NHL history to reach the milestone.

1965: Johnny Kerr played his 844th consecutive NBA game, then a league record, as the Baltimore Bullets lost 108-107 to the New York Knicks.

1971: Los Angeles Lakers star Elgin Baylor retired because of persistent knee injuries, ending a 14-season career in which he scored 23,149 points and made 11 NBA All-Star teams.

1976: Major League Baseball conducted its first free-agent reentry draft, a landmark business event in the sport’s labor history that included stars such as Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Joe Rudi and Willie McCovey.

1977: New York Rangers star Phil Esposito scored his 600th career goal in a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, becoming the third player in NHL history to reach the mark.

1980: Japanese home-run king Sadaharu Oh retired after a legendary career in which he hit a professional-record 868 home runs.

1987: Edmonton Oilers star Wayne Gretzky recorded his 1,000th career assist in his 645th NHL game, adding a hat trick in a 7-2 victory over the New York Rangers.

1988: The Charlotte Hornets played the first game in franchise history, losing 133-93 to the Cleveland Cavaliers before a sellout crowd at Charlotte Coliseum.

1989: David Robinson made his long-awaited NBA debut after fulfilling his U.S. Navy commitment, scoring 23 points and grabbing 17 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 106-98.

1989: The Orlando Magic played the first regular-season game in franchise history, losing 111-106 to the New Jersey Nets at Orlando Arena.

1993: The NBA Board of Governors awarded the league’s 28th franchise to a Toronto ownership group headed by John Bitove Jr., creating the Toronto Raptors, who began play in 1995.

1996: Houston Rockets forward Charles Barkley became the fourth player in NBA history to compile at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 3,500 assists as Houston defeated Utah 75-72.

2000: Grove City running back R.J. Bowers became the first player in NCAA history to surpass 7,000 career rushing yards, reaching the milestone during a 14-10 win over Carnegie Mellon.

2001: Luis Gonzalez singled home the winning run off Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees 3-2 in Game 7 to win the first World Series championship in franchise history.

2003: The Big East announced a major expansion during a wave of college conference realignment, adding Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida in all sports and DePaul and Marquette in sports other than football.

2003: New York Rangers captain Mark Messier scored twice in a 3-0 victory over the Dallas Stars to pass Gordie Howe and move into second place on the NHL’s career points list with 1,851.

2006: Carolina Hurricanes captain Rod Brind’Amour collected the 1,000th point of his NHL career during a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators.

2007: Minnesota Vikings rookie Adrian Peterson rushed for an NFL-record 296 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-17 win over the San Diego Chargers.

2009: Hideki Matsui drove in six runs, tying the World Series single-game record, as the New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 to win their record 27th championship. Matsui was unanimously selected World Series MVP.

2012: Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck threw for 433 yards against Miami, setting an NFL rookie single-game passing record in a 23-20 victory.

2016: Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry’s NBA-record streak of 157 consecutive games with at least one made 3-pointer ended.

— USA TODAY Network

This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Today in sports history, November 4

Steve Kerr is asking Draymond Green for a favor the Warriors star once requested from him: patience.

Green thanked Kerr during their postseason exit meeting for remaining patient with him through years of emotional swings, confrontations and suspensions. With Golden State entering a transition season, the coach now wants that patience returned.

“He’s going to have to adapt a little bit, and it’s probably going to be a little frustrating at times,” Kerr said on the “Tom Tolbert Show.” He added that he would need Green’s patience.

Part of the adjustment could involve Green accepting a reduced offensive role, cutting down his turnovers and continuing to shoot open 3-pointers. The more delicate challenge may be tolerating the growing pains around him.

With Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody expected to miss much of the first half, Kerr said Golden State must rely on its entire roster, potentially including two-way players. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski are among those expected to carry more responsibility until the veterans return.

Kerr praised Lendeborg’s maturity and believes the Warriors’ depth can “hold down the fort.” That approach will inevitably produce uneven nights, however, and Green has never been known for quietly accepting mistakes or insufficient effort.

His combustible history gives Kerr’s request additional weight.

Green verbally unloaded on Kevin Durant during an infamous 2018 loss to the Clippers, an altercation that led Golden State to suspend him. Durant left for Brooklyn the following offseason, and both players later criticized how the organization handled their dispute.

Four years later, Green punched Jordan Poole during a preseason practice. The incident hung over Golden State’s disappointing title defense before Poole was traded to Washington the following summer.

Neither departure can be attributed entirely to Green. Durant already had complicated reasons for leaving, while the Warriors had basketball and financial motivations for moving Poole. Both episodes nevertheless demonstrated what can happen when Green’s competitive fury overwhelms the patience required inside a locker room.

The Warriors now need the 36-year-old to adjust his own responsibilities while guiding teammates who will occasionally miss rotations, overlook open reads or fail to match his urgency and intensity.

Whether Green can navigate that contradiction could determine more than Golden State’s early-season record.

Warriors insider Marcus Thompson II has suggested a poor start could force the franchise to confront an outcome once considered unthinkable.

“Draymond could be traded at the trade deadline,” Thompson said.

Green is playing on a one-year contract, while Stephen Curry remains untouchable and Butler offers more upside if he returns to his pre injured form. If the experiment fails, moving Green could become the clearest signal that Golden State is finally dismantling what remains of its dynasty.

Kerr is asking for patience. By February, the Warriors may know whether Green has enough of it — and whether the organization has any left for him.

Stephen A. Smith has found an unexpected way to describe Kawhi Leonard’s exit from the Clippers’ salary-cap scandal.

“He’s a gangster.”

The ESPN personality delivered that assessment Tuesday on “First Take,” marveling at the relatively limited punishment Leonard received before completing his return to the Toronto Raptors.

“He broke the rules, got caught, pointed the finger at somebody else, threw the organization under the bus,” Smith said.

The NBA determined that Leonard and the Clippers violated salary-cap circumvention rules through off-court financial arrangements involving companies connected to the franchise. Those included a $28 million endorsement agreement with Aspiration under which Leonard reportedly performed no promotional work.

Leonard was ordered to pay $700,000 but avoided a suspension and kept his contract intact.

The Clippers received the far more damaging sentence: a $30 million fine, the forfeiture of five first-round picks and suspensions for several organizational leaders. Owner Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension before eventually accepting the NBA’s punishment.

Smith called the discrepancy outrageous, arguing that Leonard helped create enormous problems for the franchise before escaping with little more than restitution that represents a fraction of his NBA earnings.

He then pushed the description further, saying Leonard “got his money and left the country.”

That was a reference to Leonard’s trade to Toronto, which became official Monday after being delayed during the investigation.

The Raptors acquired the two-time Finals MVP for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, a first-round swap and two second-round selections.

The destination makes Leonard’s exit particularly favorable. He returns to the franchise he led to its first championship in 2019, where his single season remains the most celebrated portion of his NBA career.

Los Angeles, meanwhile, must begin again without its best player, much of its leadership or control of its own first-round draft picks through 2033.

Smith’s language was crafted for television, but the imbalance behind it is real. The Clippers absorbed a franchise-altering punishment. Leonard paid $700,000 and landed with the team he wanted.

“I mean, damn,” Smith said. “How much better can it get than that?”

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BOSTON — Paul George has played just 78 games combined in his previous two seasons in Philadelphia. Since 2019, he’s been available for more than 56 regular-season games just once in his career — and he’s seemingly endured more injury-riddled offseasons than healthy ones.

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But sitting at the Auerbach Center podium on Tuesday afternoon, George made sure to emphasize just how healthy he now feels relative to the last few years.

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“Obviously, the last two years have been rough just with injuries, but for myself personally, I feel great again,” he said. “I feel like I’ve turned that corner in dealing with injuries, and now kind of re-establishing myself from a physical standpoint again, and with that, I can carry it over to the court.”

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The 36-year-old joins the Celtics as a result of the trade that sent Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. He made clear that he plans to play a deferential role on the roster: “We have a superstar, and that’s JT… I’m here to help JT. He’s the guy.”

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Paul George joins the Celtics off of a healthy offseason

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Last year, before the season began, George underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee to treat an injury suffered during a workout. The previous season — his first as a member of the 76ers — he missed games due to a myriad of injuries, including a knee hyperextension he suffered in the offseason and adductor injuries.

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“This summer really was a chance to continue to work: strengthen my body, strengthen my knee,” George said. “It’s almost like a kind of rebirth, or reborn again — to be in a system, to be in a winning culture, a winning environment, and to feel good. To be able to work, to be able to train again in the summers — my summers the last couple of years were dedicated to rehab.”

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Paul George on his health heading into the season:

“I feel really good physically. I've worked hard this summer. My body has naturally just healed…It's almost like a kind of rebirth…to be in a winning culture, a winning environment, and to feel good.”

Q via @GwashburnGlobepic.twitter.com/iivoqnQ86o

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) September 15, 2026

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The Celtics have plenty of young wings who can slot into his starting spot if injuries do pop up, like Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and Ron Harper Jr., among others. But if George can stay relatively healthy and be good to go come playoff time, the Celtics will be far better off for it.

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Can George stay healthy throughout an 82-game season and into a playoff run?

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Only time will tell, but in his introductory press conference, George said all the right things.

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Kawhi Leonard left Los Angeles with his contract intact and a path back to Toronto. The Clippers were left with a $30 million fine, five forfeited first-round picks and a damaged future.

ESPN insider Shams Charania said the imbalance was less about the NBA viewing Leonard as innocent than the evidence it found.

“They needed every form of evidence to void Kawhi Leonard’s contract or suspend him,” Charania said, in remarks edited for clarity. “Clearly, the league didn’t have it.”

“You have to have a stone-cold case,” he added. “Otherwise you’re dealing with a ton of real litigation and real arbitration through the NBPA.”

The investigation found that Leonard violated circumvention rules through the conduct of former representative Dennis Robertson, who acted on his behalf.

That was sufficient to order Leonard to pay $700,000, but not enough to risk an arbitration fight by suspending him or canceling his contract, explaining why he escaped the harshest penalties.

The contrast remains difficult to ignore. Steve Ballmer received a one-year suspension, several Clippers executives were sidelined and the franchise lost the draft capital it needs to recover from the Leonard era.

That cost began before the investigation. Los Angeles surrendered Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two swaps in the Paul George trade after Leonard made adding another star a condition of joining the Clippers in 2019.

The gamble produced one Western Conference finals appearance and no championships. Leonard remained exceptional when available, but injuries repeatedly removed him from postseason runs.

He now returns to the franchise he led to the 2019 title, while the Clippers begin another reinvention without control of five future first-rounders.

Toronto at least supplied a lifeline. Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, one swap and two second-rounders give Los Angeles talent and flexibility. They do not erase the damage.

The Clippers made their own choices and earned their punishment. Leonard nevertheless received the benefits, avoided the harshest consequences and departed before the bill came due.

Charania explained why: The NBA did not find enough evidence to go further. The condition of the Clippers explains why that answer remains unsatisfying.

Sixers media day will take place on Sept. 28. That will be our first chance to hear from LeBron James (who is a Sixer now, by the way). Training camp starts the next day.

So, what’s on your mind as we inch closer to the start of the season? Anything you’re hoping to hear from LeBron? What about Joel Embiid, who’s kept a very low profile this offseason? Or how about any of the new guys?

It’s an exciting time to be a Sixers fan. Drop your questions or thoughts in the comments and I’ll do my best to respond to as many as possible.

Also, I’m going to keep recommending the SB Nation app to everyone. It’s made responding to you all a million times easier. I’m also looking forward to using it more on gamedays and possibly hopping in discussion threads on game nights.

On Saturday, Fred Katz and John Hollinger of The Athletic broke the news that the NBA recently increased its projections for the 2027-28 salary cap by $2 million. Initial projections had the cap landing at $174 million, but the latest projections are a $176 million salary cap and a $213 million luxury-tax line.

Katz and Hollinger explained why that could provide some much-needed financial relief to teams around the league:

“The latest national TV contract was supposed to usher in an era of 10 percent annual salary-cap increases, more than enough to cover the 8 percent raises in contracts given to most star players. Instead, the local TV market crashed so hard that the annual raise was barely half that a year ago (5.2 percent) and was forecast to be similar in 2027-28 (5.5 percent). The projected raise for 2027-28 is now 6.7 percent — still a far cry from the maximal 10 percent, but closer to the raises in player contracts.”

That’s particularly welcome news for the Lakers given their free-agent spending spree this past offseason.

Since Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton all changed teams this summer, they were limited to 5% annual raises in their contracts rather than 8%. That means the projected cap growth in 2027-28 is now expected to (slightly) outpace their annual raises.

While Grimes and Kessler each have standard 5% annual raises in their contracts, Mamu’s deal was uniquely structured. He’s earning $13 million this year, goes down to $12.35 million in 2027-28, goes back up to $13.0 million in 2028-29 and has a $13.65 million player option in 2029-30.

Austin Reaves also did the Lakers a solid by taking $5 million less than what was initially reported. He could have received full 8% annual raises every year, but instead, he took only a roughly 4% raise in 2027-28, which also slightly reduced the amount he could receive in the final two years of his contract.

That all begs the question of what the Lakers might have up their sleeves next offseason.

In all likelihood, they’re eyeing access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception. They’re now projected to have an additional $2 million in financial wiggle room because of this higher cap projection.

The final piece of the puzzle?

All salary-cap exceptions increase at the same rate as the salary cap itself. So, if the cap goes up by roughly 6.7%, the non-taxpayer MLE will go up by that same amount. Based on the new $176 million projection for the 2027-28 salary cap, the non-taxpayer MLE would be roughly $16.05 million next year, which is a slight increase over the previous $15.869 million projection. The taxpayer MLE would be nearly $6.5 million instead of $6.4 million.

Any team that uses the non-taxpayer MLE gets hard-capped at the first apron, which would also rise by roughly $2 million based on the latest projections. It should now land in the neighborhood of $222 million, while the second apron should be around $236 million.

Between Reaves, Kessler, Grimes, Mamu, Luka Dončić and Cameron Carr, the Lakers already have $158.5 million in guaranteed salary on their books for 2027-28. It feels relatively safe to assume that Jarred Vanderbilt will be picking up his $13.3 million player option, while Sexton could go either way on his $9.8 million player option.

If Vanderbilt and Sexton both pick up their player options, the Lakers would be up to $181.6 million in salary. They also have team options on Jaden Hardy ($6.0 million), Dalton Knecht ($6.45 million), Bronny James ($2.5 million) and Adou Thiero ($2.5 million). The Lakers must decide on Knecht’s option by Oct. 31, but they have until June 29, 2027, to decide on the other three.

If the Lakers picked up all of those options, they’d be up to $199.1 million in salary with 12 players under contract. That would leave them roughly $22.9 million under the first apron, which would give them enough room to spend the full $16.05 million non-taxpayer MLE and round out their roster with a pair of minimum contracts.

The Lakers owe their 2027 first-round pick to Memphis if it falls outside of the top four and owe their 2027 second-round pick to either Memphis or Brooklyn, so they likely won’t have to budget for 2027-28 with those picks in mind.

Either way, the Lakers have enough financial flexibility on the fringes of their roster — at least for now — to give themselves a real shot at having access to the full non-taxpayer MLE next summer. They could look to spend it all on one player, or they could divide it between two or more players, much like the Philadelphia 76ers did with Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons this past offseason.

The Lakers have almost a full calendar year to plan ahead for that. In the meantime, don’t be surprised if they’re wary about taking on additional long-term salary this year, particularly if it cuts into their ability to maintain access to the non-taxpayer MLE next summer.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

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Nov. 3

Today in sports history

Today is Nov. 3. On this date in:

1899: Heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries defeated Tom Sharkey by decision after 25 punishing rounds at Coney Island, New York, in one of the era’s most celebrated title fights.

1962: Wilt Chamberlain scored 72 points for the San Francisco Warriors in a 127-115 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, producing the fourth-highest single-game total in NBA history at the time.

1968: Graham Hill won the season-ending Mexican Grand Prix and clinched his second Formula 1 world championship.

1974: Boston Bruins forward Johnny Bucyk collected two assists in a 10-1 victory over Minnesota and passed Bobby Hull as the highest-scoring left wing in NHL history.

1982: Randy Smith appeared in his 845th consecutive NBA game, surpassing Johnny “Red” Kerr’s league record; Smith ultimately extended the streak to 906 games.

1987: New York Rangers center Marcel Dionne became the second NHL player to reach 1,700 career points when he scored in a 5-3 loss to Calgary.

1989: Šarūnas Marčiulionis and Alexander Volkov became the first players from the Soviet Union to appear in NBA regular-season games.

1989: The expansion Minnesota Timberwolves played their first NBA game, losing 106-94 to the Seattle SuperSonics.

1995: The Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies won their inaugural games, marking the regular-season debuts of the NBA’s first Canadian franchises since the Toronto Huskies folded in 1947.

1995: Kevin Garnett made his NBA debut for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a loss to Sacramento, beginning a Hall of Fame career.

1996: Kobe Bryant made his NBA debut at age 18, playing six minutes in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 91-85 victory over Minnesota.

2007: Hall of Fame coach Al Arbour returned from retirement for one game and recorded his 1,500th appearance behind the New York Islanders’ bench as they rallied past Pittsburgh 3-2.

2008: The Detroit Pistons traded Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson in a blockbuster exchange of All-Star guards.

2010: Paul Pierce scored his 20,000th career point on a late-overtime free throw and helped the Boston Celtics defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 105-102.

2011: Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne signed a seven-year, $49 million contract extension on his 29th birthday, then made 35 saves in a 3-0 shutout of Phoenix.

2018: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 34 saves in a 3-0 victory over Carolina and became the 29th goalie in NHL history to record 50 career shutouts.

2023: The NBA began group play in its inaugural In-Season Tournament, later renamed the NBA Cup, with seven games and specially designed tournament courts.

— USA TODAY Network

This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Today in sports history, November 3

In the immediate aftermath of his team’s 2025-26 season ending, Lakers coach JJ Redick clearly and plainly laid out one of the biggest points of emphasis for 2026-27. 

“We clearly need to have a better overall season defensively,” Redick said in May. 

The critique was sensible.

The Lakers were coming off a regular season in which they ranked No. 18 defensively despite ranking No. 12 in the second half of the season.

“We had flashes of that,” Redick added. “I have said this numerous times: Our improvement defensively is a big credit to our staff, [assistant coaches] Bob [Beyer] and Greg [St. Jean], and the work they did in film and in walk-throughs. But we gotta do better defensively.”

And after their offseason roster reconstruction, the Lakers will be better defensively in 2026-27 than they were last season despite external narratives that state the contrary. 

The heart of their improved defense will come from the marquee addition of Walker Kessler, who already showed in his first four seasons in the NBA with the Jazz that he’s one of the league’s premier rim protectors. 

It’s universally accepted throughout the NBA that the Lakers should be a better rim protecting team (they finished second-to-last in defensive field goal percentage at the rim in 2025-26) with Kessler starting at center instead of Deandre Ayton.

But it’s been their perimeter defense that has been questioned.

Despite losing Marcus Smart, who was the team’s best defender last season, the Lakers actually improved their point-of-attack defense significantly. 

Smart may be a better perimeter defender than anyone currently on the Lakers, but the issue with last season’s team was the lack of strong perimeter defenders behind him. 

That won’t be an issue in 2026-27.

Not only did the Lakers keep their second- and third-best perimeter defenders from last season’s team in Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia, but Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams are all upgrades over most of the team’s perimeter defense options in 2025-26. 

They may not have the All-Defensive team caliber perimeter defender, but Redick will have more options at his disposal to build a credible defense in front of Kessler and around star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. 

The Lakers not only should have be at least an average defensive team, but they have the potential to be above average on that end of the floor for the first time in a few years.

Possession battle

A significant reason why the Lakers should be a better defensive team next season won’t just be because they’re better equipped to contain ball handlers.

Or even funnel plays to Kessler for him to shut down. 

It’ll also come from their improved ability to generate turnovers after being average in that area last season. 

Williams and Thybulle will be especially helpful in this area.

Thybulle’s 2 steals per game last season was tied for the second-most in the league with Hawks wing Dyson Daniels and Pistons wing Ausar Thompson among players who appeared in at least 20 regular season games despite averaging just 16 minutes.

He led the league in steals (4.5) and deflections (8.7) per 36 minutes in 2025–26 among players who appeared in at least 20 games.

Williams led the Nets in deflections per 36 minutes in 2024-25 (3.9) and 2025-26 (4.9), and averaged a career-high 1.4 steals last season.

And with Kessler on the backline, the Lakers will be able to afford to be more aggressive with their perimeter defenders compared to last season. 

The offensive rebounding from Kessler and Kevon Looney will also help generate more possessions for the Lakers.

Driving 

Another one of Redick’s desired areas of improvement was the collective ability to drive, dribble and pass.

With Doncic and Reaves still on the team, the Lakers are already starting from a great place. 

But the additions of Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili will uplift the collective’s abilities to excel in these areas.

Losing LeBron James will hurt in these areas.

As should development from LaRavia and additions of Cameron Carr.

This offseason, new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey turned lemons into fresh-squeezed lemonade. Not only did the Sixers flip Paul George for Jaylen Brown and sign LeBron James to a minimum contract, but they also rounded out their depth by splitting the non-taxpayer mid-level exception between Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade and spending part of their bi-annual exception on Ariel Hukporti.

As long as they have all three of Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid on max contracts, the Sixers can’t be big offseason spenders. But the NBA’s latest salary-cap projection for the 2027-28 season could give them some unexpected financial wiggle room.

On Saturday, Fred Katz and John Hollinger of The Athletic reported that the latest cap projection jumped from the initial $174 million up to $176 million. The luxury-tax line is now projected to be $213 million instead of $211 million, and both the first and second aprons would increase by roughly $2 million as well.

That comes out to a roughly 6.7 percent increase, which still doesn’t fully cover the 8 percent annual raises in Embiid, Brown and Maxey contracts. But it’s better than the previous projection (5.5 percent), which could have put the Sixers into a tight financial bind next offseason.

If the $176 million projection holds—or even goes up further—the Sixers could start dreaming bigger about their free-agent plans in 2027.

Which MLE will the Sixers have?

Between Embiid, Brown, Maxey and VJ Edgecombe alone, the Sixers already have $180.1 million tied up in 2027-28. Add in Wade ($9.45 million) and Labaron Philon Jr. ($3.8 million), and they’re at roughly $193.3 million in guaranteed salary.

Simons has a $6.3 million player option for the 2027-28 season and LeBron has a $4.1 million player option. Both figure to decline those options, barring something catastrophic.

The Sixers also have relatively inexpensive team options on Justin Edwards ($2.6 million) and Adem Bona ($2.5 million). Edwards’ salary is almost identical to the projected minimum salary for 2027-28, while Bona’s is more than $100,000 below that. The Sixers therefore figure to pick up their team option on Bona, while Edwards’ roster spot may come down to how he performs this year and what other options they have next summer.

In the incredibly unlikely event that Simons and James both opt in and the Sixers pick up their options on both Edwards and Bona, they’d be at $208.8 million in total salary. That would leave them roughly $13.2 million below the projected $222.0 million first apron and $27.2 million below the $236 million second apron.

Every salary-cap exception increases by the same percentage as the salary cap itself. So, if the cap rises by roughly 6.7 percent in 2027-28, the non-taxpayer MLE will jump to around $16.05 million, while the taxpayer MLE will be about $6.5 million.

As the Sixers learned the hard way this past offseason, teams that spend the non-taxpayer MLE get hard-capped at the first apron. If Simons and LeBron both opt out, the Sixers would have enough room under the first apron to spend the full non-taxpayer MLE, but they’d have to remain mindful of leaving themselves enough spending power to fill out the rest of their roster with minimum deals.

The Sixers could spend some or all of their MLE to re-sign LeBron to repay him for the massive pay cut he took this season, provided he wants to keep playing in 2027-28. But if LeBron wants to maximize his chances of winning a fifth championship—or hopefully a sixth by that point—he’d re-sign on another minimum deal and allow the Sixers to spend their MLE elsewhere. It’d be even better if he took a one-year deal instead of a one-plus-one, so his cap hit would be around $2.6 million instead of above $4 million.

If LeBron is willing to take another minimum contract—or a 5 percent raise via his non-Bird rights—the Sixers could instead save their MLE for Simons if so desired. Otherwise, they could peruse the free-agent market and see whether anyone merited that type of payday. However, the first-apron hard cap could wind up costing them Hukporti and/or Dominick Barlow if they go that route.

The Sixers need to get through this season before they fully turn their attention free agency next year. We still have no idea what this team will look like, what it’s biggest needs are, if all of the main pieces will mesh, etc. It’s admittedly premature to look this far ahead at this juncture.

However, front offices don’t only get to operate on a one-year timeline. The Sixers have undoubtedly begun planning ahead not only for next offseason, but for the next few years. In particular, circle your calendars for the summer of 2029, as the contracts for all four of Embiid, Maxey, Brown and Edgecombe are currently set to expire simultaneously then.

In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed that NBA business keeps booming and sends the cap even higher. Having three max players with 8 percent annual raises puts the Sixers in a tricky financial spot, so the more that the salary cap rises year-over-year, the better.

Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Matisse Thybulle.

When Marcus Smart signed with the Houston Rockets over the summer, the Lakers lost more than just their best perimeter defender. They lost their defensive identity, spirit and chaos agent. 

Regardless of why Smart wasn’t retained, it was clear the Lakers had to find a way to replicate the tangible and intangible value he added. 

Walker Kessler being the interior anchor will go a long way, but to help shore up the perimeter, the Lakers will be betting on Matisse Thybulle being Smart’s proxy. As they did with Smart, the Lakers are adding Thybulle in hopes he stays healthy and rejuvenated while playing for a team with championship aspirations.  

The gamble, albeit mostly safe given Thybulle signed at the minimum, is one that could pay off huge, or one that forces the Lakers back on the market in search of help. 

What is his best-case scenario?

At the top of Thybulle’s priority list for a successful season is to be on the floor. 

Although his reputation of being injury-prone is probably overstated at this point, he has recently simply been unable to stay healthy. This is a major reason why he was even available at the price the Lakers paid. 

Thybulle has appeared in just a combined 45 games over the past two seasons. Fortunately, reports say he is fully healthy ahead of the new season. 

If that is the case and he can remain that way for the majority of the year, that could be a major development for the Lakers’ defensive upside. Because when he’s on the floor, there are few — if any — more disruptive players in the NBA.  

When comparing his activity to other wings, Thybulle has finished lower than the 98th percentile in steal percentage once, and never worse than the 92nd percentile in block percentage in his career.

Perhaps more important than Thybulle’s staggering disruption ability is the impact he has on his entire team’s defense. 

Last year, the Portland Trail Blazers were an incredible 11.1 points better defensively with him on the floor than off. They also forced teams to turn over the ball 6.4% more in those minutes as well (the best on/off differential in the league in that category). 

The other area Thybulle must prove proficient in if he hopes to bid for a major role is his 3-point shot. After early career struggles with his outside game, Thybulle has steadily improved. He has converted his chances at a 37% clip over the last three seasons. 

If he can keep defenses honest and help shore up the perimeter on the other end, a best-case outcome could see Thybulle have a Smart-type year that the Lakers need. 

What is his worst-case scenario?

If the key for a successful season for Thybulle is remaining healthy, the inverse is missing time again. 

Although early indications are that he’ll enter the year ready to go, history has shown there may be a higher likelihood of follow-up incidents occurring. If they do, and he misses significant time, Thybulle could end up being a wasted roster spot. 

Beyond health concerns, there is also a scenario where he experiences some defensive slippage after two years of lengthy absence. If his superpower is diminished at all, that could drastically impact his value. 

The same could be said about his aforementioned improved 3-point stroke. 

If he suffers any type of regression or is simply seen as a non-threat by the opposition, Thybulle could tumble down the depth chart. The prime example of this is Jarred Vanderbilt’s diminished role playing under JJ Redick. 

This could especially be the case with the number of wings who will all be vying for minutes already on the roster. All of whom are younger and may be hungrier to secure a future in Los Angeles than the 29-year-old. 

What is his most likely role on the team?

The safest outcome for Thybulle is likely somewhere in the middle. 

Even if there is some slippage or games missed baked into the contract, he still possesses the highest upside to be the 3-and-D answer the team needs to surround Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. 

If he doesn’t reach that ceiling, he still likely will be able to play a similar role as he did in Portland. Whether that’s him being the steady veteran who could mentor the young wings on and off the court or being trusted to defend the opposing team’s best backcourt players, Thybulle’s floor will be comfortably high as long as he can stay on it. 

All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social

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The official meteorological end of summer is approaching. I felt a crispness in the air this weekend as I stepped outside and sighed, “Ahh, yes, basketball season is coming!” We’re almost there, y’all!

Tradeback Tuesday

How a small trade led to a big star in Cleveland

Did you know that Mo Williams and Jamario Moon led to Donovan Mitchell starring for the Cleveland Cavaliers? It’s true.

Back in February 2011, the Cavs traded Williams and Moon to the Clippers for what was left of Baron Davis and a 2011 first-round pick. That pick turned out to be No. 1 in the lottery, and the Cavs landed Kyrie Irving.

Irving played for the Cavs for six seasons, helping lure LeBron James back to The Land and win the 2016 NBA championship. But Irving saw the writing on the wall. He seemed to know LeBron wasn’t going to stick around past his 2018 free agency, and he wanted to test out his newfound winning knowledge with his own team.

Before the 2017-18 season, the Cavs traded Irving to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, a 2018 first-rounder and a 2020 second. Out of those three players, Zizic played the most for the Cavs, logging 113 games over three seasons.

Thomas was moved before the 2018 trade deadline with Channing Frye and a first for Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson.

Crowder was also moved in a massive 2018 deadline deal that moved Rodney Hood and George Hill to Cleveland.

The big part of that original haul for Kyrie was the 2018 first. It came from Brooklyn, via the Celtics. It was the eighth pick in the 2018 lottery, and the Cavs selected Collin Sexton. And that helped lead the Cavs to Mitchell:

It’s unreal that the Cavs acquired Lauri Markkanen in 2021 for Nance and a 2023 second-round pick. The Bulls received Derrick Jones Jr. and a first that became Dailyn Swan this year. The Blazers received Nance. The Cavs eventually flipped Sexton, Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three firsts and two pick swaps for Mitchell.

Funny enough, the trades of Thomas and Crowder helped the Cavs acquire players they eventually flipped to absorb Jarrett Allen’s contract in the infamous three-team James Harden trade to Brooklyn in 2021. So moving on from Williams and Moon tipped over the first domino, which led to 40 percent of Cleveland’s current starting lineup.

The moral of the story? No trade is too small

The last 24

🏀 On the agenda. The NBA’s Board of Governors is meeting in New York. Among the big-ticket items: expansion, NBA Europe and fallout from the Clippers punishment. 

🇨🇦 Canadian-bound. Speaking of the Clippers, the Kawhi-to-Toronto trade is officially official.Leonard is heading to the Raptors.

👕 Fashion forward. What are some of the best NBA uniforms that need to make a comeback?Here’s a team-by-team breakdown.

🏀 New role. Longtime Bulls forward Taj Gibson has retired — as a player, at least.He’s joining Chicago’s coaching staff.

Sole sisters

As I was watching the FIBA World Cup games last week, particularly Team USA, I was struck by the number of players wearing their own signature shoes. Captain Breanna Stewart and newcomers Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were wearing red-and-white versions of their Pumas, Nikes and Reeboks, respectively.

Clyde Frazier was the first NBA player with a signature shoe when the Puma Clyde was released in 1973. Sheryl Swoopes, the first woman with a signature shoe, released the Air Swoopes in October 1995, nearly a year and a half before the WNBA’s inaugural season.

For decades, even after Swoopes’ sneaker debut, men’s hoops shoes were most popular. Michael Jordan’s Jordan Brand shoes are perhaps considered the gold standard of hoops shoes as casual fashion. Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant probably have two of the most socially popular men’s basketball shoes out right now.

But in the last five years or so, women’s basketball shoes have emerged right alongside the popularity of the WNBA. 

Players like A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Reese and Stewart have some of the most popular hoops shoes currently. I see them at games, and not just on the court fans are clamoring for as much women’s basketball player-related merchandise as possible and wearing whatever they can get their hands on. And, of course, Fever star Clark has a signature shoe on the way.

Sport crosses fashion on a daily basis, and sneaker culture is an extension of basketball culture. Players not only want to showcase their game, they want to do it in fly sneakers. It’s been really cool to see the women having a moment.

Stretch run

As the W returns after a two-week FIBA World Cup break, I got together with The Athletic’s women’s hoops expert, Annie Costabile, to look ahead at the playoffs and awards season. This is Part 1 of our Q&A; the second part, which will look at the future of the league beyond this season, will run soon.

The WNBA regular season concludes Sept. 24, and the playoffs begin Sept. 27.

Annie, with just a few games left, the playoff field is set. What playoff team is most intriguing to you? What about them stands out?

Annie: The Minnesota Lynx are the most intriguing team to me, which is maybe not the most exciting answer given that they’ve been the No. 1 team for most of the year. But the reason I’m dialed into this storyline is because of the history that’s on the table for the Lynx. They have a chance to become the first team in league history to win five WNBA titles. Doing so with Olivia Miles, who has captivated so many with her style of play but also her aura off the court, just feels special.

That being said, I think the Lynx and Miles looked more human heading into the FIBA World Cup break. So, it’s by no means going to be an easy road to the finals.

Speaking of potential Rookie of the Year Miles, a lot of people didn’t have her in their top three, and her talent seemed to catch quite a few fans by surprise. Could you have predicted that she would be the front-runner before the season began? 

Annie: From the beginning, I was saying she should be the No. 1 pick. The way coaches and GMs were describing her IQ and court vision, plus her scoring ability and pro demeanor, I just thought that all-encompassing skill set is so rare. However, I did NOT think she would be in the MVP conversation. I did not think she would have the Lynx atop the league standings without reigning MVP contender Napheesa Collier. She has exceeded all expectations.

We all know once the postseason begins, anything can happen. What player can be the sleeper/X factor on the playoff teams?

Annie: Hmm, good question. I think there are a lot of different names I could use to answer this question, but the one that’s immediately jumping out is Leonie Fiebich. The New York Liberty have had a lackluster season. They came into the year with title expectations and are instead tied for sixth in the league standings with just four games remaining in the regular season.

But when they’re at their best, Fiebich is at her best. We saw that in their game against the Indiana Fever on Aug. 22. I still think the Liberty can make a deep playoff run. Fiebich will have a big hand in it if they do.

Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell has helped lead the franchise to its best year in more than a decade. Mitchell leads the Fever in scoring, averaging 25 points along with 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals. She signed a one-year, $1.4 million supermax ahead of the 2026 season. Do you see Mitchell re-signing with the Fever or going somewhere else next year?

Annie: Kelsey has always been super forthcoming about the importance of playing close to family. Hers is Cincinnati, which is less than two hours from Indianapolis. But at the end of the day, money talks, and the Fever are going to have a lot to figure out with the accelerators to Clark’s contract under the WNBA’s new EPIC provision. Aliyah Boston is set to receive the supermax in 2027, tightening the Fever’s pockets even further.

I don’t say any of that to say the Fever can’t pay Mitchell; they’re just going to have to do some cap gymnastics to make it all work. 

All of that to say, it’s too early for me to speculate. My gut keeps flip-flopping between the Fever figuring it out and Mitchell leaving because they can’t.

Reigning league MVP A’ja Wilson withdrew from the Team USA World Cup squad just days ahead of the competition for rest. With the news came much conversation about Wilson and her value and contributions to both the national team and her own team, the Las Vegas Aces. What are the chances Wilson repeats for a history-making fifth MVP?

Annie: I think voter fatigue is a real thing, and this year there is a pool of candidates that have made the conversation all the more interesting. But none of them are as impactful on both ends of the floor as A’ja. In fact, the one player who makes the best argument for being the best all-around player is Stewart, and she’s largely faded from the conversation because of what players like Miles, Clark and Mitchell are doing on offense.

The last four games of the regular season stand to impact the final vote. As of now, my vote belongs to Wilson, but I’m not ready to say it’s final.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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