Category: NBA

How can VJ Edgecombe improve next to Jaylen Brown and LeBron James? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The arrival of VJ Edgecombe in his rookie season put the Sixers on an interesting new path.

His 34 point, seven rebound, three assist game in his league debut set the stage for his All-Rookie season in which he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. 

It also set the stage for the Sixers to continue on the Joel Embiid timeline. 

Injury storylines will most likely loom over Embiid for the rest of his career, and while his knees aren’t an issue at this point in time, he certainly isn’t done adding to his injury catalog.

For this reason, the call to blow up the core of Embiid and Tyrese Maxey was growing. It was certainly in the cards for the Sixers to attempt to get what they could for an aging Embiid and his massive contract and build around Maxey, while seeing what they have in a rookie Edgecombe and second-year Jared McCain.

In large part to Edgecombe, the Sixers went 4-1 in October 2025. Edgecombe averaged 21 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists on .494/.438/.800 shooting splits in his first four games and the Sixers were showing major signs of a cohesive team still capable of winning in the Eastern Conference.

The season had its ups and downs but through it all, Edgecombe proved his progress as an NBA player was way ahead of schedule.

Coming out of Baylor after one season, Edgecombe was heralded as a prospect for his nuclear athleticism and defensive profile, with room to grow with his shot, handle and playmaking. 

It was apparent that scouts had missed something, or that Edgecombe used his transitional summer to work on practically all his noted flaws.

Not perfect, but his on-ball scoring, his functional handle and ability to read a defense and find open teammates was a huge lift for a Sixers team searching for an inkling into which timeline they should trust.

Now, nearly a year removed from Edgecombe’s 34-point outburst, the timeline is clear. Win now.

Edgecombe will be the fifth starter flanking Jaylen Brown, Embiid, LeBron James and Maxey.

A spoil of riches ironically raises an issue: Who gets the ball?

The hierarchy of shots and ball possession will shake out as the season goes, but no matter the shake, it seems like Edgecombe will be at the bottom of the pecking order in that starting five.

There’s two sides to this coin.

(On both sides, Edgecombe will be the fifth option.)

The pessimistic side is that Edgecombe’s growth will be stunted as he will get fewer on ball reps and less room for error as he’ll become a play finisher, spoiling the monumental progress he made in his rookie year.

The optimistic view is that with less responsibility, he will have more freedom to grow in other aspects of the game that become invaluable to him as his career progresses.

But there’s far more to each side, so we can dive in and hash it out.

There’s an argument that this could “stunt” his growth as a player, but there’s far better options and ways to approach this. As seen from Edgecombe’s rapid development, he has a knack for absorbing information and implementing it quickly into real-life reps.

He went from people questioning if he could ever create shots on his own, to mimicking and surpassing Paul George as a self-creation hub by the end of the season.

Edgecombe and George’s relationship was noted by many. Edgecombe was a sponge around George and absorbed information at a uniquely high level for a rookie.

Now, Edgecombe not only gets practice reps and personal notes from Brown and James, he also gets more high leverage playing time alongside two players who combine to excel at just about every skill imaginable in the game.

If Edgecombe was a sponge around an aging George, there’s good reason to believe that he will be a top student around Brown and James.

With these lessons comes moments to actualize them in games. 

So with the guidance of Brown and James, Maxey and Embiid, Edgecombe, will also by default draw the opponents weakest defender in almost every starting lineup matchup.

He gets a training ground in games to attack a weaker defender, presumably with good spacing around him while the higher level defenders are glued to the four other outlets on his team.

In this scenario, you put some trust in Edgecombe to capitalize on his chances attacking closeouts and attacking in isolation. 

This will also help him put more pressure on the rim and improve his free throw rate.

Last year Edgecombe was the king of “almost” posters. His footwork on his takeoff just may have been one step awry and his finishing skills just a tad bit unpolished.

Per Cleaning the Glass, Edgecombe drew fouls on 7.5% of his shot attempts, ranking in the 40th percentile for guards in the league. He was seventh amongst rookies in free throws per game at a mere 2.4 (Cooper Flagg led rookies with just under five per game).

Other slashing guards such as Stephon Castle (20.4% Shots Fouled %), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (17.8 SFLD%), Austin Reaves (15.9% SFLD%) and Anthony Edwards (13.9 SFLD%) are the blueprint for how Edgecombe can use his positional size and strength to attack the rim and keep the scoreboard moving with the clock stopped.

And there is historical context to back up this improvement. In 2023-24, Keyonte George averaged 3.0 FTA, his third season wrapped up at 7.0 FTA and ranked in the 97th percentile among guards in SFLD%, getting fouled on 16.8% of his shot attempts.

And more notably, foul magnet Shai Gilgeous Alexander managed just 2.4 FTA his rookie season. He has obviously skyrocketed that total, averaging 10.9, 8.7, 8.8 and 9,0 FTA in his last four All-Star seasons (while leading the league in free throws made in his last three).

In no way does Edgecombe have to become a Gilgeous-Alexander foul drawer in order to succeed — just that the track for improvement has been done before.

He can do this with the weakest defender on him. Edgecombe can try to bully his way by and get to the rim to hopefully convert some poster dunks, or draw a foul against a collapsing defense.

He proved in his rookie season he’s capable of getting to his spots in the midrange and knocking down what could be his signature shot, the tough fadeaway that’s nearly impossible for defenders to reach with their contest.

George, his mentor in shotmaking, is now suiting up for Boston. Luckily for Edgecombe, he now gets to watch and learn from Brown, one of the toughest shot makers in the game today.

The pessimistic side of Edgcombe being the fifth option hinges on Edgecombe’s refusal to listen, learn and take what is in front of him. If we go by the sample size of Edgecombe’s rookie year, the idea that he won’t take every opportunity to learn and enact those lessons seems ludicrous.

There’s also an alley for Edgecombe to hone in on microskills that make good players great and help make great teams champions.

Edgecombe draws the Jrue Holiday comparison in terms of build, skill set and roll on an NBA court. Players with the build and style of Holiday, Derrick White, Josh Hart and others have a similarity. 

They are obsessed with the fine details on the court that equate to winning games.

They also are never the team’s primary option to score, they are incredible at small things that make huge differences. 

All smart defenders know who they’re guarding and how to stalwart them in different ways. All players who understand how to map the court on both ends of the floor. Ones who make hustle plays that break teams back — that hit shots the team needs them to in crunch time.

So, while Edgecombe may not have the ball, he is still on the court and capable of making plays similar to those mentioned.

He likely will take on tougher defensive assignments so that Brown and Maxey can roam and save energy on that end.

Focusing just on Holiday’s defensive attributes, there is a plethora of defensive tape that showcases Holiday’s exceptional understanding on who and how he is guarding someone.

The main technique Holiday implements is using his chest to impede dribble drives. Using his strength and quickness (both attributes that Edgecombe has), Holiday is able to cut off drives and push offensive players in directions that he wants them to.

Studying Holiday defensive tape should be at the forefront for Edgecombe, who has already shown some creative defensive playmaking.

He will have opportunities to get in position to rebound to secure or revive possessions.

Think about how many times Josh Hart had a heartbreaking offensive rebound:

If Edgecombe goes stretches without touching the ball due to the magnificence of his teammates, he should be able to showcase his nuclear athleticism and strength to barge in for contested rebounds that get the Sixers a fresh 14 second shot clock, or wrap up a defensive possession to head the other way.

He’ll be able to become hyperfocused on tendencies of other teams to blow up plays on defense, and where he can make an impact on offense without having to touch the ball.

Edgecombe just turned 21 years old in July, he still has the mileage on his legs to play heavy minutes and do these things well enough that it will be a struggle for Nurse to take him off the court.

Of course, it will benefit him if he can continue to improve his shooting and knock down the shots that come to him, but even during his rookie year, he rarely shied away from shooting the three even if they were not falling. 

For a second-year player who looks like he’ll have a long NBA career, these developmental years do not have to be linear in terms of scoring and offensive output. 

The idea that Edgecombe will come away from this upcoming season a worse player than before is asinine if he continues to be a sponge to those around him.

There’s no real bench mark numbers for Edgecombe to hit this season. If the Sixers are winning, he is happy. If the Sixers are winning, he’s likely learning. And if he’s learning, then the development will come and by year four, five, or six, he will be poised to become a complete monster in the NBA for the rest of his career. 

If I had a nickel for every time Jeanie Buss took her family to court, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s odd that it’s happened twice.

Jeanie has officially filed a petition to block the family’s sale of the Lakers, a move that became public on Tuesday. It’s the second time Jeanie has taken her siblings to court over matters relating to the Lakers.

The 97-page(!!) petition includes a whole host of things including Jeanie calling the actions of her siblings “devious behavior” and stating that she “never agreed to any sale, was never consulted and was never even informed,” all reported by Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the LA Times.

“Jeanie thought she had put all of her siblings’ scheming and manipulations behind her in 2017,” the petition reads. “Sadly, that was not the case — and Jeanie must respectfully request relief from this Court a second time.”

Among five points on the petition, Jeanie hopes to declare her siblings’ votes to sell the team void, remove Janie and Joey as co-trustees for “breach of fiduciary duty” and hold both in contempt of court and hold Jim, Johnny and Jesse in contempt and liable for “aiding and abetting.”

Jeanie’s stance is based on that 2017 ruling, which backed her as the family attempted what was effectively a coup to get her out as owner after she fired Jim Buss from the front office.

Two other parts of Jeanie’s petition are that she believes the franchise is being undervalued with the sale and that the price will only continue to go up. On top of that, she also has the backing of the two other minority owners, Patrick Soon-Shiong and Ed Roski.

The petition adds that Lakers minority owners Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns the L.A. Times and said he plans to hold onto his 4% stake in the Lakers, and Ed Roski Jr. believe Jeanie is “the right person to continue as controlling owner and NBA governor of the Lakers to help preserve and continue to grow the value of the Lakers stock investments.”

Perhaps the worst news is that the court date is slated for Nov. 5, which means we’re still far from a resolution, barring an unlikely out-of-court settlement.

So, buckle up, folks. We’re gonna be here a while.

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

Jeanie Buss, controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, has filed a petition with the Los Angeles County Superior Court to block her five siblings from selling the family’s share of the team.

The potential sale would end Buss’ ability to run the franchise as she has since her father died in 2013.

The petition is composed not strictly by legal arguments to block her five siblings’ vote to sell the family’s 17.8% stake in the team. It’s also an attack on their efforts to do so.

She accuses them of “devious behavior’’ and for trying to carry out a “scheme” to circumvent her and violate the family trust.

Jeanie Buss also says three of her siblings – Jim, Johnny and Jesse – should be held in contempt of court and that her two other siblings, Joey and Janie, should show cause why they should not be held in contempt of court.

A longtime family feud resurfaced Aug. 12 after Mark Walter, controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, agreed to sell the Lakers to venture capitalist Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger at a $12.5 billion valuation, the most ever paid for a U.S. professional sports franchise.

Attorney Adam Streisand, who represents Jeanie Buss, said in a declaration filed with the court that on Aug. 17 ESPN reported all six Buss siblings had voted to sell the team and Jeanie Buss was “out’’ as controlling owner. The report was considered part of the "scheme,'' according to the petition.

On Aug. 18, ESPN published a story reporting five of the siblings, with the exception of Jeanie, were united in their decision to sell the team. That would have a direct impact on her role with the Lakers.

The family must own at least 15% of the team for Jeanie Buss to remain controlling owner.

Tale of finances

The matter dates back to 1979, when Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers for $67.5 million and turned the team into one of the most storied franchises in sports. Upon his death in 2013, all six of his children were given equal shares of his stake in the team and Jeanie was named his successor.

In 2017, Jeanie Buss filed a lawsuit accusing two of her brothers, Jim and Johnny, of trying to oust her as controlling owner. A court order affirmed she was the controlling owner and directed the family co-trustee to take “all actions reasonably available’’ to ensure that continued. That year, Jeanie fired Jim Buss as the team's head of basketball operations

In June 2025, the Buss family agreed to sell the majority of the Lakers to Walter on a valuation of $10 billion, and the sale took into account Jeanie Buss' position with the team.

According to Jeanie Buss’ petition, “Specifically, the co-trustees enabled each beneficiary to receive substantial wealth while preserving the Buss family’s ownership interest in the Lakers above the 15% threshold required for Jeanie to remain Controlling Owner, and while securing a contractual commitment from the new owner to maintain Jeanie as Controlling Owner for at least five years, through October 30, 2030.’’

Jeanie Buss' track record

The Lakers have won 17 NBA championships, more than any team but the Boston Celtics, who have won 18.

But since Jerry Buss died in 2013, the Lakers have won just one championship. And after his death, the Lakers failed to make the playoffs for six consecutive seasons.

There is no mention of the team’s struggles in a section of the petition outlining Jeanie Buss’ successes as controlling owner.

The petition states, “During her tenure, among other of her extraordinary achievements, she overhauled the front office, signed LeBron James, traded for Anthony Davis, and delivered the 2020 Championship, becoming the first female Controlling Owner to win an NBA title, before obtaining Luka Dončić and while growing the Lakers to a record valuation for an NBA franchise.’’

The $12.5 billion Kushner and Iger have agreed to pay for the team reflects the massive growth of the team’s value – from their father’s purchase of $67.5 million, not to mention a growth of 25% in about a year.

According to the petition, two of the Lakers' minority owners, Patrick Soon-Shiong and Ed Roski Jr., “have made the determination, as has Jeanie, that the value of Lakers stock will continue to increase over the value of the stock in the current proposed offer…and, for that reason, they have no intent to sell their Lakers stock at this time.’’

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers legal saga continues: Jeanie Buss accuses siblings of 'devious behavior' in petition

Draymond Green wasn’t shy about revealing his true feelings about the NBA salary cap.

During his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” he spoke about the Denver Nuggets’ decision to trade Peyton Watson due to salary restrictions and told basketball fans that if they didn’t like it, to “Shut the hell up.”

“I saw a lot of people saying, ‘Aww man, it’s unfair that they drafted Peyton Watson, they built him up, they helped him grow, and now they have to trade him away because of the salary cap,” Green said.

A week ago, Watson was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, in part of a four-team trade that resulted in him receiving a four-year, $88 million contract extension.

The decision to move Watson came with the Nuggets being $1.3 million over the second apron of the NBA luxury tax threshold, with two open roster spots.

With Denver having to make a tough decision, Green said that he’s seen the Warriors make their share of tough moves in order to keep him playing alongside Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson.

“Decisions had to be made with our roster, due to the Golden State Warriors drafting those teams,” Green said. “There are no breaks for drafting a guy and improving from within. You don’t pick up tax breaks and different things. You hit that tax, you’re gonna get taxed.”

Despite the Warriors having to make harsh decisions like moving on from young players like Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney, Golden State has managed to find ways to sign big fish during free agency.

Less than a month after they were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors paired their beloved trio with Kevin Durant.

The four of them went on to win two NBA Finals in 2017 and 2018, where Durant was crowned the Finals MVP in both of them.

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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Warriors fans and fans across the country.

The Golden State Warriors went a few months without making any roster moves other than re-signing their own players. Finally, earlier this week, the Dubs ended that drought in a flurry, as they filled out their roster by signing high-scoring guard Brandon Williams and veteran forward Georges Niang.

There’s a lot to like about each move. Williams gives the Dubs some much-needed scoring, especially while Jimmy Butler III is out, while Niang is a trusty veteran presence who is well-rounded and fits the system.

There’s also a bit to criticize, less with the individual players and more with the fact that Golden State perhaps hasn’t really moved the needle this summer.

So, Dub Nation — how do you feel about these signings?

Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys:

Former Florida guard Xaivian Lee is officially headed back to college basketball. After going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft and spending the summer with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lee has committed to Gonzaga, according to On3’s Joe Tipton, giving Mark Few another experienced playmaker for the upcoming season. 

The veteran guard participated in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas but will instead return to the college ranks after entering the transfer portal. His decision gives Gonzaga one of the most accomplished guards available, while providing Lee another opportunity to boost his NBA stock.

$19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage

Earlier this summer, Lee signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Cleveland shortly after going undrafted in June, earning an opportunity to compete during Summer League. Across five appearances with the Cavaliers, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 16 minutes per game while shooting 40% from the field.

However, his outside shooting never quite found a rhythm. Lee connected on just 21.4% of his 3-point attempts during Summer League while posting a minus-1 plus-minus across his five contests. Although he showed flashes as a facilitator and playmaker, the performance ultimately wasn’t enough to keep him on the NBA track for now.

Instead, Lee will return to the college game after one season at Florida. He transferred to Gainesville last offseason following three standout years at Princeton, where he established himself as one of the Ivy League’s premier players. 

Lee earned back-to-back First Team All-Ivy League honors and became the first player in Princeton history to record a triple-double before making the jump to the defending national champions. That’s what Gonzaga will be expecting with his addition. 

While sharing the ball with a veteran Florida roster, Lee averaged 11.6 points, 4.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. His 147 assists led the Gators, while his 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked among the SEC’s best as Florida captured the SEC regular-season championship and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Prior to arriving at Florida, Lee showcased his ability as a primary offensive option at Princeton. During his junior season with the Tigers, he averaged 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists while emerging as one of the nation’s most versatile guards.

NBA evaluators have praised Lee’s offensive creativity, court vision and ability to create shots off the dribble. However, questions surrounding his size, defensive consistency and outside shooting contributed to him going undrafted this summer. Now, Lee will look to answer those questions at Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs have developed a reputation for preparing experienced guards for the professional ranks. With this decision, Lee will have another opportunity to showcase his offensive skill set in one of college basketball’s premier programs. 

After taking his shot at the NBA, he’ll return to Spokane with hopes of leading Gonzaga on another deep postseason run while improving his draft stock for 2027. Time will tell if he’s successful in his quest. 

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and X (formerly Twitter) account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

The Golden State Warriors won't leave any shadow of a doubt that they want their franchise leader Stephen Curry to finish his career in the Bay Area.

Curry officially becomes extension-eligible on Saturday, Aug. 29 and sign a deal that takes him into the twilight of his career. That's been the dialogue.

General manager Mike Dunleavy publicly expressed that Curry playing with the Warriors until he hangs up the jersey has always been the message in their conversations.

"That's always been sort of what we discussed, and I think that's you know tracking quite well," Dunleavy told reporters earlier this month. "Obviously, he's eligible for an extension coming up at the end of this month, and you know we'll talk through all that stuff and can't speak on it much right now."

Both sides are expected to "engage with a mutual desire to keep Curry with the Warriors for the entirety of his career," according to ESPN's Anthony Slater.

Curry, 38, is on a one-year veteran extension contract that he signed last August that pays him $62.5 million in the 2026-27 season, according to Spotrac.

The Warriors have rounded out their roster with their two remaining spots after signing veteran forward Georges Niang and fifth-year backup guard Brandon Williams to a Golden State nucleus that returned many of its players from the previous season.

With five weeks to go until training camp and a roster now completely filled, the next thing is securing Curry's legacy remains with the Warriors. A task, which has been reassured by the team, will indeed happen.

"I'm pretty confident Steph will finish his career here," Dunleavy said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors to discuss contract extension with Steph Curry this weekend

We are deep into the doldrums of the NBA off season with over a month to go until training camp. To fill in the gap, we have enjoyed doing bracket-style tournaments over the years, and this year, we will be determining who the biggest Spurs villain of all time is. With the help of you and our staff, we have created four categories of eight for a total of 32 participants. Readers will vote for the biggest villain in a poll, and the winner of each match-up will advance to the next round, with the eventual winner crowned as the Biggest Spurs Villain of all time. Here are the four categories:

• Spurs Killers — players who have ruined playoff series and/or made devastating shots or plays that will haunt our minds for all eternity. (Note: this is not necessarily superstars who gave everyone trouble all the time, but a few are included for specific events.)
• Former Spurs — players who once played for the Spurs but became villains either because of betrayal, trash talk, they hate on the Spurs, etc.
• Dirty Players — players who committed dirty plays against the Spurs, injured (or attempted to injure) a Spur or altered a playoff match-up, and we will never forgive them.
• Spurs Haters — a more open category that can include players as well as coaches, owners, etc. from outside the organization who openly and publicly trashed the Spurs for various reasons.

Today, we are starting with Round 1 of Spurs Killers. Without further ado, let’s get voting!

1. Derek Fisher vs. 8. Chris Paul

These two need no introduction. First we have Derek Fisher, who across multiple teams and playoff series gave the Spurs plenty of trouble. Most infamously was the still-controversial 0.4 shot in ‘04, which came right after a huge shot by Tim Duncan to take the lead with 0.4 second left, and won the crucial Game 5 of the Western Conference Semi-finals for the Lakers and eventually the series, ending the Spurs’ chance of a repeat and giving them a series loss to the Lakers in three out of the last four years. To this day, questions linger if the clock started on time, and there was even a 0.4 rule created that stated it is physically impossible to get a jump shot off in less than 0.4 sec, and anything less means a player can only tip the ball.

But that isn’t all Fisher has done. There was also the Spurs’ 2008 loss to the Lakers in the Conference Finals, which again ended their chance at the elusive repeat. A big argument can be made that he fouled Brent Barry on the game-winning attempt of Game 4, which sent the series back to LA with the Spurs down 3-1. And of course, he was a pest in their 2012 Conference Finals loss to the Thunder, although the biggest pest of that series is also on this list.

Then there’s Chris Paul, who was always a thorn in the Spurs’ side and constantly battled with Tony Parker for the title of top PG in the West, if not the league. His lower seed is aided by the fact that the Spurs usually still had his number (despite a grueling seven-game series victory over the Hornets in 2008) and being a Spur himself just a season ago, but he still had his moment in Game 7 of the first round of 2015, hitting a prayer over Duncan to win the series and again spoil the Spurs’ chance at a repeat. (I see a theme developing here…)

4. Serge Ibaka vs. 5. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby

These two could probably be seeded either way, but that’s what voting is for. (Personally, I’m still a bit more bothered by 2012 than 2026; perhaps it’s a case of “running out of time” vs. “we’re just getting started”.) In the fourth seed, we have the aforementioned Spurs killer of 2012. They had been on a historic 20-game winning streak, including the last 10 games of the regular season and first 10 of the playoffs before hitting a brick wall against the Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.

A big part of that was the play of prime Serge Ibaka, whose athleticism proved to be their kryptonite. (The Thunder even chose him over James Harden in free agency after this series, in case anyone forgot.) The Spurs just couldn’t do anything right the rest of the series, flaming out in spectacular fashion. They would later run into the same Thunder team in the 2014 WCF and face a similar scenario of going 2-2 in the first four games. This time they pulled it out in Games 5 and 6, but Ibaka missed the first two games and was then limited by a calf strain.

As for the fifth seed, I struggled whether to go with one player or the 2026 Knicks in general (they were just a bad matchup), but it was these two in particular who sank the Spurs (beyond their own mistakes). Brunson didn’t have a great shooting series overall but always came up clutch in their fourth-quarter comebacks, and Anunoby handed the Spurs the devastating blow in Game 4 by tipping in Brunson’s missed three just before the buzzer, capping off a 33-point night and handing the Spurs the biggest blown lead in Finals history of 29 points.

2. Ray Allen vs. 7. Dirk Nowitzki

Again, no introduction needed. “The Shot” by Ray Allen in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals remains one of the most iconic plays in Finals history and the one that haunts my mind the most. The Spurs had that championship all but clinched, Heat fans were leaving the arena, and staff was setting up for the trophy ceremony before a couple of Spurs blunders (players and coaching) combined with this devastating shot off an offensive rebound sent the game to overtime and the Spurs too stunned to recover. At least it led to The Redemption of 2014.

As for Nowitzki, he wasn’t a Spurs killer all the time since they had Tim Duncan to counter him, but there certainly were some epic playoff match-ups between the rival Spurs and Mavs. 2003 could have gone differently if Dirk was healthy, and both teams traded blows in 2009 and 2010, with the lower seed upsetting the upper in each case. The Mavs also gave the Spurs a good wakeup call in 2014, but his real killer moment came in 2006. Maybe it was more the Spurs’ fault (hence the lower seed), but in Game 7 of the second round, with the Spurs up by three late, Manu Ginobili made the mistake of fouling Nowitzki on a two-point attempt. He converted the three-point play, and the Mavs went on to win the series in overtime, AGAIN costing the Spurs a chance to repeat.

3. Hakeem Olajuwon vs. 6. Zach Randolph

We’re looking back a little further to 1995 for the first one, when the 6th-seeded (but defending champion) Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, spoiled the Spurs’ only real shot at a title pre-Tim Duncan. Feeling snubbed by David Robinson winning MVP, The Dream dominated and out-performed The Admiral in a WCF upset, averaging 35.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game compared to Robinson’s 23.8 points and 11.3 rebounds. Even though he won two championships with Duncan a few years later, it remains a stain on David’s legacy that he never won one on his own.

Finally, we have the Spurs’ biggest playoff upset of all time, when they lost as the top seed to the 8th-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in Round 1 in 2011. It’s another case of we could just say “2011 Grizzlies”, but Randolph was the real killer, with his physical play in the low post exposing a size mismatch that the already-injured Spurs struggled to contain. (Reminder: Manu was their best player that year but was playing through a broken elbow.) On the upside, it forced a few changes: Duncan realized he needed to transform his body to keep up, and the Spurs realized they needed more size and defense, leading Gregg Popovich to move away from DeJuan Blair to Tiago Splitter (albeit too late for this series) and the draft-night trade for Kawhi Leonard.

The Warriors are set to honor late NBA coach Don Nelson this season by wearing a band across the shoulder of their uniforms that reads “NELLIE.”

Golden State announced the new patch Wednesday for Nelson, who died Aug. 9.

Warriors to honor Don Nelson with ‘Nellie’ band on jersey throughout the 2026-27 season: pic.twitter.com/tjChEynYAc

— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) August 26, 2026

Nelson had two coaching stints with the Warriors (1988-1995 and 2006-2010) and had 422 regular-season victories with the franchise.

During his Golden State tenure, the Warriors reached the playoffs six times and made it to the Western Conference finals three times.

Prior to coaching Golden State, Nelson had a successful tenure with the Bucks, leading Milwaukee to a 540-344 record from November 1976 to May 1987.

In 2010, Nelson became the NBA’s all-time winningest coach and eventually fell to second on that list in 2022, when Gregg Popovich surpassed him. Nelson had 1,335 regular-season victories, and Popovich had 1,390.

Although Nelson never won an NBA Finals, one of his most iconic moments as a coach came in 2007 when he sparked his Golden State team with “We believe.” The Warriors eliminated a 67-win Mavericks team from the playoffs and became the first eighth-seeded team to eliminate a top-seeded team in a seven-game playoff series.

The game differential of the Warriors over the Mavericks went on to become the largest by a team to do so in a playoff series.

Nelson’s final major contribution to the Warriors came in 2009, when he laid the foundation for the franchise’s dynasty.

At the time, it was viewed as a “long shot,” but the Warriors selected Steph Curry with the seventh overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft based on Nelson’s recommendation. The franchise went on to win four NBA titles in 2015, 2018, 2018 and 2022 behind the game’s greatest shooter.

Wednesday afternoon, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that after months of the Jonathan Kuminga sweepstakes, 23-year-old has decided to join the Minnesota Timberwolves on a two year, $13 million dollar deal.

BREAKING: Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus a player option, agent Aaron Turner tells ESPN. Kuminga will be a starter alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on the West contender. pic.twitter.com/KdtD6YEy9j

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 26, 2026

The Timberwolves had long reported interest in Kuminga. According to Charania and The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, Anthony Edwards, Chris Finch and Tim Connelly all spoke with Kuminga in an effort to recruit him to Minnesota. This news comes after Minnesota missed out on LeBron James in that free agency hunt and were forced to pivot elsewhere.

After trading both Naz Reid and Julius Randle this offseason, it left a large hole in the roster at the power forward position. Much has been discussed on Wolves social media circles, but it’s Kuminga who will take up the mantle and start alongside Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert, giving them a larger wing who can soak up minutes at the four spot.

Kuminga averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on .463/.333/.724 splits in his career with the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks. Kuminga struggled to find his niche for the Warriors after arriving their as the seventh overall pick, notably the pick that the Timberwolves traded away in the Andrew Wiggins and D’Angelo Russell. He showed flashes of top end talent, but just could not carve out a role for himself in Golden State.

He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks at the deadline and Atlanta opted against bringing him back this season.

Jonathan Kuminga will step right in to a ready-made power forward slot with a chip on his shoulder, needing to still prove himself in the NBA landscape. More in depth analysis will be needed before projecting his true role with the team, having a player with his athleticism and skill while getting them for so cheap is huge for the Timberwolves aspirations this season. He does come with question marks on the defensive end, as well as figuring out his best place amongst a winning culture, but the talent is undeniable.

He’ll certainly get his chance to prove himself this year.

It is also important to note that Minnesota cannot sign Kuminga for the reported amount currently. They will need to find a trade or another route to shed some salary in order to fit this contract on their team. More moves will soon be on the docket!

Minnesota will need to make a roster move to fit the Kuminga $6.1M salary below the second apron.

The deadline to stretch a player is Saturday. https://t.co/QdK6Nm6LJrpic.twitter.com/GzG5RSWYCW

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 26, 2026

The Buss family’s conflict over ownership of the Lakers has become a legal battle. 

Jeanie Buss, the franchise’s governor, filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court this week, looking to block her siblings’ attempted sale of their minority ownership stake of the franchise. 

Five of the Buss siblings who are part of the Buss family trust — Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss — voted to sell the rest of the family’s 17.8% ownership stake of the Lakers to soon-to-be majority owners Josh Kushner and Bob Iger.

Kushner and Iger agreed to purchase the majority shares of the Lakers from Mark Walter for a valuation of $12.5 billion, less than a year after Walter bought the Lakers from the Buss family at a valuation of $10 billion. 

Jeanie Buss called her siblings’ behavior “devious” in the petition, obtained by the California Post on Wednesday, which stated Jeanie was “blinded” by the attempted sale and that the family’s statement provided to ESPN last week was “knowingly false: Jeanie never agreed to any sale, was never consulted, and was never even informed.”

A court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 5, according to the 97-page petition.

“Jeanie thought she had put all of her siblings’ scheming and manipulations behind her in 2017,” the petition stated. “Sadly, that was not the case — and Jeanie must respectfully request relief from this Court a second time.”

The petition includes five orders:

1. Instructing trustees to comply with 2017 court order; 
2. Declaring purported trustee resolution void;
3. Surcharging and removing co-trustees Joey H. Buss and Janie M. Buss for breach of fiduciary duty;
4. Holding Joey H. Buss and Janie M. Buss in contempt of court; 
5. Holding James, Johnny and Jesse Buss in contempt and liable for aiding and abetting.

Jeanie Buss, the third-oldest child of the late Dr. Jerry Buss, first made it clear she opposed her siblings’ vote to sell the family’s share of the Lakers, according to a letter from her lawyer, Adam Streisand, which was obtained by The Post, arguing her siblings can’t legally execute a sale without her approval and that any vote of the Buss family selling would be “void.”

To remain the Lakers governor, Jeanie or the Buss family would need to maintain control of at least 15% of the franchise, per NBA rules.

She has been team’s governor since 2013 after Jerry’s death.

When Walter purchased the majority ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family, the league announced that Buss would remain the team’s governor for at least five years (through 2030).

Iger told The Post last week he and Kushner intended to honor the agreement made between Walter and Buss. 

Streisand’s original letter to lawyers for the other siblings demanded that they retract the announcement of the proposed sale, insisting that rules of the family trust and a 2017 court ruling make clear that Jeanie Buss will remain a controlling owner of the team for life.

Jeanie Buss argued her attempting to stop her siblings’ sale of the Lakers, which would prevent her from continuing as the franchise’s governor, is not only a way to “enforce her parents’ intent” but also “protect the strategic decision by the trustees less than a year ago to sell a portion of the team and retain an interest sufficient to maintain control and to benefit from the continuously skyrocketing value.”

The petition also states that other minority owners support Jeanie Buss staying as governor.

“[Patrick] Soon-Shiong and [Ed] Roski [Jr.] have made the determination, as has Jeanie, that the value of Lakers stock will continue to increase over the value of the stock in the current proposed offer for the purchase by a group led by Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner of Lakers stock owned by Mark Walter,” the petition states. “And, for that reason, they have no intent to sell their Lakers stock at this time.

“They also believe that Jeanie is the right person to continue as the Controlling Owner and NBA Governor of the Lakers to help preserve and continue to grow the value of their Lakers stock investments.”

The sale from Walter to Kushner and Iger isn’t expected to be impacted by the Buss family’s litigation.

One of the final pieces of the NBA offseason has fallen into place.

Free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves worth $12.4 million, his agent told ESPN. The second season is a player option.

In late June, the Hawks declined Kuminga’s $24.3 million team option, making him a free agent. The Lakers had been linked to Kuminga this offseason, but their cap situation made acquiring him complicated − though they did offer Kuminga a three-year deal worth more than $12 million per season, according to ESPN.

With the Timberwolves, Kuminga gets the chance to start alongside Anthony Edwards and newly-acquired guard LaMelo Ball, providing another scoring and slashing threat. An increased role had been a priority for Kuminga, who had started just 24 games across the last two seasons.

The deal represents a chance for Kuminga to bet on himself, with a potential opportunity to hit the open market next offseason, when teams are expected to have an influx of salary cap space to spend. For that to happen, Kuminga would need to decline his player option for 2027-28 and become an unrestricted free agent. Should Kuminga play well this season in Minnesota, it could set him up for a more lucrative, long-term deal.

Kuminga, 23, is set to enter his sixth year in the league, but is nonetheless very young despite his experience in the NBA.

In fact, Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg — the No. 11 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft playing for Kuminga’s old team — is actually six days older than Kuminga.

The weakness in Kuminga’s game is his perimeter shooting — he converted just 33.3% of his 3-point attempts last season — and defense. The Timberwolves will need to mask some of those defensive deficiencies, but they are well equipped to do so with stoppers like forward Jaden McDaniels and center Rudy Gobert.

The Timberwolves had been missing a forward after they traded Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in late June. Kuminga, who is 6-foot-7, appears poised to inherit that spot.

Across 36 games last season, Kuminga averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jonathan Kuminga signing with Timberwolves: What deal means

Jeanie Buss is taking her siblings to court. Again.

Attorneys representing the Lakers’ controlling governor filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday to block her five siblings from trying to sell the family’s remaining 17.82% of the NBA franchise the Buss family has owned since 1979.

Jeanie contends that her siblings should abide by a 2017 court order that mandated the family’s co-trustees to “take all actions reasonably available to ensure that Jeanie is appointed and remains as the NBA controlling owner of the Lakers.” The 2017 legal battle installed Jeanie’s younger siblings, Janie and Joey, as her fellow co-trustees, two roles that were previously held by her older brothers Jim and Johnny, who were ousted after a failed attempt to wrestle control away from Jeanie.

The 97-page petition accuses Janie, Joey and the other siblings Jim, Johnny and Jesse of “devious behavior” for not including Jeanie in discussions to sell the family’s last stakes in the team earlier this month. While the other siblings elected to sell soon after Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner agreed to a record-breaking transaction with Mark Walter and released a statement attributed to the Buss family, Jeanie “never agreed to any sale, was never consulted and was never even informed,” the petition states.

Read more:Inside the Buss family's long, painful history of sibling rivalries running the Lakers

“Jeanie thought she had put all of her siblings’ scheming and manipulations behind her in 2017,” the petition reads. “Sadly, that was not the case — and Jeanie must respectfully request relief from this Court a second time.”

Among five points on the petition, Jeanie hopes to declare her siblings’ votes to sell the team void, remove Janie and Joey as co-trustees for “breach of fiduciary duty” and hold both in contempt of court and hold Jim, Johnny and Jesse in contempt and liable for “aiding and abetting.”

Jeanie, the third-oldest child of former Lakers owner Jerry Buss, was hand-picked by the family patriarch to oversee his prized investment that grew from a $67.5-million purchase into a $12.5-billion world-renowned brand. Iger, the former Disney chief executive, and Kushner, founder of a venture capital firm, bought a majority stake of the Lakers from Walter earlier this month at a record valuation, and reports of five of the Buss siblings’ plans to sell their ownership stake in the team came days later.

To remain on the NBA board of governors, Jeanie would need to own at least 15% of the team. She was to stay in the leadership role for at least the next four seasons after the Buss family relinquished control of the team to Walter in 2025.

That unique aspect of the 2025 sale “demonstrated the co-trustees could fulfill their duties under the trust — and honor Dr. Buss’s intent — while also delivering extraordinary financial returns to the beneficiaries,” the petition states.

Jeanie contends that not only is her latest fight to maintain her governor role a way to “enforce of her parents’ intent,” but the petition says Jeanie also believes remaining the governor can “protect the strategic decision by the trustees less than a year ago to sell a portion of the team and retain an interest sufficient to maintain control and to benefit from the continuously skyrocketing value.”

Read more:Jeanie Buss contests family sale of Lakers ownership stake to Bob Iger, Joshua Kushner

Since Jerry Buss built the Lakers into the NBA’s most glamorous franchise during four decades of stewardship, the team will now have a third controlling owner in as many years. Walter, who previously owned a minority stake in the team, took majority control in 2025 when the team was valued at $10 billion. His reign was short-lived; he shockingly sold his shares of the team to Iger and Kushner for a 25% profit 14 months after Walter’s purchase offer was accepted by the Buss family trust.

The sale from Walter to Iger and Kushner is not expected to be affected by the Buss family’s legal proceedings, according to a source close to the matter but not authorized to speak publicly.

The petition adds that Lakers minority owners Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns the Los Angeles Times and said he plans to hold onto his 4% stake in the Lakers, and real estate developer Ed Roski Jr. believe Jeanie is “the right person to continue as controlling owner and NBA governor of the Lakers to help preserve and continue to grow the value of the Lakers stock investments.”

The Lakers functioned as a family-run business for decades under the Buss family. Each child held different roles, but Jeanie is now the only one left at the organization. Jim and Johnny were ousted in 2017. Janie, Joey and Jesse were all fired soon after Walter’s sale was approved in November. Joey was the chief executive of the G League affiliate South Bay Lakers and Jesse was the Lakers’ director of scouting. Janie led the organization’s charity efforts. ESPN reported that Jim and Johnny had returned to roles with the team and were among those fired in November.

After Jeanie and her legal team announced their intention to contest the siblings’ attempt to sell, the five other siblings released a statement saying they were “united” in their decision and intended to “move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and through appropriate process.”

Read more:Why have private equity firms taken an interest in buying professional sports teams?

“The Los Angeles Lakers have never been just a basketball team,” the statement released Aug. 18 continued. “They have been one of the greatest privileges of our lives. Our focus has always been on what we believe is best for the Lakers, the fans who have supported this franchise for generations and the greater Los Angeles community.”

A court hearing to review the request is scheduled for Nov. 5, according to the petition. The Lakers will be two weeks into their season at the time.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with free agent wing Jonathan Kuminga, according to a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania. They will use the taxpayer mid-level exception for the signing, which does mean they will likely trade Donte DiVincenzo or Josh Green or waive-and-stretch Green to create the space they need below the second apron.

Kuminga’s free agency has lingered into the late summer for the second consecutive offseason, and he has ultimately settled for a somewhat underwhelming deal. Per the report, Kuminga will be the Wolves starting power forward alongside LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert.

Selected by the Warriors with the seventh-overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga was a favorite of Golden State’s front office, especially team chairman Joe Lacob. Kuminga’s tenure with the team had plenty of highs and lows. As a rookie, Kuminga was a solid member of the Dubs rotation, including some highlight-filled postseason performances in Golden State’s path to the 2021-22 championship. However, as Dub Nation is well aware, the Warriors were never able to marry Kuminga’s development with the team’s short-term goals to build a contender around Steph Curry. A combination of injuries, an inconsistent three-point shot, and erratic effort on defense and rebounding kept Kuminga from becoming a trusted member of head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation.

Kuminga and the Warriors contemplated sign-and-trades last offseason when he was a restricted free agent, but while the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings made him offers that included more that $60 million in guarantees, neither team offered the Warriors enough to make a trade. Without a team willing to make him an offer sheet, Kuminga was forced to re-sign a one-year, $23.8 million deal with a team option.

The Warriors finally ended Kuminga’s tenure prior to the trade deadline, dealing him to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis. Injuries limited both players with their new teams. Porzingis averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 0.6 steals in 23.7 minutes per game on 43.3%/31.1%/84.4% shooting across 15 games with the Warriors. He ultimately re-signed a two-year, $40 million deal which has just $23 million guaranteed.

Kuminga, on the other hand, averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 47.6%/34.6%/70.2% shooting in 16 regular-season games with the Hawks (22.1 minutes per game). Despite some playoff highlights, Kuminga’s team option was declined by Atlanta who ultimately let him depart in free agency for nothing.

Kuminga will not join arguably the most volatile starting lineup in the league. Edwards is the lone bonafide star on a largely remade roster. Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels return as defensive anchors with McDaniels hoping to build on some explosive playoff performances. However, the Wolves traded two key contributors (Naz Reid and Julius Randle), replacing them with Ball, an All-Star caliber player hampered by injuries and questions about his late-game decisionmaking and defensive effort, and Kuminga an even more unproven piece. Minnesota may be the most high-risk/high-reward team in the Western Conference.