LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 12: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets after being asked to leave the game for arguing during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Five of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 12, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country.
Russell Westbrook recently retired. He spent a season as a Houston Rocket, where he averaged 27.2 points, 7 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game on 47.2 percent from the field and 25.8 percent from deep. The Rockets finished 44-28 and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the West Semis of the bubble playoffs. The Rockets then collapsed into a rebuild the following season. The Rockets have dealt with the fallout from that lopsided trade since then.
The Rockets initially sent Chris Paul, two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Thunder, then dealt him away the following season for John Wall.
What we want to know is, do you consider the Westbrook deal the worst in Rockets history? The numbers look good, but Russ was a terrible fit for Houston’s system because he couldn’t shoot.
Some other bad deals were Charles Barkley being sent to Houston from Phoenix for fan favorites Sam Cassell, Robery Horry, and Chucky Brown. The Rockets then lost all their depth and never made it back to the Finals.
Reigning MVP Moses Malone was sent from Houston to Philly for a first-round pick and center Caldwell Jones in 1982. Jones averaged 9 points per night the following season, while Malone won another MVP and led Philly to a title.
There was also the Ty Lawson deal in 2015 where the Rockets sent four bench players and first round pick to Denver, only to have Lawson wash out immediately.
There are others, but we want you to decide. Was Russ the worst or someone else?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results!
Lonzo Ball has played seven seasons in the NBA, but his career hasn’t panned out how the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft likely envisioned it.
“I think he had a huge influence on it, bro,” Ball said of Lavar’s involvement on the “Curious Mike” podcast with Michael Porter Jr. “To be honest… I think he damn near made it to where they had to pick me. Really, to a point, I really do feel like that.”
The Lakers passed on drafting Jayson Tatum, who went No. 3 to the Boston Celtics that year. Fans have not forgotten the Lakers missing out on Tatum, but the team eventually used Ball along with Brandon Ingram as key assets in the trade that brought Anthony Davis to LA.
Ball’s two seasons with the Lakers were tainted by Lavar’s antics, including public criticism of then-head coach Luke Walton.
The guard — older brother to LiAngelo and recently traded All-Star point guard LaMelo — was also forced to wear basketball shoes from Lavar’s Big Baller Brand’s, which Lonzo felt were not ready to be used for competitive play.
Lonzo Ball regrets how much control his father, Lavar, had of his early NBA career. Getty Images
“It wasn’t a basketball shoe, bro. It wasn’t ready to be used. So I tried to play in it, but they would rip and pop out like every quarter,” Ball said on Porter’s podcast.
“DMo [Darren Moore, Ball’s manager] had backup shoes in his backpack that he would give me right over the bench if they would blow out. I’m like, ‘I can’t play like this, bro.’ And right when I changed my shoes, I started playing great again.
“I didn’t like the shoes. I addressed it. I didn’t like the shoes. But then we would get into an argument and it would be like, damn, if you don’t wear the shoes, then you going against the family type s–t.”
Ball suggested the shoes might have played a role in his early knee injuries, which have been irreversible setbacks throughout his NBA career.
Lavar Ball prioritized growing the family’s Big Baller Brand over his son’s success in the NBA. Getty Images
“I literally was just hooping and following my pops, listening to my pops…I was just doing what I was told really,” Ball said. “I guess that would be my one regret, like taking control of my career earlier.
“The way I was raised was like a blessing and a curse.”
John Fanta is bringing his colorful commentary and immutable energy to multiple NBC Sports properties. Fanta will continue to cover live games as a play-by-play announcer, reporter and studio analyst while adding his own show under the NBC Sports umbrella. See below for more information on how to watch/live stream John Fanta's content.
John Fanta’s new weekly show Fanta in 60 on NBC and Peacock
Fanta in 60 is a 60-minute Monday show hosted by Fanta and NBC Sports betting analyst Jay Croucher. The two will cover a combination of sports and pop culture conversations, speak with guests, and take viewer voicemails.
The show will cover multiple sports, betting, and fantasy analysis. Guests will include talent from across the NBC Sports and entertainment roster, current and former athletes and coaches.
What sports does John Fanta call for NBC and Peacock?
Fanta handles play-by-play for men's and women's college basketball games on NBC and Peacock, calling matchups in the Big Ten, Big East and Big 12. He also served as both a play-by-play announcer and reporter for NBC Sports' NBA coverage.
In addition, Fanta is part of the college football studio team covering the Big Ten and Notre Dame. He has also worked MLB games for NBC Sports as both an announcer and a reporter.
Golden State was looking for some scoring punch with their final roster spot.
They found it in Brandon Williams, who has agreed to join the Warriors on a one-year, $2.6 million minimum contract, Williams' agents Derek Lafayette and Curtis Lawrence told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Williams looked good in an increased role in Dallas last season, where Kyrie Irving was out for the season recovering from a torn ACL, and his short-term replacement, D'Angelo Russell, did not mesh with then-head coach Jason Kidd.
Williams, who plays with the kind of up-tempo pace the Warriors need, averaged 13 points and 3.9 assists per game last season. He's never been a reliable 3-point shooter, 23.2% last season in Dallas, but he's a quality bench guard.
This is a quality addition for the Warriors at the minimum late in the summer. Stephen Curry will start at the point and get the bulk of the minutes, with Williams splitting time with De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II at the one.
This puts the Warriors at 14 guaranteed contracts heading into training camp, and they are expected to keep that 15th slot open in the short term.
Williams averaged a career-high 13 points, 3.9 assists and 22.2 minutes across 66 games for the Dallas Mavericks last season. He shot 47.2% from the field and 23.2% from 3-point range.
Free agent guard Brandon Williams signed a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors. NBAE via Getty Images
The Warriors needed perimeter bench scoring as well as speed. Williams fits the bill.
Throughout his four-year NBA career, Williams has averaged 10.7 points in 19.3 minutes across 140 games (34 starts).
He began his career with the Portland Trail Blazers after going undrafted in 2021. The 26-year-old signed a two-way deal with the Mavericks in December 2023. Williams has gotten most of his exposure to the NBA with Dallas after the deal was converted to a standard NBA contract in April 2025.
Brandon Williams averaged a career-high 13 points last season with the Mavericks. NBAE via Getty ImagesBrandon Williams provides depth and speed to the Warriors roster. NBAE via Getty Images
The Warriors will be without starting guard Moses Moody for the beginning of the 2026-27 season after he suffered a torn left patellar tendon last March.
There were reports earlier this month the Warriors were interested in adding Williams to their roster in an effort to add depth following an injury-plagued season last year.
Golden State has done just that as it rounds out the rest of the roster ahead of training camp in September.
It’s a busy Tuesday for the Warriors, who have added another player in NBA free agency.
Veteran forward Georges Niang and Golden State have agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million contract, his agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Free agent forward Georges Niang has agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Golden State Warriors, Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Niang — a career 40% 3-point shooter — enters his 11th NBA season after missing 2025-26 due to injury. pic.twitter.com/XFD2t1XKNm
After a quiet offseason in which they added no new players to the roster, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy changed that with the additions of Niang and guard Brandon Williams earlier in the day.
Niang, who fills the Warriors’ final roster spot, has 32 starts across his nine-year NBA career, which began after a record-breaking tenure with Iowa State.
Georges Niang completes the Warriors' 15- man roster @NBCSWarriors
Curry Melton Lendeborg Green Porzingis Williams Podziemski Richard Santos Horford Payton II Bassey Niang *Jimmy Butler *Moses Moody
A career 40-percent shooter from 3-point range, Niang last played for the Atlanta Hawks during the 2024-25 NBA season before he was traded to the Utah Jazz and then the Memphis Grizzlies before missing the entire 2025-26 campaign with a foot injury.
First up: Just how dramatic of an impact will LeBron James make?
To start with the basics: James has remained highly productive into his 40s.
He earned his 22nd consecutive All-Star selection last season, averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds. His stats were similar in the playoffs, James closed out the Lakers’ first-round series win over the Rockets by posting 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in Game 6. He is unequivocally still a star player.
Exactly how much will James be on the floor?
He logged 60 games last season and his 33.2 minutes per contest were a career low, although that figure increased to 38.4 per game in the playoffs. James has averaged 59.9 games since the 2017-18 campaign, when he played all 82 in his final season as a Cavalier.
It’s typically difficult to be precise with predictions about availability, but 60 regular-season games would be about par for James. By no means is that a small number, but James presumably won’t be an every-game workhorse.
In terms of his career, James has accumulated more experience than anyone in NBA history. Before he suits up as a Sixer, James has secured the records for games played in both the regular season (1,622) and playoffs (302).
The Sixers appreciate James’ decades of superstar play and four NBA championships as part of the package. Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are former title winners, too.
“We’ve got three guys who have won championships,” Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey said on Aug. 6 after Brown’s introductory press conference. “It’s crazy, we have two Finals MVP and then two regular-season MVPs, too. Having that is invaluable.
“Watching LeBron every day … he’s an everyday guy. There’s obviously going to be a lot of highs and lows throughout the season, but having those three in our locker room — and even (head coach Nick Nurse). People forget Nick won a championship with Toronto, so he’s been through all the wars, he’s been through the big games. Just having that presence and that everyday leadership is going to be valuable for everybody.”
James and Gansey were both Ohio high school basketball standouts the last time the Sixers advanced past the second round of the playoffs, which was 2001. The bottom line of breaking through into deep playoff basketball would certainly count as dramatic change for a franchise accustomed to postseason disappointment.
Opponents tempted to double team Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid should have less luck with James’ passing and problem-solving excellence. Maxey, a combo guard at heart, should play much more off the ball. James should help the Sixers create the mismatches that Brown loves to attack. VJ Edgecombe should have major defensive responsibilities and continued encouragement to grow offensively, all with the ultimate wise veteran in his corner.
The games aren’t played on paper and the Sixers could run into all sorts of troubles throughout the season, but Gansey has built a formidable roster and James is an enormous piece.
However the season unfolds, there will be an intense spotlight on the Sixers and immense interest in the team. If you’re shopping for a James Sixers jersey these days, the line may very well wrap around the corner. He’ll be playing in one soon enough.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks passes the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 21, 2021 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Ahhh, the 2020–21 season. I remember it well. After years as a punchline, the Knicks unexpectedly became competitive under first-year, veteran coach Tom Thibodeau and breakout star Julius Randle. They finished with a winning record, earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and returned to the postseason.
Randle’s stellar season (24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, six assists, All-Star, second-team All-NBA, Most Improved Player) helped the team go from the butt of jokes to something more competent. He was high-usage, physical, available, and visibly invested in the work ethic Thibs demanded. Randle defined the season on April 21, 2021 when—after scoring 40 points and grabbing 11 boards to beat the Hawks in overtime—he famously told the MSG crowd, “We here.”
We loved it, this weird, slippery feeling he brought back to us called hope. The Knicks lost to the Hawks in the first round, but we were undeterred. For the first time in a long time, the hope felt real.
Randle was taken seventh in the 2014 draft by the Lakers. Take a look at how young and unrefined he was back in 2019, at his first media day as a Knickerbocker. He would come a long way in a short time under the bright lights of NYC.
On August 25, 2021, Randle signed a four-year extension worth a reported $117 million with incentives and a player option in the final year. It was the most the Knicks could offer under CBA rules, but a sight less than Randle might have earned by reaching unrestricted free agency in 2022. Had he maintained something close to his All-NBA production, projections put his next deal near five years and $200 million. (I’d love to know how he explained that to Mrs. Randle.)
Randle justified leaving tens of millions on the table by saying he believed the decision would give the Knicks greater flexibility to build a contender. After earlier career stops with the Lakers and Pelicans, where he had not always been happy, Jules wanted to lock into a situation he believed in. The big fella received security, continuity, and a chance to help shape the franchise. And the fanbase received an encouraging sign that sophomore team president Leon Rose was committed to building around what the Knicks already had rather than waiting for a free-agent savior.
The immediate results were a tad worrying, however. Randle regressed in 2021–22, and the Knicks missed the playoffs. The frustration peaked on January 6, 2022, against Boston at Madison Square Garden. After the Knicks fell behind by 25 and heard boos from the crowd, Randle responded to a fourth-quarter bucket with a thumbs-down gesture. Asked afterward what it meant, he replied, “Shut the f*** up.” He later apologized on Instagram, and the NBA fined him $25,000 for the language.
There are many reasons that season went off the rails, including the gamble on Kemba Walker’s knees and the mixed results from Evan Fournier. Randle’s prominence on the team, his mood swings, and his drop in production made him the most obvious target for fans who, less than a year earlier, had such high hopes. There’s that word hope again, the slippery bastard.
Nevertheless, the organization did not regress into perpetual reconstruction. Thibodeau’s culture of toughness and accountability took root around Randle and holdovers such as RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks had begun to resemble a credible basketball operation again, and that mattered in 2022, when they cleared cap space and signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal.
Brunson quickly became the primary creator and eventual face of the franchise (and captain!). Randle adapted to playing alongside him, producing additional All-Star and All-NBA seasons. Success followed.
The Knicks became regular playoff participants while improving the roster through savvy front-office moves. Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and eventually Mikal Bridges joined the group. Then, in October 2024, Randle’s part of the story ended. New York sent him, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and a first-round pick to Minnesota in the three-team trade for Karl-Anthony Towns.
The front office publicly thanked Randle for helping establish the foundation and culture, and the trade showed how far the franchise had advanced. New York could exchange one accomplished All-NBA player for another whose skill set better suited the roster around Brunson. Towns brought size, shooting, and secondary creation to a starting five reinforced by Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart.
That group eventually reached the mountaintop Randle never could as a Knick. Thibodeau was replaced by Mike Brown, who coached the 2025–26 squad to 53 wins, an NBA Cup championship, and the franchise’s first NBA title in five decades. Brunson became Finals MVP, while Towns delivered consistently on the biggest stage.
Five years after the extension, the anniversary is bittersweet. Randle never won the big prize in New York, but our appreciation for his contribution has grown in retrospect. He joined a dysfunctional franchise, restored respectability and expectations, embodied its culture of hard work, and ultimately became a valuable enough asset to help acquire the third-best center in the league (according to The Athletic . . . any guesses whom they put ahead of KAT?).
On the timeline from the crappy years to the championship, Randle’s 2021 extension stands as a pivotal moment. The line extends from there through Brunson’s arrival, the Towns trade, and the hanging of the banner (coming soon!). Randle is back in New York these days, about to start a season with the Brooklyn Nets. If you see him around the city, give him a nod and show some respect. The championship we are celebrating now might not have happened without him.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 25: Brandon Williams #10 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on December 25, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors are adding depth to their backcourt, agreeing to a one-year, $2.6 million contract with free agent guard Brandon Williams.
Free agent guard Brandon Williams has agreed to a one-year, $2.6 million deal to sign with the Golden State Warriors, agents Derek Lafayette and Curtis Lawrence tell ESPN. Williams averaged 13 points, 3.9 assists and 22.2 minutes per night across 66 games for Dallas last season. pic.twitter.com/VcDytjCDKe
Williams, who played for the Dallas Mavericks last season, provided solid rotational production across 66 appearances. During his campaign with Dallas, he averaged 13 points, 3.9 assists, and 22.2 minutes per game, proving to be a reliable spark off the bench.
By bringing in Williams on a manageable one-year deal, Golden State gains an efficient scorer and playmaker capable of stabilizing their second-unit guard rotation. For Williams, the move offers an opportunity to showcase his dynamic playmaking in the Warriors’ motion-heavy system as he looks to build on a breakout year in Dallas.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 08: Vj Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena on May 08, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What, you thought just because Ben Simmons isn’t around here anymore that offseason workout footage went out the window? Our watch never ends, ladies and gentlemen. Philadelphia 76ers second-year guard VJ Edgecombe recently participated in another Rico Hines private run (games to nine points by ones and twos). We had you covered with one from a few days ago and now we’re back for more. Should we be paying this much attention to a glorified workout in a small gym? No, probably not. But it’s August and we’re hoops degenerates. It’s what we do.
Here’s the edited video of the run via YouTube:
If you don’t want to sit through all 25 minutes, I’m going to go through chronologically and list Edgecombe’s highlights here, complete with time stamps.
You can see VJ start by rattling home a three-pointer [2:38 mark]. He hits another at the 3:20 mark, both of the standard catch-and-shoot variety. On the next clip, Edgecombe fakes at the three and when his man presses up, performs a little give-and-go to score on a cut to the hoop for an and-one. At the 3:55 mark, he drains a three off the dribble while bringing the ball up court. VJ then nails another outside shot from the wing [4:26 mark]. Then, in maybe the top highlight of the entire video, Edgecombe performs a nasty spin move off the dribble and draws the foul [5:42 mark]. An audible gasp from those in attention comes through the video recording.
At the 12:46 mark, VJ breaks his man off the dribble and hits a contested baseline jumper. He later blows by his man off the dribble for a dunk [13:57 mark]. At 20:45, he recovers from a bit of a fumbled dribble, and drains a stepback three from the top of the key. Finally, at 21:25, Edgecombe attacks off the dribble from the wing and converts a pull-up mid-range jumper.
I’m no shot doctor, but Edgecombe’s jumper is looking extremely smooth. With the collection of ball handlers on the Sixers roster now, he is going to need to be able to readily knock down open catch-and-shoot looks, and I’m confident he’s up to the challenge. Of course, the on-ball reps are going to come too, despite what the “there’s only one ball” fearmongers would have you believe. Edgecombe got great experience last year in that department and he looks to be continuing to improve there.
Anyway, good to see the 21-year-old continuing to perfect his craft. We also know from an additional camp video this past week, if any NBA opposition tries to throw a curveball at the Sixers in the form of a young child playing defense, VJ will be ready.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 10: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 10, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Brandon Todd/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
62 wins is a high bar to clear. The San Antonio Spurs needed to win 30 of their last 34 games to get over 60 wins last season to secure the second-best record in the NBA. After losing the NBA Finals, the expectations are higher for the 2026-27 Spurs. The basketball world expects San Antonio to hover around 60 wins and get back to at least the Western Conference Finals. The question is, will they be able to improve upon such a great season?
Currently, FanDuel has the Spurs win total over/under at 60.5 games. If San Antonio pulls off another 60+ win season, it would be the first time the franchise has done it since winning 67 games in the 2015-16 season and then 61 games in the 2016-17 season. The last team to win 60 games in back-to-back seasons was the Oklahoma City Thunder (2024-25 and 2025-26) and should be in line to win about 60 games again this season.
The Spurs have done something that’s typically needed to win 60 games: added a lot of depth. They’ve retained their core while signing veteran wing Tobias Harris, and drafted first-round big men Tarris Reed Jr., who is likely to be ready to play this season, and Jayden Quaintance, who may not suit up this year. With some injury luck, this is a team that is primed to win a lot of games in a weakened Western Conference.
But will they have enough to win more than 62 games next year? Answer that question in the poll below, and we will be back with the results later this week!
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Spurs fans and fans across the country.
Los Angeles, CA - March 12: Mark Walter, left, a majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Jeanie Buss, minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, talk as the Lakers play the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
On August 12, 2026, ten months after he finalized the $10 billion deal to acquire the franchise from the hallowed and chaotic Buss family, Mark Walter sold the Los Angeles Lakers to a group led by Josh Kushner and Bob Iger at a valuation of just over $12 billion. His tenure at the helm is the shortest since the merger, by a factor of at least three: only Ted Stepien, who was possibly the most batshit decision-maker ever to own an NBA team, gets even close, and he lasted three years. This is without a doubt the most shocking sale of a franchise in my 25 years on this planet, and I’d guess that it’s probably the most shocking one anyone reading this can remember. This is theLakers, the runners and gunners and star chasers and champions and the NBA’s crown jewel and the home of a million MVPs and the NBA’s biggest glamour market, and there are people in the world who might really saw off their own legs for a 20 percent chance at taking the reins. And this is also Mark Walter, the billionaire owner of the Dodgers who’s managed to bring a couple World Series to LA by paying just about every superstar imaginable and whose pockets previously seemed to run so deep as to appear endless, and whose organization has proven so successful that the upcoming MLB labor negotiations will in all likelihood take aim at him specifically.
Walter was supposed to bring some of that magic to the Lakers. Gone were supposed to be the days of Ramona Shelburne exposés and palace intrigue and the dropping-and-reading-of-tealeaves that had so long defined the Lakers after family patriarch Dr. Jerry Buss passed away. They were supposed to have money again, and they were supposed to be smart, and now Walter is gone. The timing of this is strange, and the facts of it make it look even stranger: the FBI investigation into some of his business dealings at Guggenheim, his seemingly desperate search for cash as his Delaware Life company attempts to pay down the $16 billion in loans that have made it the second-most exposed life insurance company in America, the involvement of a Kushner brother, and the recent reports that not only did Walter decline to seek other buyers but also decided to sell the team in the span of 72 hours. All of this might be damning, and then again it might not, and at least a few of these facts likely explain some part of his decision to sell what is at worst the fifth-most valuable asset in sports, and the most iconic in the NBA.
We are not likely to get an especially detailed picture of what happened here: there is enough weirdness to assume that something shady is going on, and men like Walter and Kushner are not usually keen on telling us exactly what they are doing. But even if this sale is the product of the incredibly specific conditions of an FBI investigation, a demand for quick cash, and a potential need to curry favor with a family allied with the Trump administration, this sale sets a new and scary precedent for NBA franchises. Speaking yesterday about the Walter era, ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin said this: “They added two rows of courtside seats. They fired a bunch of folks. They raised season ticket prices 40% for some folks. And they made $2 billion. Like, not a very impressive resume there for his time being the principal owner of the Los Angeles Lakers.”
. . .
In 1973, America had a problem. The golden age of American capitalism had technically begun at the end of the Second World War in 1945 (it’s hard to really wrap your head around how powerful America was in 1945). For example, as Hitler bled out in his bunker, the United States held about half the planet’stotal capital and was the sole nation that could reasonably expect to exit the war intact. But its fundamental precepts—holding, in part, that strong labor protections, the so-called consumer economy, and greater public control over production would fortify the economic base and prevent the kinds of overzealous speculation that created the Great Depression—started gaining purchase in the early ‘20s.
The idea, with roots in the work of John Maynard Keynes, was that long-wave crises in the style of 1929 (and 1905, 1894, and 1877) were endemic to an unrestrained market economy. There would always be too much money going places from which it could not return, and consumer demand that would collapse at the first sign of trouble and banks that could not be trusted to act responsibly. And while some titans of industry had clearly begun to recognize this in the 1910s (on the back of other, smaller crises), the depression of ’29 had kind of sealed the deal. The depression was, of course, the worst in recorded history, and on the ground, many did not think it was actually going to end. Keynes himself, in 1930, in an essay claiming that the storm would pass away in the morning, could not help but notice how “Today we have involved ourselves in a colossal muddle, having blundered in the control of a delicate machine, the working of which we do not understand. The result is that our possibilities of wealth may run to waste for a time—perhaps for a long time.”
And while the conventional narrative generally holds that the Second New Deal rescued the economy, this is not exactly true: as early as 1937-1938, only a few years after its passage, a minor recession had once again cast doubt on the ability of the country to actually figure a way out. It was not until the outbreak of war, and really the stunning wartime mobilization, in which new, highly subsidized factories appeared overnight, production quotas in crucial industries were set, and wages fixed, that the true promise of public control appeared as something other than a fever dream or a corporate specter. It was here, it was effective, and by the war’s end, it seemed a kind of perfect solution. Not only to the problem of waging the most involved and expensive war of all time, but also to mitigating, eliminating, and weathering the myriad crises that just a few years prior had troubled the most basic and fundamental belief in the capital order.
. . .
On April 26, 2023, the National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association came to an accord. To the players, it was supposedly a very good thing: they managed to protect the 49-51 split of basketball-related income, raised contract extension limits for veterans from 120% to 140%, removed cannabis restrictions, and created new eligibility criteria for end-of-season awards tied to contract values (this is how you get at least one of Jamal Murray and Jalen Johnson on all-NBA, instead of Anthony Edwards). And for the owners, it was a coup: the most famous provisions increased luxury-tax payments and created a two-apron system for teams that spent over certain thresholds. Offenders would not only have to pay outlandish tax bills, but they would also lose the ability to aggregate salaries in trades, lose access to draft picks in trades, and lose access to the mid-level exception—a crucial lever for teams in tax trouble to acquire veteran talent at competitive rates.
What this means, in essence, is that the players got a little more so that the owners could pay a lot less. Owners of small-market teams, owners with small pocketbooks, and owners who, for whatever reason, could not justify the $450 million bill for one year of basketball that Warriors owner Joe Lacob gladly paid in 2017 to build the greatest team ever were not only protected, but also rewarded for their cheapness. The propaganda for these measures has emphasized that they serve to create a parity of competition, in the style of the NFL, that the NBA has never seen before.
It is very expensive to pay a lot of good players what they deserve now, and because punishments range far beyond money, cheaply is the best way to build a good team. You managed to draft three stars, but you have to give them max deals, or they walk? Well, you better hope your second-rounders and Carter Bryant can give you enough production so you don’t run your max guys into the ground before they get to the playoffs, because we’re not going into the second apron. You just traded for a superstar wing, making 35% of the cap to pair with your up-and-coming 30% wing? You better pray to God Karl-Anthony Towns doesn’t eviscerate Adem Bona in the playoffs, and Labaron Philon can be a good sixth man right away.
Where the long-established logic of NBA team-building has generally held that veterans are more reliable — and thus a team of veterans is a team ready to compete — these new economics have flipped the math on its head such that only a team of young players, and more specifically, a team of young players whom you do not yet have to pay, has a chance of sticking around. And even then, as borne out by the unique faces of each champion since 2019, the dynasties of old do not have fertile soil from which to spring.
. . .
So let us go back to 1973. the year of the oil crisis in Tehran and a few years after the Europeans had recovered enough to begin competing in the marketplace again and a year before Nixon resigned and two removed from the 25th anniversary of the quasi-Keynesian order of postwar America and nine after Goldwater lost and seven before Reagan won. The crisis began with OPEC’s embargo of oil sales to any nation that’d supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War—raising prices of that most essential material across the Western world. But really the crisis began much earlier. Already, consumer spending, that essential fuel of postwar growth, had reached a plateau near the end of the 1960s, precisely when foreign competition, with which this order had never had to contend, had begun to nip at corporate profits; already direct foreign investment had begun to collapse, most acutely with the collapse of Bretton-Woods in 1971 and the emergence of OPEC at the end of the ‘60s, and also assuredly the wave of independence movements in the global south that defined the ‘60s; and already had cheap and plentiful supplies of skilled foreign labor brought into question the necessity of this enormously expensive american workforce. In fewer and clearer words: the order had already begun to fracture.
The solution, as written ad nauseam at the time and after the fact, was neoliberalism; the slashing of social welfare programs and the breaking of American labor and the relocation of industry off American soil, and the rapid opening-up of all previously protected corners of the American economy to capital. Conventional narratives will point to the ’81’s failed air traffic control strike and the weakening of Glass-Steagall all throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s as the flashpoints of the new order, and they are not wrong; neither the complete destruction of a worker’s organization representing such a vital segment of the American economy nor the rapid merger of commercial and investment banking would have been conceivable prior to the crisis of ’73. But the real story of ’73 is the story of ’08, with the subprime mortgage crisis that plunged the American economy into the worst recession since ’29.
It is the “neoliberalism-response-to-crisis-of-accumulation-reagan-trickle-down-economics-offshoring-deregulation-austerity-death-of-the-middle-class-flint-michigan-we-don’t-make-things-anymore” story. Full of neighborhood bankers offering Americans ridiculous loans they knew they couldn’t pay back and selling that debt to other vultures who’d been told that it was safe and the constant gambling with all this debt on hospitals and tech companies and private prisons and oil concerns and a “real economy” that hadn’t actually grown in decades filled with ordinary Americans whose paychecks hadn’t risen either, and so when it crashed to the ground everything fell with it and no one knew if it could get back up, and this time nothing really changed, the banks got their money back and the gamblers were told to be more careful next time because there was sure as shit gonna be a next time because we sure as shit didn’t have any other ideas.
. . .
On August 13, 2025, on the precipice of a season that would end in their first playoff run in four years, the Portland Trail Blazers announced their sale, for a reported $4.25 billion, to Tom Dundon, a billionaire who made his cash as a subprime auto lender in the early 2000s. Since 2020, an unprecedented 25 percent of NBA franchises have changed ownership in the span of six years, owing in large part to the meteoric rise of franchise valuations; in 2025 alone, the Blazers, Celtics, and Lakers alone combined for an estimated sale price of $20 billion. This is a time of great change for the league, and upon Dundon’s arrival, the dimensions of this change would make themselves clear.
First was the announcement that Dundon had declined to pay for the travel and accommodations of Blazers support staff and their two-way players for the duration of their 2026 playoff run—a breach of the NBA’s long-established customs. Next were the rumors that interim head coach Tiago Splitter, who’d taken over for Chauncey Billups following his gambling arrest and who’d done a decent job coaxing a winning record out of a mismatched and mercurial roster, would not return to the Blazers the following season. The reason for the divorce, as alleged after the fact, was Splitter’s strange desire for a salary and contract length on the standard of other NBA head coaches. Finally, or at least most recently, are the troubling negotiations between Dundon and the city of Portland over the financing of the construction of a new arena (Dundon, of course, believes that the city should take much of the burden), with some not-so-subtle hints that Dundon aims to relocate the storied, though small-market, franchise.
I do not get why you would buy an NBA team if you did not want to, you know, run an NBA team, especially one like Portland with a long history of relevance, a legendary title, and a rabid fanbase. But I believe, taken together with the passage of the second apron provisions in the latest CBA, all this actually does make sense. For so long in the NBA, the idea has been that you can and should buy your way into relevance. Most every great and storied team in the league’s history has had an enormous payroll. You spend on talent, and you spend as much as you need to keep that talent around. But the second apron restrictions, with all their far-reaching implications, passed and agreed to precisely when valuations are reaching record highs and teams are being sold all over the damn place, have served to not only protect but also incentivize low spending. Every team certainly must pay at least 90 percent of the salary cap, but the logic of winning has clearly changed: the OKC Thunder won a championship with the 19th-highest payroll in the league; the Spurs and Pacers went to the finals in the last two years, each with the 17th-highest payroll in their respective seasons; and even the Knicks, the most recent champions who won with the seventh-highest payroll in the nba, were only able to secure the cap space necessary to build the team because Jalen Brunson left $113 million on the table. What is more, four of the teams with the 10 highest payrolls did not advance past the first round. For reference, only once during the fabled Bron-Steph years did either of those teams fall outside the top five in spending.
The problem is not that these owners are slashing budgets to raise profits, nor that the players are bearing the cost. Rather, what is happening is something far more insidious: the speculative turn of NBA team-building. With prices soaring, expansion looming, and more sales than ever before, there is a pretty obvious financial incentive for owners to cut costs where they can, especially owners who might soon put their teams on the market and don’t want to be dragging a $300 million payroll into negotiations. And for new owners, who again account for about 25 percent of league ownership—who bought in at this all-time high, and who, despite their vast individual wealth, have been frequently unable to amass the capital necessary to outright purchase their new teams on their own, some kind of austerity, or at least cost-deflation, probably looks appealing. The franchise is an asset now, and a ridiculously and increasingly valuable one at that. Considering all this, we are left with the big question: if the new logic of winning team-building just so happens to help out new highly leveraged owners, can all this focus on flexibility and cost-deflation really be divorced from the sales of franchises? Put another way, is it even possible to say anymore that these owners care about anything but the check they can get at the next sale?
. . .
This is a story of neoliberalism, but more specifically, it is a story of speculation. Where corporate butchers like Jack Welch began to understand that the numbers on the stock ticker were all that mattered, and the numbers didn’t care much for the reality of what a company was but more so the idea of what a company could be. Companies shrank their productive units or otherwise moved them to places where labor could be bought on the cheap; research and development budgets shrunk as corporations slashed their payroll and expanded to new lines of business, most especially financial. You know this story, but what matters here for our purposes is that this era no longer saw a future for itself. If the quasi-Keynesian tendencies of the old sought to address the root cause of crisis and calamity, the new order simply sought to survive.
Gone were the days ahead and the backward days behind; all that needed to exist here, in this increasingly wild domain, was increasingly unhinged capital. able to turn a profit in a jail cell and an operating room, and that did not care for the cities of the hungry and the shocked it left behind. And they certainly could not give less of a damn about the human meat it ground to a pulp across the pond. Because these actions looked good in the moment, the same as those piles of shit with the shine of the old-school blue chips that tore everything down in ’08. It didn’t matter if all our roads were so lined with shit that your car could barely move because the gamblers knew that they would be protected in the event of loss. And even if those subprime loans were now illegal, something close to it probably was, and as long as you stayed a few steps ahead of the crisis, you could do pretty well for yourself.
No longer was the nation willing to offer its citizens anything more than a pittance, and if they got sick or wanted a higher education or just looked a little funny at the powers that be, their lives were subject to complete upheaval. In ’97, just seventeen years after the collapse, 31 percent of Americans had no savings to cover surprise expenses; thirty years later, in 2026, the number of Americans fitting this designation may be as high as 67 percent. We understand that there is no one coming to save us and that if the whole thing falls down again, they’ll find a way to pick it back up and act like nothing ever happened. And all this means that there are no years anymore for millions upon millions of us, at least as we’ve ever been able to understand them; for us the horizon of the foreseeable future has slimmed to the few weeks just down the road.
. . .
We care about sports because the giants can fall down. In a second a man can be made a hero, and in less he can be made a villain, and every night twenty thousand of us gather in one place to yell and drink and boo, and it is all about luck and the gods, and even if these guys are kajillionaires and Adonis, we tell ourselves that they’re still like us, and we care about sports because we can absolutely ruin a billionaire’s night just by screaming. There is no reason I shut down for a couple of hours during Game 6 of the Nuggets-Wolves series last year and took a five-minute break in the middle of a rush at work to cry in the bathroom when my guys lost. We understand that our favorite players might have to leave one day and their bodies will break down, and glory doesn’t last that long. But for so long we understood that when you had a shot, you had to go all in, and if you got mad enough at the owner, you might be able to convince him to pay up.
Growing up, most of the team sales I recall were at least somewhat forced. Donald Sterling had to go, and so did Robert Sarver and so did Dan Snyder. The franchise was as much a public institution as anything else, and its owners were not good or generous people, but they were usually people who cared at least about the team and the city. and the better ones understood the business of sport was different than any other, where operating at a loss for a few years could be justified if you were winning and where there was a built-in consumer base that wasn’t going anywhere. There were easier ways to make a buck, and for many of them the franchise was something closer to a family heirloom than a business and a chance to have your name on a trophy and stand on a big parade float and wave at thousands of adoring lunatics. And so they would usually pay to keep our guys around, and they’d respect our little traditions and superstitions. They would be fixtures in our lives as much as anyone else, and for longer than any of the men they employed.
And of course, of course, of course, there were despots and union-busters and petty tyrants like Sterling and Sarver and Marge Schott. But you don’t have to mourn them to recognize that what they symbolized was a personal commitment to a city and a team with real obligations to both, and to recognize that the anonymous capital currently flooding the NBA does not see the franchise as anything but another asset in a portfolio, subject to the same economic pressures as anything else. Already they have been able to write off contracts and team purchases over 15 years using tax loopholes; already they have managed to squeeze cities for hundreds of millions in taxpayer funds for stadiums; already the franchise is an attractive investment vehicle.
Like any good investment vehicle in 2026, this one will hurt the masses hard. Our teams will be subject to complete upheaval the minute payroll sniffs the second apron. Our owners will jack up ticket prices, cheap out on contracts, and threaten their city with relocation for more favorable terms on arena funding, only to sell off for a tidy two billion in profit a year later to the highest bidder. All that we considered so fundamental to sports—all that we believed about the need to keep your guys around and to chase glory at all costs and to pay more than you should to get what you need—has been eaten alive by capital and its logic of speculation. And that just sucks.
MEXICO CITY, MX - NOVEMBER 1: Jaime Jaquez Jr. #11 of the Miami Heat poses for a photo during practice and media availability as part of 2024 NBA Mexico Games on November 1, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico at Arena Ciudad de Mexico. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to Volume III of our “Choose Your Own Adventure” starter series, where we explore the Milwaukee Bucks’ options at each position. Read along, make your choice, and share your pick in the comments—if you dare!
We’ve covered the point and shooting guard too, now it’s time for the wing—at small forward, start who? Awkward rhyme aside, the question is valid and just perhaps the most difficult one. After all, the Bucks don’t have a single player on their roster who was a full-time starter at the three last year. No, AJ Green does should not count, that much has proven itself (sorry, AJ—I still love ya!).
To find out who does count as a potential starter, go on to OPTION 1.
1. The not so sixth man: Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Oxymoronically, last year’s runner-up in Sixth Man of the Year voting, Jaime Jaquez Jr., likely has first dibs on the starting spot. A Jack of all trades, master of none, Jaquez fits as a starter because of his complementary skills.
First, he’s terrific in a playmaking role (4.7 APG, 24% assist percentage), which bodes well for pairing with natural born scorers—and likely starting backcourt—Ryan Rollins and Tyler Herro, who are both effective playmakers for others but not first-rate distributors, not to mention bigs Myles Turner and Kel’el Ware, who both rely on others to set them up (87.3% and 76.2% of their made field goals were assisted, respectively).
Second, he thrives in the paint. With shooters likely all around in the starting lineup, someone has to collapse the defence—and there’s a massive, Giannis-sized hole to fill in that regard. While Jaquez can’t do that alone, he did lead the Heat in points in the paint last season (9.9 per game), a number that’s more than two points higher than any non-Giannis Buck (Kevin Porter Jr. ranked second for the Bucks last year at 7.6 per game).
If you need an action hero, Juan Wick is your guy. If not, go on to OPTION 2.
2. The trade deadline darling: Ousmane Dieng
Prior to the offseason, Ousmane Dieng was the young piece the Bucks were hitching their wagon to. Okay, maybe that’s hyperbole, but at the very least he was an intriguing option who, down the stretch, showed promise of something more. He twice hit five threes in a game, twice dished out double-digit assists, and thrice collected double-digit rebounds. At his best—think his showings against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and even the Phoenix Suns—Dieng showcased a versatility not too dissimilar to Jaquez.
In his first 17 games as a Buck, Dieng shot 43% from downtown (on 4.4 attempts per game). In his last 13 games, he averaged 5.5 APG as a primary playmaker. Against the Rockets, he dominated in downhill action as a pick and roll ballhandler, getting into and finishing in the paint. Against the Suns, he guarded down, playing the type of wing defence that wins in the postseason, locking up perennial All-Star Devin Booker. In all, Dieng can do it all, but so far it’s mostly been in snippets. Is he ready to take the next step?
If you want your Ous to really be loose, choose Dieng. If not, run to OPTION 3.
3. The force-feed me neophyte: Nate Ament
Ament is still super early in his narrative arc, so it’s highly unlikely he starts this season, let alone from the jump. But that doesn’t mean he couldn’t—or shouldn’t. For one, Ament has the size height no one else can offer at the position. At 6’10” he towers over Jaquez, let alone the guys below him on this list. In fact, he’s the equal fourth-tallest Buck, shorter than only Kel’el Ware, Myles Turner, and Bogoljub Markovic. This height and length—his wingspan is 7-foot—makes him an ideal cog in a Taylor Jenkins machine that figures to get after it defensively. But it will also prove useful on the offensive end too, whether that’s by getting to (and hopefully finishing at) the rim, or by augmenting the horizontal spacing his shooting provides with vertical spacing too (i.e., it’s harder to close out on taller shooters).
Of course, the real argument for Ament as a starter is to try and accelerate his development; forget the narrative exposition, begin in medias res. In addition to force-feeding him calories in the kitchen and weights in the gym, force-feeding him minutes on the court is pivotal if he has any chance at becoming the player his potential teases. Plus, as a starter he’d be better insulated by the best the Bucks have to offer, enabling him to focus on a narrowed set of responsibilities. Think of it as a JOB start—that’s Johnny O’Bryant for those who forgot—only on steroids (not literally).
If starting Ament doesn’traise your eyebrows, choose him. If it does, turn to OPTION 4.
4. The too small small forwards: Tyler Herro, Brayden Burries, or Gary Trent Jr.
Natural threes aside, there is the potential the Bucks roll with the dreaded three-guard lineup. “Why!?” you may be asking screaming. Well, unlike last year, when the Bucks simply didn’t have enough options to play a traditional small forward, this year it comes down to math: too many quality guards and not enough minutes to go around. So, in the event that all the guards remain on the roster and show out in training camp, Jenkins might have his hand forced.
As I wrote in the shooting guard chapter of this series, Tyler Herro played a not-so-insignificant 20% of his minutes at small forward last season. And in lineups that featured Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Herro, Norman Powell, and Davion Mitchell, where Herro was the nominal three—Powell recorded just 4% of his playing time at small forward; Mitchell had 0%—the Heat achieved a net rating of +5.2.
Should Herro remain in the backcourt, Brayden Burries could even slot in as a small-ball three. Yes, he’s short for the position, but at 215 lbs he’s already heavier than every non-big on the roster (besides Jaquez)—and, for that matter, Nate Ament and Bogoljub Markovic, too. Built like a brick sh*thouse, Burries is certainly strong enough to guard up and this would be the easiest way to solve his minutes paradox while still playing the veteran guards (or even Kasparas Jakučionis).
Before I close, Gary Trent Jr. could fill this spot too (yes, you read that right). After all, he played 61% of his minutes at small forward last season and 47% the year prior. And, yes, I am aware of all the free throw rate and rebounding graphics going around that highlight the ineptitude of such lineups. Still, Trent is back for a the foreseeable future and who knows what else that handshake meant he can be a positively impactful player. Can’t he?
QUICK! Make a decision,or you’ll be trapped in small forward purgatory! Choose Herro, Burries, or Trent if your name is Doc and/or you’re a sucker for a three-guard lineup. Otherwise, pull a rabbit out of your hat and tell us who it is in the comments.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 3: Victor Wembanyama #1 & Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs high five during the game against the New York Knicks during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
File this the “ah-doy” column, but CBS Sports posted a list of the top NBA duos going into the 2026-2027 season, and the San Antonio Spurs earned themselves the top spot.
The above post is not 100% accurate. For one, it is a Top 12 list, not a Top 10. But #12 are Golden State Warriors legends Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. #11 is Cade Cunnigham and Jalen Duren.
Though the actual article list the Philadelphia 76ers at #5, it says “Sixers choose your own adventure” meaning that on any given night, their best two players may fluctuate. Between Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, V. J. Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid, there is a lot of firepower coming out of the City of Brotherly Love.
And at #1, the Spurs list Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle/Dylan Harper.
For so many years now, the Spurs flew under the radar of national attention. Even back in the days of Timmy, Tony, and Manu, there never seemed to be recognition at the national level of just what was transpiring in San Antonio.
The Spurs 2026 Final appearance has garnered them plenty of attention as well as an increase in nationally televised games. Victor Wembanyama, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, made the NBA2K27 cover.
It should come as no surprise that the 2023 and 2024 back-to-back Rookies of the Year are a tandem to be reckoned with considering the advances they have made since their respective rookie seasons. The addition of Harper just underscores (a) how well the Spurs have drafted over the last three years, (b) how great these players are, and (c) how great they are together.
A few opinions (through Silver & Black colored glasses):
Out of eighteen teams, there has to be a better duo than Curry and Green. Thoughts?
I love me some Derrick White, but is Jayson Tatum and Derrick White a better duo than Tatum and Jaylen Brown?
Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves sounds like step down from Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Does Reeves truly have what is takes to be Robin to Doncic’s Batman?
2025 NBA Champions Shai Gilgeous -Alexander and Jalen Williams in the fourth spot seems to make a statement about where they were and where they are going.
Two of these duos have yet to play together. After being kicked out of the playoffs in the Western Conference Finals for two years, the Minnesota Timberwolves decided to shake things up. The last time the Timberwolves shook things up, they traded KAT to the Knicks. Worked out well for the Knicks (s0rt of, more on that below). They have paired their generational superstar Anthony Edwards with LaMelo Ball. Ball and Edwards have the most anticipated pairing this season, so there will be eyes on them throughout.
Meanwhile in the East, Giannis Antetokounmpo has moved to South Beach to give the Miami Heat another star player. Paired with Bam Adebayo, these two will be a menace in the paint and on the boards.
As for Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns in the third spot, it’s difficult to think of KAT as a top tier player based on his fourth quarter scoring in the Finals (he scored five points in total for all five games). While that’s a a small sample size, it’s the Finals, the highest stakes version of a small sample size.
What else stuck out to you all on the list?
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DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 29: Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets handles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter at Ball Arena on October 29, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliersfinally made their move of the summer. A multi-team trade that ultimately landed Peyton Watson in the Wine and Gold.
So what’s the big deal?
Watson, on paper, fills the biggest hole this roster has had throughout the decade. A 6’8” wing with plus athleticism and legit upside on both offense and defense.
Today, we discuss three reasons why Watson can be the missing piece.
Defensive Versatility
It’s not an exaggeration to say the Cavs were the least athletic team that reached the conference finals last season. The Thunder, Spurs, and Knicks all ran laps around them in that regard. Cleveland wasn’t going to advance any further without addressing this.
Watson immediately steps in as the best athlete on the roster. His long frame and dexterity give Cleveland the versatility they need.
This will be most evident on defense, where Watson’s agility allows him to defend multiple positions and offer resistance to transition attacks. The Cavs ranked 17th in transition defense last season, according to Cleaning the Glass. Watson can bolster this aspect of their defense by being the most capable of getting back on D.
Welcome to Cleveland, Peyton Watson! 4 minutes of him blocking shots
Watson’s speed also allows him to recover and track down shots from behind. He ranked in the 99th percentile as a shot blocker from the forward position last season. Downhill drives will be more difficult than ever for opponents as Watson joins an elite rim-protecting frontcourt with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Cleveland will always be vulnerable defensively with James Harden and Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt. But Watson gives them an option to defend the opposing team’s best player. Watson is proficient at defending the point of attack and contesting perimeter shots. This is something the Cavs needed almost more than anything.
You might be thinking to yourself: didn’t Dean Wade provide most of the same defensive skills that I just listed as positives for Watson? And you’d be correct. Wade already filled some of those gaps for Cleveland — and with him gone, Watson is simply trying to replace what is lost without Wade.
That might feel like this is all a lateral move. But there is, however, one difference that makes Watson a more viable two-way option for the Cavs. It’s the other side of the floor.
Three-Point Shooting
This is in no way meant as disrespect towards Wade (who Fear the Sword has always been fond of). But having a wing who can check all of the boxes defensively while being a real threat to shoot the ball is something that Cleveland hasn’t had.
Watson hasn’t always been considered a shooter. Even now, this skill is an x-factor for his development. But Watson made a leap last season, ranking in the 97th percentile as a corner shooter. He shot 52% from the corner, which was 11% higher than Wade in each of his last three seasons.
There are two components to this:
First, Watson gets the benefit of projected development. He’s only 23, meaning this could be the tip of the iceberg in terms of his shooting potential. There’s no guarantee that he continues to improve, or even maintains the growth he showed last year. But if he does? The Cavs have a winning lottery ticket.
More importantly, confidence is key.
One of the long-standing criticisms of Wade was his fear of shooting the ball. Everyone watching could tell that Wade wanted nothing to do with scoring the rock. His lack of confidence was undeniable. And once you build that reputation for yourself, it’s nearly impossible to erase. Opponents no longer respect you.
Watson doesn’t have that issue just yet.
His volume isn’t much higher than Wade’s — but his progress from last season is fresh in our minds. He doesn’t have a track record for being hesitant. Teams haven’t watched him suffer from record scratches like Wade.
Watson is a more willing and able shooter who made the most of his opportunities in Denver. That will cause the defense to respect him more than they did Wade.
We understand that playing next to Nikola Jokic means you’ll reap the rewards. Watson was given high-quality shots on a nightly basis. While the Cavs don’t have a singular force as powerful as Jokic — the rim pressure provided by Allen and Mobley has proven to be enough to collapse the defense. I think Watson will receive similar shots in Cleveland, as a result.
From there, all he has to do is shoot with confidence. Watson can stamp himself as a premier 3-and-D wing with one more solid season.
On-Ball Flashes
It’s one thing to be a defensive stopper. It’s another to add three-point shooting to the mix. But completing it all by being a competent on-ball creator is the type of stuff that makes you a star.
Does Watson have All-Star potential?
I want to refrain from getting too carried away. At the same time, what else is summer for if we can’t get overexcited about Cleveland’s newest additions?
Watson flashed some important skills last year. Particularly when Jokic was on the sidelines. Watson averaged 23.1 points per game on above 50% shooting as Denver leaned on his shot creation to carry them during this difficult stretch of the season.
Some highlights include his pull-up jumper from the mid-range, where Watson shot 50% during the season. He also showed some budding skills for attacking the basket, euro-stepping and spinning to quality looks at the rim. This is a work in progress, but a flash in the pan nonetheless.
Watson’s handle is encouraging. He’s a confident dribbler who looks comfortable navigating the floor. He utilizes a variety of moves from hesitations to crossovers to create space for himself.
Playing in Cleveland will push Watson to step deeper into that role. He no longer has to fit around an otherworldly offensive hub like Jokic. Instead, he’ll be asked to create more for himself as a tertiary option. It will be sink or swim. The potential rewards of that ultimatum are what make this addition so exciting.
