NBA News
Illini Isaac is joined by Joey Linn, beat reporter for the LA Clippers, to discuss Keaton Wagler’s NBA Summer League performances so far and future role for the franchise.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the handful of teams that are waiting for LeBron James to officially announce where he’s playing basketball next season. For the last two weeks, interested teams have been pitching James’s agent, Rich Paul, on why he should play for them. Now, it seems like that period is over.
NBA insider Chris Haynes reported during the Cavs Summer League game on Monday evening that he spoke with Paul about James’s free agent plans. Paul relayed to him that James has all the information he needs. It’ll now be up to LeBron to make the final call, saying James is now in the “deliberation phase.”
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While we know that James is getting closer to making a decision, which team he will actually sign with is anyone’s guess. Based on reports coming out of Las Vegas during Summer League, nobody definitively knows what LeBron is going to do.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints says that the “overarching consensus among rival team personnel at NBA Summer League is that James will sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers.” However, Siegel also noted that the Golden State Warriors are a “stronger consideration” for James after he spent time with Draymond Green this past weekend.
Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports has backed up that the Warriors are still in the race. The consensus of those polled by Schiffer was that James would pick between either Golden State or Cleveland. “Some executives are skeptical of the growing narrative that a third Cleveland stint is a certainty,” Schiffer wrote.
We’ll see what direction James ends up taking this. He is reportedly looking for “happiness” from his next destination while also having a chance to compete for a championship. The Cavaliers should check both of those boxes quite well. Whether or not LeBron chooses a final chapter in Cleveland remains to be seen.
The Summer Mavericks (1-2) got knocked around by Cam Boozer and the Summer Grizzlies (1-1) early on, but turned it around for a 96-88 win in their third NBA Summer League game on Monday at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Arena.
Morez Johnson Jr. missed the game with calf soreness and is likely done after two games, just like Cooper Flagg last year. Ryan Nembhard also missed the game against the Grizzlies with an illness.
Cam Boozer led the Grizzlies with 21 points and eight rebounds, and former Maverick Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 18 for Grizzlies in the loss. Mavericks’ rookie guard Sergio de Larrea came alive late to complete a double-double with 16 points and 12 assists for Dallas in the win.
Here are three key stats from the third of four Summer League games for the Mavs.
After Boozer bullied the Mavericks starters for six quick points, Mavericks coach Joe Boylan inserted the former Memphis Tiger Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu into the game. Akobundu-Ehiogu immediately ignited a Mavs run by filling running lanes in transition, scoring his first three buckets on the fast break in rapid succession. He also blocked a Cedric Coward driving attempt midway through the first with the game tied at 10-10.
His ability to finish on the run ignited a 20-4 run that lasted most of the rest of the frame, as Dallas finished the first up 24-19. Akobundu-Ehiogu finished the game with 16 points and four rebounds. He will likely get a lot of run in the Mavs’ final Summer League game on Thursday.
He guided home his third alley-oop finish of the first half early in the second quarter, displaying a surprising hit of athleticism to go along with his 6’10” frame. He was born in Nigeria and now plays in Spain’s La Liga for Manresa. His fourth came in the fourth quarter to extend the Dallas lead to 72-77.
Darin Green Jr. connected on his first four shots of the game for the Summer Mavs, including his first three from 3-point range. His third came on a drive-and-dish find from Jaden Springer with 3:43 left in the second quarter and put the Mavericks ahead 43-31.
Springer, a Tennessee product and an unrestricted free agent after playing last season for the G-League affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans, the Birmingham Squadron, hit his first two long balls in the first half as well.
Neither of these guys appears poised to crack the conversation for making the Mavericks’ roster (even on a two-way deal) any time soon, mind you.
The Mavs took a 50-46 lead into the halftime break. Green hit his first 3-ball of the second half as well, after stealing the ball from Boozer near the top of the key, then running straight for the 3-point line on a transition sprint-out. He knows what he’s there to do, and he was feeling it on Monday. His fourth of the game gave the Mavs a 58-55 advantage midway through the third.
Green led the Mavs with 18 points and five boards in the win.
The Mavericks’ second first-round draft pick, Sergio de Larrea, flashed his playmaking ability all night long in his third Summer League game, then he finally found the shooting touch late. He can certainly pass the basketball. See the second embedded tweet above for his connection to Akobundu-Ehiogu on his third alley-oop finish of the first half on Monday.
De Larrea dished 12 assists against the Grizzlies on Monday and turned the ball over just three times. That’s a hell of a number, especially in light of his four turnovers (to just four assists) in Saturday’s game against the Lakers, and especially in light of how inefficient the shooters are around him in this setting.
If you’re a de Larrea truther, this was your game. He was 0-for-3 from 3-point range and just 2-for-13 for Summer League before he nailed his first of the game with 3:05 left to play. He crossed over and stepped back over Boozer on that make, which gave the Mavs an 82-77 lead late. Those are the plays we want to see to go along with his creativity in finding the open man.
He rattled in a second from the left wing with just a minute to play to make it an 87-80 and give him 12 points and 12 assists for the game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat 90-73 in their first win of the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League. They were led by rookie Meleek Thomas, who was on fire from start to finish and ended the game with 35 points.
Thomas set the tone early by scoring 11 points in the first seven minutes. His on-ball shot-creation is a standout. Thomas has looked comfortable navigating the floor and dribbling into some supremely confident jumpers. This pull-up from near the logo is an example:
Thomas continued to dig deeper into his bag as the game went on. He nailed a flurry of floaters and mid-range jumpers in the second half. These shot attempts offer a valuable counter for when defenses are packing the paint.
You never want to rely entirely on the mid-range, but a skilled shooter can punish teams that make it too easy for them.
Thomas tied the franchise record for points in a summer league game and fell just seven points shy of matching the overall record of 42 points in a single game. He didn’t seem to care, however.
“Just get a win, that’s all,” said Thomas, who had 21 points at halftime. “Not really worried about the accolades, if it happens it happens, I wanna win this game.”
This has been a strong summer for Thomas. The 34th pick has shown elite scoring touch and a level of playmaking that I didn’t know he had. Of course, we take all of this with a grain of salt. But you have my permission to get carried away and start buying as much Thomas stock as you can.
Other standouts from tonight include Ernest Udeh Jr, who played his best game of the summer. Udeh was highly active, scoring 8 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots.
Jaxson Robinson and Malaki Branham also contributed double-digit scoring figures. Robinson had 13 points and 6 rebounds while Branham scored 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
The Cavs closed the door early in the fourth quarter and earned their first win of the tournament. They’ll play again on Wednesday, this time against the New Orleans Pelicans at 5:30 PM. This is their last game before the knockout round begins.
The Dallas Mavericks won their first NBA Summer League game on Monday night, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies, 96-88. Sergio De Larrea led a very balanced effort from Dallas with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Darin Green Jr. was the Dallas high scorer with 18 points. Third overall pick Cameron Boozer ground his way to a 21-point, eight-rebound effort for Memphis in defeat.
With the Mavericks electing not to play both Ryan Nembhard and Morez Johnson Jr (illness and calf soreness, respectively), Dallas went with an all-overseas-born lineup. Memphis forced the ball to Boozer early and, with Vsevolod Ishchenko drawing that defensive assignment, it looked like it might be a rough game for Dallas. However, the Mavericks played strong team defense and pushed after missed Memphis shots to tie the game at 10 halfway through the period. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu had a surprising impact early, scoring six points via dunks as he flew toward the rim with authority. Dallas grew the lead to double digits before a flurry of Taylor Hendricks threes closed the gap. Dallas led 24-19 after one period.
The Mavericks blitzed the Grizzlies in the second, pushing off of misses and Memphis turnovers, leading to repeated three-point looks on the break. Dallas knocked down shot after shot and rebuilt their double-digit lead from the first period. Back-to-back threes from former Maverick Olivier Maxence-Prosper cut the lead to single digits with two minutes remaining in the half. Memphis cut the lead down to four and entered halftime down 50-46.
The Memphis rally continued to start the second, tying the game a few minutes into the third quarter. The two teams then exchanged baskets, ties, and leads. Strong shooting from Dallas helped them hold off Memphis and the Mavericks entered the fourth quarter up 68-65.
De Larrea’s flashy passing paired with Maverick shotmaking helped Dallas hold off the Grizzlies for much of the period. Memphis closed the gap to tie the game at 77 with five minutes remaining. Dallas exploded out of the next timeout, scoring seven straight, including another rim-rocking dunk from Akobundu-Ehiogu on a putback. Boozer connected on a corner three to give Memphis a chance, but a De Larrea and Darin Green Jr. hit threes in the ensuing possessions to effectively end the game. Dallas walked away with their first win in Vegas, defeating the Grizzlies, 96-88.
Some may quibble with this subheading, noting that Ishchenko is kind of omni-positional at the moment, but bear with me. These two, dribbling and initiating the Dallas offense, were a delight against a Memphis team that looked ready to be done with Summer League basketball.
De Larrea’s playmaking chops and vision are obvious. The question becomes how he deals with NBA physicality and I think that he’ll be just fine over the long haul. It helps when teammates make shots, of course, and the Mavericks fulfilled my summer league wish of putting the ball in the basket.
Ishchenko’s more of a mixed bag, but the fearlessness was on full display as he guarded Boozer and put regular pressure on the rim. He really loves a right-handed over-the-head pass when a simpler one will do, but his downhill mindset is more enjoyable than Nembhard’s mechanical implementation of the Dallas offense. He’s got to get much, much better about finishing, but getting there is hard enough, so I suspect the strength will come where he’s able to lay the ball in through contact.
We know De Larrea is on the Mavericks next season; Ishchenko is still up in the air. I suspect this might be the last time we see Sergio for a while, so I encourage people to seek out this game if they missed it.
Game 3 of the Summer League.
LAS VEGAS — It’s no secret how badly the Lakers wanted – and needed – Walker Kessler.
It’s reflected in not just what various Lakers have said about Kessler since acquiring him from the Jazz in a sign-and-trade.
But also their actions and what the franchise invested to bring the 7-foot-2 big man to L.A. to fill their biggest need entering the offseason.
Two of their unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033), which were the last two first-rounders they had full control over to trade.
Two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
In addition to the four-year, $130 million contract Kessler signed with the franchise that starts with a salary of $30.1 million for 2026-27, which makes him the 10th-highest paid center in the league (restricted free agent big man Jalen Duren’s 2026-27 salary from his contract will likely surpass Kessler’s).
A significant investment for a player who hasn’t made an All-Star, All-NBA or All-Defense team, and is coming off of playing five games after having left shoulder surgery in November.
Kessler is honored by the investment. And ready to prove the Lakers right.
“It definitely makes you feel a certain way when you know an organization believes in you,” Kessler said on Monday during his first media availability since joining the Lakers. “And I think what they’ve invested, they’re showing that belief in a monetary value, not just with money, but like you said, assets. And for me, I’m somebody that if I know that they have that belief in me, I’m gonna run through a brick wall for them. That’s just how I’ve been wired my whole life and it definitely makes it a lot easier to go out there and compete for a team.”
A significant advocate for Kessler in the Lakers’ pursuit of the 24-year-old center was franchise superstar guard Luka Doncic.
Doncic made it clear entering the offseason he wanted the Lakers to acquire a high-level center who fits into the archetype he usually thrives alongside: A lob-catcher, rim-runner and rim-protector.
And the Lakers got the job done by adding Kessler, whose jobs will be made easier because of Doncic.
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Kessler has averaged 9.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 25.3 minutes across 201 regular season games since the Jazz drafted him with the No. 22 pick in the 2022 draft.
“Passing the ball, he’s pretty good,” Kessler quipped. “He has such a big presence on the court, it makes every guy, all four guys around him, it just makes it a lot easier for them to do what they need to do.”
Kessler added: “I’ve never played with a point guard of that kind of size and stature to where he’s just a matchup nightmare.”
And Kessler will look to make Doncic, as well as the rest of his Lakers’ teammates, life jobs easier on the court, too.
He’s been one of the NBA’s best rim protectors since entering the league out of Auburn
“What I can do for [Doncic] is obviously play defense for him, set great screens,” Kessler said. “Get him some assists. It’s gonna be gonna be a lot of fun.”
Even on a Lakers roster that has already added eight players, Kessler still has familiar faces around him.
He was teammates with fellow Lakers acquisition Collin Sexton with the Jazz for three seasons (2022-25).
“I would say his mindset and being able to come in and give it his all each and every night,” Sexton said of why Kessler will be a good fit for the Lakers. “And he’s one of those people that’s very competitive, and I feel like the culture here is trying to bring good guys in who are ready to compete each and every night and give it their all.”
Kessler and Lakers star guard Austin Reaves were also Team USA teammates during the 2023 World Cup.
“He’s a big, goofy dude that just enjoys life and has fun,” Reaves said of Kessler. “Obviously you see what he does basketball wise and how he impacts the game. He’s good defensively, good in the pocket. Just a smart player. So I’m happy to have him on the team and get to play with him.”
Kessler averaged 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds (4.6 offensive rebounds), 3 assists and 1.8 blocks across five games (30.8 minutes per game) during 2025-26 before suffering a season-ending torn posterior labrum in his left shoulder that required surgery.
He said his shoulder “feels better than it’s ever felt in my life” and that he’s “100% cleared” after sitting most of last season. Kessler shared that he originally suffered the injury in college but played through it before it got worse over the previous year.
“I’m just excited to play again,” Kessler said. “Sitting out a whole year definitely puts a lot of things in perspective. The heart grows fond in absence. I think falling in love with this game again and just realizing I just want to go win. I just want to play to win. And obviously still being able to do the stuff that I kind of showed in the first five games, it’s just going to be fun to play.”
Before his injury, Kessler further experimented with expanding his shooting range with a higher frequency, attempting 1.6 3-pointers per game compared to 0.3 3s per game in his first three seasons. He made 6 of those 8 attempted 3s last season after making 6 of 34 in 2024-25, 4 of 19 in 2023-24 and 1 of 3 in 2022-23.
“Coach JJ [Redick] is obviously hyper intelligent,” Kessler said. “Obviously, being a shooter himself, we’ve talked about it and he wants me to be able to do that. Because I think for a big to be able to stretch the floor like that or even have the threat of it, I think it makes other teams’ scouts really difficult. [Because] whether I can do that on the pop or catch on the pop, go second side or be able to roll. Both those things are gonna be really important.”
Golden State Warriors star forward Draymond Green appears to be making a positive impact in tempting LeBron James to take his talents to San Francisco in free agency.
A July 13 article from ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reported that Green’s recent conversations with James, which took place while the two close friends were vacationing in Puerto Rico together, “have left [James] giving even stronger consideration to the idea than before.”
The report adds that Green was constantly pitching the Warriors to James during the vacation, selling him on the storyline of finishing his career by winning a championship alongside Stephen Curry. What’s more, Green was selling the idea that regardless of whether they won another NBA title, the 22-time All-Star would surely be able to enjoy his final few NBA season in Golden State.
It has been reported that Curry and James have been in contact as well. The sources Siegel spoke with didn’t confirm whether Curry and James spoke directly when the latter was in Puerto Rico with Green, but he said, “it’s not crazy to believe Green and LeBron spoke with Steph” during the trip.
The Warriors have always been seen as one of several favorites to land James in free agency this offseason. Now Green’s face-to-face recruiting pitch to the future Hall of Famer appears to have increased their chances of actually signing him.
It’s also worth noting that the Warriors just hired Frank Vogel to be their associate head coach under Steve Kerr. Vogel was the Lakers’ head coach from 2019 to 2022, including when they beat the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals.
This was the only championship James won with the Lakers, and Golden State bringing Vogel on board would appear to be another factor that could compel James to join them.
The belief is that James’ hotly anticipated decision could be coming within the next week. Green and the Warriors appear to be making their push at the perfect time.
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A potential battle between top-4 picks looms for the Washington Wizards on Tuesday as they take on the Chicago Bulls in their third NBA Summer League game.
When: Wednesday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas
How to watch: NBA on Prime, Monumental Sports Network, League Pass
The names on the marquee for this one are obvious: AJ Dybantsa and Caleb Wilson. The biggest question mark is whether or not the Wizards opt to keep Dybantsa out for this one.
Washington’s No. 1 overall pick poured in 23 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in his team’s 104-85 blowout win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. Will Riley caught fire in the contest, with 32 points on 6-of-8 shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
But nobody was hotter than Wilson on Friday, when the Bulls’ No. 4 overall pick broke the record for the most points in an NBA Summer League debut. The North Carolina alum erupted for 35 points on a 12-of-21 clip, and looked really comfortable shooting from deep with seven triples.
Dybantsa and Wilson did not face off during their one year of college, but they did play against each other in a preseason contest. Dybantsa paced BYU in scoring with 18 points and eight rebounds in a 78-76 win, while Wilson led all scorers with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
The Boston Celtics lost 102-90 to the Atlanta Hawks in the team’s first loss of the Las Vegas Summer League, notably without 2025 draftees Hugo Gonzalez or Amari Williams.
Both teams were 2-0 and part of a six-member group of undefeated LVSL teams heading into the game. Following the loss, the Celtics are 2-1, and only the Hawks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, and Philadelphia 76ers remain undefeated.
The Celtics started 2025 draftee John Tonje, 2026 first-rounder Chris Cenac Jr. and second-rounder Dillon Mitchell, Curtis Jones, and Tucker DeVries. Boston did not play Gonzalez or Williams, who started both of the team’s first two games but watched from the bench today on the back end of a back-to-back.
The Hawks starters included Isaac McKneely, Gabe Madsen, Isaiah Wong, Devon Higgs, and Henri Veesaar.
Unlike the Celtics’ first two games in Vegas, they got off to a hot start against the Hawks.
DeVries, a 6’7” forward who went undrafted this year, immediately hit a pair of three-pointers to put Boston up before Atlanta even scored. John Tonje also hit a couple shots in the first quarter, including one from distance, for 5 early points. Celtics rookies Cenac and Mitchell also got a pair of buckets between them.
However, the Hawks kept pace and took a 20-17 lead with about three minutes left in the opening quarter, thanks to 9 points from Kobe Johnson (who hit all of his first four shots), 8 points from Veesaar (who hit his first three shots, including two three-pointers), and 6 points from Higgs.
Milos Uzan, one of Boston’s best Summer League players so far in Vegas, came off the bench again and scored a couple buckets to help keep it close.
Nevertheless, the first quarter ended with the Hawks ahead by 4, 29-25.
Mitchell got the second quarter scoring started with a nice dime to Hank Morgan, then hit a 14-foot jumper to briefly tie the game up at 29-29.
Unfortunately, Boston’s offense fizzled out in the second frame, while Atlanta’s remained hot. Veesaar hit his third three-pointer to give the Hawks a lead again, then Johnson cut into the paint for a layup to put them up by 5 points, 34-29.
Cenac hit a midrange jumper of his own, then blocked Johnson soon after using his length, but Atlanta recovered the ball and Johnson ended up hitting a three-pointer out of the scramble. Johnson hit another shot from distance only a minute later, giving him 17 points on 7/8 shooting from the field.
Behind Johnson and Veesaar, the Hawks’ lead ballooned to 15 points, 46-31, with about 3 minutes left to go in the half.
That lead got up to 19 points with about a minute to go in the half, but Boston was able to cut into the deficit with an Alondes Williams three-pointer, a DeVries putback layup, and a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Kyle Mangas to cap off a rough second quarter.
At the half, the Hawks led Boston by 13 points, 52-39, with three double-digit scorers (Johnson with 19 points, Veesaar with 13, and Higgs with 10). DeVries led the Summer C’s in scoring at the half with 8 points. The team as a whole shot only 41.2% from the field and 31.3% from three-point range.
As the third quarter began, Cenac’s hands were all over the game, for better or for worse. He fouled a Hawks shooter, gifting Atlanta a free throw that it hit for its first points of the second half, and set an illegal screen a couple minutes later. However, Cenac also scored the first 8 points of the half for Boston and became the team’s first double-digit scorer of the night. He hit a couple impressive shots in the paint, a free throw, and an emphatic putback dunk.
Cenac was subbed out for a quick breather after he missed a thunderous dunk attempt. He was subbed back in after less than a minute on the bench, but did not have the same impact on the rest of the game as he did to open the third.
DeVries hit another three-pointer to bring the lead to 10, 60-50, but the Celtics were unable to build on that momentum as they could not find a way to slow down Johnson and Veesaar. With less than 3 minutes to go in the third quarter, the pair had 42 points between them and the Hawks had a commanding 20-point lead, 75-55.
It wasn’t all negative, though. Cenac had an impressive block (his fourth of the night) that led to an easy Mitchell layup, then a dunk a minute later. Mitchell continued to show a willingness to shoot from the perimeter and buried an open three-pointer to end the quarter.
At the end of the third, the Hawks led 83-62.
Mitchell opened up the fourth quarter with a slick turnaround fadeaway jumper, but the Hawks kept up their pace and hit a pair of three-pointers and a layup over the first two minutes of the frame to take a 91-67 lead.
Johnson continued his hot night, hitting a three-pointer and a layup to get up to 30 points, and helped keep Atlanta in control for the remainder of the game.
With about 5 minutes to go, Boston emptied the bench, and the move seemingly reenergized the team. The bench players narrowed the lead to 14 points after Morgan hit a three-pointer and a free throw, but the bench burst came too late to make the game a real competition.
Overall, Cenac led the way for the Celtics with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 blocks on 46.2% shooting from the field. He also had 5 turnovers and 5 personal fouls.
Mitchell and DeVries tied as the team’s second-leading scorers with 11 apiece. It was the first Summer League game where Mitchell did not record a block or steal.
On the other side, Johnson and Veesaar combined for 50 points.
The Celtics’ next Summer League game will be at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, against the Sacramento Kings and the seventh pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Darius Acuff Jr. It will be broadcast on ESPN2.
LeBron James’ roots in Akron, Ohio run deep. Can they be deepened?
The recent time James has spent in his hometown only has heightened excitement about him possibly rejoining the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Listen, this is an exciting time for us, right?’’ Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson told Sirius XM NBA Radio on Sunday, July 12. “Like we’re in the mix for the greatest player of all-time.’’
(No, Atkinson was not referring to Michael Jordan.)
It’s customary for James to spend time in the offseason in Akron, which helped launch him into basketball stardom. But it seems ever more meaningful as he searches for what likely will be the final destination of his celebrated NBA career two weeks after informing the Lakers he will play elsewhere next season.
If you’re reading tea leaves, James has posted on his Instagram page twice in about the last two weeks. The first was about a custom 1,200-square-foot putting green that’s been installed at the LeBron James Family Foundation headquarters.
The second was of James standing inside “Buckets Restaurant,’’ where chicken is served in buckets. Of course, what everybody really wants to know is, where will James be scoring buckets next season?
ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania addressed the timing of James' decision on NBA Today.
“It’s decision time for LeBron James,’’ Charania said. “Because all of the information for the most part is in. GMs, presidents, owners, they’ve all been heard from. They’re continuing to have conversations with agent Rich Paul here this week as well. Players have also reached out to LeBron James to recruit him.’’
According to Charania, the leading suitors have been Cleveland, Miami, Golden State, Philadelphia and Minnesota.
The Polymarket prediction market posts by percentage the chances of James signing with the following teams:
Cleveland Cavaliers (45%): It’s the one place James could chase another ring (his fifth) and not be derided as a ring chaser. In Cleveland, he’ll always be the prodigal son.
Golden State Warriors (25%): It’d be a blast to watch James team up with Steph Curry and Draymond Green. But their collective gas tank might be empty when the playoffs start.
Miami Heat (18%): Could anyone fault James for taking his talents back to South Beach, where he won his first two NBA titles? Well, of course they could!
According to Polymarket, it's also still too early to count out the Philadelphia 76ers (7%), not to mention the Minnesota Timberwolves (3%), San Antonia Spurs (1%) and Denver Nuggets (1%).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Latest on LeBron James: 'It's decision time,' says NBA insider
Once again, Austin Reaves is showing how badly he wants to win with the Lakers.
Prior to the start of free agency, Reaves agreed to a reported four-year, $185 million deal to stay in Los Angeles. However, with some time for the Lakers to plan for the future after agreeing to other deals, the two sides adjusted the contract with Reaves taking less money to help the team’s flexibility.
This isn’t the first time the Lakers have gotten creative with a contract this offseason. Sandro Mamukelashvili’s contract features a dip in the second year as well.
The rationale? Well, it appears the Lakers are looking to create enough cap space to use the non-taxpayer mid-level exception next summer.
The Lakers are going to operate as an over-the-cap team not just for the rest of the summer, but likely for the rest of the Luka Dončić era. That means they’re going to have limited means to notably upgrade the roster.
One of those means, if they navigate things correctly, would be the non-taxpayer MLE next season. It will give LA a big contract they can offer in free agency next year and a real big way to upgrade the roster.
The non-taxpayer MLE not only would allow them to sign a player to a deal with an AAV of roughly $15 million, but it would also allow them to trade for someone in that range. LA will be a contending team with the ability to make an attractive offer to free agents next summer.
To ensure the ability to offer that type of deal and make that upgrade to the roster, though, Reaves had to skim a little bit off his deal. Ultimately, it’s a millionaire making a few less millions, so there’s only so much credit he’s going to get, but it’s not common for player to do what he did, so he does deserve some praise.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
The Spurs have filled at their required 14th roster spot, and it’s with another returning face. For the second year in a row, Jordan McLaughlin is returning on a minimum deal worth $3.3 million for one year, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
McLaughlin came to San Antonio with De’Aaron Fox from the Kings in February of 2025 and has been a valuable veteran off the bench for the Spurs. He appeared in 44 games last season, and although he only averaged 2 points and an assist in 6 min per game, he was always ready when called upon, including in the few instances he got rotation minutes when any combination of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle or Dylan Harper were out.
The signing fills out all the Spurs’ required roster spots, although they can still sign a 15th player if they choose. They also still have one two-way slot they can fill. With the returns of McLaughlin, Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie, the Spurs are returning their top 11 players in games played, and the addition of veteran forward Tobias Harris and drafting of big men Tarris Reed and Jayden Quaintance shores up what were considered the only weak areas in the rotation. In other words, the Spurs are running back a team that made the finals and were a few blown leads from winning it all, and they still managed to get better despite limited resources (barring a massive trade, which wasn’t needed).
Welcome back to San San Antonio, Jordan!
Danny Green thinks the Spurs messed up.
The San Antonio champion, who was part of the team’s title-winning team in 2014, sounded off on the firing of team play-by-play man Jacob Tobey amid his alleged affair with Loren Waters — the sister of Spurs player Lindy Waters III.
While Tobey has been in the headlines for his behavior, Green called him a “really good dude” and said his private decisions did not merit the Spurs firing him.
“I love everything the Spurs do and how they operate as an organization,” Green said on his “No Fouls Given” podcast. “They run a tight ship. They don’t deal with no BS, and they don’t like drama, so I understand certain issues. They’re going to be like, ‘No, we can’t allow this.’ To me, this was not one of those issues.”
Sports talk host Colin Cowherd also recently questioned the Spurs’ firing of Tobey.
Green, who spent eight years with the Spurs, added that he was “really disappointed” by the decision.
“This is not a domestic violence case,” he continued. “He didn’t beat anybody up. He wasn’t loitering or DUI or anything crazy. You know he has a relationship that is behind closed doors, this is his personal life.”
Tobey’s personal life became public when his now ex-girlfriend appeared to take over his Instagram account and exposed his alleged relationship with Waters on his Instagram story.
“This is my girlfriend of six years,” the post read. “But I cheated on her with Loren Waters. So feel free to continue following me if you really think I’m a good guy because I’m not. :)”
Tobey’s ex-girlfriend then shared a photo, which appeared to show the broadcaster and Waters kissing.
Green, though, wasn’t sure the Spurs followed the fairest process in Tobey’s dismissal.
“We don’t know what the timetable of it was, if he was with this girl or not, or if he was even dating his girl at the time while he was with this girl,” the former sharpshooter said.
“His girl could have made it up, and she hacked his social media, and she wanted to ruin his life, and you allowed that to happen.”
Tobey has not yet commented on the situation and has made both his Instagram and X accounts private.
LAS VEGAS — Everything has changed for Austin Reaves.
He signed the richest contract in NBA history for a player who went undrafted. He’s no longer playing with LeBron James, who championed him during their five seasons together.
He’s under more pressure than ever.
But he also has a cheat code. A release valve on the pressure cooker, if you will.
He was never supposed to be here.
‘I didn’t think I’d ever get the opportunity to play in the NBA,” Reaves said Monday while speaking to reporters at a hotel in Las Vegas during Summer League. “I was telling a story the other day: I didn’t even think I was going to play Division I basketball.
“For a long time I thought I would just go play Division II basketball at Central Missouri with my brother. And whatever happened there, probably go play overseas and just have fun with basketball. But there were different plans and I took advantage of a couple opportunities and we’re sitting here today.”
Things didn’t turn out as planned for Reaves in the best way possible.
He’s now a headliner on one of the most heralded franchises in the league. He’s the Lakers’ second option on offense. He signed a four-year, $180 million contract earlier this month.
Reaves not only surprised all of the teams that overlooked him in the 2021 NBA draft, he stunned himself.
In a way, that’s a gift.
While someone like LeBron James would’ve been viewed as a failure if he didn’t become one of the greatest players of all-time, Reaves wasn’t even a blip on the radar. He couldn’t have failed because he was never supposed to succeed.
There’s no pressure because this is all gravy. There’s no angst because this was never supposed to happen. There’s no anxiety because this is all a stunning surprise.
Reaves clawed his way into the NBA. He had to earn every moment on the court. He was fearless because he had no phantoms chasing him, whispering in his ear that he’d be a disappointment if he didn’t shatter the glass ceiling.
He could just play. There’s a freedom to that. A purity.
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Now everything has changed.
The noise has arrived. Fingers will be pointed if he doesn’t become an All-Star. He’s earning the big bucks, so he better prove he deserves them.
But Reaves is as unbothered as ever.
He showed up to his first team-sanctioned media availability since penning his new deal with a noticeably longer beard than usual. When a reporter jokingly asked him if he couldn’t find a razor this morning, he quipped, “Can’t afford it.”
When he was asked why he chose to return to the Lakers after declining his $14.9 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent, he talked about his lighthearted relationship with Luka Doncic.
“He’s one of my best friends on this planet,” Reaves said. “Talk to him almost every single day. He sends me videos of his golf swing and asks me what he can do to get better. And I tell him I’m not a coach.”
For Reaves, this is still fun.
He’s a guy from Newark, Arkansas, which has a population of fewer than 2,000 people. He has never cared about the spotlight. He just loves basketball. He’s embracing the ride.
This isn’t life or death. This isn’t become a star or you’re a loser. This is just a roller coaster he’s grateful to be riding.
Funny enough, James always saw Reaves’ potential. James watched his college highlights. He took him under his wing. He gave him confidence as he blossomed into one of the league’s biggest surprises. He was Reaves’ biggest advocate before leaving the Lakers in free agency earlier this month.
“He’s kind of all I’ve ever known,” Reaves said. “Just him being around, joking around, acting like he’s 15. But that’s his decision and like I said [during a golf tournament] in Tahoe, anytime I’ve talked about it, I got nothing but love and respect for him, and, yeah, let’s play some golf soon.”
Reaves went from being shocked that he got to share the court with James to becoming one of the team’s biggest stars.
He has arrived.
And even though he’s under a different type of pressure than ever before, it’s obvious that’s more thrilling than daunting.
This was never supposed to happen.
And he’s going to enjoy every moment of it.
“It’s been fun,” Reaves said. “I don’t really look back and reflect that much because I kind of just live in the moment, but one of these days I’ll sit down and really think about what all has actually happened because it’s kind of insane.”