Category: NBA

This is not difficult. Don’t get cute. Don’t get smart. Washington Wizards general manager Will Dawkins should keep it simple and just pick the guy they think is likely to be the best NBA player and move on to the next opportunity.

There are several reasons for this. For starters, decades of NBA Draft experience says that the answer to the question in the headline is simple: do not pick for fit. Washington Wizards general manager and the team’s decision-makers would be wise to accept this lesson, even in a year with multiple high-quality prospects.

The most famous blunder stemming from picking for fit was probably when the Portland Trail Blazers chose Kentucky center Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan because they thought they needed a center.

As former Indiana University head coach Bob Knight said, “Then play Jordan at center.”

This leads me to the second major reason to pick upside and talent over fit — team needs and fit is a moving target. The reality is that no team is so talented that they can’t use another great talent. If they’re truly having a positional logjam, they can always make a trade. It turns out, other teams will pay for talented players.

But even without injuries, team needs change fast. For example, look back to 2020 when the Wizards picked Deni Avdija over Tyrese Haliburton, in large reason because the front office at the time thought they were well-stocked at guard. After all, Bradley Beal was a two-time All-Star and John Wall was slated to return.

Their trade of Wall brought back Russell Westbrook — another guard.

The case for picking Avdija was that he had good size and and some guard-like skills, and that he’d pair well with Rui Hachimura as highly switchable forwards. That was the theory.

Except…well…Haliburton was the better prospect. No insult to Avdija but still. Haliburton was crazy productive in the NCAA, had an infectious and ebullient leadership style, and a funky-junky jumper and all-around game that just worked. He was All-Rookie, and in four seasons was a two-time All-Star, twice named All-NBA, and was the best player on a team that reached game seven of the NBA Finals.

Meanwhile, back in Washington, Westbrook wanted out after a season and suddenly the Wizards were back in the market for guards.

The point: needs change. Often fast.

The third major reason to pick talent over fit is that even savvy basketball executives have difficulty determining how players actually fit together — even when the players are established veterans. The Milwaukee Bucks paid a ransom for Damian Lillard because it seemed a sure thing that Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo would make a devastating pick-and-roll combo. On the court, they were kinda okay together but true synergy never coalesced.

The reality is that skilled players usually can figure out how to work together effectively. They can develop fit. Not always, of course — ego, money, health, and other factors come into play too. But that’s true even when positions and skills seem to fit like puzzle pieces. Think about Kyrie Irving asking for a trade after three straight trips to the NBA Finals, which included winning a championship. He wanted out from LeBron James’ considerable shadow despite what seemed to be an ideal on-court fit.

The fourth major reason: NBA teams are choosing young men in their late teens or early twenties. Most prospects — especially those at the top of the draft — have been the best player on virtually every team they’ve ever played on. Some guys will learn lessons from NBA-level competition and work themselves into stars. Some will adapt themselves into roles with varying degrees of responsibility. Others won’t rise to the challenge or they’ll get distracted and never become contributors.

Which is which is challenging enough without layering on guesses about how they’ll fit on court with other NBA players.

The only exception to the rule is if two or more prospects are essentially equals. Then go ahead and pick for a perceived positional need. This kind of thing is pretty rare, though. Especially at the top of the draft.

This year’s NBA draft is strong at the top. My stat-based prospect evaluation tool Ye Olde Draft Analyzer (YODA for short) has four players with grades consistent with being the number one overall pick in most drafts — Cam Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson. But they’re not co-equals.

A strong majority of public-facing talent evaluators believe Dybantsa has the highest upside. The betting odds at FanDuel agree on the top pick and point towards a hierarchy of Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, and Wilson.

This doesn’t mean Dybantsa should be the pick. The lesson for the Wizards is to conduct a thorough evaluations, decide which of these prospects is most likely to have the best NBA career, and then pick that guy. Let the coach and the players figure out how to make it work on the floor. Make a trade down the road if they can’t. But don’t waste time guessing at perceived fit. The first step in building a great basketball team is collecting talent.

Greetings, Panthers fans. Welcome to the weekend.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread

This one is a bit personal for me.

I’ve been a Nikola Vučević fan since he was traded from Philadelphia to Orlando, and for years I hoped the Montenegrin big man would eventually suit up for the Boston Celtics. That trade to Orlando happened back in 2012, when I was still in high school. Fast forward 14 years, and the wish finally came true when Boston acquired Vučević.

Unfortunately, 12 games into his Celtics tenure, Vučević suffered a fractured right ring finger against the Dallas Mavericks and missed the next 14 games.

In the 16 regular-season games he played for Boston, Vučević averaged 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and two assists while shooting 34% from 3-point range and 43.9% from the field.

The numbers don’t jump out, but there are plenty of explanations as to why he wasn’t an instant fit. 

The biggest factor was the injury. Vučević simply didn’t get enough time on the court with his new teammates to learn everyone’s tendencies and settle into the system. From the moment he arrived in Boston, he was already playing catch-up.

Vučević has never been known as a great defender, so adjusting to Joe Mazzulla’s system was always going to take time. With such a strong emphasis on communication and knowing every assignment, he needed reps that he ultimately never got. By the time he returned from injury, he had only four games left in the regular season to ramp up before the playoffs began.

Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens also acknowledged the impact the injury had on Vučević’s season. “He’s our only unrestricted free agent. I thought, obviously, getting traded here when he did, he had some moments. Broke his finger, that probably set him back,” Stevens said. 

There were flashes during the season that showed what Vučević could bring to the roster. Against Brooklyn, he posted 28 points and 11 rebounds. In his Celtics debut against Miami, he recorded a double-double in a win.

In the playoffs, though, Vučević struggled. 

Facing the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round was never an ideal matchup for him, and that showed throughout most of the series. His season ultimately ended with a DNP-CD in Game 7.

“This was a hard matchup for all of us. I think when I looked at it the other day, he ended up being a plus in the series, but it was back and forth with all those guys,” Stevens said.

“I thought Vuč gave us all that he had and did what we asked. It was a hard matchup,” Stevens added. “I have a lot of respect for Vuč as a person and as a pro. I know he was really good in our locker room. I thought he was a really good person to have around.”

As the team’s lone unrestricted free agent, it’ll be interesting to see what Vučević prioritizes this offseason. Is it money? A contender? A mix of both?

If the Celtics want him back, they can certainly offer him a chance to compete for another title, though it would likely need to come on a team-friendly contract, if not a veteran minimum deal.

If Vučević is open to returning, I’d be all for bringing him back on a reasonable contract. He’s still a solid frontcourt option and could provide valuable depth alongside Neemias Queta and Luka Garza.

A hard-fought Western Conference Finals will culminate in a Game Seven between two of the best teams in the NBA. The San Antonio Spurs will venture to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder after a dominant 118-91 win in Game Six. It will be the biggest game of many of the young Spurs’ careers.

The Spurs took down the defending champions in Game Six thanks to an elite defensive performance. That same level of shut-down defense has been hard to come by on the road in this series. San Antonio will need to bring the same level of aggression and attention to defensive detail they’ve had at home to the sea of blue in OKC.

It all starts with Victor Wembanyama, who has been up and down in the series. When Wembanyama dominates, the Spurs do too. Oklahoma City has done whatever they can to slow down the 7-foot-4 alien. It’s on Wembanyama and the Spurs to find a way to free him up for easy looks in this elimination game.

Oklahoma City will come into Game Seven down two key players: Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Williams suited up in Game Six but looked extremely limited. He is ruled out for Game Seven. The Thunder will rely on the two-time MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the guard duo of Jared McCain and Alex Caruso to handle the ball and guard the perimeter.

The winner of Game Seven will go on to face the New York Knicks, who are on a 10-game winning streak heading into the NBA Finals. In many ways, this series has been two heavyweights trading major blows to qualify for the championship fight. We’ll see who lands the final knockout punch on Saturday night.

San Antonio Spurs (3-3) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)

May 29th, 2026 | 7 PM CT

Watch: NBC / Peacock | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: No injuries to report.

Thunder Injuries: Thomas Sorber – Out (knee), Ajay Mitchell – Out (calf), Jalen Williams – Out (hamstring)

What to watch for:

Wembanyama’s performance

It’s pretty simple: Wembanyama has to dominate for the Spurs to win. The Thunder have done everything in their power to keep him out of the paint. They’ve put stronger defenders on him to push him out of the paint. They’ve doubled him on lobs and sent two defenders at his post touches. The Spurs responded to this in Game Six by trying to get Wembanyama involved in empty-side pick-and-rolls or setting screens to get him moving toward the paint. Wemby mainly hurt the Thunder from deep in Game Six, but he’ll do his best work inside. A standout performance would establish him as one of the best players in the world.

Winning the possession battle

Mistakes will bury a team in Game Seven. Giving up second-chance points or easy buckets off of turnovers are debilitating when the stakes are high. San Antonio has done much better at taking care of the basketball since De’Aaron Fox returnred in Game Three. They have given up some offensive rebounds here and there in this series, mainly on long boards or when Wembanyama is out of position after going for a block. Minimizing turnovers and easy offensive boards will be crucial in Game Seven.

Guard play

This series has been defined by guard play. The Spurs haven’t relented guarding SGA with physical defenders like Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell. While SGA hasn’t had a great series, his teammates have picked up the slack. McCain and Caruso have been awesome at home. San Antonio can’t let the Thunder’s role players heat up. McCain and Caruso can swing this game with their effort and shot making. Similarly, Dylan Harper and Castle can give the Spurs an edge by aggressively attacking the paint and putting pressure on the Thunder’s paint defenders. Watch out for Fox’s shot making. He’s been cold all series, but could be due for a big game.

San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference)

Oklahoma City; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT

LINE: Thunder -3.5; over/under is 212.5

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: Series tied 3-3

BOTTOM LINE: The San Antonio Spurs visit the Oklahoma City Thunder in game seven of the Western Conference finals. The Spurs defeated the Thunder 118-91 in the last matchup on Friday. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 28 points, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 15.

The Thunder are 41-11 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City ranks third in the league with 34.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Chet Holmgren averaging 7.0.

The Spurs have gone 36-16 against Western Conference opponents. San Antonio is second in the Western Conference with 47.0 rebounds per game led by Wembanyama averaging 11.5.

The Thunder's 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.8 more made shots on average than the 13.0 per game the Spurs give up. The Spurs are shooting 48.3% from the field, 4.6% higher than the 43.7% the Thunder's opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points and 6.6 assists for the Thunder. Holmgren is averaging 15.1 points over the last 10 games.

Stephon Castle is scoring 16.6 points per game and averaging 5.3 rebounds for the Spurs. Wembanyama is averaging 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 7-3, averaging 113.9 points, 41.2 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 10.6 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.3 points per game.

Spurs: 6-4, averaging 116.7 points, 48.7 rebounds, 25.5 assists, 9.0 steals and 7.0 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.8 points.

INJURIES: Thunder: Ajay Mitchell: out (calf), Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

As Linsanity took over the NBA, Karl-Anthony Towns was as big a fan as anyone. 

When asked Friday about his Knicks fandom growing up, Towns gushed about Jeremy Lin. 

“I truly want to give a shoutout to Jeremy Lin because he really made me a Knicks fan and had me at Modell’s,” Towns said. “It was crazy trying to find his jersey. I have so much love for Jeremy Lin, he’s one of my favorite Knicks of all time, one of my favorite players of all time. He made me so passionate about the Knicks. It’s crazy now that I’m in this position, in this chair, talking to you guys as a Knicks player. [They] showed me the other day Jeremy Lin on social [media], for him to even mention me was kind of crazy because the love I have for him and what he’s done for me and my Knicks fandom is second to none.” 

Towns was in high school when Linsanity peaked. 

A New Jersey native, Towns also explained why he chose the Knicks over the Nets. 

“My mom, when she immigrated here, she understood the magnitude of Madison Square Garden,” Towns said. “… I grew up, obviously, in Jersey, obviously it was so much easier for me to get New Jersey Nets tickets and see Kenyon Martin, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, but my family has always had such respect and love for the Knicks and my father having ties to the Knicks, it was kind of guaranteed I was going to fall into this world of being a Knicks fan growing up.” 

OG Anunoby was injured and did not play in the series, but he has some Finals experience — from when he was with the Raptors in 2019. 

“We were a very close team, and it was a very talented team,” Anunoby said. “I learned a lot from watching a lot of great teammates. It was really a cool experience winning that.” 

He also learned a crucial lesson. 

“I was younger back then,” Anunoby said, “so I didn’t realize how hard it takes to get back.”

All these years later, one lesson from Jay Wright has stayed with Jalen Brunson. 

“One thing he always said, it’s plastered on every wall, every shirt, the inside of our jerseys — everything — was attitude,” the Knicks’ superstar guard recalled, referring to the former Villanova coach. “Controlling your attitude. I don’t really say that as much as I used to, but I think my kind of twist on it is being able to control what you can control.” 

It’s been a big part of his success. Despite winning two national championships at Villanova and being the consensus National Player of the Year in 2017-18, Brunson was a second-round pick. It wasn’t until his fourth season in the NBA that he began to establish himself as a starter. When Brunson joined the Knicks, there was plenty of criticism that he was overpaid. 

Tuning out the noise — whether it is positive or negative — has been instrumental to his ascension. 

“Controlling your attitude, controlling your effort, those are the things you can control and that’s something he said every day,” Brunson said of Wright. “That’s how we ended huddles, that’s how we started games, practices. It’s kind of what his motto was and once we believed in it, everything became easier.” 

Brunson, of course, isn’t the only former Villanova star on the Knicks. Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges were teammates with the Wildcats, too.

They are looking to become the fifth group of teammates to win an NBA and NCAA championship together.

The previous ones are Derek Anderson and Antoine Walker (Kentucky, Heat), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lucius Allen (UCLA, Bucks), John Havlicek and Larry Siegfried (Ohio State, Celtics) and Bill Russell and K.C. Jones (San Francisco, Celtics). 

“Man, you can tell Coach Wright has instilled a lot of great qualities in all of these guys,” Mike Brown said. “They’re selfless. They all have a competitive spirit. They’re all about the right stuff, and they’re great human beings to be around. 

“So I’m sure it wasn’t just Coach Wright who helped raise them, but to be able to play for him and have that continue at the highest level while competing for championships in college definitely made my job easier. When you have guys like that and those guys are the leaders of your team, we were talking about all of them, and then it rubs off on everybody else, and it just makes for a fantastic environment to be a part of.”

Right now, Kelsey Pfendler is out on the open ocean, trying to become the first American woman (and the youngest + fastest) to solo row the Mid-Pacific.

Typically, the route runs from Monterey, CA, to either Hanalei Bay or Honolulu, a distance of roughly 2,000+ nautical miles (depending on how much one gets knocked off course).

Only two other women have accomplished this feat. The fastest, Lia Ditton, did it in 86 days. Pfender is currently on Day 9. And as of 5 pm this afternoon, she has traveled 327 nautical miles so far.

Her tracker estimates that she will arrive in Hawaii on August 28th.

I’ve always wondered what it is that spurs people into taking on tasks like this. Is it just something different in their brain chemistry? Is it a latent ability to turn a journey of 2,000+ miles into digestible chunks of distance and time? A talent for being able to ignore discomfort and focus purely on the light at the end of the tunnel?

Every now and then, I find myself tuning into the History Channel’s survivalist competition show Alone, watching people who’ve willingly isolated themselves out in the subarctic wilderness huddle in makeshift shelters, collecting food in the most rudimentary ways imaginable, and trying to avoid predators, while the voice of Ned Stark echoes in my head.

“Why would anyone sign up for this?” I say to myself, as I contort my body into just the right angle for me to flick a particularly large food crumb from my chest into the trash can.  

Impressive display of physical and intellectual powers aside, I think this neglects a question that’s almost as good: why would anyone watch this?

It’s days upon days of watching people making minor improvements against a tide of self-imposed difficulties, while they try to avoid committing/falling prey to a competition-ending mistake.

And yet, I know that if there were a live camera of Pfendler’s journey, I’d be checking it at least a couple of times a day, just out of sheer morbid curiosity.

How do I know this? Because I’ve been writing about the Spurs for years now, from the last season of playoff berths through both the worst and most middling parts of a rebuild, and I couldn’t stop watching their games.

Not even on nights when they were blown out in the middle of already sprawling losing streaks, and the game wasn’t mine to write about. Even if I missed it in real time, I’d find myself watching it later, combing through the carnage for a bright spot that I could cling to.

I can’t for the life of me explain why I did that. And I think it’s safe to presume that I’m not the only Spurs fan who is at a loss in this regard. I could have just tuned out until the Spurs were good again and skipped out on the self-imposed misery of trying to chart progress in a vacuum of talent.

Instead, I found myself paying even closer attention than I did during the good years. You just cannot plot the minutiae of positive development at a distance; it asks more of you than that.

There’s something extra precious about joy when you really have to dig for it. When you’re trying your best to find something good in a challenging situation, championing players whose stories or improvements you might otherwise have glossed over in the heady days of consistent victory.

I think in some ways I learned more about what makes for good basketball watching bad teams than I did watching the Spurs when they were at their best. You develop an even stronger appreciation for the miracle of the 2014 Beautiful Game when you’ve seen what the opposite of what that looks like, and how hopeless it can feel.

This might be the most I’ve ever appreciated a Spurs team, even as someone who was there for all five championships. I didn’t have this context in 1999. Suddenly, they were on the television, and I had missed most of the struggles prior to 1995.

And these Spurs aren’t just winning. They’re thrashing a championship roster. They’re going toe-to-toe with a team that’s every bit as deep and brimming with assets, and that already made it over the hump, and they’re doing it through injuries, and adjustments, and spurts of officiating so questionable that fans from other regions of NBA Twitter/the media have united over it.

They’re on the cusp of greatness. It happened so fast, and so agonizingly slowly, like the accruing defeats and eventual victory of potty-training one’s children. I don’t wanna go back, but I can’t exactly forget the journey either.

I watched the Spurs play perfectly balanced basketball last night with the satisfaction of Thanos wiping out half a planet in service of his vision of the greater good. You could see the desire in their faces, like you do when a good boxer pulls himself up off the mat.

Every increment we’ve watched so far, they’ve lived. You could see it in the way that Devin Vassell stuck doggedly with his man, and the extra effort that Keldon Johnson made to avoid being a defensive liability, after spending years in no-man’s land and focusing on the little things while other teams and players contended for something that felt more substantial.

You could see it in Julian Champagnie’s focus, as he played at with such ignited fervor that he led the starting lineup in +/- after spending most of the series being targeted by the Thunder on the less-glamorous end, and after years battling his way through the G-league, to the bottom of the roster, to a critical slot spacing the floor for a monk-like Victor Wembanyama, so locked in that he was almost detached in his fury, detonating on Oklahoma City players both inside the paint and outside the arc, until their heads were almost visibly spinning.

You could see it in the old-man voodoo that Harrison Barnes broke out, determined to make the most of his time on the court and his first (and maybe last) legitimate shot at the Finals in a decade, after almost 400 games spent in the basketball purgatory otherwise known as Sacramento.

If there’s a glaring difference between the mentalities of the Spurs and the Thunder, it’s that one of these teams is still coming from a place of struggle. The pain of losing is still fresh and real and far too close for comfort — for the players, for the staff, for the fans.

Outside of the tracking map on her website, the only other record of Kelsey Pfendler’s journey are the short daily videos she posts as updates (and, I suspect, proof of life).

On the 6th day of her journey, she encountered incoming rough-weather conditions. Though her small boat is built to self-right in the event of capsizing, she spent part of the day securing items to the tiny vessel and charging her solar batteries.

I can only imagine how frightening it was to continue rowing on the open, endless water cresting in 14-foot waves and storm-force winds, but her video from the 8th day was much more disconcerting.

Still enduring the remnants of undesirable weather in combination with the forceful opposing currents off the coastline of California, she had been rowing with all her might to merely hold her position for over a day, and she was near tears in a mixture of physical exhaustion and sleep deprivation.

But then, near the end of the two minutes of explanation, she visibly rallied. Having rowed this route once before, in a team of 4, she had known what she was getting herself into. She had known how hard this would be, she said, and then she focused on how close she was to finally turning fully west and hitting the trade winds and currents that would assist her in the length of her journey.

She wasn’t focused on the remaining distance or how early she was in her journey, just that (what she believed to be) the hardest part was almost over.

And that’s exactly what this whole stretch of seasons has felt like to me. The Spurs are going into Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Win or lose, they’ve finally turned the corner westward, and though a considerable distance is still stretching out before them, the currents and winds are friendlier than they’ve been in a long, long time.

There have been so many days where it felt like the Spurs were fighting to just hold position, both in the past and in the current series from Game 2 onward. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t stop watching.

I’ve always argued that much of the interest in sports revolves around its imitation of life, and the way it rewards hard work in opposition to reality. But perhaps it’s just that it’s easier to access optimism in that arena.

Live is long and full of so much losing, and sometimes it feels like we’re all just fighting to reach the trade winds.

The Spurs and Kelsey Pfendler are both finally there, and we get to rejoice with them. Maybe it’s always been about the rejoicing.

One way or another, the Spurs are almost through the storm. Strap everything down. Prepare for the worst. But we’re all going to end up on the other side of it, and there’s still plenty of ocean to cross when it’s over.

It’s just nice to know that the current is finally flowing with us. However it goes, there’s comfort to be found in that.

Takeways

• After having difficulty finding a groove against the Thunder big men, Luke Kornet had his best game of the series, and it allowed San Antonio’s bench to both build and help hold their 20-point lead over OKC. While some of his ineffectiveness in the series was due to the difference between what he and Thunder players were being allowed in the paint, it was good to see him rise above it in such a critical game. He only tallied 3 points, but he diverted far more shots than his block count would suggest, and then threw down a dunk in the fourth quarter that felt like a spiritual game-ender. And though rebounds have been hard to come by, he made the most of his 13 minutes by bringing down five of them, two very critically on the offensive end. If this version of Kornet shows up in Game 7, I’d put all the money on the Spurs to win it, because the Thunder had a hell of a time making any headway against it.
• This game would not have been a blowout without Dylan Harper summoning his best, as he was an absolute nightmare for the Thunder to contain. I get that same sense of abject unfairness in watching bench players trying to deal with him that I used to get when peak Manu Ginobili got unleashed against 2nd stringers trying to make a name for themselves in the league. I don’t know how long Harper will play from the bench. He seems like he’s on too stratospheric a course for it to last too much longer, but what’s scary is the ease with which he’s dissecting championship-level defenses. He’s been playing through hamstring issues since the last series, and any lack of explosiveness hardly seems to matter because he just sees space differently than other players and/or creates it to the point that he just glides right through it. I have no idea what this kid’s ceiling is, but he’s breaking into/approaching some freaky territory for a rookie guard, and any time you’re in the same company as Magic Johnson, Manu, and Tony Parker, the future is bright beyond belief.
• I haven’t talked a whole lot about the third-stringers this postseason, seeing as they really haven’t gotten a lot of play unless it’s in a blowout, but that unit really decided to secure the lead last night, closing it out with a sequence of passing that I had no idea they were even capable of, and have sadly been unable to find in video form. I’m sure the Spurs will tighten up this part of the bench in the off-season, with Bismack Biyombo and Mason Plumlee both visibly past their expiration date, but I think we have a tendency to view everything through the lens of talent, and neglect how important certain personalities are to the success of a roster. There’s no negativety or resentment brewing at the end of the bench, and these guys deserve praise for being so wholesome in that way, and always ready to play (or, much more often, not play) without a hint of complaint. It’s certainly worth remembering and throwing a little praise their way.
• Lastly, in the event that this is the end of the season, I’d just like to thank you all for reading and engaging and bringing what you bring to the table. For a comparatively small market, we’re still towering amongst our peers in the blogosphere, and that’s down to the quality of the people who read and interact with our work. In the event that this goes sideways (*knock on wood*), I trust my colleague Charlie to ease us into the offseason in his characteristic style. But if not, I’ll see y’all back here for my first-ever Finals WWLs! I’ve run my best lap, and I’m passing on the baton. Here’s hoping Wemby’s (and Charlie’s) anchor leg gets there. In the meantime, we’ll all just keep paddling.

Playing You Out – The Theme Song of the Evening:

Currents by Eisley

A few days ago, I put out a call for Golden State Warriors mailbag questions. We didn’t get a ton this time around, but what we lacked in quantity we made up for in quality, with some excellent questions.

The boring answer is that it’s pretty rare for first-round talents to have these types of workouts. HoopsHype has been doing a fantastic job tracking all the reported workouts across the league, and a quick glance at their list reveals that only a small handful of first-rounders have had individual workouts, while the vast majority of workouts are for potential second-round picks and undrafted players.

Why is that? Because these sorts of workouts are fairly meaningless, and almost entirely meaningless for top prospects. Individual pre-draft workouts are, in essence, going through the movements of a very basic workout, with a softball job interview attached. That can still have value, but the value is primarily for deciding who to target for Summer League rosters and camp invites, and who could be a quality two-way addition. It also goes both ways: it’s an opportunity for those players to decide what team to sign with if they go undrafted.

The Warriors probably have 10-15 names they’re considering with the No. 11 pick. At this point, the Warriors have presumably seen all of them play in person, have watched virtually all of their college games, have talked with their college coaches, have had conversations with them, and have seen them at the combine. Nothing is going to change with 45 minutes of cone drills and a 10-minute interview, and so neither side is particularly interested (most projected lottery picks flatly refuse individual workouts).

That’s not to say that the Warriors haven’t gotten to know all of their potential draftees well (there’s a joke to be made somewhere in here about having dinner with them all and seeing what foreign languages they speak). But there are avenues to do that beyond the reported workouts. And while a mild-mannered workout isn’t going to impact how the Warriors feel about the 10-15 players they’ve done extreme due diligence on for their first-round pick, it can be a difference maker for the 200-300 players they’re considering for their second-round pick, two-way contracts, and Summer League roster, all of whom have had significantly less time making an impact on the organization than the first-rounders have.

Indeed, as our own Sean Keane noted in his article about the new rules, the Warriors would have had a 5.4% chance at the top pick under the new format, as opposed to the 2.0% chance they actually had. I think you hit the nail on the head: it’s going to reduce super-tanking, which is really the issue. No one cares about teams that aren’t good and aren’t making maximum effort to change that in the short term; it’s the teams that are blatantly trying to lose games that are ruining the fan experience (looking at you, Utah), and hopefully this will help keep that at bay.

NBA scouting is still nothing compared to the intense and rigorous scouting that you see in baseball, but it is still a very big deal. According to RealGM’s database, the Warriors have two scouts, two pro scouts, two international scouts, and one advance scout, but that underscores just how many hands and eyeballs are at work leading up to the draft. Assistants, special assistants, and video coordinators are all playing huge roles here, along with part-time employees. And, ultimately, everyone up to Steve Kerr and Mike Dunleavy Jr.

In general, though, these things work like a pyramid. The lowest-level people in the process compile massive amounts of info on massive amounts of players, and as it moves up the chain, players are eliminated and the fat is trimmed from the data. It’s a process that starts as soon as the college basketball season begins, and doesn’t stop until draft day.

But seriously, it’s nothing compared to baseball: according to the San Francisco Giants’ directory, they have 64 different full-time employees with the word “scout” in their title.

9ergold:
I understand you may not be able to answer this …

How can the NBA roll into the draft without first holding the Clippers accountable for hiding player payroll off the books and away from the NBA with zero draft pick penalties (as was levied against the penalty for the T-Wolves when they cheated the league on payroll hidden off the books) as well as the next season status of Kawhi, who was at the center of the matter?

It’s like Silver doesn’t plan to penalize the Clippers or Kawhi at all and acting like just nothing terrible even happened? To me, this undermines the credibility of the league, makes a joke of the NBA’s payroll & salary tier structure, and spits in the eye of every other team that didn’t cheat.

It’s a great question, and one that only Pablo Torre will be able to get to the bottom of. The simplest answer — though surely not the entire story — is that the NBA just hasn’t finished their investigation. It’s a massive investigation, and they’ve hired a huge, respected law firm to handle it. It’s going to take a while, and the league isn’t going to act until the investigation is completely concluded.

With that said, it wouldn’t surprise me if the league is waiting until after the offseason to do anything, regardless of the investigation. Assuming that they do find Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers guilty, it would make sense that they would seek to punish both. But what if Leonard gets traded, as has been rumored? If Leonard stays on the Clippers, the league could punish both parties in one fell swoop by suspending Leonard for a lengthy period (they would, presumably, further punish the Clippers with a fine and/or draft pick penalties).

But let’s say that the Clippers trade Leonard to, oh, I dunno … the Warriors. It’s hardly fair if the NBA then suspends Leonard for 25 games and punishes the Dubs, right? So I suspect sometime after the offseason chaos is over, the league will announce a conclusion to the investigation and some punishments that likely won’t faze Steve Ballmer.

MidcoastPerson:
Kerr emphasized that the Warriors need players who are regularly on the court. Does this mean they move on from both KP and Horford? If so, who would you replace them with?

I don’t think so. I think they very much hope that Al Horford opts into his deal, and they’ll be interested in bringing back Kristaps Porziņģis at the right price. The Dubs can talk all they want about having players regularly on the court, but at the end of the day, they’re an old team, and they’re in need of talent more than availability, so…

That said, I do think they target younger and more available players to round out the bench. They’re not bringing back both Gary Payton II and Seth Curry. But another way to address availability is to just have more players who deserve playing time. Part of why the Warriors have felt like they don’t have enough healthy bodies is because players like Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jonathan Kuminga, Quinten Post, Will Richard, and Buddy Hield fluctuated between being deserving of minutes and being glued to the bench. Get better players and it makes it easier to put up with Horford only playing 55 games.

RIP Thunder the mascot:
Steph Curry has gifted Warrior fans and the entire bay area an unquantifiable amount of sporting success and general philanthropy over the last decade and a half. Unfortunately, but predictably, there has been a diminishing return of success as his growing supermax salary has engulfed a larger % the team’s salary cap. No thanks to injuries nor Father Time, either..

It’s rare but we’ve seen players sacrifice a hit on their salary for the greater good of the team. Look no further than Jalen Brunson and the Knicks who are, not coincidentally, in the finals this year. ESPN reported that Steph is eligible to sign a 2-year 136.7 million dollar extension in August. Do you see Steph taking a pay cut via a contract extension? If so, what can we offer this game breaking talent without insulting him… without insulting the players union.. and without stirring up a Kawhi cap circumvention controversy? It’s almost sacrilege to wonder.. but I think we all know how competitive our team will be without.

I wouldn’t expect a pay cut, but you never know with Steph Curry. If someone is willing to do it, it’s him. Though they will be very careful about not circumventing the rules, as you mention.

But here’s why I don’t expect it to happen: it usually doesn’t actually do anything. When players do take discounts, it’s usually when all the pieces are in place and a star is sacrificing a few million to make it easier to retain everyone (you might recall that Kevin Durant did this when he was with the Warriors). But for a team in Golden State’s situation, Curry taking a slight discount on an extension isn’t going to change things. It’s not going to give them the money to chase a free agent this year (where his max contract is already set), and it’s unlikely to make a tangible difference in the books next offseason. In all likelihood, taking a discount really only accomplishes one thing: saving Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, the two people in the organization with more money than Curry, a few million.

Thanks for the questions, everyone!

Mike Breen had a chance to call last year’s Eastern Conference finals, even though the series was on TNT.

The longtime Knicks play-by-play announcer on MSG Network has been a prominent fixture in the NBA as the lead play-by-play caller on ESPN.

But last year, TNT’s Kevin Harlan offered Breen a chance to call the Knicks ECF series against the Pacers despite Breen’s status with the Worldwide Leader.

Breen explained the situation with The Post’s Dexter Henry on a recent episode of “New York Got Game.”

“We had the West and TNT had the East,” Breen recalled, citing that he’d be calling the series between the Thunder and Timberwolves. “Kevin Harlan, the great Kevin Harlan, who is a dear friend, they’re calling the Knicks-Pacers [series].”

Breen continued: “He calls me couple of days before the series and he says, ‘You know what?’ He goes on, ‘You’ve been waiting almost three decades for the Knicks to be in a conference final because it was the first in 25.’ He goes, ‘I want you to call the games for TNT. I’m going to go to my bosses. I’m going to tell them you should do it, and I’ll go do the West for ESPN.'”

Breen, when asked by Henry, confirmed that Harlan was serious.

“‘I know my bosses would love to have you, you deserve it,'” Breen remembered. “‘This is the team you’ve followed all this, you deserve it.’ And he goes, ‘”And even if ESPN doesn’t want to use me, and they want to use one of their announcers, whether it was Dave Pasch or Mark Jones, I’m fine, I’ll sit it out.’ That’s the kind of man Kevin Harlan is. I was so touched by that.”

Breen added that he thought about it overnight, and Harlan called him the next day, but acknowledged they both decided it might not have been the best for their employers, ESPN and TNT, respectively.

The NBA Board of Governors met on May 28 and passed a comprehensive lottery reform intended to stop tanking that will take effect starting with the 2027 draft, the league announced. Only the Memphis Grizzlies voted against the proposal, commonly referred to as the “3-2-1” model, which significantly alters how the lottery will work going forward and has some retroactive effects.

It’s not a surprise the proposal passed, as there have been rumors outlining the model and suggesting it had broad approval. Here’s all you need to know.

How the new lottery works

• The lottery will be expanded to include 16 teams.
• One of the reform’s main goals is to dissuade teams from bottoming out. To do so, the league will punish the teams with the three worst records by awarding them only two lottery balls each, out of a total of 37. Teams from fourth to 10th will receive three balls each. The ninth and 10th seeds will receive two balls, just like the bottom three. The losers of the seventh vs. eighth play-in will receive one each.
• Previously, only the top four picks would be decided by the lottery. Now, the order of all 16 picks will be decided by the lottery, but the bottom three teams can’t pick lower than 12th. Picks from 12th to 15th can’t be protected in trades.
• In hopes of deterring long rebuilding processes and preventing anyone from getting too lucky, teams won’t be able to get the top pick in consecutive drafts or to pick in the top five three times in five years. The rule starts counting from the 2025 draft and includes traded picks.
• The commissioner will have more power when it comes to curbing tanking, up to changing lottery odds or where teams pick.
• The reform includes a sunset provision, which means the changes will be in place until the 2028/29 season. After that, the league will decide whether to stick to it or make other tweaks.

Why the reform could be good

Tanking has always been a controversial topic in the NBA, where a single player can change the fate of a franchise, and the draft is the best way to secure elite talent at a cheap price and have control over it for years. The league has seen extreme versions of it before, but it was getting worse lately.

Not only were there teams that built their roster with as little proven talent as possible, but also some that had talent but were either holding healthy players out from games or sitting them in second halves to secure losses, which was even worse for optics. Something had to be done to prevent the regular season from being completely meaningless and from having games that became farces. Change was needed, and decentivizing teams from being the worst in the league should at least help avoid the most embarrassing tank jobs.

The worst teams still have a chance of getting the top pick, so anyone who tries to win but simply can’t is not automatically doomed, and the teams that were previously stuck in mediocrity because they were too good to get the best odds but not good enough to make the playoffs have a path to finding a centerpiece without having to bottom out. The draft should still provide fan bases hope, but now full teardowns won’t be as enticing, which could help with parity.

The changes are drastic, but the sunset provision shows that the league is not committed to them. If they don’t work, they can reverse them or find another solution.

Why the reform could be bad

The plan might have been discussed for years, but there wasn’t a lot of time between the news coming out that change was likely and this sweeping reform. Teams made moves thinking something similar to the now old lottery system would remain in place. The best example is the Grizzlies, which traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Jazz for a pick that now has zero chance of landing in the top five, because Utah has picked there twice already in the past two drafts.

As for the future, even if some of the changes might deter tanking at the lowest spots, it might incentivize it near the play-in range, as it might be better for teams to finish just below the 10th seed and get an extra lottery ball. That’s just one of many potential unintended consequences of a plan that might implement some good changes, but it is so comprehensive that it could alter how the league works in unpredictable ways, at least for the next few years. A more gradual approach might have been better.

Ultimately, even if someone agrees with all the changes in a vacuum, there should have been reforms to free agency and trading to go with them. The reason franchises in small or non-glamorous markets were more likely to tank is that it was the best and arguably the only way they could land foundational stars. Restricted free agency keeps young players with the team that drafted them, and established superstars normally dictate where they land. Tanking isn’t a good thing, and it provided no guarantees, but it at least gave franchises that can’t normally attract top-tier talent a plan on how to get it.

The changes don’t really matter for the Spurs

The Spurs already had their top three picks in five years and have a core in place that should keep them in contention for a while. The Hawks’ pick they own in 2027 seemed unlikely to land in the lottery now that Atlanta has reshaped its roster. The swap right to the Celtics’ pick in 2028 is the only one that falls into the window where the changes are guaranteed to be in place, but Boston was never expected to be a bottom-three team, and that hasn’t changed.

If anything, the reform helps the Spurs. No one will be able to land near the top of the draft consistently in the next few years and build a core that could rival San Antonio’s. The Silver and Black will be fine with these changes. Whether they are good for the rest of the league remains to be seen.

The Nets, it would seem, are more than like to take one of two lead guards on the night of June 23 at Barclays Center, either Mikel Brown Jr. or Darius Acuff. The are the most mentioned candidates for the No. 6 pick by draftniks and assorted pundits. And indeed, both are worthy of such consideration.

But, no one is claiming to know Sean Marks & co. thinking as we sit down a little more than three weeks away from the NBA’s big event. No one seemingly has the goods on who the Nets have had in HSS Training Center nor when they might work out and sit from interviews. There’s been no leaks from the annual May meeting of scouts that was featured in last year’s SCOUT docu-series.

So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that speculation about the Nets’ likes and dislikes is rising along with fan interest. On Friday, Brian Lewis profiled Keaton Wagler who most have penciled in at No. 5 to the Clippers, while ESPN’s Jeremy Woo added some intelligence on the full-range of prospective picks between Nos. 5 and 10, suggesting the Nets may have interest in Brown, Acuff and Wagler as well as the 6’9” Karim Lopez of the New Zealand Breakers, 6’4” Houston point guard, Adary May, the 7’3” center and anchor of Michigan’s NCAA champs and Nate Ament, the 6’10” wing whose draft stock has been up and down and now up again all year long.

Lewis highlights both Wagler’s positives — his height and wingspan plus his winning ways — as well as negatives — his lack of athleticism and whether he fits with Egor Demin.

There’s a very real possibility Wagler could be available for the Nets when they’re on the clock at Barclays Center. And as many non-Peterson guards as there are in this class, Wagler is confident he’s the best of the lot.

“I think I’m just super-versatile, being able to play multiple positions, not just a point guard or just shooting guard, but being able to play on or off the ball,” Wagler said. “And then also being able to play with other really good players is a skill that I think I have, knowing when it’s my time or when it’s someone else’s time.”

Despite middling athleticism and explosion, that versatility would be useful for the Nets.

Wagler met with the Nets at the NBA Combine and they’re expected to have him in, but there are issues, chief among them his athleticism. As our Collin Helwig reported after the Draft Lottery measurements were released, he not only finished fourth among the quarter in 3/4- court sprint but placed 50th among the 70 participants. He doesn’t worry about that hurting him. The rest of the game compensates, he says.

“I mean, I’ve heard it my whole life, that I’m not the most athletic, not the fastest,” Wagler told Lewis. “I think all last year I showed that you don’t have to be the most athletic to score the ball or be a really good player. And that’s kind of what I did. I just find different ways to use my body, even though I’m not the strongest, but being the aggressor, using my pace [of play] and then getting into the lane.

“I’m definitely super-versatile, can play multiple positions — the 1, 2 right now — and I continue to put on weight and get stronger, even the 3,” Wagler told Lewis. “So, my ability would also be my playmaking ability to be able to pass the ball, make the right play, take care of the ball.

“I definitely say my vision, going along with my height, being a tall guard, is something really good to be able to come off ball-screens and read defenders, see over defenses, and … make the right play.”

And he said all the right things about playing in the Big Apple.

Woo wrote about the Nets possible interest in Wagler as part of his top 100 rankings out Friday.

Wagler’s positional size, versatility and unique trajectory have continued to set him apart as a prospect worth investing in, with teams including the LA Clippers and Brooklyn Nets closely studying his case at No. 5 and No. 6 and his draft range unlikely to stretch far beyond those teams.

Wagler wasn’t the only prospect Woo linked to the Nets eith. Of Acuff, he wrote you have to consider the Nets as possibility as well.

Acuff’s range as relatively narrow, with his best-available case beginning with the Clippers at No. 5 and Nets at No. 6, and the Sacramento Kings at No. 7 considered by many to be his floor.

His ability to score at all three levels and increased willingness to involve teammates have greatly boosted his profile as a player potentially worthy of shouldering heavy responsibility and driving good offense.

And Flemings:

Although his mechanics aren’t textbook, he has continued to flash enough shooting growth to excite teams long term, drawing consideration from teams inside the top 10 after a breakout freshman season, with his range starting at No. 5 with the Clippers

And Ament:

He continues to draw looks throughout the lottery, with the Nets and Milwaukee Bucks viewed as possible destinations — two teams that could afford him time and minutes to develop immediately. Finding the right fit will be imperative for his long-term growth.

And Mara:

Rival teams consider him to be in play as high as No. 6 for Brooklyn, with the Hawks, Warriors and Thunder also viewed as potential landing spots in the lottery. Landing with a team that wants to lean into his playmaking skills will give him the best chance to maximize his impact.

And Lopez, assuming the Nets wind up with a pick lower than No. 6:

Lopez is drawing interest from a number of teams in the lottery, including the Clippers, Nets, Bucks and Warriors, with rival teams viewing him as more of a trade-back candidate later on in the case of the Clippers and Nets.

He was helped by his combine measurements, affirming his size to play both forward positions capably and massive hands. He continues to improve and has positioned himself as an intriguing development bet coming off a strong second season in the NBL.

That covers, it would seem, the range of Nets possibilities, but as a close reading of Wo0’s reporting shows, he’s not quoting anyone inside the Nets organization. The most common sourcing is “rival teams.”

Woo hints at the possibility of a Nets move out of No. 6 or finding a way to add another pick — OKC’s two picks at Nos. 12 and 17 have often been mentioned and certainly, the Nets have the assets to make a move with 32 picks, including nine tradeable first rounders. Moreover, the Thunder have some interesting decisions to make with the payroll and rotation. Remember, they’ll be adding two former first round picks next season who have been laid low by illness — point guard Nikola Topic — and injury — big man Thomas Sorber. Both are 20. So adding two more rookies might not be the most efficient development planning. They might want to move those picks back a year or more and the Nets have the bulk of their firsts starting in 2028.

It will take a while for things to work out or even come out. It’s a rare thing for the Nets to telegraph who they like, the two exceptions being Dzanan Musa in 2018 and Day’Ron Sharpe in 2021. So as we keep saying, stay tuned and be patient.

The post-Daryl Morey era of 76ers basketball is underway.

The team has hired Mike Gansey as its new president of basketball operations after a 15-year stint with the Cavaliers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Gansey had worked his way up the Cavs front office for years and was the team’s general manager since 2021 after a four-year stint in the same role with the Cavaliers’ G League team.

Gansey, 43, helped build the current Cavs roster, which earned its first Eastern Conference finals appearance since LeBron James left in 2018, though they were swept by the Knicks.

The Cavaliers have been a playoff mainstay in the Eastern Conference, making the postseason in each of the last four seasons, which they hadn’t done since 2014-18 during James’ second stint.

Gansey is assuming a 76ers roster entering the offseason with many questions after Morey’s firing.

Joel Embiid is going to make a combined $120 million for the next two seasons, with a $67 million player option in 2028-29.

Embiid, 32, would turn 35 that March.

Paul George enters the third year of a four-year deal, pocketing $54 million next season with a $56.6 million player option for 2026-27.

Tyrese Maxey has three years left on his contract and is scheduled to make north of $40 million next season.

Philly also has Kelly Oubre, Quentin Grimes and Andre Drummond as notable free agents to be.

The Phoenix Suns have numerous decisions ahead of them this upcoming offseason, including multiple restricted free agents, unrestricted free agents, and players with trade value. The following series will examine those decisions as our writing team presents both a point and a counterpoint for each.

The offseason ahead forces the Phoenix Suns into a delicate balancing act. There is a very real temptation to shake up the backcourt following a season that left everyone wanting more despite exceeding expectations. Still, Jalen Green shouldn’t just be cast aside as expendable trade bait. That is, unless the perfect deal comes along.

Arriving in Phoenix in late June as a part of the blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston, Green was brought in to provide a premium athletic punch next to Devin Booker. 

Green is a high-octane offensive motor with immense upside, but it’s clear his first year in the Valley wasn’t entirely a smooth ride. He has far more to his game than a standard isolation scorer; he is a legitimate athletic downhill threat who puts massive structural pressure on the paint when he attacks. While a recurring hamstring injury sidelined him for a significant chunk of the calendar, and his raw efficiency was highly erratic, Green still showcased why he is one of the most dynamic young assets on the team, posing a physical problem for opposing defenses that few others on this roster can replicate.

He was critical during the play-in games against Portland and Golden State, keeping Phoenix’s playoff hopes alive for just a bit longer.

Expanded Role + Growing Pains

Green’s 2025–26 season naturally requires us to look through an optimistic yet grounded lens. This wasn’t a flawless debut campaign, to say the least. Missing all of December and most of January with a recurring hamstring injury disrupted his rhythm significantly, and watching his three-point efficiency slide to a cold 31.3%, alongside a 42.2% overall field-goal percentage, are glaring yellow flags of caution to monitor.

Across his 32 regular-season appearances, Green averaged 17.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. However, the efficiency split between wins and losses tells the real story: in Suns victories, he shot 45% from the field and 33.6% from deep, but in losses, those numbers plummeted to 39% and 28.3%. When Jalen isn’t hitting shots, his tendency to “hijack” the offense can stall out ball movement, occasionally leading him to take more field goal attempts than Devin Booker, which is a structural flaw this team cannot afford.

Yet, when he got his legs underneath him, the aggressiveness and high-intensity vertical pop were undeniable. Let’s not forget his true ceiling: he saved the Suns’ season in the do-or-die play-in game, putting together a masterclass to lift Phoenix past the Golden State Warriors. He has an elite first step and vertical bounce that force opposing coaching staffs to respect him, even during an objective shooting slump.

3 Reasons the Suns Should Keep Him

With the Suns’ influx of guard depth, it is incredibly easy to fall into the trap of viewing Green as expendable trade bait, similar to Grayson Allen. Just on a larger scale, from a role and salary-wise. But trading away a high-upside athletic weapon to clear a positional logjam could be a panicked mistake if the return doesn’t check several boxes.

1. Perimeter Gravity + Paint Pressure

Even in a down shooting year, Green still commanded defensive attention. Teams don’t completely leave him open on the perimeter because they are terrified of his lightning-quick first step and ability to explode downhill.

When Booker is running the offense, the floor geometry completely changes if Green is loaded on the wing. If he can tighten up his shot selection, his ability to aggressively attack closeouts and pressure the rim will transition from an erratic luxury into necessity. It comes down to being a make-or-miss league sometimes, and when Green is “on,” he is nearly impossible to stop.

2. Physical Engine

This Suns team has historically been plagued by athleticism and toughness gaps, often leaning too heavily on perimeter finesse.

Jalen Green possesses the exact explosive, high-motor archetype that every contending front office craves to puncture modern defensive shells/sets. He is a constant downhill threat with an explosive first step and athleticism to get where he wants on the court more often than not.

While his defense and playmaking still require major development and discipline, having that raw vertical power already in-house is a massive competitive advantage you don’t just throw away.

3. The Moveable $36.3M Sweet Spot

What makes Green even more vital is his financial structure heading into next season. He is under contract for ~$36.3 million for the 2026–27 campaign. In an era where the restrictive second apron can completely paralyze a front office, Green’s contract sits in a highly productive mid-tier sweet spot. It is a highly movable asset. For that exact reason, his name surfaces in potential trade rumors. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a large chunk on the surface, but it’s not one of those impossible-to-move type of deals. Especially at his age, with the flashes he’s shown.

If the front office can find a premium blockbuster deal where combining his salary with another contract nets an elite, high-level forward that perfectly aligns with our timeline, you absolutely pick up the phone. But trading him for pennies on the dollar just to clear the runway is a mistake.

Closing Thought

As mentioned in my Grayson Allen piece, guard depth is a position of strength, not a flaw that requires a panicked offseason over-correction. Unless it makes sense.

Jalen Green is far from a finished product; his health history and shot selection are entirely valid concerns that keep this team’s ceiling volatile. However, unless a landscape-altering frontcourt piece becomes available via a consolidated trade package, keeping Green’s transition pressure, elite physical ceiling, and competitive fire in the Valley is the smartest path forward.

Let’s see if he can take the leap in year two with the Suns. If the perfect deal comes along that moves the needle, you look at it. Otherwise, let’s welcome Jalen back to the Valley with open arms.

The Thunder will be without one of their stars for their biggest game of the season thus far.

Oklahoma City shooting guard Jalen Williams has been ruled out for Game 7 of the Western Conference finals against the Spurs with a left hamstring sprain, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Friday.

Williams, 25, initially suffered the injury during Game 2 of the Thunder’s first-round series against the Suns.

Despite missing the Thunder’s next six games following the injury, the swingman returned for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Williams put up 26 points and seven rebounds while playing 37 minutes in the series opener, but left Game 2 after playing just seven minutes due to re-aggravating the lingering injury.

After missing the following three games, Williams retuned for Game 6, but saw just 10 minutes of action and took only one shot during the Thunder’s 118-91 loss to San Antonio.

During Thursday’s Game 6 loss, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said that Williams’ Game 7 status would be up to him and how his body is responding to the ongoing injury, The Athletic reported.

“He’s been hellbent on trying to get himself to this point. I give him credit,” Daigneault said. “He’s a big team guy, big competitor. He’s obviously not 100%. He didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what to expect.

“So it was a matter of getting him out there in an insulated role and see what he could bring to the team. … He hasn’t done a full return to play the way that he would.”

Injuries have already derailed Williams’ fourth year in the NBA, with the All-Star missing time to start the 2025-26 season recovering from a wrist injury, along with a right hamstring strain causing him to be sidelined for roughly 30 regular season games.

In just 33 games played this season, Williams, averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting 48.4 percent from the field.