Charles Barkley’s golf swing was not the only thing looking for help from above at Lake Tahoe.
Asked what the Sacramento Kings need to make the playoffs again, Barkley offered a diagnosis that was funny, brutal and probably painful for anyone in Sacramento.
Charles Barkley: ACC Celebrity Golf Championship Presented By American Century Investments Lu Chau/Photagonist/Shutterstock
“A miracle, the hand of God, the Pope coming to town before the Kings going to be any good,” Barkley said Thursday at the American Century Championship celebrity pro-am near Lake Tahoe. “Yeah, we got to get Pope Leo in town.”
Barkley did not stop there.
Darius Acuff Jr. #5 of the Sacramento Kings looks on during the game against the LA Clippers NBAE via Getty Images
“The Kings are in bad shape right now, and it sucks because they have one of the best fan bases in the world,” he said. “I love Sacramento fans, but they need a miracle.”
That is harsh, but not exactly difficult to understand.
Sacramento is entering another reset after finishing near the bottom of the Western Conference. The franchise used the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Darius Acuff Jr., a talented young guard who has already given Kings fans something to talk themselves into after two strong showings at the California Classic.
Barkley likes the rookie, too.
“He’s a good young player,” Barkley said of Acuff. But added, “He’s got a very bright future, but you got a long way to go”
The problem is just about everything around him.
Domantas Sabonis #10 of the Sacramento Kings steps over Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors Getty Images
The Kings are not just trying to add a point guard. They are trying to figure out what the next version of the franchise even looks like.
They missed out on Ja Morant. There have already been rumors about Zach LaVine’s contract potentially being bought out, while Domantas Sabonis’ future has also come into question. DeMar DeRozan is gone. De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter, all key pieces from Sacramento’s 2022-23 playoff team, are long gone as well.
That playoff appearance now feels like a different basketball lifetime.
The Kings broke through that season, won 48 games and pushed the Golden State Warriors to seven games in the first round. Mike Brown was the head coach then. Sacramento later fired him, and he went on to lead the New York Knicks to their first championship in 53 years.
The current path depends heavily on Acuff becoming the kind of foundational guard Sacramento can build around. His summer league numbers have been exciting, even if the shooting efficiency has been uneven.
But Barkley’s broader point is that one promising rookie does not fix a roster overnight.
Sacramento fans know that better than anyone. They have endured rebuilds, false starts and long stretches of irrelevance while still showing up with some of the loudest support in the league.
Barkley may have been joking from the golf course, but the message was clear.
The Kings have a young piece worth watching.
They also have a long way to go before anyone starts talking about the playoffs without invoking the Pope.
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LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Nate Ament #15 of the Milwaukee Bucks stands for the National Anthem before the game against the Miami Heat during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Milwaukee Bucks opened up their NBA Summer League campaign with a 119-86 loss to Miami. Nate Ament and Kasparas Jakučionis made their debuts in a Milwaukee jersey, while Bucks regulars Cormac Ryan and Pete Nance also logged appearances. Brayden Burries and Pete Nance led Milwaukee with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Jahmir Young and Ryan Conwell each poured in 19 points for Miami.
The Bucks trotted out a starting lineup of Burries, Jakučionis, Ament, Bogoljub Marković, and Nance. Miami started Tre Donaldson, Conwell, Trevor Keels, J’Vonne Hadley, and Vladislav Goldin.
Burries scored the Bucks’ first points of the game by knocking down a free throw; under the Summer League’s experimental rules, a free throw attempt now counts for the total number of points a shooting foul would have represented. After some back-and-forth play, Milwaukee quickly jumped out to a 7-0 run and held a multi-possession lead as the first quarter wore on. The Bucks’ defense looked enthusiastic, as they profited off a lot of Heat turnovers and stormed their way to some fast-break buckets. Despite a half-court Donaldson buzzer-beater, Milwaukee held onto a five-point lead going into the second frame, leading 31-26.
Miami and Milwaukee went back and forth, connecting on jumpers, floaters, and layups. Merely a minute into the second quarter, a Keels three-ball tied the game up at 35 apiece, and bench player Tre White’s fast-break jam gave Miami their first lead of the game. However, Burries quickly converted an and-one to give the Bucks back their lead. The second quarter was the Brayden Burries Show. He looked automatic from the midrange, and he looked every bit the dynamic scorer that his tape at Arizona suggested. Burries’ eight second-quarter points kept Milwaukee in the game. Milwaukee ended the first half tied with Miami, 56-56, after a quarter of hot shooting.
Miami began to heat up (ha ha) from long range, and grabbed a five-point lead coming out of halftime. Ryan Conwell, a former standout from Louisville, kept firing from deep, while the Heat backcourt connected from midrange to protect their lead. However, the newer Bucks continued to show their potential. Jakučionis looked very proficient as a playmaker and an offensive facilitator, and Ament looked pretty explosive going downhill. Yet, as a unit, Milwaukee struggled. Miami stretched their lead by picking off careless passes and shutting down Milwaukee’s offense. The Heat sprinted out to a 14-2 run to climb to a 15-point lead and kept scoring. By the end of the third quarter, Ian Schieffelin’s last-second floater pushed Miami up to a huge 22-point lead.
The Heat ran up the score, playing the gritty, committed defense that stymied Milwaukee in the third quarter while hitting the Bucks hard on the interior. Dunks from Goldin and three-pointers from Keels turned Miami’s lead from large to ugly, and the Bucks quickly found themselves staring down the barrel of a 32-point lead. Miami kept building on their lead to boost their point differential and give them a better chance of making the Summer League playoffs, and they looked invested as ever. The Bucks were consistently beaten to loose balls and offensive boards, and the Heat kept scoring from deep to push their lead even further.
Stat That Stood Out
The Bucks made just two field goals from outside the paint from twelve attempts in the third quarter. Their shooting dropped off a cliff in the second half, as Ament, Ryan, and Burries all struggled to connect from beyond the three-point line.
Adebayo struck Herro at least once during the encounter, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because neither player, nor their teams, revealed any details publicly.
The Heat said they were aware that an incident took place and declined further comment. Herro spoke briefly to The Miami Herald and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel after a summer game between the Bucks and Heat, saying “my only comment is no comment.” Herro attended that game; Adebayo was not present for the contest.
ESPN first reported details of the altercation.
The person who spoke with AP said one of the factors related to the altercation was that Herro had evidently made some critical comments about Adebayo — and the three-year, $166 million extension that Miami gave him in 2024. Herro is believed to have made those comments in direct messages to someone on social media, and screenshots of those conversations eventually went public.
Adebayo struck Herro at least once during the encounter, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because neither player, nor their teams, revealed any details publicly.
The Heat said they were aware that an incident took place and declined further comment. Herro spoke briefly to The Miami Herald and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel after a summer game between the Bucks and Heat, saying “my only comment is no comment.” Herro attended that game; Adebayo was not present for the contest.
ESPN first reported details of the altercation.
The person who spoke with AP said one of the factors related to the altercation was that Herro had evidently made some critical comments about Adebayo — and the three-year, $166 million extension that Miami gave him in 2024. Herro is believed to have made those comments in direct messages to someone on social media, and screenshots of those conversations eventually went public.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 09: Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors is guarded by Ryan Nembhard #9 of the Dallas Mavericks in the second half of a 2026 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 09, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When I arrived at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas for the Golden State Warriors’ Summer League opener with the Dallas Mavericks, the crowd was dominated by fans waiting for the Utah Jazz-Washington Wizards battle happening in the following game. By the time the game ended, I was convinced these plucky Summer Dubs had the ability to take home a Summer League title.
The Warriors haven’t always been the most exciting Summer League team to watch. When the biggest question to answer is if Jacob Evans can dribble without staring at the basketball or whether Alen Smailagic can tie his own shoes, there’s an absence of drama and competitiveness. This year, it’s a roster full of players who might very well play substantial minutes for the NBA team and a group of players competing for a limited number of two-way contracts.
All five of the Warriors starters in Thursday’s 101-90 win over the Dallas Mavericks could have roles for next year’s team. The standout was No. 11 pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and a plus/minus of +26 in 28 minutes. From my position in the stands, his most impressive skill was his ball handling, both in bringing the ball up the court or driving to the hoop.
No. 11 overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg delivered a double-double in his NBA Summer League debut:
Lendeborg hit an important level Thursday: Too Good For Summer League. He was a defensive terror who got his 21 points in only 13 shots, though he did call for the ball in 95% of the Warriors’ offensive possessions. The Mavericks scored only 39 points in the first half and I would be highly surprised if Lendeborg played more than two Summer League games before the team shuts him down.
However, he’s one of only two Summer Dubs with job security. Will Richard felt so secure that he played like he would on the Regular Season Warriors, hustling, moving the ball, playing defense, and deferring to his teammates. He shot 3-for-5, had seven assists, got two steals and a blocked shot and also finished +26.
Golden State’s other three starters are all fighting for jobs. LJ Cryer made a strong case for a two-way deal by going 5-for-8 on three-pointers, scoring 25 points and adding four assists. He may not be a defensive stopper, but he certainly tries on that end. Plus, all evidence points to him being a legitimately excellent outside shooter, after making 39.4% of his threes in 18 games last season.
LJ Cryer showed out on Day 1 of NBA Summer League action 🙌
The other two starters were last year’s two-way forward Malevy Leons and undrafted Gonzaga center Graham Ike, the WCC Player of the Year. Leons had eight points and eight rebounds while playing a very team-focused game, not like a third-year NBA player striving to show off. Ike had trouble with the Mavericks’ Morez Johnson, Jr., the No. 9 pick, committing almost as many fouls (8) as he had points and rebounds (9 each). That being said, Lendeborg’s Michigan teammate Johnson is also Too Good For Summer League with 27 points, eight boards, three steals, and two blocks.
You get 10 fouls at Summer League so nobody fouls out (though I saw Marquese Chriss do it). So Ike’s excessive fouling was not that worrisome, because it’s a sign he’s playing hard, and the referees are at summer school just like the players. But the signing of Charles Bassey, a similarly tough-but-undersized center might make Ike’s two-way chances smaller, as did Johnson’s repeated denials of Ike’s post-up attempts — though Johnson committed seven fouls of his own containing Ike.
As does the presence of Lachlan Olbrich, a second-round pick in 2025 from Australia. He’s more of a shooter than Ike and he’s agile, drawing numerous shooting fouls off the bench and finishing with 12 points. But Olbrich looks too skinny to defend the post, despite having some nice moves inside.
Second-round pick Lajae Jones had his moments and looked bigger than his 6-foot-7 frame. He had 11 points and five rebounds. Jones also got a little too much dip on his chip after one successful layup. Brimming with confidence, Jones tried to go 1-on-3 on a break — and you know Yaxel was calling wildly for the ball — and promptly fell down. Could Jones be Taller Will Richard? It’s very possible, but it’s also good he has a foreign passport available to him this fall.
That’s why this Summer League team truly could go all the way. Maybe Lendeborg and Richard don’t play past this weekend, but that’s true of most top picks and second-year players who show out. What the Warriors have is a group of talented players competing for limited jobs, who also have a range of skillsets. Chance McMillian struggled Thursday, but he’s a serious scorer and wants Cryer’s job. Olbrich and Ike complement each other’s skills, while Leons remains intriguing, especially if he gets more touches.
We won’t see Alex Toohey, who is still rehabbing a knee injury and not necessarily out of the Warriors’ plans. Still, this is a deep and hungry Summer League team with the perfect level of talent. It’s enough to win a lot of exhibition games, but not so much that the players get shut down early. Let’s get that chip, Summer Dubs!
Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat and Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat exit the court during a delay of a game between the Chicago Bulls game on January 8, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
An ugly breakup in Miami continues.
Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro got into a physical altercation at a practice court in Las Vegas on Friday morning, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
Adebayo struck Herro in the face as they were leaving the court.
The altercation started when Adebayo confronted Herro about comments he made about the center on social media after being traded to the Bucks.
“We are aware and not commenting,” the Heat said in a statement to ESPN. The Bucks had no comment.
Antetokounmpo was first on the list, shooting 26.8% while Adebayo was 10th, shooting 35.9 percent.
Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat and Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat exit the court during a delay of a game between the Chicago Bulls game on January 8, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Instagram DMs were also leaked in which he allegedly took shots at the Heat center.
A fan argued with Herro that Adebayo was worth the contract he got because he is a “top five defender” and averages 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. Herro allegedly responded by arguing that one should not get paid $60 million for being a good defender on some nights.
In the alleged messages, Herro did not specifically mention Adebayo’s name but did not deny it was about him.
Adebayo didn’t make $60 million during the 2025-26 season, however, and will not make that much next season either.
Adebayo signed a three-year, $160,342,092 contract with the Heat in 2024 and is set to make $49,488,300 next year, according to Spotrac.
The tension between the two is relatively surprising as they spent the last seven seasons together with an unfriendly relationship never reported.
Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat looks on during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2025-26 Emirates Cup on November 26, 2025 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. NBAE via Getty Images
The Bucks received Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakuionis, and draft picks, including the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Heat got Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis in return.
The trade also shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to Herro as reports about the Heat trying to get the Greek Freak were widely known. Miami had also reportedly offered the guard in deals for other superstars such as Kevin Durant in the past.
Herro was drafted by the Heat in 2019 with the No. 13 pick after his successful career at Kentucky. In his seven seasons in Miami, he’s averaged 19.5 points, five rebounds and 4.1 assists.
Herro was seen sitting courtside at the Heat-Bucks summer league game Friday afternoon, dapping up the Bucks team and talking with Jaquez.
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 16: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat and Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat celebrate during the second half of the 2025 SoFi Play-In Tournament against the Chicago Bulls on April 16, 2025 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro were teammates on the Miami Heat for seven seasons before the team traded Herro to the Milwaukee Bucks last month as part of the massive Giannis Antetokounmpo deal. Herro reportedly shared some critical comments about Adebayo after the trade on social media, and the star big man didn’t like it. When their paths crossed again in Las Vegas during NBA summer league, it got physical between them.
Adebayo allegedly punched Herro on a practice court in a Las Vegas hotel on Friday morning, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania. Adebayo reportedly approached Herro about the social media post, and it ended with the new Bucks guard getting socked.
Herro’s comments allegedly came from a leaked conversation on What’s App. “It’s a mf making 60 million but they worried about me and what I do,” Herro said in the conversation. Here’s the full screenshot, with more excerpts below.
Here’s every comment Tyler Herro said towards Bam Adebayo and stated he’s the one who needs help😳
“It’s a mf making 60 million but they worried about me and what I do”
“You should get paid 60 million to be a top tier defender on some nights? I'm just wondering”
Here are some of Herro’s comments that seem to be about Adebayo:
“Why are Heat fans so worried about me and what I do? But I’m not the best player on the team right ?”
“You should get paid 60 million to be a top tier defender on some nights? I’m just wondering.”
“Who did Cleveland prioritize taking away in the playoffs? Who did Boston prioritize taking away when Jimmy got hurt and we was the 8 seed?”
“When I’m healthy I need help not the other guy”
Herro was asked about his Heat ties on Thursday and only had glowing things to say about most members of the organization, but he didn’t mention Adebayo:
Tyler Herro says it's all love with the Miami Heat:
"It's all love in Miami. I've seen a couple of the guys, coaching staff. Chris Quinn, Spo. We're all good in Miami and an opportunity for both sides to reset and get a fresh start. We're both super happy for this." pic.twitter.com/86f5h5eWKG
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Boston Celtics (0-0) vs Toronto Raptors (0-0) Friday, July 10, 2026 9:00 PM ET Summer League Game #1 TV: ESPN, NBCSB Cox Pavilion
This is the first Summer League game for both of these teams as neither team played in Salt Lake City or California Summer Leagues. The Raptors are playing in the first of back to back games and will face the Houston Rockets on Saturday. The Celtics won’t play again until Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets.
Both teams are mostly Rookies with some having played in the G-League. The Celtics have 13 rookies listed with 2 players with 1 year NBA experience and 1 player, Alondes Williams, with 3 years experience with Brooklyn, Miami, Detroit and Washington. The Raptors have 12 rookies listed with 4 players having 1 year experience.
The Celtics are coached by Amile Jefferson. Jefferson was named Director of Player Development for the Duke Blue Devils in 2021. He was promoted to assistant coach at Duke for the 2022-23 season. In 2023, Jefferson became an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics under head coach Joe Mazzulla. Jefferson played for the Celtics on an Exhibit 10 contract before being hired as an assistant coach.
The Raptors are being coached by Ivo Simovic. Simović began his coaching career in 2001 in Belgrade. Simović spent two summers working as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs during 2013 NBA Summer League and 2014 NBA Summer League season. He spent 1 year as an assistant and 1 year as head coach of the Hartford Hawks. He spent a season as an assistant coach at UCLA. From 2023 to present, Simović has been an assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors under Darko Rajaković.
Celtics Summer League Roster Mohammad Amini #54 R Chris Cenac, Jr #12 R Tucker DeVries #41 R Hugo Gonzalez #28 1 Caleb Grill #37 R Curtis Jones #26 R Kyle Mangas #43 R Dillon Mitchell #20 R Hank Morgan #51 R Nick Pringle #40 R Day Day Thomas #38 R John Tonje #8 R Milos Uzan #29 R Chauncey Wiggins #50 R Alondes Williams #46 3 Amari Williams #77 1
Head Coach Amile Jefferson Celtics Players to Watch
Hugo Gonzalez | Getty Images
Hugo Gonzalez – Celtics fans will be watching for a big Summer League showing from Gonzalez. The Celtics reportedly turned down the Giannis trade because they didn’t want to include Gonzalez in the package. Hugo was the 28th pick in last year’s draft. In last year’s Summer League, he averaged 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 14 minutes per game last season. His +11.9 rating was the highest for any rookie that played at least 100 minutes. He is coming off a successful showing in World Cup qualifiers where he had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a win over Denmark. Because of his play there, we may or may not see much of him in Summer League.
Chris Cenac, Jr – Cenac was the 27th pick in this year’s draft. He is 19 years old and was a highly recruited center going into his one season at Houston. He averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds in college, while shooting 48% from the field, 33% from beyond the arc and 62% from the line. He has a combination of size and athleticism that makes him a very intriguing player. He was signed to a standard rookie contract and will likely split time between the parent club and Maine this season.
Dillon Mitchell – Mitchell is a 4 year college player who was drafted with the 40th pick. He is 6’8″ with a 6’10” wingspan. He is a super athlete, good finisher, rebounder and defender. He averaged 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game over 37 games with 25 starts last year. He was named to All Big East 3rd team and Big East All Defensive team. He is an excellent defender but weak on offense. He shot just 19.3% on 3’s and 48.8% on free throws. Amari Williams – Amari was the 46th pick in last year’s draft. He spent most of last season on a 2-way deal but was converted to a standard contract at the end of last season. He averaged 1.4 points, and 1.8 rebounds in 6.6 minutes with Boston last year. He averaged 15.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.8 blocks with Maine last season. There are reports that he has grown to 7’2” since being drafted but he is listed at 7’ even with a 7’5” wingspan for Summer League. Hopefully he can put the pieces together and dominate this game. He has already been signed to a 2-way contract for this season.
Toronto Raptors Roster Jaden Bradley #8 R Tyreke Key #11 R Nate Bittle #12 R Seth Lundy #13 1 AJ Hoggard #16 R Jalen Celestine #18 R Tyson Degenhart #20 R Brandon Angel #21 R Allen Graves #22 R Chucky Hepburn #24 1 Nimari Burnett #25 R Collin Murray-Boyles #30 1 Jamarion Sharp #33 R Aziz Bandaogo #35 R Malik Thomas #41 R Alijah Martin #55 1
Head Coach Ivo Simonic
Raptors Players to Watch
Collin Murray-Boyles | Getty Images
Collin Murray-Boyles – Murray-Boyles was the 9th pick in last year’s draft. He had a very good first season with the Raptors. He played small ball center for much of his rookie season. He averaged 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 57.9% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc. In the playoffs, he averaged 14.4points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. The Raptors would love for him to make another leap in his sophomore season but won’t likely play a lot in Summer League for them. Allen Graves – Graves was the 19th pick in this year’s draft. He is a defense first player and excels at steals and blocks. He is 6’8″ tall and will likely be a stretch 4 or small ball 5 for the Raptors. He averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.9 steals in his only college season. He shot 41% from beyond the arc, so even though he thinks defense first, he is also a very good shooter.
Alijah Martin – Martin was the 39th pick in 2025. He played the majority of his first season in the G-League but was given a standard deal at the end and played 23 games with the Raptors, averaging 6.3 minutes per game. in 40 games for the 905 in the G-League, he averaged 18.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 39.6% from beyond the arc.
Questions How many minutes will Hugo Gonzalez play for the Celtics? He is coming off of time with the Spanish team at the World Qualifiers. He also has a full season with the parent team last season. But the Celtics should want to see him play as much as possible to help him take a leap in his sophomore season.
How many minutes will Collin Murray-Boyles play for the Raptors. As with Gonzalez, Murray-Boyles has a full season with the parent club under his belt. However, he played more minutes and had a bigger role on the team than Hugo did. He proved to the Raptors that he can play so he may not see many minutes for them in Summer League.
Victor Wembanyama is extension-eligible this offseason and is the definition of a no-brainer max player.
Wembanyama and his Spurs just lost in the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks — a team that could be built out as a title contender because Jalen Brunson took a massive discount on the max contract he was offered ($113 million off the max he could have asked for).
This implies that an agreement on an extension was reached and that Wemby will take less than the full max, something Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported as a rumor circulating at Summer League in Las Vegas.
Wembanyama, the reigning unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, would qualify for a Rose rule 30% max contract, estimated to start at $53.5 million and be worth more than $300 million over the course of the five-year contract.
The Spurs can see financial reality and the NBA's tax aprons coming for them. Wembanyama is extension-eligible this summer (the contract would kick in for the 2027-28 season), then Stephon Castle is eligible for his extension next summer, then Dylan Harper the year after that — all of that on top of De'Aaron Fox's four-year, $221.7 million extension that kicks in for next season.
Any discount Wembanyama takes helps keep a young roster that has already been to the NBA Finals together long term. His desire to win is no secret, but don't expect NBA superstars to take a discount so owners can save money on the tax to become a trend.
CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 30: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers embrace after the game on November 30, 2025 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Earlier this week, we asked Cleveland Cavaliers fans which Eastern Conference team improved most this offseason. Four teams have made drastic moves that are expected to change their playoff trajectory. However, one team stood out more than the rest.
Philadelphia winning the poll isn’t too surprising. They made the flashiest move of the offseason by swapping out Paul George and draft capital for Jaylen Brown. Brown was a peripheral MVP candidate last season. Putting him in the place of George should be an instant upgrade.
That said, I am surprised that the Raptors didn’t get some more support here. Assuming that the trade for Kawhi Leonard actually goes through, they should be on the shortlist of Eastern Conference contenders and present matchup issues for a Cavs team that struggled against them last postseason.
The Heat and Celtics’ place in the poll feels warranted. Miami should be much better with the addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo, but it’s fair to wonder if they are true threats in the East without additional help.
The odds on FanDuel show a tightly contested battle for the top of the Eastern Conference next season.
Currently, the defending champion New York Knicks are the favorites to have the top seed in the conference at the end of the season at +310. Behind them are the Celtics (+440), Detroit Pistons (+450), Cavs (+800), Sixers (+850), and then the Raptors (+1000).
The odds to win the 2027 Finals don’t reflect that order. The Knicks are the top team in the East at +900, followed by the Celtics (+1300), Raptors (+1600), Sixers (+2200), Pistons (+2200), and then Cavs (+2200).
We’ll see how this shakes out soon enough. And we’ll see how the possible return of LeBron James to the Eastern Conference potentially shakes the odds up even more.
SACRAMENTO, CA - JULY 6: Mikel Brown Jr. #0 of the Brooklyn Nets drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on July 6, 2026 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The California Classic was plenty of fun for Nets fans. Egor Dëmin absolutely showed out, and Mikel Brown Jr. showed up just in time to make a serious first impression. Now, they’ll take their talents along with the rest of the summer squad and head over to Las Vegas to play the Knicks. Their summer hype is a well-earned celebration tour. Brooklyn’s summer holds a lot of weight as they assess their rotation entering the 2026-27 season.
Four games… then 3+ months until the next game. Enjoy them!
🏀 Key Info
Who: Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks
Tip-off Time: 6:00 PM ET
Broadcast: YES Network, Gotham Sports App, Prime Video, NBA TV, NBA League Pass, ESPN+
Location: Las Vegas, NV (Thomas & Mack Center/Pavilion)
✍️ Game Preview
The Nets’ other two-way player, and second-round rookie Tyler Bilodeau, was electric beyond the arc. His 3-point shooting has always been his calling card, nailing 46.4% of his 3-point attempts at UCLA last season. He quickly flashed that ability in two Summer League games, averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 26 minutes per game while converting 58.3% of his 3-point attempts. He even drilled four triples in just the first half of the Nets’ final game at the California Classic.
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In the meantime, check out The Brooklyn with Pooch & Collin as they talk about the California Classic, offseason, and what to look for in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Mohamed Diawara #51 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Brooklyn Nets during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 15, 2025 at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Skip the Cirque du Soleil, go past the roulette table, and head straight to the basketball court, because Summer scrimmages are back in Vegas, baby! Will the games be pretty? Unlikely. But they will give you an early look at the Knicks’ young talent (e.g., Jack Kayil, Tyler Nickel) and give rostered players (e.g., Mohamed Diawara, Pacome Dadiet) a chance to prove they deserve more attention heading into training camp. Expect Diawara and Dadiet to carry much of the offensive and defensive workload. Across the floor, the Summer League Nets will field a promising young roster led by Egor Demin, Mikel Brown Jr., Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf. Expect them to give T.J. Saint’s squad a run for their money!
Tip-off is 6 pm EST on Amazon Prime / Gotham. This is your game thread. This is Nets Daily. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be good humans. And go Knicks!
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 19: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2026 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s a lot of noise — some informed, some not — that LeBron James is signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers in free agency. However, nothing is set in stone or guaranteed until James or his team announces where he plans on playing next season. And rumors are flying in every direction.
To prove that point, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on a recent radio interview that a “good source” told him that James signing in another city was a “done deal.” He didn’t say that it was a done deal or that he was reporting it. The point here was to say that there are rumors in other cities as well.
"I'm hearing stuff in other cities too. I'm not gonna say who but I had somebody on the phone with me today that I consider a good source who was swearing it's a done deal in another city," – @WindhorstESPN on the latest LeBron rumors 😯😯😯 pic.twitter.com/4uHgOsAC86
Figuring out which other team Windhorst could be referring to is anyone’s guess. The Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Golden State Warriors all make compelling cases to varying degrees.
At this point, we still don’t know anything for certain. While it seems the Cavs are the ones expected to land James, other teams make compelling cases as well. And those other teams still feel like they are in the race for LeBron.
We’ll figure out how this ends in due time. All we can say right now is that it doesn’t seem like LeBron is in any type of rush to make a decision. The endless speculation and rumors could drag on for anywhere from several more hours to several more weeks.
SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 3: Gheorghe Muresan #77 of the Washington Bullets stands during a game played on March 3, 1996 at Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1996 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
There are three kinds of NBA jerseys you see at Las Vegas Summer League. There’s affectionate, ironic, and regrettable. The first category is simple: Steph Curry No. 30, Kobe Bryant No. 8, Kobe Bryant No. 24, Kobe Bryant Lower Merien High No. 33. There’s a lot of Lakers fans at Summer League.
Ironic is the kind of jersey you see on a hipster at Coachella or that I was wearing Thursday: A No. 34 Mike Dunleavy, Junior in Thunder-the-Mascot-Era lettering. The guy sitting in front of me was rocking a No. 77 Gheorghe Muresan Washington Wizards jersey, honoring My Giant himself. It shows you are a Ball Knower, more than simply a Ball Fan.
The regrettable is when you’ve spent big on a jersey and made a huge mistake. Like when my father bought me a Michael Crabtree jersey for my birthday, but Crabtree held out from the San Francisco 49ers for months, so Dad simply pretended he forgot to get me anything until four months later, when Crabtree finally signed, thanks to the intervention of MC Hammer.
That applied to the young Utah Jazz fan sitting in our row wearing a Walter Clayton, Jr. jersey. Clayton was the hero of March Madness in 2025, winning a title with the Dubs’ own Will Richard. The Jazz traded up to get him in the first round and this Jazz enthusiast bought in early. Then, Keyonte George solidified himself as Utah’s point guard of the future, and Clayton was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Jaren Jackson, Jr. trade.
Lucky for him, the “ironic jersey is really just a regrettable jersey + time. That WCJ jersey is going to be incredible when President Barron Trump holds White House Lawn Coachella in 2047.
There were quite a few Darryn Peterson Jazz jerseys in the arena, as he was making his summer debut against No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa after the Warriors beat the Mavericks. Fewer Dybantsas, perhaps because Salt Lake City is simply closer to Vegas than Washington D.C. is. Plenty of Kobes, Plenty of Stephs, but fewer LeBron jerseys than usual, perhaps because he’s not on a team yet — Lakers fans got spurned, Cavs fans don’t want to jinx it, Heat fans are wearing Lionel Messi jerseys.
Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of New York Knicks jerseys this year after they won the title, though the variety of merchandise is a wider range. I saw a Patrick Ewing jersey, an OG Anunoby shirsey, multiple NBA Champions t-shirts, two Jalen Brunsons, and one Karl-Anthony Towns. It might be that Knicks merchandise was selling out even overseas, so people had to take what was available. That is not meant to disparage Anunoby, Anne Hathaway’s favorite basketball player, one bit.
For the trip, I’m torn. I always wear an MDJ as a tribute, but I also packed a Jazz Jeff Hornacek jersey I bought for a video making fun of how he rubbed his face during free throws, well after he retired, clearly a banger. But am I too old for ironic jerseys?
No. Because if I don’t wear the Brooklyn Nets Jersey of Kris Humphries, the love of Kim Kardashian’s life, every year at Summer League, that means I wasted the $5 I paid for it at their online store, which was still inexplicably stocking it in 2015, two years after he left the team. Kim K. did him wrong!
