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The Detroit Pistons play the Miami Heat in the Summer League finale. It’s not until 9 pm. It will be on ESPN, which means maybe so more people will be able to watch. No clue who will actually suit up for the Pistons. Play ball.
There was a big hullabaloo about the Bucks acquiring Kasparas Jakucionis and the 13th overall pick in the draft (which became Nate Ament) from Miami. At the time, certainly, those were seen as two of the prime assets that Jon Horst was able to wrench out of the Heat’s hands. Accordingly, Bucks fans were hyped to watch both in action at Summer League.
Unfortunately, both players experienced a good amount of struggles (along with some positive moments too, to be fair) in Vegas. Jakucionis was something of a human turnover machine, while Ament looked out of place for the first three games just on a physical basis.
Therefore, for this week’s Reacts survey, we wanted to do a temperature check on how fans viewed the Giannis trade package after watching these players’ aforementioned Summer League struggles. Had they changed their tune from how they viewed the deal before they saw these two young Bucks play? Well, while the majority of fans had not (59%), a solid chunk (41%) had.
Milwaukee’s final game in Vegas is now locked in for tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. CDT against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Check out FanDuel, the official sportsbook of SB Nation.
It appears the LeBron James free agency drama will drag into next week as he made a couple of appearances at Fanatics Fest in New York and said nothing new. As LeBron again enjoys basking in the spotlight, here are the latest rumors on the biggest story in the NBA.
On Thursday, LeBron said of his decision timeline, "I won't hold you guys up too much longer." The latest reporting from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin echoes that.
"Multiple sources familiar with his thinking told me in the last 24 hours that he is truly getting much closer to a decision."
One of the hot rumors about LeBron during the Las Vegas Summer League was that he wanted to wait until after the World Cup to make the announcement, and whether that is his intent or not, that seems to be how things are playing out. ESPN's Shams Charania said on Friday he thought an announcement could come next week. For now, we're all feeling like Miami’s Pat Riley.
"Right now, I think we're like everybody else, we're just waiting to see what he does," Riley said this week.
Miami is one of the "finalists" in the LeBron sweepstakes, and Giannis Antetokounmpo talked about the opportunity to play with him during an appearance on ESPN with Ohm Youngmisuk on Thursday.
"If there was a scenario for that to happen, I'd be very, very excited. He's one of the best players to ever play this game, if not the best. [I'd] be able to learn so much from him. Obviously, brings such a championship experience to the team right from day one. I think he's still one of the best players in the [game today], if not top 25 [at 41 years old]. You don't see signs of him slowing down at all. You saw in the playoffs how effective and good he was for the Lakers.
"But I'm just like everybody else, we don't have all the information. All the information is in LeBron James' hand and his family's hands, and he's going to make the best decision for him. The history has shown that he's always made good decisions for his career. And I hope if he thinks that the Miami Heat is a good decision for him. I would love for him to be here."
A lot of pundits have Cleveland and Miami — two former LeBron teams — as the frontrunners for his services (NBC Sports continues to hear Cleveland, but nobody really knows).
For the second day in a row, LeBron appeared at Fanatics Fest, this time for a live recording of his show "The Shop." Philadelphia fans are running with this quote as a hint that he is coming to the City of Brotherly Love. Quote via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
"What's most important is I want to compete, I want to compete at a high level. I want to join a franchise that kind of shares the same motto as myself, and that's, like, practicing championship happens every day. But trusting the process more than anything."
The process? Philly fans at the event cheered, but LeBron quickly shot that down with his next comment.
"I've been saying 'to trust the process' since I was drafted in like 2003. I don't even know if Embiid was even born yet."
At this point, we could parse LeBron's comments over the past few months and have it point just about anywhere. Read into it if you want, all anybody else really wants is him just to make a decision.
The Knicks wrap up their 2026 NBA Summer League schedule on Friday when they face the Dallas Mavericks at The Pavilion in Las Vegas. The Mavs are 2-2 in summer play, while the Knicks are 1-3. This will be the last Knicks action you get until autumn, so soak it up, fans.
Tip-off is 8:30 pm EST on Amazon Prime. This is your game thread. This is Mavs MoneyBall. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be cool, everybody. And go Knicks!
LAS VEGAS — In an alternate universe, Amile Jefferson is still playing in the NBA. The 33-year-old gets on the court every practice, and guards the Celtics’ best frontcourt players.
He can still jump high, after all. He can still swat shots. The 6’9, former Duke University standout is very much still in peak athletic condition.
But, in this world, Jefferson is an up-and-coming coach. This summer, he’s the jovial leader of the Celtics’ Summer League squad, the fiery coach who usually has a grin plastered across his face, but sometimes switches gears to become uber-intense — Joe Mazzulla-style.
“On a regular day-to-day basis, you just see me walking around – I’m very calm, very smiley, just easy to be around,” Jefferson told CelticsBlog in an exclusive conversation. “But, as a player, or when I’m coaching, that side gets unlocked, and then I get super competitive, and I’m a totally different person.”
Near center-court, Jefferson emphatically clenches his fist when Hugo Gonzalez sinks a three-pointer.
“That’s a foul, ref!” he belts each time he believes the whistle should have been blown.
“I’m trying to let them know that I’m in the fight with them, that they’re not alone,” Jefferson said. “And making sure they can hear my voice, making sure they know that I can help them be organized, making sure that they know that I got their back. And whether it’s screaming out a call or coverage, or whether it’s just giving an encouraging word, when I’m out there, I’m locked in – and probably am a little bit of a different person.”
He pauses and smiles.
“A lot louder, I can tell you that.”
Jefferson’s story is a fascinating one, because just a few years ago, he arrived at Celtics training camp as a player.
In 2020, he signed an Exhibit-10 contract with Boston, but got diagnosed with COVID-19 on his first day of camp, which effectively ended his chances of making the NBA that season. That came on the heels of several years of grinding in the G League, which included stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic on two-way contracts.
After his time with the Celtics was cut short, Jefferson headed to Turkey, where he laced up for the Galatasaray Club. But, at 28 years old, while he was still in his athletic prime, an opportunity came along that changed everything.
Jon Scheyer, one of Jefferson’s closest friends and mentors, had accepted the job of being Duke’s newest head coach, and he wanted Jefferson, the only three-time captain in Duke University history, on the coaching staff.
Jefferson had to make a difficult choice: he was still dominating on the court — he recalls dropping 25 points and 15 rebounds in his last pro game in 2021 with a glisten in his eye — but this was Duke, this was Scheyer, and this was an opportunity almost impossible to resist.
“It was really hard,” Jefferson said. “I was playing well. I thought there was a chance I could get back into the NBA at some capacity. I had training camp offers, which was crazy. My agent was not happy about it.”
There was no major injury. There was no urgent reason Jefferson had to walk away from playing. But the former NCAA champion knew that opportunities like that don’t come by often, and so he capitalized.
“It was fun to do something new and to be uncomfortable and to challenge myself — and that’s where growth happens,” Jefferson said. “And I always had a growth mindset, and I’m always trying to find ways to get better. And so for me, yeah, it was tough. But I knew it was the right thing to do.”
If Scheyer hadn’t made that call, Jefferson believes he never would have made the pivot to coaching that young.
“Duke is definitely home, and home base,” he said. “And so if that didn’t happen, especially if that didn’t happen at the timing it happened that year, I’d probably still be playing basketball right now today, which is crazy how life and the world works.”
“Because I was in shape, I was in my basketball prime, I felt great — I was playing really well.”
Jefferson spent one season as an assistant at Duke and then joined the Celtics in 2023 when a coaching position opened up. That marked another difficult decision, but Scheyer encouraged him to take the role, as difficult as it was to leave Duke.
In Boston, Jefferson was first a member of the offensive team, and last year, pivoted to the defensive team. He also helps assistant coach Matt Reynolds determine when to use the coach’s challenge.
“I always say that I got my PhD in basketball my first year here in Boston, and so it was really cool to do,” he said. “It was really hard to do because Duke is the best school, best program in college basketball – and Jon is one of my closest friends. But he wanted me to do it. He wanted me to learn. He knew I would get better, and so it was a hard decision to make. But it was a great one, and one that I’m grateful for. Grateful for Jon, and grateful for Joe [Mazzulla].”
Toward the end of this past NBA season, the decision paid off in another meaningful way: he learned that Joe Mazzulla had picked him as the next Summer League head coach.
And fittingly, as Jefferson coached his first game, Jon Scheyer and Jayson Tatum, Jefferson’s former Duke University teammate, sat courtside. Tatum cheered when Jefferson got called for a technical foul just 9 minutes into his coaching career.
“Passion,” said a mic’d up Tatum. “That’s what we call it.”
Serving as a Summer League a challenge that Jefferson has embraced, and also one that he’s uniquely qualified for. He, like most of the guys on the current Celtics Summer League roster, bounced around on training camp deals in hopes of carving out a spot in the NBA.
In two Summer Leagues spent with the Magic, Jefferson averaged just 4.8 minutes per game. As such, he relates with the majority of the roster, with the many players who have seen limited on-court opportunities as they pursue their lofty dreams.
“I was them,” he said. “I played in three summer leagues. I know what it’s like to be fighting to make it. I know what it’s like to be undrafted. I know what it’s like to be in a new environment, learning a new system in three days, and then trying to apply it.”
As such, Jefferson exudes a palpable pride when he talks about his players.
Take John Tonje, for example. The 25-year-old is fighting for a spot in the NBA after being drafted 53rd overall in 2025. Last year, he was on a two-way contract with the Celtics. This year, he’s angling for one, but he’s facing stiff competition.
“He’s one of the guys I’m most proud of because he wants to make it,” Jefferson said after the Celtics’ Wednesday night win over the Sacramento Kings. “And when a guy wants to make it, and when a guy wants to be in the NBA, that’s how you look. If somebody wants to know how hard it is to be in the NBA — you can all see how good he is. He’s given himself a really good chance. He is definitely an NBA player.”
Jefferson has stressed that message to Tonje. He’s taken the time to get to know all 16 players on the team, some of whom he was already intimately familiar with, some of whom he’s just getting to know.
“I’m trying to talk to all our guys, hit all of them, make sure their mind is right, and make sure that they understand where I see them,” Jefferson said. “And so for John, it was really just giving him his flowers of how I appreciate how hard he’s been playing. I truly do. I think it’s impactful. I think it’s something that guys can learn from. I think when you watch it, you can be inspired because all these guys are trying to chase their dream and fulfill something that they wanted to do since they were kids. So, to see guys going out there, working that hard and implementing that in the game is really cool.”
Milos Uzan, like Tonje, is fighting for an NBA roster spot, and he’s appreciated the way that Jefferson has taken the time to connect with him. The two have chatted about their respective runs to the NCAA title game — Jefferson with Duke in 2015, Uzan with Houston in 2025.
Uzan, who signed an Exhibit-10 contract earlier this week, will join the Celtics for training camp, an opportunity he’s expressed heaps of gratitude for.
“Amile’s a good dude, man,” Uzan said. “I’m glad I’m able to play for him… It’s so much I’m learning.”
In our conversation, Jefferson made sure to point out that it’s not just him who is in an elevated coaching role at Summer League. He credited player development coaches God Shammgod Jr, Da’Sean Butler, and Nana Foulland for how they have handled their promotion to front-of-bench roles in Las Vegas.
“We have an awesome coaching staff, so we’ve been able to do some really cool things with them,” Jefferson said. “Sham, Da’Sean, Nana, in particular, have done an awesome job this summer league, and just finding their voice and really coaching hard and being invested in a way, and being creative and coming up with new schemes and new offenses. So I’m really happy to have those guys around. Really proud of the job they did.”
Jefferson is no longer in the physical throes of competition the way he was as a player, but as he crouches over at center-court at the Cox Pavilion, he sometimes forgets he’s on the sidelines: “My body, the way I’m moving, the way I’m talking, it feels like I’m out there, even though I’m not.”
During the year, he enjoys getting the opportunity to battle with players on the court. Sometimes, he takes on the task of guarding Neemias Queta and Luka Garza at practice. Other times, he shoots around with close friend Jayson Tatum. Last year, he was tasked with working closely with Nikola Vucevic, a former teammate of his in Orlando.
“It helps me scratch an itch,” Jefferson said. “And I think it’s really helpful for the guys because I can still move really well. I can guard them at a high level. I can show them things, talk through it, but also just get on the court and show them, especially defensively; coming over, helping, protecting the rim, things like that. I feel like I can still do it at a high level — not the level they’re at — but a level that can help them get better.”
At Summer League, Jefferson’s responsibilities have temporarily shifted. He hasn’t spent much time on the court actually battling the players the way he does during the season. He’s been so focused on the big-picture X’s and O’s that he’s not lacing up and competing in practice the way he usually does.
Chris Cenac Jr., the Celtics’ 19-year-old first-round pick, joked that Jefferson has been avoiding guarding him.
“He’s been ducking,” Cenac told CelticsBlog with a grin. “I ain’t gonna lie. Yeah, he’s been ducking.”
Jefferson burst into laughter when asked about that notion.
“That’s actually funny,” he said with a smile. “I was talking to Matt [Reynolds] that, man, I forgot that I didn’t even get on the court with these guys to show them that I can actually still move and play. I’ve been coaching them, trying to coach them so hard. I’ve been worried about that, but Chris, Dillon [Mitchell], they’ll get welcomed to the Academy once training camp and all that stuff goes on. So, ask him again in like a month and a half.”
Under Jefferson’s leadership, the Summer League Celtics are 3-1. Despite having no lottery picks and only a few returners from last season, they only missed entry into the playoffs due to point differential.
The players — from the biggest names on the roster to the ones that may not even see the floor — are grateful for the culture that Jefferson has established.
“You can tell he’s a winner,” said Hugo Gonzalez. “He got a lot of passion in basketball, and he wants to have things perfect. And I think he transmits a great message to everybody — of the ambition, of the competition, being hungry for 40 minutes of the game. I think he’s doing an amazing job.”
LeBron James has been enjoying the process of selecting his next NBA team during this free agency period.
He's made multiple public appearances during Fanatics Fest in New York City where he has spoken at multiple events, including in front of crowds who piled in to hear live podcast recordings of his show "Mind the Game" and "The Shop".
During a live recording of "The Shop", James reminisced about the times in his career where he's been thrown out of games, which happened twice. He looked back at the most recent ejection, a Nov. 22, 2021 game as the Los Angeles Lakers visited the Detroit Pistons.
James and then-Pistons center Isaiah Stewart II were jockeying for position on a rebound during a free throw attempt from Jerami Grant with 9:18 remaining in the third quarter. Grant made the free throw to extend the lead to 78-66 when James accidentally struck Stewart in the face, leaving him with blood dripping down his face.
Words were exchanged, pushing and shoving ensued and Stewart infamously pursued James around Little Caesars Arena.
"He's chasing the (expletive) out of me," James said in laughter. "I was like 'get this big (expletive) up off of me'. That's a big boy. (I was like) aye, y'all better make sure he don't get me."
For what it's worth, Stewart stands at 6-foot-8, 250-pounds of brute force. Both players were ejected from the game, which the Lakers won 121-116.
Now, five years later, James is a free agent and Stewart was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for three future second-round draft picks in June, allowing Detroit to clear $15 million in cap space.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: LeBron James reminisces about 2021 fight, ejection with Isaiah Stewart
As we wrote in the piece asking the question, it was a very tough year for Nets fans. A ton of losses and a Knicks championship. Not the best. However, the Draft and more specifically, the combination between the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League have seemingly given this fanbase a sigh of relief.
They found two players who look likes stars in Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin. Other players like Chaney Johnson also made a name for themselves. So, after a difficult year:
Did Summer League change any sort of outlook for the fans? It appears so. Heading into Vegas, the fanbase was bracing for the slow rebuild. But the standout chemistry between 2026 sixth-overall pick Mikel Brown Jr. and sophomore guard Egor Dëmin flipped the script.
Thanks to everybody who voted and/or participated.
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You never know who you’re going to see walking down the streets of New York.
Former Lakers center Dwight Howard was seen roaming the Big Apple. He had a hilarious moment with a young fan after he was mistaken for Heat center Bam Adebayo.
Howard reaffirmed to the fan that it was OK to mistake him for someone else, to which, shortly after, Howard saw a familiar face walking down the street.
Howard noticed a large person walking on the sidewalk and compared his size to Patrick Ewing, only to find out it was former Lakers center Andrew Bynum.
Dwight Howard ran into Andrew Bynum and Bynum kept it moving
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) July 17, 2026pic.twitter.com/uYd4Y5gvP8
“Is that him? That is Andrew Bynum,” Howard said in the video. “Oh s–t!”
Howard hugged the former Lakers center and told him it was good to see him.
Bynum, a New Jersey native, went on his way after saying hello to Howard, leaving his face with a big smile.
Despite both players spending time with the Lakers, the two never were teammates. Bynum’s departure resulted in Howard coming to LA.
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Bynum was traded to the 76ers just before the 2012-2013 season as part of a four-team trade sending Howard to the Lakers to play with Kobe Bryant.
When the trade happened, Bynum was fresh from an All-Star season in which he averaged 18.7 points, 1.9 blocks and 11.8 rebounds.
Despite being traded to Philadelphia, Bynum never played a game for the 76ers. He missed the season due to knee injuries.
Bynum played one more year in the NBA before retiring after the 2013-2014 season.
When Howard arrived in LA, it was supposed to be a match made in heaven because he and Bryant were expected to be the NBA’s best duo.
That match became much more complex as the two had a love-hate relationship as teammates despite Howard averaging 18.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game during the 2012-13 season.
The Lakers finished the regular season at 45-37 and were swept in the first round of the NBA playoffs by the Spurs.
After the season, Howard left the Lakers and spent the next three years with the Rockets.
Before he retired from basketball in March, Howard had two more stints in LA during the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 seasons.
During the 2019-2020 season, he helped the Lakers win their 17th NBA championship while playing alongside LeBron James.
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
Evaluating Kings rookies, second-year guys through eight NBA summer league games originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The unbeaten Kings arrived in Las Vegas after a 3-0 showing in the California Classic, then went on to win just two of their remaining five summer league games.
They started strong in the annual NBA Summer League showcase in Sin City, with all eyes on the Darius Acuff Jr. vs. Keaton Wagler matchup Thursday at Thomas & Mack Center.
Their next matchup brought them face-to-face with the No. 1 overall pick, AJ Dybantsa, and the Washington Wizards.
Sacramento faced Brooklyn a second time this summer, and that was proof that no matchup is the same.
Finally, they took on the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets to close out their summer showcase. Or, whatever you want to call it.
Summer league is the time to figure things out and adapt to one another. The Kings took full advantage of that, but there still is plenty to figure out.
Here are three takeaways from the Kings’ performance through eight summer league games as they posted a 5-3 record:
No matter what game it was, what day it was, what the matchup was — all eyes always were on Acuff.
The No. 7 overall pick strung together a mixed bag through five total summer league games. He was really good at the things he was projected to be really good at, mostly, and he struggled in the areas he was expected to.
Perhaps the most glaring thing was his efficiency — or inefficiency — shooting the ball. But he’s a proven three-level scorer, so that likely will come with more reps at the NBA level.
Acuff looked like a rising star at the California Classic, dropping 25 points in his Kings debut and 22 points the following game. He attempted 48 shots between the two games.
He carried over the high-level scoring in his Vegas debut, outshining Wagler, the No. 5 overall pick, in Sacramento’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. Wagler couldn’t get much going offensively through 27 minutes, finishing with seven points on 1-of-7 shooting and 1 of 5 from 3-point range but making three of his four free-throw attempts. He also had two rebounds, one assist and one turnover, and was a minus-23 in plus/minus rating.
Acuff’s showing was much more promising after taking 13 more shot attempts than Wagler. The No. 7 overall pick finished with 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting from the field and 3 of 9 from long range, with three rebounds, seven assists, two steals, one block and four turnovers in 28 minutes.
Overall, in five contests, Acuff averaged 20.8 points on 35-percent shooting from the field and 27.8 percent from 3-point range, with 1.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.8 turnovers.
Meanwhile, Sacramento’s other 2026 first-round draft pick, Alex Karaban, missed all of the California Classic with an ankle sprain and made his summer league debut against the Clippers. He went scoreless in 24 minutes, missing all six of his shot attempts. He scored his first points against the Wizards on Sunday, knocking down a 24-foot 3-pointer. He finished with four points against the Nets and then blossomed against the Celtics, scoring a game-high 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting and making five of his 7 3-point attempts, with eight rebounds, one steal and one turnover.
He backed that up with an efficient 14-point performance in the finale against the Hornets.
Overall, Karaban averaged 8.4 points on 38-percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from downtown, with 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.8 turnovers in five games.
Finally, Emanuel Sharp looked the most poised, steady, and frankly, impressive of the bunch.
He looked like a product that just came out of Coach Kelvin Sampson’s program. At his introductory press conference in Sacramento, Sharp disclosed that he believes his defense is the most underrated part of his game. A few days later, he showcased just that. Watching him play defense has got to be as much of a treat for coach Doug Christie as it is for everyone else watching. He. Is. Everywhere.
He plays more physically than his size at 6-foot-3 (and probably more physical than allowed in a real NBA game). He is smart on both ends of the floor, and he plays with passion and emotion. It’s really beautiful to watch.
Sharp, who played the most games among the rookies, averaged 15.7 points on 37-percent shooting from the field, and he didn’t hesitate to let it fly from beyond the arc with 63 3-point attempts and a 34.9 percent clip, adding three rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.6 steals in seven games.
Rookies entering summer league have a very unique experience. There is a little more leeway for mistakes and adjustments. With the second-year guys, not so much.
After going through a full 82-game NBA season, a second summer league stint is intended to grow and improve where they lacked as a rookie.
Let’s start with Nique Clifford, Sacramento’s sole first-round pick in 2025. He needed to improve his decisiveness and aggressiveness with the ball as he approaches Year 2. At times, as a rookie, he didn’t handle ball pressure well and sometimes appeared to lack confidence against good NBA defenses.
While his confidence appeared to take a significant leap on the court, there still were several instances where Clifford looked lost or out of place with the ball in his hands. A part of that did seem to stem from being around newer rookie teammates, but that’s not an excuse.
There were definitely improvements across the board with Clifford’s game, but none that wowed the crowd. Yet. There still is time to develop those skills in Year 2.
Max Raynaud has looked like a second-round steal for Scott Perry and the Kings after a promising rookie campaign. But as always, there are things to work on.
Raynaud missed the entire California Classic while playing for the French national team. He returned for the second game in Vegas and picked up right where he left off. Raynaud dropped a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double in his 2026 summer league debut.
His defense and rim protection need to improve, and in a small sample size, Raynaud still isn’t where he needs to be in those departments.
Dylan Cardwell has been a gem for the Kings in every way possible. The high-vibe, good-energy big man instantly became a fan favorite as a rookie. While he’s been able to hold his own defensively, the Kings need him to produce more offensively.
Cardwell averaged 8.5 points, eight rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.8 blocks through six games.
Additionally, while the Kings certainly love and welcome his physicality, he needs to be smarter and defend without fouling. The Kings are better with him on the court, so he needs to ensure he’s available to be there.
Turnovers were an issue for the Kings last year, and they only got worse in summer league.
Overall, Sacramento turned the ball over 118 times through eight games, including a 28-turnover performance in a blowout loss to the Nets.
Acuff had a lot of those. But so did the second-year guys.
Last season, the Kings also struggled to start games off strong. That carried over in the California Classic and NBA Summer League. Many speculated that Sacramento’s slow play last year was because of its older veterans. But a team led by 19-to 24-year-olds shouldn’t be playing this sluggishly.
There is no need to hit the panic alarms just yet, though.
Let’s check back in a few months.
Evaluating Kings rookies, second-year guys through eight NBA summer league games originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The unbeaten Kings arrived to Las Vegas after a 3-0 showing in the California Classic, then went on to win just two of their remaining five summer league games.
They started off strong in the annual NBA Summer League showcase in Sin City, with all eyes on the Darius Acuff Jr. vs. Keaton Wagler matchup Thursday at Thomas & Mack Center.
Their next matchup brought them face-to-face with the No. 1 overall pick, AJ Dybantsa, and the Washington Wizards.
Sacramento faced Brooklyn a second time this summer, and that was proof that no matchup is the same.
Finally, they took on the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets to close out their summer showdown. Or, whatever you want to call it.
Summer league is the time to figure things out and adapt to one another. The Kings took full advantage of that, but there still is plenty to figure out.
Here are three takeaways from the Kings’ performance through eight summer league games as they posted a 5-3 record:
No matter what game it was, what day it was, what the matchup was — all eyes always were on Acuff.
The No. 7 overall pick strung together a mixed bag through five total summer league games. He was really good at the things he was projected to be really good at, mostly, and he struggled in the areas he was expected to.
Perhaps the most glaring thing was his efficiency — or inefficiency — shooting the ball. But he’s a proven three-level scorer, so that likely will come with more reps at the NBA level.
Acuff looked like a rising star at the California Classic, dropping 25 points in his Kings debut and 22 points the following game. He attempted 48 shots between the two games.
He carried over the high-level scoring in his Vegas debut, outshining the No. 5 overall pick, Keaton Wagler, in Sacramento’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. Wagler couldn’t get much going offensively through 27 minutes, finishing with seven points on 1-7 shooting and 1 of 5 from 3-point range but making three of his four free-throw attempts. He also had two rebounds, one assist and one turnover, and was a minus-23 in plus/minus rating.
Acuff’s showing was much more promising after taking 13 more shot attempts than Wagler. The No. 7 overall pick finished with 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting from the field and 3 of 9 from long range, with three rebounds, seven assists, two steals, one block and four turnovers in 28 minutes.
Overall, in five contests, Acuff averaged 20.8 points on 35-percent shooting from the field and 27.8 percent from 3-point range, with 1.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.8 turnovers.
Meanwhile, Sacramento’s other 2026 first-round draft pick, Alex Karaban, missed all of the California Classic with an ankle sprain and made his summer league debut against the Clippers. He went scoreless in 24 minutes, missing all six of his shot attempts. He scored his first points against the Wizards on Sunday, knocking down a 24-foot 3-pointer. He finished with four points against the Nets and then blossomed against the Celtics, scoring a game-high 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting and making five of his 7 3-point attempts, with eight rebounds, one steal and one turnover.
He backed that up with an efficient 14-point performance in the finale against the Hornets.
Overall, Karaban averaged 8.4 points on 38-percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from downtown, with 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.8 turnovers in five games.
Finally, Emanuel Sharp looked the most poised, steady, and frankly, impressive of the bunch.
He looked like a product that just came out of Coach Kelvin Sampson’s program. At his introductory press conference in Sacramento, Sharp disclosed that he believes his defense is the most underrated part of his game. A few days later, he showcased just that. Watching him play defense has got to be as much of a treat for coach Doug Christie as it is for everyone else watching. He. Is. Everywhere.
He plays more physical than his size at 6-foot-3 (and probably more physical than allowed in a real NBA game). He is smart on both ends of the floor, and he plays with passion and emotion. It’s really beautiful to watch.
Sharp, who played the most games among the rookies, averaged 15.7 points on 37-percent shooting from the field, and he didn’t hesitate to let it fly from beyond the arc with 63 3-point attempts and a 34.9 percent clip, adding three rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.6 steals in seven games.
Rookies entering summer league have a very unique experience. There is a little more leeway for mistakes and adjustments. With the second-year guys, not so much.
After going through a full 82-game NBA season, a second summer league stint is intended to grow and improve where you lacked as a rookie.
Let’s start with Nique Clifford, Sacramento’s sole first-round pick in 2025. Clifford needed to improve his decisiveness and aggressiveness with the ball as he approaches Year 2. At times as a rookie, he didn’t handle ball pressure well and sometimes appeared to lack confidence against good NBA defenses.
While his confidence appeared to take a significant leap on the court, there still were several instances where he looked lost or out of place with the ball in his hands. A part of that did seem to stem from being around newer rookie teammates, but that’s no excuse.
There were definitely improvements across the board with Clifford’s game, but none that wowed the crowd. Yet. There still is time to develop those skills in Year 2.
Max Raynaud has looked like a second-round steal for Scott Perry and the Kings after a promising rookie campaign. But as always, there are things to work on.
Raynaud missed all of the California Classic as he was playing for the French national team. He returned for the second game in Vegas and picked up right where he left off. Raynaud dropped a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double in his 2026 summer league debut.
His defense and rim protection need to improve, and in a small sample size, Raynaud still isn’t where he needs to be in those departments.
Dylan Cardwell has been a gem for the Kings in every way possible. The high-vibe, good-energy big man instantly became a fan favorite as a rookie. While he’s been able to hold his own defensively, the Kings need him to produce more offensively.
Cardwell averaged 8.5 points, eight rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.8 blocks through six games.
Additionally, while the Kings certainly love and welcome his physicality, he needs to be smarter and defend without fouling. The Kings are better with him on the court, so he needs to ensure he’s available to be there.
Turnovers were an issue for the Kings last year, and they only got worse in summer league.
Overall, Sacramento turned the ball over 118 times through eight games, including a 28-turnover game in a blowout loss to the Nets.
Acuff had a lot of those. But so did the second-year guys.
Last season, the Kings also struggled to start games off strong. That carried over in the California Classic and Summer League. Many speculated that Sacramento’s slow play last year was because of its older veterans. But a team led by 19-to 24-year-olds shouldn’t be playing this sluggishly.
There is no need to hit the panic alarms just yet, though.
Let’s check back in a few months.
The LeBron James free-agent sweepstakes remains one of the country’s top sports stories.
The 41-year-old revealed a timeline for the highly touted decision, but he was brief.
“I won’t hold you guys up too much longer,” James said at Fanatics Fest in New York on Thursday.
It’s unclear how soon that will be. Quite frankly, it could mean hours, days or weeks before James makes the announcement that has kept the entire league on its toes.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver admitted the NBA hasn’t released its schedule because of the James free-agency saga.
“We have to finish up the schedule and where LeBron plays affects the schedule … It will influence how we set the schedule — opening week, Christmas. So I need him to make a decision,” Silver said.
But James has taken his time to mull over options this summer.
The four teams that have continuously been linked to James throughout the offseason are the Cavaliers, Heat, 76ers and Warriors. The latter was speculated to be out of the running until the tide seemingly turned in their favor a few days ago.
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Despite being a 23-year NBA veteran, James remains one of the NBA’s biggest stars, and Silver’s reluctance to release the schedule before knowing where he signs is proof of the hefty influence.
James is reportedly not expected to make the announcement over the weekend, which could mean that the news is set to be made as soon as next week.
Height: 6’6
Weight: 357 pounds
College: Georgia
Experience: 6
Celeveland is a born-and-bred Georgia boy who hails from the town of Toccoa. He starred at Stephens County High School, earning a four-star rating (No. 6 offensive guard nationally) as a prospect and an invite to the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Game. Staying true to his roots, Cleveland chose to continue his atheltic career at the University of Georgia.
Despite being a high-caliber recruit, Cleveland redshirted his first season on campus which obviously speaks to the talent that was going through the UGA program at the time. During his redshirt freshman season, Cleveland played in all 15 games and earned his first career starts in which he played right guard in the final five contests of the year.
In 2018, Cleveland started the first games of the season at right guard before suffering a lower body injury. He missed six games during the year and came back to play four more but as a backup.
The following year, Cleveland started just seven of 13 games at right guard as he continued to be in and out of the starting lineup. The 2020 season finally saw Cleveland put it all together as he started all nine games in the pandemic-shortened season. He was named a Third-Team All-American by the Associated Press and a First-Team All-SEC selection by all 14 coaches in the conference.
Cleveland was a eventually selected in the third round (94th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. As a rookie, he started four games before a knee injury suffered in Week Five put him on injured/reserve until November 20th. Overall he played in 12 games, but only logged those first four games as starts.
In 2022, Cleveland played in nine games but logged just one start at right guard. The 2023 season was more of the same with just two starts while playing a role in 16 games.
Cleveland was completely out of the starting lineup in 2024 but played in all 17 games on the team’s kick protection unit. In his final year with the Ravens, he played in 10 games with no starts before being suspended on December 8th. Following his reinstatement on January 1st, Cleveland was waived by the Ravens.
Four days later, Cleveland was signed by the Chargers. He did not make an appearance with the team and was later signed to a reserve/futures contract.
Cleveland is a mammoth offensive lineman at a true 6’6 and weighing anywhere between 345-360 pounds throughout his career. He’s also strong as an ox with 30 bench press reps at the NFL Combine during his draft year.
Despite being a former four-star recruit and third-round pick of the Ravens, Cleveland has not panned out the way many expected him to, even in that tailor-made offense for him around Lamar Jackson. He’s now on his second team of his career and so far this offseason, there haven’t been any notable reports regarding his position on the two-deeps.
Cleveland was signed late in 2025 to help provide depth through the final weeks of the regular season and into the playoffs. The Chargers signed Cleveland to a new deal that kept him with the team through the offseason, but I can’t help but see the shift to the Mike McDaniel offense as a massive red flag for his chances of making the final roster. He was a perfect fit for Greg Roman’s power run scheme, but he’s not the dynamic athlete McDaniel covets at guard in his offense. Cleveland was already going to have a tough time making the active roster with so many other bodies better-suited for running outside zone. But now as we inch closer to training camp, I can only see him competing with Trevor Penning for the very last spot (if the Chargers once again choose to keep nine on the active roster).
LeBron James, still an unrestricted free agent, has been on a media tour.
He was a prominent figure at Fanatics Fest in New York, appearing in a live taping of a podcast with Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. He was part of a CNBC panel and was named the “Athlete of the Century” at the Time100 Sports Gala.
Yet when asked about his next team, James was only coy, deflecting and dodging questions, even though he hinted that his final decision may have even already been made.
“I would like him to make his announcement already, so we can finish the schedule,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, July 16 during the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit. “Because, as you might imagine, the teams are calling us, the networks are calling us, and everybody wants to lock in the (NBA regular season) schedule.”
So, what’s the reason for the holdup?
The short answer: James is taking his time because he can. No active player in the NBA has the stature and reputation that he does, so he has earned the right to conduct business on his own terms.
If it means deliberating for weeks, then so be it. If it means indulging James, should this be what he wants, allowing him to bask in the pursuit and attention he’s drawing from other teams, then so be it. Even if that means generating more footage for a rumored documentary about his season and the end of his career, so be it.
Whether prospective teams and fan bases like it or not, these are simply the operational costs of signing a player like LeBron James.
Practically everything James does, at least professionally, is by design. He’s a detail-oriented athlete and businessman, and he’s image-conscious. So whenever a decision comes down – whether he or his agent Rich Paul leak it to their preferred reporter or whether James announces it himself on social media or in a first-person op-ed – it will be executed the way he wants it.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a 22-time All-Star, James will embark on his record 24th NBA season. He has maintained that he wants to compete for championships. Earlier in the week, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told USA TODAY Sports that James has all the information he needs from prospective teams and that he would be weighing his options.
James has been linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. Cleveland and Miami, on one level, appear to make the most sense, given James’ previous ties to both franchises. If I had to guess where he ends up, I think it’s one of those two.
Either way, James is certainly assessing each of those rosters and trying to ascertain where he fits best and which gives him the most likely chance to win. Presumably, this will be the final stop of James’ career, so it makes sense for him to be calculated and deliberate. That’s only magnified further if James is indeed leaning toward the 76ers, Warriors or Timberwolves, each of which would be new stops.
So my best suggestion to fans who might be tired of the speculation is to embrace patience, because at the end of the day, James is going to do things the way he wants. He has earned that right.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is LeBron James' free agency decision taking so long? Because he's earned this | Opinion
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