Category: NBA

Warriors fans, NBA world alleviated by Jonathan Kuminga's contract agreement originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Jonathan Kuminga saga of 2025 is over. 

The 22-year-old forward agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract with the Warriors on Tuesday, sources confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson. The agreement first was reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Warriors and NBA fans together expressed relief at the end of the months-long standoff. 

Kuminga became a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2024-25 NBA season. Back-and-forth negotiations dragged for what felt like an eternity for Warriors fans.

For now, the contract agreement gives Dub Nation some much-needed relief.

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Steph's brother Seth Curry, Warriors reportedly agree to one-year contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The day finally has come: the Curry brothers reportedly will join forces on the Warriors.

Seth Curry, the younger brother of NBA superstar Steph Curry, has agreed to a one-year free-agent contract with Golden State, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday, citing sources. Seth will join the Warriors in NBA training camp on Wednesday, per Charania.

The news comes just after sources confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson that Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors have agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract in restricted free agency — a months-long standoff that had Golden State’s offseason in a chokehold.

It will be the first time the brothers play on the same team in the NBA.

After going undrafted in 2013, Seth signed a non-guaranteed deal with Golden State but was waived and later signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors will be his 10th NBA team as he enters Year 12 in the league.

Like his big bro, Seth widely is regarded for his sharpshooting, and in 550 career games (224 starts), has averaged 10.0 points on 47.1-percent shooting from the field and 43.3 percent from 3-point range, with 2.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per 22.5 minutes.

He last played with the Charlotte Hornets during the 2024-25 season, and he averaged a career- and league-best 45.6 percent from deep on nearly 3.0 attempts per game.

Back in July, Seth sat down with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Warriors insider Monte Poole at the American Century Championship and discussed the possibility of teaming up with his brother in Golden State.

“I always have to do what’s best for myself,” he said. “Obviously, Steph would love me to come over there and play with him. And the fans showed me a lot of love at all times. [Our] family would love it. I’ve obviously I’ve always embraced the Warriors and their system and love the way they play. And you never know what can happen.”

Well, it has happened.

As the Currys approach the tail ends of their respective careers, they’ll at least get to do so together, living the dream of siblings around the world.

Warriors sign Steph Curry's brother, Seth, to one-year free-agent contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The day finally has come: the Curry brothers will join forces on the Warriors.

Seth Curry, the younger brother of NBA superstar Steph Curry, has signed a one-year free-agent contract with Golden State, the team announced on Wednesday.

The news comes one day after the Warriors signed Jonathan Kuminga to a two-year, reported $48.5 million contract in restricted free agency — a months-long standoff that had Golden State’s offseason in a chokehold.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported Tuesday that Seth will join the Warriors on an Exhibit 9 contract, since Kuminga’s deal prohibits Golden State from signing a 15th player until Nov. 15.

It will be the first time the brothers play on the same team in the NBA.

After going undrafted in 2013, Seth signed a non-guaranteed deal with Golden State but was waived and later signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. The Warriors will be his 10th NBA team as he enters Year 12 in the league.

Like his big bro, Seth widely is regarded for his sharpshooting, and in 550 career games (224 starts), has averaged 10.0 points on 47.1-percent shooting from the field and 43.3 percent from 3-point range, with 2.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per 22.5 minutes.

He last played with the Charlotte Hornets during the 2024-25 season, and he averaged a career- and league-best 45.6 percent from deep on nearly 3.0 attempts per game.

Back in July, Seth sat down with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Warriors insider Monte Poole at the American Century Championship and discussed the possibility of teaming up with his brother in Golden State.

“I always have to do what’s best for myself,” he said. “Obviously, Steph would love me to come over there and play with him. And the fans showed me a lot of love at all times. [Our] family would love it. I’ve obviously I’ve always embraced the Warriors and their system and love the way they play. And you never know what can happen.”

Well, it has happened.

As the Currys approach the tail ends of their respective careers, they’ll at least get to do so together, living the dream of siblings around the world.

Why Warriors ironically need Jonathan Kuminga the most now heading into season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Exactly three months since the opening of NBA free agency, Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors finally came to a resolution on his restricted free agency. Take a breath, Dub Nation, it’s over.

Kuminga is signing a two-year, $48.5 million contract, sources confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report the news. 

Kuminga’s desired player option never came to fruition. The second year of his contract will have a team option. Kuminga turned down a three-year, $75 million contract with a team option on the third year to have more immediate control over his future.

The team option on the second year of Kuminga’s contract can be wiped away by the Warriors or another team, if an in-season trade happens, to make room for a completely new contract next offseason, sources also confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area.

The first four seasons of Kuminga’s Warriors tenure have been a battle of what’s best for the team and player. The Warriors won a championship that surprised many in Kuminga’s rookie year, throwing a wrinkle into team owner Joe Lacob’s highly-debated two-timelines plan. There have been multiple instances over the years when the Warriors could have traded Kuminga for a player that was more aligned with where veteran stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green are in their careers, but Lacob wouldn’t sign off on any of those deals. 

Nor would he and the front office on the sign-and-trade options the Warriors were presented over the offseason from the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. All this brought was more drama and finger pointing, while the two sides came to an agreement the same day Warriors training camp opened.

But now that Kuminga is back with the Warriors, there’s a real argument they need him more than ever. With certain conditions, of course.

The Warriors have shown they can win without Kuminga’s style of play compared to coach Steve Kerr’s philosophy, and also have clearly seen the potential and talent he has, or else they already would have let him go by now. There even was a point last season where Kuminga was handed the keys and Green agreed to come off the bench. That plan lasted one game, a 143-133 loss against the Dallas Mavericks, where Kuminga scored 20 points as a starter and Green scored 21 in a reserve role. 

Bringing Jimmy Butler aboard at the trade deadline as Kuminga still was nursing a badly sprained ankle signaled a full shift in direction, especially with how successful of a fit Butler proved to be. Kuminga returned after being out for more than two months, was never fully healthy and had a hard time playing next to Butler – an older star who has the same positional role on the Warriors. 

Kerr stuck with what was working and pushed Kuminga’s talents to the back of the bench, not using him at all in the regular-season finale, a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers that put the Warriors in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Kuminga was a DNP in the Warriors’ play-in tournament win, as well as three games of the Warriors’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets. The writing appeared to be black Sharpie written on the wall in all caps. 

The Warriors still will be run by Kerr’s ways on the court, and led by Curry, Butler and Green. That’s a given. And all three players, in one way or another, need the best out of Kuminga. 

Father Time’s shadow is bearing down on Curry (37 years old), Butler (36) and Green (35), even though Curry continues to clearly be a top-10 player in the league. With Buddy Hield (32) and the return of Gary Payton II (32), plus the presumed signing of Al Horford (39) and possibly Seth Curry (35) the Warriors could have seven players in their 30s who are an average age of 35 going into the regular season. And that number should be slightly higher knowing that Payton turns 33 on Dec. 1, as does Hield a few weeks later on Dec. 17. 

The elder Curry has played at least 70 games in back-to-back seasons. Is it fair to assume he reaches that mark again? Butler hasn’t played 65 since the 2018-19 season, and Green, who played 68 last season, is bound to need rest for all his battles against much bigger players. The entirety of the season doesn’t have to be the focus for Kuminga and the Warriors, Jan. 15 does. 

Kuminga, who turns 23 on Oct. 6, can’t be traded until Jan. 15, the same day the Warriors will play their 40th game of the season. In a loaded Western Conference, the Warriors can’t be swimming upstream in the standings by then. Kuminga clearly is their biggest trade asset, and the Warriors will need his stock to rise and value to go up by then if they do decide to move him by the Feb. 5 trade deadline. 

The schedule to start the season also suggests a need for Kuminga. The Warriors have two sets of back-to-backs in their first five games, and five in their first 17. They play eight by the end of the calendar year, nine by the first day Kuminga could be traded and 10 at the trade deadline. Those are ample opportunities for an older team to lean more on a 23-year-old who at the very least can score 20 points.

Questions will continue to be asked about Kuminga’s desire to have the ball in his hands while combating the Warriors’ ball movement offense, as well as other flaws like rebounding, 3-point shooting and team defense for one of the top athletes in the game. He’ll be under the microscope if he holds onto the ball and misses Curry. He also played 37 games with Curry last season and had the third-best net rating among Warriors who spent at least 500 minutes next to him, putting together a 118.7 offensive rating and 109.3 defensive rating for a 9.4 net rating. 

Kuminga averaged 19.6 points in 10 regular-season games Curry missed. The Warriors went 5-5 in those games. Overall, the Warriors were 28-19 with Kuminga last season, and 20-15 without him. 

Those numbers obviously don’t tell the whole story, since so much changed after the Butler acquisition. The Warriors’ season completely turned once Butler was wearing their colors, going 23-7 in the regular season after the trade. How Kuminga can play with Butler, if at all, is the bigger question than Curry. Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, believes the two can co-exist, and showed so in the final four games of the playoffs. 

“He figured out how to play off Jimmy,” Turner said to NBC Sports Bay Area on the Dubs Talk podcast. “It was going to take JK, with no training camp, time to figure out how to play off Jimmy. Jimmy’s different than what was there before. When JK left, he was the guy who was getting to the paint and creating advantages for his teammates. … JK had to accept that. JK figured it out in the Minnesota series.” 

Butler and Kuminga only played 15 games together for a total of 125 minutes in the regular season. After Curry went down to a hamstring injury in the second round of the playoffs, Butler and Kuminga became the Warriors’ main scoring options. Butler averaged 20.3 points on 45.8/33.3/76.7 shooting splits, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, while Kuminga put up 24.3 points per game on 55.4/38.9/72.0 shooting splits, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists. 

The Warriors lost all four games, and Butler and Kuminga were a minus-6.8 together in another very small sample size. Seeing how they can complement each other is one priority. Using Kuminga as a focal point in games Butler needs off might be even more important for preserving his health in the playoffs. 

Nothing in Kuminga’s contract says Kerr has to give in and play him more minutes than he believes is best for the team. From a talent standpoint, getting the best out of Kuminga, for however long he remains on the roster, is only going to benefit all parties. 

Ironically, if the Warriors want to make a real run at another championship, after all that’s gone on in a marriage where divorce papers have been collecting dust and waiting to be signed, this season – or at least the first few months of it – is when they’ll need the best version of Kuminga most.

Sources: Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors agree to two-year, $48.5M contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

At long last, the Warriors’ months-long standoff with restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga has reached its end.

A day before the deadline for Kuminga to accept the qualifying offer, the 22-year-old on Tuesday agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract to return to Golden State with a team option on the second year, sources confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report the news via Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner.

As the summer-long negotiations persisted, the Warriors ended up increasing their offer to Kuminga by a total of $8 million over the next two years and guaranteed him approximately $15 million more than his qualifying offer would have for this season, Charania reported.

Kuminga’s absence in the Bay hung like a cloud over Warriors Media Day on Monday and the first day of NBA training camp Tuesday, but coach Steve Kerr insisted he wasn’t concerned about the situation and, through conversations with general manager Mike Dunleavy, was confident the two sides would strike a deal.

Until Tuesday, Kuminga and the Warriors had not been unable to find common ground in July, August and all of September, save a few hours, bringing Golden State’s offseason to a standstill.

Entering restricted free agency, it was unclear which direction the Warriors might go with Kuminga, a player many within the organization love but at times hasn’t fit well with Golden State’s scheme centered around Steph Curry, and especially now with the addition of veteran Jimmy Butler.

But it’s clear both the Warriors and Kuminga want to continue their partnership for the time being.

Now that the Kuminga situation has been resolved, the Warriors officially can fill out their roster with free agents. The team has both Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton committed to contracts they couldn’t sign until the Kuminga situation was figured out, and it is widely believed that Steph Curry’s brother, Seth Curry, also is waiting to come on board.

In four seasons with Golden State, Kuminga has averaged 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on 50.7-percent shooting from the field and 33.2 percent from 3-point range in 258 games (84 starts).

With the option to craft a new contract next summer, Kuminga now will have the chance to prove whether or not he’s worth an even larger payday when he takes the court with Golden State during the 2025-26 NBA season.

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How Warriors star Steph Curry has evolved offseason prep entering 17th season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors superstar Steph Curry continues to evolve entering Year 17 of his career. 

The 37-year-old guard is wrapping up an offseason that featured a book release, a trip to China and his annual youth camp. It also, of course, featured a conditioning regimen to keep himself in shape ahead of another 82-game season. 

That offseason conditioning programs looks much different than it did heading into his 2009-10 rookie season. 

“It’s evolved based on trying to be more efficient with the work that you get in and more intentional about how each day is designed on-court, off-court,” Curry said about his offseason conditioning on Monday at Warriors Media Day. 

New data-tracking technology has come into play, with metrics such as heart rate and time on feet driving the construction of an offseason regimen, according to Curry. 

“All those type[s] of things that help monitor the output that you have over the summer so that you’re working smarter and coming into camp fresh knowing that there’s still a little bit of building to go,” Curry explained, “But that I’m in pretty good shape where you’re not putting your body through any unnecessary stress with that transition from off-season to in-season.” 

Balance is key for Curry’s preparation heading into his 17th season. As an established scoring sensation, his on-court skill set does not need much improvement, if at all. Maintaining health and conditioning is the priority for the Warriors’ superstar. 

“Probably the first decade was more on-court than off-court and that’s actually flipped now where it’s probably 60-40 off-court to on-court percentage now,” Curry noted. 

Curry has played in 70-plus games in each of the last two seasons. It is the first time he has logged that many games in consecutive years since the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. 

His 16 seasons with the Warriors is the most with a single team among active NBA players. Last season, he averaged 24.5 points per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field. Curry led the league with 3-point field goals made (4.4) and attempted (11.2) per game. 

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Forsberg: Tatum's injury recovery has potential to be ‘unprecedented' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics have taken a “no ceilings” approach to Jayson Tatum’s recovery, and it’s easy to see why.

Tatum has aggressively attacked his rehab from the very beginning. He underwent surgery in New York less than 12 hours after rupturing his Achilles tendon at Madison Square Garden in Game 4 of the Celtics’ second-round playoff series with the New York Knicks. He spent essentially his entire offseason in Boston, working out regularly at the Celtics’ training facility under the guise of trainers and medical staff. And about four months after his initial injury, he’s already participating in basketball drills, which he documented in an eye-opening YouTube video over the weekend.

Tatum’s recovery has impressed his Celtics teammates, several of whom admitted to Insider Chris Forsberg at Monday’s Media Day that they were surprised to see the All-Star forward going through a basketball workout this soon after a surgery that keeps many players sidelined for a full year.

While Tatum is the latest in a long line of NBA players who suffered Achilles injuries — most notably Dejounte Murray, Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton this past season — Forsberg believes Tatum could set a new standard with how swiftly he recovers.

“I think we’re watching something potentially unprecedented in terms of how quickly he can get back to a high level,” Forsberg said Monday on Arbella Early Edition. “There are still a lot of hurdles to go. It’s still a long time. I don’t think they’re going to rush this at all. But you can’t watch that video and then say, ‘Oh, a 200-day season and he’s not going to be back.'”

Tatum’s surgery was performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley, a renowned surgeon who reportedly has performed a special type of Achilles surgery called the “SpeedBridge” repair that can lead to a faster recovery time. It’s still unclear whether Tatum had that specific procedure, but nonetheless, he seems to be on the cutting edge of his rehab in several respects.

“You have to understand, they got him into surgery at an unprecedented rate,” Forsberg added. “No one has ever torn their Achilles and then been into surgery less than 12 hours before. Nobody who has (had) this injury in the NBA has gotten this Speedbridge procedure in that situation and then been back to rehabbing on this aggressive timeline.

“This might set a precedent for how we view this injury, and I know that’s daunting, because you never want to be the first one … but every indication is, he is progressing at a rate where we at least have to think about these conversations.”

Tatum admitted he has a date circled on his calendar for when he wants to be “100 percent,” and that he plans to make his return at a home game. So, what might that date be? It’s all speculation for now, but Forsberg is revising his initial prediction of March 4.

“I’m gonna move it up. I’m into February now, and maybe I’ll be in January at some point,” Forsberg said. “I can’t watch that tape and not think to myself he’s going to be back on a basketball court sooner than later, as long as everyone is confident he cannot re-aggravate this injury, and he is at a point where the strength is enough.”

With Abu Dhabi games on deck, 5 things to watch for Sixers in 2025 preseason   originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ 2025 preseason will start Thursday at 12 p.m. ET with the first of two preseason games against the Knicks in Abu Dhabi.

Here are five things to watch for the Sixers in the preseason: 

What’s different about the offense? 

Joel Embiid said on Day 1 of training camp that the Sixers have changed their offense “quite a bit.” 

“I’m in the dunker (spot),” he said with a smile. “Let me just chill in the dunker and everybody else does whatever they want.” 

We imagine Embiid will still be a major piece of the Sixers’ offense and not a mere spectator when he’s available. It also does sound like the Sixers intend to play a more guard-centric, up-tempo style.

“It’s certainly something we want to do as far as just creating more of a passing, ball movement type of situation,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said Sunday. “There has been a lot of drill work leading up into (training camp) and it’s starting to take shape pretty good. … Again, I keep saying we’ve got a little bit more speed, we’ve got a little bit more perimeter play, we’ve got a little bit more guys that can get involved in actions. So we want them touching the ball.” 

Edgecombe’s game and jumper 

VJ Edgecombe has drawn glowing praise from all corners of the Sixers’ practice gym.

“VJ’s a special talent,” Tyrese Maxey said Friday of the No. 3 pick. “One of his talents that a lot of people don’t really use is how hard he plays on both ends of the floor, whether that’s offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding, guarding the ball, playing in transition.

“Those are little things that a lot of people don’t do, so I think he’s going to be really good at that. He likes to learn, he wants to get better. The sky is the limit for him.” 

Though the preseason results won’t matter, it will be interesting to see Edgecombe’s jump shot (on top of his sensational athleticism and all the tools Maxey named). Nurse mentioned at media day that Edgecombe made “great strides” with his shooting during the offseason. The 20-year-old said Saturday he’s improved his arc and consistency.

The backup bigs 

Andre Drummond said at media day that he’s “100 percent to go” after struggling with a left big toe injury last season.

Nurse has also noted Drummond’s fitness level. 

“I think he’s at least 20 or so pounds lighter than he was a year ago at this stage, so that’s a good start,” Nurse said Sunday. “He can probably keep going on that just a little bit more, but it’s helping him and his toe feels better. That’s obviously helping him. He’s moving a little bit better and he’s been playing very good.”

Drummond and second-year big man Adem Bona appear to be the main names behind Embiid at center. Bona’s coming off of an excellent end to his rookie season and won a EuroBasket silver medal this summer with Turkey.

According to Drummond, Bona is “jumping two inches higher than he did last year.” According to Nurse, the 22-year-old is “breaking all the weight room records.”

“It’s competitive,” Nurse said of the Sixers’ backup center outlook. “There’s three, four, five of them, depending on how far you want to go with it. … It’s Bona, it’s Drum, it’s (Johni) Broome, it’s (Jabari) Walker. (Dominick) Barlow maybe a little bit, too. … I think they know they’re in a battle. If you came to watch practice and you were watching that position, you’d see a lot of competition going on between that whole group.”

Walker, Barlow ‘in a very similar situation’ 

Both Barlow and Walker seem to have plausible routes to earning a larger role than the typical two-way contract player. Each could boost their case with strong showings in the preseason. 

“They’re in a very similar situation, very similar positions,” Nurse said after Day 2 of training camp. “Barlow’s constantly on the glass, keeping the basketball alive, etc. I did talk to Jabari about that. Jabari can really rebound the ball. … He’s one of those guys that emphatically snatches rebounds out of there and he’s really good on the defensive glass especially.

“I just kind of reminded him yesterday that I didn’t quite see that, but I did see it today. … He was a lot more active kind of open-floor attacking, which we’re trying to get him to work on. He does have a handle enough and the size in the open floor to take guys on with some shoulder hits and some things. It’s a work in progress, there’s a ways to go on that with him, but he was very good today.”

The 22-year-old Barlow is 6-foot-9 with a 7-3 wingspan. He hasn’t been an outside shooter in the NBA (10 for 40 from three-point range across 96 games), but Barlow’s a good athlete who views his versatility as a strength. 

“When I was at Overtime Elite, I think I played every position — two, three, four, five,” he said following Sunday’s practice. “The game is changing so much. You see a team like Houston run double-big lineups. You see Golden State run Draymond (Green) at the five and he’s traditionally undersized. I think the game is just evolving. 

“On a night-to-night basis, you see different matchups and different positions, so I don’t worry so much about position. It’s just continuing to play a role and find ways to help our team be as effective as possible.”

How healthy can Sixers be on opening night? 

The Sixers would love to minimize the injury woes that overwhelmed them from the very start of last year. It’s not a massive stretch to say injury-free preseason games would be successful preseason games. 

Embiid (left knee) practiced on Saturday and had a planned day off Sunday. George (left knee) has progressed to doing individual on-court work. Jared McCain (right thumb) is out indefinitely.

Trendon Watford has been dealing with right hamstring tightness, which the Sixers have called a “day-to-day” injury. 

“We are getting closer,” Nurse said of Watford’s status. “I would hope and I think that we’re going to see him in the practices at some point (in Abu Dhabi). … That’s what the hope is, I believe.”

Deandre Ayton spent the last two years fading away from the national spotlight on a team that was closer to getting the first overall pick than getting to the first round of the playoffs. On Monday, the 7-foot center stood in front of flashing lights, answered questions in a packed news conference and glanced up at a shiny line of 17 championship trophies.

Ayton, whose inconsistent career hit a new low in Portland, where he was bought out of his contract and criticized for a poor work ethic, smiled at what he called “the biggest stage.” The former No. 1 overall pick is ready to launch his revenge tour with the Lakers.

"It's the biggest opportunity, I can say, of my career,” Ayton said Monday at Lakers media day. “Some people say it's my last leg, some people say it's my last chance. Well, it's the opportunity I can say I'm truly not going to take for granted.”

Read more:Plaschke: LeBron James is 'maybe' retiring? This is going to be fun

Marcus Smart knows the feeling. The 2022 defensive player of the year is coming off a contract buyout in Washington. After nine years and three all-defensive team honors with the Boston Celtics, Smart has played in just 54 games over two injury-plagued years with Memphis and Washington. The 31-year-old recognizes some may have forgotten the “Celtics' Marcus Smart" — the player who guarded all five positions, knocked down timely threes and brought contagious, tone-setting toughness.

The Lakers still remember.

“I know what he brings to the game,” LeBron James said. “I know that team is first, second, third, fourth, fifth, when it comes to Marcus Smart.”

Despite his resume and standing in the league, Smart doesn’t expect automatic entry to the Lakers' starting lineup.

“Whether I start or come off the bench,” Smart said, “my presence will be made.”

Smart’s defensive prowess could be a significant boost to a starting group that figures to include James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Rui Hachimura, who started in 57 of his 59 regular-season appearances last season, is in the final year of his contract after averaging 13.1 points and five rebounds per game last season.

Facing the possibility of coming off the bench ahead of a contract year, Hachimura said he would defer to coaches to decide what was best. Coach JJ Redick said the team has seven or eight starting-caliber players, and the starting lineup doesn’t weigh heavily on his mind entering his second season at the helm.

But Ayton's starting position feels solidified.

Read more:‘I don’t know’: Lakers’ LeBron James unsure when it comes to future

The center was the Lakers’ most significant offseason addition after the blockbuster trade that brought Doncic to L.A. also left the team without a starting center. Jaxson Hayes, who was thrust into the starting role out of necessity but fell out of the rotation during the playoffs, will be a valuable one-two punch with Ayton at center, James said. Forward Maxi Kleber, who played only five minutes after joining the team during the midseason trade with Dallas, said he is fully healthy after a lengthy foot injury.

Kleber, 33, knows firsthand the impact Doncic can have on a post player’s career. Kleber has played with Doncic since the Slovenian superstar was drafted in 2018 and marveled at Doncic’s ability to get easy shots for his teammates. Lob chances will start falling from the sky like never before for Ayton.

After practicing together in the offseason, Kleber commended Ayton for getting stronger and adding to his physical presence on the court. Redick has challenged the entire roster to arrive in “championship shape.”

Ayton didn’t need the additional motivation.

“You guys have an Angry Ayton,” the 27-year-old said, “where I've been disrespected most of my career and just been doubted. And I'm here where all [that is] behind me and I can add all that fuel into winning and playing alongside Luka."

Doncic, out for his own redemption after last year’s trade and conversations about his weight and work ethic, was eager to begin his first training camp with the Lakers. Coming off a quarterfinals appearance at EuroBasket with the Slovenian national team, Doncic said he felt stronger and quicker on the court after his offseason physical transformation. One of the league’s pick-and-roll savants, Doncic should help Ayton rediscover the dominance he flashed while helping the Phoenix Suns reach the NBA Finals in 2021 and post a franchise-record 64 wins in 2022.

Finally back in the NBA spotlight with a new team, Ayton relishes the chance to chase more meaningful records.

“You can feel the pressure through the door,” Ayton said. “This team wants to win a championship."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Warriors' Draymond Green sets out on quest to prove he's still elite defensively originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – When we last saw Draymond Green on the basketball court, the Warriors were in the Western Conference semifinals, and the 35-year-old forward was trying and failing to reach the level achieved years ago as the backbone of Golden State’s dynasty.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle wouldn’t allow it. Three inches taller, 20 pounds heavier and five years younger than Green, Randle was feasting at the All the Buckets You Can Eat buffet. The place Draymond deemed “off limits” for most of his 13-year career.

“Ju played great the entire series,” Green conceded after the Timberwolves won Game 5 to advance to the conference finals, while the Warriors boarded a jet into the offseason.

“The way Julius has been playing since he came back from the injury … he’s been lights out,” Green added. “I have no doubt that he’ll continue to play that way. He’s aggressive as hell and he’s going to after it. He’s got the mindset, always have had that mindset. And it’s clicking for him.”

Was this some kind of conditional surrender? Or can Draymond, at this advanced NBA age, still represent the backbone of a stellar defense?

Don’t get it twisted. Green embraces the challenge that comes with the aging process. His quest is to prove he’s still elite and, moreover, quite capable of ruining opposing offenses. 

“I think, ironically, at 22, there was some things that my body couldn’t do that I can do now,” he said Monday. “Because it’s just all the work you put in and the things that you learn and the strengthening that you do. I think there’s a little give and take there. I’m always confident that I can win mentally. That’s what you rely more on, when you realize, ‘Oh, man, I can’t quite do that thing.’

“But if I’m honest with you, I don’t think I’ve reached a point to where my body can’t do it.”

To be sure, for all the fireworks provided by the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, Draymond’s unique gifts as a defender were essential to Golden State’s “Death Lineups” that once demoralized even the best of opponents. He was the NBA’s only 6-foot-6 “big man” capable of protecting the paint, patrolling baselines, clogging passing lanes, supervising the defense and running point on the break.

It’s unreasonable to assume Green can be as peripatetic as he once was six or seven years ago. He shouldn’t have to be. He is entering the winter of his career, with young teammates available to boost the team’s energy. A slimmer Trayce Jackson-Davis. The relentless Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski. And, it appears likely, Jonathan Kuminga. They all can feed any fire started by the first unit.

But no frontcourt player on the roster has a physical/mental/instinctive combination to match Green at his best. He knows that. For the Warriors to beat back ageism and make a serious run, he needs to be that.

“I feel great,” he said. “Am I the same person that I was at 27? No. And thank God I’m not. I’ve learned a lot since 27. There’s things that change, but if you decrease in one area, you’ve got to grow in another. That’s the constant challenge of what keeps you going and keeps you striving to do it again and again and again.”

Against Randle in May, Green, despite earning All-Defensive first-team honors, seemed too small and not quick enough to offset his physical disadvantage. Randle averaged 25.2 points per game, shooting 53.3 percent from the field, adding 7.4 assists and 6.6 rebounds. He scored a combined 60 points in Games 4 and 5.

Now, five months later, as the Warriors prepare for the 2025-26 season, Green is determined to prove he has recovered his mojo and has the goods to embellish his status as an elite defensive force. The nine-time All-Defensive team selection is chasing No. 10.

Only five players in NBA history have earned the honor at least 10 times: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Scottie Pippen.

“That’s my motivation,” Green said. “To go and try to make another All-Defensive team and join that list. It’s an amazing list. All first-ballot Hall of Famers. To try to put myself, my name, in the hat with those guys … that would be a dream come true.”

Thousands of fingers throughout Dub Nation are crossed in hopes Green, who turns 36 next March, can live that dream. His odds are long in a league that has more than a dozen candidates, including San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley.

That dream might be required for the Warriors to reach the heights to which they aspire.

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