Jose Alvarado reacts during the Knicks' June 8 game.
One of the first dominoes of the Knicks’ offseason now has clarity.
Jose Alvarado declined his $4.5 million player option for next season, but he’s returning on a three-year deal worth over $14 million, according to ESPN.
The decision allowed him to, instead of playing on the one-year option, sign a multiyear deal that carries a lower average annual value than that $4.5 million.
That is crucial because the Knicks are operating in accordance with owner James Dolan’s wishes to stay below the second apron and have a tight budget in order to do so.
Jose Alvarado reacts during the Knicks’ June 8 game. Charles Wenzelberg
Alvarado’s deadline for the decision was originally on Monday, but he and the Knicks agreed to push it back to Friday, after the NBA draft.
He emerged as a key bench piece for the Knicks’ championship run, providing the Knicks with a true backup point guard that they lacked before his arrival.
He also added a bit of snarl and feistiness to a team that, at the time, needed it.
They acquired him — after a series of moves that started with sending away Guerschon Yabusele — just ahead of the deadline.
President Leon Rose recently praised Alvarado as one of his best under-the-radar moves in building the Knicks into champions.
“That was huge,” Rose said on the “Roommates Show” podcast, “because we did need another ball handler, we needed another person that could put it on the floor and take some of the pressure off.”
His playing time varied, but by the postseason and Finals, he was playing critical minutes.
Alvarado memorably scored eight points and drilled two 3-pointers during the Knicks’ historic comeback in their 107-106 win in Game 4 of the Finals.
Alvarado, 28, is also a local kid, having been born in Brooklyn and played high school basketball at Christ the King.
The reserve guard, who was traded midseason from the New Orleans Pelicans, will decline the $4.5 million player option for the 2026-27 NBA season and will remain in New York on a multi-year deal, according to SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley.
The deal is reportedly for three years and at least $14 million, according to ESPN.
In his fifth season in the NBA, Alvarado, a Brooklyn native, enjoyed much success in New York while playing for the team he grew up rooting for in the city he grew up in.
"I’m Home," Alvarado posted on social media shortly after the news broke.
As the backup point guard to Jalen Brunson, Alvarado averaged 6.6 points, 3.8 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game and saw action in 28 contests (three starts) for the Knicks. During the team's championship run, the 27-year-old averaged just 9.4 minutes per game, but saw an increased role in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, which included a great fourth quarter in Game 4 while playing alongside Brunson and the rest of the starters.
In addition to his numbers on the stat sheet, Alvarado showed great energy on and off the bench upon joining the Knicks and played with passion and hustle on the court, specifically on defense, endearing himself to New York fans everywhere.
After his performance on the biggest stage, Alvarado, who went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, is hoping to turn that into a significant and long-term payday this offseason.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: Jose Alvarado of the New York Knicks is seen on the red carpet prior to Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New York Knicks point guard Jose Alvarado is here to stay at home, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania.
“New York guard Jose Alvarado is declining his $4.5 million player option and intends to sign a new three-year, $14-plus million deal to return to the Knicks, sources tell ESPN. Knicks made it a priority to retain the NY native who played key role on a historic championship team,” Charania tweeted.
Trading for Alvarado was one of the most important moves of New York’s season. In 28 regular-season games with the Knicks, he averaged 6.6 points and 3.8 assists per contest. He also averaged a steal per game, proving to be the menace he is on the defensive end of the floor.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown explained how important Alvarado was to the team shortly after being acquired back in February.
“He’s been good. The quickness is irreplaceable. It gives us a different look,” Brown said back in March. “He’s different in a way that kind of stands out. I don’t know what that way would be, but Jose was available.
“And I give Leon [Rose] credit, he got him. It’s helped us on both ends of the floor. … The energy on top of the quickness that he brings to the table, every time we step on the floor, is irreplaceable. At least with the guys that we had, or the guys that we have. Just different.”
Posting and Toasting community, how do you feel about Alvarado’s new deal? Chime off in the comments section below.
The team will likely include the team’s first-round pick, Koa Peat, recent signings Sam Hoiberg and Corey Camper Jr., and 2025 draft picks Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming.
Last season, the team went 2-3 in the Summer League, with Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro, Fleming, and Maluach serving as the key players.
The matchups are on three different networks, with two on ESPN platforms. With multiple lottery selections after selecting Arizona guard Brayden Burries and acquiring the 13th overall pick, Nate Ament, after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, the rematch of the 2021 Finals could be an interesting one.
To advance in the Summer League, the Suns must have one of the four best records. If they do, they’ll head to the semifinals, where, with a win, they’ll play for the championship. The franchise has never won the Summer League but reached the Finals back in 2013.
After the Summer League festivities, it’ll be a few months until Suns basketball is back, but in the meantime, we’ll have you covered with game previews, recaps and analysis for their games in Vegas.
Most Warriors fans wouldn’t be thrilled if you had told them before this past season that Golden State made the NBA play-in tournament, but missed the playoffs.
However, if you told them that practically all of the team’s stars missed a chunk of the season due to injury, they might change their tune a tad. Steph Curry played in just 43 games, Kristaps Porziņģis logged just 15 appearances and Jimmy Butler was limited to 38 games after tearing his ACL.
When speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Pool and Bonta Hill, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. revealed that the team doesn’t yet have a clear timetable for Butler, but they still expect him to be a productive player.
“I do think when Jimmy returns, depending on his load that he can carry the amount of minutes, I do think he’ll be a very good player based on the way he plays,” Dunleavy said. “The two best things about him are his mind and his physicality, and you don’t lose that with a hurt knee.”
Despite aging typically being viewed as a negative in sports, Dunleavy, who enjoyed a prosperous 15-year NBA career, revealed that Butler’s age (36) already has helped him adapt to no longer being a top-tier athlete.
“He’s adjusted well as he’s aged already on the athleticism front, and I think that’ll be no different,” Dunleavy told Poole and Hill. “It’s just, we got to get him back when we can.”
Before going down with the injury, Butler was averaging 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
Luckily for the Warriors, they were able to snag a couple of productive wings in this week’s 2026 NBA Draft, landing both Michigan All-American Yaxel Lendeborg and Florida State two-way wing Lajae Jones. With Butler and Moses Moody both having to miss time due to knee injuries, the rookies might have to grow up quickly.
The Suns have re-signed center Mark Williams to a fully guaranteed three-year, $38 million deal, according to ESPN.
Williams played 60 games for the Suns this season, averaging 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.9 blocks.
Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams slaps hands with teammates during player introductions. AP Photo
He joined Phoenix this season after spending three years with the Hornets, where he was drafted No. 15 overall from Duke in 2022.
Despite being a starter, Williams will be the 34th-highest-paid center in the league in total value and 32nd in AAV, according to Spotrac.
This is largely because of the fully guaranteed nature of the deal, parlayed with the fact that Williams has had trouble remaining available for long stretches of his career — missing 162 games in his first four seasons in the league.
Williams has dealt with a nagging foot injury for the better part of his NBA career to this point.
It kept him out of the four-game series loss to the Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs this season.
Mark Williams of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket as Noah Clowney of the Brooklyn Nets defends. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Suns surprised many last season with a 45-37 record and only slowed down at the end because of injuries.
The Williams deal, as well as re-signing rotation guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin for four- and three-year deals, respectively, show their intent to run it back in 2026-27 with a similar core.
The Suns acquired Williams from the Hornets in a draft-day trade.
He had previously been traded to the Lakers on the 2025 deadline day, but the deal was rescinded after he failed his physical in Los Angeles.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 19: Duke Miles #2 of the Vanderbilt Commodores looks to shoot the ball during the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the McNeese Cowboys held at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Normally, a slew of undrafted free agents sign with teams at the conclusion of the second round. Things were pretty quiet though after the 2026 NBA Draft — especially for the Sixers.
That changed slightly Friday with the team reportedly adding Vanderbilt guard Duke Miles on an Exhibit 10 deal. Adam Aaronson of Philly Voice was the first to report the news.
NEWS: The Sixers are signing Duke Miles to an Exhibit 10 contract, source tells @thephillyvoice. An E10 deal is a training camp contract which gives player a signing bonus if they are waived and report to that team's affiliate in the G League. Vandy On SI reported earlier today.
Miles is a 6-foot-2 guard who played last season at Vanderbilt. He’s an undersized but feisty guard in the mold of Jose Alvarado or Jamal Shead. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.5 assists and a conference-leading 2.6 steals per game. He shot 43.5% from the field and 34.8% from three. Miles enjoyed a six-year collegiate career, spending three years at Troy before stops at High Point, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. He’s an Alabama native, just like Sixers first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr.
As a reminder, an Exhibit 10 contract is basically a glorified G League deal. Miles will likely spend the summer league and training camp with the Sixers, but will be financially incentivized to spend the 2026-27 season with the Delaware Blue Coats.
The only other name we’ve seen even linked to the Sixers is Javontae Campbell, the reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Campbell’s alma mater, Bowling Green State, shared the news. He’s yet another undersized, defensive-minded guard at 6-foot-2.
We don’t know who else will be on the Sixers’ summer league roster, but we do know they will only be making the trek to Vegas from July 9-19. Unfortunately, the team will not be participating in the Salt Lake summer league in 2026.
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 29: The sneakers worn by Jordan Walsh #27 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 29, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Cameron Boozer’s girlfriend has no doubt the forward is going to be received well in his next big career step.
Yva Lauren Cao gave fans and followers an inside look into Boozer’s NBA draft night, in which he walked away as a member of the Grizzlies after being the No. 3 overall pick out of Duke.
“Memphis, you’re going to love him,” she captioned the Instagram post, featuring various photos of the couple throughout the night.
Cao wore a stunning lowback orange dress as she posed for photos with Boozer, who was in a white suit and often seen wearing his team’s hat, which had rhinestones on it.
The University of Miami cheerleader shared a picture of the couple hugging as Boozer’s name was called and one of the two holding hands while leaving the event and again posed together at an after party location.
Cao also shared a photo of her and Boozer in front of his new locker and new No. 27 jersey in Memphis on Friday.
“Memphis just gained the best there is!!” she wrote in an Instagram story of Boozer at the draft. “So proud of you and beyond grateful to watch your dreams become reality.
“Your talent is undeniable, but who you are is what makes me proudest. I love you endlessly. This is only the beginning. Here we gooo.”
Yva Lauren Cao and Cameron Boozer sit for a photo in front of the forward’s new jersey. Instagram @yvacaoYva Lauren Cao and Cameron Boozer pictured after the NBA Draft. Instagram @yvacao
The couple has been together since high school as they both grew up in Miami, Fla.
They started dating in August 2023 and attended several proms together before they both moved onto college in 2025.
Yva Lauren Cao and Cameron Boozer hold hands as they leave the NBA draft. Instagram @yvacao
As Cao chose Miami and Boozer took his career to Duke, the two sparked a sports rivalry and both established early success.
Cao went on to cheer at the national championship football game against Indiana in January while Boozer made his name known in the college game and beyond as he averaged a double-double per game (22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds) in his only season at Duke.
Cao was also seen to support her Blue Devil at various games, and Duke went as far as the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament before a 73-72 loss to UConn.
Boozer will be tasked with making an immediate impact on the Grizzlies, who are coming off of a tough 25-57 season.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 18: Landry Shamet #44 of the New York Knicks celebrates during the New York Knicks 2026 Championship Parade and Ceremony on June 18, 2026 in New York City, New York. 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 Pamela Costello/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The life of an NBA role player is one of uncertainty.
Every year could be in a different city. You’re fighting for guaranteed contracts every offseason. It’s more a matter of survival than finding a true home.
Some of these players evolve to the point of being not easily replaceable, allowing them to worry more about team fit and overall salary than survival. Those players are the ones with solid bench roles, but not the guys who are big franchise pieces.
I don’t know if Landry Shamet has reached that second part, but he’s certainly evolved past the first, which is where he was to start 2025-26. A guy who didn’t have a guaranteed contract in the preseason for consecutive seasons, who’s already suited up for six teams in seven seasons, and someone who’s only sizable contract saw him bought out midway through, has reached the mountaintop.
And the cherry on top? He did it as a key contributor, joining the likes of “Big Shot” Robert Horry, Steve Kerr, John Paxson, and more as a role player who stepped up big time and put his name in the history books for an NBA champion.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Landry Shamet #44 of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait after winning Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Shamet was born on March, 13, 1997, in Kansas City, Missouri, to a single mother, a former Division I volleyball player at Boise State. He didn’t meet his father until he was 24, so his uncle took on an important role in his upbringing, marred by financial instability. His family lost their apartment when he was in middle school after going bankrupt.
He went to Park Hill High School, where he became one of the best players in the state of Missouri. As a three-star recruit, he held offers from multiple Big Ten programs, but decided to stay close to home at Wichita State, enrolling there in 2015.
Shamet figured to be a big part of the Shockers’ plans in 2015-16 as a true freshman alongside Fred VanVleet and OAKAAK Ron Baker in the backcourt, but sustained a season-ending foot injury in his first career start against Division II Emporia State in November. When he returned the following year, he was thrust into the starting lineup, where he led a balanced Wichita State team to the NCAA Tournament.
After a season in which he was All-MVC First-Team and MVC Rookie of the Year, he took another step forward as a redshirt sophomore in 2017-18, leading the conference in three-point percentage and assists as the leading scorer on a 25-8 team. Despite two years of eligibility remaining, he declared for the 2018 NBA Draft, where he snuck into the first round, being picked No. 26 by the Philadelphia 76ers.
He wouldn’t even last an entire season in Philly. Despite showing flashes, including a 29-point outburst in January 2019, he was used as a small piece in the Tobias Harris trade, being sent to the Clippers with two firsts and two seconds for the one-time all-star that would become one of the most hated men in the city.
In Los Angeles, Shamet would start 23 of the remaining 25 games, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team. He again played well the following season, splitting time as a starter and sixth man while being one of the best shooters on a team that was now built around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. His performance in Game 3 against the Mavericks in the bubble was a big reason they got out of the first round.
But that would be his final few games as a Clipper. He was traded to Brooklyn that offseason in a three-team deal that landed Luke Kennard and four seconds in L.A.
While it would be his third team in three years, Shamet was on yet another winner and another team that was a title contender in 2020-21. He had another typical year, averaging nine points a game on 38% from downtown, but didn’t have an impact in the playoffs and couldn’t step up after injuries to Kyrie Irving and James Harden damaged their hopes of getting past the eventual champion Bucks. That offseason, he was flipped to Phoenix for Jevon Carter and the No. 29 pick.
Four teams in four years. Despite showing himself as a valuable role player, that’s still extremely concerning. He inked a four-year, $43 million extension before the season, which seemingly gave him stability. His two years there were solid, but slightly down due to a reduction in role.
Aside from Game 3 against Denver in 2023, he didn’t produce much in the playoffs, and recurring foot injuries limited him to 40 games in the regular season. Just one year into his four-year pact, he was dealt to the lowly Wizards in the Bradley Beal trade, being left to the fishes and exiled into NBA irrelevance.
As many do, he struggled after going from perennially making the second round of the playoffs to the worst organization in basketball. The 2023-24 season was miserable for him, as he shot a career low from behind the arc, struggled with more foot injuries, and was an afterthought late in the year for a Wizards team focused on development.
Just like that, he was waived in July and spent months on the free agent market. Less than two years after being a valuable role player for a perennial playoff team and making $10 million a year, he was on the cut line. Dozens of players are stuck in that limbo every year, barely sneaking onto NBA rosters or being forced to continue their careers overseas. That’s where Shamet was in the summer of 2024.
But circumstances brought him to New York. He was brought in during September to compete for a roster spot with guys like Chuma Okeke and Marcus Morris Sr., but got a life raft when the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster went through ahead of training camp, prompting Morris to be waived for space. When he was offered to re-sign after the trade went through, he said no, so with that and the loss of Donte DiVincenzo, a role existed for a player of his archetype.
Tom Thibodeau was a fan and planned for him to get minutes in the Opening Night rotation in Boston, but a devastating dislocated shoulder in the penultimate preseason game threw a wrench in the team’s plan and one in Shamet’s career.
He was released because of the team’s limited second-apron space and his non-guaranteed contract. Once again, his NBA career was in serious jeopardy.
But the Knicks believed in him more than it looked. They fully intended on bringing Shamet back when he recovered, going as far as to pick him in the G-League draft to keep him in-house during his rehab. It all culminated in him being re-signed in late December and making his Knicks debut on December 23, 2024.
He struggled early after the long layoff, but fully shook off the rust as the team got closer to the postseason. His shooting slump with the Wizards was an aberration. He had two games of making at least six threes in April. He was ready for his triumphant return to playoff basketball.
And then, he was just removed from the rotation. Cam Payne’s electric Game 1 against the Pistons necessitated more minutes for him, and Shamet’s poor play early in the series led to him being fully benched in Game 4, the rest of the Detroit series, and the entire Boston series. Thibs ran a tight ship, and with every game being a full-blown war, he had no time to deal with the bench.
Until the Knicks went down 0-2 to Indiana, that is. For the first time all season, true desperation was settling in. Needing a spark. Thibodeau inserted Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup and unleashed Shamet and Delon Wright off the bench to add defensive intensity.
Shamet combining physical post defense with a flop. It's one of the best ways to combat a mismatch. Shamet applies a lot of force. Toppin responds in turn…flop. Turnover.
At least in the short term, it worked. Both added a needed spark to make a huge Game 3 comeback, and the team won their minutes in the first three games they played, but Indiana just simply had too many answers for what the Knicks could throw at them, ending their season in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Despite a solid season, Shamet once again had a limited market when he re-entered free agency. He once again entered September without a contract, holding out hope that he would be able to stay in New York if he were to continue his NBA career.
Well, the offer came, and he once again was in a battle for the final roster spot. Malcolm Brogdon and Garrison Matthews stood in his way, and unlike last year, he was not the perceived frontrunner to make the roster.
Until Brogdon retired at the end of the preseason. While Mike Brown was always a big fan of Shamet, the needs of the roster likely had him on the outside looking in. For a guy who’s gotten some bad luck over the years, it was some good fortune shining on him.
Unlike last season, he had a big role on the bench right away, stepping up to make some big performances when guys went in and out of the lineup.
There’d be more adversity on the way before he got there, though. Yet another shoulder injury brought about fears of a similar injury to last year, which could’ve led to Shamet’s release.
Fortunately for him and the Knicks, it was a sprain, not a dislocation. He was back soon enough and continued to make big plays throughout a season where he played the most, shot the best, and scored the most in a half-decade.
But his story didn’t end in the regular season this time. This time, he was going to put his name in the history books.
He was out of the rotation after the first few games against Atlanta due to more early-series struggles, but all he could do was stay ready. When his time came, he didn’t let it go to waste.
Landry Shamet, who's fallen out of Knicks playoff rotation, on the court running sprints postgame as Josh Hart appears on NBC pic.twitter.com/K8dyZd9AI6
Re-inserted in the rotation against Philly, it was his tremendous second quarter in Game 3 that flipped a sure Sixers win to a Knicks party in the City of Brotherly Love. His hot shooting bled over into Game 4, where he and Deuce McBride buried a franchise that gave up on him in less than a year.
Against Cleveland, he hit three titanic threes down the stretch in Game 1, being the catalyst along with Jalen Brunson for the 22-point comeback. His game-tying three that rolled around the rim felt like redemption from the Haliburton shot and gave the team the feeling of a team of destiny. His name echoed through the Garden and through the streets of New York.
Two timely triples from Landry Shamet 🔥
Shamet (3-3 3PM) delivered in big moments for the Knicks to help them complete their largest postseason comeback in franchise history!
What he did against Cleveland was otherworldly. He went an unfathomable 11-for-12 from three in four games and was a plus-53. If it were a seven-game series, there’s a chance he’d get consideration for Eastern Conference Finals MVP for his standout performance.
He played huge roles in the first two games of the NBA Finals, making six threes and averaging 31 minutes a game, but he finally went cold afterwards. The Knicks were able to manage his minutes quality deteriorating and closed things out in five games. Shamet finished the postseason 26-for-50 from downtown.
A lifetime of instability, setbacks, and unfortunate timing led him to this moment. At times, it looked like he just wasn’t meant for this. At times, it looked like he had to settle with a fine, brief career as a role player, somebody whose legacy would be defined by dudes in bars 15 years from now saying “Remember that guy?”
Well, now nobody in New York will ever forget his name.
–
(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: Mikel Brown Jr. poses for a photo before the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images BROOKLYN, NY – JUNE 23: Mikel Brown Jr. poses for a photo before the 2026 NBA Draft – Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Mikel Brown Jr. talked about a lot of things after he was selected by the Brooklyn Nets at No. 6 in the NBA Draft on Wednesday. And in talking with NetsDaily, he spoke as well as what’s important to him, faith and family as well as his Puerto Rican roots.
“Faith definitively plays a big role. I mean, that’s where I come from,” the 20-year-old from Orlando told ND, noting that it’s part of his being Puerto Rican on his mother’s side. “You know actually representing my Puerto Rican heritage, They are big in their faith.”
Brown surprised and wowed a lot of Nets fans of Puerto Rican heritage on Draft Night when he showed off the inner lining of his suit to fellow Puerto Rican, Brooklynite and NBA champion Jose Alvarado. It was a tribute to that heritage…
“You gotta explain the fit!” Mikel Brown Jr. pulls up to the Red Carpet to show off his suit to fellow Puerto Rican and New Era Player Correspondent, Jose Alvarado 🇵🇷 @NewEraCappic.twitter.com/teS1B32xpI
About 600,000 residents of the city have connections to the commonwealth, about 140,000 in Brooklyn alone.
Brown also discussed his family with NetsDaily:
“I’m just so blessed to be in this position right now and also for my family as well. this is not a one-man thing,” he said when asked about family. “It’s also me and my family as well. You know they supported me through every decision. They made so many sacrifices for me and I can’t thank them enough.”
It was a big night for Brown of course, but he seemed prepared for it all…
In his comments to ND, he also noted how proud he is to be in Brooklyn…
“You know just the past. The legends that come from this city,” he said when asked about what he’s looking forward to. “They take pride from people when you hear someone say they’re from Brooklyn. They take pride in it. To be able to represent and you want to come in and have the same mentality. It’s not just about you. It means the world.”
The team and Duren, who is a restricted free agent, are far apart on contract talks, and Duren's camp is now planning to explore sign-and-trade scenarios when free agency opens June 30, according to The Athletic. Duren, 22, is coming off of a breakout All-NBA season. But his next deal likely will fall short of the maximum the Pistons can offer – five years and $287 million – following an underwhelming postseason performance.
Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game on 65% shooting for a 60-win Pistons team that lost in the second round. He earned All-NBA third team honors, qualifying him for a contract worth up to $287 million that starts at 30% of the salary cap with 8% raises.
But the "higher max criteria" only applies to the Pistons – outside teams are capped to a maximum deal starting at up to 25% of the cap with 5% raises over four years, which comes out to $177.4 million total.
Because outside teams need cap space to make a realistic offer sheet for Duren, a sign-and-trade would open more pathways for Duren to land with a new team. But Pistons still hold the upper hand in negotiations, since they can match any offer sheet or simply decline to agree to a trade. Duren's only other pathway, in that situation, would be picking up his qualifying offer for the 2026-27 to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
They repeatedly have signaled that Duren is a priority and core player they wish to build around, even after his numbers dropped across the board through 14 postseason games, averaging 10.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on 51.4% shooting.
"I want him here, that’s where I’m at with JD," team president Trajan Langdon said on June 18. "We really want JD to be here."
Despite Duren's desire to look elsewhere for a bigger contract, it appears nothing has changed for the Pistons. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Friday after Duren's decision to seek other offers that "the Detroit Pistons are conveying that Jalen Duren will not be moved and are solely focused on coming to terms on an agreement."
Ultimately, the ball is in the Pistons' court. They can match any offer from an outside team and even if Duren is signed-and-traded, he'd be capped to four years and $177.4 million with an opposing team.
NAPA, CALIFORNIA - MAY 22: Jimmy Butler appears on the culinary stage at the 2026 BottleRock festival at Napa Valley Expo on May 22, 2026 in Napa, California. (Photo by Miikka Skaffari/WireImage)
Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler shared an encouraging update regarding the torn ACL he suffered last season. During Thursday’s event announcing IREN as the team’s new jersey patch sponsor, Butler fielded questions from reporters and, while he admitted the rehab process has been challenging, said he is making “incredible progress” in his recovery.
Jimmy Butler gives an update on his ACL rehab. Said he believes he is a month and a half from running. Believes he’s able to dunk jumping off his left foot but isn’t supposed to land on right foot.
Butler is now a little over six months removed from the season-ending injury he suffered on Jan. 19 against his former team, the Miami Heat. The veteran forward said he believes he is about a month and a half away from running again and is encouraged by the progress he has made throughout his rehab, even revealing that he could still dunk a basketball if he jumped off his left leg.
Perhaps the most interesting takeaway from the session, though, was how positively Butler spoke about his time with the team thus far. He shared high praise for the Warriors’ organization, and while his name has occasionally surfaced in trade speculation due to his large, expiring contract, Butler’s comments did not sound like those of a player expecting to be moved anytime soon.
Jimmy Butler says the Warriors organization is a great organization and he doesn’t want to be anywhere else:
“It’s not good, it’s great. It legitimately is the best. You don’t realize it until you’ve been in other places, and I’m not talking down on anybody that are quite lesser… pic.twitter.com/Jr3hs7ye1X
For now, Butler appears focused solely on his recovery and his future in Golden State. He’ll be 37 years old at the beginning of next season, but he made it clear that his priority is getting back on the court and helping the Warriors compete again alongside Stephen Curry.
Jimmy Butler on his rehab and when he’s coming back:
“I got some time, but I promise I’m trying to get back to it. Basketball is what I’ve known for almost forever and it’s very hard not to be able to move and hoop anytime I want to. But as soon as I can get back on the floor… pic.twitter.com/VNMa3xOULI
As speculation lingers that the final year of Butler’s contract, worth almost $57 million, could be packaged in a deal to acquire a different star to pair with Steph Curry, Butler continues to carry himself as a man who wants to play out the rest of his career in the Bay Area.
The messaging has been consistent from both Butler and the Warriors’ front office that Butler is part of the team’s future. Sitting next to Butler on Thursday, Lacob reiterated that he is confident both Butler and the team will come back strong next season. And Butler, who will be entering his 16th NBA season this fall, expressed optimism that the Warriors have enough talent to be a difficult out.
“If we’re healthy, we’re tough,” Butler said. “We’ve just got to be healthy. … As long as we’ve got Steph, we always have a chance.”
Horford’s return is an early checkpoint for a Warriors roster that appears as if it will remain mostly stable. General manager Mike Dunleavy is in active conversations with Kristaps Porzingis‘ representation to bring back the stretch center on a short-term contract, and the Warriors have been under the recent expectation that Draymond Green is likely to return on his $27.6 million player option.
“If the group is healthy, if we’re together, I feel like we’re going to compete,” Horford said. “I don’t want to think too much ahead, but once we’re able to get Jimmy and [Moses Moody] back … we have a very competitive group and we’re going to do the best that we can.”
In one fell swoop, the Wolves have raised their ceiling, lowered their floor, addressed a long-simmering issue at point guard, and formed the most entertaining backcourt in all of basketball. Minnesota has united two of the best players from the 2020 draft, whose play, in some ways, informs the zeitgeist of the present day. Edwards is the more classic figure, an all-world swingman who has increased his scoring average in each of his six seasons and is gilded by Jordan-esque athleticism and an almost supernatural development arc in both his ballhandling and pull-up shooting capability. LaMelo is the mold-breaking savant who sees basketball in shapes and colors that exist only in his head, who intuits the physics of the game differently because no one else had a dad galaxy-brained enough to teach him how to shoot from half court by the time he was 6 years old. Ball’s presence as a creator will allow Edwards to take full advantage of his one-of-one downhill explosiveness off the ball; Ant’s offensive gravity is unlike anything LaMelo has ever played with. It’ll be exhilarating. It’ll be chaos. It’ll be what has been missing from this Wolves team: something altogether new.
An “AI cloud firm” called Iren has agreed to replace Rakuten as the jersey patch sponsor for the Golden State Warriors in a deal that’s reportedly worth $50M per season. For context, that’s enough to pay for 7 1/4 Al Horfords, 10.8 Gui Santoses, or over 58 Pat Spencers!
The Detroit Pistons knew they would have to upgrade their offense this summer, following a second-round exit in the NBA playoffs to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Joe, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, averaged 11.1 points and 2.5 rebounds, while shooting 45.5% overall and 42.3% on 3-pointers last season in 71 games, and gives the Pistons another much-needed option to space the floor. His 3-point percentage in 2025-26 was a career-best mark.
He's a high-volume 3-point shooter. and though he fell out of the Thunder's rotation during the playoffs, he will instantly help the Pistons fill their biggest need.
Along with Duncan Robinson, the Pistons now have two players to anchor their spacing. They scored 10.2 more points per 100 possessions when Robinson was on the floor last year according to Cleaning The Glass, with Cade Cunningham (+7.3) and Jalen Duren (+6.4) ranking second and third.
Outside of Robinson, they lacked reliable shooting. However, Robinson is a candidate to be waived this summer if the Pistons wish to create cap space to make a move in free agency. Only $2 million of his roughly $16 million salary next season is guaranteed, and they would have to waive him to clear enough space to be a player in the free agency market.
Joe has two years left on a reasonable four-year, $48 million contract he signed with the Thunder, with the two most expensive years already paid on a descending deal. He'll make $11.3 million each of the next two years, with the 2027-28 season a club option, according to Spotrac.
The Pistons on Tuesday night selected Stanford freshman guard Ebuka Okorie, trading up four spots with the Memphis Grizzlies to No. 17 overall in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Pistons finished 60-22 last season – the third-best record in franchise history and their best since 2005-06, and fell to the Cavaliers in seven games in their deepest postseason run in 18 years. Game 7 was a 125-94 embarrassment at home, concluding a blown 2-0 series lead.
Third-year president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has said he is building around their core three – Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson – this summer, with a repeated emphasis on adding more shooting and ball-handling.
Tom Dundon might be beloved in Charlotte (where his NHL team just hoisted the Stanley Cup), but fans in Portland have their doubts about their team's new owner. Dundon continues to live up to his penny-pinching reputation (except with players he says, although that has yet to be put to the test), and a couple of new instances have had fans — and plenty of people around the league — shaking their heads.
One was the contract for the new head coach, Mikah Nori. He is a longtime assistant in the league who most recently served as the right-hand man to Chris Finch in Minnesota. Dundon waited until there were no other open jobs on the market, then offered Nori a one-year contract with two team options after that. It's an owner-friendly contract that is radically different from the standard contract given to a first-time head coach (usually four years, with the final year a team option). In a league where status is somewhat based on contract size, you can be sure every player on that roster knows their head coach is on a lame duck deal, undercutting his authority.
Nori took the deal, but around the NBA, other coaches have been livid.
"I feel like he was put in a situation that he shouldn't be put in with having to make a choice of this nature because of the structure of what the contract is," said Pistons' coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the president of the coaches union. "It's unfortunate that you have a dream, and from our perspective, it's like someone's taking advantage of your dream and devaluing what we feel like coaches have earned over the years. You think about the sacrifice, the time, the growth that coaches have helped and done with the NBA, and then for someone to come in and attempt to devalue the work that coaches have in this league is extremely disappointing."
Nori, for his part, handled questions about the contract with grace.
"The way I look at this is: opportunity," he told reporters at his introductory press conference. "For 28 years, the first 25 years I never had an agent. I never look at money or years. I know that if I'm successful, the rest of these things will take care of themselves."
Trail Blazers arena
Portland's Moda Center, home to the Trail Blazers, is 31 years old, feels a little dated, and is in need of maintenance and upgrades. Paying for those changes has become a political fight in Oregon.
An estimated $600 million in renovations and maintenance is needed for the building, which is owned by the city of Portland with the Trail Blazers as the main tenant and a lease that runs through 2030.
There are ongoing negotiations about how to pay for this amongst Portland (which has pledged $120 million), Multnomah County, the State of Oregon, with multiple of those entities saying that Dundon and the Trail Blazers should chip in toward the cost. Dundon said don't expect that. From Kyra Buckley and Alex Zielinski of Oregon Public Broadcasting, at the Portland Metro Chamber meeting this week.
"I just know it feels like we're making a pretty big investment by staying here and paying these tax rates and agreeing to these fees for dollars that go back into the building."
"There's lots of places that don't have taxes at the same rate. So if you charge people taxes and invest it back into the thing that helps generate the money relative to the market, other places … it's a huge investment."
While the Moda Center is city-owned and it benefits from the upgrades and maintenance, nobody would benefit more than Dundon and his franchise. In Oregon, a billionaire owner saying he shouldn't have to pay for any of the renovations to the building, and a cash-strapped city should use taxpayer dollars to fund all of it, is not going to go over well.
Not that Dundon cares. He won't care until it hits him in the pocketbook. Just know his casual threat to move the team is not something that's happening (with expansion coming to the NBA, no way Adam Silver and the other owners let that happen). Dundon is going to have to work out something with the city, and he should pay his fair share.
