The Boston Celtics announced Wednesday that they have signed rookie forward Dillon Mitchell to a two-way contract.
The signing of Mitchell, the 40th pick in the 2026 draft, comes on the heels of reports that he was pondering a return to St. John’s for a potentially more lucrative fifth college season. Instead, Mitchell fills the second of three available two-way slots on Boston’s roster.
Amari Williams, the 46th pick in the 2025 draft, signed his second two-way contract with Boston in July. Williams earned a call-up to the parent roster while the Celtics played salary-cap Tetris last season before finishing below the luxury tax line.
Mitchell, who turns 23 before the start of the 2026-27 season, might hope there’s a similar pathway to a bigger rookie payday. The Celtics currently have only 14 players on the parent roster, and any in-season movement could open a door to in-season call-ups for two-way players.
The Celtics will likely enter the new season with an open 15th roster spot. The team can reset pesky luxury tax repeater penalties by finishing below the tax this season and is set to enter the year just $1.7 million below that line, per Spotrac’s contract tracking.
The team still needs to fill its third two-way slot before the season but can be patient in that process. Players on two-way deals can earn up to $678,882 per season but do not count towards the team’s salary cap.
John Tonje, acquired from the Utah Jazz in a trade last season, seemed like a prime candidate for a two-way spot but signed a two-way deal with the Portland Trail Blazers last month. Max Shulga, the 57th pick in the 2025 draft who started last season on a two-way deal with Boston before being converted to a standard deal, will reportedly sign overseas with Real Madrid.
Boston is set to bring undrafted rookies Milos Uzan and Tucker DeVries to training camp. Those players might be two-way options but could also be funneled to Maine as affiliated players if waived before the start of the season. Some intriguing two-way options could emerge as teams finalize their rosters in October.
Mitchell appeared in three games at Vegas Summer League, averaging 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks over 26 minutes per game. Mitchell showcased his explosive athleticism, including his potential to impact the game with both his height (6-foot-8) and length (6-10.5 wingspan).
Boston is well-stocked with young wings, but Mitchell will get every opportunity to distinguish himself starting at training camp in September. He’ll get valuable reps in Maine with an ability to be called up for up to 50 games with the parent club.
Here’s a look at Boston’s projected depth chart:
Ball-handlers: Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Mike Conley
Wings: Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, Ron Harper Jr., Chris Cenac Jr.
Bigs: Neemias Queta, Mitchell Robinson, Luka Garza
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 12: JD Davison #4 of the Houston Rockets brings the ball up court against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half at Toyota Center on April 12, 2026 in Houston, 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. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Rockets are waiving guard JD Davison, it was announced today by the team.
Davison was on a two-way deal last year, playing in 28 games with the varsity, but getting just 7 minutes per night in those contests. He averaged 2.5 points and 1.3 assists. In his most extended action of the year in the season finale against the Memphis Grizzlies, Davison scored 9 points with 10 boards, 7 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks in 26 minutes of playing time.
During the offseason, Davison upgraded his two-way deal to a standard NBA contract, with the Rockets giving him $2.5 million over two years. However, only $82k of that was guaranteed according to Spotrac, making this not that huge of a loss financially for Houston.
Davison did flash at times, so it made sense for the Rockets to think 23-year-old guard had a possible bright future, but with the offseason signing of Marcus Smart into the guard rotation, Davison became expendable. In addition, Fred VanVleet will be back this year, and the Rockets will be looking for 20-25 minutes per night from Reed Sheppard as well, leaving little room for Davison at point guard. And at just 6’1”, minutes at the two aren’t an option either. The Rockets also signed two-guard Bogdan Bogdanovich this offseason, making the overall backcourt even more crowded. So this move does make sense for the Rockets.
With Davison being so young and with some of the flashes he’s shown, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him catch on elsewhere. He’s an ideal young guard on a two-way for a team that needs some depth.
Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry is entering his 18th season in the NBA. AP
“Now, a few months later, with little improvement to the roster, the league wonders whether Curry’s mindset will change. Speculation continues from both fans and the media that Curry may become so frustrated that he eventually asks out during the final year or two of his career,” Friedell writes.
“But that’s still hard to envision given that he has been so consistent in both his messaging about wanting to stay with the Warriors and in expressing his love for the Bay Area.”
In 2016, owner Joe Lacob famously said the Warriors were lightyears ahead of the rest of the league. A decade later, the Warriors are entering the 2026-27 season with major question marks surrounding the direction of the franchise.
Warriors owner Joe Lacob will likely want to retain Curry for the remainder of his career. Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY SportsThe Warriors failed to give Curry another superstar to play alongside for the upcoming season. Getty Images
Golden State’s aging veteran core can’t be the future for the team, but the uncertainty surrounding its success throughout the upcoming season is not for lack of effort. The Warriors have pursued superstars — most recently James who was the top free agent of the summer.
That has put immense pressure on Curry to carry the offense night after night; and the trend looks to continue after the Warriors’ quiet offseason that was headlined by the selection of No. 11 overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Curry has voiced his ongoing support for the organization, and it would be a heartfelt curtain call if he remained with the Warriors. The 38 year old is entering his 18th season in the league, but his devotion to the team appears to be as strong as ever.
Could that ever change as Curry enters the twilight of his career? Possibly.
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BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 26: A detailed view of an NBA New Era hat during the 2025 NBA Draft - Round Two on June 26, 2025 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Iran War has been underway since late February when the U.S. and Israel bombed the Islamic Republic, among other things killing the entire Iranian leadership in a surprise attack and attacking an Iranian school, killing more than 150 school girls. Since then, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps has struck back against U.S. and allied targets in the Gulf region and closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz through which much of the world’s petroleum shipments pass.
While ceasefires come and go, the effects of the war, including targeted strikes, continue, keeping countries from Kuwait to Oman, as well as U.S. bases throughout the region in the cross-hairs and on edge.
As Brian Windhorst reported on Tuesday, the war also put a stop to a round of NBA games the league planned in the Gulf States this October. The games had never been officially announced but Windhorst said things were well along until the NBA pulled the plug only a few days ago. The plan, he said, included a Nets game in Qatar.
The Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards would have played in Doha, the capital of the Emirate whose natural gas facilities have been a particular target of Iranian attacks. Restoring those facilities is expected to take months putting a big crimp in the Qatari economy and culture.
“The NBA was planning on having games in Doha this fall. I believe the Wizards and Nets were planning on going there, and possibly even the Cavs. The Cavs and Heat were looking at going to Abu Dhabi, and then going to Doha, but the Wizards and Nets were going to Doha. Those were, they never were announced, and a few days ago, the NBA decided to just move on from that obviously because of the situation in the Middle East.”
Attempts to reach BSE failed.
The game would presumably have been a preseason tilt like the the one the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers played last October in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. The Gulf States, particularly the UAE, has been seen as fertile ground for the league in terms of fandom. The region is fast developing and games there have been popular. The oil-rich nations’ sovereign wealth funds are also seen as long-term, if passive, investors in NBA teams.
Both the Wizards and Nets have ties with Qatar. In June 2023, the Qatar Investment Authority purchased a five percent stake in the Washington Wizards’ parent company, Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The NBA had had decided to allow minority team investments from sovereign wealth funds at the end of 2022.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways, the state-owned airline, has had business ties to Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, the Nets parent for the past eight years, sponsoring a club, the Qatar Airways Club, and VIP entrance at Barclays Center. until this coming season, The Qatari royal family, which maintains a residence on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, also maintained a suite at the arena.
Qatar through its Qatari Sports Investments has invested heavily in European sports, primarily Paris Saint Germain (PSG), the French-based sports group that owns one of the world’s most valuable soccer franchises and is interested in acquiring a franchise in the NBA’s planned European league, representing Paris. Qatar also controls BeIN, the TV sports network which some call the ESPN of Europe.
Qatar’s investments have drawn criticism with more than one analyst accusing it of “sports washing,” that is improving its reputation through sport.
For their part, the Nets historically have never been known to turn down an overseas trip. They lead the league in games played outside North America at 23 following the NBA China Games in Macao last October. It was their fourth trip to the PRC and they’ve played in arenas across the world in Japan, England, Mexico, Italy and Israel. This would have been their first trip to the Arab World.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: The sneakers worn by Drew Cisse #50 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the game against the Detroit Pistons during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 9, 2026 at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Choi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Based on their offseason moves, the Golden State Warriors have made it clear they are comfortable running it back next season.
The team re-signed Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Draymond Green, and Gary Payton II. In fact, Golden State remains the only NBA team yet to sign a free agent who wasn’t on their roster last season. Currently, their only newcomer is projected to be first-round lottery pick Yaxel Lendeborg.
While many fans have expressed frustration with the lack of significant roster changes following a 37-45 season, it’s worth noting that perhaps the most influential voice in the organization may not share that same sentiment.
As he so often has for nearly two decades in the league, Curry took a measured approach when discussing the future in a recent interview with The Athletic during teammate Moses Moody’s charity event in North Little Rock, Ark.
“The through line,” Curry told The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II, “which is hard on anybody in this situation, especially with us keeping this thing together, is knowing that when Jimmy (Butler) got hurt and Moses got hurt, the whole calculus of everything changes. How do you get through their absence and still stay at a certain level? And then how that goes into this year. It’s the same deal. So, I’m a realist on that.”
Rather than criticizing the front office for its quiet offseason, Curry acknowledged the reality of the situation. The injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody dramatically altered the Warriors’ trajectory last season, leaving the organization with difficult decisions as they try to remain competitive without sacrificing too much of their future.
Curry, entering his 18th season with the Warriors, is eligible to sign a contract extension later this month. Signing an extension would serve as a strong vote of confidence in the Warriors’ long-term direction, while waiting could signal that he wants to see the organization’s vision unfold before making another commitment. For a player who has spent his entire NBA career in Golden State, the timing of that decision may ultimately provide the clearest indication yet of how Curry truly feels about the franchise’s future.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Wednesday, August 5th:
Curry desperately wants to win and remains as competitive as ever, but his answer offered a glimpse into his mindset. He’s not looking for an exit as much as he’s looking for the Warriors to find a way through their current situation. Unlike some of his superstar peers, Curry has never developed a reputation for pressuring the front office into specific moves. The Warriors have always operated as partners with Curry, and that mutual respect between player and team has been at the core of their four championship runs.
In trying to decode his public statements to look for clues about what comes next, Curry’s thoughts from just before February’s trade deadline also offer some guidance about how he views the Warriors’ uncertain future. He discussed the balance between competing now and protecting the franchise’s long-term future. He made it clear he didn’t want the Warriors to “suck right now, either,” but also emphasized that he and the organization would navigate those decisions about the future together.
Tenacity is a word Leons has to live by on the court. The possession battle is top of the pyramid in basketball, making Leons’ play style important for a variety of reasons.
“It’s really important, because crashing is a big role in the NBA right now, and if you can do that consistently with a lot of energy it helps you when you’re trying to get a spot in the league,” Robinson said.
Perry, while exploring avenues to fast-track a rebuild and get LaVine to a winning environment at this stage of his career, tested his market at the deadline and would’ve been amenable to sign-and-trade possibilities this summer.
But nothing appetizing enough materialized and LaVine opted in, leaving him as a big-ticket expiring contract entering the season. The Kings have no interest in buying out his contract, and he’s expected to be a major part of the rotation entering the season. His value as a trade deadline option and unrestricted free agent next summer will be determined by his effectiveness.
The reporting on how this actually happens is simple once you strip out the accounting. Klay takes a buyout from Dallas. Miami signs him using what’s left of its midlevel exception. Dallas doesn’t want that. That’s the whole standoff, according to Anthony Chiang’s mailbag for the Miami Herald.
Dallas believes a team built around Cooper Flagg can hang around the play-in picture, and a shooter like Thompson still has value to them, whether that’s minutes or a trade chip down the line. There’s no reason for Dallas to rush toward giving that away for nothing.
Follow@unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers spent this offseason spending big to revamp their roster to better fit around Luka Doncic and his preferred style of play. Austin Reaves returns as a secondary playmaker on a hefty new contract. They traded for Walker Kessler to be the pick-setting, alley-oop finishing big man Doncic prefers to play with. And they made a host of other moves — including parting ways with LeBron James — to bring in role players who should be a better stylistic fit with Doncic.
All of that only works if Doncic is healthy.
Which he wasn't at the end of last season due to a hamstring injury, he missed all of the Lakers' playoff run. In an email to fans, Doncic told them he is "100% healthy" now and ready for a big season.
Luka gave us a summer update email:
“I took a real break from basketball the first few weeks after the season ended to rehab my body. My recovery went great, and I’m 100% healthy again.”
“Taking some time away from basketball is something I do at the start of every offseason.… pic.twitter.com/fKkGdNSkk3
Concerns about Doncic's durability were a key reason former Mavericks GM Nico Harrison traded Doncic in the first place. The Lakers have bet big on a more mature Doncic, 27, being in his best condition and staying healthy when it matters. He averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game last season — when healthy, he remains one of the game's elite players and was named First-Team All-NBA (he only played 64 games, one below the league's 65-game cutoff, but was given an exemption due to "extraordinary circumstances" because he missed time for the birth of his child).
The Lakers looked to get Doncic some help this season by not only re-signing Reaves but adding ball-handling guards Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton. Expect JJ Redick to experiment with some three-guard lineups using that group, although the challenge becomes it forces Doncic (6'8") to guard bigger players, which can take a physical toll.
Doncic looks ready for that toll, and his team is bonding — he has paid for his teammates to join him in his native Slovenia for workouts, golf and more. A chance for a lot of new faces to get to know one another.
The new-look Lakers are poised to be one of the top teams in the West this coming season, but that only works with a healthy Doncic playing at an MVP level. He says he's healthy and ready, which is all Lakers fans can ask.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 12: Andre Jackson Jr. #44 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 12, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The second in a wave of acquisitions this August, the Toronto Raptors have signed former guard for the Milwaukee Bucks, Andre Jackson Jr. Jackson was a part of the University of Connecticut Huskies Men’s Basketball Team who won the tournament in 2023.
Having played his whole career in Cream City as a shooting guard, the former Husky will be competing for a place on the team, bringing some solid three point shooting and high flying dunks to the team. Jackson shot over 38% from three in his first two years, but after a junior slump in his last season, he’ll be looking to return to form in Toronto.
It’s always nice to have someone who can generate highlight plays, even if they’re doing so in only a few minutes. Players like one-time 905er Quincy Guerrier was someone I always enjoyed watching, and if Jackson hammers down some dunks and knocks down the open jumpers, then he’ll be doing his job. The guard has experience starting in Milwaukee, but will likely play a role in bench lineups. I can envisage him catching lobs from Jamal Shead or taking corner threes off Scottie Barnes dimes, and can see the type of role he might have for the team.
LOS ANGELES - NOVEMBER 20: Opening credits of THE TWILIGHT ZONE episode, "Time Enough At Last." Original air date, November 20, 1959. Image is a screen grab. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) | CBS via Getty Images
You have the entire class period to complete the quiz. Answers should be neatly written in the comment section. Do not fill in the “DO NOT FILL IN” section. When you’re done, you may sit quietly until the bell rings. If you have any questions, you’re in the right place. Good luck.
NAME: DATE: CLASS: PROF. MIRANDA — SUMMER SESSION
1) In today’s modern world, backwards thinking abounds: the Earth is flat; vaccines are bad, viruses are good; hate is a “side.” While most historians concur on June 13, 2026, the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs towin the NBA championship, a small but vocal lot claim this to be a mass hallucination, that the Knicks never won the title. For the purposes of academic exericse, what if that were true? And instead of going six/fo’fo’/fi’, the Knicks went six/fo’/fo’/no? Remember to show your work.
1) Would Josh Hart’s missed lay-up late in Game 4 go down as more infamous than the Charles Smith play?
2) How warm would Mike Brown’s seat have grown if the Knicks lost the Finals? Would he be celebrated for unlocking such a dominant playoff run despite coming up short? Dismissed as a nice guy and great assistant coach who can’t lead a team all the way?
3) Would James Dolan refuse to enter the second apron if the Knicks blew a 2-0 Finals lead?
4) If Mitchell Robinson left after losing in the Finals, would Knicks fans be more worried about losing a key contributor or hopeful for a future with someone who shoots better than 30% from the line?
5) Staying with the bench, these are the Finals shooting percentages from the field and from three for Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson and Miles McBride:
Shamet: 33%, 31%
Alvarado: 33%, 25%
Clarkson: 38%, 33%
McBride: 18%, 18%
Given the apron restrictions the Knicks were under and that quartet’s shooting numbers, would New York have brought all four back if they’d lost? If they were to let one or more depart, who would it have been? Who might they have looked to replace them with, either from further down the bench or a new addition?
6) Stephon Castle attempted 21 free throws in the Finals. Mikal Bridges attempted 25 throughout the postseason. Had the Knicks lost to the Spurs, how much heat would Bridges have received?
BONUS QUESTIONS
*) What is the following sentence?
Dennis, Nell, Edna, Leon, Nedra, Anita, Rolf, Nora, Alice, Carol, Leo, Jane, Reed, Dena, Dale, Basil, Rae, Penny, Lana, Dave, Denny, Lena, Ida, Bernadette, Ben, Ray, Lila, Nina, Jo, Ira, Mara, Sara, Mario, Jan, Ina, Lily, Arne, Bette, Dan, Reba, Diane, Lynn, Ed, Eva, Dana, Lynne, Pearl, Isabel, Ada, Ned, Dee, Rena, Joel, Lora, Cecil, Aaron, Flora, Tina, Arden, Noel, and Ellen sinned.
*) If two typists can type two pages in two minutes, how many does it take to type 18 pages in six minutes?
*) What nine-letter word can you make unscrambling these letters?
E C P R U A T H A
*) If you count from 1 to 100, how many 7’s will you pass on the way?
Playa Vista, Calif. — Tuesday, 25 NBA players gathered in the Los Angeles area for an offseason run. Nothing unusual about that, it happens nearly every day around L.A. in the summer, most famously at UCLA but plenty of other spaces as well. With so many league players choosing to spend their offseasons in the city, it's to be expected they get together.
What was different about this is that this run was at the PLYRS UNTD performance center — a new state-of-the-art training facility opened this week by PLYRS UNTD, the commercial arm of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
There's a new energy around the NBA players' union, with former Warriors executive David Kelly taking over as executive director, and with a largely new board led by veteran guard Fred VanVleet as president. This is a group with a lot of ideas — and a focus already on the next Collective Bargaining Agreement — and the new PLYRS UNTD performance center in Los Angeles is part of that.
"The response has been phenomenal…" Kelly said, with about 80 players coming through for workouts or recovery the first week it was open. "I think it ties into what we're trying to do with our larger brand in the launch of PLYRS UNTD, and that is create spaces that are by and for the guys. Get feedback from the guys on what they would want to see inside of that space. Get them to authentically engage inside of that space, and then there's any number of commercial and opportunities that can flow from that."
The NBPA talked to the players and what they wanted was a one-stop training shop: A fully equipped athletic training room, weight room, recovery room (which includes a sauna, steam room, massage therapy room and more), multiple official NBA-sized courts, fully staffed kitchen that can make recovery smoothies and a rotating menu of healthy, customizable meals, and spaces for family members to wait — or children to play — while their family member works out.
It's not done being built out, more is coming. During the soft openings this summer, the union put up a whiteboard with sticky notes and asked players what they wanted, then tried to add it. For example, they added a turf area, including weighted sleds, for guys who want that as part of their workout. While the NBPA has workout facilities at its headquarters in New York as well as The Sanctuary — a PLYRS UNTD offseason performance retreat for NBA players in Andalucía, Spain — the goal with the new facility was to meet players where they are.
"There wasn't a spot like that in L.A. that had everything in one and was like full courts, all that stuff…" said the Pelicans' Trey Murphy III, an NBPA board member who was part of the official first run this week and worked out there other times.
"Here we have regulation courts. We have a weight room. We have a sauna. We have a cold tub. We have turf. We have everything here. We literally do not have to go anywhere else to work out, and then you also have all the players here in one spot… I had one of my best workouts I've had, and I've shot it really well because I knew there's other people watching, and it's important to have that.
"It's like iron sharpening iron."
There will still be other runs all around Southern California, but the goal with the PLYRS UNTD facility is that it's full-service and open only to NBA players. And it's available 24/7.
"You walk in the gym, and your mind starts going like, all right. I see a lot of NBA players, and I have to lock in and make sure they know that I've been working too," Murphy said.
Future focus is on next CBA
While Kelly's NBPA is focused on player-serving and PLYRS UNTD commercial ventures in the short term, in the longer term, the union is already looking ahead to the next CBA negotiation.
"Just preparing for the CBA that is coming up soon…" Murphy said when asked what the future holds for the new union leadership. "Obviously it doesn't seem like it's coming soon, but for us it is coming up soon. And so we have to be prepared to push back, or give our opinions on what we want."
While the current CBA agreement between the league and the union runs through 2030, there is an opt-out in October of 2028, which either side can trigger, and it would end the CBA in the summer of 2029. As happened with the current CBA, the negotiations between the league and NBPA will start well before that with the goal of a seamless transition where a new CBA is in place before the old one ends, avoiding a lockout or strike.
That doesn't mean those negotiations will be smooth.
Kelly has been clear in public comments that he is no fan of the second tax apron and what that is doing to teams, and by extension players in his union.
"We are not fans of the second apron," Kelly said in Las Vegas during Summer League (via ESPN). "We did not propose the second apron. We should have done a better job of fighting back against the second apron. In the future, we will have a much more unified union, and we will do a better job of fighting back...
"We're seeing it decimate teams and force decisions to be made that are not basketball decisions."
Kelly was referring to Boston's decision to trade Jaylen Brown this offseason because, as team president Brad Stevens put it, having two players taking up 70% of the salary cap made it impossible to build out a champion in the apron era. While Boston is the latest example, there are many more on the horizon (tough decisions are coming to Oklahoma City and San Antonio eventually, for example).
For his part, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the apron system was working as intended and touted the parity it has helped bring to the league. If the owners like it — and they appear to — then Silver will fight to keep it.
However, the more interesting part of Kelly's comment was saying they would have a "much more unified union." Murphy said he sees his role on the board as part of that.
"I feel like I look at things a little differently than a lot of players, just mainly because I didn't know for sure if I was going to be in the NBA growing up..." Murphy said. "I've had every role. Like I've been the guy that didn't play my rookie year. I've been the guy that just came off the bench. I've been the guy that's just been a starter, and now I'm at a point where I'm one of the better players on the team...
"I feel like there's a lot of times where you'll see the Karl-Anthony Towns, the Jaylen Browns... A lot of guys that they've always been 'the guy.' They may not have the same experience of being the guy at the end of the bench and how they were treated and how they maybe didn't have the same access to different things. I have those experiences... And it's very important to me to speak for everybody when it comes to the union because it's not just for the top guys; it's for all 450."
Those potentially contentious CBA negotiations are a little ways down the line. For now, the focus is on the PLYRS UNTD training facility in Los Angeles.
And if Tuesday was any indication, it's going to be a very busy place between now and the start of training camps.
Dec 7, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) and Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey react with each other after the game at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Lightning struck just as Jim Lynam was finishing the ninth hole at Twisted Dune Golf Club in South Jersey on a recent Friday. It came not in the usual way, but in the form of newsflash: LeBron James was going to sign with the Sixers.
A few hours earlier Lynam – an NBC Sports Philadelphia studio analyst for the team and once its coach – had told some people in the clubhouse that while he thought the Sixers once were in the running for LeBron, it appeared their chances had dwindled.
Now those same people were awaiting him as he approached the clubhouse a second time.
“And,” he said with a laugh, “they jumped me.”
He mentioned that during an appearance last Friday on “After the Buzzer,” a podcast I co-host with fellow journalist Mike Gross. Then he went on to draw a parallel between the way the rest of his day unfolded and the possible mesh among the Sixers’ star-studded cast.
Part of a foursome that opposed two other groups under a scramble format, the 84-year-old didn’t play great.
But, Lynam added, “My team was so strong that I pocketed some of the money.”
That, of course, would be the best-case scenario for the new-look Sixers – that everybody checks their egos at the door, and they cash in next June. But certainly Lynam voiced many of the same concerns others have. About fit. About chemistry. About defense.
The bottom line? They might look great off the tee, but this season will be far from a gimme.
“There’s a lot of things that have to go right for this to work,” Lynam told Mike and me.
Add the 2025-26 usage rates of the likely starters together, and it comes to 142 percent. Clearly something is going to have to give. Clearly everybody is going to have to adjust. And clearly the head coach is going to be under the microscope.
During Friday’s 30-minute interview, Lynam proclaimed himself “a big Nick Nurse fan” and declared that the Sixers boss is “a very adaptable guy.” More than once when Nurse was leading the Raptors to the 2018-19 NBA title, Lynam saw something that surprised him, like a triangle-and-two or some such thing.
Now Nurse will be tasked with maximizing the talents of this group. But in James he has the ultimate cheat code, a guy who is nearing his 42nd birthday and his 24th season. A guy who has seen everything and whose resume speaks volumes.
LeBron chose the Sixers because in his mind they give him the best opportunity to win a fifth ring. Because Joel Embiid and fellow Klutch Sports client Tyrese Maxey pitched him on playing in Philly. And because Mike Gansey pulled off the Jaylen Brown trade.
All that being the case, Lynam said that if he were Nurse, he would approach LeBron and tell him one thing: “Make it work, dude.”
Because a lot of it falls on James, without question. It always has, though he has always been a connective player, always shown a willingness to share. Lynam puts him in a class with Larry Bird and Rick Barry as the best-passing forwards of all time, while at the same time raising these questions: “Is he really a forward? Could we classify him as a guard?”
Even though LeBron stands 6-foot-9 and weighs 250 pounds, it’s a fair point: He plays a position all his own. Last year with the Lakers, for example, he willingly relegated himself to third fiddle when he, Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves shared the floor, though he reserved the right to go get his own whenever the need arose. (His counting stats were 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game. Few have done it better at such an advanced age, in any sport. “Tom Brady is the only one that comes to mind,” Lynam said.)
Lynam knows what it is like to coach big personalities, having worked with Charles Barkley during his time as the Sixers’ head coach (1987-92). But LeBron brings as much juice to a locker room as any player in the history of the league. There are ample tales of him playing GM at his various stops, to the point that he even had his son Bronny as a teammate in Los Angeles.
Strictly from an on-court, player-coach standpoint, Lynam said he always operated from the premise that a player, no matter his stature, was willing to be coached.
“That’s one of the things I respected about Charles over the years: Charles let us coach him,” Lynam said, adding that he doesn’t believe James is any different – that he “has shown (through) his play over the years in various settings that that’s what he’s about. He’s about winning.”
The other thing is, LeBron commands so much respect that he will be able to police the locker room. No one is going to want to disappoint him. No one is going to want to be the weak link in the chain.
“His persona is such, and his achievements are such, they go hand in hand,” Lynam said. “You can have all the bravado you want; if you’re not backing it up, nobody’s going to listen to you. But no, this guy, he’s the total package when it comes to what you’re referring to.”
Lynam is most curious as to how Brown will be incorporated into the mix, given the way he carried Boston for most of last season. Surely he won’t get as many touches as he did there. Surely he won’t be free to play as much iso-ball.
At the same time, Lynam concluded that Brown “knows how to play,” and “will be able to fit in and play well with other people despite the setting: ‘Tell me what we’re going to do. Tell me how we’re going to play.’ … Give him the rules. Boom, no problem. It’s done.”
It figures to be the same for Maxey, who always brings a ton of positive energy into the equation. Lynam believes that VJ Edgecombe will likely have to sacrifice some shots, especially in the game-on-the-line situations where he excelled last season, but is high on the second-year man, especially at the defensive end.
And what of Embiid?
Lynam believes the veteran center will still be an offensive force, if and when his balky knees allow him to take the court, but added that Embiid is “no longer the defender that he was when he terrorized the league. … That’s not the same Joel at the defensive end. Nor is LeBron. That’s going to be a very, very big challenge come late May and June – to be able to defend at a championship level.”
One of many.
“There have been teams assembled in the past. … We called them All-Airport,” Lynam said. “They’re All-Airport. Walks through the airport. Everybody’s pointing. ‘Oh, did you see so-and-so? … Look at that guy. … Look at this guy.’ And I got news for you – a lot of those teams never got it right. So we’ll see how it plays out. But it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
He wouldn’t make any predictions beyond that. Certainly the defending-champion Knicks will again be formidable, and San Antonio and Oklahoma City remain the class of the West. If things break right for the Sixers, that is the company they will keep, without question.
“But to me,” Lynam said, “I think the difference in terms of the (top) teams is so, so small. I’ll use the word ‘infinitesimal.’”
He mentioned how OKC was hamstrung by Jalen Williams’ hamstring injury most of last season. He mentioned how the Knicks, as well as they played throughout the playoffs, found themselves trailing the Spurs by 29 in the second half of Game 4 of the Finals before rallying to win.
“How good could this team be?” Lynam said. “I would joke right now with (Jalen) Brunson or Mike Brown: ‘I’m supposed to be scared of you guys? You were down 29 on your homecourt.’”
There are miles to go before we find out how this plays out, and there will be any number of sandtraps for the Sixers to navigate in the meantime. And only then will we learn whether lightning might strike – whether they can cash out or not.
Which positional label will best suit the ultra-versatile LeBron James in Philadelphia?
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse doesn’t believe “point guard” will be wildly off the mark.
“I think he’s an offense creator,” Nurse said on the “Takeoff with John Clark” podcast. “I think he certainly is a guy that will bring the ball up the floor and try to create for himself or others — really (well) for others. And I think that lends itself to (point guard), yeah.”
“I’m just as excited about some of the other guys,” he said. “I think the bench got fortified. The bench, with the injuries and stuff, has been pretty thin lately. I just think our overall youth, speed and athleticism has been challenged a lot. Our defensive rebounding has been challenged.
“So I think we’ve improved in a lot of areas. Talent is certainly number one, but I think there are some basketball-specific things that we addressed very well.”
As far as star power, the Sixers’ standing has skyrocketed this summer with the additions of James and Jaylen Brown.
Nurse played a part in the Sixers’ free agency pitch to James.
“First of all, I think he’s a great player and we’re fortunate to have him on the team,” he said. “That’s kind of where I started. I said, ‘I think you slot right in there perfectly.’ We did talk about some multi-position situations. We talked to him just about his leadership in general, his professionalism in general … that could help raise the level of some things. Talked about his late-game play and some things like that. That’s about it.”
In thinking about how to optimize his new roster, Nurse said he’s been “watching a lot of historical stuff from these guys’ (former) teams.”
“With these guys in particular, just really zeroing in on Jaylen Brown’s last few years in Boston,” Nurse said. “Just really watching, an overload almost, of how they used him, all the sets they used. It’s been really fun going back and watching. I’ve obviously coached against Jaylen a lot recently … and then a lot of years (against) LeBron when he was in Cleveland.
“You remember the huge play packages that they had, especially for LeBron but also for Jaylen. … Even if it’s seven, eight years ago, you can pull some of that stuff out, stuff they’re comfortable with and that they’ve done. And see how it fits once we get there.”
Once training camp does roll around, Nurse and the Sixers will be pushing for a championship.
Nurse won a title in his first season as an NBA head coach with the 2018-19 Raptors. He understands the high expectations and intense scrutiny to come for the 2026-27 Sixers.
“I think that championship teams have a lot of similar characteristics,” he said. “The first thing is we need to get to work. I really put hard work and work ethic and all that stuff at the top of the list. If we want to win, are we going to outwork our opponents? Are we going to watch better film, more film, spend more hours? Then you’ve got to have some chemistry. You’re going to have to handle adversity. And then just keep climbing to get a little bit better as the season goes by.
“The team I coached in 2019 with the Raptors that won it all, we were a completely different team at the end of June than we were even at the start of April when the playoffs started. It’s a two months-long process, but we just kept getting better and better. Each series, better and better. I think that’s the goal and you’ve just got to try to reach your ceiling.”
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 15: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons looks on against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter in Game Six of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Rocket Arena on May 15, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In my head and my heart are three fundamental truths about the Detroit Pistons’ offseason. One, they made a series of good moves and are likely a better team than the one that won 60 games a season ago. The second truth is that the offseason was a failure. The final truth is that failure was likely the best course of action.
Let’s unpack each of those a bit more.
The Detroit Pistons Are a Better Team
The first truth: The Detroit Pistons are better than they were one season ago. I believe this pretty unreservedly.
Look, I am a Tobias Harris fan, and I believe the kind of mid-range, backdown shot creation he brought to the team was underappreciated and will be missed. But I also see the vision of why this team targeted John Collins as a Harris replacement. Collins is a mix of rim pressure and outside shooting that can play extremely effectively off the ball.
Over the past two years, Collins is shooting 60% on twos and 40% on threes compared to 53% and 35% for Harris. Collins can get himself to the line when asked, and the Pistons love getting to the line. He’s a better rebounder and shot blocker than Harris.
He’s going to have less of a direct role in the offense, but what he is asked to do, Collins is going to do at a high level, and likely be a better defender.
The Pistons made another crucial addition by adding Isaiah Joe in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s almost like Detroit fans processed the addition of Joe and priced in an eventual trade of Duncan Robinson, and wrote off the move as a wash. Except that Duncan Robinson trade never came. Now the Pistons are surrounding Cade Cunningham with two of the most dangerous spot-up shooters in the NBA, who are both high-volume and efficient from the perimeter.
Both are the types of players that you have to guard, and that makes it tough for defenses to scheme against. The Pistons won 60 games last season with Robinson as the only bona fide shooter on the floor most of the time. They needed to address this critical flaw, and they couldn’t do much better than adding Joe.
In practice, the Pistons executed the offseason playbook from two seasons ago when they tripled their win total thanks to the largely unheralded additions of Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. As we saw that season, nothing helps Cunningham more than having space with which to work.
Detroit also added Taurean Prince as a legit backup power forward, which they did not have last year, and he is a perfectly serviceable reserve who can hit open perimeter shots. Prince shot over 48% from the corners a season ago, and 45% the season before that. If that is what he is mostly asked to do in Detroit, then that is just fine. The Pistons somewhat surprisingly re-signed Kevin Huerter, whom they added at the trade deadline for Jaden Ivey. Huerter is a well-rounded and servicable player who does a ton of things well. If he somehow rediscovers his 3-point shot, this is easily a surplus-value deal. If that shot continues to be AWOL, he still knows how to make himself useful on the court, and the deal is just fine.
I am also pricing in the return of Jalen Duren, and the longer this offseason drags on, the more likely it is going to be on a number the Pistons won’t be living to regret. He will be incredibly well paid, but he isn’t signing for the supermax or even the max. I also don’t think he blows things up by signing his qualifying offer. He’ll sign a long-term deal for some generational wealth and be a cornerstone of Detroit’s lineup.
Finally, the Pistons added Ebuka Okorie in the first round of the draft. I’m pretty skeptical of his year-one impact, but if they can unlock any of his self-creation, foul-drawing, and playmaking then it’ll be the cherry on top of the offseason sundae.
All of these are good moves individually and in the aggregate. They are swapping Collins for Harris, Prince for Isaiah Stewart, Joe for Caris LeVert, and Okorie for Marcus Sasser. I understand the fears associated with Harris’ role and Stewart’s defense, but those are all upgrades in my book.
The Detroit Pistons’ offseason was a failure
Now that 400 words of praise are out of the way, let’s move on to fundamental truth No. 2. The Pistons’ offseason was a failure.
Again, I believe this is unequivocally true, and anyone trying to talk themselves around this truth feels like someone who isn’t comfortable in discomfort.
The Pistons’ failure is defined by their previous success. Their offseason goal was not just to get better; it was to make the moves that allow them to compete for an NBA championship. They did not do that.
They are still one player away. I believe they went into the offseason knowing that fact, and they spent the entire offseason attempting to address that fact. And they couldn’t do it. They failed.
There were early reports of the team being ready to make a max offer to Austin Reeves. It spooked the Lakers so much that they re-signed him to his max. Persistent rumors of interest in Trey Murphy, but the Pelicans seemingly had unreasonable trade demands. There were reports of interest in Coby White, but the Hornets signed him to a big deal after unloading LaMelo Ball.
Feelers about Kyrie Irving rejected. Eagerness in Kawhi Leonard spurned. Cade Cunningham’s attempt to woo Kevin Durant went nowhere. All would have been seismic moves (minus White, I suppose), and an attempt to get Cunningham his running mate.
Trajan Langdon simply couldn’t get anything across the finish line. He had his price, and he held firm. Whether you consider this patience or reluctance to do what is necessary is up to you, but I think Langdon understands one thing pretty clearly. He gets one shot at this major swing, and he can’t afford to miss.
In this salary cap era, you can’t afford to add major money and then continuously rerack of its not working. There are just not as many buyers for guys on major contracts as there once were. He needs to know the major he player he adds has the skills and temperament, and that he fits into the roster in a way that takes the Pistons to title contention.
The thing that makes this the most difficult pill to swallow is seeing just how much better the Eastern Conference has gotten this offseason. Being better than your 60-win team from a season ago certainly won’t mean winning 60 games again, and Detroit will be in a scrum with a lot of teams with championship aspirations.
There are the defending champion Knicks, of course, and the new-look Philadelphia 76rs who are dominating the headlines. Winning a title and adding Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to two of basketball’s biggest markets will do that.
The Boston Celtics are relying on a full season of Jayson Tatum to build on the momentum of last year’s surprise success. The Cleveland Cavaliers remain a formidable force with big expectations led by Donovan Mitchell, the Miami Heat want another superstar-led run via Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Toronto Raptors believe they’re adding Kawhi Leonard (time will tell). The fan bases in Indiana, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Orlando also think they have the talent to make plenty of noise.
The East is pretty stacked, there is little incentive to tank, and Detroit will have its hands full all season.
Failure Was Not Only An Option, but it was also the Best Option
Langdon failed at his No. 1 objective this offseason, but instead of panicking into a move that wouldn’t work just so he could say he is taking his shot, he decided to bide his time and wait to see if that move becomes available at the trade deadline or this offseason.
If Detroit can find that move, they can swing the balance of the East in their favor and make a legitimate run to the NBA Finals. If they can’t make that move, the ceiling on this team feels like incremental progress that sees them advance past the second round and get dispatched in the Eastern Conference Finals. Maybe that finals matchup is competitive, maybe it’s a route as Detroit’s lack of a second option comes into painful focus.
Would that make for a satisfying season for Pistons fans? Probably not. However, I am glad they were willing to accept failure rather than win headlines or a news cycle. That way lies ruin. We’ve seen it in Detroit before.
It also remains true today, as it was on the final day of last season, that the Pistons have set themselves up for the chance to make a significant addition to this roster. Their books are clean, their core players are mostly in place, and they are in control of all their future picks. Cade hasn’t reached his ceiling. Ausar Thompson and Duren have not reached their ceiling. If Ron Holland is finally able to break through a bit on offense, he becomes an actual attractive trade piece and not simply a throw-in. Okorie could be the real deal and become the same.
The prognosticators, somewhat rightly, expected the Pistons to take a home run swing. They instead stepped to the plate and hit some singles and doubles. Importantly, they didn’t strike out. They will also be back up to the plate.
EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 12: Head coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks to the media during a press conference at UCLA Health Training Center on May 12, 2026 in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In his two seasons in charge, JJ Redick has coached many iterations and versions of the Lakers. He’s navigated a franchise-altering trade, a slew of injuries and flawed rosters.
This offseason offered a chance for the Lakers to not only build a team around Luka Dončić but also one to Redick’s liking. After back-to-back 50-win seasons under the aforementioned circumstances, what does a Redick-led team look like when it’s to his liking?
In our second mailbag piece, we look at a number of questions about Redick, schemes and bigger picture topics.
OldSchoolBaller
With all of the changes made, and could still be made, for me, the biggest storyline coming out of the offseason is: can JJ Redick pull all of these new faces together into a winning unit. His coaching chops will either be made….or not.
While I don’t think it was the intention of the question to frame it as a make-or-break season for Redick, I think it bears repeating that he has been great in his first two seasons overall. He’s had mistakes and flaws, but he’s also won 103 regular season games and an improbable playoff series.
That being said, this is a new challenge for him. He has a philosophy and, presumably, this team represents it. It may not present the challenges that previous teams did, but it will be a stress test of his philosophies.
This team has clearly prioritized offense this summer and it’s hard to imagine that not being part of Redick’s vision. It’s definitely not a make or break year for Redick, but it could be a defining one.
Section80
how worried should we be that jj is going to overplay his starters this season? what do you think his regular season rotation actually looks like… a 8 or 9 man rotation? or will he actively force developmental minutes for young guys early in the year to protect our core for the playoffs?
The team definitely has more depth this season and, as noted, have young players that need minutes. I also fully expect one more move to bring in a player who can start on the perimeter, too.
As things stand right now, I’d imagine the starting lineup is going to be Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, a player to be traded for and Walker Kessler. I also think Redick would lean toward a nine-man rotation, but I think the only players locked into minutes are Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
If I were a guessing man, heading into the preseason, I’d say the other two spots right now would go to Jake LaRavia and Matisse Thybulle. If no move is made to acquire a perimeter player, then I’d imagine Mamu moves to the starting lineup and Ziaire Williams takes the last rotation spot.
That does show how open the back end of the rotation could be because Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, Williams and Bronny James all have arguments to be included and all will likely get their chance.
Redick was very willing to give Dalton Knecht minutes early in his rookie season, so I think the young guys could easily earn minutes to open the year. But it’ll be a competition that very well could yield positive results in the long run.
Deathlock
Will the defense going to improve now that Lebron is gone? 😆
Walter Burns
With the new personnel, also new defensive schemes? Do they improve rebounding? Less switching?
I know the first question is written tongue-in-cheek, but I would say that LeBron played a very important role as the vocal leader defensively. What he lacked in effort during those mid-January games, he made up for by letting the guys in front of him know what’s going on. Decades of basketball had him prepared for any defense a team would run.
Kessler will have to fill that role, but others will have to step up, too. Between LeBron and Marcus Smart, this team lost vocal leadership that young players will have to replace.
As for schemes, there’s definitely going to be a lot more drop coverage. I imagine that’ll be the base coverage about 90% of the time Kessler is on the floor. Who the backup center is will determine the other coverages they run. If it’s Mamu at center, I would think there will be a lot of switching. If it’s someone they trade for, perhaps it’s more drop coverage.
When it comes to rebounding, Kessler is a better rebounder statistically than Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes, especially on the offensive glass. Who the team lands as the backup center will determine whether they improve overall in rebounding.
Coops Knee Highs
Is the move to the Coachella Valley for the G Lakers a complete relocation; meaning will the team practice, train, conduct team meetings, receive treatment there, etc. or will they do it in El Segundo while then traveling to the desert only to play the games?
There was certainly value in having the G League team in the same facility. It allowed the Lakers’ front office a chance to see the players up close. It also allowed the Lakers to semi-regularly assign players to the G League team for a practice.
Sometimes that was for seldom-used young players to get some run. Sometimes it was for LeBron James to practice during the final stages of his rehab. That was a unique advantage the Lakers had that few other teams did. It’s hard to imagine them continuing that.
They aren’t moving far away, obviously. And there will be new benefits coming in the team’s facility with the G League team gone. But it also does feel like a move made with money on the mind.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 10: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round Two Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
For this roundtable, I thought I’d poll the staff on the Eastern Conference elite. Here was my question: What are the top 5 teams in the East right now? (your own personal power ranking)
Ian Inangelo
My top 5 teams in the Eastern Conference are: 1. New York Knicks, 2. Philadelphia 76ers, 3. Miami Heat, 4. Boston Celtics, 5. Detroit Pistons
The Knicks are coming off a championship and although other teams in the East have made huge additions, I don’t see anyone stacking up to them at this moment. The 76ers at 2 are a testament to their acquisitions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James but their big man position still scares me a lot. The Heat are a boom or bust team when it comes to relying on Giannis to stay healthy but I feel this year he will do everything in his power to stay on the floor. The Celtics I still believe are a top 4 team in the East due to the fact they have the same core of players they did last season with Jayson Tatum who looked incredible coming off injury last year. The loss of Brown shouldn’t be understated but Tatum is still a Top 5-10 player in the league when he’s healthy and I feel a full season of Tatum as the number one option will have great results for Boston. Detroit is at 5 mostly because of my belief in Cade Cunningham as I think he is a big enough star to drag even a mediocre looking Pistons roster to a top 5 seed in the East.
Trevor Hass
You could take this many different directions. I agree with Ian’s top five, but I have the order as: Knicks, 76ers, Pistons, Celtics, Heat. I think the Knicks deserve to be the favorite until further notice, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them struggle early in the regular season. The 76ers are the most talented team, but a lot is riding on the health of LeBron James and Joel Embiid. The Pistons are solid but aren’t quite championship-ready. The Celtics will be in the mix but will miss Jaylen Brown. The Heat will be better than people think but will lose in the first round.
Steve Hooper
Contrarian take here. I’m not sure the Boston Celtics are even in the top 5 in the Eastern Conference anymore after trading away Jaylen Brown for pennies on the dollar. Mitchell Robinson and Paul George haven’t been healthy in the last few seasons at all, which makes the grind of the 82-game regular season all that much harder. I see a pretty clear top 3: the Knicks, Sixers and Pistons. After that I can see a see a world where the Cavaliers, Pacers and Raptors could all finish ahead of us. Personally, I think one of those teams will join the Heat and Celtics in battling for the sixth seed all season to avoid the play-in.
Jake Issenberg
I will pay deference to the defending champion New York Knicks by placing them first in the power rankings. However, downgrading from Mitchell Robinson to Andre Drummond is a significant blow. I’m higher on the Celtics than most. Jayson Tatum with a full offseason to build on his miraculous recovery will have this team primed for an eastern conference run. Last season the Celtics ranked second in offense, and fifth in defense. Next season’s Celtics team will be an improved version of the 2025-2026 team. Jayson Tatum playing the Jaylen Brown role is a significant upgrade. Mitchell Robinson fills the team’s most dire need, backup big man. Then Paul George is the icing on the cake. Icing that outplayed Jaylen Brown in the 2026 playoffs. The Celtics should also see improvements from the plethora of young talent on the roster. Next up, I would have Philly. Despite there being a considerably lower defensive floor, there is a world where the stars align and they are an offensive juggernaut. I wouldn’t bet on it but for upside purposes I have the Sixers third. Assuming the Kawhi Leonard trade goes through, the Raptors are fourth. A gritty defensive pain in the ass to play every night, and they solved their half court creation concerns by adding Kawhi. Fifth, the Cavs are still too talented to fall too far down these rankings despite having a dreadful offseason.
Nate Moskowitz
Sixers 2. Knicks 3. Celtics 4. Heat 5. Pacers
I’ll admit that I don’t have a high level of confidence in the order of these teams, but I’m mostly comfortable with the group as a whole. The Pacers are the most questionable pick but with Haliburton back and Zubac in the mix they could bounce back quickly. I think it’s tricky though because this might be the deepest the conference has been in a while, at least on paper. Leaving Cleveland and Detroit off isn’t easy with how they’ve finished in recent years. The biggest swing team is Toronto which could jump substantially assuming the Kawhi Leonard trade is eventually finalized.
Grant Burfeind
Knicks Sixers Celtics Pacers Raptors
I think people are sleeping on Indiana a little. Haliburton will be back, and this is basically the same core that pushed OKC to seven games in the Finals two years ago. That’s not a team I’d be excited to see in April. Honestly, the East feels wide open in a really fun way. Cleveland is still going to be good. Detroit keeps getting better. Atlanta is intriguing. Even Washington is starting to become interesting. It feels like there are a lot more paths this season could take than there have been the last couple of years.
Robby Fletcher
I’ll go with the new-look 76ers at the top because star power sways me, especially at this stage in the offseason before fit and play style are revealed. They’re followed by the Knicks, who retained the majority of their roster but took a frontcourt blow after the loss of Mitchell Robinson.
Then it’s Boston, before being rounded out by Detroit and Atlanta. The Hawks had one of my favorite offseasons, and have built a roster filled with exceptional ball-stopping wings along with a potential new star in Kingston Flemings.
Kawhi-led Toronto and the Cavs hang on the fringes of that top-5.
Jeff Clark
The safe answer is that the Knicks and Sixers are in a tier of their own, followed by the Pistons, Celtics, and Heat in some order. I get arguments for the Raptors, Pacers, and even the Cavs as well. If pressed for a prediction, I’d probably slot the Celtics in at 4th or 5th.
However, if I’m allowed a homer moment, let me make the case for the Celtics to be the top seed in the East. The Sixers, like all super teams, could take some time to gel. Throw in injuries to Embiid, load management for LeBron, and probably some passive aggressive maneuvering by LeBron, and it could take a little longer to come together than some might think. The Knicks could have a championship hangover. The Pistons are a little sideways after flaming out in the playoffs and all the Duran drama. I don’t really buy the Giannis led Heat. Meanwhile, the Celtics are getting a full season of Tatum, on a mission to prove he’s healthy and able to lead a team without Brown. Mazzulla already proved that he can put together a regular season winner with one star and a bunch of try-hards. Plus they upgraded their bigs rotation. The 14 year old kid in me still believes this team could finish at the top of the conference. (And none of that will matter if they flame out in the playoffs again)
Rich Jensen
Well, a major question surrounds the Raptors–if the NBA invalidates Kawhi Leonard’s contract, which is the official punishment for contracts that violate the CBA, that really complicates their efforts to obtain him.
Thus, I can only go with a top four, alphabetical order: Boston, Detroit, New York and Philadelphia.
I don’t think you can say for sure who gets the fifth spot until you know what’s going on with Toronto and Kawhi.
Ryan Paice
Basing my spots off of potential playoff ability and not just regular season success, my top 5 in the East would be: 1) Knicks, 2) Sixers, 3) Celtics, 4) Heat, 5) Pistons.
The Knicks are the defending champs, and they deserve respect (even if their fans don’t). The Sixers have probably the most talented team in the league and should make waves if they enter the postseason healthy. They form a clear top tier for contention in the East.
After them, it becomes a little less clear. While the Heat have Giannis and Bam, I think they’ll be somewhat simple to gameplan against as they are currently constructed. For Detroit, Cade is great, but his surrounding cast doesn’t inspire confidence (even if they do end up re-signing Duren). While the Celtics have many questions to answer next season, I think they’re a better overall two-way team with the strategic flexibility to find advantages in most matchups, especially now that we’ve got a big bulky body in Mitchell Robinson to slow down other beefy centers — something we desperately needed in last season’s matchup against Embiid.
Bobby Manning
This has been a maddening process as I begin ranking these teams. A rock solid team will probably miss the postseason entirely in the east, which looks more like the west used to. For now, I’ll go with: Knicks, 76ers, Cavaliers, Celtics and Pistons. Boston catches a break with Detroit losing an important player in Tobias Harris and Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard addition getting placed on hold for the moment. Still, the Raptors, Hawks and Heat stand to improve over their solid seasons last year and Orlando changed its head coach in hopes of greater offensive outcomes. Prior to the LeBron James addition, I saw the Celtics maintaining their second seed status in the east, but greater competition top-to-bottom and my generally strong belief in what Philadelphia’s doing probably drops them a spot or two from where I began. The Cavs, despite their loss in the LeBron sweepstakes, should remain a regular season stalwart. The Knicks warrant belief, but watch their center depth and the classic championship hangover.
