Category: Basketball

Now that the door has closed on a Tobias Harris return as he has chosen to move on to San Antonio, John Collins appears to be the new starting PF in Detroit. Collins signed a 3-yr/$51 million deal and brings a different skillset than Tobias. However, John’s skillset is a much better fit around Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, and (hopefully) Jalen Duren.

Shooting

Collins’ three-point percentage has increased the past three seasons, starting at 37.1% in 2023-2024 and eclipsing 40% this past year. Last season he averaged 13.6 PTS, 5.3 REB, and 1.0 AST and he’s a career 37% three-point shooter.

Collins does majority of his three-point shooting from the corners where last season he shot 45% from the left corner and 41% from the right corner. Tobias shot 43% and 35%, respectively. Playing off of Cade Cunningham, John will have plenty of open looks to knock down.

Harris’ offensive game is different due to his post creation and ability to get his own shot. That’s not Collins’ game, but Collins doesn’t focus on the midrange. I’m in favor of losing Harris’ midrange shots for more opportunities at the rim or behind the arc.

While Harris took ~100 more midrange attempts, Collins took ~100 more rim attempts. I’d like to see Collins three-point attempts rise as he has never shot more than four per game, but given his efficiency from beyond the arc, it’s time to increase the volume as this team will benefit from it.

Finishing

Using the table above, Collins is an elite finisher. Harris’ inability to get to the rim with his athletic ability was the reason 44.3% of his attempts were midrange shots. Majority of Collins attempts come at the rim and he finished 8.4% higher than the NBA average of 67.0%. Not only is John a step above Tobias around the basket, but a step above most of the league.

Small-ball Five

This is the first time in a while that the Pistons have a real stretch four that can also play some small-ball five. I’m very intrigued with the idea of a lineup where Ausar can play next to a big man that can pull the defending center away from the paint. If you need Collins to be a five in short spurts, he can do it.

We know he’s a threat from the dunker’s spot.

He can be a lob threat in the pick-and-roll. I can’t wait to see him catch these from Cade.

He can even provide some weak-side rim protection here and there.

This is in no way an article shaming Tobias, but highlighting how I believe John Collins is a better fit for this current roster. In fact, go check out Sean Corp’s farewell to Tobias for some great thoughts on Tobi’s second visit in Detroit.

This roster plays fast and they should. Trajan Langdon has given Cade Cunningham a third lob threat in the starting lineup, so good luck stopping this team in transition. They’re all great rim finishers and elite athletes who best play with pace and space. Collins is best used in an offense that focuses on getting inside or finding an open three and he excels at both. I’m hoping he can maintain his efficiency while increasing his three-point volume, but I have no doubt he’ll surpass Harris’ 13.5 PPG over the last two seasons.

I’m still waiting on that big offseason domino to fall, Trajan. (please get TMIII)

Go Stones.

In all likelihood, the LeBron James Decision 4.0 will drag on for a while. That’s great for me, as someone who benefits from a lengthy news cycle with one of the most popular players in NBA history. It’s a little less fun for impatient fans who want to know whether the league’s all-time leading scorer will be joining the Golden State Warriors.

I don’t know, and you don’t know, and LeBron himself doesn’t know. And that means one thing: the Warriors don’t know. According to a recent report from ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the Dubs have reason to believe that they are one of the teams that James has a strong interest in joining … just not the team at the top of the list.

“The Warriors, meanwhile, have been given indications from James that they remain on his short list,” Slater wrote, “but team sources have expressed a recent belief that they aren’t necessarily at the top of that short list, as James continues to survey the landscape.”

It’s unclear who is at the top of James’ list of potential teams, but we know that the Philadelphia 76ers, after making a shocking trade for Jaylen Brown, have strong interest in bringing James on board. Not surprisingly, he has also been linked to reunions with both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, while other top teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets have made pushes for his services as well.

With the Dubs on the short list, there’s only one thing to do: send in Steph Curry and Draymond Green for a recruitment meeting. Maybe in the Hamptons?

Jaylen Brown isn’t a Celtic anymore, but he’s still leaving his mark on the team’s fandom. 

Hours after Brown was traded to the 76ers on Wednesday, the longtime Celtics guard comforted a young fan who was devastated about the trade news. 

Brown replied to the video of a 6-year-old boy named Gio crying and processing the news that his favorite player wouldn’t be bleeding green and white any longer. 

“It’s OK lil bro,” Brown wrote in the video’s comments, along with a heart emoji. “We will always be friends.” 

In the now-viral Instagram video, Gio is wearing Brown’s No. 7 jersey while thanking him for everything he did for the Celtics. 

“I love you so much. You mean a lot to me, and you are my favorite player in the whole NBA,” Gio said through tears. 

Gio also held up a letter he asked to be mailed that said, “I love you, JB. Come back one day.” 

The 6-year-old’s meltdown was an unfamiliar sight for his mother, too. 

“I think my 6-year-old just experienced his first heartbreak. His favorite player Jaylen Brown got traded. I am in tears watching him cry like this,” the post’s caption reads. 

Gio has met Brown twice at school before, and his mother thinks of the former Celtic as a role model.

“He’s [Brown] always there for the kids. He’s always willing to meet the parents, he’s so humble,” Gio’s mother, Gigi Jean, told reporters.

“I don’t think we’ll get another player that is so into the community, that is humble, that’s educated,” she added. “Hopefully they make up for it. My baby’s sad.”

After a decade in Boston, the Celtics traded Brown to the 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks. 

It makes sense why Gio was so upset. Brown just checked about nearly every box during his 10 years with the Celtics. 

Brown averaged 20 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and didn’t average fewer than 20 points after 2018-19 while making five All-Star teams and winning the 2024 NBA Finals MVP.

George, who the Celtics acquired for Brown, is likely a future Hall of Famer but is toward the tail end of his career. 

But if George adequately fills Brown’s void, maybe Gio will become a George superfan too.

The Golden State Warriors are bringing back a lot of the band for the 2026-27 season, but there’s one fan favorite who won’t be returning: scrappy guard Pat Spencer. According to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Spencer agreed to a two-way contract with the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.

Spencer, who was a lacrosse superstar in college, spent his first three years playing for the Warriors, with his role increasing each season. He played in just six games as a rookie, then in 39 during the 2024-25 season, but while averaging just 6.4 minutes. But during this past season, Spencer appeared in 66 games and started 14, while averaging 18.6 minutes, 7.2 points, and 3.5 assists, while earning high praise from the fans and coaching staff.

It’s a little surprising to see Spencer sign a two-way deal this early in the offseason, as it seemed like there was a possibility that someone would give him a standard contract. But apparently his agents felt that wasn’t a possibility, and jumped on a chance to sign a two-way deal with a preferred team. With Phoenix having recently traded Grayson Allen, there will likely be backcourt minutes available for Spencer, who will have a chance to earn a standard contract as the season goes on, as he did late in each of the past two seasons.

Spencer, whose brother Cam plays for the Memphis Grizzlies, ends his Warriors career having appeared in 111 regular season games and eight playoff games. Since this is his fourth season in the NBA, it’s his last year having two-way contract eligibility.

Best of luck and thanks for the memories, Pat.

After lead assistant coach and defensive guru Sean Sweeney departed San Antonio for the head coaching position with the Orlando Magic, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson was tasked with his most important hire for the second straight year. Suffice it to say, he nailed it again with the hiring of legendary college coach, NBA veteran head coach and Hall of Famer Billy Donovan, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Donovan made a name for himself as the head coach at the University of Florida from 1996-2015, where he won back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007. He joined the NBA in 2015 as head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, where the made the playoffs in each of his five years there, including the conference finals his first season. He then spent the last six seasons as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, where they were mostly a bubble team under his watch. He stepped down after this season, citing “a series of thoughtful and extensive discussions with ownership regarding the future of the organization. … I believe it is in the best interest of the Bulls, to allow the new leader to build out the staff as they see fit.”

While his success levels as an NBA head coach don’t match his college days, his strengths align perfectly with what the Spurs need (and lost with Sweeney’s departure). He is known as a teacher of the game for his player development skills and helping refine basketball IQ, which is perfect with the Spurs young core. He is also known for his offensive and defensive schemes and ability to adapt them to fit the personnel, which is again exactly what the Spurs need.

With the draft and free agency going on, it was easy forget about the coaching vacancy, but this is the second straight year that Johnson has made an excellent hire for his right-hand man, and with Donovan being a veteran of the game with head coaching experience and content to take on a lesser role, he’s likely to last more than one season, while Sweeney was always on borrowed time.

Welcome to San Antonio, Coach!

The San Antonio Spurs were just a few wins away from an NBA title in 2026. Rumors have swirled since their defeat regarding their next moves to ensure they can get over the hump and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy next season.

Well, they've made their first move, adding Billy Donovan to their coaching staff, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

Donovan had spent the last 11 seasons as a head coach in Oklahoma City and Chicago, but will now take a step back, operating as the Spurs' "lead assistant coach" under Mitch Johnson.

LeBron James’ tenure with the Lakers is over after he informed the NBA franchise he’d spent the past eight seasons with that he’ll sign elsewhere in free agency.

While both sides have shown each other nothing but respect since James’ decision went public, it is clear that his and the Lakers’ relationship wasn’t perfect. If it were, then James presumably would’ve stuck around in Los Angeles to end his NBA career.

Therefore, there’s interest around when James and the Lakers’ relationship began going awry. On July 2, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported the “disconnect” between James and the Lakers began after the franchise traded Russell Westbrook following a failed 2021-22 season and never recovered after that.

The Lakers traded for Westbrook in July 2021, sending Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft to the Wizards.

James reportedly had a hand in bringing Westbrook to LA. James and Anthony Davis believed adding Westbrook to their star duo would make the Lakers championship favorites again after they were bounced in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs.

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But it didn’t happen. Westbrook struggled alongside James and Davis, failing to produce his typical offensive output and committing too many turnovers. Westbrook was subject to a ton of scrutiny because of this, especially after the Lakers finished the 2021-22 season at 33-49 and missed the playoffs.

Westbrook started coming off the bench for LA during the 2022-23 campaign. While this produced better results than him spending most of his time in a lineup with James, the Lakers’ on-court cohesion never came close to what everyone expected when Westbrook came to LA. He was then traded to the Jazz in February 2023.

ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reported in January that Jeanie Buss (the Lakers’ president and controlling owner in 2021) was frustrated that James failed to take accountability for the Westbrook trade not working because the Lakers apparently made the move to appease him.

Now it appears that this frustration was never quite solved, despite James staying in LA until now.

After spending the full season with the G League’s South Bay Lakers, forward Anton Watson was listed on the Los Angeles Lakers Summer League roster. Watson averaged 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game in 2025-26.

Forward Drew Timme, who was on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles and South Bay organizations for the 2026-27 season, was not named to the roster alongside Watson.

That now makes for five Gonzaga Bulldogs alumni participating in the different NBA Summer Leagues during the month of July.

Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard

Golden State Warriors forward Graham Ike

San Antonio Spurs wing Tyon Grant-Foster

Indiana Pacers wing Jalen Warley

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anton Watson

The 2026 California Classic, a summer league taking place inside both the Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center and Sacramento Kings’ Golden 1 Center, starts on July 3 through 6.

San Antonio’s Grant-Foster will kick everything off at the Chase Center against the Miami Heat on Friday, July 3, at 5 p.m. PT on ESPN/Prime Video. The second game of the day will be Ike and Golden State’s Gold squad against Los Angeles’ Watson at 7:30 p.m. PT on ESPNU/Prime Video.

Following the California Classic, the 2026 NBA 2K27 Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada, runs from July 9 through 19.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

I think we might be looking at what the Phoenix Suns roster might look like come opening day after the team signed former Golden State Warriors guard Pat Spencer to a two-way NBA contract, according to ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania. Suns officials completed the contract on Thursday evening with Mark Bartelstein and Ross Aroyo of Priority Sports.

Spencer, who turns 30 on Saturday, had the best season of his three-year career last season, averaging 7.2 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game on 42.7% shooting from the field, 35.7% from deep, and 77.2% from the charity stripe. As a starter, his numbers ballooned to 11.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game on 45.1/40/60 shooting splits.

One of Spencer’s best games last season came against the Suns back in February, where he scored a career-high 20 points and was one of the Warriors’ main contributors in their fourth quarter double-digit comeback with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler sidelined.

Every season of his career, Spencer has increased his minutes, points per game, and games played, and has built a reputation as a pesky defender, which fits right in with the physical culture that the team is building, spearheaded by Dillon Brooks. As the season went on, Spencer’s role with the Warriors continued to expand, as he averaged 10 or more points in two of the last three months of the season, including shooting 40% from downtown in the month of February, and dished out 5.4 assists per game.

After the team resigned guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, picked up the team option on Jamaree Bouyea’s deal, and now signed Spencer, Phoenix has fortified its guard rotation after some concerns about its depth heading into the offseason.

Spencer joins CJ Huntley and Koby Brea as the team’s other two-way players. The roster is up to 18 players, with 15 standard and three two-way deals.

The Knicks have been looking for their Mitchell Robinson replacement in the Big Easy, but the Pelicans are telling them to take a hike. 

New York has tried to acquire New Orleans center Yves Missi this offseason, but multiple offers to the Pelicans have been rejected, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes. The Pelicans view the big man as a vital core figure. 

The Pelicans have also reportedly told the Knicks that they have no intention of moving Missi. 

It’s not the first time that the Knicks have pursued the 6-foot-11 big man in 2026, with The Post’s Stefan Bondy reporting in February that the team approached New Orleans specifically about Missi. 

At the time, a source told Bondy that New Orleans was looking for a first-round pick in exchange for Missi. The Knicks did not have any first-rounders to give up. 

The Knicks have seemed to have heightened their search to fill the gap left by Robinson’s departure, which was a foregone conclusion — with owner James Dolan saying he was unwilling to go into the NBA’s second apron — after the celebration of the team’s first title in 53 years settled down. 

A league source also told The Post that the Knicks were among the teams that were vying to sign Marvin Bagley III before he eventually agreed to a deal with the Nuggets. 

Missi averaged 5.7 points per game and 5.8 rebounds last season with the Pelicans, while also averaging 1.5 blocks per game. 

The big man is one of New Orleans’ best offensive rebounders and rim protectors, and it makes sense that the Pelicans are not interested in sending him elsewhere. 

The Knicks do need to fill the hole in their frontcourt after Robinson’s departure. 

The beloved Knick spent eight years with the organization before he agreed to sign with the rival Celtics on a three-year, $47.4 million contract.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have invested a lot of faith in Evan Mobley. They’ve tightly clung to him as their biggest trade asset, keeping him off the table despite some enticing options becoming available.

You’d only do something like this if you believe the 25-year-old star has more room to grow. Potential is the most valuable thing in sports. Mobley had that in spades during his first few seasons. But now? There are questions as to how much higher his ceiling can get.

That’s why earlier this week we asked you, Fear the Sword readers, to share your opinion on Mobley’s future development. Has he reached his ceiling, or is there potential left to uncover?

It was a perfect split. Exactly half of the voters said that Mobley has already reached his ceiling.

I’ll admit. I’m surprised.

It’s bold to say anyone has reached their potential at just 25 years old. Mobley has already been an All-Star, All-NBA player, a two-time All-Defensive member, and won Defensive Player of the Year. That’s a stronger start than I think some fans realize.

This poll isn’t just about Mobley himself. But it’s a show of faith in Cleveland’s developmental system. To assume that Mobley has peaked is to believe that the Cavs have already put him in the best possible position to succeed. Again… I’m surprised that half of the voters believe that.

Mobley’s development has not been Cleveland’s main priority. They’ve put almost all of their chips into building around Donovan Mitchell. Their moves in free agency and on the trading block have supported that. Mobley, on the other hand, is largely asked to fill the margins and support Mitchell more than anything. This isn’t a team that’s constructed around Mobley being the guy.

From that perspective, I can’t imagine that Mobley has reached his ceiling. There has to be more to uncover in the event Mobley is ever the focal point of a team. Even in his current role, the Cavs can do more to boost Mobley as an offensive creator.

The Cavs currently have the sixth-highest odds of winning the 2027 NBA championship. They probably won’t get any higher than that if Mobley really has peaked as a player.

Ever since LeBron James informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he would be signing elsewhere in free agency this offseason, one of the biggest stories in basketball has been with which team he’ll sign and end his legendary NBA career.

The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers are thought to be the two favorites. However, a third team has reportedly now entered the mix: the Philadelphia 76ers.

This stems from a July 2 report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who asserted during a Thursday segment of “NBA Today” that James’ longstanding connection to 76ers star guard Tyrese Maxey (they’re both signed to Klutch Sports Group, which is founded by James’ business partner Rich Paul) will be how the 76ers attempt to lure him to Philadelphia.

Windhorst asserted that Maxey and James are close, and have attended numerous events together. What’s more, the NBA record holder reportedly has a good relationship with 76ers star center Joel Embiid, as the two won a gold medal for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics together.

Philadelphia finalized a trade for Jaylen Brown with the Boston Celtics on July 1, which included the 76ers sending Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks to Boston in exchange for the five-time All-Star.

Brown being on the Celtics already makes them look like a favorite to win the 2027 NBA Championship. Adding the 22-time All-Star to that mix would have that team even more lethal.

Of course, just because the 76ers are interested doesn’t mean James heading there is a done deal. But he does have strong ties to the franchise’s top players, which could be a deciding factor on where he goes next.

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Welcome to day three of the LeBron James sweepstakes. Today, we gained new insight into the short list of teams jockeying for the King. Once again, this news benefits the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Golden State Warriors reportedly do not feel they are at the top of LeBron’s short list, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater.

“I’m hearing a growing belief from them that they don’t believe that they’re necessarily at the top of that short list,” Slater said on ESPN.

Golden State emerged as a potential landing destination for James earlier this week. James has formed a close relationship with Draymond Green over recent years and has openly praised Stephen Curry numerous times.

The idea of rivals becoming teammates is a sour one for many fans. But ending his career with a grand finale next to Curry is something that James is apparently considering.

The Warriors took the first step towards acquiring James when Green opted out of his contract. This paved the way for Golden State to make additions to the roster and potentially offer LBJ more money. Thus far, this hasn’t proven to be enough.

This begs the question: if Golden State isn’t first, who is?

The Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers are the other two teams reported to be on James’ short list. Though teams like the Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Minnesota Timberwolves have been mentioned in passing by various outlets.

Truth is, no one can predict what James will do. But using all of the information at our disposal, I can’t imagine Cleveland isn’t at the front of the race.

The Cavs offer more than any other team. Cleveland is the only city where James can compete for a title as a supporting player while still being the King. He’ll reign supreme in Cleveland even if James Harden, Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell play larger roles. That’s something James can’t get in Golden State or Miami.

All of the boxes are checked in this scenario. James would be in a city where he is beloved. He’d be joining a team that is missing his expertise more than anything else. There’s even a Swenson’s in Rocket Arena. I can’t imagine this doesn’t entice LBJ.

Jaylen Brown opens up about being traded in candid live stream originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

We still haven’t heard from Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens on why the organization was so motivated to trade superstar Jaylen Brown. But on Thursday night, Brown shared his side of the story on his Twitch live stream.

Nearly 30,000 concurrent viewers watched as Brown addressed the shocking deal that sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two first-round draft picks, and two second-round picks. Unsurprisingly, Brown didn’t mince words as he spoke on the trade, the Celtics’ handling of the situation, and some of the media narratives that formed during the process.

Here’s everything you need to know from Brown’s candid stream:

“Boston packed me up”

Brown opened his stream by saying, “Boston packed me up, chat.” The 2024 NBA Finals MVP made that statement several times throughout the stream.

“You gotta smile at it. They packed me up. Sayonara buddy,” he said at one point.

Brown went on to read the statement that he posted to social media, which bid farewell to Boston while expressing excitement about his new chapter in Philly.

State your source

Brown’s beef with ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith is well-documented. This time, though, he took aim at FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd.

On Wednesday, Cowherd claimed that two NBA sources told him that Brown thinking he’s “the smartest guy in every room” is a “disease.”

“He suddenly thinks he’s the smartest guy in every room he’s in,” Cowherd said. “I’ve worked with people in the media. You get into a really bad space and you make a lot of money. Suddenly, you’re absolutely sure. You don’t wanna listen to your bosses. You don’t wanna listen to consultants. You don’t wanna listen to teammates.

“One executive told me this was always a little bit of Jaylen Brown’s personality: the smartest guy in the room. Live streaming, throwing it out there, and it’s just not a good space.”

Brown responded by saying it’s time to stop with the anonymous sources.

“I think the world craves authenticity… people wanna see what the real emotions is,” he said.

‘I’m tired of these damn anonymous sources, like, anonymous executive — Colin Cowherd, Bobby Marks, Stephen A. Smith — I think y’all are the sources.”

“Colin Cowherd…. his last name precedes him,” Brown added.

What happened with Celtics?

Brown isn’t sure exactly where things went wrong between him and the Celtics.

“There’s definitely more to it. I just wish the more to it could have been explained to me,” he said on the stream.

“At one point I felt it was fine, but then it went left … I wish they had the respect to tell me exactly what it was … but it didn’t go down like that. It wasn’t facilitated like that. That was the most disappointing part. I thought I earned respect.”

Brown “wasn’t thrilled” with how Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens communicated with him about the situation.

Brown added that some of the young guys on the C’s reached out to him.

“The guys that I was able to build with … Neemi, (Neemias Queta), Luka (Garza), told me it was a pleasure to build with you. That’s the stuff that gives you more motivation to keep going. …

Looking forward to Philly

Brown admitted it’ll take time to get used to being a 76er, but he’s looking forward to “the process.”

“For the last 10 years, I’ve been programmed to hate Philadelphia, from the history of the rivalry to the playoff battles, the process, like I’ve been programmed to be like f— the process. It’s funny now, I gotta reverse-engineer it, but I’ll be ready when the season starts.”

“I don’t want no special treatment, I don’t need no handouts,” he added. “I plan on earning my respect one day at a time by putting in the work. I’m looking forward to getting in the gym, the whole process. “

While he’s left confused about how everything went down, it sounds like Brown will embrace the villain role in Philadelphia.

“The process is back the f— on. We’ve been shutting the process down for the last I don’t know how many years. The process been over. But now the process is back, motherf—–.”

Toward the end of his stream, Brown spoke on the phone with new teammates VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey.