Category: Basketball

Former Warriors great Klay Thompson explains why he chose to sign with Heat originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

For the second time in three years, Klay Thompson is on the move. But this time, Thompson is taking his talents to South Beach to join the Miami Heat on a two-year, $11.5 million contract. Thompson is the second big-name player the Heat have acquired this offseason, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Thompson held his introductory press conference on Tuesday and shared why he chose to join Miami, emphasizing his desire to play for head coach Erik Spoelstra even with no prior relationship.

“Not really, but I know Coach Spo’s story,” Thompson told the media. “I know the respect he commands in the world of basketball is very high. We’re from the same city, so I’ve heard great things. He went to Jesuit just like my brother did and they got a lot of family friends who have known him for a long time. And nothing but great things have been said. I know him and Steve Kerr worked together for a couple of stints with Team USA and Steve had nothing but great things to say and so did my friends who have played for the Miami Heat.

“I know it’s a demanding atmosphere and it’s one that’s really competitive and that’s what attracted me to being here. That’s something that I think reflects my mindset to a tee, so that was an easy choice for me.”

Thompson was set to enter the final year of a three-year, $50 million contract that he signed with the Dallas Mavericks in 2024, but after agreeing to a buy-out, he agreed very early on to join Miami. Thompson left money on the table when he signed with the Heat, instead choosing a destination where he could compete for another NBA championship.

“The opportunity to play high-level basketball throughout the season and a chance to make a deep postseason run,” Thompson said. “Those things were so attractive to me. Obviously, you want to maximize your earning potential as an athlete, but I’ve tasted winning before and there’s really nothing like it. Even getting there and failing is better than not even having a shot at it. I’m not saying that’s gonna happen, I’m just saying the opportunity to win again at a very high level was attractive to me. Looking at the roster, it looked like a great fit as far as me being able to space the floor and attack from the perimeter and have great help defenders behind me.

“And especially at this stage in my career, I get to play a specific role and my voice will go a long way hopefully with this team and lead by example.”

Thompson, a four-time champion with the Warriors who spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the franchise, developed into one of the NBA’s best shooters and formed the Splash Brothers with Steph Curry. A five-time All-Star and a multi time All-Defensive team selection, Thompson’s career in Golden State was a legendary one. But after missing both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons with injuries, Thompson’s performance slowly declined and the Warriors chose not to re-sign him following 2023-24.

Thompson is 36 years old and in the twilight of his career, but the Bay Area legend is eager for one last ride with one of the NBA’s most historic franchises.

The Los Angeles Lakers have returned from their four-day minicamp in Slovenia, hosted by superstar Luka Doncic.

Their trip to Doncic’s home country — which featured working out, playing pick-up games, golfing and exploring Ljubljana — was evidently a fun time. So much so, that Jarred Vanderbilt is considering getting a Slovenian passport.

“The trip was great,” Vanderbilt said. “Not gonna lie, didn’t know much about [Slovenia] before I came here, but it’s definitely a spot I will revisit.

“I’m looking to get Slovenian passport. We’ll see. Might be part Slovenian.”

Jarred Vanderbilt:

“I'm looking to get a Slovenian passport. We'll see. Might be part Slovenian.”

(via @kurooscoffee, h/t @LukaUpdates) pic.twitter.com/COR7tEbBSN

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 24, 2026

The minicamp was an opportunity for the new-look Lakers to get a chance to build a rapport with one another, on and off the court. Chemistry is an important aspect of any championship team and the Lakers will have a different feel after LeBron James left for the 76ers in free agency.

The Lakers also added star center Walker Kessler, swing man Quentin Grimes and forward Sandro Mamukelashvili.

The Lakers’ overseas trip came also as the franchise was sold by Mark Walter for $12.5 billion to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner.

The Lakers are looking for Doncic to lead the team to glory, a tall task for any player under the bright lights of Hollywood.

But the 27-year-old’s leadership is already on display with the four-day minicamp in Slovenia and it’ll have to continue at training camp next month.

We’ve finally, mercifully reached the quiet part of the NBA calendar, James Harden’s latest eye-popping contract notwithstanding. That triggered a fresh batch of power rankings and standings projections across the basketball internet in recent days.

On Monday, Law Murray of The Athletic put the Sixers fourth in his latest power rankings, trailing only the reigning champion New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. Right after LeBron James signed with the Sixers, he had them fifth, behind those three teams and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Although I anticipate a slow start for the 76ers, like all LeBron James teams, I am already doing what I said I would not do last month: raising expectations for Philly. Why? If nothing else, because they have their team in place.

While James was the player the broadcast partners wanted, Brown was an All-NBA selection last season. It’s Brown replacing George in the salary bracket, and it’s Brown who must show he can defend at the level that helped him earn the 2024 NBA Finals MVP. James should be the kind of connector who makes Philadelphia’s offense easy for everyone else, especially Tyrese Maxey. More succinctly, James replaces Kelly Oubre Jr.

The bench ensures Philadelphia’s depth will be strong. Wade replaces Watford, Simons supplants Grimes, Caldwell-Pope is in for Terry and Philon is an upgrade for the recently retired Lowry. Philadelphia still has significant vulnerabilities, and many of them trace back to whether Joel Embiid is playing and how often he is available. Head coach Nick Nurse has some things to figure out. But the 76ers have more talent, and that’s after being good enough to win a playoff series last spring.

SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell is similarly bullish on the Sixers’ prospects this year. He put them fifth in his latest power rankings, trailing the Thunder, Spurs, Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves.

I’m favoring the Timberwolves here because of their playoff upside. I don’t expect them to be the NBA’s fourth-best regular season team this season, but I like their ability to advance in the postseason more than some of the other contenders for that spot. I’m always been a bit LaMelo Ball guy, and he’s quietly turned into a borderline top-20 player when he’s healthy. Obviously LaMelo’s health is a big if, but you can same thing for Aaron Gordon in Denver and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia. Ball is at least the youngest of that trio.

Notably, Ricky has the Cavaliers at 11th even after their acquisition of Peyton Watson. On a related note, Ricky knows ball.

You know who doesn’t know ball? ESPN, apparently. Their “NBA insiders” joined together to project the full Eastern Conference standings on Monday, and they had the Sixers finishing fourth in the East at 50-32. That’s just behind the Knicks (53-29), Detroit Pistons (53-29) and Cavaliers (51-31), although they’re notably ahead of the Boston Celtics (48-34), whose roster is “s–t,” according to none other than Jayson Tatum’s father. (Did that playoff series create a rift in the space-time continuum? That is the only logical explanation for what’s happened over the ensuing three months.)

ESPN noted “health and cohesion will be among Philly’s biggest concerns”—you think?—but added that “the 76ers have by far the biggest upside of any team in the East.”

In the immortal words of Walter White: You’re goddamn right.

All jokes aside, the Sixers’ placement in these latest power rankings and standings projections feel relatively fair. The youth of the Spurs and Thunder should propel them to a better regular-season record than the Sixers, who will need time to gel, especially early on. The Knicks are getting the defending-champion bump because apparently everyone memory-holed how up-and-down their regular season was before they touched God in the playoffs, but that’s beside the point.

The Sixers didn’t assemble this roster to win 60-plus regular-season games, though. They have their eyes on April, May and June. And as ESPN noted, if everything breaks right for the Sixers, no team in the East has more upside than them.

They just need to make it there in one piece first, preferably sans egos.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country.

Russell Westbrook recently retired. He spent a season as a Houston Rocket, where he averaged 27.2 points, 7 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game on 47.2 percent from the field and 25.8 percent from deep. The Rockets finished 44-28 and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the West Semis of the bubble playoffs. The Rockets then collapsed into a rebuild the following season. The Rockets have dealt with the fallout from that lopsided trade since then.

The Rockets initially sent Chris Paul, two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Thunder, then dealt him away the following season for John Wall.

What we want to know is, do you consider the Westbrook deal the worst in Rockets history? The numbers look good, but Russ was a terrible fit for Houston’s system because he couldn’t shoot.

Some other bad deals were Charles Barkley being sent to Houston from Phoenix for fan favorites Sam Cassell, Robery Horry, and Chucky Brown. The Rockets then lost all their depth and never made it back to the Finals.

Reigning MVP Moses Malone was sent from Houston to Philly for a first-round pick and center Caldwell Jones in 1982. Jones averaged 9 points per night the following season, while Malone won another MVP and led Philly to a title.

There was also the Ty Lawson deal in 2015 where the Rockets sent four bench players and first round pick to Denver, only to have Lawson wash out immediately.

There are others, but we want you to decide. Was Russ the worst or someone else?

Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys:

Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results!

Lonzo Ball has played seven seasons in the NBA, but his career hasn’t panned out how the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft likely envisioned it.

Ball, currently an unsigned free agent, regrets how much control his father, Lavar, had early in his career.

Ball was an All-American out of UCLA, and his bombastic father publicly declared that he would be a Laker prior to the draft. The Lakers then selected him No. 2 overall in 2017.

“I think he had a huge influence on it, bro,” Ball said of Lavar’s involvement on the “Curious Mike” podcast with Michael Porter Jr. “To be honest… I think he damn near made it to where they had to pick me. Really, to a point, I really do feel like that.”

The Lakers passed on drafting Jayson Tatum, who went No. 3 to the Boston Celtics that year. Fans have not forgotten the Lakers missing out on Tatum, but the team eventually used Ball along with Brandon Ingram as key assets in the trade that brought Anthony Davis to LA.

Ball’s two seasons with the Lakers were tainted by Lavar’s antics, including public criticism of then-head coach Luke Walton.

The guard — older brother to LiAngelo and recently traded All-Star point guard LaMelo — was also forced to wear basketball shoes from Lavar’s Big Baller Brand’s, which Lonzo felt were not ready to be used for competitive play.

“It wasn’t a basketball shoe, bro. It wasn’t ready to be used. So I tried to play in it, but they would rip and pop out like every quarter,” Ball said on Porter’s podcast.

“DMo [Darren Moore, Ball’s manager] had backup shoes in his backpack that he would give me right over the bench if they would blow out. I’m like, ‘I can’t play like this, bro.’ And right when I changed my shoes, I started playing great again.

“I didn’t like the shoes. I addressed it. I didn’t like the shoes. But then we would get into an argument and it would be like, damn, if you don’t wear the shoes, then you going against the family type s–t.”

Ball suggested the shoes might have played a role in his early knee injuries, which have been irreversible setbacks throughout his NBA career.

“I literally was just hooping and following my pops, listening to my pops…I was just doing what I was told really,” Ball said. “I guess that would be my one regret, like taking control of my career earlier.

“The way I was raised was like a blessing and a curse.”

The Golden State Warriors signed free agent guard Brandon Williams to a one-year, $2.6 million deal.

The contract marks Golden State’s first outside acquisition in what has been a relatively quiet offseason for the team.

Williams averaged a career-high 13 points, 3.9 assists and 22.2 minutes across 66 games for the Dallas Mavericks last season. He shot 47.2% from the field and 23.2% from 3-point range.

The Warriors needed perimeter bench scoring as well as speed. Williams fits the bill.

Throughout his four-year NBA career, Williams has averaged 10.7 points in 19.3 minutes across 140 games (34 starts).

He began his career with the Portland Trail Blazers after going undrafted in 2021. The 26-year-old signed a two-way deal with the Mavericks in December 2023. Williams has gotten most of his exposure to the NBA with Dallas after the deal was converted to a standard NBA contract in April 2025.

The Warriors will be without starting guard Moses Moody for the beginning of the 2026-27 season after he suffered a torn left patellar tendon last March.

There were reports earlier this month the Warriors were interested in adding Williams to their roster in an effort to add depth following an injury-plagued season last year.

Golden State has done just that as it rounds out the rest of the roster ahead of training camp in September.

Forward Georges Niang, Warriors agree to one-year, $3.9M contract, per agents originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s a busy Tuesday for the Warriors, who have added another player in NBA free agency.

Veteran forward Georges Niang and Golden State have agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million contract, his agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman told ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Free agent forward Georges Niang has agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Golden State Warriors, Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. Niang — a career 40% 3-point shooter — enters his 11th NBA season after missing 2025-26 due to injury. pic.twitter.com/XFD2t1XKNm

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 25, 2026

After a quiet offseason in which they added no new players to the roster, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy changed that with the additions of Niang and guard Brandon Williams earlier in the day.

Niang, who fills the Warriors’ final roster spot, has 32 starts across his nine-year NBA career, which began after a record-breaking tenure with Iowa State.

Georges Niang completes the Warriors' 15- man roster @NBCSWarriors

Curry
Melton
Lendeborg
Green
Porzingis
Williams
Podziemski
Richard
Santos
Horford
Payton II
Bassey
Niang
*Jimmy Butler
*Moses Moody

No Lajae Jones on the 15-man roster

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) August 25, 2026

A career 40-percent shooter from 3-point range, Niang last played for the Atlanta Hawks during the 2024-25 NBA season before he was traded to the Utah Jazz and then the Memphis Grizzlies before missing the entire 2025-26 campaign with a foot injury.

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Sixers pre-camp questions: Just how dramatic of an impact will LeBron James make?  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ new era is on deck.

With LeBron James and Jaylen Brown on board and training camp set to begin in late September, we’re taking a look at key questions for the 2026-27 Sixers. 

First up: Just how dramatic of an impact will LeBron James make? 

To start with the basics: James has remained highly productive into his 40s. 

He earned his 22nd consecutive All-Star selection last season, averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds. His stats were similar in the playoffs, James closed out the Lakers’ first-round series win over the Rockets by posting 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in Game 6. He is unequivocally still a star player. 

Exactly how much will James be on the floor?

He logged 60 games last season and his 33.2 minutes per contest were a career low, although that figure increased to 38.4 per game in the playoffs. James has averaged 59.9 games since the 2017-18 campaign, when he played all 82 in his final season as a Cavalier. 

It’s typically difficult to be precise with predictions about availability, but 60 regular-season games would be about par for James. By no means is that a small number, but James presumably won’t be an every-game workhorse. 

In terms of his career, James has accumulated more experience than anyone in NBA history. Before he suits up as a Sixer, James has secured the records for games played in both the regular season (1,622) and playoffs (302). 

The Sixers appreciate James’ decades of superstar play and four NBA championships as part of the package. Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are former title winners, too. 

“We’ve got three guys who have won championships,” Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey said on Aug. 6 after Brown’s introductory press conference. “It’s crazy, we have two Finals MVP and then two regular-season MVPs, too. Having that is invaluable. 

“Watching LeBron every day … he’s an everyday guy. There’s obviously going to be a lot of highs and lows throughout the season, but having those three in our locker room — and even (head coach Nick Nurse). People forget Nick won a championship with Toronto, so he’s been through all the wars, he’s been through the big games. Just having that presence and that everyday leadership is going to be valuable for everybody.”

James and Gansey were both Ohio high school basketball standouts the last time the Sixers advanced past the second round of the playoffs, which was 2001. The bottom line of breaking through into deep playoff basketball would certainly count as dramatic change for a franchise accustomed to postseason disappointment. 

As we’ve covered, it seems safe to assume that James’ unique game will improve the Sixers in a variety of ways on the floor. He’ll likely put many of his new teammates in easier positions. 

Opponents tempted to double team Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid should have less luck with James’ passing and problem-solving excellence. Maxey, a combo guard at heart, should play much more off the ball. James should help the Sixers create the mismatches that Brown loves to attack. VJ Edgecombe should have major defensive responsibilities and continued encouragement to grow offensively, all with the ultimate wise veteran in his corner. 

The games aren’t played on paper and the Sixers could run into all sorts of troubles throughout the season, but Gansey has built a formidable roster and James is an enormous piece.

However the season unfolds, there will be an intense spotlight on the Sixers and immense interest in the team. If you’re shopping for a James Sixers jersey these days, the line may very well wrap around the corner. He’ll be playing in one soon enough. 

Ahhh, the 2020–21 season. I remember it well. After years as a punchline, the Knicks unexpectedly became competitive under first-year, veteran coach Tom Thibodeau and breakout star Julius Randle. They finished with a winning record, earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and returned to the postseason.

Randle’s stellar season (24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, six assists, All-Star, second-team All-NBA, Most Improved Player) helped the team go from the butt of jokes to something more competent. He was high-usage, physical, available, and visibly invested in the work ethic Thibs demanded. Randle defined the season on April 21, 2021 when—after scoring 40 points and grabbing 11 boards to beat the Hawks in overtime—he famously told the MSG crowd, “We here.”

We loved it, this weird, slippery feeling he brought back to us called hope. The Knicks lost to the Hawks in the first round, but we were undeterred. For the first time in a long time, the hope felt real.

Randle was taken seventh in the 2014 draft by the Lakers. Take a look at how young and unrefined he was back in 2019, at his first media day as a Knickerbocker. He would come a long way in a short time under the bright lights of NYC.

On August 25, 2021, Randle signed a four-year extension worth a reported $117 million with incentives and a player option in the final year. It was the most the Knicks could offer under CBA rules, but a sight less than Randle might have earned by reaching unrestricted free agency in 2022. Had he maintained something close to his All-NBA production, projections put his next deal near five years and $200 million. (I’d love to know how he explained that to Mrs. Randle.)

Randle justified leaving tens of millions on the table by saying he believed the decision would give the Knicks greater flexibility to build a contender. After earlier career stops with the Lakers and Pelicans, where he had not always been happy, Jules wanted to lock into a situation he believed in. The big fella received security, continuity, and a chance to help shape the franchise. And the fanbase received an encouraging sign that sophomore team president Leon Rose was committed to building around what the Knicks already had rather than waiting for a free-agent savior.

The immediate results were a tad worrying, however. Randle regressed in 2021–22, and the Knicks missed the playoffs. The frustration peaked on January 6, 2022, against Boston at Madison Square Garden. After the Knicks fell behind by 25 and heard boos from the crowd, Randle responded to a fourth-quarter bucket with a thumbs-down gesture. Asked afterward what it meant, he replied, “Shut the f*** up.” He later apologized on Instagram, and the NBA fined him $25,000 for the language.

There are many reasons that season went off the rails, including the gamble on Kemba Walker’s knees and the mixed results from Evan Fournier. Randle’s prominence on the team, his mood swings, and his drop in production made him the most obvious target for fans who, less than a year earlier, had such high hopes. There’s that word hope again, the slippery bastard.

Nevertheless, the organization did not regress into perpetual reconstruction. Thibodeau’s culture of toughness and accountability took root around Randle and holdovers such as RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks had begun to resemble a credible basketball operation again, and that mattered in 2022, when they cleared cap space and signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal.

Brunson quickly became the primary creator and eventual face of the franchise (and captain!). Randle adapted to playing alongside him, producing additional All-Star and All-NBA seasons. Success followed.

The Knicks became regular playoff participants while improving the roster through savvy front-office moves. Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and eventually Mikal Bridges joined the group. Then, in October 2024, Randle’s part of the story ended. New York sent him, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and a first-round pick to Minnesota in the three-team trade for Karl-Anthony Towns.

The front office publicly thanked Randle for helping establish the foundation and culture, and the trade showed how far the franchise had advanced. New York could exchange one accomplished All-NBA player for another whose skill set better suited the roster around Brunson. Towns brought size, shooting, and secondary creation to a starting five reinforced by Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart.

That group eventually reached the mountaintop Randle never could as a Knick. Thibodeau was replaced by Mike Brown, who coached the 2025–26 squad to 53 wins, an NBA Cup championship, and the franchise’s first NBA title in five decades. Brunson became Finals MVP, while Towns delivered consistently on the biggest stage.

Five years after the extension, the anniversary is bittersweet. Randle never won the big prize in New York, but our appreciation for his contribution has grown in retrospect. He joined a dysfunctional franchise, restored respectability and expectations, embodied its culture of hard work, and ultimately became a valuable enough asset to help acquire the third-best center in the league (according to The Athletic . . . any guesses whom they put ahead of KAT?).

On the timeline from the crappy years to the championship, Randle’s 2021 extension stands as a pivotal moment. The line extends from there through Brunson’s arrival, the Towns trade, and the hanging of the banner (coming soon!). Randle is back in New York these days, about to start a season with the Brooklyn Nets. If you see him around the city, give him a nod and show some respect. The championship we are celebrating now might not have happened without him.

Knicks in five.

The Golden State Warriors are adding depth to their backcourt, agreeing to a one-year, $2.6 million contract with free agent guard Brandon Williams.

Free agent guard Brandon Williams has agreed to a one-year, $2.6 million deal to sign with the Golden State Warriors, agents Derek Lafayette and Curtis Lawrence tell ESPN. Williams averaged 13 points, 3.9 assists and 22.2 minutes per night across 66 games for Dallas last season. pic.twitter.com/VcDytjCDKe

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 25, 2026

Williams, who played for the Dallas Mavericks last season, provided solid rotational production across 66 appearances. During his campaign with Dallas, he averaged 13 points, 3.9 assists, and 22.2 minutes per game, proving to be a reliable spark off the bench.

By bringing in Williams on a manageable one-year deal, Golden State gains an efficient scorer and playmaker capable of stabilizing their second-unit guard rotation. For Williams, the move offers an opportunity to showcase his dynamic playmaking in the Warriors’ motion-heavy system as he looks to build on a breakout year in Dallas.

What, you thought just because Ben Simmons isn’t around here anymore that offseason workout footage went out the window? Our watch never ends, ladies and gentlemen. Philadelphia 76ers second-year guard VJ Edgecombe recently participated in another Rico Hines private run (games to nine points by ones and twos). We had you covered with one from a few days ago and now we’re back for more. Should we be paying this much attention to a glorified workout in a small gym? No, probably not. But it’s August and we’re hoops degenerates. It’s what we do.

Here’s the edited video of the run via YouTube:

If you don’t want to sit through all 25 minutes, I’m going to go through chronologically and list Edgecombe’s highlights here, complete with time stamps.

You can see VJ start by rattling home a three-pointer [2:38 mark]. He hits another at the 3:20 mark, both of the standard catch-and-shoot variety. On the next clip, Edgecombe fakes at the three and when his man presses up, performs a little give-and-go to score on a cut to the hoop for an and-one. At the 3:55 mark, he drains a three off the dribble while bringing the ball up court. VJ then nails another outside shot from the wing [4:26 mark]. Then, in maybe the top highlight of the entire video, Edgecombe performs a nasty spin move off the dribble and draws the foul [5:42 mark]. An audible gasp from those in attention comes through the video recording.

At the 12:46 mark, VJ breaks his man off the dribble and hits a contested baseline jumper. He later blows by his man off the dribble for a dunk [13:57 mark]. At 20:45, he recovers from a bit of a fumbled dribble, and drains a stepback three from the top of the key. Finally, at 21:25, Edgecombe attacks off the dribble from the wing and converts a pull-up mid-range jumper.

I’m no shot doctor, but Edgecombe’s jumper is looking extremely smooth. With the collection of ball handlers on the Sixers roster now, he is going to need to be able to readily knock down open catch-and-shoot looks, and I’m confident he’s up to the challenge. Of course, the on-ball reps are going to come too, despite what the “there’s only one ball” fearmongers would have you believe. Edgecombe got great experience last year in that department and he looks to be continuing to improve there.

Anyway, good to see the 21-year-old continuing to perfect his craft. We also know from an additional camp video this past week, if any NBA opposition tries to throw a curveball at the Sixers in the form of a young child playing defense, VJ will be ready.

VJ Edgecombe just dunked on a kid 😭
(via fishern_nicole/TT) pic.twitter.com/UROCmfTq1D

— Overtime (@overtime) August 22, 2026

62 wins is a high bar to clear. The San Antonio Spurs needed to win 30 of their last 34 games to get over 60 wins last season to secure the second-best record in the NBA. After losing the NBA Finals, the expectations are higher for the 2026-27 Spurs. The basketball world expects San Antonio to hover around 60 wins and get back to at least the Western Conference Finals. The question is, will they be able to improve upon such a great season?

Currently, FanDuel has the Spurs win total over/under at 60.5 games. If San Antonio pulls off another 60+ win season, it would be the first time the franchise has done it since winning 67 games in the 2015-16 season and then 61 games in the 2016-17 season. The last team to win 60 games in back-to-back seasons was the Oklahoma City Thunder (2024-25 and 2025-26) and should be in line to win about 60 games again this season.

The Spurs have done something that’s typically needed to win 60 games: added a lot of depth. They’ve retained their core while signing veteran wing Tobias Harris, and drafted first-round big men Tarris Reed Jr., who is likely to be ready to play this season, and Jayden Quaintance, who may not suit up this year. With some injury luck, this is a team that is primed to win a lot of games in a weakened Western Conference.

But will they have enough to win more than 62 games next year? Answer that question in the poll below, and we will be back with the results later this week!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Spurs fans and fans across the country.

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