Michael Porter Jr. on sports gambling impacting players, 'It’s bad and it's only gonna get worse'

Professional athletes — including NBA players, but in every other sport as well — are feeling the impacts of the explosion of sports gambling in the United States. Most commonly that manifests as people — both on social media and in person — angrily lashing out at the players for not hitting points totals or other stats that would have won the angry fan their parlay, or a bet on a game.

However, it can be much more than that. Michael Porter Jr. got to see that firsthand involving his younger brother Jontay Porter, who was banned from the NBA for life for betting on NBA games and "disclosing confidential information to sports bettors" about games where he intentionally "limited his participation" (took himself out early, allegedly due to injury), allowing them to win big on under prop bets.

Michael Porter Jr. talked about it on the "One Night with Steiny" podcast.

Currently, other gambling investigations are swirling around the NBA. Veteran guard Malik Beasley is at the center of a federal gambling probe where he allegedly bet on games and made prop bets. Also, Terry Rozier was tied to a gambling investigation, however, both the NBA and federal investigators say he played no role in any potential illegal activity.

"Obviously, my brother went through his situation, "Michael Porter said..." Malik Beasley's going through a situation right now. Terry Rozier was in some hot water. But the whole sports gambling entity, it's bad and it's only gonna get worse."

Porter said in the interview that gambling and the idolization of money were not serious temptations for him (while also owning that he had other vices) and that he and every player faces those challenges.

With both the league and its partners having direct ties to legal betting operations in the United States, the potential negative influence of gambling is going to be an ongoing challenge for the NBA and every other professional league. Porter, like many players, recognizes this, and he deserves credit for being willing to discuss it.

NBA Approves Boston Celtics $6.1B Sale to Chisholm Group

The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale of the Boston Celtics to a group led by William Chisholm, the league announced Wednesday. The deal is expected to close by the end of the week.

Chisholm will replace Wyc Grousbeck as governor in a switch from Grousbeck’s orginal plan to stay in place in the role through the 2027-28 season.

In March, Chisholm’s group reached a deal to buy the Celtics in two stages, which was the stated goal of ownership, led by the Grousbeck family. The deal valued the team at $6.1 billion in the first payment, marking the most expensive control sale in sports team history at the time—Mat Ishbia’s $4 billion Phoenix Suns buy in 2022 was the prior record. It has since been surpassed by Mark Walter’s $10 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Lakers.

On Tuesday, Sportico broke the news that a group led by Tom Dundon reached a deal to buy the Portland Trail Blazers at a $4.25 billion valuation. Assuming that deal and the Lakers’ one are approved, it would mark the 14th NBA control sale since 2013.

Chisholm, who will be the lead investor, was born and raised in Massachusetts and attended Dartmouth College, as did two of his children. He is the co-founder, managing partner and chief investment officer of private equity firm STG Partners, which is based in Menlo Park, Calif. STG’s portfolio includes more than 50 active and closed investments, with about $12 billion of assets under management, as of March.

Aditya Mittal will be the second-largest stakeholder in the Celtics and likely replace Grousbeck as alternate governor after the 2027-28 season. Mittal is the son of Lakshmi Mittal, who serves as executive chairman of $62 billion-in-revenue ArcelorMittal, the world’s second-largest steel and mining company after China’s state-owned Baowu. Lakshmi started Mittal Steel in the late 1980s and merged the company with France’s Arcelor in 2006. He is worth $26 billion, according to Bloomberg.

Private equity giant Sixth Street was part of Chisholm’s initial group when the agreement was reached. The firm, which also owns a stake in the San Antonio Spurs, will be the third largest shareholder, just behind Mittal. The NBA’s private equity rules cap the stake that a single firm can own at 20% of the team.

The investment group also includes Rob Hale, who was a previous Celtics investor and is raising his stake in the deal, as well as Bruce A. Beal Jr., president of Related Companies.

The Grousbecks bought the team in 2002 for $360 million. Last July, they announced the franchise was for sale, less than two weeks after winning an NBA-record 18th championship. The stated reason was estate planning.

The 2024-25 Celtics season had a jarring finish as All-NBA star Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon during the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks, and Boston lost the series. A long recovery is ahead, and the club has since traded a pair of key players in the 2024 title run, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, which will save Boston an estimated $180 million in luxury tax penalties next season, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Goldman Sachs was the financial advisor for the Chisholm group. BDT & MSD and JPMorgan Chase co-led the sale process for the Celtics. Jordan Park served as an advisor the Grousbecks.

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Tennessee Tech makes historic move to Southern Conference, leaving Ohio Valley after 77 years

Tennessee Tech announced Wednesday that the school is switching to the Southern Conference on July 1, 2026, and leaving the Ohio Valley Conference, where the Golden Eagles had been members since 1949. “This historic move changes the trajectory of our athletic aspirations and makes a statement to our campus and our community that Tech sports will be a part of a vibrant conference with new geographic rivalries,” athletic director Casey Fox said in a statement. Tennessee Tech will have 14 of its 15 sports competing in the Southern Conference.

Shaquille O'Neal talks about abusing painkillers, his regrets and his fragile kidneys

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 7: Shaquille O'Neal performs at Shaq's Fun House at Mardi Gras World on February 7, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Skip Bolen/Getty Images)
Shaquille O'Neal performs at Shaq's Fun House at Mardi Gras World on February 7, 2025, in New Orleans. (Skip Bolen / Getty Images)

Shaquille O'Neal was never suspended for drug use of any kind during his decorated 19-year NBA career. The rugged 7-foot-1, 325-pound Hall of Fame center freely acknowledged playing through pain and openly worried about damage to his kidneys and liver from his prolonged use of legal anti-inflammatory medications.

He also recently recounted on "Inside the NBA" a bizarre story about testing positive for cocaine ahead of the 1996 Olympics. The result was thrown out — and never publicized — because O'Neal told officials he'd eaten a poppy seed muffin shortly before the test.

Never mind that while poppy seeds can trigger a false positive test for opioids such as morphine or codeine, they can't do the same for cocaine, which is identified in drug tests by the presence of its major metabolite, benzoylecgonine.

So in his recounting of an episode from nearly 30 years ago, O'Neal was wrong either about the illegal substance for which he tested positive or about what he ingested that caused the false positive. Perhaps he just meant to say codeine rather than cocaine.

Point being, recollections can be fuzzy, and O'Neal isn't immune to such fuzziness, something to keep in mind when listening to the four-time NBA champion 'fess up to his use of painkillers on this week's "Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard" podcast.

Read more:Lakers open season at home against the Warriors, will host Rockets on Christmas Day

O'Neal toggled between referring to opioid painkillers such as oxycodone and powerful, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories such as Indocin. He said he used opioids when recovering from injuries and took NSAIDs throughout his career.

But he also said his doctor told him he was addicted to painkillers, leading to "a heated discussion." O'Neal didn't feel high, he said, even when he would take more than the prescribed dose. "I would do homeboy math," he said. "If it said take one, I'm taking three."

"It was a club sandwich, fries and two pills for 19 years."

O'Neal first discussed painkillers during his four-part HBO documentary "Shaq," which premiered in 2022, and on the podcast Shepard mostly asked him to expand on what he'd said then about the potential damage to internal organs, the warnings from doctors and his current regrets.

In the documentary, O'Neal had this to say: "Sometimes I couldn't play if I didn't take it. All it did was mask the pain.... Had a lot of painkillers. I got limited kidney stuff now going on. I don't have the full range, but I took so many painkillers that [doctors are] saying, 'Hey, man, we don't need you taking that stuff now. You got to be careful.'

"My kidneys are kind of just chilling out right now," he continued. "I don't want to flare ‘em back up."

Read more:Luka Doncic takes a jab at Mavericks while showing off his revenge body

Both opioids and NSAIDs can cause kidney and liver damage, and O'Neal didn't specify on the podcast which substances caused him the most concern. He said he struggled with accepting that he might have an addiction, eventually concluding, "I had to have them. So, is that addiction?"

And he hid the use of painkillers from his wife and kids, although he said "the trainers knew."

As far back as 2000 — a year when O'Neal was the NBA's most valuable player and led the Lakers to the first of three consecutive championships — he expressed concern about the dangers of anti-inflammatories.

O'Neal suspected that the kidney disease that threatened the life of fellow NBA star Alonzo Mourning might be the result of anti-inflammatories and said he would stop taking them.

Two years later, however, O'Neal had resumed NSAID use. After a stomach ailment he originally believed was an ulcer, diagnostic tests were done on his kidneys and liver.

He described the results to The Times thusly: “I’m not great, but I’m cool.”

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O'Neal was playing with a badly aching arthritic big toe, a sprained wrist and a handful of unlisted bangs and bruises. He needed the pills, although it was unclear whether he was referring to painkillers, anti-inflammatories or both.

“I tried to stay off of them, but if I don’t take them I can’t move or play,” he said in 2002. “I was taking them. When my stomach was giving me problems I had to get the test."

O'Neal has long championed nonprescription means of addressing pain. He's been the spokesperson for the topical analgesic Icy Hot since 2003 and he spoke on Capitol Hill in 2016, plugging efforts to give police better tools to recognize when drivers are under the influence of drugs. He pledged two years of funding for officers to become drug recognition experts.

O'Neal's comments on Shepard's podcast are a clear indication that his use of painkillers and NSAIDs continues to weigh heavily on his mind. He added that these days he relaxes with a different vice: a hookah.

“I’ve never been into weed,” he said. “Hookah, it enables me to follow the routine of sit your ass down."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

NBA Board of Governors approves Celtics sale to Bill Chisholm

NBA Board of Governors approves Celtics sale to Bill Chisholm originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Bill Chisholm Era in Boston is set to begin.

The NBA Board of Governors has unanimously approved the sale of the Boston Celtics to a group led by Chisholm, the league announced in a statement Wednesday.

The transaction is “expected to close shortly,” per the NBA.

Last July, Boston Basketball Partners, LLC — a group led by current lead governor Wyc Grousbeck — announced its intention to sell the team in two phases, giving up a majority ownership stake now and parting with the remaining stake in 2028.

An investment group led by Chisholm agreed to purchase the team for a record $6.1 billion in March, with Grousbeck agreeing to stay on until 2028. On Tuesday, it was reported that Grousbeck will transition from lead governor to alternate governor when the sale goes through, with Chisholm assuming the role of lead governor. (Grousbeck will retain his CEO title.)

Wednesday’s approval of the Celtics sale means that process is officially happening. And when the transaction is finalized, Chisholm officially will take the baton from Grousbeck, who will remain with the franchise but in a slightly different role.

“(It’s) a little bit of a change from what was expected, but I don’t think this is going to change a whole lot in how the dynamic is going to work moving forward,” our Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg noted Tuesday night about the dynamic between Chisholm and Grousbeck.

“I think that Bill Chisholm is going to enjoy having Wyc here to help steward the franchise forward in this transition process, but Bill, after paying $6.1 billion, is understandably going to sit in the lead chair. He’ll be the guy who goes to the Board of Governors meetings and has that bigger role as the Celtics chart a path forward here.”

Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon reportedly to buy Trail Blazers, keep team in Portland

Tom Dundon, owner of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, reportedly has reached an agreement to buy the Portland Trail Blazers from Paul Allen's estate at a valuation of more than $4 billion, a story broken by Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico and confirmed by other reports.

The new owners intend to keep the Trail Blazers in Portland, according to the reports. That ultimately will involve Dundon's group building a new arena in the area, something NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had said was part of the discussion involved with this sale.

"The city of Portland likely needs a new arena," Silver said during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. "So that will be part of the challenge for any new ownership group coming in."

Dundon not only owns the Hurricanes, but also is the majority owner of the Professional Pickleball Association and Major League Pickleball (he has invested heavily in that fast-growing sport). Dundon will head a group that also includes Marc Zahr, the co-president of Blue Owl Capital, and Portland-based Sheel Tyle, co-CEO of Collective Global, Sportico reports.

The Trail Blazers were put up for sale in May, following the wishes of the late Paul Allen, who owned the team in a trust. His sister, Jody Allen, is the trustee and executor of his estate, and she moved more slowly toward this sale than many Trail Blazers fans would have preferred. All the proceeds from the sale of the Trail Blazers will be given to charities and other philanthropic endeavors, as Paul Allen had put in his trust.

Before selling the team, Jody Allen made sure that general manager Joe Cronin and coach Chauncey Billups got contract extensions. On the court, the Trail Blazers are in the midst of a rebuild with some promising young players — Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, and just-drafted Chinese center Yang Hansen — and it just brought back franchise legend Damian Lillard (who will miss the coming season recovering from a torn Achilles).

Why Domantas Sabonis is excited for full Kings season with star teammates

Why Domantas Sabonis is excited for full Kings season with star teammates originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Domantas Sabonis is looking forward to the Kings having a full training camp to improve chemistry among himself, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and coach Doug Christie leading up to the 2025-26 NBA season.

“I think it’s going to help,” Sabonis told reporters Wednesday at his second annual youth basketball camp in Rocklin. “You know, [LaVine] in halfway through the season, also a new coach — not the system the coach might want to play, [and] players learning it. 

“I know Doug’s working hard on the new system and how he wants to play us. He’s going to translate it through training camp. And so far, all summer, we’ve been getting little bits and pieces of that new offense. Hopefully, when training camp comes, we’re just ready to go.”

LaVine was acquired at the 2025 NBA trade deadline in the blockbuster deal that sent longtime Sacramento icon De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs, and Christie is in his first offseason of officially being the Kings’ coach after serving as the interim following Mike Brown’s firing in late December.

DeRozan, too, is entering his second season with the franchise.

Sacramento has a well-rounded roster, but it’s clear the key players themselves never fully adjusted to the new-look offense upon LaVine’s arrival, as reflected by the Kings’ 40-42 record in 2024-25.

Though the two-time NBA All-Star did average 22.4 points, 3.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds over his first 32 games with Sacramento. But in that span, the Kings still won a mere 14 games and finished the whirlwind of a campaign by being eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA play-in tournament.

Sabonis is well aware of the untapped potential his team has centered around himself, DeRozan and LaVine. The three-time All-Star even told reporters that he and some teammates already have been practicing together before training camp starts on Sept. 29.

“Of course,” Sabonis said about working out with his Kings teammates. “I’m flying down … tonight, after the camp, to LA. We’re going to meet up with some guys, you know, and just get some work in.”

Sabonis added that he will not be participating in any international hoops for his native country of Lithuania. He is strictly focused on bringing the Kings back to the NBA playoffs.

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Sixers have their 2025-26 NBA Cup group play schedule

Sixers have their 2025-26 NBA Cup group play schedule originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers now know all the details of their work ahead in the 2025-26 NBA Cup.

The league announced the full group play schedule Wednesday. The Sixers’ is below: 

  • Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. ET vs. Celtics
  • Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Pistons
  • Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. ET vs. Magic 
  • Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Nets 

The Sixers did not advance out of group play in the first two editions of the NBA Cup, which was originally known as the In-Season Tournament. Overall, they went 5-10 last year against the teams in their 2025-26 Cup group: 

  • 2-2 vs. Nets
  • 1-2 vs. Pistons
  • 1-3 vs. Celtics
  • 1-3 vs. Magic

The team’s roster now includes former Net Trendon Watford, a close friend of Tyrese Maxey’s who’s expected to play a significant, versatile role. 

All six group winners and two “wild cards” — the best non-group winners in each conference — will make the quarterfinals. The Cup will conclude in Las Vegas, where the semifinals (Dec. 13) and championship game (Dec. 16) will be played. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Dec. 9 and Dec. 10.

On Thursday, the NBA will announce its complete 2025-26 schedule. 

Kings' NBA Cup Group A schedule released, with games vs. Thunder, Timberwolves

Kings' NBA Cup Group A schedule released, with games vs. Thunder, Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings’ path to bouncing back in the NBA Cup begins Nov. 7 at Golden 1 Center against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sacramento also will play the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Nov. 14, host the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 26 and face the Jazz in Utah on Nov. 28.

The NBA released the full 2025 NBA Cup schedule on Wednesday, a month after the six five-team groups were revealed.

The Kings went 1-3 in the group stage last season, missing the knockout round.

If the Kings advance out of the group stage, they head to the knockout rounds. The Western and Eastern Conference quarterfinals take place on Dec. 9 and 10, while the conference semifinals will be held on Dec. 13.

Should the Kings survive the single-elimination knockout stage, they will play in the NBA Cup championship game on Dec. 16.

Sacramento heads into the 2025-26 NBA season looking to return to the playoffs after losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference play-in tournament in April.

Doug Christie had the interim title removed and is entrenched as the Kings’ coach for the foreseeable future, while Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Keegan Murray anchor the roster. Point guard Dennis Schroder joins the fray to run the offense.

The first step to building a solid foundation for the future would be to win the NBA Cup.

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Warriors' NBA Cup schedule released, featuring matchup vs. Kevin Durant, Rockets

Warriors' NBA Cup schedule released, featuring matchup vs. Kevin Durant, Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry and the Warriors’ road to the 2025 NBA Cup knockout rounds begins Friday, Nov. 7, with a Group C matchup against Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets in Denver and concludes Wednesday, Nov. 26, against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets at Chase Center in San Francisco.

In between those two games, Golden State will play the Spurs on Friday, Nov. 14, in San Antonio and host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, Nov. 21.

The NBA released the full NBA Cup schedule on Wednesday, a month after revealing the six five-team groups.

If the Warriors advance out of the group stage, they head to the knockout rounds. The Western and Eastern Conference quarterfinals take place on Dec. 9 and 10, while the conference semifinals will be held on Dec. 13.

Should the Warriors survive the single-elimination knockout stage, they will play in the NBA Cup championship game on Dec. 16.

The Warriors made it to the knockout stage last season, winning Group C with a 3-1 record. But they lost 91-90 to the Rockets in the quarterfinals. Houston would go on to lose to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinal.

Golden State got its revenge in April by taking down Houston in a thrilling seven-game first-round NBA playoff series.

With Jimmy Butler in the fold to begin the 2025-26 season, the Warriors are better equipped to do damage in the NBA Cup. But the path is daunting with games against the Nuggets, Spurs, Trail Blazers and Rockets.

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Forsberg: Making sense of Grousbeck report, Celtics ownership dynamic

Forsberg: Making sense of Grousbeck report, Celtics ownership dynamic originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

So… What exactly is going on with the sale of the Boston Celtics?

That’s a question many had Tuesday in the wake of a report that Wyc Grousbeck won’t remain the Celtics’ lead owner after his ownership group completes a $6.1 billion sale of the team to new owner Bill Chisholm.

While ESPN’s Shams Charania initially reported that Grousbeck “will no longer stay on as governor” of the franchise, multiple outlets later clarified that Grousbeck will still be with the franchise until 2028, but with the title of alternate governor instead of lead governor.

Grousbeck also is expected to retain his CEO title through 2028, while Chisholm will take over as lead owner when the sale goes through, which could happen as soon as next week.

What does this all mean for the future of the organization? As Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg explained Tuesday on Arbella Early Edition, the team’s day-to-day operation shouldn’t change much under this arrangement.

“(It’s) a little bit of a change from what was expected, but I don’t think this is going to change a whole lot in how the dynamic is going to work moving forward,” Forsberg said.

“I think that Bill Chisholm is gonna enjoy having Wyc here to help steward the franchise forward in this transition process, but Bill, after paying $6.1 billion, is understandably going to sit in the lead chair. He’ll be the guy who goes to the Board of Governors meetings and has that bigger role as the Celtics chart a path forward here.”

According to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov, the NBA doesn’t allow someone to serve as lead governor if they don’t own at least 15 percent of the franchise. With Chisholm set to take at least a 51 percent ownership stake in the team until the full sale is complete in 2028, it makes sense that he’d assume that “lead role” given his financial investment.

As Forsberg noted, however, Grousbeck still will be involved in the franchise’s operations, even if Chisholm is atop the masthead.

“The fans probably won’t notice much change from the outside,” Forsberg added. “It’s still going to be a collaborative effort. But I do believe that when you pay a hefty price — we thought that at some point, Bill would elevate to that role maybe even before 2028.

“But Wyc will still have a part of this, and Bill Chisholm can start leaving his imprint on this new franchise and finding a way to get them back to a championship level.”

For his part, Chisholm has placed his trust in Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, who has aggressively trimmed salary this offseason in an effort to trim salary but has ownership’s blessing to spend in the future and rebuild a contender in Boston when Jayson Tatum returns from his ruptured Achilles.

“Bill has been pretty clear from the get-go that he wants to make sure that we’re prioritizing basketball assets and the ability to retool this thing at the highest level that we can,” Stevens said last month.

Looking ahead: 21 potential NBA free agents in the class of 2026

NBA free agency is not entirely wrapped up for 2025. There are a few name players still available — Russell Westbrook, Malcolm Brogdon, although Amir Coffey may be the best of them — and some restricted free agents still looking for the best deal possible, such as Jonathan Kuminga and Josh Giddey (among others).

That said, it's time to gaze into the future — what about next summer, the free agent class of 2026?

It's not setting up to be the deepest class (free agency is not how star players generally switch teams in the apron era), and who is in this group could certainly change between now and next July, but here are the names to look ahead to in free agency a year from now.

Biggest name

LeBron James

Agent Rich Paul's not-so-subtle statement when LeBron James picked up his option to play with the Lakers this season put the NBA trade rumor mill into high gear, but the reality of the marketplace was always that he would play this season out in Los Angeles.

Next season? That's when things get interesting. What might happen depends in large part on how LeBron feels and how this season plays out in Los Angeles — is he still healthy and playing at a high enough level to have contenders willing to make a bold move to land him? Does he stay in L.A. with his family? LeBron isn't going to finish out his career just anywhere, but if he wants to go to the Knicks or return to the Cavaliers, is he willing to sign on at a very steep discount to make that possible? Could a sign-and-trade be worked out that would also benefit the Lakers?

There are far more questions than answers right now, but that's not going to stop the storylines — LeBron James' free agency will be a big story during this season and could be the story of the summer of 2026.

Players likely to sign extensions

These are players who, as of now, could be free agents but likely will not be next summer.

Kevin Durant: Durant is entering the final year of his contract, but he and the Houston Rockets are expected to work out a two-year extension (the longest he can sign because of the over-38 rule). The question becomes, how much of a haircut on his salary is KD willing to take to help out Houston? The conventional wisdom was always that he would take a little less to be on a team he wanted to be part of, but how much less? What is his market now as an elite but aging scorer, one who is still one of the biggest draws in the league? Whatever the number, the expectation is that a deal will get done and KD will stay in Houston beyond just this season.

Trae Young (player option): The Hawks want to kick Young extension talks down the road, likely to next summer, but neither side is looking to part ways. Eventually, an extension, maybe a shorter one (two years?), will be reached, but until then, the possibility of Young opting out of his $48.9 million and becoming a free agent is on the table (and something the Hawks want to avoid).

John Collins: This may be the most interesting of this group. Collins moves to the Clippers this season, joining a veteran team — Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Ivica Zubac — that could highlight his skill set and make him even more valuable. Collins averaged 19 points and 8.2 rebounds a game last season when healthy, shooting 39.9% from beyond the arc. There are a lot of teams that could use a stretch four like him and there will be demand if he has a strong season.

Dyson Daniels: The Hawks' Most Improved Player and All-Defensive wing is headed to restricted free agency next summer if he does not sign an extension before this season starts. Reportedly, both Daniels and Atlanta want to get a deal done, so an extension likely will come together. But if the Hawks low-ball him, Daniels could choose restricted free agency next year and other teams would have interest in trying to poach him.

Likely unrestricted free agents

Kristaps Porzingis: His future with the Hawks — and how much demand there will be for him around the league — will rest on how healthy he looks this season and how he meshes with Trae Young. That said, 7-foot rim protectors who can shoot the 3 always have a market and there will be teams calling KP next summer.

Norman Powell: He was traded to Miami for the final year of his contract, making $20.5 million. He is coming off a season where he made a leap (in year 10!) and averaged 21.8 points a game while shooting 41.8% from beyond the arc. At age 32, the Clippers were hesitant to give Powell the longer extension that he wanted, which helped lead to the trade, but is Miami going to feel any differently (Miami is also trying to keep its books clean to make a big swing at a superstar down the line)? While the Heat and Powell may work out an extension, his hitting free agency seems a very real possibility.

Anfernee Simons: Simons was traded to a Celtics team that liked his ability to score, averaging 19.3 points and 4.8 assists per game last season. He can get a bucket from anywhere on the court, and Boston needs that next to Jaylen Brown. However, the Celtics are not done dealing and may try to move Simons at the deadline, and even if they don't, he may not be in their long-term plans once Jayson Tatum returns. How this season goes for Simons will determine where his salary goes from the $27 million he is making this season, but he very well could be a free agent.

Coby White: White signed a three-year, $36 million contract coming off shoulder surgery, a deal he has completely outplayed. He is expecting to get paid next summer, reportedly he is looking for something in the $30+ million a year range, and even if the final number falls short of that, expect a big pay increase for the young guard. The Bulls might try to lock him up, depending on what happens with restricted free agent Josh Giddey, but one way or another, White is going to get paid.

Khris Middleton: How much does the former All-Star and Olympian still have in the tank? The Wizards are holding on to the veteran forward and will be looking to trade him during the season, but if a deal doesn't come together, look for a midseason buyout. All of that points to him being a free agent next summer, right before his age 35 season. He's going to have to show he's got enough left to get a contender to pick him up.

CJ McCollum: I feel like I could just copy and paste a lot of what was written above about Middleton: McCollum is on the Wizards, and they will be looking to trade him all season long, if not, they could buy him out. How much does McCollum have left in the tank entering his age 34 season? When healthy last season he averaged 21.1 points and 4.1 assists a game, do that again and there will be some free agent interest in him.

Veterans with player options

Austin Reaves: Reaves will be a free agent. There is zero chance he is picking up his $14.9 million player option, even if he plans to stay with the Lakers. Reaves reportedly wants to be paid in the Tyler Herro range of $30 million a year (and Herro is a good comp in a lot of ways). If Reaves shows this season that he can be a high-level scorer next to Luka Doncic and can step up his game in the playoffs, the Lakers gladly will pay that much to keep him (and Reaves will want to stay). However, if he struggles again in the playoffs, the Lakers — who will have a lot of cap space — may question whether that is the best way to spend their money.

James Harden: This summer, Harden signed a two-year contract with the Clippers that gives him a $42.3 million player option for the 2026-27 season, and the smart bet is he will pick that up. The Clippers are working to keep their books clean for the summer of 2027 (not so coincidentally, when Giannis Antetokounmpo might be a free agent) and are not likely to offer the aging Harden (35) another extension. Is there a $40+ million market for Harden beyond the Clippers? If not, he'll grab the bag on the table.

Draymond Green: Still the anchor of the Warriors' defense, Green has a $27.7 million player option for 2026-27. Golden State is still all-in on trying to win another ring with Stephen Curry, and with that, it's tough to see Green walking away (or being traded). But it's hanging out there, and it's something to watch. There would be teams interested in his defense and leadership.

Zach LaVine: LaVine's future is heavily dependent on where he is playing after next February's trade deadline — Sacramento is open to trading the wing who averaged 23.3 points a game last season. LaVine has a $48.9 million player option, if he's traded his new team may want to work out an extension. If not, does LaVine grab that bag, or possibly go into free agency next summer, open to taking a little haircut off that number per year for the sake of getting three or four years of security? There are more questions than answers with LaVine at this point. Things will be a lot clearer after the trade deadline.

Bradley Beal: Beal has a player option at the taxpayer mid-level exception of $5.6 million for the 2026-27 season. The Clippers plan to keep their books wide open for the summer of 2027 and to remain flexible; they are not going to offer an extension that gives Beal a big raise. What Beal does next summer will depend on how this season goes. Does he want to stay with the Clippers at this number, or will he have stayed healthy and played his way into a raise? He can hit the free agent market if he wants.

Fred VanVleet: VanVleet signed a two-year, $50 million contract this summer to stay with the Rockets, and with that has a $25 million player option for 2026-27. He very likely picks that up, but he could choose free agency if he wishes.

Veterans with team options

Lu Dort & Isaiah Hartenstein: We're lumping these two together because they're part of the same equation in Oklahoma City: At what point do quality role players such as Dort and Hartenstein get let go because the team is headed deep into the luxury tax? The Thunder are projected to be about $24 million over the second apron in 2026-27 (when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren all will be making more than $40 million a season). The stockpile of draft picks the Thunder have gives them the ammunition to make moves (or draft players) to step into the roles of guys such as Hartenstein and Dort. At some point, the Thunder will likely trim salaries around their stars. Does this start with Hartenstein ($28.5 million team option) and/or Dort ($18.2 million) next summer?

Brook Lopez: The Clippers will likely pick up the $9.2 million team option for Lopez a year from now. However, depending on how this season goes, it is possible that Los Angeles does not bring back the floor-spacing veteran center.

Bogdan Bogdanovic: The veteran guard has a $16 million team option for next season. If the Clippers don't trade him, they likely pick up the option, especially if the plan is to head into next season with a roster similar to this year's. If he is traded, it could be to a team looking to make him a free agent to save money.

Fulton to return to Timberwolves for pre-season

CJ Fulton
CJ Fulton featured for the Minnesota Timberwolves during their NBA Summer League win over Phoenix Suns in July [Getty Images]

CJ Fulton will return to the United States in September to link up with NBA side the Minnesota Timberwolves for their pre-season.

The former Belfast Star player featured for the Timberwolves in the NBA Summer League, where he played four minutes in their 89-85 win against the Phoenix Suns last month.

The appearance made him the third Irish-born player to take to the court at the highest level in the United States after Pat Burke and Susan Moran and, after impressing in Las Vegas, he has been invited back to train with the squad.

Fulton has not signed a deal with the NBA franchise, but will now get the opportunity to prepare for the season with the franchise's full roster, including All Star Anthony Edwards.

The back-to-back Western Conference finalists are scheduled to play six exhibition games, including hosting Guangzhou Loong Lions of China, before their regular-season opener against the Denver Nuggets on 27 October.

Fulton initially caught the attention of the Timberwolves with his displays in the college game where he represented Lafayette and the Charleston Cougars, averaging 7.8 points and 6.5 assists per game for the latter during his senior year.

The 22-year-old missed out on selection in the NBA draft in June but can still realise his dream of appearing in the league.

Although the G-League - the NBA's team-affiliated development league - or a professional career in Europe remain options for the former St Malachy's College pupil, securing a place on an NBA roster is still the primary goal.

Wyc Grousbeck reportedly will not stay on as Celtics governor after sale of team is finalized

When the then-record $6.1 billion sale of the Boston Celtics to Bay Area tech investor Bill Chisholm was announced, part of the deal was that current team governor Wyc Grousbeck would stay in that role until 2028.

Nope. Grousbeck will step aside and Chisholm will take over as the team's governor when the sale is completed soon, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

This isn't a shock, and it echoes what happened with Mark Cuban's sale of the majority of the Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson and her family. Cuban thought and announced that he was going to stay on and oversee basketball operations, but that turned out not to be the case (the Luka Doncic trade would never have happened on his watch).

With Jayson Tatum out for most, if not all, of next season, Chisholm's Celtics have been aggressive in reducing their payroll and associated luxury tax, trading away Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, among others. All their moves have knocked the Celtics' tax bill down by about $300 million for next season, although the team still has the fifth highest payroll in the league and remains $12 million into the luxury tax (don't be shocked if Boston makes another move or two in an effort to get below that number and reset the repeater tax). All that cost-cutting is going to hit the Celtics on the court, where they still have an impressive top of the roster led by Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, but things get thin pretty quickly with this group.

Choosing to make this a gap year and reduce an enormous tax bill is defensible, even smart, in a season where the Celtics are not expected to compete for a title due to Tatum's injury. The real test of Chisholm as an owner comes in a year: What is he willing to spend to rebuild a contending roster? With Tatum and Brown at the top, as well as others such as White, the Celtics have the foundation of a team that could hang banner No. 19, but will the new ownership spend what it takes to fill out the roster with quality and win?

Bradley Beal on joining Clippers: 'I need a ring. I need one bad.'

Bradley Beal had options after he agreed to a buyout with Phoenix that allowed the Suns to waive-and-stretch the remaining money on his contract — Beal was a free agent. Teams from across the league were calling.

Beal chose the Los Angeles Clippers. Why? To win a ring, he told Tamar Sher of KMOV 4 when Beal was back in his hometown of St. Louis.

"I feel like I've got a new life of rejuvenation for sure, a new hunger."

Beal is stepping into a key role with the Clippers, the one Norman Powell played at a near All-Star level for the team last season: Sharpshooter to space the floor, being a secondary shot creator on the wing next to James Harden, and running the second unit. Beal has come to a team that should win a lot of games: The Clippers were a 50-win team last season and should be improved after adding solid veteran depth around Harden and Kawhi Leonard, such as Brook Lopez as a backup center and John Collins at the four.

But are they contenders? Can Harden be trusted in the playoffs? Will Leonard be healthy?

The other challenge for coach Tyronn Lue will be balancing a deep roster, but one that has some one-way players. For example, do the Clippers start Beal next to Harden for the offense, or start Kris Dunn for the defense? Is Collins the starting four, or does he come off the bench and Derrick Jones Jr. starts because of his superior defense? Lue tried not to play Dunn and Jones Jr. together last season because it ruined the team's floor spacing. Lue has to find that balance again.

Beal has joined a team where he feels comfortable, is going to have a big role, and is going to do a lot of winning in the regular season. However, he may not need to formalize his ring size just yet.