Category: Basketball

Jalen Duren might have been eager to test the free agent market in a search to maximize his earnings on a new long-term deal, but that market has all but disappeared two days into free agency. There were few teams with salary cap space to spend, but there were plenty of teams interested in landing a difference-making center.

When it was reported that Duren was interested in meeting with the Sacramento Kings, it made sense because, well, they’re the Kings. When LeBron James made it clear he was moving on from the center-needy Los Angeles Lakers, the fit didn’t seem like it could get better. It was clear throughout the season that the Boston Celtics viewed center as the weakest spot on their roster, and the organization telegraphed that they would work to land a permanent solution in the offseason. You can toss some teams with money to spend and the ability to create more in the mix — the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets chief among them.

In the two days since free agency began, all those teams (save the Kings) have found their answer at center, and it wasn’t Jalen Duren.

The Lakers swung a huge trade to land defensive powerhouse Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz. The Boston Celtics landed New York Knicks champion Mitchell Robinson on a new three-year deal. The Bulls and Nets went bargain shopping and signed Zach Collins and Moe Wagner, respectively.

Restricted free agency is a nasty piece of business from the player’s perspective. Your team holds all the leverage and you have few avenues to dictate your own market. Jalen Duren is coming off an All-NBA season and technically qualified for a supermax contract. The Pistons are reportedly not even offering him the standard max. They telegraphed that even if Duren found a team willing to offer him a deal, they would match it. They made clear that any sign-and-trade would have to blow them away to even entertain the possibility.

I’m not surprised Duren is unhappy with the contract Detroit has put in front of him, and I understand he was trying to create leverage by exploring the market for a team that would pay him more. But it appears the league either values Duren differently or fully understands the strong position Detroit found itself in.

Duren now finds himself as the lone starting-level center still on the market. And there is one team he will likely be starting for — the Detroit Pistons.

What that contract arrangement looks like remains to be seen. Will a livid Duren do something as drastic as signing his qualifying offer, playing out one more year in Detroit and getting out at the earliest convenience? Probably not. That would be leaving more than $150 million dollars on the table.

He could sign for the full five years at between $32-38 million, have generational wealth and still be in his prime when he is up for his next monster deal. Or it could fall somewhere in between, fewer years, quicker pathways to a big payday, player options, etc.

But it appears that for all his agent’s posturing and trying to work the media to their fullest advantage, this is going to end up where it was always most likely to land — with Jalen Duren catching lobs from Cade Cunningham and Duren looking at another year in the playoffs where he can really show what he can do.

The floodgates were fully open for the Lakers’ free agency moves Wednesday morning. 

After securing Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Quentin Grimes on long-term deals, the Lakers agreed to terms on a two-year deal with veteran guard Collin Sexton.

ESPN was first to report that Sexton is signing a two-year, $19 million deal. 

Sexton, the No. 8 pick in the 2018 draft, is coming off of averaging 15.4 points and 3.3 assists in 68 regular season games (22 starts) for the Hornets and Bulls in 2025-26.

He has career averages of 18.3 points (47% shooting; 50.4% on 2-pointers and 38.9% on 3-pointers), 3.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds during an eight-season NBA career that’s taken him to Cleveland, Utah, Charlotte, Chicago and now Los Angeles.

Sexton is expected to slot in as the backup ball handler behind star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

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Mamuuu! Nooo!

Shams Charania of ESPN has broken the news that newly minted free agent Sandro Mamukelashvili has officially signed a $52 million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, locking the centre-forward up for the next four years. It seems that as Toronto takes from one LA team, the other one takes back, and in a very vulnerable position for the Raps.

The potential effects of Mamu’s departure on the team have already been discussed: the loss of size and a respectable shooter is not something the Raptors can take lying down, and brings even more urgency to the Raptors’ quest to fill out their centre rotation. Trayce Jackson-Davis is now the team’s third stringer, who after playing only 17 games for the team, could see a huge uptick in minutes. All that considered, some additional urgency is probably not a bad thing for this team. The marathon to getting a positionally sound roster together is one that is going painfully slowly, but appears to be quite calculated, picking up Kawhi Leonard along the way.

But, the Raptors have only one seven footer, and ESPN shows Jamison Battle as the fourth string centre. That is an unacceptable state for this team to be in, long term. With even Jonathan Mogbo departing, the Raptors need more size of the bench, and a more reliable centre, full stop. We could see in the upcoming weeks more aggressive pursuit of Myles Turner, as Jalen Duren and many other high profile free agent centres have either been linked with new teams, or have already inked deals. The Raptors will have to make new moves sooner than later.

For more than his play, I’ll miss Mamu. The player seemed nothing but kind in his personal life, and injected excitement into a Raptors’ team that is only now beginning to find its identity. I wish him the best in Los Angeles, but reflect on the way we could have kept the good times going.

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The Golden State Warriors opened the offseason with a big move, signing their trade deadline acquisition, Kristaps Porziņģis, to a two-year extension worth $40 million. The reunion wasn’t at all surprising, though I think the price tag probably raised a few eyebrows.

There are reasons to love and be skeptical about the extension. Porziņģis fit in brilliantly with the Dubs on both ends of the court, and showed just how dynamic of a force he can be in their systems. On the other hand, he also displayed the serious health concerns that have plagued him throughout the last decade.

So with all that in mind … how do you grade the extension?

The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to terms on a four-year, $60 million contract with a free agent who’s also a former teammate of their superstar guard. 

The franchise will sign former 76ers guard Quentin Grimes, who was an unrestricted free agent after one-and-a-half seasons in Philadelphia. 

Grimes, 26, played with Lakers star guard Luka Dončić for a brief period to start the 2024-25 season in Dallas after being traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Dallas Mavericks during the 2024 offseason. 

The 6-foot-4 guard out of Houston, who was the No. 25 pick in the 2021 draft, has averaged 11.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists during his NBA career. 

Grimes is coming off of averaging 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 2025-26 with the 76ers. 

He’s coming off a down shooting year, making a career-low 33.4% of his 3-pointers, but has been a reliable perimeter shooter for most of his career. 

Grimes shot 37.5% on 3s during his first four seasons in the league. He’s shot at least 38% on catch-and-shoot 3s in four of his five seasons.

Grimes is also a reliable corner 3-point shooter.

Free agent guard Quentin Grimes has agreed to a four-year, $60 million to join the Los Angeles Lakers, with a player option, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/5mcp4pULuD

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

At 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Grimes has shown he can be a strong perimeter defender, especially off of the ball when he doesn’t have lapses.

After starting his career with the Knicks before being traded to the Pistons ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, Grimes hasn’t spent more than one-and-a-half seasons with a single team.

The Pistons traded him to the Mavericks during the 2024 offseason. And then the Mavericks traded Grimes to the 76ers ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.

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As the Lakers look to find shooting to put around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, they turned to one of the better stretch bigs on the market.

After being linked with him since before the start of free agency, the Lakers have reportedly agreed to a deal with Sandro Mamukelashvili, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

Just in: Free agent F/C Sandro Mamukelashvili has agreed to a four-year, $52 million deal to sign with Los Angeles Lakers, with a player option for the fourth season, sources tell ESPN. Big fully guaranteed deal for George Roussakis and Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports. pic.twitter.com/dN7L6K7SQm

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

Not only can the Lakers add Mamukelashvili, but they can also add a few more pieces with the remaining cap space.

Sandro Mamukelashvili will go into the Lakers cap space based on these terms.

They have $12.4 million remaining and then the $9.4 million room mid-level exception. https://t.co/eYgvCLzYxf

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) July 1, 2026

The Lakers adding a big, along with reports of Walker Kessler’s signing, means the frontcourt depth has improved. There are likely moves still to be made, but the Lakers have two new frontcourt pieces this season.

Mamukelashvili is a good player who is a capable rebounder and can certainly stretch the floor. Last year with the Raptors, he shot 38.9% from 3-point range. That’s his best shooting season from beyond the arc, and he did it while taking 3.7 3-point attempts per game.

Overall, Mamu had a breakout season with the Raptors last year, averaging 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. His ability to space the floor means he can play as a four and potentially as a five in small ball lineups. With Mamu, the Lakers should be able to play more two-big lineups while still spacing the floor.

At 27 years old, he’s also on the same timeline as Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, another positive sign. One of the overall themes of the Lakers in free agency this year is that they got younger overall.

His signing, paired with the other flurry of moves by the Lakers, almost guarantees that Rui Hachimura will not be back next season, something that has been in the cards since free agency started. Barring some sort of dramatic change or an unexpected change, the Lakers simply won’t have space under the first apron to retain Hachimura.

It all happened quickly this summer, but the Lakers landed a solid big who can space the floor, something the roster did not have last season.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

After completing a trade for Walker Kessler, the Lakers followed with a flurry of moves.

In a sequence of moves announced nearly simultaneously, the Lakers agreed to deals with Sandro Mamukelashvili and Quentin Grimes, then finished with a two-year, $19 million deal for Collin Sexton.

Free agent Collin Sexton has agreed to a two-year, $19 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/S2MBPxTSH4

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

This deal will be for the Room Exception, meaning the Lakers are now out of spending power. The only signings they can make now are veteran minimum deals.

Room mid-level exception for Collin Sexton over two years. Excellent value for him.

Lakers exhaust all their spending power.

They can now make trades with their players under contract to further increase their payroll and upgrade the roster. https://t.co/LavuSTsFwx

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) July 1, 2026

The Lakers’ interest in Sextondates back many years. He’s a name that has often been tangentially linked to the team but never seemed all that realistic until now.

With both Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard leaving in free agency, the Lakers had a need for backup guards. Sexton is still just 27 years old, so the team is also getting younger.

Last season, Sexton split his season between the Hornets and Bulls, averaging 15.4 points and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 48.5% from the field and 40.1% from the 3-point line. For his career, he’s a 38.9% 3-point shooter, but has been north of 39% every season since the 2022-23 campaign.

Sexton also has a great ability to get to the rim. Last season, 27.5% of his shots came within three feet while he shot 64.7% on those attempts. The only non-bigs on the Lakers to have a percentage higher than that on the Lakers last season were Adou Thiero in limited minutes and LeBron James.

The Lakers relied heavily on Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to create rim pressure last season, so adding Sexton certainly fills a need in that regard.

Sexton did spend a couple of seasons in Utah playing alongside Kessler, so there will also be a bit of chemistry there as well.

It all happened very quickly, so it’ll take time to digest, but the Lakers quickly made moves to add younger, athletic guards to the roster and surround Luka and Austin with shooting and playmaking on the perimeter, two areas the team lacked last season.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Yeah, that might be a bit rich for our blood.

ESPN’s Shams Charania has reported that Quentin Grimes will be signing a four-year, $60 million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, ending his Sixers tenure after two seasons. The Lakers were one of two suitors rumored to be interested in Grimes, along with the Miami Heat. The night before he signed, Jake Fischer reported again he expected Grimes to LA.

Free agent guard Quentin Grimes has agreed to a four-year, $60 million to join the Los Angeles Lakers, with a player option, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/5mcp4pULuD

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

Grimes’ eventual departure to LA was reported before the Sixers made any moves, but using part of their mid-level exception to sign Dean Wade all but sealed Grimes’ fate. Whether they signed Wade or not, that was probably not a number the Sixers were ever going to match. The Lakers have been big spenders so far this summer, also handing out deals to Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton.

With Grimes gone and Wade signed, the quickest breakdown of the Sixers’ cap situation is that they have $16.3 million to spend before hitting the first apron where they’re hard capped, plus the ~$6 million they have left on their mid-level exception after the signings of Wade and center Ariel Hukporti. They could also access the bi-annual exception ($5.5 million).

Grimes arrived in Philadelphia at the trade deadline during the 2024-25 season, but didn’t really get to play with the real version of this team until 2025-26. Averaging 21.9 points per game for the hospital Sixers appeared to set up Grimes pretty well for restricted free agency, but not many offers came Grimes’ way and he came back to the Sixers on the qualifying offer.

Despite a pretty up-and-down season, mostly in a sixth man role, Grimes was the only playable guard off the bench for the Sixers in the playoffs. He was great down the stretch in Game 5 of round one against Boston, but couldn’t string it together consistently as he shot 39% from the field in the playoffs.

LA will certainly provide a bigger role for Grimes than coming back to play with a backcourt of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Labaron Philon Jr, but the Sixers will miss his two-way ability should they not be able to replace it.

The Lakers have agreed to terms on a four-year, $52 million contract with free agent big man Sandro Mamukelashvili.

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound Mamukelashvili is coming off of a career-year with the Raptors. 

His scoring average (11.2 points), field goal percentage (52.3%), steals average (.8) and blocks average (.5) with Toronto in 2025-26 were all career-best marks. 

Just in: Free agent F/C Sandro Mamukelashvili has agreed to a four-year, $52 million deal to sign with Los Angeles Lakers, with a player option for the fourth season, sources tell ESPN. Big fully guaranteed deal for George Roussakis and Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports. pic.twitter.com/dN7L6K7SQm

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

Mamukelashvili, the No. 54 pick in the 2021 draft, has emerged as a reliable three-level scorer, good passer and strong rebounder after playing for the Bucks, Spurs and Raptors. 

While there are defensive concerns, he’ll likely be a reliable bench option who’ll play at the 4 or 5. 

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The Los Angeles Lakers are fully committed to building around Luka Doncic with LeBron James departing in free agency. Doncic has been clamoring for the team to add a talented young center, and the Lakers delivered on Wednesday afternoon with an incredibly bold deal that mortgages four years of draft control for an effective if often injured big man.

The Lakers acquired Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz for unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 and first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Kessler, who was a restricted free agent, has agreed to a four-year, $130 million deal with the Lakers that includes a player option in the final season.

This is a stunning price to pay for a big man at first blush. The Lakers now have a defensive anchor to play alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves, while the Jazz recouped a tremendous amount of future draft capital to continue their rebuild. Let’s grade this deal for both sides.

Lakers grade for Walker Kessler trade

Kessler is one of the better rim protectors in the NBA when he’s healthy. He just hasn’t been healthy very often. Kessler only played five games last season as he recovered from a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He’s only met the NBA’s 65-game threshold for award eligibility one time in his four-year career, and that came as a rookie. Utah’s tanking shenanigans contributed to Kessler missing games, but he’ll need to stay on the court and play at an elite level for this deal to work out for the Lakers.

Kessler has two main strengths as a player: rebounding and blocking shots. He averages 4.5 blocks per 100 possessions for his career, an elite number. He also led the NBA in offensive rebound rate back in the 2024-25 season, when he posted a wild 16.6 percent o-board rate in 58 games. He’s a fantastic defensive rebounder as well, which plays into his reputation as one of the game’s top defensive bigs.

Kessler’s offense is a much bigger question outside of generating extra possessions on the glass. He’s a total non-shooter from three-point range with 17 made threes in 201 career games, however he did make six threes in five games last season before the injury. He’s a career 54 percent free throw shooter, making him one of the NBA’s worst from the foul line. He can finish dunks and putbacks inside, and that’s about it. He hasn’t added much value as a passer throughout his career, either.

This is the Lakers’ big swing to build a championship team around Luka. Los Angeles obviously needed a strong defensive center to pair with two weak defenders in Doncic and Reaves, and they paid a massive price to get one. Usually a trade like this returns a superstar. Instead, the Lakers acquired someone who fits the team well but doesn’t have the production you typically associate with this type of trade.

Big men are getting huge deals all around the NBA this summer, and Kessler’s is the most jarring yet. The four-year, $130 million contract feels fair for both sides. The amount of draft capital given up to get him is what’s so surprising.

The Lakers way overpaid in my view. It could work out for them because Kessler is really good at protecting the rim and cleaning the glass if he stays healthy, but it’s hard to see how this elevates LA into championship contention, and they don’t have many assets left to keep building the team.

Grade: D

Jazz grade for Walker Kessler trade

Talk about a sell-high trade. It’s amazing the Jazz were able to get this type of return for Kessler after he only played five games last season. He’s not an elite center in my view, but the Jazz certainly got elite value back for him.

Utah is set up so well for the future now. They have No. 2 overall draft pick Darryn Peterson as their new franchise star alongside Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Keyonte George, and Ace Bailey. I honestly don’t think losing Kessler makes Utah that much worse for next season given all their front court depth. They are now stocked with assets to continue to build out the team as Peterson reaches his prime.

This is an amazing move for the Jazz. They robbed the Lakers blind. If Peterson reaches his ceiling, Utah will be set up to be a Western Conference contender for years to come. Their ascent should start this season with what looks like a play-in team at least.

Grade: A+

The Celtics have signed Mitchell Robinson to a 3-year, $47.4 million deal, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported. Robinson was a crucial part of the New York Knicks’ championship team, particularly as one of the NBA’s premier rebounders. Robinson reportedly has a player option in the third season of his contract.

Last year, the 28-year-old averaged 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds, shooting 72.3% from the field. In his 8 seasons with the Knicks, he averaged 7.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in just under 24 minutes a game.

Free agent center Mitchell Robinson has agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million deal to sign with the Boston Celtics, with a player option in third season, sources tell ESPN. Robinson departs the Knicks after serving a key role on the historic championship team. pic.twitter.com/tl3R6nlU1m

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

Robinson was the Knicks’ longest-tenured player; he was drafted 36th overall in 2018 and has been a key rotation player since. He was one of just two Knicks rotation players on the title team that was drafted by the franchise.

In the playoffs, he averaged 4.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 13.9 minutes, and secured a key offensive rebound in the closing seconds of the Knicks’ Game 5 championship-clinching win.

Through his career, Robinson has dealt with a slew of injuries, but he appeared in 60 games last season. He appeared in just 48 games in his previous two combined seasons.

What Mitchell Robinson’s signing means for Boston

Mitchell Robinson immediately bolsters the Celtics’ frontcourt and will be the team’s premier big, alongside Neemias Queta. More than anything, he brings rebounding to a Celtics squad that has heavily valued that skill set. The Celtics now have Robinson, Queta, and Luka Garza all at the center position.

Robinson’s rebounding numbers are ridiculous; he averaged 16.1 boards per 36 minutes per game. Last year, with him on the floor, the Knicks had a 37.9% offensive rebounding percentage, which was in the 99th percentile, per The Ringer’s Brian Barrett.

Robinson’s biggest weakness is free-throw shooting; he shot just 40.8% from the free-throw line last season, a career low. Robinson is routinely and intentionally fouled, and the Celtics will undoubtedly work with him on free-throw shooting to ensure he can stay on the floor. But, he’s one of the NBA’s top rebounding bigs and a true seven-footer, someone who immediately gives the Celtics depth at the big position and becomes the team’s best rebounder.

This year’s rookie class is quickly endearing itself to Spurs fans, and perhaps none more so than 26th overall pick Tarris Reed. He clearly has the most personality of the bunch and has already produced several memorable moments. For example, as someone who is a weather nerd, I’ve always enjoyed when rookies (or anyone, really) arrives in San Antonio in the summer and is surprised by the heat. It happened with DeJuan Blair back in the day, and it happened again with Reed, who is already overwhelmed by it and appeared exasperated when told it would only get worse.

Spurs rookie Tarris Reed Jr. is already bracing for the South Texas heat.

“The heat is different out here. That’s another heat; I don’t know if I can handle it.”

Upon being told that it gets worse:

“Everyone says that. Why does everyone say that?” pic.twitter.com/hkhzxeHyCk

— Spurs Nation (@Spurs_Nation) June 30, 2026

Sorry, Tarris, but it’s true: this is just the beginning. South Texas summers are notoriously long, hot and humid. The average high will go up another 4-5 degrees (Fahrenheit) across the next few months, and there won’t be any relief until October at the earliest. You may have experienced heat waves growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, but it didn’t have the humidity mixed in for high heat indexes, where 95 degrees can feel like 110. Down here, it’s just a way of life.

Another moment that went viral was on draft night was Reed happened to have a Spurs teddy bear with him, which he said he got when he was 8-years-old while on the phone with someone (presumably Brian Wright or Mitch Johnson).

Tarris Reed Jr had a Spurs teddy bear with him on the night he was drafted 🥹

“I was like 8 years old when this was up there.. this is crazy, it’s a blessing bro, San Antonio is my favorite.”#GoSpursGo#PorVidapic.twitter.com/DSxIB8QEo9

— Wemby Alien Era (@WembyAlienEra) June 28, 2026

It was a cute moment (plus the mix-up of hats was funny — I get that it was initially Denver that drafted him, but where did the Boston hat come from?), and he got a chance to elaborate on it his first informal media session following summer league practice yesterday.

He was at Disney World in Orlando with his family (although now he’s saying he was 12 or 13), and they visited some NBA-themed restaurant, where he played the claw machine game and just so happened to win a Spurs teddy bear. He loved it at the time since this was still during the Big Three+Kawhi era, and he happened to notice it in his room when he was preparing for pre-draft workouts a decade later. That made him think how cool playing for the Spurs would be (although he wasn’t counting on it), but his mom still brought the bear to his draft viewing party. Then, low and behold, the Spurs traded up for him. It was as if density had been telling him its plan all along.

Tarris Reed Jr talks about his Spurs teddy bear:

“We took a trip to Orlando, we went to Disney world. We stopped by a restaurant.. I ended up playing the claw machine, and somehow someway I won, I had the Spurs teddy bear.

And this is during like the peak run of you know the… https://t.co/9jEOqWNXz8pic.twitter.com/kOldYxYaef

— Wemby Alien Era (@WembyAlienEra) June 30, 2026

Reed isn’t the only player who has had his Spurs moments already. Jayden Quaintance managed to inadvertently make the entire room laugh at his introductory press conference when he said Tim Duncan was his grandfather’s favorite player, making everyone feel old. He was also seen letting his nerdy side out by trying to get Reed hooked on anime. (From David Robinson, to Duncan, Victor Wembanyama and now Quaintance, the Spurs tradition of picking nerdy big men continues.)

Jayden Quaintance says “Death Note” is the anime that can turn Tarris Reed Jr. into an anime fan

These 2 rooks are getting along quick😂 pic.twitter.com/QALFYnpila

— SpursNationSA (@SpursNation_SA) June 30, 2026

With this being the first time the Spurs weren’t in the lottery since 2019, this class’s arrival and getting around San Antonio has been a bit more subdued compared to recent years. However, they have certainly been enjoying themselves, from meeting legends to seeing the practice facility, Frost Bank Center, River Walk and more. If you want a behind-the-scenes view of all their draft night experiences, arrival and tour of San Antonio, check out this video from the Spurs. It’s sure to warm the heart (and provide some entertainment while we wait through what is proving to be a pretty boring free agency period so far, presumably while everyone waits for LeBron James to make a move).

Ariel Hukporti is leaving the Knicks to sign a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Hukporti's contract will pay him $3.4 million with the Knicks' Eastern Conference rivals. 

Acquired in a draft night trade with the Mavericks in 2024, Hukporti played just 25 games as a rookie but saw his role expand in his second season, playing 54 games while averaging 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds. 

The 7-footer provided some quality depth behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, and also logged some key minutes during this year's championship run, averaging 10.8 minutes per game in the four-game sweep of the Sixers.

With Philadelphia, Hukporti will provide depth behind Joel Embiid and Adem Bona.

The City of Chicago holds deep pride in its sports teams. This is despite the fact that each franchise within the City has had a history of inconsistent success, at best.

However, if anyone has been paying attention recently, Chicago sports may be on the verge of a renaissance.

• As we all know, the Chicago Bears have a talented young team that threatened an NFC Championship berth for the first time since 2010.
• The Chicago Bulls have found an exciting Head Coach and General Manager combo to help lead a young/talented roster that recently added fourth overall pick, Caleb Wilson.
• The Chicago Cubs are on track to make a second consecutive postseason, with one of the most electric young players in Pete Crow-Armstrong leading the charge.
• The Chicago White Sox have surprised many by leading the AL Central 90 games into the season, sporting an exciting young core of Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery, and Munetaka Murakami.
• The Chicago Blackhawks continue to stockpile talent, and have improved their record in each of the last two seasons and have playoff aspirations in 2026/27 during Connor Bedard’s age 21(!) season.
• The Chicago Sky have been wheeling and dealing, turning over the roster dramatically after down years, and despite a poor record (and injuries) in 2026, a core of Kamilla Cardoso, Gabriela Jaquez, and Rickea Jackson looks promising.
• The Chicago Fire sits third in the MLS standings through 14 contests, led by Hugo Cuypers’ 13 goals.
• The Chicago Stars have had a difficult 2026 season after finishing last in the league in 2025. They currently have a 3-9 record.

Of the 8 professional sports teams in Chicago, an argument could be made for 7 of them having their arrow pointing up. Which got me thinking – could Chicago sports be a few years away from multiple championship contenders?

Which Chicago sports franchise will win a championship next?

This is a Chicago Bears blog, and I truly think that the Bears are poised to win a championship next among these teams. However, I am going to zag and make an argument for the….Chicago Bulls?

Look – I will take any and all grief thrown my way for choosing one of the two Jerry Reinsdorf franchises. Reinsdorf, the owner of the White Sox (until 2029-2033 when Justin Ishbia plans to take over) and Bulls, is not known for prioritizing winning, or more accurately put – spending.

With that said, his franchises have won in the past despite him, so while he may not be a reason they win, he is also not a complete roadblock either. As long as there are butts in seats…

My reason for choosing the Bulls is simple: the NBA is fully of parity at the moment. No other league can come close to sporting the distinction of 8 different teams in the last 8 years. The reason to me is clear – there aren’t any megastars like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, or Michael Jordan to dominate the league, but an abundance of Stars to compete.

So the likes of Jalen Brunson, SGA, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic, etc. are all excellent players, but they aren’t top 10 all time. This means that if the Bulls can find a “Star” level talent, they could quickly ascend to championship contention.

I think Caleb Wilson could be that “Star”.

Just a few weeks ago, Draymond Green (maybe not the most authoritative voice in the league) said Wilson’s floor is “Kevin Garnett”. We should all take this with a heaping pile of salt, but still, it shows what Wilson could be capable of. He’s young, motivated (I see you Dayo), has prototypical size, and is wildly talented. If he puts it all together, he could be a top-five player in the NBA before his third season. I am not going to bet against a highly drafted Tarheel in Chicago.

So, while my head says that the Bears are building a sustainable and competitive team that will absolutely compete for a Super Bowl, I think the Bulls could have a shortcut to the Larry O’Brien trophy on their team.

Let me know if I’m stupid, blind, ignorant, or otherwise in the comments, please.

Now it’s your turn! Who do you think will be the next Chicago franchise to win a championship? Sound off in the comments!

It’s been 12 hours since the start of free agency, and the biggest news is that a 41-year-old man will take his time to decide on where he plays next. I miss the good old days.

• The Knicks’ offseason couldn’t have been calmer to date. New York stood pat to start free agency after inking three players to contract extensions, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change all of a sudden, given the franchise’s self-imposed financial limitations and the impossibility of entering any sort of bidding war.
• For those too young, this is what free agency felt like not very long ago.
• If the Knicks want to create some flexibility, SNY’s Ian Begley (and everybody else) only sees one solution: trading Pacome Dadiet, Tyler Kolek, or Miles McBride, then make a competitive(r) offer to whoever. Even then, Robinson would still need to be the kindest soul on Earth to give New York the discount the franchise would need to bring him back, let alone after seeing the deals signed by other bigs elsewhere in the league (looking at you, Jock).
• Speaking of financials, the Knicks appear to have a cost-cutting development plan in place for one of their youngest players. Auf Wiedersehen, sohn!
• Given the rumors about a likely reunion between unrestricted free agent Jordan Clarkson and the Knicks, Sports Illustrated’s Steven Simineri questioned his fit with the Knicks after Jose Alvarado’s return. Simineri argues the Knicks may be better served using their remaining roster flexibility on frontcourt depth and wing shooting instead of adding another small guard to it. That’s right, but it’s also slim pickings in FA for the Dolan-led Knicks, so I wouldn’t oppose bringing Clarkson back, along with a big or two.

• Coach Mike Brown dropped by the Roomates Show and revealed the most unexpected key contributor to the Knicks’ championship run. Here’s a spoiler-free tease. Can you guess him?

“Throughout the course of this run, I got help with the messaging from different people. I’m gonna tell you guys, you may know this or may not, [he] was fabulous.”

• Remember when I told you to save $3 million for a basketball? Well, you can go burn that cash now.
• Thanks to PW for letting me now about this, so I can ask you to ramp up your OG Anunoby fandom.
• It’s been 23 years since he entered the L, but LeBron James remains as relevant as ever. Out of the blue, James’ future became the biggest story of free agency on Tuesday afternoon as the King declared himself available for all 29 franchises not named the Lakers, and announced his return for (at least) a 24th season in the Association. As much as you might love or hate the possibility of the Knicks landing James, it looks like New York is a mere spectator of the nth LBJ Sweepstakes.
• The possibilities are endless this time, as James is seemingly chasing “happiness” over money, but the truth is we can narrow the field down to the Cavaliers (home, sweet home), Olden State (no typo), and Miami (#culture).
• Newsday’s Steve Popper argued New York simply has no need to disrupt the championship core by signing LeBron. A sample:

“James deserves the farewell tour he wants. Maybe the Knicks’ biggest concern in this is that James takes his talents to someplace in the Western Conference rather than strengthening one of their competitors in the East. But the work for the Knicks as free agency was approaching Tuesday afternoon was on the fringes of the rotation. No need now to break up a group the rest of the league is chasing.”

• If you ask me, and I stated it in yesterday’s post, I’d be down for it as long as he signs a vet-min deal and he’s willing to accept whatever Coach Brown — who he already played for during his first trip to the Finals in Cleveland nearly 20 years ago — demands from him, whether that’s a bench role or being on the court for 48 minutes a pop.
• That won’t happen, though, so if you really ask me, then my ultimate flex move for LBJ to go for is signing with the Wizards and outdoing what Michael Jordan did there, which would be akin to a walk in the park for James and would smack the remaining GOAT-debate haters in the face, as meaningless as both MJ’s and LBJ’s time there was and would be.
• For the record, the Wizards are my (hugely dark) dark horse to make the Eastern Conference Finals, as I said first when they grabbed AJ Dybantsa. Don’t come later saying I’m a bandwagoner when LeBron puts pen to the capital’s paper.
• Now seriously, if you are a franchise owner or GM and you’re reading this and you want LBJ in your team, the very own Rich Paul publicly revealed the key to convince him.
• Another blockbuster went down on Tuesday, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the Clippers completed a deal to send Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto in exchange for a humongous and nonsensical package including Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a pick swap, and two second-rounders. Add another contender to a long list of Eastern Conference candidates, and check Kento Kato’s breakdown later today to learn how the move impacts the Knicks.
• With LeBron’s salary off the books and not planning to spend it on him again, the Lakers have ramped up their FA-market activity and are now linked to everybody and their mother. Marc Stein reported that OAKAAK Quentin Grimes has emerged as one of Los Angeles’ top free-agent targets alongside Sandro Mamukelashvili. Sister site Silver Screen and Roll considers the deals done.
• Now, just hours after reports pointed to Detroit letting Jalen Duren go after his demands were considered outrageous, the Pistons are willing to match any and every offer sheet he gets, and they won’t even enter talks for potential sign-and-trade moves. Get your excrement together, folks.
• Another former Knickerbocker, Tim Hardaway Jr., is heading to Miami on a $6.5 million deal in what could be the Heat’s biggest signing of the summer.
• Shouts out to the Liberty sisters for beating Becky Hammon!

Iman and Perk went at it during this segment lmao pic.twitter.com/kMpmRUhktU

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) July 1, 2026

You can follow Antonio on Twitter at @chapulana.