Night 1 of the 2025 NBA draft is truly on the horizon.
Here’s a review of the Sixers’ situation and what’s ahead:
Key Sixers summer dates
The first round is set to start Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and the Sixers are slated to pick early in the night at No. 3 overall. The second round is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Thursday and the Sixers hold the 35th pick.
By that point, we’ll already have summer league action. The Sixers are scheduled to participate in the Salt Lake City summer league July 5-8. They’ll play in the Las Vegas summer league July 10-20.
Who will the Sixers take at No. 3?
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey will generally explore all possibilities, including trading up and trading down. It would be foolish to firmly rule anything out.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote Monday that ultra-athletic Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe “appears in pole position to hear his name called at No. 3.” Along with Edgecombe, we’ve profiled the following players who could go in the No. 3 through No. 8 range of the draft:
These Sixers are currently under contract, per Spotrac:
Joel Embiid
Paul George
Tyrese Maxey
Jared McCain
Adem Bona (partially guaranteed salary)
Ricky Council IV (non-guaranteed salary)
Alex Reese (two-way contract)
The team has club options for Justin Edwards, Jared Butler and Lonnie Walker IV. Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon have player options.
Guerschon Yabusele, Kyle Lowry and Jalen Hood-Schifino are internal unrestricted free agents. Quentin Grimes and Jeff Dowtin Jr. are restricted free agents.
Where should the Sixers focus on improving?
The simplest area is health. Embiid, George and Maxey were among the players who ended last year’s 24-58 season on the sidelines.
While Morey doesn’t plan to load up on veterans as he did last summer, perhaps he’ll add a couple who can help with certain deficiencies. The Sixers tended to be undersized last season, struggled on the glass and shot poorly from three-point range. And again, with Morey in charge, a surprising splash is always on the table.
Regardless, the Sixers will emphasize youth and boost that department through the draft.
Night 1 of the 2025 NBA draft is truly on the horizon.
Here’s a review of the Sixers’ situation and what’s ahead:
Key Sixers summer dates
The first round is set to start Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and the Sixers are slated to pick early in the night at No. 3 overall. The second round is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Thursday and the Sixers hold the 35th pick.
By that point, we’ll already have summer league action. The Sixers are scheduled to participate in the Salt Lake City summer league July 5-8. They’ll play in the Las Vegas summer league July 10-20.
Who will the Sixers take at No. 3?
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey will generally explore all possibilities, including trading up and trading down. It would be foolish to firmly rule anything out.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote Monday that ultra-athletic Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe “appears in pole position to hear his name called at No. 3.” Along with Edgecombe, we’ve profiled the following players who could go in the No. 3 through No. 8 range of the draft.
These Sixers are currently under contract, per Spotrac:
Joel Embiid
Paul George
Tyrese Maxey
Jared McCain
Adem Bona (partially guaranteed salary)
Ricky Council IV (non-guaranteed salary)
Alex Reese (two-way contract)
The team has club options for Justin Edwards, Jared Butler and Lonnie Walker IV. Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon have player options.
Guerschon Yabusele, Kyle Lowry and Jalen Hood-Schifino are internal unrestricted free agents. Quentin Grimes and Jeff Dowtin Jr. are restricted free agents.
Where should the Sixers focus on improving?
The simplest area is health. Embiid, George and Maxey were among the players who ended last year’s 24-58 season on the sidelines.
While Morey doesn’t plan to load up on veterans as he did last summer, perhaps the team will add a couple who can help with certain deficiencies. The Sixers tended to be undersized last season, struggled on the glass and shot poorly from three-point range. And again, with Morey in charge, a surprising splash is always on the table.
Regardless, the Sixers will emphasize youth and boost that department through the draft.
Grant Hill will join NBC Sports’ NBA coverage as a game analyst when the NBA returns to NBC and debuts on Peacock this fall.
“I’m incredibly excited to join NBC Sports as part of their NBA coverage. The NBA has been such a meaningful part of my life, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue sharing the game I love with fans across the country,” said Hill.
“To be part of NBC’s return to the NBA — a network with such a rich basketball legacy — and its debut on Peacock is truly an honor. I can't wait to get started this fall.”
Hill, a member of both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, built a remarkable 18-season NBA career, earning countless accomplishments and accolades: he was a seven-time NBA All-Star, including four consecutive appearances from 1995-1998; five-time All-NBA selection, including First Team in 1997; NBA Co-Rookie of the Year in 1995; a gold medalist with Team USA at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics; three-time NBA Sportsmanship Award winner.
He culminated his professional career with enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. Throughout his career, Hill spent time with the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Clippers.
In addition to his playing and broadcasting careers, he’s currently USA Basketball’s managing director of the U.S. Men’s National Team, succeeding Jerry Colangelo in the position and helping Team USA earn a gold medal victory at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Additionally, Hill is a part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks and co-owner of MLS’ Orlando City SC and NWSL’s Orlando Pride, and is also part of the Baltimore Orioles’ ownership group.
Last July, NBCUniversal and the NBA announced an 11-year agreement to present NBA and WNBA regular-season and playoff basketball games across numerous platforms beginning with the 2025-26 season. Peacock will livestream exclusive national Monday night games while NBC/Peacock will present national coverage of regional doubleheaders on Tuesday nights.
NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball in 2026 across NBC and Peacock, providing NBA fans with three consecutive nights of national coverage across NBCUniversal platforms during the second half of the regular season. For more information on the agreement, click here.
Over his 18-year NBA career, Hill was a seven-time All-Star with five All-NBA selections. He won a gold medal for Team USA at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and currently serves as the managing director for USA Basketball’s men’s national team.
Since retiring in 2013, Hill has served as a broadcaster Turner Sports and NBA TV, including calling NBA playoff games and March Madness.
The NBA returns to NBC this fall for the 2025-26 season as part of an 11-year agreement. NBC will air key NBA action, including opening night, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, NBA All-Star Weekend and playoff games.
Brad Stevens was a great head coach for the Boston Celtics. But you could make an argument he’s been an even better executive for the franchise.
Stevens moved from head coach to president of basketball operations in June of 2021, and he has excelled in that job, most notably putting the finishing touches on a championship roster for the 2023-24 NBA season.
After the Celtics lost at home to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, Stevens made two bold moves in the following months — acquiring point guard Jrue Holiday and center Kristaps Porzingis.
The Porzingis deal saw fan favorite Marcus Smart depart Boston. It was a tough blow to lose Smart, but Stevens has shown an impressive ability to put emotions to the side and make the moves that are best for the team.
Both Holiday and Porzingis played key roles for the Celtics during their run to the 2024 NBA Finals, where they defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games to claim the franchise’s 18th championship.
But those weren’t the only major moves Stevens made that helped put together Boston’s title-winning squad.
His first major trade as a Celtics exec happened in June of 2021 when he acquired Al Horford, Moses Brown and a second-round pick for Kemba Walker, a first-round pick and a second-round pick. The C’s were able to shed Walker’s high salary and contract, and the return of Horford — who played in Boston from 2016-17 through 2018-19 — helped the team’s outside shooting, defense and leadership in a profound way.
Stevens made a surprise move at the 2022 trade deadline to acquire guard Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs. White has become a very reliable 3-point shooter and defender. He has a great all-around skill set and has shown tremendous improvement since joining the C’s. He also was a huge factor in the Celtics’ title run in 2024.
Not every move Stevens has made could be viewed as a home run — although his batting average is pretty strong.
Trading for Malcolm Brogdon made sense in the summer of 2022, when the C’s gave up a first-round pick, Aaron Nesmith and other assets to get the veteran guard from the Indiana Pacers. Brogdon won Sixth Man of the Year in his first season with the Celtics, but an injury limited his effectiveness in the 2023 playoffs. Nesmith has become a good 3-and-D wing for the Pacers, who just lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
The latest major trade Stevens has pulled off came Monday night, when he reportedly sent Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks. The deal saved the C’s about $5 million as they attempt to get under the second apron of the luxury tax.
The Celtics still need to shed about $18 million in salary to get under the second apron. What other moves could Stevens make? The next few weeks could be exciting for basketball fans.
Here’s a full recap of Stevens’ most notable trades as Celtics president of basketball operations.
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The Washington Wizards are trading Poole, forward Saddiq Bey and the No. 40 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans for veteran guard CJ McCollum, center Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round draft pick, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday, citing sources.
The New Orleans Pelicans are trading CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick to the Washington Wizards for Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the No. 40 pick, sources tell ESPN.
The trade swaps guards — the Wizards shifting from Poole to the veteran in McCollum, who has an expiring contract. Washington now is expected to approach $100 million in projected cap space in 2026. Pelicans move younger, possibly more dynamic with Poole and Bey. https://t.co/5MoDagRyph
Poole, a 2019 first-round draft pick by the Warriors (No. 28 overall), helped Golden State win the 2022 NBA championship over the Boston Celtics.
The Michigan star initially struggled to find his footing in the NBA his first two seasons, but broke out in 2021-22 when he averaged 18.5 points on 44.8 percent shooting from the field and 36.4 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Poole averaged a then-career high 20.4 points during the 2022-23 season, but in July 2023, the Warriors dealt him to the Wizards in a deal that netted them All-Star guard Chris Paul.
In two seasons in Washington, Poole averaged 18.8 points on 35.3 percent shooting from 3-point range in 146 games.
Now, the 26-year-old Poole gets a fresh start in New Orleans alongside Zion Williamson.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was brilliant during his team’s run to the NBA finals.Photograph: Julio Cortez/AP
The Indiana Pacers confirmed on Monday that their star guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right achilles tendon in Sunday night’s NBA finals Game 7 loss to Oklahoma City.
The All-NBA guard was helped off the court and immediately taken to the locker room in obvious pain during the first quarter. He was later officially diagnosed with the injury the next day.
“An MRI taken on Monday confirmed that Haliburton tore his right achilles tendon,” the Pacers said in a statement on Monday evening. “Surgery is scheduled later today with Dr Martin O’Malley at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.”
Haliburton’s injury recalled one suffered by Kevin Durant during the NBA finals in 2019. Like Durant, Haliburton was playing through another injury – in his case a calf strain – before tearing his achilles. But Haliburton said he would have made the same choice again.
“I’d do it again, and again after that, to fight for this city and my brothers,” Haliburton wrote on social media on Monday night. “For the chance to do something special.”
Durant missed the entire following season after his injury, and Haliburton may do the same. The typical recovery time for a basketball player with a torn achilles ranges from eight to 10 months.
Without Haliburton, the Pacers were outscored 56-43 in the second half on Sunday night as Oklahoma City won the championship with a 103-91 victory. Haliburton had hit several clutch shots as the Pacers made their remarkable – and unexpected – run to the finals.
“Don’t know how to explain it other than shock,” Haliburton wrote. “Words cannot express the pain of this letdown. The frustration is unfathomable. I’ve worked my whole life to get to this moment and this is how it ends? Makes no sense.
“Now that I’ve gotten surgery, I wish I could count the number of times people will tell me I’m going to ‘come back stronger’. What a cliche lol, this shit sucks. My foot feels like dead weight fam. But what’s hurting most I think is my mind. Feel like I’m rambling, but I know this is something I’ll look back on when I’m through this, as something I’m proud I fought through. It feels good to let this shit out without y’all seeing the kid ugly cry.”
Two of Haliburton’s fellow All-Stars, Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, are currently recovering from torn achilles. They, too, suffered their injuries during this postseason.
“I don’t ‘have to’ go through this, I get to go through this,” Haliburton wrote. “I’m grateful for the road that lies ahead. Watch how I come back from this. So, give me some time, I’ll dust myself off and get right back to being the best version of Tyrese Haliburton.”
The 25-year-old averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 73 games (all starts) during the regular season. He has career averages of 17.5 points, 8.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 333 games (294 starts) for the Sacramento Kings (2020-22) and Pacers.
The Boston Celtics made a major trade late Monday night by sending guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for guard Anfernee Simons and two second-round draft picks.
One player the Celtics could look to trade is Kristaps Porzingis. The star center is entering the final year of his contract, which carries a salary of around $30 million.
The Athletic’s Jay King reported Tuesday morning that the Celtics are looking to trade Porzingis.
The Celtics are still trying to trade Kristaps Porziņģis even after dealing Jrue Holiday to Portland, sources tell @ByJayKing.
Sources believe the Holiday trade will be only the first domino to fall for Boston, who is looking get under the salary cap's second apron. pic.twitter.com/ArAlQYA6Yg
“Porzingis I definitely think that they are in discussions with,” Windhorst said. “And again, you can’t just trade him off, they would be trading him for a player, probably who makes less money. That’s what this was, Anfernee Simons kind of fits with Boston as a three-point specialist. They would need someone to sort of be a big man, a starting-level big man for Porzingis if they made this deal. But look for a Porzingis thing.
Windhorst later added: “They probably are going to have to make multiple more moves to save this money that they need to save.”
The Celtics would be wise to get under the second apron this offseason to save as much luxury tax money as possible. The 2025 NBA Draft is scheduled for Wednesday (first round) and Thursday (second round), and free agency begins the following week, so it’s possible we could see some more moves over the few weeks.
ESPN’s Shams Charania also reported Tuesday that the Celtics “remain engaged in trade talks surrounding multiple key players on the roster.”
With the Phoenix Suns reportedly agreeing to trade Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, that move now opens the door for other teams around the league to start taking action this summer.
And while the Kings are primed for a big offseason, with reports indicating the Miami Heat’s interest in DeMar DeRozan and the Toronto Raptors’ interest in Malik Monk, The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson reported Monday, citing a source, that the Kings have not yet spoken to either team.
A source told NBC Sports California that Raptors president Masai Ujiri has valued Monk for some time, and the expectation is that Sacramento would push to acquire 25-year-old guard RJ Barrett in a potential deal. Barrett, the former No. 3 overall pick and Duke standout, averaged 21.1 points on 46.8-percent shooting from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range, with 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 32.2 minutes in 58 games last season.
New Kings general manager Scott Perry, who served in the same role with the New York Knicks from 2017 to 2023, led the front office that selected Barrett in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft.
Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley also could be an option.
“Things could change quickly now that the Suns have made a deal for Durant, a 15-time All-Star and former MVP,” Anderson wrote. “Miami and Toronto were both involved in the pursuit of Durant, along with Houston, the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves.”
After a shaky start to his NBA career, Monk joined the Kings in the 2022 offseason and has thrived most as the team’s sixth man. The 27-year-old is coming off the best season of his eight-year career after signing a four-year deal to remain in Sacramento last summer, in which he averaged 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 65 games (45 starts).
Meanwhile, DeRozan joined the Kings just last summer to pair with De’Aaron Fox. But things changed quickly in Sacramento, and after Fox was traded to the San Antonio Spurs midseason, neither clutch scorer could wind up with the Kings within a year’s time.
“Perry knows he needs a point guard after watching from afar as the Kings traded De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell over a span of two years prior to his arrival,” Anderson wrote. “Perry also wants to add frontcourt length and athleticism with an eye toward a power forward/center type who would allow [Keegan] Murray to move back to small forward, but the point guard spot is Perry’s top priority.”
Trae Young and Ja Morant have been two names floating around Sacramento, as was Jrue Holiday before the Boston Celtics reportedly traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
The Boston Celtics kicked off what’s expected to be an active offseason late Monday night by trading Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The deal saves the Celtics roughly $4.7 million in salary for the 2025-26 season, but there’s a good chance they aren’t done. Boston entered the offseason needing to shed at least $20 million in salary to drop below the second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax and avoid punitive roster penalties, which means president of basketball operations Brad Stevens could look to move several more core players before the summer is out.
So, how will all of these moves impact Boston’s situation both on and off the court? We’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find a look at the Celtics’ deals to date, current depth chart and salary cap situation, which we’ll update throughout the offseason as more moves get made.
Here’s your full guide to the Celtics’ offseason:
Celtics transactions
June 23: Celtics trade Jrue Holiday to Blazers for Anfernee Simons, two second-round picks
Updated Celtics depth chart
Boston’s pending unrestricted free agents — Al Horford, Luke Kornet and Torrey Craig — aren’t listed here. New additions are listed in bold.
How close are the Celtics to getting under the second apron? After the Holiday-Simons trade, they’re still about $18 million over the threshold. Here’s a look at Boston’s salary cap situation over the next two seasons:
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić were the best two players in the league this season. Photograph: Joshua Gateley/Getty Images
It ain’t over till it’s over
If a single, overarching lesson can be taken from this year’s NBA postseason, it’s this one: no game is over until the clock hits 00:00. Whether it was the New York Knicks stealing victory from the jaws of defeat against the Celtics in Boston in round two, Aaron Gordon’s buzzer-beating dunk sealing a crucial win for the Nuggets against the Clippers in Los Angeles in round one, or the Indiana Pacers defeating the odds over and over again with their clutch time brilliance throughout the playoffs, a lead has never felt less safe in the NBA.
The depth era is here
Once upon a time in the NBA, it was pretty much agreed upon that a team needed at least a big two, if not a big three, to reach the promised land. But in a post “apron” era, where it’s increasingly difficult to afford to keep more than one top-tier player on your roster, it’s become more important than ever to have a bench that’s not just playable, but excellent. The playoffs are as fast, physical, and exhausting as they’ve ever been. Having the luxury of fresh legs is a superpower.
You can live by the three, but you may die by it
We are indisputably living in the three-point era, much to the chagrin of the internet. But one thing hasn’t changed: you still have to have other options. The Celtics found this out the hard way, as their blind allegiance to chucking ‘em up from beyond the arc, which proved a winning formula last season, came back to bite them against the Knicks in round two.
This trend technically kicked off before the playoffs, when the Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets fired their coaches with a handful of games left to play in the regular season. But it was truly crystallized with the abrupt firing of Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau just days after he helped lead the team to their first Eastern Conference Finals in decades, plural. Sure, Thibs had faced (warranted) criticism before. But if upsetting the defending champs and breaking generational playoff curses can’t ensure coaching job security, it’s fair to assume that nothing can.
Justice for Doris Burke
Burke was only added to the “A-team” at ESPN in recent years, a job that includes being a part of the voice of the NBA finals. But Burke put in time on her way to the top of the basketball broadcasting pyramid. In her 12 years at ESPN alone, she worked her way up the ladder from sideline reporter, to color commentary in less high-profile games, to, eventually, her current seat. The way the internet has been discussing her aptitude during these finals was nothing short of disrespectful – if anyone knows ball, it’s Doris Burke.
Oklahoma loves its basketball team
Every team has in-arena chants. Every team, at this point, gives away matching T-shirts to their fans to wear during playoff games in a show of solidarity. But the Oklahoma City Thunder’s fanbase has demonstrated an allegiance to their team in a tier all its own. Everyone in the building knows the chants, no prompts on the jumbotron necessary. And you’d be hard-pressed to find a single soul in Paycom Center not wearing that evening’s T-shirt giveaway: no one is too cool to show their support and fall in line. I’ve been to a lot of NBA arenas; I’ve never heard screaming at that decibel, so consistently. Thunder fans are, as the kids say, built different.
Speed is a superpower
It is, admittedly, a little on the nose that the defining characteristic of the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers is that they play really, really fast – but their speed has proven to be their superpower. The Pacers left a graveyard of drained, hands-on-knees stars in their wake: even MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked worn down by the end of the first few games when his Thunder, a fast-paced team in their own right, met Indiana in the NBA finals. It’s hard to make shots in the clutch when you’re dead tired, and the Pacers and their unique stamina capitalized on that beautifully.
LeBron James suffered a first-round exit, Stephen Curry was sidelined with a hamstring injury before round two even really started, and Kevin Durant’s team didn’t even make the play-in-tournament. While I’m not ready to write off the NBA’s elder statesmen just yet, it was glaringly obvious in this postseason that the young guns, including the eventual champion Thunder (the youngest NBA champions ever) are coming for the crown, not tomorrow, but right now.
Rick Carlisle is a Hall of Famer
Carlisle has long been held in high esteem by basketball fans, especially in light of his stewardship of the Dallas Mavericks squad that upset the three-headed juggernaut Miami Heat to win the title in 2011. But what he’s done with this year’s Pacers, who are without a top five (or, arguably, even a top 10) superstar, is nothing short of remarkable. His group is incredibly poised, confident, and well prepared, and most importantly, they never say die. Carlisle deserves a lot of credit for that identity, and he will be etched into the annals of the highest echelon of coaching because of it.
It’s time for the Heat to set it on fire
It is strange to say that the East is wide open and, at the same time, that the Heat need to blow it up in the same breath, but it feels right. Seeing Miami’s “performance” in round one, if you can even call it that, distilled just how far they are from contention with their bizarre, post-Jimmy-Butler but pre-another-superstar roster. As nice of a contributing piece as Andrew Wiggins can be on a contending team, Butler he is not, and the Heat are sorely lacking in talent and identity. Assuming a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade isn’t on the horizon (and, really, how could it be? What would Miami offer?) blowing it up seems like the shrewd move.
Giannis should stay in the East (but maybe leave Milwaukee)
The East has been the weaker of the two NBA conferences for ages. But it feels more wide open than ever heading into the 2025-2026 season: The Celtics are all but eliminated for next year with the loss of Jayson Tatum to injury, the Knicks are in the middle of a potentially disastrous coaching search, and while the conference champion Pacers are excellent, they certainly don’t feel unbeatable, especially after Tyrese Haliburton’s injury. Milwaukee don’t have a clear path to put a contending team around Antetokounmpo, so it would probably be wise of him to move elsewhere, but he’d be well served to stay in the same timezone or eastward.
The Clippers may truly be cursed
If you buy a plot of land that’s an ancient burial ground, it doesn’t really matter, ultimately, how nice the house is that you build on it. Steve Ballmer is an exemplary NBA owner: deep pockets, smart hires, boundless enthusiasm. The word “ball” is in his name: that’s how much he’s about this life. But he bought a franchise that, for whatever reason, seems to be destined to fail in the most spectacular fashion. This year, it was getting annihilated, with little to no resistance, by the Nuggets in Game 7 of their first-round meeting. This came after the Clippers showed flashes of being a true contender, with one of the best defenses in basketball. Kawhi Leonard was healthy, and the excuses were slim: the Clippers just clipped.
Championship windows can close in a blink
There’s already talk of a budding “dynasty” in Oklahoma City, due to the youth of the team’s core. But if anything came to light in this year’s playoffs, it’s that championship windows are fleeting – and fragile. After their victory last year, many predicted the Celtics were about to start a dynasty, but they were staring down the barrel of a 1-3 deficit against the Knicks in round two even before their best player, perennial MVP candidate Tatum, went down with an achilles tear that will sideline him for most, or even all, of next season. And the Pacers went from being on the doorstep of a championship to facing a year without their star player, Haliburton. Time is of the essence for teams seeking out the Larry O’B: you never know when even the most wide-open windows will slam shut.
It’s not hyperbolic to say that no individual player has ever had a clutch run through the playoffs like Haliburton had this year. It was truly heartbreaking to see the guard go down with an achilles rupture in Game 7 of the finals, especially considering that he was having a brilliant first quarter, coming out with all the aggression his detractors have been clamoring for. But the lore from the 2025 playoffs will be one that leads with Haliburton for ever – he (and his underdog Pacers squad) have etched themselves into NBA history, and he’s earned a ton of due respect along the way.
The KAT/Randle trade was a net neutral
We spent much of this season deliberating who “won” the Karl Anthony Towns for Julius Randle trade between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Knicks. The battle took some wild swings, with Towns having a hellacious start to the season (warranting him both an All-NBA and All-Star roster spot), and Randle shaping into form towards the end of the season and into a damned impressive start to the postseason. But both players, too, showed their significant flaws in the postseason, and ultimately, the answer to the question of who “won” the trade is muddy. They are two flawed players with tremendous highs and forehead-slapping lows, and for now, at least, it appears to be a draw.
To be fair, I knew this before the playoffs. But watching Jokić drag a ramshackle Nuggets team to Game 7 against the eventual champion Thunder, while serving, in many ways, as their honorary interim head coach, was impressive even by the Serb’s impossibly high standards. He’s the kind of spectacular, once in a generation talent who can render context irrelevant, who can make the craziest pass you’ve ever seen appear routine, who is such a ridiculous offensive force that he’s almost an offense unto himself. He may not be the most valuable player this year, but he is the best.
… But SGA deserved his MVP award
If there has been one constant this postseason, it’s Gilgeous-Alexander and his dependable, humming offensive output. You could set a clock to it. That’s been the case since day one of the regular season, and it really didn’t wane in the postseason, either. The Canadian had one of the greatest single statistical seasons ever by a guard, and yes, that includes all those on the NBA’s Mount Rushmore. In this season alone, he won the scoring title, league MVP, Western Conference finals MVP, and NBA finals MVP. That’s a historical run, and makes him a truly generational player by any measure.
Houston were a piece away (and it’s Kevin Durant)
As impressive of a season as the upstart Houston Rockets had this year, it came as no surprise to anyone who’d been paying attention that the Western Conference No 2 were sent packing in round one. The team were on a string defensively, and play hard (kudos to Coach of the Year candidate Ime Udoka), but there was a glaringly apparent hole on the offensive end, especially late in game, when it mattered. Hopes were high for young guard Jalen Green, but he flamed out in a real way in his first postseason. Enter stage right: Kevin Durant, one of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen. It should be exciting for all basketball fans to see how this age-gap marriage turns out come October.
The NBA has an injury problem
The evidence is, at this point, beyond anecdotal. According to Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes, the eight (eight!) achilles tendon ruptures this season are an NBA record, clearing the previous mark of five easily. What was shaping up to be a fascinating NBA finals Game 7 ended with a depressing whimper as Haliburton went down in a heap in the first quarter, sobbing and yelling “No! No! No!” as he banged his fist on the hardwood in anguish. The rest of us could only watch helplessly, having all become injury experts after watching Damian Lillard and Tatum meet the same fate in this postseason alone. The NBA can no longer afford to ignore the pressing issue: the game is faster and more difficult, the season is far too long, and the injuries are mounting.
Faith is a skill
It’s a rare occasion when the team who ultimately hoists the trophy is not what we, as a collective, will remember about a given season. But this version of the Pacers, who came just two quarters shy of a championship, will live on in the hearts and minds of basketball fans for years to come. In true Hoosiers fashion, this team was all heart, no fear. They taught us perhaps the most valuable lesson of all: unwavering belief may very well be the most powerful skill. Chips down, odds long, down double digits with a minute to go. There was no challenge too big, no order too tall, for the never say die Pacers. Even though their season ended in horrible fashion, with a devastating injury to Haliburton and an everlasting “what if” along with it, their identity as one of the most resilient and joyful teams in recent memory will for ever be the stuff of legend.
SAN FRANCISCO – Now that summer is upon us, the smart money is betting Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and his front-office lieutenants will cook up something to add a dash of curiosity to training camp. Consider the history. Dunleavy turned Jordan Poole into Chris Paul in the summer of 2023, and then basically flipped Klay Thompson for Buddy Hield last summer. That Dunleavy broke character at the 2025 trade deadline, making a seismic move to acquire Jimmy Butler III, raises the stakes this summer.
“There’s a lot of different ways we can go,” Dunleavy said Monday. “We’ve got some free agents that are priorities. We’ve got to handle that. But some of that stuff may lead into trades and other things.”
The smart money also says Dunleavy will go big. Big names are a longshot, but big men are now essential to compete at the upper levels of the Western Conference.
And then there is the free-agent market, which Dunleavy says is the most likely route to a plug-and-play veteran in accordance with a core – Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Butler – that will average 36.3 years of age when camp opens in September.
And remember, the Warriors have four first-round picks, next summer, to offer in trade.
Here are six players, four potentially available vets and two in the draft, that are worthy of Golden State’s consideration:
Veterans
Clint Capela (free agent): At age 31, the 6-foot-10 native of Switzerland has lost some of his bounce but remains a lob threat and one of the strongest rebounders in the league. The Warriors value Kevon Looney, but Capela is appreciably more athletic. He made $20.6 million last season with the Hawks, but likely understands he’ll earn less at his next stop. How much of a pay cut would he accept?
Daniel Gafford (trade candidate): He’s 26, a legit 6-foot-10, averaged two blocks per game over the past three seasons and is offensively efficient in the paint. As one of four big men under contract in Dallas – along with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Dwight Powell – there is a chance he moves. Rampant speculation has him landing with the Lakers. That would be a missed opportunity for the Warriors. Having reportedly agreed to a three-year extension worth $39 million over the weekend, he’s a good value.
Brook Lopez (free agent): At 7-foot-1, 280 pounds, he is an imposing paint presence on defense and an elite stretch-5 on offense. With the Bucks losing Damian Lillard to a torn Achilles’ tendon, they likely will engage in roster reshuffling. Lopez, 37, is older than Butler and Green but 17 days younger than Curry, so that is cause for a bit of caution. He made $25 million last season. Would he accept a huge cut to finish his career in his home state?
Ben Simmons (free agent): He might be the league’s worst finisher at the rim. Just awful. But hear me out. He’s 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, still has some of his once-stunning athleticism and remains a strong, switchable defender. He entered the NBA in 2016 as a point guard but has transitioned to center, finishing last season as a backup to Ivica Zubac with the Clippers. If Simmons aches for a redemption season, he could be a good value.
Others
Myles Turner and Naz Reid are too costly and likely to re-sign with their current teams. Al Horford is interesting, but he loves Boston and, at age 39, probably will finish his career there. When scanning the middle tier and lower, the Warriors would be wise to remember the failed Willie Cauley-Stein experiment.
In the draft
Quality size is available in every draft, often in the second round, where the Warriors are holding the 41st overall pick. Consider a few big men selected in the second round and making an impact: Nikola Jokić (No. 41, 2014), Zubac (No. 32 in 2016), Isaiah Hartenstein (No. 43, 2017), Nic Claxton (No. 31, 2019) and Gafford (No. 38, 2019).
Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Penn State): A two-year starter, first at Northern Illinois and then as a junior with the Nittany Lions, the Switzerland native is a shade under 7 feet with plus athleticism who led the Big Ten in blocks in each of the last two seasons. He’s 22 and still developing, but might be able to earn minutes as a change-of-pace rim runner and rim protector.
Amari Williams (Kentucky): A three-year starter – the first two at Drexel before finishing at Kentucky last season – who is not much of a shooter but brings something to both ends of the floor. At 6-foot-11, 260 pounds, he’s a good athlete whose impressive feel for the game is something the Warriors value. At age 23, he doesn’t project as a future All-Star, but possesses enough desirable qualities to have a solid NBA career.
Haliburton had scored nine points before being forced out of Sunday's game [Getty Images]
Indiana Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton could miss the entire 2025-26 NBA season after having surgery on a torn right Achilles tendon.
The 25-year-old fell to the court without any contact as he attempted to drive to the basket seven minutes into the first quarter of the decisive game seven of the NBA Championship play-off finals at the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He was in obvious distress as he was helped from the court and missed the rest of the game, which his side lost 103-91 to end their hopes of a first NBA title.
The Pacers confirmed he would have surgery on Monday on the injury, which has a likely recovery time of eight to 10 months.
The two-time All Star is the third high-profile player to suffer a ruptured Achilles tendon in this season's play-offs, following Boston's Jayson Tatum and Milwaukee's Damian Lillard.
The injury is similar to one that kept Kevin Durant out for a full season when he was hurt in the 2019 NBA Finals while playing for the Golden State Warriors.
Haliburton had played in Sunday's decider despite suffering a calf strain in game five of the finals.
It followed an amazing run where he hit a tying or winning shot in the final seconds in all four rounds of the play-offs.
"I'd do it again, and again after that, to fight for this city and my brothers," he posted on X after the surgery. "For the chance to do something special.
"Words cannot express the pain of this letdown. The frustration is unfathomable. I've worked my whole life to get to this moment and this is how it ends?"
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle paid tribute to Haliburton after Sunday's game.
"What happened with Tyrese, all of our hearts dropped," he said. "But he will be back in time, and I believe he'll make a full recovery."
The first domino has fallen for the Boston Celtics. It won’t be the last.
The Celtics started the anticipated overhaul of their championship core late Monday night by dealing Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons and a pair of second-round picks, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Celtics get off the three seasons and $100-plus million remaining on Holiday’s contract but save just $4.7 million for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Boston now sits $18 million over the second apron line, which suggests there’s more dealing in the team’s future.
That the Celtics were able to trade Holiday back to the Blazers, the team that essentially redirected him from Milwaukee before Boston’s 2023-24 title season, is amusing. That president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was able to acquire draft assets as part of the deal, after heavy speculation that Boston would have to attach a first-round pick to move Holiday, is even more noteworthy.
If Simons sticks in Boston, he feels like the type of player the Celtics can take a hard look at over the first months of the season. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard turned 26 earlier this month and has averaged 20.7 points per game over the last three seasons.
Simons averaged 19.3 points per game in 70 appearances for the Blazers last season, and despite a downturn in his shooting efficiencies, he has shot 38.1 percent from beyond the 3-point arc for his career. He could potentially help fill some of the scoring void while Jayson Tatum recovers from Achilles surgery.
If the Celtics don’t see Simons as a long-term fit, or if they eventually need to explore a subsequent deal to trim more money, he could have value to other contenders as an expiring contract.
Holiday was a key part of Boston’s success over the past two seasons. He saved some of his finest basketball for the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers, where he routinely made the sorts of winning plays that helped Boston produce a harder-than-it-looked sweep of a team that made the NBA Finals this year.
But it was obvious entering the summer that Holiday’s time in Boston was coming to a close.
The Celtics got ahead of the new collective bargaining agreement by acquiring Holiday on the eve of training camp in 2023. Stevens rewarded him with a long-term extension before Boston’s title run. The Celtics will miss Holiday’s defensive versatility. He paired well with Derrick White in the defensive-minded “Stock Exchange” backcourt.
Simons is a solid playmaker who averaged a career-best 5.5 assists two seasons ago. He ranked in the 80th percentile in assist percentage among all combo guards this past season, per Cleaning The Glass data.
The question is whether he can play defense to a level that allows Joe Mazzulla to confidently lean on him. Opponents shot 50.6 percent against Simons last season, or 4.4 percent higher than expected output, per the NBA’s tracking data.
Jrue Holiday’s brief but very successful tenure with the Boston Celtics has come to an end.
The C’s traded the veteran point guard to the Portland Trail Blazers in return for guard Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported late Monday night.
Holiday has three years and around $104 million left on his contract. The Celtics, as one of the few teams in the second apron of the luxury tax, are saving around $4.7 million by completing this trade and are saving $40 million in luxury tax payments for next season, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Boston is now $18 million over the second apron line, so there could potentially be more moves to come; Charania reports the Celtics “remain engaged in trade talks surrounding multiple key players on the roster.”
Simons isn’t the best defensive guard, but he’s a dynamic offensive player who can shoot well from 3-point range. The 26-year-old veteran averaged 19.3 points, 4.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 36.3 percent from beyond the arc in 70 games for the Blazers last season. He’s entering the final season of his four-year, $100 million contract previously signed with Portland.
The Celtics acquired Holiday in October of 2023 in a trade with the Blazers. Holiday made an immediate impact as a scorer, an elite defender, a great leader and someone with championship experience.
He played a key role in the Celtics’ run to their 18th championship with a 2024 NBA Finals triumph over the Dallas Mavericks.
Holiday made a lot of clutch plays in the 2024 playoffs, including a game-winning steal in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final versus the Indiana Pacers.
In two seasons with the Celtics, Holiday averaged 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 39.2 percent from 3-point range.
Holiday was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020 and helped lead them to a title the following season. He did the same after being dealt to the Celtics. Accomplishing that feat in Portland will be pretty tough, but Holiday can definitely help a young Blazers team that finished last season strong and is seeking to end its playoff drought in 2026.
