LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 04: Rich Paul talks with LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on January 04, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Monday morning, Patrick Beverly made (minor) waves across the internet, stating that “rumor has it Bron makes his decision today”. While that raised a few eyebrows, it’s nothing new. We have been told enough over the last three weeks that a LeBron James free agency decision was imminent from someone supposedly in the know, only for it not to come through. Bottom line, we all still don’t know.
On The Ringer’s “Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul” podcast, Paul (LeBron’s agent) took some time to address the decision timeline and highlighted Beverly as an example.
“Pat’s (Beverly) not doing that (breaking news), and neither is anyone else…we do not need other people to perceive what’s going on.” Paul went on to say bluntly, “None of these people know anything, nobody knows nothing. I say this respectfully because we (presumably LeBron and Paul) haven’t made it to where anybody knows anything”.
“I’ll say it again, none of these people know anything. Nobody knows nothing, and I say that respectfully because we haven’t made it to where anyone knows anything,” – Rich Paul on LeBron’s free agency.
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Paul went on to send a direct message not only to the media at large making these claims, but also it seemed to fans and their expectations of when to expect a resolution to the LeBron decision 4.0.
“We’re not making this about attention and a spectacle. It is not about a decision or anything like that. He (LeBron) has a choice to make; he has a business choice to make. We’re not going to sit here and decide or allow someone to decide when he makes that decision or that choice. It is a business choice that he is making, and I think as an athlete why is it that an athlete has to rush his choice.”
Paul went on to say that LeBron’s resume entitles him to have this lengthy decision-making window. While it is fair for James to have his allotment of time, contrary to Paul’s claims, this is very much feeling like LeBron is wanting to own the moment. If you read between the tea leaves, all major sporting events have come and gone: World Cup, Summer League, NBA Draft, MLB All-Star Game, etc. There is nothing left to take away from all the eyes on LeBron.
Now, teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and fans alike sit and wonder when LeBron and his camp decide on his presumed final destination. There is nothing left to steal his spotlight, and truthfully, against Paul’s words above, that is probably exactly what LeBron wants when he adds another chapter and presumably the final one to his legacy.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: Carter Bryant #11 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on July 9, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Greathouse/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After defeating the Phoenix Suns 86-81 on Saturday, the San Antonio Spurs tied a bow on a nice Summer League. After going winless in Sacramento, the Spurs bounced back in Las Vegas, going 4-1, just narrowly missing the playoffs.
Unlike years prior, the Spurs didn’t have a hyped top-10 draftee to carry fans’ attention throughout the Summer League. They did have several players who could factor into San Antonio’s long-term plans. For the most part, they played well. Let’s break down the good, the bad, and the ugly from the 2026 summer Spurs.
The Good
Rotation players
Carter Bryant and Tarris Reed Jr. were the players most Spurs fans were excited to watch this summer. Bryant played a minor role on an NBA Finals team in his rookie season, and Reed was a first-round pick who is likely to factor into next year’s team as a third-string center. The last thing you want is for players who are likely to factor into the regular season rotation looking bad in the Summer League. San Antonio did not have that problem.
Bryant had to shake off some rust in his first game in Vegas, but quickly bounced back, averaging 15.5 points in his two games. The Spurs asked Bryant to play on the ball offensively in his first game, where he struggled (more on that later). In game two, he slotted into an off-ball wing role where he thrived on straight-line drives and catch-and-shoot attempts. Bryant looked strong compared to the competition, and showed a couple of nice mid-range jumpers, clearing space with that strength. Getting those on-ball reps now will pay off come October.
Reed had a more consistent summer experience. He averaged 7.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per game. Summer League is a guard-oriented game, so Reed didn’t get a lot of chances to dominate offensively, which is fine because he likely won’t have that opportunity in the NBA. Instead, Reed showed what will make him a serviceable NBA player in his rookie season. He sets hard, physical screens that open up a lot of space for his teammates. He has great size that allows him to clear out the paint and grab boards on both ends (8.7 rebounds in 23.1 minutes is crazy), and has good touch to score inside. His defensive foot speed could use some work, as he found himself out of place on that end on multiple occasions. He looked like a player who can provide San Antonio with spot minutes, or fill in if Victor Wembanyama or Luke Kornet need to miss games.
Second-round fliers
San Antonio also has two second-round picks on two-way contracts. Contenders rarely need their two-way player to contribute much, but if the Spurs do, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Maliq Brown look up to the task.
Brown shined as a versatile defender with elite hands. He averaged 2.8 steals this summer, swiping the ball away under the basket or using his length to get into the passing lanes. He showed glimpses of being able to play small-ball center with his wingspan and excellent instincts as a help defender. He needs to put on a bit more muscle to play the five in the NBA, but there is potential for him to be an interesting depth piece as a 4/5 man. It’s also worth noting that Brown hit a couple of three-pointers this summer. Developing a shot would take his game to another level.
Gillespie started the summer on an ice-cold shooting stretch, but bounced back, finishing the summer averaging 16 points a game on 40% shooting from the field and 30.8% from three. He always seemed to be moving with and without the ball to get into a position to score or to find a teammate for a good look. The shots didn’t always fall, but he was able to create separation against NBA talent and get to his spots. Despite his smaller stature, Gillespie looked the part defensively, snatching 2 steals per game this summer, applying a lot of pressure on the ball. Gillespie should be solid for the Austin Spurs this season, and could factor in as a break-in-case-of-emergency ball-handler for the NBA team.
Hyunjung Lee
Lee was the surprise player that got Spurs fans talking this summer. He’s a 6-foot-7 wing with a smooth jump shot from three. He’s not an incredible athlete, but he plays hard and can knock down shots. That was no more apparent than when he had 22 points on 4/7 shooting from deep against Darryn Peterson and the Utah Jazz. Lee likely won’t get a two-way contract with the Spurs this summer, but he’s certainly worth keeping in Austin to monitor his development.
The Bad
Carter Bryant on the ball
Bryant did not look good in his on-ball reps. He doesn’t have a sharp handle, and he’s not great at creating separation against even G League defenders right now. That’s the bad news. The good news is the Spurs don’t need him to break guys down off the dribble. They have Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper to do that. Bryant will shine on the defensive end. San Antonio needs him to be an off-ball player who can play aggressively with his athleticism and knock down open jumpers offensively. He should thrive long term as the 4th or 5th option while guarding the toughest wing on the opposing team. Getting these on-ball reps in the Summer League will go a long way to developing his skills so he can step up and create shots in more limited offensive lineups.
Passing to the bigs
One thing that drives me crazy about Summer League ball is how the guards don’t look at the big men inside. There were many occasions this summer where Reed would have a player pinned on a seal after a pick-and-roll and a guard would chuck up a bad shot. The guard-dominant style of the Summer League made it hard to watch and enjoy games this summer. Which brings me to…
The Ugly
Summer League basketball
I have been accustomed to watching a lot of bad basketball in my life. I enjoy watching college and high school basketball to learn about which players will be in the league in the near future. Watching players develop is one of my favorite things about the NBA. So Summer League, in most seasons, is a fun time of year for a fan like me. But I think the 2025-26 Spurs broke me. It’s not like they were the Beautiful Game Spurs from a decade ago, but they moved the ball well and guarded their tails off. Going from that level of basketball to the Summer League this year was STARK. It was hard to watch guys chuck bad shots, turn the ball over, and drive into traffic with no plan. It was some of the ugliest basketball I’ve watched in a while, and I’m glad that the next time we see the Silver and Black play, it will be with mostly the entire NBA team.
A warmup jacket worn by Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals that was bought by a teenager for $3.07 at an Oregon thrift store sold for $89,600 at auction on Monday.
Quinn Brown had been eyeing a massive bin of clothes at a Goodwill store outside Portland in January when he saw someone toss a Lakers jacket with Chamberlain’s name on it back on the pile. Brown, who resells used clothes online, quickly grabbed it.
The jacket was auctioned by Sotheby’s, which had estimated its value between $150,000 and $250,000 before bidding closed Monday. It received a total of 48 bids, according to the auction house.
Sotheby’s
This Wilt Chamberlain jacket worn by the Lakers star during the 1972 NBA Finals was auctioned off by Sotheby’s.
Described on Sotheby’s website as an “extraordinary piece of memorabilia,” the short-sleeved yellow warmup jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals, in which the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks.
“I didn’t even think that finding something like this was possible,” Brown said. “I got very, very lucky.”
Chamberlain, an NBA Hall of Famer viewed as one of the all-time greats, played in the league from 1959 to 1973. He won two championship rings — one with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967, and another with the Lakers in 1972. He holds the record for most points scored by a player in a single game, netting 100 points in a 1962 match.
For the past three years, Brown has been reselling clothes online after finding them in thrift stores. The most expensive item he had sold previously was a T-shirt of Sub Pop Records, the indie label that signed Nirvana in 1989 and released the band’s first album. It went for $250.
After buying the Chamberlain jacket back in January, Brown searched online to see if it was worth something. He found a picture on Google of Chamberlain wearing such a jacket and compared it to the one he had.
In examining the Lakers patch on the front, he noticed certain small stitching details that matched the photo. He also looked up the measurements of a different jersey worn by Chamberlain, a towering figure at 7-foot-1, and discovered that they nearly aligned.
“I really just wanted to make sure, because it was so hard to believe at the time,” he said, adding that he had only ever read about such serendipitous thrift findings.
When he posted a photo of the jacket on social media, Sotheby’s contacted him about consigning the jacket to the auction house. Brown agreed, and an armored van came to pick it up.
Sotheby’s then did its own photo verification and determined that the jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 Finals, in which he was named the Finals MVP.
“Photomatching a piece of game-worn clothing to a specific Finals series, for a player of this era, is genuinely exceptional,” Sotheby’s website says. “As photomatched items worn by Chamberlain become exceedingly rare, this jacket is a piece of sports history.”
It is not the first Chamberlain item from the 1972 Finals to fetch a hefty sum under the hammer: A game jersey he wore during the series sold for $4.9 million at Sotheby’s in 2023, the fourth most expensive NBA jersey ever sold by the auction house.
As for his thrifted find, Brown said: “That was as good as it gets.”
A warmup jacket worn by Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals that was bought by a teenager for $3.07 at an Oregon thrift store sold for $89,600 at auction on Monday.
Quinn Brown had been eyeing a massive bin of clothes at a Goodwill store outside Portland in January when he saw someone toss a Lakers jacket with Chamberlain’s name on it back on the pile. Brown, who resells used clothes online, quickly grabbed it.
The jacket was auctioned by Sotheby’s, which had estimated its value between $150,000 and $250,000 before bidding closed Monday. It received a total of 48 bids, according to the auction house.
Sotheby’s
This Wilt Chamberlain jacket worn by the Lakers star during the 1972 NBA Finals was auctioned off by Sotheby’s.
Described on Sotheby’s website as an “extraordinary piece of memorabilia,” the short-sleeved yellow warmup jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals, in which the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks.
“I didn’t even think that finding something like this was possible,” Brown said. “I got very, very lucky.”
Chamberlain, an NBA Hall of Famer viewed as one of the all-time greats, played in the league from 1959 to 1973. He won two championship rings — one with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967, and another with the Lakers in 1972. He holds the record for most points scored by a player in a single game, netting 100 points in a 1962 match.
For the past three years, Brown has been reselling clothes online after finding them in thrift stores. The most expensive item he had sold previously was a T-shirt of Sub Pop Records, the indie label that signed Nirvana in 1989 and released the band’s first album. It went for $250.
After buying the Chamberlain jacket back in January, Brown searched online to see if it was worth something. He found a picture on Google of Chamberlain wearing such a jacket and compared it to the one he had.
In examining the Lakers patch on the front, he noticed certain small stitching details that matched the photo. He also looked up the measurements of a different jersey worn by Chamberlain, a towering figure at 7-foot-1, and discovered that they nearly aligned.
“I really just wanted to make sure, because it was so hard to believe at the time,” he said, adding that he had only ever read about such serendipitous thrift findings.
When he posted a photo of the jacket on social media, Sotheby’s contacted him about consigning the jacket to the auction house. Brown agreed, and an armored van came to pick it up.
Sotheby’s then did its own photo verification and determined that the jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 Finals, in which he was named the Finals MVP.
“Photomatching a piece of game-worn clothing to a specific Finals series, for a player of this era, is genuinely exceptional,” Sotheby’s website says. “As photomatched items worn by Chamberlain become exceedingly rare, this jacket is a piece of sports history.”
It is not the first Chamberlain item from the 1972 Finals to fetch a hefty sum under the hammer: A game jersey he wore during the series sold for $4.9 million at Sotheby’s in 2023, the fourth most expensive NBA jersey ever sold by the auction house.
As for his thrifted find, Brown said: “That was as good as it gets.”
Yaxel Lendeborg did not mince words when describing the difference between his squad and the Memphis Grizzlies’ NBA Summer League team after the Warriors defeated them 94-90 on Sunday to win the 2026 tournament title.
Yaxel Lendeborg on how the Warriors pulled off a double-digit comeback against the Grizzlies in the Las Vegas Summer League championship game: “Man, their butts got tight. They puckered up, you know what I mean? Some of us are built for the moment and some aren’t.” pic.twitter.com/7OiRkczcYS
Lendeborg scored a game-high 21 points with 11 rebounds and led a 12-point, fourth-quarter comeback victory en route to being named MVP of the championship game, and later the entire summer league.
The rookie’s performance and comments drew the attention of Warriors veteran Draymond Green.
Throughout his 14-year NBA career, Green has earned a reputation for his outspoken personality, both on and off the court.
Since the Warriors drafted Lendeborg 11th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, he already has drawn similarities to Green for his outspoken nature and comments.
In fact, there already has been one instance of the two personalities meeting head-on in the form of the rivalry between their respective alma maters.
Lendeborg, a former Michigan Wolverine, was given the opportunity to take a dig at Green’s Michigan State Spartans on his draft night on June 23.
“I hate those guys [Michigan State]. I’ve only been there [Michigan] for one year, but I definitely hate those guys,” Lendeborg said. “All that they were saying, and they can’t really say much because I went 2-0 against them this year. So they’re going to be little brother for me forever, and I’m not going to represent the losers ever.”
“You f–king liar, Yaxel! How dare you? Just come out and lie like that! So you know me, I’m going to provide the receipts. And the receipts are very clear,” Draymond remarked before sharing a screenshot of their text thread with time stamps.
“This f–king guy! It’s the Michigan way. Of course it’s the Michigan way,” Green said. “How the hell are you going to say, ‘Man, Draymond ain’t text me back.’ So you know what I had to do. I had to expose the young fella a bit.”
Green then lightheartedly threatened to bring back rookie hazing if Lendeborg continues his behavior.
Warriors fans will be hoping the barbs will lead to the two developing chemistry rather than clashing and that the veteran will see some of himself in the rookie and take him under his wing.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 18: Kam Jones #39 and Nate Ament #15 of the Milwaukee Bucks high five during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on July 18, 2026 at the Cox Pavilion Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Greathouse/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The post-Giannis era has just left its first impression. Following a nail-biting win against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Milwaukee Bucks have wrapped up their part in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League. The Bucks finished their campaign with a respectable 2-3 record, winning their final two outings after a trio of losses to start.
More important than the wins, Bucks fans can now breathe a sigh of relief after both of their first-round draft picks—Brayden Burries and Nate Ament—showed their stuff. Burries, in particular, looked a step above the competition and figures to be at least a rotational piece for the real Bucks from day one, while Ament, after a rather passive first three games, finished strongly to suggest that he might just be on the right path too.
But it wasn’t just the Bucks’ prized first-rounders who demanded our attention. Kasparas Jakučionis, Bogoljub Markovic, Pete Nance, and Kam Jones all had moments too. So, with Summer League now in the books, it’s time to hand out their report cards.
Note: Only players who have reported contracts with the Bucks—standard or two-way—have been graded.
Talk about a high floor—you need stairs just to get up to this one! Burries came into Summer League largely as an afterthought, certainly in comparison to his fellow top ten draftees and arguably in comparison to his new Bucks teammates too (at least if the Brew Hoop comment section is anything to go by). At one point before Summer League, I considered penning a “Brayden Burries Boredom” piece; there was that little talk about him. The way he played, he just might’ve felt the oversight too.
Put simply, Burries was the best player on the court regardless of who he played against (or with). The numbers show that—volume scoring, peripheral contributions as a rebounder and passer, unfathomable efficiency. But it’s the way he got them that stood out. Burries was a true three-level scorer, bodying defenders to get to the paint and to the line, drilling pull-up middies, and splashing “Did you see that!?” treys, including some truly amazing step backs. And he did it all like he’d been there before.
He’ll go by “Buzzer Beater Burries” from here on out (thanks, Mitchell).
Ament made no real positive impact in the first three games, but I also wouldn’t say he had a negative impact either. While his defence was certainly not all that additive, it wasn’t as if he was shot-chucking or turning the ball over a tonne; he was kind of just… out there. Some of that is context-dependent: for example, I don’t think it was a coincidence that Ament looked much more engaged when he got more chances to handle the ball.
His fourth game was by far his best, dropping 23 points on 7/13 shooting. Then, in the final game, he had nine points in the first quarter, only to score three for the rest of the game, missing a bunch of bunnies in the second half. All in all, Ament ended Summer League looking like a different player from the seemingly timid guy he was at the start. And don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of work to do, but that mindset to push through adversity was really great to see.
Jakučionis played only in the first two of Milwaukee’s Vegas matchups—losses to his former Miami Heat and also the San Antonio Spurs. In those, he showed flashes of the court vision and passing that enable you to envision him as a starting-caliber offensive maestro, tying with Kam Jones for the Bucks leader in assists per game despite playing fewer minutes. He had some really nice dump-off dimes in the paint after drawing help from opposing bigs, while also showing skills as an inbounder, setting up cutters for rim finishes. Beyond his passing, Kas shot it well from distance, going an efficient 3/6, and used his quick hands to generate steals.
However, Jakučionis struggled mightily finishing anything inside the arc (2/13) and also with ball pressure, most noticeably against the Spurs, where he coughed up five turnovers. In all, it was a somewhat underwhelming performance given his potential and the anticipation that comes with a new, young prospect. But really, Jakučionis simply showed us who he is and why there’s still work to do.
Bogi demonstrated marked improvement offensively compared to last year’s Summer League. While his overall shooting percentage did drop, he took considerably more shots (42 to 29), and his three-point stroke looked much smoother. He also had some moments distributing the ball, with several really nice feeds throughout the five games, and looked comfortable with the ball in his hands.
Markovic’s best game by far came against the Phoenix Suns, where he scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and even had a block. There was a lot to like, and clearly his season overseas helped hone his skills on that end of the floor. It’s a shame his Summer League ended with a stinker against the Philadelphia 76ers—a 1/9 performance—otherwise, it was a good offensive summer for Markovic.
Defensively, it was another story. While Markovic did get himself a block a game, he still seemed slow and had a hard time staying in front of guys. He’s going to need to make more strides in this facet of his game, and I’m not sure that can happen with some of his physical limitations. Overall, the arrow is pointing up for Markovic heading into the offseason, but he’ll need to keep building if he hopes to earn a roster spot by the time opening night rolls around.
I mean, Pete Nance was Pete Nance: a reliable, no-nonsense hooper who plays his role and makes his teammates better. Nance has turned his three-ball into a legit threat and found his niche as a pick-and-pop big, which is huge for his long-term future in the NBA. Before, he was something of a jack-of-all-trades without a definable NBA skill, and he has clearly worked his behind off to turn that three-point shot into his fastball. He also flashed some nice passing ability as the Bucks used him more as a hub than I can remember them doing in the past.
Lewis was basically a non-factor across both the California Classic and Vegas Summer League. He did not look like an NBA player, that’s for sure. His three-point shooting was fine (for the small number of attempts he got up), but any time he was forced to put the ball on the floor, things got ugly. Granted, minutes were scarce for Lewis, and he didn’t really get a chance to redeem himself in Vegas.
I will note that, having seen this guy play for two years at the NBL, the context of Summer League is not advantageous for him. Lewis is a three-and-D specialist, and that’s it; rarely, if ever, was he asked to create off the bounce in Australia, and naturally, players are forced into roles they’re not meant for in the Summer League environment.
We didn’t really learn a whole lot about the 27-year-old Cormac Ryan through Summer League, and to be honest, I’m not too sure what the point was for playing him at all. We know what Ryan is (a secondary creator and spot-up shooter) and what he is not (a primary creator). Throughout the Vegas Summer League, Ryan was forced more into that latter category, which led to inefficient shooting nights that cut into the rookies’ reps. I’m not even necessarily blaming this on him either—maybe the coaches gave him that role—but the whole campaign really seemed like a waste of time, evidenced by him getting shut down after three games.
I really liked Jones’ impact on this Summer League team. He didn’t get to play much until the back end of Vegas because he was behind some guys, but I actually liked his minutes more than the guys who were playing over him initially. Jones was a willing playmaker for others, but was also aggressive in picking his spots when it was his turn. He was a true floor general and brought a calming presence to the team when things got shaky or sped up. I still wonder about Jones’ long-term NBA viability because of his lack of size and explosion, but he was great in the Summer League setting.
Not much to see here, folks. Castro looked like a legitimate defensive menace at times in the California Classic, racking up steals—seven across two games—and altering shots, but he didn’t get much of an opportunity in Vegas. He sure is athletic, but has a ways to go on the offensive end, especially catching the ball. The fact he played just 8.8 MPG in only three games makes you wonder whether his reported signing with Milwaukee on a two-way deal will actually come to fruition.
Milwaukee has one more two-way spot to hand out (Cormac Ryan and Kam Jones occupy the other two), and of all the non-contracted players on the SL squad, Zack Austin looked like the strongest candidate to fill that opening. The counting stats don’t reflect it, but he radiated “NBA-caliber wing” vibes throughout the California Classic and the Vegas games. His motor and athleticism are central to his appeal. Most guys of his size don’t dunk and block shots like him. He can also shoot it really well off the catch—don’t let his poor splits from these exhibitions fool you; he was a 40.4% sniper on volume in the G League last season. All in all, the Bucks can’t let Austin leave their system, even if he begins next year with the Herd.
Grade:A-
What do you think, Brew Hoop family—are our assessments fair or do you need to speak with the principal? Hand out your grades below and add your thoughts in the comments.
On July 13, the Miles Bridges trade became official. Brian Gregory had this to say about the Suns’ new power forward.
“His elite athleticism, strength and versatility allow him to impact the game on both ends of the floor. He embodies the grit, competitiveness and work ethic that fit our identity, and we’re excited to welcome him to Phoenix.”
High praise. Or maybe bold praise, considering Bridges’ six-year NBA career with the Hornets.
Coming out of Michigan-lite, Bridges was projected to be the type of player that Gregory is describing. A potential two-way star, with the athleticism to be a menace on the defensive end and a problem with the ball in his hands.
Tom Izzo had this to say to the New York Post about Miles Bridges in advance of the 2018 draft.
“I see a guy who can play a lot of positions and defend them with his strength and rebounding,’’ Izzo said. “What I’d like to see him get better at? Continually improving getting shots off the dribble. He’s a phenomenal 85 percent free-throw shooter. I’d like to see him get to the line more. He’ll get better because he’s a gym rat — in there at 6:30 a.m., in there at night. How many guys love the game, how many guys like the game.”
Chris Dempsey wrote this about Bridges’ potential to impact the defensive end in the NBA.
Miles Bridges’ ideal fit is with a team looking to add toughness and defense to its rotation without sacrificing offense. Bridges can score – Michigan State ran many plays for him – but his immediate impact will be on defense, where he projects to be a very good defender. Bridges is also a good rebounder, and can play right away for a team with scoring and playmaking around him that is in need of some hustle, solid spot-up shooting, and intangibles.
Sounds like one of “Gregory’s Grinders,” and if that’s the Miles Bridges the Suns get it’s a strong step toward building a contender, but that’s not the Miles Bridges the Hornets got over his six years in Charlotte.
The front office is rolling the dice that Charlotte was the problem, and given Charlotte’s record during Miles Bridges’ tenure, it’s a reasonable assumption, even if the numbers signal risk. Will Miles Bridges be who Miles Bridges has been? Or can the Suns’ newly installed culture, and a group of young forwards nipping at his heels, push Miles Bridges to be the explosive two-way player scouts thought he had the potential to be coming out of college?
The Suns clearly believe Bridges can grow as a defender, but Miles Bridges isn’t a prospect anymore.
Over his career, Miles Bridges has a defensive rating of 115.0, which is hovering around average for power forwards.
To put it in context, last season, his future partner at forward, Dillon Brooks, had a defensive rating of 116.5, and the forward he’s replacing, Royce O’Neale, had a defensive rating of 113.9. Those stats being what they are, I’m expecting Miles Bridges to be a clear upgrade defensively in most areas compared to Royce, except for one notable exception. Steals.
The Suns got busy in the passing lanes this season and finished the year fourth in the league with 9.5 steals per contest. Royce O’Neale was responsible for 1.1 of them. Last year for the Hornets, Miles Bridges averaged 0.6 steals per game. The expectations will be different under Jordan Ott, who has attached his defensive philosophy to creating extra possessions by forcing turnovers. If the Suns are going to put out the kind of Thunder-esque defense Ott has envisioned, 0.6 steals from their starting power forward isn’t going to cut it.
For comparison, last season Goodie led the Suns with 1.5 steals a game. Devin Booker averaged 0.8, Jalen Green averaged 1.1, Dillon Brooks averaged 1.0, and Mark Williams contributed 0.9 a game. In addition to the Suns losing Royce’s 1.1 steals, Grayson is taking his 1.4 steals per game with him as well. There is reason to be concerned that, if Miles Bridges can’t find a way to be more disruptive, an area of advantage could regress toward league averages.
Standing at 6’7” with a 6′ 10” wingspan, Miles Bridges is a plus athlete who lacks length. Yet there are reasons to believe that Bridges could create more steals this upcoming season with the Suns. Mark Williams set a career high in steals per game in his first year in Phoenix. Defense is often a mentality as much as an ability, and the Suns were locked in on the defensive end last year. Bridges may thrive in this type of environment, which stands to be starkly different from the culture he’ll be leaving behind in Charlotte.
If not, there is no shortage of young forwards behind him, bringing the athleticism along with the length Bridges lacks. The progress of Rasheer Fleming, Ryan Dunn, and Koa Peat may impact the Suns’ willingness to commit to a Miles Bridges extension. If Bridges wants to make Phoenix a long-term stay, he will need to find the defensive intensity that he never tapped into in Charlotte.
One area Bridges could hang his hat on, as he carves out his role in the Suns’ defense, is the impact he could make on the defensive glass. The stop isn’t complete until the defense secures the rebound, and the Suns struggled to secure the rebound last year.
The Suns were 29th in the league in defensive rebounding last season. Royce was the second leading defensive rebounder on the team with 4.0 per game, and while the Suns’ rebounding issues go beyond the power forward position, the 4.9 rebounds Miles Bridges averaged for Charlotte in 25/26 would have tied Mark Williams for 1st on the Suns. Over his career, he’s averaged 5.1 defensive rebounds per contest. It’s no secret the Suns struggled to compete against size last year, and Miles Bridges, while an undersized four, is going to give the Suns some much-needed “oomph” on the glass.
If Miles Bridges does buy into the team culture, the Suns are adding a much-needed high-end athlete as they look to take their defense from a defense that out-hustles teams in October and November to a defense that wreaks havoc against the NBA’s best in the playoffs. While the Suns excelled in forcing turnovers in the regular season, the advantage disappeared in the playoffs against the NBA’s best.
Suns fans got a first-hand look at the defense that the Ishbia, Gregory, and Ott are trying to bring to Phoenix when the Suns ran into the Thunder in the playoffs. The difference between taking advantage of regular season lapses to forcing your will on a team whose best efforts aren’t enough. That’s what the top defenses do. Athletes like Miles Bridges make fielding a defense like that possible.
The Suns FO has said they want veterans to have career years. Could Miles Bridges average 1.0 steals and 8 rebounds a game next year on the Suns? In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 0.7 steals and 7.5 rebounds for a 19-win Hornets team, so it’s not insane to think he could. If that’s the case, the Suns might be a lot better than I thought they would be in the immediate aftermath of the trade.
There’s still a risk, and a lengthy history to suggest that the transformation to defensive demon won’t happen, and Bridges will continue to be pedestrian on that end of the floor. Could Charlotte’s losing culture be to blame for Miles Bridges not living up to his defensive potential, or could part of the reason Charlotte had a losing culture be that they had guys like Miles Bridges on the team? Talented but distracted players.
The Suns have time to figure out if it works before committing long-term to Bridges if they are willing to let him hit unrestricted free agency. So far this offseason, they’ve been quick to wrap these deals up, but they still have to figure out what they want to do with Brooks contract extension and with a rookie like Koa Peat looking ready to push the rotation. Is it smart to put Miles Bridges in front of him for the next four years?
Miles Bridges could be the win-now move the Suns needed, even if he’s not the win-now move the fans wanted. (JAYLEN BROWN!!!!) It all depends on Miles Bridges’ commitment to being a better defensive player than he’s been over his six-year career.
Brian Gregory thinks, “[Bridges] elite athleticism, strength, and versatility allow him to impact the game on both ends of the floor.”
He hasn’t been that type of player at the NBA level, but I’m not going to tell anyone what they can or can’t do. Only Miles Bridges can decide that.
A Brahminy kite eagle is pictured at KL Bird Park in Kuala Lumpur on December 27, 2023. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP) (Photo by MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Don’t start reading this with high hopes. It’s July 21, so as much as I try, it’s not that I can gather a lot of links and put together tons of notes. Bad times ahead for a workaholic like myself.
Karl-Anthony Towns opened up about the emotional aftermath of winning the NBA championship during his appearance on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast, how the achievement passed far quicker than he ever imagined, and admitted he struggled with suddenly having no basketball left to play after the Finals.
Kris Pursiainen of Daily Knicks only sees one LeBron James destination that could help the Knicks, or at least not hurt them too much.
Speaking of James, no decision arrived on Monday, only to shut Pat Bev’s mouth.
The Knicks, meanwhile, keep searching for a third-string center after Dallas matched their offer sheet for Moussa Cisse. Could SummerKnick Liam Robbins get the nod? Daily Knicks’ Kenny Kluska thinks so.
Josh Hart shared his pregame meal (not Mikes and Ikes). Could you guess it? Answer here.
Yes, it’s a slow day. What did you expect?
Trae Young says Zaccharie Risacher is finally free from the Hawks 👀
INGLEWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 14: Brent Barry looks on during the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest as part of the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday, February 14, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
I found this posted by the aptly named “Crazy Stats.”
Brent Barry is the only player in @NBA history to lead the league in two-point percentage (58.8% in 2001-02) and in three-point percentage (47.6% in 2000-01). pic.twitter.com/E6mc4rLGV4
“Brent Barry is the only player in @NBA history to lead the league in two-point percentage (58.8% in 2001-02) and in three-point percentage (47.6% in 2000-01).“
In back-to-back years Barry notched the best three-point shooting percentage followed by the best two-point shooting percentage while playing with the Seattle SuperSonics.
Add the 1996 Slam Dunk Contest and you’ve got some interesting trivia.
Barry, along with his father Rick Barry, were the second father-son duos to independently win NBA titles. The younger Barry earned his rings with San Antonio in 2005 and again in 2007.
Barry rejoined the Spurs from 2018-2024 in the front office as their vice president of basketball operations.
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Multiple reports have concluded that there are truly three teams in contention between the Cavs, Sixers and Heat.
The Warriors feel like a pipe dream but also remain a team to look out for that could really shift the narrative. James and his camp have all the information they need, according to USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes. Now, he just weighs out all of his options.
As James continues to breakdown those options and select his team, rumors are still flying. Speculation is rampant.
Here's the latest news, updates and whispers about the LeBron James Decision 4.0:
Rich Paul: LeBron James won't be rushed
06:44 AM ET, July 21 2026, Marcus D. Smith
After NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed his desire for LeBron James to make his decision so the league can finish its schedule for the regular-season, it fell on deaf ears.
Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, James' agent. told Max Kellerman during their Game Over podcast that James won't "be rushed" into making a free agency decision.
"I saw Adam in New York and we discussed it," Paul said. "If (LeBron) doesn’t know – you can’t rush it … we’re not going to be rushed. It’s his choice to make.
"There’s been several people who called and said ‘hey Rich is there anymore that we should be doing?’ And my answer is no. We don’t need you to go above and beyond."
Rich Paul says they’re not letting Adam Silver rush LeBron James decision:
“I saw Adam in NY and we discussed it…if he (Bron) doesn’t know — you can’t rush it…we’re not going to be rushed…it’s his choice to make…just like Pat (Riley) said…there’s been several people who… pic.twitter.com/sBt5iuyQcK
“I’m gonna go be P.J. Tucker and become the greatest corner 3-point shooter of all time,” Green said after stating he would give the keys to the offense to James.
Green added that while he would remain open to being involved in the pick and roll, he recognizes there might not be much opportunity with James and Steph Curry on the floor together, which does not seem to bother him.
“If you cannot figure out how to play a role, you usually fail,” Green said. “And so for me, I know what spot would be open, is the corner.”
Green’s best 3-point shooting season came in 2023-24, when he shot 39.5 percent, followed by 2015-16, when he shot 38.8 percent. Throughout his 14-year NBA career, Green is a 32.1-percent 3-point shooter.
James has been one of the league’s most coveted free agents this offseason since announcing on June 30 that he would not return to the Los Angeles Lakers upon the expiration of his contract. The Warriors are among the potential suitors for the all-time great, and reportedly are competing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers for his services.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 15: (Editors Note: Tonal effects have been applied to this image) Morez Johnson Jr. #14 of the Dallas Mavericks poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at UNLV on July 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dallas Mavericks rookie Morez Johnson Jr. is leaving the Las Vegas Summer League with a mixed bag of tape to look over until the start of training camp.
Johnson started off hot in Las Vegas but eventually cooled down, which isn’t what Mavericks fans want to see. ESPN analyst Ben Golliver listed Johnson as the most inconsistent rookie at the Las Vegas Summer League.
“Johnson’s debut was a sight to behold: 27 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks against the Golden State Warriors. As that line suggests, the No. 9 pick was a wrecking ball on both sides of the court. To top off an excellent showing filled with above-the-rim highlights on both ends, the 6-foot-9 forward even stepped out to hit a 3-pointer. This was everything Dallas could have wanted to see: physicality, energy, versatility and a stretch element on offense,” Golliver wrote.
“Unfortunately, Johnson looked like a completely different player in the Mavericks’ next game, a loss to the Lakers. He committed seven fouls in 28 minutes, looked a step slow to react to the action in the paint and finished with just 10 points and five rebounds as the Mavericks were outscored by 22 points in his 28 minutes.”
Johnson will get opportunities to compete for minutes in his rookie season, especially with his former Michigan head coach Dusty May now leading the Mavs. There won’t be as much breathing room in Dallas as there was in Ann Arbor. There are other players who bring a lot to the table that could challenge Johnson for minutes, including the team’s newest trade acquisition, Zaccharie Risacher, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
Johnson showed the best of what he can bring, along with the worst. He is coming into the league as a rookie, and that will come with its fair share of growing pains, but he needs to learn how to move on from those quickly.
Johnson’s role likely won’t feature him as much offensively as he played against Golden State, which means he has to learn how to fit in alongside Cooper Flagg as a role player. If he can find his lane, he’ll be just fine, but he needs to figure out how to complement his teammates while using the elite energy and physicality that made him a top-10 pick to begin with.
A warmup jacket worn by Wilt Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals that was bought by a teenager for $3.07 at an Oregon thrift store sold for $89,600 at auction on Monday.
Quinn Brown had been eyeing a massive bin of clothes at a Goodwill store outside Portland in January when he saw someone toss a Lakers jacket with Chamberlain’s name on it back on the pile. Brown, who resells used clothes online, quickly grabbed it.
The jacket was auctioned by Sotheby’s, which had estimated its value between $150,000 and $250,000 before bidding closed Monday. It received a total of 48 bids, according to the auction house.
Sotheby’s
This Wilt Chamberlain jacket worn by the Lakers star during the 1972 NBA Finals was auctioned off by Sotheby’s.
Described on Sotheby’s website as an “extraordinary piece of memorabilia,” the short-sleeved yellow warmup jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA Finals, in which the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks.
“I didn’t even think that finding something like this was possible,” Brown said. “I got very, very lucky.”
Chamberlain, an NBA Hall of Famer viewed as one of the all-time greats, played in the league from 1959 to 1973. He won two championship rings — one with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967, and another with the Lakers in 1972. He holds the record for most points scored by a player in a single game, netting 100 points in a 1962 match.
For the past three years, Brown has been reselling clothes online after finding them in thrift stores. The most expensive item he had sold previously was a T-shirt of Sub Pop Records, the indie label that signed Nirvana in 1989 and released the band’s first album. It went for $250.
After buying the Chamberlain jacket back in January, Brown searched online to see if it was worth something. He found a picture on Google of Chamberlain wearing such a jacket and compared it to the one he had.
In examining the Lakers patch on the front, he noticed certain small stitching details that matched the photo. He also looked up the measurements of a different jersey worn by Chamberlain, a towering figure at 7-foot-1, and discovered that they nearly aligned.
“I really just wanted to make sure, because it was so hard to believe at the time,” he said, adding that he had only ever read about such serendipitous thrift findings.
When he posted a photo of the jacket on social media, Sotheby’s contacted him about consigning the jacket to the auction house. Brown agreed, and an armored van came to pick it up.
Sotheby’s then did its own photo verification and determined that the jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 Finals, in which he was named the Finals MVP.
“Photomatching a piece of game-worn clothing to a specific Finals series, for a player of this era, is genuinely exceptional,” Sotheby’s website says. “As photomatched items worn by Chamberlain become exceedingly rare, this jacket is a piece of sports history.”
It is not the first Chamberlain item from the 1972 Finals to fetch a hefty sum under the hammer: A game jersey he wore during the series sold for $4.9 million at Sotheby’s in 2023, the fourth most expensive NBA jersey ever sold by the auction house.
As for his thrifted find, Brown said: “That was as good as it gets.”
BOSTON - 1990: Isiah Thomas #11 of the Detroit Pistons passes against Larry Bird #33 and Dennis Johnson #3 of the Boston Celtics during a game played in 1990 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1990 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We’ve talked a lot about Larry Bird in this space, largely because Bird had a genius for basketball that is exceedingly rare. A lot of people think that Bird was too slow and couldn’t jump, and that he wouldn’t be able to play today.
People like JJ Redick, for one, who really should know better (Redick said that he didn’t think Bird was a top-five all-time three-point shooter).
Redick was born in 1984, so he was too young to see Bird in his prime, and may not have watched him much in his later years either to understand why he was such a feared shooter. That’s hard to know. However, the idea that Bird would struggle in today’s game is ludicrous, and this video partially demonstrates why.
You’ll see several things repeated here. For one, Bird on several occasions is on the floor and nonetheless still delivers pinpoint, lethal passes.
You’ll also see him make several passes to players behind him that he cannot possibly see. Nonetheless, he knows where they will be and delivers perfect passes for easy baskets, sometimes with 2-3 defenders in the way.
You’ll also see plays where he just touches the ball long enough to direct it to a teammate. It’s not exactly a pass; it’s more like a redirection.
As the narrator notes, Bird has superb situational awareness, and perhaps the best hand-eye coordination in the history of the game. But he also played as hard as anyone, and with an amazing amount of self-confidence.
This is a guy who said that he knew, on his third day of practice as a rookie, that he would dominate the NBA.
There are Larry Bird trash talking videos out there on the YouTubes, where he told his defenders exactly what he was going to do, and then did it.
And then there’s this: Bird played in an era when guys sometimes tackled each other in the open court and pulled each other down like they were in WrestleMania, not the NBA.
In this era, where you can’t defend physically as you could in the 1980’s, no one could have stopped Bird. He might have averaged 40 points in the modern NBA.
James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul addressed the ongoing standstill in his client’s free agency on the latest episode of his “Game Over” podcast with co-host Max Kellerman, which released Monday.
“We’re not going to be rushed,” Paul told Kellerman. “We’re not going to be rushed. It’s his choice to make and when he makes the choice, he’ll make it.”
Paul added that teams have circled back with him, asking if there is anything they can do to improve their standing in the race to sign James, to which the agent assured them his client has all the information he needs to make a decision.
“There’s been several people to call and say, ‘Hey, Rich, is there anything more we should be doing? We could be doing?'” Paul said. “And my answer is, ‘No. We don’t need you to go above and beyond about anything. We understand it. It’s clear. All the messages have been sent.’ “
While some have likened the spectacle surrounding James’ suspenseful free agency this summer to his free-agent experiences in the past, Paul clarified that the lengthy, ongoing wait for the 41-year-old’s decision this time around is not an intentional effort to generate attention.
“I think it’s important for people to understand: We’re not making this about attention and a spectacle,” Paul clarified. “It’s not about a ‘Decision’ or anything like that. He has a choice to make. He has a business choice to make. We’re not going to sit here and decide or allow someone else to decide when he makes that decision. … It’s a business choice that he’s making. And I think as an athlete, why is it that an athlete has to rush his choice?”
With teams like Golden State still needing to fill multiple roster spots at this point in the offseason, Paul urges those front offices to go about their business and do so as they wait for James’ decision.
“There’s roster spots that’s not filled,” Paul added. “If they want to fill their roster spots, we’re not saying don’t fill your roster spots.”
While some NBA insiders, and even former players, are reporting that James’ decision is imminent, Paul poured cold water on the notion that anyone knows what his client will do.
“These people don’t know anything,” Paul said. “I don’t know when his choice is going to be made, but it could be 48 seconds [from now]. It could be 48 minutes. I don’t know. Again, you can’t make somebody know something that they don’t know.”
Until we hear it from James himself, it is safe to assume his decision on where he will play his 24th NBA season, and perhaps longer, will remain a mystery.
Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s