Category: Basketball

From the dawn of time we came and now, after a season that raised as many questions as it answered, we are finally here. The time of the Gathering is upon us. Until now, Royce and Grayson have coexisted as key veteran contributors off the Suns’ bench, bombing three-pointers in volume and providing experience, leadership, and consistency. Yet in the Dead Money era of Suns basketball, uncomfortable decisions must be made, as the Suns desperately seek flexibility this offseason. In the end: There can only be one.

Like the hordes of feral pigs rolling Mad Max style over the plains of Texas, the Phoenix Suns’ guard population has overrun the ecosystem. There are not enough minutes to feed the stable of hungry guards, each possessing qualities that warrant playing time and limitations that made fielding balanced rotations difficult for first-year coach Jordan Ott, who relied on running small line-ups in an attempt to field his best five. Saddled with the remnants of Bradley Beal’s time in Phoenix and a draft cupboard full of cobwebs and the echoes of regret, Phoenix is going to have to move someone if they wish to make any substantial changes to its current roster. 

And change they must.

Phoenix exceeded their expected win total by nine games, buoyed by oversized performances from key players on undersized contracts. Ishbia has consistently stated that he remains committed to winning. The consensus outside the organization, from the media and fan base, seems to be coalescing around setting the bar for success at a top-six finish in the Western Conference and a competitive first-round playoff matchup.

Can Ishbia bank on Dillon Brooks being one of the best iso scorers in the league again? Is Collin Gillespie going to chase Suns’ history a second year in a row? Jordan Goodwin hit over half of his career total in threes this last season…is that a blip in time or a sign of things to come? While the 2025-26 season may go down in fan lore as a cult classic, the sequel could very well bomb if the shots don’t fall.

While attractive trade-machine deals are scarce when the Suns lack the assets to acquire a name that would charge the fanbase up, Grayson and Royce are both players who can bring back legitimate trade value relative to their expected contributions. 

You can never have too many shooters, unless all of them are short and at best kind of mid on defense. Grayson or Royce’s value might be higher on another team with a different roster construction, say Orlando or Detroit. But the Suns made their hay off the three-point shot. Can they really afford to give up both Royce and Grayson, who this past season combined to account for 29% of the Suns’ regular season three-point attempts and 30% of their made three-pointers? How about if I mentioned Devin Booker’s three-point attempts dropped from 551 in 2024-25 to 370 in 2025-26, and that the only member of last year’s squad ahead of Grayson and Royce in those categories was Career Year Collin Gillespie (CYCG).

Opinions may vary, but going forward, I’m operating on the assumption that the Suns will not, and can not afford to, move both Grayson and Royce unless it was in a package for a potential All-Star, and I’m not talking Cam Johnson or Dean Wade. Cough Ja Cough. Until that trade materializes, the Suns need to leverage at least one of their valuable trade pieces to rebalance the roster. So, who should the Suns trade and who should the Suns keep?

Royce is a rock in the grade 5 rapids that has been the Suns’ past two seasons. While the KD Suns swirled down the pipes of inevitability, Royce finished the season shooting 40.6% from three on 5.9 attempts per game and backed it up the very next year on a revamped roster by shooting 40.8% on 6.7 attempts per game; both career highs. Royce gives you proven solutions in uncertain times, and he’s thrived during his tenure in Phoenix.

Not to be forgotten in evaluating Royce’s value to the Suns is his availability. When you’re starting in a $23.2 million Bradley-Beal-in-street-clothes-shaped hole, spending your money on players that play games becomes vital. Over his 9-year career, Royce has played in 70+ games 8 times, and in the lone season he didn’t reach 70, he played 69. The Suns can not afford to undervalue availability in the Dead Money Era. When you’re down 0-2 in the count, you can’t take a cut at a wild pitch.

Quick to dead the bull like a matador, a phrase lifted from Miguel’s classic song, accurately describes Royce’s defensive journey last season. He olay’d far too many ball handlers into the lane, and I’m not entirely convinced that his time at the four wasn’t spurred by trying to match him up with players he had a chance to stay in front of, especially as the Suns tried to switch five with the Oso-anchored bench unit. The whole league got the tape on the Suns, and ball handlers julienned them on the dribble drive, as Oso tried to block shots just out of his reach.

In addition to his aged reflexes, playing Royce meant sacrificing size at the four. Royce’s production on the offensive end made it impossible for Jordan Ott to find minutes for our young, Stretch Armstrong fours, without sacrificing win totals. Taking Royce out of the equation frees up minutes for Fleming and Dunn, which addresses the Suns’ lack of size with players already on the roster who are both on value contracts.

What could we gain by trading Royce? The rumor mill has been working overtime, but as John Voita noted in the case for trading Royce O’Neale, the first benefit of trading Royce O’Neale is cap flexibility. Trading his $10.9 million contract to a team that can take on extra cap space could free up the money we need to resign Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Mark Williams. Three players whose signing is said to be at the top of the Suns’ offseason priority list.

Another angle is to trade Royce in order to move up in the draft.

Gregory has shown a willingness to work his way up the draft order if there’s a player he wants. In what’s predicted to be a deep but thinning draft, as players withdraw for a payday at the college level, the Suns have signaled interest in trading up to possibly secure a first-round pick. However, even the most optimistic returns for Royce don’t stretch far past the early second round or late first round picks. It’s unlikely the Suns will scoop a day one contributor that late into the draft, so replacing Royce’s three-point production would have to come from players currently on the roster.

What’s the likelihood that the Suns will be able to cobble together an additional 212 three-pointers and 520 three-point attempts? Booker can take more threes, but with teams likely riding with the “take away Book” game plan, too many of those threes are the walk-up off the dribble shots, and to be blunt, Book’s not good at those. Or maybe the young forwards will be able to pick up the slack on shooting. Suns fans cry out for Rasheer Fleming, who shot the three at 40% on 130 attempts, almost exclusively on catch-and-shoots. Can he shoot four times that amount with increased minutes and still put them through at a high percentage? Are we expecting that many open corner threes?

The hard truth of trading Royce, especially as a solo asset, is that it’s not a move that makes the Suns better. They gain the flexibility to sign other important players you might lose to free agency. They free up playing time for the Suns’ young core, which would allow the Suns to play more size and field a better defense. At the same time, they’re losing a sizable chunk of their shooting, and if they run this roster back mostly, it’s still the same roster Vegas predicted would miss the playoffs before the three-point shooting boom pushed us into the Play-In tournament.

Are the Suns still a playoff team if their three-point shooting regresses? I’m not sure. The margin for error is razor-thin, with Gregory forced to spend the next four years trying to make a dollar out of 15 cents.

So, should we trade Grayson? 

“Not so fast,” I yell in my best Lee Corso voice as I put on the Grayson Allen mascot head. 

This team needs Grayson Allen. He’s developed into far more than a three-point specialist and defensive irritant. The mob has decided we need a point guard to free up Book, but no one knows where to get one. A healthy Grayson Allen could be exactly what this team needs. He handles the ball, he runs pick and roll, and he’s improved his playmaking.

There aren’t a lot of potential playmakers on this roster to pick from, and Book and Grayson have an undeniable chemistry. If the goal is continuity, bringing back one of the longest tenured players aligns with that mission, and Grayson Allen brings so much to this offense when he’s on the court. It’s just that it’s been a couple of years since he’s been healthy.

Grayson’s availability has plummeted with no signs of it bottoming out. It’s been a parade of knee and soft tissue issues. He’s in, he’s out, he’s in, he’s out, and as a result, production has fallen along with his availability. 

Since his inaugural year on the Suns, where Grayson played 75 games, and shot a blistering, league leading 46% from three-point range, he’s followed up with 64 games in 2024-25 and 51 games in 2025-26, a season in which we saw his three-point percentage drop to 34.9. So, which Grayson Allen can the Suns expect in the 2026-27 season? Can they afford to add another question mark, even if it’s a verified hooper like Grayson?

Despite the recent health issues, it seems safe to say that Grayson still has value on the trade market. His $18 million would match salaries with a different level of player than you could get for Royce, and you’d be hard-pressed to find many trade machine proposals involving the Suns that don’t include Grayson. One of the more intriguing options that has surfaced is trading Grayson for Cam Johnson.

On the surface, it makes a lot of sense. Cam is a forward and, as a career 39% three-point shooter, would provide spacing without sacrificing size or the minutes of other guards. But if we zoom in for a closer look, Cam has the same availability issues as Grayson and doesn’t bring any of the playmaking that could move Book off-ball. He also brings the burden of an additional salary that would have to be accounted for, either by not bringing back one of our free agents or by trading Royce for a cheaper contract. We all miss the energy of the Suns’ four finals run, but this isn’t a move that brings that back.

In the end, it’s all a balancing act. No team is interested in giving us a good deal; when you gain over here, you lose over there. Yet in the Dead Money era, there can only be one.

It all boils down to three questions: What did we get from these guys that we can’t win without? How well is our roster positioned to replace those things? What value could we gain from trading them? 

There’s quite a bit of overlap when comparing the two. Both players have a proven track record of being high-percentage three-point shooters from all over the arc. Both of them are veterans and decision makers. Both guys are continuity pieces who have played multiple seasons for the Suns alongside Devin Booker. Neither of them is going to be a great defender or fix our rebounding concerns. Neither of them has a solution to replace their production on the roster, or a clear trade upgrade that would provide support in a significant area of need. Their trade value lies in gaining cap flexibility and balancing the roster size, which could address our perimeter defense, rebounding concerns, and clear minutes for our young players.

Grayson provides more versatility and could be the key to unlocking Booker’s scoring. Royce is Mr. Consistent. He’ll be available, he’ll work that pump fake, he’ll get up a ton of three pointers, and knock them down around 40 percent of the time. I think we need that. 

So much about the upcoming season is up in the air. Are we going to get a second round of oversized performances from Brooks, Gillespie, and Goodwin? Do we know what we have with Jalen Green? Even Booker left last season with question marks about whether he could still wear the number one headband on a championship team and questions about whether he was even playing the right position. We need more players without question marks. Allen has question marks. If you bring back Allen, you’re rolling the dice on his health. The Suns have lost that gamble too many times to hit the atm for another 100 dollars. Not when they owe 23 million in Bradley Beal support, and their fanbase wants designer bags on a dollar tree budget.

If there can only be one. It has to be Royce.

The Quickening empowers me!

– Connor MacLeod

– Royce O’Neale

Welcome to Tom Mildenberger, who is our newest contributor at Bright Side of the Sun!

Former Knicks guard Jeremy Lin said the team declined a request from Kim Kardashian for him to appear on reality television after “Linsanity” took over New York in 2012.

During a Tuesday appearance on the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast, Lin recalled Kardashian’s request when Torre asked him about rumors that they were dating during the “Linsanity” craze — when Lin led the Knicks to 10 wins in 13 games and averaged over 22 points and nine assists after he was called up during the 2011-12 season.

“I think basically, she at that time, was filming her show … I don’t know if it was ‘Keeping up With the Kardashians’ or whatever show was happening back then,” Lin said. “But I know that she was kind of looking for a New York athlete to kind of be on this show essentially.

“So this is what I’ve heard and I don’t know if it’s true or not … that request did come in to the Knicks and that is a real request.

“Again, I don’t know if this is true or not. This is what was told to me afterwards because the request came in to the Knicks and they immediately declined it without asking [me] because they were like, ‘We’re not allowing our young second-year player to go down this route right now.'”

Torre aired a 2012 news headline by Syracuse.com that said: “Is Jeremy Lin Dating Kim Kardashian? ‘Linsanity’ Romance Rumors Fly.”

Lin — who is a guest analyst with ESPN for the 2026 NBA Finals between the Knicks and the Spurs — did not directly address the dating buzz.

Torre also showed a 2012 interview with former ESPN host Rachel Nichols, who asked Lin what the weirdest paparazzi moment he had during “Linsanity.”

“The stuff about me dating Kim Kardashian, I have no idea where that came from,” Lin said at the time, adding that he didn’t think he was her type.

Lin also turned down the cover of GQ magazine at the time.

“I just want to make sure that I’m not doing a disservice to my team by milking all of the attention because at the end of the day that’s not what I love. I love playing basketball,” Lin told Nichols.

Kardashian began dating her ex-husband, rapper Kanye West, in the spring of 2012. She married then Nets player Kris Humphries in 2011 for 72 days.

The Skims founder and West settled their divorce in 2022, and she is currently dating Formula One star, Lewis Hamilton.

Lin, who announced his retirement from professional basketball in an Instagram post last August, revealed in 2023 that he and his partner married “a couple years ago.”

They welcomed a son in 2024.

Lin had stints with the Warriors, Rockets, Lakers, Hornets, Nets, Hawks and Raptors after going undrafted out of Harvard.

He was part of the 2019 Raptors team that won the franchise’s first championship. 

Lin later went on to play for the Beijing Ducks.

He most recently played for the New Taipei Kings of the P. League+ in Taiwan, alongside his brother Joseph Lin.

Welcome to our annual Lakers season in review series, where we’ll look back at each player on the team’s roster this season and evaluate if they should be part of the future of the franchise. Today, we take a look at Deandre Ayton.

Deandre Ayton was easily considered the Lakers’ most intriguing signing last offseason. It was a bold move by Rob Pelinka to gamble on the center who had developed a notorious reputation for himself over the last few years. Pelinka and Luka Dončić — who recruited Ayton as well over the summer — felt that the big man was the missing piece in the Lakers’ rotation.

Coming into this season, there was a lot of pressure on Ayton to do well. That’s because his previous stints with the Suns and Blazers didn’t end in the best way possible and he hadn’t played more than 67 games since the 2022-2023 season. There was also a clear decrease in his production over the last two years, so the concerns as to why the Lakers signed him were valid.

But in fairness to the first overall pick in the 2018 draft, his first season with the Lakers turned out better than expected. Ayton played 72 games in the regular season, which was a career-high for him. He averaged 12.5 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block per game on 67.1% shooting and had his fair share of memorable games. He was reliable for most of the season but there were also times when he underperformed and was benched for it.

Ultimately, the 27-year-old veteran lived up to the expectations set for him, but there’s no certainty as to whether or not that’s enough to make him the Lakers’ starting center for years to come.

How did he play?

Ayton’s performance in the playoffs this season pretty much sums up his time as a Laker: Outstanding in the first round versus the Rockets and then disappointing en route to getting swept by the Thunder. Against Houston, he averaged 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game and even outplayed Alperen Şengün, but then he tallied just 7.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game against OKC.

While DA’s performance in the second round could’ve been better, what he proved in the regular season was that he definitely still has a place in this league. Although there were times when he made it known that he wasn’t thrilled with his role, the big man was still key in the team’s success this year. He found a way to fit alongside Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves by being a serviceable big man for most of those games.

Ayton’s role was simple: Be the team’s fourth scoring option while being a high-impact big in the paint. He isn’t a high-flying center like Hayes nor a bruiser. He had his own game, which was more post- and mid-range-oriented.

There were nights when Ayton just didn’t have the motor, which was why JJ Redick opted to play Jaxson Hayes over him. But that didn’t affect the relationship between the player and coach as the former was always vocal about how much of an honor it was to be coached by Redick and his staff. Redick also commended Ayton’s ability to adjust to his system so it seemed like they were often on the same page.

What is the contract situation moving forward?

Last summer, Ayton signed a two-year contract worth $16 million with a player option for the second season. So technically, he’s still under contract with the Lakers and the decision to stay will ultimately be his.

Should he be back?

If Ayton is still willing to buy into Redick’s system and the role that they want for him, then there’s certainly a place for him. His underwhelming performance in the second round series against the Thunder shouldn’t define who he is as a player. The Lakers, by now, know his strengths and weaknesses, which is why there’s no definite plan as to whether or not he’s going to remain as the team’s starting center next season.

But if DA feels that he deserves more than his current salary and wants the All-Star treatment in terms of priority on the rotation and touches, then perhaps he’d be better off on another team.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

Washington Wizards guard Trae Young has a decision to make.

The 27-year-old has a June 23 deadline to exercise his $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season, which is considered by many as an unlikely move.

Here are the options Young and the Wizards have if he declines his option:

What an extension looks like

If Young opts out, which multiple reports expect, he has until June 30 to sign an extension with Washington that holds a maximum value of three years and $156 million.

While a three-year extension makes sense, it will likely be for less money, with multiple reports projecting a $120 million deal that takes him through the 2028-29 campaign.

Wizards general manager Will Dawkins has extended two players during his tenure, both of which were rookie-scale extensions. He gave Deni Avdija $55 million and Corey Kispert $54 million over four years.

Both extensions were descending value, which means the cap hit started higher and ended lower than the contract’s average annual value (AAV). Considering Dawkins’ history, a potential Young extension would likely follow a similar structure.

Here’s what that cap hit would look like if Young signs a three-year, $120 million extension at descending value, as noted in an episode of the Third Apron podcast with Yossi Gozlan.

2026-27: $43,478,261

2027-28: $40,000,000

2028-29: $36,521,739

For reference, the Toronto Raptors gave Brandon Ingram a three-year, $120 million extension almost immediately after they acquired him via trade last season. After sitting the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign, Ingram averaged 21.5 points as he led Toronto to the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference this season.

Young wants to be a Wizard

The Wizards acquired Young in a January trade that sent CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to the Atlanta Hawks.

On a recent podcast appearance on “The Pivot,” Young made clear his desire to get dealt to Washington — a place he believes is on the verge of something special.

“I wanted to go [to Washington]. It’s not like [Atlanta] just shipped me there. That wasn’t the case,” Young said. “… I know our team is gonna be ready. We have young guys that have been through the rebuilding stage. They went through a lot of losing the last few years and they’re tired of losing. I want to be there with them when we’re winning.”

Young said he plans to bring several Wizards teammates to train with him this summer, which serves as another indicator of his offseason plans to remain in Washington.

A chip on his shoulder

It’s no secret many sold their Young stock after he played just 15 games last year amid a slew of injuries, which included a quad contusion, MCL sprain and back irritation.

But that’s only fueled Young’s motivation to prove those doubters wrong.

“This is the most slept on I’ve been in my whole life … Imagine the Wizards as the No. 1 team in the East next year. What [are] people gonna be saying?” Young said. “I haven’t played much in a year and a half, but trust me, I’m just entering my prime.”

An in-depth breakdown of Young’s pending decision on “The Wizards Podcast”

Our Greg Finberg broke down what a potential extension could look like and what the former All-Star could bring to next year’s Wizards squad.

The Knicks didn’t do enough to protect Jalen Brunson in Draymond Green’s eyes.

Brunson was shoved in the neck by Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in the first quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.

According to Green, the reaction by the rest of the Knicks was less than ideal.

“He pushed him down, and none of the guys on the Knicks team did anything,” Green said on “The Kevin O’Connell Show.”

“Don’t not for one second think that didn’t matter. Oh, that mattered.”

O’Connell then asked what Green would have done in that situation. 

“I’m probably gonna get thrown out right there, and it may cost us Game 3,” Green said.  

Green is known for his controversial style that has made one of the NBA’s biggest villains with the Warriors. But the edge he brings to the team has played a significant role in the team’s recent dynasty led by Steph Curry.

Jay Williams on ESPN also agrees that the Knicks’ response was not strong enough and expects that to change during Game 4 on Wednesday night. 

“There is a certain aspect of your team when our star player gets mushed like that and gets sonned like that. You have to respond, and you are going to respond with physicality,” Williams said. “It can’t just come from [Jose] Alvarado; it has to come from Karl-Anthony Towns, OG [Anunoby], it has to come from everybody. Look for multiple shots to be delivered to Wemby (Wednesday night) in Game 4.”

Alvarado warned Wembanyama when speaking with the media on Tuesday.

“I think that’s not basketball,” the backup guard said. “That’s something that they gotta look at. But he got away with one. That’ll be the last one.”

The NBA reviewed Wembanyama’s push on Tuesday night. If it were deemed a Flagrant 2 foul, he would have been suspended for one game due to accumulating four flagrant points. 

However, the NBA decided not to do so after missing the call altogether during the game.

Former NBA star Carmelo Anthony is mistakenly trending.

There seems to be confusion between the 42-year-old Anthony and the young Texas native Karmelo Anthony, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison by a Texas jury on Tuesday, June 9, following a 2025 fatal stabbing of a fellow student.

This isn't a case of that Spider-Man meme. The two are not related and have zero connection to each other.

Anthony spent 19 seasons in the NBA, playing with the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers.

The one we call "Melo" is a 10-time All-Star, a six-time All-NBA team member, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the NBA's 75 greatest players of all time. Now, he serves as a lead studio analyst for NBC Sports and Peacock during their national NBA broadcasts alongside Maria Taylor, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter.

Karmelo Anthony was convicted of killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf over a disagreement about Anthony's presence under a team tent at a track meet at Memorial High School in Frisco, Texas. The trial drew national attention that raised questions of race and school safety in Frisco.

But there could be a few baseless conclusions as to why people connected the young man to a future Basketball Hall of Famer. The obvious is the name. Not just the last name, but the first name is phonetically the same.

The former NCAA champion also has a son that plays at Syracuse whose name is Kiyan Anthony. But make no mistake, Karmelo and Kiyan aren't siblings. Carmelo only has two children: Kiyan and a daughter named Genesis.

Is Carmelo Anthony related to Karmelo Anthony?

There's no relation whatsoever between Carmelo Anthony and Karmelo Anthony.

Carmelo Anthony career highlights

In case you're unfamiliar with his game, check out these career highlights from Carmelo Anthony's career.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carmelo Anthony trending after mistaken identity with Texas case

As the Sixers’ search for a new president of basketball operations zeroed in on Mike Gansey, a corresponding promotion for Jameer Nelson became increasingly likely. Nelson slowly rose through the organization, starting with the G League affiliate Delaware Blue Coats. Nelson became a lot more involved with the big club last season. He was on the road a lot, interacting with players and coaches, according to Bob Myers.

It’s likely the path the organization originally had in mind for Elton Brand before a collars related incident accelerated that timeline. When Gansey was hired, he said that a promotion for Nelson was a “sticking point” for him.

“It’s actually a surreal moment,” Nelson told reporters. “When I started this journey six years ago, I had no idea where it would take me.”

Nelson admitted that when he started he thought he would become a coach, not an executive, but discovered that working in the front office is a type of coaching in its own way. As he’s risen up the ranks from scout to executive VP, Nelson has had plenty of offers from plenty of places along the way.

Having the opportunity to do the job in the place he is from for the team he grew up rooting for was an opportunity Nelson was willing to wait for. He admitted that the fact that he’s able to do so now gives him goosebumps.

“Things that matter here most to me is I’m home, right? My family’s here,” he said. “I’m a Sixers fan. My favorite basketball player of all time is Charles Barkley, and [Allen] Iverson and Kobe [Bryant]. So people from this area or played in this area, I feel like some responsibility to help this organization move forward.”

Nelson’s ties to the region came up quite a bit in his introductory press conference. His most From Here trait was the reminder he gave that he didn’t grow up within the city limits.

“Growing up in Chester — everybody keeps saying Philly, I’m Chester native,” Nelson said, “but Philadelphia has adopted me.”

Getting a higher up in the organization that is from the area was a clear priority in this hiring process.

“I think it’s important that somebody from this community is in a leadership role with this team,” Myers said later that day. “Not being from here, you recognize the importance of connecting to the community and the fanbase and Jameer has that.”

A follow-up was thrown at Myers as to whether the organization felt there was a disconnect with the community that the Sixers organization felt the need to correct. While Myers didn’t say that was the case, it’s definitely criticism that has been leveled at an ownership group that owns two teams in rival cities. Much like Josh Harris’ answer to a luxury tax question a month ago, it’s something the new leadership group wanted to address.

“This is a uniquely spirited community and the history of the organization, ” Myers said. “ I think having someone, just that knows that and grew up here and feels that and the responsibility that comes with that. I just love that Jameer is in the place that he’s in and he deserves it, he’s earned it, and bottom line, I think he’s going to help us win.” 

Between the local roots they’re trying to cultivate with Nelson and the fact that he, Gansey and Myers all played the game at at least the collegiate level, the Sixers have made sure that their new front office has a different presentation than the previous regime. Gansey and Nelson literally go back to their days playing against each other in the Atlantic-10.

“I was 0-2 against him when I was at St. Bonaventure’s and he was at St. Joe’s,” Gansey said at his introduction, “but I think I got the win now because I got him on my side.”

So with less than a month left before their big first test in the draft, the Sixers have their new front office in place. Now it’s time to see just how much they’ll be able to reconnect this team to the community.

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For all his late-game heroics, Jalen Brunson has a notable blemish on his NBA Finals resume.

The New York Knicks guard has committed as many turnovers (13) as he has recorded assists through three games with the San Antonio Spurs.

His five miscues in Game 3 played a big role in New York’s loss, and were also why Brunson finished Under his assist prop for the fifth straight game.

My Spurs vs. Knicks predictions take note of the Jalen Brunson odds and a dropping assist total, tempting my NBA picks to take the Over 5.5 dimes with Brunson focused on cleaning up his sloppy play on June 10.

Jalen Brunson prop pick for Game 4

Jalen Brunson best bet: Over 5.5 assists (-155 at bet365)

Jalen Brunson wrapped up Game 3 with five assists on nine potential helpers, but the table was set for more dimes in the second half. His turnovers as well as ice-cold shooting from the rest of the New York Knicks soured those set-ups. 

The San Antonio Spurs have dialed up the pressure on Brunson, picking him up sooner in the halfcourt and playing tighter on-ball defense while showing double teams at times. They’re packing the paint when Brunson drives, leaving open hands on the outside for kickouts.

Brunson also has a bad habit of dribbling away seconds on the shot clock, leading to a bad look — either from him or off a hurried pass — as the clock ticks down.

Those troubles and a lack of playmaking wasn’t lost on Brunson after the Game 3 loss, pinpointing his play when asked about what the Knicks offense needs to correct in Game 4.

“Most importantly, not turn the ball over. Give my team an opportunity,” Brunson told the media.

New York head coach Mike Brown is preaching more activity from his entire team heading into Game 4, asking for sharper off-ball action and aggressive cuts. That means less useless dribbling from the point guard and better situational shooting from the team overall.

With Brunson getting a ton of touches and limiting his mistakes, the opportunities that evaporated on Monday will be there tonight.

He’s averaging nine potential assists for the series, panning out to 4.3 actual dimes. His assist prop has slid to 5.5 Over/Under but Game 4 projections still all sit north of six helpers, ranging from 6.4 to a ceiling of 7.2. 

My number comes out to 6.8 assists from Brunson, which should have the Over 5.5 priced around -190, which makes the vig easier to swallow. You can find this prop result as short as -140, while some books have gone to 6.5 O/U.

Jalen Brunson same-game parlay

The Knicks were playing with a lot of outside pressure in Game 3, beyond just winning an NBA Finals game. Their winning streak and a packed Madison Square Garden (with Donald Trump in attendance) piled on the loss.

Game 4 comes with less baggage.

New York’s issues Monday were self-inflicted, with turnovers sparking the Spurs transition attack. The Knicks have a focus on playing cleaner with better offensive activity, forcing San Antonio into halfcourt sets. 

Brunson got a good look at the Game 3 film and I expect the Knicks’ point guard to be more active as a facilitator, not just finding his teammates but putting them in better situations to shoot the basketball. His potential assists are at 9.0 but with less turnovers and more off-ball action, that metric ticks up and gets him Over his assist total for the first time in six games.

Projections all call for six or more assists.

Brown’s call for more action on offense was pointed at Karl-Anthony Towns, who couldn’t get into a flow in Game 3. He passed up shots and was also passed up on passes. Towns is drawing smaller defenders and will utilize his size to attack and shoot over the top.

His game models all sit above 18 points with most at 20+ points in Game 4.

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It didn’t take long for Chris Russo to go after Victor Wembanyama.

During “First Take” on Wednesday morning, “Mad Dog” ripped into the Spurs’ young superstar for shoving Jalen Brunson in Game 3 of the NBA Finals Monday night in what he described as a “dirty play.”

“This was out of line,” Russo said. “This I don’t like. Brunson did nothing wrong and a very good job of avoiding a technical in this spot.”

Russo’s reaction comes after Wembanyama wasn’t assessed a flagrant foul for shoving Brunson in the back of the head with 4:44 remaining in the first quarter of Monday’s game.

Brunson tried setting a screen on the 7-foot-4 big man near the free-throw line, and once Wembanyama turned around, he shoved Brunson to the ground.

Despite immediate protests from the Knicks, no foul was called on the play.

Even after NBA senior vice president of referee development and training Monty McCutchen told ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Tuesday that at least a normal foul should’ve been called, the league still decided not to give Wembanyama a flagrant foul.

“Let’s take it easy if you’re the Spurs. You’re 2-1 down on the road and still have to win a road game,” Russo added. “The idea now that you’re going to beat them four in a row, Wembanyama’s going to show how tough he is … bring it down. Don’t rile ’em up.”

“And now you have the Knicks all annoyed now because they go and look at the highlights and say the NBA should’ve said it was a flagrant foul … you’re giving the Knicks a lot of juice tonight. And that’s not what San Antonio needed to do.”

With no flagrant foul assessed, Wembanyama remains at two flagrant points this postseason following an ejection in the second round against the Timberwolves for an elbow on Naz Reid.

Four flagrant points trigger a suspension, so if the referees called a Flagrant 2, Wembanyama would’ve missed a game.

After beating the Knicks 115-111 in Game 3, Wembanyama and the Spurs can tie the series at two games apiece Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.

Gregg Popovich is no longer the Spurs’ head coach, but his voice still carries inside the organization.

That became clear before San Antonio’s Game 3 win over the Knicks, when the legendary former coach delivered a surprise message to the team before its trip to New York, according to The Athletic.

The Spurs trailed 2-0 in the NBA Finals after losing the first two games at home and faced the possibility of their season ending in a sweep at Madison Square Garden.

Popovich, who now serves as San Antonio’s basketball president after his coaching career was cut short by a stroke in November 2024, did not make the trip to New York with the team.

But before the Spurs’ charter left Texas, he boarded the plane and spoke to the group.

The moment came during an unexpected delay on the runway, caused by a flat tire on another plane ahead of San Antonio’s flight.

Popovich, 77, used the extra time to remind the Spurs that the series was still within reach.

De’Aaron Fox told The Athletic that Popovich’s message was that San Antonio had dug itself into a hole, but could still climb out of it.

Fox added that Popovich urged the team to be “confident” and reminded them “there’s a reason why we got here.”

The speech landed at the right time.

San Antonio responded by beating the Knicks 115-111 in Game 3 at the Garden, cutting the series deficit to 2-1.

Fox helped seal the victory, hitting a midrange jumper over OG Anunoby with 12.2 seconds left to put the Spurs ahead by five points.

Popovich spoke to the team for close to 10 minutes before spending additional time talking individually with players and coaches, per The Athletic.

He reportedly was also seated next to Victor Wembanyama during part of the visit before leaving the plane.

Fox said Popovich’s words still matter because he does not address the full group without purpose.

“It’s always good when he comes around,” Fox told The Athletic, adding that Popovich “doesn’t just address the group just to talk.”

Popovich, who coached the franchise to five championships between 1999-2014, was at least in attendance for Game 1 of these finals.

That presence remains significant for a young Spurs team trying to win a title sooner than expected.

San Antonio missed the playoffs last season, but it finished 62-20 this season behind Wembanyama, Fox and a young roster that has come together quickly under head coach Mitch Johnson.

Johnson replaced Popovich on an interim basis before getting the job full time.

The New York Knicks are known for rolling out the celebrity carpet for those who sit in the famed courtside seats, and they continue to bring out the big guns for NBA Finals halftime entertainment.

For Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, the halftime entertainment at Madison Square Garden was Cardi B, a Bronx native.

Game 4's halftime show will be Staten Island's own Wu-Tang Clan.

The iconic rap group with members the RZA, the GZA, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Ghostface Killah and Method Man, along with Masta Killa and Cappadonna, will take the court on Wednesday, June 10 before heading back on their tour in late August.

Once they conclude their final stop of Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber in Phoenix, Arizona, on Oct. 4, the group will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November.

More: Cardi B performs 'Bodak Yellow' at halftime show for NBA Finals Knicks-Spurs Game 3

The owner of the New York Knicks basketball team sharply criticized both the New York police department and Zohran Mamdani after city officials announced an extensive security strategy for Game 4 of the NBA finals, featuring a large restricted zone and additional access controls.

The expanded security measures follow Monday’s Game 3 watch party at Bryant Park, where disorder erupted and led to arrests, damage to property and incidents involving assaults on police officers.

In response to the plans for Wednesday night, Madison Square Garden Sports (MSG Sports), James Dolan’s company that owns the Knicks, issued a strongly worded statement titled “Mayor Mamdani and Police Commissioner Tisch Are New York City’s Biggest Party Poopers”.

Related: Wembanyama condemns apparent attacks on Spurs fans in New York during NBA finals

“The last several victories the Knicks have had have been celebrated by thousands and thousands outside MSG,” the statement said. “The joy and happiness were palpable everywhere. Apparently, Mayor Mamdani and Police Commissioner [Jessica] Tisch, despite what they say, don’t want to see these celebrations happen.”

MSG Sports argued that while similar restrictions put in place earlier in the week had been attributed to Donald Trump’s presence at Game 3, the decision to maintain the perimeter for Game 4 is evidence that the president’s appearance was “a convenient excuse to restrict how and when Knicks fans celebrate”.

The sports holding company also claimed that shutting down the surrounding area hurts the atmosphere of the celebration and negatively affects nearby small businesses that depend on game-day crowds.

NYPD officials told the Athletic that MSG’s permit request for Wednesday’s watch party proposed a crowd limit of between 500 and 1,000 attenders. City officials approved attendance up to the maximum of 1,000 people.

The heightened security measures come after Monday night’s gathering in Bryant Park turned chaotic following the Knicks’ defeat. Fans left Bryant Park and moved on to nearby streets, where fights broke out and resulted in 21 arrests. Five police officers were reportedly among those injured.

Footage shared online showed individuals wearing Spurs apparel being chased and attacked. Several videos gained widespread attention, including one showing a fan’s Victor Wembanyama jersey being ripped off and torn apart.

Ahead of game four, Mamdani called on New Yorkers to refrain from targeting Spurs supporters. “We’re back outside the Garden. We have approved a ticketed MSG watch party for Game 4. More details soon. As we prepare to watch together, let me be clear: this is a historic, joyful moment for our city. We will not allow it to be disrupted by violence.

“Be safe, take care, and celebrate responsibly. Knicks in 5,” the mayor wrote on social media.

Last week, Mamdani signed a symbolic executive order repealing bedtime curfew for NYC’s children during the Knicks’ NBA finals run.

For Wednesday night’s game, entry into the restricted area will be limited to people with game tickets, train tickets or proof of residence within the area, or those visiting a specific local business. Fans entering the area will use a designated access point at Sixth Avenue and 33rd Street, where all attenders will undergo screening. Trump, a longtime friend of Dolan, is not expected to attend.