Now that the dust has settled on the initial shock and excitement of LeBron James announcing his signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, the discussion focus has shifted to how the King will mesh with his new team.
There are a ton of angles to look at this from, but one that has stood out to me as much more prevalent than expected is the prediction that LeBron joining the Sixers — alongside the rest of the now-stacked starting lineup — will be a massive detriment to the development of 2025 No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe in his sophomore season.
Now, before we even dig in to the intricacies here, it is worth noting that some of the people peddling the idea of Edgecombe’s development being ruined by the presence of James are the same people that were certain James would never pick Philadelphia in the first place. So, there may be an element of just searching for the negatives here from some folks.
That being said, though, the development of a younger player like Edgecombe is of course a valid factor to consider when talking about a major shift in a lineup’s makeup. But the conclusion that playing alongside LeBron James (and Jaylen Brown, for that matter) will certainly derail the young guard’s progression… I’m sorry, I just don’t buy it for a number of reasons. In fact, I think the opposite will ultimately be true.
Look at the type of player we saw Edgecombe become throughout his rookie season in the NBA. Offensively, he excelled the most as an off-ball scorer — cutting to open space, scoring off screens, leaving opponents in the dust getting out in transition for quick buckets. The soon-to-be 21-year-old is incredibly speedy and athletic, with a keen awareness to know exactly what gaps to fill with precise timing, as well as a willingness to take advantage of the shot opportunities he gets with no hesitation.
All of these skills combined to make Edgecombe his most efficient when the ball wasn’t in his hands for too long. As his rookie regular season progressed, Edgecombe was a more efficient shooter on catch-and-shoots than he was pull-ups, from everywhere on the floor — he sank 38.7% (99-for-256) on catch-and-shoot triples compared for 31.1% (50-for-161) on pull-ups. On zero dribbles, Edgecombe sank 46.8% (171-for-365) from the floor when he didn’t put the ball on the ground. With a touch time of less than two seconds, he went 45.8% from the floor and 37.7% from long range.
I don’t see how the Sixers’ new stacked starting four around Edgecombe does not enable him to put those skills to immense use and continue to develop into a true sharpshooter. With Tyrese Maxey, Brown, Joel Embiid and Lebron all worthy of drawing a double-team or help defense at any given moment, there should be a lot of gaps created on the offensive floor for Edgecombe to cut to and receive passes from any of the very capable playmakers in the lineup for shooting opportunities. Not to mention that, because of that star quality surrounding him, Edgecombe is likely to be matched with every opponent’s fifth-best defender on the floor. One through four will have their hands full with the other guys.
(Perhaps I will look back on this and reflect differently if all four of his starting-line mates refuse to pass to him when he’s open for some reason, but I genuinely do not believe that will be the case.)
Edgecombe also shined in his debut season as an active, aggressive rebounder with some impressively solid defense. It doesn’t take much deep analysis into this roster to know that Edgecombe will still have plenty of opportunities to hone those specific skills even with the Sixers’ impressive newcomers.
So, in my opinion, the new starting five will work right into Edgecombe’s existing wheelhouse in a number of ways. Of course that begs the question, then, of when will he work on the things that are his existing weaknesses, such as some sloppiness and inefficiency as a ball-handler and facilitating point guard.
It’s true that he’s unlikely to get the best opportunities to work on these skills with the new starting lineup… but one has to remember that that’s not the only lineup he will be playing in. I hardly think Nick Nurse will be doing five subs at a time, and the bench unit will mesh in with the starting guys as the rotation develops throughout games. What Edgecombe doesn’t necessarily work on specifically from tipoff, he can work on more as the bench players get involved.
And none of this is even mentioning that with the addition of guys like LeBron and Brown comes their leadership and mentorship for Edgecombe, a kid that has already shown himself to be extremely coachable and adaptable to teaching. It’s one of those massive intangibles that should be considered just as important as the numbers or hypothetical “fit” on paper when talking about a player like Edgecombe.
It will never show on a stat sheet, but the young guard has already proven himself to have an incredible work ethic, an extremely confident approach to the game as well as an immense willingness to do whatever is asked of him to help his team or his game. Edgecombe wasn’t one to get down or mopey after making a mistake or going on a cold shooting streak. He showed himself able to pivot into different versions of himself based on what a game situation was calling for. He never seemed discouraged by having someone like Maxey or Nurse in his ear about something — in fact, he often seemed eager to learn from every little stumble.
I don’t see why any of those factors in Edgecombe’s personality would be different now that he’s playing alongside one of the greatest to ever do it. If anything, one would think Edgecombe would only be further encouraged to do whatever he can to make himself productive and useful among the best of the best. Hell, he handled the whiplash transition from a 19-year-old college kid to consistent NBA starter logging 3,030 NBA minutes (regular and postseason) in stride — I think he can handle perhaps a shift in expected role. And I bet he does it with a smile on his face.
So, could LeBron, Brown and the others change the way that Edgecombe’s game develops this season? Of course, there’s no doubt. But change — even within a Sixers franchise that has felt fully cursed at times — is not always a negative. The idea that Edgecombe’s development is now completely ruined or derailed by the organization’s recent fortune and the opportunity to learn from some of the best the game has to offer, feels overblown at best and completely disingenuous at worst.
HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 26: The Houston Rockets introduce Ime Udoka as the next head coach during a press conference on April 26, 2023 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. 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 2023 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
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The Houston Rockets are underachievers. If you are what you are, then over the last two years, the Rockets were defeated in the first round of the playoffs as a number two seed, and then they were beaten by the shorthanded Lakers last season. Say what you will about the progress made from the Silas years, but the Rockets are currently underachivers.
If the Rockets underachieve again, heads could very well roll. We want to know, if the Rockets flame out again this season, who is the most likey to go? Head coach Ime Udoka, GM Rafael Stone or both?
Cast your vote, tell is in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results.
The graphic posted by X user @automaticnba shows all 30 teams and their every addition via free agency and trade heading into the 2026-27 season.
While it’s been quite the offseason for certain teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers, things have fallen flat, to say the least, for Golden State.
Every new addition officially acquired via trade/free agency through 6 weeks of the offseason.
The Warriors are the only team on the graphic without a new addition.
It comes at a sensitive time for Dub Nation and the Warriors, who just missed out on landing four-time NBA MVP LeBron James, who ultimately chose to take his talents to Philadelphia. But James is just the latest superstar to spurn the Warriors, who have come up short time and time again in pairing a big-name talent alongside Steph Curry to maximize what’s left of his championship window.
Of course, there still is time for offseason additions, but six weeks in, the graphic is quite symbolic of how things have shaped up for the Warriors in recent years.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the second half of their game against the Boston Celtics at Crypto.com Arena on February 22, 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 Luiza Moraes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Why did LeBron James choose the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency? The answer is starting to come into focus days after James made his “final decision.” Here’s what we know so far.
LeBron wanted his best chance to win a fifth championship: He decided Philly was a better option to get there than Miami, Cleveland, and Golden State. The opportunity to win another ring took precedent over a reunion with one of his former teams, playing with Steph Curry, or anything else.
LeBron wanted to play with a fellow Klutch client: Tyrese Maxey is also represented by Rich Paul, and it sure seems like that played into James’ decision. Paul said that Cleveland’s decision to trade Darius Garland last season hurt their chances to land LeBron. It’s no coincidence that the Sixers signed fellow Klutch client Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shortly after LeBron agreed to terms.
LeBron wants to live in New York: Paul said that LeBron would have signed with the Knicks if they didn’t win the 2026 NBA championship, and I believe him. There are already rumors that James is going to live in New York City and take a helicopter to games in Philly.
LeBron really wanted to play with Jaylen Brown: The Cavs not trading for Jaylen Brown hurt their chances to land LeBron, according to insider Brian Windhorst. LeBron didn’t take Philly seriously as a potential landing spot until the team traded for Brown, according to Shams Charania.
The Celtics shopped Brown all over the league this summer. The best deal they could get was one from Philadelphia that felt hugely underwhelming at the time. Boston had to take back Paul George’s albatross contract, and got two first-round picks, one of which may turn into a swap instead. I’ve significantly warmed on the trade from the Celtics’ perspective, in part because lead executive Brad Stevens is one of the best in the league. If Stevens didn’t want Brown — and if 28 other teams didn’t really want him, either — then maybe winning with him on his current contract is a lot more difficult than most fans and media believe.
LeBron disagrees. He wouldn’t have gone to Philly without Brown, and heck, he might be in Cleveland or Miami or Golden State right now if one of those teams had traded for him instead. James’ greatest strength might be his basketball IQ, but there’s a reason why superstar players often don’t make great executives. Even if LeBron is the ultimate ball knower, the fit between him and Brown could be clunky even before we get to Brown’s massive cap hit.
Brown obviously had an excellent season in a high-usage role with the Celtics last year, but there are a few truths about his game that Philly will have to overcome. He’s never been a good off-ball defender, and tends to give up a lot of easy points by getting back cut. He’s not a good spot-up three-point shooter after only hitting 31% of his catch-and-shoots triples last year. Brown also has the ball a lot but rarely passes. This graph shows “average seconds per touch” vs. “percentage of touches that end with a pass.” As you can see, Brown doesn’t like to give up the rock. If he gets the ball, he’s either shooting or turning it over.
Brown called last season his favorite year of his career, probably because he got to take a lot of shots with Jayson Tatum out. It was a strange quote for a player who won an NBA championship and was named NBA Finals MVP during Boston’s 2024 run to the title. If Brown thought he was getting his own team after the trade to Philly, you can now make the case that he’s actually the fourth option.
The players who need to adjust their game the most after LeBron’s decision are Brown and Embiid. Brown needs to become a better spot-up shooter, a more willing passer, a more attentive off-ball defender, and someone who can find “opportunistic” buckets on cuts and offensive rebounds. Embiid needs to stay as close to “healthy” as possible first and foremost, but then he needs to focus more of his energy on being a monster rim protector, and less on being a great low post scorer.
The NBA didn’t really want Jaylen Brown at his salary. The analytics think he’s overrated and overpaid. LeBron disagrees, and he chose Philly largely because Brown was there.
Brown at $57 million this year might not be a great value, but you know what is? Brown and James for a combined $61 million. That’s what Philly has now, and the team is convinced it gives them a real shot at the 2027 championship.
Apr 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) drives to the basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jalen Green’s name has been everywhere lately. Not because he’s said anything, not because he’s posted anything, but because the league can’t seem to stop dragging him into hypothetical blockbusters. Markieff Morris tosses out a LeBron‑to‑Cleveland scenario, and suddenly Green is trending again, a Suns player turned trade‑machine prop. It’s become part of his ecosystem: even when he’s quiet, the noise finds him.
But Phoenix isn’t operating in hypotheticals. They’re operating in reality. And the reality is that they’ve barely seen the player they traded for. Last season was a half‑story. A sketch. A trailer. A version of Jalen Green that played through pain, through adjustment, through the weight of expectation. The flashes were real, but the continuity wasn’t.
And that’s why imagining the best‑case Jalen Green isn’t just fun, it’s relevant. It’s clarifying. It’s the kind of exercise that tells you what the Suns actually are when their roster is whole.
So let’s explore the version of Jalen Green that Phoenix believes exists, the one the league keeps trying to poach, and the one the fanbase hasn’t fully met yet.
The good, the bad, and the ugly of last season…and why none of it defines him
The Good:
Even in limited form, Green gave Phoenix something they desperately needed: downhill pressure. He cracked open defenses with burst alone, forced mismatches, and created pockets of chaos that Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges quietly fed off. His willingness to defend — genuinely defend — was one of the season’s under‑discussed wins. And his buy‑in was unmistakable. He didn’t float. He didn’t freelance. He tried to fit.
The Bad:
The inconsistency. The hesitations. The lower-than-desired percentages from the floor. The possessions where he’d beat his man, pause, and let the advantage evaporate. Some of that was physical. Some of it was learning a system that doesn’t revolve around him. Some of it was simply being 24 in a league that expects 24‑year‑olds to already be finished products.
The Ugly:
The trade chatter. The way his name became a placeholder for “young talent” in every hypothetical blockbuster. The way he was discussed as an asset before he was ever discussed as a Sun. It wasn’t malicious, just lazy. But it created a season where Green was constantly reacting to narratives he didn’t create.
None of those three categories define him. They just explain why the Suns haven’t yet seen the version of Jalen Green they believe they have.
What a fully healthy Jalen Green actually does for Phoenix
This is the part that isn’t Player Profile territory, because it’s not about his handle, his shot diet, or his defensive metrics. It’s about team geometry. A fully healthy Green changes Phoenix’s shape.
He turns Booker from primary creator into dual‑threat co‑pilot. He gives Bridges a second‑side attacker who punishes tilted defenses. He gives Maluach a guard who can weaponize five‑out spacing. He gives the Suns a transition engine they haven’t had since the Nash era.
Most importantly: he becomes the Suns’ sanctioned chaos agent. Every contender needs one: the player who breaks structure in a way that helps, not hurts. The one who forces defensive rotations, who bends coverages, who makes playoff scouting reports feel incomplete. Green has that in him. Phoenix just hasn’t had the chance to let it breathe. A best‑case Jalen Green isn’t a star in isolation. He’s a multiplier. He makes the Suns harder to guard, harder to predict, harder to scheme for. His run leading into and including the Play-In was special enough to wonder where Phoenix could go from here.
And that’s why imagining him matters.
What the fanbase should expect, and why other teams will be watching
Expect noise. Expect highlights. Expect the occasional “why did he take that shot” moment followed immediately by “oh, that’s why he took that shot.”
Expect growth.
And expect other teams to keep circling. They already are. The trade chatter isn’t random — it’s a reflection of how the league views him: young, moldable, high‑ceiling, and still capable of becoming the kind of player who makes GMs regret not calling sooner.
If he hits his stride, rival fanbases won’t just be watching. They’ll be worrying.
Has Jalen Green said anything? Posted anything? Gone online?
Not really. No end‑of‑season media. No summer‑workout hype clips. No commentary on the trade noise. This article doesn’t cite any quotes from him. He’s quiet. Which usually means one thing: he’s working.
Players who want to reset a narrative don’t talk in June. They show up in October.
MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 23: Tip off during the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks on January 23, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Bucks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
This is the first of a three-part series examining Myles Turner’s role with the Bucks ahead of the 2026-27 season. Over the coming days, we’ll consider whether Milwaukee should start, bench, or cut (okay, trade) their veteran centre.
It came as a bombshell. The buzz of a phone, the ding of a tweet. You couldn’t believe your eyes and so you refreshed the page, jumped to the next. Again and again until you knew it to be true.
Myles Turner was a Buck.
In the process, Damian Lillard had been waived and stretched as if on some medieval torture rack. But there was no pain. Not for you or me. Instead, a gentle breeze; a window reopened. And so we summoned the wind, inhaled as much as our lungs could take.
Euphoria.
Just six months later, any breath of wind had petered out. Despite a surprising opening run that had the Bucks sitting 5-2, including wins over the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors, they soon fell into a stretch of .500 ball. Then our collective lungs collapsed—seven straight losses before a reprieve against the lowly (3-15) Brooklyn Nets to close out November. And by the time they lost by 45 freakin’ points to those same Brooklyn Nets less than two weeks later, a game in which Turner put up an all-too-familiar nine points, three rebounds, and one assist, finishing with a -21 plus/minus in 24 minutes of action, it was clearer than the nosebleed section of the Bradley Center in 2014: this was not the Myles Turner we’d signed up for.
Whether it was Doc Rivers’ deployment, his own inability to adapt, or some combination of the two, Turner’s first year in Milwaukee was rough, arguably his worst as a pro. In terms of expectation, there isn’t even a debate. In all, Turner finished the season with averages of 11.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, and 1.6 BPG, shooting 44% from the field. Then he hacked the Brew Hoop database and snuck a C on his end-of-year report card (it’s the only possible explanation).
Now, just over one year removed from the hype of his signing, Turner’s status in Milwaukee is up in the air. Doc Rivers is long gone. Giannis is too. So are Bobby Portis and Taurean Prince and Gary Harris. And Turner, having just turned 30 in March, suddenly finds himself an elder statesman on a team full of youth, wondering where he fits in and what will become of him.
As it stands, there are three options.
Start: The reclamation project
For as poorly as he played last season with the Bucks, Turner is not a bad player. Far from it—he has a decade’s worth of quality NBA play behind him. And while he may no longer fit the Bucks’ timeline, he can still help a team win. This—and what it can offer the Bucks down the road—is the rationale to start him.
In his 11-year career, Turner has been to the playoffs seven times. That doesn’t happen by accident, not when you’re one of the team’s core players. In fact, Turner has started 63 of a possible 66 postseason games, including all 40 of the Indiana Pacers’ games as they made the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals and then the 2025 NBA Finals. Bottom line: Turner knows how to win as a starter, and for a Bucks team that is full of youth and has no reason to tank, that’s invaluable.
But Turner’s value as a potential starter doesn’t stop there. At his best, he’s a borderline All-Star (or at least a superstar role player) who’s also among the rarest of players in the league—a 3-and-D centre. Despite his down year, Turner hit a near career-high 2.1 three-pointers per game (and did so on 38%), while also finishing eighth in the league in total blocks (115) and 11th in blocks per game (1.6). This versatility remains at a premium in today’s NBA and can help maximise the play of those around him. Think newly acquired—and projected starters—Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr. wouldn’t benefit from additional territory in which to create? For as good as Bam Adebayo is, he doesn’t offer the offensive spacing Turner does, so there’s reason to believe Turner helps elevate their play, especially Jaquez’s, who we know loves to operate in the paint.
In the process—and arguably more importantly—starting Turner is the best avenue to increasing his trade value. While fans were eager to move off Turner as early as late last season, and certainly throughout the offseason after acquiring Kel’el Ware, doing so would break the cardinal rule of trading: don’t sell stock when it’s at its lowest. Saving this for February’s trade deadline, after Turner has re-established who he is—and teams are looking for an impact acquisition to “put them over the top” as they head into the playoffs—is the shrewd move, enabling the Bucks to maximise their return. If Turner helps raise the play and value of Herro and Jaquez while doing so, even better.
Now, if only he could win a tip-off…
What say you about a Myles Turner-as-starter redemption tour? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned for Part II: Bench, coming tomorrow.
Big news in the sports world this week as LeBron James finally made his decision about where he is going to play next year, and as you know he decided on the Philadelphia 76ers. So, what does that mean for his sports card and collectibles market?
Shrug emoji.
His cards were already starting to go up-up-up over the last few weeks or so in anticipation of not only his latest decision but in response to the massive Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant card market boom that has happened in the last few months. It seemed only right that the nostalgia and fomo would carry into the LeBron market.
And while many of his flagship Topps rookie cards are in the thousands of dollars, there are still some fun LeBron collectibles on the market that I think are worth grabbing and holding for the long run.
The Campioni di Futuro (mini) rookie card is maybe my all-time favorite. It’s odd, it’s adorable and it’s under $100 for a raw. There’s also numbered and different color variations, and while it may not bring you generational wealth, it certainly remains relatively rare for a LeBron rookie.
It’s crazy to me that these LeBron James rookie card mini Hummers are still affordable. It not only includes a rookie card but you also get a toy car!!
Oddly the market is hot on LeBron’s “Prizm rookie card” from 2012-13, the first year of Panini Prizm, is exploding. The PSA 10’s are well over $1,000 but you can still grab a PSA 9 or a raw version for under $500. I’m not fully sure how this card will hold up in the long-run but collectors seem to be digging it.
The 2014-15 NBA Hoops “Lights…Camera…Action” insert might be the most underrated card of his - it has maybe the coolest shot of his famed chalk toss and it can still be had for under $50 raw. And there’s only like ~10 copies of the card graded. It’s a fun one!
I still love the second-year LeBron James playing card officially licensed by the NBA. This card used to be $30-$40 raw a few years ago, now it’s over 10x that… but that doesn’t mean I love it any less.
Related, but unrelated, this is so dumb but I love it: a LeBron James hanger. It’s a good bit, too, when he retires and you, alone in your closet, putting your clothes on hangers, look at the LeBron hanger and say “Hey, LeBron, time to hang it up…”
See, there’s lots of dumb, fun and affordable LeBron James cards and collectibles out there. I imagine we’ll see a record-breaking print run on his Topps Now 76ers card which would ultimately deem that worthless, but if you like to gamble and chase the auto then by all means.
Speaking of potential markets that might “pop off” - you have to think on the heels of the Jordan, Kobe and LeBron markets going way up that guys like Shaq, Allen Iverson, Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan might not be too far behind. Yes, we’re getting into massive print runs but as we’re seeing with Jordan and Kobe, specifically, inserts are what collectors are hunting for.
The ‘next-man-up’ of it all seems ripe.
Speaking of Kobe Bryant, there’s an interesting rookie card that is starting to make some noise. It’s the Topps 1996-97 rookie card with the “50th Anniversary” foil on it.
It’s “foil” which means it’s not “paper” but it’s not quite chrome either. What’s interesting about it is the SP nature of it - the fact that there are over 67,000 graded copies of his base Topps rookie and only about 3,500 graded copies of the “50th Anniversary” parallel. The Topps Chrome version of the same card has over 10,000 cards graded.
The prices for the 50th parallel feel very much undervalued - for example, a PSA 9 version of the Chrome (which has over 4,000 graded copies in a 9) goes for about $4,000 while the PSA 9 version of the parallel (which has less than 1,000 graded copies in a 9) goes for about $1,900.
You see what I’m getting at?
Speaking of dudes who might retire soon… let’s not forget about Steph Curry. When he retires in the next few years his cards will go on the post-announcement run.
Speaking of, um, basketball, don’t look now but the Sophie Cunningham “I said what I said” market boom is in full swing! She’s rivaling the likes of Michael Jordan and Dylan Harper in market increase over the last 14 days, according to ALT.
Now, we won’t get into the politics of “why” but I do want to remind you “not to get caught holding the bag.” People are buying less on talent and more on the fact that she said what she said. Saying things can be good for short term investments, but it never works out in the long run.
Finally… Speaking of something else other than basketball cards, you should take a look at what Kimi Antonelli is doing in F1. He’s the latest to enter the “generational talent” area at just 19 years old. His card market is already taking off with his 2025 Topps Chrome rookie cards heating up.
Green has agreed to return to the Warriors on a one-year, $27.7 million contract, his agent Rich Paul told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday morning.
Draymond Green has agreed to return to the Golden State Warriors on a one-year, $27.7 million deal, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. The contract is the same Green opted out of to give the Warriors flexibility to pursue LeBron James, but the sides land his return Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/Hyf1xruzrx
Earlier this offseason, Green declined his $27.7 million player option to become a free agent and give Golden State flexibility to pursue LeBron James in NBA free agency.
But with James choosing the Philadelphia 76ers, the Warriors made sure to secure their guy.
In 14 seasons, Green has averaged 8.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists through 949 games and 794 starts.
Green now will play his 15th consecutive season in the Bay, where he’s won four NBA championships and continues to chase a fifth.
UNLV basketball coach Josh Pastner clarified comments he made when he said the Runnin’ Rebels were seeking an "owner" for the team, emphasizing that the men’s basketball team is not for sale and belongs to the university.
In a statement, Pastner explained, "the Runnin' Rebels are not for sale, and my reference to an 'owner' was meant to highlight the level of resources, sponsorships, and overall support needed to compete in today's evolving college athletics landscape, not to suggest that anyone could own the program."
He concluded by reaffirming that the men’s basketball team "belongs to UNLV, its students, alumni, fans, and the entire Southern Nevada community."
By not extending his contract a summer ago, they made it clear: They were ready to move on. And they have. They found their way to a front-line center and got a whole lot younger. And get this: They got better. In the long run and probably in a sprint too.
Maybe it seems sacrilegious to suggest they’ve improved by parting ways with the greatest player of all time and trading for a fifth-year pro who missed all but five games last season with the Utah Jazz after suffering a torn labrum.
Maybe you’re finding it hard to get fired up about the new guy with no playoff experience. And you’re used to the Lakers collecting the biggest names — not guys whose games are unfamiliar. Giannis, say. Not ... Walker.
But please, stop and consider the tankathon Utah has been running; the last thing the Jazz wanted was Kessler on the court winning games for them.
You also still might be experiencing sticker shock on the Lakers’ behalf. They’re getting Kessler on a $130-million, four-year deal after completing a sign-and-trade that sent out a 2031 first-rounder, 2033 first-rounder and first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
But position, position, position is to the NBA what location, location, location is to real estate — and if this fit proves as fun as Doncic seems to believe, then Kessler’s contract is going to feel like a real fair trade on the hot center market.
Because, defensively, the Lakers’ new 7-foot-2 center is a shot-blocking, space-eating deterrent in the post. That’s invaluable when you’re going with Doncic and Austin Reaves on the perimeter.
Offensively, Kessler has good hands and good handoff timing. You can call for him to screen all day. He has a radar for the rim, sixth in the NBA in dunks per game in 2024-25.
And Kessler is a blessing on the glass, the king of second chances. His 4.6 offensive rebounds per game in 2024-25 led the NBA.
Also: LeBron is going to turn 42 this season; Kessler is 25.
Walker Kessler was a big presence in the paint for the Jazz before he got hurt last season. (Frank Franklin II / Associated Press)
Age and experience count for a lot in life. But increasingly, today’s NBA is proving a young man’s game — and check ball, the Lakers are now in it.
Out went Deandre Ayton (28 years old), Rui Hachimura (28), Luke Kennard (30) and Marcus Smart (32). Jaxson Hayes (26) too, the only departing rotation player younger than 28.
In come Quentin Grimes (26), Sandro Mamukelashvili (27), Collin Sexton (27), Ziaire Williams (24), Jaden Hardy (24) and rookie summer league sensation Cameron Carr (21). Also, Kevon Looney, who will be Kessler’s backup big, and Matisse Thybulle, a proven defender on the wing, who are 30 and 29, respectively, and the only additions not younger than Doncic (27) and Reaves (28).
Still, I get it. You’re not wowed by the incoming group.
Were you wowed when the Dodgers acquired Max Muncy, Justin Turner or Chris Taylor? Probably not. But those guys went on to help the club win World Series titles.
Were the Dallas Mavericks banking on lob threat Derrick Jones Jr. — on a minimum contract — being a catalyst for their run to the 2024 NBA Finals? Do Lakers fans remember Doncic’s 17 assists to guys like Dante Exum, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Grant Williams in a 2023 victory over LeBron and Anthony Davis?
Doncic is manning the Lakers’ elevator now; it’s his job to lift his teammates to new heights. He can do it. He better do it.
Because the margins can be major, but they don’t account for most of the Lakers’ offseason grade this summer.
So give them a B+.
Not an A. No, because not every assignment has been completed.
There’s the minor matter of a starting five. The Lakers don’t appear to have one of those just yet.
They might yet add Jonathan Kuminga at forward. Or perhaps someone already rostered — hello, 22-year-old, skyscraping Adou Thiero — is waiting to wow us all in that role?
Normally, not having an answer to the most basic of questions at this point in the summer would fail you.
Filling the hole at center was weighted so heavily among the Lakers’ priorities — and landing Kessler earned them so much extra credit — it bumps their grade almost all the way up.
Of course, this was only the introductory course.
The real tests for this fresh new roster — down an all-time talent but so much more solid in the center — come when the season begins. Or, really, when the postseason does.
And expecting that opponents won’t have an easy time coming up with answers for Doncic and his new dominant defensive center, the Lakers are now set up to score well there too.
LeBron James ultimately did not choose to sign with the Warriors, and Draymond Green believes there was one main reason why.
The Golden State forward discussed James’ decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers on the latest episode of his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” and hypothesized why the 22-time NBA All-Star might have been hesitant to join the Warriors.
“You look at Golden State, and I ultimately don’t think Bron was ever able to get over the history, and I understand it, I get it,” Green said. “What we all ultimately always knew was like, that’s the hurdle to get over. I don’t think it’s the team, the organization, anything else. I think it’s the history.
“We live in a day and age where everybody who doesn’t have anything to say has something to say. And so, he’s gonna get crushed if he comes to the Warriors, ‘Ahh man, you went to team up with Steph, you had to go to them.’ All the things people would have said, and I think ultimately that weighed in on the decision a lot.”
James famously faced off against Golden State in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015-2018 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, losing three of the four series against Green, superstar Steph Curry and the Warriors.
Green believes James, a longtime Warriors rival, might not have wanted the backlash that could have followed had he joined forces with the organization — or just Curry and Green at this point — he went to war against time and time again on the biggest stage.
“Because I’ve never seen so often and so much people — and when I say ‘people,’ I’m talking about media, I’m talking about fans — I’ve never seen so many people who want to find something to tear someone’s legacy down,” Green added. “We live in a miserable ass world where people just want to find anything to tear someone’s legacy down, and this for sure, had he come to the Warriors, would have been something that everyone would have tried to use to tear his legacy down.
“… Needless to say, I think there’s always this narrative of people trying to tear guys down, tear their legacy down, and I ultimately think that played a big role in the Warriors not landing LeBron.”
James, despite having a longstanding respect for the Warriors organization, and being close friends with both Green and Curry, ultimately decided it was best for him to take his talents elsewhere.
RUSSIA, NOVOSIBIRSK - MARCH 31: A polar bear cub is seen at the Novosibirsk zoo named after Rostislav Shilo in Novosibirsk, Russia on March 31, 2026. The cub was born 7 December 2025 to polar bears Kai and Gerda. Biologists haven't yet examined it or determined its sex. (Photo by Rostislav Netisov/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
A lot of no-story stories going on in the middle of the summer as we patiently wait for something—anything, God please help me—to happen. Here’s today’s dose of links and notes.
The more the offseason advances, the more we’re hearing about Karl-Anthony Towns’ contract situation as the biggest unresolved issue around the Knicks heading into next season. The New York Post’s Jared Schwartz broke it down as the big man approaches a $61-million decision, with New York already able to offer him a four-year extension worth up to $272 million.
Josh Hart’s future also remains uncertain, with a team option worth roughly $22 million for 2027-28 and his eligibility for an extension starting on Aug. 10.
Miles McBride presents another looming cap decision, and Daily Knicks’ Jack Simone compared it to what happened to the Celtics and Al Horford.
Are the Pelicans showing more willingness to discuss deals involving some of their younger players? Could that lead to another attempt at landing Knicks fans’ favorite target Yves Missi? Questions, questions!
A trade for Milwaukee center Kel’el Ware has been floated by SI’s Steven Simineri as an aggressive solution to the Knicks’ frontcourt problem. I think we all agree that’s a lovable idea, but at the same time a very far-fetched one.
Karl-Anthony Towns talked about everything in an interview with The New York Times and among all the quotes, he explained why he was so vocal after scoring against Victor Wembanyama during the NBA Finals.
Another interesting nugget was Towns admitting it will feel strange seeing Mitchell Robinson in a Celtics jersey next season.
“I don’t even know if I could look at Mitch with a Celtics jersey on after everything. He owes me a pickup truck.”
Our own John Gove decided to build his Mt. Rushmore of Knicks’ all-time point guards. The list centered on winning and cultural impact rather than empty statistics, with the championship years of 1970, 1973 and 2026 serving as the obvious foundation. Do John a favor and read it all.
LeBron James is expected to spend significant time playing point guard for the 76ers. ESPN’s Shams Charania said Philadelphia wants James to initiate the offense and create opportunities for usage-rate monsters Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and V.J. Edgecombe.
The Knicks might never call James one of their own, but it feels James will never get over the idea of one day represeting New York. That’s why he is expected to live at least part-time in NYC despite signing with Philadelphia.
Back to NYP’s Schwartz, he believes the Knicks’ decision not to seriously pursue LeBron will remain a season-long storyline and could come back hunting them.
“The Knicks’ decision to not make a real effort for LeBron, coupled with his interest in the team, his availability at a cheap price and his eventual signing with a rival, puts pressure on the Knicks. They are doubling down on the belief that their roster is good enough to repeat as champions, with LeBron and the 76ers now representing the opponent that oddsmakers believe will serve as the Knicks’ greatest obstacle in the Eastern Conference.
“In head-to-head games, in the standings, in a potential playoff matchup — this will be a talking point. The Knicks must prove themselves right. They must prove that they do not need The King.“
At least 18 men’s college basketball players are projected to earn more than LeBron next season, with James making just under $4 million in Philadelphia next year.
Remember the Heat employee who accidentally scheduled a “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference” video? Now we know the real reason why he did it.
Yo @spidadmitchell trade deadline coming up. Yall might want to make a move…it’s looking dark at the bottom
Josh Hart trolled Donovan Mitchell over the Mets’ struggles.
OAKAAK Mario Hezonja is really really returning to the NBA after agreeing to a one-year, $2.8 million deal with Cleveland after the Cavs whiffed on LeBron’s homecoming. Hezonja, for what it’s worth, said he had no interest in returning to the NBA when he first left the league because he felt disrespected.
“No, I’m not going to return to the NBA. There was a lot I didn’t like there, I didn’t get the respect that I deserved. In my opinion, the NBA is more of a show than the game itself.”
“I wasn’t blindsided because I know a few people that know a few people,” he said. “And I knew the stuff was in the works. So I wasn’t quite blindsided. However, I didn’t know exactly when the announcement would come. I didn’t know exactly how the announcement would come.”
Green was spotted with James several times leading up to the decision, raising eyebrows across NBA circles as Green’s Warriors were viewed as a finalist to win the LeBron sweepstakes.
Ultimately, it came down to Golden State, Philadelphia, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat.
Green explained why he believes James ruled out the Cavaliers and Heat, stating that since James already won with each team, it wouldn’t be as special to run it back with them. Plus, Green added, it could risk James making his legacy with those organizations worse than when he originally left them should things not go as planned this time around.
As far as the Warriors, Green believes it was the history between James and Golden State, dating back to those intense consecutive NBA Finals matchups from 2015 to 2018 when James was Dub Nation’s biggest villain.
For most of LeBron James’ career, the Celtics have been waiting for him somewhere.
Sometimes, they were the wall he could not get over. Other times, they forced him to find another way around it. Eventually, they became the opponent he could dismiss on command, no matter which players happened to be wearing green.
The rivalry went quiet when James moved west, but it never disappeared completely. Even without a Finals meeting, he joined the Lakers and helped Los Angeles pull even with Boston at 17 championships. Now, almost two decades after their first playoff series, the rivalry is back in a form no one saw coming.
James is a Philadelphia 76er. So is Jaylen Brown.
The player who spent years tormenting Boston has joined forces with one of the stars who carried the rivalry into its next generation. The Celtics will see James again in the Eastern Conference, only this time, Brown will be standing beside him.
Before we find out how this chapter ends, it’s worth going back to see how they got here.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the second half of their game against the Boston Celtics at Crypto.com Arena on February 22, 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 Luiza Moraes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The wall
LeBron had already reached the NBA Finals by the time he first encountered Boston in the playoffs. He was a scoring champion, a perennial MVP candidate and the Chosen One expected to eventually inherit the league.
The 2008 Celtics did not care.
Boston had won 66 games after bringing Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen together with Paul Pierce. They had the best defense in basketball and the confidence of a team that believed its championship window had opened immediately.
Practically all by his lonesome, James still nearly took them out.
The series went seven games, and the Celtics needed every piece of their newly constructed superteam to survive. James scored 45 points in the finale at TD Garden. Pierce answered with 41, and Boston escaped with a 97-92 win on its way to Banner 17.
Years later, Brian Scalabrine remembered how quickly James challenged the Celtics’ belief that even the league’s best individual players could be swallowed by their defense.
“He could beat you with his brain, he could beat you with physicality, and he could beat you at the rim,” Scalabrine told ESPN.
That series established the first version of the rivalry. Boston was the finished product. LeBron was the singular force still trying to figure out how to defeat one.
The Celtics had Garnett directing the defense, Pierce accepting the scoring duel and a rotation built to make every drive exhausting. James could easily blow past his primary defender, but still look up to find several more bodies waiting for him.
Boston became the standard he had to reach.
The breaking point
Two years later, the Celtics became something more consequential.
Cleveland entered the 2010 postseason with the NBA’s best record and what appeared to be James’ clearest path yet toward a championship. Boston had slipped to fourth in the East, looked old at various points during the regular season and no longer carried the same aura as the defending champions.
Despite it all, the Celtics beat the Cavaliers again.
James struggled badly in Game 5 at home, finishing with 15 points on 3-of-14 shooting as Cleveland was booed off its own floor. The Cavaliers’ season ended two nights later in Boston. James walked off the court in a Cleveland uniform, removed his jersey in the tunnel and entered an offseason that changed the NBA.
— Boston Sports Throwback (@BOSthrowback) May 13, 2026
The Decision is remembered as a response to years of organizational failure in Cleveland, the lure of playing with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and James’ growing desperation to win his first championship.
The Celtics did not make The Decision for him, but they certainly helped turn up the heat.
Boston had eliminated James twice in three years. Its own Big Three had demonstrated the value of stars sacrificing individual control to extend their championship window. The Celtics had also made clear how difficult it would be for James to keep dragging an overmatched Cleveland roster through the East by himself.
Miami’s new superteam was built with Boston in mind.
The Celtics understood that too, and they enjoyed it. Doc Rivers later recalled Garnett refusing to recognize Miami as a legitimate Big Three because, in Garnett’s mind, that title still belonged to Boston. The Heat may have assembled the league’s most hated team, but the Celtics saw them as challengers who still needed to take the conference away.
Boston won James’ first game with Miami, an ugly season opener at TD Garden that briefly made the league’s grand new experiment look vulnerable.
The Heat eventually found their footing. More importantly, James finally found his way through Boston.
Miami eliminated the Celtics in five games during the 2011 conference semifinals. When the series ended, James dropped to his knees near midcourt. Beating Boston did not bring him a championship that year, but it removed an opponent that had come to represent every doubt surrounding him.
He had cleared the wall, but would soon need to do it again.
The stare
The Celtics arrived at Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals with a 3-2 series lead and a chance to end the Heat’s season in Boston.
It was the kind of night TD Garden had been built for. The veteran Celtics were nearing the end of their run together, but they had one more chance to break the team created to replace them. Miami faced an offseason of impossible questions if it lost. Erik Spoelstra’s future would have been uncertain. The Heat’s Big Three might not have remained intact.
James entered the building looking as if he had already considered every possibility.
The expression from that night has become one of the defining images of his career. Eyes forward, jaw set, locked in beyond measure. We all know the picture.
Then, the game started.
James scored 30 points in the first half and finished with 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. He made 19 of his 26 shots. Jumpers that Boston’s defense had once invited became automatic. Every time the Celtics threatened to pull the crowd back into the game, James answered.
Scalabrine later called it “the most dominant performance” he had ever seen. Rivers believed Boston would have won the series without James producing that kind of game and admitted that the result might have broken Miami apart.
Instead, the Heat won Game 6, returned home to finish the series and captured James’ first championship two weeks later.
Boston had initially shown James what he lacked. Four years later, it provided the stage where he showed everyone what he had become. The Celtics had helped push him toward Miami. Now, they had helped summon the version of James they spent years trying to prevent.
The gatekeeper
At first, Boston was LeBron’s wall. Eventually, he became theirs.
The Pierce-Garnett era ended in 2013, but James’ relationship with the Celtics continued. The uniforms stayed the same. Nearly everything else changed.
He eliminated an overmatched Celtics team in 2015 after returning to Cleveland. He swept Boston again in the 2017 conference finals, although Avery Bradley’s Game 3 winner at least spared them the indignity of going quietly.
OTD in 2017: Avery Bradley's last-second 3-pointer in Cleveland caps stunning 21-point comeback for the scrappy 2017 Boston Celtics 😤 pic.twitter.com/qDEOMj8bRV
By then, the rivalry had become lopsided. Boston kept finding its way back into the postseason while Danny Ainge rebuilt the roster, and like clockwork, James kept sending the Celtics home.
He beat them five straight times after losing the 2008 and 2010 series, winning matchups in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2018. The power had shifted so completely that James became the expiration date stamped on nearly every promising Celtics season.
The characters in green kept changing. Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett gave way to Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford. Brad Stevens replaced Doc Rivers. Boston moved from squeezing one last run out of its veterans to building around draft picks who had grown up watching James dominate the league.
The Celtics changed, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. LeBron just kept getting better.
The kids
The 2018 Eastern Conference finals should have been a transition year for Boston.
Gordon Hayward had been lost five minutes into the season. Kyrie Irving underwent knee surgery before the playoffs. Jayson Tatum was 20 years old. Jaylen Brown was 21.
Somehow, the Celtics reached Game 7 against James anyway.
That series produced the image Boston fans remember most: Tatum driving the lane, throwing down a dunk over James and bumping him afterward as TD Garden erupted.
Then-rookie Jayson Tatum threw down a MONSTER poster dunk on LeBron James in Game 7 of the ECF on this day in 2018 👀pic.twitter.com/CjkXqdzl7P
For a moment, it felt like the future had arrived early.
But as he so often did during that decade, James won.
He played all 48 minutes in Game 7, finishing with 35 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. Cleveland survived 87-79, and James reached his eighth consecutive Finals.
The young Celtics had their chances. They led the series 2-0 and 3-2. They held a fourth-quarter lead in the deciding game. Marcus Smart blocked a James dunk attempt in Game 6. Tatum put him on a poster in Game 7.
None of it was enough.
“We were right there,” Smart later told ESPN. “But LeBron turned into LeBron on us. There was nothing we could really do that day.”
Smart also believed the experience accelerated Boston’s young core. Tatum said being placed in those high-pressure moments as a rookie helped prepare him for everything that followed. Brown later described those early playoff runs as the place where the Celtics learned the maturity required to win.
The 2018 series was different from the battles with Pierce and Garnett. Those Celtics were established champions trying to hold off a still young but dominant James. Tatum and Brown were only beginning to understand what they might become.
James was no longer trying to prove he belonged in that setting. He had become the test that Boston’s next generation needed to pass.
They came close. He left the conference before they had another chance.
The distance
James’ move to Los Angeles placed the rivalry into something resembling hibernation.
The Celtics and Lakers remained the NBA’s foundational enemies, and James added his own history to that tension. His 2020 championship in the bubble brought the Lakers level with Boston at 17 titles, giving Los Angeles something it had spent years chasing.
Still, Boston and James never met in the Finals.
Their regular-season games produced occasional drama. There was Tatum’s late scoring duel with James in 2020. There was the chaotic overtime game in Boston in 2023, when James erupted over a missed foul call at the end of regulation and Patrick Beverly tried his hand at photography. There were the usual split crowds, national broadcasts and debates about how much hatred Celtics fans should direct toward James compared to the uniform he now wore.
It never carried the same weight.
The Celtics were building toward a championship with Tatum and Brown. James was trying to extend his career on the other side of the country. For the first time since Boston assembled its Big Three, their seasons no longer seemed destined to collide.
The rivalry had started to look like history, something to revisit through grainy highlights and increasingly dramatic anniversary posts. But the 2026 offseason pulled off a twist even the most deranged NBA trade machine user probably would have rejected: LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, together in Philadelphia.
The finale
James will return to the Eastern Conference with Philadelphia, joining Joel Embiid and the former Celtic who helped shape the last chapter of this rivalry.
Their history has not always been seamless. Cameras caught Brown questioning whether Bronny James belonged in the NBA during the 2024 Summer League. James referenced the incident after playing Boston last season, though he also praised Brown’s leap and questioned why he was not receiving more MVP consideration.
“We’ll be all right,” James said of their relationship.
Now, they have to be.
The visual will take some getting used to. James and Brown sharing the floor as teammates. Brown returning to TD Garden in a Philadelphia uniform. The two of them trying to end the Celtics season.
For Boston, James will once again be attached to a defining emotional question. The first version asked whether the Celtics could contain the league’s rising force. The next asked whether their aging champions could hold him off one more time. In 2018, Tatum and Brown had to prove they were ready to occupy the stage he had controlled for years.
In 2026, the Celtics may need to confront James alongside a player who helped deliver Banner 18 and once appeared certain to spend the rest of his prime beside Tatum.
That is what has allowed this rivalry to survive several different Celtics teams, four LeBron uniforms and enough roster turnover to make the original cast nearly unrecognizable. Boston has been his obstacle, inspiration, victim and measuring stick.
Now, he will battle the Celtics with Jaylen Brown at his side.
Maybe this final chapter ends quietly. James is deep into a career that has already lasted longer than the entire Celtics tenures of most players who opposed him. Philadelphia’s collection of stars brings obvious questions about age, health and fit.
History suggests Celtics fans should expect something more complicated.
For nearly 20 years, whenever the Celtics and LeBron James have appeared to be finished with each other, another chapter of the rivalry has emerged.
This is almost certainly the last one. After everything that came before it, good luck predicting the ending.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 5: Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz shoots a free throw during the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on February 5, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Utah Jazz are coming into the season as maybe the most unpredictable team in either conference. No one is sure what to make of this collection of talent. Will the players achieve a level of cohesion and become better than the sum of their parts? Or will they struggle with the blend of youth and veterans and underwhelm?
That leads us to this week’s Utah Jazz Reacts survey. How will this season end when all is said and done? Will they overachieve, be much better than people think, and be a top-3 seed in the West? Or will they underwhelm, fall apart, and wind up in the lottery once again?
Personally, I find it hard to believe the Jazz won’t, at a minimum, make the play-in. I also think that the Jazz are highly motivated to make additional moves this season. They are now buyers instead of sellers, and I can see them making moves to shore up their weaknesses come trade deadline. But now is your chance to vote in the poll below and let everyone know what you think.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jazz fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
