Category: Basketball

With teams like the Thunder and Spurs possessing dominant frontcourt players, it was clear obtaining a center was a high priority for Los Angeles.

They accomplished that goal by trading for Walker Kessler, who the Lakers reportedly feel will pair very well with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves in this new era. While they got the blockbuster deal done, it was far from a foregone conclusion. Kessler was a restricted free agent, so the Jazz could’ve paid whatever it cost to keep him or simply refused to send him to the Lakers.

Considering how important it was to obtain a big, the Lakers had to have backup plans. In a recent article by Dan Woike in The Athletic, Mitchell Robinson may have been viewed by the team as Plan B.

Had it not been Kessler, the Lakers, according to team and league sources, would’ve likely tried to sign free agent center Mitchell Robinson, who left the New York Knicks to sign a three-year, $47.4 million deal with Boston.

Robinson was linked to the Lakers throughout the offseason. In fact, the Lakers were even reportedly interested in drafting Robinson had he fallen to them at No. 39 in the 2018 NBA Draft. So, it’s no surprise that after a season where he won a title with the Knicks and LA needed a productive center, they’d be interested in Robinson.

While Robinson is a fine player, he is definitely not at Kessler’s level. Last year, Robinson averaged  5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. He’s a solid defender and an efficient scorer, shooting 72.3% from the field last season.

However, Kessler has far better production. During the 2024-25 season, Kessler averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.

Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka had to have backup plans in place in case the top option wasn’t acquirable. Luckily for them, things worked out.

The Lakers got Kessler, and Robinson ended up signing a three-year $47.4 million deal with the Celtics.

This was an interesting Plan B. Hopefully, Plan A works out even better.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Kendrick Perkins believes Steph Curry must plan ‘exit strategy' from Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Kendrick Perkins is advocating for something no Warriors fan wants to see: Steph Curry playing in a different uniform.

“Steph needs to be planning his exit strategy from the Golden State Warriors,” Perkins said on Thursday’s episode of ESPN’s “NBA Today.”

Perkins then delivered a scathing assessment of the chances this Warriors roster has at competing for a championship.

“Over the last three years, the Warriors have been in the play-in tournament,” Perkins said. “This year, the way that the West is stacked up, they’re going to be a play-in tournament team again.”

The Warriors’ front office has come under fierce criticism recently after failing to provide a perceived-championship caliber roster to surround Curry. Including their defeat in the LeBron James sweepstakes, the Warriors have acquired zero new players via NBA free agency or trade this offseason.

“If you’re Steph Curry, going on the age of 39, and you look at this roster, knowing that you have four NBA championships and knowing what a championship roster looks like, you can’t waste any more time hoping and banking that Mike Dunleavy is going to get it right or make the moves that’s needed to make sure that you’re able to compete for a title, especially in a tough Western Conference,” Perkins said.

Perkins then described the difficult crux with which Curry is presented.

“I want Steph Curry to retire in a Warriors uniform. But I also want to watch Steph Curry play meaningful basketball,” Perkins said. “I want Steph Curry to be playing when it matters the most. And with this roster and what they have, he’s not going to be there any time soon.”

Curry leaving Golden State would be the absolute nightmare, doomsday, DEFCON 1 scenario for Warriors fans. After 17 season and four NBA titles, many Warriors fans would consider Curry finishing and spending his entire career with Golden State as the most important priority for the Warriors, maybe even more than another championship.

There has been little more reason than talking heads and social media chatter to believe that Curry has already set in motion, or is even considering, an exit from Golden State. But if the Warriors prove Perkins right this season and fail to contend for a championship, Curry will have to evaluate what is more important to him in the twilight of his career: competing for one last NBA title, or finishing and spending his entire career with Golden State.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

LeBron James is planning to produce a documentary to chronicle the final seasons of his NBA career and his move to the Philadelphia 76ers, according to multiple reports. But one of his closest associates is pushing back on speculation that the NBA's all-time leading scorer intends to produce a project similar to "The Last Dance" featuring Michael Jordan.

ESPN is close to reaching an agreement related to a documentary featuring James, The Athletic reported on Tuesday, July 30, though potential financial terms and and a tentative release date were still unknown. It's expected that James will have a camera crew following him throughout the 2026-27 season with the 76ers, in addition to the documentary featuring new behind-the-scenes footage from previous seasons.

James has not yet announced any official plans to produce a documentary and Maverick Carter, the CEO and co-founder of James' production company denied that they're planning anything similar to "The Last Dance."

One NBA journeyman is calling it a career at 32.

Josh Richardson, who played for six teams, including the Heat twice, announced his retirement via an Instagram post. 

“I always gave my best, that’s why i can say this with no regret,” he wrote Wednesday night. “I am grateful to have been able to love this game and it love me back as much as it did. It wasn’t set up for me at any point in my career, and from high school, college, and the pros i humbly worked my butt off every day be the best that i could be.

“All my fans, coaches and teammates, i hope i left a good impression and a positive view of me. Love, JRICH.” 

In case there was any confusion, Richardson confirmed it was a retirement post at the end of his caption and included a laughing emoji. 

The 32-year-old began his career relatively unknown as a second-round pick by the Heat in 2015, but quickly found his way into the team’s rotation. 

He played meaningful playoff minutes in the Heat’s run to the Eastern Conference semifinals, playing over 25 minutes per game throughout the playoffs. 

Richardson spent four years during his first Miami stint, averaging a career-high 16.6 points per game in 2018-19. 

View this post on Instagram

The guard then joined the 76ers and Mavericks for the next two seasons, averaging over 12 points per game while being an effective free-throw shooter. 

He started the 2021-22 season with the Celtics, but was dealt to the Spurs in the Derrick White trade midseason. 

After spending time with the Spurs and Pelicans, Richardson returned back to the Heat in 2023 but couldn’t return to his former self, averaging under 10 points per game in two seasons. 

Richardson didn’t start a game in his final NBA season with the Heat in 2024-25, making just eight appearances. 

He played briefly for Spanish club Zaragoza last season.

The possibility that the NBA’s investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers could stretch into 2027 has not killed the blockbuster trade sending him back to the Toronto Raptors.

Both franchises still intend to complete the deal, according to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, despite uncertainty over when the league will conclude its investigation into allegations that the Clippers circumvented salary-cap rules to compensate Leonard.

The nearly year-long probe centers on a four-year, $28 million endorsement agreement Leonard received from Aspiration, a now-bankrupt company that previously held a major sponsorship deal with the Clippers.

Los Angeles owner Steve Ballmer has acknowledged introducing Leonard to Aspiration but denied arranging or knowing about the endorsement agreement. The Clippers and Leonard have consistently denied wrongdoing.

The league is examining whether the endorsement was legitimate or an improper method of funneling additional money to Leonard outside his NBA contract.

Holmes reported that the investigation could extend into next year if the league, Clippers, Leonard and National Basketball Players Association cannot agree on the findings or any proposed punishment.

The union would reportedly be prepared to take the case to arbitration if it believed the NBA attempted to discipline Leonard without sufficient evidence. That process could add months to an investigation that has already complicated one of the offseason’s biggest moves.

Toronto and Los Angeles reportedly agreed to the trade on June 30. Leonard would return to the franchise he led to the 2019 championship, while the Clippers would receive a package headlined by Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and multiple draft picks.

The transaction was placed on hold after the NBA informed Toronto that it would assume the risk of any punishment affecting Leonard once the trade became official.

Potential discipline could include fines, lost draft picks, suspensions for team personnel or even the voiding of Leonard’s contract. Exactly how any penalty would affect a completed trade remains unclear.

That uncertainty explains Toronto’s reluctance to finalize the deal before the league reaches a decision. It has not, however, changed the Raptors’ desire to reunite with Leonard.

Shortly after the trade, Raptors team president Masai Ujiri expressed confidence in Leonard’s mindset.

“He is determined and seems in the right frame of mind,” Ujiri said. “You will be hearing from him shortly. I think there is a fire inside of him and we are all excited about that.”

The 35-year-old is coming off a career-best scoring season, averaging 27.9 points across 65 appearances.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently expressed hope that the investigation would conclude before the regular season, but no formal deadline has been announced.

The Raptors and Clippers are therefore preparing to move forward while waiting for a process they cannot control.

Leonard’s return to Toronto still appears to be the expected outcome. The only question is whether it happens before training camp, before the regular season—or after the investigation becomes a problem that follows both teams into 2027.

LeBron James’ final NBA chapter could be captured from the inside.

James and ESPN are reportedly nearing an agreement on a documentary series that would follow his time with the Philadelphia 76ers while revisiting the defining moments of his career, according to The Athletic.

Negotiations are said to be at the “one-yard line,” although financial terms and a potential release date remain unknown. ESPN and a representative for James declined to comment on the report.

Should the deal be finalized, cameras would follow James throughout his first season in Philadelphia, where he will begin a record-extending 24th NBA campaign. The series would also pull from an extensive archive of footage collected since James emerged as a national phenomenon at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.

That could provide viewers with previously unseen material from a career that has stretched across Cleveland, Miami, Los Angeles and now Philadelphia.

The obvious comparison is Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance,” the 10-part ESPN documentary centered on the Chicago Bulls’ 1997-98 championship season. Cameras received extraordinary access to Jordan and the Bulls during their final title run, although the series was not released until 2020.

A James project would only intensify the debate that has followed both superstars for years. Jordan’s documentary revisited the end of a dynasty. James’ version could capture the conclusion of the other career most commonly mentioned in basketball’s greatest-player conversation.

The biggest unanswered question is whether this is actually James’ final season.

The 41-year-old called joining Philadelphia his “last decision,” but he signed a two-year contract and reportedly holds a player option after the 2026-27 campaign. His agent, Rich Paul, has also left open the possibility that James could play beyond the next two seasons.

That uncertainty could affect when the series reaches television. A documentary chronicling James’ arrival in Philadelphia would already carry enormous interest, but its impact would be greater if the footage ultimately captured his final games.

James chose the 76ers after ending an eight-season run with the Lakers, whom he helped lead to the 2020 championship. He now joins a star-heavy Philadelphia roster featuring Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and newly acquired Jaylen Brown.

The move was made with a fifth championship in mind. If the 76ers can deliver one while cameras document the season, James could produce the Hollywood ending Jordan enjoyed with Chicago.

Unlike “The Last Dance,” however, nobody yet knows when James will take his final bow.

Good morning New York! So you broke a championship curse that spanned five decades. Fifty-three years since the last banner went up, and now there’s a new one. Welcome to the club nobody tells you the rules of until you’re already a member. You are the curse breaker, the uplifter of community, the beacon of hope. You’re also the biggest target alive.

Welcome to being the 2015 Warriors after the parade.

I say that with love, because as an Oakland kid who watched his longsuffering franchise FINALLY make good, I lived it. That team walked into the next season with the same core, the same coach, the same swagger, and it still didn’t repeat. Golden State went 73 wins deep the year after and still watched someone else hoist the trophy. Talent wasn’t the problem and neither was continuity wasn’t the problem. The problem is that winning a title doesn’t freeze the league in place around you. Rather, it wakes the whole league up. Every single franchise has to look at itself and say “whoa if that box of misfit toys can win, why can’t we?”. And right now, the whole league is very much awake.

I distinctly recall the Warriors having to battle a myriad of “lucky” allegations that drove the team into a psychopathic competitive zone. The Knicks are gonna have to find some of that juice to make the new climb.

Let’s start with what New York already knows is coming. Mitchell Robinson is gone to the rival Celtics. Miami paired Giannis Antetokounmpo with Bam Adebayo. Philadelphia is running out Jaylen Brown next to LeBron James. Both the Celtics and 76ers are in their division! And every night, the Knicks are gonna get everyone’s best punch. Every opponent will be hyped to face the champs and embarrass them.

I know the counterargument, because it’s the same one Warriors fans told themselves in 2015. Continuity is an edge. The Knicks added Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges and needed real time to figure out how those pieces fit, and now they get to run it back with that learning already paid for while half the league starts from zero. That’s real.

But then there’s the part nobody wants to say out loud, the championship hangover. It’s not a myth. Winning a championship changes what every day feels like, and the teams that repeat are the ones who fight that change instead of pretending it isn’t happening. Jalen Brunson, Mike Brown, OG Anunoby, they’ve got the reputation for grinding through adversity. But adversity from an opponent and adversity that comes with finally getting everything you wanted are two very different monsters, and only one of them shows up on tape.

Here’s what should actually worry Knicks fans more than any of that. This team has made a habit of getting knocked down before it gets back up. Down 2-9 to start the year. Down 2-1 to Atlanta. Down 22 to Cleveland in the fourth quarter. Down 29 to San Antonio at the half. Every single time, they answered, and that resilience is real and it’s earned. But resilience like that usually gets built by being an underdog, by being counted out, by having something to prove. Nobody counts out the defending champs. The Knicks are about to spend an entire season being the hunted instead of the hunter for the first time in this era, and we genuinely don’t know yet if that changes how they play when adversity hits, because they’ve never had to find out.

So no, I’m not telling you it’s impossible. Nobody’s won back to back since 2018, and someone has to be first again eventually. But history is cruel because winning it once and winning it twice require two completely different versions of hunger, and only one team in the last decade has figured out how to hold both at the same time.

Do you know who that team was? Here’s a hint: they ran LeBron out of Cleveland.

The Draft is over. The Summer League is over and it would appear that free agency, if not over, is basically done as well. Now comes the long Summer. From the end of Summer League on July 19 till the first preseason game on October 6, it will be all highlights and speculation along with Moe Wagner’s expected signing. Maybe there’ll be a surprise or two, but for the most part it’s about expectations.

—July 30 – August 4: Day’Ron Sharpe and Kenyon Martin tour China with stops in Shanghai and Huangzhou.

—August 2: 3:00 p.m. ET. WNBA trade deadline.

—August 5: Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks. Not applicable to the Nets. Tyler Bilodeau signed a two-way deal shortly after the Draft.

—August 31 – September 16: FIBA World Cup break for WNBA players, coaches.

—September 24: Last day of WNBA regular season.

—September 27: WNBA Playoffs begin.

—September 28: Brooklyn Nets Media Day at HSS Training Center.

—September 29: Nets Training Camp opens at HSS Training Center.

—October 1: Terance Mann eligible for three-year, $72.6 million extension starting in 2027-28. Again, highly unlikely.

—October 6: Brooklyn Nets open preseason vs. Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte. 7:00 p.m. ET.

—October 8: Brooklyn Nets host the Philadelphia 76ers and perhaps LeBron James at Barclays Center. 7:30 p.m. ET.

—October 12: Brooklyn Nets travel to Washington, D.C. to face the Washington Wizards at the Capital Center, 7:00 p.m. ET.

—October 14: Nets play fourth and final preseason game vs. Heat at Kaseya Center, Miami. 7:30 p.m. ET.

—October 19: Roster cut down day. Teams must get down to 15 standard deals and three two-ways.

—October 20: Opening Night, 2026-27 NBA season. Limited number of games.

—October 21: Likely opening night for Brooklyn Nets

—October 30: Emirates NBA Cup 2026 | Group Play tips off on Prime Video. Brooklyn Nets will play in East Group A alongside the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, and Milwaukee Bucks.

—October 31: Nets must extend each of the Flatbush 5 for a third season.

—November 13: Opening Night, Long Island Nets’ 2026-27 G League season.

—November 27:  Emirates NBA Cup 2026 | Group Play concludes

—December 4-5:  Emirates NBA Cup 2026 | Knockout Rounds | Quarterfinals

—December 8-9:  Emirates NBA Cup 2026 | Knockout Rounds | Semifinals

—December 11:  Emirates NBA Cup 2026 | Championship | Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

It’s not even been a week since we found out LeBron James is now a Philadelphia 76er, and the impact of his arrival is already starting to go beyond what he’ll be doing on the basketball court — just as you’d expect. There’s also how he plans to tell the story of the final stage of his career, and it sounds like he has something very exciting lined up.

The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand has reported that LeBron and ESPN are closing in on an agreement for a behind-the-scenes documentary in a similar style to Michael Jordan’s 2020 ‘The Last Dance’ series, which was co-produced by ESPN and Netflix.

Marchand confirmed that the talks to finalize the deal are close, and initial plans for filming during his time with the Sixers:

One of the sources described the talks as being at the “1-yard line,” with the expectation that James, 41, will have a camera crew documenting his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, who James signed with this month. The 76ers are expected to be the final home of his legendary career.

The documentary is expected to also use footage from earlier in James’ career, as NBA crews have filmed him since he was a rookie, including some never-before-seen footage.

As of now, there’s reportedly no set date of when the documentary would be completed and aired.

Maverick Carter has weighed in on the documentary to say they “are not doing anything like” ‘The Last Dance’. So even though we may see a documentary similar in style, with cameras following LeBron in Philly, his camp at least don’t want to give the impression this is definitively his last season.

If you’ve somehow never seen it, ‘The Last Dance’ told the story of Jordan’s career with a main focus on the Bulls’ 1997-98 season as they made their run to secure a second three-peat. There were quality interviews and unseen footage galore, with excellent editing and production throughout. Hopefully we’ll be getting more of the same from this new story of LeBron’s career and his shot at a title with the Sixers.

Of course, Jordan’s documentary had the advantage of uncovering more details and stories from a time when the constant coverage of social media and smart phones didn’t exist. More happened out of the public eye. It also released during the COVID pandemic, at a time when we were all at home desperate for new entertainment, which probably added a heightened level of excitement when each new episode dropped.

If this LeBron documentary goes ahead and is anywhere near as good as ‘The Last Dance’, though, it promises to be a brilliant series.

Give LeBron James credit: He wasn’t bluffing.

During an episode of his Mind the Game podcast in late May, he said: “I think at some point in June, late June, as July rolls around, free agency starts to get going and as July rolls around and maybe into August, we’ll start to kind of get a feel of what my future may look like.”

James didn’t decide to sign a two-year, veteran-minimum contract with the Sixers until July 24. The Lakers had long moved on by then, as expected.

Shortly before free agency began, LeBron informed the Lakers that they could “move on without him because he will play elsewhere.” They proceeded to splurge on Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton within the first 24 hours of free agency.

Now that most of the free-agency dust has settled — Jonathan Kuminga notwithstanding — it’s hard not to circle back to one question: If LeBron was willing to play on a minimum contract, why didn’t he just re-sign with the Lakers? He wouldn’t have to uproot his family and he’d get to finish out his career alongside Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Kessler.

His decision to join with the Sixers instead is fairly telling.

The Thunder and Spurs loom large

In his announcement, James said he still wanted to “compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.” He added that he believed he could help make the Sixers “a championship team.”

It’s fair to wonder how all five of LeBron, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid will fit together, although it’s not hard to see the upside if everything breaks right for them. Having that many star teammates will reduce the burden on each of them during the regular season, which should help keep them fresher for the playoffs.

“A source familiar with James’ thinking” told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that his choice “hinged on the pursuit of the fifth championship. After weighing his options, he landed on Philadelphia as the best situation for that.”

Left unsaid: He chose the Sixers over the Lakers in that regard.

While the Lakers now have one too many players signed to standard contracts after adding Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle and Kevon Looney to minimum deals, one would think the Lakers gladly would have sacrificed any of them to re-sign LeBron on a min. Perhaps California’s state income tax worked against the Lakers when the salaries being offered were otherwise the same, but it doesn’t seem as though LeBron even entertained re-signing with them. Why is that?

The presence of the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the West had to play a factor.

After this offseason, one could make the case that the East is deeper than the West, particularly assuming that the Kawhi Leonard trade eventually goes through. However, the West has the top two title favorites by far.

Could LeBron and the new-look Lakers have been in the race for a top-four seed in the West? They’d have to beat at least two of the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves for it, but that wouldn’t have been impossible. Potentially having to topple both the Thunder and Spurs in the playoffs, though? Just to get to the NBA Finals?

Again, it’s not like LeBron and the Sixers will have a cakewalk in the East. The reigning champion New York Knicks reside in the same division as the Sixers, as do the 2024 champion Boston Celtics (albeit sans Brown, the Finals MVP that year). The Miami Heat added Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason. The Indiana Pacers are getting back a healthy Tyrese Haliburton. The Toronto Raptors are (theoretically) reuniting with Leonard. The Sixers’ 25-year conference finals drought isn’t guaranteed to end.

But they don’t have to worry about the Thunder or Spurs until the NBA Finals, and they wouldn’t have to beat both of them in the playoffs. That’s a huge selling point for any team in the East right now.

One other factor might have helped drive LeBron out of L.A. as well, though.

The fan factor

LeBron has played for three teams in his NBA career thus far, and he’s won at least one championship with each of them. But no matter what he did in L.A., he would never replace Kobe Bryant in the minds of Lakers fans.

The Sixers have had plenty of all-time greats over the years, including Wilt Chamberlain, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson. But they don’t have a Kobe-esque shadow looming over them.

In the Game Over episode about James’ decision, his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, discussed that with co-host Max Kellerman.

“I think the city of Philly is gonna embrace him,” Paul said.

“They’ll be a lot more appreciative than L.A.,” Kellerman replied.

Paul shrugged and said, “I just think it’s a different fanbase.”

LeBron alluded to that as well in his announcement.

“I am so excited to energize a new fanbase and start this incredible journey one last time,” he wrote.

He can already consider that mission accomplished.

A source “familiar with James’ thinking” echoed that to McMenamin as well.

“One of the things that was compelling about the Sixers was how passionate the fanbase is and how long it’s been since they’ve won a championship,” the source said.

The Sixers’ proximity to championship contention was undoubtedly their main selling point. LeBron didn’t leave the Lakers because of Kobe stans. But that sentiment popping up a few different times is telling, particularly since McMenamin reported a few months ago that LeBron felt the Lakers took him for granted at times.

LeBron’s beef is likely more with President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka than Lakers fans. But the lack of appreciation that he felt in LA compared to how Philadelphia has already received him might only further justify his decision to leave.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

It’s been a controversy-free offseason for the Spurs so far (at least outside the broadcast booth), but if there was anything that raised a few eyebrows, it was the unverified rumor that guard Dylan Harper was unhappy in a bench role during his rookie season and would demand a starting role going forward. Despite the rumor coming from a parody X account and Ron Harper, Sr. pointing out that it was fake, it never completely went away, leading to speculation over if the Spurs either needed to start looking at the trade market for De’Aaron Fox or consider a three-guard starting line-up, featuring those two alongside Stephon Castle.

However, Dylan has now spoken up himself in an interview with DJ Siddiqi of RG.org. When asked about his goals for next season, he noted that his only goal (besides individual improvement) is the same as the entire team’s: to learn from what went wrong in the Finals and make up for it next year. When specifically asked to confirm if that that means he’s fine in any role — starter or bench — he reassured that he’s just grateful to be playing and the logistics don’t matter. (In other words, yes, he’s fine with a bench role.)

Q: Your second season’s coming up here. There are high expectations. Do you have any concrete objectives in your mind? Whether that’s statistical, whether that’s on the court as far as where you want to improve?

Harper: Nah, man. I feel like the biggest thing for me in every year is really just getting better every day, learning from the people around me and learning from my own experiences and just trying not to make the same mistakes over and over again. But for me, it’s not really just anything personal. I feel like we all have that one team goal that we felt like that we should have had last year. I feel like that’s really the only thing on that. That’s the only thing that’s on everyone’s mind.

Q: So simply put, it’s team-based over any sort of individual objectives. That’s what’s on your mind.

Harper: Yes, sir.

Q: And it doesn’t matter to you, you were coming off the bench your first season, your rookie season. It doesn’t matter to you whether you’re a starter or whether you’re a bench player, right?

Harper: No, I feel like regardless, I’m in the NBA. There’s only like 450 people in the NBA, and I get a chance to go on the court and play with the best of the best. I feel like those kinds of things and those logistics at the end of the day, in the big scheme of things, it’s not going to affect me and how I approach every day.

Speaking of the Finals, he discussed what the team learned from the experience (the answer is pretty obvious) and how he feels about the team going forward.

Q: What was the biggest thing that you learned from that experience? Obviously, you guys led for a great duration of that series. You came up a little short, but what can you take from that series moving forward?

Harper: I think the biggest thing is probably closing out games, and I think just knowing exactly what we’re gonna do in certain times, I think the biggest thing for us is we got a year under our belt. I think this year for us, the first year we’re all together as a team, and I feel like the sky’s the limit for us.

Finally, he discussed what it’s like playing with Wemby, his leadership style, and what it meant seeing him take a discount for the team.

Q: I want to talk to you about Wemby. Obviously, a heck of a player, man. It shows how much he cares about the team that he took less money than the max on his extension. Talk about what that means, and talk about what type of player and leader he is behind the scenes — maybe that fans don’t know about.

Harper: I feel like for a 22-year-old, he’s probably one of the best leaders I’ve been around, just the way he carries himself, his maturity, from top to bottom, whether it’s basketball treatment, in the weight room, personal life. I feel like he’s kind of structured his life in a way that has worked for him, and I think he’s the most genuine person ever. When that came out, I feel like yes, it was a surprise to everyone. But I mean, that’s just the type of person he is.

There were other topics of discussion in the interview, so be sure to check out the entire thing, but it’s good to know that the Spurs may not be facing as many line-up decisions as some wanted to believe heading into next season. Harper’s time as a starter will surely come, but it’s reassuring to know he is ready and willing to take on whatever role as asked of him for the betterment of the team, and in an unselfish and professional manner, like any true Spur would.

The NBA Offseason isn’t over but this week we decided to grade what the Dallas Mavericks have done so far.

Michael: I’m giving the team an A-. That may be hard for some to fathom when a team like the 76ers landed Jaylen Brown and LeBron James (what could their grade possibly be if ours is an A-?) – but I think a grade like this has to be measured on an appropriate scale and realistic expectations.

This offseason, the Mavericks have hired President Masai Ujiri, a front office professional calling the shots, the likes of which Dallas has not had in many, many years. They hired a proper GM in Mike Schmitz to pair with Ujiri to properly rebuild around Cooper Flagg. They hired a head coach that virtually everyone thought was untouchable and who ought to be perfect for a young, budding core. Then they constructed that young core, getting a player like Santi Aldama through clever use of a trade exception which they kept intact by clever use of signing-and-trading Khris Middleton. They moved up in the draft to get a promising guard in Sergio De Larrea, after using their higher pick to land Morez Johnson. They made a couple other slick moves in the second round for even more youth, and traded for a former #1 overall pick. All of this was done with a dearth of draft capital and an inherited pile of bad will. It was also done while keeping all of the obvious tradable player assets.

Will every one of these moves pan out to greatness? Probably not. But rebuilding a youthful, athletic, affordable roster while maintaining what precious few assets they had was nothing short of a masterclass of how to make something out of virtually nothing. For where the Mavs were three months ago, this was an excellent outcome.

David: I would say they have operated around a B. As of writing, their roster makes no sense, but they have made moves for good players. Morez Johnson was certainly a surprising draft pick, but maybe he is far past what any one of us mortals saw. He has the body to work perfectly next to Cooper Flagg. Masai Ujiri’s lust for big wings has been evident, but I am not too concerned about their success on the court this season. As of now, they have made mostly the “right” moves and have set themselves up for more to come. It hasn’t been a home run, but they’re definitely on base and in scoring position.

Ben: I give them a B+. The new front office is having to clean up one of the worst messes in NBA history due to one of the worst trades in NBA history. This was always going to be a long-haul project and they’re operating that way so far. They’ve added a bunch of interesting players who could work out, who might not, but they’re taking some chances. If they’re able to move some of the vets before the season starts, I’d even get close to an A-.

Matt: A very solid B+. The new regime has done the impossible and made Dallas an interesting team to watch again. There are several storylines going into this season with the potential to develop into something genuinely beneficial to the team’s longterm outlook. They’ve gotten creative in how to put new talent around Cooper Flagg with guys who are on his timeline, and are taking many, many bites at the apples in hopes that one of their developmental players pans out. It’s a roster-building exercise in the law of large numbers. The only thing they haven’t done is re-stock the barren shelves with some draft picks, but there’s still time and guys like Gafford, Washington and Marshall should be of interest to SOME team with an aim to contend this season – even if it’s not a huge haul.

Jack: I would give the Mavericks a B- for the offseason they have had so far. I honestly like all the additions they have made, starting with drafting Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio De Larrea, to acquiring high-upside young talent for relatively cheap value. They have also done an amazing job of adding shooting to the roster, which will certainly help Cooper Flagg’s development. The way they have attacked the margins is very exciting, as with a lack of draft assets they will have to find unique ways to acquire talent. What holds back my grade is the dramatic roster imbalance that still plagues the team. They have too many forwards and not enough ball-handlers, simply not having the minutes to give. This holds back the opportunity for a player like Zaccharie Risacher, who needs time on the court to hopefully develop his skills. The lack of creation also lessens the impact of the new shooting, as most of these new players need their shots created for them. If the Mavericks can trade P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford for good value, then my grade would jump into the A’s, but since no trade is seemingly on the horizon, I’m settling on a B- for now.

Tyler: I’m going to give them an old school, college-level incomplete grade for the offseason. I can’t grade the work they’ve done through today because, well, this can’t be all the work they’re doing. The moves themselves are fine: I was indifferent at best on the Morez Johnson pick, but I do like Sergio De Larrea. I also think they’ve done decent work with the Sasser and Aldama acquisitions. I have questions about the Risacher addition, but it’s a fine “shot in the dark” as long as they don’t commit long-term money there until they see proof of the vision they surely imagine. But the roster is still incredibly unbalanced, and they don’t have much in the way of future assets they’ve gotten. Until the dust settles, it’s probably best to settle with an incomplete. I can’t imagine this is the roster they roll into the season with.

Bryan: Easy A- with potential for an A+ pending a frontcourt trade or two for reasonable value. The top 8 of the draft lottery fell exactly as we hoped that it wouldn’t, but M&M still left the draft with a great coaching hire, two players that figure to factor in the rotation battle this season, and two big upside swings in the 2nd round. On top of that, we’ve acquired a ton of shooting, length, and athleticism that lends itself to insulating Kyrie, Flagg, Sasser, Sergio, and another shot creator to be named later defensively. We did all this at the paltry cost of portions of our exceptions (trade exception and Mid-level) and three 2nd rounders. We’ve barely touched the few assets we have and remade the team completely from last season. This offseason has been a measured rundown of the checklist for a proper rebuild and a welcome, if foreign, sight for Mavs fans’ eyes. 

Joe: The Dallas Mavericks deserve a C+ for their offseason so far. Given the difficult roster and asset situation Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz inherited, Dallas did a respectable job adding useful players on manageable contracts without sacrificing anything essential to Cooper Flagg’s future.Moves for Santi Aldama, Marcus Sasser, Morez Johnson Jr. and Zaccharie Risacher were all defensible individually. Dallas added shooting, size, youth and upside while preserving several movable contracts. Even the Risacher gamble came at a relatively low price. The Mavericks did not panic, overpay for a short-term solution or surrender another major first-round asset.
That is what keeps the grade from falling lower.

The problem is that Dallas chose to work around the margins instead of truly reforming the roster. The Mavericks still have too many overlapping forwards, not enough reliable ball-handling and several veterans who do not clearly fit Flagg’s timeline. Other young teams have been more aggressive in defining their direction, whether by collecting draft assets, clearing veterans or building a cleaner developmental roster. The individual moves mostly make sense, but they do not yet form a coherent plan. The “plus” comes from hiring Dusty May, one of basketball’s biggest rising coaching names. Pairing him with Ujiri and Schmitz gives the Mavericks a leadership structure worth believing in. Dallas improved its flexibility and talent base. It still has not made the larger, uncomfortable decisions required to properly build around Flagg. For now, that makes this a C+.

Isaac: i’m willing to give Masai and crew an A for this offseason. While not all needs were met, it’s a good step in the right direction and the offseason’s not over yet. They’ve made serviceable trades and taken shots on young guys that could help the team without committing long-term money to them.

It’s hard for fans, myself included, to handle the whiplash of being in the Finals just two years to being where we are now, but it’s the reality we live in. Offseasons for teams like the Mavericks aren’t about contending this season or next; they’re about taking chances to build a core around their young star. I think they’ve done a great job at that this offseason, and I’m fascinated by what they can get for the players on our team that have value (PJ, Gafford, Klay).

Matt M.: B-. This roster configuration may not make a ton of sense, but it doesn’t have to this season. It’s maddening that some of the vets who are still here are still here. But I have at least some level of middling trust in the long-term plan of Masai & Co. The guards on this roster don’t please me greatly but there is at least a glimmer of hope for this team putting an interesting product on the floor in 2026-27. Progress, I guess?

Kirk: A- for me. Look, I am broadly a pessimist when it comes to team sports. There’s only one champ every year, you know? So when I think about where Dallas was last February and see where they are 18 months later, this is about the best possible outcome I could have hoped for. Nico Harrison leveraged the future then traded away the centerpiece, so that Dallas has Cooper, everything else is more straightforward. Dallas made mistakes in tanking (or not tanking, really) but Morez Johnson is a nice pick. Sergio De Larrea has something! They’ve made two fun trades that could pan out well. They still have a lot of roster imbalance, but there’s hope for the future.