For the past few years, God Shammgod — the New York playground legend who is your favorite hooper's favorite hooper — has been coaching in Dallas, working with a couple of players who have some of the best handles in the game.
"I love Kyrie [Irving], you know what I mean?" Shammgod said while discussing his new book, “Word of God.” "I know his whole family, so I knew him since he was young. Luka Doncic, of course, Luka's like amazing."
Now is in Orlando, helping teach his dribbling wizardry — the man has a crossover named after him — and coaching up a young and promising Magic team stacked with All-NBA level talent such as Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. It's a team a lot of pundits (*raises hand*) project to make a leap up to the top three of the East — if there is a team poised to make an Indiana-style run this season, it's the Magic.
Shammgod sees that.
"Paolo and Franz and them, they're coming into their own right now," Shammgod told NBC Sports "They're at the right age where they still young, but they, they young enough to dare. Dare to be great. And I, I believe like Paolo and Franz is going to be great, but Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, we got Tyus Jones. Now we got, we got so many great players.
"And they all right. And I feel like right now they all are ready to make their mark. So I'm just happy and honored to be a part of it."
Orlando was a .500 team last season, not a bad record considering both Banchero and Wagner missed considerable time with matching oblique strains. The Magic had the second-best defense in the NBA and that propelled them into the No. 7 seed and the playoffs, but they couldn't get by the Celtics (who still had a healthy Jayson Tatum at that point). The focus of Jeff Weltman and the rest of the Magic front office this summer was to upgrade the offense. Part of that involved adding guards like Bane and Jones, but also bringing Shammgod and his wisdom onto the staff.
It wasn't just the players that drew Shammgod to Dallas, it was their coach, Jamahl Mosley. As quickly becomes evident when reading “Word of God,” Shammgod has great stories and connections with people across the NBA, and Mosley is one that goes way back.
"I knew him when we both was teenagers, because when I was a freshman at Providence, he visited Providence. So that's full circle," Shammgod said of Mosley. "Like for me and him coaching at Dallas together, he just got such a great passion and such.
"He's so about the work. You know what I'm saying? There's not too many people I could say, that's all about the work. Like, forget all the accolades, forget all that stuff. Like, he's all about the work and all about winning and all about pouring into the kids. And I think that's what me and him share in common the most."
It's that connection that the players relate to and get them to buy in, whether it's Shammgod improving their handles or Mosley with the bigger picture themes.
This season, when the Magic come into the spotlight and we see Banchero flashing a new dribbling move, or Wagner breaking ankles on the way to the rim, just remember that Shammgod, with his legendary handles, is coaching them now and they are finding a new flow.
George Raveling, a Hall of Fame basketball coach who played a role in Michael Jordan signing a landmark endorsement deal with Nike, has died. Raveling's family said Tuesday in a statement that he had “faced cancer with courage and grace.” “There are no words to fully capture what George meant to his family, friends, colleagues, former players, and assistants — and to the world,” the family statement read.
The ongoing saga between the Warriors and restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has persisted past Labor Day. NBA training camp is in four weeks, and the Oct. 1 deadline for Kuminga to accept the qualifying offer is under a month away. So, where are the two sides?
Still miles apart it appears.
The one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer remains the most attractive offer to Kuminga at the moment, sources continue to tell NBC Sports Bay Area. The Warriors have offered a two-year contract worth roughly $45 million, but are holding strong to a team option for the second year, while Kuminga and his camp have made it clear they want a player option for Year 2.
To ensure Kuminga doesn’t sign the qualifying offer, which essentially would eliminate any option of trading him this season and severely hurt roster building, the Warriors will have to convince him what they’re proposing is that much better than the last resort. The first way to do that is ceding the team option for a player option. The second is simply to give him more money up front, making the team option less of a sticking point in the end.
Year 1 of the Warriors’ offer is $21.75 million, per sources, but because of the base salary compensation rule, Kuminga’s outgoing salary is equal to half of that. So, much of this entire situation comes down to control.
Through four years, Kuminga and the Warriors have yet to find common ground on who he presently is as a player, who he can be with more opportunities and who he will be in the future. The way this offseason has played out only has furthered Kuminga’s desire to control his own destiny and how his future plays out. Kuminga wants to make sure that no matter who his next employer is, he’s comfortable and confident he is being set up for success from the start.
There has been confusion as to why Kuminga would hold steady to the inherent no-trade clause of a qualifying offer, as well as a player option for the second year with the assumption he wants to be somewhere else aside from the Warriors. Kuminga doesn’t want to be used as a “pawn” for a team where he has seen himself as the scapegoat, and he still doesn’t fully know what his role will be going into his fifth NBA season with the likelihood that he still isn’t a starter and might not close games.
Signing the qualifying offer is a risk for Kuminga. His agent, Aaron Turner, isn’t discrediting that. However, the risk is much more on the Warriors.
With an aging core of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, letting Kuminga sign the qualifying offer would take away the Warriors’ best asset at the NBA trade deadline for another big-time name. Kuminga then would have zero trade value because no team can extend off that. Golden State loses his Bird Rights, Kuminga’s Warriors tenure would be done after this next season without getting anything back for him after spurning multiple trade offers for him in previous years, and the situation would make Kuminga a distraction, at least in a media sense, all season because of the nature of the qualifying offer.
The nightmare scenario the qualifying offer presents digs a far bigger hole for the Warriors than it does for Kuminga.
The main example of the qualifying offer risks for Kuminga is Nerlens Noel. The Dallas Mavericks in the summer of 2017 initially offered Noel a four-year, $70 million contract that he spurned in hopes of signing a maximum contract offer that never came. He then instead signed a $4.1 million qualifying offer with the Mavs, but greatly disappointed in an injury-filled season where Noel only played 30 games and averaged 4.4 points.
Noel signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder the next offseason on a two-year, veteran’s minimum contract.
Here’s the difference: Noel already missed his entire rookie year because of a torn ACL, and missed 31 games the season going into his contract dispute. At the time of turning down $70 million, Noel had averaged 10.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while averaging 27.6 minutes. He never was the scoring option Kuminga is and was in a different contractual world than him.
Kuminga doesn’t have a $66 million gap between the contract he’s being offered and the qualifying offer. The gap really is a little more than $13 million when looking at the one-year qualifying offer and the first year of the contract the Warriors currently have on the table. He surely would have insurance policies to lessen the risk, too. The former No. 7 overall pick turns 23 years old on Oct. 6 and is confident his next contract easily will exceed $13 million annually.
The Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns both offered Kuminga long-term contracts, empowering him with a starting role and making it known he’d be their power forward of the future. Contracts from the Kings and Suns included a player option, according to sources, but both were dependent on the Warriors agreeing to a sign-and-trade that never enticed their front office enough to do so.
None of the NBA’s four restricted free agents – Kuminga, Josh Giddey, Cam Thomas and Quinten Grimes – have signed a contract yet. The first domino must fall soon. Nothing is close between the Warriors and Kuminga, sources say, with both sides waiting for someone to blink first.
Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks has been doing this all summer long: He took on the contracts of Denver's Michael Porter Jr., Atlanta's Terance Mann and Miami's Haywood Highsmith this summer and got a couple of first-round picks — one used in June to select Drake Powell — and what is expected to be a high second.
The Nets are the only team with remaining cap space, about $14.3 million, and Lewis said don't be surprised if the Nets use that space to take on a player and contract another team does not want at the price of another first-round pick. The problem is the Nets are pushing up against the 15-player limit once Day'Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams' contracts are inked, and if the team signs Ricky Council IV, as rumored, that would have them up against the limit.
The one potential hurdle is the ongoing restricted free agency dance with Cam Thomas. The Nets would use up most of that cap space if Thomas took the two-year, $24 million offer the team put on the table, however, he thinks that is insultingly low and could play for his $6 million qualifying offer to become a restricted free agent next summer. Either way, that would eat into the team's cap space and roster spots.
Marks and the Nets surprised the league by using all five of their draft picks back in June, rather than trading one or two, but the Nets are all in on their youth movement, and adding more picks as part of that could happen.
After the Boston Celtics’ 2024 title season, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens basically put the team on offseason autopilot while bringing back nearly an identical roster the following season. Stevens didn’t have that luxury this past summer, as the Celtics were forced to overhaul that championship core in a quest to dip below the prohibitive second apron.
So much energy has been spent lamenting the players who went out of town — and understandably so given what they delivered here — but in Part 2 of our annual Ramp to Camp series, we’re asking our panel to pick which newcomer they’re most excited to watch this season.
Boston’s roster is likely to feature at least five new faces in Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, Luka Garza, Josh Minott and rookie Hugo Gonzalez. The team will also have three new two-way players in Max Shulga, Amari Williams, and RJ Luis Jr., but we’ll tackle their potential impact in a later installment of this series.
With Jayson Tatum sidelined by his Achilles rehab, the Celtics are going to look very different than the past two seasons when the 2025-26 season tips. Recent draftees like Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman also should see increased opportunity this season. But which newcomer is most likely to distinguish themselves?
Summer might be fading, but Lawn Mower season hasn’t even started. “Lawn Mower” is the nickname that Minott inadvertently coined for himself after a Summer League game in 2022. In a postgame interview, the energy-gushing Minott suggested he’s “like a lawn mower: Once I got going, I just kept going.”
If the Celtics are to compensate for the obvious talent drain while watching Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet, and (eventually) Al Horford relocate this summer, then they might need to make up for it with hustle and grit.
The 22-year-old Minott has only scratched the surface of his obvious potential after playing fewer than 500 minutes in three seasons in Minnesota. We suspect his blend of size (6-foot-8) and athleticism could open the door to minutes in the frontcourt, where he’ll get more time to show off his potential.
He can win immediate time with his defensive toolbox: rebounding, blocking shots, and using that 6-foot-11 wingspan to disrupt his defensive assignments. His leaping ability is well-documented — just ask poor Derrick White, whom Minott dunked over in a game in Minnesota — but Minott’s development on that end of the floor could be the key to just how much he blossoms here.
Pull the cord, and let the Lawn Mower rumble.
Here’s a look at who our panel chose:
Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor
Hugo Gonzalez.
Yes, he’s only 19 years old. No, he may not see extensive playing time as a rookie. But the opportunity for minutes is certainly there in this “gap year,” and Gonzalez’s skill set as a high-motor playmaker should make him a fun watch.
Developing Gonzalez into a full-time rotation player should be one of Boston’s top goals over the next few seasons.
Michael Hurley, Web Producer
Do you take N/A for an answer? I’m kidding! I think. I’ll have to go with Hugo Gonzalez, only for the rookie potential aspect.
I’ll be surprised if anyone turns out to be a Derrick White-type diamond in the rough. And I’m still not convinced Simons will play for the Celtics.
Sean McGuire, Web Producer
I’m expecting Anfernee Simons to be tasked with leading the second unit, and I’m excited to see how the veteran guard does in that role.
Simons averaged more than 32 minutes per game in each of the last three seasons and is a proven scorer. Given the C’s need to make up for some of the scoring they lost, he feels like he could be a crucial piece — especially if he shoots eight or nine 3-pointers per game, like he did in each of the last three campaigns with Portland.
Josh Canu, Media Editor
Hugo Gonzalez.
The Celtics haven’t been in a position the last few years to work a rookie into a sizeable role, but with four of Boston’s top six from last season not in the mix for this season, Hugo could carve out some consistent minutes if he proves he is ready.
I was surprised they brought him over right away, but that is an indication they feel he is ready to contribute. So let the hype train leave the station!
My first instinct is to name Hugo Gonzalez because his draft pedigree and psycho motor, but why not Minott?
Josh Minott is not a great shooter and has only played 463 minutes in his first three seasons in the NBA, but he has the potential to be an impact wing defender and flashed playmaking juice during his lone season in college at Memphis.
His nickname is also “Lawn Mower,” so I can’t wait to hear what Drew Carter cooks up for him this season.
Kevin Miller, VP, Content
Hugo Gonzalez.
His effort and tenacity will be a crowd-pleaser, but he’s super young and will need seasoning. I love his upside as a glue guy who can be a real difference-maker down the road in winning situations.
Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy
Chris Boucher.
After an offseason of attrition in the frontcourt, can Boucher be more than a bench guy?
As the 2025 WNBA regular season nears its conclusion, four playoff spots are secured, and four remain open. The ensuing 11 days will feature numerous intriguing matchups, with the results having implications for how the postseason bracket shapes. Yet, for all that remains unknown, the most recent week of WNBA action provided some clarity for certain teams.
The Aces locked up a playoff spot with their 79-74 win over the Sky. Here’s a long overdue hat tip to them, because — wow. Las Vegas surpassed New York’s and Minnesota’s nine-game winning streaks from earlier this season, now holding a WNBA-best 12 straight wins. Over the 12, Becky Hammon’s squad has delivered the league’s best offense (113.1 offensive rating) behind complete two-way dominance from A’ja Wilson. At the same time, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young continue to thrive as versatile shot-makers and facilitators. Between the Aces’ play in clutch situations and overall strong play on both ends of the floor, they are currently showing glimpses of a team that could make noise in the postseason, something that seemed far-fetched prior to the All-Star Break.
With a win on Friday over the Wings, the Dream joined the Aces and Lynx as one of three teams to clinch a playoff spot, before the Mercury clinched a day later with a victory over the Liberty. Neither organization is unfamiliar with the postseason, as each team reached the playoffs in 2024. Yet, both teams’ consistent play since the start of the season has kept each team near the top of the standings throughout. Phoenix’s success is worth another mention, given the nearly complete roster turnover from 2024 to 2025 – Alyssa Thomas and her MVP-caliber season have played a significant role in it.
However, positive news was not the only type of information spread to WNBA organizations last week. The Mystics, one of the surprise teams of the first half of the season that produced three 2025 all-stars (two rookies!), saw their once-promising campaign receive an expiration date after suffering a blowout loss to the Valkyries on Saturday. The loss grouped them with the Sky, Sun, and Wings as four teams who are officially eliminated from playoff contention. The group of four is set to take in one additional member, which will be determined very soon.
Here are the games worth paying attention to during the last full week of the regular season.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Los Angeles Sparks @ Seattle Storm
(Monday, September 1st at 10 p.m. ET on NBA TV)
Arguably, the biggest game of the week comes on the first day of the month. The Sparks went into Seattle on August 1 and came away with a double overtime victory thanks to a Dearica Hamby game-winner. Nine days later in Los Angeles, history repeated itself as the Storm, with a newly acquired Brittney Sykes, fell victim to another Hamby game-winning shot. Now, the seventh-seeded Storm, separated by just one game in the loss column from the ninth-seeded Sparks, will square off again in a critical game for the standings. Given their recent history and the stakes, there’s a good possibility tonight’s matchup ends up being as good as the previous two.
Indiana Fever @ Phoenix Mercury
(Tuesday, September 2nd at 10 p.m. ET on NBA TV)
There are several talking points ahead of Tuesday’s game — DeWanna Bonner vs. her former team, Alyssa Thomas’ MVP case, Caitlin Clark’s health — but none more important than how this meeting impacts the standings. There’s a chance the Mercury and Fever could meet in the first round of the 2025 postseason. On Tuesday, Phoenix will likely have the luxury of rolling out the same starting five that took the court in the first two matchups, including the most recent 35-point win over Indiana. Meanwhile, Indiana will have a different group of five this time around — a group that has experienced some highs and lows recently over one of the most critical stretches of the season. The Fever are fighting to hang onto the eighth seed while the Mercury are trying to climb up the top half of the playoff picture. A competitive and entertaining matchup should follow.
Minnesota Lynx @ Las Vegas Aces
(Thursday, September 4th at 10 p.m. ET on Prime Video)
The Aces have a 15-3 record post-All-Star Break. One of the three losses was a respectable 10-point defeat at the hands of the Fever, while the other two were season-altering, 31 and 53-point losses to the Lynx within eight days of one another. The first loss (31 points) prompted a change to the Aces' starting unit, and the second (53 points) may have scared the Aces straight, given their undefeated record since. Meanwhile, Cheryl Reeve’s team has lost three of its last five games, and although a one-seed for the playoffs is locked up, building some momentum and recapturing some of its prior success ahead of the postseason seems necessary. In addition to the battle between the league’s top two teams, fans who tune in will get to see two MVP hopefuls go at it.
New York Liberty @ Seattle Storm
(Friday, September 5th at 10 p.m. ET on ION)
When will the defending champions finally return to full health? It seems like one key player can’t return from injury unless another player sustains one and has to exit the rotation. At the time of this writing, New York’s main starting lineup of Jones-Stewart-Ionescu-Cloud-Fiebich has only tallied 107 minutes together across 10 games. They’re in fifth place in the WNBA standings following a road loss to Phoenix — two games in the loss column behind the Mercury and two above the Valkyries. While their championship nucleus of a year ago remains mostly the same, they’ll want to at least get more reps together down the stretch of the season. Seattle is 2-0 against New York this year, however. Moving to 3-0 against the defending champions would prevent the Storm from falling any spots in the standings, which is important with only a handful of regular-season games remaining.
Dallas Wings @ Los Angeles Sparks
(Sunday, September 7th at 6 p.m. ET on NBA TV)
If the Wings can make it to this game with a healthy Paige Bueckers, fans should be in for a fun viewing experience, regardless of who else is available to play. The likely Rookie of the Year frontrunner went into Crypto.com Arena in mid-August and walked out with the highest-scoring game of any WNBA player this season and one of the best rookie performances in league history — those alone should be enough for folks to want to catch Sunday’s contest. However, the bigger story here concerns Los Angeles’ side. The Sparks are still on the outside of the playoff bracket and need to make up ground – losing games would not help them achieve that.
The Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia 76ers live under the same roof, in different leagues, but have more similarities than may meet the eye.
Both teams have been through the horror years (and for the Sixers, they might not be out of the woods yet), but they both have been working to rise up from the ashes with exceptional young talent who have a true passion for playing for Philly.
Both teams are working their way back into the good graces of Philly fans, and as the two gear up for new seasons in the newly-minted Xfinity Mobile Arena, all eyes will be on them to prove their upgrades.
Michkov is barely in the NHL, but you can already feel his gravitational pull. The same is true for Maxey, whose ascension into All-Star status redefined the Sixers’ ceiling. Both are electric, fearless, and bring the kind of joy to the game that’s infectious. They’re not just players—they’re hope personified.
Travis Konecny → Joel Embiid
The emotional engine.
Konecny isn’t on Embiid’s level talent-wise, but the parallel lies in how their teams move as they move. Konecny’s relentless pest energy and goal-scoring swagger set the Flyers’ tone. Embiid’s rim protection, physical dominance, and sheer willpower do the same for the Sixers. Both can frustrate with inconsistency, but when they’re cooking, they carry everyone with them.
Travis Sanheim → Paul George
The underappreciated star who does it all.
Sanheim has quietly evolved into the Flyers’ No. 1 defenseman — logging huge minutes, defending the toughest matchups, and still finding ways to push play. Paul George is the NBA’s version of that: a two-way star whose versatility often gets overshadowed by louder names but whose impact is undeniable. Both are smooth, both are stabilizers, and both are the kind of players you only miss once they’re gone.
Owen Tippett → Kelly Oubre Jr.
The streaky scorer who can get nuclear-hot.
Tippett’s speed and shot make him one of the Flyers’ most dangerous weapons, and when he’s feeling it, he changes the complexion of a game. Oubre is the same story: give him a hot hand and he’ll swing an entire quarter. Both live on confidence, both thrive when their aggressiveness is rewarded, and both can be maddening when the shots don’t fall.
Jamie Drysdale → Kyle Lowry
The thinker, the connector.
Drysdale plays the game with a cerebral calm—moving the puck, making the right read, never in a rush. Lowry, late in his career, has become that same steadying influence for the Sixers. He’s not the All-Star of old, but he’s still the one you trust to get everyone organized and settle chaos into structure.
Sean Couturier → Andre Drummond
The savvy veteran presence.
Couturier isn’t the elite shutdown center of his Selke days anymore, but his positioning and brain still make him invaluable. Drummond, in his return to Philly, plays a similar role: a big body with experience, capable of stabilizing stretches with rebounding and physicality. Neither is the franchise’s future, but both are essential in the present.
Cam York → Jared McCain
The young talent still defining his role.
York is clearly one of the Flyers’ most skilled defensemen, yet his power play usage has lagged behind his offensive upside. McCain, still an emerging young guard, will face the same story—plenty of talent, but minutes and role will dictate how quickly he shines. Both are poised to grow into something bigger if the leash extends.
Bobby Brink → VJ Edgecombe
The spark-plug prospect.
Brink and Edgecombe are both players who ooze skill and upside, but aren’t yet household names. They’re the “what if?” guys—what if Brink’s creativity and offensive motor translate to consistent NHL production? What if Edgecombe’s athleticism and raw tools sharpen into real NBA impact? Fans already see the flashes, and the flashes are intoxicating.
Noah Cates → Paul Reed
The glue guy.
Cates' contributions, while significant, may fly under the radar, but coaches love him because he does the hard jobs: defensive matchups, penalty killing, dirty battles in the corner. Reed fills the same function for the Sixers—a chaos agent who works, scrambles, and keeps the team in the trenches. Neither player is the typical "superstar," but without them, the foundation wobbles.
Tyson Foerster → Eric Gordon
The reliable shooter.
Foerster’s shot is his calling card—the kind of release that makes you perk up every time he’s set up in the slot. Eric Gordon has built an entire career on that same value: a trusted trigger man who can stretch defenses and punish mistakes. Both are secondary scorers who can feel like primary weapons when given the opportunity.
The beauty of looking across Broad Street—or even across the same arena—is realizing how connected these teams really are. The Flyers’ emerging stars mirror the Sixers’ youthful core, their veterans balance the room the same way Sixers' steady the floor. Even their challenges—finding scoring consistency, leaning on elite talent, managing expectations—run parallel. No matter the surface, ice or hardwood, sneakers or skates, the struggles and triumphs are universal.
Serbian team captain Bogdan Bogdanovic is out for the rest of EuroBasket with a torn hamstring, leaving his status for the start of Clippers training camp and beyond up in the air.
Bogdanovic suffered the injury on a drive to the basket late in the first half of a group play game against Portugal. The Clippers' team doctors were consulted on the diagnosis — he is covered under their insurance — and it was decided that he will be out for the remainder of EuroBasket, reports Eurohoops.net.
The injury is described as a torn hamstring. Technically, any strain involves tearing of a muscle, and that can happen in degrees. This sounds like more than a Grade 1 strain, where he might have returned later in the tournament. If this is Grade 2 or Grade 3, it would keep him out at least for the start of training camp and, if severe enough, for the beginning of the season.
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic said from the U.S. Open that he reached out to Bogdanovic after hearing the news, saying this (hat tip Clutch Points).
"The moment I read that he was injured, I contacted him immediately," Djokovic said. "I called him again, and he told me that unfortunately it was a more serious injury. I gave him some suggestions, ways he might be able to speed up his recovery. But it doesn't seem to be helping this time."
Voted the team captain by his peers, Bogdanovic had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting in Serbia's opening EuroBasket win over Estonia, then had seven points and five rebounds before leaving the game against Portugal. Serbia beat Latvia without him, improving to 3-0 in the tournament and advancing to the knockout Round of 16. Serbia remains one of the tournament favorites behind Nikola Jokic, but losing Bogdanovic is a setback.
While speculation about a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade flew around the league all offseason — regardless of him professing his love for Milwaukee publicly — the reality was that the Bucks would never trade him unless he demanded it. He never did. Of course, that never stopped the chatter.
Maybe this will: Giannis' brother and five-year NBA veteran Thanasis Antetokounmpo has agreed to a one-year contract to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, something confirmed by the team and Thanasis himself.
The Bucks wouldn't sign Thanasis if Giannis weren't coming to camp, something ESPN’s Charania noted when he first reported the Thanasis signing.
Thanasis sat out last NBA season recovering from a torn Achilles, but he is healthy and currently playing for the Greek national team at EuroBasket (averaging almost 15 minutes a game). Before sitting out last season, Thasasis played five seasons in Milwaukee, getting into 196 games in a deep bench reserve role.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely play the entire coming season for the Bucks. While it's possible he could ask and the Bucks could try to trade him at the deadline, Antetokounmpo's $54.1 million salary makes that exceedingly difficult in the NBA's apron era. If Antetokounmpo asks for a trade, it would likely be next offseason, and a lot of what happens likely depends on how this season goes in Milwaukee.
For now, brothers Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo will fly from EuroBasket to Milwaukee together to get ready for Bucks training camp at the end of September.
September is here. A new NBA season isn’t far behind. The Boston Celtics huddle for Media Day on September 29 before launching into training camp practices. The first preseason game is October 8. We’re 50 days away from regular-season games.
It’s time to start thinking about basketball again. And while the 2025-26 Celtics season will be very different from Boston’s recent campaigns, there’s a lot to ponder as the green begin to chart the next path to title contention with a new-look roster.
Today, we’re kicking off our annual Ramp to Camp series, where we ponder a new Celtics topic every weekday in September. We cobbled together some of NBC Sports Boston’s finest behind-the-scenes hoops savants — the people who make our shows and content shine — and peppered them with questions about the 2025-26 Celtics.
To kick things off, we gave them a very open-ended query: What do you most want to learn about this team during the 2025-26 season?
Regardless of how competitive the Celtics are this season — we’re more bullish about their potential than most, despite the talent drain brought upon by the second apron — we’re going to learn an awful lot about this team. That questions that have lingered, even during the march to Banner 18, will be answered.
How does Jaylen Brown fare in the 1A role while Jayson Tatum rehabs from Achilles surgery? How will Payton Pritchard respond if he’s thrust into a starter role? Which of the younger players on this roster can blossom and show they can be key pieces of Boston’s next title contender?
Maybe our biggest curiosity: What can Joe Mazzulla do with this roster? Ever since his promotion to head coach, Mazzulla has operated with talent-rich rosters featuring championship-or-bust mentalities. We know for certain he can deliver the grandest prize with such a team, and the Celtics have Banner 18 to show for it.
The question this season is, how much can Mazzulla coach up a team that’s endured a talent drain, both from the departures this offseason and Tatum’s absence? Mazzulla is going to have to press all the right buttons to maximize his remaining talent, and we’re eager to see exactly where he can deliver a team without quite the same burden of expectations.
One of Brad Stevens’ coaching superpowers was an ability to deliver teams that were greater than the perceived sum of their individual parts.
We all know what he did at Butler. Going into Stevens’ sophomore NBA season, the Celtics were projected to win 27 games and despite cycling through 22 roster players during that 2014-15 season, Stevens delivered a 40-win playoff team. A season later, with an Amir Johnson-David Lee-Jordan Mickey-Tyler Zeller frontcourt, Boston finished 14 game over .500 and earned the fifth seed in the East.
Stevens had a way of tapping into his players’ individual talents and finding the best combinations that allowed them to thrive. Now we’re going to find out if Mazzulla can do the same.
Let’s be clear here: This isn’t to question Mazzulla’s coaching chops. There’s a reason the Celtics locked him up this summer. The team believes he’s the right guy to lead this team into this next chapter. This season will simply be a different sort of challenge, and we’re eager to see how Mazzulla navigates those new obstacles.
The bullseye might be gone, but we suspect Mazzulla will bring the same fire and zest on a daily basis. His challenge will be getting the most out of a set of younger players that must fill the shoes of the decorated veterans that departed.
His ability to do that could shorten the wait for Boston’s next title contender.
What does our panel want to learn during the 2025-26 season?
Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy
Do the Celtics have the pieces to compete for a title once Jayson Tatum is back to full strength?
Jrue Holiday, Al Horford (expected to sign elsewhere), Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet represent a major depletion in NBA experience. Who from this younger group can be part of the future, or provide the next wave of NBA experience through trade?
Max Lederman, Content Producer
Can Brad Stevens draft?
Finding playing time for players like Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman hasn’t been a priority over the last few seasons, but with what looks like a gap year on hand, we should have a much better idea about them following this season.
Neither player was selected in a slot that normally produces stars, but being able to add rotation players on the cheap will be crucial if the Celtics want to contend again in the apron era.
Josh Canu, Media Editor
Joe Mazzulla was thrust into the head coach position before he or anyone ever expected and, despite some fair criticisms, he and the Celtics have been extremely successful in his tenure.
Now, with a much different roster and without the team’s MVP, I want to see what Joe can do with a squad with lower expectations and less talent.
He has the extension in hand, but this is the prove-it year for Joe Mazzulla to show he is a top-tier coach in the NBA.
Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor
How high is Payton Pritchard’s ceiling?
Pritchard responded to an expanded role last season by winning NBA Sixth Man of the Year. He’ll likely take on an even bigger role this season following the departure of Jrue Holiday. So, how much better than he get?
Can he be a legitimate front-end starter? Is it crazy to think he’ll be an All-Star? Determining Pritchard’s ceiling is an important step for the Celtics as they aim to build a new core around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Michael Hurley, Web Producer
It’s the stock answer, but I want to see Jaylen Brown as the unquestioned best player on the team.
There’s no greater commodity in the NBA than superstar talent, and while the Celtics obviously have Brown locked in for years, it’ll be fascinating to see if he can unlock something that’s been kept held down while sharing the spotlight with Tatum.
And if Brown does reach new levels … how far does that take the team? A legitimate Eastern Conference playoff run feels more feasible if Brown reaches the potential that he clearly believes he has.
I want to learn more about Jaylen Brown this season.
Kind of weird, right? I mean, we’re talking about a four-time NBA All-Star who owns hardware for being the Eastern Conference MVP and NBA Finals MVP. Still, I just can’t help but wonder how he’ll fare without Jayson Tatum.
The Scottie Pippen-without-Michael Jordan comparison is one I really like. Pippen didn’t lead the Bulls to a title when Jordan was batting .202 with 114 strikeouts in the minors, but he kept them competitive in 1993-94. Pippen was a legitimate scorer, passer and defender.
If Brown does the same, it should make for a fun Celtics season. And that’s all we can ask for at this point.
Kevin Miller, VP, Content
Can Jaylen Brown improve as a playmaker? I’m curious about his usage rate and how everyone plays off of him.
For a few weeks in 2012, Jeremy Lin had enough swagger for all of New York — and for all of the NBA.
While that's what many fans remember him for, Lin was more than just "Linsanity." He played in nine NBA seasons before spending time playing in China and, most recently, Taiwan. Now, at 37, Lin announced his retirement from basketball on Instagram.
"As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away," he wrote. "I've spent my 15 year career knowing that one day I would have to walk away, and yet actually saying goodbye to basketball today has been the hardest decision I've ever made.
"It's been the honor of a lifetime to compete against the fiercest competitors under the brightest lights and to challenge what the world thought was possible for someone who looks like me. I've lived out my wildest childhood dreams to play in front of fans all around the world. I will forever be the kid who felt fully alive everytime I touched a basketball."
Lin was undrafted out of Harvard but got a chance thanks to Dallas Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, who signed him for the Mavs Summer League team. There, he turned heads as a guard with potential, averaging 9.8 points per game on 54.5% shooting in Las Vegas. That led to several offers, but Lin took the one from the Warriors, sending him back to his native Bay Area. He was waived by the Warriors midway through his rookie season, but in the summer of 2012, Lin signed a free agent minimum contract with Mike D'Antoni's New York Knicks.
In February of the following season, when leading scorer Carmelo Anthony went out, Antoni inserted Lin into the lineup and over the next few weeks Lin became a New York legend, sparking "Linsanity" and breathing an air of excitement into the league it needed. He scored 20+ points in nine of 10 games, most famously outdueling Kobe Bryant on a night Lin dropped 38 and seven assists to Kobe's 34 points, leading New York to a win.
Lin would go on to play for the Rockets, Lakers, Hornets, Nets, Hawks and Raptors (where he won a ring in 2019), averaging 11.6 points a game for his career. More than just an on-court success, he was an inspiration to a generation of players coming up who saw themselves in the overlooked Lin.
After the NBA, Lin played in China and then Taiwan, where he suited up for the Taipei Kings in the Taiwan Professional Basketball League's inaugural season. He was named MVP and Finals MVP as he sparked a Kings championship run.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are officially entering Northwestern State week after a 23-10 win over the Buffalo Bulls in week one. With the latest results in the book for all of Minnesota’s remaining opponents, the Massey ratings updated score predictions and win probabilities have been released for the Gophers. How does the Massey ratings see […]
The man who captivated basketball fans in New York City and across the country with his “Linsanity” run has officially called it a career.
Jeremy Lin, who played nine seasons in the NBA, including an unforgettable 2011-12 run with the Knicks, announced on Instagram that he has retired from professional basketball.
“As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away,” Lin wrote. “I’ve spent my 15 year career knowing that one day I would have to walk away, and yet actually saying goodbye to basketball today has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”
Lin played for eight teams, including the Nets, in his nine NBA seasons, and also played professionally in China. He last played in the NBA in 2018-19, when he had a 23-game stint with the Toronto Raptors.
But Lin will always be remembered most for his Linsanity run with the Knicks, when he seemingly came out of nowhere to average 26.8 points per game over a six-game stretch, highlighted by a 38-point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers in a game in which the Knicks were without Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony missed seven games for the Knicks in February, but thanks in part to Lin, the Knicks went 6-1 during that stretch. Lin averaged 14.6 points per game with the Knicks in 2011-12, and signed a free agent deal with he Houston Rockets the following offseason.
Lin, now 37, had career averages of 11.6 points and 4.3 assists, shooting 34.2 percent from beyond the arc.
“This is a ride I never wanted to end but I know it’s time,” Lin wrote. “I will forever miss playing basketball in front of you all but our time will go beyond just playing. Here’s to what’s ahead.”
“Name the players in the league that can for sure shoot better than me?” Porter Jr. said on a livestream with “PlaqueBoyMax” (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Will Despart). “Stephen Curry, that’s the only one I’m giving like a clear elite, can shoot better than me.”
The 27-year-old Porter believes he is one of the best shooters in the world, but not as good as Golden State’s legend.
No one will argue that.
Curry is the greatest shooter of all time. He has made 42.3 percent of his 9,589 career 3-point attempts and is a four-time NBA champion with 11 All-Star appearances because of his perimeter prowess.
Porter put himself in a league of elite shooters below Curry. The career 40.6-percent 3-point shooter mentioned some former Warriors legends.
“[There are] dudes that are on the same level,” Porter said. “I think Klay Thompson, [Kevin Durant]. If I got in the gym [with a player] like Duncan Robinson, he probably can shoot with me. Trae Young, [Damian Lillard]. But I think Steph is the only one clearly better.”
Thompson made 41.3 percent of his 6,009 attempts from range over 11 iconic seasons with the Warriors. Durant made 38.4 percent of his 1,113 attempts over three mythical seasons in the Bay.
Lillard, an Oakland native, has made 37.1 percent of 7,556 career attempts over 13 campaigns. Young and Robinson are no slouches, either.
Porter usually has ridiculously wild takes. But during the Saturday night livestream, the seven-year veteran was spot on about Curry and the NBA’s shooting hierarchy.
