Category: Basketball

Ever since the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown—and especially ever since they signed LeBron James a few weeks later—one question has repeatedly popped up: Who will take the last shot for them?

NBA teams typically have an established pecking order in crunch time. The Denver Nuggets are going to run their offense through Nikola Jokić, the Los Angeles Lakers are going to run theirs through Luka Dončić, so on and so forth.

The Sixers might be the rare outlier in that regard. When they have all five of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid out on the floor, they’ll have five legitimate go-to options. Allocating one of them as the primary last-shot-taker would be a grievous misuse of their unique roster.

It would also be anathema to LeBron’s ethos.

As strange as this is to say about the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron’s greatest gift is his passing ability. He’ll likely be handling the ball and running the offense plenty during crunch time, but that doesn’t mean he’ll always be taking the last shot. Quite the contrary, in fact.

“You always make the right play,” James told reporters last December after his streak of 1,297 straight games with 10-plus points came to an end. (Instead of trying to extend his streak, he passed to Rui Hachimura for a game-winning three-pointer.) “That’s just been my M.O. That’s how I was taught the game. I’ve done that my whole career.”

The Sixers’ collection of talent this season should afford them a rare opportunity, particularly once the playoffs roll around. They’ll be able to mismatch-hunt like few (if any?) other teams.

When Jalen Brunson went into seek-and-destroy mode against James Harden in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals this past spring, he single-handedly flipped that game back in favor of the Knicks. An apathetic defender like Harden will have nowhere to hide against the Sixers’ starting lineup. They can hunt him with whomever he’s guarding, even if that changes on a possession-by-possession basis.

You’re guarding Edgecombe? Great! Oh, you’re gonna try to guard Maxey now? Good luck. You’re shifting over to Brown or LeBron? LOL.

If the Sixers are facing an overmatched frontcourt, they can funnel their offense through Embiid. If they’re going against a defensively challenged backcourt, Maxey and Edgecombe can take the reins. And if they’re matched up against a team without strong wing defenders, Brown and LeBron can take turns bullying their way to the basket.

The “who takes the last shot?” mentality is the exact wrong way to think about this year’s Sixers team. That’s the sort of ego-driven madness that they need to avoid like the plague.

They’re well aware of that, too.

“Obviously, on paper, we’re excellent,” Brown said during his introductory press conference in August. “We have a lot of talent compared to other teams in the league. But I’ve been around a long time, long enough to know that just what you have on paper don’t really mean nothing. It can, if you put the work in. But it also, if you allow distractions, if you allow the media to get into your locker room, if you allow certain things and personalities don’t work, it can be a detriment.”

Whenever the Sixers’ crunch-time offense bogs down, critiques are bound to come flooding in. Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins will be blabbing on ESPN about why the Sixers made the wrong choice—regardless of who actually takes the last shot—and why it means they’re doomed to fail. Given his well-documented hatred of LeBron, Skip Bayless’ part-time return to First Take could not be coming at a worse time.

Luckily, it’s easier than ever to entirely tune that nonsense out. Step 1: Just log off Twitter for a while. Your brain will thank you.

The good news is that the Sixers’ party line heading into training camp is all about sacrifice.

“As far as the chemistry off the court, guys are communicating, guys are having a good time doing it, guys are really pumping each other up, and guys are also willing to sacrifice,” Maxey told ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly. “It’s just what they’ve said. So when we step on the court, we have to kind of embody all those things that we’ve been talking about.

“Sacrificing, coming together as one, and going out there competing every single night. Those are the three things that we really have to focus on.”

The architect of this roster, Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, echoed that sentiment during an August appearance on Midday With Marks.

“It’s gonna be exciting just because we have so much talent,” Gansey said. “The guys, I think want to sacrifice. We’ve gotta get to camp. We haven’t even had a practice or played a game. So we’ve gotta see if this thing works, obviously. I like the pieces and the talent we have, but we’ve gotta get to a practice first to see how this works. I think it’s gonna work because these guys are gonna wanna be together, and they see the big picture, I think. And that’s what’s exciting.”

If the Sixers’ starters keep their egos in check this season, the last-shot question won’t be a question at all. There shouldn’t be a single go-to option in those situations. It should vary on a game-by-game basis depending on where their opponent is weakest, no matter what the likes of Smith, Perkins and Bayless will inevitably say whenever they come up short.

LeBron’s make-the-right-play mentality is the way forward for the Sixers this season. Trust the process.

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.

ESPN released the latest bunch in its yearly effort to rank the top 100 NBA players. Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg both made the top 50, and, in quite a shocking revelation, Flagg is 16 (!) spots higher than the veteran guard. Irving comes in at 39, just ahead of former Maverick Anthony Davis and right behind San Antonio guard Stephon Castle. Flagg ranks ahead of NBA champion Chet Holmgren and just shy of Hawks forward Jalen Johnson. Assuming no other Mavericks will crack the top 10, Cooper Flagg is, convincingly, the best Mavericks player, according to ESPN.

The last time we saw Kyrie Irving play basketball was over a year and a half ago. Training camp murmurs have been overwhelmingly positive, and if you tend to believe the people who are around him every day, it sounds like he won’t skip a beat when he returns. He was producing 25 points and five assists nightly when he got injured, which would be more than incredible if he were to recreate that this season. Irving ranked 25th two seasons ago, coming off a trip to the NBA Finals, so only dropping 14 spots after extended time off and a major knee surgery is indicative of the sentiment that he won’t see a harsh decline in ability. 

Flagg’s position on this list is a bit shocking, but only because of how the narrative around him shook out at the end of last year. Ultimately, Flagg took home the Rookie of the Year award. But for a few months there were plenty of pundits who campaigned for Kon Knueppel. Knueppel, without playing basketball since losing the award by just 12 votes, is a whopping 25 slots behind Flagg on this list. This shows that despite the talk online, a lot of people feel the way Mavericks fans do, having watched all of his games: that he is a top 25 player in the NBA. In fact, by the end of this season, this may even be too low for him.

All signs point to the two Mavericks standouts justifying their ranks. And if things go well, they may push it even higher on the list next year.

General Manager of the Raptors, Bobby Webster, addressed members of the press this morning ahead of the upcoming media day. He fielded questions on the proverbial summer of love between the Raptors, Clippers, and Kawhi Leonard, as well as giving his thoughts on both the off-season and the season ahead. Here are four key takeaways.

The Kawhi Leonard deal was a matter of trust

Webster pointed to his personal relationship with the general manager of the Clippers as being instrumental to completing the deal for Leonard. He said that the trade took a “huge amount of trust and respect”, where the Raptors refrained from taking advantage of the Clippers’ disarray in the wake of the NBA’s punitive measures.

“I think when you agree to the deal, you agree to the deal,” he opined.

When asked about potential issues regarding Kawhi’s character, Webster again spoke about the importance of human relationships in the business, saying that “from a person and a player [standpoint], we were really comfortable.”

To make the deal happen amidst the chaos of the Aspiration Scandal and the NBA’s investigation, Webster and the Raptors leaned on the person-to-person connection that can sometimes be disregarded when private deals enter the public eye.

Bobby is looking ahead, not to the past

As important as pre-existing relationships are, Webster doesn’t seem particularly focused on nostalgia about the Raptors’ last title run.

“I think there’s gonna be so many times where we’re gonna be tempted to sort of compare this to ‘19,” he said, responding to a question about Kawhi’s load management at the end of the last decade. “I think probably we need to focus mainly on moving forward.” Speaking about Leonard’s health, Webster said that “as we move forward, we’ll have a better sense. But I think… the biggest thing is he’s coming off the healthy season.”

Indeed, Leonard played 65 games last season, 5 more than in the 2018-19 season. It seems that while the Raptors are still monitoring the health of their new star, it’s not the immediate concern that it was once upon a time.

Centre concerns perhaps overblown?

In further regards to player health, Webster gave an update on the state of Jakob Poeltl, the first update on the Austrian big man’s health in some time. The GM described Poeltl is being in “good spirits, good shape,” with time at home being particularly important to his wellbeing.

There has been a level of doom and gloom surrounding the Raptors’ reality at centre, but if Poeltl is healthy going into the next season, he’ll bringing respectable offensive presence and massive size that the Raptors are in dear need of.

Roster stability, roster development

When asked about Kawhi Leonard’s extension potentially impacting the Raptors’ ability to retain RJ Barrett from a financial perspective, Webster dismissed concerns, noting that “ownership has been incredibly supportive” and that the Raptors retained some financial flexibility to potentially let their spending take them over the cap if the situation required it.

Even with the big fish that is Kawhi Leonard joining the roster, it seems that the structure of the team will continue relatively unchanged. Webster noted that “Scottie continues to mature,” and that when seeing him and Kawhi together “there’s a natural basketball chemistry” that is evident.

Webster seems positive about the upcoming season, and this discussion about the trade with the Clippers may be the last time that the executive takes the time to really look in hindsight. The Raptors seem to be all about transcending their current state. In Bobby’s words, last year was all about the question “can we compete every night?” but this year, the question has changed to “can we win every night?”

And with the season starting in October, the latter question will have an answer soon.

LeBron James used to salute Lakers public address announce Lawrence Tanter at every home game.

Tanter died at 76 years old, the Lakers announced Wednesday. James shared a heartfelt tribute for Tanter on social media the following day.

“REST IN PARADISE Lawrence Tanter! Loved seeing you pretty much every single home game for the past 8 years at the scores table and always acknowledging you with a cause you deserved the while you were living! Your voice command and echoed throughout the entire arena,” James wrote in a post on X.

“You made home games SPECIAL! You will be truly missed! Glad we got to share some time together my man! My heart and prayers goes to your family and loved ones! Love you LT! ”

pic.twitter.com/qHzdn7Xpzf

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 24, 2026

While James is no longer with the Lakers, it’s evident Tanter’s influence even reached the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

Tanter became a fixture for the Lakers, when he began working as the P.A. announcer during the 1982-83 season. His smooth delivery and baritone voice became signature for Lakers home games spanning more than 40 years.

Tanter was apart of 10 NBA championships throughout his storied Lakers tenure. He retired in June after a 43-year long run as the team’s P.A. announcer.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of legendary Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter,” the Lakers said in a statement Wednesday. “For 43 years, LT’s voice served as the soundtrack to Lakers games at the arena. He will be remembered as a cherished member of the Lakers family.”

Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks are approaching training camp without a contract extension, and one of the biggest financial questions surrounding their championship core remains widely unresolved.

ESPN’s Shams Charania and Vincent Goodwill first reported Wednesday that extension talks have stagnated following extensive offseason discussions. An agreement is considered unlikely before training camp, with media day scheduled for Monday.

“Talks have been described to me as cordial, there just has not been movement on a deal — especially as of late,” Charania reported.

Reporting for NBA Today — extension negotiations have stagnated between the reigning champion Knicks and All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns: pic.twitter.com/JbeNpz9TJP

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 23, 2026

Towns is eligible for an extension worth up to four years and $276 million, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. He will earn $57 million this season and holds a $61 million player option for 2027-28.

Newsday’s Steve Popper confirmed that the Knicks and Towns remain far enough apart that negotiations could linger into the regular season and potentially beyond.

New York has made it clear that the franchise wants to keep Towns, and league sources have indicated Towns is willing to accept less than his maximum contract to re-sign with the Knicks.

League source on KAT negotations: "There have been plenty of conversations with KAT and his camp. Everything is positive, (the organziation) loves him, think really highly of him. Just because deal's not done doesn’t mean it’s not going to done."

— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) September 23, 2026

The central disagreement appears to be how large that discount will be. New York is attempting to preserve flexibility while owner James Dolan has publicly pushed to keep the franchise below the punitive second apron, but there might be a breaking point Towns is not willing to get past.

Even then, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that conversations have remained positive and that the Knicks have made clear they want Towns long-term. Begley also revealed that New York has discussed extension structures with Towns beginning in the $45 million-to-$50 million annual range.

ESPN reported that talks have hit a snag and that an extension before the season is unlikely. Josh Hart also eligible for an extension as is Miles McBride.

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) September 23, 2026

Those figures would leave Towns well below his maximum, yet The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy also emphasized that neither side has abandoned an agreement even though talks have stalled a bit.

“There’s been plenty of conversations with KAT, all cordial, all positive,” Bondy reported, citing a league source. “(Knicks) want KAT to be (there) for a long time. And just because a deal isn’t done now doesn’t mean it can’t get done.”

League source on KAT extension negotiations:

"There’s been plenty of conversations with KAT and it's all been cordial, all positive. We want KAT to be here long time and just cause a deal isn't done now doesn’t mean it can't get done."

— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) September 23, 2026

Towns, meanwhile, publicly expressed the same desire to stay in New York last winter. “Hell yeah I want to stay here,” Towns told The New York Post in December. “Obviously, get a chance to be home, see my family. It means more than the money, you know. So just to be able to be here with the fans, be with the family. It means a lot. I would like it to continue.”

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst identified Towns’ $61 million option and the Knicks’ self-imposed second apron restriction as the heart of the negotiations and the main hurdle to clear before an agreement is reached.

“What KAT does will determine if Knicks core can stay together,” Windhorst said. “He’s got a $61 million option for not this season, next season. Knicks have said, ‘We don’t wanna be in second apron.’ If he picks up that option, they’re gonna be in the second apron.”

Windhorst: “What KAT does will determine if Knicks core can stay together…He's got a $61 million option for (not this season) next season. Knicks have said ‘we don't wanna be in 2nd apron.’ If he picks up that option they're gonna be in the 2nd apron. So what they are gonna… pic.twitter.com/4c5jflwfeM

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) September 23, 2026

Windhorst believes the relationship between Towns’ agency, CAA, and the Knicks increases the chances of a deal. Knicks president Leon Rose previously represented Towns, while CAA also represents Jalen Brunson and other New York players.

“I honestly believe this is all gonna work out even if, again, you hear a little bit of wavering in the first couple of days of camp,” Windhorst said. “If James Dolan messes this up. Let Leon Rose and CAA do their business, and I think Karl-Anthony Towns will figure it out.”

The Knicks already allowed Mitchell Robinson to leave in free agency while managing their second-apron restriction. Josh Hart is also extension-eligible, while Brunson and OG Anunoby will become eligible next offseason, making for a tight cap situation in New York.

For now, Towns will report to training camp without a new agreement but ready to help the Knicks defend the title it took the franchise 53 years to reclaim.

Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question in the comments section here or on Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @RobbieBettelon. If you’re on BlueSky, you can also send to @RobbieBettelon.bksy.social.

Join us live on Friday afternoon as Wes and Robbie discuss Pistons news late into September. What questions would you like to add to the show?

Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.

The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.

The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast Vitals:

When: Friday, September 25th at 2:45 p.m. ET

Where: Detroit Bad Boys YouTube Channel

How to submit questions:

• Detroit Bad Boys Website: Comment section of the weekly Pindown episode articles.
• Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message to 45 seconds or less.
• Twitter: @detroitbadboys, @RobbieBettelon, or @therealwesd3
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As always, leave any questions or topics you want to be discussed in the comment section below.

Go Stones.

Mavericks’ big man Dereck Lively II has not been cleared for training camp as he continues to recover from right foot surgery, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. His status for the season’s start is still under review as he continues his rehabilitation.

The reporting emphasizes that the Mavericks are not discouraged by his progress. It is important to note that Lively wore a boot throughout the season and hadn’t progressed to running as of June 26. Dallas has erred on the side of caution with Lively’s recovery under the front office’s new structure.

Dallas starts its training camp on Saturday. The Mavericks preseason commences on Oct. 9 in Macao, China.

Lively, who has appeared in 98 of 246 eligible games since being drafted in 2023, was a key piece in Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals in 2024. After making an early impact for the Mavericks in his rookie season as the 12th overall pick in the draft, he suffered multiple foot injuries and setbacks that have kept him off the floor since Nov. 2025.

The beginning of Lively’s injury woes started with an ankle stress fracture in January 2025 that was previously misdiagnosed as an ankle sprain. Mismanagement of his injury eventually required surgery to remove bone spurs in his foot in July 2025, and he returned to action for just seven games last season. He continued to deal with foot soreness and swelling through those seven games before being shut down for the season in December.

The defensive-minded center is heading into a contract year, where the Mavericks will have to decide where Lively fits within their future around Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg and company. The 7’1” big man’s size and versatility as a defender allow him an opportunity to be in Dallas’ long-term plans, health permitting. His finishing abilities and promise shown as a passer can allow him to carve a significant role in building a contender around Flagg. Lively averaged 8.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game in his 98 career games.

The additions of Lively, Kyrie Irving, and other Mavericks offseason acquisitions gives the team a new look moving forward around their budding star in Flagg.

This feeling surrounding this upcoming Sixers’ season is one of great anticipation. Sure, most of that has to do with the monumental additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, but I’d argue that no small part of that excitement should be for the second season of VJ Edgecombe.

Here in Philadelphia, expectations are always set high, even for the youngest of players… but frankly, expectations for the 21-year-old guard should be sky high. The 2025 No. 3 overall pick showed numerous glimpses of absolute star quality in his rookie season, from high flying dunks to impressive athletics to brilliantly clutch buckets in the biggest moments — and everything in between. He averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game across 75 appearances (all starts), playing a whopping 2623.3 minutes in the regular season, the 11th most in the entire association. He finished third behind Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel for Rookie of the Year.

Edgecombe has displayed skill, game intelligence and athleticism notably beyond his years. To put it simply, he was able to do things on an NBA floor that very few 20-year-olds are able to accomplish, even against some of the league’s biggest stars and teams.

I see no reason why the same shouldn’t be true again this season — if anything, it should be even more true.

There has been a strange speculation that, somehow, playing alongside one of the greatest basketball players of all time in LeBron James and with another top league star in Jaylen Brown will stunt Edgecombe’s development. I, personally, vehemently disagree, so much so that I’ve already written all about that here, with some of the points of that article being reflected here as well. My bottom line of that piece was that, in reality, Edgecombe’s opportunity for development in year two only looks more promising now than it did a few months ago.

With the new-look Sixers lineup, Edgecombe should have plenty of room to do what he does best as an off-ball scorer, cutting through opposing defenses and finding the open space for catch-and-shoot buckets. It would be fair to anticipate a lot of open spaces for him to roam, too, when you consider that any of the other four members of the starting five could garner a double-team at any time. It would be great to see Edgecombe use that opportunity to solidify his catch-and-shoot numbers as well as his spot-up shooting, things that he was good at in year one but could be a little erratic with in terms of consistent accuracy. If you can rely on his jumper on a consistent basis, you have one hell of an off-ball weapon in him.

I also personally cannot wait to see the development of the LeBron to Edgecombe alley-oop, I must say.

Overall, I just don’t buy this idea that he won’t get any usage with this new lineup. If anything, maybe the new lineup means getting the kid a break here and there and not needing him 36 minutes per night for the entirety of the season, allowing him to be an even better version of himself when he is on the floor. It’s also worth noting that the initial five is not the only lineup Edgecombe will find himself in. I would imagine that Nick Nurse will often look to his young star to lead the second unit as the older guys are rotated out for rest. It’s in those times that Edgecombe will find plenty of opportunity to work on things like his ball handling and passing skills, and the other skills he might not be relied upon for with the starting unit.

And the best case scenario (and expected outcome at this point) is that all of this culminates in a season resulting in Edgecombe getting more, deeper experience in the NBA postseason. The playoffs were an up-and-down experience for VJ in his rookie year — as they were for the Sixers overall last season — but he managed to still show his capabilities on the biggest stages. His best effort was a 30-point, 10-rebound double-double in a first round, Game 2 win over the Boston Celtics, numbers that hadn’t been notched by a rookie since Tim Duncan in 1998 and becoming the youngest player to do so in league postseason history. Not bad for his first go.

So, all in all, it seems like a level-headed expectation for Edgecombe is to take a leap in his play in his sophomore season, even considering the high bar he set in year one. He has one hell of a supporting cast around him to help him develop and grow, and all the fundamental tools already at his disposal to make it happen.

Now we just have to wait and see what the kid does next.

This is a lie.

I don’t intend it to be, but it is—or at least it will be. How can one stay true under the test of time? After all, memory is as fickle as a five-year-old’s latest “favourite.” But I will try my best. That I can promise.

First, close your eyes. Inhale. Attune yourself with your NBA past. Smell your old SLAM Magazine collection if you have to; breathe in the bibliosmia. Or perhaps it’s an old jersey, hidden away in the attic or garage or deep within your closet.

Now visualise. Are the corners or numbers tattered? The colours faded? More importantly, what name(s) are printed for you to rediscover?

Sink. Into yesteryear.

The Premise

Earlier this offseason, when the Bucks announced they’d added T.J. Ford to Taylor Jenkins’ coaching staff, I did just that. Sank. And the idea has since meandered in my consciousness. You might have picked up on it, seeping out in the form of a Bobby Simmons trip down memory lane. But that didn’t quite cure the itch. This will. Hopefully.

So, I’ve decided to throw it into the ether, a permanent lie (two, actually) for all to see: my favourite role-playing Bucks starting five—and, by extension, my favourite role-playing non-Bucks starting five. And I want you to reciprocate.

The Rules

Every good list needs some parameters. This is no exception. So, here are mine:

1. Role players only; award winners need not apply. No All-Stars, no All-Defensive Teams honours, no MIPs. Nothin’ (well, maybe All-Rookie honours). Yes, this rules out a lot of players, including some arguably worthy of the “role-playing” label. Still, the rule stands. In my case, it means guys I love—Brook Lopez (All-Star, All-Defensive), Malcolm Brogdon (ROY, 6MOY), Boris Diaw (MIP), and Lamar Odom (6MOY)—are ineligible. Stiff.
2. Role players move teams often. So, for a player to count as a favourite Buck, they have to have been a favourite while they were on the Bucks. If they weren’t, save them for the non-Bucks team. Of course, only you know the truth (honesty system applies).
3. Positions count, team construction doesn’t. Players must be selected at positions they actually played—there’s no sneaking Joel “The Thrilla” Przybilla in at the point. But the team makeup itself doesn’t matter. So, no need to worry about spacing or defence or complementary skillsets in this one.

The Lie

Here then, in all of its absolute glory, is the lie: my starting five of favourite role-playing Bucks. Ask me tomorrow and the names might be different (shoutout to Michael Beasley, Jared Dudley, Kendall Marshall…).

Centre: Zaza Pachulia

A physical centre, Zaza Pachulia represents so much of what made those early-to-mid-2010s Bucks fun (yes, he was in MKE for a year earlier in his career too). He was tough, a leader, put the team first, and did the dirty work. And while he struggled to finish, recording a true shooting percentage of just 50% in his second stint in Milwaukee, he made others around him better with crafty passing (16.2% assist percentage), sturdy screens, and heady play. Pachulia was the adult in the room for those Bucks squads, leaving an impression on more than just his teammates.

Power Forward: Mirza Teletovic

Ersan Ilyasova got serious consideration for this spot and, in all honesty, it was probably the Bucks community’s collective adoration of him that cost him. If that’s a charge on my behalf, so be it. Mirza Teletovic played two seasons for the Bucks following a breakout season off the bench for the Phoenix Suns in 2015-16 (12.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.1 APG; 181 made three-pointers). While he never lived up to those standards for the Bucks—an outcome we’re all too familiar with—I still felt it was a swish every time it left his fingers. He did have that 7/9 three-point barrage against the Sacramento Kings—and always had a spot on my 2k teams—but was unfortunately waived after being sidelined for months with pulmonary emboli (blood clots) in both lungs. Still, when he was hot, he was nuclear.

Small Forward: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

Who doesn’t love The Prince? A lockdown forward, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute played five seasons with the Bucks, consistently drawing the other team’s toughest assignment—and making life miserable for them. In the post or on the perimeter, I just loved how Mbah a Moute cling-wrapped his opponents (as the image above attests), suffocating them with his length and intensity. If only he had a trey ball…

Shooting Guard: Wes Matthews

Speaking of trey balls… The Bucks got Wes Matthews, the Marquette alumnus, on the downside of his career (his age 33, 35, and 37 seasons, to be specific), but he was still a willing archer, even if the arrows struck flesh less often than they used to. And on a team with All-Defensive personnel everywhere—Brook Lopez, Giannis, Eric Bledsoe, Jrue Holiday—Matthews often found a way to look the best. Grit, size, quick feet. Matthews had ‘em all. And he’d get in your chest, too. Unfortunately, his timing wasn’t great—he left the Bucks to join the Los Angeles Lakers following their 2020 championship only to return to the Bucks after their 2021 chip. He’s a champion in my eyes regardless.

Point Guard: T.J. Ford

I remember first finding out about T.J. Ford in a dog-eared copy of Lindy’s Pro Basketball that I would’ve re-read a million times. A rookie-to-be, he was described as a “waterbug” and it was fitting. Ford was small, lightning fast, and agile, darting from one part of the court to another in the blink of an eye. And he wasn’t afraid to mix it up with the trees, attacking the paint for layups or handoffs for easy baskets. Ford was small in stature, but not in heart—as his return following a severe spinal cord injury attested. How good it is that he’s back with Milwaukee!

---

There you have it, a permanent list of my favourite Bucks role players. Stay tuned for Part II, where I double down with my favourite non-Bucks role-playing starting five.

Now lie to me.

Training camp is almost here. You can feel the palpable tension in the air. We’re going to have Celtics basketball back.

And none too soon, I tell ya. I miss quality sports podcasts. I’ve enjoyed searching for new music to listen to in the car but if I hear one more Spotify commercial about LiMu Emu and Doug I’m going to drive my car right into a river. Or maybe I’ll lock myself into a dark room and write emo songs about big ego emus in the ER. Yep, I need some basketball back in my life.

One way you can always tell that basketball is near is the preseason power rankings start coming out. That’s always a fun discussion driving topic, so let’s start there.

Blog favorite Michael Pina at The Ringer posted his rankings and had Boston ranked #4. It is worth noting that he puts them at the top of the 2nd tier, titled “Title Contenders With a Puncher’s Chance”

Assuming Jayson Tatum is back to his All-NBA self (not a given, but fair enough to presume), the 28-year-old’s presence should offset Jaylen Brown’s departure on a team that essentially replaced him with Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, and the great Mike Conley Jr. Defense, depth, athleticism, and lots and lots and lots of outside shooting are winning ingredients, all belonging to a group that happens to also be too disciplined to ever deviate beyond the periphery of their head coach’s pragmatic vision.

Next we have old friend Kevin O’Connor writing for Yahoo! Sports where he has the Celtics ranked #9.

The big concern in Boston entering last season was the center position. Even though Robinson was signed, that’s still the case now. Queta had a good season but really struggled against Joel Embiid in the first round by logging 4.1 fouls in 21.7 minutes per game. Robinson is a historically injury-prone player and had his minutes managed by the Knicks. I have no concerns about Joe Mazzulla finding the best ways to replace Brown, but the center spot remains a question.

I did a quick Google search to see if there were more that I missed and I came up with this one at USA Today that has the Celtics down to 10th.

The Celtics took a calculated gamble. But there’s no way to spin that Jaylen Brown is a massive loss, even if Boston didn’t want to pay him long-term. Either way, the Celtics need Derrick White to bounce back from his down season.

ESPN doesn’t have traditional power rankings posted yet (or at least I couldn’t find them) but they did put the Celtics at #3 in their Future Power Rankings list.

Tatum will be the only member of the Celtics’ 2024 championship team still on the roster entering the 2029-30 season. After trading Brown this summer, Boston is down to just six members of its title team: Tatum, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh. With Boston’s new ownership making sharp cuts in the second apron era, the only constant has been change.

That’s quite the range of potential landing spots. So I leave the discussion open to you. Where would you have the Celtics ranked in the NBA headed into preseason? Bonus points if you name the teams ahead of them. Or feel free to rank the whole league if you want to. We’ve still got time to kill. Its better than listening to emu emo songs.

Ongoing Warriors contract negotiations once again will be the focus of media day originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry has made his rounds through the media carwash. 

The message has been the same, whether it’s to us (NBC Sports Bay Area), ESPN, The Athletic, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Standard, ABC 7, MSNBC and anybody else who has been there for a quote: Don’t worry about when he signs his contract extension. 

Curry says he wants to be with the Warriors for the rest of his career, and he will be. He couldn’t be clearer there. As he enters Year 18, all with the Warriors, Curry is yet to ever be a free agent. Waiting to put pen to paper with one year left on his current contract, Curry stated he doesn’t want to go through free agency next offseason. 

Even if he technically becomes a free agent, Curry, according to him, will still be wearing a Warriors jersey. 

Curry is speaking with more conviction each time he talks to the press. His hope has to be that the noise will come to a halt after making his intentions as obvious as can be. He doesn’t want any drama, and he’s equipped to avoid it. 

And Curry also has to know that, barring a change, there still will be more questions about his unsigned contract Monday at Warriors Media Day. 

When they do come, Curry probably will give the same answers he has continued to give. That is, if he’s asked the same questions he has been asked. Then we will hear about how he’s not going anywhere and wants to retire as a Warrior. All that would be is Curry regurgitating the same words he has always said. 

The most noteworthy comments he has made regarding his contract extension were to ESPN’s Anthony Slater when Curry said, “All the different salary cap conditions of whether I sign for a max or less or whatever it is, I want to be on a competitive team. I want to have an opportunity to have some flexibility because we haven’t had that in years past, the recent past. … This team should have flexibility to make necessary moves if things happen. Those are always just the considerations. For me, information and patience is key.” 

Curry is the NBA’s highest-paid player at $62.59 million for the 2026-27 season. The 38-year-old, who will be 39 in March, is eligible for a two-year, $136.7 million max contract extension. He has until June 30 to sign. 

The Warriors are projected to have over $100 million in salary cap space next offseason with a handful of expiring contracts coming off their books. Curry signing another max contract would significantly cut into the Warriors’ salary cap space. An acknowledgement that he’s thinking at all about taking less should spark everyone’s attention as Curry still seeks a fifth championship ring. 

But Curry knows, if a contract isn’t somehow signed by Monday, more questions are coming at media day. Maybe not as many as Brandin Podziemski will get, though. 

Podziemski has until Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. PT to sign a rookie contract extension. Failing to do so would make him a restricted free agent next offseason. For a number of reasons, Podziemski finds himself in a much more interesting place than Curry. 

This offseason, a growing list of players from his 2023 draft class have signed their rookie extensions. Victor Wembanyama signed for five years and $255.2 million. Amen Thompson signed a five-year, $208 million contract, and his twin, Ausar, signed for five years and $155 million. Keyonte George, taken three picks ahead of Podziemski, also was given five years and $155 million from the Utah Jazz. 

Pinpointing exactly where Podziemski is placed in dollar figures isn’t an easy exercise as a unique player whose best qualities are his ability to be a connector. Toumani Camara, the No. 52 pick in the 2023 draft, signed a four-year, $81 million contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers last offseason. Podziemski’s contract likely will come much closer to Camara than the four players above. 

Peyton Watson’s four-year, $88 million contract he inked this summer is another to look at in terms of Podziemski’s next deal. What if Podziemski believes he deserves something more like Ayo Dosunmu’s five-year, $112 million contract he signed in July? 

Then Podziemski’s best route might be betting on himself to have a money-making Year 4 leap while the Warriors continue to preach their optionality. 

Draymond Green playing on a one-year contract will be a talking point, too. The same can be said if Jimmy Butler speaks. Kristaps Porziņģis might also field some questions about his contract as well. Just not to the level of Curry and Podziemski. 

Last year’s media day can only be described as bizarre. The Warriors were held up all offseason by Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency. He remained unsigned, as did a few other Warriors who were waiting on Kuminga. The vibe shift will be felt, and some similar questions will be asked. 

Whether the Warriors like it or not, contract talks again can’t be ignored this year.

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Is Western Conference superiority over in the NBA? For the first time in two decades, there’s an argument to be made that the Eastern Conference is stronger 1-10 heading into the season. The bottom end of the West playoff picture feels a little softer than normal, but that shouldn’t detract from the fact that the top-6 of the conference is absolutely loaded, led by perhaps the two best teams in the NBA.

The West has some upstart contenders this season who didn’t feel like threats at this time last year. The Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers are coming off overachieving seasons, and will be looking to make the next step. The Utah Jazz are finally done tanking, and they want to start winning right now with star rookie Darryn Peterson on board. The Golden State Warriors may or may not have one more run left in them. If any of these teams can breakup the conference’s top-six teams from last year, it would be a major accomplishment.

Let’s rank every team in the Western Conference heading into the 2026-27 NBA season. These projections are for the regular season only. For more NBA preview content, check out my list of the 25 most explosive athletes in the league today.

1. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs arrived ahead of schedule last year to jump from 34 to 62 wins, but they’re not catching anyone by surprise going forward. San Antonio should be well positioned to be one of the best teams in the league for the next decade around 7’5 superstar Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama is by far the best defensive player in the game, and there’s not many offensive players better than him, either. I still think Wemby needs a mid-range game, but he might be the best player in the league regardless. I’m fascinated to see how the Spurs will manage the De’Aaron Fox/Dylan Harper situation. Harper feels like he should be ready for primetime entering his second season, but Fox can still be a very good player when he’s not hampered by a sprained ankle like he was in the NBA Finals. While Wemby will get all of the attention, I really like the Spurs’ collection of role players too, led by Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell, and the newly signed Tobias Harris. Harper’s ascent will only make the Spurs more terrifying. If Wembanyama stays healthy, there’s no way this team finishes below the No. 2 seed.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

I still think the Thunder probably would have gone back-to-back if Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell weren’t hurt in the playoffs. There’s a ton of pressure on Williams in particular to regain his top form as he starts a new max contract, and coming back from a hamstring strain is always tricky. The Thunder lost some key pieces over the offseason including Lu Dort, but the formula for this team remains unchanged with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s on-ball creation brilliance plus an elite defense. Assuming Chet Holmgren’s Western Conference Finals yips only come out in the matchup with Victor Wembanyama, OKC should be a monster regular season team once again.

3. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have won 103 regular season games in their two seasons under JJ Redick, and while this year’s team loses LeBron James, it also significantly upgrades its rim protection. While I don’t think Walker Kessler is worth what the Lakers gave up for him, he does give LA a starting center who can cover up for Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves’ defensive deficiencies a bit while also providing extra possessions on the offensive glass. Los Angeles’ forward room is potentially pretty bad, I can talk myself into one or two of Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Adou Thiero, and Chris Mannon suddenly becoming a key piece for their defense and play-finishing. Ultimately, the case for the Lakers starts and ends with Luka Doncic’s ability to be one of the five best players in the league, and I feel comfortable taking that bet. Luka + a good coach + better rim protection has me believing in the Lakers’ floor if not their ceiling.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves

I’ve talked myself in the Wolves’ potential playoff ceiling with Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball providing a degree of pull-up shooting significant enough to add variance into a potential matchup with the Spurs or Thunder. The regular season might be a different story. The Wolves are heavily banking on Rudy Gobert to stay healthy and effective at age-34, but it does seem like he keeps himself in great shape. The trio of Gobert, Edwards, and Jaden McDaniels has consistently produced winning basketball for Minnesota, and the addition of Ball could take them to the next level. If Ball’s ankles can stay in one piece, he’s one of the league’s best handlers and passers who can also take over a game as a scorer when he has it going. I kind of like the addition of Jonathan Kuminga even if I should know better, and I feel like the bench will be pretty solid with Ayo Dosunmu, Jaylen Clark, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Joan Beringer. There’s definitely some risk in being high on the Wolves this year, but their potential upside is still too sweet to ignore.

5. Houston Rockets

The Rockets didn’t just miss Fred VanVleet last season, they also didn’t have Steven Adams for the stretch run. Adams’ injury took away Houston’s greatest strength (offensive rebounding), and returning both players should make this team a lot stronger than it was during their first-round playoff loss to the Lakers last season. Houston is full of young players who could take another step forward this year, with Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard all 24 years old or younger. Ime Udoka has proven to be a high floor coach throughout his time in the NBA. Oh yeah, Kevin Durant is here too, and he’s still really good. Houston could get as high as the No. 3 seed and it wouldn’t surprise me.

6. Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets had a terrible and frustrating offseason, but their core is still rock solid. Nikoka Jokic still has a case as the best player in the world, and his offensive creation and defensive rebounding will give this team a high floor as long he’s healthy. Jokic has special chemistry with Jamal Murray, who was really good last year in finally making his first All-Star team. Aaron Gordon is quietly one of the league’s most important injury stories this year. It felt like Gordon was still peaking as a player with his recent three-point shooting improvements, but he just can’t stay healthy. If Gordon is fully available, the Nuggets will still be really good. The issue for Denver is everyone else. Christian Braun has one of the worst contracts in the league if he keeps playing like he did last year, and the bold trade for Cameron Johnson immediately backfired. DeMar DeRoza can probably still eat some innings off the bench, but he’s a weird fit with Jokic and won’t factor into the team’s best lineups. The backup center behind Jokic is .. Marvin Bagley III, which feels troubling. I’m always waiting for a Julian Strawther breakthrough that never comes, and it’s hard to keep holding onto my DaRon Holmes’ stock after a quiet year coming off a torn ACL. The Nuggets could be in big trouble, but they still have Jokic, so they probably won’t be.

7. Phoenix Suns

I thought the Suns were pretty screwed after they traded Kevin Durant, but they nailed multiple margin moves to become a legitimate playoff threat at the bottom end of the Western Conference. I’m buying Jordan Ott as a good head coach after a 45-win debut a year ago fueled by aggressive schemes to force turnovers defensively and crash the offensive glass. Devin Booker is surrounded by some pretty solid role players now, and a few of them should have even more to offer. I was sky high on Khaman Maluach coming out of Duke, and my optimism remains despite essentially getting redshirted as a rookie after a strong summer league showing. Collin Gillespie is one of the league’s great hidden gem findings, and I fully expect him to out-play the $48 million deal he’s starting this season. I hated the Miles Bridges trade, but I liked drafting Koa Peat and bringing back Jordan Goodwin to add toughness. Phoenix is going to play really hard every night and give their fanbase a team it can be proud of. That feels like the best they could have done climbing out of the Durant and Bradley Beal era.

8. Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers feel like they’re in a turbulent place as new governor Tom Dundan gains contract for his first full season. Dundon’s cost-cutting moves were alarming as soon as he got power, and it’s no surprise he pushed out head coach Tiago Splitter after making the playoffs under tough circumstances because he didn’t to pay him. Micah Nori might actually be an upgrade on the bench, but it’s not right that he’s working with a one-year deal to start the year. The on-court product is every bit as fascinating. Damian Lillard is back off a torn Achilles at age-36, and his backcourt mate is suddenly Ja Morant. Both former stars need to learn how to play off Deni Avdija, who emerged as the best player on the team last year by being an on-ball battering ram who consistently got to the foul line. Donovan Clingan is one of the best young defensive bigs in the game, but does he have another step offensively? Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara provide a strong defensive foundation next to Clingan, which could turn this into a top-10 unit despite Lillard and Morant being clear negatives on that end. Where does Scoot Henderson fit in entering his third season after missing much of last year with injury? I think the Blazers are going to struggle to put out lineups that can compete on both ends, but there’s enough of a foundation here that the bottom shouldn’t totally drop out.

9. Utah Jazz

The Jazz are finally exiting their tanking strategy, but it’s still hard to know what to make of their roster. Utah definitely has a lot of talent with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen in their prime joined by young players with varying degrees of upside in Darryn Peterson, Keyonte George, and Ace Bailey. There are a lot of bucket-getters here, but the playmaking and defense remains a question. I have always thought Will Hardy was a good coach who couldn’t show the full scope of his abilities during the tanking years, and that makes this season a big test for him. The Jazz don’t have to be a finished product yet after a great heist in the Walker Kessler trade, but the overall roster improvement is admirable and could land them in the playoffs.

10. Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies turned one promising young core into another totally new one in the matter of just a few years. I think Memphis landed the best player in the draft with the third overall pick, and fully expect Cameron Boozer to be really good from day one. I love the potential pairing of Boozer’s high IQ passing and shooting alongside 300 pounds of Zach Edey bully ball at the rim, provided the 7’3 center can finally stay healthy. Cedric Coward could be in for a sophomore leap, and the backcourt has tons of interesting upside candidates even without an established headline name. Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Cam Spencer are all underrated players with room to keep getting better, while the trade for Isaiah Stewart will raise the team’s level of competitiveness for just a couple second round picks. If Edey stays healthy, I could see Memphis getting into the top-8, even if their best player is literally the youngest guy in the league this year.

11. Golden State Warriors

Hope for the Warriors took a huge hit when Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in January, dooming Golden State’s bid for relevance last season and probably this season, too. Butler will push himself to come back quick, but at age-37 without a reliable outside jumper to fall back on, a speedy return to form feels like a lot to ask. The downfall of the Warriors is a bit depressing if only because Stephen Curry is still good enough to compete for championships in his golden years. Curry turns 39 at the end of this season, and while he can still be a top-5 player alive in short bursts, it’s hard to count on him to make it through a long regular season physically. I like some of the Warriors’ role players. I really believe Brandin Podziemski is underrated as a good three-point shooter who always seems to know where to be on both ends of the floor. Gui Santos is a legitimate diamond-in-the-rough find for this franchise as a 3-and-D wing, and I love Yaxel Lendeborg, who I had as a top-5 prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft. This team is just really old, and pretty unreliable injury-wise. I would have them way higher if Butler was totally healthy to start the season, but I just can’t get there for now.

12. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs put Masai Uriji and Mike Schmitz in charge this past summer, and they immediately made some big changes. The Mavs shocked the world by pulling Dusty May from Michigan, and then they took his former player Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick. The front office also traded for Santi Aldama and former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. The aggressive mindset makes this year even more intriguing given all of the big questions tied to the roster. Kyrie Irving is back after missing last season with a torn ACL: what does he look like coming off major surgery at age-34? Dereck Lively II looked like one of the West’s best young centers, but he had foot injury in Dec. and still hasn’t been cleared to run. Cooper Flagg was pretty damn good for being the youngest player in the league last year, but he still has plenty of room to grow on both ends of the court before he fulfills his considerable expectations. The Mavs are in a tough place because they traded all of their future first-round picks to build around Luka Doncic, which leaves the cupboard bare for the start of the Flagg era. Their best move is feels like fully orienting around Flagg’s timeline, and that means trading Kyrie, as well as veterans like P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall. It’s hard to see a ton of upside in this Mavs season unless Flagg somehow morphs into an All-NBA player at age-19. He’ll get there eventually, and I can’t wait to see what the team around him looks like then.

13. New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans have threaded the needle between having some actual talent and lacking any sensible direction. New Orleans brings in Jamahl Mosley from Orlando to take over at head coach, and he’ll have some interesting pieces to work with. Herb Jones is one of the NBA’s best defensive forwards, Trey Murphy III is one of the league’s best big shooters, and Zion Williamson finally played a decent amount of games (62) while averaging 21 points on +6.7% rTS (true shooting percentage over league average). The Pelicans also have two 2025 lottery picks in Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen entering their second season, and they can tell themselves their bold trade for Queen didn’t burn them as badly as it could have. I’m just not sure how the Pelicans can put out lineups that are competitive on both ends, especially in the always unforgiving West. New Orleans got killed on the defensive glass last season, they were among the lowest-volume three-point shooting teams in the league, and they were below-average at forcing turnovers. These are things that tend to lose basketball games, and I don’t see them completely flipping with a similar roster this year. A Zion trade feels inevitable, and at this point it would be nice to see him get a change of scenery.

14. Los Angeles Clippers

The bad news for the Clippers is their future has been totally decimated. The good news (?) is that most of the pain will take place beyond this season. The Clippers still have a decent collection of talent, and I’m interested to see what a very good head coach in Ty Lue can do with it. Kawhi Leonard is out (did you hear about this?), and Keaton Wagler, Brandon Ingram, Max Strus, and Rui Hachimura are in. Darius Garland is starting his first full year with the keys to the offense, and could be in for a huge season with so much offensive freedom. Garland’s pairing with No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler will be fascinating to watch. Wagler is about as low on athleticism as possible for a guard picked in the top-5, but his deadly off-the-dribble shooting and solid feel for the game gives him enticing upside. Brook Lopez is still here at age-38. That’s cool. Why the hell is Bradley Beal still on this roster? More cap circumvention? The Clippers owe their 2027 draft pick to the Thunder of all teams, and then the real pain begins. I’m sorry, Clippers fans. Please make the tickets really cheap, Ballmer.

15. Sacramento Kings

It’s easy to overlook all the misfortune that was cast upon the Sacramento Kings last season, because this franchise permanently exists in an unfortunate state. Domantas Sabonis (19 games), Keegan Murray (23 games), and Zach LaVine (39 games) all played less than half the season. If those guys stay healthy this year, the Kings can’t be so bad again, right? I’m not sure. Sacramento still feels like it’s stuck between two eras, but at least the rebuild got a promising young piece in Darius Acuff in this year’s draft. I have some skepticism about how Acuff’s game translates to the league, but he was such a warrior last year at Arkansas, and the Kings badly need someone like that who the fanbase can rally behind. I like Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell as young bigs with polar opposite skill sets, and I’m interested to see what Nique Clifford can do in year two. It just feels like the Kings are biding their time to blow up this roster, and I just don’t think it’s going anywhere before that happens.

Every day, we’re previewing another member of the 2026-27 Phoenix Suns to get you ready for training camp and the preseason.

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Mark Williams

Center, 7’1”, 240 pounds, 24 years old, 5th season

This season was going to be big for Williams to see if last year’s off-court strengthening work and rest management would pay off in the form of healthy feet and back, allowing him to demonstrate his full potential. Entering his age-25 season, ready to hit his prime and more consistently deliver the strengths seen in the highlight video below. That plan took a major detour when he injured his left labrum in a training pickup game earlier this month, having repair surgery on September 10. Recovery has been estimated at five months.

This accelerated Khaman Maluach’s timeline, which could prove to be a good thing. Undoubtedly, it reduced the Suns’ center depth for at least 3/4 of the regular season. He contributed a career-best 6.3 win shares, most of that on the offensive side, and, by all accounts, was a good teammate, often injecting himself into post-game TV interviews. The team believed in his value, signing him to a guaranteed three-year $38 million contract in the offseason.

I think he’ll find a way to have a valuable role later this year…more to come in the “Prediction” section below.

Last Season

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	BLK	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
60	23.6	11.7	8.0	1.0	0.9	64.4%	1.000%	77.1%	111.3	113.3	-42

Williams started 55 of the 60 games played. He rested back-to-back games as part of injury management on the back and foot. This worked well much of the season, but then he had recurrences of left foot injuries in March and April.

He had a field goal percentage over 64%, making good on a shot chart-dense area near the basket. But he continues to show good touch on free throws, with a career make rate of 76% and over 78% the past two seasons. This suggests some untapped ability to shoot. His shot volume limited points to 11.7 per game.

Rebounding of 8.0 per game seems a bit low until you account for this coming on under 24 minutes (or half a game). Offensive rebounding was strong, ranking 13th in the NBA at 4.7 per 36 minutes.

There were some flashy blocks, but overall rim protection was less than ideal. Better offensive performance is reflected in higher offensive win shares (4.0) compared to defensive win shares (2.3), per Basketball Reference.

Contract and Roster Context

Mark begins the season inactive due to the injury. This season’s Salary is $11,728,395, ramping to $12,666,667 in 2027-28 and $13,604,938 in 2028-2029.

All three years are guaranteed. He is not eligible to be traded until after January 15, 2027. He is expected to still be in recovery from the labral injury at that point, likely into March. Even then, to be traded would require passing a physical and demonstrating on some level that his skills have not diminished.

What He Brings

Williams is elite as a finisher, shooting 67.2% at the rim per BBALL Index. He has good hands and is somewhat aggressive running the floor and rolling on half-court possessions. Watching games, it felt like there was an unusually high rate of rim rolls where the pass never came. If trust is further developed with Book and the playmakers, this strength could be magnified.

As mentioned in the review of last season, he is particularly effective as an offensive rebounder. Part of this involves his positioning, which was rarely toward the perimeter. Only 12 players in the NBA were better per minute at grabbing them; it’s a skill, and he has it.

Something long-time Suns fans craved was a center with real size and skill. When healthy, Williams provided this. In addition to the height/weight combination at the top of this article, he has a wingspan over 7’6” and a 9’9” standing reach! On defense, this helps as a rim deterrent and also allows some big lineups when matchups call for it.

What Needs to Improve

The obvious thing is availability. We know he will miss the majority of the regular season. Upon that return, can he string together a stretch of games with no setbacks or new injuries? Will all the strength training and extra rest during labrum recovery benefit foot and back health?

There is potential for him to be a more consistent force on defense. Better lower-body strength and conditioning may help with this. Being around the system for a second year could lead to better defensive positioning, specifically avoiding dropping too low in the post.

To be fully effective in the Suns’ offense, he needs to provide the occasional threat of an outside shot. He only got up one three-pointer last year (making it). Can he get up on a game and make some of those, even if below average?

Prediction

The line below is lower than Williams’ prior four seasons. I expect there will be some low-minute games as he works his way back, which will skew the per-game averages downward. There are 14 games from the five-month timetable post-surgery. Two of those are back-to-back, and I suspect he’ll be held out of those.

I expect a different role, backing up Maluach, unless spot starts are needed due to injuries there. He could provide good value here in the limited minutes, crashing the glass and providing some post presence. Note, I’ve projected 28% three-point percentage. My hot take is that he’ll use the left shoulder rehab time working on his long-range shooting (which is right-handed), and use the late-season minutes to test this in real games. The free-throw percentages project a chance at developing a three-ball, which Ott likes to see from his big men.

The Boston Celtics alone provide three examples of injured bigs returning for a playoff run and making a big difference: Bill Walton (’86), Kevin McHale (’87), and Robert Williams (’22). The best hope this year is to return and make a real difference off the bench in the playoffs.

Stat Prediction: 12 Games, 6.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 0.4 APG, 63/28/78 shooting

Final Word

Some have probably written off Williams after yet another injury. Given the health history, it would be unwise to go into a future season counting on him as a nightly starter. I suggest we view his contributions as an added bonus, one that could help the Suns take it to another level if Maluach has asserted himself as the starter.

The Duke of York isn’t done with Toronto yet. At least, if everything goes according to plan.

After being traded from the Knicks, RJ Barrett went on to have his best scoring season in 2024-25 , where he stepped up in a big way to give the Raptors momentum with Scottie Barnes out for a chunk of the season.

Then, in the 2025-26 season, Barrett helped get the Raptors back to the playoffs as the team’s second-highest scorer (ahead of Barnes), and in the playoffs, emerged as the team’s second-best player. Then, in game six of the first round, he makes what is perhaps the second clutch-est shot in Raptors team history to beat the Cavaliers and forcing a game seven. All together, this sounds like the recipe for a great career ahead in Toronto. Add in the fact that he’s Canadian, and the Raptors should be chomping at the bit for a chance to keep him on the team. But, there is some reluctance from the Raptors to buy-in on the Maple Mamba. Here’s an examination of why that might be.

On the court

RJ Barrett fills an important role on the team, being able to get buckets with his downhill momentum, scoring at the rim while both rebounding and passing a respectable amount. While his shooting is not a remarkable part of his game, it’s not completely without value, and Barrett’s utility as an offensive creator had been sorely needed on the Raptors squads of the past two years.

From a less tangible standpoint, Barrett has been willing to take on primary roles, as well as secondary and tertiary positions on the team, and demonstrates a general lack of ego on a roster with a great deal of personalities in its locker room. In regards to the Canadian now playing alongside Raptors legend Kawhi Leonard, RJ spoke on how it felt to share a team with the Klaw, saying that “it’s surreal…” and that he has “been a Raptors fan [his] whole life…” and “from being a fan, to now being able to play with him, it’s going to be so special.”

RJ Barrett on waiting on the Kawhi Leonard trade to finalize all summer long/now playing alongside him:

“When it first happened, I was like, ‘Let me just not try to think about it, and just wait for it to happen.’”

“It was easy until we got to September, because in September we… https://t.co/q3Aka1C7yWpic.twitter.com/7sVjYiJ2ll

— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) September 20, 2026

There is also the matter of Canadian identity. Barrett is one of the most prominent Canadians in the NBA, and this part of who he is (while under-explored by the franchise) is something that should be factored in to his desire to be on his country’s only team.

All together, RJ Barrett has not only proved his capabilities, but has shown dedication to the Raptors, and a desire to mold himself to the Raptors’ new lineup. However, that may not be enough to ensure his place on the team. More could be asked of Barrett, with the team requesting a price that is not always easy to pay.

The salary question

Potential problems emerge when the Raptors’ circumstances are examined from a financial perspective. The Raps are already in a position where they are paying the luxury tax, but real consequences arise when the first and second tax aprons are hit, where severe financial and operational penalties involving trades are accrued. This is a less than ideal situation, but one that might become a frightening reality going forward.

Barrett is now in the final year of his deal, and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year, unless a deal can be reached to extend his contract. This is coming at a time when the team has just taken on a Kawhi Leonard extension, Jakob Poeltl is set to get a raise, and all together, costs will rise for the Raptors, even factoring out a hypothetical RJ Barrett contract.

Barrett is currently coming off of a deal where he will make north of $29 million in the 2026-27 season. The season after, the Raptors are currently projected to have a salary of $181,907,409. This is well above the current salary cap of  $164,961,000, and and if Barrett were to simply continue taking his current salary, this would bring the Raptors to more than $211 million dollars in pay, taking them into the first apron. Generally speaking, discounts from players are not given lightly to teams, and with RJ having put in real work for the Raps, he would, under usual circumstances, be in the position to make some demands of the team.

Fire and desire

Barrett spoke candidly about his feelings in May, putting things plainly: “I want to be here,” he said. “I want to be here for the rest of my career. I don’t ever want to leave. I don’t have any problems openly saying that.”

RJ Barrett on dealing with the business-side going into a contract year:

“What do you think?”

“I think that this is an easier question for me to answer, because I’m from here, and who doesn’t want to play at home? I’m trying to stay here.”

“I understand the business, but I… pic.twitter.com/IbAK9tQJKl

— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) May 4, 2026

This puts both parties in an uneven position. Barrett clearly has a desire to remain in the red and black, but would very possibly have to take a pay cut to do so. General Manager Bobby Webster gave no indication of whether or not an extension was in the works, noting that such conversations would be taking place out of the public eye, stating that “he is under contract, and so, that decision can also happen at the end of the summer.”

While Barrett’s desire to stay in Toronto seems unwavering, the team’s desire to keep Barrett on the roster seems like anything but. Insider Jake Fischer raised the point over the summer that throughout the past two years, RJ Barrett’s name had been floating in trade talks, with the Maple Mamba’s future on the team seeming rather insecure. Michael Scotto reported in February that Barrett could very well have been shipped off to the Sacramento Kings in a deal for Domantas Sabonis.

Barrett is in some regards the black sheep of the Raptors. He does not shoot like Immanuel Quickley, nor does he pass and defend like Scottie Barnes, and while his scoring is certainly important to team success, score-first players are becoming less and less valued outside of the upper echelons of production in this league. Kawhi Leonard does exactly that, at a level higher than almost anyone in the league. Barrett might be too good to underpay, but lacking a niche on a team too cash-strapped to give him a raise, putting him in an awkward position that could result in him accepting less pay than he deserves.

Throughout this year, it seems likely that the Raptors will continue to explore trade options for Barrett to improve the team’s gaps at the centre position, and, for better or worse, the swingman will be playing with a level of uncertainty in this year ahead. Barrett shows no indication of causing a fuss. “I’ve done my part on the court this year,” he said at the same press conference where he announced his desire to stay in Toronto. “And I will continue to do my part, and just hope things work out that way.”