Category: Basketball

With the first pick in the 2026 draft, the Washington Wizards got the guy they think will spearhead the team’s offense and lead them into contention over the next decade-plus. Now comes the hard, fascinating, long-term work of turning AJ Dybantsa’s many strengths into an elite NBA player.

Because Dybantsa will be just 19-years-old for the first half of his rookie season, and NBA history tells us that teenagers entering the league are unlikely to be great immediately. The league is arguably the most challenging in pro sports — the difference between the NBA and the next level down is bigger than any other league.

Even being the top pick doesn’t eliminate the growing pains of young players entering the NBA. The exceptions underscore the rule.

Through NBA history, just three players age 20 or under produced at least 10 Win Shares in their rookie season, according to Basketball-Reference (NOTE: per Basketball-Reference methodology, this will be Dybantsa’s age 20 season, so I’m using 20 and under as the cutoff):

1. Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers | 10.5 — 1979-80
2. Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando Magic | 10.4 — 1992-93
3. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets | 10.4 — 2005-06

Only five players total had at least eight Win Shares. Just 20 had five or more. Number 20 on that list? LeBron James, who lands just above a few other prominent names who just fell short of the 5.0 cutoff, including Luka Doncic, Derrick Rose, James Harden, and Kevin Garnett.

Wunderkind Victor Wembanyama had 3.7 as a rookie. Wizards guards Bradley Beal (3.0) and John Wall (2.2) were tops for 20-and-under rookies in Washington.

Under the leadership of Michael Winger and Will Dawkins, the Wizards have invested heavily in player development, from expanding their developmental infrastructure to hiring coaches with a record of helping young stars. Their goal should not be to maximize Dybantsa’s rookie statistics but to make sure he’s great from 24 to 33.

While there are no firm rules when it comes to 20-and-under rookies, there are some indicators worth tracking. Rather than points per game or other standard metrics, I’ll be keying on three things:

• Offensive involvement.
• Availability and minutes.
• Overall production.

The Wizards will do everything in their power to set Dybantsa up for a successful career. The question today is what might be some signals that he actually is succeeding, even if his on-court performance is uneven.

Let’s start with this: Lots of playing time. As the cliche goes, the number one ability is availability. While missing games has become more common and minutes totals have declined as teams try to maximize career length, the most productive under-20 rookies played a lot both in terms of games played and minutes. They also had more productive careers.

This isn’t about gifting minutes to a youngster. Being talented enough to win a starting job (even if it’s not to begin the season), good enough to convince the coach to keep him on the floor, and conditioned enough to play significant minutes and not miss games are positives for a youngster and bode well for how his career may unfold.

Whether I look at under-20 rookies using a simple volume metric like total minutes or games played or a rate production stat like PPA, the trend is clear: production begets minutes begets production. The big the Wizards don’t want to see from Dybantsa is missing games due to injuries.

Benchmarks I’d like to see: 70+ games played, 60+ starts, 2,200+ total minutes. If he’s getting 32 minutes a night as a teenager, it’s because coaches think he helps them win possessions and ultimately games.

The next big indicator: Production. Once again, whether I look at totals or rates, the guys who became truly elite tended to be productive as young rookies. Here’s the top 10 in PPA for 20-and-under rookies:

1. Nikola Jokic
2. Chris Paul
3. Zion Williamson
4. Karl-Anthony Towns
5. Anthony Davis
6. Chris Webber
7. Shaquille O’Neal
8. Magic Johnson
9. Victor Wembanyama
10. Kawhi Leonard

The only guy on that list I’d classify as unlikely to make the Hall of Fame is Williamson. He played just 24 games and 668 minutes as a rookie and has gone on to miss similar chunks of subsequent seasons. He’s one of the reasons playing a lot is the first indicator.

Sort the list by total production (total PPA) and the result is similar:

1. Shaquille O’Neal (played 81 games as a rookie)
2. Chris Paul
3. Magic Johnson
4. Karl-Anthony Towns
5. Elton Brand
6. Chris Webber
7. Dwight Howard
8. Joe Smith
9. LeBron James
10. Victor Wembanyama

No specific standard box score category (such as points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, etc.) stands out as being particularly predictive of future success. Overall production — however the rookie does it — does matter, though.

A benchmark I’ll be watching: PPA of 70 or higher (in PPA, 100 is average and higher is better). There are exceptions — youngsters who rated below a 70 and went on to be excellent like Kobe Bryant, Shawn Kemp, DeMarcus Cousins (sorta), Alperen Sengun, Jamal Murray, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dirk Nowitzki, Devin Booker, DeAaron Fox, and Zach LaVine. But the “hits” are much less frequent the further down the PPA list you go.

One “advanced” category to watch: usage. While efficiency is what drives winning in the NBA, for a 20-and-under rookie, trying to do stuff seems to matter more than actually doing stuff. Think Doncic with a 32.8% usage rate and an effective field goal percentage of 49.7% or LeBron at 28.4% usage and 43.8% eFG%.

There are exceptions, of course, though they’re usually smaller guards who burned possessions on horrific efficiency like Dennis Smith (28.6% usage and an offensive rating more than 15 points per 100 possessions below average) or Scoot Henderson (27.9% usage and a -21 relative offensive rating).

For a benchmark, I’ll be watching 20% — the league average rate. Given Dybantsa’s skills and athletic tools, and the Wizards roster, I’d expect him at or around that level as a rookie. Below that wouldn’t be much of a concern, unless his usage goes ultra-low (sub-14%).

I say this because low-usage 20-and-under rookies have gone on to become All-Stars and better. Here are a few:

• Giannis 15.5%
• Gordon Hayward 15.2%
• Aaron Gordon 15.1%
• Domantas Sabonis 15.1%
• Joe Johnson 14.5%
• Nicolas Batum 14.0%
• Kawhi Leonard 14.0%

Some useful players used even fewer possessions as rookies (OG Anunoby had a 12.1% usage rate!), but the cutoff point seems to be around 14%. Side note: that holds out some hope for Coulibaly and his 14.2% rookie usage rate. Only some, though.

High usage means the coaching staff and teammates trust a rookie to create offense. Teenagers capable of carrying that burden — even inefficiently — often develop into stars because they possess skills that can’t easily be taught. Just as important, high usage is a signal that the player is trying to make things happen and that he’s confident in his own abilities. Even if he’s laying bricks or committing turnovers.

These are benchmarks I’ll be watching this season, though I want to emphasize that there are no hard and fast rules. For example, as a 20-year-old rookie, Greg Monroe posted a 150 PPA with a 120 offensive rating on 16.1% usage but never learned to translate individual production into winning basketball. On the other hand, Devin Booker had a replacement level 45 PPA and a 100 offensive rating on 22.1% usage but developed into an All-NBA level player who helped lead a team to the NBA Finals.

While ideally, Dybantsa will be an All-Star level producer (whether he’s selected to the team or not) right away, simply being a competent NBA player at 19-20 years old is a pretty good indicator of future success. The Wizards don’t need him to be a world-killer from day one. For a 20-and-under rookie, staying on the court as a decent player is more than enough.

The Wizards didn’t draft Dybantsa to win Rookie of the Year (he’s currently third in the FanDuel ROY betting odds), though he has a good of chance of winning the award. They want him to be All-NBA level for years to come. History suggests those futures rarely begin with spectacular rookie seasons. They begin with teenagers who stay healthy, earn big minutes, shoulder responsibility and prove they already belong on an NBA court.

To say it has been a shocking week for the Minnesota Timberwolves would be selling it incredibly short.

Heading into the NBA Draft, this offseason had all the makings of being a fairly quiet one for Minnesota. The Wolves were sitting on the 28th overall pick in the first round, the Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors appeared to be drifting toward destinations like Miami or Boston, and there wasn’t much to suggest that Tim Connelly was preparing to light a match under the roster.

Then, in classic NBA fashion, everything happened at once.

Shortly before the draft, news broke that Julius Randle was headed to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a three-team trade involving the Chicago Bulls. The move itself wasn’t necessarily the surprise. After Randle’s disappointing postseason, there had been growing consensus throughout Wolves Nation that Minnesota needed to explore moving him. The surprising part wasn’t that Randle was traded. It was what Minnesota received in return.

Or perhaps more accurately…what they didn’t receive.

Instead of bringing back another established player, the Timberwolves essentially used Randle as a salary dump. Minnesota also shipped out the 28th overall pick while receiving Brooklyn’s 31st selection back in return, moving from the back end of the first round to the top of the second. The immediate return consisted primarily of financial flexibility, a sizeable trade exception, and breathing room beneath the apron restrictions.

From a purely financial standpoint, the move made perfect sense. The move gave Minnesota the flexibility to extend an generous offer to Ayo Dosunmu, who had established himself as an important piece after arriving from Chicago at the trade deadline. Sliding from the 28th pick to the 31st pick also reduced the financial commitment attached to the incoming rookie while still allowing the Wolves to select a player in virtually the same talent tier. If you view the transaction through the lens of roster construction and cap management, you could certainly understand the logic.

The emotional reaction, however, was something entirely different. Julius Randle represented arguably the Wolves’ biggest trade asset. Fans had spent the better part of the spring dreaming about him being packaged in a blockbuster that addressed Minnesota’s glaring need at point guard. Instead, they watched the team’s second-best player disappear into a financial vacuum. Even supporters who understood the salary-cap mechanics couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed.

That disappointment showed up immediately in our SB Nation Reacts poll.

Only 35 percent of Timberwolves fans approved of the Julius Randle trade in the immediate aftermath. The result wasn’t particularly surprising.nViewed in isolation, the trade looked underwhelming. Fans naturally evaluate transactions by asking one simple question: “Did we get better?” At that particular moment, it was impossible to answer yes. The Wolves had lost one of their most talented offensive players, slid back in the draft, and had not yet solved their biggest roster issue. It wasn’t difficult to understand why nearly two-thirds of the fan base felt frustrated.

The important part, though, was recognizing that Tim Connelly almost certainly wasn’t finished. General managers rarely create that much financial flexibility without another move already brewing. Salary dumps don’t happen in a vacuum, especially for contenders. They’re usually the first domino, not the last one.

As it turns out, Wolves fans didn’t have to wait very long for the second domino to fall. Just days later, Minnesota completely reshaped its roster by acquiring LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets. In order to make that happen, the Timberwolves packaged Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, multiple pick swaps, and additional second-round selections to Charlotte. Suddenly, the seemingly confusing Randle trade snapped into focus.

Looking at the entire sequence instead of judging each transaction independently, Minnesota had effectively turned Julius Randle, Naz Reid, future draft considerations, and modest draft positioning into LaMelo Ball while simultaneously creating the financial flexibility necessary to retain Ayo Dosunmu.

Now the picture looked very different. Last season, the defining characteristic of the Timberwolves roster was overwhelming frontcourt depth paired with an obvious weakness at point guard. Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, and Julius Randle were three starting-caliber frontcourt players competing for minutes while Mike Conley continued to age and Anthony Edwards was forced to shoulder increasing ball-handling responsibilities.

That imbalance finally reached a breaking point during the postseason. Against San Antonio, Minnesota desperately needed another creator capable of organizing the offense when defenses loaded up on Edwards. The Wolves could bully teams physically, but they struggled to consistently generate quality offense against elite defensive pressure. It became painfully obvious that while Minnesota possessed an abundance of size, they lacked enough creators.

Connelly clearly agreed, and now the equation has completely flipped. Instead of having too many frontcourt players and not enough guards, the Timberwolves suddenly have a collection of capable guards while creating an obvious hole at power forward. Outside of Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer, there isn’t much size remaining. Whether Beringer is ready for meaningful NBA minutes immediately remains to be seen, and it seems highly unlikely Tim Connelly considers the current roster a finished product. There almost has to be another move coming. Whether that’s another trade, a veteran free-agent signing, or a smaller depth acquisition remains unknown, but it’s difficult to imagine Minnesota entering training camp with so few established rotational big men.

That’s why judging the offseason today probably misses the point. This feels much more like Chapter Two than the final chapter. What is already clear, however, is the philosophical shift.

The Timberwolves have gotten younger. They’ve gotten faster. They’ve gotten considerably more explosive. And perhaps most importantly, they’ve addressed the roster imbalance that had become increasingly difficult to ignore. LaMelo Ball is one of the league’s most gifted passers, capable of throwing passes that most players don’t even see, let alone attempt. It will be fascinating to watch what that means for Anthony Edwards, who suddenly won’t face quite as much responsibility initiating the offense. It could unlock another level for Jaden McDaniels as a cutter. It could create easier baskets for Rudy Gobert, who has spent much of his Wolves tenure waiting for consistent lob opportunities that never quite materialized. Even role players stand to benefit from playing alongside a point guard who naturally elevates everyone around him.

It’s easy to understand why only 35 percent of the fan base approved of the Julius Randle trade when it happened. If the story had ended there, the criticism would have been justified, but basketball transactions rarely exist in isolation. They’re chapters in a larger narrative, and once the LaMelo Ball deal arrived, the opening chapter suddenly looked much more intentional than reactionary. What initially appeared to be a disappointing salary dump now looks more like the financial maneuver that made the franchise’s biggest offseason move possible.

Whether it ultimately works is another conversation entirely. LaMelo has his own injury history to overcome. Minnesota still needs frontcourt reinforcements. Chemistry will have to develop. Chris Finch will have to reshape the offense around a dramatically different roster. There are legitimate questions still waiting to be answered.

But one thing is beyond debate. The Timberwolves are going to look very different when they take the floor for the 2026-27 season. After several years of building around overwhelming size, Tim Connelly has decided to attack the league from the opposite direction. Whether that gamble ultimately pushes Minnesota over the championship hump remains to be seen, but at the very least, this offseason has already become a lot more interesting than anyone expected when June began.

Somehow, I still don’t think Tim Connelly is finished.

Neither does FanDuel Sportsbook, who has raised Minnesota’s 2027 title odds to +2200, a significant bump from the +3000 before the LaMelo trade.

Fresh off winning the NBA championship and wrapping up the 2026 NBA Draft with a couple of new faces now part of the organization, the New York Knicks keep shaping their roster.

Yes, we’re all still waiting for the literal elephant in the room to announce the inevitable, but for now we’ll have to do with a few low-impact, lower-level additions to the Summer League squad.

According to 247Sports recruiting analyst Dushawn London, Oziyah Sellers signed a Summer League deal with New York after going undrafted on Wednesday.

The move comes a few days after the draft ended, as undrafted guard Sellers didn’t join any team but was able to secure an opportunity to stay on the professional radar until mid-to-late July at the latest, and playing for the reigning champs with the spotlight that’d give him.

St. John’s guard Oziyah Sellers has signed a Summer League deal with the New York Knicks, source tells @247Sportspic.twitter.com/iB0jNce3Rp

— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) June 26, 2026

Sellers is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard and he’s coming off his senior season at St. John’s Red Storm after starting his NCAA run at USC and spending the 2025 season at Stanford. Seemingly ored of Cali, Sellers moved all the way to the East Coast to land with St. John’s, where he averaged 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 42.9% from the field and 35.1% from three-point range across 37 appearances as a senior.

Blame it on cold weather or whatever, but before finishing his career in Queens, Sellers was a better shooter from all distances than the man who popped up in a Red Storm uniform. His best season came as a junior during his lone year playing ACC ball, but it’s also fair to say he didn’t quite bomb in St. John’s, where he started 36 of the 37 games he played, logging 28.6 MPG.

The Summer League will, at the very least, give Sellers a chance to compete against pros for a few games and prove his talents are good enough to earn him a roster spot, whether that’s with the Knicks or elsewhere, including a potential G League stint before making it to the majors.

The expectation is that New York’s Summer League roster will be filled with NBA-proven players, including Tyler Kolek, Mo Diawara, Ariel Hukporti, Kevin McCullar Jr., and Pacome Dadiet, with true-freshmen Jack Kiyan and Tyler Nickel joining them on the court.

The Vegas Summer League runs from July 9 through July 19 in Sin City, with the Knicks scheduled to play four games (from July 10 through July 16) that might or might not see them advance to the playoffs of the little hot tiny tournament.

Welcome to New York, Oziyah!

You can follow Antonio on Twitter at @chapulana.

The Utah Jazz have a lot of signings happening for the upcoming Summer League and offseason. Here’s a list of everything they’ve been up to.

Utah Jazz sign Tamar Bates to two-way deal.

According to Michael Scott, the Jazz signed Tamar Bates to a two-way deal.

Sources: The Utah Jazz plan to sign Tamar Bates to a two-way deal. He was sidelined with a foot injury as a two-way rookie for the Nuggets after averaging 19.5 points on 55% overall and 44% from 3-point range, 4.4 boards, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals in the G League last season. pic.twitter.com/hdQHMz6S7d

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 26, 2026

Scotto mentioned that Bates was sidelined with a foot injury as a rookie for the Nuggets, where he averaged 19.5 points with great percentages in the G League (55% overall and 44% from three).

Bates stands 6’4″ and weighed in at 195 pounds at the Draft Combine. He also measured a 6’10.25″ wingspan. Those are the types of measurements and percentages that are worth investing time in.

Utah Jazz sign Micah Handlogten to Exhibit-10 deal

Micah Handlogten is the son of Ben Handlogten, who played for the Utah Jazz in the early 2000s. Handlogten stands 7’1″ and played four years in college, the last three seasons for Florida. It’s just an Exhibit-10 deal, so he may be playing for Utah in the Summer League, but you never know when a player might show more. It’s mildly interesting when you consider the Walker Kessler situation that continues to develop, but it’s more just needing players for offseason training and possibly summer league.

Kyle Filipowski will wear #2 for the Utah Jazz

Filipowski obviously gave Darryn Peterson the #22 jersey, and Peterson mentioned that he had to give something to get it. We’ll probably never know. But it was a great gesture by Kessler to be willing to give that up. It’s not always something a player would be willing to do.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Orlando Magic waived Jonathan Isaac on Saturday, ending the former first-round pick's injury-shortened time with the team.

The Magic took Isaac with the No. 6 pick in the 2017 draft. After playing in 75 games in 2018-19 in a promising second season, the 6-foot-10 forward tore his left ACL in August 2020 during the NBA's restart and missed the next two seasons while recovering from surgery.

Isaac played in 52 games this season, averaging 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 10 minutes per game. He didn't appear in Orlando's first-round playoff series against Detroit because of a left knee strain.

Isaac appeared in 328 games for the Magic, averaging 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. He is sixth on Orlando's career blocked shots list with 391.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

The Sneaker Reporter, Travis Singleton, joins Two Words: Wolves Pod to break down the Minnesota Timberwolves trading away Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets for LaMelo Ball, as well as the Wolves drafting Isaiah Evans with the 33rd pick, and much more.

— Naz Reid was and will remain a Timberwolves legend. He stands out as the franchise’s greatest developmental player and is as beloved an athlete as has ever been with the Timberwolves and in the state of Minnesota.

— Reid became a cult hero of sorts for Minnesotans and Wolves fans, spawning lasting memories including a beach towel night, $20 tattoos, a sign in front of a pizza place imploring people to honk if they love Naz Reid, and the name of this podcast.

— In exchange for Reid and a bunch of draft capital, including the team’s 2033 first-round pick, the Wolves received LaMelo Ball to pair in the back court with Anthony Edwards.

— While there are questions about Ball’s ability to play on a winning team, how dedicated he will be on the defensive end of the court, and whether or not the Wolves can keep him healthy, there is no denying Ball’s talent and skill, which are a perfect fit on this Wolves roster

— After trading both Reid and Julius Randle, the Timberwolves are now without a power forward. Finding one with the little financial flexibility Minnesota has left will likely be the focus of the rest of the offseason.

— The Wolves were excited about the opportunity to draft Evans early in the second round of the NBA Draft. Timberwolves General Manager Matt Lloyd said the team was attempting to draft Evans late in the first round before their pick moved back, and they were glad to see the 6-foot-6 guard from Duke fall to them with the 33rd pick.

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown has had lots of time to respond to anyone who doubts his game, his abilities and contributions to winning basketball – and NBA media members aren't exempt.

After a back-and-forth with ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, which has gone on for more than a month, Brown's media feuds continue.

Brown went off on X, formerly Twitter, in a series of posts including a response to ESPN NBA Front Office Insider Bobby Marks about the 2024 Finals MVP being viewed as the "seventh-best player" on a team by analytics.

"Analytics nowadays used to discredit and control narratives - Roll the ball out none of these guys better than me on both ends who does he work for," Brown said in a post.

"Nobody has won more combined regular season and playoff games since I entered the league 10 years ago," Brown continued in a pair of posts. "Analytics have / are ruining the game we playing AI hoops."

Marks responded to Brown on the social media platform saying that his full statement wasn't posted in the aggregator platform on X, The Dunk Central or NBA Central, a page non-affiliated with the NBA.

"But what wasn’t posted was the 2m of saying I’m not an analytics person but an eye test guy. That I would want Jaylen Brown on my team. That you impact winning (191-80 in the last 4 years), is a top-10 player and would help any team looking to win a championship. That part of course didn’t make it. But that’s the media in 2026," Marks said.

What actually was said about Jaylen Brown

Brown didn't let it go. After Marks' explanation, the Celtics forward replied, "state your source."

Sirius XM NBA Radio Brian Geltzeiler replied under Brown's "state your source" comment explaining how the comment on his radio show with former NBA player and coach Sam Mitchell originated.

"Jaylen, I asked Bobby the question. His full answer acknowledged the absurdity of the comment he REPEATED from someone else. It is not (Marks) opinion, mine, or my co-host (Mitchell)."

For full context of what was said on Geltzeiler and Mitchell's radio show, Marks was introduced and immediately Geltzeiler dived into the situation in Boston after Brown was included in trade talks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, which ultimately didn't work out. However, there is belief that Brown still will be traded.

"From what I understand, it's a pretty vibrant market out there for him, no?" Geltzeiler asked. Marks' response was less than assuring.

"Mmm, I wouldn't say vibrant," Marks said. "There's mixed feelings about him when you talk to teams. We had a spirited debate, I brought up the point on NBA today with Danny Green and Chiney (Ogwumike), you know, former players, and the debate was, the analytics of Jaylen Brown is not good."

Marks continued: "Listen, I'm more of an eye test guy, like (he) impacts winning, 29 years old, has played in 60 more games, four to five last year, they're 191-80, the last four years in place. Okay, he's a top 10 player. But, here's what the analytics say, a negative net rating the last four years, when he was on the court this year, they were -10.6. So, there are some people out there that look at that a little bit more deeper than you know than what the eye test says."

Marks said there isn't a line of teams looking to get Brown, especially due to having to take on his contract, which pays him $57 million this season and $61 million and $64 million in the following two years of his deal. He believes Portland could be a wild card contender for Brown.

Mitchell asked how front offices make the decision of eye test versus analytics, considering winning, the team a player is with and other variables.

"I agree, because like who is he on the court with? I mean, you really gotta like really go like deeper, it's just not throwing out a number and everything like that. Who's he on the court with? Was it at the end of games? You know, like, there's a lot more into it than just saying, like, got a net rating," Marks said. "Like, I mean, as I said, like, in that period of four years, they won an NBA championship. He was voted sixth in MVP. He basically carried a Celtic team without Jayson Tatum this year, and he had career numbers off the board, and everything like that."

Mitchell added: "And all the players around him played well, got better. You look at some of them, like (Payton) Pritchard."

"I know, I agree, Sam," Marks said. "You got three years left, and I know it's max money, but it's a deal that there's no player option in it, so I think you have to be careful as far as where you weigh it. You know, it's funny, that's a thing that's been brought up. I had one, not an executive, but an analytics guy saying, 'we view (Brown) as like the seventh-best player on a team.' I was like, 'holy crap'. Literally, like I get it, there's a role for analytics and stuff, but well, I guess they call.. I joked, I guess we call that strategy now."

Here is the FULL four-minute answer @BobbyMarks42 gave @BGeltzNBA and @SamMitchellNBA regarding Jaylen Brown. pic.twitter.com/SmJhYk77RR

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 27, 2026

A surprised Mitchell wanted to make sure he heard that right.

"Seventh-best player on a team?" Mitchell questioned.

In response to those who said Brown was a "seventh-best" player on a team, Marks said, "Wait a minute, that's a little bit of a stretch there."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Jaylen Brown goes off on insider Bobby Marks and analytics enthusiasts

While Deandre Ayton’s debut season in Los Angeles wasn’t the perfect fit, it was still a strong season for the big man, all things considered.

His numbers were, naturally, down from previous season, but given his role as the fourth fiddle on offense, that’s to be expected. He still had his most efficient season as a scorer and his highest block total since the 2020-21 season.

However, his playstyle didn’t mesh with the Lakers’ pick-and-roll ballhandlers and his inability to be a lob threat has left the team searching for just that this summer. But even if the team is ready to move on from him, he likely won’t be facilitating that transition.

According to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, Ayton is expected to pick up his player options for his second season.

It’s no secret the Lakers are looking to upgrade at center (it should be noted Deandre Ayton is expected to pick up his player option and be back with the team).

The Lakers probably aren’t going to be surprised by this move. On a recent episode of NBA Today, Dave McMenamin of ESPN hinted that the team would have to look for a trade if he does opt in.

Again, he had a good season last year and will have trade value. The Lakers can look to move him for a piece that fits better on the roster, whether that’s a lob-catching center or an athletic wing.

Even if the fit didn’t work between him and the Lakers, it was still a fun season with some fun moments. Theoretically, he could remain on the roster as a backup, but it’s probably in everyone’s best interest to part ways to find Ayton a team he better fits on and LA a player who fills a need.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

After declining his $2.6 million team option to clear the path for negotiating a long-term deal, the Boston Celtics have signed former Rutgers basketball standout Ron Harper Jr. to a three-year deal worth $9 million, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

This season, Harper appeared in 29 games for Boston and performed well overall despite seeing limited minutes. In those 29 games, he averaged 4.2 points on 41.8% from the field. He split time with Boston and their G-League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, this year. For Maine, Harper averaged  24.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the floor. He saw his time in the major leagues increase over the season and played relief minutes in the team’s playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Harper earned his opportunity after spending much of the past three seasons in the NBA’s G League, where he sharpened his skillset. Coming out of Rutgers in 2022, Harper was signed to a two-way contract by the Toronto Raptors, where he made his NBA debut, before getting waived in December of 2023. He then signed with the Boston Celtics on a two-way contract before signing a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons on January 6th, 2025. He was then resigned by Boston in August of 2025 on a training camp contract that turned into a two-way contract. His performance for the team last season turned that two-way contract into a full three year deal.

Harper Jr. left Rutgers basketball as one of the most legendary figures in the program’s history, highlighted by his buzzer-beating three-point shot to beat No.1 Purdue. He earned second-team all-Big Ten honors his senior season and was named an AP All-American honorable mention as well.

He now joins his brother Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey as former Rutgers players with a spot on an NBA roster.

Everything has been coming up Millhouse for Utah Jazz fans the last two months, and the last week has been no different. It started with a successful draft night, when the Jazz got their guy, Darryn Peterson.

It was a draft with a legitimate debate between two incredible prospects over who should be the #1 pick. Either way it went, Utah was going to come out with a top-tier, top-pick caliber prospect to add to their young, exciting core.

Draft night was a whirlwind of events, but it was a breath of fresh air listening to Darryn Peterson, who looked legitimately happy to come to the Utah Jazz, even excited.

Darryn Peterson's father always knew he was going to make it to the NBA 🥹

"When you look back at all those workouts that your dad put you through, did you guys ever think it would lead to this? The number two pick in the NBA Draft?"

"… my pops always knew." pic.twitter.com/BGr26zTwq9

— NBA (@NBA) June 24, 2026

Darryn Peterson says he wanted to be picked #1, but Happy to be picked by Utah. Met with the Jazz in Chicago and had great conversations.. but adds about being drafted along with other freshman, "I'm coming for these guys like I've been coming for them my entire career." pic.twitter.com/Xzevf4CViX

— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) June 24, 2026

With the draft over, Peterson was immediately caught up in the rush of joining the Utah Jazz. He talked with the front office and was ready to get started right away.

Here we gooooo! pic.twitter.com/gfl55e5AkB

— James Hansen (@hansenjames) June 24, 2026

After a few days of preparation, Darryn Peterson arrived in Utah yesterday to a ton of fanfare online and in person.

Welcome to Utah, Darryn 🏔️#TakeNote | @Darryn_P1pic.twitter.com/YURI1PIdNq

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 26, 2026

It was a great job by the Jazz and Jazz fans to meet Peterson. The excitement online for him is palpable, and it was nice to see that visualized when he dropped down in Utah.

Jazz Nation 🤝 @Darryn_P1 💜#TakeNotepic.twitter.com/2qLsKybRn7

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 27, 2026

jazz nation, you showed out for 2️⃣2️⃣ #TakeNote | @Darryn_P1pic.twitter.com/fuB26dhXLz

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 27, 2026

goodnight, Jazz fans 💜 pic.twitter.com/VSBo2WU3NL

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 27, 2026

And with that, the next day would be the press conference, and the Jazz did a great job with that as well. Utah has done a great job of rising for this moment, probably the biggest moment in the last twenty years.

The press conference was today and it’s well worth the watch.

Peterson has been fantastic as he’s joined the team, and each soundbite feels like confirmation of what Jazz fans have wanted for a long time: a player ready to go for a title, and is happy to do it with the Jazz.

Darryn Peterson into press conference. Jazz have the practice facility completely decked out. This is way different from past rookie intro pressers. DP is a lot different than most rookies too pic.twitter.com/BD4kuigZ0X

— James Peterson (@Jersyjames23) June 27, 2026

This quote from Peterson says it all: “When I put on the uniform, I’m not putting it on for myself, I’m putting it on for the fans.”

"When I put on the uniform I'm not putting it on for myself, I'm putting it on for the fans."

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, @Darryn_P1, on his first impressions of the @utahjazz fanbase 🤝 pic.twitter.com/bAGviLGfWt

— NBA (@NBA) June 27, 2026

It’s hard not to get excited about all of this with everything that’s happened over the last five years for Jazz fans.

Yes, Jazz fans have gone through four years of rebuild/tanking/losing (whatever you want to call it), but it wasn’t just the last four years. The final years of the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell era were not fun either. With infighting among teammates and players clearly trying to work their way out of Utah behind the scenes, it’s been rough.

But all that feels like a distant memory now, and Darryn Peterson is healing a lot of wounds. His infectious smile, competitive attitude, and obvious love of basketball have been music to Jazz fans’ ears. And despite him saying and doing everything perfectly, there’s still that small part of you that wonders if it’s all a dream. Well, Jazz fans, it’s real. Peterson is now in Jazz gear and in Utah, the place he’s calling home.

introducing #22…🏔️𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘𝐍 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍🏔️ #TakeNote | @Darryn_P1pic.twitter.com/n0vDTOPu8N

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 27, 2026

So, Jazz fans, I give you permission to pinch yourselves all you want because you aren’t waking up. This is all real. Go buy that jersey you’ve been waiting for, get those tickets for Summer League and the regular season. Jazz basketball is back, and so are all the fans that might have taken a sabbatical. I, for one, am ready, and I hope you are, because this is going to be a lot of fun. It’s time to now soak it all in and enjoy the ride.

Could LeBron James return to the Heat this offseason? According to an NBA insider, he doesn’t rule out the possibility of a reunion between James and the Heat.

NBA insider Brian Windhorst spoke about how much he admired the Heat organization and said he believes James feels the same.

“I admire the Heat organization so much. And I value the relationships that I created those years, and I look back, and I learned so much covering that team. And I learned so much listening to Pat Riley,” Windhorst said. “… I learned so much about the Heat mentality, which I still have so much admiration for.”

Windhorst went on to say positive things about the Heat: “By the way, I think LeBron might feel somewhat the same, because he still mimics some of the stuff that Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra would say.”

During the 2010 offseason, James made his infamous free agency announcement, “The Decision,” in which he announced on live TV that he would take his talents to South Beach to join the Heat.

As James departed for South Beach, so did Windhorst, who covered the Heat from 2010 to 2014.

When James left the Cavaliers to play in Miami, that’s when the Heat created their “Big Three.”

The “Big Three” consisted of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

The trio helped James win his first NBA title in 2012, when the Heat defeated a young Thunder roster that featured Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

During James’ time in Miami, he won two NBA titles with the “Big Three” and also won two NBA MVPs and two Finals MVPs.

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After an NBA Finals loss to the Spurs in 2014, James departed Miami and made his way back to the Cavaliers. He delivered on his promise of bringing Cleveland an NBA title.

As James is set to enter his 24th NBA season at 41 years old, will he make amends in Miami and return after a 12-year absence?

First, the Brooklyn Nets traded their long-serving player, Nic Claxton, to the Chicago Bulls in a three=team deal that sent them Julius Randle, a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA player. Then came the NBA Draft where they selected the highest pick they’ve had in 16 years as well as a second second, part of the Claxton-Randle deal. After that, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of the Steinline ignited rumors of “legitimate interest” in Mitchell Robinson, the New York Knicks center whose rim protection would certainly fill a need.

Now, Stein and Fischer are touting two other veteran free agents as players the Nets could be interested in when the clock strikes 6:00 p.m. in New York Tuesday, permitting teams to start making calls to free agents not their own. The two report that Keon Ellis, the 3-and-D shooting guard who played last year with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rui Hachimura, the 6’8″ Los Angeles Lakers power forward.

Keon Ellis, meanwhile, appears less likely to stay in Cleveland … unless the Cavaliers lose (Dean) Wade.

One anticipated landing spot for Ellis is Brooklyn, where the defensive-minded guard could reunite with Nets coach Jordi Fernández, who was an assistant in Sacramento during Ellis’ Kings tenure.

Brooklyn keeps coming up as a likely suitor, too, for the Lakers’ Rui Hachimura, league sources say. The Nets and Spurs are two teams we’ve heard have interest in adding Hachimura’s services, while the Spurs are also faced with resolving Harrison Barnes’ future as the veteran forward heads to unrestricted free agency.

The Stein Line reported Friday that the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson is another Nets target. Brooklyn can operate as a salary cap team with more than $40 million in space if it executes free agent signings before going through with the multiteam trade that will ultimately land Julius Randle with the Nets.

At first glance, not knowing what Sean Marks & co. are planning, the two would seem unlikely matches for the development-oriented Nets. But we’ve been surprised before.

In the case of Ellis, how would the 26-year-old fit with the Nets kiddie corps of guards — er, playmakers — that includes last year’s rookies Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf and Drake Powell as well as incoming rookie PG Mikel Brown Jr. and two point forwards in Danny Wolf and Joshua Jefferson who range in age from 20 to 22? Did we mention veteran Terance Mann who’s still owed $31.5 million over the next two seasons and is favorite of the coaching staff? Ellis would likely come cheap and Brooklyn has both cap space and money. The undrafted 26-year-old has never made more than the vets minimum. He is a certified 3-point threat with a career average of 40.7% from deep.

Hachimura is a big but he’s not so much a center but rather a big power forward and the Nets already have two of them in Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle. They are more in need of rim protection rather than 3-point shooting at which Hachimura excels, hitting 39.4% from deep over. He averaged only 3.3 boards last year however, slightly lower than his 4.6 career average. He was paid $18.3 million last season. Could he and Ellis come off the bench?

One thing Stein and Fischer have harped on of late is that the Nets are tired of losing. (Who among us isn’t?) In their reporting Friday on Robinson, they had this to say:

[T]hey appear intent on putting a credible team on the floor next season after unreservedly tanking this past season and winding up with the No. 6 pick in May’s draft lottery.

There are of course other decisions to made on the Nets own free agents and soon: Sunday is the deadline for Nets to exercise options on Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams’ $6.25 million options, then Monday, they have to decide options on Josh Minott and Malachi Smith. It’s also the last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency. In Nets case, this applies to Noah Clowney. There’s also MPJ’s extension.

Marks has been promising people months of excitement so it’s best to wait. He’ll surely be asked a bunch of questions Monday when he and the team’s three draft picks meet with the media at the Brooklyn Basketball Center at 3:00 p.m. ET Monday.

On Saturday morning, Keith Smith reported that the Nets have tendered a two-way qualifying offer to Chaney Johnson who played on a two-way last year. He’ll soon be joined on a two-way by Tyler Bilodeau, the 6’9″ forward the Nets drafted in the second round earlier in the week.

Timofey Mozgov was left out of the 2016 Cavaliers 10-year reunion that flooded social media earlier this month.

The former Cleveland center, who came off the bench during the legendary 3-1 comeback during the 2016 NBA Finals against the Warriors, told Russian outlet Sport Express that he was left out of the planning entirely.

“Yes, I saw the video of that party,” Mozgov told Russian outlet Sport Express when asked about the reunion. “No one wrote or called me. If I’d been invited, I’d have gladly joined.

“Of course, I’d have loved to be there too, to drink some wine.”

The trip, hosted by LeBron James, included Kevin Love, Richard Jefferson, J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson, Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova.

The group spent time in the United Kingdom, with stops in London and Scotland that included plenty of golf, wine and reminiscing.

The former Cavaliers documented the reunion across social media, sharing several videos from the trip, including a reenactment of the famous scene from “The Hangover.”

Mozgov, though, was hardly the only notable member of the 2016 team who was absent.

The 2016 Cavs recreated The Hangover after the reunion pic.twitter.com/dz1eiSTwZa

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 23, 2026

Kyrie Irving, who hit the go-ahead 3-pointer in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Warriors, also was not part of the trip, sparking some online chatter before Smith addressed the situation.

“He reached out! We GOOD! God Bless the young GAWD!!!! Greatest PG I’ve played with,” Smith wrote on his Instagram Story.

Mozgov played parts of two seasons with Cleveland after being acquired from the Nuggets before the 2015 trade deadline.

He averaged 7.9 points and 5.4 rebounds across 122 regular-season games with the Cavaliers.

His role shrank midway through the 2015-16 season after the Cavaliers acquired Frye at the trade deadline.

During Cleveland’s 2016 championship run, Mozgov appeared in 13 playoff games, including five games in the Finals, though he did not play in the Cavaliers’ Game 7 win over Golden State.

That victory completed Cleveland’s legendary comeback from a 3-1 series deficit and delivered the franchise its first NBA championship.

Washington Wizards fans are clearly encouraged by the franchise’s direction following the 2026 NBA Draft. In the latest SB Nation Reacts polls that we issue this week, 90 percent of respondents gave the selection of AJ Dybantsa an A grade, signaling overwhelming confidence in the organization landing the player many believe can become the face of the rebuild.

Here’s how Wizards fans graded the draft pick of AJ Dybantsa and the offseason so far. pic.twitter.com/fufREZCa5v

— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) June 27, 2026

That optimism has extended to the Wizards’ offseason as a whole. Another poll found that 55 percent of fans gave the team’s offseason (so far) an A, while an additional 35 percent awarded a B.

While the true impact of this offseason won’t be known for some time, Wizards fans appear to believe that the franchise finally has a clear vision—and, for now, that’s worth celebrating. Hopefully, that will improve Washington’s odds of making the playoffs in the years to come on FanDuel or another sportsbook.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Welcome to the NBA Seth Trimble. Trimble, who is signing as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Wizards, becomes the third former Tar Heel to join the NBA this offseason after Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar were drafted by the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks respectively. It is unknown exactly what kind of undrafted free agent contract it is (either a two-way, exhibit 10, or Summer league) but it will give Trimble the chance to show off his skills at summer league. Fellow former Tar Heel RJ Davis signed an exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers last season and that led to a G-League contract with the South Bay Lakers. If he has a successful Summer League, Trimble could be looking at a similar deal, which in turn could give him a chance at the NBA as the Wizards are not a very good franchise (more on that below).

So what can the former Tar Heel bring to the Wizards?

Strengths

Trimble has gotten better every season setting career highs in points, assists, and minutes per game this past season. He also had his highest field goal percentage as a Tar Heel at 47.1 percent. Trimble is a leader on the floor and in the locker room and is willing to take the clutch shots and make them (never forget the game winner against Duke). He is also a strong driver and possesses the athleticism to make finishes in traffic. Trimble on the whole is also a decent defender and though he may not yet be lockdown, it is something he could achieve if he if that became his focus.

Weaknesses

Let’s just get this one out of the way because there is nothing he can do to fix this, but Trimble is small for an off ball guard at 6’3. Additionally, though he has hit big threes, his career 29.4% from three limits his 3 and D potential in addition to his lack of size. Trimble also needs to work on his free throw shooting as for the most part he has been about a 66% free throw shooter, with the exception of a 82% junior season, and for a guard who is a better driver than long range shooter will make him susceptible to team fouling.

The Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards are not a good NBA team (I would argue they are the Cleveland Browns of the NBA, but I am open to other suggestions) having finished with a losing record in each of the past five seasons (120-290) and garnering a top 10 pick in each of those five seasons and a top five pick in two of them. Additionally, the team is full of smaller guards including the teams first round pick from last season, Tre Johnson. The Wizards did trade for Anthony Davis and Trae Young last season perhaps signaling a sign to compete, but they combined to play five games for Washington last season, all by Young.

It will be an uphill battle for Trimble to make the 15-man roster, but Trimble’s calling card should be defense and that should give him a chance even as an undersized guard, though he will likely spend most, if not all, of this season in the G-League. If he does get anytime with the NBA franchise, he will be reunited with former Tar Heel and one time teammate Leaky Black (they were both on the 2022-23 squad).

In the end Trimble is one of several players hurt most by the new NCAA five in five rule snubbing the class of 22. Trimble was always going to have a tough time getting drafted but could’ve been a leader on the Tar Heels this season and with next years draft class looking less loaded, might’ve found a draft spot in the late second round. Nonetheless, he is going to get the chance to live his dream and UNC fans everywhere should be excited for it.