Kawhi Leonard spent most of his summer waiting on the NBA to let him go back to Toronto. Now he's seemingly not going anywhere else.
Leonard agreed to a two-year, $115 million contract extension with the Raptors that includes a player option for the 2028-29 season a person with knowledge confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because the deal was not yet publicly announced.
Leonard is in the last year of a contract that pays him $50.3 million this season. To get the trade done, he waived his full 15% trade kicker, a bonus some players get when they're dealt.
He's coming off a 65-game season, up from 37 the year before. He averaged 27.9 points and 1.9 steals and made the All-NBA second team.
The last time Toronto had him, he gave the city a championship and left a month later.
Why the Raptors paused the Kawhi Leonard trade
Toronto went 46-36 last season and lost to Cleveland in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. The Raptors agreed to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 pick swap and second-round picks in 2030 and 2033 to the Clippers for Leonard.
On July 9, Toronto hit pause. The investigation was still open and nobody could say yet whether Leonard would be suspended. The Raptors did not comment publicly the rest of the summer.
The report that started the NBA investigation
In September 2025, reporter Pablo Torre reported that Leonard had a $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration, a climate-focused financial company, that asked almost nothing of him. Former employees told Torre the deal was a way around the salary cap. Investors tied to Clippers owner Steve Ballmer had put money in Aspiration.
What the NBA found
The league released its findings Sept. 2. Investigators found a "pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations." The Clippers had lined up deals for Leonard with four companies, pushed those companies to sign him by offering them team business and paid personal expenses for him.
The Clippers lost five first-round picks, 2029 through 2033, and were fined $30 million. Ballmer was suspended for a year. Gillian Zucker, president of business operations, got a one-year unpaid suspension. Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, got six months unpaid. Dennis Robertson, Leonard's uncle and business manager, was banned from dealing with NBA teams for five years.
Leonard was fined $700,000 and was not suspended.
"I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgement by people within my inner circle," Leonard said in a statement. He also said he signed his Clippers contract and the endorsement deals in good faith.
What's next for Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors?
The trade became official Sept. 14. The extension means Leonard is signed for more than one season in Toronto this time. He joins Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley under coach Darko Rajakovic. General manager Bobby Webster, promoted to executive vice president this summer, made the deal.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 17: The sneakers worn by Jordan Miller #11 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the game against the Denver Nuggets during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 17, 2025 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Sexton, who was a 2017 McDonald’s All-American and one-and-done collegiate player at Alabama, became the first building block of the Cavaliers’ post-LeBron James rebuild after Cleveland selected Sexton with the No. 8 pick in the 2018 draft.
Collin Sexton started his career with the hopes of being a star for the Cavaliers. Getty Images
He finished fifth in the voting for the 2018-29 Rookie of the Year, and then had back-to-back seasons of averaging at least 20 points (including a career-high 24.3 points in 2020-21) – albeit for Cavaliers teams that won fewer than 31% of their games in each of Sexton’s first three seasons.
Sexton, and the Cavaliers, were poised for a breakout in 2021-22 after Cleveland drafted Darius Garland in 2019, trading for Jarrett Allen in January 2021, selecting Evan Mobley in 2021 draft and acquiring Lauri Markkanen during the 2021 offseason.
The breakout happened for the Cavaliers, but not Sexton, who played only 11 games before having season-ending left knee surgery.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers had their first winning season since James left, going 44-38 and missing the playoffs after being eliminated from the Play-In Tournament.
Collin Sexton didn’t get get to be a part of the Cavaliers’ 2021-22 breakout season. AP
That 2021-22 Cavaliers squad remains the only team Sexton’s finished a season with that had a winning record – let alone make the playoffs.
With the Cavaliers looking to build off their breakout season, Cleveland traded Sexton (along with Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji and multiple draft picks) to the Jazz for star guard Donovan Mitchell.
What followed for Sexton were three productive seasons with the Jazz: He averaged 17.5 points and 4.2 assists from 2022-25.
But each of those seasons all ended the same way – with Sexton and his Jazz teammates watching the playoffs from home after a losing year.
After being traded to the Hornets during the 2025 offseason, it appeared Sexton was going to play NBA postseason basketball for the first time in his career after being a part of Charlotte’s midseason turnaround.
Collin Sexton had productive seasons with the Jazz, but they didn’t lead to playoff appearances. AP
But the Hornets traded Sexton to the lowly Bulls ahead of the trade deadline in February, making it eight straight seasons Sexton was going to watch the playoffs from home after the Bulls finished with a 31-51 record.
So as an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, Sexton prioritized choosing a team where winning mattered.
“I definitely feel like it was super important – finding a place where I can compete and not be at the crib in April right after the season ends,” Sexton said. “So at the end, just having the opportunity to be a part of this organization and be a part of the team, I was super grateful. And I’m super thankful.
Collin Sexton finished last season with the Bulls. Jason Szenes / New York Post
“And just talking to [coach] JJ [Redick[, I can tell he believes in me in my abilities and what I can bring to the team. I feel like my energy can be contagious to this team.”
Unlike eight years ago when he arrived in Cleveland, Sexton didn’t arrive in Los Angeles with the expectations of being a star.
The Lakers don’t need him to be.
But for Sexton to make his first appearance in the playoffs, the Lakers will need him to seize the chances in front of him.
“Honestly, I would say just opportunity – opportunity to go out, win and be able to compete each and every night,” Sexton said on why he joined the Lakers. “And I feel like that’s something that needs to be shown, that I bring each and every day, is that I want to compete. But also the want to win.”
SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 15: Inductee Doc Rivers speaks to the audience during the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Symphony Hall on August 15, 2026 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just because he’s no longer coaching the Bucks and has been inducted to the Hall of Fame, that doesn’t mean we won’t be hearing from him anytime soon.
NBC announced that they are adding former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers as a game analyst for their NBA coverage. This is interesting for all the network heads out there as Rivers left a contract with ESPN to take the Milwaukee coaching job in the middle of the 2023-24 season. Rivers’ son, Austin, is also a part of NBC’s broadcast team as a sideline reporter.
Rivers has dipped his toe into broadcasting in his rare seasons in between coaching jobs. He worked at ABC for a year in between coaching the Magic and Celtics, and obviously took the ESPN job after parting ways with the Sixers.
Of the Sixers league-leading 34 nationally televised games scheduled so far this year, 11 of those will be on NBC or Peacock. It remains to be seen if Rivers will be in the studio or a color commentator, he’s experienced at both, but it’ll give Sixers fans plenty of times to hear his lovely stories from his time in Philadelphia, like how it was Tyrese Maxey’s idea to come off the bench in 2023.
A video of LeBron playing pickup basketball alongside several other NBA standouts was posted on YouTube on Monday night. A clip of LeBron bricking several shots from that YouTube video has since gone viral on social media.
The clip shows LeBron hitting the side of the backboard with a baseline fadeaway shot, missing several 3-pointers and missing numerous other jump shots.
LeBron James (23) of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts on the court during the second half at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Corey Sipkin for NY PostLeBron James taking a shot during an open run against other NBA players. (YouTube/@ChrisJohnsonHoops).
To be fair, the clip that is circulating on social media is an edited collage of James’ misses. The full YouTube video is an hour long and shows several impressive plays from King James that were all left out of the minute-long cut of his missed shots.
LeBron James, owner of Team AlUla, looks on during the E1 Series Luanda GP in Luanda, Angola, Sept. 13, 2026. Getty Images
The 41-year-old James joined the 76ers in free agency this summer after spending the past eight seasons with the Lakers. He told Los Angeles that he had no intention of returning to the franchise, which sparked a nearly monthlong storyline of where LeBron might land.
The 76ers are among the favorites to win an NBA championship after signing James. But this video clip might make fans rethink their belief in James.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 03: Ariel Hukporti #55 of the New York Knicks dunks the ball against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena on February 3, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Following another playoff exit in the spring 0f 2026, the Philadelphia 76ers went out in free agency and brought back true championship experience. I’m talking, of course, about the signing of 24-year-old center Ariel Hukporti, fresh off a title as a member of the New York Knicks.
In all seriousness, while signing someone who played 76 total minutes during the Knicks’ playoff run to a one-year, $3.4 million deal was far from the most high-profile move of the offseason for the Sixers, it is one that could play a large factor in the team’s success this season.
As anyone knows who has even heard of Sixers basketball over the last decade or so, backup center is an important role in Philadelphia. Joel Embiid is going to miss games. Even under the best-case scenario where he avoids a serious injury (be it a setback in his knees or something entirely new the fates decide to rain down upon him), Embiid will sit out back-to-backs, have load management nights, and accrue the minor bumps and bruises that befall nearly every professional basketball players particularly those who are 7-feet tall and weight 280 pounds.
As is the case more often than not, the Sixers do not have a rock-solid plan at the position. Adem Bona has shown intriguing flashes as a shot blocker and energy guy, but he also has serious catching-the-ball issues and often looks like he’s never been on a basketball court before if he receives a pass in transition more than three feet away from the basket. His foul rate is extremely high, which isn’t a huge deal if playing 12 minutes per night, but is a red flag if he’s needed for extended minutes. Bona is only 23 years old and could certainly still improve in a lot of areas, but I’m willing to wager he’ll never have the soft hands and touch around the basket to be more than a lob finisher offensively. Adem also sprained his foot in FIBA competition; he’s expected to be fine before the start of the season, but you’d rather guys not sprain their feet.
So what do the Sixers have in Hukporti? I don’t think anyone can say with too much confidence. The seven-foot, 24-year-old German was the 58th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft and has played less than 10 minutes per game across his first two seasons, logging only six career starts. He suffered a torn meniscus in early 2025 that caused him to miss time. Hukporti also played professionally in Europe and Australia before entering the NBA draft so there was less visibility on him than there might have been for a college prospect.
During his time with the Knicks, Hukporti displayed potential as a mobile rim protector. He played well when called upon in the NBA Finals. When Karl-Anthony Towns got into foul trouble in Game 4, it was Hukporti logging heavy run as the Knicks made their 29-point comeback. In Game 5, he showed off his athleticism with this rejection of Luke Kornet.
ARIEL HUKPORTI with a great block on Luke Kornet alley-oop attempt (with replays) pic.twitter.com/WAGTiGepMs
It’s not a great sign when the Knicks didn’t extend him a qualifying offer and later filled the hole with Andre Drummond. You would like to believe it was during a moment when New York needed every bit of financial flexibility they could gather. Knicks fans seemed to expect the team would circle back to Hukporti but the Sixers offering him more than a minimum threw that plan into disarray. Philadelphia signed him for slightly over a minimum contract (which would have been around $2.45 million), so they clearly liked something about what he brings to the table.
Time will tell exactly what Hukporti is, but a realistic upside outcome is a version of Bona who can catch the ball better. For little more than a minimum and for a Sixers roster that clearly needs to find something at this position, Hukporti is a worthwhile dart throw. Even on a star-studded roster, there’s potential for him to play a pivotal part.
Feb 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) against the Los Angeles Clippers at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With the NBA season right around the corner, national outlets are beginning to reveal their player rankings for the upcoming year. Yes, it’s Rankings SZN! We know the challenges that rankings present, but they’re still a valuable exercise for understanding perceptions of the league and the overall landscape of the player pool entering the season.
ESPN released the first half of its top 100 rankings today, revealing players 51 through 100. This was an area of the rankings completely void of Phoenix Suns a season ago. In fact, the only member of the Suns to crack ESPN’s top 100 was Devin Booker, who ultimately ranked 16th overall.
This season, however, another member of the Suns has made the jump. Not only did he crack the top 100, he climbed all the way to the 76 spot. Unocal status. That player is Dillon Brooks.
Dillon Brooks comes in at No.76 for ESPN's top-100.
Much-earned leap from 2025-26, where he did not make their top-100.
He ranks ahead of Ja Morant, & just behind Cason Wallace & Isaiah Hartenstein.
Vincent Goodwill of ESPN had the following to say about our beloved Villain:
Dillon the Villain is now Dillon the culture changer. Last season, he averaged a career-high 20.2 points as the Suns were one of the surprise teams in the West. Brooks deserves some credit for that turnaround, and the Suns gave him a three-year extension. Houston went from 22 to 41 wins in Brooks’ first season there, and Phoenix had a nine-win improvement last season. — Goodwill
Signature stat: Brooks ranked in the top 10 in made 2-point jumpers last season, according to GeniusIQ.
Fantasy projection: 18.6 PTS, 3.6 REB, 1.0 STL
So essentially, according to ESPN’s rankings, the Suns will have two top 100 players, as I doubt Jalen Green or Miles Bridges will appear among the top 50 players revealed later this week.
What makes Brooks somebody ESPN recognizes at this level is his ability to be a culture changer. He’s somebody you can bring into an organization and have an immediate impact on the identity and mentality of the team. His impact comes from the edge he provides and the way those attributes can permeate throughout a roster.
Look at the players surrounding him in the rankings. Brooks sits ahead of Ja Morant and behind Cason Wallace, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Walker Kessler. Some of those players are tertiary options on their respective teams, and Brooks could find himself in a similar position this season, at least from a usage standpoint. Heck, he might be the fourth option offensively. But that isn’t where Brooks’ value is ultimately found.
That’s the funny thing about ranking players. We tend to evaluate them through the lens of offensive hierarchy, as if being the fourth option automatically makes you the fourth most important player. Brooks doesn’t really fit that framework. His value comes from the way he impacts the players around him, sets a physical and emotional tone, and makes an opponent’s night more difficult. If ESPN is recognizing that impact at No. 76, it’s another indication that Brooks’ value in Phoenix extends well beyond his box score.
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts on the court during the second half at Barclays Center, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Brooklyn, NY. (Corey Sipkin for the...
When speaking with “The Basketball Show” on Monday, Brown said, “I thought LeBron was a regular individual, and then I realized he’s a part of a group. LeBron is a machine. It’s a marketing machine. He’s not an individual.
“And so, once I realized that when when you go up against a machine, it gives off toxic waste. What’s made to look good, it destroys things around it,” Brown, who never played with LeBron, added.
LeBron James (23) of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts on the court during the second half at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
“And if you look at the careers that he’s destroyed: Westbrook… You got Dalton Knecht; Because of [LeBron’s] son, he didn’t get a chance to develop… And he comes there with Andrew Wiggins as the number one draft pick. I know what that’s like. And when I see him go places, I’m like, okay, I want to know which player is gonna have to be taken away from for this machine to still look like what it is,” Brown continued.
Brown was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2001 NBA Draft and famously spent three seasons with the Lakers as what most considered a bust.
He went on to say that either Joel Embiid or V. J. Edgecombe will take the fall of the 76ers don’t meet expectations this season.
Plus, Brown asserted that the Lakers’ decision to draft Bronny James was, “More made for LeBron’s legacy because he he can’t catch like [Michael Jordan] or Kobe [Bryant] in certain things. But he can say, ‘Listen, I’m the only father son duo that was on the basketball court. I’m the only father-son duo that was in the playoffs, and now it’s going to be the only father-son duo that goes against each other.'”
Brown clearly has some sour grapes, which is manifesting in his sentiment toward LeBron.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) sits on the bench in the fourth quarter during Game 2 of the NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks, May 6, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York PostLos Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James is seen during pre-game warmups under the watchful eye of his father, forward LeBron James, before a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
It felt like time. Trae Young was in his eighth season in Atlanta and things felt stagnant. This was a team — and Young was a player — in need of a change, and while it wasn't always smooth, the team worked with Young and he was traded to the Washington Wizards.
At least, that was how it looked from the outside.
"I love the owner, Tony (Ressler), and all the ownership group and everybody down there. So I have much love to a lot of people down there in Atlanta, so I never wanted to leave [in] a bad way. But once we got on that third GM, and we brought in Onsi, it's like you don't necessarily feel as comfortable as you did [when] you got there...
"There are so many things I won't say until later on, but sometimes it's just better just to let things go."
Schlenk was all in on Young from the start. He made a draft-night trade of Luka Doncic for Young and always kept Young at the heart of any future plans in Atlanta. Onsi didn't see it that way and reconstituted a team around Jalen Johnson and a formidable defense, and that had Atlanta going 20-6 after the All-Star break and looking like a potential threat in the East heading into this season.
"I've never worked in another job, but I'm sure it's like this in other jobs where if a new boss is hired, if the new CEO comes in, if a new GM comes in, he's gonna want to bring in his people," said Young. "He may make some cuts. He may move some people here and there. He's gonna figure out who he likes. So, obviously, this was my third GM. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's different...
"And so when we brought our third one, we all knew around me that it's either we're going to be around here for the long haul and we win or it may be time for everybody to just part their ways."
So they parted their ways. Young got what he most wanted out of this, a four-year, $213 million contract extension, a deal that left the rest of the league shaking its head at the unnecessary overpay (and the kind of extension Atlanta was not going to give him). Maybe Young works well next to a young Atlanta core with No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa and big man Alex Sarr — plus Anthony Davis is on the Wizards now, too. It's an interesting team.
Atlanta has moved on and had one of the more underrated, strong offseasons. Young and Saleh may not have been on the same page, it was time to part ways, but Saleh has helped Atlanta find a needed new identity and direction.
Young was ultimately right, it was "time for everybody to just part their ways."
DETROIT, MI - MARCH 20: Jalen Duren #0 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on March 20, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Last summer, the Golden State Warriors had the most noteworthy restricted free agency standoff with Jonathan Kuminga. This year, the Dubs appear to be done with their offseason roster moves, but the Detroit Pistons and restricted free agent Jalen Duren remain in a staring contest of their own.
In a previous era of the NBA, the Warriors would be in position to offer Duren the $40 million per year deal he’s looking for while sending Kristaps Porzingis, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski (or Yaxel Lendeboorg), and future picks to the Pistons in a sign-and-trade. However, the new CBA hard caps teams that complete a deal sign-and-trade at the first apron, making it impossible for the Dubs to pull off a sign-and-trade without essentially forcing the Dubs to trade Jimmy Butler.
Instead, Golden State is in position to play a longer game with Duren. Golden State is among the few teams in position to create max salary cap space next offseason alongside a chance to play with another bonafide star. While Duren has most consistently been tied to the Sacramento Kings, an opportunity to get max money without joining an organization most known for incompetence.
While the idea of a “max” deal for Duren may scare Dub Nation, it’s important to contextualize it. Since Duren has only been in the NBA for four years, the estimated maximum first-year salary the Warriors could offer him next offseason is around $43 million. A significant number for sure, but significantly less than the largest salaries in the league. The Warriors need another All-Star to return to contention. Maybe Jimmy Butler can be that in his return from an ACL injury, but that seems unlikely at his age. With Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green all closer to 40 than 30, adding an All-Star like Duren who will not turn 25 until 2028 could genuinely change the franchise’s trajectory.
The Pistons have reportedly offered Duren a five-year, $190 million deal while he is eyeing something north of $200 million, which is understandable. If he is quite confident another team will offer him a max contract worth $187.05 million over four years next summer, he could accept the qualifying offer and end up effectively netting a five-year, $196.7 million deal across two contracts.
Of course, that comes with significant risk if he has a down year or suffers an injury. That said, there is still some upside for Duren since he has already made an All-NBA team and qualifies for the “super max.” If Duren accepts the qualifying offer and takes another step forward next season, he could be in position to leverage the Pistons into a significantly larger deal.
The odds seem highest that the Pistons and Duren will eventually come to an agreement. It’s simply a massive risk to pass on nearly $200 million guaranteed. However, Duren is still only 22 and averaged roughly 20 points and 11 rebounds per game on a 60-win team last season. He has already earned an All-Star and All-NBA Third Team selection. Players like Dennis Schröder, Nerleans Noel, and Jonathan Kuminga are the common examples of players who overplayed their hand in restricted free agent negotiations, but none of them had achieved close to what Duren has at this point in their careers.
North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) celebrates after a three point basket during the second half of the Fort Myers Tip-Off Beach Division game against the Michigan State Spartans at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The Atlanta Hawks announced on Monday that former Tar Heel Henri Veesaar tore his right ACL during a workout on Sept. 15 and will miss the entire NBA season.
The 22-year-old Estonian was an all-ACC performer for Carolina last season, averaging 17 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 42.6% from 3-point range. He declared for the draft despite having one more year of college eligibility and was generally projected to be taken late in the first round. However, he slid all the way to #52 overall, where the Los Angeles Clippers selected him before trading him to the Hawks.
It’s a tough break for a player who was a lot of fun to watch in his only season in Chapel Hill, and it further confirms he made the right decision by leaving college early. With the NCAA no longer granting medical hardship waivers, a torn ACL wiping out Veesaar’s final college season likely would have led to him going undrafted and having to fight for a two-way contract–a far cry from the four-year, $9.3 million deal he landed with the Hawks.
Veesaar is set to undergo surgery in October. Here’s hoping he recovers quickly and comes back better than ever.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 19: Lajae Jones #25 of the Golden State Warriors plays defense during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2026 NBA Summer League Championship on July 19, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Mike Kirschbaum/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After the Golden State Warriors decided to sign undrafted free agent big man Graham Ike to fill the final two-way spot on the squad, news shortly followed of Dubs second-round pick Lajae Jones opting to start his post-college career internationally. Jones has agreed to a one-year deal with Pallacanestro Trieste of Lega Basket Serie A (the most prestigious basketball league in Italy). The Warriors will retain Jones’ rights.
It’s clear from the press release and surrounding reporting that Jones decision to head abroad was made in tandem with the Warriors, who clearly thought Ike was a better fit for the team this season. Pallacanestro Trieste has some notable ties to Golden State. Jones will now be teammates with former Warriors rotation player Juan Toscano-Anderson.
“His selection in June’s NBA draft is proof of his hard work, dedication and immense basketball potential,” Trieste general manager Michael Arcieri said in a press release attached to the signing. “His decision to proudly wear the Trieste jersey and continue his basketball dream and development with us is proof of the great trust he has in our team, our staff, our fans and the potential of a truly special 2026-27 season. Our collaboration throughout the season with the Golden State Warriors’ staff regarding Lajae’s development represents an incredibly exciting opportunity for our staff and organization.”
The Warriors clearly still believe Jones can be a helpful contributor for the team long-term. It’s worth noting that wing Malevy Leons is already on a two-way deal, but will not be two-way eligible next season. It seems reasonable to believe Golden State’s front office is optimistic that Jones can develop more abroad and replace Leons’ two-way spot next year. It’s also worth noting the Dubs still could trade the rights to Jones in a trade.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 18: Jalen Brunson is seen outside City Hall at the New York Knicks ticker-tape parade on June 18, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by XNY/Star Max/GC Images)
In the immediate aftermath of winning a championship, there’s utter jubilation. Once that initial high wears off after the ceremony and you start truly grasping what you just witnessed, the human mind naturally goes in a completely different direction.
You begin to think of those who were proven wrong.
Athletes always say after they win it all, “They didn’t believe in us,” or “What’re they gonna say now?” They feed off slander. Any time in life that you or something you care about gets disrespected, you long for the day that person has to eat crow and face the music. It’s just human nature.
For the basketball world, after the final buzzer sounded on June 13, that vitriol was directed towards one person.
Becky Hammon.
After a few months to really ponder things, my tone has shifted toward Becky, even if only slightly.
In that clip, Hammon expresses her opinion, which is based on the last 35 years of NBA basketball. Only one team has won a championship with a small guard as their best player since the Bad Boys Pistons from 1989-90, and even then there’s an exception because almost all of their identity came from smashmouth defense that had nothing to do with I.T.
You can’t win if your best player is small. The one exception was Steph Curry, who changed the game of basketball forever with the 3-point revolution. Unless you have a generational talent, an outlier with impact so drastic that you have to provide additional context for his cultural impact, your best player cannot be a small guard if you want to win a championship.
She was right about her overall premise. She was just wrong about the one person she singled out.
There are loads of small guards that Becky could’ve singled out. Ja Morant, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, prime Russell Westbrook, Trae Young, De’Aaron Fox, etc. All of these guys were No. 1 options at or before the time of her remarks in December 2023. She has never, on record, talked about any of them as guys who can’t win.
Her problem was that she singled out Jalen Brunson. The odds were in her favor that she would never have to answer for her misdeeds, but her desire to ride the “Knicks for Clicks” wave was her undoing. Of all the typical, ball-dominant, non-winners in the world she could’ve ragged on, she decided to choose the only one who would ever be able to prove her wrong.
What Brunson did isn’t a blueprint. It isn’t a fluke. It wasn’t asterisk-worthy. It was a definitive statement that he belongs in the same conversation as Curry as an outlier, as a player who stands amongst giants and doesn’t back down, as a player whose playstyle allows him to overcome the true reality of smaller guards being at a disadvantage in the modern NBA.
For the last few years, we’ve heard the same phrase, “Who’ll be the next Jalen Brunson?” The answer is nobody will be, because if it were that easy to be Jalen Brunson, it wouldn’t be as utterly shocking to the NBA landscape as his lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy turned out to be.
It’s a story that honestly goes a helluva lot deeper than even I can chronicle.
They say that the son of a role player is more likely to be the star than the son of a superstar, and that personifies the Brunson’s to a T. Role players know what held them back from stardom and can pass down to their sons what it means to not always be the best player on the court.
We saw the countless stories of Rick Brunson having a young Jalen work hard to master his craft, not take shortcuts, and do everything he can to overcome not always being blessed with the genetic makeup of a can’t-miss superstar.
You see it all throughout his career: how he had to constantly prove people wrong to get to the next level. He had to continue to work and change his game to prevent stagnation. He never accepted being shoehorned into a role. His work ethic is 1-of-1 and something that defines his path to where he is today.
The best example I can find of him evolving his own game to help him reach the next level is his floater evolution. Did you know that, back at Villanova, Brunson never shot floaters? Something that he’s currently the best at in basketball used to be totally alien to him.
Jalen Brunson attempted just 4 combined iso floaters in college and 1 as a rookie. 7 years later, he leads the league in iso floaters by 100+ and is 3rd in efficiency (1.04 PPS).
Why did a young Brunson, who was still shorter than everyone else and should’ve had this in his toolbag as soon as possible, not attempt many? It was apparently a Villanova edict. Jay Wright did not want his guards to attempt floaters. For six consecutive years, the perennially contending Wildcats were dead last in floater attempts, something that was personal for Wright.
He wanted his players to finish off two feet. It was drilled into them in every practice from the moment they stepped on campus.
Watching Brunson’s college highlights, you can see the footwork that makes him who he is today. It reminds us that it usually takes a village to raise a warrior, as Brunson learned his impeccable footwork by developing in an incredible system for multiple years, while later adding the floater to take advantage of time and space. He was able to do both once he was given the freedom to.
When he did start attempting more floaters towards the end of his tenure in Dallas, you saw flashes of what he would become in New York. He was just hidden in a system that revolved around Luka Doncic. You saw what he could be when he was out, especially against the Jazz in the 2022 playoffs.
It was really a perfect storm when he came to New York. He got to return to a place he cared so deeply about, playing for the father who pushed him to be great, in a support system with many lifelong friends and family around the team; he got the ability to be ball-dominant, and he got to unleash the love child of the footwork he meticulously developed in college and the elite touch and jumper he got from grinding for more playing time in Dallas, all while doing the one thing he has done his whole life: prove everyone wrong.
Maybe we should’ve seen this all coming.
There’s also one aspect that I’ve neglected to mention that has nothing to do with his basketball ability, which he has in spades.
There’s an old-school form of leadership that Brunson possesses, one that you don’t see almost anywhere else that doesn’t have a grizzled, Udonis Haslem-esque veteran. Despite never winning an NBA championship or even coming close, he carried himself like one.
A perk of growing up as the son of an NBA player is that you will learn what to do and what not to do. Rick was certainly not infallible, and the mistakes he made growing up shaped Jalen into the non-problematic star he is today.
You look around the league, and you see divas. You see people who clap back on Twitter burners when they’re being slandered; you see people take thinly veiled shots at teammates through the media; you see players be hostile towards fans and the press; you see them get in trouble with the law in one of a million different ways. Distractions, controversy, and immaturity. All of that can consume you, especially in a media market like New York.
That doesn’t happen with the Knicks, and it starts with their captain and leader. They got to this point by playing like a team of brothers who all have each other’s backs, and it’s how they’ve managed to pick each other up after every early deficit and punch in the mouth they receive. No matter how bad it gets, they don’t point fingers.
It’s why I cannot stand people saying, “Well, if *insert point guard* had a supporting cast like that, they’d win too,” Kyrie Irving is someone who’s been used as a point of comparison with Brunson all season, with heated debates ongoing about who’s better.
It’s Brunson. Full stop. Irving was embarrassing every time he had to lead a team.
Don’t give me the crap that he didn’t get to lead a team like Brunson’s. Sure, the Baby Jays from 2017-19 weren’t an ideal situation, but it was one he could’ve embraced and turned into something beautiful if he gave it time. Hell, they were an ECF-caliber team despite Gordon Hayward’s leg being sideways and two of their starters not being old enough to drink. Instead, he was a diva and gave up on trying to be “the guy,” and settled for being a sidekick to KD and eventually James Harden in Brooklyn.
So to sum this all up, here’s something to leave you with.
Becky Hammon was right. Small guards almost never win titles as the top option. You do need a “1A dude”.
But she picked the wrong guy to single out, because history will remember Brunson as the exception to the rule, one that defied every odd and left the NBA world wondering how he did it.
Injuries are an unfortunate part of sports and change the course of every NBA season. However, last season seemed more severe than most — a rash of top players missed considerable time, if not the entire season. It changed the complexion of teams and playoff races (not to mention the tanking).
All those injuries a year ago open the door for some prime comeback stories this season. Here are five players returning from injury who can — and should — change the course of their team, and with that, the league.
Tyrese Haliburton
Haliburton had a Steve Nash-like impact on the Pacers in the 2024-25 season. It wasn't just his +14.7 net rating in the playoffs as Indiana made a remarkable run to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, it was the way he lifted up the players around him — Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, T.J. McConnell and more were just better next to Haliburton. Everything came together perfectly for the Pacers during that postseason run (not totally unlike what happened for the Knicks a year later).
Can Haliburton capture that magic again in a different and deeper Eastern Conference?
Haliburton hasn't set foot on an NBA court in 15 months after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of those Finals, and the Pacers fell apart without him last season, winning just 19 games (there was tanking involved). They come back this season with a healthy Haliburton and one other big change: Ivica Zubac at center instead of the stretch five Myles Turner. The Pacers will look different, but Zubac does some things Indiana needs. He sets a massive, solid screen, which will be a pick-and-roll advantage for Haliburton, or he can set it off the ball in a secondary action to free a shooter. He's got great hands and touch around the rim and makes smart, quick decisions. And he's a big defensive body in the paint.
However, it all comes back to Haliburton. If he regains the form that lifted the Pacers to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals trips, Indiana has to be considered a contender in the East. It's all about his bounce-back season.
Kyrie Irving
Maybe Kyrie Irving could have pushed and made his comeback after the All-Star break last season, but with Dallas struggling, it chose to join the ranks of the too-many teams focused on the draft (and the Mavericks ended up with the No. 9 pick and selected Morez Johnson out of Michigan).
Now Irving is back, but to a team very different than the one he was last on the court with. Anthony Davis is off to the nation's capital, Klay Thompson is in South Beach, and the Mavericks' focus is Cooper Flagg — he and Irving should thrive together. For however long that lasts.
Numerous teams have their eye on Irving as a player not long for Dallas and very possibly traded before the February deadline. Irving is not on the same timeline as Flagg, and Dallas might be willing to move him for the right package of picks and players. That said, Irving needs to go out for half a season and show his otherworldly handles and All-NBA-level game is back at age 34 coming off a major knee injury. Expect a lot of Irving rumors this season.
Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard's return to Portland could be one of the season's inspiring, heartwarming stories. The greatest Trail Blazer of all time comes home (sorry Bill Walton, the mantle is Lillard's). The last time we saw him on the court was the 2025 playoffs in a Milwaukee Bucks jersey, an era we will try to repress in our memories like Jordan with the Wizards.
The Trail Blazers team Lillard returns to is coming off a trip to the playoffs, with a solid defense and an offense led by Deni Avdija. How does Lillard, at age 36 and already showing signs that Father Time was catching up before a major injury, fit into this mix? What does he have left in the tank? How does new coach Micah Nori fit Lillard, Avdija, and all the other puzzle pieces together? Speaking of interesting fits in Portland…
Ja Morant
Morant is getting a much-needed fresh start in Portland. He's going to get a golden opportunity, with the ball in his hands next to a future Hall of Famer in Lillard, plus a big he can play off of in Avdija and good role players around him (Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan and others).
But Morant has a lot to prove. He has to stay healthy — he has played just 79 games over the past three seasons due to injuries and suspensions. That includes missing the end of last season due to a ulnar collateral ligament injury in his left elbow. He needs to show he hasn't lost a step of his legendary explosiveness (or can make up for it with a more mature, crafty game). He needs to show the motivation and passion that made him a fan favorite are still there. He needs to lift up the team around him. All of it is a lot.
Few teams are going to be more interesting to watch this season than Portland.
Fred VanVleet
It was obvious — in the regular season and especially the playoff series against the Lakers — just how much Houston missed Fred VanVleet last season. They needed a floor general, another scorer and shot creator, and a good defender. Just having VanVleet back should stabilize and improve an offense that was eighth most efficient in the league last season but struggled in the clutch (-8.8 net rating in the regular season, 24th in the league) and in the playoffs. In crunch time, Houston's halfcourt offense was stagnant and predictable, and in the playoffs it had a dreadful 86.2 offensive rating in the clutch.
VanVleet should change all that. He can set up Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun in places they can thrive (is there a place Durant does not thrive. The same applies to Amen Thompson, who had a lot of shot-creation duties thrust on him last season and grew from it, but shouldn't have the same load on his shoulders now. Reed Sheppard also could take a step forward this season with VanVleet setting him up.
On paper, Houston is the kind of team that can step up and threaten Oklahoma City and San Antonio this season. If they do, it will show just how much VanVleet means to this roster.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 25: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the second quarter an in Game Four of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 25, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It takes a big man to admit when they are wrong about something. Hand up, I was wrong about the Cleveland Cavaliers after the James Harden trade of last year. Now, in fairness to me, the Cavs drew perhaps the softest possible playoff draw that they could. But even then, a very flawed Raptors team took them the distance, and Jalen Duren couldn’t stop vomiting all over himself for long enough to help Cade Cunningham and the Pistons take advantage of their opportunity.
So alas, the Cavs made the East Finals and proceeded to be dump trucked by the Knicks. It is surely progress from the results sense, as the Cavs hadn’t made an East Finals since the LeBron days of the late 2010’s. But, it never felt like they were serious about contending for anything. This year marks a real fork in the road moment for basically everyone in the Cavaliers organization. There is real pressure to win big, or else the winds of change will begin blowing in full force.
Last season: 52-30, lost in four games to the Knicks in the East Finals
Key additions: Peyton Watson (via Denver), Meleek Thomas (NBA Draft), Mario Hezonja (Euro League)
<p>Peyton Watson will need to be fully realized as a player if Cleveland hopes to repeat last year’s success.</p><p> (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)</p><br> | Getty Images
Key losses: Max Strus (Clippers), Dean Wade (Sixers), Dennis Schroeder (Hornets)
The Cavs have their proverbial chips in the middle of the table. They have doubled and tripled down on this roster, as they extended James Harden this offseason and refused to listen on calls for Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Peyton Watson comes in from Denver after his contract dispute, and they are banking on him taking the leap and fulfilling the flashes of promise that he has shown.
To be blunt about it, I think the Cavs are extremely volatile in both the positive and negative connotations. There are worlds where everything fits, this team wins mid-to-upper 50’s regular season games and is exactly what they think they can be. But at the same time, this thing could really go off the rails. I worry about the lack of shooting across the roster. All of their guys have been given so many chances in the playoffs, just to always come up short. And to top it all off, I don’t believe that Kenny Atkinson is a coach that can get any team to the mountaintop, let alone one with this many potential hurdles.
