Category: Basketball

As we prepare to finalize our preseason SunsRank, it’s worth looking back at the list we’ve created so far. 

Overall, I think it’s a solid reflection of where this franchise currently stands. The depth of the roster creates a bit of a bottleneck within the Pillars tier because it becomes difficult to separate players who bring completely different archetypes to the table. You have a backup point guard, a starting power forward, a pair of centers, and a 6’3” guard who plays much bigger than his frame and brings a relentless defensive mentality. That’s a good problem to have. 

The Suns’ depth within this tier is broad, and the skill sets are varied. Distribution. Rebounding. Rim protection. Athleticism. And then there’s the unquantifiable attitude that helps reinforce the identity of the team. Phoenix may not be a roster that jumps off the page and intimidates you on paper. But when you play against them, you feel it. 

With only three players left to rank, here’s where we currently stand:

#	2025-26 SunRank	Community SunsRank	Writers SunsRank
4	Collin Gillespie	Collin Gillespie	Miles Bridges
5	Mark Williams	Miles Bridges	Collin Gillespie
6	Grayson Allen	Mark Williams	Jordan Goodwin
7	Jordan Goodwin	Jordan Goodwin	Mark Williams
8	Oso Ighodaro	Oso Ighodaro	Luke Kennard
9	Royce O’Neale	Khaman Maluach	Oso Ighodaro
10	Ryan Dunn	Rasheer Fleming	Khaman Maluach
11	Rasheer Fleming	Luke Kennard	Rasheer Fleming
12	Khaman Maluach	Haywood Highsmith	Koa Peat
13	Haywood Highsmith	Koa Peat	Ryan Dunn
14	Jamaree Bouyea	Ryan Dunn	Haywood Highsmith
15	Koby Brea	Pat Spencer	Jamaree Bouyea
16	Amir Coffey	Jamaree Bouyea	Pat Spencer
17	Isaiah Livers	CJ Huntley	CJ Huntley
18	CJ Huntley	Koby Brea	Koby Brea

I was curious to see where Miles Bridges would ultimately land. The writers ranked him as the fourth-best player on the team, while the community placed Collin Gillespie ahead of him. And this is where my interpretation of the subjective term “best” comes into play.

If you ask me right now who the better player is, I’m going with Miles Bridges. When I do this exercise, I’m not looking at the price relative to the value paid or what a player might become 2 or 3 years from now. I’m looking at what I believe their production and impact will be this upcoming season. From that perspective, Bridges is going to have a much larger impact than Gillespie, and he’ll need to if the Suns are going to be successful. They bring completely different skill sets, but Bridges has more ways to affect the game offensively. He’ll be in the starting lineup, he’ll have more opportunities, and the gravity he creates should open up areas of the offense that Phoenix desperately needs to improve, primarily getting to the rim.

Gillespie will still be vital. His ability to guide the second unit and provide much-needed three-point shooting will matter throughout the season. But if we’re asking who the better player is right now, I think it’s Miles Bridges.

And now we turn to the final three, the Cornerstones. These are the stars, the players with the ability to make an All-Star team. They’re the guys this team is building around, and they’re expected to make a major impact every night. Ultimately, how far the Suns go this season will depend heavily on what they get from this group.

And here they are.

The Cornerstones

Devin Booker

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	STL	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
64	33.5	26.1	3.9	6.0	0.8	45.6%	33.0%	87.3%	115.9	112.0	+201

Devin Booker is preparing to enter his 12th season with the Phoenix Suns, something only Kevin Johnson and Alvan Adams have ever done. Adams still holds the franchise record, having played 13 seasons in Phoenix. And before this season is over, Booker will pass both Steve Nash and Walter Davis in total games played, moving into second all-time in franchise history.

Yeah, you feel old yet?

The baby-faced kid from Kentucky has been a staple of this franchise for 11 years, and as he prepares for Year 12, he once again finds himself shouldering the responsibility of playing slightly out of position. The Suns can tell us all day that Jalen Green is who they want starting at point guard, but we all know that by 20 games into the season, Booker is probably going to be leading the team in usage and functioning as the primary distributor. The modern NBA is positionless, but it’s still hard not to look back at Booker’s prime and wish he had spent more of those years alongside a better ball handler and distributor.

Still, the roster around him as he prepares to turn 30 years old has something he can feed off of. Fire. Passion. Edge. And Booker still has the elite scoring ability to make all of it work. Now, if he can find his way back to shooting 38.3% from three as he has twice in his career, great things could happen in Phoenix.

Dillon Brooks 

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	STL	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
56	30.4	20.2	3.6	1.8	1.0	43.5%	34.4%	84.2%	113.7	114.8	-49

The Villain returns this season with a new extension under his belt, something he certainly earned after averaging 20.2 points per game last year, a number I don’t think many of us saw coming. What was more predictable was the attitude he brought and the way he helped forge the Phoenix Suns’ identity into one defined by toughness, grit, and edge.

With Jalen Green hopefully healthy and Miles Bridges now in the mix, Brooks may take a step back in terms of production and offensive involvement. That doesn’t diminish what he brings to this team. The attitude, physicality, and competitiveness still matter, and they remain a major part of what makes this version of the Suns who they are.

Jalen Green

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	STL	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
32	25.9	17.8	3.6	2.8	1.1	42.2%	31.3%	74.7%	114.2	113.5	+33

This is going to be an incredibly important year for Jalen Green. We’ve seen the potential. We’ve experienced the athleticism. We know the upside of the 24-year-old combo guard is high. At some point, though, upside has to become consistent production. That has always been the challenge with Green. His inconsistency in multiple areas of the game, whether it’s three-point shooting, finishing at the rim, or facilitation, has limited how high his ceiling can actually go.

Could this be the year he puts it all together? Could this be the season where, with the roster built around him, Green finally reaches that potential? If he does, the Suns suddenly have an elite backcourt. If he doesn’t, then you start looking at the open market and asking what you can get for him in return.

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And now it’s your turn to complete the final SunsRank of 2026. We won’t touch these rankings again until the season is over. Then we’ll come back and see how everyone moved based on the difference between preseason perception and what actually happened on the court.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to participate throughout the process, from placing players into tiers to ranking them individually through SunsRank. It’s an exercise I look forward to every year because it captures exactly how we view this team at a specific moment in time.

Now we get to see how right, or how wrong, we were.

As always, the Brew Hoop community came up big, posing some very thoughtful questions. Coaching, projections, perspective, roster construction, team priorities, and more. You hit ‘em all. Here’s our takes; thanks for choppin’ it up.

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Coaching

Harms: Where would you rank Taylor Jenkins right now vs the rest of the league Head coaches?

Zac: This is such a hard question to answer; any coach is only as good as the players they have. Of course, as cliché as it is, a coach has to make their team better than the sum of its parts too. Clearly, that hasn’t happened in Milwaukee for some time. Statistically, 13 current head coaches have a better career winning percentage than Taylor Jenkins, while 15 have a worse career winning percentage. Nick Nurse is tied at 53.9%. But that ignores context.

From my vantage point, Joe Mazzulla, Steve Kerr, Rick Carlisle, Erik Spoelstra, and Mark Daigneault (in no particular order) all deserve recognition as better coaches than Jenkins. Then there’s Mike Brown, who just led the New York Knicks to the championship, but I’m not convinced he’s better. The same can be said for Tyronn Lue and Nick Nurse. On the other end of the spectrum, Micah Nori, Sean Sweeney, and Dusty May are yet to coach a single NBA game, so Jenkins gets the nod as better by default. You can’t convince me he’s not better than Brian Keefe, Tuomas Iasolo, Doug Christie, Charles Lee, Jamahl Mosley, and Tiago Splitter, either.

With all that in mind, I have him somewhere between sixth and 21st. That’s a huge range, I know. But, like so many of the players on this roster, Jenkins also has a lot to prove. For what it’s worth, I think he’s up to the challenge—as I outlined in my April dive into the Bucks’ coaching search and Jenkin’s past. Let him sow.

Player projections

Harms: Who will be the most improved buck? Some recent articles and podcasts have been talking up Dieng as a possibility.

Zac: This is another legitimately tough one. With so many unproven players, it could be nearly anyone—besides the rookies, of course (you need a baseline to judge improvement). To your point, Ousmane Dieng showed a lot after coming over at the trade deadline last season, but I just can’t see him having as much responsibility—at least with the ball—to make a run at this title. Kasparas Jakučionis is someone I’m really intrigued with, but he doesn’t seem to have a pathway to enough minutes to take it, either. Jaime Jaquez Jr., on the other hand, figures to get plenty of opportunity at both of the forward positions. He also offers something this squad lacks—downhill attack and paint scoring.

On the flip side, there are numerous veterans who have a realistic shot at being MIB (that’s most improved Buck). After playing so poorly last year, Myles Turner is due to bounce back. Then again, would this really be improvement? Herro, playing for the first time in his career as a number one option, could potentially explode too. But would that be improvement, or just increased opportunity and usage?

You know what? I think Ryan Rollins doubles down on his improvement from a year ago but this time gets the recognition for it (at least from a league-wide perspective). He increases his points to about 20 a night—those off-season workouts with James Harden pay dividends at the stripe—and, more importantly, becomes one of the leaders on the team, cementing his place as the team’s point guard of the present and the future.

Harms: What do you anticipate the roles of vets like Trent, Green and kuzma to be to start the season?

Jack: OK, so for Trent—who we hope is cleared of any wrongdoing, LOL—I think they’re going to have to play him at least 15 minutes per game (certainly at the start of the season) to not make his contract look even fishier? Like, it would look pretty suspicious to pay someone $64m and then not play them, even if they haven’t warranted minutes. The more I think about it, the more I realize you just cannot do that; the optics are horrible. This annoys me a fair bit because those minutes should go to younger players, but instead they’re going to a guy who has no future on this team because Horst made a deal with the devil. Tough.

Gosh, I feel like AJ, through no fault of his own, is now the odd man out? So many combo guards need to play. Like, Rollins, Herro, Porter, LeVert, Burries… where does Green fit, and how can you find him minutes? At 26, does he fit into the “next wave,” or is he more valuable as a trade chip? I just feel like at least one of these guards has to be traded, which was why everyone was floating Green as the guy to go out in any potential Peyton Watson deal. Do I think “choosing” others over Green would be the right choice? I am far from sure. What I will say is that AJ has probably hit his ceiling as a player, so if you value what he brings, that’s great, but there probably isn’t much more evolution to come.

I reckon there’s a decent chance Kuz starts at the four at the beginning of the season and plays 25-30 minutes per night. It feels like he’s going to take on a leadership role as a vet on this young team. Other commenters have mentioned this before, but I think this team will try its hardest to win up until the trade deadline; however, it might shift to a more developmental focus after that (even though there’s no value in tanking since they don’t have their first-round pick). Ergo, if Kuzma isn’t traded at the deadline, I could see his minutes cut substantially as they wait for his contract to expire.

Statistically speaking

Harms: How many assists and turnovers per game do you anticipate? Who will lead in each category?

Jack: To the first question, the Bucks averaged 25.8 assists per game last season, ranking middle of the pack (16th). I found this interesting because I don’t feel like the team moved the ball particularly well last season, but I guess that’s what happens when you have Giannis; you’re just naturally going to rack up assists because he— being the physical presence he is—demands multiple defenders, which creates open looks. Without Giannis, I am confident the team will move the ball better, but still end up with a similar number of assists per game, if that makes sense. Like, the assists they get will “look better” because the ball has moved in a more typical fashion, but the number itself won’t shift much.

As for turnovers, the Bucks finished last season ranking 21st at 15.2 per game (meaning they averaged the ninth-most in the NBA). Funnily enough, my prediction for this is similar to my prediction for assists: they will land in a similar spot, but for a different reason. Last season was a mess; nobody really knew their role, and Giannis was often injured, which led to a chaotic style of play and thus, many turnovers. This season, the team is basically brand new and has little to no continuity, so I predict similar chaos and a similar number of turnovers per game.

Regarding the leader in each category, Ryan Rollins is my pick to lead in assists, closely followed by Kevin Porter Jr. As for turnovers, the obvious answer is KPJ, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some teething issues with Kel’el Ware as he tries to expand his offensive game.

Coverage and perspective

Wisconsin Sam: I would like to know if you feel your “outsider” perspective (as referenced in Jack’s articles about how Giannis CLEARLY should have been traded a year earlier, as opposed to us sentimental locals who wanted to hang on to our precious Freak as long as we could and never never let him go… maybe that’s just me) affects your coverage at all. Also if it makes you say things like “chinwag.”

Zac: Honestly, it has to, right? But I don’t see“affects” as a negative. Not being from Milwaukee (I have visited though—on my honeymoon no less!), we don’t have the same ties to the city as locals do, but don’t for a second confuse that for a lack of care or investment in this team. In fact, I’d say it’s the opposite. Following (and covering) a team from afar is arguably more difficult—games air during the workday, we don’t get to see them in person, and most people we encounter have only a very casual relationship with the NBA—let alone the Bucks—so fandom can be isolating. You don’t commit to a team like the Bucks without doing so wholeheartedly and some of my greatest memories are because of this team. So, trust me, we are sentimental (see my Bobby Simmons piece and, more pertinently, this and this about just what Giannis means to me). But, again, my sentimentality is not the same as yours. It can’t be.

As for “chinwag,” I wouldn’t say it’s a part of my daily vernacular, but it is a great term—just think of the imagery! Plus, I’ve grown rather protective fond of chin-related nomenclature—my high school PE teacher nicknamed me “Jaws” for my, uh, substantial jaw (and it’s still a running joke in my circle). Let the chins wag!

Roster and contracts

BarryDort: With it being rookie extension season, should the Bucks offer the rookie extension to Jaime Jaquez Jr. and what type of deal should they offer?

Jack: I don’t think the Bucks should be in any rush to extend Jaquez. If he wants to accept a “below-market deal”—maybe like 5/100 or 4/88—I might do it, but I’d probably prefer to wait and let him hit RFA. Horst and co. need to gather more data on JJJ to discern if they see him as part of the “next great Bucks team” or if they view him more as a bridge player that could help a contender now. Also, unethical as they are, restricted free agency rules have proven an effective tool for teams to force players into signing below-market contracts (see: Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga… maybe Jalen Duren this offseason). If the Bucks can save a few… bucks… they should do exactly that. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.

BarryDort: Everyone assumes Ryan Rollins is going to be a Buck for a long time. However, after this season he will most likely opt out of his deal and become an unrestricted free agent. How much is it going to cost to keep him and will it even matter if he decides he has a better opportunity somewhere else in the league?

Zac: How much it costs to keep him largely depends on his play this season. Was last year’s growth for real? Does he take another step? My answer to both is “Yes,” but there’s a very real chance that he regresses too. Looking at league-wide players salaries, and assuming Rollins does continue his ascension, it’s hard not to see him in the mid-20s annually. If not more. As for a better opportunity elsewhere? I don’t see it, certainly not in terms of touches and role—and Rollins doesn’t seem to be at the point in his career where he’d prioritise winning over those. He’s also had a lot of instability in his young career—three teams and plenty of time in the G-League in just four seasons as a pro—so you’d think (hope?) he’d value continuity.

Kaz5: If no trades happen before the season starts (which is kind of what I’m assuming now), who makes the team and who gets cut?

Jack: If no trades happen, I’d bet a lot of money they convert Pete Nance back to a two-way, since he has one year of two-way eligibility left (I think). From there, I can’t see how they take this many guards into the season; Horst could very well eat KPJ or LeVert’s expiring contract, and voila, you’re at 15 players.

Zac: I’ll jump in on this one too. I agree that a trade this late is unlikely—but you never know (just see the Damian Lillard trade to Milwaukee, which happened on September 27). In that case, I assume Pete Nance is one of the unlucky roster cuts, mainly due to him having a non-guaranteed contract. As for the other one, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bucks waive Caris LeVert. His $14.8m salary would be handy in future trade scenarios, but he just feels too much like the odd man out in this team (age, position etc.).

Team priorities

BarryDort: What should the Bucks prioritize for next year, winning or development? I believe you can only do one or the other at the same time. Development is playing 10-12 guys 20-25 minutes a game to get better and determine who is going to be part of the team going forward. Playing veterans 30 plus minutes a game doesn’t accomplish that goal.

Jack: I believe Milwaukee should prioritise development. When I weigh the upside vs. the downside of trying to win every game, the upside is that fans, by and large, are generally more content (which leads to higher ticket sales) and that the Bucks don’t give up such a high draft pick (but then again, with the flattened draft odds, who really knows). Additionally, as I’ve mentioned before, this draft is not great, so giving up a high pick is not nearly as costly/embarrassing as it ordinarily would be.

On the other hand, the downside of going all out to win every game is that you lose valuable opportunities to collect data on the young guys and expose them to NBA basketball, which, three years down the line, could prove costly. Also, as a fan, I want to see these guys play more than I do your Kyle Kuzmas or Caris LeVerts. Even if it’s not pretty, I want to see the “kids” play and would get a lot of joy out of it.

Mayor of Ding Dong City: My question is a two parter- which three players do you feel like are most likely traded during the season (bonus points for making rough % chance each get traded) and which players would you most likely look to trade if you were Horst?

Zac: I can’t go past Tyler Herro, Myles Turner, and Kyle Kuzma. For one, these guys don’t fit the Bucks’ timeline for contention—Herro will be 27 in January, Turner will be 31 in March, and Kuzma already is 31. While these ages don’t make them old, they are getting up there, at least in terms of playing prime. Moreover, as skillful veterans (yes, even in Kuzma’s case), they are more likely targets for teams looking for impact players now, especially around the trade deadline when teams have a clear indication of where they sit and are therefore more likely to go “all in.” And while I’m someone who really values veteran leadership on the roster—just see my Culture setters piece from earlier this offseason—if the Bucks can turn them into picks or younger assets, they certainly have to go for it. Percentage-wise, I’ll go Kuzma at 70% (his expiring contract helps here), Turner at 55%, and Herro at 35% (just know I am not a gambling man).

As for the second part of your question, if I’m Horst, I want to build with and around guys who want to be here. For all their warts, Herro (via public comments), Turner (through hosting the team in Texas), and Kuzma have all made steps in showing that desire. Having said this, I’m supremely cognisant to the fact that at least two of these guys (Herro and Turner) stand directly in the way of the two Bucks with the most upside, Brayden Burries and Kel’el Ware. Kuzma, with Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nate Ament, and even Ousmane Dieng, presents a similar situation. So, all things considered, I’d honestly stick with the same three names, with the caveat that it depends on what everyone shows early on in the season (and that there are no takers for Gary Trent Jr.). Outside of these three, I’d look at freeing up some of the guard room, in which case AJ Green and Kevin Porter Jr. seem the most likely candidates—they offer an enticing combination of strong talent and low salary to interest a number of teams.

Kaz5: The Bucks are obviously rebuilding. What is a realistic timeline to be a championship contender again? Five years? So, who will be a part of that future? Similar to what others have said, I’d love to see a roster analysis. I’d especially be interested in hearing insights on which guys they will try to trade in the very-near future. I have no issue with these guys as Milwaukee Bucks, but I feel like the following guys don’t fit that 4-5 year timeline:

• Tyler Herro
• Kyle Kuzma
• Caris LeVert
• Gary Trent Jr.
• Myles Turner

I think each of those guys can contribute to a winning team, but that’s not the Bucks right now. Which of those guys will be traded pre-season? Mid-season? Next off-season?

Jack: Sorry, this turned into a much longer answer. Yeah, I’d say the Bucks are looking at a 4-6 year window for when they hope to contend again. At the very least, they’d want to be showing signs that they’re getting close by the fourth or fifth year. With that said, this is made much more difficult due to Milwaukee having precious few first-round picks over this timeline. Now, what they have is a pick surplus from 2031 onward thanks to the Giannis trade, and those Heat picks could be very valuable.

That gives you two options: 1) be patient with the rebuild and maybe even extend your timeline a year or two and make one or both of those Heat picks yourself in 2031 and 2033, or 2), trade those picks over the next few years in exhange for immediate help—whether that be through the upcoming drafts or in a trade for an established player—and speed up the process. I don’t know the right answer; what I will say is that the hasty nature of Horst’s operations over the past eight years has naturally made me more inclined to see the front office exercise patience. It’s not about constructing a team that can merely win a few playoff games in the first round; it’s about building something that can have sustainable success at the highest level.

As for the guys you mentioned, I agree that in an ideal world, all of them would be traded. However, as you’ll see in an upcoming article, not all of them have great trade value. Herro’s a good chance to be dealt to a win-now team mid-season if he plays OK for the first 50 games and doesn’t get injured. Kuzma is an expiring, so he’ll either get dealt mid-season for some middling picks or just expire—LeVert same thing. Nobody’s touching Trent’s contract for at least two years, I’m sorry to say. Turner, if he plays well to start the year, could be moved mid-season; the contract isn’t great, but it’s not awful either.

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How’d we go, folks? Agree with our takes or think that we’re trippin’? Either way, let us know in the comments and thanks again for your questions. Questions & Antlers will return in November, at about the quarter mark of the season, where we can chat about early season impressions.

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Los Angeles Sparks star Cameron Brink came to San Antonio last season to catch a game. She recently shared a funny story with Sydel Curry-Lee on her Straight to Cam podcast. The moment involved her mom’s reaction to Devin Vassell three-pointer while in attendance at that Spurs game.

Cameron Brink Reveals Her Mom Embarrassed Her Courtside During A Spurs Game

Cameron Brink: “But the funniest thing was… Um, there’s this guy on the Spurs, his name is Devin Vassell.”

Cameron Brink: “Whenever he makes a three, he does a celebration where he takes his fingers… pic.twitter.com/Jit2wwWdlL

— TrueNorth (@Franco_Vision) September 6, 2026

“But the funniest thing was… Um, there’s this guy on the Spurs, his name is Devin Vassell. Whenever he makes a three, he does a celebration where he takes his fingers and he’ll put it over his eye, kind of. And all of a sudden, my mom’s like, ‘Kind of looks like he’s doing…’ No, she literally did it, courtside! Cameras on us, me mic’d up, and I just look at her and I’m like… I remember just like turning bright red. I was like, ‘Mom!’”

It just goes to show, you never know when the camera is on and the Jumbotron is live.

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We’re deep into the offseason early in September, but still the NBA news churns.

With Bryson Graham and Kyle Korver both departing from the Hawks’ front office this offseason, the Hawks had spots to fill within their organizational structure. Now, on Tuesday, we hear about the status of the number two position next to new president Onsi Saleh.

The Hawks yesterday announced the promotion of Peter Dinwiddie to executive vice president of basketball operations:

Dinwiddie joined the Hawks prior to last season as senior vice president of strategy and analytics after working five years with the Philadelphia 76ers as their executive vice president of basketball operations. Before his stint with the Sixers, he spent 14 seasons with the Indiana Pacers, beginning in 2006 in the inside sales department before transitioning to basketball operations. Over his time in Indiana, he served as director of basketball administration, vice president of basketball operations and senior vice president of basketball operations. The native of Indianapolis, Ind. is a 1999 graduate from Indiana University and a 2004 graduate of the New England School of Law.

The release also mentions two more transactions: a promotion and the hire of a well-known and longtime NBA journalist:

Tim Bontemps joins the Hawks as strategic advisor and Maxwell Kupchak has been elevated to the role of director of cap strategy & player personnel.

Bontemps joins the Hawks’ front office after more than eight years covering the NBA for ESPN, including co-hosting The Hoop Collective podcast. With ESPN, Bontemps focused on team strategy, player movement and league trends, including both breaking news and deeper reporting on the business of the NBA both on and off the court. Prior to ESPN, he worked for The Washington Post from 2015-18 and the New York Post from 2007-15. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University.

Kupchak, previously coordinator, cap strategy & player personnel, is in his fourth season with the Hawks organization. Prior to Atlanta, Kupchak spent four seasons in the front office of the Charlotte Hornets, where he began as a video room operations assistant before being promoted to a front office basketball assistant, and finally manager of basketball operations and scouts. The Los Angeles native is a graduate of University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was a four-year member of the men’s basketball team, appearing in 97 career games.

There was also a move made yesterday surrounding a player. The Hawks released info on a Summer League graduate, Devon Higgs. Higgs played for the Hawks in both Utah and Las Vegas this summer after a long career at Georgia Southwestern State University.

The guard was likely signed to an Exhibit 10 deal — a non-guaranteed contract that usually has the player end up on the College Park Skyhawks for the upcoming season.

The Knicks still have no idea what they’re doing with their open two-way spots, but at least for now, one of them will not be Dillon Jones, who signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the rival Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.

Back-to-back champ Dillon Jones signed with the 76ers to an Exhibit 10 contract, a team source told ESPN. He’ll be a part of Philly’s training camp later this month.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 8, 2026

Jones has had quite the NBA career so far. He was briefly a Knick on draft night after being selected No. 25 overall in 2024, but his draft rights were traded immediately to Oklahoma City as part of a complicated night for Leon Rose and company.

While he didn’t play much as a rookie, he won a ring as part of the 2024-25 Thunder. Most people coming off their rookie seasons on NBA champions would have some security, but Jones was part of the roster churn that OKC continually does to fit new draft picks on the roster, being salary dumped to Washington before being bought out of his rookie contract.

Midway through the 2025-26 season, he inked a two-way deal with the Knicks, where he appeared in seven games and played 39 total minutes before being reduced to street clothes for the entire championship run. While you might think he was the least consequential of the 18, his experience as a champion was something Mike Brown leaned on as the reality grew closer and closer.

Crazy.

Mike Brown revealed he leaned on DILLON JONES for advice throughout the Knicks’ championship run after Jones won a title with OKC, and that it was his idea to show the team their faces after the loss of the ECF to the Pacers.

Another subtle Leon Rose win. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/L9lgCk81Sb

— Knicks Nation (@KnicksNation) June 30, 2026

The 24-year-old will now try to latch on in Philly, which has just one open roster and two-way spot with 20 confirmed players in training camp. He’ll be competing with the likes of Tacko Fall and Jameer Nelson Jr.

If he does make the roster in some capacity, he will join Ariel Hukporti in receiving their championship rings on Ring Night on October 20 with the rest of the squad.

Knicks Guard Landry Shamet seems to have found a new side gig this offseason. 

While Shamet is likely still basking in the glory of the Knicks’ NBA title — the organization’s first in 53 years — he appeared to have taken up photography and was spotted at the U.S. Open on Tuesday night working on his craft during the Jessica Pegula-Emma Navarro quarterfinal match. 

An eagle-eyed photographer from The Post spotted the Knicks guard down in the photo pit at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Shamet was getting shots of the two American competitors alongside other credentialed photographers covering this year’s tournament. 

It’s the third year Shamet has taken his photography skills to the Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows. 

He has worked as an unpaid photographer for the USTA during the last two tournaments. He started with shooting photos during the first week of the tournament in 2024 and did well enough to be invited back last year to take pictures during the final weekend, the Associated Press previously reported. 

Shamet even posted some of his work from last year’s tournament on his Instagram account, with the caption noting that he took the photos with a Sony a7R V. 

“His action photos are really tremendous,” USTA photographer Jen Pottheiser told the AP last year. “He really is a student of photography here. He’s asking amazing questions. He’s frankly a great teammate.

“I’m sure any New Yorker knows that.”

Shamet told the outlet he started getting into photography five years ago and has fallen in love with the hobby. 

“I think since I picked the camera up I don’t really foresee a day where I put it down,” Shamet said. “Even when we go on the road I always have a camera with me, just to have. So whether it’s just like as a hobby, walking around, shooting stuff that I like to maybe print out and put on the wall in my house or doing things like this, it’ll always be there.”

In late June, Shamet signed a four-year, $24 million contract to return to the Knicks. He averaged 9.3 points per game during the regular season and 6.0 points per game during the playoffs.

If one thing is for certain about basketball, it’s always that there will be a dominant duo in the league. But just how dominant can they be?

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley appeared on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” and said he believes that San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are the next great one.

So great, he compared them to an iconic Golden State Warriors duo.

“If I’m a guard in the NBA, I do not want to see them for what’s the next ten years,” Barkley said. “They’re gonna be the new Steph and Klay.”

The duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, nicknamed “The Splash Brothers” were one of the greatest shooting tandems the NBA had ever seen, as they led the league 9-times in three-pointers made.

Curry, a two-time MVP, has led the league in three-pointers made eight times in his career, while Thompson led the league in threes during the 2022-2023 season, when he sank 301.

The Splash Brothers appeared in six NBA Finals together, where they won four of them in 2015,2017,2018, and 2022.

The duo’s time started to wind down as Thompson regressed with the Warriors during the 2023-2024 season, when he shot 38.7% from downtown, resulting in him taking on a role coming off the bench.

After the season ended, Thompson went on to sign with the Dallas Mavericks, but has yet to shoot over 40% from the three-point line.

Over the summer, the Mavericks placed Thompson on waivers and just signed with the Miami Heat last month.

Curry, 38, is entering his 18th season in the NBA and is chasing his fifth NBA title.

But as Curry is preparing for his next mission, he will have to find a way to get past Castle and Harper on his own.

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When Castle plays alongside Harper, he averages 16.8 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game, while Harper averages 11.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.4 rebounds.

Both Castle and Harper have a bright future as they’re both still under 22 years old and are three months removed from an NBA Finals loss to the New York Knicks.

The NBA season is rapidly approaching as teams are expected to report to training camp at the end of the month.

As the Golden State Warriors are about to begin camp, one of the biggest questions surrounding the team this season is how healthy they will be next year. Primarily, Jimmy Butler III.

According to ESPN NBA insider Anthony Slater, he wrote that Butler, who is recovering from a torn ACL injury, is expected to return by January or February next season.

“Butler has been slowly increasing his on-court work while traveling the globe this summer, and the most recent strength tests on his right ACL recovery have shown notable progress, according to league sources,” Slater wrote.

Slater also wrote that Butler still has a way to go on the road to recovery as he’s “expected to be limited to individual court and strength work.”

If Butler comes back in January, it will be right around the same time he tore his ACL last year in a 135-112 victory against the Miami Heat.

Butler was on fire that night when he was facing off against his former team, scoring 17 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals through 21 minutes of playing time.

Around the 7:41 mark of the third quarter, Butler received a pass and immediately crashed into Miami’s Davion Mitchell, resulting in him awkwardly falling down.

After the game, it was later revealed what had happened, and his season was over.

Butler has been working his way back from the injury over the offseason, but Slater reported that there will be plenty of checkpoints he needs to meet before he appears on an NBA court again.

Slater also added that the Warriors’ Rick Celebrini, who is the lead medical decision-maker, is well known for his cautious approach.

Butler was traded by the Heat to the Warriors during the 2025 NBA trade deadline, as Golden State was making an aggressive push to help win one more title with Steph Curry.

Through their time as teammates, the duo of Curry and Butler have only appeared in 60 games together, primarily because of injuries.

During his first season with Golden State, the Warriors were eliminated in five games in the second round of the 2025 NBA playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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Former Husky star and national champion Jordan Hawkins will be sporting some new threads when the NBA season tips off next month. The New Orleans Pelicans guard was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday morning along with Micah Peavy and two second-round picks in exchange for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson.

The New Orleans Pelicans are trading Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, a future second-round pick and a future second-round pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/JLvDjv9clc

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 8, 2026

In two years at UConn, Hawkins emerged as one of the best shooters in recent program history as a sophomore. He averaged 16.2 points per game and helped lead the Huskies to the 2023 title, shooting a blistering 21-41 from 3-point land during the NCAA Tournament. He had seven games in his UConn career with at least five 3-pointers made, including six in the Elite Eight against Gonzaga.

Hawkins played his first three seasons in the NBA with the Pelicans after being picked with the 14th pick in the 2023 draft, registering up-and-down results. He played 67 games as a rookie, averaging 7.8 PPG. His second year was even better, averaging 10.8 PPG in 23.6 MPG across 56 games. Last year was a step backwards, as Hawkins struggled to stick in the rotation and put up just 5.1 PPG in 51 games.

The deal to Memphis gives the Grizzlies two former UConn players on their roster for this upcoming season, as Hawkins joins 2024 national champ Cam Spencer. Spencer has emerged as one of the top players on the team, putting up 11.1 PPG and 5.6 APG a year ago.

BREAKING: in a multi player/pick swap, the New Orleans Pelicans are trading Jordan Hawkins to the Memphis Grizzlies per @ShamsCharania

Hawkins is now teammates with Cam Spencer in Memphis. pic.twitter.com/KTrP18PH9c

— Huskies In The Pros (@HuskyPros) September 8, 2026

Hawkins is joining a deep guard room that features Spencer, Scotty Pippen Jr., Cedric Coward, Walter Clayton Jr., Ty Jerome and Javon Small. It may not be easy to crack the rotation, but if he can ignite the spark that he had two years ago, it may be tough to keep him out of it. Things didn’t end well in New Orleans, but a fresh start may be exactly what he needs.

When the Lakers honor Phil Jackson with a statue on April 7 outside of Crypto.com Arena, they’ll not only be immortalizing the greatest coach in franchise history but also the greatest in NBA history. 

Not Red Auerbach.

Not Gregg Popovich.

Jackson’s coaching résumé speaks for itself: 11 NBA championships, which are the most by any head coach in league history, in 13 NBA Finals appearances across 20 years.

The most playoff wins (229) by a coach in league history. 

A 70.4 regular-season and 68.8 playoffs winning percentage, both the highest marks in league history among individuals who’ve coached at least 10 seasons. 

But Jackson’s impact and case as the NBA’s greatest coach of all time goes beyond statistics and rings. 

He popularized the triangle offense, which was developed by Tex Winter, a longtime assistant coach under Jackson with the Bulls and Lakers. The offensive system was the backbone for team success for two decades, and its principles have influenced successful NBA offenses for even longer — particularly the Warriors’ most recent dynasty. 

His ability to manage personalities on superstar-driven teams led to his teams maximizing their potential: Jackson-coached teams won 25 consecutive playoff series from 1996-2003. 

His holistic approach to coaching also earned him the moniker of “Zen Master.”

When it comes to NBA coaches, Jackson’s combination of success and influence stands above the rest. 

Auerbach, who led the Celtics to eight consecutive NBA titles from 1959-66 and nine championships in 10 years including the 1957 NBA title, was the architect behind one of the greatest dynasties in league history. Especially when factoring in his influence on Boston’s roster construction, which continued in his roles as Celtics general manager and eventually president after his retirement as coach in 1966. He was rightfully voted as the greatest coach in NBA history by the Professional Basketball Writers Association in 1980.

Popovich’s longevity with the Spurs is unmatched: an NBA record 1,390 regular-season wins to go with five NBA championships and six NBA Finals. Three NBA Coach of the Year awards, which is tied for the most in league history (the award was created in 1962). Twenty-two consecutive playoff appearances (1998-2019, which is tied for an NBA record. Popovich reinvented himself and his teams throughout his 29 seasons as the Spurs’ coach, consistently achieving success at the highest level with each version of the Spurs that developed. 

But Jackson has a feather in his cap that Auerbach and Popovich lack: He successfully led two different franchises to dynastic runs with the 1990s Bulls and the 2000s Lakers. 

An argument against Jackson, and in favor of another coach being the greatest of all time, was that Jackson coached some of the greatest players of all time in Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. And that’s before even mentioning other key players to the dynasties Jackson led such as Pau Gasol, Ron Harper, Lamar Odom, Toni Kukoc and Horace Grant. 

But Auerbach had Hall of Fame players such as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek and Sam Jones, to name a few. 

Popovich had Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginóbili and Kawhi Leonard.

Coaching great talents is a prerequisite for becoming an all-time coach. 

Among all the all-time coaches, Jackson stands above them all.  

The Brooklyn Nets could be in for more ABA-related fun during the 2026-27 season.

Last week, the team announced plans to celebrate the franchise’s 60th anniversary with an “ABA Night” on November 18. This week, a Sacramento Kings fan account on X discovered the NBA filed to trademark the term “ABA CHALLENGE SERIES” and an accompanying wordmark in late June.

The USPTO also has it listed as “live” and “pending.‘’

🚨BREAKING: The NBA may be planning a special "ABA Challenge Series" this season.

— Trademark filed on June 23 with intent for "live basketball games and basketball exhibitions"
— League celebrating 50th anniversary of ABA-NBA merger with 4 ABA teams rumored for Classic unis
🧵 pic.twitter.com/U5MWZ6Vq5G

— Kings Uni Tracker (@SacKings_Unis) September 8, 2026

The Nets are shedding some light on their ABA roots this season. On ABA Night, they’ll give away a Julius Erving bobblehead giveaway. Peter Vecsey reported that all living players and coaches from the 1974 and 1976 title teams will be in attendance.

What exactly does the Nets ABA Night (Nov. 18) mean? I’m told all the living players and coaches from the franchise’s only two title teams (‘74 & ‘76) will attend…

— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) September 3, 2026

There’s been no official word from the league or the Nets on whether or not there’s more to the scheduled “ABA Night,” although the “Challenge Series” might indicate that something larger is in the works.

The Nets are one of four NBA teams to have originated in the ABA, the other being the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs. To our knowledge, they’ve yet to announce anything formally related to a the trademark filling either.

Brooklyn will face the San Antonio Spurs twice (December 23 and March 18), the Denver Nuggets twice (March 1 and March 25), and the Indiana Pacers four times (October 25, November 1, January 11 and March 15).

No, this is not an attempt to get birthday wishes from our faithful Bright Siders.

But I was thinking about some outrageous things that would be great to see from the Suns this season. Some bold takes. What better way to wish for some wild outcomes than to do it while blowing out some candles? That way, you can’t hold me accountable for any of this. When in Rome…

Let’s get freakishly optimistic and speak some things into existence.

Disclaimer: Again, these are NOT things I am predicting. Just speaking into existence in an alternate reality where things go according to… Suns fans. Yes, I am going to get greedy.

1) Devin Booker revenge tour season + enters MVP conversation

What if it just finally happens? What if this is the year Devin Booker catches everyone by surprise and unleashes a new level to his game? Why not? He’s still just 29 years old, going on 30 in October, and this is an age that many players have had career years in the past.

He finished 4th in voting in 2021-22 after leading the Suns to a 64-win season, so it may take a lot from both a personal and team perspective, but he’s been in the conversation before.

Just when everyone seems to have taken a collective step back on his hierarchy in the NBA star food chain… this could be the moment he strikes. What if he has his best season yet and the Suns crush expectations? They’ll have to pay attention to him again.

2) The Phoenix Suns just SMASH expectations, win 54 games

Devin Booker is in MVP conversations, after all. I don’t know why I picked 54, but it just felt right.

Most betting sites have them in the 38-40 win range, so this would be exceeding those expectations by quite a bit. Even with their win total being 46 a year ago, Vegas does not believe in the Suns for the second season in a row.

54 wins likely puts them in the top-4 in a loaded Western Conference, so yeah. This is entering best-case scenario territory. They start the season hot, beat bad teams, stay healthy, and Devin Booker has the year of his life.

3) Khaman Maluach breaks out a year early

This one may be a little more realistic. But let’s make even this one bold. He takes the starting job from Mark Williams, and it has nothing to do with injury. He runs with it after filling in as a spot starter in back-to-backs and gains Jordan Ott’s trust. Most expect gradual production and improvement from him in year two, and at his age that’s reasonable. But why not a full-on breakout?

Summer League Khaman carries into the regular season, takes the starting center job, and never looks back for the next decade. Let’s get even bolder. How about he enters the top 10 center conversation in the back half of the season?

We’re not just talking about looking competent; we’re talking about looking like a future franchise cornerstone.

4) Jalen Green takes a leap

Jalen Green is in a weird position right now. We call this “young player with high expectations” purgatory. When you’re drafted as high as Green, you are held to another standard. Some view him as a negative asset due to his contract; some say he’s still young enough to warrant being a “sleeper” breakout pick.

I’m not going to say anything bold like stardom, but becoming the type of player that everyone said he couldn’t be. Playmaking improves. Defense improves. Catch-and-shoot numbers improve. Improved shot selection, which increases his efficiency. It’s not a pure PPG breakout, but rather, a breakout in the areas we all want to see improvement in.

We don’t need a flashy leap. The boring, intangible, and efficiency-led leap is what I am wishing for.

5) Koa Peat is the steal of the draft

Koa Peat exceeds our wildest expectations and forces himself into the rotation. Not only in the rotation, but he becomes a staple of it. He and Maluach showcase a very promising 4-5 combo that is versatile, strong, athletic, and has high upside.

Rival GM’s will long be asking themselves why they didn’t take him sooner. We are due for a player like that, so I will speak it into existence.

That was a whole lot of optimism, delusion, and manifestation taking place all at once. Thanks for sticking through.

It’s a new era of basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers, and there has been an assumption that they might be worse than they were last season.

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley begs to disagree by saying team general manager and President of Basketball Operations, Rob Pelinka, has been assembling a team that will be better next season.

“I really want to see the Lakers do well,” Barkley said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” “First of all, I’m a big Luka fan, a big Austin Reaves fan. …Luka [Dončić] and Kyrie [Irving] took the [Mavericks] to the Finals, come on, man. This team is probably better; this team is probably just as good as that team.”

As Barkley said, Pelinka has been quietly reconstructing the Lakers roster to fit better around Dončić as they are fully engaged in making the team better around him.

The first move they made was keeping Reaves playing alongside Dončić for at least the next three-years by giving him a four-year $185 million contract extension that includes a player option for the final year.

With Reaves extended, it was time to clean house as the team ended up wiping out its starting five that won a playoff series last season, and even parted ways with future Hall of Famer LeBron James, who informed the team they could move on from him as he would be departing last June.

The main request that Dončić had for Pelinka over the offseason was finding him a big man.

Pelinka granted his wish and acquired Walker Kessler via a sign-and- trade deal.

On top of that, the team also went out and got San Mamukelasvili, Koven Looney, Colin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, and Zaiarie Williams, and acquired Cameron Carr in the NBA Draft.

With Dončić now the face of the team, he’s been taking on a leadership role and recently flew the team out to his home country of Slovenia, where they held a minicamp and participated in team activities that included team dinners and exploring the country.

With a newly refounded Lakers team here, they’re expected to arrive at training camp on September 29.

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The Washington Wizards have promoted Amber Nichols to vice president of basketball operations and player personal, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported Tuesday.

The Washington Wizards are promoting Amber Nichols to Vice President of Basketball Operations and Personnel, league sources told @hoopshype. Nichols was previously Washington’s Director of Amateur Evaluation. Prior, she was General Manager of the Capital City Go-Go G League team. pic.twitter.com/9ev4mqItSM

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) September 8, 2026

Nichols previously served as the Wizards’ director of amateur evaluation. Before that role, she served as general manager of the Capital City Go-Go — Washington’s G League affiliate.

Wizards general manager Will Dawkins praised Nichols’ role in the team’s draft evaluation process. The Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa and Felix Okpara in the 2026 NBA Draft.