Category: Basketball

If the song from LeBron James’s agonizing Polymarket ad is as stuck in your head as mine thanks to the commercial playing during every YouTube video and HBO show (all I wanted to do was rewatch The Leftovers), let Victor Wembanyama be your antidote. At the Spurs’ practice on Thursday, San Antonio Express-News columnist Mike Finger asked Wembanyama if he would ever partner with a sports betting firm. It couldn’t have been easier for the 22-year-old to say yes. The NBA displays ads for both FanDuel and DraftKings, in addition to hawking betting odds on its broadcasts. Until the streaming service met its end a few months ago, plenty of NBA games streamed exclusively on FanDuel Sports Network. Then there are Wembanyama’s legendary peers: James is the new face of Polymarket; Kevin Durant reads FanDuel odds and invests in Kalshi; Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Kalshi shareholder.

“Absolutely not,” Wembanyama said instead. “I will never do that. Honestly, I think it’s very sad to see some players promote it. Everybody does whatever they want, but without me.”

Related: ‘It’s sad seeing players promote it’: Wembanyama says he will never endorse gambling companies

Standards are so back. It shouldn’t feel miraculous that a star of Wembanyama’s stature is taking the position that players should not cash checks from predatory companies that incentivize athletes to dabble in insider trading, but in 2026, we’ll take any anti-sellout ally we can find. This one may prove particularly valuable. Given his age and fame, Wembanyama should be around as a beacon to cut through the murk of betting for some time to come. How refreshing that, as rightwing terror reigns, the NBA’s best and biggest young star is a politically outspoken leftist.

It’s not a stylish time to turn down buckets of money. Thanks to some combination of a disintegrating economy, a president and political party so craven and corrupt that scandal-worthy behavior often doesn’t register, and a significant overlap among the wealthy and the morally bankrupt, shame died a bloody death somewhere in the last decade. Most basketball podcasts keep themselves afloat with gambling companies’ life rings. No reputational damage seems to last. James’s Polymarket partnership was immediately and emphatically unpopular, but apparently not enough for anybody at the Philadelphia 76ers’ media day to ask him about it.

So Wembanyama’s emphatic rejection of a sports betting partnership stands out. Had he simply said, “Sure, who knows what the future brings,” few would have batted an eye. But not only did he refuse the possibility, he also left behind a receipt. I will never do that. For Wembanyama, any eventual embrace of gambling will be met with fans’ usual criticism – and his own words echoed back at him.

What’s perhaps most refreshing about Wembanyama is – so far, at least; athletes tend to become more and more PR-friendly as they age – his willingness to ruffle feathers. Asked about the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in January, Wembanyama said, “Yeah, PR has tried, but I’m not going to sit here and give some politically correct [answer]. Every day I wake up and see the news, and I’m horrified. I think it’s crazy that some people might make it seem like or sound like the murder of civilians is acceptable.” It’s similarly outrageous that the aggressive integration of sports betting and prediction markets into society has been successful. It’s not normal or ideal for professional sports leagues to be in bed with gambling firms, or for companies that allow people to trade money on every event imaginable to exist at all. A healthy NBA is one where the star poised to dominate the league for the next decade is willing to express sentiment along those lines out loud.

There is one cynical way to look at Wembanyama’s response. He’s coming off a run of bad press on the court. After a brilliant playoff run through three rounds, he had a disastrous NBA finals. He threw a pass off a teammate’s back in the decisive moments of one game, missed two free throws towards the end of another (in which the Spurs failed to consolidate a 29-point lead into victory). He showed flashes of violence in the playoffs, earning an ejection by elbowing Naz Reid in the neck, and at times succumbed to the same brand of foul-baiting he’d criticized in other players months earlier. As the Spurs crashed out, Wemby had never been less popular. Decrying the omnipresence of sports betting, which fans almost universally abhor, gets the Spurs’ big man back in their good graces. But it’s hard to say his swing in fortune is undeserved. Fun as it is to watch, what happens during a professional basketball game is rarely more than a metaphor for society. A clear appraisal of the real world is more representative of virtue.

ESPN has named two Raptors forwards as making their list of the top-20 players in the NBA. It’s great to see Toronto finally standing amongst the big dogs of the league, both from a media perception perspective, and a roster construction one. The front office is doing the right things, and the outlets are in agreement.

The Kid and the Klaw

Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard were ranked at 17th and 15 best in the league, overall, by ESPN, both ahead of players like LeBron James, Tyrese Haliburton, and Devin Booker. This is chalked up to Barnes’ two-way play, and Leonard’s scoring, with both players able to contribute significantly on both ends of the ball, unlike some of the players ranked below them.

They both saw massive upticks in their ranking compared to those from last year’s list: Barnes jumped 13 spots, from 30th in the league to 17th, while Leonard leapt up five, from 20th to 15th.

Their placement in this list is almost perfect, though it may seem strange to see a two-time All-Star ranked higher than four-time MVP LeBron James. But, this list is tracking the ascension of Barnes into a franchise cornerstone, a fact that after his playoff performance last year, cannot be ignored. They call Scottie a “do-everything engine”, which sums up his place on the Raptors, and in the NBA, extremely well. Barnes’ versatility is one of his key strengths, and especially in the postseason, having someone who can score, guard, rebound, and pass is key to surviving some of the league’s tougher matchups, especially on a team without a top-tier centre.

What Kawhi brings to the table is, of course, a little different. Centrally, Leonard is someone who the Raptors need to score without being a defensive liability, a role he should take to like a fish to water. ESPN puts an asterisk on Leonard’s placement, noting that he “hasn’t advanced past the first round since 2021,” and “must prove he can still crank it up in the playoffs.”

Fighting for position

Kawhi is ranked just below Jaylen Brown and Kevin Durant in the list, two big stars who have had notable playoff struggles in recent years as well. No one is doubting the performances of any of the three, but ESPN even point to Brown potentially fighting for touches in a stacked Philadelphia roster as a potential drain on his output going forward. The “too many cooks” situation is a reality for Philadelphia, with a number of ball dominant players all together on one roster, something that Kawhi Leonard will not face in Toronto.

The article also points to Durant’s combination of leadership and consistent output over the past seven years, facts than cannot be ignored. Durant is many things, but inconsistent is not one of them. What the Slim Reaper brings to the table is something that should be be ignored, but for roster construction, Kawhi Leonard is undoubtedly the better fit for Toronto.

Nevertheless, ESPN’s article isn’t necessarily about team success, rather, about which individual players are the “best”. And maybe, if the Larry O’Brien went to the winner of a 1V1 tournament, Kevin Durant would have ten of those things. But, thankfully, while basketball is a star dominated sport, it’s also one where players succeed as teams and fail as individuals. It’s five guys out there on the court every night, and if Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes and two of those five, odds are that they’re going to beat you. By a lot.

Still, it’s gratifying to see both Scottie and Kawhi climb the ranks, with the young star ascending in the eyes of the public, and the older veteran getting to relive his glory days yet again. After a playoff push this year, the two Raptors might jump up even higher in the rankings, but ultimately, that’s for the guys on the court to decide.

Ah, the historic Northwest Division. Home of storied rivalries, hallowed tradition, and elaborate fight songs. Why the first thing I think of when I hear the word “Northwest” are the jagged peaks of the Cascade mountain range and the … dust bowl environs of Oklahoma City suburbs…that are about a 33 hour drive away from the nearest Douglas Fir.

Scratch that. Let’s try again.

The first thing I think of are soaring orca whales breaching the frigid Puget Sound and the … green bean hotdishes… baked on the eastern shores of the Mississippi? 

Goddamn it! How many teams has the league relocated away from the Pacific Northwest already? Adam Silver might as well be honest and rename this thing the “Portland Better Pony Up for a New Stadium, Or We’ll Take Everything You Love” division.

Geographic quibbles aside, the Minnesota Timberwolves are in for a much improved, and dare I say, exciting race in a division full of upstarts and crumbling dynasties. Let’s look at the rest of the division and divine what the 16 divisional games on the schedule have in store for us.

Each team will receive a rivalry score based on how annoying it will be to play them (on a scale of one to five Aaron Rodgers-es).

Portland Trailblazers

True to their path-scorching team name, Portland’s new owner is pioneering a fan-experience initiative where fans need to bring their own seats to the games. Is this because Tom Dundon is a cheapskate who won’t pay for playoff T-shirts or for hotel late fees? No, no, not at all. How can you say that? Saving money is just a nice side benefit. The new arena rule where all fans are required to donate plasma that Tom Dundon can sell is about money.  

Who’s out: Jeremi Grant, Matisse Thybulle

Who’s in: Ja Morant. Jeremy Sochan. Micah Nori wearing a potato sack. What, you expected Mr. Dundon to BUY a suit for his coaching staff???

Prognosis: Ja Morant and Elliot Smith have more in common than you might think. Great indie debuts (Murray State; Roman Candle), incandescent introductions to the majors (2020 Rookie of the Year; releasing XO on DreamWorks), and a serious self-destructive streak. What are the chances Ja regains his form in PDX? I’d say about the same as finding a needle in the haaaaaaay.  

Last year, the feisty Blazers overperformed thanks to a gritty coaching job by Thiago Splitter, a ball-dominant Deni Avdija, and growth from youngsters like Donovan Clingan. This year…I don’t see it. Should this team be finding time for both Ja and post-Achilles surgery Damian Lillard when they have Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe (who is out for the year) on the roster? Come home, Micah. 

What should Wolves fans worry about?: If Dundon moves the team from Portland, Minnesotans will need to give up naming rights for Lake Itasca to keep the Wolves in town.

Rivalry meter: 1 Aaron Rodger. Pretty annoying, but I feel bad that their fans need to put up with this garbage.

Denver Nuggets

If you thought the cheap owner jokes were done after the Portland preview, buckle up, baby! Here comes Denver Nuggets basketball. Seriously, the Kroenke family approached the offseason like your aunt on Temu. Look–DeMar DeRozan is 70% off! 

Who’s out: Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, Nikola Jokić’s title window 

Who’s in: DeMar DeRozan, Marvin Bagley III, Lonnie Walker IV…wow and I thought their Russell Westbrook signing was desperate 

Prognosis: Pray for Aaron Gordon’s calves. Jokić guarantees this team a playoff spot, but not much more. Jamal Murray played his best year ever last year, and they still got beat by Jaden McDaniels in round one.

Jokić needs instinctive cutters and credible deep threats to maximize his otherworldly court vision…and the Nuggets signed Marvin Bagley III. 

What should Wolves fans worry about?: Jokić’s prize stallion, Dream Weaver, gets Serbian Horse Flu on the eve of the playoffs, sparking the Joker into a John Wick-style revenge frenzy. 

Rivalry meter: 3 out of 5 Aaron Rodgers. For old time sakes.

Utah Jazz

Why can’t the lives of Mormon wives stay secret? The Utah Jazz are finally ready to compete for a playoff spot this season after committing a multi-year tank job so disgraceful it made Joseph Smith’s third, fourth, and eighth wives blush. Unfortunately for our Wolves, the Jazz’s assemblage of sweet-shooting bigs and talented young guards could catapult them back to levels of relevance last seen when Memhet Okur roamed around in a purple mountain jersey.

Who’s out: Walker Kessler, Will Hardy’s excuses

Who’s in: Darryn Peterson, Jaxson Hayes, the GOAT Josh Okogie

Prognosis: Count me among the deranged Darryn Peterson true believers. I know he struggled with creatine cramps in Kansas…but my lord, he has a beautiful mid-range package. The footwork, my friends, is smooth as elevator jazz. Peterson is lucky he landed in Utah, a state so supportive of people with mental health issues that they elected Senator Mike Lee. Led by Lauri Markkanen’s best season, I’d predict Utah to grab the sixth seed in the West.

What should Wolves fans worry about?: Ace Bailey learns about the power of teamwork from the big band stylings of Cab Calloway and finds his footing as a microwave scorer off the bench. skibbidy-doo-oop-ah-doo-wop-yeah!

Rivalry meter: 2 out of 5 Aaron Rodgers. Tell Danny Ainge he can’t leer at our draft picks like that!

Oklahoma City Thunder

Man, it hurts to write this. I hate this team. But I can’t lie–the Thunder are just stacked. If any of these players were added to the Timberwolves’ roster, I would lose my mind with joy: Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Jared McCain, Isaiah Hartenstein, Bennett Stirtz…and these are just their role players. I’m depressed.

Who’s out: Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins

Who’s in: Bennett Stirtz, Aday Mara, an invite for Chet Holmgren to serve as official ball boy for the French national team 

Prognosis: Lou Dort was holding this team back. With Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain providing better offensive guard play, the Thunder will be even better than last year.  

What should Wolves fans worry about?: The Los Angeles Clippers still have picks in 2039 that they can trade to OKC

Rivalry meter: 5 out of 5 Aaron Rodgers. Ugh. So annoying that even Pat McAfee asked if Jordan Love could do a segment instead

Minnesota Timberwolves

Only one thing to say here:

Get’em Ant

What lies before the Phoenix Suns this upcoming season is a puzzle. With the preseason around the corner, we’re still at the point where past performance serves as the baseline for theorizing about what could come next for Phoenix. How will the lineups and rotations fit together? What is this team’s upside? What challenges will emerge along the way?

We sit around the virtual water cooler, tossing around theories and building cases for and against all of the above. It was through this conduit of conversation that I heard a comparison that immediately piqued my interest and sent me sprinting toward the computer to start digging. Erik Ruby from Phoenix Suns NOW floated an idea I had never really considered, and I’m glad he did. Because once he planted the seed, down the statistical rabbit hole I went, digging through numbers, roles, tendencies, and whatever else I could get my grubby little basketball hands on.

The comparison? Miles Bridges might not be all that far from becoming an Aaron Gordon-type player.

Could it be? Could Miles Bridges be in the process of evolving into an Aaron Gordon type of player? Is Koa Peat the Charmander, all raw power and untapped potential? Miles Bridges the Charmeleon, stronger, meaner, and beginning to understand exactly what he can become? And Aaron Gordon the Charizard, the fully evolved version of the archetype, terrorizing everything in his path? Maybe. Hell, now I need to know.

You look at Aaron Gordon and see a champion, somebody who played a vital role in bringing a championship to Denver and has become an ideal running mate for Nikola Jokic as the Nuggets have marched through the Western Conference over the past few seasons. So there’s no world where we should even be comparing these two players, right? After all, Miles Bridges spent his entire career with the Charlotte Hornets and never played a postseason game. But prior to arriving in Denver at age 25, Gordon had played in only five postseason games with the Orlando Magic.

And the more I sat with this comparison, the more I thought it might not be a terrible representation of what Miles Bridges could become as a player. Because when you look at the measurables and the deliverables, there is a case to be made that they are similar.

One thing I have to take into account as I begin this research is that Gordon plays alongside quite possibly the greatest player of the current generation. What Nikola Jokic brings to the court and how he elevates those around him puts everybody on his team in a position to succeed. It reminds me of Steve Nash here in Phoenix, when players would arrive and have career years because they received opportunities they might not have found elsewhere. The way Jokic passes and opens the floor for his teammates will always put Gordon in a different situation than Bridges. 

By circumstance, Gordon is clearly in the better environment, so even as I work through the statistical analysis, some of it will naturally favor him because of the situation he’s in. He has thrived and flourished in a stable environment while being asked to fulfill essentially the same role season after season.

Bridges, meanwhile, spent his career in Charlotte as part of a team and culture in constant flux. One season he’s asked to be a primary scoring option. The next he’s asked to become a tertiary option. He has a good season, the team struggles anyway, Charlotte receives another high draft pick, and the organization shifts its priorities and roster construction around that acquisition rather than building toward Bridges’ strengths.

And through seven seasons in Charlotte, he still averaged 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 46%, 34%, and 83% shooting splits. So Bridges arrives in Phoenix from a much different situation. He’s joining an organization entering Year 2 of a complete cultural and strategic reset, one in which he has an opportunity to thrive in a defined role, much like Gordon did when the Orlando Magic traded him to the Denver Nuggets in 2021.

It’s also worth remembering that Gordon entered the NBA with higher expectations relative to his perceived talent. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, while Bridges was selected 12th overall in 2018. Even from a career expectations standpoint, those lines run somewhat parallel. Gordon has simply been in better situations and capitalized. Bridges is entering a better situation.

My first data point is, probably to nobody’s surprise, BBall Index. This is where we can find the measurables for both players, along with BBall Index’s definitions of their advanced position, offensive role, and defensive role. The first thing that stands out is the obvious. Miles Bridges is three years younger than Aaron Gordon, while Gordon is 1 inch taller and 10 pounds heavier than Bridges.

But this is where things get interesting. Both players are classified identically by BBall Index. Their advanced position is on ball wing, their offensive role is shot creator, and their defensive role is wing stopper. So from an archetype standpoint, we’re already looking at two very similar players.

The next data point I’m going to look at, which comes to us via DataBallr, is what both players looked like during their age-27 seasons. For Miles Bridges, that was last season. For Gordon, it was the 2022–23 season, the same year he won a championship with the Denver Nuggets. 

Again, circumstances dictate so much here, but there is one similarity in their respective situations. Bridges was the tertiary option in shot attempts last season with Charlotte, averaging 13.5 attempts per game, which was 0.1 more than rookie Kon Knueppel. He was also fourth on the team in scoring. Gordon, at the same age, was similarly fourth on the Nuggets in scoring while ranking fourth in shot attempts.

My point is that neither player was the second most utilized offensive option on his team, nor was either expected to be. They were tertiary or fourth options within their respective offenses. And when you look at the numbers provided, noting that RS stands for regular season in the graphic, they aren’t all that far apart. Gordon has the edge, but even when you look at the efficiency numbers, the difference isn’t drastic.

As Bridges prepares for his age-28 season, a milestone he’ll reach in March, he’ll most likely find himself operating as that tertiary option once again. The expectation is that Devin Booker will lead the Suns in shot attempts, followed by Jalen Green. From there, Bridges and Dillon Brooks will likely fluctuate depending on the night, the matchup, and foul situations.

So Bridges is a power forward who can produce from that position as a tertiary offensive option while carrying the same general archetype as Aaron Gordon.

Let’s take a look at the overall shot diet throughout their careers.

Both players primarily generate their offense at the rim or from beyond the arc, although Gordon has shown more of an affinity for the midrange than Bridges. So what you’re getting from both players, regardless of situation (seeing as we’re looking at their entire careers) are players who take nearly half of their shots at the rim while stretching the floor enough to remain viable threats from beyond the arc.

Gordon is a career 33.5% three-point shooter, while Bridges sits at 33.8%. The difference, as the chart below illustrates, is volume. Bridges attempts 5.2 three-pointers per game compared to 3.3 for Gordon. Gordon has more of an affinity for operating in the midrange, while Bridges exchanges many of those attempts for shots from beyond the arc.

We can take this a step further by comparing their shot diets through the first seven seasons of their respective careers. Once again, the similarities are evident, with both players generating their offense from nearly the same areas of the floor.

What’s interesting is how remarkably similar their overall efficiency has been. Gordon carries a career 53.6% effective field goal percentage, while Bridges sits at 53.0%. That’s important context when looking at the shot charts. Bridges’ heavier three-point diet doesn’t automatically make him a less efficient offensive player. His overall efficiency is remarkably comparable to Gordon’s, despite Gordon possessing a much more efficient profile at the rim.

What about defensively? Again, very similar players. Whether it’s pick-and-roll screener defense, rim defense, help defensive activity, or matchup difficulty, Gordon and Bridges share plenty of similarities.

Both graded out with an A in nearly the exact same percentile last season when it came to guarding opposing teams’ best players. They’re active off-ball as help defenders, and when they’re involved in high screens, both do a stellar job protecting the rim in drop coverage.

Bridges actually has the slight edge in pick-and-roll screener mobile defense, highlighting his ability to defend on the perimeter when switched onto ball handlers. It’s another area where his versatility stands out, and one where he graded better than Gordon last season.

My last point of emphasis reinforces a couple of points I’ve been making this offseason as I attempt to predict how Bridges will ultimately generate opportunities within the confines of this offense.

With Devin Booker and Jalen Green serving as the primary offensive threats, Bridges needs to be a viable enough threat himself that his on-ball gravity creates secondary and tertiary opportunities for both Booker and Green. The theory is relatively simple. When Bridges has the ball, secondary defenders have to respect his ability to get to the rim. That forces them to shade away from their assignments, creating opportunities elsewhere if Bridges can penetrate and distribute the ball effectively. 

When you look at the career trends over the past three seasons, with the obvious gap in 2022-23 following Bridges’ yearlong suspension, you see that he’s remarkably similar to Aaron Gordon in both his on-ball gravity, off-ball gravity, and his playmaking ability.

Then there’s Bridges’ off-ball gravity. While that number has trended downward over the past two seasons, likely due in part to his circumstances, he still ranked in the 79th percentile last season.

Defenders can’t simply sag off Bridges and devote their attention elsewhere because he possesses enough offensive gravity to punish them when they do. And on a team built around Booker and Green, creating advantages, that gravity could be one of the most important aspects of what Bridges brings to the offense.

Do I believe Miles Bridges is the next Aaron Gordon? No. There are too many variables, too many circumstances, and too many factors involved for anybody to truly be the next anybody. Everything is situational.

I do find the comparison fascinating from an archetype perspective. Look at what they have been asked to do, how they operate, and how they weaponize their physicality and aggression, and there are plenty of similarities worth exploring. Where that ultimately takes Bridges in Phoenix is anybody’s guess.

How that translates to Phoenix’s schematic approach night in and night out, on both the offensive and defensive ends, will ultimately determine who Miles Bridges becomes in this new situation and with this new opportunity. He’s not the next Aaron Gordon. He’s the first Miles Bridges. And at 27 years old, entering his prime, what that ultimately looks like will be determined by him and him alone.

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Coming in at four in our Ranking the Roster series is the second most accomplished of the four players the Bucks got in the Giannis trade: Jamie Jaquez Jr. The former UCLA Bruin is one of the league’s most unique young players. Jaquez likely won’t develop into a star, but he’s become one of the NBA’s best glue guys. It’s rare for a player his age to be mature enough to not only understand his role, but excel at it the way JJJ has. To borrow a phrase from my friend and fellow Brew-Hooper Finn Kuehl’s blog, he’s a “Bench-Mob All-Star.” Not in the same vein as the more end-of-the-bench guys Finn generally focuses on, but in the sense that Jaquez has been an All-Star in his role in Miami. The question now is: how does he fit on a rebuilding team?

But before we answer that, let’s look back at what Jaquez has accomplished over his three years in the association. Following in the footsteps of other middle first-round picks the Miami Heat have made, Jaquez made an immediate impact, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. Remarkably, he also added a top-10 finish in Sixth Man of the Year voting in the same season (!), averaging 11.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 1.0 SPG while shooting .489/.322/.811. That said, the following year (2024-25) was a step back for Jaquez, as he played only 66 games while dealing with an ankle injury. That injury played a key role in his scoring numbers dipping into the single digits (8.6 PPG), and his shooting dropping marginally to 46.1% and 31.1% from three-point range.

As much as the 2024-25 campaign was a rocky one for Jaquez, he came back strong last year, setting a bunch of career highs, including scoring (15.4 PPG), rebounding (5.0 RPG), assists (4.7), assist percentage (24%), shooting percentage (50.7%), minutes per game (28.3), and field goal attempts (12.2). He also finished the season with strong shooting from beyond the arc, shooting 39.0% on 3.5 attempts over the final 20 games. Those improved numbers propelled him to a second-place finish in the Sixth Man of the Year voting behind the Spurs’ Keldon Johnson.

Now, the question for Jaquez is: can he replicate that type of success in a totally new environment? Or, for my baseball fans, will Jaquez become the proverbial San Francisco Giants of the mid-2010s and only be good every other year? While this Bucks team has many moving parts heading into the season, Jaquez should be one of the more consistent and reliable players. Over the last few years, I’ve felt like Jon Horst has brought in too many players at important spots whose performance can vary widely from game to game (Kevin Porter Jr. and Kyle Kuzma are prime examples). Jaquez will be a steady, reliable option for the Bucks, and they sorely need that.

To answer the initial question, though, I reckon head coach Taylor Jenkins will find plenty of ways to utilise Jaquez. He’s already coached other versatile players like Jaylen Wells in Memphis. While the starting lineup will likely take the whole of training camp to figure out, I predict Jenkins will keep Jaquez where he’s most valuable: off the bench as a fantastic sixth man. How long he’s actually a Buck will be another question. Jaquez becomes a restricted free agent at the end of this season, and if he puts up a good first half, I can imagine Horst moving on to pick up more future pieces, especially if the team isn’t tracking well. Otherwise, Jaquez could be a long-term piece for the next good Bucks team, considering he’ll only turn 26 this February.

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Who is next up at three?

The Dallas Mavericks enter the 2026-2027 season with numerous questions, but Cooper Flagg isn’t one them.

The 19-year old enters his second season with sky-high expectations, fueled by his incredible play in the back-half of last season.

The jump from year one to year two is often massive, especially for generational talents such as Flagg. For example: LeBron James went from 20.9 points per game, to over 27 points per game, while also improving his efficiency. Obviously it is unfair to levy these expectations on Flagg, but most superstars show tremendous growth in their first real NBA offseason.

Flagg averaged 23 points, 5 assists, and 7 rebounds in his final 51 games, including multiple 40+ point games. Flagg’s comfort level and confidence grew exponentially, quickly becoming one of the most dangerous downhill scorers in all of basketball.

But at just 19-years of age, there is still ample room for growth. Flagg shot just 29% from three on the season, and often turned down open threes to settle for tougher shots. His defense was also somewhat inconsistent, as even though he averaged nearly 2 steals and blocks per game, the advanced metrics suggest he was only average on that end.

Flagg’s potential is truly limitless, and he has already shown incredible development in his young career. All of this leads me to believe that a special season is ahead for the former number one overall pick.

Big Question

This one is easy; Cooper Flagg has to shoot the ball better in 2026.

Flagg was an all-around bad shooter last season. He shot 29% from three with only attempting 3.5 threes per game. He also took far too many “long mid range” jumpers, which are defined as two point attempts that are attempted from farther than 10 feet.

This combination of poor shot selection and poor shot-making cratered Flagg’s efficiency last season, as he was in the 25th percentile for league-wide true-shooting%.

This lack of shooting also effected his ability to get downhill, with many teams simply ignoring him on the perimeter to load up on his drives. His sheer unwillingness to attempt these shots was the biggest issue, as he would often settle for 18 footers rather than simply taking an open three.

If Flagg can extend the defense to beyond the three-point line, he becomes truly un-guardable. We even saw an example of this last season against the Orlando Magic when Flagg scored 51 points. He made six threes in nine attempts, including a barrage or tough threes in the fourth quarter.

Now I’m not going to expect a massive jump in efficiency, nor will I expect a massive jump in attempts. But if Flagg does not at least try and extend his range, his scoring potential will be capped underneath a hard-ceiling.

Best-Case scenario

Simply put, the best-case scenario for Cooper Flagg this season is joining the conversation for the best player in the world.

This may seem completely far-fetched, but Mavericks have seen this exact scenario play out before with Luka Doncic. Both players had record-breaking rookie seasons, and entered year two with sky-high expectations, with Doncic becoming a top-5 player in the world overnight.

So how could Flagg reach that seemingly impossible level?

Well it would take some significant development, but not it would not be impossible. First, Flagg would have to go from a bad shooter to a very good one. Outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo, all of the other players in the top 5 are elite shooters from either the three or mid-range. Flagg would have to double his three-point attempts while also increasing efficiency.

A similar jump was seen with Jayson Tatum, as he went from attempting 3.9 3PA at 37%, to over 8 threes per game at 40% from his second to third season.

Along with improvements in his shooting, Flagg would also have to improve his ball-handling. While Flagg did not produce many turnovers overall, he was top 10 in the league in lost balls that resulted in turnovers. These issues were exasperated when Flagg went up against the truly elite perimeter defenders in the league, as he often struggled to create space against these players.

Finally, Flagg would have to adjust to defenses having a year of film on his game, and deal with the amount of attention he will receive. I imagine defenses will try and pressure him as much as possible, throwing lots of bodies in his direction. If he has the composure to deal with this pressure consistently, defenses will be completely out-of-luck when playing the Mavericks.

Worst case scenario

The worse case scenario for Cooper Flagg is staying stagnant.

I think it’s very unlikely Flagg will regress in year 2, especially because he didn’t have unsustainable outside shooting.

If spent his entire summer at the beach this scenario could happen, otherwise, I don’t think its very likely.

Season goal

The goal for Cooper Flagg in his sophomore season should be to make an all-star team, and compete for an All-NBA selection.

This may seem like a very high bar, but it really shouldn’t be that hard for Flagg to reach. If he’s able to slightly increase his volume and efficiency in both scoring and playmaking, being an all-star should be relatively easy.

But past getting recognition from his peers and fans, another bar he needs to reach is in his leadership.

Flagg is already a vocal player who plays with a tremendous amount of energy and hustle, so becoming the leader of this team shouldn’t be that hard. Obviously Kyrie Irving is the team’s leader, but he isn’t the future of the franchise.

Flagg doesn’t need to be a perfect leader as a 20-year-old, nor does it really matter for this season. But whether wants it or not, the team will be molded in his image, both in their playstyle, and the mentality of the team.

Overall

It cannot be overstated how excited Mavericks fans should be for Cooper Flagg’s second season. He has every tool to be a superstar, and has shown the hunger to improve over his entire career.

The roster construction could hold him back from truly reaching his potential this season, as he will more than likely be forced to play another season at point guard.

But I’m confident Flagg will excel.

Why?

Because it’s all he’s ever done.

The NBA has a couple new points of emphasis every year when it comes to the officiating, and the top focus ahead of the 2026-27 season could have a big impact on some of the best players in the world. The NBA intends to give defenses more of a chance to actually play defense this season, and superstars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaylen Brown are going to have to adjust their games quite a bit … if the officials actually stick to calling it all season.

The NBA’s first point of emphasis this year is outlawing off-arm push-offs for drivers. This has been a weapon for star scorers dating back to Michael Jordan’s series-clinching shot in the 1998 NBA Finals, but it seemed to get more egregious this past season with players fully extending their off-arm to gain separation from their defender. This move has been particularly effective for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and I’d go as far as to say that it has helped fuel his rise to a 2x MVP that absolutely no one saw coming when he entered the league out of Kentucky.

The league dropped a video explaining their points of emphasis for this season, and even though SGA isn’t included in the examples, he feels like the main person who will be under the spotlight on this. Check it out here:

See below for Part 1 of the 2026-27 Points of Emphasis video (narrated by SVP, Head of Referee Development and Training Monty McCutchen), which provides examples and guidance regarding Off-Arm Push Offs by Offensive Players and Freedom of Movement – Screens: pic.twitter.com/zMMmOK3Kxq

— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) September 29, 2026

The league’s other early point of emphasis is banning push-off screens, which is another big potential boost for defenses around the league. The on-ball push-offs feel more interesting, and I’m fascinated to see how it’s officiated throughout the regular season.

The video above has examples of proper and improper off-arm contact. The difference looks pretty minimal to the naked eye. Essentially, the league is saying players can’t fully extend their off-arm, but that’s not the only criteria. If the contact is a) initiated by the offensive player, b) forceful, and c) impacts the primary defender’s ability to defend the play, then it’s supposed to be called an offensive foul. Offensive players are allowed to “firm up” at the point of contact, but if the refs think they’re pushing off, the possession will be going the other way.

How will officials determine what’s “forceful” beyond a full extension? Your guess is as good as mine. I just know that this could be very bad for Gilgeous-Alexander if the refs are willing to call it all year.

I’m a big SGA fan — and I know I’m probably on an island on that one outside of OKC. I was really high on him in the 2018 NBA Draft, but obviously not even his biggest fans would have predicted he’d eventually become the 16th player ever to win multiple MVP awards. As someone who has watched SGA dating back to college, I really believe his mastery of the off-arm rules is what took him to the next level. That’s not to discount his awesome three-point shooting improvement, absolutely nasty handle and footwork, and improved ability to read defenses. He has gotten better in so many ways, but his ability to create separation with his off-arm without getting called for it is really what unlocks his game.

He’s a classic example of an SGA push-off. When you combine his mastery of this move with the fact that he has a 7-foot wingspan and deadly mid-range shooting touch, it makes him almost impossible to defend.

*SGA blatant push off*

Reggie Miller: “I could watch that all day.” pic.twitter.com/QngH8Sl6nn

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) October 22, 2025

It seems like this move will be called an offensive foul for the upcoming season. Right? Or is the push-off not “forceful” enough? You can see why this is going to be very difficult to legislate.

Here’s another example of an SGA push-off that’s more of a shoulder bump than a full extension. I assume this is still within the rules of acceptable contact, but I’m not totally sure. The contact is forceful in my view, but it’s more of a shoulder thump than a push-off. I’d call this a chicken wing. The chicken wing is still, cool?

It seems like the officials actually started to make this adjustment during the playoffs. Gilgeous-Alexander was called for push-offs throughout his playoff run, including in the Western Conference Finals. Jaylen Brown was called for multiple push-offs in the first-round against the Philadelphia 76ers.

As John Voita at Bright Side of the Sun notes, the NBA has set a point of emphasis in the past and only called for them for the first couple weeks of the season before going back to business as usual. Will they actually see these rules all the way through the year? It was already going to be hard for Gilgeous-Alexander to win a third-straight MVP just because of voter fatigue, but it’s going to be even more difficult if the refs stick to their plan entering the year.

There are 41 Spurs home games…but one is being played Paris and three are being played in Austin, so make that 37 home games here in San Antonio. While that seems like a lot, it isn’t. Not for a season as exciting as this one promises to be. So we’re going to all want to get there as often as possible.

Since the drafting of Victor Wembanyama, demand for tickets has risen significantly, which means prices for tickets have also risen. Add in parking, food, and drinks, and it’s not just a whimsical night out, it is an event. And the Spurs have added themes to some nights to level up the revelry.

For those of us who appreciate the swag, the Spurs have also spiced up their schedule with a ton of theme gear and some giveaways. They recently released the 2026-2027 Promotional Offers.

T-shirts, hats, heritage jerseys, and the annual “ugly sweater” are all on the calendar. There are still nights honoring military and veterans, which not only reflects San Antonio as Military City, U.S.A., but maintains the relationship the organization has with USAA. Last season the Spurs had individualized evenings set aside for various branches of the military. Be on the look out for additions over the course of the season.

Box Out Cancer Night, always a hit with fans, takes place on March 31st this year.

Nights dedicated to celebrating Filipino, Hispanic, French*, Mexican and Black heritage not only highlight the vast backgrounds of the team members, but the multicultural diversity of the city. There is no mention of a Native American Heritage Night, something Jacob Tobey and Lindy Waters III piloted last season.

*It is unclear from the wording if it is “French Heritage” or Harry Potter French Heritage.“ I can only imagine it is two separate themes, as Harry Potter French Heritage must have a very narrow scope.

The Spurs have foregone their long-standing Star Wars Night for Space Jam. They have also scaled back Peanuts and sesame Street while keeping Barbie and Hello Kitty.

No matter what you are into, there is a night for you and your loved ones to enjoy. Faith and Family, Pride, School Employees, and Dia De Los Muertos are all on the schedule this season.

So head on out to the Frost bank Center and cheer on your Spurs this season.

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NBA training camps are in full swing, and the first preseason game is nearly upon us.

The Miami Heat will head to Quebec City, Canada, to face the Toronto Raptors Saturday, Oct. 3. Both teams have been revamped, with Miami pulling off the blockbuster to land star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Toronto reunited with Kawhi Leonard.

Those are just two of the teams to have undergone massive changes, and they’re not even the ones that had the most seismic offseason; the Philadelphia 76ers went all-in on their championship window and added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

While it’s safe to expect veterans to play limited minutes during preseason games, here are five storylines I’m tracking as we inch closer to the 2026-27 NBA regular season:

The vibes are seemingly high in Miami, but how will the Heat offense actually look?

New addition Klay Thompson took the team out on a boat to cruise around Biscayne Bay. Earlier in the month, captain Bam Adebayo and point guard Davion Mitchell organized a players-only week of training they started calling “pain camp,” for all the cardio work they did. Players have said all the right things.

By all accounts, the vibes around the new-look Heat are high. But what will their play look like, in practice? One thing that struck me from the early footage coming from their camp at Florida Atlantic was the pace. Miami led the league last season in that stat, generating 104.22 possessions per 48 minutes. And now with Antetokounmpo, that emphasis on fastbreak offense should only intensify; Antetokounmpo ranked second in the NBA with 5.5 fast break points per game. Antetokounmpo sucks in the defense when he attacks in transition, and his vision allows him to find open shooters.

I expect the Heat to continue to play fast, and I expect Antetokounmpo to put up huge assist numbers, if he stays healthy. The big question here is whether Miami’s shooting holds up and whether it can sustain this style for an entire season.

2026-27 SCHEDULE: 10 matchups we can't wait to watch this season

It’s Luka’s team now. Can he lead the Lakers to the top of the West?

The Los Angeles offense, at times last season, looked rather disjointed, particularly when both Luka Dončić and LeBron James were on the floor at the same time.

Both are players who thrive when the ball is in their hands, and both are among the game’s best passers. The issue, then, became: what was one supposed do when the other had the ball? Most often, the player without the ball was relegated to standing off to the side, away from the action.

But now with James moving onto the 76ers, the bulk of Los Angeles’ play-making will fall to him. Last season, Dončić led the NBA in usage rate (36.8%), or the number of possessions that end with that player taking a shot or committing a turnover. Dončić also ranked sixth in assist percentage (38.7%), or the rate of teammate field goals a player assisted while on the floor – among all players with at least 50 games.

'FEELS LIKE HE'S NOT HERE': Bronny James adjusts to Lakers' life without LeBron

Being as ball-dominant as Dončić is (and being as talented as he is when he initiates actions), I suspect both those figures will be even higher this season. I also suspect that, if healthy, Dončić will play his way into the Most Valuable Player conversation even more so than he has in recent seasons.

Shooting guard Austin Reaves is the other play-maker for the Lakers, and one who should excel even further when Dončić takes a blow on the bench. But when both are on the floor, expect Dončić to be the one to orchestrate everything.

I’m not worried about alphas or top dogs in Philadelphia. But Nick Nurse has some work to do.

During 76ers media day, when asked who the “alpha” would be on the roster, newly acquired All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown wasn’t having any of it. “Next question,” he said, with sober indifference.

I understand why the question was asked, but I think framing this team in that way is flawed. This isn’t LeBron James willing the 2017-18 Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. This isn’t Brown taking on the biggest role of his career last season while Jayson Tatum was out, recovering from an Achilles tendon tear. It’s not Tyrese Maxey carrying the Sixers two seasons ago as Philadelphia contended with debilitating injuries.

The reality is this team doesn’t need to worry about alphas or No. 1s, and if that’s where the discourse ever goes to, coach Nick Nurse will have failed. Top to bottom, this Sixers team is as talented as it has been in decades. This is Philadelphia’s best shot to win a title in the Joel Embiid-Maxey window.

The task at hand is to get the new faces (and old, too) to buy into a team mentality that foregoes individual accolades in favor of collective success. In practical matters, James, Brown, Maxey and Embiid may see their scoring averages dip a touch. I think that would be a good sign that things are working. As long as this team stays healthy, and as long as they share the ball, a championship should be within reach.

'NO INSTANT OATMEAL': Why sacrifice is key to 76ers' title aspirations

Young Spurs seem loose and confident. Can San Antonio learn from last year’s disappointment?

San Antonio’s stars may be young, but they appear to have embraced trolling, to a certain degree. In an interview with GQ, Stephon Castle downplayed the energy at Madison Square Garden during the Finals, calling the first game “underwhelming.” For the most part, I think this is a good thing. I would want my players to be confident and bold.

But talk is just talk, and the real test here is whether the Spurs can become the first team since the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors to win a title the season after losing the NBA Finals.

It will come down to the continued development of Victor Wembanyama, Castle, Dylan Harper and how veteran De’Aaron Fox bounces back from an uneven Finals. But more than anything, the Spurs need to learn from their loss against the Knicks, when they couldn’t close out games because they stopped attacking the paint, became too passive and fell in love with a 3-point shot that wasn’t dropping.

'ABSOLUTELY NOT': Wembanyama takes strong stand against promoting sports betting

I think two teams are lurking. Both could be Finals-worthy

It seems like no one is talking about the Indiana Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton is back and healthy, and if not for his Achilles tendon that snapped in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, we might be talking about them in a very different way. The roster has changed somewhat. And while I think Indiana will continue to miss Myles Turner’s perimeter shooting, I actually think Ivica Zubac is an excellent fit with Haliburton’s passing ability. But there’s still a lot to work out, so the preseason will be telling to see how the Pacers gel with Zubac providing rim protection, defensive rebounding and rim running.

PACERS: Tyrese Haliburton declares himself '100%' healthy for season

Out West, I think it’s the Minnesota Timberwolves who are flying a bit under the radar, overshadowed by the Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. But with LaMelo Ball in place, Anthony Edwards finally has another player who can both create his own shot and initiate actions. This should take a huge burden off of Edwards, and it should make Minnesota more consistent against better defenses in the playoffs.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heat vibes, Alpha Sixers, Doncic domination? Top storylines for NBA preseason

The NBA's preseason schedule is set to begin, and the first game could be a showcase for the blockbuster moves that shook up the league this offseason.

Every team in the league returned to the court this week for the start of training camps, and the opening exhibition game of the 2026-27 season is slated for Saturday, Oct. 3 with an NBA Canada game featuring the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat in Quebec City.

Though the availability of star players remains to be determined, it could be the first opportunity to see Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Heat jersey and the return of Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors. Both Antetokounmpo and Leonard were acquired via high-profile trades in recent months.

Preseason action continues on Sunday, Oct. 4 when the Golden State Warriors face the Los Angeles Clippers in Honolulu and the Utah Jazz take on the Denver Nuggets in Boulder, Colorado.

Here's a breakdown of the NBA's preseason schedule, as well as key dates on the league calendar heading into the 2026-27 season:

When does the NBA preseason begin?

The preseason begins Saturday, Oct. 3 with an NBA Canada game when the Miami Heat face the Toronto Raptors in Quebec City.

• Saturday: Heat vs. Raptors, 7 p.m. ET | NBA TV | NBA League Pass

When are the next NBA preseason games?

The preseason continues Sunday, Oct. 4 with two games: Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers in Honolulu and Utah Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets in Boulder, Colorado.

• Sunday: Warriors vs. Clippers, 7 p.m. ET | NBA League Pass
• Sunday: Jazz vs. Nuggets, 7 p.m. ET | NBA TV | NBA League Pass

Full NBA preseason schedule

The NBA preseason runs from Oct. 3 through Oct. 16. Click here for the full schedule.

When does the NBA regular season begin?

The 2026-27 regular season begins on Tuesday, Oct. 20 with three games, including an afternoon tilt between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons. That matchup will be followed by an evening doubleheader when LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers visit the reigning champion New York Knicks and the Spurs host the Thunder in a Western Conference Finals rematch.

NBA OPENING WEEK: Ranking all the national TV games from worst to first

• Tuesday, Oct. 20: Celtics at Pistons, 3 p.m. ET | NBC | Peacock
• Tuesday, Oct. 20: 76ers at Knicks, 7 p.m. ET | NBC | Peacock
• Tuesday, Oct. 20: Thunder at Spurs, 9:30 p.m. ET | NBC | Peacock

Stream all three NBA opening day games on Peacock

When does the NBA Cup begin?

The 2026 Emirates NBA Cup begins Wednesday, Oct. 30 group play featuring 10 games. Group play concludes on Friday, Nov. 27.

2026 NBA Cup schedule

• Group play begins: Wednesday, Oct. 30
• Group play concludes: Friday, Nov. 27
• Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5
• Semifinals: Tuesday, Dec. 8 and/or Wednesday, Dec. 9
• Final: Friday, Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis

When is the NBA trade deadline?

The trade deadline for the 2026-27 NBA season is Thursday, Feb. 11.

When is the NBA All-Star break?

The All-Star break for this season will run from Feb. 19 through Feb. 24.

When is the 2027 NBA All-Star Game?

NBA All-Star weekend is Feb. 19-21 in Phoenix. The 76th NBA All-Star Game will take place at Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns, on Sunday, Feb. 21.

When does the NBA regular season end?

The 2026-27 season ends Sunday, April 11 with a full slate of 15 games.

When does the NBA postseason begin?

The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament runs from Tuesday, April 13 through Friday, April 16. This will be followed by the 2027 NBA playoffs.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA preseason tips off with Heat vs Raptors: 2026-27 key dates, schedule

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The once proud franchise known as the Chicago Bulls has been in the wilderness for a decade now. There have been many issues in Windy City, but perhaps their biggest fault is them not picking a direction. For far too many years, the Bulls spent their season finishing between 35 and 40 wins, finishing right on the fringes of the playoffs, and either getting spanked in the first round or picking late in the lottery. It’s hard to improve when, as a franchise, your ethos is being too good to stink while also being too bad to be actually good.

Enter last year’s Bulls, who finally decided to pick a direction after the All-Star Break. That direction was down, so tank commander Donovan and the group of guys they pulled out of the morning run on the Blacktop courts at Jackson Park lost many games down the stretch. Heck, even the tanking Mavericks couldn’t help but beat them by a million in game 82. Of course, that loss put the Bulls into a coin flip for ninth in the lottery, which they went on to win. Naturally, they then jumped into the top four of the draft. Quite the turn of events!

After the summer, the Bulls look dramatically different and there is no confusion about what the goal is. They want to build a winner around Caleb Wilson, and this year is the start of making that dream a reality.

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Chicago Bulls: Over/Under 29.5 wins (-115/-110)

To win Central Division: 65/1

To win Eastern Conference: 175/1

To win Finals: 1000/1

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Last season: 31-51, 12^th in the Eastern Conference

Key additions: Caleb Wilson (4^th pick in 2026 Draft), Dailyn Swain (15th pick in 2026 Draft), Norm Powell (via Miami), Nic Claxton (via Brooklyn)

Key losses: When you’re terrible, no one is a key loss

Coaching change: Billy Donovan OUT (now lead assistant in San Antonio), Tiago Splitter IN (via Portland)

To be honest, the Bulls new front office did some nice work this offseason. Obviously, the two rookies are headliners for the organization. But beyond that, Claxton is a fun piece to work with at center, especially after years of the Nikola Vucevic experience. Norm Powell and Buddy Hield should be nice vets to have around for this team. Plus, internal development from Matas Buzelis should have fans excited for a Wilson/Buzelis pairing for years to come. And hey, Noa Essengue grew again and, just maybe, is better at the game of basketball.

What can’t be overlooked here is the cultural shift that happened in one offseason. With Brysen Graham heading up basketball ops and Tiago Splitter at head coach, there are actual adults in the room. Combine that with a young core of Wilson, Buzelis and Swain, there’s actually something worth getting excited about in Chicago. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I’m bullish on the Bulls.

Prediction: over 29.5 wins (-115)

Some NBA players develop a reputation that supersedes their actual on-court impact.

Aging millennial fans will remember Nick Van Exel. Random example: it could have been Rod Strickland. Perhaps it should be Tracy McGrady, but let’s avoid that collective trauma.

The memories are visceral. Van Exel was a joy. He was so talented, but never especially impactful.

Van Exel was ball dominant. He made bad decisions. He wasn’t much of a defender. He was one of the most fun players in the NBA to watch, until he was on your team.

Kyrie Irving has a similar mythology. He’s much better than Van Exel, don’t get me wrong. Irving impacts winning, but somehow, his immense talent outpaces his actual production anyway. He is on an extremely small list of the most skillful basketball players in NBA history.

It’s a matter of scale. In his prime, Van Exel was one of the fifteen-or-so most talented players in the NBA, but he was a fringe top-50 guy at best. Irving is…what? One of the one, two, or three most talented basketball players of his generation? But he’s likely never been a true top-ten player.

The Houston Rockets have been linked to Irving in trade rumors. Sure, they’re linked to just about everyone, but given Rafael Stone’s love of a good bargain, this one feels different.

But should he go after him?

Rockets regularly linked to Kyrie Irving

There’s a temptation to answer with yes, simply for the sake of having an excuse to watch Irving more often without being reminded that Cooper Flagg is yet another future MVP candidate who isn’t on the Houston Rockets.

Yet, that’s not a good reason to advocate for a player acquisition. So, I’ll cop out instead. The Rockets should be interested in Irving at the right price.

When we last saw Irving healthy, he was mostly the same player he’d been throughout most of his career. His 3.4 Box Plus/Minus (BPM) fell short of the 7.7 mark he posted in 2019-20 (wait: Was Irving a top ten player?), but he still scored 24.7 points per game with a very solid 59.4% True Shooting %.

He also makes sound conceptual sense for the Rockets. Insulate two of the best shot creators of their generation in Irving and Durant with a murderer’s row of defensive wings. It also helps that they have long-standing chemistry (although who knows what their personal relationship looks like, given that they’re both, let’s say, interesting guys). Finally, it also helps that they’re both logical partners for Alperen Sengun, given their elite three-point gravity.

There are immediate basketball downsides, but they shouldn’t be enough to dissuade Rafael Stone. Irving will be earmarked for a starting position that will present an obstacle for Reed Sheppard, but Fred VanVleet is already there.

The broader implications are more concerning. Even in 2024-25, Irving managed to suit up for just 50 games. He couldn’t play last year. Will he even get on the floor?

It’s a real concern, but it’s also the reason why Irving’s trade value ought to be relatively low. So, without further ado, here’s my price:

Fred VanVleet, Clint Capela, and the Rockets’ 2028 first-round pick, top five protected.

Take it or leave it, Mavericks fans. The Rockets should protect their pick against abject disaster. If something goes so poorly that they’re picking in the top five in two summers, there’s a reasonable chance it’s at least partly on Irving’s shoulders.

Perhaps that’s not enough. If so, the Mavericks can keep Irving. He’s injury-prone, infamously troubled, and a Rockets team without a clear franchise player moving forward would do well to keep their picks anyway:

But dear God, is the guy talented.

Last season, De’Anthony Melton committed a career-high 1.9 turnovers per game, and made only 29.4 percent of his three-point attempts. You could say he was all thumbs.

He may have a better grasp of his game in 2026-27 thanks to some offseason procedures.

Melton was slowed last season by an injury to his right thumb and apparently, also his left thumb. Not only did Melton have trouble shooting or handling the ball, particularly in the last month of the season, but he was unable to hitchhike, review movies, or efficiently make decisions using a rule of thumb. Not only was Melton not making three-pointers, he wasn’t able to make the classic NBA three-point gesture, holding up his third-through-fifth fingers while making a circle with the pointer finger and thumb.

But now after taking both thumbs in for refurbishing, Melton is poised for a bounceback season, after honestly bouncing back pretty nicely last season, averaging 12.3 points per game in his return from an ACL tear early in the 2024-25 season. Despite going through an undeclared thumb war last year, Melton has been otherwise healthy for the start of the season for the first time in years, after rehabbing a knee last year and working through back problems two years ago.

It’s a shocking update for a team that normally only announces mysterious illnesses, secret surgeries, contract impasses, and sucker punches during training camp. I haven’t thumbed through the GSOM archives yet, but this might be the best preseason news since JaVale McGee officially became a vegan in the fall of 2017.

But Melton truly could be a floor-raising player for the Warriors, if they can get more than the 23 minutes per game in 49 games they got last season. When healthy, Melton has been a very good defensive player, consistently averaging two or more “stonks” (steals + blocks) and an above-average three-point shooter. He’s not a true point guard, but when all his fingers work, Melton can reliably bring the ball up and not embarrass the offense.

If the Warriors are going to find success next season, it’s likely going to be because of their defense. Having a healthy, ten-fingered Melton next season should go a long way to Golden State having a top-10 defense.

Why Tyrese Maxey is telling new teammate Dean Wade to shoot more originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Tyrese Maxey has given Dean Wade a consistent message early in training camp.

Shoot the ball. 

Wade, who signed with the Sixers this offseason after spending the first seven years of his career with the Cavaliers, has heard that before. 

“I’ve been told that a lot in my career,” he told reporters Wednesday. 

Through a couple practices in Camden, Maxey has been on the 6-foot-9 forward to let it fly from deep. 

“I’m going to be on him this year about shooting the ball,” Maxey said. “I want him to shoot a lot of threes.”

“He’s been on me a few times already,” Wade said with a smile. 

Tyrese Maxey is already praising a new Sixer … and it's not LeBron James or Jaylen Brown 👀 pic.twitter.com/EFw3HPukg6

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) September 30, 2026

A career 36.7 percent long-range shooter, Wade has averaged 3.2 three-point attempts per game and 7.9 per 100 possessions. He fits the 3-and-D moniker to a T, taking over 70 percent of his shots from deep last season. On a Cavaliers team with a number of ball-dominant players, Wade had the lowest usage rate of any Cleveland player in 2025-26. 

His role on the Sixers will be awfully similar given the volume of star facilitators on the team. Wade’s value will be creating space for them to operate because of his gravity as a shooter.

He is a true catch-and-shoot threat. Nearly all (93.4 percent) of his three-point attempts last season came on the catch. Wade made 37.2 percent of those looks. If he doesn’t fire away and force defenses to respect him, his effectiveness as a floor spacer is diminished.

“You’ll never be more open than open. Sometimes … I think the defense is going to rotate and they don’t,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing. I’ve got to shoot the ball. … That’s what [the Sixers] need me to do, is to shoot the ball when I’m open and play defense.”

Dean Wade shot 36.2 percent on three-point attempts in 2025-26, just about entirely on catch-and-shoot looks, though some of them come on the move. pic.twitter.com/SC9jJDMZ4m

— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) July 16, 2026

On a team with so much star power, the Sixers’ role players will need to contribute without the ball. Maxey noted that Wade’s effectiveness doing his job has stood out early on.

“He’s somebody who knows how to play a role and he knows how to star in his role, too,” Maxey said. “I think he’s really going to help us on the defensive glass – defensively, period – and then creating space and cutting.” 

Wade’s disruptive on defense. He can both own a variety of matchups and end possessions as a collapsing defender. He has active hands and a 6-foot-10 wingspan that can fill passing lanes. His defensive motor pops as he’s embraced starring on that side of the court since he entered the league. 

Wade was undrafted and on a two-way contract to start his career. At one point, Cleveland coaches Chris Darnell and Josh Broghamer sat him down and told him that playing defense was his meal ticket to surviving in the NBA. 

“Every team has a scorer and a shooter,” Wade recalled hearing. “Every team’s got somebody that can create. Not every team has a defender. You move good enough laterally, that’s where you can stick in this league.”

He took that advice and “dove in headfirst” into becoming a plus defender. Now on a four-year, $38.7 million deal with the Sixers, that investment has paid off.

As for his shooting, Wade knows that taking the open looks he gets will only help the team as a whole. He expects to find his groove the more this new Sixers team plays together. 

“It’ll come along,” he said. “When you get in the flow of games a little more, repetition, time with each other, you kind of see where you fit in and that’ll help a lot.”

If Wade struggles to find his place, Maxey will be there to remind him what to do.