CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 20: NBA Legend, George Gervin of the NBA 75th Anniversary team takes a photo during the 2022 NBA All-Star Game as part of 2022 NBA All Star Weekend on February 20, 2022 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
For San Antonio Spurs fans (and anyone born in the last millennium) George Gervin is the undisputed “Iceman.” Don’t even get me started on Top Gun…
Chicago Bear quarterback Caleb Williams has also been dubbed “Iceman” for his clutch delivery and calm demeanor. Unfortunately for Williams, the nickname was not available. The QB, undeterred, filed for trademark rights to the name “Iceman” as part of his clothing line.
His first attempt to procure the moniker has failed.
Caleb Williams’ application to trademark “Iceman” has been initially refused by the USPTO.
Ironically, the biggest obstacle wasn’t George Gervin himself. It was a trademark for “Iceman” insulated boots that’s been on the books since 1988.
Ironically, it wasn’t George Gervin who blocked him. As it turns out, Gervin has never trademarked the name. “Iceman” was unavailable due to an insulated boot company that’s had the rights since 1988.
Williams can, and will likely, appeal as his clothing line has been aligned with his use of the handle.
For those of you interested in a Pounding the Rock Summer Book Club (or PTRSBC), I have purchased a copy of Seth Partnow’s The Midrange Theory. I am also simultaneously reading Expensive Basketball by Shea Serrano. For those interested in a Zoom-style meeting, let’s discuss days and times that work. I’m in CST, so let’ds use that as a base. Once we lock in day/time, I’ll share my email for anyone who wants to be added.
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Luka Doncic (77) will be back next season with the Lakers, but LeBron James’ future remains up in the air. Getty Images
There’s no better free agent on the market than James, who pretty much single-handedly carried the Lakers past the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
Of all the stars on the team, it was the 41-year-old whose body was healthy come playoff time. While Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were sidelined with injuries, James led the team to a 3-0 series lead over Houston. He’s still a superstar. He still has unparalleled durability.
How many playoff games has James missed over his 23-year tenure in the NBA?
Zero.
It’s shocking. But James is as reliable as they come, even as the oldest player in the league.
James embodies a lot of things the Lakers lack on their current roster, headlined by Doncic and Reaves.
He’s a big body. He has championship experience. He can impact things on the defensive end. And above all else, he can be counted on during the postseason, something invaluable to a franchise that has won 17 championships and considers anything short of a title as a failure.
Now that Austin Reaves (15) is back in the fold, the Lakers need to turn their attention to LeBron James. Getty Images
As for James, he’s not going to find a better situation than the Lakers.
He wants a chance to win his fifth title. There was proof in concept of how successful the trio of James, Doncic and Reaves could be in March, when they went 15-2 and looked like one of the NBA’s best teams. Who knows how far they could’ve gone during the postseason had they all remained healthy.
He doesn’t want to leave his family. He wants to be able to attend as many of his 11-year-old daughter’s volleyball games as possible. He wants to play alongside his son, Bronny, who has a partially guaranteed contract with the Lakers next season.
And during his free time he wants to play golf, his latest obsession since turning 40. That pretty much eliminates Cleveland, which is a frozen tundra for much of the year.
It’s hard to imagine he’d want to start over with new teammates and a new coach in the sunset of his career, even though as you may have read in this column, him teaming up with Steph Curry on the Warriors would be thrilling and him returning to the Cavaliers would put a neat bow on his illustrious career. James cares about narratives. He has been with the Lakers for eight seasons, the longest consecutive stretch he has been with any franchise. A new start at this point seems unlikely.
Things might not be all sunsets and rainbows between James and the Lakers. He may have felt disrespected as they’ve shifted to making Doncic their priority. He may have been stunned when he was asked to be the team’s third option, knowing that he could be No. 1 or No. 2 on many teams around the league. Things may be a bit stilted between a franchise that’s firmly focused on its future instead of James, who has been the sun for two decades.
But the Lakers need James. And he needs them.
He averaged 20.9 points on 51.5% shooting, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists last season. He’s still him.
And of all of the destinations that would make sense for him, the Lakers could pay him the most. They have about $50 million in cap space. They could offer James, say, something in the ballpark of $25 million to $35 million and still have room to build out their roster.
Yes, James would have to take a significant pay cut from the $52.6 million he made last season. Yes, he still plays like a maximum contract player. But he’s not going to command that type of money anywhere he’d want to go.
As currently constructed, the Warriors could only pay him the $15.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The Cavaliers have even less money on their books, something in the ballpark of around $4 million unless they make some major moves, according to ESPN.
James and the Lakers both need to just rip the Band-Aid off. They’re not going to do better than each other. The sooner they work out a deal, the quicker general manager Rob Pelinka will be able to build out a competitive roster around the team’s stars.
If they drag their feet, it’s only going to hinder both of them. It could mean the Lakers are forced to act as though James isn’t returning, and they could potentially have even less money to offer him later in the summer. It could mean that James gets fed up and takes his talents elsewhere. It could mean both parties are worse off.
The bottom line is this might not be the perfect marriage. But it’s the one that makes the most sense.
The Lakers are better with James.
And for what he prioritizes, he’s not going to find a better situation.
Big Blue Nation was ecstatic when Malachi Moreno announced his withdrawal from the NBA Draft and his subsequent decision to come back to Kentucky Basketball for his sophomore season.
It was a big decision, giving Kentucky a formidable player in their frontcourt and a player Mark Pope thinks could be among the best centers in the country.
“One day we got some of the feedback, and we were like it might be in our best favor to go back and really improve this next year and become, like Pope said, the best center in America,” Moreno recently said when discussing the NBA Draft process.
“Become the best All-American center in the country. I think next year is my year.”
Malachi Moreno says it was a "difficult decision" to come out of the NBA draft, but he came back to Kentucky to be the best big man in country and get better for next year #BBN@FOX56Newspic.twitter.com/bfAu1jDwSx
Moreno added that it was a difficult decision. Fans may not realize how happy they are that Moreno is coming back. But this is a player who aspires to be a professional basketball player and may have thought he had a realistic chance at making that dream a reality this year.
That’s not to say he’s not happy to be at Kentucky, but rather that he still has dreams of playing in the NBA.
A member of the SEC’s All-Freshman Team in 2025-26, Moreno averaged 7.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in his Freshman season. Moreno shot 58.2% from the floor and 69.8% from the free-throw line.
Moreno’s most memorable moment was his buzzer-beater against LSU in mid-January that likely saved the Wildcats’ season early on in SEC play.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 11: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers covers during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Rocket Arena on February 11, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Earlier this week, we asked Cleveland Cavaliers fans to grade the James Harden-for-Darius Garland swap after we’ve seen how the Harden-led Cavs looked in the playoffs. Back in February, fans gave the trade an A grade. This time around, they weren’t as generous.
The survey was pretty split as to what grade to give Harden. The consensus was a C. Only 10% gave the grade an A, which is 52% lower than it was in February.
Understandably, opinions on the Harden trade have soured.
The Cavs saw a wide-open Eastern Conference back in the winter and pushed their chips in with a win-now move. That deal allowed the Cavs to advance further in the playoffs than they have at any point with this core. But it didn’t solve the fundamental issues at the top of the roster as seen in their one-sided loss at the hands of the New York Knicks.
This fall, the Cavs will be entering a new season in a much less wide-open conference. The Indiana Pacers should be a factor again with the return of Tyrese Haliburton. The Miami Heat have entered the fray after the addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo. And young teams like the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, and Charlotte Hornets should be better next season.
This new reality is reflected in the odds.
According to FanDuel, Cleveland has the sixth-best odds to win the Eastern Conference at +1500. They have the 11th-highest odds to win the NBA Finals at +4000.
We’ll see how the roster looks by the time training camp opens up in a few months. There’s a good chance it looks drastically different. However, at this point, it’s understandable to be more down on this trade. The Cavs sacrificed some of their long-term stability for a win-now move, and are currently not in a fantastic position to win now as presently constructed.
CINCINNATI - 1963: Thomas Hawkins #19 of the Cincinnati Royals poses for a portrait circa 1963 in Cincinnati, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1963 NBAE (Photo by NBA Photo Library/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA hasn’t always been what it is today. In the earliest days, it was kind of cobbled together, and some guys turned down contracts because they had better offers from other employers.
No one made $100,000 a year before Wilt Chamberlain did so in 1965 (Bill Russell immediately asked Boston to pay him $100,001).
Transportation was not what it is today, either. No one flew charter, and the planes in the 1950s and 1960s were not all up to date, and even if they were, they were not what they are today. Nothing was computerized, for instance, and weather reporting was not what we expect today.
Winston-Salem native Tommy Hawkins, who started his career with the Minneapolis Lakers, underscores that with this story of a flight gone wrong. He tells the story calmly, but it’s hard not to think of Buddy Holly’s last trip.
In this case, they were fortunate enough to land in a cornfield rather than crash in one, but modern-day NBA players have no idea what their predecessors went through to build the league into a global powerhouse.
This is a move that was expected well before their season ended, now it's about to become official.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are declining Isaiah Hartenstein's $28.5 million team option for next season and signing him to a new three-year, $75 million contract, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. He adds there is a "mutual option" — maybe both a player and a team option, maybe an agent's phrasing for a partial guarantee — on the final season.
This is a win-win deal. Hartenstein gets more money over the long term and gains security in this new contract. The Thunder get to keep a key center for them — especially when trying to defend Victor Wembanyama — and shave $3.5 million in salary next year (or more, depending upon the structure of the contract), which matters for a team currently over the second apron and trying to trim salary.
Hartenstein averaged 9.2 points and 9.4 rebounds a game last season, despite missing nearly half the year due to injuries. However, his greater impact was on the defensive end, where he served as the more physical big-man defender compared to the more mobile Chet Holmgren. In the Western Conference Finals, Hartenstein became the primary defender on Victor Wembanyama and did a respectable job on a next-to-impossible task.
For the Thunder, Hartenstein taking a little haircut this year helps as the franchise works to get under the second apron (in a year when the max contract extensions for Chet Holmgren and Andrew Wiggins kick in). Already this offseason, the team has traded Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins without taking back any salary, and now Hartenstein has done his part. If the Thunder are trying to shed more salary, that could mean the end of Luguentz Dort ($17.7 million) and/or Kenrich Williams ($7.2 million) era in Oklahoma City.
Isaiah Hartenstein's floater was a key component of the Thunder's offense against the Spurs during the Western Conference Finals.
Isaiah Hartenstein isn’t going anywhere.
Hartenstein is returning to the Thunder on a three-year, $75 million deal, with a rare mutual option after the 2027-28 season, ESPN reported Friday night.
The contract also has a 15 percent trade kicker, according to ESPN.
Isaiah Hartenstein’s floater was a key component of the Thunder’s offense during their seven-game series loss to the Spurs during the Western Conference finals. Getty Images
The Thunder had a big decision to make in settling their frontcourt, and they’ve locked down their man in the middle, which wasn’t always a guarantee heading into the season.
Hartenstein, who turned 28 in May, was initially signed following the 2023-24 season, in which he played for the Knicks, and immediately contributed to what became an NBA championship Oklahoma City team in 2025.
Hartenstein will continue to hold down the frontcourt with the talented but maligned Chet Holmgren.
It’s worth noting that, in the frontcourt, the Thunder are welcoming 7-foot-3 rookie Aday Mara, selected No. 12 overall in this week’s NBA draft out of Michigan, as well as 2025 No. 15 overall pick Thomas Sorber, who sat out all of last season with a torn ACL.
Jaylin Williams, who became key during the Thunder’s loss to the Spurs in the Western Conference finals, is also expected to play a meaningful role in OKC at the forward and center positions.
Isaiah Hartenstein averaged 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists last regular season. Getty Images
This, of course, is all pending any sizable transactions over the next few months.
Hartenstein averaged 11.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 2024-25, which dropped to Hartenstein 9.2, 9.4 and 3.5 this past season, which was in part due to a drop in three minutes per game.
In the playoffs, however, his production jumped from 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest in 2024-25 to 9.1, 8.3 and 2.6 this past run.
The Thunder, who are still a second-apron team following this move, could look to make another cost-cutting measure.
The team has already traded multiple solid rotation pieces in Isaiah Joe, a knockdown 3-point shooter, and Aaron Wiggins, a regular season contributor whose minutes were muted in the playoffs, to the Pistons and Hawks, respectively, each for two second-round picks.
It’s possible that the team will maneuver either or both of Lu Dort and Kenrich Williams this offseason as well, in an effort to save money and scoot under the second apron.
5/11/25 – NBA Playoffs, Game 4, Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden – Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown #7 reacts during the first quarter. Photo by...
It might cost a fortune to trade for Jaylen Brown.
On ESPN’s “Get Up” Friday morning, NBA insider Shams Charania revealed the Celtics may be asking some teams for several first-round picks for the star who’s been constantly in trade rumors the last few weeks.
“My understanding is that in some cases the Celtics have asked for at least four first-round picks for Jaylen Brown,” Charania said. “Where does that put him as far as his value? This is a Boston team that’s been contending in the Eastern Conference and their potential ask for some teams is a package of picks and players.”
“How have they reimagined this roster moving forward? Their finances, their viability as a contender in the Eastern Conference. I do think as of right now, time will tell which side will bring the emergence to this matter this offseason,” he added.
Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics reacts after scoring in the second half at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on November 18, 2025. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
While the Heat ultimately won the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes by acquiring him via trade, the Celtics went all-out in their pursuit of acquiring him, reportedly offering Brown and multiple first-round picks.
As Brown’s name continues floating around in trade rumors, Celtics general manager Brad Stevens remained noncommittal on what’s to come for the star and said he “can’t predict the future”.
“As you know, we try to keep things as close to the vest and quiet as possible, and at the same time, knowing that the rumor mill is the rumor mill, and there’s going to be a lot of noise out there, that’s why you meet and be upfront as possible,” Stevens told reporters when asked about Brown.
Though Antetokounmpo was traded for a package that included Tyler Herro and three first-round picks Monday, there have still been trades involving four or more first-rounders recently — like the Knicks trading five for Mikal Bridges in 2024.
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown reacts during the first quarter of a 2025 game. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Despite the Celtics blowing a 3-1 loss to the 76ers in the first round of the 2026 playoffs, Brown was pivotal to their regular season success, averaging a career-high 28.7 points per game.
Brown was the Celtics’ No. 1 option most of the season with Jayson Tatum injured, and he called the season his “favorite year of my basketball career”.
The 29-year-old has three years left on his five-year contract, and he has averaged over 20 points per game every season since 2019-20.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 07: Kevon Looney #55 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Smoothie King Center on April 07, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Kevon Looney, a three-time NBA champion and forever Golden State Warrior, will have to find a new home next season.
Per NBA insider Chris Haynes, the New Orleans Pelicans have chosen to decline Looney’s $8 million team option, making him an unrestricted free agent.
New Orleans Pelicans are expected to decline the $8M team option on veteran center Kevon Looney, making the 3-time NBA champ an unrestricted free agent, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/U45QTgHWKy
Looney’s tenure with the Pelicans was highly limited, playing only 21 games due to injury. The veteran experience and poise that he was expected to provide was ultimately limited.
The Warriors chose to move on from Looney in order to prioritize size and shooting at the center position, a somewhat tough pill to swallow considering Looney’s stature within the organization. So far, that decision is proving to be correct.
Oklahoma City is not letting its big man get away.
Isaiah Hartenstein intends to sign a new three-year deal to stay with the Thunder through 2028-29, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Friday night. With what he has already made in Oklahoma City, the commitment reaches five years and $134 million guaranteed.
The Thunder had possessed a $28.5 million team option for Hartenstein next season, but he now takes a new multiyear deal at a lower yearly number. That matters in Oklahoma City right now. The Thunder are staring at a brutal tax bill once the max extensions for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams land, and spreading Hartenstein's money over more years is how they keep the band together without paying a record-setting penalty.
The Thunder are still looking at one of the most expensive rosters in the league.
The Thunder signed Hartenstein in the summer of 2024 to a three-year, $87 million contract, and people thought it was an overpay. But he gave Oklahoma City a center who rebounds, protects the rim and can pass, and the Thunder won the franchise's first championship in Oklahoma City in 2025.
This spring, Hartenstein made San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in the Western Conference finals work hard before the Thunder fell in Game 7. He averaged 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists on the season.
The 28-year-old German was taken 43rd in the 2017 draft. Free agency begins June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.
Apr 1, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) drives to the basket against Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) during the third quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Hey there! With the defending champs about to embark on a well-deserved summer as the defending champs, what better time than now, the oasis between the draft and the corpse of what used to be free agency, to get all high and mighty up in our perch as Knick fans and cast judgment on all the loser teams beneath us — specifically, five current and/or historic rivals and/or curiosities.
BOSTON — A week or two from now, the Celtics may look completely different than they do now. Maybe they’ve sprinkled enough leprechaun dust around to pull some more Al Jefferson/KG or Kevin McHale/Robert Parish/Joe Berry Carroll shenanigans. If you had to bet on one team retooling a contender on the fly and coming out ahead, besides the Lakers, you could do worse than placing a fiver on the Red (Auerbach) Devils.
But I can’t live a week or two into the future. I can only live today, and sometimes even that’s pushing it. Today, for the first time in quite some time, I find myself wondering — just who or what are the Boston Celtics, anyway?
For a while they achieved a kind of basketball perfection, featuring a rotation where every player could shoot and play both ends. As the hypocritical, soul-sucking Knick-hating CBA pushed cheap billionaires away from the player-empowering “Big Three” model to teams’ decidedly less romantic search for the strongest weakest link, the Celtics seemed to have cracked the code. Figurative reams of digital press praised them not only for winning just the franchise’s second ‘chip since Rick Brunson was 14, but for Brad Stevens’ gossamer genius in building them to contend for years.
A funny thing happened on the way to paradise, though. The team was sold. Odd, it seemed. The Celtics are a flagship North American sports franchise. They’d literally just won the championship. And the people writing and cashing their checks looked at each other and just said “Peace”?
Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles and the new owners did the *practical* thing, “practical” almost always meaning “cashed in something ineffable and intangible for $$,” using the injury as cover to get rid of Jrue Holiday and three centers who could all shoot, rebound and defend. They were always gonna be better than people expected, but they were better than that, even. Tatum came back from his Achilles tear in, like, record time, a statement that seems as likely to age well as Joel Embiid. The playoffs exposed the team’s Achilles heel as its cheap-ass owners, who knew Tatum would be back for the postseason and gave their plucky squad all of Nikola Vučević at the trade deadline.
Credit to Stevens for possessing a seemingly soberer view of his team than some of its media fanboys. The Cs fell 10 wins short of a title in 2025, 13 last season. That’s not title contention. That’s . . . *waves haphazardly at what’s come of Denver*. Excepting Vučević, everyone on the books this past season is next season, too. Something’s gotta give, and something ain’t gonna be Tatum. So it’s gotta be Jaylen Brown or Derrick White.
Speaking of which . . .
DETROIT –
Going from 14 wins one season to 44 the next? Unprecedented. 44 to 60? Nearly as impressive. Next step? That one’s a doozy. After a bittersweet postseason, the Pistons are firmly in “What do we do now?” territory.
Detroit is neither blind to what ails it nor subtle in pursuing its remedy, and while newly-signed Isaiah Joe will narcotize some of their shooting pains, he isn’t a panacea. The last three Eastern conference champions have featured dynamic offensive duos: Tatum/Brown, Tyrese Haliburton/Pascal Siakam, Jalen Brunson/Karl-Anthony Towns. The Pistons have Cade Cunningham. They need Tobias Harris to not be their second-best offensive player. Kawhi Leonard, Tyler Herro, Norm Powell, Jaylen Brown — more in that vein.
Now Jalen Duren, a restricted free agent fresh off All-NBA Third Team honors, is ready to explore sign-and-trades after being underwhelmed by Detroit in contract negotiations. Harris is an unrestricted free agent. Isaiah Stewart’s in Memphis. Duncan Robinson could be cut loose for $2 million. Kevin Huerter? They don’t know her. Not only are the Pistons in obvious need of a serious talent injection, something they haven’t really had to deal with for, oh, 20 years is rather quite suddenly their new normal. Pressure.
Miami acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’d’ve been a terrifying addition for Detroit. LaMelo Ball is about to co-star in a fascinating experiment alongside Anthony Edwards in Minnesota; might’ve been just as interesting watching him and Cade in tandem. Heck, either of Julius Randle or Naz Reid would level-up the Piston attack. Everyone and their cousin knows what they need. Every time another team acquires an offensive star, whether the Pistons were in or even interested in the player, a pressure builds around general manager Trajan Langdon. How about this guy? Why not this guy? Who’s the next guy? What about him? Even if he himself is unaware of it, that doesn’t mean others around him aren’t unaware, i.e. aware. Got that?
Get this: the Celtics are seemingly nudging Brown out the door this summer. They daren’t send their former Finals MVP to a key conference rival, dare’st they? What would it took to make a trade work? Would Duren appeal to Boston, who’ve preferred to play 5-out but were forced away from that style last year? And if Duren isn’t the Beantown ballast, does Detroit have anyone else who appeals? They wouldn’t consider Ausar Thompson? T’would they?
MIAMI – “Men were deceivers ever/One foot in sea, and one on shore/To one thing constant never.” That’s from Much Ado About Nothing, fitting both in that it describes Antetokounmpo’s schtick the past couple of years and captures my feelings about the Giannis trade in four words. Not that I don’t see what they’re going for.
There are times a team needs a superstar player for reasons having nothing to do with basketball. When Amar’e Stoudemire signed with the Knicks, it felt like the first thing to go right for the franchise in a decade. The Knicks weren’t suddenly title contenders; they weren’t even 50-win contenders. But the Knicks were back. That mattered.
And oh by the way: squint hard enough and you can see STAT’s signing in 2011 as the first pebble to roll in what became the 2026 Knicks’ title-winning avalanche. Stoudemire putting the “Ooooh!” back in New York showed Carmelo Anthony what he was missing. The Melo era ended with him traded to Oklahoma City, for a draft pick the Thunder initially received from the Bulls along with two future/former Knicks, Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott. Chicago got back another someday Knick, Cameron Payne.
Seven months later, that pick was shipped from OKC to New York, along with McDermott and Enes Freedom, with Carmelo going the other way. That pick, the 36th in the 2018 draft, became some kinda player, the best on either team in 2023 and 2025 playoff series whose significant endgame efforts on both ends helped the Knicks end their 53-year title drought.
Which is to say I understand the Heat trading for Antetokoumpo. You can’t make money if you’re broke. Takes some to make some. Miami is the rare NBA “destination” franchise, though it hasn’t been for a while. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel’el Ware are both fun players, but nobody’s uprooting their family to go play with them. Giannis? Different story.
A little less than two years ago, the Knicks added KAT and Mikal Bridges. They saw a way to assemble a title-worthy starting five, which there’s no guarantee pops up in life, and they took it. It cost them depth and continuity, and that cost them in the ECF vs. Indiana. But with the hard part finished, the Knicks used the following summer and trade deadline to assemble a title-worthy bench.
Maybe Miami’s thinking similarly. Even if Giannis never leads them to a championship, or even comes close, there’s a far better chance some future star takes their talents to South Beach in the next few years to join him than Tyler Herro. If that future star is on the Heat in 2030, with Giannis retired, he’ll have delivered what they hoped for. So I get it, in that sense.
What I don’t get is any hype beyond that.
If Antetokounmpo were 25 or 28 next season and not turning 32, I could see them playing a bit of the long game, biding a little time to fully clear their books before adding the next Hardaway to their Mourning, Shaq to their Wade, LeBron to their Wade, Bosh to their Wade, etc. If Bam Adebayo’s fit alongside Giannis felt closer to KAT/OG than Ewing/Cartwright, a little wait would seem to promise a big payoff. If. If! If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there’d be no work for tinkers’ hands.
Before the deal, the Heat weren’t laying a glove on the Knicks, the Celtics, the Pistons or the Cavs. After the trade, and assuming they fill out the roster with an unexceptional lot of role players and given Miami’s success rate turning seeming joes into pros, what’s changed? Cleveland is suspect enough that it’s possible Antetokounmpo’s ferocity alone could take them down. Beyond that? Nah.
If you’re a Heat fan, this trade is a big deal. If you’re a Bucks fan, same. If you root for any other team, this feels like an oddly “meh” takeaway, given this is a story we’ve been hearing about for at least a year. And if you’d told me back then someone would swap four players and a half-dozen picks and swaps for Giannis, I’d have assumed it was a seismic deal, for one team if not two. Not so much.
CHARLOTTE – Hmm.
Hmmmmmm.
Dunno where to go with this one. Let’s try this: when you think of Mitchell Robinson, what words come to mind? What other basketball players or pro athletes in general does he remind you of? Take a minute or two. Think about it. I’ll wait.
Okay, you’re back? Did you think of A.C. Green? Cal Ripken Jr.? Lou Gehrig? No? No ironmen popped to mind? That’s fair. Mitch is a great many great things, but “durable” isn’t one even his biggest stans would attempt with a straight face. What’s that gotta do with Charlotte’s point guard?
The past six seasons, Mitch has played 270 games, only a handful fewer per those six seasons than LaMelo Ball. But while M-Rob is likely to sign for $45-$50 million the next three years, in that same span Ball will make $130 million. Apart from any and all questions of LaMelo’s style of play/stylings, it’s difficult to be worthy of a max or near-max salary even if you’ve generally been available, and generally Ball hasn’t.
So as counterintuitive as it’d seem, it’d seem the situation calls for recognizing and applauding Charlotte for anticipating a tricky point in their aspiring ascension and successfully moving past it. I’m not sure it does, though.
While the Hornets’ 28-10 run to close the season certainly was not much ado about nothing, it’s likely whatever something they were up to was never quite all it appeared to be in the moment. A third of the league spent most of the year tanking. When push came to shoving their way to a playoff spot, the Hornets lost 121-90 to an Orlando team that didn’t score 121 points total over seven games versus Detroit.
It’s fair to wonder if the Hornets have any business being self-confident enough to make this kind of move now, and what the optics will be if it backfires. Ball is now cast out, publicly ex-communicated by a sad sack of a franchise. His ego is wounded. He’ll now be playing with by farrrrrr the best teammate he ever has. And it’s fair to wonder if the team might be confusing their success in collecting the right players for once with those players doing the actual work of embettering the team.
I can’t remember where I read this earlier, but Kon Knueppel made well over 40% of his 3s while playing with Ball versus about 37% without him. As a Knicks fan I’m the last person who will ever doubt Coby White, and he’ll cost the Hornets about $20 million less per year than Ball for three years. Still. I wonder, after a postseason watching the Knicks defy the odds over and over again because their shaman had better magic than the other guy, if the Hornets may have short-circuited something special before it got a chance to spread its wings.
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 8: Gary Trent Jr. #5 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball during the game against the Detroit Pistonson April 8, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Per Chris Haynes, Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. has become a target of teams seeking knockdown shooting and is expected to decline his $3.9m player option and leave Milwaukee after two seasons with the team. Trent had a much better first year in the Cream City than his second one, when he really fell off the map. Of course, year one was capped off by that stellar playoff performance against Indiana, where he dropped 37 and 33 points in Games 3 and 5.
This performance led him to sign what many suspected was the “Bobby special” contract, in which, despite being worth more on the open market, he took a smaller contract with the non-Bird exception to gain early Bird rights with the team the next offseason. This initial contract would have been signed on the assumption—assuming he had another productive season—that he’d ink a more lucrative, long-term deal this offseason (you know, a wink-wink sort of deal-in-principle).
Well, Trent did not have another productive season, and the team has obviously taken on a new direction that wouldn’t really have suited him anyway. Trent’s representatives at Klutch Sports may not be thrilled right now, but that’s business, I suppose. Thanks for the memories, GT.
San Diego, CA - December 30: Jalen Warley #8 of Gonzaga looks on during a game against University of San Diego on December 30, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
The Swiss Army knife that is Gonzaga Bulldogs wing Jalen Warley will be joining the Indiana Pacers at the NBA Summer League. One of his two reported pre-draft workouts came in Indianapolis, Indiana.
In his last and only college basketball campaign with the Bulldogs, the 23-year-old from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, averaged 7.1 points on a 56.6 field goal percentage, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Warley led the team in steals with 1.5 per contest.
The 6-7 defensive standout on the perimeter and slasher spent three seasons with the Florida State Seminoles from 2021-24 and redshirted during the 2024-25 season. He originally was committed to the Virginia Cavaliers, but transferred to Gonzaga after coach Tony Bennett retired.
Warley’s first chance at showcasing his skill set to the masses will come at the 2026 California Classic, a summer league taking place inside both the Golden State’s Chase Center and Sacramento Kings’ Golden 1 Center from July 3 through 6. Following that, the 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada, runs from July 9 through 19.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
Search Cameron Carr’s highlights on YouTube from his lone season at Baylor, it’ll immediately become clear what made him such a tantalizing prospect.
There are rim-rattling dunks, with the Lakers’ first-round pick taking full advantage of his 42 ½-inch vertical.
Former Baylor star Cameron Carr wants to be known as the Lakers’ “best defender.” NBAE via Getty Images
There are deep 3-pointers where it’s evident his smooth shooting stroke will translate to the NBA.
There are a plethora of blocks from all over the court, with Carr using the 7-foot-plus wingspan on his 6-foot-4 ½ frame to stop shots where they began.
The plays are “explosive,” which along with “dominant” were one of the ways Carr described his game during his introductory news conference Friday at the Lakers’ El Segundo practice facility.
But Carr, 21, knows he’ll have to get better at the quieter aspects of the game to carve out a role during his rookie season with the Lakers.
Staying in front of ball handlers while being the point-of-attack defender.
Being more physical.
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“First things first, play defense,” Carr responded when asked how he’ll adjust his skills to fit with the Lakers. “I feel like I’ve got to show that I’m the best defender here. That’s what I’m here to do. Yeah, I was a primary ball handler at Baylor, but that has not always been my role.
“In high school, I was an off-ball player. I had the best point guard in the country, Elliot Cadeau, so he set the table for me and made it very easy for me. I feel like now stepping in an organization with people with the same type of mindset and abilities, it only makes my job easier. I’ve just got to cut and dunk the ball for them and run in transition. But first things first is establishing a defensive consistency and showing I can be dominant.”
Carr knows he needs to put on some pounds to succeed in the NBA. Getty Images
To best do that, Carr knows he’ll have to get stronger.
His strength, or lack of it, was one of the biggest critiques surrounding him entering the NBA draft, where he was projected to be selected during or just outside of the lottery before he fell to No. 24. The Lakers traded picks with the Knicks to select Carr.
He weighed 184.4 pounds at the combine, which was the lightest among all players who measured at least 6-3.
“Got to put on some weight,” Carr said. “That’s going to be an emphasis, be in the weight room as much as possible. It’s going to be my second home.”
Carr also spoke glowingly and excitedly about the opportunity to play alongside the Lakers’ best players, including superstar Luka Doncic and star guard Austin Reaves, the latter of whom agreed to a four-year, $185 million deal to stay in Los Angeles.
And Carr, without being prompted, mentioned superstar free agent LeBron James and how he can’t wait to take advantage of the passing/playmaking they bring to the table.
“Man, anytime I can make their job easy and cut, I’m going to do that,” Carr said. “That makes their job easy. I think the chemistry that we build over time, it will only get stronger. Hopefully I can make their job easy of just [throwing] it by the basket and I go dunk it for them.”
Those types of plays will capture attention.
But Carr knows more work is needed.
“Of course just having great vets in front of you to look up to and learn from, follow in their footsteps and take little things from them and implement it into your life,” Carr said. “Overall, it’s going to be exciting. I know I keep saying it and it’s repetitive, but, man, y’all don’t understand how much of a joy it is and blessing to be here in this situation. So just learn and follow in their footsteps.”
