ESPN reported that Joey and Jesse will be on the Padres’ ownership group's advisory board.
Then there’s the ongoing struggle with their sister Jeanie. She’s trying to maintain her role as governor and controlling owner of the Lakers while her five siblings are pushing for the family to sell its 17.8% in the Lakers.
The Lakers were sold this month to businessman Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion. Mark Walter bought the team about a year earlier and that sale impacted the youngest of four Buss brothers.
ESPN’s Sham Charania reported in November that Joey and Jesse had been terminated from their front office positions as the Lakers reorganized their basketball operations department.
Their father, the late Jerry Buss, owned the Lakers from 1979 until his death in 2013.
It’s unclear what role Jesse and Joey Buss had with the Lakers. But ESPN reported that as members of the advisory committee they would draw on their experience with “player development, payroll management and roster construction.”
PORTLAND, OR - JANUARY 2: Stephen Curry #30 listens to head coach Don Nelson of the Golden State Warriors during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on January 2, 2010 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The Blazers won 105-85. 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 2010 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Don Nelson is one of the most important figures in Golden State Warriors franchise history. That’s why the team will be honoring him with a jersey patch all next summer — even putting it above their data center patch!
Paying homage to a legend of the game.
The Golden State Warriors will honor Hall of Fame head coach Don Nelson with a ‘Nellie’ band on their uniforms throughout the 2026-27 season. pic.twitter.com/1gpW0Oq0z0
The Warriors will sport a “NELLIE” patch on the left shoulder of their uniforms, honoring the coach who won 422 games over 11 seasons running the team. Nelson, who passed away earlier this month at age 86, won five titles as an NBA player and led the Warriors to some improbable playoff victories. The Warriors swept the Utah Jazz and Defensive Player of the Year Mark Eaton in 1989 while playing 6-foot-7 Rod Higgins at center and upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in 2007 by frustrating Dirk Nowitzki with a high-paced, small-ball lineup.
Nelson once said, “The more scotch I drink, the better the game plan gets,” and in 2007, the NBA actually had to bar him from bringing cans into postgame news conferences. What a legend.
The patch joins the “IREN” patch on the Warriors jerseys, which is an Australian company that makes data centers. To truly honor Nelson, the Warriors might also want to add an “IRIE” patch, considering he began farming marijuana in Hawaii, to go along with his bed-and-breakfast and his legendary poker room, popularized by the likes of Woody Nelson and Woody Harrelson, though not Woody Allen.
It’s a common way of memorializing franchise legends for the Warriors. In the 2024-25 season, they honored longtime guard, coach, and executive Al Attles with a No. 16 patch. In 2016, they wore a No. 42 patch for Hall of Famer and barbecue legend Nate Thurmond. In the 2010-11 season, the jerseys sported a patch of Franklin Mieuli’s signature deerstalker cap after their former owner passed away.
The Warriors will also honor Nelson this season by playing small lineups, because they don’t have tall players on their roster, and having seven-foot centers launch three-pointers. As another tribute, they’ll likely be driving their fans to reach for scotch or a bag of Nellie Kush. Just as Nellie would have wanted.
With Bennedict Mathurin headed to New Orleans, there are minutes available for Jordan Miller off the bench with the Clippers. He's just not going to be able to take advantage of that for a while.
"Jordan Miller underwent surgery today to repair a torn left rotator cuff sustained during an offseason workout last week. Miller will be reevaluated in 6 months," The Clippers announced on Wednesday.
Reevaluated in six months means the soonest he might return is March, and he could return later than that.
Miller, a 2023 second-round pick out of Miami, took a step forward last season, averaging 10 points a game and shooting 34.5% from beyond the arc. He was rewarded with a three-year, $15.3 million contract this July. Miller will push to return and perform well this season because only the first year of that new contract is guaranteed.
The Clippers still have good guard depth. The expected starting backcourt is Darius Garland and No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler, with Gradey Dick (if and when the Kawhi Leonard trade goes through), Kris Dunn and Bradley Beal off the bench. If Tyronn Lue wants to play bigger, Kobe Sanders could slide to the two for a stretch.
PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 27: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns shoots a free throw during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round One Game Four on April 27, 2026 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When you look at the Phoenix Suns, their current roster construction, and how it impacts both the short term and the long term, one thing is clear. This upcoming season is going to be a make-or-break year for 24-year-old Jalen Green.
Green came to Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant trade, bringing the youth and athleticism the Suns desperately needed. Unfortunately, he played only 32 games last season. That’s right, his superpower of health instantly evaporated once he experienced the Phoenix sun. Last season was supposed to be the dating period, the time when we learned about his fit and skill set within the confines of who the Suns are and what they are. Alas, injuries pushed that timeline back. Now, 2026–27 becomes the dating period. That being said, the Phoenix Suns are facing an interesting dilemma when it comes to Green.
He’s owed $36.3 million this upcoming season, the second-highest salary on the team, and holds a $36 million player option for the following year. With extensions beginning to kick in for players like Dillon Brooks and potentially Miles Bridges, committing additional long-term money to Green could become financially irresponsible. So he enters this season with something to prove. If Green doesn’t show that he’s worth being part of the long-term plan, then the clock starts ticking on when and how Phoenix moves off his contract.
That leads to the real question. How long do you give Jalen Green? Do you let the entire season play out and make a decision next summer, knowing there’s a strong possibility he opts into that $36 million player option? Or, if he struggles, do you start shopping him early and potentially move him before or at the trade deadline?
That’s the dilemma Phoenix will have to navigate. The front office has to weigh all these factors while also trying to understand exactly how Green fits within this team’s ecosystem. Is he someone you use as a primary playmaker, allowing Devin Booker to thrive more in an off-ball role? Or is Green the off-ball guard, the player who benefits from the gravity Booker naturally creates?
The early indications suggest the Suns may want Green to handle more point guard responsibilities, much like they experimented with Bradley Beal two summers ago.
Maybe in the future they switch it but as of right now they view Jalen as the PG.
Is that the right strategy? I’m not sure the guy with a 1.4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio is the ideal choice to be your primary ball handler. Booker, by comparison, has a career assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.8:1. Yikes, right? My guess is that we’re going to see an infusion of both philosophies. That would make sense considering the Suns are clearly leaning into a more modern, positionless approach with the way they’ve constructed this roster.
In a perfect world, Green progresses as both a player and a playmaker. He uses his athleticism to become elite at getting to the rim while also improving his overall decision-making. If that happens, the Suns will then have to figure out how to make everything work financially in the years ahead. But if Green reaches that level, that’s a good problem to have.
You’d much rather have a talented player and be trying to figure out how to make everything fit within the system, the organization, and the cap sheet than be stuck with someone who is overpriced, overpaid, and underperforming. So ultimately, this is a prove-it year for Jalen Green.
And proving it means more than scoring points. Green has to show that his athleticism can translate into winning basketball, that his decision-making can improve, and that he complements Booker rather than complicates the offense around him. Phoenix never received the evaluation period it expected last season. Now it gets another chance. By next summer, the Suns need to know whether Jalen Green is part of what they’re building or simply another contract they have to navigate around.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Director of Scouting/Assistant General Manager Jesse Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers (R) attends a game between the Lakers and the New York Knicks during the 2018 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 10, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Joey and Jesse Buss didn’t take long to find their way back into sports franchise ownership. On Wednesday, the Buss brothers announced they had joined the San Diego Padres ownership group.
Shortly before finalizing the sale of their majority stake in the Lakers to Mark Walter last year, the brothers created Buss Sports Capital to return to ownership. Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported the details of the deal with the Padres.
Joey and Jesse announced they will be on the new ownership group’s advisory board and apply their experience with player development, payroll management and roster construction to support this new era in Padres franchise history. Their stake in the Padres is in the neighborhood of 5%, sources told ESPN.
Joey released a statement to ESPN on the decision to join the Padres, their first move as a company.
“We are honored to join Kwanza and José and have the opportunity to contribute to the future of a team that Jesse and I have loved since we were kids growing up in San Diego,” Joey Buss said in a statement. “Sports have always been a part of our family’s story, and great organizations have a unique ability to bring people together and create a lasting sense of community. Padres fans have built one of the most passionate and loyal communities in all of sports, and we believe there is a tremendous opportunity to deepen that connection in San Diego and around the world.
“The Padres are on the cusp of something special, and through Buss Sports Capital, we look forward to bringing our experience and perspective to the ownership group and doing our part to build on the strong foundation already in place.”
This move should not be contingent on anything with the sale of the minority stake the siblings are trying to complete. That said, I’m sure they’d love to add more money to this venture with another sale, which might be part of their motivation to cash out.
McMenamin also noted an interesting point later in the article about potential future endeavors for the Buss brothers.
The minority ownership position with the Padres is Buss Sports Capital’s first major business move since its launch; however, the Buss brothers continue to pursue an ownership stake in the upcoming NBA Europe league, sources told ESPN.
The NBA Europe league still doesn’t feel like it’ll be a real thing, but that’s not really based on anything of note. Commissioner Adam Silver has pushed hard to expand into Europe, so it’s clearly a priority for him. Smaller developments over the years seem to be laying the groundwork for an NBA Europe league.
One would think that the Buss brothers would be good candidates to get involved with the league. Both wanted to remain with the Lakers before Jeanie fired them and had success with the franchise.
Now, it’ll just be a matter of how much money they may have to invest in the new league.
The woman accusing former Los Angeles Lakers star Byron Scott of sexually assaulting her when she was 15 has settled her claims against Campbell Hall, the prestigious Southern California private school where the alleged incident occurred nearly 40 years ago.
Terms of the settlement are under seal until the completion of the civil lawsuit against Scott, according to a ruling issued in the case last week approving the agreement and obtained by USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday, August 26. The trial is set to begin on Sept. 8 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
According to court documents previously obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the woman accuses the now 65-year-old Scott of sexual battery and false imprisonment. The original lawsuit was filed in 2022 under the California Child Victim's Act, which extended the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse survivors to file civil claims. Scott sought to keep his name out of the documents and requested to use "John Doe."
The lawsuit says in 1987 the Lakers were visiting the accuser's high school, Campbell Hall in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles, where the accuser was taking summer classes, after which she "was sexually assaulted by Byron Scott in a locked janitor’s closet in the high school gymnasium." The team was at the school filming instructional basketball videos in the gym and met with the parents, students and teachers.
Campbell Hall was also named as a defendant, and the lawsuit accused the institution of negligence for not protecting the accuser. The school previously attempted to remove itself from the litigation, but a judge ruled against its motion in January. The lawsuit demanded a jury trial and $25,000 for damages, payment of attorney fees, and loss of wages to be paid by Scott and the high school.
Notable Campbell Hall alumni include director Paul Thomas Anderson, actresses Dakota and Elle Fanning and NBA players Jrue, Justin and Aaron Holiday.
Scott was 26 years old and married to his first wife, Anita, at the time of the alleged sexual assault. He has since divorced and remarried. Scott played for the Lakers from 1983 to 1993, winning three NBA championships during the "Showtime" era, and finished his career with the team in 1996-97. Scott also spent 15 seasons as an NBA head coach, most recently with the Lakers in 2015-16.
"Our client is devastated by this complaint," Scott's attorney Linda Bauermeister said in a statement in May 2025 after the lawsuit was initially filed. "Our client believed the plaintiff to be over 18 and had no idea she would claim otherwise until 35 years later. He respects girls and women, and the claims have blindsided him and his family."
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 19: The sneakers worn by Cason Wallace #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the game against the Charlotte Hornets during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 19, 2025 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Perhaps Michael Jordan’s media career will mirror his NBA years with a little break in the middle.
Jordan’s run with NBC Sports’s basketball coverage is expected to cease after just one year, according to Front Office Sports, although the reason has not yet been revealed.
NBC Sports landed exclusive interviews with Jordan in its return to NBA coverage last season, an addition many hailed since Jordan is known for being rather reserved when it comes to media details.
Michael Jordan during one of his NBC segments. @NBAonNBC/YouTube
That excitement, though, tempered when NBA fans realized that Jordan would not be making live appearances to provide analysis.
Instead, the network broke up one pre-recorded sit-down interview with Mike Tirico into different clips for the “MJ: Insights to Excellence” segments that didn’t highlight the sport’s current storylines.
“It’s a bad look for NBC and it’s just a bad look, plain and simple,” Barkley said in January.
“They couldn’t fly to Michael like once a month and do a new interview? That makes NBC look really bad, plain and simple.”
Tirico defended the segment, pointing to the rarity of Jordan speaking about the sport since he had last done so during ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary in 2020.
He described Jordan as “awesome” for the segments.
“Was it what everyone wanted? Probably not,” Tirico said in January. “Was it better than not hearing from Michael Jordan? You’re damn right it was. And if we get another shot at it, will I be more than excited to be a part of it? You betcha. In our world right now, all you want to do is make the final answer before you know everything. I love that Michael trusted us enough to sit and do something that he hasn’t done in a long, long, long time.”
He added: “Every time one airs, people say, ‘Oh, this is from the same interview.’ But they also talk about what he said. It starts a topic of conversation. His voice still resonates.”
Michael Jordan (r.) sitting with Mike Tirico (l) during one of the segments. @NBAonNBC/YouTube
Jordan, the six-time NBA champion, is still active in NBA circles due to his standing as a minority owner of the Hornets.
Jonathan Kuminga now has limited options in free agency after another one of his suitors pivoted. Getty Images
The Timberwolves can sign Kuminga as part of their tax mid-level exception, without requiring the Hawks cooperation. In some ways, it’s an easier deal for the Timberwolves to get done.
Kuminga’s free agency has been a complex process, but it’s near its conclusion.
Siblings Joey and Jesse Buss (in black hat), from left, sitting in the front row during a press conferrence announcing new Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, at the UCLA Health Training Center, in El Segundo, CA, Monday, June 6, 2022.
The Buss brothers will be on the Padres’ ownership group’s advisory board as part of their investment in the franchise.
Joey Buss said in a statement to The Athletic: “We are honored to join Kwanza and José and have the opportunity to contribute to the future of a team that Jesse and I have loved since we were kids growing up in San Diego. Sports have always been a part of our family’s story, and great organizations have a unique ability to bring people together and create a lasting sense of community. Padres fans have built one of the most passionate and loyal communities in all of sports, and we believe there is a tremendous opportunity to deepen that connection in San Diego and around the world.
“The Padres are on the cusp of something special, and through Buss Sports Capital, we look forward to bringing our experience and perspective to the ownership group and doing our part to build on the strong foundation already in place.”
Alternate governor Joey Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers addresses the fans during the NBA Cup Trophy ceremony after the game against the Indiana Pacers during the In-Season Tournament Championship game on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (NBAE) NBAE via Getty Images
Joey and Jesse Buss are also pursuing an ownership stake in an NBA Europe franchise.
San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King winds up against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in San Diego. (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan
Jeanie Buss, the Lakers’ current governor, didn’t vote in favor of the sale and is contesting her siblings’ decision through her lawyer, Adam Streisand.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: Bennedict Mathurin #9 of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts after the play in the second half against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on April 05, 2026 in Sacramento, California. 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 Don Collier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Bennedict Mathurin is headed to New Orleans. How long he’ll stay in the Big Easy remains to be seen.
The former Arizona Wildcats standout has signed a two-year $16 million deal with the Pelicans that includes a player option, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
Bennedict Mathurin has agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, including a player option, sources tell ESPN.
Mathurin’s reps approached the Clippers about withdrawing his $8.8M qualifying offer, effectively turning the QO into a more favorable… pic.twitter.com/U53SEBOm3m
According to Charania, Mathurin chose flexibility and an earlier route to unrestricted free agency versus longer-term offers that would have come with total team control.
Mathurin was traded last season to the Los Angeles Clippers after spending the first three-and-a-half seasons with the Indiana Pacers. The 24-year-old averaged 17.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists last year.
Mathurin only started one game with the Clippers out of 26 appearances. He’ll have a better opportunity to earn a starting role in New Orleans, where his main competition will be Trey Murphy and Saddiq Bey. The Pelicans are coming off a 26-56 season.
New Orleans has had its eye on Mathurin for some time, according to Charania, who reported the team has aggressively pursued him for over a year.
Mathurin becomes the first Arizona alum to play for New Orleans since Solomon Hill and Stanley Johnson played for them in 2019.
Jonathan Kuminga has found a new home following his first foray into unrestricted NBA free agency.
The former top Warriors draft pick has agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves that includes a player option, his agent Aaron Turner told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday.
Per Charania, Kuminga will start for the Timberwolves during the 2026-27 NBA season.
BREAKING: Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus a player option, agent Aaron Turner tells ESPN. Kuminga will be a starter alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on the West contender. pic.twitter.com/KdtD6YEy9j
Following his up-and-down tenure in the Bay, Golden State traded Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks in February, along with Buddy Hield, in the deal that brought Kristaps Porziņģis to the Warriors. The Hawks subsequently declined Kuminga’s $24.3 million team option in June after the young forward averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds across 16 games with them.
As the Warriors’ No. 7 overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga averaged 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 278 games with Golden State . As a rookie, he helped Golden State win the 2022 NBA championship, and his best season came two years later when he averaged 16.1 points in 74 contests.
But Kuminga was in and out of Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s rotation during his last few seasons with the team and eventually demanded a trade, bringing an end to an often-tumultuous tenure with Golden State.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings were linked to Kuminga this offseason, but instead he lands with a different Western Conference competitor. Kuminga and the new-look Timberwolves will play the Warriors in Golden State’s fifth game of the 2026-27 season on Oct. 28th in Minnesota.
The start of NBA training camps is still a little more than a month away, but it’s not too early to look ahead at the upcoming regular season.
A busy offseason that saw stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo (Miami Heat), LeBron James (Philadelphia 76ers) and Jaylen Brown (76ers) find new homes has mostly wrapped up as teams enjoy their final month of summer vacation before getting back to hoops.
And with that fluctuation in personnel comes a new hierarchy and balance of power in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. Either way, all teams are chasing the New York Knicks, who snapped a 53-year title drought in dramatic fashion by knocking of the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. The Spurs, of course, remain one of the teams to beat in the West.
Here’s a look at projections for every team, based on our view of what each team's record will be at the end of the 2026-27 regular season:
A couple of things to note: Indiana’s success will depend entirely on how star point guard Tyrese Haliburton returns after missing all of last season with his ruptured Achilles tendon. But if he can return to previous form, the Pacers — a team that is being significantly overlooked — could be a real threat in the East. The Celtics are an intriguing team to watch, but they will need Derrick White to bounce back from a tough shooting year, and they’ll need Paul George to take on a massive role to replace Jaylen Brown. Either way, this puts a ton of pressure on Jayson Tatum to carry the squad.
The Bulls could be a sneaky team to make a jump, with the additions of Norman Powell and No. 4 overall rookie Caleb Wilson. And the Magic have a new coach in Sean Sweeney, but he’ll have to revamp an offense that struggled to find consistent shooting. Orlando may be a candidate to drop off.
It’s clear the Thunder and Spurs are the top two teams in the West, when healthy. Yet, the race for the guaranteed playoff spots in seed Nos. 3 through 6 should be tightly contested. As it stands now, the Timberwolves, Rockets, Nuggets and Lakers appear to be in that next tier, but health and the fit of new additions will be the determining factors. Minnesota is incorporating LaMelo Ball, the Rockets will be getting a boost at point guard with the return of Fred VanVleet (torn ACL) and the Lakers have a revamped roster with LeBron James gone and Walker Kessler in.
The Jazz, now that their tank is complete, are a team that could ascend with their mix of young players (rookie guard Darryn Peterson, last year’s No. 5 overall selection Ace Bailey and Keyonte George) and vets (Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr.).
For a couple of weeks, it had been rumored that New Orleans was the only outside team seriously in pursuit of Bennedict Mathurin, and it was going to come down to them or the LA Clippers — and the Clippers had the power because he was a restricted free agent.
Then came this report Wednesday: Mathurin and the Pelicans reached agreement on a two-year, $16 million offer, with the second year of that a player option, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.
For that to happen, the Clippers and Mathurin have to agree to rescind his $8.8 million qualifying offer, which would make him an unrestricted free agent. The official deadline for a team to rescind that offer unilaterally is July 13, but it can still do it throughout the offseason if the team and player agree. That has yet to officially happen, but the sides are working toward it, reports NBA insider Jake Fischer.
Mathurin will agree because it is a great deal for him, despite reportedly discussing longer-term offers with other teams that would have been worth more money. While Mathurin believes he should make more, this contract gets him back on the free agent market as soon as next summer if he wants, but it gives him the security of a second year. He sees that as his best scenario.
While the Clippers have given lip service to wanting Mathurin back, their actions have shown he is not a priority. If (when?) the Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto goes through, the Clippers will have 16 guaranteed contracts on the roster, plus Cam Christie's non-guaranteed deal, and that is without Mathurin. The Clippers already have to make a trade or waive at least one guaranteed contract before the season starts. They don't need Mathurin.
The Clippers and Pelicans couldn't work out a sign-and-trade, in part because it requires at least a three-year contract for Mathurin. If the report that the Clippers are working with Mathurin to rescind the offer is true, then he walks out the door for nothing.
Mathurin came to the Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade and quickly showed he can put up numbers off the bench, averaging 17.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the 26 games he played. He also showed he's not terribly efficient doing that, shooting 20.7% from 3-point range and posting a true shooting percentage right about the league average, plus he had nearly as many turnovers as assists.
It may take some lawyers in a room and a couple of days to become official, but it sounds like Mathurin is set to join the Pelicans team — a team that won 26 games last season, but the only big move of their offseason was to change coaches to Jamahl Mosley. There is talent on this roster — Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Derik Queen, Herb Jones, Dejounte Murray — but it has yet to mesh and show it can win.
Mathurin steps into that roster, where team president Joe Dumars is betting that Mosley can get this team to defend and put the puzzle pieces together.
Philadelphia, PA - April 24: Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey argues a call in the fourth quarter. The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers played in the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 24, 2026. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
The NBA has yet to officially confirm all of the uniforms that each team will be wearing during the 2026-27 season, but as usual, the sickos at NBA Uniform Tracker are doing the Lord’s work this offseason.
In late July, they revealed that the Sixers would be bringing back their 2017-18 “City Edition” jerseys this year.
Leak!
The Sixers looks to be bringing back the 2017-18 "City Edition" for this upcoming season. The city edition looks to be featuring a white, potentially shiny, Nike swoosh to commemorate 10 years of the "City Edition". https://t.co/617TPbnr5Dpic.twitter.com/06RYl3vbdT
— NBA Uniform Tracker™ (@nbaunitracker) July 21, 2026
A few weeks later, NBA Uniform Tracker followed up with confirmation of the Sixers’ two standard jerseys—the white “Association” and the blue “Icon” jersey—plus the red “Statement” jerseys that they’ve also been wearing since 2019.
Notably absent from that list? The Iverson-era “Classic Edition” jerseys that the Sixers brought back last year, much to the delight of fans throughout the greater Philadelphia region.
In fairness, it isn’t the Sixers’ call to shelve the Iverson jerseys this year. According to the NBA’s “LockerVision” website, Classic Edition uniforms are only “worn by teams commemorating anniversaries or key moments in franchise history.” The Sixers brought back the Iverson jerseys last year since it was the 25th anniversary of their run to the 2001 NBA Finals. (LeBron James signing with the Sixers on a veteran-minimum contract apparently doesn’t qualify as a key moment in franchise history.)
If ever there was a time to make an exception, it would be this year.
After the Sixers added LeBron and Jaylen Brown this offseason—not to mention Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Labaron Philon Jr. and Ariel Hukporti—the fanbase is feral with excitement. The Sixers even capitalized on that by opening the team store at Xfinity Mobile Arena for two days so fans could purchase officially licensed gear, since Fanatics almost instantly sold out of LeBron’s Sixers jersey. And fans turned out in droves for that opportunity.
Still, not allowing the Sixers to bring back the Iverson jerseys is an enormous missed opportunity for the NBA. After all, ESPN photoshopped LeBron into one of those jerseys in its tweet announcing that he’d be joining the Sixers.
Breaking: LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, his agent Rich Paul told @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/MT9OQfgd2T
You know who won’t be getting those jerseys, at least from an official NBA retailer? Sixers fans.
In an era where the NBA’s primary, secondary and tertiary focus appears to revolve around making more money above all else, not allowing Sixers fans to buy Iverson-era LeBron jerseys or Brown jerseys is the ultimate definition of an own-goal. Hell, it was nearly impossible to find Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey throwbacks last year, and if memory serves correctly, they didn’t even sell a VJ Edgecombe one online. (Another own-goal.)
There is one way that the NBA could right this wrong, though.
In the 1996-97 season, the Sixers donned blue Hardwood Classics jerseys “celebrating the 1966-67 team.” Allen Iverson wore that jersey in one of the most iconic SLAM Magazine covers of all time.
If last year’s throwbacks aren’t coming back, can the NBA at least bring back the ’66-67 ones in honor of the 60th anniversary of that team? I’m literally begging you to take my money here, Adam Silver.
