Category: Basketball

While the LeBron James free agency sweepstakes is shaping up to be the biggest story in basketball for as long as it occurs this summer, reality is that only several teams are equipped to sign the arguably NBA GOAT.

James’ agent, Rich Paul, laid out 10 potential teams on his “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman. It appears that one of these teams is feeling confident it will be able to sign James.

This team is the Timberwolves. The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski published a July 4 article that said Minnesota has “full belief” it is in the hunt to land James in free agency.

What’s more, Minnesota seems to believe it is uniquely suited to sign LeBron, as its “bold pitch,” according to Krawczynski, is that James winning a championship with Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert would end the discussion about who is the true NBA GOAT. The Timberwolves are convinced that James signing with them would cement his status over Michael Jordan.

But the Timberwolves’ front office also has practical reasons for its belief. They think their core of young stars can take pressure off James on offense, and that McDaniels and Gobert will lessen James’ defensive load, keeping him fresh throughout the season.

They also want to sell James on bringing a championship to a franchise that has never won one. What’s more, Minnesota hasn’t had a champion in any of its major men’s sports franchises since the Twins won the 1991 World Series, and it thinks the prospect of bringing a championship to the state will entice James.

There’s no question that Minnesota makes sense for James on paper, and perhaps this unique pitch will compel him. But the bottom line is that he has plenty of suitors to choose from, and Minnesota might be a hard sell after spending the past eight years in Los Angeles.

After being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick sat in front of the media to reflect on the year. 

The duo addressed what they felt went right and wrong about last season and what should come next. 

“If you look around the playoffs right now, I think depth is really important, athleticism and youth,” said Pelinka. “We have a lot of components of that on our roster, but we need to add to it.”

Fast forward to the present day and Pelinka’s words at the time have proved not to be just cliche front office speak, but rather an outline of what his vision for the team is. After a flurry of moves, and with more likely to come, the Lakers look drastically different from the way they did the last time we saw them. 

You can argue about the transactions they’ve made this summer and even the ideology behind them. Yet it is clear the team has aggressively picked a direction for their next chapter and is leaning hard into it. Perhaps, for the first time in years. 

If there is one common trend of the players they have added, it’s that they’re both younger and more athletic than those they are replacing. 

With an average age of 26.3, the Lakers had the seventh-oldest roster in the NBA last season. Zooming in more, their starting group’s average age was 30.8. For context, the Clippers had the oldest roster to start last season at 28.6.

Age is one thing, but the Lakers also simply were too slow compared to their counterparts, especially the elite ones. 

According to the league’s tracking data, the Lakers were the second-slowest team on offense and the slowest team on defense last year, two stats that proved to be their downfall the further they went in the playoffs. 

Their new players should help in both areas.  Although more moves are likely on the horizon, if this were the final depth chart, the Lakers would enter next season with an average roster age of 25.1. That would have ranked 12th youngest last year.

That may not sound like a drastic improvement. However, what best exemplifies the difference from this roster compared to last season’s is that Austin Reaves is currently the oldest player on the team at an ancient 28 years old. 

From a strictly age perspective, losing LeBron James also greatly improves the mean calculation. But from an athletic standpoint, even at 41, he was arguably still the team’s best athlete. Replacing him individually was always going to be an impossible task.

Instead, the hope is they can replicate it in aggregate and collectively get closer to the athletic threshold the rest of the NBA has already reached. Even if it comes in different forms.

Athleticism is not a catch-all trait. Swapping Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard for Quintin Grimes and Collin Sexton should yield immediate dividends from a run-and-jump perspective. Sandro Mamukelashvili may not look like an athletic upgrade over Rui Hachimura, but there is a degree of fluidity and versatility to his game that Hachimura’s rigidity often disallows. And Walker Kessler’s motor and defensive instincts allow him to get to places on the court that Deandre Ayton often was late to.

Beyond the free agent acquisitions, Redick and staff will likely also have to rely on their internal projects, Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr, to play actual minutes this year. Both would immediately help in this department as they become the most exciting and dynamic athletes on the floor the instant their names are called. 

The team’s shift in ethos can be seen as far as their Summer League team. Led by the aforementioned young wing duo, the summer squad is composed of uber-athletic players who possess the DNA that the main roster will try to adopt going forward. 

Players like Thiero, Carr, William Kyle, Rob Mccray, Chris Mañon and Zhaire Smith, should all be walking highlight reels this summer. As draft analyst, Ben Pfeifer pointed out, those six players have exactly 500 college dunks between them, and none have had fewer than 47 career slams. That’s a level of above-the-rim play that has been absent on the Lakers in recent seasons

There is still plenty of work before the roster is finalized, but if their recent moves are any indication, it is safe to assume whoever they add next will likely fit a similar mold. The team’s reported interest in Jonathan Kuminga (23) serves as a prime example.

It ultimately remains to be seen if this collection and approach pay off in the standings. However, there is at least a plan in place. Polarizing, yes. Yet it is something this team can at least be identifiable for.

The Lakers may not be the youngest or fastest team, still. But at least they are closer today than they were yesterday.

All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social.

The past 48 hours have been difficult for Celtics Nation, and that’s an understatement.

But with Jaylen Brown headed to Philadelphia, attention has already shifted to the next major domino still left to fall as free agent LeBron James weighs his options after departing the Lakers. James, currently considering what could be his final destination before retirement, hasn’t closed the door on many potential suitors thus far.

That includes the Celtics, according to James’ agent Rich Paul.

This offseason has seen stars such as Brown, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball, and Ja Morant traded, each from their respective homegrown organizations in a shocking first few days. And there are still more to come, with Paul unveiling those in the running to sign James this offseason.

Boston, off a first-round playoff exit, finally chose between the same two paths it had weighed for years: either keep Jayson Tatum alongside Brown or split them up. This time, they chose the latter, and what followed was an instinctual reaction from a passionate fanbase that hadn’t considered the real possibility of the Jays being broken up until it finally kicked in.

But that’s the reality of professional sports, and the Celtics — as special as they’ve always been — are no exception.

Brown is gone. It hasn’t even been a week since the start of free agency, and the fourth of July fireworks haven’t popped off throughout the city either. So the most unforeseen outcome for many fans is still very fresh. For Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, who will need to answer for his decision in Monday’s upcoming press conference with majority owner Bill Chisholm, there’s still plenty of work to do.

Paul, speaking with Max Kellerman on the Game Over podcast, listed 10 teams James is said to be considering: the Warriors, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Spurs, Mavericks, Heat, Knicks, Cavaliers, Sixers, and Celtics.

“Brad and Tatum,” Paul’s whiteboard read.

In the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, Tatum and James won a gold medal as teammates for Team USA. That same summer, the two shared the red carpet for the premiere of Netflix’s Starting 5 docuseries, featuring both Tatum and James. Their relationship over the years has survived the longstanding rivalry between LeBron and the city of Boston, which dates back to his debut stint with the Cavaliers — back when Tatum was in elementary school.

During Tatum’s rookie season, he flushed an iconic postseason dunk in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, introducing himself to the future Hall of Famer with four championships to his name. Since then, Tatum and James have embraced each other with routine friendly encounters during their regular-season run-ins as foes on the court.

Boston, unlike Golden State and Cleveland, can only offer James the veteran minimum after using their mid-level exception to sign Mitchell Robinson to a three-year, $47.4 million contract. That means James would have to take a pay cut to join a Celtics team currently featuring Tatum, Robinson, Derrick White, and Paul George.

Last season, James averaged 20.9 points on 51.5 percent shooting as a 41-year-old in his 23rd season. Most impressively, James did so while accepting a downgraded role as the third option behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves in Los Angeles. So the willingness to take a backseat for the betterment of the team, while remaining effective, is a role James is capable of accepting.

Paul confirmed James won’t rush into a decision.

“I don’t think this happens anytime soon,” Paul told Mark Medina of Forbes.

Whether James lands in Boston remains up to him. If he does, it would mark one of the NBA’s most stunning uniform switches ever — surpassing Michael Jordan’s final two seasons with the Wizards by a country mile. It would also coincide with what’s already been an odd and uncomfortable offseason for Celtics fans, currently in store for a much, much different team come October.  

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There's a nice 4-pack of NBA Summer League coming at you Saturday, headlined by Darryn Peterson, the No. 2 pick in the 2026 draft, as his Utah Jazz take on the Atlanta Hawks.

Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg will suit up for the Golden State Warriors again and square off against the Milwaukee Bucks, who will be showcasing their top pick, Braydon Burries, taken a pick ahead of Yax.

Check out my NBA Summer League Predictions and free NBA picks for Saturday, July 4.

NBA Summer League predictions for July 4

Pick
Hawks moneyline	-117
Bucks moneyline	-122
Kings moneyline	-117

Today's Summer League Picks

Hawks moneyline (-117 at Kalshi)

There was probably no player more speculated on heading into the draft than Darryn Peterson.

An outstanding showing early on would do a ton to quell those rumors about his desire to play and his fitness level, since he pulled himself out of so many games for Kansas this last season.

It's also a chance to see how he meshes with Ace Bailey, last year's top draft pick, as the Utah Jazz awaits his true takeoff.

The Atlanta Hawks got some nice rooks to showcase too, led by Kingston Flemings (No. 8 pick) and high-energy big Zuby Ejiofor (No, 23 pick).

Paired with second-year man Asa Newell, this is one of the nicest Summer League rosters. Their energy carries them to victory.

Bucks moneyline (-122 at Kalshi)

This will probably be the last time for a while where Yaxel Lendeborg gets to be a featured guy, as the Golden State Warriors are veteran-laced and still trying to make big moves to get into contention.

That doesn't mean Yax won't be a glue guy and a major contributor from Day 1, and his wide array of talents will be on display.

But he's going against a Milwaukee Bucks team that should be hungry. Milwaukee is in teardown mode, and there are roster spots to be filled.

While developing Brayden Burries is obviously the top priority, unearthing a couple of gems in Summer League should also be crucial (looking at you, 6-foot-11 Bogoljub Markovic!).

I'd be stunned if these guys aren't going 100mph all game – Milwaukee is where you want to be if you want an NBA job!

Kings moneyline (-117 at Kalshi)

Nothing like a pair of high-pick, explosive scoring guards to entertain on a Saturday in June.

That's what we have when the Sacramento Kings, showcasing No. 5 pick Darius Acuff Jr, face off against the Brooklyn Nets and Mikal Brown Jr, taken just a spot after Acuff.

After a brief "Light the Beam" moment, SacTown is sad again, but Acuff could be the star worth believing in. Also, drafting Alex Karaban is the right culture-shifting dude you want. We'll see how he plays at the pro level.

Brown Jr becomes the centerpiece of a Brooklyn rebuild, though he's another point guard on a team that drafted five of them in the first round a year ago.

Second-year guys Egor Demin, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf will all be in attendance in Summer League too, and that could make for an awkward fit.

Saturday’s NBA Summer League parlay

Hawks moneyline

Bucks moneyline

Kings moneyline

+526 at Kalshi

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

According to BasketNews’ Donatas Urbonas, Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins and assistant GM Milt Newton will be travelling to Bologna, Italy, to formally introduce themselves to the newly acquired Kasparas Jakucionis. Jakucionis—who was reportedly a key sticking point in the Giannis trade—is currently playing for Lithuania’s senior national team, which is trying to qualify for the FIBA World Cup.

Per Urbonas, the trip is expected to last less than 24 hours, with Bucks officials clearly wanting to make a point of reaching out and developing a relationship with the 20-year-old as soon as possible (even though they would meet in under a week at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas).

In a separate interview with BasketNews last week, Jakucionis revealed that the trade news came as a shock.

“Yeah, the first day definitely wasn’t easy,” he said. “I was thinking about it a lot, but then you realise this is a business and there’s only so much you can control. So, I’m trying to focus on what I can control, which is putting in the work and becoming a better version of myself every day. I’m not trying to spend too much time thinking about everything else.”

That said, the budding guard isn’t dwelling on the situation. Instead, he’s looking to take advantage of the opportunity he’ll get on a rebuilding Bucks team.

“Like I said, the first day was tough because it was the first time in my basketball career that something like this happened to me… but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. It’s a young organisation with a lot of young players, so I think it will be a good situation for me.”

The California Classic Summer League kicks off today, with the Bucks playing their first game at 2:00 p.m. CDT vs. the Golden State Warriors.

The summer of 2028 is setting up to be quite interesting. If we are to believe there would be some interest in Luka Doncic returning home to Dallas, the Mavericks need to be prepared to not only bring him into the roster, but also have a contending roster around he and Cooper Flagg. What does that look like, and what would the Mavericks even have around to bring him in? This is the path to Project 2028.

The Mavericks end

To get to the future, first the Mavericks must sort out the now. This summer still must shake out, but if we are to believe the various reports of who could potentially be available, many of the Mavericks’ largest salaries could be off the books by the time next summer rolls around. PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford and Klay Thompson all seem to be very available, and only Klay would be expiring next summer. Washington’s deal runs through 2030, while Gafford is on the books until 2029. I think it is very fair to assume at least two of them are gone by the time the 2027 trade deadline rolls around, and it’s not impossible to think all three could be moved.

If that were to be the case, the Mavericks would then have exactly two players on the books for the summer of 2028: Cooper Flagg, who would be in the final year of his rookie deal, and Morez Johnson Jr., who would be in year three of his rookie contract. Now, that could change if the Mavericks successfully bring Sergio de Larrea over from Valencia, as well as if they extend guys like Max Christie or Dereck Lively, who are extension eligible now. That also doesn’t address Kyrie Irving, who has a player option after the 2026-27 season. But, even with those guys being extended, the Mavericks would have ample room to work Doncic in with cap space.

The Lakers end

The Mavericks can be prepared all they want, but this only becomes a realistic path if the Lakers aren’t able to become bona fide contenders. But, this is where the recent history of the Lakers has to have an effect on how you view their immediate future. General Manager Rob Pelinka is lucky that LeBron James wanted to live in Los Angeles and that Nico Harrison existed, because every other move that the Lakers have made since he took over has been questionable at best.

The Lakers are pot committed to Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler. If that works and Los Angeles contends, this is probably all for not. But, if it doesn’t, everything gets really interesting. Luka has a player option in the summer of 2028, which is the summer in which he will hit his ten years of service. That qualifies him for the super-duper extension money, which he will certainly look for. We can safely expect him to opt out. At that point, the Lakers will be paying Reaves, Kessler, Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili a combined $111 million in 2028-29. Is that a roster that sounds like it’s contending? That’s the point where opportunity could come knocking.

In 2028, why wouldn’t Dallas be the best option for Luka to accomplish that goal? A pairing of Doncic and Cooper Flagg, who has already shown that he is on the fast path to superstardom, offers a ton of promise. Beyond that, there are many opportunities to create flexibility with the vets who will soon be coming off the books. Come the summer of 2028, Dallas could be looking at a roster of Flagg, Morez Johnson Jr. and a ton of cap space. That’s enticing if you’re Doncic, as it means the roster could be tailored perfectly to what that group would need. Plus, beyond the basketball of it all, it would be the best damn homecoming that we’ve seen in the NBA, maybe beyond LeBron in 2014. That’s the path for Dallas to be the best spot for Luka Doncic once again.

Former Duke Blue Devil Maliq Brown got his first taste of NBA competition Friday night, and held his own in a summer league game vs. the Miami Heat: the new San Antonio Spur played 22 minutes, scored 10 points, shooting 4-7/2-4, and had three rebounds, a steal and a block.

Not bad at all.

On the other side of the court, former Blue Devil Trevor Keels had 18 points, hitting 6-13/2-5, pulling down 7 rebounds, and also had 3 assists and 2 steals.

It was a pretty solid debut for Brown, who still has to earn a full-time spot. Currently, he’s on a two-way contract, but for those who watched closely at Duke, Brown is the sort of player you grow to appreciate.

His greatest talent is his defense, and part of that is his excellent footwork that puts his hands in position to just devastate an opponent. Advanced analytics will suss that out, but most fans won’t fully appreciate it right away.

• Spurs’ four draft picks sign rookie deals
• Maliq Brown elevates for alley-oop jam
• Duke’s Isaiah Evans and Maliq Brown choose new NBA jersey numbers

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

If you want to understand why this off-season feels so traumatic for fanbases across the league, stop staring at salary caps and start looking at ownership. Particularly new owners.

We are only three days into free agency — which, realistically, is a lifetime in the modern NBA. But the landscape has already shifted and ironically enough, the three franchises enduring the most radical structural resets right now are Boston, Los Angeles, and Portland. 

Boston traded Jaylen Brown for a 36-year-old Paul George and some picks.  Los Angeles and LeBron James are mutually parting ways after eight seasons. Portland acquired Ja Morant, which is a massive talent splash on paper, but their off-season has been entirely defined by institutional friction. 

It’s not so much a failure due to bad front office execution per se. They are changing dramatically, as it appears, because they all just transitioned into the hands of institutional corporate capital. Look no further than Dallas in February. 2025, when Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont provided the blueprint for prioritizing calculated corporate management over legacy … and prioritized real estate development, a plan that ultimately went awry. 

They shocked the league by trading away Luka Dončić for a package centered around Anthony Davis, who is no longer with the team. Neither is the general manager who executed the deal. Nor most of the front office.

Forget the days of new owners immediately throwing blank checks at superstars. Joe Tsai and before him Mikhail Prokhorov tried that in Brooklyn, Mat Ishbia tried it in Phoenix, and both watched it blow up.

The league has officially outgrown the local billionaire fan. Mark Cuban was a fan of the Mavericks and he’s no longer there. The Buss family legacy is engraved into the Lakers and they are no longer there. Paul Allen was a devoted Trail Blazers fan and called it a “dream come true” when he bought the team in 1988. Wyc Grousbeck was a local die-hard kid from Boston.

The ripple effects are felt across the league. While this flood of institutional capital might lure in massive business and drive franchise valuations into the stratosphere, it’s incredibly difficult for the everyday fan to process such dramatic losses in such a short period of time.

The ($) Shift

For decades, the NBA was run by people who treated franchises like highly expensive toys and/or legacy family businesses. Too many to name. Thus under the old model, if an owner had the cash and a championship window, they typically paid whatever it took to keep the band together. Winning a trophy was the ultimate liquidity event for their ego.

Perhaps Tsai, Ishbia and Marc Lore & Alex Rodriguez in Minnesota are the last of a dying breed.

The new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), specifically the implementation of the second apron, killed that behavior. Thus, for new owners, the second apron protected new corporate syndicates from having to spend past a pre-determined ceiling. Even old owners like James Dolan, on top of the world in New York City after winning a Championship, told fans that he would not dip into the second apron because it is “suicidal.”

1. Boston’s Bill

When Bill Chisholm’s group bought the Celtics for a record-shattering $6.1 billion, it wasn’t just a local guy writing a check. It was heavily backed by institutional private equity through Sixth Street Partners. 

The on-court result? Trading away reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks. To be fair, Brown’s name floated around when Grousbeck owned the team but a trade never actually took place for the homegrown star. 

Brown is set to earn $140 million over the next two years. Alongside superstar Jayson Tatum, his contract immediately became a threat to a new owner looking at the financial side of things and not the heart. Two supermax contracts in the second apron is a catastrophic liability that paralyzes the corporate balance sheet.

No thanks.

2. No More Parties in L.A.

In LA, Mark Walter and Todd Boehly finalized a massive transaction that placed a $10 billion valuation on the Lakers, ending 46 years of Buss family control. LeBron’s relationship seemingly ended without much celebration nor sentimentality.

They triggered the first apron with the signing of Walker Kessler but they avoided the second apron by allowing LeBron to walk. He’s one of the greatest if not the greatest of all-time. Do we need to say anything more?

3. Portland’s Portfolio Efficiency

Where do we begin? Up in the Pacific Northwest, the Paul Allen estate finally moved on. They sold the Trail Blazers to a $4.25 billion syndicate led by Tom Dundon. Dundon is a portfolio operator who runs sports teams like lean enterprise businesses. 

He’s made it clear that he isn’t here to be the city’s favorite billionaire neighbor. Nope. He’s optimizing an asset and leveraging local political infrastructure to protect his capital. That’s not unique but his braggadocio is.

Portland’s off-season has been a rollercoaster to say the least. Interim head coach Tiago Splitter was low-balled on offers which made him pack his bags for Chicago. The penny-pinching reached a bizarre climax when the front office replaced him by signing Micah Nori to an unprecedented, completely non-guaranteed coaching contract. 

To be fair, they added a star in Ja Morant who will excite things for the fanbase. But he’s also a star who has been at the center of controversy over the past couple seasons. He’s joined by Damian Lillard who is 35 and coming back from injury is going to be questionable a lot of nights while younger players like Scoot Henderson take a backseat to those two. Continuity, culture, development and all they were building is out of the window… just like that.

New Reality

The narrative you see on social media is usually pretty simple: “This owner is cheap” if blame isn’t allocated towards a front office.

But the reality is a lot colder. The NBA isn’t a collection of sports teams run by eccentric billionaires chasing trophies for their cities anymore. Increasingly, it’s an asset class run by private equity firms and corporate syndicates designed to minimize risk and protect their investments … and divorced from civic responsibility.

No longer your billionaire fan or neighborhood friend. Maybe for old teams, but very few with the new.

When these massive entities buy in at valuations between $4 billion and $10 billion, their primary goal on Day 1 is structural stabilization, operational efficiency, and strict regulatory compliance with the league’s financial rules. The second apron gave the perfect excuse to do exactly what corporate managers do during a takeover: cut costs, shed long-term liabilities, and restructure the staff.

And it’s likely to get even more divorced from the cities it represents. Teams will likely soon have new partners new minority owners from sovereign wealth funds, huge vaults of cash built up by state actors from Norway to Singapore to the U.A.E. Dolan who is spinning off the Knicks from the rest of MSG has spoken openly in the past of selling a chunk of the reigning NBA champions to minority investors including said wealth funds. Hello, Abu Dhabi?

Tsai sold a piece of the Nets, Liberty and Barclays Center to members of the Koch family in 2024 for $688 million but ironically, one member of the family, 27-year-old David Koch Jr., is a basketball fan and after two years as a basketball operations assistant, an entry level position, with the Nets, he was promoted this week to Special Assistant to the General Manager.

There are dangers to the NBA beyond seeing players tossed aside like chattels. It will be more difficult to sell the NBA and its teams to fan bases — and political decision-makers — as civic endeavors particularly when you have owners like Dundon demanding the city of Portland eat the full $600 million cost of renovating the Moda … or he might just move the team elsewhere.

It’s a brand new league. Most don’t care about trading your favorite player to a rival team. As long as people are paying and they continue gaining capital — without dipping into the second apron — then it’s all a way to enhance profits and build valuations.

The NBA world is waiting on LeBron James, and he reportedly has a short list of finalists he’s considering signing with in free agency. When will LeBron make up his mind? Who knows. He’s the top unrestricted free agent on the market by a mile despite turning 42 years old in December, and he can take as long as he pleases before he announces his next move.

Once James is off the board, the top players available will mostly be younger restricted free agents unlikely to change teams barring a surprise. Jalen Duren reportedly wants to leave the Detroit Pistons, but unfortunately for him he doesn’t have any leverage since his team has the ability to match any contract offer. Peyton Watson is in a fascinating situation because Denver probably has to cut salary elsewhere to retain him. Bennedict Mathurin is probably looking at a return to the Clippers, where he should be in line for more minutes following Los Angeles’ decision to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors.

You can find every signing and trade during 2026 NBA free agency at our tracker. Now, let’s rank the best remaining free agents left on the market.

11. Gary Trent Jr.

Need a pure off-ball shooter? Gary Trent Jr. might be the best available. Over the last five seasons, he’s made 38.5 percent of his three-pointers on 11.1 attempts per 100 possessions. His pull-up three ball off the dribble is less reliable after only hitting 28.6 percent of those last season.

10. Bruce Brown

Brown can still be a connective guard even if he’s lost the scoring juice he once showed on the 2023 champion Nuggets. He can be a low-cost shooter and defender in the backcourt who can soak up some minutes, but he doesn’t really move the needle in a major way anymore.

9. Brandon Williams

Williams is a 26-year-old point guard who took a leap in the second half of last season. He’s an excellent driver who can touch the paint and force his way to the foul line. His lack of size and shooting caps his value somewhat, but he feels like he could be one of the more high-upside players still available.

8. Jonathan Kuminga

The idea of Kuminga as some young superstar in waiting has totally dissipated at this point. If he wants to carve out a lucrative NBA career, he’s going to need to realize he needs to improve his defense, rebounding, and spot-up shooting with his bully-ball drives as only part of the package, not the entire sell.

7. Gary Payton II

Payton still grades out as an impactful player because he’s an efficient scorer (63.5 percent true shooting last season) who grabs a lot of offensive rebounds for a guard and forces turnovers on defense. He’s only good for 15-20 minutes a night at this point at age-33, but he could add value for a contender on a cheapo contract.

6. Rui Hachimura

Hachimura is big and strong for a wing with a nice spot-up three-point stroke. He made 42.6 percent of his threes during his three full years on the Lakers, but his volume wasn’t great at only 6.4 attempts per 100 possessions. He doesn’t rebound or defend all that well, and his playmaking is non-existent.

5. Bennedict Mathurin

Mathurin can score in bunches, but he’s never been particularly efficient because he’s a low-ish volume 33.6 percent three-pointer shooter for his career. He can really rebound the ball for a wing. Still only 24 years old, he should get a solid deal to return to the Clippers, but probably needs to make himself more of a dirty work guy going forward.

4. Peyton Watson

Watson has always been a good wing defender, but he exploded as a scorer when Nikola Jokic got hurt midway through last season. Watson eventually went down with a hamstring strain that took him out of the playoffs, so there are still questions on if his improved scoring punch is actually sustainable. His shot diet features a lot of mid-range looks, but he did show some ability to knock them down at a better-than-average clip last season before the injury.

3. James Harden

Harden opted out of his player option to give the Cavs more flexibility to try to sign LeBron James. He’s one of the best regular season guards ever, but on the brink of his 37th birthday, it’s becoming foolish to think he’ll ever avenge his playoff demons.

2. LeBron James

James is probably the second-best player in league history, and it still feels like he’s a top-50 player in the league as he readies to turn 42 years old midway through next season. I’d love to see him in Minnesota, but I still think it’s Warriors or Cavs for his future.

1. Jalen Duren

Will Duren consider playing on the qualifying offer to get out of Detroit? That would be massively risky if the Pistons are offering him $140 million guaranteed. Take the money, Jalen, and try to help the Pistons get to the NBA Finals next year after a deeply disappointing playoff run.

Will Dawkins has made a habit of buying low on assets deemed negative by their previous teams.

He did so with Trae Young, then Anthony Davis and now Deandre Ayton, who all enter Washington under similar circumstances: Their former teams wanted nothing to do with them, and yet the Wizards wanted everything to do with them.

Dawkins first acquired Young for the low price of CJ McCollum’s expiring contract and Corey Kispert. Then he acquired Davis for four players not in Washington’s plans beyond last season and five picks — two late first-rounders and three second-rounders — that weren’t the team’s own.

Four months later, Dawkins has struck again, this time acquiring Ayton for Jaden Hardy and second-round picks in 2031 and 2032. It marked another smart move by Washington’s fourth-year general manager as the team builds toward its first season of true competitiveness since 2017-18.

Why the trade makes sense

The Wizards entered free agency needing a backup center.

Behind Davis and Sarr sat Tristan Vukcevic, Felix Okpara and Julian Reese. While capable big men in their own ways, competing in a talented Eastern Conference with such raw and inexperienced frontcourt depth appeared risky.

But the search didn’t stop at experience or even talent. The Wizards needed a backup center not only equipped to produce in 20-25 minutes a night but also capable of starting 15-20 games as an insurance policy for Davis, who played just 71 games over the last two seasons.

Dawkins checked all three boxes when adding Ayton, who averaged 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds on 67% FG with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 7-footer shot an NBA-best 80.1% at the rim in 2025-26 and ranks second in the NBA in FG% within five feet over the last three seasons.

For a Wizards team that ranked dead last in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage last season, Ayton’s career 93rd-percentile defensive rebounding percentage should certainly help.

While Ayton’s always provided efficient interior scoring and above-average rebounding, his critics highlight his inconsistent play, poor hands and apparent disinterest in buying into his role as reasons he’s incapable of being a starting center on a contender.

It’s a somewhat fair assessment of a player blessed with incredible skills he’s never truly realized.

The good news for the Wizards is that this role is different. The former No. 1 pick won’t be required to start 72 games like he did on a 53-win Lakers team. Nor will he be given the workload asked of him in Los Angeles, Portland or Phoenix.

Ayton needs to set screens, finish around the rim and rebound in a bench role for a Washington team stacked with young talent and accomplished veterans. Seems like an easy ask.

The Wizards didn’t give much to acquire Ayton, either. Hardy wasn’t an expected rotation player, and the two second-round picks don’t make a dent in Washington’s war chest of them.

Dawkins said adding depth next to and behind Sarr was a goal at February’s trade deadline and into the offseason. Washington’s GM has done that by acquiring Davis and Ayton to compliment his young shotblocking center.

What it signals

Trading future draft capital to fill a roster hole signals a shift in Washington’s team-building philosophy.

It’s a transaction that suggests the Wizards have entered a new phase of their rebuild, one uninterested in taking on bad contracts for draft capital or trading talented players for promising prospects and future picks.

Washington is finally serious about competing. And its roster supports that desire.

The Wizards had a gaping hole at backup center. And instead of signing a player like Marvin Bagley III to a veteran minimum deal to temporarily fill that void, they traded two future draft assets to secure a starting-caliber center in Ayton to serve in a bench role.

It’s not a move that immediately turns the Wizards into title contenders. But it’s a noteworthy transaction regarding the team’s direction, which is one focused on assembling a group talented enough to make noise in the East.

Wow, the NBA offseason has been a wild ride over the last couple of days. With free agency kicking off and trade season underway, we have already seen some big dominoes fall. LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves, Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat, Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto, and most recently, the Jaylen Brown trade that sent him to Philadelphia.

All this hectic moving of stars has definitely shaken up the landscape for the next year, and it just goes to show that a lot can change in just one offseason. Teams are always looking to improve and find ways to get to the NBA finals, and at this rate, it only takes one bad playoff performance to make their minds up. That’s what happened in Boston, as we just saw all of this unfold. With two disappointing exits, they realized this iteration of the team could no longer compete for championships.

Regardless of how you feel about the value the Celtics saw in this deal, they needed to move off Brown for whatever reason and focus on their new path to bring a championship back to Boston. That said, many Suns fans are furious that they did not get in on the deal.

Well, to put it lightly, they never had a chance, and for multiple reasons.

As many of you know, I am a Massachusetts native who writes about the Suns. The Celtics are my home team, and I’ve spent most of my life, besides my college years, in this state. Even if I still have a heart that beats purple and orange, my love for the green and gold will never fade.

From what it seems, the value of Brown around the league was very low. At first, Celtics general manager Brad Stevens was looking for upwards of 4-5 first-round picks for Jaylen. When offers for that were unavailable, it was said he went back to those teams and made the best offer he could. This shows the Celtics’ valuation of Brown was higher than the league’s.

That simply suggests Phoenix could have had a chance, but with what? They had already traded their most valuable draft asset, the 2033 first-round pick, for Miles Bridges this past Sunday. They could have expanded on this deal, since it hasn’t been made league official, but who is to say the Celtics wanted Bridges, Grayson Allen, or Royce O’Neale? Who is to say the Hornets wanted to lose any of those guys, either?

Even with their other draft capital, like the picks they opened up or the 2029 one, those were not nearly as valuable as the ones Philly was willing to give up. The 2029 first-round pick they got back is the worst of the four teams, and it’s going to be a bottom-10 selection. Why would Boston entertain that when they could get a lottery pick in the Clippers swap from 2028?

Then you look at what else the Suns have to trade: it’s just Jalen Green. Green, who is still young and has some potential, could be a nice fit to reset around, but does Boston feel confident in that? When he suited up in Boston this year, he had 21 points on 8-of-20 shooting and 1-of-7 from three with seven rebounds and one assist. Obviously, that is one game, but the sample size does not look good for Boston in that regard.

You also add that Green is looking for a new extension and is playing for it. With him being younger, you could be excited by that, but then have to deal with the fact that you either pay him or lose him for nothing. With George at least, even if he opts into that $50+ million free payday next year, it’s an expiring tradable.

With Brad Stevens, you never know what is up his sleeve, so never say never. But it seemed too far away for Phoenix to reach. Boston would have asked for the young assets in Khaman Malauch and Rasheer Fleming, and then it would have gone further back than it would have gone forward.

That does not mean, though, that the Suns can’t get aggressive at any moment. Even if the roster is full now with Luke Kennard signing going into the year, we could see some shakeups with weird fits. It will be a challenge for Jordan Ott, but the challenge will not be trying to fit in Jaylen Brown, one that would have been worth it if they had the ammo.

Could you believe Cape Verde was this close to advancing in the knockout stages of a freaking World Cup!? Didn’t happen, but the African nation surely made Lionel break a sweat. Sweet goal!

Anyway, links and notes…

• Once and for all, the Knicks landed a backup center in signing uber-veteran Andre Drummond to a one-year vet minimum deal. If you’re coming out of a coma, traitors Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti left for Boston and Philadelphia. Mandatory cap note: He will receive $3.9 million but count for only $2.4 million against the Knicks’ apron math.
• Dr. Dru, known as the Big Penguin, is 32 and from Connecticut, and reportedly liked the idea of coming back to his old “neighborhood,” wrote The Athletic’s Fred Katz.
• The Knicks are now roughly $6.5 million below the second apron, and can get to the 14-man minimum with two more veteran minimum signings. Two of those could be Jonas Valanciunas and Jordan Clarkson, according to The Athletic and the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy.

“The Knicks still have two roster spots to fill and roughly $6.5 million remaining under the second apron. Jonas Valanciunas, another veteran center, is a target to further bolster the frontcourt depth, according to The Athletic. Jordan Clarkson, a guard, is also a candidate to return, sources said.”

• Rich Paul basically killed the LeBron-to-Knicks scenario on his podcast, confirming New York “checked in,” but adding that it would be hard to mess with something that just worked, putting LBJ at risk of being labeled a literal and legit party pooper.
• Here’s Rich Paul’s infamous whiteboard, soon-to-be relic of better times.
• Then, shortly after, the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy cited league sources claiming the Knicks’ signing of LeBron is “not gonna happen.”
• Paul also pushed back on the idea that this is definitely LeBron’s final season. So, doc, or no doc, doc?
• Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, LeBron has narrowed down his list to six teams.

• Kyle Kuzma went off on the current CBA and said the next negotiation will be a “do or die moment” for NBA players. His basic point was built around the fact that both the first and second aprons are functioning like a hard cap, hurting player value, movement, and team continuity.

“After sitting here watching NBA free agency this year and overall NBA movement over the past 2 years somebody has to say it… The next CBA is a do or die moment for us as players. It’s only going to get worse for us. We need transparency, accountability, and a serious re evaluation of who is representing us and how they are representing us.”

• ESPN’s Brian Windhorst threw more fuel into the Jaylen Brown trade fire and included some brutal league-side framing in his latest story. Some sources told Windy that Philadelphia basically got Brown for “free,” or close to it, because Paul George’s contract is viewed as such a headache.
• James Dolan is stepping back from day-to-day Rangers ownership duties and handing those responsibilities to his son, Quentin Dolan. Unluckily, it’s not happening to the Knicks.
• Jalen Brunson revisited his Mavericks past with Sports Illustrated, looking at an old photo with Luka Doncic and handing over the receipts.
• The Lakers are definitely committed to doing something in between a teardown/rebuild/reconfiguration/retool of their whole dam roster following a flurry of FA moves and after trading Deandre Ayton to Washington for Jaden Hardy and a couple of second-round picks on Friday. Ayton, LeBron, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, and Jaxson Hayes are all gone from last season’s roster, while Rui Hachimura remains unsigned and is on the outside looking in. Not that the incoming players are making them better, Melissa Rohlin writes.
• Stephon Marbury apparently has smoke for Richard Jefferson. Scoop B Robinson had the details on a since-deleted video where Marbury called out Jefferson after what he described as a hollow handshake, then wrote in the comments that “ESPN cannot gatekeep for you.” Sheesh…

Happy 250th birthday America! And keep chatting about moves that happen in the NBA. There will be moves happening with various teams, even if it’s an American holiday!

This past NBA season, there was a fascinating Rookie of the Year race between former Duke roommates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel.

Everyone expected Dallas Maverick Flagg to be the leading contender, but not many thought Charlotte Hornet Knueppel would be there.

Now we move on to their respective careers, and who might be in position to win a championship first. And while most people would concede the talent advantage to Flagg, things may be different when it comes to their teams.

The Mavericks have overhauled their front office, bringing in Masai Ujiri, who has an excellent reputation. He’s made several interesting moves. He hired Mike Schmitz as his GM, fired Jason Kidd as coach, hired Michigan’s Dusty May to replace him, and drafted May’s frontcourt utility man Morez Johnson, along with Sergio de Larrea, and Virginia Tech’s Toby Lawal. He’s made a number of other behind-the-scenes moves revolving around scouting and analytics.

The Mavericks are almost certainly heading in the right direction.

But Charlotte is way ahead of them.

GM Jeff Peterson has made some brilliant moves of his own. His most acclaimed effort so far was drafting Knueppel, but he also picked up Sion James, which in retrospect was a smart second-round pick. This year, he selected Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson. He got one good year out of the erratic and oft-injured LaMelo Ball, then traded him to Minnesota for Naz Reid and a bunch of draft picks before he could flake out again. They then sent Miles Bridges to Phoenix for Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and more draft picks.

Then Peterson got Dorian Finney-Smith from Houston for nothing. Yes, it was a salary dump, but Finney-Smith is an excellent defender and reputedly a solid presence in the locker room.

And the Rockets kicked in draft picks, too, which in some ways, is the most interesting thing Charlotte has done lately.

The Hornets now have two first-round picks in 2026, up to 3 in 2027, 1 in 2028, and multiple picks in 2029 and beyond.

As for second-round picks, they have 20 over the next seven years.

In other words, if a rising young star – hypothetically Cade Cunningham, VJ Edgecombe, or Paolo Banchero – decided to force a trade, Charlotte has the assets to make a move like that happen.

In other words, the Hornets absolutely have the potential to become an elite NBA team.

Dallas isn’t in quite as good of a situation, but with a transcendent talent like Flagg, assuming they draft well, they can pick up the pieces they need via free agency.

And Flagg will draw other players. His new coach, May, says that the chance to work with a player like Flagg was a major part of his decision. He won’t be the last guy to say that.

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Per a Spurs press release:

“The San Antonio Spurs announced that they have signed first round selections Jayden Quaintance (20th overall) and Tarris Reed Jr. (26th overall), along with San Antonio’s second round picks Ja’Kobi Gillespie (42nd overall) and Maliq Brown (44th overall). Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not announced.”

Jayden Quaintance is out awaiting surgery on his torn ACL. Reed, Jr., Gillespie and Brown are participating in the Spurs Summer League. Friday evening was game one of the California Classic in San Francisco.* The teams are off today in observance of the Independence Day. The tournament resumes Sunday and concludes on Monday before the Silver & Black head to Las Vegas for the NBA 2026 Summer League.

*I wrote this last night as I had to work, I have not watched the game yet. If you did, please share your thoughts in the comments.

Happy 4th, Pounders. Celebrate safely and if you are in Texas, stay hydrated! It’s hot out there.

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