Jalen Brunsonwas playing through significant wrist pain during the Knicks’ 2026 championship run and will have surgery to repair a left wrist/forearm injury.
The Knicks have not released a timeline for recovery, but league sources say Brunson will be rehabbing/recovering for at least two months.
Brunson was dealing with the ailment during the postseason. He averaged 28 points and six assists in the postseason, which he capped off with a 45-point Game 5 to clinch the championship.
Brunson was named NBA Finals MVP for his role in helping the Knicks snap a 53-year title drought.
To know that he was doing all of this while battling a wrist injury makes it even more remarkable.
SACRAMENTO, CA - JULY 6: William Kyle III #45 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during the California Classic Game on July 6, 2026 at Golden 1 Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The first stop on the NBA Summer Leagie schedule was the California Classic which wrapped up last night. Two former Orange were on rosters: William Kyle with the Lakers and Nate Kingz with the Heat.
Kyle saw action in two of the three games playing. After just two points in the opener, he didn’t see action in the Lakers 2nd game. However, in last night’s final game in California, Kyle ended up making an impact with 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals in almost 24 minutes of action. He even went 1-1 from the foul line in the Lakers 88-84 win over the Spurs.
William Kyle III with the steal and the two-handed fastbreak dunk, and Ja'Kobi Gillespie hits the deep 3 over him (with replays) pic.twitter.com/LzYY1O2PMd
Kyle’s Lakers got the better of Maliq Brown and the Spurs last night. Brown started the game and scored 2 points and grabbed 3 rebounds. Maliq has started all 3 of the Spurs’ games so far and is 2-6 from 3. He’ll make the roster due to his defense, but if he wants to earn more minutes he’ll have to be more of a threat to hit open shots.
Kingz saw his first action last night as he played 12 minutes and went 1-4 from the field, all from 3 as the Heat beat a Warriors squad. We’ll see if he gets a bit more run when things shift to Vegas, but he could be looking at starting his career in the G League and trying to impress another team from there.
Action has also started in Salt Lake City where Buddy Boeheim is playing with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He hasn’t appeared in the first two games for OKC as the Thunder are looking at their draft picks and some returning players early. Buddy’s on a two-way deal through this season with the Thunder.
Summer League games will move to Las Vegas with games beginning on Thursday and we’ll keep an eye on these former Orange.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 8: Landry Shamet #44 and Mohamed Diawara #51 of the New York Knicks look on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 8, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Knicks entered the offseason trying to keep as much of their championship roster together as possible in an impossible task due to owner James Dolan’s second-apron mandate. Alas.
New York, very obviously and inevitably, lost longtime center and Knickerbocker Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics of all teams, and fellow big man Ariel Hukporti to the all-five-no-bench Philadelphia 76ers.
But, hey! Not all is bad news, as the Knicks still retained several rotation players and depth pieces after winning the NBA title, while they still wait to know more or act on others, such as veteran Filipino Jordan Clarkson and his future.
Once the moratorium lifted on July 6, and as stupid as the waiting is in this, the year 2026 of our Lord in which everything is reported a month before it actually happens, the Knicks made official the new deals for the Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado and Mohamed Diawara bench trinity.
Better than the Knicks just dropping three posts on X and elsewhere was the reveal of a bunch of tiny-but-saucy details about those contracts and how Leon Rose and Brock Aller worked their ways to structure them.
The Athletic’s Fred Katz reported that Shamet’s money is only partially guaranteed in the last two years of the contract, while he also included a player option in the final season of his new four-year, $24 million deal, per SNY’s Ian Begley.
“Landry Shamet has a player option in the final year of his deal, per SNY league sources. Structure gives Shamet long term stability with team & coach that highly value him while maintaining flexibility.”
Shamet became a key bench piece last season under Mike Brown, eventually earning a regular role through the Knicks’ postseason run. And now, by leaving the last year of his contract as an option, we might be in front of another Alvarado-like situation four years from now.
According to HoopsHype, only one player (Mikal Bridges, $41.5 million) was under contract for the 2029-30 season before Shamet inked his deal. Now both have player options to execute the summer before, albeit we still don’t know (although I think we all agree what’s coming) what the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson will be operating under at that time once they re-sign with the Knicks.
The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III touched on Alvarado’s three-year, $14 million deal, reporting that it’s guaranteed for $12 million, with a $2.7 million partial guarantee in the final season.
Alvarado declined a $4.5 million player option at the end of June before returning to New York on a cheaper per-year deal, with the potential of reaching a slight bump up in total earnings if he gets that partially-guaranteed chunk of dough.
Finally, in the biggest news of the day and those impacting the current offseason plans in the biggest way (considering the tiny margins for maneuvering), Katz reported Diawara’s new contract is worth $11.2 million over four years, with only the first two seasons guaranteed.
Katz added that Diawara’s starting salary is at $2.6 million in 2026-27, above the minimum but lower than the deal’s AAV of $2.8 million.
No new details emerged over Drummond’s contract with the Knicks after the franchise made it official at midnight, along with the other three. The veteran center signed a one-year, $3.9 million deal (although only $2.4 million count against the cap) with New York, and all of the money is guaranteed, so it’s a fairly simple piece of business to understand.
After all of those moves, the Knicks have a hair above $6 million in cap space left before hitting the second apron, and New York still needs to fill two roster spots. Veteran minimum deals start at $2.18 million (one year of experience) and go all the way up to $3.87 million for players with 10-plus years of experience. That said, as in Drummond’s case, they only count $2.4 million for cap purposes in all cases.
All Knicks’ reported or discussed FA targets (your Clarksons, Looneys, Valanciunases, DeRozans, etc…) come with that 10+ tag attached to them, but given the $2.4 million quirk, New York could try and sign two veterans (for a combined $4.8 million against the cap maximum) and not get over the second apron. Otherwise, if there aren’t many convincing veteran options, the Knicks could sign just one and leave the other roster spot open for rookie Tyler Nickel… unless they can dump someone (looking at you Paco) and open space elsewhere, or find a proper trade partner. Anyway, trust nothing you just read, cause I’m no capologist.
Fans coming off the high of the championship won’t have to wait much longer for Knicks basketball.
The 2026 NBA Summer League begins in Las Vegas in a matter of days, and New York’s latest draft picks and best prospects will suit up to compete for training camp invites and rotation minutes.
Let’s break down their schedule and what to look for from key players as we head into this summer exhibition...
The Knicks face their crosstown rivals and their two interesting young guards, Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr., whom the Nets drafted with the sixth overall pick a couple weeks ago.
July 11 vs. San Antonio Spurs (6:00 PM ET)
In a rematch with their Finals foe, New York faces off with Carter Bryant and San Antonio’s 2026 draft picks, led by Kentucky product Jayden Quaintance.
July 13 vs. Detroit Pistons (4:00 PM ET)
The Pistons will try to impose their physicality in Vegas as they work through Jalen Duren’s pending free agency.
July 16 vs. Golden State Warriors (7:00 PM ET)
Yaxel Lendeborg looks like an early Rookie of the Year favorite that'll test the Summer Knicks’ defense.
Roster
Returning players
The 2024 first-round pick Pacome Dadiet returns to action after a quiet sophomore season. He only appeared in 29 games with the Knicks, most of which were in garbage time, despite averaging 23 points down with Westchester.
This is a make-or-break Vegas and training camp for Dadiet, who’s yet to consistently show his promise and may get squeezed due to the second apron and stiffer competition.
One direction that’s coming from is fellow French wing Mohamed Diawara.
The 55th pick in the 2025 draft, Diawara impressed in real minutes during the regular season, and will get a chance to flex his development this summer -- look for more advanced creation and improved polish defensively.
Also returning is Dillon Jones, who signed with the Knicks on a two-way contract last January. He didn’t play many minutes with New York, but was credited by Mike Brown for his other contributions to the championship run.
Jones is still only 24 years old and could show some upside on this stage. Although all three of these guys are returnees, the stakes are just as high for them as they are the newcomers.
There’s two other returnees from Westchester's squad in Toby Okani and Nick Jourdain.
Although the Knicks' 39th overall pick in the 2026 draft, Jack Kayil, isn’t on the official roster yet he should eventually join the club once a contract formality with his current team is complete, his agent told Basketball World.
Kayil has solid size at the guard spot and a high ceiling, so seeing him get some reps at this level would be insightful to the front office and fans.
Tyler Nickel, the 47th overall pick, brings elite sharpshooting out of the gates. The big question to watch with him is what more can he provide, especially defensively and off the bounce.
Others
The roster is rounded out by undrafted rookies and some veterans from overseas and the G-League.
One standout is Jaden Akins, coming off a G-League All-Star appearance last season for the Motor City Cruise.
New York will also field a number of undrafted rookies from the 2026 class, including West Virginia's Treysen Eaglestaff, Richmond's Will Johnston, Missouri St's Keith Palek III,and St. John's product Oziyah Sellers.
Palek III is a Jersey native and Sellers is no stranger to MSG after playing for the Red Storm.
The contract would kick in for the 2027-28 season, replacing Mitchell's player option that year and starting at $60.9 million (based on the most recent salary cap estimates). It would be worth $272.8 million over the course of the deal.
Mitchell signing to stay in Cleveland is not a surprise. He said after the Cavaliers were swept out of the playoffs by the Knicks that he loved playing in the city and believed this team could reach the NBA Finals. The only mild surprise is that the 29-year-old could have waited a year to sign the extension and gotten a fifth year added onto the deal at a higher price. Instead, he chose to lock things down now.
Mitchell averaged 27.9 points and 5.7 assists per game last season as the best player on a Cavaliers roster that saw dramatic changes around him. At the deadline, Cleveland sent Darius Garland to the LA Clippers for James Harden, who is expected to sign his own extension with the team this offseason.
For a team looking to take another step forward next season, the Cavaliers have been quiet this offseason. However, they are considered the current frontrunner to land LeBron James this offseason, league sources told NBC Sports, although LeBron has not had any direct, official contact with the team, according to reports.
Mitchell has been with the Cavaliers since being traded there from Utah in 2022, and he has now taken the team as far as it has gone since LeBron left again in 2018.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 30: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after a 124-103 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals at Target Center on May 30, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Whether Luka Doncic eventually or eventually does not return to the Dallas Mavericks, this has been a fun exercise to play out if it is even a possibility. Now that we have laid out both the motivation and the path for all parties involved, it’s time to ask the $250 million question. Is this possible? Tyler and David, the architects of the project, give their thoughts.
Tyler’s take
<p>After LeBron went home to Cleveland (and possibly for a third time soon), it feels like anything is possible (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Estabrook Group)</p><br>
So, what are the chances that this can actually happen? For Dallas’ part, everyone who was instrumental in the demise of Doncic has been fired, and the team has pretty clearly shown it’s trying to distance itself from what happened. Yes, ownership is still in place, but I don’t view that as problematic. LeBron went home to Cleveland after Dan Gilbert torched him on the team website right after “The Decision”, left again in 2018, and might even go back for a third tour of duty as a Cav. There’s precedent, and ownership in reality plays a very small role in the day to day operations for a player.
The Mavericks just need to position themselves to be a legitimate contender between now and then. As the Lakers try and manage their way through the West with a deeply flawed roster, the potential that Doncic becomes disgruntled with a situation he didn’t ask for grows. Dallas just needs to be ready to pounce when it happens. It feels like it’s a somewhere between a pipe dream and a somewhat realistic I’ve just seen the future dream for Doncic to come home at the moment. But dreams sometimes turn to reality. And for that matter, sometimes it’s not just a dream. It’s fate.
David’s take
DALLAS, TEXAS – APRIL 09: A fan holds a sign in honor of Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on April 09, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. 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 Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Of course, the plan we laid out is all fan fiction currently. But the facts are the facts. Seeds are being planted that could push Doncic back to the Lone Star State in two years. Realistically, I would give it a 30 or so percent chance. The Lakers will be the only team eligible to offer him a life-changing amount of money, and that may simply be too hard to pass up. We could be overestimating the emotional piece in all this, and maybe Doncic just goes somewhere better positioned to win. A situation like LeBron James returning to Cleveland in 2014 rarely happens, and for good reason. There are a thousand moving pieces in a deal like that. That being said, if the player wants it, the team will make it work. Jim Paschke, former television voice of the Bucks, expressed this exact sentiment recently in an interview with new member of the Miami Heat, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He tells him that he can “always come home”, and the former MVP acknowledges that option will be in his mind. Antetokounmpo is much older than Doncic, and referenced a tail-end Kevin Garnett as the likely precedent to a future move, but the fact remains: an active player is willing to concede that coming home one day is something on their mind.
Sometimes, fans romanticize sports in a way that players never consider. But sometimes, the player is on the same page too. And we have a puncher’s chance that Doncic feels the same way we do.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 12: Garrett Temple #17 of the Toronto Raptors looks on ahead of playing against the Brooklyn Nets in their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on April 12, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Following reports that Willie Green and Joe Boylan will be joining the Dallas Mavericks coaching staff under head coach Dusty May, we are now learning that Garrett Temple will be on board as well.
UPDATE: Garrett Temple is joining Dusty May's coaching staff in Dallas, Dan Eveloff of @PrioritySports confirms to @TheSteinLine.
After a 16-year playing career, Temple has accepted May's pitch to move into coaching on a staff also to feature ex-Pelicans coach Willie Green. https://t.co/OnWkXBP45G
Temple has no coaching experience at the NBA level, but that is because he was playing for the Toronto Raptors as recently as this past season. Temple got his start in the league in 2009 and stuck around for 16 years over two stints that were separated by a single season playing in Italy for Casale Monferrato (2011-2012). During his NBA tenure, he was part of 12 different teams.
The bulk of his career was spent with the Washington Wizards (four years), but his best campaign came with the Brooklyn Nets during the 2019-2020 season when he averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
On the surface, Temple is a puzzling hire. What attracted May to a career journeyman with no coaching experience? The answer primarily lies in that journeyman characteristic. Temple stuck around the league as long as he did in no small part due to him being a positive locker room veteran and mentor to younger players. Apparently, May convinced Temple to retire specifically to join his staff.
May clearly sees something he likes, and although Temple is a somewhat unexpected hire, he absolutely fits the pedigree May seems to be after in coaches such as Green and Boylan. After coaching at the collegiate level and with a relatively young team that is likely to get younger, bringing in a guy like Temple who was himself playing just a few short months ago, is more of a slick move than it appears on the surface. This also speaks to who May is – a coach who can clearly get folks to buy in to what he is looking to do going forward at the helm of the Mavericks.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 14: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors protests a possession call against the Washington Wizards in the first quarter during Game One of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre on April 14, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. 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 Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) | Getty Images
July 7th, 7/7, is a date that will live in infamy for the world of Toronto sports, because one of our prodigal sons has finally come home, for good. As the clock wound down to 9:30, a hush fell over the room all of a sudden, a blanket of silence broken only by the murmurs of cameramen and the muffled chatter of people in the bleachers, as the crowd waited for Kyle Lowry to take the stand at the podium.
The table was emblazoned with Lowry’s own logo, a brushstroked “K”, with the clawed ball of the Raptors sitting to its right. Notably, the table had two microphones, and two bottles of water. For a minute, I hoped against hope that there would be another player who would come and take the microphone alongside Lowry – Number 10 to go along with Number 7 – but it would not come to pass.
The presser began with a video on a 70 foot screen showing off Lowry’s years of Raptors highlights. GM Bobby Webster took the mic and spoke. He talked about the franchise before and after Kyle Lowry, and began to reminisce on the 2019 playoffs. He talked about game 6 of the NBA Finals, about how Lowry “rose above” everything and everyone on the court. And then, the crowd rose to their feet, giving the point guard a standing ovation as he took the mic.
Lowry shouted out his friends and family, thanking them, before beginning to address the media. He cracked at Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, who got the first question, with the two Raptors icons ribbing each other for their age. Lowry called Toronto a “hockey town, hockey place,” where his hard work tied him to the culture of Toronto. He referenced the 2014 series against the Brooklyn Nets as the moment when he felt like Toronto began to feel like home to him.
“I think I had a hell of a career,” said Lowry. When asked about what he would be doing in retirement, he spoke earnestly, saying “golf,” before continuing, saying how he would value time with family, and the ability to “see my kids grow up.” When asked about his favourite charge that he ever took, Lowry immediately answered that it was the one he took in the All-Star game against Kawhi Leonard. “He still owe me some money from that,” cracked Lowry in his trademark deadpan gruffness. He spoke about his relationship with DeMar DeRozan, reminiscing on their continued friendship, saying that “he’ll be here when the thing [retired number] goes up top.”
Speaking about potentially being memorialized as a statue, stating that if it were to happen, he would to the fans the design of the statue. Mid-press conference, a phone was brought up to Lowry, who revealed that Vince Carter was calling him in, praising the younger guard, and making promises of golfing soon. Like Carter, whose relationship with the franchise was complex, before a capstone retirement, Lowry joked about his at-times choppy connection to the Raptors.
Looking to the future, Lowry spoke about the current state of the franchise, saying that “they’re trying to win another championship,” and when talking about Kawhi Leonard, he said “that’s why he’s here.” He praised current players on the team, namely Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, and another defensive guard, Jamal Shead.
Reflecting on his last game in Toronto last season, Lowry called the moment of applause a “storybook ending.” And then, as if the true end to a movie, Lowry signed a placard printed with his career achievements, posed with his family, as “Let Me Clear My Throat” by DJ Kool rang out over the stadium speakers and photos were taken of the man who many call the Greatest Raptor of All Time. As people off the court, the man who achieved the heights of NBA stardom in the 2010s went out in the most 2010s way possible. With DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win” blasting. A final joke from Lowry. That’s the way he’d want to go out, I think.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 25: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers is defended by Miles McBride #2 and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks during the second quarter in Game Four of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 25, 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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today, Shams Charania reported that Donovan Mitchell has agreed to a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deal includes a player option for the 2030-31 season and a full trade kicker.
BREAKING: Cleveland Cavaliers All-NBA star Donovan Mitchell has agreed on a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension that includes a player option for the 2030-31 season and a full trade kicker, CAA's Co-Head of Basketball, Austin Brown, tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/7gfOG4n5l1
So, the Cavaliers aren’t losing their franchise player anytime soon. Any lingering speculation about Mitchell eventually reaching the open market or forcing his way elsewhere can be put to rest. Cleveland has put its faith in the championship potential of its core: Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. And there’s potential for bringing back their favorite son.
This summer, Harden declined his $42.3 million player option for 2026-27 to become an unrestricted free agent. He and the Cavs are actively working on a new multi-year contract that would bring him back, with expectations of a deal worth roughly $30-38 million annually, likely spanning two to three years. That would provide the team with improved salary cap flexibility while securing an extended stay in Cleveland for the soon-to-be 37-year-old. Don’t worry about Jim, he’ll still make enough to cover his monthly supply of Just For Men beard dye.
Mitchell could have waited another year to become eligible for an even richer contract, reportedly worth roughly $80 million more over five years, but instead chose to commit now, after leading Cleveland to the Eastern Conference Finals (where the Knicks swept them handily).
We remember well 2022’s Summer of Donovan, when the Knicks aggressively pursued a trade for the Utah Jazz star, a New York native, reportedly offering packages centered around RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson, and multiple first-round picks. Talks stalled over Utah’s high demands, including Quentin Grimes, whom New York refused to include. Mitchell landed in Cleveland instead, a move that proved to be a blessing in retrospect. You may have heard that the Knicks won the championship?
Unsurprisingly, Spida has been the franchise’s cornerstone. Over his first four seasons with the team, he has averaged 26.7 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 264 games while earning multiple All-Star selections, All-NBA honors (including First Team in 2025), and setting a Cavaliers franchise record with a 71-point, 11-assist performance. He has led Cleveland to strong regular-season finishes and multiple playoff appearances.
On the first day he was eligible, Donovan Mitchell agreed to a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension with the Cavaliers that includes a player option for the 2030-31 season and also a trade kicker.
The extension locks the Cavaliers in as one of the most expensive teams in basketball as they attempt to lure LeBron James back to Cleveland for his third and final stint with the team.
Donovan Mitchell signed a massive contract with the Cavaliers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
ESPN reports that Mitchell would be happy to join forces with James as they hope to compete for a title in Cleveland after being bounced last season by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Cavaliers are already locked in as a second-apron team, making most roster moves nearly impossible, including trades and other signings.
James will be meeting with teams in the coming days and weeks as the Cavaliers hope to be among the lucky teams to land an all-time great on a league-minimum contract.
Mitchell will make $60.1 million in his first season with the new contract, beginning in 2027-28.
Could LeBron James join Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland? IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He will then make $65.8 million, $70.6 million, and $75.5 million in his player-option season in 2030, respectively.
Mitchell’s statistical contributions are rarely questioned, as he averaged 27.3 points per game on 47.5 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from 3-point range in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Cavaliers were swept in that series, and three of those games were double-digit losses, including a 37-point blowout in Game 4 against the Knicks.
James could help reverse those fortunes for the Cavaliers, although entering his age-42 season, Cleveland will need role players like Evan Mobley to step up and James Harden to reclaim prior glory.
As one key member of the 2019 Raptors title team returns, another is saying goodbye to the sport.
Veteran guard Kyle Lowry announced his retirement Tuesday morning with an Instagram video, ending a 20-year run that included nine seasons with Toronto.
Lowry, 40, appeared in 14 games with the 76ers this past season, and said in a video Tuesday that he will be retiring with Toronto, which he called his “home.”
Kyle Lowry announces his retirement Tuesday. @raptors/X
“I’ve been fortunate enough to play this game for two decades,” Lowry said.
“I’m retiring as a Toronto Raptor, 20 years and one day. Seven (his jersey) forever.”
It’s only fitting that Lowry will end his career with the Raptors since he enjoyed his best years with the team from 2012-21 and helped the franchise — alongside Kawhi Leonard, who is re-joining Toronto after being acquired in a recent trade with the Clippers — win its only championship.
The former Villanova star began his career with the Grizzlies and Rockets before being traded to the Raptors ahead of the 2012-13 season.
Lowry blossomed with Toronto, averaging 17.5 points per game across 601 games and making six straight All-Star teams from 2015-20.
Kyle Lowry in 2023 with the Raptors. EPA
He enjoyed his best season of his career in 2015-16 when he finished 10th in MVP voting and earned Third-Team All-NBA honors.
During the team’s championship run in 2019, Lowry averaged 19.2 points to down the Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals and 16.2 points per game against the Warriors in the Finals.
“We knew what we were playing for,” Lowry said of the 2018-19 title team. “The city of Toronto and the country of Canada.”
Kyle Lowry celebrates winning the NBA title in 2019. Getty Images
Lowry eventually moved on from the Raptors, joining the Heat for two-plus seasons before finishing his career with two-plus season with the 76ers, mostly as a reserve.
For his career, Lowry averaged 13.8 points, 6.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds across 1,187 games.
His Instagram video Tuesday included him thanking his brother, mother, grandma, wife and children — along with Villanova coach Jay Wright and his ex-Raptors teammates and coaches.
Lowry took pride in what his No. 7 jersey meant to him and others during his career.
“That represents me. It represents my family, it represents everything I’ve gone through, the growth, the maturity, the everything I put into the game of basketball,” he said. “It just represents Kyle Lowry.
“It’s hard work, grit, passion and, of course, a champion.”
The deal includes a player option for the 2030-31 season and a full trade kicker. With this new deal, Mitchell won't join the star-studded free agent class next season, which includes Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Mitchell's previous contract included a 2027 player option worth $53.8 million.
The 29-year-old Mitchell averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds last season for the Cavaliers, who got to the Eastern Conference Finals before they were swept by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the NBA championship. He was named a second-team All-NBA selection.
The Cavaliers might not be done with the offseason as they try to retool their roster, and they are thought to be among the favorites to land free agent LeBron James, who informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he would not be returning for a ninth season.
Mitchell, a seven-time NBA All-Star, was originally traded to Cleveland from the Utah Jazz for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, a 2025 first round pick, a 2026 first round pick, a 2027 first round pick, a 2028 first round pick, and a 2029 first round pick
NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 3: New Orleans Saints Marcus Williams and Terron Armstead smile during a game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Dallas Mavericks on December 3, 2019 at the Smoothie King Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Former New Orleans Saints teammates Terron Armstead and Marcus Williams built a strong bond during their time together in the Big Easy, and that relationship remains as strong as ever.
#Saints legend Terron Armstead speaks on his relationship with Marcus Williams at the MWAthletics x GutCheck Combine. pic.twitter.com/fuEslDMrzt
Armstead was in attendance for the MW Athletics and GutCheck Combine, an event hosted through Williams’ youth training program, where he spent time supporting the next generation of athletes while praising the work his former teammate has done in the community.
When asked about Williams and the event, the Saints Hall of Famer made it clear their connection goes well beyond football.
“That’s my little brother, literally, my little brother, love him to death. We’ve been locked in for many, many years. I’ve been to every camp. So all these kids that’s been here since they was five, six years old, and now they compete in high school. I got pictures with them as youngsters and now they, you know what I mean, growing up, so it’s been incredible to see the evolution of it. I love what he’s doing with the academy, the gym, I’m just, I’m proud of it,“ Armstead said.
His praise shines a light on Williams’ commitment to giving back. Through MW Athletics, the former Saints second-round pick has created opportunities for young athletes to develop both on and off the field, and Armstead has been there from the beginning, attending every camp and watching many of the participants grow up over the years.
For Saints fans, it’s another reminder that the bonds built in New Orleans continue long after players leave the organization, with two former teammates making an impact together in the community.
Mar 22, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles (41) during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
So he’s not LeBron James.
But is Trey Lyles the next best thing? It’s entirely possible! We’ve seen the beating he’s put on the Wolves in recent years, but for those who wiped their memories opted out of watching any Kings games the past three to four years, I decided to find out more about the 30-year-old.
MADRID, SPAIN – MARCH 15: Trey Lyles of Real Madrid looks on during the Spanish League, Liga ACB Endesa, basketball match played between Real Madrid and Hiopos Lleida at Movistar Arena pavilion on March 15, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images
Lyles’ last NBA stint was with Sacramento from 2022 to 2025. Joining me is The Kings Herald’s Will Griffith. He has covered the Sacramento Kings closely for over 10 years and hosts The Kings Herald podcast, a bi-weekly podcast about the Kings.
Will graciously spent some time with me to talk about the Wolves ninth-ish man in the rotation:
Leo Sun: First and foremost, a big congratulations to you for surviving another season of the Sacramento Kings. That’s no small feat! You’ve watched and covered god knows how many years of dysfunction there. You’ve also seen a lot of players come and go along the way. The Wolves signed Trey Lyles to a veteran minimum contract last week. His last NBA stint was with the Kings, where he played over three seasons. How would you summarize his time in Sacramento?
Will Griffith: Trey Lyles’ time in Sacramento was a mostly positive experience that was hindered pretty much only by his injuries and subsequent lack of availability. Beam Team season Lyles was looking like he’d quickly be an all-time role player fan favorite – a great locker room vibes guy, who spread the floor, opened the lanes for Fox to spray out to and could, on occasion, give you small-ball center time without being a total sieve out there.
After that, there’s a LOT of “What If?” when it comes to Trey. ‘23-24 was a season where the Kings were doing everything to keep their heads above water, Trey missed 24 games with a calf injury that lingered all season and then eventually an MCL sprain. His numbers were similar enough when he played but he just never quite looked right.
That third full season was a shit show franchise, with a civil war in the locker room and Trey on the losing side and I really do think that the eventual firing of Mike Brown, trading of De’Aaron Fox, promotion of Doug Christie to head coach and the lack of a point guard really killed what was left of the positivity that Lyles brought to the team. He was a professional, never spoke out of turn, but Kings fans in the know understood that Lyles was gone as soon as De’Aaron Fox was.
SACRAMENTO, CA – DECEMBER 11: Trey Lyles #41 of the Sacramento Kings lights the beam after defeating the Brooklyn Nets on December 11, 2023 at Golden 1 Center 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Sun: That’s great context to know. A good basketball player. Injury worries. Inter-team drama. Sounds like a Timberwolf to me! So you mentioned his basketball ability briefly. Can you expand a little more about his greatest strength(s) and weakness(es) on the court? Or if it’s easier, is there a player comparison that comes to mind?
Griffith: There isn’t a great deal of mystery with Trey. He’s a good-to-very-good shooter when healthy, he’ll pull down rebounds at a healthy level and he won’t make a lot of mistakes. He’s a below average defender, but not a pushover.
I don’t have a player comp for him but I’d say as someone looking from the outside, I’d rather Lyles than a guy like Kyle Anderson. He’s in Minnesota to eat minutes while the starters are resting and he’ll do just that, and with flying colors. If at any point in the season, he’s expected to be anything more than a pinch starter for you for a game or two, I’d start to get a little worried.
Sun: We don’t tolerate SlowMo slander here at Canis. You’ve been warned. Alright, well floor spacing is an absolute must for this iteration of the team, so that sounds like a good start. However, did he ever have any frustrations in a limited bench role as a 7th-8th man? Now that he may be in a even more limited 8th-9th man role for the Wolves, do you think he could grow discontent?
Griffith: I have zero worries about that from Trey Lyles, especially after coming back to the NBA and to a very good professional situation in Minnesota, after a nice season with Real Madrid. Trey’s a good locker room guy and I have only good things to say about him in terms of his personality and his fit with the Wolves.
Remember: his last NBA experience was with a Sacramento Kings squad with more pressure and ego, and less logic leading it than the OceanGate submersible. If Trey left without incident there, he’ll be fine in this franchise’s more than capable hands.
SACRAMENTO, CA – OCTOBER 19: Trey Lyles #41 and De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings look on during the game against the Utah Jazz on October 19, 2023 at Golden 1 Center 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Sun: That’s good to hear. If things went so well there in Sacramento, then why did his time come to an end?
Griffith: The business answer: the Kings knew they were going into a rebuild and Trey is very much a complimentary piece on a team with playoff or championship aspirations.
The more complicated, but just as truthful follow-up? He was a Fox guy and every single Fox guy outside of Keegan Murray was purged as quickly as possible from the Kings franchise. He would have been a perfectly fine vet for a bad Kings squad, his loyalties, however, weren’t toward the right Kings star.
Sun: Is that “Kings star” in the room with us, right now? Sorry, low blow. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a John Calipari Kentucky Wildcats connection between Fox and Lyles. Well, let’s move past that and focus on the now. How do you like Trey’s fit with this Timberwolves roster, existing as one of the few bigs on the team?
Griffith: In a limited, clearly understood role off the bench? I love it. He won’t replace Naz Reid, but he will fit in, hit open shots, and provide the spacing that LaMelo and Ant need. He won’t wow you on defense, but his rebounding is a little underrated and he can give you some minutes as a small ball five. As a 7th-9th guy, he’s perfect for LaMelo and Ant.
Sun: This is the second time you’ve mentioned his defense. It’s a perfect segue for my next topic: the Wolves recent success as been synonymous with their excellent defensive acumen. You already foreshadowed your answer, but just how would you sum up Trey Lyles on that end of the court?
Griffith: Underwhelming. He’s a touch slow, not an eyepopping athlete, so he won’t be blocking many shots. He’ll put a body on someone and try, but he’s not making an All-Defensive Team any time soon.
Sun: I guess that’s fair, considering he’s a 30-year-old NBA journeyman on a vet minimum. What about the intangibles? Was Lyles a good “veteran presence” in the locker room, or have much of a voice? The Wolves recently lost Mike Conley and Kyle Anderson in free agency, and only have 1 player over 30 on the team. Lyles would be the only other.
Griffith: I’d say Lyles is a good vet presence but not overly loud or showy with it. It was obvious that he was well liked by his teammates and press and had zero off-the-court issues in his time in Sac. When times are good, he’ll be very popular with his teammates, he just isn’t giving you the Captain America hype moments during a seven-game losing streak.
Sun: There’s going to be a lot of loud personalities in that Wolves locker room, so it might behoove Minnesota to have that calm presence. Well, let’s wrap up with this: if there’s something Wolves fans should know about Lyles, what would it be?
Griffith: In the Mike Brown years, the Kings would hand out a Defensive Player of the Game chain and crown and the whole team would take a picture, and Trey, no matter where he was in the picture, flashed fours on his hands. It took all of like 3 games into the gimmick where the entire team was hitting this pose, holding four fingers out on each hand, and despite a lot of bad times in the seasons that followed, he was well regarded enough that players still held up 4’s out of love for him. On the off chance that the Wolves suddenly have a gimmick like that, or start popping locker room pictures after the game, Trey will throw up those 4’s and you will ask yourself, what the hell does that even mean?
Sacramento Kings celebrate a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2024, flashing the patented Trey Lyles “four” sign. | Sacramento Kings
It means “4 Life”. It was just a thing he started in high school and has kept it going ever since.
Sun: Wow, that’s some Adam Silver stuff right there. I love that story and it’s cool to get to know a little bit more about the end of bench addition. Here’s to hoping he’s a likeable big man that can help us “rebound” from the loss of Naz Reid.
Again, I can’t thank Will enough for the conversation. You can find his content on the Kings Herald website, or on BlueSky/Twitter.
PHOENIX, AZ - JUNE 26: Koa Peat #18 of the Phoenix Suns poses for a portrait on June 26, 2026 at PHX Arena 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 Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Phoenix didn’t have a first-round pick on draft night. They bought one.
To get Koa Peat at No. 30, the Suns sent their own No. 47 back into a four-team knot with the Knicks, Mavericks, and Lakers, and attached two future second-round picks — 2029 and 2033 — to close it. That’s a real toll for a player who, seven months earlier, looked like one of the safest bets in the draft.
Trace the arc, and the price tag starts to make sense as a story rather than a stat line. In November, Peat dropped 30 points on defending national champion Florida in his college debut and was being talked about as a top-14 lock. By June, ESPN handed Phoenix a D for the pick (tied for second worst in the entire draft) while CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein handed out an A- and predicted a decade-plus career. Two credentialed evaluators, same player, same 48 hours. That’s not a disagreement about box scores. It’s a disagreement about whether the league still has room for what Koa Peat actually is.
What he is, is a bully (in the nicest possible way). The question is whether that’s still a job title in this league.
Koa Peat (left) with Suns GM Brian Gregory during an introductory press conference at the Verizon 5G Performance Center, in Phoenix, on June 26, 2026. | Mark Henle/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Frame Nobody Argues About
Start with what nobody contests, because for a divisive prospect, it’s unusually uniform. Peat measured 6’7″ barefoot at the combine (6’8″ in shoes), 245 pounds, with a 6’11.25″ wingspan and an 8’8″ standing reach, numbers that, paired with a bloodline that includes an NFL offensive lineman brother in Andrus Peat, produce a frame scouts keep calling “NBA-ready” before they’ve said anything else about him. Finkelstein’s post-draft line was basically a thesis statement: strength, physicality, and readiness to play through contact right now, jump shot notwithstanding.
The résumé backs it up, and it’s not projection. It’s a paper trail. Four straight Arizona state titles. Four USA Basketball gold medals. A Final Four run in his only college season, on an Arizona team that finished 36-3, the best record in program history, with Peat named West Regional Most Outstanding Player. Suns GM Brian Gregory leaned on exactly this after the draft, framing the pick around makeup and work ethic rather than a finished offensive game.
That’s also, not coincidentally, the exact résumé that turned Paul Millsap into a four-time All-Star out of the back half of a draft, and made Carlos Boozer a leading man in Utah and Chicago despite never being the shape of player front offices say they’re building around anymore. Which is the real premise here: the league’s stylistic pendulum has swung hard away from Peat’s archetype over the last decade, and his rookie year is an early test of whether it’s swung back far enough to make room again.
The Shot Everyone Keeps Talking About
Here’s where the room actually splits. Peat shot 35.0% from three at Arizona on 20 attempts, seven makes, across a full season. 7 makes? You could fluke 7 makes. The more honest tell at that sample size is free-throw shooting, and his 62.3% mark there is the number that’s been flashing yellow all along.
Then, instead of protecting that number, Peat’s camp did the opposite of what fringe-lottery prospects usually do in a pre-draft process: he rebuilt the shot from scratch. After the Final Four, he hired shooting coach Chris Johnson and reworked his mechanics — lower release, more arc — and unveiled the new version for the first time in NBA Draft Combine shooting drills, mandated under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, in front of every team in the league. It did not go smoothly. Peat shot 24% in the spot-up drill, 28% in the three-point star drill, 40% in side-mid-side, finding rhythm only off the dribble (50%) and at the line (70%). The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie reported that evaluators were less bothered by the misses than by the mechanics themselves — a shot that looked, in his framing, still under construction rather than simply cold.
Sit with how unusual that sequence is. Most prospects on the bubble play it safe in May — low-volume catch-and-shoot reps, nothing that risks moving the needle backward. Peat’s camp instead bet that a public rebuild, staged in the highest-stakes evaluation window of his career, was worth the downside of looking worse on tape than he actually is.
Read one way, that’s the kind of aggressive self-improvement plan player-development staffs love to inherit. Read the other way, it’s a tell that the old shot was unsalvageable enough that starting over was the only real option. Peat’s own explanation to CBS Sports split the difference: he described trying to “shoot the ball the same way every time” and, on the three specifically, “bringing it down a little bit lower” for more arc — a description that matches exactly what evaluators saw, even if the results hadn’t caught up yet.
Reading “Undersized” Correctly
The headline critique: undersized four, limited handle, a below-the-rim athlete, is fair. It’s also being used to answer a question it was never built to answer.
Block rate and vertical rim protection measure length and verticality. Peat was never going to win that test, and he doesn’t need to, because his defensive value was never supposed to come from help-side shot-blocking. It comes from strength at the point of contact and switchability that shows up in matchup data more than box scores — guarding a wing on a switch without getting hunted, banging with a bigger four in the post without losing the physical argument outright. Even the sceptical scouting reports kept circling back to the same word for his defense: versatile.
The real swing question is processing speed against NBA pace, and nothing in his résumé actually tests it. Late rotations, foul trouble against craftier post scorers, split-second discipline against NBA shot creators — that’s an experience gap, not a talent gap, and it’s the kind of gap a strong development environment closes with reps. It’s also precisely the stress test that four state titles and a stack of gold medals, for all they prove about makeup, cannot simulate.
The Comp Spectrum
Floor — early Carlos Boozer / Taj Gibson. If the jumper never becomes a real weapon and the athletic profile caps where it looks now, this is the outcome: a below-the-rim four who earns everything through post position and offensive rebounding. Still useful — a high-motor rotation piece who out-competes more talented players for loose possessions — just not a closing-lineup fixture on a good team.
Median, best fit — Paul Millsap. The comp worth sitting with longest, because it’s less about ceiling or floor than about a stylistic archetype that’s already proven durable in exactly this body. Millsap was never long, never a plus vertical athlete. What he was, for over a decade, was a strength-and-touch scorer who punished mismatches from the mid-post, rebounded above his size, and defended through anticipation rather than length — guessing right a half-second before the play developed instead of recovering with athleticism after the fact. If Peat’s shot lands anywhere between respectable and unspectacular, and his defensive processing catches NBA speed over a year or two, Millsap is about as close a stylistic match as recent history offers.
Ceiling — Draymond Green. The reach comp, and it should be treated as one. The connective tissue: an undersized four substituting brain for length, plus a passing feel that already grades above position average — Peat posted 2.6 assists per game as a college freshman, unusual production for his size and role. The Draymond outcome needs the playmaking to scale into real offensive initiation and the defense to scale into legitimate multi-position switching at NBA physicality, at the same time. Low probability for almost anyone. Worth naming anyway, because it’s the shape of bet the Suns are actually making by spending three second-round picks to move up for a player who fell all the way to 30.
Where He Actually Fits in Phoenix
The organizational logic is straightforward, even if the roster math is messier in year one. Phoenix leaned on Dillon Brooks and Royce O’Neale at the four for most of last season, played small most nights, and got exposed on size in a first-round sweep at the hands of Oklahoma City. Peat answers that specific problem directly: an actual power forward who can defend post-ups without conceding size on a roster that’s been thin at exactly that.
The traffic is real, though. Ryan Dunn and Rasheer Fleming — both still finding their NBA footing, both barely in the rotation down last season’s stretch — occupy adjacent lanes, something Gregory acknowledged himself after the draft. None of the three is a plus shooter yet. All three profile as high-motor, defense-first forwards still figuring out what they are. How much Jordan Ott is actually willing to play bigger — something Phoenix mostly avoided last season, even against a Thunder team that punished them for it — will decide how much runway any of the three gets, Peat included.
The Actual Bet
Strip away the report-card noise, and the pick reads as a single wager: that competitive processing and physical readiness are scarcer and more predictable than shooting touch at 19, and that shooting touch is the one variable in Peat’s profile most likely to move with patient, targeted development. Teams have been burned betting on jumpers that never arrived before. They’ve also spent the better part of a decade underrating exactly this archetype — the strength-first, feel-over-length four — in a league that occasionally overcorrects into smallball for its own sake.
Millsap is the version of this bet that pays off quietly, over years, in a jersey nobody outside Phoenix is thinking hard about. Early Boozer or Gibson is the version where the shot stalls and Peat becomes a useful reserve instead of a building block. Either way, the sample that actually answers the question — NBA reps, not combine drills or high school gold medals — starts this fall. Everything before it, reworked shot included, is still just scouting.
One thing you won’t be able to account for… is the smarts. That Koa will bring in spades.
“He’s really good. “I must say, strong, big brain, vocal. Kind of has everything on the floor. He’s really smart for his age. I think that he’s a great add-on.” — Rasheer Fleming
