Category: Basketball

The Milwaukee Bucks have traded veterans Taurean Prince and Gary Harris to the Detroit Pistons for Caris LeVert and two second-round picks, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania.

“The Detroit Pistons are trading Caris LeVert and two second-round picks to the Milwaukee Bucks for Taurean Prince and Gary Harris, sources tell ESPN. Pistons will create a trade exception from the deal and savings while Bucks acquire LeVert and pick up assets,” Charania tweeted.

LeVert, a 6’7” wing who will turn 32 prior to the upcoming season, played 60 games for the Pistons last year—all off the bench—averaging 7.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 2.7 APG, to go along with 1.6 stocks, in 19.2 MPG. He was a regular part of the Pistons’ postseason rotation too, averaging 16.6 MPG through 13 games, and is just two years removed from being a 14, 4, and 5 guy on a Cleveland Cavaliers team that won 48 games and finished fourth in the Eastern Conference. He is on an expiring contract that pays him $14.8m for the 2026-27 season.

But while LeVert is a proven player, capable of handling the ball and creating offense for himself and others, the move for the Bucks is likely more about the acquisition of draft assets and roster construction. Milwaukee now adds two more second-round picks to the 2030 first-round pick swap, two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033), and 2033 second-round pick they acquired trading Giannis to the Miami Heat. The move also trims the Bucks’ roster. By exchanging two veterans for one, the Bucks are effectively down to a full 15-man roster—pending the official signing of 13th overall pick Nate Ament—for the 2026-27 season.

While the Bucks gain a valuable player and draft assets, they lose strong veteran leadership in Prince and Harris. Prince, who somewhat surprisingly picked up his player option on June 30, played 106 games across two seasons with the Bucks, averaging 8.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.9 APG. He primarily served as a floor-spacer in the frontcourt, hitting 44% of his 4.5 three-point attempts during his time in Milwaukee, and bravely battled through a herniated disc and subsequent neck surgery that kept him out of action for most of last season.

Harris, on the other hand, signed with the Bucks prior to last season as a depth piece. He played 48 games for Milwaukee, averaging 2.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG, and 1.1 APG in 13.8 MPG, hitting 41% of his shots from three. While he didn’t put up big numbers, he was a pro’s pro who more often than not did all the right things on the court.

All the best, Taurean and Gary.

UPDATES:

• According to Charania, the trade is actually part of a larger, six-team deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks, and Los Angeles Clippers.
• Per Eric Nehm, the Bucks get their own second-rounder in 2027 back from the Pistons and then the least favorable of the Dallas Mavericks’ and Brooklyn Nets’ second-round picks in 2027.

---

What are your thoughts on the trade, Brew Hoopers? Add your two cents in the comments.

The Detroit Pistons made a trade Tuesday that made me legitimately ask the question — has there ever been a trade of at least three players that all had at least a decade of NBA experience before? If not, then welcome to history, Caris LeVert, Taurean Prince, and Gary Harris!

The Pistons traded Caris LeVert, a significant offseason addition a year ago who never found his footing in during his one-year stay in Detroit, along with two second-round picks for veterans Taurean Prince and Gary Harris. The trio have a combined 32 years of NBA experience under their respective belts.

ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to break the news of the trade. The second-round picks in the deal are from 2027, according to Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press. The Pistons own their own 2nd, the least favorable between Brooklyn and Dallas, and a Milwaukee second. I wouldn’t be surprised if this trade gets Milwaukee its own pick back.

LeVert was set to make $14 million in the final year of his contract with the Pistons while Prince and Harris make $3.8 million each. The trade shaves more than $7 million off the team’s books and gives Detroit a $14.8 million trade exception, per cap expert Yossi Gozlan.

Prince is the more significant of the two additions as he fills the role of backup power forward with enough girth to man the position and more than enough shooting ability. Standing just 6-foot-6, he’s a stout 218 points. More importantly, he’s a career 38.7% 3-point shooter and has shot 43% and 41% the past two seasons. He doesn’t do much more than catch-and-shoot these days, but it’s a skill the Pistons can’t have enough of. Prince is coming off an injury-plagued season with the Bucks that saw him limited to just 26 games. But in both of the two previous seasons, Prince played more than 2,000 minutes.

Prince suffered a herniated disc in his neck in November of last season that kept him out until March. But when he returned, it was like he never missed a beat. He averaged 10.6 points and shot 43.8% from deep on more than six attempts per game in the season’s final 18 games.

Harris has been a part-time role player each of the past two seasons in Orlando and Milwaukee, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he were waived after the deal is finalized.

The LeVert stay in Detroit was a brief and disappointing tenure. He seemingly completely forgot how to shoot the ball from deep and had the worst turnover percentage in his 10-year career. He also wasn’t a good defender. There’s not much you can point to that went right for Caris in Detroit, and he seemed like he was entering the season where he might find himself on the outside looking into a crowded backcourt rotation.

The Pistons have Cade Cunningham and Daniss Jenkins to take the lion’s share of the point guard minutes, drafted a 6-foot-1 drive-and-score rookie in Ebuka Okorie, traded for Isaiah Joe and return Duncan Robinson as the primary shooters.

They also had a significant need at the backup power forward spot. The team added John Collins this offseason but lost Tobias Harris to the San Antonio Spurs. They were staring at a season with Ron Holland as the only legitimate backup power forward. With the trade for Prince, the roster feels much more balanced.

This deal might be a signal that the Pistons are done making moves this offseason. LeVert’s $14 million salary was one of the only significant moveable salaries on Detroit’s payroll. Unless the team moves one or both of Ron Holland, Duncan Robinson and all of the future firsts, there isn’t really an avenue to a significant upgrade remaining.

Presuming the reported Marcus Sasser trade to the Dallas Mavericks comes to fruition, Jalen Duren re-signs, and Harris gets waived, Detroit would enter the season with a full 15-man roster.

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, and Jalen Duren as the starters. Daniss Jenkins, Isaiah Joe, Ron Holland, Taurean Prince, Paul Reed as primary backups. Ebuka Okorie, Kevin Huerter, Javonte Green, Chaz Lanier, and Tolu Smith as depth pieces. Ugonna Onyenso, Isaac Jones as two-way players.

How does that stack up in the East? We have a whole offseason to argue about that.

NEWTON — The basketball world was largely stunned when Jaylen Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers last week. Since the trade was first reported on Wednesday, Celtics fans have reflected on his longtime tenure coming to a sudden halt, and what that means for the team, both on and off the floor.

And Jayson Tatum, Brown’s co-star of almost a decade, is also processing it all.

“To be honest, weird. It’s weird,” Tatum said on Tuesday night. “You play on a team with a guy for 9 years. I was fortunate enough to go to the finals with him twice, and win a championship, and push each other to be the players that we are today.”

Tatum’s reflection came as part of an hour-long sit-down at the Newton Community Stage for a sit-down Q&A with longtime reporter Howard Bryant to promote his new book, “Baby Dunks-a-Lot: The Day the Basketballs Stopped Bouncing.” (The book, co-written with author Sam Apple, is currently available for purchase at The Silver Unicorn Bookstore as well as Newtonville Books).

At the event, Tatum spoke on several topics, including his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon, what it’s like balancing being a father and a pro athlete, and much more (a longer story on some of his reflections is to come).

Jayson Tatum is here in Newton in celebration of his newest book, Baby Dunks-a-lot, which came out today.

Very loud applause here as Tatum is introduced pic.twitter.com/17x4Ypy7Zc

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) July 7, 2026

Tatum both answered questions in a moderated panel with longtime reporter Howard Bryant and also took questions from the kids in attendance. 

Jayson Tatum reflected on ‘tough’ reality of Jaylen Brown trade

Bryant explicitly asked Tatum how he’s handling the reality that a new chapter is now beginning for him, the Celtics, and for Brown.

“The NBA is an incredible business; it’s an incredible job, but there are some downsides to the business and moments like this, where you just kind of feel like you’re going to be on the team with somebody, because that’s all you know,” he said. “And then it’s just like, one day you find out that they’re no longer on your team anymore. And, we’re all humans. We feel all those emotions. Going into the facility, and knowing that you have different teammates, and somebody that you’ve been to war with, essentially, is on a different team…”

Together, Tatum and Brown made five Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals.

In 2024, they won their first title as a duo.

“It’s tough. But it just makes you appreciate the moments and time that we had,” Tatum said. “Obviously, it came to an abrupt ending, but it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t super successful. Great years, obviously, that he gave to the city and to the organization.”

Brad Stevens, who addressed reporters in a press conference on Monday, said that Tatum did not have any input in the decision to trade Brown.

“I have a real hard-and-fast rule,” Stevens said. “I don’t ask guys about other guys.”

In lieu of Jaylen Brown (and Nikola Vucevic, who departed in free agency), Tatum now welcomes a slew of new teammates like Paul George, Mike Conley, and Mitchell Robinson, among others.

All three players were at the Auerbach Center this week and took photos with their brand-new Celtics jerseys.

“The tough part is you miss teammates, but then you have new teammates, and you want to welcome those guys and accept them and move forward with them,” Tatum said. “So there is a balance there.”

Last week, ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst conveyed that the Philadelphia 76ers trading for Jaylen Brown made them serious suitors in the LeBron James sweepstakes.

Fellow NBA insider Shams Charania confirmed this and then some during a July 7 conversation with Stephen A. Smith.

Charania initially said that after checking around the league, he has heard that the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, and the Philadelphia 76ers are the teams that he keeps hearing about as LeBron’s top free agency fits at this point.

“Philadelphia, after they got the Jaylen Brown [trade done]. Philadelphia was not in the picture [before that],” Charania said.

He then spoke about how James didn’t necessarily have a free agency plan in place headed into this offseason because there’s no clear indication about how much money he’ll try to secure.

REPORT: LeBron is taking the Sixers “very seriously” after they got Jaylen Brown, per @ShamsCharania

“When I talk to teams now I have a hierarchy of Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, and then some teams on the peripheral.”

(h/t @TheHeatCentral) pic.twitter.com/dVdHBFSOiG

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 7, 2026

Charania then added, “When the Sixers got Jaylen Brown, I did some research and I found out within 24 hours, [LeBron is] taking their pitch really seriously. So, when I look at it, when I talk to teams now, I have a hierarchy of Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, and then some teams on the peripheral.”

The 76ers stand out among these three teams at the top of James’ “hierarchy”, if only because it’s the only franchise among the trio that James hasn’t played with before.

It’s clear that LeBron is looking to compete for another NBA championship before retiring, and the 76ers’ addition of Jaylen Brown to pair with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe already makes them one of the Eastern Conference’s most talented rosters on paper.

Adding LeBron to that mix would make them even more lethal and probably cement them as favorites in the East.

Of course, things can change very fast in free agency. But Philadelphia has become one of the most compelling teams to watch regarding LeBron.

Going 0-3 in the California Classic is not good… I wouldn’t necessarily call it bad either. Summer League isn’t about wins and losses. It’s about seeing if your contracted young players can stand out, or finding diamonds in the rough in the G League. In Monday’s 88-84 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs got exactly what they needed from their new draftees.

Tarris Reed Jr. and Ja’Kobi Gillespie had their best games of the summer, nearly leading San Antonio to a comeback win. Reed Jr. got a low-post seal, turned his shoulder, and finished through the contact for an and-1 opportunity late in the game, but rimmed out the free throw that would have tied it. Gillespie hit some big threes down the stretch to put the Spurs within striking distance.

It was clear that both of those guys belong on an NBA court in some capacity. That’s about all you can ask from a Summer League squad. Now the team will head to Las Vegas, where Carter Bryant will join the team and almost certainly get to show the Spurs what he’s got in his offensive bag. With an NBA rotation player on his way, the team could find more success when they head to Sin City.

Takeaways:

• Reed Jr. showed off the skills that made him a first-round pick. He played incredibly tough on the interior, making some contested shots through contact. He got a few opportunities to back a defender down in the post and use his size to seal defenders and create angles for himself. He made a nice pass to Gillespie on a backdoor cut for a bucket, flashing his playmaking upside. He had one good weakside block, but was overall a step slow rotating to play help defense. His role with the NBA team will likely be to set screens, rebound, and finish around the rim. He’s shown he can do that, finishing with 12 points and 12 rebounds in his second summer game.
• Gillespie finally got his shots to fall. He was super active offensively, cutting and relocating all over the place to get open. He finished with 19 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals. What’s most important is that he knocked down 5 of his 9 three-pointers. If Gillespie gets playing time in the NBA this season, it will likely be as a combo guard who can handle, but typically plays off the ball. Hitting threes, as he did on Monday, will be important to providing value in that role.
• Emmanuel Miller continues to show flashes, but forces it a bit too often. He had 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals in the loss.
• Maliq Brown has been incredible defensively to start the Summer League. He may have one defensive flaw: he leaves his feet a bit too often, jumping for pump fakes.

Pacers rookie Kam Jones questioned his NBA future after he was ordered out of his car at gunpoint following a police chase last year, new body cam footage obtained by The California Post shows.

Jones’ dramatic encounter with Indiana State Police occurred in Indianapolis on Oct. 10, 2025, after he allegedly hit speeds of over 100 mph and then refused to immediately pull over.

Cops were seen in the newly released video training their guns on Jones before they demanded he exit his ride and walk toward them slowly.

When Jones, 24, ultimately complied and was placed in handcuffs, he insisted he was not trying to evade them on purpose.

“I feel very confused right now,” the basketball player said. “Honestly, I saw your right blinker on, so I’m like, ‘Is he trying to get by me?’ So, I was trying to get out your way.”

Jones explained he was driving quickly because he was late for a practice. He was then stunned to learn cops intended to take him to jail over his behavior.

“I’m going to jail?” he asked.

“Yeah,” one cop responded. “Reckless driving and resisting law enforcement.”

“I didn’t know you were trying to pull me over, though,” Jones said.

“You could have fooled me,” the officer said.

As police took Jones toward the back of a squad car, a Pacers assistant coach appeared on the scene. However, cops would not let the two communicate and the Indiana staffer drove off moments later.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

One officer then asked about Jones’ life, and at one point, the cop noticed Jones’ 6-foot-3 frame and wondered if he played point guard or shooting guard.

Jones then somberly said, “I’m about to be nothing no more.”

“Why not?” the cop asked.

“I just didn’t realize I was driving that fast,” Jones said.

Jones was eventually taken to a nearby jail and booked on reckless driving and resisting law enforcement charges. Following his release, he apologized to his team and media members and said the situation was a “mistake that I’ve learned from.”

Prosecutors ended up charging Jones with misdemeanor reckless driving in January, but court records show the count was dismissed in March after Jones entered a pretrial diversion program.

Jones, the No. 38 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, played in 37 games for the Pacers this past season, logging 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.

The Hawks will be a bit shorthanded to take on Cam Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen

Location: Jon M. Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City, UT

Start Time: 7:00 PM EDT

TV: ESPN U, NBA TV

Radio: N/A

Streaming: Prime, Fubo

It’s transaction day in the NBA, seeing as the new league year officially began yesterday. We’re seeing plenty of notifications and press releases about players re-signing with the Phoenix Suns, including Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Mark Williams. Things that were previously reported are now becoming official, which is all part of the process once the calendar turns.

But there is one thing we have not seen come through officially yet. The Miles Bridges trade. And per Espo of PHNX, we shouldn’t expect anything until at least July 9.

For those wondering why the Suns haven't announced the Miles Bridges trade, it's not official and is still waiting for league approval.

Sources have indicated the earliest we'll hear anything official is likely July 9th based on process of getting deal completed. pic.twitter.com/NP9UmDSBiE

— Espo  (@Espo) July 6, 2026

Why is this?

It has everything to do with how active the Charlotte Hornets have been during this offseason cycle. Not only did they deal Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns for Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen, and a 2033 first-round pick, but they also traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Add in Minnesota trading Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets, and this could end up becoming a five- or six-team deal by the time everything is finalized. There are plenty of i’s and lowercase j’s to dot, and plenty of t’s to cross.

The biggest snag in this mega-trade from occurring is the contract of Mouhamadou Gueye, who is being traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a three-team Julius Randle-to-Brooklyn deal. Gueye is not eligible to be traded until July 9, seeing as he was signed on April 9.

A handful of people asked why the big Nets-Hornets-Bulls-Wolves trade hasn't gone official yet…

That deal will have to wait until July 9. Mouhamadou Gueye, who the Bulls are trading as part of the deal, isn't eligible to be traded until July 9 because he was signed on April 9.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 7, 2026

So the reason we haven’t seen the Bridges trade officially go through yet is most likely because these transactions could be combined.

We could also see other things happen as a result. Grayson Allen or Royce O’Neale could potentially be rerouted to either Minnesota or Brooklyn, which means Phoenix’s final return might end up being more than Miles Bridges, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2029 first-round pick. If either player is rerouted, there’s a chance another second-round pick could come Phoenix’s way as part of the larger transaction.

It remains to be seen what the final verbiage of this deal will be, but I will say this. For those who believe the trade not being official yet means the organization could still rescind it due to any pushback surrounding Miles Bridges, that probably isn’t happening. That’s not why this trade is being held up. It’s being held up because there are multiple moving parts, tax implications, apron implications, and legal details that need to be properly addressed to make sure the trade is valid and executable.

What looks like a delay is really the NBA’s version of back-office work. Fans understandably want closure, especially with a trade this polarizing, but the league office is more concerned with making every cap sheet, exception, and transaction line up than satisfying the news cycle. Until every piece of the larger puzzle fits, the Bridges deal will remain in limbo on paper, even if its outcome has almost certainly already been decided. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the rest of the basketball world are waiting to see what LeBron James does in free agency. As has been the case throughout the better part of the last several weeks, there hasn’t been too much noise from James’s camp. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to what he’s thinking. There is, however, some reporting out there that could give a hint as to what James is planning on doing.

The big news of the day for the Cavs was signing Donovan Mitchell to a four-year contract extension. That deal is guaranteed to keep him through the end of the 2029-30 season, and includes a player option for the season after.

Despite the potentially $273 million extension the Cavs gave out on Tuesday, the 41-year-old James is still Cleveland’s top priority, and that is something Mitchell is fully on board with, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Charania said that Mitchell has been an “active” and “significant part” of the Cavs conversations about improving the roster.

How much you want to read into this is up to you, but this is worth pointing out because of what James’s agent, Rich Paul, said earlier in the infamous whiteboard episode of the Game Over podcast. LeBron would need the blessing of the incumbent star before he signs somewhere. Presumably, he has that with Mitchell and with James Harden, considering he’s reportedly willing to make less money annually to open up room for James.

Remember what Rich Paul said about Jalen Brunson regarding LeBron?

Well, look at the reports coming out today about LeBron and the Cavs.

Harden: "He is embracing the concept" AND willing to make his contract work

Mitchell: "He has made it clear he would embrace LeBron"

🤔 pic.twitter.com/litC5C6O1y

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) July 7, 2026

Earlier on Tuesday, Marc Stein and Jake Fisher reaffirmed previous reports that James won’t be personally meeting with teams. They reached out to Rich Paul for a comment on where things stand, and were told, “There’s an argument for several teams but ultimately the decision will be LeBron’s and whatever he feels he [should] do.”

The Athletic published a lengthy piece Tuesday morning, going through the potential suitors for LeBron with several different contributors.

Joe Vardon wrote that the Cavs are in the dark about what James might do. The same is true for the others. The Golden State Warriors are losing optimism, according to Nick Friedell. The Miami Heat aren’t “one of the front-runners,” based on James Jackson. The Minnesota Timberwolves believe signing James is a “long shot,” wrote Jon Krawczynski. Tony Jones believes that the basketball fit is good with the Philadelphia 76ers, but not enough to make them the favorites.

The Denver Nuggets seem to be the lone exception to this feeling. Sam Amick reported that the Nuggets haven’t heard much from James or his camp, but the team believes they are “still in it.” Maybe they are. We’ll see.

Charania reported in a separate interview that his hierarchy of these teams based on who he’s talked to is “Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia and then some teams on the peripheral.”

Brian Windhorst said on his weekly YouTube video with ESPN Cleveland that the “vibes are pointing towards Cleveland” based on those he’s been talking with. However, he added that even those around LeBron don’t know what he’s going to do.

The lack of actual, concrete noise has left a vacuum. Much of the noise online is speculation. Some of it is informed, most of it isn’t.

We’ll keep waiting and see how this plays out. We know that the Cavs are interested in LeBron and that there’s plenty of reason to believe a farewell tour is how this ends. However, when and if that happens remains to be seen.

The biggest story in basketball this summer will be where LeBron James decides to end his NBA career after informing the Los Angeles Lakers that he wouldn’t be returning.

James is no stranger to scrutiny, as he has had pundits and fans criticize every move he has made throughout his iconic career. And this decision to leave the Lakers is no different.

LeBron’s wife, Savannah James, has had to hear these critics throughout LeBron’s NBA tenure. And while she rarely speaks out about it, she felt compelled to say something during the July 7 episode of her “Everybody’s Crazy” podcast.

Savannah’s co-host, April McDaniel, was speaking about how positive their podcast’s community is before noting that this positivity isn’t the norm these days, especially on social media. She then said, “I think people build up things to crush them.”

“You think that? That is a fact,” Savannah responded.

“I feel like that’s the hard part with LeBron,” McDaniel added. “Being such an icon, how negative people can be. I’m like, ‘Can y’all get a life?'”

Savannah nodded in agreement before adding, “It’s crazy.”

Savannah then added, “People have definitely made careers out of talking about [LeBron]. Like… [critics having] a subjective opinion about what everybody thinks is the best thing. But to be on the other side of it, it’s like, ‘No, it’s not.’ They make careers out of that.”

While Savannah wasn’t speaking specifically about criticism about LeBron’s free agency decision, the timing of the episode suggests that this was the basis of her comments.

Ultimately, LeBron is among the world’s best when it comes to not worrying about any criticism he faces. But one can’t blame him or Savannah for getting frustrated about it from time to time.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, but they may have a more difficult road to get there this upcoming season. Several teams in the East have improved, the Indiana Pacers should be back to being a contender with the assumed return of Tyrese Haliburton, and the New York Knicks are expected to have their entire starting lineup back next season.

To keep things simple, we’re going to focus on the teams that improved through outside moves. Let’s get into the four options for the survey.

The Miami Heat vaulted back into the periphery of the title conversation by trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. There’s reasons to be skeptical about the type of team they can assemble around him during his first season, but there’s no denying that a front court of him and Bam Adebayo is a pretty good place to start building from.

The Philadelphia 76ers may be the biggest winners of the offseason so far. Swapping out Paul George for Jaylen Brown is an immediate win. That should put them in the running to be one of the favorites to come out of the conference.

The Toronto Raptors aren’t getting as much buzz as Philadelphia, but have a solid argument that they’re a better team. The group that the Cavs faced in the first round last season was formidable. Replacing Kawhi Leonard with Brandon Ingram is a massive upgrade on both sides of the floor. There are questions about Leonard’s health, but if he’s on the court, the fit should be phenomenal.

Lastly, it’s worth talking about the Boston Celtics here. Even though they’re rightly viewed as losers of the offseason with the Brown trade, the Celtics always seem to get much more out of the roster than many on the outside anticipate. Maybe Brad Stevens knows something that we don’t.

With that backdrop, which of the Cavs’ opponents improved most this offseason? Let us know in the survey and tell us why you voted how you did in the comments.

If there’s one thing that Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka loves, it’s lying about Kobe Bryant. If there are two things he loves, it’s lying about Kobe and signing former Golden State Warriors centers.

Pelinka got to do the latter on Tuesday as the Lakers agreed to a one-year minimum deal with longtime Warrior and three-time champion Kevon Looney. After one season with the New Orleans Pelicans, the Ground-Bound Mound of Rebound is headed to the Crpyto.Com Arena, where he will back up $130-million-dollar man Walker Kessler and rack up a ton of rebounds.

He’ll join a group of big men that became irresistible to Pelinka and the Lakers after spending time in Warriors blue and gold. Since 2019, Pelinka has acquired the following Warriors big men:

• JaVale McGee
• DeMarcus Cousins
• Jordan Bell
• Alfonzo McKinnie
• Damian Jones
• Juan Toscano-Anderson

Looney joins a remade Lakers team, where they’ve committed over half a billion in contracts to their new Big Three of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Kessler, which doesn’t even account for the massive increase in the team’s Coppertone budget. Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes are out, and two excellent defensive rebounders are in, which makes a lot of sense given the presence of high-volume shooters like Doncic, Reaves, and new backup guard Collin Sexton. Normally we’d suggest Looney could be an alley-oop threat for the lob-loving Doncic, but Big Loon has had to catch passes, land, and jump again since 2021. He’s a serious high-percentage layup threat, though!

The Warriors drafted Looney with the No. 30 pick in 2015 out of UCLA, following their own obsession with players from Milwaukee. Looney had multiple surgeries in his first two NBA seasons, which limited him to five games in 2015-16 and kept him out of the 2017 playoffs. Before the 2017-18 season, Looney dropped 30 pounds, stepped up his defense, and ended up playing 66 games and averaging 18.4 minutes during the team’s title run, stepping into the starting lineup for the last four games against the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals.

He never quite had job security with the Warriors. The team declined their fourth-year option on Looney before is third season, but Looney came back on a $1.6M deal for 2018-19, a season where he averaged 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds while starting 24 games ahead of injured centers Damian Jones and DeMarcus Cousins. In what would prove to be a habit in big games, Looney grabbed 14 rebounds and scored 12 points in the clinching Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals over the Portland Trail Blazers. In the NBA Finals, Looney played through a broken collarbone as the Warriors lost in six games.

Looney was considered a veteran leader despite being one of the younger players on the team. Rookie big man Jordan Bell was one asked if he benefited from the wisdom of veterans like Looney, and had to remind the reporter than Looney was a year younger than him. In later seasons, Looney was the bridge between the Warriors’ two timelines, as a guy who looked, played, and acted like a grizzled veteran yet didn’t turn 30 until last season, the 11th of his career.

In the 2022 playoffs, Looney became an absolute monster on the glass. He grabbed 22 boards in the closeout Game 6 against the Memphis Grizzlies. He had a 21-and-12 game against the Dallas Mavericks and an 18-rebound effort in the clinching game. In the finals, Looney slowed down Jayson Tatum and averaged 7.5 rebounds.

In 2023, Looney averaged 15 rebounds in the first-round win over the Sacramento Kings, and Domantas sabonis has never been the same after Looney crushed his with three 2-rebound efforts, followed by 23 board sin Game 1 against the Lakers. Perhaps that’s what Pelinka remembered.

Looney went through anxieties about his contract nearly every offseason, since he always had a tradeable contract and it was often non-guaranteed. Still, he was a consummate professional for the Dubs and should provide the same for the Lake Show. Plus, he made up for some discount seasons for the Warriors by grabbing $8M last season.

It’ll be weird, terrible, and disappointing to see Looney in a Lakers uniform. At the same time, it didn’t seem like the Warriors were particualrly pursuing him. The consolation for Warriors fans is that Looney will only truly make an impact if the Lakers are missing lots of shots, so rooting for the beloved Looney is also rooting for other Lakers to fail.

In an uncertain season to come, that may be one thing for Warriors fans to climb to. Godspeed, Loon. Please don’t go Hollywood.

The Cleveland Cavaliers signed one of the members of their starting backcourt, Donovan Mitchell, to a new four-year extension earlier today. James Harden is expected to get a new deal shortly after he declined his player option for this upcoming season. As of now, he and the Cavs are just waiting to see how some of the other dominoes fall this summer before inking a new contract.

Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the framework and dollar amount for a new contract are already worked out between Harden and the Cavs. Depending on whether the Cavs can convince LeBron James to sign with them (or maybe another free agent), Harden is reportedly willing to spread that money over three years instead of two.

Harden’s willingness to do this could greatly help the Cavs. A longer contract would mean a lower annual amount, which would help Cleveland if they decide they want access to the taxpayer mid-level exception or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. It’s worth noting that Mitchell’s new deal doesn’t go into effect until the 2027-28 season, so it has no impact on the cap for the upcoming season.

As it stands, the Cavs are $25.3 million under the first apron and $37.9 million under the second, not factoring in a new contract for Harden. Teams under the first apron have access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception (up to $15 million). But if the Cavs used that or a portion of that, they would be capped at the first apron.

Presumably, Harden wouldn’t be taking a big enough discount to give the Cavs enough room under the first apron to have access to a meaningful portion of that $15 million. However, his signing for a lower annual value, combined with trading or stretching a player like Dennis Schroder, could help them do so. There’s also the taxpayer midlevel exception of $6 million the Cavs could access if they’re under the second apron but above the first.

Whether or not Harden signs for a three-year deal likely depends on LeBron’s decision. As of now, the Cavaliers are in a holding pattern waiting for James.

Last season, Harden averaged 23.6 points and eight assists in 70 combined regular season games for both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Cavs.