Category: Basketball

The Nets Summer League tournament run ended in a 100-83 loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday, but not before a fourth-quarter surge nearly turned the tide. Despite trailing by 21, Brooklyn’s best was a 10-point deficit with a little more than three minutes in the fourth.

Dëmin finished the game with 21 points on 8-of-20 shooting.

Egor Dëmin looks like one of the only Nets out there semi-comfortable with the game's physicality right now. Making things happen at both ends. pic.twitter.com/Za5fsI3nRh

— Collin Helwig (@collinhelwig) July 16, 2026

It wasn’t only Egor that sparked a little life. Brooklyn played better defense and forced five turnovers in the final five minutes — including an eight-second violation. Dëmin’s step-back jumper at the 3:31 mark brought Brooklyn within 10 points at 87-77, which was the closest they would get.

Mikel Brown Jr. was met with physicality and endured his toughest summer showing, going 3-of-15 in 27 minutes. Meanwhile, Drake Powell couldn’t carry over his recent momentum, finishing just 1-of-6. The effort was there… but the shots just didn’t fall.

With the loss, the Nets were eliminated from Summer League championship contention. However, Brooklyn’s Summer League schedule is not over — the team will play one final consolation game this weekend. 

The date, time, and opponent have yet to be announced.

For the Rockets, Bruce Thornton was the leader of the pack with 23 points, Tristen Newton added 20 points and six rebounds, and Isaiah Crawford recorded 12 points and eight rebounds before his fourth-quarter ejection.

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What’s up with Michael Porter Jr.?

Speculation is heating up. In his discussion with reporters two days ago, Sean Marks painted a positive picture of the Nets situation with Michael Porter Jr.

“I’m sure we’ll have those discussions. I think we’ve got time. There’s no immediate hurry right now with Mike. We value him a lot. He had a terrific year last year, arguably his best year as a pro. I give him a lot of credit for that,” Marks said. “It’s been great to see what Mike’s done for us. I look forward to having those discussions, and seeing what Mike can do the rest of the summer and the rest of the season.”

Marks added he won’t rush any decisions at all.

However, Chris Haynes, senior analyst for TNT, suggests that if the Nets and Porter can’t come to an agreement, a trade might be in the works.

“Michael Porter Jr’s agent…is scheduled to meet with the Brooklyn Nets…towards the tail end of summer league or at the end of summer league to begin dialogue on an extension,” said Haynes on NBA TV’s “The Association” Wednesday. “If it becomes apparent early on that an extension is not in play, then I do believe the next step will be the Brooklyn Nets and Michael Porter Jr potentially parting ways and potentially looking to move him.”

Read the full story here.

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Undrafted rookie Jaden Akins gave the Knicks 21 points off the bench, but it wasn't enough as the Warriors defeated New York, 87-77, on Thursday night.

New York is now 1-2 in Summer League action.

But the night was competitive in the first half. Golden State got out to a 26-19 lead after one, but then the offense on both sides took a nose dive. The Knicks won the quarter, 17-10, to get the game tied 36-36 at halftime.

Tyler Nickel led the Knicks at halftime with nine points on 3 of 5 shooting (all from the three-point line).

Pacome Dadiet had six while Liam Robbins posted five points and six rebounds, and Dillon Jones grabbed five points and five rebounds. Jack Kayil struggled, scoring just two points on 1 of 5 shooting, coming down with four rebounds and dishing two assists in his 15 minutes to round out the starting five.

On the other side, LJ Cryer roasted the Knicks, scoring 11 points on 4 of 8 shooting (3-for-7 from three) to lead all scorers at the halfway point. 

The third quarter saw the Warriors get out to a lead thanks to a 7-0 run to start, but the Knicks fought back, chipping away. However, Golden State took a 65-57 lead into the final frame. The Warriors would pull away early in the fourth, building a 16-point lead that the Knicks would try to cut into, but whenever New York did -- getting it to 10 points -- Golden State punched back and held on for the 10-point win.

The Knicks starters did not have a great night. Nickel was stuck at nine points in his 31 minutes on the court while Dadiet posted just nine in his 28 minutes. Robbins was the only starter with a positive plus/minus as he dropped 13 points to go along with nine rebounds, four blocks and two assists in his 20 minutes. 

Jones finished with five points and Kayil's struggles carried over into the second half. The 2026 draft pick scored just two more points and was 2 of 9 from the field in his 29 minutes. He did come down with five rebounds and dished four assists, but was a minus-9 on the day. 

As for Akins, he led the entire Knicks team in scoring. He was 9 of 20 from the field (3 of 8 from three) with two rebounds and one assist. The former Michigan State guard had a better showing than his Summer League debut when he finished with just two points in 21 minutes. 

Akins, who was a G-League All-Star a season ago, averaged 16.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.6 assists in 14 games. 

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

This week’s survey questions the average Raptors fan’s initial reaction to the selection of Allen Graves. After General Manager and Vice-President Bobby Webster used the No. 19 pick on the Santa Clara product, the decision met with a mostly confused reception. Toronto already has Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles in the ‘jumbo wing that hounds defensively and bullies offensively” archetype.

With the Raptors headed into their fourth final Summer League game on Thursday against the Miami Heat, Allen Graves is averaging 14.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 3.3 stocks (steals and blocks), while shooting 51.4 per cent from the field and 43.7 per cent from three.

Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with more Reacts.

The question of where LeBron James will play next has lingered for about three weeks after he told the Los Angeles Lakers that he'd opt for a new team in free agency.

The news sent the basketball world into a frenzy. As teams and players are all making their pitch to James in hopes that he'd join their team, there are some that are wishing he'd wrap this process up.

Most notably, NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

Silver spoke at the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit in New York and addressed James' decision-making process in an interview with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin. He expressed his desire for James to make a selection so that the league can continue with its business ahead of the 2026-27 season.

"I guess all politics are local. The way I think about it is, we have to finish up the schedule," Silver said. " And where LeBron plays will affect the schedule. So I would like him to make his announcement already, so we can finish the schedule, because, as you might imagine, the teams are calling us, the networks are calling us, and everybody wants to lock in the schedule. But it will influence how we set the schedule, how we set opening week, Christmas Day, etc. So I need him to make a decision."

LEBRON JAMES DECISION: Latest rumors on when star chooses next team

Silver: 'No inside information' on James' destination

When it comes to predicting James' next destination, Silver's guess is as good as ours.

"The direct answer is, I have no inside information," Silver said at the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit. " I have my own inkling, but it's not based — it's not based on anything that LeBron or Rich have told me. I'm not going to share it with you, but I'm just saying, it's not, it's, I don't know."

Silver is a fan of the game. He's not rooting for James to join one team over another, but rather the best storyline leading into next season and to end his career.

"There's certain stories that I prefer over others, and even on his behalf. But he's going to be 42 this fall. It's amazing what he's done for the sport, for the league, and he deserves exactly what -- the opportunities that were presented to him to be able to make his own decision on what's best for him and his family. So I completely respect that. But, as I said, I think on behalf of the league, I think there are certain storylines that may be better than others, but I don't want to prejudge it. Let's see what he does."

MIAMI HEAT: Welcome Giannis Antetokounmpo with new jersey. Could LeBron James be next?

Silver likes LeBron James with Cavaliers or Warriors

Silver doesn't happen to have any details on James' decision but that's not stopping him imagining different storylines and gauging which would be best, or coolest. He's a fan, too.

Sorkin threw two potential scenarios that James could lean towards: Cleveland and Golden State.

"Let's admit that's a great storyline," Silver said about James potentially going back home to play for the Cavaliers.

When Sorkin asked if Silver liked that storyline, he responded, "among others, yes."

One of those other storylines would be James teaming up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in Golden State, helping the Warriors pursue another championship ring.

"Well, the only part about it is, and, honestly, I mean, he played for Steve Kerr for the Olympic team. He's close to Draymond. Playing with Steph is wonderful. I don't think LeBron at this point in his career – and I think he presumably would say the same thing – he doesn't have to chase a ring. So I don't think ... it would be different," Silver said. "I mean, LeBron's career is complete. I think, on his behalf, whatever that storyline is, I think he should go somewhere he's going to – there's going to be true joy around the game."

He added: "And I think, again, for LeBron, at this point of his career, I think what we want the fans to see, too, is like the genuine joy that they have. And I think, for somebody like LeBron, I mean, he's – he's not coming back for the money. And that's why that, to your point, the latter part of your storyline in terms of the ring, I'm sure he would love to win another championship. But I think, most importantly, I think I would love, and fans would like him to see, where he's playing with a group of players and for a coach that he really wants to be around, and he's going to – and the community's going to get great joy from it, and he's going to get great joy from it."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Why 2026-27 NBA schedule is in limbo until LeBron James picks new team

The NBA hasn’t released its official schedule for the upcoming season — and it’s because of LeBron James.

The four-time NBA champion has kept everyone in the industry on their toes as he makes a decision in free agency, including Commissioner Adam Silver.

Silver spoke at the 2026 CNBC Sport and Boardroom Game Plan Summit at Fanatics Fest in New York, where he revealed his eagerness for James to pick his next team.

“We have to finish up the schedule and where LeBron plays affects the schedule… It will influence how we set the schedule — opening week, Christmas. So I need him to make a decision,” Silver said.

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Count Adam Silver among those waiting on LeBron James to pick a team, he said at CNBC event.

“We have to finish up the schedule and where LeBron plays affects the schedule… It will influence how we set the schedule — opening week, Christmas. So I need him to make a decision.”

— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) July 16, 2026

The looming free-agency decision has certainly caused a league-wide frenzy as James could join several teams including the Warriors, Heat, 76ers and Cavaliers. His destination would affect any rival teams as the veteran remains a key contributor on the court.

James is coming off a season in which he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists. He shot 51.5% from the field and 31.7% from beyond the 3-point arc. This summer, he informed the Lakers he would not return for the upcoming season.

Now, James is a free agent searching for complete basketball happiness.

The 41-year-old also attended Fanatics Fest, where he discussed the highly touted sweepstakes but kept his honest thoughts as mysterious as ever.

The hysteria surrounding James this summer is warranted, and it appears Silver can relate to basketball fans who are desperate to know where the NBA’s all-time leading scorer will end up next.

The Golden State Warriors have quickly gained popularity as LeBron James’ next team.

One incident which quickly went viral involved coach Steve Kerr, who told a fan that the Warriors “got” James.

Many wondered whether Kerr was being serious or playful in the video posted to social media. Draymond Green weighed in on the situation.

Draymond on viral Steve Kerr video:

“If I know Steve as well as I think I do, he was joking.” https://t.co/ElxGc6hZlHpic.twitter.com/YnvowsuZLN

— TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) July 16, 2026

“If I know Steve as well as I think I do, he was joking,” Green wrote in a post on Instagram Threads.

The reported favorites in the LeBron James sweepstakes are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers. However, there is speculation that the Warriors are dark horses in the free agency frenzy.

Golden State seemingly lost traction as a favorite for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer after reports revealed the team wasn’t willing to strike a trade for Anthony Davis, James’ former Lakers teammate.

Perhaps the Warriors could explore a possible deal for Davis, which would certainly turn the tide in their favor. But as things stand, the three suitors appear to have an edge over the Warriors in the James sweepstakes.

Green seemingly played a role in the Warriors’ pursuit of James as he declined his $27.7 million player option to give the team more financial flexibility. There isn’t a guarantee Green will return to Golden State for the upcoming season, but that is at least the assumption.

James is expected to make a decision in the coming days, but until then, Warriors fans will continue dreaming.

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The Lakers booked their ticket to the Las Vegas Summer League Semifinals with a blowout win over the Chicago Bulls, 105-82, on Thursday afternoon. 

Chris Mañon continues to shine with his strong play. He has scored in double figures for three straight games. Cameron Carr’s offense has been a huge bright spot for this young Summer League squad. He has also been consistently scoring in double figures, making a strong case to be in the Lakers’ rotation when the season starts. 

Carr scored the first bucket for LA. It was also another fast start for Mañon, who scored four points early. All of Los Angeles’s starters, minus Adou Thiero, scored. Three players on the Bulls scored two points for their six in total. After a timeout, Thiero got on the board with an emphatic putback dunk.

The Lakers built a lead of six, but Chicago cut into it, making it a two-point game. Arthur Kaluma came in and drained a triple to give the team a small cushion on their lead. Los Angeles was shooting 35% from the field, while the Bulls were shooting 41%. 

At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by three. 

The Lakers lead the Bulls 19-16 after one quarter of play. It’s been a balanced attack for LA, with seven players scoring.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) July 16, 2026

Carr started the second period with a steal that led to Jon Elmore draining a 3-pointer for LA. Chicago’s Jaylin Sellers and Caleb Wilson both had thunderous dunks that gave everyone a jolt. Carr was leading Los Angeles with seven points, and Elmore was close behind with six.

The Bulls called a timeout with 4:21 left after falling behind by nine. Zhaire Smith now had six off the bench for the Lakers. LA kept their feet on the gas pedal, expanding their lead to 16 into halftime. Mañon was the only Laker in double figures with 10. 

Los Angeles had a balanced scoring attack with everyone who saw minutes, minus Peter Suder, scoring. 

The Lakers lead 56-40 at the half. A 12-0 run broke the game wide open for LA. But they’ve been in control this entire contest and have never trailed. Chris Manon leads the Lakers in scoring with 10 points.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) July 16, 2026

Both teams started the third period chippy and aggressive. They ended the first half with some words for each other that clearly carried into the second half. Anton Watson started the scoring for LA with a layup. 

The Lakers completely took the Bulls out of the game with their strong defense, forcing Chicago to struggle offensively. Carr and Thiero were in double figures with 14 and 11, respectively. Wilson scored the last 10 points for the Bulls, but it didn’t matter as LA built a lead of 29 at the end of the third. 

Yeahhhh, Cam 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Yin77PHqSk

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 16, 2026

AK Okereke started the final frame, converting on a three-point play, further extending Los Angeles’ lead. The rest of the quarter saw the Lakers cruise to their eventual victory. Robbie Avila also made his Summer League debut during the closing minutes. 

Key Player Stats: 

Mañon ended with 16 points and six rebounds. Carr finished with 14 points and three rebounds. Thiero notched 11 points with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. 

Elmore logged 11 points with five assists. Smith had 11 points with two rebounds and three assists. Kaluma scored 14 points with four rebounds and three assists. Watson pitched in with eight points and four assists.

The next Lakers Summer League game will be in the semifinals, with information about that contest to be released later.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

On the day that Gary Trent Jr.’s new deal with the Bucks was officially announced by the team, reports also state that the league will investigate it for possible salary cap circumvention.  

According to NBA insider Shams Charania, “The NBA is probing the signed $64 million free-agent deal for Gary Trent Jr. with the Milwaukee Bucks, per a league spokesperson.” Marc Stein reiterated the news, stating, “The Bucks officially announced the deal today and the NBA now says it is being looked into after Trent played the past two seasons on a sub-$4 million salary and dipped statistically in 2025-26.”

Yes, it seems it was too lucrative after all. And now, after all the good that has happened this offseason, we the Bucks have to navigate the summer with this cloud lingering over their heads.

Regarding the deal itself, Jake Fischer reported that it “is fully guaranteed. Year-to-year salary breakdown, per sources: $15.2 million for 2026-27, jumps up to $16.4 million for 2027-28 and 2028-29, then back down to $16 million in Year 4.”

Of course, the deal stunk the moment it was reported and there’s reason rumours of it surfaced long before it was officially reported.

For one, Trent’s play with the Bucks last season was arguably the worst of his career. After exploding in the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers in their 2025 first-round series, averaging 18.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and a league-leading 2.6 SPG, while shooting 52% from the field and 50% from three (on 8.8 attempts per game), Trent came into the 2025-26 season with high expectations and a starting role. But, after starting the season’s first 12 games, he quickly found himself relegated to the bench, where he would stay for much of the season. Overall, Trent’s 2025-26 campaign saw him average career lows across the board (excluding his rookie season where he played just 15 games): 8.1 points (on .387/.360/.769 splits), 1.0 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.5 SPG.

Two, following the trade that sent Giannis to the Miami Heat and the NBA Draft, the Bucks are loaded at the guard positions. Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., and AJ Green were already ahead of Trent in the rotation and now, with Tyler Herro, Brayden Burries, and Kasparas Jakučionis also on board, Trent doesn’t figure to even sniff the hardwood. Throw in two-way guards Cormac Ryan, who showed out down the stretch last season, and Kam Jones, who’s had himself a solid Summer League, and there really is no on-court justification to keep Trent—especially at that price and on a deal of that length.

But there is something to say about keeping your word. And by following through with any “handshake agreement” they had, Jon Horst and his team have sent a message that the Bucks are an organisation that honours its word and looks after its players. Of course, Burries, like Trent, is a Klutch Sports Group client too. So, all of this could pay dividends down the road—or even in the short term, should the Bucks wind up with another Klutch client, Peyton Watson.

Still, at least for the time being, this is a bad look for the Bucks and if the Kawhi Leonard Aspiration investigation is anything to go by, it will linger.

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Bucks fans, where do you sit on the spectrum from “Meh” to “The house is burning down!”? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

The Miami Heat officially unveiled their new star.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, acquired June 23 in a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, held his introductory press conference Thursday, July 16 at the Kaseya Center in Miami.

Later, in a photo shoot, the Heat showed off Antetokounmpo wearing his new uniform.

One difference is his jersey number. With the Heat, Antetokounmpo will wear No. 7, which is a departure from the No. 34 he wore with the Bucks.

Antetokounmpo explained the reason for the switch, saying he initially picked No. 34 because his mother was born in 1963 and his father was born in 1964. Now, with Miami, he opted to take the final digits of those two years and add them.

The jersey reveal y’all have been waiting for… pic.twitter.com/j50dAQEx04

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) July 16, 2026

“I felt like 34 holds so much weight and has so much history,” Antetokounmpo said during the press conference. “Out of respect to the organization that drafted me and that I played for 13 years, I decided to leave that number there and start a new chapter. Hopefully I can leave my mark here in Miami and make No. 7 as legendary as No. 34. But it’s almost like having closure for me, mentally and emotionally, just to have a closure from that number, because it meant a lot to me.

“No. 7 looks good, it’s fresh, it’s clean. I saw some kids running in the street with it. I’m excited to create more moments with that number.”

Clocking in for the first time ⏱️ pic.twitter.com/jMKcBo9yii

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) July 16, 2026

Here are some other notable things Antetokounmpo, Heat president Pat Riley and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday:

Pat Riley hints at pursuit of LeBron James

Though he didn’t mention LeBron James by name, Riley spoke openly about the team’s pursuit of the 41 year old icon, who is an unrestricted free agent.

“(Heat executive vice president of basketball operations) Andy (Elisberg) called me and said we have a deal,” Riley said of the moment when Miami and the Bucks agreed to the Antetokounmpo trade. “We both sort of screamed out loud and said, ‘Yeah, we landed the plane.’ Now there’s another one we have to land.”

Riley was not-so-subtly referencing James, who played four seasons with the Heat from 2010-14 and who led the franchise to two NBA titles. Later in the press conference, when asked to clarify whether the comment about the other plane referenced James, Riley once again declined to name him specifically.

LEBRON JAMES DECISION: Latest rumors on when star chooses next team

“As far as the 24-year veteran, that is something that would happen organically,” Riley said. “I hope I’m not talking out of both sides of my mouth here, but you never know that you’re ever going to win a title until you win one. But you’ll never win one if you don’t have the talent and the coaching.

“We’re not here guaranteeing anything. But we want to win,” Riley added. “This is the team that we have right now, and I’m happy with it.”

Antetokounmpo says Heat is best path to another title

Antetokounmpo did not shy away from everything being new and uncertain, but he cited the culture at Miami as being a primary draw for him.

“It was a no-brainer,” Antetokounmpo said. “I wanted to be here. I’m excited to be here, and I want to get to work.”

Now with Heat captain Bam Adebayo, Antetokounmpo and Miami will try to compete in the Eastern Conference after the Heat have languished in the play-in picture for the past couple of seasons. While the Heat may struggle to shoot the ball from the perimeter, they project to be formidable on defense, with Adebayo, Antetokounmpo, forward Andrew Wiggins and point guard Davion Mitchell in the starting lineup.

“Obviously, I’ve accomplished a lot of things in my career, but one of my goals is to win another championship,” Antetokounmpo said. “I feel like this is the best route for me to do that."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heat welcome Giannis Antetokounmpo with new jersey. Could LeBron James be next?

The NBA free agent news of the summer was LeBron James informing the Los Angeles Lakers he would not return for the upcoming season.

Now, the world is watching and waiting for James to make a decision on where he’ll sign next.

The 41-year-old made his first public appearance since leaving the Lakers at Fanatics Fest in New York, where he made an appearance on the “Mind the Game” podcast.

During his appearance, James took the time to thank the Lakers organization, specifically governor Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka.

“Shout out my former team. I spent eight great years with the Los Angeles Lakers… That was an unbelievable ride and I am looking forward to what comes next as I wind down my journey. It’s going to be fun wherever I land,” James said.

LeBron James thanks Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka and everyone from the Lakers, then says of his free agency: “looking forward to what’s next as I wind down my basketball journey….it’s going to be pretty fun wherever I land.” He asks the crowd their opinion. hears Warriors, Heat… pic.twitter.com/pSEHpENsfF

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 16, 2026

James also spoke with Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton and interacted with fans, who were curious to know what’s next for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

The LeBron era in LA ended earlier this summer and many wondered as to why. James, according to his agent Rich Paul, is pursuing complete basketball happiness in the twilight of his career.

It appears he couldn’t find that with the Lakers as the veteran continues to weigh his options in free agency. There is speculation the strained relationship between the Lakers and James began with the Russell Westbrook trade in the summer of 2021.

Regardless, both sides have seemingly moved on.

James and his camp have been extremely tight-lipped about the looming decision, but the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and the dark horse Golden State Warriors are reportedly the finalists in the highly-touted sweepstakes.

At Fanatics Fest, James also revealed he’ll make a decision soon.

Only time will tell where he’ll land next.

The Dallas Mavericks had an early game Thursday, taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Summer League play at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Arena. Dallas grabbed their second win of the summer, 97-87 after pulling away in the third quarter. Here are a few stats to know from what proved to be a fun game.

!!: Dunks off lobs

Ok, “!!” is not an actual number, but it was the best representation of the lob show Dallas put on throughout the game, without having the official stat count at the time of publication. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu led the way with a seemingly endless supply of highlight reel slams, many of which came on the receiving end of beautiful lobs. One such lob came from just inside half court and he finished the job while falling out of bounds with most of his body behind the backboard.

13: Mavericks’ made 3-pointers

Along with the plentiful dunks this game, the Mavericks also rained in three-pointers at will. The left corner in the first half was a particularly lethal weapon for Dallas. John Poulakidas found his stroke after looking a bit rusty in the first three games, ending the night shooting 5-for-12 from deep. The Thunder eventually caught up with Dallas in this department, but it was too little too late.

14: Sergio De Larrea Assists

De Larrea has looked better every game. His shot was way off (1-for-8 overall), but the rest of his game looked significantly more comfortable than it did going back to the start of Summer League. His handle was better (three turnovers) and his court vision was on display as he found teammates again and again.

Coming into Thursday’s game, he was averaging seven assists per game in Summer League and outdid himself in this one by doubling that number up. He ended the afternoon just three assists shy of the Summer League single-game record (17), which is … wow.

10: Total number of blocked shots

Dallas turned away shots time and again with a long and rangy lineup throughout the game. Led by Jorge Diaz-Graham (three), the Mavericks had six players (of nine that played) record at least one block.

Overall, Dallas basically killed it at the rim, from beyond the arc, and defensively against the Thunder. Despite missing Morez Johnson, who again sat with ankle soreness, Dallas put together a great game that was surprisingly fun to watch.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

The Summer Suns had a successful run. We do not know if they will play more games or not yet, but we do know which players will not be playing regardless.

According to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, Phoenix will shut down Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, and Koa Peat for the rest of the Summer League.

After a highly successful four games in the Summer League the Suns will shut down Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat. They won't play in any other Summer League games.

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) July 16, 2026

The trio showed us just about everything we needed to see in four games. Maluach was dominant throughout. Peat looked comfortable immediately. Fleming has started slower, but still had some flashes and ended with a bang yesterday.

The Final Numbers

Khaman Maluach: 4 games, 19.5 PPG, 12.8 RPG (2.3 offensive), 1.0 APG, 2.0 BPG, 1.3 SPG on .532/.400/.684 shooting splits, 2.5 TOV in 27.4 minutes per game

Maluach showed up everything we wanted to see. Physicality. Aggression. Crashing the glass. Contesting shots. Knocking down threes efficiently. He did it all.

Koa Peat: 4 games, 16.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG on .510/.000/.625 shooting splits, 3.0 TOV in 27.2 minutes per game

Peat has looked steady throughout the Summer League. The playmaking flashes combined with his strength and ability to create and absorb contact are impressive. He could wind up being the steal of the draft regardless of whether the three-point jumper develops or not.

Rasheer Fleming: 4 games, 12.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG on .474/.421/.500 shooting splits, 1.8 TOV in 26.7 minutes per game

Fleming had a bit of a slower start than the other two, but went out with a bang after dropping 22 points and 8 rebounds with 4 threes in his SL finale against the Pistons. This environment isn’t really built as much for 3-&-D wings to showcase their value, but he still had some jaw-dropping plays. He’ll be ready to make an impact in the NBA next season.

The take I have from this is to not overreact one way or the other to Summer League. But it sure is a lot sweeter when you see what you want to see from your young prospects.

There could be some positional battles that are greatly expedited this training camp if the momentum carries over.

The Knicks continue their NBA Summer League schedule tonight, facing the Golden State Warriors at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. New York’s young core, including Mohamed Diawara, Pacôme Dadiet, Tyler Nickel, and Dillon Jones, will use the reps to continue their development, while the Warriors are headlined by highly regarded rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg. Your correspondent is far afield in the wilds of Canada, so enjoy it without me, fans.

Tip-off is 7 pm EST on ESPN2. This is your game thread. This is Golden State of Mind. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be cool, everybody. And go Knicks!

Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corporation filed a defamation lawsuit on July 16 against Wired Magazine over an article published last week that claimed the midtown Manhattan arena used surveillance to track celebrities’ race, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

According to the Wired article, published on July 9, celebrities and other dignitaries who have attended home games at Madison Square Garden were assigned "risk" scores, ranging from "low risk" to "DO NOT HOST." The article also alleges the database labeled nearly 100 people as “LGBTQIA." There are nearly 40,000 entries in the “talent” database, each with specific labeling designations.

The lawsuit obtained by USA TODAY Sports and filed in New York State Supreme Court also names Wired contributing editor Noah Shachtman, co-author Maddy Varner, and Wired Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond as defendants and alleges that the article was "unethical and inflammatory." MSG alleges in the lawsuit that Wired and the article's authors continued to promote the piece in the days following publication "without concern for the truth and with the intent to cause maximal public impact."

"Wired combed the dark web, obtained data stolen from MSG by an extortionist hacking group, and cherry-picked fragments of that data to manufacture a false narrative portraying MSG as targeting the LGBTQIA community for discriminatory purposes," the lawsuit reads.

The magazine also reported in April that security staff for New York Knicks owner James Dolan tracked a transgender woman's movements using that surveillance and spying on her for the better part of two years. A class-action lawsuit filed against MSG claims that this private data leak was a direct byproduct of owner Dolan’s surveillance operations after The ShinyHunters collective, a hacking group, released 45 GB worth of data on June 16.

Wired says it stands by its reporting and will "vigorously defend it against this baseless and ridiculous lawsuit."

"We look forward to continuing our coverage of MSG, and on billionaire James Dolan's use of technology across his entertainment empire," Wired said in a statement. "It's one part of our wider mission and the critical job of journalists, now more than ever: holding power to account."

Madison Square Garden's lawsuit says that the implication that the company maintained a database with a sexual orientation field for exclusionary, discriminatory, security, or risk-based purposes is "a lie" and that Wired constructed a false narrative drawn from a standard customer relationship.

"Defendants knew there was no nefarious “list” of gay celebrities, and Defendants knew that the stolen data contained dozens of fields per customer—including mundane fields such as address, phone number, and dietary restrictions—used for relationship management purposes, not discrimination," the lawsuit says.

In the 40-page lawsuit, MSG is seeking a jury trial, along with compensatory, presumed, special, and punitive damages; a correction or retraction of the false and defamatory statements and implications; and attorney's fees.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Madison Square Garden sues Wired over article alleging celebrity 'risk scores'