Category: Basketball

Hall of Famer Bob Pettit, the first NBA player to reach 20,000 points and one of five players to make the All-Star team in each season of his career, died Wednesday, Sept. 23. He was 93.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Pettit's passing in a post on social media, but did not provide any additional details. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.

"The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame mourns the passing of Bob Pettit, a sleek, skilled big man who revolutionized the forward position during his career," the post read. "The 11-time NBA All-Star and 2-time MVP retired as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and left an enduring legacy. He led the St. Louis Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship over the Boston Celtics. The Basketball Hall of Fame salutes this true giant of the game."

During his 11-year career with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks, Pettit won Rookie of the Year in 1955 and MVP in 1956, the first time the award was ever furnished, and 1959.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame mourns the passing of Bob Pettit, a sleek, skilled big man who revolutionized the forward position during his career. The 11-time NBA All-Star and 2-time MVP retired as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and left an enduring legacy. He… pic.twitter.com/YNtR5axLNZ

— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) September 24, 2026

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native was named to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team and is one of four players to make all four NBA anniversary teams — 25th, 35th, 50th and 75th.

He was also one of five players in NBA history to make an All-Star team every season of his career, joining Paul Arizin, Jerry West, Julius Erving and Yao Ming. Pettit was also voted All-Star Game MVP a record four times.

Pettit averaged 26.4 points per game in his career and is the Hawks' all-time leader in rebounds (12,849). His career 16.2 rebounds per game is the third highest in league history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. He also is the franchise leader in free throws made and attempts. 

Pettit is also among the Top 3 in franchise history in career games played, field goals, assists and triple-doubles.

Pettit became the first NBA player to score 20,000 points on Nov. 13, 1964, and won his lone NBA championship in 1958. He entered the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.

Pettit played college basketball for LSU and was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1954.

The LSU family mourns the loss of Tiger legend and Naismith Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bob Pettit.

🔗 - https://t.co/T6HcRKfh9fpic.twitter.com/uWNNKLt3B9

— LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) September 24, 2026

Pettit helped the Tigers reach the 1953 NCAA Final Four. He was named an All-American in 1953 and 1954 before being drafted with the No. 2 overall pick by the Milwaukee Hawks in 1954. LSU retired his jersey the same year, the first Tigers' jersey retired in any sport.

Pettit was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1973 and in February 2016, he was was honored with a statue on the basketball plaza of the Maravich Center at LSU.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame mourns the passing of 1973 inductee Bob Pettit.

A Baton Rouge native and LSU legend, Pettit was an 11-time NBA All-Star, two-time MVP and NBA champion with the Hawks.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/GuSwFnx4qz

— Louisiana Sports HOF (@LaSportsHall) September 24, 2026

LSUsports.net recounts how Pettit was not an immediate basketball star as a teenager, and as a sophomore at Baton Rouge High School, he was cut from the varsity team. By the time he was a senior, he had led Baton Rouge High to its first state championship in more than 20 years and received offers from numerous colleges, including hometown LSU.

“I never played basketball until I was … a junior in high school,” Pettit once told NBA.com. “I practiced at night with a lamp in the window in my back bedroom, shooting baskets hour after hour. I just learned trial-and-error. Repeat it, repeat it, repeat it. Finally, I learned something.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bob Pettit, Pro Basketball Hall of Famer and two-time MVP, dies at 93

After opening media availability with a moment of silence for Lawrence Tanter, the Lakers thanked LeBron James for his eight seasons in Los Angeles.

“I thought it would be appropriate, at the front, just to express gratitude for the LeBron era here,” general manager Rob Pelinka said to open Thursday’s news conference.

“Clearly, new team, new players, and that’s what we’re going to talk about today, but we just as an organization are so grateful for the run that we had with him here. The Lakers have become, as they should, a perennial playoff team.

“It was a great era, and we’re grateful for it. I just think it’s important to say that at the onset as we turn into a new chapter.”

After opening the media availability with a moment of silence in honor of Lawrence Tanter, Rob Pelinka expressed gratitude for LeBron James, who left the Lakers after 8 seasons for the 76ers during the offseason: pic.twitter.com/FLWo1B38m4

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) September 24, 2026

This summer, James informed the Lakers he would not return for the 2026-27 season and would enter free agency. The 41-year-old’s decision kicked off the saga of the summer as NBA teams attempted to snag James.

The veteran ultimately joined the 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal.

Meanwhile, the Lakers completely revamped the roster headlined by the signing of center Walker Kessler to a four-year, $130 million deal. Pelinka and coach JJ Redick spoke to the media for the first time Thursday about the roster overhaul.

It’s a new era in Los Angeles as Luka Doncic shoulders the Lakers as captain and leader.

Gregg Popovich coached the San Antonio Spurs from 1996 to 2025, winning a league-record 1,390 regular-season games, 170 postseason games and five NBA championships.

For four of those championships and quite a few of the other victories, one of Popovich’s assistant coaches was his new wife’s ex-husband.

Popovich, 77, married Mary Barth Budenholzer on Sept. 16, the Bexar County, Texas, clerk’s office has confirmed.

Read more:The SoCal night Gregg Popovich's Hall of Fame career nearly died before it began

Budenholzer is a 61-year-old native of Corpus Christi, according to multiple media outlets, and was once married to Mike Budenholzer, who was a Spurs assistant coach under Popovich from 1996 to 2013. He went on to become the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, winning an NBA championship with the Bucks in 2021.

The Budenholzers are said to share four children and to have divorced in 2016.

Popovich was married to Erin Popovich for four decades until her 2018 death at age 67. They have two children and multiple grandchildren.

Read more:Beloved Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter dies at 76

On Nov. 2, 2024, Popovich suffered a stroke before a game at Frost Bank Center, the Spurs’ home arena. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson was named interim coach. That title became permanent on May 2, 2025, when Popovich stepped down after 29 years as San Antonio’s coach.

A member of the Spurs’ front office since 1994, Popovich currently serves as the team’s president of basketball operations. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Herald Six biggest Celtics storylines to watch in training camp, preseason

CelticsBlog Where do you rank the Celtics in the NBA? (Discussion topic)

Which NBA team will fail to meet expectations this season?

NBC Sports Boston Ramp to Camp: Record and 2026-27 season prediction for Celtics

NESN Ex-Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Gets Brutal Evaluation From ESPN

Celtics See Multiple Players in ESPN Top 100

Here Are The 8 Stars Ahead of Jayson Tatum in ESPN’s Best Player Rankings

Celtics Add Former College Dunk Champion to Roster

Celtics Sign Guard Who Was A Defensive Menace in College

Celtics’ Payton Pritchard, Paul George Get Polar Opposite Contract Predictions

Mass Live Celtics sign former Pacers forward to training camp deal

Celtics sign former Jazz guard to training camp deal

Celtics WirePreviewing the Celtics 2026-27 NBA regular season campaign

Can Mike Conley be a real contributor to the Celtics this season?

Today in Boston Celtics history: 2018 media day; Bryce Brown signed to camp deal

Where is Jaylen Brown among the greatest Celtics of all time?

Celtics sign former Grand Canyon standout Gabe McGlothan to camp deal

Ceiling, floor, expectations: Paul George with the Celtics in 2026-27

Derrick White on how trust of Celtics helped him grow offensive game

Hardwood Houdini Mitchell Robinson on Celtics-Knicks rivalry flip: ‘What did I get myself into?‘

Can Hayden Gray beat out Devin Carter & Milos Uzan for Celtics’ final two-way spot?

Marcus Smart disparaging Lakers should win Celtics fans’ hearts again

Celtics fans expecting a Paul George follow-up trade could be mistaken

Joe Mazzulla being “giddy” about infamous Game 7 lineup is his gift and curse

Knicks may be headed for Jaylen Brown situation with Karl-Anthony Towns

Bill Simmons just gave everyone reason to believe in Celtics’ chances

Chowder and ChampionsWhy Mitchell Robinson will be the Celtics’ X-factor this season

Baylor Scheierman could solve the Celtics’ biggest post-Jaylen Brown problem

Locked on Celtics East Preview: Does Tyrese Haliburton Make Pacers CONTENDERS Again?

Celtics RoundtableBoston Celtics Welcome Back Former Player in Pre-Training Camp Move

Celtics rookies throw out the first pitch at Fenway!

In Style These 10 NBA Players Are Some of the Best-Dressed Men in Fashion

Hardwood HeroicsJayson Tatum, Celtics Capable of Improving From 2025-26 Performance Under 2 Conditions, Analyst Thinks

Boston Celtics Icon Reveals Joe Mazzulla Received Advice From Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson

Heavy Celtics Sign Record-Setting Guard Ahead of NBA Training Camp

Celtics Blockbuster Trade Pitch Lands Karl-Anthony Towns for Paul George

Former Celtics Guard Casts Doubt On Sixers’ Threat

Celtics Hit With Brutal Paul George Reality Check Days Before Season

Boston Celtics’ $56 Million Talent Floated As Potential Trade Chip

Celtics Sign 6-Foot-7 Sharpshooter Ahead of Training Camp

Good Morning It’s BasketballMost Improved candidates for every team

Hoops HabitNBA Top 10 players ranked: Wembanyama rising, Doncic sliding

Fadeaway World 4 Boston Celtics Players Who Might Be On The Trade Block During The Season

Clutch PointsCeltics’ Jayson Tatum link up with Paul George for golf outing

SI .com 2027 NBA Championship Predictions: Expert Preseason Picks for Every Playoff Round

Fan RecapAnfernee Simons Just Sent Celtics Fans A Familiar Message

Jayson Tatum Put On Blast As Celtics Loyalty Debate Heats Up

Celtics Face A Costly Payton Pritchard Decision Soon

Jayson Tatum Now Faces The Celtics Challenge Brad Stevens Chose

Marcus Smart Just Revived A Celtics What-If Fans Know Too Well

Bill Simmons Took Another Celtics-Style Shot At The Heat

Boston’s Dream Season Comes With Surprise Yastrzemski Twist

Joe Mazzulla Still Divides Celtics Fans For One Risky Trait

Celtics Keep Adding To A Development Pipeline Worth Watching

Ah, training camp. Finally back into the swing of things with basketball. It really is a lot more peaceful as defending champions, isn’t it?

Let’s see what’s going on as Media Day nea-

Reporting for NBA Today — extension negotiations have stagnated between the reigning champion Knicks and All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns: pic.twitter.com/JbeNpz9TJP

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 23, 2026

Ah, I guess we were overdue for something negative.

Karl-Anthony Towns is eligible for a contract extension this offseason. It’s been assumed, especially after a championship, that Towns and the Knicks were going to be tied at the hip going forward, but the complicated mechanisms of the salary cap and second apron will of course serve as a boogeyman for roster building.

Now, what Shams has reported seems to be a bit dramatic based on what several Knicks reporters have said about the situation, but the consensus seems to be that the two sides are not nearing any sort of agreement as of yet.

As we know, Towns is eligible for a four-year, $276 million extension, but he will not receive that figure. It’s nothing personal, he could absolutely argue he’s worth it considering guys like De’Aaron Fox and Trae Young make north of $200 million, it’s just not practical for roster construction.

With James Dolan seemingly adamant about not exceeding the second apron, this negotiation will be walking a tightrope. The Knicks undoubtedly want to chop down the $61 million that Towns is currently due on a player option in 2026-27 because that figure would make things extremely awkward next offseason.

By current projections, the Knicks have $221.3 million on the books in 2027-28 if we assume KAT opts into his player option, they pick up Josh Hart and Tyler Kolek’s team options, and decline Pacome Dadiet’s. That would put the team $12.5 million beneath the second apron with five mandatory roster spots to fill. There is a way to do that; it would just ensure that Deuce McBride walks, and the team can’t use anything other than a vet min.

Cutting that number to, say, $50 million (Ian Begley suggests that’s on the table) for a new extension would give them $23.5 million in space beneath the apron, giving the team significantly more flexibility. Anything lower? They’d feasibly be able to give McBride a market-value extension.

So you can see what the vision is for Leon Rose and company to keep this contention window open, but Towns is going to have to play ball.

From his vantage point, why should he play ball? He’s an NBA champion, was arguably the most important piece of the team’s 13-game playoff winning streak, and played exceptional defense on Victor Wembanyama. Why should he have to be cut the same checks as Trae Young and De’Aaron Fox, two guys who’ve shown they can’t be winning players?

Jalen Brunson taking his pay cut may have opened an organizational Pandora’s Box, expecting everyone to take less, but it has nothing to do with him or the team, it has everything to do with the aprons.

It’s simple. The only way to have a sustainable winner in this CBA is to have a plethora of draft capital and high draft picks, or have guys take pay cuts. Option 1 closed as soon as Brunson got to New York and ended any potential tank talk, so there’s only one option.

If the two sides can’t hash anything out by October, it’s not the end of the world. They can agree to terms at any time; there’s no deadline like there is for rookie-scale extensions, but you get concerned because in-season extensions for All-Stars are rare. If we get to Opening Night with no deal, this might just bleed into next summer, something that you want to avoid.

Next summer, Towns has a player option. Now, many times when a player has the option to opt into a huge salary like that, they take it, but there’s a chance he doesn’t. After all, he could sign a deal of up to $264 million across four years in free agency next summer with someone else, or could even get as much as a baffling five-year, $357.3 million supermax in a sign-and-trade or extremely late extension. That’s a lot of cash, all of which the Knicks can’t feasibly match.

The risk that you take is that a team with cap space next offseason can just try to scoop up Towns next offseason, but how much of a risk is that? After all, stars rarely change teams in free agency anymore. Who even has cap space?

Some way-too-early 2027 cap space projections:

1. Nets: $68.6M
2. Bulls: $55.6M
3. Clippers: $53.8M (could be $92.2M w/o Kawhi trade)
4. Pistons: $43.9M (w/o long-term deal for Duren)
5. Bucks: $43.3M
6. Hawks: $37.8M
7. Grizzlies: $36.5M
8. Kings: $31.5M
9. Warriors: $28.1M

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 23, 2026

That’s more teams with room than usual, but $50 million gets you a lot less than it used to. As of right now, only the Nets have true max salary space, with the Bulls and Clippers close behind. None of those teams are competitive, so signing there indicates you just want a bag and don’t want to win. I know KAT loves New York, but I don’t think he loves Brooklyn that much.

Obviously, a sign-and-trade would be the most likely thing to happen if the relationship deteriorates that much, but things just shouldn’t go there. A big reason why this Knicks team succeeded was because of the good vibes that persisted in a team that always believed in each other. Ego is the downfall of every good team, and the Knicks can’t afford that.

That’s the bigger risk of letting this bleed out than the risk of losing Towns. I’d be utterly stunned if an extension wasn’t eventually agreed to, whether today, tomorrow, or in June 2027, both sides need it.

Towns deserves to be a Knick for the rest of his career and see his No. 32 lifted into the rafters, but the two sides are going to have to find a middle ground. There are non-negotiables here, both with Towns getting a max and the Knicks getting him to take a ridiculous pay cut.

The staring contest will continue, but someone has to blink. Neither side can afford eye drops.

In his first real move running the Sixers, new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey took Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. out of Alabama with the 22nd pick.

His first free agency move was to reunite with Dean Wade, a player Gansey helped find as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ front office. He moved quickly on signing former New York Knick Ariel Hukporti, a young big man with some upside. Then, after pulling the trigger on the Jaylen Brown blockbuster, he inked guard Anfernee Simons to a deal.

Upon successfully recruiting LeBron James to the Sixers, Gansey then signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a former LeBron teammate and two-time NBA champ.

While Gansey has (rightfully) been praised for his splashy offseason moves, don’t overlook what he did to fortify the Sixers’ bench. Now the question becomes — how will head coach Nick Nurse use his bench pieces?

The starting lineup is set with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, James and Joel Embiid all locked into their spots. Based on their experience and when they were signed, you’d have to imagine Wade and Simons will be the first guys off the bench. Wade provides defensively versatility, good decision-making and decent spot-up shooting. Simons is arguably the best shooter on the roster and will provide some supplemental ball-handling and shot creation. It’s easy to see how both will play alongside the team’s starters.

With those two seemingly locked into the sixth and seventh spots in the rotation, the rest of the rotation is a bit murkier, with multiple competitions taking place.

One of the most intriguing competitions will be for the chance to back up Embiid. Adem Bona returns for his third season after the Sixers selected him in the second round in 2024. The team also signed third-year big man Hukporti away from the defending champion New York Knicks. It’s fair to say both players have their flaws and are to this point largely unproven. Can Bona improve his hands, finishing, defensive rebounding and fouling enough for his defensive impact to be felt? Will Hukporti unlock some untapped potential he didn’t get to show as the third-string big man with the Knicks? No matter who gets the first crack, the Sixers will need both big men to play — or perhaps Gansey will be looking for a more proven Embiid backup around the deadline.

Maybe a more under-the-radar competition could be for wing minutes. Justin Edwards also returns for his third season after signing a two-way deal with the Sixers after going undrafted in 2024. After signing LeBron, the Sixers quickly signed Caldwell-Pope. Edwards has long been a favorite of Nick Nurse. He plays hard, can get hot from three and isn’t a liability defensively. KCP is a proven veteran and two-time NBA champion, but he’s struggled with injuries and inconsistency the last two seasons. The guess here is the veteran gets the early nod, but Edwards will be in the mix.

It’s tricky to forecast Philon’s place. Before the blockbuster moves, Philon looked poised to take on a massive role. Things change. Still, the rookie should have a chance to earn minutes. All of Maxey, Edgecombe and Simons will miss time here and there. Plus, there still could be room for another lead ball-handler to take a few minutes. The big thing for Philon is finding the balance of his two seasons at Alabama. As a freshman, he was a guard stopper. As a sophomore, he took on a massive offensive role. Defense will be what gets him on the floor this season.

And don’t forget about Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker.

Surely Barlow won’t start 59 games like he did last season, but he can be a valuable player. His size, defensive versatility, cutting and rebounding could be enormous assets. Barlow has also been lauded for his basketball IQ, something that should endear him to a player like James quickly. There isn’t an obvious role for Barlow, but Nurse will likely find spots for him to contribute. If his three-ball improves — something he knows he needs to work on — it could change his trajectory entirely.

Walker is the one guy it’s probably safe to assume will be firmly on the outside of the rotation looking in. Still, guys like Walker have value. As the 14th man, you know he’ll be ready when his number is called. He’ll play hard, rebound, make some open shots and will never complain about his role. By all accounts, he’s also a great teammate.

This is unfamiliar territory for the Sixers. Yes, they’re still top-heavy, but this might be the best bench they’ve had during the Embiid era. They’re deep, versatile and have optionality.

The starting group will be exciting to watch, but don’t sleep on this bench.

We are just two weeks away from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first preseason game. But first, they’ll be conducting training camp in Spain. The Cavs announced their roster for camp today.

The standard roster, headlined by stars like James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley, will, of course, be there. Newcomer Peyton Watson, as well.

In total, 21 players will be in Spain. This includes the full standard roster, as well as three two-way players and a handful of training camp invites.

📝 Our Training Camp roster is here! @ClevelandClinic | #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/pgeVvcM0tk

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) September 24, 2026

Tristan Enaruna, Riley Minix, and Ernest Udeh Jr. make up the two-way spots. Minix and Enaruna have been with the organization since last year, while Udeh is their newest two-way player.

Rashaun Agee, Zack Austin, Curtis Jones and Kadary Richmond are the camp invitees.

Training camp is an opportunity to set the tone for the upcoming season. The building blocks of who this team will become should be laid during their trip to Spain. This not only allows them to learn the systems but also to form a closer bond as teammates.

Cleveland reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season after winning 52 games. The Cavs hope to replicate that success and go even further this year.

A full offseason of integrating Harden should help them. The 17-year veteran hardly had time to unpack his bags before the playoff run began. This season allows him more time to adapt and learn his role. That should help everyone around him.

Trading for Watson was Cleveland’s biggest move of the summer. The franchise is excited about the potential for Watson to help them in the immediate short term and in the future. Training camp will give them their first glimpse of how he fits with the roster.

As for the others, younger prospects such as Meleek Thomas and Tyrese Proctor have a chance to prove they belong. Training camp and preseason will be their time to step up. Nae’Qwan Tomlin, as well.

The Cavs are hosting media day for Koby Altman and Kenny Atkinson on Friday afternoon. The players will have their own media day on Monday. After that, it’s off to Spain for Training Camp.

Cleveland’s first preseason game is October 8th.

Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Luka Dončić.

Luka Dončić keeps playing at a ridiculous level season after season. He has a slew of accolades in his NBA, European and international careers, but one thing is missing.

He still hasn’t won an MVP award.

Last season, he finished fourth in MVP voting, receiving one first-place vote. We’ve seen him lead his former team to the NBA Finals in 2024, winning Western Conference Finals MVP along the way. He finished as the leading scorer during the 2024 and 2026 seasons, and pulled off incredible performances like scoring 100 points in 24 hours last season.

He also helped the Lakers put together an incredible March last season, finishing the month with a 15-2 record.  Now, with a team full of new faces and him holding the keys to the franchise, is this the season he finally gets the actual MVP? 

What is his best-case scenario?

In August, Luka arranged a trip to Slovenia for his teammates, where they not only played basketball and golfed, but also bonded in other ways. Luka’s best-case scenario would be building on the chemistry he created with the team, which would, in turn, strengthen his MVP case.

We’ve seen how well he plays alongside his BFF Austin Reaves, as they finished last season as the league’s highest-scoring duo, averaging 56.8 points per game. Luka also turned Jaxson Hayes into a serviceable backup big, mostly by connecting on alley-oops. LA’s new big, Walker Kessler, is significantly better and will be part of the future to develop something special with Luka.

Opposing teams will always focus on stopping Luka, leaving teammates open for plenty of scoring opportunities. Luka averaged 8.3 assists per game last season. That number could rise as he’ll have the ball more after LeBron James’s departure and with a team built to get the best out of him.

The team has many new players, several of whom haven’t been under the bright lights before. If Luka can turn a Lakers team that many don’t see as legit championship threats into a contender, his MVP case won’t be ignorable.

What is his worst-case scenario?

Luka’s worst-case scenario would be having to do too much heavy lifting, causing him to miss an extended period of time… just like last season. The talent surrounding him now is built to take some of the pressure off his workload, which could hopefully give him an extended stay on the bench when he’s taken out for rest.

However, he has a history of hamstring injuries. The Lakers didn’t have a bench that could produce enough to give Luka more rest.

They’re going into a new season with a younger bench, but the pressure still remains on Luka. Even if they have more ball handlers this season, like Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes, Luka determines the Lakers’ ceiling. And if some of those bench players aren’t up to snuff and the minutes start piling up for Luka again, it could be déjà vu all over again.

He’s a superstar, so it’s not shocking that he will always have a heavy workload, as all MVPs do. But if it doesn’t result in the Lakers having a good record, that will his worst-case for MVP.

What is his most likely role on the team?

Well, that’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? He’s the leader. The MVP, if you will. 

For all eight of LeBron’s years in the purple and gold, he was always considered the leader. Now Luka enters his first season tasked with guiding LA back to the promised land. He’s got a team with players signed to multi-year deals that will create continuity,and his sidekick in Reaves, so the ball is in his court to do something exceptional. 

Luka is the point guard and maestro of the team. He’ll have the scoring responsibilityon his shoulders. He will facilitate. He’ll knock down insane triples and do whatever else is asked of him.

If he can do that while leading the Lakers toward the top of the Western Conference, then an MVP might finally be added to his trophy cabinet.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

Every friend group has that one couple. You can see the red flags from a mile away. The two sides seem miserable together, but insist there is still love there. Or each person stews in silence publicly and tells you how miserable they are privately. You never push too hard because it’s not your place.

That feels like the stage we have reached with the Detroit Pistons and free agent big man Jalen Duren.

Maybe all this animosity leaking through press sources is just gamesmanship and negotiating tactics, and none of it resembles reality. But from my limited vantage point, I think it’s time to break up this toxic relationship.

Nothing about the actions from the Duren camp nor the Pistons camp indicates that either is seriously invested in a long-term relationship. Every single move seems like a form of self-sabotage designed to force the other side to formally declare this union dissolved.

In a matter of days, maybe both sides will secretly get what they want, but neither side is willing to admit — Jalen Duren playing for a basketball team that is not the Detroit Pistons.

It might seem like the hostilities began on the eve of free agency when it became known that Duren was interested in talking to other teams with the potential cap space to sign him to the max contract he sought. However, the issues stretch back a year prior, when the Pistons weren’t interested in signing him to a post-rookie extension and were comfortable entering into restricted free agency.

It seems that, to paraphrase Michael Jordan, Duren took that personally.

Since then, we’ve had a seemingly endless series of leaks from Duren’s camp about various teams’ interest, and his interest in other teams. Nobody ever said, “Duren has no interest in playing for the Pistons,” but maybe that’s where we’ve always been.

The Pistons are not blameless. The post-rookie extension numbers they were interested in seemed low at the time and are laughably low in hindsight; reportedly, closer to $20 million per year than the $40 million per year Duren was seeking. Duren then delivered the best season of his career as a 22-year-old and earned an All-Star berth and All-NBA honors. Detroit upped offers into the low $30 millions while Duren was technically eligible for a $287-million, five-year extension.

Detroit has moved, but seemingly done so kicking and screaming. It’s almost like they like Duren, but they’re not in love with Duren.

Certainly not to the level they love Ausar Thompson. To the discerning Pistons fan, Ausar is the team’s second most important player behind Cade Cunningham. Unlike with Duren, Detroit was much more eager to secure the defensive wing on a post-rookie max, and announced a five-year, $155 million pact even while the Duren drama drags on.

Thompson is far from a perfect player, and his paycheck is counting on a level of needed improvement on the offensive end. I think he’ll improve offensively to the point he can’t be paid off the floor. When that happens, this deal will look like a steal. But from Duren’s perspective, it seems like just one more slight.

The latest salvo comes from recent reports that Detroit is looking at adding a weight clause as an incentive to Duren’s deal. Duren, reportedly, finds it disrespectful. Now, sometimes these incentive clauses are more face-saving moves. Either unlikely incentives so a player (and his agent) can say he got a deal higher than he did in reality, or a clause to give the Pistons the plausible deniability of smart fiscal management.

This might be that. Or it might be the kind of ultimatum that is the hallmark of the late stages of a relationship doomed to end.

The Pistons feel like a team that knows intellectually that investing gigantic sums of money in a player who lacks range and defensive dominance is risky. Doubly so if you’ve already committed to Ausar Thompson during what could be your entire title window.

Perhaps Trajan Langdon is a guy who, all else being equal, would have been much more interested in a center who fit the scheme and was the fifth-best player on the floor. Instead, he inherited a great young prospect. It’s the kind of talent that’s hard to walk away from, even as every move you’re making gives away that your heart just isn’t into it like it should be.

We are going to know where the truth lies in a matter of days. Duren is either going to sign a long-term deal with Detroit, or he is going to get sign-and-traded for a return that includes a more workmanlike center.

We’ll see if this was the kind of relationship where people are working the media for favorable coverage or if this is a truly dysfunctional couple headed for divorce. I’m finally starting to think it’s the latter.

WASHINGTON — Washington Wizards general manager Will Dawkins called the 2026-27 campaign a “season of growth” when he met with the media on Thursday.

Dawkins said that while the Wizards want to increase moments of competitive basketball, player development remains the No. 1 goal.

“We want to take meaningful strides as an organization towards building towards sustained success,” Dawkins said. “It definitely won’t be linear … But we’ll chip away as we’ve done in previous seasons … We just want our team to have expectations of being more competitive.”

Alex Sarr expected back by opener

Alex Sarr, who in June underwent surgery to repair a fractured left foot, is expected to return for Washington’s season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 21.

“We expect [Alex] to be a partial participant at the start of camp. He’s progressing really, really well. And I anticipate that he’ll be able to play opening night.

Dawkins lauded Sarr’s maturity and discipline during his recovery process, which continues to progress as training camp nears.

Sarr blossomed in his second NBA season, averaging 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 48.2% from the field — an 8.8% improvement from the season before. He defended the most rim attempts per game (9.7) while blocking two shots per contest.

“The paint is going to be a tough place for people to score on us,” Dawkins said. “Alex was second in the blocks last year, and that’s without having Anthony Davis and DeAndre Ayton.”

Dawkins said Jamir Watkins, who in July underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL, is out “a good amount of time.”

Anthony Davis ‘motivated’ to start season

On August 6 — the same day Davis became eligible to sign a four-year, $285 million max extension with the Wizards — The Athletic’s Joshua Robbins reported the sides had agreed to wait until the season to have extension talks.

Dawkins, as he does with all players, declined Thursday to discuss the team’s ongoing negotiations with Davis. But he said Davis is ready to start the season when Washington opens against Milwaukee.

“AD is in a great frame of mind,” Dawkins said. “He’s focused and ready to start the season. I would say he’s very much a motivated player right now, and I expect that he will remind the basketball world who he really is.”

Davis has played just 71 games over the previous two seasons due to various injuries, including a left hand injury that sidelined him from early January through the end of last season. When healthy, Davis is a perennial NBA All-Star and Top-75 player who protects the rim and scores from multiple levels.

Tempered expectations

After a 50-196 record across three rebuilding seasons, Wizards fans have lofty expectations entering the 2026-27 season. But the Wizards —players, coaches, and front office members alike —have declined to set expectations for the upcoming campaign.

While it’s certainly not another chapter in the “deconstruction phase,” Dawkins declined to place a threshold on Washington’s ceiling or floor this year.

“I won’t really put a number on our season or our wins. I won’t put a cap on our potential for our team,” Dawkins said. “The East has gotten better. I think there’s a lot of teams competing and trying to win, which we are doing.”

Dawkins said he feels “comfortable” with his team’s growth entering his fourth year in charge. He said the team has several “carry-forward” players that will take the team into the next phase of the rebuild, and now it’s about continuing that development in more competitive environments. 

“[This season is] about taking that proper growth so that we can continue to move toward the same success,” Dawkins said. “We’re still at the infancy of building. I think we just added a really really important pillar to that build in AJ [Dybantsa] … We feel like we have a lot of other carry-forward players in the building right now, and we’re excited to see that all come together.”

@GregFinberg asks Will to evaluate where this team is after 3 years on the job

I also thought it was super cool that Ben Strober, Abdullah Ayubi & Greg all were able to ask Dawkins questions in this presser

These 3 super young Wiz media leaders are just killing it 👏🚀👏🚀 pic.twitter.com/YN7YF3UQ3t

— Jared (@Free_Thinking1) September 24, 2026

Confidence in Keefe

Brian Keefe inherited a near-impossible situation when he was named Washington’s interim head coach in January 2024 before his promotion to full-time duties five months later. 

The 50-year-old head coach navigated the Wizards through a tough rebuild, spearheading key player development strides with Sarr, Kyshawn George and more. But his .212 winning percentage — a 43-160 record — is the worst among active head coaches across that span.

On Thursday, Dawkins reiterated his confidence in Keefe and his ability to lead Washington into more competitive basketball.

“I have a lot of confidence in Brian Keefe,” Dawkins said. “Full confidence in him to develop the roster and continue to take us into the next phase of Wizards basketball.”

Will Dawkins on HC Brian Keefe: "I have full confidence in him to develop the roster and continue to take us into the next phase of Wizards basketball”

Also mentions bringing in Steve Clifford, Patrick Ewing, and Cody Toppert were KEY additions

(Question: Henry J. Brown @SInow) https://t.co/NqOxRmjvk5pic.twitter.com/OzUjb2WA7x

— SleeperWizards (@SleeperWizards) September 24, 2026

Dawkins noted the offseason hires of Steve Clifford and Patrick Ewing as experienced coaches that will bolster Keefe’s staff. Clifford was hired as an advisor in July. Ewing joined as an assistant later that month.

“I have to commend [Keefe] for the summer he had internally … [Clifford] has a wealth of knowledge and experience. [He] will be someone really good, not only in Brian’s ear, but helping develop our coaching staff. Bringing in someone like Patrick Ewing, who knows the city, who knows being a No. 1 pick, who knows the pressures of trying to win at a high level, a Hall of Famer, a top 75 player — that experience is really important to us.”

Backup PG duties

If it wasn’t already clear when the Wizards handed Trae Young a four year, $212 million max contract extension in June, Dawkins reiterated that the four-time All-Star will start at point guard. Who backs him up remains unknown.

Washington has several candidates, ranging from sharpshooting guards like Bub Carrington to 6-foot-9 wings like Kyshawn George and AJ Dybantsa. Dawkins said the Wizards have “multiple ball handlers.”

“We got multiple ball handlers that can make decisions,” Dawkins said. “Bilal [Coulibaly] Paul can handle, Kyshawn can handle, Bub can handle, AJ can handle and create … I like having multiple decision makers, multiple initiators, because it’s harder to defend.”

Dawkins praised Dybantsa’s commitment to working on his game this summer, lauding his work ethic and ability to retain information as he enters his first NBA season.

”We got some guys here that bring sleeping bags to the gym because they’re here all the time. And [Dybantsa] is one of those guys that adopted that right away and kind of fell in line with some of our other guys,“ Dawkins said.

---

For those who prefer podcasts, here’s a 30-minute breakdown of everything Dawkins said in Thursday’s presser:

The Lakers lost one of its longest-tenured employees.

Lawrence Tanter died at 76 after spending more than 40 years as the Lakers public announcer. Tanter, known as LT by fans, retired in June after suffering a stroke late in the regular season and missing the team’s final six home games plus the postseason.

Luka Dončić posted the Lakers’ tribute to Tanter on his Instagram story.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of legendary Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter,” the team wrote in a statement. “For 43 years, LT’s voice served as the soundtrack to Lakers games at the arena. He will be remembered as a cherished member of the Lakers family.”

Jeanie Buss also paid respects to the person who had manned the microphone since the Lakers’ “Showtime” era.

“A true original that added his unique style to Showtime. Rest in peace, LT,” Buss wrote in a post on X.

A true original that added his unique style to Showtime. Rest in peace, LT. https://t.co/GTDopukHGs

— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) September 24, 2026

Tanter had several memorable moments from his career, including his signature call of announced “The Laker girrlllssss” after the dance team finished its routine and ran off the court. For many fans, the unforgettable Tanter highlight came during the Lakers’ 2020 championship seaso.

The Lakers played their first game after Kobe Bryant’s death in January 2020, where Tanter introduced all five starters with the same line: “6-6, 20th year out of Lower Merion High School, Kobeeeeee Bryant!”

The Lakers would go on to win the championship in the NBA bubble.

Several notable figures have paid their respects for Tanter, a beloved LA fixture, including former Laker LeBron James.

---

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

Ever since the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown—and especially ever since they signed LeBron James a few weeks later—one question has repeatedly popped up: Who will take the last shot for them?

NBA teams typically have an established pecking order in crunch time. The Denver Nuggets are going to run their offense through Nikola Jokić, the Los Angeles Lakers are going to run theirs through Luka Dončić, so on and so forth.

The Sixers might be the rare outlier in that regard. When they have all five of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James and Joel Embiid out on the floor, they’ll have five legitimate go-to options. Allocating one of them as the primary last-shot-taker would be a grievous misuse of their unique roster.

It would also be anathema to LeBron’s ethos.

As strange as this is to say about the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron’s greatest gift is his passing ability. He’ll likely be handling the ball and running the offense plenty during crunch time, but that doesn’t mean he’ll always be taking the last shot. Quite the contrary, in fact.

“You always make the right play,” James told reporters last December after his streak of 1,297 straight games with 10-plus points came to an end. (Instead of trying to extend his streak, he passed to Rui Hachimura for a game-winning three-pointer.) “That’s just been my M.O. That’s how I was taught the game. I’ve done that my whole career.”

The Sixers’ collection of talent this season should afford them a rare opportunity, particularly once the playoffs roll around. They’ll be able to mismatch-hunt like few (if any?) other teams.

When Jalen Brunson went into seek-and-destroy mode against James Harden in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals this past spring, he single-handedly flipped that game back in favor of the Knicks. An apathetic defender like Harden will have nowhere to hide against the Sixers’ starting lineup. They can hunt him with whomever he’s guarding, even if that changes on a possession-by-possession basis.

You’re guarding Edgecombe? Great! Oh, you’re gonna try to guard Maxey now? Good luck. You’re shifting over to Brown or LeBron? LOL.

If the Sixers are facing an overmatched frontcourt, they can funnel their offense through Embiid. If they’re going against a defensively challenged backcourt, Maxey and Edgecombe can take the reins. And if they’re matched up against a team without strong wing defenders, Brown and LeBron can take turns bullying their way to the basket.

The “who takes the last shot?” mentality is the exact wrong way to think about this year’s Sixers team. That’s the sort of ego-driven madness that they need to avoid like the plague.

They’re well aware of that, too.

“Obviously, on paper, we’re excellent,” Brown said during his introductory press conference in August. “We have a lot of talent compared to other teams in the league. But I’ve been around a long time, long enough to know that just what you have on paper don’t really mean nothing. It can, if you put the work in. But it also, if you allow distractions, if you allow the media to get into your locker room, if you allow certain things and personalities don’t work, it can be a detriment.”

Whenever the Sixers’ crunch-time offense bogs down, critiques are bound to come flooding in. Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins will be blabbing on ESPN about why the Sixers made the wrong choice—regardless of who actually takes the last shot—and why it means they’re doomed to fail. Given his well-documented hatred of LeBron, Skip Bayless’ part-time return to First Take could not be coming at a worse time.

Luckily, it’s easier than ever to entirely tune that nonsense out. Step 1: Just log off Twitter for a while. Your brain will thank you.

The good news is that the Sixers’ party line heading into training camp is all about sacrifice.

“As far as the chemistry off the court, guys are communicating, guys are having a good time doing it, guys are really pumping each other up, and guys are also willing to sacrifice,” Maxey told ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly. “It’s just what they’ve said. So when we step on the court, we have to kind of embody all those things that we’ve been talking about.

“Sacrificing, coming together as one, and going out there competing every single night. Those are the three things that we really have to focus on.”

The architect of this roster, Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, echoed that sentiment during an August appearance on Midday With Marks.

“It’s gonna be exciting just because we have so much talent,” Gansey said. “The guys, I think want to sacrifice. We’ve gotta get to camp. We haven’t even had a practice or played a game. So we’ve gotta see if this thing works, obviously. I like the pieces and the talent we have, but we’ve gotta get to a practice first to see how this works. I think it’s gonna work because these guys are gonna wanna be together, and they see the big picture, I think. And that’s what’s exciting.”

If the Sixers’ starters keep their egos in check this season, the last-shot question won’t be a question at all. There shouldn’t be a single go-to option in those situations. It should vary on a game-by-game basis depending on where their opponent is weakest, no matter what the likes of Smith, Perkins and Bayless will inevitably say whenever they come up short.

LeBron’s make-the-right-play mentality is the way forward for the Sixers this season. Trust the process.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

ESPN released the latest bunch in its yearly effort to rank the top 100 NBA players. Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg both made the top 50, and, in quite a shocking revelation, Flagg is 16 (!) spots higher than the veteran guard. Irving comes in at 39, just ahead of former Maverick Anthony Davis and right behind San Antonio guard Stephon Castle. Flagg ranks ahead of NBA champion Chet Holmgren and just shy of Hawks forward Jalen Johnson. Assuming no other Mavericks will crack the top 10, Cooper Flagg is, convincingly, the best Mavericks player, according to ESPN.

The last time we saw Kyrie Irving play basketball was over a year and a half ago. Training camp murmurs have been overwhelmingly positive, and if you tend to believe the people who are around him every day, it sounds like he won’t skip a beat when he returns. He was producing 25 points and five assists nightly when he got injured, which would be more than incredible if he were to recreate that this season. Irving ranked 25th two seasons ago, coming off a trip to the NBA Finals, so only dropping 14 spots after extended time off and a major knee surgery is indicative of the sentiment that he won’t see a harsh decline in ability. 

Flagg’s position on this list is a bit shocking, but only because of how the narrative around him shook out at the end of last year. Ultimately, Flagg took home the Rookie of the Year award. But for a few months there were plenty of pundits who campaigned for Kon Knueppel. Knueppel, without playing basketball since losing the award by just 12 votes, is a whopping 25 slots behind Flagg on this list. This shows that despite the talk online, a lot of people feel the way Mavericks fans do, having watched all of his games: that he is a top 25 player in the NBA. In fact, by the end of this season, this may even be too low for him.

All signs point to the two Mavericks standouts justifying their ranks. And if things go well, they may push it even higher on the list next year.

General Manager of the Raptors, Bobby Webster, addressed members of the press this morning ahead of the upcoming media day. He fielded questions on the proverbial summer of love between the Raptors, Clippers, and Kawhi Leonard, as well as giving his thoughts on both the off-season and the season ahead. Here are four key takeaways.

The Kawhi Leonard deal was a matter of trust

Webster pointed to his personal relationship with the general manager of the Clippers as being instrumental to completing the deal for Leonard. He said that the trade took a “huge amount of trust and respect”, where the Raptors refrained from taking advantage of the Clippers’ disarray in the wake of the NBA’s punitive measures.

“I think when you agree to the deal, you agree to the deal,” he opined.

When asked about potential issues regarding Kawhi’s character, Webster again spoke about the importance of human relationships in the business, saying that “from a person and a player [standpoint], we were really comfortable.”

To make the deal happen amidst the chaos of the Aspiration Scandal and the NBA’s investigation, Webster and the Raptors leaned on the person-to-person connection that can sometimes be disregarded when private deals enter the public eye.

Bobby is looking ahead, not to the past

As important as pre-existing relationships are, Webster doesn’t seem particularly focused on nostalgia about the Raptors’ last title run.

“I think there’s gonna be so many times where we’re gonna be tempted to sort of compare this to ‘19,” he said, responding to a question about Kawhi’s load management at the end of the last decade. “I think probably we need to focus mainly on moving forward.” Speaking about Leonard’s health, Webster said that “as we move forward, we’ll have a better sense. But I think… the biggest thing is he’s coming off the healthy season.”

Indeed, Leonard played 65 games last season, 5 more than in the 2018-19 season. It seems that while the Raptors are still monitoring the health of their new star, it’s not the immediate concern that it was once upon a time.

Centre concerns perhaps overblown?

In further regards to player health, Webster gave an update on the state of Jakob Poeltl, the first update on the Austrian big man’s health in some time. The GM described Poeltl is being in “good spirits, good shape,” with time at home being particularly important to his wellbeing.

There has been a level of doom and gloom surrounding the Raptors’ reality at centre, but if Poeltl is healthy going into the next season, he’ll bringing respectable offensive presence and massive size that the Raptors are in dear need of.

Roster stability, roster development

When asked about Kawhi Leonard’s extension potentially impacting the Raptors’ ability to retain RJ Barrett from a financial perspective, Webster dismissed concerns, noting that “ownership has been incredibly supportive” and that the Raptors retained some financial flexibility to potentially let their spending take them over the cap if the situation required it.

Even with the big fish that is Kawhi Leonard joining the roster, it seems that the structure of the team will continue relatively unchanged. Webster noted that “Scottie continues to mature,” and that when seeing him and Kawhi together “there’s a natural basketball chemistry” that is evident.

Webster seems positive about the upcoming season, and this discussion about the trade with the Clippers may be the last time that the executive takes the time to really look in hindsight. The Raptors seem to be all about transcending their current state. In Bobby’s words, last year was all about the question “can we compete every night?” but this year, the question has changed to “can we win every night?”

And with the season starting in October, the latter question will have an answer soon.