Category: Basketball

Now 41 years old, future Hall of Famer LeBron James has dominated free agency talk, with his decision on where to play next looming across the landscape. We haven’t heard too much about the Sixers’ pursuit, however, until now. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported the latest on Philly’s pursuit, which has involved all of their big name players.

McMenamin reported that the Sixers “have kept up their pursuit” of James, with their stars doing the recruiting themselves: “Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown have all been in communication with James, sources told ESPN on Tuesday, with Maxey leading the charge.”

Maxey’s ties to James have been well documented. The two share the same representation, Klutch Sports, led by CEO Rich Paul. The latter two names, however, are somewhat of a development. Brown did go on stream and give a lighthearted recruiting pitch. Embiid, as many have recognized and discussed in the comments, has been quiet in the public eye and online. All three appear to be making a spirited effort to land James, who would slot right into the fifth starting spot alongside VJ Edgecombe and the trio.

Reports have stated that it’s “decision time” for James, and he will likely make his choice in the next few days. ESPN’s Shams Charania labeled the Sixers as a top-three suitor for James, along with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors have also been described as suitors to varying degrees.

We’ll likely know where James is headed soon, but this marks quite the trajectory change for the Sixers, who many held in a hopeless regard at the beginning of the summer. Even if James lands elsewhere, the message is clear: the best of the best recognize what the Sixers have in Maxey and this roster.

This summer, the Lakers underwent a massive roster overhaul, leaning towards youth and athleticism. While many players have left, including LeBron James, one who remains on the Lakers is his son, Bronny James.

Considering that the guard has developed well over the last few seasons and even had some strong shifts in the playoffs against the Rockets, it’s no surprise he remains part of this new Lakers roster.

Some people might still believe he will ultimately be traded to whatever team LeBron plays for, but according to a recent report by Dan Woike of The Athletic, that would be a foolish assumption.

While LeBron and Bronny playing together as teammates was one of the more incredible storylines following the 2024 NBA Draft, assumptions that the father and son staying linked going forward are false, according to league sources who were granted anonymity to discuss front-office strategies.

At every opportunity possible, the Lakers have spoken fondly of Bronny and supported his development. They’ve put in the time to get him to the level that he could be playable and effective in a playoff series. Not every player is capable of that, and hastily moving that guy would be unwise.

Bronny can help the Lakers and could be a great backup guard if he continues to improve. So far, he’s gotten better each year, so there is no reason to think he’s come even close to reaching his ceiling.

James was also in attendance at Las Vegas Summer League supporting the Lakers and, according to Woike’s reporting, is also participating in the team’s veteran minicamp.

That doesn’t sound like someone who is disengaged or a franchise that is ready to move on from a player.

Still, anything can happen, and it wouldn’t be a shock if Bronny is out of LA. But assuming he will be shouldn’t be people’s default thinking on this.

Bronny can play. The Lakers know it, and just because his father is gone doesn’t mean he can’t keep growing in Los Angeles.

So far, Bronny has been one of the few recent Lakers draft picks that’s worked out. They did well selecting him, and his contract for this upcoming season is guaranteed. Ideally, he stays with the Lakers and they can continue to benefit from his play while he’s on a modest deal.

With how strict the salary cap is, finding players like Bronny who can outplay their contract is very valuable, and keeping them is necessary for team success.

Bronny is related to LeBron and will always be connected to him, but he’s his own player. So, until we hear otherwise, fans should expect his career to continue with the purple and gold.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

LeBron James has clearly taken exception to a comment that Los Angeles-based sports media personality Chris Brockman made during a July 14 segment of the “Rich Eisen Show”.

“LeBron is gonna be a non-factor this season,” Brockman said, per an Instagram post from @nbaonespn. “Everyone needs to, like, ready themselves for that… He’s living in the past.

“Has LeBron been a factor in the playoffs in the last few seasons? If he goes to Miami, enjoy the play-in tournament,” Brockman added.

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LeBron then reposted the video clip of Brockman making these comments to his Instagram story on July 14. LeBron didn’t have any words, he just added, “”.

It’s clear that Brockman has some bias, presumably because of his affiliation with Los Angeles, since LeBron is leaving the Lakers. But suggesting that LeBron, who is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, will be a “non-factor” next season is an absurd take.

Brockman’s claim that LeBron hasn’t been a factor over the past several postseason for the Lakers is also ridiculous. Just this past playoff run, James averaged 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. That’s objectively productive, and is enough of a reason for LeBron to laugh.

Perhaps Brockman is conflating LeBron’s individual performances with that of the Lakers more broadly, which still isn’t a fair thing to do.

Ultimately, these comments from Brockman are only going to give LeBron more motivation in advance of him signing with another team in free agency.

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LeBron James might be inching closer to a decision on where he'll play his 24th NBA season.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Tuesday, July 14 that " there's a focus on Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia," with the Cavaliers emerging as a top suitor for a potential third and final chapter to bookend James' storied career.

"My understanding is right now as we speak, LeBron James has the information that's needed to make a decision," Charania said on a segment of NBA Today. "It's decision time right now for LeBron James. Team presidents, GMs, they're all talking to Rich Paul here again this week; they've made all their pitches. LeBron James has listened to multiple voice notes delivered to him by Rich Paul from other owners and presidents from teams that are trying to give him their best pitch."

@ShamsCharania latest update on LeBron James' free agency 👑

“There's a focus on Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia." pic.twitter.com/0P3Cv0F93O

— ESPN (@espn) July 14, 2026

Other teams in the mix for James have included the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors, with Front Office Sports reporting that several front office executives within the league expect James to sign with the Warriors over his hometown Cavs. The gambling industry has reflected that sentiment with the Warriors surging all the way up to odds-on favorites, according to BetMGM.

Charania also reported that the monetary value of the offers teams have made to James vary from mid-level exceptions to the league minimum.

"He's made it clear he wants to be a part of a team where he has a chance to compete for a championship," Charania said. "A new team environment and culture he can be a part of. … This is not a money driven decision."

With the LeBron James sweepstakes looking like it's down to two or three teams, here's the latest on the King's free agency odds:

Jon Horst might not be done wheeling and dealing, with reports that the Bucks are interested in restricted free agent Peyton Watson of the Denver Nuggets. According to The Stein Line, “the Bucks are joining the Clippers and Hawks on the list of teams trying to pry Watson away from the Nuggets via sign-and-trade.”

Watson, a 6’8” wing, is coming off a breakout season with the Nuggets in which he shouldered the heaviest offensive load of his young career, finishing the season averaging 14.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 2.0 stocks (0.9 SPG, 1.1 BPG) across 54 contests. He also had a career year from three-point range, converting 41% of his 3.6 attempts per game.

While Watson’s breakout was a blessing for the 2025-26 Nuggets, it has put them in a financial bind, as they look to avoid astronomical luxury tax penalties and navigate the restrictive second tax apron. This comes after they signed Christian Braun to a 5-year, $125m extension in October—a precedent Watson’s representatives are almost certain to cite in negotiations—only to see Braun regress during the season and then again in the playoffs.

Of course, the Nuggets won’t willingly let Watson go—he’s a restricted free agent after all—and are reportedly seeking significant compensation in any sign-and-trade scenario. According to The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer, “sources maintain that the Nuggets are seeking compensation on par with what Utah received from the Lakers in their recent sign-and-trade swap that made Walker Kessler a Laker.” As a reminder, that trade saw the Lakers send unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, as well as first-round swaps in 2028 and 2030, for Kessler.

While such a price suggests a move for Watson is unlikely for the Bucks, there are at least two interesting wrinkles that make it possible. One, Milwaukee has a massive $25.5m trade exception created in the Giannis trade, which also replenished their draft capital. Two—and much less grounded in reality—Watson is represented by none other than Klutch Sports, the same agency that helped secure Gary Trent Jr.’s lucrative new deal with the Bucks just a few days ago.

Yet, even with the trade exception, a deal would be difficult to execute. Denver is unlikely to take back salary in any deal and Milwaukee already has 17 players under contract. Still, Trader Jon has earned his nickname—and history tells us he likes an unexpected move.

What do you think, Bucks fans, should Horst pursue Watson? At nearly 24 years old, he aligns with Milwaukee’s youth movement, fits a positional need, and is yet to reach his prime. But is it worth the biscuit?

Wizards fans will have to wait until October to see the No. 1 pick in action again. 

After two games, Washington summer league coach  T.J. Sorrentine announced that AJ Dybantsa, the top pick in last month’s NBA draft, will be shut down for the rest of Summer League.

Dybantsa, 19, will miss the Wizards’ game Wednesday against the Clippers and any potential playoff games. 

Sorrentine’s decision isn’t surprising, as teams often shut down players after two Summer League games for precautionary reasons. Sophomores Tre Johnson and Will Riley were also shut down. 

In a 92-88 win over the Jazz and No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson on Thursday, Dybantsa scored 27 points on 7-of-18 shooting while adding seven rebounds and two assists. 

On Sunday, he tallied 23 points in a win over the Kings despite shooting just 6-for-15 from the field and 1-for-6 from 3.

While he shot just 39 percent in two games, he displayed defensive potential by recording three blocks between the two contests. 

“It was just kind of testing grounds for me,” Dybantsa told ESPN after his final Summer League game Sunday. “Just trying to get used to the game speed, to the plays, to the players and my teammates and the physicality of the game.” 

Dybantsa was the first overall pick for good reason, as he led the NCAA in scoring in his lone year at BYU with 25.5 points per game. 

He had 40 points twice last year, and despite BYU’s season-ending loss to Texas in the NCAA Tournament, Dybantsa still racked up 35 points. 

Dybantsa joins a revamped Wizards squad looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021. 

He will likely be a starter from Day 1 alongside veterans like Trae Young and Anthony Davis. 

Today is actually a doubleheader.

First, the Washington Mystics play the Toronto Tempo tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Watch on Monumental Sports Network. Then, the Washington Wizards play the Chicago Bulls in Summer League an hour later or so. Go DC!

Jazz guard Trey Alexander was stretchered off the court on Monday with a rib injury in a scary scene in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

The former Creighton player was driving to the basket in the fourth quarter against the Bulls when he made contact with 2026 No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson, tossing the ball toward the hoop with just over two minutes left.

Alexander, 23, quickly dropped to the floor behind the basket, clutching his side, visibly in a lot of pain.

He was tended to by medical trainers for multiple minutes before rolling off the court and onto a stretcher.

The Jazz, on Tuesday, said Alexander suffered a rib contusion.

Alexander signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $678,882, $91,000 of which was guaranteed, with the Jazz after spending the 2025-26 season with the Pelicans.

The guard played nine games in New Orleans, averaging 5.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 12.3 minutes per game.

His best game came in an April loss to the Timberwolves when he scored 16 points.

The 23-year-old went undrafted in 2024 after spending three seasons with Creighton, where he averaged 12.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists before joining the Nuggets’ G League team.

He was named G League Rookie of the Year for 2024-25 and also earned 24 appearances for the Nuggets that same year.

If the name Thilo Widder sounds familiar, you have a good memory! Thilo is a contributor at our Minnesota Timberwolves sister site Canis Hoopus, and he participated in the second round of Fraternizing with the Enemy with J.R. Wilco during their playoff series against the Spurs. He also enjoys contributing to other blogs, and we have the great honor of him providing this amazing piece on Carter Bryant and his contributions to the deaf community to Pounding the Rock. We hope you enjoy. -the Editors

What’s the first thing you think of when you think basketball? Do you see the sight of the ball dropping through the net? Can you just feel the excitement burst into your bloodstream, a memory turned physical with a moment’s notice?

Or, do you hear it?

Because I hear basketball. I hear its presentation when Mike Breen yells “bang.” I hear the sound of shoes squeaking up and down the court, of Mark Cuban’s speaker system bafflingly installed inside the hoop itself.

I hear it all. I live for it. It’s essential to how I have fallen in love with basketball.

But what if it hadn’t been? What if I, like thousands of fans, could not hear the game? Deafness continues to be a more and more common disability. Over 430 million people world-wide already deal with some sort of hearing loss with the WHO estimating that number to rise to over 700 million by 2050, approximately 10% of the world’s population by that time.

There’s an ESPN story about “Invisible Disabilities” faced by sports fans that has stuck with me many years after it was originally posted just about two years ago. There’s one section about a deaf fan, Amy Gomme, who said the following:

“These leagues, these teams are missing out on a new fan base, potential fans who would show up to games if the experience was inclusive enough.”

I wonder how Carter Bryant feels about that.

To be clear, Bryant is not deaf. Instead, he’s been molded by the community that still seems like such an afterthought to the NBA’s production. As a child in a non-hearing family, and a special advocate of Gallaudet University, a school for the hearing impaired, Bryant called himself the “face of their platform” in a pre-draft video. That seems more important than ever.

“For the longest time, I thought half the population was deaf and half the population was hearing,” Bryant said. “Because, just how I was brought up, half my day was spent with deaf people.”

Bryant is something called a GODA – or a grandchild of a deaf adult. The slightly less known acronym than its generationally separated CODA (child of a deaf adult) has fundamentally shaped the man he is today.

That G part of that set of four letters carries more than it seems. Bryant’s grandfather is Doc Torres, who few of you will know. Widely considered the brightest star of an 80s Gallaudet team, Torres was shunned from the NBA for his deafness. He would go on to play nearly 20 years in Puerto Rico and win two gold medals at the Deaflympics.

There has only ever been one deaf NBA player. Lance Allred played for the Cleveland Cavaliers for three games in the 2007-08 season. He would spend 16 seasons bouncing around 17 different teams from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s.

During his time in the G-League, Allred faced discriminatory abuse from his coach while playing for his hometown Utah Flash.

It was clear that the NBA was not ready to empower deaf players. Whether it was for a lack of readiness or a lack of care, they simply did not set up Allred – or Torres for that matter – for success.

It is certainly not from a lack of talent. That much is very clearly certain.

Carter Bryant decided on Arizona, a university with an established pipeline to the NBA, for any number of reasons. They played the fast paced brand of basketball that would empower him. His aunt had played volleyball there and he knew the coaches well. They had a history of turning forwards with similar body types to his own into lottery picks and champions. From Aaron Gordon to Derrick Williams to the more recent Benedict Mathurin, the fit was clear.

Still, there was an option that must have tugged at Bryant’s heart-strings. Gallaudet University could offer him a third generation of his family, tied to a school and a community that he clearly cares about so strongly.

And yet, it never could’ve been in consideration. To go to Gallaudet would be to abandon the dream he had built in his parents’ home.

He understandably made the only real choice he had, the only choice that loving family would’ve allowed.

Still, at Gallaudet, his grandparents would be able to attend games and be treated as people first, not as their disabilities.

Instead, Arizona had an incredible season. Bryant was a blur in transition and his body rapidly took form as his defense did the same. Transfer Caleb Love joined him to lead the Wildcats to the Sweet Sixteen.

During that run, or even during his whole college season, Carter’s mind was on his family, as undoubtedly theirs was on him. Yet, despite their continued care for him, Bryant’s games were getting harder and harder to follow and watch for the people that he wanted there most.

It seems silly to say. Arizona’s games were all televised. There are gaggles of reporters doing write ups for these contests. Coverage was not too far out of reach.

And yet…

“I think basketball is unique, because it’s a live event, so I think ways I could relate to that would be theater, cinema, concerts. It’s really hard to find caption films when they come out live, and so there’s a lot of delay in access to information.” said Apolline Tardy, a Ph.D student at Berkley College and an advocate and researcher of accessibility technology.

“Movies will come out in theaters, they don’t have captions yet… even if something is coming out live, the captions often have a delay, especially if they’re manually typed, and it’s just.. it’s such bad of an experience that I don’t follow at all. I don’t want to, because it’s kind of incoherent. The timing is so important. I imagine basketball is so visual, like you don’t want to see someone shoot and then wait 40 seconds to, to know who did it”

Only four teams – the LA Clippers, the Phoenix Suns, the Portland Trailblazers, and the Brooklyn Nets – offer OneCourt, a disability aid for low vision individuals or the vision impaired. As far as whatever is publicly available, no teams offer any sort of support for deaf fans.

The assumption is that fans who need them will have their own cochlear implants, that all these fans need to do is to join the “hearing world.”

In 2021, Zach Lavine took a group of hard of hearing students to a Chicago White Sox game, continuing a commitment that started when he was in high school. The interpreter he includes in his messages are a stark reminder of what the NBA has not done.

What’s your favorite part of being a fan of the NBA? Or any sports league for that matter?

Is it the moments in play that remind you of when you first fell in love with the game, the nostalgia of remembering what it was like ten, fifteen, however many years ago?

Is it the transactions, the trades that promise endless debate and the thoughts of different universes? What if the Spurs had lost Tim Duncan to the Magic? What if they had drafted better players in the first few years of their rebuild?

Or, as it is for me, is it the community that comes with discussing these questions with peers, who decide to unite in their care for a sport that is slowly but surely becoming the world’s second most popular game?

Many of those who push back on accessibility claim that communities should be responsible for their own engagement. There hasn’t been much proof that the deaf community wants to engage with sports so why should we build out tools to help them?

The better question is: how many fans have we missed out on learning from because the league failed to invite them into the game.

Carter Bryant was invited to join the game that those fans shunned had made, a space they could play without the usual questions. Whereas hearing players, players who have been socialized yelling out orders on the basketball court, can communicate with ease, there is no place for signing in these runs.

“If I’m guarding the ball and I have four other people behind me, you kind of have no idea what’s going on,” Bryant told The Athletic in a February interview. “So being able to check out your peripherals, use your feet and just have a sense of natural feel for the game, it’s different. We take it for granted as players, and we don’t use our other senses as much, but we don’t have to.”

Bryant heard the same floor squeaks, the same sound of the swish we have all fallen in love with, but without the barking. He didn’t hear a screen called out, or a switch, it instead became a second instinct.

Schemes were internalized, matchups memorized, in a way that would not require communication but instead only the trust that his teammates would be there.

Inherent, unthinking belief that someone would be there. That someone would reach out.

The priority of the NBA has been globalization.

They have, to their immense credit, found ways to build basketball from a game for fans all over the world to a worldly game, which is not an insignificant jump to make. Fans can now experience their favorite teams in Spanish, Japanese, French, and any of the other 60 languages offered.

If you’ll bear with me, Spanish broadcasts of NBA games first started in 1995 when the Miami Heat partnered with a local radio station and decided they would supply the local market with dubbed commentary of Heat games. For over a thousand straight games, Jose Pañeda sat in the booth and excited fans who had not been ignored entirely, but certainly also hadn’t been invited.

A few years later, the NBA greenlit a deal with Telemundo, leading to a 15 game trial period across three years, opening the door for ESPN Deportes and the ilk. Decades later and those are cornerstones of the ESPN network.

It is insane to argue that the league would never have sought out a way to communicate with fans outside of the English language. However, it took just one act of one franchise, 25 years ago, to make the league better, not just for Spanish speakers but for fans in China or Germany or Brazil.

Because they reached out. They assumed someone would be there if they opened their doors and they were right.

“I think an argument you should make is that deafness is very similar to a language barrier,” said Tardy, “If I only spoke French and I went to the NBA in the US, I wouldn’t know what was going on… Some deaf people just consider themselves a linguistic minority. They say ‘if everybody spoke ASL, then it wouldn’t be a problem at all for anyone, because everyone could just operate on other senses.’”

What would a broadcast for deaf fans even look like? It’s certainly not as easy as an option as for different non-English verbal languages. Would it be as simple as having an interpreter, as has been provided for concerts and films?

“My goal is that it doesn’t become secondary, that you know you have the primary source of information, that speech, for example, and then you have the secondary source, like it’s translated in another way, and then you become the second to hear it.”  continued Tardy, “I think what would make the experience so much smoother is if there was a primary way to access information… why can’t there just be a deaf commentator that’s not translating a hearing commentator?”

430 million people are deaf worldwide. That is more people than the population of all but two countries in the world.

They – and their potential fandom – are ignored.

Carter Bryant is being ignored.

It’s the middle of the season and the 15th pick has still not cracked the rotation. He has been sent back and forth from the G-League, and he is playing against the end of the bench guys that NBA fans so frequently forget are among the top 500 players in the world.

Worst of all, he’s missing dunks. What was once the easiest thing on the planet is now coming harder and harder. It’s like the court is screaming at him. Gone is the quiet, the focus on simply trusting and executing, here is the new reality.

At first, he gets loud. He plays the character he thinks he needs to. He becomes robotic. His movements are stiff. He falls further and further from a normal role.

He is transferred back down to the G-League again. However, this time it comes not with a focus. He is not told to practice his mechanics or on-ball creation, although I’m sure that was in the notes as well.

No, he’s told to find himself.

There’s a concept in accessibility circles called imagined needs. In Apolline’s words, “accessibility has a long history of being made by people who don’t experience the disability and who imagine what the needs might be, and then when they actually show their products… this is fun, but I won’t use it in my day-to-day life, because it’s impractical, or because I just feel embarrassed to use that in public.”

I think the same concept applies to development in the NBA. We assume we know the swing factors for players to succeed. We rave about whether a handle or a buffer frame or any number of things are the things that will take our favorite young players from prospect to star.

Maybe these two things are unavoidable. What did it take for Bryant to find a spot as the first forward to sub in for a Spurs team that would make their first final in 12 years? Was it a better shot? Was it a return to non-robot form?

No, it was finding home. And he found it in the fraternity that grew him.

Bryant would re-engage with the deaf community, although it’s more accurate to say he extended an open hand in a new place. He led events at the Sunshine Cottage School for the Hearing Impaired in San Antonio. He signed hello to deaf families when out and about, an act so simple that had become so foreign.

For Carter, silence is home. Not just the lack of sound, but the lack of outside input. He speaks sparingly. He is kind, yet soft spoken. He is looking out for obstacles that he does not expect to be announced. He is compared to dumplings on Twitter.

In a world full of invisible barriers to the league, those silent and those overwhelmingly, unendingly loud, he has focused on what is directly in front of him.

It’s a quiet journey. But it was never one without communication. Maybe the next step is helping to take the courts he grew up on, the ones without the relentless chatter, and shaping the NBA landscape with them in mind. Maybe it comes first in the form of a breakout sophomore season on the Western Conference Champion. Maybe it does not come at all.

But what is undeniably certain is the means he will use to pursue that journey, wherever it leaves him.

With silent growth, and ever open arms.

With words unheard but not unspoken.

With a future he is sure to grasp, and a community he has never stopped hearing.

Silence has never been quite this loud.

The NBA’s investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers reportedly reaches beyond the controversial Aspiration sponsorship deal that first triggered scrutiny nearly a year ago, with the uncertainty now putting Leonard’s planned trade to the Toronto Raptors on ice.

According to new reporting from The Athletic, the outside law firm conducting the inquiry has examined whether the Clippers paid expenses on Leonard’s behalf without receiving reimbursement. Investigators have also looked into whether Leonard held a previously undisclosed endorsement agreement with a second company.

“[The investigation] looked into whether the Clippers improperly covered expenses for Leonard but were not reimbursed for them, those sources said, wrote The Athletic. “And the firm has examined if Leonard had a previously unreported endorsement deal with another company, those sources said.”

Those two developments significantly broaden what was initially understood to be a narrow investigation centered on possible salary-cap circumvention.

The league hired Wachtell Lipton to determine whether the Clippers helped arrange Leonard’s lucrative agreement with Aspiration as a way to provide compensation outside his NBA contract. The environmental company agreed to pay Leonard $28 million, though he never appeared in a public advertising campaign before Aspiration’s financial collapse and eventual bankruptcy.

The Athletic reported that investigators are now following additional financial threads uncovered during the process. It remains unclear which expenses the Clippers allegedly covered, how much money was involved or what company was connected to the possible second endorsement deal.

No finding of wrongdoing has been announced.

The Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer have repeatedly denied using Aspiration to funnel money to Leonard. The organization maintains that it was among the investors and business partners defrauded by Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg, who pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges and was sentenced to prison.

“We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration,” the Clippers said in a recent statement, adding that the team expects the investigation to confirm it did not violate league rules.

The widening inquiry could shed light on why the case has continued into its 11th month despite NBA commissioner Adam Silver previously suggesting it was approaching a conclusion. Silver has said the league needs finality but also wants the outside investigators to complete a thorough review.

The delay has already complicated one of the offseason’s biggest potential moves.

Toronto paused its agreement to reacquire Leonard after the NBA informed the Raptors they would assume the risk of any discipline affecting him after the trade. The Raptors still intend to complete the deal but will wait until the investigation ends before taking on that uncertainty.

The NBA’s original question was whether Leonard’s Aspiration contract crossed the line between a legitimate endorsement and off-the-books compensation.

Now investigators appear to be asking something broader: whether the Aspiration arrangement was an isolated issue or part of a larger web of financial benefits surrounding the Clippers star.

Until the league answers that question, Leonard’s Toronto return—and the Clippers’ offseason—will remain frozen.

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LAS VEGAS — Robbie Avila has heard the chants.

He heard the fans inside of Thomas & Mack Center shouting “We Want Rob-bie!” during the second half of the Lakers’ summer league game on Friday against the Thunder.

The same scene repeated itself during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against the Mavericks, with fans booing anytime a Lakers player who wasn’t Avila subbed into the game. 

It got to the point where even the PA announcer for the Lakers-Mavericks game got in on the chants, saying “say it louder” while the fans made it clear they wanted to see the 2026 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year showcase his unique skillset on the court. 

“It’s pretty cool to hear the fans cheer my name,” Avila told the California Post. “It’s a little bit of motivation because right now I’m not on the court and so it’s gonna continue to make me strive to be better so that I am out there so I can give them what they want to see. But it’s awesome to hear them chant.”

The Lakers played their third Las Vegas Summer League game, and sixth summer league game over the last 12 days, on Tuesday night against the Clippers.

And with two more summer league games left after Tuesday, Avila is hopeful he’ll get more playing opportunities than he had entering Tuesday. 

Avila played in just one of the Lakers’ five summer league games entering Tuesday.

He started in their win over the Spurs on July 6 during the California Classic, finishing with 2 points (1-of-6 shooting), 2 assists and 1 rebound in 14 minutes. 

“Just to continue to learn,” Avila told the Post on what he’s hoping for the rest of the week. “Hopefully [I’ll] be able to maybe get an opportunity to play. If not, then be the best teammate I can.”

Fans wanting to see Avila play isn’t surprising. 

Despite going undrafted, he was one of the more popular players in the 2026 class.

The fact fans know his name is more surprising considering the laundry list of nicknames he accumulated while in college.  

“I think some people don’t even know my real name at this point,” Avila told the Post. 

Avila’s most popular and widely-known nickname? 

Cream Abdul-Jabbar — a nickname popularized by Kentucky Sports radio host Matt Jones in 2024 while Avila, who wears protective goggles like NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was playing at Indiana State before he transferred to Saint Louis for his junior and senior seasons. 

“It’s one of the most unique nicknames I think I’ve ever seen,” Avila told the Post. 

But Avila’s personal favorite nickname is Rob Wave, which is a play on rapper Rod Wave, who is Avila’s favorite music artist. 

“They think it’s just funny,” Avila told the Post on what his family and friends think about his nicknames. “They think it’s awesome. Obviously whenever something new comes out or when somebody uses it in a video, they like to send it to me. And so that’s why I enjoy them too. Just to see everybody around me have fun with it.” 

Larry Nerd, a play off of NBA icon and Indiana State legend Larry Bird, is the nickname Avila doesn’t get enough love. 

“The Larry Nerd one’s kind of gone down a lot more not being at Indiana State anymore,” Avila told the Post. “But when that one came out, that was obviously one of the most creative ones as well.”

Avila discussed some of his nicknames with the California Post, including ranking them by tiers (S tier, A tier, B tier, C tier, D tier and F tier)

Cream Abdul-Jabbar

Avila: “I think out of creativity, you got to put that at the S tier. If I were to rank it myself, I’d put it at A.”

He added: “I wouldn’t say it’s my least favorite. Obviously, Cream’s been used [for] so long. It’s the most used one. I’m trying to get that away from that one. That’s why I’m pushing Rob Wave.”

Larry Nerd

Avila: “Larry Nerd is an A tier. That was a good one to tie in with Indiana State.” 

College Jokic

Avila: “That one obviously being tied to [Nikola] Jokic is just pretty cool. But as far as creativity, it’s not the highest, so I’d probably put it a B tier.”

Larry Blurr

Avila: “Larry Blurr I think is a B tier as well.” 

Rob Wave

Avila: “Rob Wave [is] S tier, no joke.”

Milk Chamberlain

Avila: “Milk Chamberlain I think is also an S tier one, the creativity with that as well.”

Steph Blurry

Avila: “Steph Blurry I think, let’s go C tier.”

Shaquille Oatmeal

Avila: “That one’s another creativity one, but me personally, we’ll put it at the C tier.”

SLU Alcindor

Avila: “SLU Alcindor, when I went to [Saint Louis] was pretty good. I’ll put that as an A tier one too.”

LeBron Frames

Avila: “That’s another good one. I put that at B.”

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Like clockwork, the final domino has fallen as it pertains to the Phoenix Suns’ offseason moves to this point.

After the Miles Bridges trade with the Charlotte Hornets became official yesterday, the necessary cap space was created for Phoenix to utilize its non-taxpayer mid-level exception. With that, the Suns have officially signed Luke Kennard, who most recently played for the Los Angeles Lakers.

In a statement from the team:

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Luke Kennard to a multi-year contract.

“Luke’s work ethic and commitment to his craft have made him one of the most efficient three-point shooters in NBA history,” said Suns general manager Brian Gregory. “His floor spacing, high basketball IQ and connective playmaking bring another dimension to our offense. We’re excited to welcome Luke and his family to Phoenix.”

The move makes plenty of sense. Phoenix lost a significant amount of shooting when Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale were sent to Charlotte in the Bridges trade. The two combined to make 371 three pointers last season while shooting 38% from beyond the arc. Adding Kennard provides the organization with another much-needed perimeter threat.

The challenge isn’t efficiency. It’s volume. The three most three-point attempts Kennard has taken in a single season are 423, which came with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2021-22 campaign. He’s not going to replicate the combined volume Allen and O’Neale provided, but that’s not necessarily what the Suns are asking him to do.

With the number of options Phoenix now has on the wing, Kennard simply becomes another tool in Jordan Ott’s toolbox. He can be deployed based on specific matchups and lineup needs, giving the Suns another way to create spacing and maximize their offensive efficiency. That’s especially valuable when the player you’re adding is a career 44.2% three point shooter over nine NBA seasons.

As an aside, Kennard will wear No. 8, the jersey number previously worn by Grayson Allen. I nailed both of my predictions on the Bridges/Kennard jersey numbers, a first for me.

Kennard doesn’t replace Grayson Allen. He doesn’t replace Royce O’Neale either. That was never the assignment. He fills a different role on a roster that suddenly has far more lineup flexibility than it did a few months ago. Some nights, his shooting will be the answer. Other nights, it will be someone else’s defense, size, or athleticism. That’s the point. The Suns aren’t searching for one player to solve every problem anymore. They’re building a roster with multiple solutions, and Luke Kennard is another one of them.

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

With anything that happens in Las Vegas, we’re all quick to temper our enthusiasm.

“It’s just Summer League.”

“It’s a small sample size.”

“Let’s remember that the guy was a second-round pick.”

“Just one more trip to the ATM and I’ll stop playing blackjack for the night.”

In just three games, what were relative unknowns have gone from peaked curiosity to uncontrollable excitement. With Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams, the sophomore duo has solidified their standing in their development timeline.

Gonzalez hasn’t had the best shooting performance in Sin City (6-of-26 from the field, 4-of-18 from 3), but he’s gone to the line a dozen times and filled the stat sheet, nearing a triple-double against the Raptors.

Williams has been an effective rim protector (6 blocks), a ferocious rebounder (6 offensive boards), and an effective playmaker above the break.

However, the biggest revelations might be in this year’s draft picks, Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell. In Monday’s game without Gonzalez and Williams, the rookies showed off some early chemistry. Here’s CelticsBlog Adam Taylor on their evolving synergy:

there was a play late in the third quarter where Cenac had blocked the shot, recovered his block and found Mitchell sprinting up the floor. When it comes to a foot face, at least at Summer League level, I’d be happy to bet on Mitchell winning those most of the time. So, no surprise that he outruns Atlanta’s defense to get the finish.

If you’re going to be watching the Maine Celtics a lot next season, I would assume the connection between these two will be something you come to look forward to. After all, Cenac might be signed to the primary roster, but he projects to spend a decent chunk of his time in the G League, while Mitchell will most likely land a two-way deal following his play over the last three games.

Expect a leap from Gonzalez next season. He was reportedly one of the sticky points in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade and has looked solid after a stint with Spain in the FIBA qualifiers. For Williams, Cenac Jr., and Mitchell, their road to playing time appears to be longer runway, but paved with potential.