SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 05: Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of their 2026 California Classic Summer League game at Chase Center on July 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thien-An Truong/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Earlier this week, we asked fans to vote on which Michigan player selected in the 2026 NBA Draft will have the best rookie season.
Forward Morez Johnson Jr. was selected No. 9 overall by the Dallas Mavericks.
Forward Yaxel Lendeborg was selected No. 11 overall by the Golden State Warriors.
Center Aday Mara was selected No. 12 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The results are now in, and there’s a clear favorite.
Lendeborg received 76% of the votes, while Johnson received 18% and Mara just 6%.
Lendeborg’s in quite the interesting situation and is set to play a key role on a team with future hall of famers in Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler.
Lendeborg, the Big Ten Player of the Year, has already looked impressive during the NBA Summer League.
No. 11 overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg delivered a double-double in his NBA Summer League debut:
Per FanDuel Sportsbook, the Warriors currently have the 13th highest odds of winning the NBA Finals next season at +4500. With those long odds, Lendeborg likely has a better chance of winning NBA Rookie of the Year.
How did you vote this week? Let us know in the comments and come back next week for another edition of SB Nation Reacts.
Fresh off re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Austin Reaves finally found some refuge on the golf course this weekend in the American Century Championship.
Even the links had been stressful recently for Reaves, an avid golfer who was consumed by the frenzy of NBA free agency.
As among the most coveted available stars, Reaves said he was “on the phone with my agents probably five, six, seven hours a day” for a week when free agency reached a fever pitch.
“It was kind of annoying because it was interrupting my golf,” Reaves said during an NBC Sports interview in Sunday’s final round. “But I did play one full round with them on the phone, and I just put them on speaker. I’d throw (the phone) on the ground and hit and pick it up and keep talking.”
The 28-year-old from Arkansas is a golf content creator when he’s off the court. Reaves founded the "Hillbilly Bogey" brand with his friend Trent Swaim.
“We just try to have fun with it,” Reaves said of his social media. “We play so much golf that we just wanted to document it.”
Reaves joked that he made so many bogeys the first day of the American Century Championship that he was ready to shed the “Hillbilly Bogey” hat he was sporting.
But he was at least happier with his game now that the madness surrounding his NBA future had quieted down.
“It's been good,” Reaves said. “I haven't hit it the way I wanted to all week, but it's good to be out here. My brother's on the bag. It's good to see all the fans and just have fun.”
LAS VEGAS — NBA Summer League grinds on in Sin City, moving past the star-studded first weekend into where the star rookies and players get shut down. In their place, guys trying to get noticed often try to do too much. With that background, here are the latest rumors and notes flying around Vegas about free agency.
LeBron James latest
There has been a lot of talk but very little actual new info on the LeBron James front: His agent, Rich Paul, is talking to teams and relaying news — and voice texts — to LeBron as teams make their pitch. Then there are the public pitches, like Stephen Curry at the American Century Championships.
"Up until probably two, three years ago, that was like a pipe-dream question or even a thought," Curry said. "But that's part of the allure. Him going into his 24th season, me going into my 18th, the battles we've had, that would be such a unique story in NBA history, in sports history. But a little premature right now to talk about it."
Minnesota coach Chris Finch made his pitch during an appearance on a Bleacher Report live stream with Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
Today’s @BleacherReport live stream from the Thomas & Mack alongside @JakeLFischer began with Timberwolves coach Chris Finch telling us he believes Minnesota is still alive in the LeBron chase.
That said, the consensus remains that Cleveland and Miami are the frontrunners, some people (including Stein and ESPN's Shams Charania) believe Philadelphia is in that tier, with the other three teams (Minnesota, Golden State and Denver) well back. LeBron has seen the West and wants to play in the East next season.
Russell Westbrook to Miami?
Russell Westbrook is an unrestricted free agent, coming off a season where he averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 33.8% from 3-point range. At age 37, he was not on top of the board for most teams, but as we get deeper into the offseason and teams are rounding out their guard rotations, Westbrook is getting looks.
Westbrook could land in Miami if they miss out on the LeBron sweepstakes, reports Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. LeBron and Westbrook together on the Lakers did not work — to put it kindly — and Miami isn't going to recreate that experiment.
Westbrook also is not a shooter. With Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster, Miami needs shooters, which makes the addition of Westbrook odd, but stranger things have happened.
Other free agency notes
• Keep an eye on the Gary Trent Jr. contract — four years, $64 million is what was agreed to — if/when it becomes official. That out-of-the-blue contract has raised eyebrows around the league, after Trent played the last two seasons on a minimum. Would the league look into the signing as something agreed to before he took those minimum deals?
• Isaiah Evans is headed back to Minnesota.
The Minnesota Timberwolves signed Isaiah Evans to a four-year, $9.3 million deal, which includes three fully guaranteed years and a fourth-year team option, league sources told @hoopshype. Evans was the 33rd pick of the 2026 NBA Draft and was an All-ACC Team selection at Duke. pic.twitter.com/yWlm2jhTgT
• Alpha Diallo grew up in Denver, played his high school ball, and now the former Providence Friar is headed back to Denver on a minimum deal.
EuroLeague Defender of the Year Alpha Diallo has agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million deal to sign with the Denver Nuggets, agents Jared Mucha and Javon Phillips of Excel Sports Management tell ESPN. The former Providence standout and Euro star makes the NBA jump at 29 years old on… pic.twitter.com/aaN5t7AIFi
• Just a note talking to people around the league, everyone expects the Kawhi Leonard to Toronto trade to get approved. Eventually. Once the Aspiration investigation ends. Again, eventually.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: Morez Johnson #14 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors during the 2026 NBA Summer League game on July 9, 2026 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS, NV — Morez was on everyone’s mind who made the trek from the DFW area to the desert for the first weekend of NBA Summer League play.
It was our first chance to see Morez Johnson Jr., the Dallas Mavericks’ first-round draft pick, play against some NBA-level talent, while surrounded by some far-fringe NBA talent.
Some of us were convinced on draft night that the Mavericks had reached for Johnson at the No. 9 overall pick. Others, notably including my MMB colleague David Sanchez, who went on the Vegas trip with us, were immediately sold on Johnson’s fit and worth at No. 9, especially in light of the fact that none of the top guards fell that far.
Should the Mavericks have stayed with the more popular logic of “best guard available” with Arizona’s Brayden Burries widely projected as Dallas’ pick and still on the board at No. 9? Or will Johnson, the exact prototype of a Masai Ujiri draft pick, prove out as the better selection? Time will tell, and the irrationality of fandom means it’s never too early to start drawing conclusions.
Six of us, including Mavs Moneyball’s fearless leader Kirk Henderson, participated in our own Basketball Dessert Storm this season. As I write on Sunday afternoon, Kirk and our resident gambling aficionado Tyler Edsel are all that is left of us on The Strip. Truly the sickest of sickos.
Here are some general thoughts on the weekend, with the disclaimer that although we had tickets to Day 3, when the Mavericks played their second game against theLos Angeles Lakers, most of us sat that day out. There was just too much to gamble on, with a pair of World Cup quarterfinals, what ended up being a mere popcorn fart of a fight night at UFC 329, where both the main event and co-main event ended in 1:09 or less, and the ponies. Oh, those most majestic of hooved professional athletes running at tracks all across this great land, delivered live to stream to any interested in placing an honest wager on not just who’s the fastest, but who can get going fast the fastest.
Most of us were posted up at the Westgate Sportsbook all day Saturday, while our resident Mavericks optimist, Michael Harris, flew solo as MMB correspondent at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Arena that day. Fun fact — his daughter Fynnleagh got her NBA Summer League program signed by Kyrie Irving after Saturday’s 91-70 loss to the Lakers.
Fynnleagh Harris with her NBA Summer League program signed by Mavericks’ star guard Kyrie Irving | COURTESY PHOTO
There were many such brushes with greatness throughout the weekend. We saw Alabama basketball coach Nate Oates at Eataly in the Park MGM. Kirk saw Arkansas coach John Calipari at the gym at the Aria. We brushed past former Maverick and current Los Angeles Clipper forward Derrick Jones Jr. on the way to the two-story Whataburger attached to the Waldorf Astoria, giving us one more opportunity to reminisce about the incredible smothered fadeaway he hit over Chet Holmgren in Game Six of the 2024 Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder to put the Mavs ahead 115-110 with less than two minutes remaining.
There is no event or time of year when NBA sickos get to rub shoulders with basketball royalty like they do at Summer League. It really is something to behold. If you’re reading about basketball in the summer months, you qualify. You need to make it a point to get to Summer League in the next couple of years. Not even the food poisoning David and I both got from that trip to Whataburger on The Strip could turn the weekend sour. It was a great time.
Here are some general (mostly) basketball-related highlights and thoughts from the weekend:
Saturday’s game against the Lakers was a big nothing burger. Johnson’s minutes declined slightly and his production did as well. We’ll get to his spectacular night in Thursday’s 91-80 loss to the Golden State Warriors separately below. This kind of erratic chaos is to be expected in Summer League play, and we’re not taking much of anything away about this.
Sergio de Larrea is proving to be quite raw. Michael said he liked what he saw from de Larrea in Saturday’s game, but the numbers don’t give you much to be optimistic about. He did shoot the ball better on Saturday, going 2-of-4 from the field, but dished four assists and turned the ball over four times, after going 3-for-14 from the field while dishing five dimes on Thursday. This is a guy who needs to get a hell of a lot stronger with the basketball in his hands if he’s going to realize anything close to being the “steal of the first round”.
Vsevolod “Seva” Ishchenko has achieved Mavs Moneyball Vibes Darling status after two games. On Thursday, he just had the look of a guy who might be able to survive the transition from ball in the Russian VTB United League. Here’s what our MMB correspondent back home, Bryan Porter, had to say about Ishchenko’s game after Thursday’s loss to the Warriors: “Seva is not yet physically ready for NBA games, but that kid attacks the basket with zero fear, has some craftiness and pace to his drives, and is unafraid to whip risky kick-outs to shooters. Seva’s game and physique both clearly need some fine-tuning, but the bones (and I do mean bones) of a truly intriguing Swiss Army knife role player are there for those with the eyes to see.”
Johnson looked like the real deal for much of the team’s first Summer League game, even getting the better of his Michigan teammate Yaxel Lendeborg on several occasions along the way. He’s a beast. He did the things you wanted to see him do. He dominated the fringe talent in front of him. He made a living going to the basket and cleaning up the glass. He kept shooting 3-pointers until he made one, as if just to prove to everyone watching that he’s going to put in the work to become at least a league-average shooter after showing some development on that front in his second and final year in the college game. He finished with 27 points on a sizzling 12-of-17 shooting from the field, to go along with eight boards, in 32 minutes on the floor. We’ve seen all we need to see. The hype train’s engines are rumbling.
Lendeborg on the other end of that game was nearly equally as impressive, though. It’s going to be interesting to see which one of those two former Michigan big men has the better NBA career. Lendeborg finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists on 8-0f-13 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range.
On Friday, we got there in the third quarter of the New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets game to snag good seats for the game between the Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls, which immediately followed. Mikel Brown Jr. had four points when we got there, but he erupted midway through the third to finish with 20, including three 3-pointers in the game’s final 16 minutes, each more difficult than the last. As good as Johnson was the night before, lamenting that Brown Jr. didn’t fall to the ninth overall pick, as some thought he might before the draft, was a definite talking point in the Uber ride back to The Strip.
Friday’s main event was Caleb Wilson and the Summer Bulls vs. Cameron Boozer and the Summer Grizz. Both were incredible. Wilson made himself into an immediate Summer League Legend, going unconscious from 3-point range for 21 of his 35 points. He was fading away. He had hands in his face. He recorded five stocks, exactly as many as the much bigger Johnson had the night before for the Mavericks. He looked like a killer. Boozer, though he finished with 23 points and six boards, looked ready to compete for Rookie of the Year in a crowded field as well. He was strong and polished, shooting 7-of-12 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free throw line in the Grizzlies’ 97-96 win.
The value of a $72 day crammed full of basketball may have been offset by heavy losses at the games of chance, but we still netted a great time. The realization dawned on us as we were cashing betting slips at Westgate for England-Norway UNDER 2.5 goals scored, paired with Max Holloway to win the UFC Main Event, that the real wins, perhaps, were the friends we made along the way. NBA Summer League should be on the basketball bucket list of every NBA fan. Make plans for next year. You may even catch a glimpse of a Mavs MoneyBrunch in the wild at Hash House A-Go-Go.
An overall view of the Thomas & Mack Center before the game between the San Antonio Spurs against the Atlanta Hawks on July 9, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. | NBAE via Getty Images
LAS VEGAS — A quintet of former Cyclones are taking part in the NBA Summer League, Joshua Jefferson (Nets), Tamin Lipsey (Pacers), Keshon Gilbert (Hawks), Curtis Jones (Celtics) and Tristan Enaruna (Cleveland).
The schedule for each of the former cagers is the following:
Atlanta Hawks
July 9 – vs. Spurs – 3:30 p.m. (CDT) – ESPN2 July 11 – vs. Nets – 7 p.m. – ESPN July 13 – vs. Celtics – 5 p.m. – Amazon Prime July 16 – vs. Grizzlies – 7 p.m. – Amazon Prime
In a 99-63 win against the Spurs on July 9, Gilbert played 20 minutes off the bench. He scored 10 points, pulled down five rebounds, dished out five assists and recorded two steals. He did not play in the Hawks’ 83-76 win against Joshua Jefferson and the Brooklyn Nets.
Brooklyn Nets
July 10 – vs. Knicks – 5 p.m. (CDT) – Amazon Prime July 11 – vs. Hawks – 7 p.m. – ESPN July 14 – vs. Kings- 5 p.m. – Amazon Prime July 16 – vs. Rockets- 3:30 p.m. – ESPNU
Jefferson did not play in the Nets’ 91-65 win against the New York Knicks. He made his Summer League debut as a starter in the Nets’ 83-76 loss to Atlanta, scoring nine points, recording a rebound, an assist and two steals.
Boston Celtics
July 10 – vs. Raptors – 8 p.m. (CDT) – ESPN July 12 – vs. Hornets – 4 p.m. – ESPN2 July 13 – vs. Hawks – 5 p.m. – Amazon Prime July 15 – vs. Kings – 7 p.m. – ESPN2
In the 83-80 overtime victory against Toronto, Jones tallied two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 10 minutes of play. His second game is Sunday (today) at 4 p.m against the Hornets.
Cleveland Cavaliers
July 10 – vs. Indiana – 3:30 p.m. (CDT) – ESPN2 July 12 – vs. Detroit – 3 p.m. – Prime July 13 – vs. Miami – 7 p.m. – Prime July 15 – vs. New Orleans – 3:30 p.m. – Prime
A member of T.J. Otzelberger’s first team in Ames, the Almere, Netherlands, native scored two points, had three rebounds and one steal to his name in a 99-93 loss to Indiana on July 10.
Indiana Pacers
July 10 – vs. Cavaliers – 3:30 p.m. (CDT) – ESPN2 July 11 – vs. 76ers – 4:30 p.m. – Amazon Prime July 13 – vs. Raptors – 3:30 p.m. – ESPN2 July 15 – vs. Timberwolves – 2:30 p.m. – Amazon Prime
As a starter in the Pacers 99-93 victory over Cleveland, the Ames native recorded four points, four rebounds and one steal. In a 100-93 overtime loss to Philadelphia, Lipsey again started, and scored three points, dished out two assists and pulled down two rebounds.
LAS VEGAS, NV - AUGUST 8: President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics talks to Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during Day 1 of the 2021 Las Vegas Summer League on August 8, 2021 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Thanks again for the awesome questions everyone. I’m pushing these out pretty quickly for a couple of reasons. A. I have time this afternoon and B. I wanted to clear the deck for summer league content. So let’s just jump right into it.
johnnymost
Can you help me compare the Isaiah and brown trades? The emotional reactions were similar, but other than Thomas’s injury, were the analytics similar? Brad certainly can be cold, but ultimately, he gambled. He got that from Danny. I yield the floor
Good topic. I would say that they are a little bit the opposite in that JB is more of the Kyrie in this scenario (not making a 1 for 1 comparison, remember that “comparison is the thief of joy!). The Cavs felt like they had to move on from Kyrie and the Celtics sent Isaiah and picks for him. It made basketball sense but not emotional sense. Ultimately both sides lost on that one. Time will tell with this one.
I do worry about the cumulative effect of sending out franchise icons (Pierce, Garnett, Isaiah, Jaylen) in cold hearted moves. As much as we all want to believe that Jayson Tatum will retire a Celtic, there’s at least a little bit of doubt now, and that’s sad.
CGREEN34
Should Scheierman start this season at the 3? He looked very solid in a lot of games last year both on offense and defense. He also has a creative streak that I hope we get to see more of this season.
I have never known what to make of Baylor. I set my expectations low early on and in year two he exceeded them, so already he’s a pleasant surprise to me. I’m circling him as a guy that could see an additional leap as a 3rd year guy. On one hand, there are minutes to be had on the wing (George won’t play a full 82 games). On the other hand, there’s a glut of wings that are all competing for minutes. This will be one of the big storylines in training camp to watch. I might actually expand this topic into a “who should start?” discussion post.
New England Guy
Jeff, if we could have world peace, but the trade-off is that the Celtics vs Sixers games this year would not be televised or recorded in anyway, and fans would not be allowed to attend them, would it be worth it?
Wait, you mean we don’t have to watch Jaylen in a Sixers uniform AND there’s peace on Earth? What’s the catch?
PontiacDream
What would have to happen this season for the Jaylen trade to not loom over everything the whole time?
“Just win baby.“ – Al Davis
(Note: While wins in the regular season will help a bit, I think the general consensus will be that this team (and The Trade) will be judged by the playoffs. So yeah, the trade will loom over everything unless they somehow flip George and picks for a few more impactful long term solutions.
Maye The Force Be With You
I’ve read that around the league, the Volume 3 era is being viewed more critically—that rim pressure and shot creation are proving more valuable than simply taking more threes. We may have just seen that when the Knicks closed out the Finals shooting 35% overall and 32% from three. Brad has echoed wanting to attack the rim more, yet The Trade seems to push Boston even further in the opposite direction. Beyond Tatum, who on this roster replaces Jaylen’s shot creation?
Part of me wonders how much Brad was focused on Giannis with those “rim pressure” comments. Like he was setting the stage for that to be the big move. There aren’t a lot of Giannis level rim pressure guys out there, so I guess the answer was to double down on offensive rebounding type bigs (Robinson, Cenac, etc.)
The thing with the analytics era is that there’s no one all-encompassing stat or overarching rule. It is reductive to define it as “shoot lots of 3’s” because sometimes you need to attack the paint. Sometimes, especially in the playoffs, teams take away your best options and you just need a guy that can take and make tough, midrange shots. Jaylen Brown is one of those guys. Maybe Pritchard can fill that role sometimes. Paul George (to an extent) as well. Maybe one of the young wings can develop that as well.
BostonForEva
Regarding Jaylen Brown and not the Celtics. Sixers seem to me to have to many mouths to feed. Embiid, Brown, Maxey, and maybe Edgecombe if he gets better. This seems to me like a disaster in the making.
Knicks had Brunson as the engine and KAT as the supporting cast on offense. Then a LOT of good defensive pieces that were above average on offense.
Sixers have Maxey, Embiid as engines and Brown as the supporting cast on offense. Maxey is above average on defense. Barlow is above average on defense. And that’s it based on analytics. This seems like too many mouths to feed and not enough defense. I think Brown’s game is a horrible fit for the Sixers and I’m not sure why they did it other than wanting more Stars.
Thoughts on the new Sixers team and specifically on the impact to Brown? Also, how happy are the Sixers media and Sixers fans about the trade?
I think they’ll be fine, but you are right that they’ll have to figure things out. Maxey is too good to be the 1B so I hope Philly fans are ready for several seasons of debates over who the 1A guy is (despite it being pretty clear).
I do worry a bit for Edgecomb’s development, but he’s still young and can be fungible for a while. And yeah, you have to factor in Embiid missing at least a third of any season, which makes for some interesting lineup decisions.
Jaylen increases their ceiling, but there’s still a floor to consider as well.
ZeroGame
If you could give Brad truth serum what do you think the answer to the following question would be? “If you knew at the start of the offseason that this would be the outcome if you tried to trade Jaylon Brown, would you still do it?”
I have a feeling that the option to trade Jaylen Brown has been in the back of their minds for years. They would have done it for Durant. It sounds like they at least listened to offers last year. I think the finance math has been staring at them since the CBA was signed and they finally decided that the time was right.
357Dust
Is this the opening day roster?
Could Murphy still be in play?
Will Hauser still be here?
It might very well be. We’re below the tax with 14 players and they have the “optionality” to make more moves at the deadline and next offseason. This might be it.
I think Murphy is a long shot at this point. I also can’t begin to understand what New Orleans is trying to do.
Hauser seems like the most likely to be moved at some point. But he’s also valuable to us and it might make more sense to see how the season plays out and use him as a chip in February at the deadline.
scue
How many years of elite play do you expect from Tatum? He is currently 28, we are trying to clean cap, reset tax penalties, to load up for a future run which could put him on the wrong side of 30.
What do you see as the desired team structure in the future in support of 30 year old Tatum?
Good question. He has a very adaptable playing style. He can do a little bit of everything, but he seems to go up another level when he’s attacking downhill and not shying away from contact. I think he’ll still be in his prime for 3 to 4 more years before he has to start transitioning his game to more of a perimeter style. Ironically enough, one comp would be the current verison of Paul George.
cpelham
The narrative has been that JB didn’t want to return to being 1B in Boston, but he’s acting like he’s really unhappy he was traded. Which is it? Was it his fervent wish to remain in Boston with JT being demoted to 1B or traded? Was his unhappiness invented by the media? Is Brown just defending his pride, folllowing the perception that there was little demand for him? Can you make sense of it?
I don’t want to pretend to know what is or was going on inside of Jaylen Brown’s mind or what his motivations and private thoughts are.
I will, however, use this space to offer up some dot-connecting thoughts I had recently.
We heard Jaylen himself say that there was open communication with the front office at first but then it went sideways (paraphrasing).
We also got reporting recently that Jaylen got a chance to tell a couple of teams that he wasn’t interested in playing there.
I wonder if at first they were keeping him in the loop, but with him reaching out to teams and scaring them off they decided to start excluding him from talks. Might also be why there was so much noise around this (was Jaylen’s camp one of the leaks to the media?). At some point the Celtics might have been like ‘we’re shutting down communication and we will just going to trade him and the team will have 3 years to convince him to be ok with it.‘ And the Sixers were willing. Just a guess.
The Lakers announced the signing of free agent guard Collin Sexton on Sunday, July 12 after originally agreeing to terms on a two-year, $19 million contract on July 1. The news comes days after the Lakers officially announced the Walker Kessler trade and their other notable free agent acquisitions of Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Sexton, originally drafted with the eighth overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Draft, split time between the Charlotte Hornets and the Chicago Bulls last season. He averaged 15.4 points, 3.3 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. In his eight seasons in the league, Sexton has averaged 18.3 points, 3.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game.
Projected to be the lead guard off the bench, Sexton should provide plenty of athleticism and efficient scoring as a career 47% shooter for the Lakers, especially at the rim. Those are areas that LA has lacked for in the last few years. He's not a great defender or playmaker, but Sexton does have three years of experience playing alongside Kessler in Utah, which may have factored into Rob Pelinka's thinking amid the Lakers' roster overhaul this summer as they begin the post-LeBron James era.
Sexton posted a hype video on July 1 shortly after agreeing to sign with the Lakers set to "No Child Left Behind" by Kanye West with just two words in the caption: "It's ON."
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: Ebuka Okorie #23 of the Detroit Pistons looks on during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 9, 2026 at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Detroit Pistons rookie Ebuka Okorie showed you just about everything you’d hope to see from him during his first Summer League game. Now, he looks to keep the momentum going in game two against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Okorie scored 20 points and had four assists in his first game as a member of the Pistons. He was able to showcase a reliable 3-point jumper (2-of-4) and his special mix of speed, body control, and spatial awareness to get by his defender and find lanes at the rim. While he still obviously has a long way to go, you could tell that even at the NBA level that burst, coordination, and intelligence is going to be a difference-maker. It needs to be, too, because it’s tough being an impactful guard when you’re only 6-foot-1 without shoes on.
Game Vitals
When: 4 p.m. Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada Watch: Prime Video
Analysis
It’s a good thing Okorie showed up like he did because otherwise the Pistons lineup was pretty dreadful. Bigs were having trouble catching the ball, rebounding, defending, and finishing. The perimeter talent was mostly non-descript.
Isaac Jones, a Pistons two-way player, led the team with 22 points, and did at least do plenty of good things, but he also really struggled on defense. Second-year player Chaz Lanier, Detroit’s second-round pick last season, didn’t really show out like he needed to in a league where he should be far more advanced than the competition. As a catch-and-shoot guy, maybe his game isn’t conducive to taking over in Summer League, but at this stage, you can’t afford to be invisible. Lanier was largely invisible.
Roddy Gayle Jr., an undrafted rookie out of Michigan, mostly acquitted himself quite well, and Drake Allen, undrafted out of Utah State, showed himself to be an NBA (or at least G League)-level defender, if not NBA-level in other areas of the game. Otherwise, it was a bunch of forgettable guys delivering forgettable performances.
The Cavs were in their first Summer League game (a loss to the Pacers), with third-year player Nae-Quan Tomlin and rookie Meleek Thomas with 20 points apiece.
All I want to see tonight is an Okorie that is more aggressive in looking for his own shot and in creating his own offtense. It seemed clear he was looking to be more of a willing passer in Game 1, and it is important to show he can run an offense if he’s fighting to be a primary backup guard for the Pistons. But a lot of those passes went to bigs who could do nothing with them. It also meant the explosive Okorie, who averaged more than seven free throws per game in college, only got to the free-throw line one time. I want more of everything from Okorie, and a little less of everything else from Not Okorie.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 7: The sneakers worn by Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on April 7, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Steph Curry appreciates the assist from longtime Golden State Warriors teammate Draymond Green, but the basketball superstar won’t be trading sports anytime soon. But he will surely take Green’s help in lobbying superstar free agent LeBron James to join their team.
Draymond Green says Steph Curry could make the PGA Tour in 3 years
“Bro, I went to golf with Steph one time. He incredible. He could real deal possibly be a professional golfer. He can definitely be a golf pro, no question”
Curry laughed off the idea in an NBC Sports interview during Saturday’s second round.
“I love Draymond; that's why he's such a great teammate,” Curry said. “He's hyping me up. I do have so much respect for how hard this game is and what you all do on the Tour week in, week out. There's no even realistic shot that I'm going after a Tour card. But to see how good I can get when basketball is done, I kind of want to slowly and maybe without that shot say that I had a chance.
"Draymond, I appreciate you, and I love you, and I know you think I'm a great golfer, but there are levels to this! There are levels.”
Curry is playing in the tournament with his father, Dell, and his brother, Seth. All three played in the NBA, and Dell passed on the passion for golf to his sons. The trio have their own competition (with a handicap system) during five years of playing in the ACC tourney, and each has won family bragging rights at least once.
“I love seeing Pops play well,” Steph Curry said. “He's 62 years old, still doing it. We call him 'The Originator,' and he's showing it right now.”
“I was blessed to pick up the game,” he said. ”My dad got me into it, my brother into it, when I was 10 years old. And just what golf brings, this camaraderie, allows you to travel the world. But there's not a lot of access for everybody to get into the game. And so that's what I've been trying to attack through golf at Howard University and our Underrated Tour that we do for kids 13 to 18.
"I'm just trying to create more opportunity, equity, and access in the game. Meanwhile, still competing and having fun myself because I think it puts golf on a cool platform for somebody from another sport coming in and having fun.”
While he’s enjoying the links during the NBA offseason, there’s some serious business afoot as the NBA awaits James to choose his next landing spot after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers. Green and James are on vacation and golfing together in Puerto Rico, and Green reportedly has admitted to making the hard sell to James on the Warriors.
Though Curry downplayed speculation on where James might play (a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers also is an option), he said it would be intriguing to play against his longtime rival. The Cavs and Warriors met in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015-18 with Curry triumphing three times over James.
"Up until probably two, three years ago, that was like a pipe-dream question or even a thought," Curry said during an ACC media availability Thursday about the possibility playing with James, according to ESPN.com. "But that's part of the allure. Him going into his 24th season, me going into my 18th, the battles we've had, that would be such a unique story in NBA history, in sports history. But a little premature right now to talk about it."
Though he said the decision ultimately would be up to James, Curry also noted “there’s good golf in the Bay. We're an organization that's been there. He knows that. That's really self-explanatory. It's a matter of where he sees himself fitting. At the end of the day, that's up to him."
Curry, who was paired with former MLB stars John Smoltz and Derek Lowe for Sunday’s final round, seemed hopeful after surviving “a very adventurous, eventful round” Saturday. The top three are Mardy Fish, Joe Pavelski and Annika Sorenstam.
“They always say golf is pure when it's fairways and greens,” Curry said. “I've done everything other than that, but still trying to stay within earshot of Joe and Marty, and I know Anika's playing well, so still having fun.”
Steph Curry appreciates the assist from longtime Golden State Warriors teammate Draymond Green, but the basketball superstar won’t be trading sports anytime soon. But he will surely take Green’s help in lobbying superstar free agent LeBron James to join their team.
Draymond Green says Steph Curry could make the PGA Tour in 3 years
“Bro, I went to golf with Steph one time. He incredible. He could real deal possibly be a professional golfer. He can definitely be a golf pro, no question”
Curry laughed off the idea in an NBC Sports interview during Saturday’s second round.
“I love Draymond; that's why he's such a great teammate,” Curry said. “He's hyping me up. I do have so much respect for how hard this game is and what you all do on the Tour week in, week out. There's no even realistic shot that I'm going after a Tour card. But to see how good I can get when basketball is done, I kind of want to slowly and maybe without that shot say that I had a chance.
"Draymond, I appreciate you, and I love you, and I know you think I'm a great golfer, but there are levels to this! There are levels.”
Curry is playing in the tournament with his father, Dell, and his brother, Seth. All three played in the NBA, and Dell passed on the passion for golf to his sons. The trio have their own competition (with a handicap system) during five years of playing in the ACC tourney, and each has won family bragging rights at least once.
“I love seeing Pops play well,” Steph Curry said. “He's 62 years old, still doing it. We call him 'The Originator,' and he's showing it right now.”
“I was blessed to pick up the game,” he said. ”My dad got me into it, my brother into it, when I was 10 years old. And just what golf brings, this camaraderie, allows you to travel the world. But there's not a lot of access for everybody to get into the game. And so that's what I've been trying to attack through golf at Howard University and our Underrated Tour that we do for kids 13 to 18.
"I'm just trying to create more opportunity, equity, and access in the game. Meanwhile, still competing and having fun myself because I think it puts golf on a cool platform for somebody from another sport coming in and having fun.”
While he’s enjoying the links during the NBA offseason, there’s some serious business afoot as the NBA awaits James to choose his next landing spot after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers. Green and James are on vacation and golfing together in Puerto Rico, and Green reportedly has admitted to making the hard sell to James on the Warriors.
Though Curry downplayed speculation on where James might play (a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers also is an option), he said it would be intriguing to play against his longtime rival. The Cavs and Warriors met in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015-18 with Curry triumphing three times over James.
"Up until probably two, three years ago, that was like a pipe-dream question or even a thought," Curry said during an ACC media availability Thursday about the possibility playing with James, according to ESPN.com. "But that's part of the allure. Him going into his 24th season, me going into my 18th, the battles we've had, that would be such a unique story in NBA history, in sports history. But a little premature right now to talk about it."
Though he said the decision ultimately would be up to James, Curry also noted “there’s good golf in the Bay. We're an organization that's been there. He knows that. That's really self-explanatory. It's a matter of where he sees himself fitting. At the end of the day, that's up to him."
Curry, who was paired with former MLB stars John Smoltz and Derek Lowe for Sunday’s final round, seemed hopeful after surviving “a very adventurous, eventful round” Saturday. The top three are Mardy Fish, Joe Pavelski and Annika Sorenstam.
“They always say golf is pure when it's fairways and greens,” Curry said. “I've done everything other than that, but still trying to stay within earshot of Joe and Marty, and I know Anika's playing well, so still having fun.”
LAS VEGAS – Once again, Yaxel Lendeborg got the best of a former Michigan teammate in his second game during the Las Vegas NBA Summer League.
After beating Morez Johnson and the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, Lendeborg got bragging rights with the Warriors’ 104-79 win over Aday Mara and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center on UNLV’s campus.
Lendeborg scored a game-high 14 points, and also had two rebounds, four assists and three steals as a plus-14. Mara scored 10 points and added nine rebounds as a minus-8.
The Warriors improved to 2-0 in Las Vegas and 4-1 overall this summer. Sunday’s win was far from beautiful basketball, though.
On paper, the Warriors won in nearly every category. They shot 44.2 percent from the field, just better than the Thunder’s 44.1 percent while taking nine more shots than OKC and making four more. The Warriors went 15 of 41 from 3-point range (36.6 percent), which was much better than the Thunder going 8 of 30 (26.7 percent).
The Warriors also tallied 19 more rebounds than the Thunder (45 to 26), six more assists (23 to 17) and seven more steals (10 to 3), plus three fewer turnovers (13 to 10).
“Everyone that came in the game executed the game plan pretty well,” Warriors coach Khalid Robinson said.
Lendeborg started the game slowly in the first quarter before finding his shot during a nine-point second quarter, where he drained three 3-pointers, including one over Mara.
His celebration alone shows what kind of fun personality Lendeborg brings to the court. Lendeborg’s favorite moment of the game might have come in the third quarter when he beat Mara on a jump ball. When it landed in the Warriors’ hands, Lendeborg gave a fist bump and yelled “yes!” with a giant grin across his face.
Offensively, Lendeborg was 5 of 14 from the field and 4 of 8 beyond the arc. His hot 3-point shooting continued. An array of skills with the ball in his hands continues to shine, too.
Defensively, however, Lendeborg continues to be a mixed bag. Yes, he came away with three steals, but that doesn’t show his lapses. Lendeborg has been drifting and spectating on defense. Once he’s playing strictly against NBA players, those bad habits will have to leave him.
“It’s an area where you got to continue to grow,” Robinson said. “We talk about just being locked in at all times defensively, on and off the ball. It’s a level of awareness that you have to have as a defender at this level and he’s going to continue to grow at that.”
Lendeborg himself has admitted he isn’t in the best shape right after trying to be off his feet as much as he could following Michigan’s national championship run. He dealt with a sprained MCL and a rolled ankle but continued to play through pain.
Every rep and every game is a learning lesson for Lendeborg and the rest of his Warriors teammates. The spotlight is brightest on him as the Warriors’ top draft pick. The positives continue to be eye-opening. The negatives are issues the Warriors aren’t worried about at all in the long run.
The Warriors play next on Tuesday against the Memphis Grizzlies at 4 p.m. PT.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 10: Cameron Carr #43 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half of a 2026 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 10, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Summer League offers the first look at rookies. A draft heralded as one of the best in years may also include a Laker selection when it’s all said and done.
In a trade with the New York Knicks, LA moved up to the 24th pick to select Cameron Carr. In a short amount of time, Carr showed a full repertoire of NBA-ready skills and a tantalizing athletic profile, quickly stealing the hearts of Laker fans.
On a roster clearly lacking wing talent, Carr projects as a two-way producer with a real opportunity to earn a spot in head coach JJ Redick’s rotation.
His offensive game revolves around a unique ability to shoot the basketball from any spot on the floor. He combines textbook shot mechanics with detailed footwork to cleanly square up and fulfill his versatile shot profile.
LA’s Summer League roster is bereft of top-level ballhandlers, leaving a lot of work for Carr to create his own. In the clip below against the Thunder, Carr receives a step-up screen with the opposing defender in deep drop coverage. Operating as the ballhandler, he pulls up and punishes the space given by the scheme.
He’s shown a nice handle, the skill to maneuver in ball screens and the ability to get to his spot and athletically rise up. Watch below as the Baylor product runs a pick and roll with teammate Adou Theiro, a duo that’s gained nice synergy so far, and gets to the free throw line extended area on the floor.
A veteran pump fake freezes the defender and Carr rises to hit a patented mid-range pull-up, showcasing the untouchable 7-foot wingspan.
Joining a team with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves as the lead backcourt, along with Collin Sexton as the backup guard, leaves Carr without many on-ball responsibilities or opportunities.
Carr’s real compelling case for minutes on the team lies in his being a potentially elite off-ball wing. He’s a hand-in-glove fit for Redick, who’s consistently stressed the value of having a movement shooter in the lineup.
LA ran him off numerous actions throughout Summer League to get him open as a shooter. One of the main screens used to free him was a pindown, allowing Carr to curl into position to receive the entry pass, as shown below.
With the defender in a lock-and-trail position, he tightly curls off the screen to catch and fire in one motion.
In the next action, he comes off a wide pin down. He uses his athletic profile and handle to take advantage of the defender out of position. A quick triple threat fake gets him a step and he finishes above the rim.
In four Summer League contests, Carr is averaging 17 points per game and shooting 37% on 3-point attempts, including a five-point performance in which he did not play the second half in California.
The other side of the ball is where there’s just as much untapped potential. The wingspan and athletic ability enable electrifying perimeter blocks. In actions where most players would be at the mercy of the offensive player, Carr’s ability to quickly recover makes for a high ceiling.
So far, he’s averaged a block per night in four games. Watch below in the out-of-bounds play as he gets screened twice by the big man and yet still manages to recover to block the 3-point attempt.
The mix of block shots and threes is a unique combination, even more so for a perimeter-based wing. Carr was the only D-1 player with over 70 3-point field goals made and over 40 blocks last season.
There’s still a ton of room to grow for the Lakers’ most recent draft selection. Passing reads need tightening, off-ball defense can be cleaned up with more focus and he’s admitted a need to add muscle in the weight room.
With that being said, while it’s early and Summer League isn’t a perfect predictor by any means, it appears the Lakers got a steal in the draft and a player that could potentially contribute immediately.
It was the timing that surprised fans: Charlotte had gone 33-16 from Jan.1 through the end of the season, with the top-ranked offense and fifth-ranked defense in the NBA in that stretch — the Hornets were fun and good. They won 44 games, the most in a decade. So why break things up? Why trade All-Star point guard and fan favorite LaMelo Ball to Minnesota rather than build on that finish?
Jeff Peterson, the Hornets' president of basketball operations, explained his thinking to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. As a reminder, Peterson and the Hornets got a haul in that trade: Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps and three second-round picks.
"These decisions are challenging at times, but when you look at the totality of the season and everything of where we were, it's important to take an honest look in the mirror of where you guys are as a team. And that's what I had to do at the end of the season. And it just felt like the goal is never to compete for a play-in spot. The goal isn't to get to the play-in or even the playoffs for one year.
"I've said it plenty of times since I've been here in Charlotte: The goal is to get to the playoffs and stay there for a long time. And eventually contend to compete for championships. Getting Naz Reid when you can get a player of his caliber. And of course, the draft capital and the flexibility just felt like it was something that was able to achieve multiple goals in one transaction."
After years of watching the team struggle, Hornets fans were rightfully excited about how the season ended. Peterson saw a bigger picture: There were a lot of inflated records at the end of last season due to all the tanking teams, and in the play-in his team needed overtime to beat an uninspiring Miami squad, then got run out of the building in the last play-in game by the Magic (who were shorthanded and lost in the first round of the playoffs). Was Charlotte really that good?
We had Charlotte as a winner in this trade. Peterson sold high on Ball and is restructuring a team around Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, with Reid now at the four. They also have Coby White at the point and Moussa Diabate at the five. It's a good team with a lot of shooting and spacing, and now a lot more flexibility to build around them.
The Hornets likely take a small step back on the court this season — the East is a lot deeper and better — but, in Peterson's view, they are better positioned to build something sustainable and long-term. It's a big bet, but if he nails the picks and other moves, this will be looked back on as a turning point for the franchise.
There was logic to the move, even if some fans didn't like it.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Koa Peat #18 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Greathouse/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The first game from the summer league Suns was a sloppy but exciting game highlighted by the offseason development of Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming. Can those two, plus Koa Peat, continue to build our excitement for the long-term future of Planet Orange?
Kurt Helin
Kurt Helin
