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Jonathan Kuminga would agree to Warriors' contract if change is made, per agent

Jonathan Kuminga would agree to Warriors' contract if change is made, per agent originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It appears there is just one hurdle remaining in the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga contract saga.

Golden State has negotiated with its prized restricted free agent for months, and with Kuminga still unsigned midway through September, the sides could strike a deal if one change is made to the Warriors’ latest offer.

ESPN’s Anthony Slater joined “NBA Today” on Tuesday, where he shared what Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, told him about the Warriors’ latest contract offer, which Slater and Shams Charania reported Monday is for three years and $75.2 million.

“I actually talked to Aaron Turner, Jonathan Kuminga’s agent, this morning, and the messaging they’re adopting this week is ‘Turn the [team option] to a [player option’ and it’s done,” Slater said. “And that messaging is generally saying, if it’s a team option on [that deal], if that’s suddenly a player option, not only will Jonathan Kuminga sign it, they’re saying, but he will be completely bought in on the mission they’re asking of him.

“Which is, using Turner’s messaging, that is to get Steph Curry and Draymond Green a fifth ring, [and] Jimmy Butler his first ring.”

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson confirmed Kuminga and Turner’s willingness to take the Warriors’ offer if the team option is changed to a player option.

The Warriors, as ESPN reported Monday, have not budged in their desire to maintain a team option in the deal, but also have offered Kuminga a three-year, $54 million fully guaranteed non-team-option contract as well.

However, if Golden State were to give Kuminga the player option he desires in their three-year, $75.2 million offer, it could go a long way toward strengthening the relationship between the young forward and the organization for the 2025-26 NBA season and beyond.

“That’s an understanding of him that it’s a show of goodwill if they set it to a player option, for what they’re calling ‘years of confusion’ over his role and a willingness to suppress some of his personal ambitions, which are obviously very much a part of the holdup here, accept what probably is going to be a bench role, what’s probably going to be fluctuating minutes and accepting what will very likely be a tradable contract,” Slater added.

It’s unclear if the Warriors will budge, but if they do, a deal could be imminent.

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Jonathan Kuminga ‘absolutely miserable' with Warriors, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon

Jonathan Kuminga ‘absolutely miserable' with Warriors, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

A divorce between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors seems inevitable, but when that could be now has become the question.

Despite Golden State reportedly upping its contract offer to Kuminga to three years and $75.2 million with a team option for the third season, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon believes it’s not all about the money to the 22-year-old forward.

“You’re making this about the money. He’s miserable. he is absolutely miserable,” MacMahon said Tuesday on ESPN’s “The Hoop Collective” podcast. “It’s a bad situation. It’s a breakup that needs to happen sooner than later. It is a terrible situation for him. He was getting DNP-CDs in the playoffs.

“The coach doesn’t want him. The coach doesn’t believe in him. The coach has publicly said over and over that he does not fit with the core of this team.”

Kuminga registered DNPs in Golden State’s most important contests to conclude the 2024-25 regular season and into the postseason.

This after an already up-and-down four-year career with the Warriors after being selected by the team No. 7 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Despite showing flashes of his potential at times, Kuminga never maintained a consistent role in coach Steve Kerr’s rotation.

But when the Warriors needed him most — in their second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves with an injured Steph Curry sidelined — Kuminga stepped up and showed out for Golden State, although it wasn’t enough to advance to the Western Conference finals.

Kuminga seemingly used that impressive postseason performance to his advantage as he entered restricted free agency this offseason, seeking a larger role and a contract that gives him stability with an organization.

But with training camp two weeks away, the situation remains unresolved.

How much longer will Kuminga remain “miserable”? Hopefully, for the sake of all parties involved, not long.

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Kings unveil new purple-infused City Edition uniforms for 2025-26 NBA season

Kings unveil new purple-infused City Edition uniforms for 2025-26 NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Purple is so back.

To celebrate “916 Day,” the Kings on Tuesday unveiled their City Edition uniforms for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season.

The purple-infused jerseys are a modern remix of the 2022-23 gray design that implements the Kings’ beloved victory beam.

“Sacramento” is inscribed across the chest in refreshed lettering, paired with a new palette of deep ink purple and bright violet accents — shades that never have been used in franchise history.

Along the side panels of the jersey and shorts read “Sacramento Proud” repeatedly, which per a press release from the team, is a reminder that the City Editions are more than a uniform, but also “a celebration of identity and belonging.”

Perhaps the cherry on top is the phrase, “We’re going to keep the team in Sacramento,” at the bottom right corner of the jersey in small text but with a large, powerful meaning that is a nod to a nearly decade-long community-led effort to keep the Kings in California’s capital after real threats of relocation.

The Kings will debut these new threads on Wednesday, Nov. 12, when they host the Atlanta Hawks at Golden 1 Center on their complementary court. They will wear the uniforms 10 times at home and nine times on the road.

Sacramento opens the 2025-26 regular season on the road on Oct. 22 against the Phoenix Suns at PHX Arena.

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Warriors reportedly want ‘maximum' salary cap flexibility for 2027 offseason

Warriors reportedly want ‘maximum' salary cap flexibility for 2027 offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors have their eyes on both the present and the future, and for good reason.

Golden State, with its veteran core of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, has the pieces to potentially compete for another championship in the 2025-26 NBA season. Still, that very core also has a combined age of 36, which means the dynastic franchise has to start preparing for a very different-looking future.

And as The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported in a story on Tuesday, it appears the Warriors already have.

“[The Warriors] want to maintain maximum flexibility for that 2027 summer (as it stands, they only have [Moses] Moody’s $13.4 million and [Buddy] Hield’s $10 million player option on the books by then),” Amick wrote. “The Warriors, who are well aware that Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver’s Nikola Jokić both have player options for the 2027-28 season, are hardly alone on this star-hunting front.

“High-profile teams like the Lakers and Clippers have sent similar signals in recent months.”

The 2027 offseason is a pivotal one for Golden State, as Curry, Butler and Green’s contracts all are set to expire that summer or, in Green’s case, potentially in 2026 if he were to decline his player option for the 2026-27 season.

As Amick mentioned, the Warriors currently only have two players (Moody, Hield) under contract for the 2027-28 season, and barring moves in the near future, could have an abundance of cap space to pursue, potentially, superstars like Antetokounmpo and Jokić, should they become available.

It’s no secret how the Warriors feel about Antetokounmpo, who they reportedly have been interested in potentially acquiring before, but regardless of whether he or Jokić become available that summer, Golden State should have enough flexibility to pursue whoever they want.

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What reportedly could change Warriors' mind on Kings' Jonathan Kuminga trade

What reportedly could change Warriors' mind on Kings' Jonathan Kuminga trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The most likely outcome regarding Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free-agency saga remains a return to the Warriors.

However, there could be a pathway that leads Kuminga 80 miles northeast to Golden State’s NorCal neighbors in Sacramento. The Warriors earlier this offseason shut down sign-and-trade talks with both the Kings and Phoenix Suns, per multiple reports, who showed the most interest in the 22-year-old wing after not being moved by any of their offers.

But as The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported in a column published Tuesday, one tweak to Sacramento’s offer could have moved the needle for Golden State.

“As it relates to the Kings, who have offered veteran guard Malik Monk and a protected 2030 first-round pick to the Warriors while agreeing to give Kuminga a three-year, $63 million deal, their insistence on including protections on the first-rounder remains the main obstacle to a possible deal, Amick wrote. “If the protections were dropped completely, there are some stakeholders who believe the Warriors would likely change their stance.”

Amick added, citing team sources, that the Kings are under the impression that Kuminga wants to play for them.

Kuminga met with Sacramento’s brass in late July, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater, and had a good discussion with general manager Scott Perry, assistant GM B.J. Armstrong and coach Doug Christie. Kuminga was intrigued by the idea of a larger role, something not feasible with Golden State, and was “open-minded” to the idea of joining the Kings.

As Amick notes, another roadblock of a potential Kuminga-to-the-Kings deal is the fact that the Warriors also would likely have to trade Moses Moody or Buddy Hield to stay under the first apron of the luxury tax.

But there’s more.

Monk’s four-year, $78 million contract that he signed with Sacramento runs through the 2027-28 season, when he has a player option of $21.5 million. But the Warriors have been adamant about having financial flexibility during that 2027 summer to maintain the ability to potentially seek big-name superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić, who both have player options entering the 2027-28 season.

As it stands, the most likely outcome is Kuminga signs the Warriors’ one-year $7.9 million qualifying offer before the soon approaching Oct. 1 deadline.

But as we’ve come to learn this offseason, nothing is off the table.

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What reportedly could change Warriors' mind on Kings' Jonathan Kuminga trade

What reportedly could change Warriors' mind on Kings' Jonathan Kuminga trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The most likely outcome regarding Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free-agency saga remains a return to the Warriors.

However, there could be a pathway that leads Kuminga 80 miles northeast to Golden State’s NorCal neighbors in Sacramento. The Warriors earlier this offseason shut down sign-and-trade talks with both the Kings and Phoenix Suns, per multiple reports, who showed the most interest in the 22-year-old wing after not being moved by any of their offers.

But as The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported in a column published Tuesday, one tweak to Sacramento’s offer could have moved the needle for Golden State.

“As it relates to the Kings, who have offered veteran guard Malik Monk and a protected 2030 first-round pick to the Warriors while agreeing to give Kuminga a three-year, $63 million deal, their insistence on including protections on the first-rounder remains the main obstacle to a possible deal, Amick wrote. “If the protections were dropped completely, there are some stakeholders who believe the Warriors would likely change their stance.”

Amick added, citing team sources, that the Kings are under the impression that Kuminga wants to play for them.

Kuminga met with Sacramento’s brass in late July, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater, and had a good discussion with general manager Scott Perry, assistant GM B.J. Armstrong and coach Doug Christie. Kuminga was intrigued by the idea of a larger role, something not feasible with Golden State, and was “open-minded” to the idea of joining the Kings.

As Amick notes, another roadblock of a potential Kuminga-to-the-Kings deal is the fact that the Warriors also likely would have to trade Moses Moody or Buddy Hield to stay under the first apron of the luxury tax.

But there’s more.

Monk’s four-year, $78 million contract that he signed with Sacramento runs through the 2027-28 season, when he has a player option of $21.5 million. But the Warriors have been adamant about having financial flexibility during that 2027 summer to maintain the ability to potentially seek big-name superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić, who both have player options entering the 2027-28 season.

As it stands, the most likely outcome is Kuminga signs the Warriors’ one-year $7.9 million qualifying offer before the soon approaching Oct. 1 deadline.

But as we’ve come to learn this offseason, nothing is off the table.

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Ramp to Camp: What's one thing you want to see from D-White this season?

Ramp to Camp: What's one thing you want to see from D-White this season? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It’s been quite a run for Derrick White since he arrived in Boston.

An NBA title and a gold medal. All-Defense status and a lucrative long-term contract extension. It feels a little bit greedy to wonder what more he can do to help the Celtics when his mere presence seems to elevate everyone around him.

For Day 12 of our Ramp to Camp series, and continuing our “What’s Next?” week for the key members of the 2025-26 Celtics, we’re putting the spotlight on White.

While it feels like White is one to shun individual honors, it’s pretty obvious that the only major honor that has eluded him in recent seasons has been an All-Star nod. Some poorly-timed cold streaks have conspired against him — along with the fact that Boston’s roster has been overflowing with talent — but it sure feels like there will be an opportunity to earn that All-Star selection this season.

The absence of a rehabbing Jayson Tatum to start the season combined with a talent drain cased by the second apron is going to allow White even more freedom on the offensive end. How might White’s production spike?

You probably need only rewind to March 5, when the Celtics played the Blazers without both Tatum and Jaylen Brown. White erupted for 41 points on 14-of-26 shooting while making nine 3-pointers (while added four “stocks” too). He combined with Payton Pritchard for the first 40/40 game in Celtics history.

In eight regular-season games played without Tatum last season, White averaged 20.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. The Celtics were +75 in his 274 Tatum-less minutes. That feels like the sort of stat line that would get the attention of All-Star voters.

In 16 regular-season games without Brown last season, White was at 17.9 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.7 rebounds. The Celtics were +143 in 555 minutes of floor time. The theme: White was more than capable of elevating when the Celtics were without one of their stars.

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An All-Star nod would be a reflection of White’s ability to help keep this team afloat while navigating Tatum’s absence. If the Celtics outkick outsiders’ tempered expectations, then core members like White could be rewarded with trips to Los Angeles.

Much like with Brown elevating to the 1A role, we’re intrigued to see how White fares in a brighter spotlight. Teams will game-plan more to take away those clean 3-point looks, but White is so good at simply making the right play.

Will his scoring bump up to that 20-point range? Will his assist numbers spike to career-high levels? We’re intrigued to see how his efficiency fares with more usage and whether he can keep the turnovers down.

You know the defense is going to be there. He’s averaged better than a block per game in each of the past two seasons while establishing himself as the best — and craftiest — shot-blocking guard in the league. 

We’re also interested to see how White’s leadership grows. Entering Year 9 at age 31, he has the resume to be more vocal if he desires, even if he typically leads by example with his smart play. White can help steer this ship through some rocky waters as younger players try to find their identities on a new-look roster.

Everyone in Boston knows White’s value. An All-Star nod would be an acknowledgment that the rest of the league knows, too.

Let’s check in with our panel on the one thing they want to see from White this season:

Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor

Assertiveness. It took almost two seasons for the Celtics to convince White to shoot whenever he had an open look, and he blossomed into Boston’s third-best scorer as a result.

With Tatum out, he’s now the second-best scorer and will be asked to shoulder an even greater offensive load. Beyond taking open shots, it’d be great to see White look to create his own offense more frequently.

Michael Hurley, Web Producer

Keep being Derrick White. Maybe that sounds like an unserious response, but if I’m looking at Derrick White, I don’t want him to change a thing about his game. Good player. Stay that way.

Sean McGuire, Web Producer

I’d like to see White turn into a high-volume scorer behind Jaylen Brown. He’s been a consistent scorer, having averaged 16.4 points per game during a career season in 2024-25. That’s what was needed from him then, but it’s not what is needed now.

White had 17 games with 20 points or more but just four with 25-plus points and two of 30-plus. Given Boston will be without three of the team’s top six scorers from last season (Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday) White will need to pack a bigger punch in that department. 

Josh Canu, Media Editor

Be an All-Star. Derrick White is the No. 2 option for the Celtics this season. He has shown that when one of the Jays is out, he can pick up the slack. Now he has to do it every night.

I want to see if White is able to maintain his defensive impact while absorbing a bigger offensive role. If he finds that balance, he will be an All-Star this season.

Max Lederman, Content Producer

I want to see White average 22-plus points per game this season. He has the ability, but can he consistently score for the C’s without any diminishing returns on the defensive end?

Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy

I’d like to see him avoid a joyless cold streak. It’s sad to know he’s not having a blast out on the court.

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Antetokounmpo calls winning EuroBasket bronze 'probably the greatest accomplishment' in career

Giannis Antetokounmpo has an NBA championship ring and a Finals MVP trophy from 2021. He has two NBA MVP trophies.

However, after lifting Greece to the bronze medal in EuroBasket Sunday, he called that his greatest accomplishment.

"This is probably one of the biggest accomplishments that I've ever accomplished as an athlete. I know I've won an NBA championship, but there's no feeling like representing your national team and representing 12 million people that breathe and live this national team. This is probably the greatest accomplishment so far in my life."

Greece has the bronze because Antetokounmpo was dominant on Sunday, scoring 30 points and pulling down 17 rebounds to lead Greece to a 92-89 win over Lauri Markkanen and Finland.

This was the first time Greece has medaled at EuroBasket since it took the bronze in 2009.

Behind the play of the Kings' Dennis Schroder and the Magic's Franz Wagner, Germany took the EuroBasket crown, defeating the silver medal team Turkiye, led by the Rockets' Alperen Sengun.

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Some Warriors coaches reportedly didn't prefer Jonathan Kuminga in 2021 draft

Some Warriors coaches reportedly didn't prefer Jonathan Kuminga in 2021 draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

As the Jonathan Kuminga free-agency saga continues with the Warriors, it was revealed that some within the organization reportedly would have preferred to select a different player with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. 

“A few” members of the Warriors’ coaching staff voiced a preference to draft eventual Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner instead of Kuminga, but Golden State owner Joe Lacob was the “driving force” behind selecting the Congolese forward, ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania reported, citing sources, in a piece published Monday. Wagner was drafted one pick later by Orlando with the No. 8 selection. 

“Lacob has remained a staunch Kuminga supporter and vocal believer in his long-term future,” Slater and Charania wrote. “He voiced an unwillingness to include Kuminga in a proposed trade from Chicago for Alex Caruso a couple of seasons back, sources said, and was still glowing about Kuminga’s performance in May after he rose from out of Steve Kerr’s first-round rotation to the team’s leading scorer in the second-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.” 

Despite being drafted back-to-back, the two forwards have had vastly different experiences in their four years of NBA service. 

In four seasons with the Magic, Wagner has played 291 games and was in the Orlando starting five for each game he played. In contrast, Kuminga has played 258 regular-season games with the Warriors and has started in just 84. 

Wagner signed a five-year, $224 million contract with Orlando prior to the 2024-25 NBA season. Golden State has reportedly offered Kuminga a three-year, $75.2 million contract. 

Kuminga’s usage has fluctuated throughout his four-year career with the Warriors. In the 2023-24 season, he logged a career-high 26.3 minutes per game and played in 74 of the 82 regular-season games. That number saw a downtick to 24.3 minutes per game last season, as he battled injuries and rotation changes while appearing in just 47 games, a career low. 

The 22-year-old restricted free agent’s playing time under coach Steve Kerr took its biggest hit after the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat at the NBA trade deadline in February. 

Kuminga played in just three of the seven games in the first-round NBA playoff series against the Houston Rockets. That changed in the next series, as he broke out in the Western Conference semifinals against the Timberwolves in large part due to the hamstring injury to superstar Stephen Curry in Game 1 at Minnesota.  

In Curry’s absence, Kuminga was the Warriors’ leading scorer in the series, averaging 20.8 points per game. 

An obstacle to the re-signing of Jonathan Kuminga for the Warriors is the question of a substantial role for the forward, a key concern for Kuminga and his camp in free agency according to Slater and Charania. 

On the other hand, there has been no question about Wagner’s role with the Magic. Last season, the forward averaged 24.2 points per game, the second-most for the Magic behind NBA All-Star forward Paolo Banchero. 

Unlike Kuminga, Wagner did not face much competition for rotation minutes early in his career. In their rookie seasons, Orlando finished with a 22-60 record, the second-worst in the NBA in the 2021-22 season. In contrast, the Warriors went on to win the NBA Finals in that season, a much harder team to play vital rotation minutes for as a rookie. 

Although there was little difference in their draft position, there is a large gulf between Kuminga and Wagner in terms of contract size and team role in their young careers.

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Hawks trade point guard Kobe Bufkin to Nets for cash considerations

Kobe Bufkin has played in just 27 NBA games across two seasons — because of time in the G-League and injuries — but at Summer League in Las Vegas this July he showed some potential as a point guard who could run the pick-and-roll, like during his 29-point outing against the Heat (17 in the fourth quarter to spark a comeback win).

That was enough to get the Nets to take a chance on him.

Atlanta is trading Bufkin to Brooklyn for cash considerations, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.

For Atlanta, this is a salary dump. The Hawks save Bufkin's $4.5 million salary, putting them $7.7 million below the luxury tax line and $15.4 million below the first apron, where they are hard-capped (plus they create a trade exception they can use for the next year). For the Nets, this move puts them above the league's salary floor, but they still have $11.4 million in cap space to facilitate trades.

The Nets also get a one-year roll of the dice on Bufkin, to see if he is the point guard who was putting up so many points in Las Vegas, or if he is more the guy who was committing turnovers and not shooting consistently while he was doing so. This is the kind of move Nets GM Sean Marks made a lot during his first rebuild, taking a shot on a flawed player with potential to see if other teams have given up too quickly. Sometimes that works out, sometimes it doesn't, but it's a risk worth taking for the Nets, who are in the middle of another rebuild.

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Nets acquiring Kobe Bufkin for cash considerations in trade with Hawks: report

The Nets are acquiring guard Kobe Bufkin in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, reports ESPN's Shams Charania. 

Brooklyn is sending the Hawks cash considerations for the 21-year-old who was selected 15th overall out of Michigan in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Appearing in just 10 games for Atlanta last season, Bufkin averaged 5.3 points on 38.3 percent shooting (21.1 percent from three). He also added 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists while playing 12.4 minutes per game. He played in 17 games during his rookie season and has spent most of his professional career playing for the Hawks' NBA G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks.

Bukin, 6-foot-4 and 194 pounds, will join a crowded Nets roster and will look to make the team out of camp as perhaps a backup point guard.

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2025 WNBA Awards: Jackie Powell's picks for MVP, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved, and more

A common refrain about the 2025 WNBA season has been how much more parity exists across the league than in recent years. There’s an argument to be made that potentially five out of the eight teams currently in the playoffs have a fair shot to contend for the WNBA championship due to how rosters are constructed and the coaches for those teams.

Because of that parity and due to some unfortunate injuries to key players around the league throughout the season, determining season-ending awards has been more difficult than in recent memory. This was the fourth season that I cast my vote across the variety of awards that the league gives out to those who performed exceptionally during the 2025 regular season.

Ballots were officially due from voters by noon ET on Friday, September 12. The league will roll out the winners of these awards as the WNBA playoffs continue. Who probably will win and who should win? In this article, I'll reveal my ballot as well as who I expect will actually take home the various awards.

WNBA Most Valuable Player Award

Who should win:Napheesa Collier  — F, Minnesota Lynx

My vote went to Collier simply because she was incredibly consistent throughout the entire season. She was the best player on the most consistent team all season long. But also Collier made league history in a really meaningful way and became the first player in WNBA history to record a 50-40-90 (overall field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage) while averaging over 20 points per game. A 50-40-90 has only been accomplished one other time in league history when Elena Delle Donne did the same in 2019 while averaging 19.5 points per game. She won her second MVP award that very season.

Who will win: A’ja Wilson — C, Las Vegas Aces

Wilson will win because of how recency bias has often swayed WNBA voters. Wilson’s ability alongside her head coach Becky Hammon to rally the troops to start performing at their potential after the Aces fell 111-58 to Collier’s Minnesota Lynx has made a significant impression on voters. The Aces haven’t lost a game since that August 2 blowout game.

Also, Collier missed a bit over three weeks following that blowout. She sprained her right ankle in the third quarter of that game and for a while the Lynx kept their head above water and didn’t endure a huge amount of drop off. Since the Aces’ entire way of playing is based upon Wilson and her strengths, her team is much less capable and performs a lot worse without her. The on-off numbers don’t lie here.

WNBA Defensive Player of the Year

Who should win: Alanna Smith  — F, Minnesota Lynx

Being a great defender isn’t incumbent on just how many blocks and steals a player has or if they lead the league in defensive rebounding. Those are worthwhile numbers to consider, but those aren’t the be-all and end-all to determine who has been the most impactful defender in the league. I voted for Smith because of how much she anchors the Lynx’s defense and style of play even while Napheesa Collier was out with an ankle injury.

“I think [Smith] does more for us that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet than probably any other player in the league,” Kayla McBride said on August 10 during the three weeks Collier was out with her ankle sprain. “Her ability to put her body on the line and just the awareness and the competition level that she has on a nightly basis for us is priceless. We can put her on anybody.”

Smith has been the anchor of the team that was the top defense all season long. She’s an undersized center that often takes a lot of contact and uses her competitive nature in addition to her high basketball instincts to make some of the most dominant players in the league feel uncomfortable.

Who will win: A’ja Wilson — C, Las Vegas Aces

Defensive player of the year is one of the most difficult awards to assess simply because defensive aptitude is really difficult to determine just by box score stats like blocks, steals and defensive rebounds. Wilson averaged the most blocks this season with 2.3 and she averaged the second most defensive rebounds (7.9) to just Angel Reese with 8.5. Without her on the floor, the Aces’ defensive rating drops around 10 points.

The case for Wilson as DPOY is really quite similar to hers for MVP. While the Aces’ defense finished the regular season ranked eighth overall, along the last 15 games of the season it was ranked second led by Wilson. If recency bias prevails, I wouldn’t be shocked if Wilson wins her third DPOY.

WNBA Most Improved Player

Who should win: Veronica Burton — G, Golden State Valkyries

Who will win: Veronica Burton

Note: Burton was announced as the winner in overwhelming fashion on Monday afternoon, taking 68 out of the 74 votes.

Burton took such a huge jump as a player who got waived by the Wings a season ago, to a backup point guard on a veteran heavy Connecticut Sun team during the second half of the 2024 season to now the starting point guard on a playoff team in the Golden State Valkyries.

Burton has not only the narrative on her side but also the numbers. Her minutes have gone up year over year by over 131%, her scoring increased year or year by over 283% and her average assists also went up year over year by over 215%

While candidates like Azura Stevens, Allisha Gray, and Aliyah Boston all made fair cases when it came to their improved ceilings as players, there wasn’t a more dramatic year over year jump that overcame Burton’s. She earned my vote for that very reason and it is fair to assume that she earned the majority of the voting pool’s votes for that reason as well.

WNBA Sixth Player of the Year

Who should win: Natisha Hiedeman — G, Minnesota Lynx

The only rule the WNBA has to qualify for this award is that the player must come off the bench in more games than she has started. While Naz Hillmon only started in 17 games out of the 44 games she played, Hiedeman has only come off the bench this season. Hideman’s role all season long has been about providing a lot of energy off the bench when Courtney Williams isn’t playing her best. To me that’s a textbook definition of a sixth player of the year.

Although, Hiedeman definitely had some recency bias on her side when it came to getting my vote. In her last ten games of the season including the Lynx’s first playoff win against the Valkyries, Hiedeman has averaged 12.8 points, 52.3% shooting and 48.6% shooting from three-point range.

Who will win: Naz Hillmon — F, Atlanta Dream

The sixth player of the year and most improved awards can sometimes overlap. Is this an award about who is the best player coming off the bench or is this about which player has stood out the most in their role coming off the bench? Hillmon’s case as sixth player of the year is confusing to me simply because she was elevated off the bench with over a month left of the season. Once Brittney Griner injured her neck, Dream head coach Karl Smesko moved Hillmon to the starting lineup and didn’t really look back. Hillmon is starting in the playoffs.

Hillmon is such an important connector for the Dream and her development starting off as a back-to-the-basket post in college and then completely transforming her game so that she’s a tweener who can do a little bit of everything is incredibly impressive. There might be a desire to award a player on the Dream especially with Smesko most likely losing out on coach of the year and Allisha Gray not being in top contention for MVP.

WNBA Rookie of the Year

Who should win: Paige Bueckers — G, Dallas Wings

Who will win: Paige Bueckers

Bueckers proved to be exactly who many thought she would be while a star in college at Uconn. She’s a generational talent who plays on both sides of the ball who can create at a high level for herself and others. She’s someone who coaches and GMs build a team around and that’s exactly what I expect to be in the future of the Wings all things being equal.

Bueckers’ ability to take over a game was put on display on August 20 against the Sparks when she set a WNBA rookie record for points scored in a game with 44. She recorded the most points by player during the 2025 regular season in addition to becoming the first player in WNBA history to score over 40 points while shooting at least 80% from the field.

While Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen had impressive rookie seasons, they didn’t have to carry the load that Bueckers did when it came to scoring and distributing the basketball. Bueckers still managed a super high level of play all the while her team had 28 total injuries and 121 games lost to injury, some of the highest margins in the league.

WNBA Coach of the Year

Who should win: Natalie Nakase — Golden State Valkyries

Who will win: Natalie Nakase 

While I voted for Nakase and believe she’s the front runner, Karl Smekso achieved a huge feat. Not only did he transform one of the most inconsistent offenses in 2024 into a powerhouse in 2025, but he did so with players that didn’t fit his vision for how he likes to play. General Manager Dan Padover signed two back-to-the-basket centers for a team that was expected to play at a high pace and get up a ton of three-pointers. Smesko made lemonade out of lemons.

But the reason I voted for Nakase and why this is a relatively simple pick to make is because she took an expansion team without any top end talent to the postseason and coached that team to have the third-best defense in the league. No other expansion in league history has ever reached the playoffs. That’s a story in itself that reflects the buy-in that Nakase got from her players. Also, the Valkyries had some of the most injuries this season in the WNBA and the team still performed well enough to make the playoffs.

2025 All-WNBA Teams

I truly believe that Collier, Wilson, Thomas, Mitchell and Gray were the most consistently great players this season and that’s what All-WNBA ought to be about. The second team, however, is so difficult to judge just because Stewart and Ionescu both had moments where they were brilliant and had to uplift their heavily injured stricken team. Boston took a massive leap this year as a scorer and facilitator but also struggled when the Fever were absolutely decimated by injuries.

Nneka Ogwumike’s efficiency and consistency and the fact that she shot 51.9% from the field this season on a team that really struggled to create open looks on offense in the Storm is part of why she earned my second team vote here. While Young started out less efficient and potent than she’s expected to be just like the majority of that Las Vegas Aces team to start the season, she embraced her new role as the Aces’ primary ball handler and facilitator. Her pick-and-roll chemistry with A’ja Wilson has been untenable at points during the regular season.

My votes

First Team:

Napheesa Collier, A’ja Wilson, Alyssa Thomas, Kelsey Mitchell, Allisha Gray

Second Team:

Nneka Ogwumike, Jackie Young, Aliyah Boston, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu

Projected honorees

First Team:

A’ja Wilison, Napheesa Collier, Alyssa Thomas, Kelsey Mitchell, Allisha Gray

Second Team:

Nneka Ogwumike, Jackie Young, Aliyah Boston, Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum

WNBA All-Defensive Teams

The Lynx, the Dream, and the Valkyries all had the top three defenses in the league during the regular season. And as a result, my ballot reflected that. My first team included two Lynx players in Smith and Collier, two of the best defenders on the best defensive team in the league.

My second team was littered with players from the Dream and the Valkyries for that very reason. Brionna Jones anchored the Dream’s paint defense while Rhyne Howard took a step forward defensively proving she could competently defend forwards and guards. Burton was an excellent point of attack defender this year and Fágbénlé made it so difficult for centers like Aliyah Boston, Brionna Jones and Jonquel Jones to play well. Gabby Williams made my ballot because of how she averaged 2.3 steals a game while the Storm’s defensive rating drops 7 points without her on the floor.

Breanna Stewart earned my vote simply because of how much the Liberty’s defense suffered without her on the floor. Her ability to roam everywhere, help her teammates and then recover to hold her assignment which can be any player type of the floor, was something that stood out in particular this year.

Also, I expect that players like Ezi Magbegor and rookie Saniya Rivers are going to get votes simply because of their defensive reputation. Magbegor is known for her defensive excellence while Rivers also had a ton of stocks (steals and blocks combined) and became the second rookie in league history to have 100 steals and 100 blocks in a season.

My votes

First Team

Alanna Smith, A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, Gabby Williams, Breanna Stewart

Second Team

Alyssa Thomas, Brionna Jones, Temi Fágbénlé, Veronica Burton, Rhyne Howard

Projected honorees

First Team:

A’ja Wilson, Alanna Smith, Alyssa Thomas, Gabby Williams, Veronica Burton

Second Team:

Rhyne Howard, Breanna Stewart, Allisha Gray, Ezi Magbegor, Saniya Rivers

2025 WNBA All-Rookie Team

The 2025 rookie class will be one remembered for how deep it truly was. There are some years when it’s difficult to fill out an All-Rookie team just because so few rookies registered meaningful impacts, see 2021 and 2022. But 2025’s rookie class was not only highlighted by college draftees, but it also was highlighted by some international players who came over as a result of smart front office scouting.

The first three in Bueckers, Citron, and Iriafen are a given, but the final two spots were much more difficult. My decision came down to how Monique Akoa Makani and Te-Hina Paopao impacted their teams during critical moments rather than the rookies that scored the most points. Ako Makani has burst onto the scene as a really solid two-way presence able to lock-down an opponent’s best offensive threat. Paopao filled in at backup point guard multiple times when Dream starting point guard Jordin Canada dealt with multiple injuries during the regular season.

My votes

Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Monique Akoa Makani, Te-Hina Paopao

Projected honorees

Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Janelle Salaün, Dominique Malonga

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Bismack Biyombo returns to San Antonio on one-year deal

When Victor Wembanyama went out last season with a blood clot in his shoulder, the San Antonio Spurs turned to Bismack Biyombo. They signed the veteran big man and he played in 28 games for them, starting 26, giving them 5.1 points and 5.6 rebounds a game.

That was enough for the Spurs to bring him back. The Spurs have agreed to a one-year contract with Biyombo, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN.

Biyombo, entering his 15th NBA season, is an insurance plan for the Spurs. Wembanyama will start at center and seems poised for another huge leap entering his third season (which should scare the league). Behind him, the Spurs added Luke Kornet for depth. Biyombo slots in behind them at the five, he's not going to see a lot of run, but it's smart to have the veteran in house.

This is likely a fully guaranteed contract at the veteran minimum. That brings the Spurs up to a full roster of 15 heading into training camp, although Lindy Waters III is only partially guaranteed.

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Warriors reportedly up offer to Jonathan Kuminga to three years, $75.2 million, but stalemate remains

Jonathan Kuminga wants to be somewhere he is given a legitimate chance to shine. Right now he's a power forward on a team that already has Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, a team coached by Steve Kerr, who has never fully trusted him. The Golden State Warriors want a Kuminga contract that is primarily a trade chip, with a team option on the final season. Kuminga doesn't want to have his fate in the hands of a fickle trade market.

Which is why there remains a stalemate on a new Kuminga contract despite the Warriors increasing their offer to three years, $75.2 million, with a team option on the final year, reports Shams Charania and Anthony Slater at ESPN. That team option makes this a much more tradable contract. Even though the new offer would guarantee $48.3 million for Kuminga over the next two years — literally doubling how much money he has made in the NBA over his first four years — what Kuminga wants most is an opportunity. Something he has felt he never really got a fair chance at under Kerr. That's why one of Kuminga's counteroffers was the same contract, but with a player option in the final year.

All that boiled over and led to this exchange between Kuminga and Warriors owner Joe Lacob, ESPN reports.

But there was an underlying question from the Lacob side that felt most pressing. "Do you want to be here?"...

So Kuminga turned the question back on Lacob and the Warriors. "Do you even want me here?"

What Kuminga's camp wanted was a sign-and-trade this summer, but the offers that came in were not enough for Golden State. For example, Sacramento reportedly offered Dario Saric, Devin Carter and a lottery-protected first-round pick (some rumors suggest Malik Monk was the player to go with the pick). Phoenix made an offer as well that didn't include a first-rounder. What Kuminga liked about both of those situations was less about the money — which was close per year to what the Warriors just offered — and more that it was a three- or four-year contract with a player option, and both teams were going to make him their starting four.

Kuminga's leverage in negotiations with the Warriors is that he could follow the route Cam Thomas took in Brooklyn, sign the one-year qualifying offer at $7.8 million, which gives him a no trade clause for this season (which he could waive for the right deal) and would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer when half-a-dozen teams or more will have cap space to sign free agents. Kuminga's agent reportedly made a "souped-up" qualifying offer proposal, where Kuminga gets more than the $8 million but on a very tradable one-year contract. The Warriors don't like that because of the risk he could walk away at the end of the season for nothing if no trade is found.

Kuminga, 22, averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 47 games last season (he missed time with an ankle injury).

The Warriors remain in a holding pattern while the Kuminga situation plays out. Golden State has agreements in place to sign Al Horford at the taxpayer mid-level exception, then sign some combination of De'Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and Seth Curry at the veteran minimum. To do that, the Warriors (hard-capped at the second apron) can't offer Kuminga more than $22.5 million for the first year of his contract. At that price, he's not going to accept the team option on the final season.

So the Warriors remain stuck, trying to work out something with Kuminga before the Oct. 1 deadline when he would just take the qualifying offer.

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Suns reportedly included Royce O'Neale in Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade offer

Suns reportedly included Royce O'Neale in Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade offer originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors had an opportunity to trade one of their young players for a proven, sharpshooting wing this offseason, but opted not to.

Golden State, while fielding sign-and-trade offers for restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga this summer, rejected an offer from the Phoenix Suns that included veteran forward Royce O’Neale and second-round compensation, ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported in a story on Monday, citing sources.

The Warriors reportedly also turned down an offer from the Sacramento Kings that included guard Malik Monk and a future first-round pick.

The 32-year-old O’Neale, who signed with the Utah Jazz as an undrafted free agent in 2017 after playing two years overseas, spent five seasons in Utah before he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2022 and later the Suns in Feb. 2024.

In eight seasons, O’Neale has averaged 7.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game on 42.6-percent shooting from the field and an impressive 38.5 percent from 3-point range in 26.2 minutes per game.

While Kuminga’s ceiling — and potentially his current floor — undoubtedly is higher than O’Neale’s, the veteran forward could have provided Golden State a reliable sharpshooter and defender off the bench had the Warriors accepted the Suns’ offer.

Instead, Golden State since has halted all sign-and-trade discussions with interested teams, and it appears the Warriors and Kuminga ultimately will have to settle for a temporary solution that keeps the young forward under contract at least for the 2025-26 NBA season.

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