Category: Basketball

There’s a beautiful kind of joy that comes from watching a fanbase feel invincible for exactly one quarter.

Rewind to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers are up 22. Donovan Mitchell’s cooking, the crowd at the Garden is booing its own team, and somewhere in Cleveland, ten years of championship famine is doing that thing where it lets itself believe again. You know the feeling. Warriors fans have watched enough other fanbases live inside it to recognize the exact shape of the mirage.

Then the fourth quarter happened, and it happened fast. Up 22 with eight minutes left, the Cavs scored 15 the rest of regulation and folded on the other end while the Knicks picked Kenny Atkinson’s decision to stick with James Harden apart in real time, Harden finishing with more turnovers than made shots for the sixth time that postseason. Cleveland blew the 22, went to overtime tied, scored three points in the extra period, and lost — a franchise-level gut check, live, on national television, in a series they were supposed to at least make competitive. They never did make it competitive after that. New York finished the sweep with a 130-93 blowout, the first time Cleveland had been swept in a playoff series since 2018, when the team doing the sweeping wore blue and gold and had a guy named Curry running the show. Ten years after 3-1 became scripture in that city, Cleveland’s been victimized again by the power of the broom.

But the sweep wasn’t the gut punch. The sweep was just the appetizer, because what came after is the part that actually stayed with me. Here’s where I have to own something. I had zero inside information, no sourcing, nothing but vibes and a decade of watching this league, and I was certain LeBron was landing in Cleveland this summer. It just felt inevitable, the prodigal son, the second act, the fairy tale writing its own ending. Rich Paul was reportedly fielding voice-note pitches from half the league on LeBron’s behalf, with Cleveland on that list alongside Golden State, Miami, and Minnesota, and this wasn’t some distant, theoretical Cleveland pitch either.

Team president Koby Altman and assistant GM Brandon Weems reportedly sat down with Cavs ownership and LeBron’s camp in Akron in early July, his hometown, the actual place where the whole story started, while everyone else in the league was stuck relaying pitches through Rich Paul secondhand. Cleveland got the meeting nobody else got, and they cared enough about landing him that they reportedly held off finalizing James Harden’s new contract until they knew which way LeBron was leaning, betting the structure of their entire offseason on getting a yes.

That’s a team that genuinely thought it had the inside track. He called this one his “last decision,” took real time with it, genuinely weighed retirement, and picked Philadelphia anyway, over the hometown meeting, over the sentimental bookend to eleven seasons and two stints, the most he’s ever spent with one franchise, in favor of a team that had missed the playoffs the year before now built around LeBron, Joel Embiid, and a return trade for Jaylen Brown, chasing a championship window that has absolutely nothing to do with sentiment and everything to do with Mike Gansey deciding high-risk, high-reward was the only lane left. It worked out well for the Sixers. It’s a brutal thing for a franchise to get him in the room in Akron and still watch him walk out of it.

The second gut punch stings more than the first, honestly, because it wasn’t bad luck, it was inertia. While Cleveland waited on LeBron’s decision, they lost Dean Wade and Keon Ellis, their on-ball defense, gone, with nothing lined up to replace it, and there was no pivot to trade Evan Mobley for Giannis while that was reportedly on the table, no pivot to trade Donovan Mitchell for a stack of picks and start over. Instead they extended Mitchell on a deal that already looks shaky, kept an aging Harden who’s now a year further past his prime, and did it all in a conference that got harder while they stood still. One national outlet handed them a D grade for the summer and said it plainly: nobody had a worse offseason than Cleveland, and it wasn’t one bad move that got them there, it was the absence of any move at all.

So here’s where the Cavs actually are. Swept by the team that went on to win it all, thinner than the team that just ran them out of their own building in Game 4. The image that sticks is Akron in early July, Koby Altman and Brandon Weems in a room with LeBron James’s camp and Cavs ownership, the closest thing to a homecoming this franchise has gotten since 2014, everybody in that room aware of what 2016 meant and what it could mean again. And it still wasn’t enough. Cleveland got the one meeting nobody else in the league even got, and the greatest player in franchise history walked out of it and picked somewhere else anyway.

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

It’s been a full week since LeBron James announced his decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers instead of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That doesn’t leave much time for fans to gather their feelings. Still, we asked you earlier this week if James’ decision has negatively changed how you feel about him.

Cavs fans made themselves clear. This one hurt.

Nearly three-fourths of voters answered that James has negatively altered his connection to Cleveland with his decision to join the 76ers. The fans who participated in our poll said that they feel more negative about James now than before.

That’s understandable. No one wants to feel like a second or third option. Cleveland’s been through this feeling before, and it’s never fun.

Most of the fan base had likely made peace with James potentially ending his career in Los Angeles. But it was hard not to feel hopeful that a homecoming was on the table once James announced he was leaving the Lakers. The results of this decision were always going to be disappointing if the answer wasn’t Cleveland.

That said, I’d hope that no one is taking this too far.

James already fulfilled his promise to Cleveland. He’s done so while remaining true to Northeast Ohio through his various donations and community-building events. This isn’t someone who has abandoned his hometown. He just doesn’t want to end his career here.

It’s okay to feel disappointed by that. And it’s okay to feel like this relationship was more one-sided than you thought. Cavs fans were ready to welcome him with open arms, and instead, he’s leaving them hanging once again.

I’d be interested to see how this poll might change in a year. Feelings are as intense as they’ll ever be coming off the heels of the decision. Perhaps time will heal all wounds.

The Cavs certainly aren’t as screwed as they were the last time James burned them with a decision. Cleveland is still 10th in championship odds according to FanDuel and has the advantage of continuity that some other teams in the mix won’t be afforded next season.

Michael Porter Jr. had a career year and he’s due for a big payday. The one-time champion and near All-Star this past season put up a career-high 24.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

As training camp approaches, General Manager Sean Marks faces his most critical financial decision of the offseason: What is the right price tag for a Michael Porter Jr. contract extension?

Entering the final year of his current deal at $40.8 million, Mark Bartelstein and the Nets front office are still figuring things out, and it sounds like he wants to be back. But Brooklyn boasts ample cap flexibility and locking up the high-volume scorer long-term directly impacts future max cap space.

All said: Nets fans want MPJ kept in Brooklyn, but only at the right price.

Is it realistic? Maybe not. He’s already making more than this…

What do fans think Michael Porter Jr. is worth on the Nets? (AAV)

Nets fans voted this past week and offered their thoughts in the comment section.

The Sub-Max ($30M–$35M)

• Comment: “I voted $25M – $34M / year, but I disagree with the description ‘team-friendly discount’. I think it’s fair market value for the kind of player he is. I put him in a similar category as Mikal Bridges and Trey Murphy — guys who can put up big numbers on bad teams, but put them on a contender and they’re 3rd options at best. It’s not the Nets fault the Nuggets paid him like an all-star.”
  
• Comment: “I say 3yrs/$100M same as Randle’s last extension. Could even be $110M over 3yrs, which pushes it to the 3rd option in the poll. I look at what he should’ve got on his last deal as the leaping off point, not what he actually received. What he was paid on his last deal is why Denver had to attach a first round pick to move him. A $35M avg (give or take $1-2M) would be fair and keep his deal as movable should the Nets or he want a change.”
  
• Comment: “Don’t sign him for any more than you can trade him for. Given how contracts have looked lately, I’d guess that’s $30 million AAV. If that means a sign-and-trade next summer, so be it.”

Market Rate Reality Check ($40M+)

• Comment: “I think final deal will need to average 43 – 45 mil for total of 4 seasons including upcoming one. Preferably frontloaded so I see the total as 4/175-180.”
  
• Comment: “There’s no reason for anyone to think it’s going to be at a discount. And it shouldn’t be. Again, who else are the Nets paying money to now or in the near future? I don’t see any big ticket items coming this way. A 4 year deal for 170M is probably about where this ends up imo, tho the Nets may try to get him signed for 3 plus an option. Maybe that works, idk. I do think it’s fair to compare the Brandon Ingram deal, which I believe was 3/120M.”
  
• Comment: “MPJ was the number 1 player coming out of high school who never reached his full potential because of chronic back pain. He seems to have gotten over the back injury completely and just had his best season of his career in a tanking year. Seems like jordi can get the best out of him. I would expect him to be better than he was last year and potentially be an all star player. I would extend at all costs.”

Thanks to everybody who voted and/or participated.

This is a sponsored post. Check out the latest lines, futures, and player props by visiting FanDuel.

Let’s cut right to it. Trimming down decades of Knicks basketball to four shooting guards is an agonizing task.

Carving out the floor general Mt. Rushmore incited a few fierce debates. But the 2-guard spot is a whole different bag of beans. In many cases, the shooting guard position is the soul of the franchise. It has never just been about scoring. We are not simply looking at players who plumped up their stat sheets. New York’s history at 2-guard includes a mixture of confidence, erratic shot-making, and gritty defense that carried the emotional weight of the fan base.

Getting the list down to four faces meant leaving some legends off the rock. Even though their careers are worth the praise, they too are left in the viewing area, glancing up at the Knicks’ true shooting guard elite.

The Cuts

Before we get into the mountain, let’s show a little love to the ones that just missed the cut. The basketball historians are going to be furious with me, but neither Richie Guerin nor Carl Braun made our Rushmore.

Leaving Guerin off of the mountain really stings. The franchise’s first true backcourt superstar, he made the All-Star team six straight times and was the first Knick ever to score 50 points in a game. We all remember that 57-point outing in 1959, right? That single-game point total served as the franchise record until Bernard King finally broke it in 1984. The premier scorer of New York’s early days, Braun led the team to three straight finals appearances in the 1950s and earned five All-Star appearances himself.

So why are they both off the mountain?

When you really sit down and look at what makes a modern Knicks legend, it is not just about strong, consistent numbers in an eight-team league. It is all about lasting impact and the iconic playoff moments that define a generation. Most importantly, it is about banners. Guerin and Braun laid the foundation, but the four players on our Mt. Rushmore built the house.

Earl “The Pearl” Monroe

When the Knicks traded for Earl Monroe in 1971, the basketball world was skeptical about the fit. The narrative was that he could not coexist in a backcourt with Walt Frazier. Both possessing an overwhelming amount of flair, they were rivals who both needed the ball in their hands to be effective. Legitimate questions surrounded how two alpha players could both thrive in Red Holzman’s team-first system.

Instead of clashing, the two stars adapted perfectly. They formed the “Rolls Royce Backcourt,” which remains one of the greatest duos in NBA history. Sacrificing a chunk of his individual scoring numbers, Monroe brought a playground style of basketball that completely shifted New York’s dynamic. His elite spin moves and hesitation dribbles haunted defenders and effortlessly opened up the floor for his teammates.

Together with Frazier, Monroe figured the backcourt out and won the 1973 NBA Championship. A two-time All-Star in a Knicks uniform, Monroe is a Hall of Famer whose #15 hangs in the rafters of Madison Square Garden. Without a doubt, “The Pearl” is the undisputed first face on our mountain.

Allan Houston

If we are discussing the purest, most visually pleasing jump shots in basketball history, Allan Houston makes the short list with his flawless mechanics. The Knicks’ primary offensive anchor in the late 90s and early 2000s, he consistently carried the scoring load in an era where points were hard to come by.

Sitting fourth all-time in franchise scoring with 11,165 points, Houston only trails Patrick Ewing, Frazier, and Willis Reed. Using that aforementioned silky smooth shot, he is also second in franchise history in made three-pointers. A two-time All-Star with the Knicks, Houston’s consistent effectiveness continued even as the roster around him shifted.

Though his stats are worthy of recognition, they are not what puts Houston’s face on the mountain.

Obviously, it’s the runner in Game 5 against the Heat in 1999. If you were alive at the time, you know exactly where you were when it happened. Even though I was just 10 years old, I can still remember sitting on my living room loveseat, the only person paying attention, and jumping up and down as Houston ran down the court, punching the air in celebration. You know exactly how it felt watching that ball float in the air, bounce off the front of the rim, hit the backboard, and finally fall through the net with 0.8 seconds left.

Without question, it is one of the top three most important shots in Knicks history. It sparked an unfathomable run to the finals and secured Houston’s spot on Rushmore.

John Starks

This is where we ditch pure stats and lean into culture and unfiltered passion. John Starks does not have the numbers of a Guerin or Bruan. But if this mountain is based on what it actually means to be a Knick (FYI, it is), Starks might be the most important face carved up there.

The origin story itself is legendary. We all know about his bagging groceries, playing in the minor leagues, and going completely undrafted. Literally fighting his way onto the roster, he famously attempted to dunk on Patrick Ewing in practice and injured his knee, keeping the team from cutting him. From that moment on, he transformed into New York’s emotional engine. Consistently playing with a chip on his shoulder, Starks feared no one. Whether it was Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, or anyone else stepping onto the Garden floor, he was up to the challenge.

Of course, we will always have “The Dunk.” It is the ultimate highlight and a play that still gives so many people chills every time it is shown.

Of course, because we are Knicks fans, we must acknowledge the pain. Starks cannot be brought up without mentioning the 2-for-18 shooting performance in Game 7 of the ’94 Finals against Houston. It still stings (maybe not as much after this season). Starks was both deeply flawed and incredibly erratic, but he gave his absolute heart and soul to New York. He lived and died with every possession, just like fans do both in the stands and at home. You cannot write the history of the Knicks franchise without John Starks.

Dick Barnett

The final spot is where we bring the hammer down on anyone clamoring for us to include the 1950s guys. Dick Barnett possesses the ultimate “ace in the hole” in this debate for one simple reason: rings.

When people reminisce on the golden era of New York basketball, Frazier, Reed and Monroe generally receive most of the historical glory. However, Dick Barnett was a ruthless and high-scoring contributor who served as a crucial piece of both the 1970 and 1973 championship teams.

Averaging close to 16 points per game over his nine seasons with the Knicks, his signature Fall Back Baby” Jumper was close to unguardable. A bizarre mechanical masterpiece, the shot devasted defenses for years. When Reed went down in the 1970s Finals, players like Barnett stepped up and kept the offense going. We simply cannot construct a Knicks shooting guard Mt. Rushmore and leave off a two-time champion whose jersey is retired—the hardware and legacy matter. The debate ends right there.

So, there it is.

We have “The Pearl,” Houston, Starks, and Barnett. It is a Mount Rushmore built on elegance, grit, and hardware.

Now it’s your turn. Who am I disrespecting? Are the historians right to demand Guerin over Starks? Does Barnett really deserve the nod over Braun just because he won two rings? Did I totally miss someone obvious? Let me know where I went wrong below.

While the Golden State Warriors have re-signed Draymond Green as they fill out their roster after losing the LeBron James sweepstakes, Dubs free agent Gary Payton II remains on the market. However, according to a report by Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Payton remains “in consideration for a minimum deal from the Warriors” as the front office is working to fill out the roster, which has three spots remaining. Per Siegel, Payton “shares a level of mutual interest in returning to the Warriors.”

A basketball journeyman for most of his twenties, Payton found his place as a high-energy role player who has the ability to lockdown players on the perimeter. Payton has played with the Warriors for each of the past six seasons (although he did also have a short stint with the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2022-23 season). Despite his long injury history, Payton has been quietly one of the Dubs healthiest role players over the past two seasons.

In 2025-26, Payton averaged 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.9 steals in 15.6 minutes per game across 73 appearances on 58.3%/29.1%/65.0% shooting. For his career, the 33-year-old Payton has averaged 5.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steal in 15.1 minutes per game on 56.4%/32.8%/63.0% shooting.

Which NBA team Steve Kerr nearly coached instead of Warriors, per Rick Carlisle originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

From the moment he took over as coach in 2014, the Warriors have found nothing but success with Steve Kerr at the helm.

The Warriors won the NBA Finals in three of his first four NBA seasons and made it to the Finals in each of his first five seasons. They instantly became one of the sport’s most important dynasties, but as revealed by Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, there was almost a world where Kerr wasn’t the Warriors’ coach.

When appearing on “The Draymond Green Show,” Carlisle shared that he advised Kerr to consider the Golden State job seriously rather than signing on with the New York Knicks.

“I said, ‘What’s going on with the Knicks? I keep hearing you’re going to take the job, but it hasn’t happened yet,'” Carlisle told Green of his conversation with Kerr. “He said, ‘Well, they don’t — they don’t want to do the fourth year.’ Now, this was when it was this was a different regime, and they were they were were quabbling over the fourth year.

“And I said, ‘Steve, do you have any idea how much money that the Madison Square Garden operation has with Cable Vision and all that?’ … He goes, ‘Well, there’s — I don’t know — some reasons.’ I said, ‘I’ve heard your name with Golden State a little bit. … That is a conference finals team, like right now. If you want to go to a team ready to win, that’s the place you should go if you can.'”

While Kerr might have just wanted a listening ear, Carlisle’s pep talk motivated him to head to Golden State, with the Pacers coach revealing that he took the Warriors job two days later.

As for the Knicks, they ended up going through head coaches seemingly every other year after hiring Derek Fisher that same cycle. They ended up going through three head coaches from 2014-19 before finally finding some stability with Tom Thibodeau.

We will never know if Kerr would have been the steady hand for the Knicks had they not balked on the fourth year, but Warriors fans certainly will be grateful for New York’s negotiating blunder.

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The landscape of the NBA is quickly shifting. It’s been an offseason for the ages, and it’s not finished yet.

LeBron to Philly. Giannis to Miami. LaMelo to Minnesota. Kawhi back to Toronto. Ja to Portland. Brown to Philly. Bridges to Phoenix. Kessler to the Lakers. Randle to the Nets. Ingram to the Clippers. Herro to the Bucks. The list goes on and on.

But what’s happened in our territory? Let’s break down where the Pacific Division stands right now.

Phoenix Suns

In: Miles Bridges (trade, Hornets, plus a 2029 first and 2027 second), Koa Peat (Draft, No. 30, traded up with Dallas), Luke Kennard (2 yrs, $13M, player option), Mark Williams (re-signed, 3/$38M fully guaranteed), Collin Gillespie (re-signed, 4/$48M), Jordan Goodwin (re-signed, 3/$19M)

Out: Grayson Allen (Hornets), Royce O’Neale (Hornets), 2033 first-round pick

A clean sweep of the priority free agents, a trade that swapped two undersized shooters for a 6’7″ forward who plays downhill, and the local kid Peat staying in Arizona at 30. Kennard, who led the league in three-point percentage at 47.8, is the shooting patch, and Phoenix did all of it while keeping its books flexible under the second apron. The Athletic and ESPN both handed the summer a B-range grade, with the only real hesitation being how Bridges fits the culture.

Golden State Warriors

In: Yaxel Lendeborg (Draft, No. 11), Kristaps Porzingis (re-signed, 2/$40M), Al Horford (re-signed), Charles Bassey (re-signed), Draymond Green (re-signed, 1/$27M)

Out: Quinten Post (offer sheet unmatched, Grizzlies)

Draymond opted out specifically to clear the runway for a LeBron signing and an Anthony Davis trade, an all-in swing to give Curry one last shot. You can kiss that dream goodbye. LeBron picked Philadelphia. What’s left is a run-it-back roster that leaned into size, bringing back Porzingis, Draymond, Horford, and Bassey around a bigger-than-usual front line. It’ll be interesting to see if that’s a plan or just the fallback. There has to be something else up their sleeves, right? RIGHT?!

Los Angeles Clippers

In: Rui Hachimura (2 yrs, $28M), Keaton Wagler (Draft, No. 5, via Indiana), Baba Miller (Draft, No. 36). Pending the Kawhi trade: Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected 2031 and 2033 firsts, a 2027 swap, and two seconds from Toronto

Out: Bogdan Bogdanovic (option declined, signed with Houston), Bradley Beal (declined player option, free agent). Pending: Kawhi Leonard (agreed to Raptors)

The Kawhi era is ending, but it hasn’t ended yet. The Clippers and Raptors agreed to the deal on June 30, then hit pause on July 9 while the NBA finishes its probe into whether the team circumvented the cap by funneling money to Leonard through his endorsement deal with the now-bankrupt company Aspiration. The fact-finding phase is reportedly wrapped, and the league is now deciding whether to hand down discipline to Leonard, the Clippers, or Steve Ballmer, a call that could still go to an arbitrator. Until it resolves, Kawhi is technically still a Clipper, and Ingram is technically still a Raptor.

On paper, the return is a genuine haul: a top-five pick in Wagler, real young talent, and unprotected picks. It’s the smartest sad trade of the summer. On the calendar, it’s in limbo, and that makes the Clippers the West’s most fascinating in-betweener, whether the deal clears or not.

Los Angeles Lakers

In: Walker Kessler (sign-and-trade, Jazz, 4/$130M), Quentin Grimes (4 yrs, $60M), Sandro Mamukelashvili (4/$52M), Collin Sexton (2 yrs, $19M), Kevon Looney (1 yr, $3.9M), Cameron Carr (Draft, No. 24, traded up with the Knicks), Austin Reaves (re-signed, new max deal)

Out: LeBron James (signed with Philadelphia), Deandre Ayton (trade, Wizards, for Jaden Hardy and two seconds), Rui Hachimura (Clippers), Marcus Smart (Rockets), Luke Kennard (Suns), Jaxson Hayes (Jazz), unprotected 2031 and 2033 firsts plus two swaps to Utah

LeBron is gone to Philadelphia, and the response was mortgaging the pick cupboard to build a deep defensive roster around Luka. The last thread still dangling is Jonathan Kuminga, now a free agent after Atlanta declined his $24.3M option, with a backup center still on the shopping list. Getting Kuminga above the minimum means a sign-and-trade routed through the Hawks, which is where the Lakers are stuck.

They moved up for Cameron Carr, the exact 7-foot-wingspan Baylor wing this fan base spent draft season dreaming about, and watching Ayton get flipped for spare parts closes that chapter for good. They acquired some sneaky role players who their fan base will surely overrate.

Sacramento Kings

In: Darius Acuff Jr. (Draft, No. 7), Alex Karaban (Draft, No. 29, traded up), Emanuel Sharp (Draft, No. 45), Precious Achiuwa (re-signed, 2/$11.5M)

Out: DeMar DeRozan (waived), Devin Carter (trade, Hawks)

LaVine opted into his $49M, DeRozan got waived, Sabonis is openly on the trade market, and Sacramento is chasing a Jalen Duren sign-and-trade that Detroit reportedly wants no part of, with the Pistons holding firm that they won’t move Duren that way. Classic Kings: the biggest move of their offseason hasn’t happened yet, and it probably never will.

My way too early predictions for the Pacific Division, ranked in tiers:

• Tier 1: Lakers, Suns
• Tier 2: Clippers, Warriors
• (significant gap)
• Tier 3: Kings

You don’t need to understand basketball to own an NBA team.

You need to understand money. How it talks and walks. The mechanisms it uses to make the world go around. Basketball is merely a conduit.

For a while, it was unclear whether Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta understood his function. It’s somewhat understandable. When you own something, there’s an understandable instinct to take ownership.

(I assume).

But Fertitta does not know basketball. He said Chris Paul had the worst contract in the NBA, and traded him for a player with a worse contract, along with draft capital that the Rockets just stopped paying out this summer. It was the worst trade in Rockets history that didn’t involve Moses Malone.

It’s not a mistake he’s set to make again.

Rockets owner vows to take hands-off approach

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon says that Fertitta is done “meddling” with the Rockets.

Thank God.

If you Google Fertitta, you won’t see “Houston Rockets owner” autopopulate your search first. You’ll see “U.S. Ambassador to Italy”. If you didn’t know, he’s a big old Trumper.

Perhaps you’re reading this, and you’re a MAGA guy too. Let’s not digress too far down this rabbit hole. I’m not.

But as long as Fertitta knows what he has to do to Make The Rockets Great Again (MRAGA, patent pending), he’s OK with me.

After all, there’s a whole other can of worms to open here. Is Rafael Stone a good General Manager? Is Fertitta even doing the right thing by delegating the work to him?

I’ve been quite clear on my take: Yes. Yet, even if you disagree, Fertitta’s thought process is fundamentally sound. Leave the basketball decisions to the basketball decision guy. He’s responsible for the financial decisions.

There is, of course, crossover there. The Rockets traded Dorian Finney-Smith this summer. It was initially confusing. It was a salary dump, and the Rockets could have signed Marcus Smart without dumping the salary, so why not just stash Finney-Smith at the end of the bench instead of hastily moving him?

Oh…money.

The Rockets were seemingly ducking the second apron of the salary cap. Fertitta was likely thinking about his pockets. It’s hard to blame him if he’s looking to cut costs on a team that won’t win the NBA championship this year anyway. Even then, there are basketball reasons to avoid the second apron. The Rockets don’t want to have their draft picks frozen via the repeater tax.

It could be said that it’s easy enough for Fertitta to say this now. When the rubber hits the road, and Rafael Stone wants to make a future-focused trade that could hurt the short-term bottom line, Fertitta could step in.

For now, let’s just be encouraged that he won’t be trading Chris Paul and picks for Russell Westbrook again.

Terry Rozier’s court case took a wild turn on Friday.

Rozier, under federal investigation for four criminal counts — including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering — revealed text messages that he believes will exonerate him from the case.

In a new filing, the former Hornets and Heat star said that he never manipulated his performance for the sake of helping bettors cash in big money. Rozier cited a text message sent from Deniro Laster, Rozier’s friend and co-defendant, six days after a March 29, 2023 game which he is accused of pulling himself out of with a phantom injury.

“Dont tell chum bout the bet,” Laster said in the message, allegedly instructing a person to keep Rozier out of the betting loop.

The defense asked a federal judge to throw out two of the four charges that were brought against him by the U.S. Department of Justice, claiming the text proves he had no knowledge of the transgressions.

“This should end the case,” Rozier, who is represented by David Markus and Margot Moss, said. “One does not hide a bet from the person who supposedly sold it.”

Federal prosecutors argue that Rozier agreed to accept a $100,000 payment to take himself out early from the 2023 game so that a group of gamblers could win bets.

“Terry Rozier is innocent,” lawyers for Rozier added. “He is a basketball player, not a gambler. He never bet on anything, never agreed to underperform, never did underperform, and did not know that anyone was wagering on his statistics in the Charlotte Hornets’ March 23, 2023, game.”

Rozier faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, and he has been released from his contract with the Miami Heat.

The Golden State Warriors front office will not be dodging any of the criticism that they only are willing to make the obvious moves after a report by Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints that the Dubs front office “has not completely moved on from the idea of one day reuniting Curry with former Warrior and two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant.”

After striking out this offseason on any major upgrades, reportedly making runs at LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Trey Murphy III, the Warriors remain the only NBA team that has not acquired a player via trade or free agency. Golden State opted to re-sign Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, and De’Anthony Melton with the salary cap flexibility the team had available. So now, trades, likely closer to the deadline next February, remain the next available path to returning to contention.

Siegel’s report reflects that strategy and noted the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic as two teams with star players that could be on the trade block if things get off to a rocky start next season. While Siegel did not mention the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Cavs are another team that could be on the verge of a massive shift after losing Dean Wade in free agency and failing to make any big offseason acquisitions in a much stronger Eastern Conference.

It’s critical to remember that the Warriors agreed to a deal to acquire Durant back in 2024. However, when Durant said he did not want to be traded to Golden State, the front office shifted and added Jimmy Butler instead. As Siegel points out, even if the Rockets did end up shopping Durant, would they be interested in what the Warriors had to offer and would he want to return?

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The reported trade between the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers centered on star forward Kawhi Leonard has yet to be completed due to an ongoing NBA investigation. Yet, the Raptors remain the heavy favorite in the Kawhi Leonard next team prediction market at Kalshi — one of our best prediction market apps.

NBA betting analyst Jon Metler breaks down all you need to know about the market and the rules for it settling.

Current market snapshot: Kalshi odds & pricing

Outcome		Win probability	Market settlement date
Raptors	-212	68%	October 21, 2026
Clippers	+270	27%	October 21, 2026
Warriors	+4900	2%	October 21, 2026

The investigation and trade status explained

• Background context:The Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers agreed to a blockbuster deal that would send Kawhi Leonard to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a pick swap, and two second-round picks. However, the trade has been put on hold while the Clippers and Leonard are investigated for allegedly circumventing the salary cap by funneling payments to Leonard through a company called Aspiration during his time with the team.

• Why the delay exists:The trade was ultimately put on hold because Adam Silver has yet to conclude his investigation into Leonard and the Clippers or issue any penalties. If Leonard is traded before the investigation is resolved, the Raptors would inherit any punishment stemming from his alleged salary cap violations.

Clippers need to pull the first-rounders out of the package and get this trade over the finish line.

Can't have Brandon Ingram back in Toronto while Kawhi Leonard is stranded in LA. pic.twitter.com/YCED7dGPde

— Jon Metler (@JonMetler) July 30, 2026

Deep dive: How Kalshi settles voided or delayed trades

• Resolution source:According to Kalshi's rules, a Next Team market isn't settled until a trade receives "official trade execution as approved by the league office." Because this deal has been put on hold and has not been approved by the league office, Leonard has not officially joined the Raptors.

• Cutoff date impact:This market has an October 21, 2026 cutoff for Leonard's next team. If the trade isn't officially approved by the league office before then—and the Clippers don't trade Leonard elsewhere—the Los Angeles Clippers are the winning side. For the Raptors to win this market, the league must officially execute the trade before the October 21 deadline.

  • If Leonard remains contractually on the Clippers roster on the settlement deadline because the deal was voided or unapproved, "LA Clippers" resolves to 100¢ ($1.00) while "Toronto Raptors" resolves to 0¢.

Strategic takeaways for prediction market bettors

• Hedging options:If you grabbed the Raptors at a great price and thought you had already won when the trade was announced, you may not be as close to getting paid as you think. Reports suggesting the Clippers are willing to bring Leonard back rather than negotiate a revised deal with Toronto are concerning. Your next move depends on the price you're holding, but I'd be following this story closely and considering taking profits by selling your position while you still have the opportunity. It's a difficult decision when you believed the market was settled, but if the Raptors can't complete the deal and the Clippers are comfortable keeping Leonard, the odds of this trade being finalized are becoming increasingly slim.

• Risk factors:The biggest concern with this market is the October 21, 2026 settlement deadline. If the investigation drags into the season and the Raptors-Clippers deal remains on hold, Leonard could eventually land in Toronto—but not before the deadline needed for Raptors shares to win. Bringing back traded players like Brandon Ingram would create complications, making it possible this deal stays frozen until both sides are satisfied. The issue for traders is simple: the trade must be officially completed before October 21, 2026 for the Raptors to cash.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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When Victor Wembanyama suits up for the San Antonio Spurs, his footwear won’t look any different — at least not for a long time.

The 22-year-old phenom has extended his contract with Nike that will include a signature shoe line, Nike announced Friday, July 31.

”We are proud to continue supporting Victor Wembanyama’s journey with Nike,” the company said in a statement. ”As one of the most unique and influential athletes in the world, Victor is a generational talent who continues to inspire the game’s next generation. We are excited about all that we’ve built together and look forward to more wins ahead.”

Wembanyama had already been a Nike athlete, though his current deal was set to expire in October 2026. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but ESPN reported that the extension is “long term.”

The shoe company already sold Wembanyama-inspired shoes, such as the G.T. Cut 4 “Victor Wembanyama” models that he used this past season, but this new deal could amplify the brand’s relationship with Wembanyama. Nike has already showcased a personalized alien logo that capitalizes on Wembanyama’s nickname, though the brand hinted on its Instagram page that the personalization around its Wembanyama line could be expanding.