Category: Basketball

The Knicks have fired off a “cease and desist” letter to America-hating state Senate candidate Aber Kawas, threatening to slap her with a lawsuit for ripping a page out of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s playbook and using the NBA champs’ iconic logo to boost her campaign, The Post has learned.

Kawas – a Mamdani-backed, Democratic Socialist of America member who once described 9/11 as a terror attack that a “couple of people did” – tried to win over voters by using a doctored version of the Knicks logo on social media posts and campaign stickers throughout her primary run, which ended with her clinching the Democratic nomination for a Queens state Senate seat on Tuesday. 

Bryan N. Warner, senior vice president and head of legal for Madison Square Garden Sports, sent the letter to Kawas’ campaign Friday night “demand[ing]” it “immediately remove all promotional materials incorporating Knicks Intellectual Property, including but not limited to the unauthorized Advertisements, and cease any further use of Knicks Intellectual Property.”

“Neither the Knicks nor NBA [Properties] have authorized the Campaign to use Knicks Intellectual Property in any way, including the Unauthorized Advertisements, which are likely to mislead the public into believing that the Campaign is affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by, or in some way connected with the Knicks,” he wrote in the letter exclusively obtained by The Post.

“The Campaign’s activities in this regard constitute, among other things, trademark infringement, trademark dilution, false advertising, false association, and unfair competition.”

Kawas’ shameless bid to use the Knicks success and popularity for her own benefit includes a June 20 campaign message on X – posted a week after the Knicks won their first NBA Finals championship in 53 years.

It uses a logo with the slogan “I Voted for Aber Kawas” that features the same font, orange-and-blue colors, and iconic basketball as the Knicks logo — but replaces the team’s name with “Kawas.”

“Head to the polls to claim your “I Voted for Aber Kawas” champion sticker,” the post also says, while featuring a basketball emoji. “Earn bragging rights, make your friends jealous, and let everyone know that you’re part of our movement to fight for the world in the world’s borough.”

Mamdani tried to pull the same slick trick in October while campaigning for mayor, airing an ad during the team’s season opener that featured an altered logo replacing the word “Knicks” with “Zohran.”

Mamdani pulled the ad after the team slammed him with a “cease and desist” letter and stressed it wasn’t making any endorsements in the race.

Billionaire Knicks and MSG owner James Dolan — a longtime friend of President Trump — got into a public feud earlier this month with the Mamdani administration over cancelled fan watch parties outside MSG during the NBA Finals due to city-imposed security measures.

The tension spilled over into awkward public exchanges by both sides during the team’s June 18 victory parade and City Hall ceremony honoring the Knicks, which Mamdani hosted and Dolan attended.

Kawas is a former intern for the Council on American-Islamic Relations who has remained affiliated with the controversial Muslim charity through her activism for more than a decade.

She has come under fire for incendiary comments about 9/11, which resurfaced on X last year after news of Mamdani’s reported support for her campaign came to light.

“The system of capitalism and racism and white supremacy et cetera — and Islamophobia — have all been used, you know, to colonize lands, to take resources from other people, and so this is a long trajectory and we are just seeing the manifestations of that continuation … with 9/11,” she said in an unearthed video segment posted by Australian political activist Drew Pavlou.

“The idea we have to apologize for like a terror attack that like a couple of people did and then there is no apology or reparations for genocides and for slavery, et cetera — is something I find reprehensible,” she added. 

The far left pol also believes federal holidays are no cause for celebration, The Post reported in December.

“Whether it is July 4th, Thanksgiving, Veterans, Columbus or now Labor Day, we enjoy days off that are supposed to be victories for people, when they truly represent the silencing & destruction of our movements,” the  longtime Palestinian-American activist wrote in an online journal posted on Sept. 7, 2015 — Labor Day.

“Today I do not celebrate a day off, I only recommit myself to a global movement that fights against the death, displacement, and exploitation of people for capital.”

Kawas campaign did not immediately return messages. 

A MSG rep said the letter speaks for itself and declined further comment.

The Celtics have signed Ron Harper Jr. to a three-year, $9 million contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Saturday afternoon. It’s a win for both sides: Harper Jr. gets his first long-term NBA contract at 26 years old, fresh off the best season of his career.

And the Celtics get a hard-playing role player with plenty of upside on a financially savvy deal, someone who can stretch the floor, defend, and rebound at a high level.

It’s been a long journey for Ron Harper Jr. to get here

Ron Harper Jr. went undrafted in 2022 after a standout career at Rutgers. Since then, he’s bounced around the league, spending some time with the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons.

Last year, he began the season with Boston on an Exhibit-1o, training camp contract, and ultimately secured one of the team’s three two-way contracts. Then, after excelling with the Maine Celtics, he began to spend more time with the parent club and ultimately signed a standard, rest-of-season contract with the Celtics in April.

But Harper’s tenure with Boston began before last year. He was on the Celtics Summer League team in 2024 and was on a training camp deal that fall. At that Summer League, he was coming off a season-ending shoulder injury but told reporters he was ready to play with toughness and grit.

“I’m a player that’s going to play hard, play the right way, play within himself,” he said then.

In turn, began the 2024-2025 season with the Maine Celtics, before signing a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons. After that contract expired, he returned to Boston. This year, he’ll begin his third consecutive training camp in Boston – though for the very first time, he’ll have guaranteed money.

The former Rutgers standout averaged 11 minutes in 29 NBA games last year, getting three starts. He scored a career-high 27 points to go along with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in a win over the Orlando Magic in mid-April. But his breakthrough moment came before that, when he started his first-ever NBA game in Houston, guarded Rockets forward Kevin Durant, and scored a then-career-high 11 points.

“I feel like I know the system; the coverages are like the back of my hand,” Harper Jr. said after the game. “That was a big part of the process and the decision to be coming back in the summer — I just knew the team, I knew the coaches, I knew the system.”

The decision clearly paid off. Harper Jr. averaged 4.2 points and 1.7 rebounds, shooting 41.8% from the field and 35% from three last year.

Now, he gets his first-ever guaranteed contract.

Ron Harper Jr. could be the first of several Celtics extensions

The Celtics will also have the ability to extend Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta this offseason, and Payton Pritchard in October. Jaylen Brown is also eligible for a two-year, $140 million extension in July, though his future in Boston remains uncertain after he was reportedly offered in a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Ever since Knicks team owner James Dolan declared that the team cannot go into the second apron on WFAN’s Carton Show earlier in June, every move the club has made so far has hinted at going down that path.

This week’s NBA Draft saw the Knicks trade out of the first round -- and a guaranteed contract -- and step down to the second round, where they continued to move back. 

Originally armed with the 24, 31 and 55 in the draft, New York ended up collecting a boatload of second-round picks in future drafts and selecting 39th and 47th overall, for players that will be on cheaper minimum deals or two-way contracts.

That series of moves hints at the Knicks trying to duck the second apron. 

As free agency rapidly approaches this upcoming week, the Knicks should rethink their strategy. It will likely cause them to lose Mitchell Robinson and/or Landry Shamet in free agency, which could have an extremely negative impact on their chances of successfully defending the NBA championship next season.

Key cogs

Robinson and Shamet were vital contributors to the Knicks’ championship run. Both players’ performances were reflective of a Knicks roster that had depth where its bench filled in the gaps around New York’s stars.

If the Knicks lose Robinson, it will be nearly impossible to replace him. 

The seven-footer has been with the Knicks since he was drafted by the club in the second round in 2018. Robinson is a unique player. He’s been one of the top offensive rebounders in the NBA over the last several years. His work on the offensive glass has won playoff games for the Knicks. 

In the championship clincher against the San Antonio Spurs, six of Robinson’s 10 rebounds came on the offensive end; this included an offensive board on a missed free-throw that pretty much sealed the title.

Shamet was a reliable two-way guard. On a minimum contract, he played credible defense, and was an effective outside threat, knocking down 47.5 percent of his three-point attempts during the postseason. Shamet was another perimeter option New York could go to if Mikal Bridges or Josh Hart had quiet nights. 

There were several games where Shamet closed in the fourth quarters of important games.

Robinson seems like the most likely casualty. Several teams in need of centers can offer the non-tax midlevel exception of about $15 million. If the Knicks stay under the second apron, they won’t be able to compete with those offers.

There aren’t many players the Knicks would be able to find on the cheap to replace Robinson or Shamet that would also be able to replicate their value.

It makes sense for the Knicks to be concerned about the second apron, the penalties to team building are stark. 

Teams in the second apron lose access to the taxpayer midlevel exception, can’t aggregate multiple salaries to acquire larger-salaried players, and can’t use cash in trades, among other restrictions. Then, there are the hefty luxury tax payments. But going into the second apron for one or two years would be worth it, if it gives the Knicks a chance to contend for more championships.

The numbers

Going forward, staying under the second apron will be a challenge. New York has been active in the offseason already, agreeing to multi-year deals to re-sign Mohamed Diawara and Jose Alvarado. The 2026-27 salary figures on the agreements aren’t clear, but the Knicks are not too far from the $222 million second apron threshold.

Ducking the apron is a problem that won’t go away after the new season. New York’s starting lineup is set to make just under a combined $192 million for the 2026-27 season. Depending on potential contract extensions for Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart in the near future, that group can still become even more expensive.

As that figure is just about $30 million away from the second apron, the Knicks will likely have to think about re-orienting the pay allocation around the starting lineup. But that’s something that can wait.

The Knicks have a real chance to repeat going into next season, so dealing with the financial constraints for one or two more years is worth it. New York had not won a championship in the last 53 years. So, realizing this moment, where the Knicks have a real chance to compete for a championship again, is imperative.

With the official opening of NBA free agency just days away, we inch closer to the point where we can better understand what next season’s Lakers will look like.

We already know that Austin Reaves will return, but beyond bringing him back on a max contract, President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka and this Lakers front office has much work to do in building out a roster that can fulfill the promise of putting a championship-level group around Luka Dončić.

Depending on who you ask, the team’s most pressing priorities range from upgrading the team’s starting center to determining what will happen with LeBron James to finding a younger, defensive-minded wing who could slot between Dončić and Reaves. All, of course, are super important and, when considering these are just priorities and not all that needs to happen, only reinforce the amount of work left to build out the team.

Many of the Lakers top targets are well known and heavily reported on already. The point of this discussion isn’t to dive into all of those names now, but rather to look at a (mostly) different crop of names.

More specifically, players whose contract status is more liquid, either in the form of player options, team options, or, in one case, a restricted free agent who could end up being renounced and suddenly be thrust into the general free agent market to be signed by anyone.

Without further ado, then, here are five possible free agents whom the Lakers should be keeping tabs on and/or who could greatly impact the team’s pathway towards building out a contender this summer.

Deandre Ayton

Okay, I’m going to cheat right out of the gate and name one of the Lakers’ own potential free agents.

Ayton’s player option of $8.1 million for next season isn’t some huge number that dramatically impacts the team’s cap space in either direction, so the potential impacts don’t have much to do with money on the open market.

Instead, this is about the ability to include Ayton in a trade, in which case he could be aggregated with additional players to both enhance an offer from a positional and talent perspective while also adding more salary ballast into a deal to acquire a pricier target from another team.

On the former, it should be noted that just because the Lakers seem ready to move on from Ayton, it does not mean he’s not a capable player able to help a team. So, if the Lakers are trying to trade for a starting caliber center, Ayton could check two boxes — first as a rotational piece who could help fill replace some of the minutes load being sent out by the trading team and, second, as a someone who has enough talent to at least compete for a starting spot.

On the latter point, an additional $8 million dollars to include in a trade for a presumably higher-priced player has real value. As it stands, the Lakers only have three players who make over $4 million dollars they would even consider including in a trade: Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, and Dalton Knecht.

And while the Lakers wouldn’t necessarily need more salary ballast in a deal as a cap space team, the more salary they could include would help them use less of their cap space in a trade, and thus allow them more room to operate in the market in other deals.

So, even if the Lakers are ready to move on from Ayton, whether he opts into his option for next year could have a real impact on how the team operates in the market, especially in trades.

Lu Dort

Dort is another player who the Lakers have reportedly real interest in, and that would be both as a free agent or, as a member of the Thunder were they to pick up their team option on his $18.2 million contract for next season.

To be clear, I expect OKC to do just that and hold onto his rights. Besides Kevin Durant — and probably informed by what happened with him, if we’re being honest — Sam Presti is not known to let players walk away in free agency without getting something back in return. So, just as he did with Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe over the last week, I expect Presti to “maximize the asset” and try to recoup some draft capital should Dort actually end up on the move.

I will say, though, that there would be no shortage of suitors for Dort’s services if he becomes available either as a free agent or via trade. The Lakers would likely be near the top of that list, but with the Bulls and Nets still having cap space and several other teams with large trade exceptions, OKC should not have trouble finding a team willing to take on his money without sending any contracts back.

That would lead to what sort of draft compensation a team would be willing to send back to the Thunder in exchange for him, and whether they can create a robust enough market to drive that price up. Both Wiggins and Joe netted them two second rounders. I’d guess Dort nets at least the same.

As an FYI, the Lakers do not have multiple second rounders available to trade, instead only holding future firsts. I do not believe Dort is worth a first round pick while also taking his salary back, which would mean trying to find a middle ground in a Lakers specific trade, possibly requiring the Thunder to send draft capital back to L.A. if they did include a future first rounder.

But those are longer conversations for another day.

Andrew Wiggins

Wiggins has long been associated with the Lakers as a possible trade target, being a player of interest dating back to when he was originally sent to the Heat as part of the Jimmy Butler trade.

It’s been speculated that Wiggins held off on deciding whether to exercise his $30.1 million player option until after the Giannis trade was completed so he would not be included in the deal. Now that Giannis is in Miami, it’s also believed that he will return to the Heat in some fashion, either by picking up his option to return or opting out and signing for a lower salary next year but more guaranteed money through a longer-term deal.

And while I have no reason to doubt that reporting, I will also say that a recent surge of speculation around a possible LeBron return to Miami has put Wiggins’ future there back into doubt. Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus recently put together a fake trade idea that would net the Lakers Wiggins in a deal that would send LeBron back to South Beach, but even beyond those sorts of armchair GM ideas, Rich Paul’s comments talking about what Miami needs now that Giannis is there has some trying to read between the lines about whether the player he’s describing is his own client.

In any event, Wiggins is a name to keep an eye on, whether he comes on the market as a true-blue free agent or even if he opts in and is, seemingly, on the Heat’s roster.

Jonathan Kuminga

Kuminga’s $24.3 million option is likely too rich for the Lakers’ blood to simply take on into cap space, but I don’t think it’s out of the question for them to have interest in him should the Hawks decide to decline that option and just make him a free agent.

To be clear, I have not seen any reporting that the Hawks are considering such a move. That said, whispers that Atlanta could explore trading Kuminga after just acquiring him at the February trade deadline do not inspire confidence that they’re fully bought into the mercurial former Warrior.

So, this is a very straight forward case of, if he becomes a free agent, I expect the Lakers to kick the tires on an early-20’s former lottery pick with very good athleticism, some on-ball chops offensively, and who has at least shown he can compete defensively (even if his attention to detail and willingness to do all the little things has not been up to par).

It’s just rare for a player of his pedigree, who has shown he can hang in playoff environments with both the Warriors and the Hawks, to end up on the market as a free agent with no restricted strings attached.

So, it will be worth monitoring to see if he does shake loose unexpectedly.

Benedict Mathurin

Because he’s both a restricted free agent and the key player returning to LA for the Clippers in the Ivica Zubac trade, Mathurin isn’t a name that has come up very often as a potential target for the wing-starved Lakers. I think it’s just been assumed he’d work out a deal to stay, with his market somewhat depressed by restricted free agency, like nearly every other player who finds themselves in that situation.

That said, in recent days, two reports have cast doubt on those assumptions. First, in writing for Marc Stein’s wonderful Substack, Jake Fischer had this to say about Mathurin’s pending restricted free agency with the Clips (emphasis added):

The Clippers will also have to navigate Bennedict Mathurin’s restricted free agency this summer after the talented young scorer arrived in February from Indiana as part of the Clippers’ draft pick-dominated trade return for Ivica Zubac. Sources say that the Clippers have been weighing whether or not to renounce both Mathurin and unrestricted free agent-to-be John Collins, which would enable them to operate as a team with roughly $22 million in cap space.

And then, on a recent episode of his podcast, Zach Lowe of The Ringer noted that “people who would know” said that the Clippers were “behaving as a team who would have cap space” this summer. And just as Fischer noted, Lowe explained that they would only be able to open up a little more than $20 million in space and it would require renouncing rights to players.

Where there is smoke there’s fire. And if the Clippers feel like cap space this summer, the No. 5 pick in this draft (Keaton Wagler) and another unprotected pick in 2029 was enough in exchange for Zubac, it would not surprise me at all.

Will it happen that way? It remains to be seen. But if it does, a young and athletic scoring forward with good positional size who has shown he can be a rotation player for a team that makes a deep playoff run (as he did with the Pacers) would be a very nice target for the Lakers in free agency.

You can follow Darius on BlueSky at @forumbluegoldand find more of his Lakers coverage on the Laker Film Room Podcast.

Since the day the Knicks traded for Josh Hart, no player has become my favorite Knick faster. Josh Hart is New York. He embodies the same grit, toughness, and blue-collar mentality that made John Starks and Anthony Mason icons in the ’90s, the team that will always be “my Knicks.”

Braids or no braids, nobody has worn the “NEW YORK” crest with more pride over the last three and a half seasons than Hart. Every loose ball, every rebound in traffic, every extra effort play felt like a reminder of what this city values most. He never just played for the Knicks. He played like playing for New York meant everything.

No one was more excited about the trade deadline deal that brought Hart to New York from Portland in 2023 than his Villanova teammate Jalen Brunson. Those aren’t just words. It’s on video.

When Brunson was still a freshman at Villanova, Hart was a key contributor on the Wildcats’ national championship team alongside Mikal Bridges. Hart averaged 15.5 points per game that season and led all Big East guards in rebounding. More importantly, he helped establish the culture that would define Villanova basketball during that era.

What started as a teammate relationship in college, evolved into a lifelong friendship. Their bond has become the blueprint for what true friendship looks like. Knicks fans have gotten a front-row seat to that relationship through their wildly popular Roommates Show podcast, where the two regularly share stories, crack jokes, and give each other grief the same way they did as college teammates. That same dynamic carries over to the court and the postgame podium, where Hart and Brunson are constantly taking playful shots at one another during press conferences and interviews.

Whether it’s the nonstop ribbing, the public roasting, or the unwavering support they show on and off the court, their connection is genuine. In a league built on transactions and changing rosters, Brunson and Hart’s friendship has remained constant. That bond eventually brought them back together in New York, where they became cornerstones of a Knicks resurgence and helped restore relevance to one of the NBA’s most storied franchises.

The numbers back up what Knicks fans have seen with their own eyes since Hart arrived in New York. Across four seasons in a Knicks uniform, Hart averaged 11.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the field. Those marks represent improvements over his career averages of 10.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. As his role grew, so did his production, culminating in a career-best 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game during the 2024-25 season while averaging nearly 38 minutes per night.

No statistic better captures Hart’s all-around impact than his triple-doubles. A player once viewed primarily as a hustle guy and role player evolved into one of the most versatile players in franchise history. By the end of the Knicks’ championship run, Hart ranked third on the franchise’s all-time triple-double list, trailing only Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Michael Ray Richardson. He also etched his name into the record books by setting a new single-season franchise record for triple-doubles, surpassing Frazier’s long-standing mark of eight.

Hart’s growth as a complete offensive player was just as impressive. During his first six NBA seasons before arriving in New York, he never averaged more than 4.1 assists per game. As a Knick, he became a trusted secondary playmaker, averaging 4.8 assists while helping initiate the offense alongside Jalen Brunson. His rebounding reached another level as well. Despite standing just 6-foot-4, Hart pulled down 8.3 rebounds per game as a Knick, a number many forwards and centers would envy. For a player whose game was built on doing whatever his team needed, his evolution into one of the franchise’s most productive and versatile players felt like a natural progression.

His efficiency has improved as well. Hart owns a .563 effective field goal percentage with the Knicks compared to .553 for his career, while posting the highest field goal percentage of his career during his time in New York. The combination of increased production, improved efficiency, and his trademark hustle has transformed Hart from a valuable role player into one of the league’s most unique and impactful glue guys. The box score tells part of the story, but the growth in nearly every major statistical category since arriving in New York shows just how much Hart has flourished in a Knicks uniform.

During the Knicks’ 2026 playoff run, Josh Hart once again proved why he’s one of the league’s ultimate glue guys. The box score only tells part of the story, but it’s still impressive: through 19 playoff games he averaged 10.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while logging heavy minutes and impacting nearly every possession. For a 6-foot-4 wing to average nearly 12 rebounds a night on a deep playoff run is remarkable in itself.

Hart’s rebounding was arguably his biggest contribution. Time after time he cleaned up defensive possessions, grabbed contested boards in traffic, and created extra opportunities with offensive rebounds. His ability to finish possessions allowed the Knicks to survive against bigger frontcourts and helped fuel their transition attack. When games became physical, Hart often looked more like a power forward than a guard.

He also became a secondary playmaker whenever defenses loaded up on Jalen Brunson. Hart averaged 4.6 assists during the postseason and frequently initiated offense, pushed the pace after rebounds, and found shooters or cutters before the defense could get set. That versatility eased the burden on Brunson and gave the Knicks another ball-handler who could make winning plays without needing touches called for him.

Defensively, Hart brought the edge and versatility that defined the Knicks’ playoff identity. He guarded multiple positions, chased wings around screens, and consistently competed on every loose ball. The hustle plays rarely show up in traditional stat lines, but they often swung momentum. Whether it was diving on the floor, taking contact, or extending a possession, Hart delivered the kind of effort that becomes contagious in a playoff environment.

Beyond the numbers, Hart provided toughness and emotional energy. He was one of the team’s emotional leaders, setting a tone with his competitiveness and willingness to do the dirty work. In a postseason that demanded resilience, Hart became the player who connected stars, role players, offense, and defense into one cohesive identity.

For my entire life, when I saw a Knicks No. 3 jersey, the first player who came to mind was John Starks. When we ran the Who Wore It Best? series, Josh Hart hadn’t quite done enough to take that mantle from one of the most beloved players in franchise history.

These days, that’s no longer the case.

Now, and for the rest of time, when I think of No. 3, I’ll think of both Starks and Hart.

What Hart accomplished in New York transcended statistics, accolades, and even championships. He became the embodiment of everything Knicks fans have always cherished: toughness, sacrifice, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to winning. Nothing will ever diminish what John Starks means to this franchise, this city, or its fans. But Hart didn’t need to replace Starks to cement his own place in Knicks history. He built a legacy that stands beside him.

And when it’s all said and done, I believe Josh Hart will have earned the right to see his No. 3 hanging in the Madison Square Garden rafters one day. Right alongside Jalen Brunson’s.

–

(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)

Members of the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ 2016 championship team celebrated the 10-year anniversary of their comeback victory over the Golden State Warriors in Europe last week. Those included in the festivities were LeBron James, Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert, Tristan Thompson, and Matthew Dellavedova.

There were a few notable absences from the group. One of whom was Kyrie Irving. He was invited but decided not to attend. Irving clarified that “Me and my brothers, who played on the Cavs, bro we’re good,” in a video he posted on social media last week.

However, not all members of the team who were absent were actually invited. Center Timofey Mozgov told Sport Express — one of Russia’s most popular sports newspapers — that he would’ve gone, but he wasn’t invited. The interview was in Russian, so things from the interview can be lost in translation. But based on a translation provided by Eurohoops.net (and backed up by Google Translate), Mozgov said that he saw the videos, he would’ve loved to have been there, but no one wrote or called to invite him.

We don’t know the reasons behind Mozgov not receiving the invite, but it is disappointing to find out that not every member of the team was given the opportunity to celebrate one of the most memorable championships in basketball history.

Mozgov played for the Cavaliers for two seasons and was a key part of two runs to the NBA Finals. The 7’1″ center from Russia was the Cavs’ second-leading scorer in the 2015 Finals. He started 48 games and played in 76 for Cleveland during the 2015-16 season. He averaged 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game that season.

Mikel Brown Jr., whom the Nets selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, takes his first shot at Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.

Q: You talk about chasing greatness. What does chasing greatness for you entail?

A: Chasing greatness is just the ability to max out my potential and understand what I’m capable of and hit that goal by any means necessary.

Q: What do you think you’re capable of?

A: Being one of the all-time greats.

Q: People say you have the it factor. What is your it factor?

A: I feel like there’s nothing that I can’t do on the court.

Q: Your general manager (Sean Marks) said that you have a chip on your shoulder, tell me why.

A: Just because at the end of the day there’s people selected over me. So that just drives me every single day. I’m self-driven to be the best version of myself. So that means I have a chip on my shoulder wherever I go.

Q: You’re going to have a natural rivalry with Darius Acuff. What are your thoughts on that?

A: Basketball nowadays, that rivalry brings along a lot of fans, and more people want to watch and it’s competitive. We know we’re going to see each other for the rest of our lives, so buckle up.

Q: I read one opinion that called you one of the bigger risk-reward prospects in the draft.

A: I’m not a risk just because I know night in and night out what I can bring to a team.

Q: What did your father tell you and what did you tell him after you were drafted by the Nets?

A: We said, ‘What are they going to say now?’ Just because when it comes people said I was too small, or I wouldn’t make it. So just beating the odds, I think me and him really took an embrace on.

Q: How much did it piss you off hearing that before your growth spurt?

A: It’s motivation. When people put more wood in the fire, it’s another log, that’s how I look at it, it’s another log in the fire to go out and compete.

Q: When your name was announced by the commissioner, what did you say to your mother when you hugged her?

A: I said, ‘I told you!’

Q: How long have you been telling her?

A: (Laugh) I’ve been telling her for ever since I started this game.

Q: How old were you?

A: Three years old.

Q: Describe your on-court mentality.

A: Passionate, competitive, me being a dawg and also just me being able to create for others, like being a connector as well.

Q: I’m getting the feeling that you see yourself as a killer or an assassin on the court? Am I right?

A: Yes.

Q: How so?

A: The people that I’m going to be going up against for the rest of my life, my goal is to win every single battle, and every single matchup.

Q: Why don’t you feel pressure?

A: Because I hold myself to a certain expectation that I expect to hit every single time just because I know how much work I’ve put in.

Q: If you could build the perfect point guard, what would you take from Mikel Brown Jr.?

A: We would take his ability to create scoring opportunities for himself and others.

Q: What one area do you think you need to improve on?

A: Every single aspect of my game.

Q: Describe your range for me.

A: Shoot — as soon as I step past halfcourt.

Q: On a scale of 1-10, what grade do you give yourself for vision?

A: I’ll say like an 8 as of right now. I definitely think that I have arguably, if not the best vision in this draft class, but I also do think that there’s still a lot of things I can clean up as well.

Q: Your defense on a scale of 1-10.

A: I’ll say a 7. I really do think that I can guard at a high level. It’s just about me bringing that consistently.

Q: 1-10, instincts.

A: 10. I play off of instincts naturally.

Q: How is your hesi-pull?

A: (Laugh). A hesi-pull is definitely lethal. I could definitely sell it and get it off quick, so …

Q: How would you describe your leadership style?

A: Lead by example and also lead by voice, just making sure my teammates are doing what they’re supposed to be doing, and holding them to a standard that I know they can hit.

Q: Why would I enjoy playing with you?

A: Just because I’m always for my teammates, I’m always about making other guys better around me, putting them in the right positions to whether that’s score, defensively, just constantly communicating with them. And I also think I’m a great teammate as well, very personable, I want to get to know you because that transmits to on the court as well so now you got the true trust in you that you know what you’re doing.

Q: Do you talk trash?

A: A little bit. Not a lot.

Q: Does it get you going when others talk trash to you?

A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It gets me going for sure.

Q: What happens?

A: I black out (laugh).

Q: Who are some of the guards you’re looking forward to guarding?

A: Everybody. I’m looking forward to guarding everybody.

Q: Do you study tapes of old-time point guards?

A: Like ’90s?

Q: ’90s, ’80s, even before that?

A: A little bit, a little bit, a little bit. Like Mark Price, I feel like he was the one that created the split screen. … Tim Hardaway, Allen Iverson, Isiah Thomas.

Q: Do you take bits and pieces from each of them?

A: Yes I do, yup, yup. Yes I do.

Q: Which one of those have you taken the biggest piece from?

A: Isiah Thomas’ defense, Mark Price’s ability to split the ball screen when they jump, Allen Iverson’s ability to create a shot for himself. And Tim Hardaway’s twin cross, his shiftiness.

Q: How much work do you put in being a student of the game?

A: Hours, hours, nights, early mornings, days, years. … I mean, I’m a savant when it comes to that stuff.

Q: Why do you like the big stage, the bright lights and the big games?

A: Just because I know much work I put in to get to that point and to be able to play on that stage.

Q: What have you learned about your new head coach (Jordi Fernández)?

A: Just a great guy, he’s a player’s coach. Hard worker, loves his family, he’s a big family guy. He actually reached out to me recently because I went to go watch my sister play and he asked me how my sister did and stuff like that. He’s a player’s coach and that’s a coach you really want to play hard for and give it your all for.

Q: What do you know about Julius Randle as a player?

A: He’s a great player. He’s won at this level, so to be able to pick his brain and talk to him, you can tell that he’s a good person and a great guy to be around, to learn from him and ask him his experiences of some of the greats that he’s played with.

Q: Are you 6-4, 6-4 ¹/₂ ?

A: 6-4 ¹/₂ with shoes.

Q: You weigh 190. Do you plan on gaining weight?

A: Yeah. … That’s something that I haven’t spoken with the staff yet and the trainers as well. That’s something that we’re going to talk about soon.

Q: You can go one-on-one with any point guard in NBA history.

A: I’d probably say Kyrie Irving.

Q: Why him?

A: Just because I can learn a lot from him guarding him, just understanding his movements and then he could also teach me his moves as well.

Q: Whatever comes to mind: Steve Nash.

A: Cerebral.

Q: Rondo.

A: Playmaker.

Q: Steph Curry.

A: An anomaly.

Q: Trae Young.

A: Quick.

Q: Did you have any other favorite point guards growing up?

A: I was a big CP3 guy, Dame Lillard. … I really don’t have specific point guards. I watch everybody, because I think everybody has something special that I can learn from.

Q: The low point emotionally at the end of last year with your back.

A: Not being able to play and compete with my (Louisville) teammates.

Q: Describe your mother.

A: Loving, caring, passionate at what she does and passionate in support of our dreams, not just me, but my brother’s and sister’s dreams as well.

Q: Tell me what is so neat about her and your Puerto Rican heritage.

A: Having a close-knit family, hard-working family, my grandfather served 22 years in the Army so he’s very disciplined about his work and then my grandmother knits and she sells clothes at shows. And also big on her faith as well. To be able to represent my country and represent Puerto Rico as well and represent my grandparents. That whole side of the family means a lot to me.

Q: Describe your father.

A: Same way, just supportive, passionate, and he’s going to do everything in his power to try to help us and give us as much information needed so we can accomplish our dream.

Q: Tell me about the tough love he gave you on the court.

A: That tough love was great. I think it was needed, ‘cause without that, I wouldn’t be here today where I am now. It pushed me and it also shaped me to be who I am, that self-driven guy who wants to be the best.

Q: How old is your brother Zackariah?

A: He’s 15.

Q: Is he on his high school team?

A: We’re trying to figure out where he’s going to go for high school basketball actually right now.

Q: Is he a point guard?

A: Yes he is.

Q: Your sister Arianna?

A: She does volleyball. She just turned 14.

Q: You’re a Jalen Hurts fan?

A: I mean, his mentality and just understanding his work, and not caring what other people say or think about him because he knows who he is at the end of the day. He won a championship, so he has that pedigree.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: Michael Jackson; Kobe Bryant; Jay-Z.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: Cars 2.

Q: Favorite actor?

A: Denzel Washington.

Q: Favorite actress?

A: Zendaya.

Q: Favorite entertainer?

A: Drake.

Q: Favorite meal?

A: Steak.

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Q: What have you learned about Brooklyn so far?

A: Brooklyn’s great. I thought it would be like more hectic like New York City, but actually Brooklyn is very chill, peaceful, definitely calm.

Q: Why did you choose to have a Michael Jackson handwritten lyric on your shoes on draft night?

A: Everybody loves Michael Jackson. I actually got to watch the movie, you got to see who he was as a person. Just a great dude that cared for others all the time. And he’s also about the people, and also about getting better, wanting to be the best artist, the best entertainer in the world, so …

Q: Do you have any favorite inspirational quotes that you use?

A: I had one on my shoe — I believe in me so you believe in you … shoot, hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. And then tomorrow is not promised, so value every single moment and take it on with purpose.

Q: What do you remember about your earliest NBA dream as a kid?

A: Shoot, I remember me hitting the game-winner. As a kid you always kinda mimic, you have a little mini-hoop and you try to mimic you hitting the game-winner … you’re saying “Kobe” after you shoot a fadeaway … you dunk and you yell like LeBron. You take the pull-up like MJ. Those moments right there I definitely remember the most. And I always said to myself “I want to make it to the NBA.” It’s been a dream of mine since I just really started taking this ball stuff serious, so …

Q:. What gym were you in?

A: At the moment, growing up, the Cavs and the Warriors were going back and forth, so I’ll probably say like Oracle or Quicken Loans.

Q: Personal goals for this season?

A: At the end of the day, our goal’s to win a world championship. And also, getting to understand my teammates better and push towards a winning season this year. But also, the more you win, the more individual accolades will come.

Q: How big of an impact do you think you can make this season?

A: I feel like I can come in and make an impact from Day 1. I’ve prepared myself for this moment, I’ve prepared myself to be in this situation that I’m in, and also I’m feeding off my teammates as well, it ain’t no one-man show.

Q: Your career goal?

A: Obviously being a superstar in this league. Continue to work to that mindset. It’s not going to be easy, taking it day by day, brick by brick and it’s going to turn out that way.

Q: What is your message to all of Brooklyn and to Brooklyn Nets fans about Mikel Brown Jr?

A: Somebody that’s going to come to work every single day with a hard hat on, great attitude, big mentality … as a team our goal is to try to bring back that winning culture and bring a world championship to that city. We know how much pride those people take in being from Brooklyn, so that pride will not be taken for granted, and we have a chip on our shoulder.

These are some MVP puppies.

Five rescue pups coming to Long Island this weekend to be placed with foster families were named after the NBA World Champion Knicks starters.

Jalen, KAT, OG, Josh and Bridges were given their Knicks names by the animal rescue Ollie’s Angels in Greenlawn, which got news of their births the day of Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

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“Ironically, we were asked to help these puppies the same day the Knicks won the championship. When we realized there were five puppies, naming them in honor of the Knicks seemed like a fun idea,” Melissa Bielawski, director at Ollie’s Angels, told The Post.

“All of the women running the rescue are life-long Knicks fans, so we’re really excited for this litter.”

Naming the pooches — which she guesses are “some type of Lab mix” — after the one-time underdogs seemed very fitting, Bielawski added.

“Our rescue is all about determination and second chances, which the Knicks proved over and over again this season. These puppies survived very rough beginnings with a very real chance of not making it, but now they are thriving,” she said.

“And just like the Knicks, our rescue is built on determination and the fact that we simply refuse to quit. Once we commit to helping a dog, we will not stop until the pup is safe. We will work right up until the very last second to ensure we’ve secured foster homes and provided proper medical care.”

The fur babies were rescued from a rural farming area in Dorchester County, SC, known for its problem of unwanted dogs.

“A local man had been feeding several strays who’d wandered onto his property. Due to the lack of spay and neuter in South Carolina, the females soon started having litters. The number of dogs quickly became overwhelming for him, at which point one of our South Carolinian rescue partners reached out for help,” Bielawski explained.

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Ollie’s Angels posted their starting five on its Instagram page this week, with the caption: “Whether they’re zooming around the court (okay, your living room), perfecting their puppy moves, or winning over every fan they meet, they’re proving that five is definitely the magic number.”

“The response from the initial social post has been incredible, which is a huge win for us,” Bielawski said.

“If every social media [post] makes someone stop scrolling long enough to notice a rescue dog, it makes a real difference.”

Bielawski founded OOAR in 2016, and named it in honor of her rescue pup, Ollie. Since its inception, the volunteer-run non-profit has saved over 3,000 abandoned, abused and neglected dogs around the country, and even some internationally.

She hopes their Knicks-named pups attract New York basketball fans who might have never been interested in animal rescue before.

“If naming puppies after Knicks players helps even one more family choose adoption, then we’ve done exactly what we hoped we’d do,” she said.

“Every person who shares one of these puppies’ stories can help us save another life.”

Kevin Durant urged the Knicks and Jalen Brunson to make the most of the organization’s historic championship win while they still can.

The Rockets star addressed the Knicks during an interview with Wall Street Journal Live in Cannes earlier this week — and the advice he would give Brunson in the face of new advertising and promotional opportunities.

“I would tell him to strike while the iron’s hot,” Durant said during the panel alongside Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman and OBB and Bolded founder and CEO Michael D. Ratner. “This is a time that I don’t think New Yorkers or the Knicks are gonna get back. You gotta take advantage of this time right now, you don’t know if this will come around [again].

“It’s been 53 years. It could be another 53-year wait.”

Durant, 37, famously spurned the Knicks to sign with the crosstown Brooklyn Nets in free agency back in 2019, claiming “the cool thing right now is not the Knicks.”

The former MVP and two-time NBA champion later added that he “didn’t want to be the savior of the Knicks or New York.”

After three-and-a-half seasons in Brooklyn, Durant was traded to the Suns in February 2023, the same season Brunson debuted with the Knicks.

Durant has since joined his third team in four seasons, while the Brunson-led Knicks have become an Eastern Conference powerhouse — culminating this past season with an NBA championship.

Since the win, Brunson has become one of the most sought-after athletes, with his nearly $1,000 photo op at Fanatics Fest next month selling out, along with his trading card seeing a 1A-fueled surge.

Brunson himself has suggested he wants to nab a guest star role on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” alongside his friend Mariska Hargitay.

“I would say take all opportunities and listen to them and see which ones you love,” Durant added. “I think Jalen has done such a great job of being him every single day and stepping up. His identity is just about grinding from the bottom and being somebody in New York City who made history in New York City.

“Right now is an important time for him and the Knicks and I feel like he’s gonna take full advantage of it.”

Celtics to re-sign Ron Harper Jr. to three-year contract: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens reportedly crossed an item off his summer to-do list on Saturday.

The Celtics are re-signing Ron Harper Jr. to a three-year, $9 million contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. They declined Harper’s $2.6 million team option for 2026-27 to ink him to a longer deal.

Harper averaged 4.2 ​points and 11 minutes in 29 games (three starts) last season, his first with Boston. The 26-year-old son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper and older brother of San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper showcased his potential with several noteworthy performances off the bench, including a 27-point outburst in the season finale vs. the Orlando Magic.

With Harper signed, the Celtics will shift their attention to their other pending free agents, including Neemias Queta ($2.67 million team option) and Jordan Walsh ($2.4 million). The deadline to exercise their options is Monday.

Merriam-Webster defines Schadenfreude as the enjoyment obtained from seeing or hearing about the troubles of others.

As sports fans, you probably experience it all the time.

If you root for the Bears, perhaps you experience it when the Packers lose.

If you root for the Cardinals, you may giggle when a Lincoln Park yuppie slips and faceplants in their own vomit on a Wrigleyville sidewalk.

And if you’re an Illini fan, Juwan Howard getting shitcanned in Ann Arbor likely warmed the cockles of your heart.

Speaking of Ann Arbor.

Native Chicagoan, former Illini commit, signee, and player Morez Johnson Jr. was drafted 9th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.

A year after Johnson departed Champaign, he became the Dallas Mavericks’ first-round selection.

It was the next step in a journey that took Morez from St. Rita to Thornton to Champaign, Ann Arbor, and now the Metroplex. 

Now Morez’ NBA fate is tied to Dusty May and Cooper Flagg.

Not bad for someone still facing the unjust, vitriolic bile of some Illinois fans.

The palpable emotional incontinence in some Illinois fans’ hatred for Morez makes me ashamed to count myself among them in fandom.

No, I will not just stick to sports. Sports don’t exist in a bubble. They exist in the real world with all the joy and pain of the tangible universe. And the people who participate are just as susceptible to the slings and arrows of time as the average anti-Morez Illinois fan.

You do not own the athletes for whom you cheer.

I think there is a series of constitutional amendments that make it so. And being that ignorant this close to Juneteenth is irony rich enough to get naming rights to a college football stadium in Texas.

I know it’s hard for some of you to look at a young man like Morez and take leave of your faculties when he has the gall not to do what you want him to do. 

When Morez transferred from Illinois, some decided to unleash vile personal attacks on the young man and his family.

You wished him ill will. Not just on the court. 

It’s fair to wish his new program failure. They are a conference rival.

But some insults went beyond losing basketball games. 

In that world, his decision to go somewhere else was not a basketball decision. It wasn’t the choice of an ambitious young man trying to achieve his goals. It was a betrayal.

They wanted to call him a greedy, selfish…haberdasher. And perhaps you do privately.

They scoured the internet for comments about his family.

“See, he comes from a family full of haberdashers.”

It’s like there was some joy in satiating that lustful disdain.

Morez Johnson’s mentor left Illinois. Wouldn’t you feel abandoned if the same happened to you?

When Tim Anderson was placed on administrative leave just before the 2024-25 season tipped off, the balance of the program shifted. The arrival of star big man coach and Underwood ally, Orlando Antigua, marked a different direction. Anderson (and Chester Frazier) recruited players like Morez: tough, physical grinders with evolving skill and the willingness to do whatever it takes to win. Think about the players they brought in:

• Terrence Shannon Jr.
• Morez Johnson Jr.
• Sencire Harris
• Ty Rodgers
• Amani Hansberry 

Antigua brings a different approach to Illinois. He brought in international prospects like Tomislav Ivisic (and later his twin brother). That was the new direction of the program. 

The offense was to be built around spacing and shooting and less around having a sledgehammer in the dunker spot.

This is where we find the crux of the basketball insult used to couch more personal animus.

“He left one of the best big men coaches in the country. So that automatically means he had no interest in improving his game. It’s all because that greedy, lying haberdasher wanted to take more money so his family can put shinier rims on their cars.”

His other mentor, Tai Streets, is a University of Michigan alum. 

For a “kid who got bad advice from his father,” he sure did get some wise counsel from both of his mentors. He wound up having two productive seasons in the Big Ten, winning a national title, and landing himself in the lottery.

They wanted him to shut up, run, dunk, and rebound. They didn’t see him as capable of growing as a player. I’ll let you sort out what about him made them think he was a finished product at 17.

“But I saw clips of him shooting. It was obvious his shot was broken and his desire to go somewhere else is stupid. You hear that, boy? You do what I want you to do. Screw your dreams and ambitions, what about mine, dammit? The dang Illini need to win me a national championship.“

Okay, so you thought he was one-dimensional and wouldn’t be anything more at Michigan than he was at Illinois.

And to stop you from being willfully obtuse, let’s look at the numbers.

At Illinois, he took approximately 4 shots per game. That number doubled at Michigan.

With the increased volume, his two-point percentage actually increased from 64% to 66%.

So he took more shots inside the arc and shot a higher percentage.

He went from attempting zero threes at Illinois to taking 35 threes on the season at Michigan. Sure, that is low volume. And no, he did not turn into Koby Brea overnight. But the talk about him being an incompetent shooter was absolute rubbish. He shot 34% from behind the arc. For context, Tomislav Ivisic shot 31% from three-point range last season. (That’s not a knock on Tomi.)

Morez Johnson at least showed the threat of a jump shot. He demonstrated that he can make open shots from deep, so you have to respect him. And that’s an element he didn’t get to show as an Illini.

The advanced stats showcase the difference between a good role player on an excellent team and an emerging star on a championship team.

Playing with Aday Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg meant his rebounding numbers went down. His offensive rebound rate fell from 17% to a still excellent 13%. That is a fair critique of his value.

His true shooting percentage increased from 64% to 67%. And he didn’t need the best big man coach in the nation to do that. 

He more than doubled his win shares from just under 3 to just over 6. The analytics-driven Illini staff would have to be impressed with that number. To understand his true value, the great Keaton Wagler had 7.2 win shares in his lone collegiate season.

So from a basketball standpoint, Morez wasn’t the same player. He was not relied upon to be the primary rebounder. But his prowess still helped anchor a national champion on the glass. His quickness and switchability defensively made him a Swiss Army knife. 

No, Morez didn’t turn from a frontcourt player to a wing while at Michigan. But he demonstrated new skills and the team orientation it takes to succeed at the highest levels. He can play alongside smaller players due to his length and rebounding prowess. He can thrive next to larger players because of his evolving offensive skill.

Dusty May had all three of his former Michigan frontcourt players on the board at number nine. And he chose Morez Johnson. Do you think that pick just happened because someone thought the name Morez sounds cool?

And you were so eager to besmirch his character as a human and a basketball player.

“He was drafted too high. He only went in the top ten because his college coach is in Dallas now.”

Or, because he, you know, excelled as a player and at the combine.

If Morez really agreed to a deal to stay at Illinois and reneged, is that what makes him so detestable?

Because Brad Underwood had a valid contract at Oklahoma State when he agreed to come to Illinois. Is Brad also a dishonorable man? Or is he an ambitious man who saw an opportunity to enhance his life and took it?

Are you going to hurl the same level of invective at Quentin Coleman? He had a signed agreement to enroll at Wake Forest. Does that mean it’s morally okay to break your word if you’re coming to Illinois but not when you’re going from?

I’ll reiterate, I’m not saying anyone has to root for him. I am definitely not saying that anyone should have become Wolverines fans last season.

But if you think that you have dominion over a young man’s character because he didn’t follow your instructions…

A few days away from the start of free agency, we still aren’t entirely sure what rules the Sixers will be operating under this offseason.

Here’s what we do know: After drafting Labaron Philon Jr. with the No. 22 overall pick, the Sixers are entering free agency with nearly $173 million in guaranteed salary on their books. That already puts them well above the projected $165 million salary cap for the 2026-27 season.

As is tradition with this team, the luxury tax and the aprons are the bigger concern. They could be as much as $28.3 million under the $201 million tax line, $36.3 million below the $209 million first apron and $49.3 million below the $222 million second apron, but that would require them to decline their team options on Dominick Barlow ($3.4 million), Trendon Watford ($2.8 million) and Dalen Terry ($2.6 million) and waive both Jabari Walker ($250,000 guaranteed) and Adem Bona ($0 guaranteed).

The Sixers will have to decide what to do with Barlow, Watford and Terry by June 29, which is the deadline for player and team options to be exercised. Even if they pick up their team option on Terry, his salary is non-guaranteed until Jan. 10, so they could still waive him before the season begins without being left with a dead cap hit.

All of those decisions—and whether they re-sign Kelly Oubre Jr., Quentin Grimes and Andre Drummond in free agency—will help determine which mid-level exception (if any) the Sixers have access to this offseason.

Can the Sixers get the non-taxpayer MLE?

If the Sixers use the $15.0 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception this offseason, they would hard-cap themselves at the first apron for the remainder of the 2026-27 league year. That means they could not have more than roughly $209 million in salary on their books at any point until next July.

If they picked up their team options on Barlow and Watford and kept Bona, that would already bring them up to nearly $181.5 million in salary before taking Walker or Terry into account. That would leave them roughly $27.5 million below the first apron. Once they spent the non-taxpayer MLE, they’d be only $12.5 million below.

That would all but guarantee the departures of Oubre and Grimes unless they managed to shed salary elsewhere.

If the Sixers aren’t attached to bringing back Oubre and Grimes, they could even have enough wiggle room under the first apron to spend both the non-taxpayer MLE and the $5.5 million bi-annual exception. That would push them dangerously close to the first apron, which could limit their in-season flexibility, but it might be their best chance to build up their supporting cast in the wake of Oubre and Grimes’ departures.

Unless the Sixers have already made up their minds about Oubre and Grimes, timing might be their biggest hurdle. They might not want to spend the non-taxpayer MLE and hard-cap themselves at the first apron until they see how the Oubre and Grimes situations play out, but they’d also run the risk of losing out on high-end non-taxpayer MLE targets if they wait.

The taxpayer MLE route

If the Sixers do cross the first apron by re-signing Grimes and/or Oubre, they’ll lose access to both the non-taxpayer MLE and the bi-annual exception. Instead, they’d only have the $6.1 million taxpayer MLE as long as they stay under the second apron. If they cross the second apron, they won’t have a mid-level exception at all.

This might be the Sixers’ most likely path this offseason, at least initially. If they spend up to $6.1 million of the MLE, they’d get hard-capped at the second apron, but they’d still have the flexibility to go above the first apron to re-sign Grimes and/or Oubre. If both of them leave and the Sixers decide that they’re fine with a first-apron hard cap, they could always spend the remaining ~$9 million of the non-taxpayer MLE later.

The Sixers also don’t have to use the MLE just to sign free agents. They could use it as a trade exception, too. That would have been their best path to acquire Aaron Wiggins or Isaiah Joe from the Oklahoma City Thunder, although the Sixers presumably had no interest in hard-capping themselves at the first apron before free agency began, particularly for another backcourt player.

If the Sixers do cross the first apron, they also wouldn’t be allowed to take back more salary in a trade than they send out, nor could they acquire a free agent via sign-and-trade. They’d also lose their $4.2 million trade exception from the Jared McCain trade, although it wouldn’t be surprising if they wind up letting that expire regardless.

Given their proximity to the first apron heading into free agency, the Sixers would be taking a major risk by hard-capping themselves early on. If the market is unkind to Oubre and/or Grimes, the Sixers might be able to bring them back at a discount. But if the Sixers had already spent the non-taxpayer MLE by that point, it would be far more difficult to squeeze them in and stay under the hard cap.

So, anyone dreaming of luring John Collins, Rui Hachimura or someone of that ilk with the non-taxpayer MLE should be aware of what that would entail. It’s a feasible possibility, but it would come at a real cost.

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

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Before free agency has even started, NBA teams are wheeling and dealing, trying to set themselves up for a championship run.

They can't wait until free agency begins on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET, and any trades or deals can officially be consummated until July 6, when the league's moratorium ends.

Two trades that could shift the odds of teams trying to dethrone the New York Knicks include the Milwaukee Bucks shipping two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat and LaMelo Ball joining Anthony Edwards on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Knicks have said they are trying to avoid the second apron, but have re-signed veteran guard Jose Alvarado, and the Oklahoma City Thunder inked Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $75 million contract extension.

Stay locked with USA TODAY for all the latest NBA news and rumors:

Best available free agents: LeBron, Harden lead the way

Now that the 2026 NBA Draft is done, the league's attention turns to the start of free agency, with the official "tampering" period beginning on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

Mitchell Robinson, the longest-tenured Knick, is drawing googly eyes from suitors in free agency, and recent reports suggest a return to New York is increasingly unlikely.

Robinson has been with the organization since New York selected him with the 36th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Eight years later, he finally helped deliver the franchise’s first championship in more than five decades. If his time in New York is over, it will mark the end of an almost Dickensian rags-to-riches tale.

The NBA’s salary cap complicates things for New York, which appears to be keen on keeping him. Mitch (or the Blockness Monster, if you like) is an unrestricted free agent. The Knicks are operating under a mandate from team owner Jim Dolan to stay below the second apron.

The apron severely limits roster-building flexibility through restrictions on trades, free agency, and future draft management. Because of that, New York simply cannot match the type of offer another team puts forth without making a Sophie’s Choice between Mitch and Landry Shamet. ShamWow played a terrific season for New York, was clutch during their historic playoff run, and now would also like a fair contract, thank you very much.

Several teams have already been linked to Robinson. The Brooklyn Nets (now with more Julius Randle!) reportedly have legitimate interest, while the Los Angeles Lakers (still with all that LeBron energy) are also viewed as a potential destination. Sacramento has been mentioned as another logical landing spot, particularly with former Knicks executive Scott Perry running the Kings’ front office. Regarding that last one: it is hard to believe that Mitch would leave the championship glory of NYC for the hinterlands of the NBA, but money is money, honey.

In New York, Karl-Anthony Towns is the starting center. Robinson is an elite backup who closes plenty of games, but he isn’t guaranteed starter’s minutes. Elsewhere? He could walk into a starting job. That’s an enticing recruiting pitch, especially when those teams also have considerably more financial flexibility than the Knicks.

Losing Robinson would sting for reasons beyond nostalgia. The Knicks watched Isaiah Hartenstein leave for Oklahoma City when the Thunder outbid them (and OKC just doubled down on its investment in him, so no buyer’s remorse there). Watching another elite defensive center leave because another team can simply offer more money would be one to file under “maddening.”

To be fair, there are reasons New York may be reluctant to hand Robinson another lengthy, expensive contract. At a freshly celebrated 28 years old, he has battled injuries throughout his career. Ankle problems, foot injuries, hand fractures, knee issues, and assorted ailments have cost him well over 250 regular-season games since entering the league. Even after appearing in 60 games during the championship season, durability remains one of the biggest questions surrounding his future. Big men age in dog years, remember.

That makes a long-term, high-dollar commitment difficult, particularly for a team already facing the apron constraint. If the big Cajun departs, the Knicks’ in-house depth chart becomes straightforward: 1) Karl-Anthony Towns. 2) Ariel Hukporti…and not much else. Maybe they recommit to Trey Jemison? He has beastly dimensions (6’10”, 270 lbs.) but has yet to prove he’s more than a scrimmage player in the league.

The organization clearly likes Hukporti. The 24-year-old showed flashes of solid play throughout the season and even handled short playoff stints without becoming dizzy from the spotlight. His mobility, rim protection, and energy have given the Knicks reason to believe there’s real upside. He has also looked exactly like what he is at times: a young center still learning NBA basketball.

Whether Leon Rose & Co. believes Huk can contribute 18-22 meaningful minutes every night may determine how aggressively it tries to cling to Mitch—or pursue another veteran.

It’s telling, perhaps, that the Knicks didn’t seem particularly concerned on draft night. They momentarily acquired young center Ugonna Onyenso, who might develop into a fine NBA center, before immediately flipping him to Detroit for cash considerations. That tells us Leon and Wes did not feel desperate to add another developmental big.

If Robinson walks, a few veteran names have surfaced. One who is high on the radar is Nick Richards, who finished the season with Chicago and is now an unrestricted free agent. He is a clean fit because he does not need touches, protects the rim, and operates well as a roller. The front office liked him in the past, and he could be acquired while remaining under the second-apron threshold.

What remains of Kevon Looney might offer championship experience and meet the general criteria on paper, but the word on the street is that he’s mostly cooked and certainly would not be a long-term solution. Other targets floating around the market include Robert “Time Lord” Williams and Marvin Bagley III. These guys all feel more like contingency plans, no?

If Robinson ultimately signs elsewhere, Banner Night will be bittersweet. He will forever be remembered as one of the franchise’s great homegrown success stories and a key contributor to a championship. Hell, everybody loves him—his hometown in Louisiana held a parade for him on Friday. But from a basketball operations standpoint, his departure would immediately force the brass into Plan B . . . or C . . . or D. . . .

So, let’s use this space to chat about it this weekend, family. What would you do? Do you trust Hukporti in a larger role? Would you pursue Richards, Looney, Time Lord, or another veteran? Or would you prioritize finding Robinson’s long-term successor another way? Air it out in the comments below.

Go Knicks.

When Brayden Burries had his name called at the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday, one of the people he hugged immediately afterward was Tommy Lloyd. Dressed in a tan blazer and slacks, while the rest of Burries’ family donned black, Lloyd looked like as much like a proud parent as anyone else in the room.

Burries was the first of three Wildcats drafted this week, along with Koa Peat and Jaden Bradley, while two others—Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell’Orso—signed free agent deals. All ended up in great spots in the opinion of Lloyd, who was as much in the dark about how the draft would play out as anybody.

“There’s a lot of intel flying around, sometimes you don’t know what’s true, what’s not true,” Lloyd said Friday via Zoom.

Burries went 10^th overall to the Milwaukee Bucks, while Peat was the last pick of the 1^st round and ended up getting picked by the Phoenix Suns. Bradley was a second-round pick of the Toronto Raptors, while Awaka signed a 2-way deal with the Chicago Bulls and Dell’Orso inked a deal to play for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Summer League next month.

Burries became the 18^th lottery pick in program history, third in five seasons under Lloyd. And while a few teams before Milwaukee were considering Burries it was a pretty good bet he wouldn’t have lasted much longer had the Bucks passed on him.

“There might have been a certain guy that has a lot of interest in Arizona basketball that was picking right after the Bucks,” Lloyd said, eluding to the Steve Kerr-coached Golden State Warriors, who picked 11^th and ended up taking Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg.

Peat, who many draft experts thought should have returned to Arizona for his sophomore season, almost fell out of the first round before the Suns made a last-minute trade to get him. He was technically drafted by the New York Knicks, who had gotten the pick via trade from the Dallas Mavericks, but they selected Peat and then swapped him to Phoenix for three 2nd-round picks.

“We’re thankful for the Suns for choosing him in the first round,” Lloyd said. “I know they started to try to work trades for Koa a lot earlier than the 30^th pick. They really wanted him.”

Bradley, who was the 50^th selection, ironically was the only played drafted in the second round by a team that was using its own pick. All 29 other selections that round had been swapped at least once, some two or three times.

Lloyd said he’d thought Awaka was going to get picked by the Bulls in the 2^nd round, with the 38^th pick, but Chicago ended up trading that choice to the Indiana Pacers (who took Purdue’s Braden Smith). After that didn’t happen, though, conversations began about signing Awaka to a free agent deal that will have him split time with the Bulls and their G League team.

“He didn’t get drafted there but he ended up in a situation where I felt he was at the top of their board in the second round,” Lloyd said.

Lloyd said situation can often matter more than draft number, and he feels each of those players ended up in a place where they were both wanted and needed. Burries is going to a team that prior to the draft traded face of the franchise Giannis Antetokounmpo and thus are going in a new direction, which often means focusing on its younger players.

“It’s kind of a restart there,” Lloyd said of Milwaukee. “Brayden’s a guy that we think is ready to play in the NBA, and he ended up in a situation where they have a need.”

Lloyd believes Toronto took Bradley because they feel he can contribute immediately. Immanuel Quickley started 70 games at point guard last season, with Jamal Shead starting the other 12, but minutes should be there for Bradley.

“Jaden is a ready-to-play guy,” Lloyd said. “He impacts winning. Toronto feels like he can come in and carve out a role for him for a long time. All the success that JB’s had and will have in the future is a testament to him.”

The least likely to immediately get into the NBA as a rookie is Dell’Orso, who has no guarantees beyond playing exhibition games this summer. Lloyd doesn’t know if the Australian native plans to try and make a go of it in the G League or head overseas to carve out a career, as have so many other former UA players. Whatever Delly does, though, Lloyd expects it will be successful.

“I know this: Delly is someone I would never bet against,” he said.