Category: Basketball

Generally speaking, most people consider either Michael Jordan or LeBron James to be the GOAT of professional basketball. Jordan was an incredible presence from 1984 to 2003, minus his first two retirements. As for James, he started playing in the NBA in 2003 and, for better or worse, is still playing (he is not the player he used to be, and at some point, his diminishing skills will hurt his legacy).

As we said, most people would go with one of them for the greatest of all time, but not everyone. Take Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Kareem has a somewhat forgotten choice: Oscar Robertson. Robertson was somewhat overshadowed in the 1960s by the Boston Celtics, and the Lakers, first with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, and later with Wilt Chamberlain, but was he truly great?

Absolutely, he was, and this video makes a plausible argument for placing him ahead of Jordan and James.

Robertson, first and foremost, was decades ahead of his time. He was a 6-5 point guard who averaged a triple-double. He was immensely skilled, and strong enough to box out much bigger players.

As the video suggests, Kareem, who played with the Big O for two seasons early in his career, is uniquely qualified to judge greatness. He played against Chamberlain, with Magic Johnson, and against Jordan and Larry Bird.

The basic argument is that Robertson had a combination of total skills, talent, and control of the game that was well beyond that of Jordan and James. Not many people will accept this, because they’ve mostly seen Jordan and James, and Robertson is now 87 years old, and not everyone saw him in his prime.

But it’s a plausible argument as you watch this. What do you think?

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LeBron James possibly signing with Warriors draws eye-popping Bronny reaction originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LeBron James has kept his cards so close to the vest, that not even his own son seems to know where he will go.

The elder James remains a free agent as a handful of prominent NBA teams continue to vie for his services this summer, and it’s unclear when a decision might come.

His oldest son, Bronny, recently was approached on the street by Instagram creator biggy22x, who first asked James to share a message to the youth before then asking the pressing question Warriors fans wants to know: Is his dad going to Golden State?

“Man, I don’t know where he’s going,” Bronny said laughing. “That would be crazy if he did.”

While Bronny might not yet know where his dad will play next season, it’s safe to assume he, and the James family, at least, has some sort of inkling about where the 22-time NBA All-Star realistically could end up and how close he is to making a decision.

However, one organization James won’t choose, is the Los Angeles Lakers, which he officially departed earlier this offseason and where he was able to play alongside his son Bronny for the past two seasons.

Now, with James potentially joining the Warriors, the father and son soon could become Pacific Division and Western Conference rivals.

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Why pairing LeBron James, Jimmy Butler together would be tricky for Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Everything Jimmy Butler III has said or done since coming to the Warriors signifies contentment with the franchise. He arrived 17 months ago with a smile that remains in place as he rehabs from surgery to repair a torn right ACL. He’s sincere, or a superb actor.

Statements made by Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy in recent months indicate Butler – his former teammate for three NBA seasons with the Chicago Bulls – will be a Warrior once he is cleared to play.

Meanwhile, the Warriors are hoping against hope that LeBron James will agree to joining their roster.

The dialogue linking James to the Warriors is mostly related to his positive relationships with Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and coach Steve Kerr. As for Butler, it’s as if his early season unavailability nudges him outside the chatter.

There could be more than that, though. Specifically in terms of “fit,” a factor generally at the top of Kerr’s roster-building process.

Butler is a wise 36-year-old small forward who plays big, eagerly bullies into the paint, takes great pleasure in creating easy shots for his teammates and has a knack for drawing fouls that result in free throws. Butler is at his best when he has the ball.

James is a wise 41-year-old small forward who plays big, eagerly bullies into the paint, takes great pleasure in creating easy shots for his teammates and has shot more than 12,000 free throws. James is at his best when he has the ball.

Butler and James are not the same player, but they share so many attributes and competitive characteristics that having them on the same roster results in considerable replication.

Moreover, putting them on the court together would relegate one to the margins. Who plays off the ball? Who stands in the corner prepared to catch-and-shoot?

That doesn’t suit either. Butler has been on five different NBA teams, and was a focal point at every turn. James has been on three different teams, always the focal point – until last season in Los Angeles.

“I was put into some positions I’ve never been in before in my career, actually in my life,” James told reporters in May, after the Lakers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs. “I’ve never been a third option in my life. To be able to thrive in that role, for that period of time, then to step back into that role that I’ve been accustomed to over my career, over my life playing this sport . . . that was pretty cool for me at this stage in my career.”

Being the “third option” behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves was not so appealing that James wanted to stay in LA, the most convenient location for his lifestyle. Remaining in that role with the Lakers would have granted him the highest possible salary.

James, however, wanted to explore his options, which are many. He’s seeking, according to representative Rich Paul, personal joy, family comfort, trustworthy teammates and a reasonable a chance for fifth ring. None of the teams leading the LeBron Polls offers all four components.

The Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers would pull LeBron far away from his West Coast base. So would the Cleveland Cavaliers, who offset some of that by being his “second home.” The Warriors are closest to LA but adding James merely moves them from the middle of the NBA to somewhere in the 8-to-12 range.

Which brings us to another of Golden State’s longtime fantasy acquisitions: Anthony Davis.

It’s well known that James, moving into his 24th NBA season, considers Davis one of his favorite teammates. They led the Lakers to a championship during the Covid-impacted Bubble Season in 2020. Davis currently belongs to the Washington Wizards, and league sources indicate that they plan to keep him as part of a core with Trae Young, No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa and Davis. Seven-foot Alex Sarr, 21, would alleviate AD’s concerns about playing center.

Davis in two weeks will be eligible to sign a max contract extension with Washington. The Wizards are hinting they’re committed to AD being part of their future, but Aug. 6 is the “put up or shut up” date. If they immediately affirm their ties to Davis, he likely stays. Any stalling or low-balling with Paul and the Klutch group could change the game.

With James still weighing his options, there is growing speculation that his decision could be tied to Davis’ future. If AD wants out, that could open the door for the Warriors.

Any attempt to pry Davis from Washington via sign-and-trade would have to include multiple NBA draft picks and a big salary. Such as that attached to Butler, who will be paid $56.8 million in the final year of his deal.

That outcome remains a longshot – even less likely than landing James – but the Warriors would be negligent not to pursue it if it were to deliver LeBron.

One thing, however, is certain. The LeBron-Jimmy roster fit, as smart as they are, would be tricky for Kerr.

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We’re at the part of the summer where LeBron James is controlling the basketball narratives because there’s nothing to talk about. Apparently, the decision would have happened by now had Adam Silver not rushed him.

Apparently, James is just like us and gets irritated by Adam Silver too.

But that may just be a ruse. It appears that Klutch would like to make a trade happen that would get Anthony Davis to either Cleveland or Golden State, and that might help James make his decision.

But how would this affect the Jazz?

Well, it appears the Jazz might be willing to take part in a multi-team deal that would send Jarrett Allen to Utah, which makes sense with the departure of Walker Kessler.

If this report from Marty Mush is to be believed, maybe there’s a shot at Utah getting their replacement center? Allen has a three-year $90M deal and could be the answer Utah is looking for now that Kessler is gone. It would be remarkable for Utah to keep the assets they got from the Lakers and still get a starting-caliber center as they enter the season.

That said, it appears this is dependent on the Wizards, Cavs, and Golden State as well, and if some sort of deal can be hashed out.

Shaquille O’Neal is weighing in on LeBron James’ NBA destiny.

The retired athlete — who played eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2004 — addressed James’ decision to leave the California-based team ahead of his unprecedented 24th NBA season.

“Go where you can win, LeBron. When it’s over for us, it’s over,” O’Neal, 54, exclusively told the California Post in a new interview. 

“You never want to sit back and say, ‘I shoulda, I coulda, I woulda.’ I would say [go to] Cleveland, Golden State, Miami or even Philly.”

James, 41, shocked the sports world in June when he announced he was leaving the Lakers after eight seasons, having previously played with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003 to 2010, 2014 to 2018) and Miami Heat (2010 to 2014). He averaged 25.9 points, 7.9 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals since joining the Lakers as a free agent in 2018.

“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history. We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold,” Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement at the time.

“We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”

In response to the post, James wrote, “No, THANK U! Truly a honor to wear the [purple and gold] while trying to continuing the greatness & legacies that came before me! Hope I made a few proud during my stint.”

Since the surprising announcement, fans have patiently been waiting for any news regarding James’ next move. While many have speculated that the four-time NBA Champion will likely land with the Warriors, Heat or Cavaliers, no decisions have been made at this time.

The California Post reported Tuesday that the majority of the NBA’s free agency business remains on hold while James weighs his options on where to play next.

Insiders told us that multiple teams and players within the league are currently in “a holding pattern” until the athlete finalizes his decision on where he’ll finish out his NBA career.

As for O’Neal, he exclusively spoke with Page Six while promoting his new true crime series, “Game Day Murders,” which he executive produced for Today Investigation Discovery.

“I’ve been a sports guy, I’ve been a true crime guy, and finally, we’re going to merge the two together,” he explained, when asked why he decided to take on the project. 

Calling himself a “true crime junkie,” the Lakers legend noted that he likes it because “everybody has that detective in them.”

“Game Day Murders,” hosted by veteran sports broadcaster Lindsay Czarniak, premieres July 27 at 10 p.m. ET on ID.

The series is also available for streaming on HBO Max.

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The LeBron James free agency saga has yet to reach its denouement, and the latest report reveals the reason for the delay.

James is reportedly “slow-playing” his decision to see if a suitor can trade for Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving, according to Yahoo Sports writer Kevin O’Connor.

Davis and Irving are both former teammates of the 41-year-old, who won two of his four NBA championships with said All-Stars.

Now, it appears James is looking to reunite with one of the two as he pursues complete basketball happiness.

A reunion with either player would be magical, but the reality of a trade transpiring seems far-fetched. The Wizards appear content to keep Davis as their starting big man. Meanwhile, Irving is coming off an ACL injury with the Mavericks, so his performance for the upcoming season is questionable.

The final four suitors in the James sweepstakes are the Cavaliers, Heat, 76ers and Warriors. While there is constant speculation surrounding James, his camp has remained tight-lipped about the unique free agency process.

Despite being the oldest active player in the NBA, James remains effective. He is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists for the Lakers.

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James shot 51.5% from the field and 31.7% from 3 last season.

The next move for James is especially important given it could be the final destination of his career. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer hasn’t confirmed whether the 2026-27 season is his final year, but basketball fans are eager to know where James will go after eight consecutive seasons with the Lakers.

Beyond fans, the entire league is waiting for James to make a decision. But one thing is clear: James won’t rush the process.

Fever star Caitlin Clark is going to be featured on the cover of NBA 2K27’s deluxe edition, but fans noticed a weird element to the otherwise cool and historic moment.

Clark’s appearance on the cover marks the first time a WNBA player has been featured on her own global cover of the NBA edition of the game. However, several fans thought the cover didn’t exactly resemble Clark, with many accusing the creators of the game of using artificial intelligence for the digital drawing.

Sports business journalist Darren Rovell commented, “Weird to put someone else’s face on her. They don’t do that for NBA cover athletes.”

“Idk who that is but it’s certainly not Caitlin Clark,” another user posted on X.

Clark’s appearance is the next step for female athletes to be featured on the covers of the most popular basketball video game in the world.

Last year, Angel Reese was featured on the cover of the WNBA-specific 2K26 game, instead of a standard release cover. Several other star WNBA players, including Diana Taurasi, A’ja Wilson, and Sabrina Ionescu, have been on the WNBA cover.

2K has not addressed the rumblings online over Clark’s cover.

Clark joins Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and ex-Bulls star Derrick Rose as the featured cover athletes for the 2K27 edition. Wembanyama is on the standard edition, while the ultra version depicts Rose during his time with the Bulls.

2K did not announce a WNBA edition, leading fans to believe that the company is foregoing that edition in order to honor Clark with the more mainstream NBA deluxe edition.

NBA 2K27 will be released worldwide on Sept. 4.

The Spurs added Tobias Harris. How much better do you think he makes them, and what role do you see him filling? 

Marilyn Dubinski: It’s hard to raise the ceiling that much on a Finals team that only lost due to their own mistakes, but that’s exactly what Harris can help do: bring a veteran presence with a solid game on both sides who won’t make many mistakes.  At this point, it’s tough to say if he or Julian Champagnie will start, and it may come down to a training camp battle or if it’s something as simple as where Champagnie’s outside shooting is more needed: with the starters or second unit.

Mark Barrington: I think he makes the team better by adding more veteran leadership and another scorer and tenacious defender. He could end up starting over Julian Champagnie, but I still think the trio of him, Vassell, and Julian all get about the same amount of minutes. Even though he’s likely a starter, the biggest impact will be on the team’s depth where they don’t have a huge fall-off in talent when one of the starters has to sit.

Bill Huan: Harris gives the Spurs another starting-calibre player, which would be the team’s seventh, assuming Harper comes off the bench again. For a squad that ran out of bodies in the finals (especially at the forward position), this is a vital addition that also provides a reliable veteran presence to a very young team. I do worry about a potential dropoff given that he’s almost exactly the same age as Barnes, and we all saw what happened to HB last year. Still, Harris gives the Spurs another reliable body, and playing on a loaded team will hopefully keep him fresh for the postseason. 

Devon Birdsong: Any time you can add an efficient shooter and scorer to a Finals team, it’s going to make them better. And Harris is far more efficient than some might have you believe. For instance, his Player Efficiency Rating was higher than Devin Vassell’s last season, and their True Shooting Percentages were identical. (In fact, some of his advanced defensive stats were also better) I see Harris as taking on Harrison Barnes’ role of the last two seasons, with Barnes now migrating to ‘break glass in case of emergency’ status, but I think there’s a real question of whether he or Champagnie will start. My guess is that Julian will, because the bench could use a little more scoring punch outside of Keldon Johnson and Dylan Harper, but considering how much San Antonio’s matchup weakness at power forward popped up in the postseason, I have a sneaking suspicion that we’ll see them both get time with the starting unit throughout the season. They’ll need Harris to have a certain degree of familiarity with the starters come playoff time, and Julian has been both seamless and selfless in moving back and forth between the two. I’ve been assured by Spurs Twitter experts that that’s not something that NBA teams do during the regular season, though, so I guess all those years of Popovich experimenting with lineups was just a hallucination on my part. Ça alors! 

Jeje Gomez: I don’t think he raises their ceiling much, but he should help raise their floor. Harris has flaws, but he is a veteran who knows how to play, is durable, and can get a bucket when everything else fails. The Spurs needed guys that fit that mold last season, especially when Barnes started to struggle. As for his role, it would probably be best to bring him off the bench to prevent opponents from putting their center on Harris, like they used to do with Barnes. Harris is a decent shooter but not a knockdown guy, so that makes him an awkward fit for the starters. Still, there could be games where he’s the better option, and it wouldn’t be the worst idea to give him Julian Champagnie’s spot in those matchups.

The rookies that suited up had some good moments in Summer League. Do you expect any of them to contribute in 2026/27? 

Dubinski: Tarris Reed stands the best chance, especially since Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet were two of their more injury-prone players last season.  I don’t think the two-way players will play much, if any role (which has been the case the last couple of seasons now), and while Jayden Quiantance will hopefully be ready to start playing at some point this season, I wouldn’t expect him to truly have a role until next season.

Barrington: Tarris Reed will probably spend most of the first half of the season in Austin, but he could be a big part of the rotation after the All-Star break. Maliq Brown and Ja’Kobi Gillespie look more like projects to me, and we will have to see how well they do in Austin to see if they can contribute in San Antonio. If they do make it to the regular rotation, I don’t think it happens this season. 

Huan: Like everyone else said, I expect Reed to get some developmental run but I’d be floored if he saw any meaningful minutes in the postseason (barring injuries). I’m not sure if he’ll be ready to be the team’s third big by then, but he’ll surely be better than Plumlee and Biyombo, right…??? I think we should keep our expectations relatively low, but Reed’s development this season should still be a major storyline given that Kornet’s on a short-term deal and the Spurs will want to get younger and cheaper at the backup centre spot soon. 

Birdsong: Reed is definitely in line to find some minutes at some point, if for no other reason than a history of both Wemby and Luke Kornet missing time, but out of players who suited up for Summer League, Carter Bryant is the easy choice. The real question is what his minutes will end up looking like with Harris added to the forward rotation. Someone is going to have to take a step back, but the Spurs also have to figure out a way to continue to develop a player who contributed in the postseason. For me, this is the 2nd biggest roster question for the season after how the guard minutes will be allocated. 

Gomez: The Spurs will have trouble giving everyone minutes and touches even without considering the rookies, so I doubt any will get a regular role. Reed is likely going to be the one that gets the most playing time of the four, because he has an NBA-ready body and knows his strengths and weaknesses. I expect him to at least get a shot at minutes when one of Wembanyama or Kornet misses games, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Carter Bryant out there as a small-ball center while Reed sits. Regardless of their roles this year, the most important factor will be their development. San Antonio will need cheap role players when the roster gets more expensive, so if spending time in Austin is the best way to get the rookies ready for the future, that’s where they should be.

As the roster stands right now, who do you think will start and who do you think won’t be part of the rotation to start the season?

Dubinski: I think the rotation will be basically identical to last season, with Harris replacing Barnes in the top 10 rotation, and then it’s just a matter of whether he or Champagnie starts.  There may also be more minutes for Carter Bryant, perhaps at Keldon Johnson’s expense, which absolutely pains me to say, but at some point they’re going to have to determine if he’s a keeper past this season or if Bryant can make him expendable. (Just typing that about KJ crushes my soul!)

Barrington: As I mentioned above, I think that Tobias Harris starts over Julian, but that Champagnie will end up playing about the same number of minutes as the starters. Dylan Harper is definitely a starter-level talent, but I think he plays the Manu role again this year, coming off the bench while also getting a spot in the finishing lineups in big games. De’Aaron Fox had a bad playoff series against the Knicks, but the team is betting on a resurgence this year as he begins the season fully healthy for the first time in a few years, and he’s going to start. 

Carter Bryant will be a bigger part of the rotation as an undersized center when the Spurs are playing a smallball lineup. It will surprise no one that I think that Harrison Barnes will have a reduced role this season, and that Jordan McLaughlin will only play spot minutes when needed as an injury replacement or to finish out games where the score isn’t close. I think the acquisition of Tarris Reed allows the Spurs to experiment more with a French Vanilla lineup with both Kornet and Wemby out on the court at the same time, but that won’t happen until later in the season.

Huan: I agree with everything Marilyn said, although I’m not as big of a KJ stan as she is (please don’t come after me!!). The big question remaining is who starts between Champagnie and Harris, given that it sounds like Harper is “open” (or whatever the terminology was) to coming off the bench again. When the offseason first opened, I really thought that the end game would be starting all three guards, but if Harper is ok with being their 6th man for one more year, then the Spurs will need to take advantage. 

Birdsong: Barnes is almost definitely going to be out of the rotation by default, but I’m also curious to see how the minutes for Luke Kornet end up playing out with the addition of Harris. The Spurs probably want to find time for Bryant, so I wonder if Kornet’s minutes end up resembling something more like his allocation in the postseason (13 mins) rather than last year’s regular season (21 minutes) if Harris or Bryant need those extra eight minutes. The one thing about a team being this deep is the complications it creates in terms of playing time. PTR staff writer (and former college coach) Lee Dresie once wrote a piece on minutes allocation that I think about at least a dozen times each season, and I think figuring that balance out will be no small challenge for Mitch and Co. (though injuries may help them make some choices easier)

Gomez: I think Champagnie will continue to start unless the lineup that destroyed opponents last season regresses. That leaves some awkward fits off the bench, as Harris, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, and Harrison Barnes, who are all power forwards, would likely have to play in lineups together. I’m assuming Barnes doesn’t get minutes and Harper, Harris, Johnson, and Kornet are the top four bench guys in terms of playing time, with some Bryant sprinkled in. Now, if Bryant’s shot improves, I can easily see him leapfrogging Johnson in the depth chart, which would bring about some uncomfortable questions about KJ’s future. But we’ll worry about that when/if it happens.

Considering that Luka Dončić is a ball-dominant player who attracts a ton of attention and is an elite passer, being his teammate is an alluring proposition.

Add in that the Lakers locked up Austin Reaves for the future, and suddenly plenty of wing players and bigs can envision how they can thrive with this backcourt pairing feeding them the ball.

With so many players from last year’s team gone, Dončić and Reaves’ dimes will have to go somewhere and LA’s latest addition, Sandro Mamukelashvili, could be the beneficiary. In fact, it’s one of the many reasons he is excited about playing alongside Dončić and Reaves.

In an interview with Khobi Price of the California Post, Mamu outlined why he can’t wait to suit up in the purple and gold.

“They just see me as a basketball player who can go out there, play multiple positions, bring the rhythm,” Mamukelashvili told the Post. “They know I’m gonna play hard, I won’t take possessions off and they understand that I really want to win. That’s where I fit.

“Having players like Luka, Austin Reaves, all those guys who are such amazing creators that’s gonna help me so much offensively, just flow in it and hopefully get a lot of open corner 3s and then just knock them down.”

As a five-year player, Sandro Mamukelashvili has proven that he can produce and has yet to reach his ceiling.

Last year with the Raptors, he scored 11.2 points per game and shot 52.3% from the field. Both are career-best marks for the big. He even earned some votes for Most Improved Player in the NBA.

As a Raptor, Mamu was great at capitalizing on open looks from beyond the arc. Of his 295 3-point attempts, 244 were wide open, with the closest defender being at least six feet away. In fact, Mamu took only two 3-pointers when a defender was within four feet of him.

Now, he’s a Laker and wants to get even better.

If Mamu can stay committed to such a healthy shot diet, he could excel in Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s system. And that’s one of the reasons he’s excited for this new opportunity.

With Mamu ready to embrace his inner shooter and a willingness to play multiple positions, the Lakers could maximize his potential.

He could be the ideal big for LA, able to knock down open threes, but also score inside as a four or a five. If he’s able to do that, his time as a Laker will be a positive one and he could be part of this exciting young core for years to come.

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

There's a logical explanation to why it's taking so long for LeBron James to announce his free agency decision on where he will play in the 2026-27 season.

A Cleveland sports radio host believes that James has intentionally pushed back his announcement because he was "irritated" with comments made last week by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

Cleveland sports radio personality Andy Baskin said Silver's comments "irritated" James and the former Los Angeles Lakers star decided to push back the announcement.

Baskin, who has a radio show called Baskin and Phelps on 92.3 The Fan, went as far as to say that James was ready to announce his decision last week.

"LeBron's crew was probably ready to make an announcement, especially because they were in New York," Baskin said. "The world had their eyes on New York because of the World Cup as well. Yeah, and so that they were probably comfortable making an announcement as early as last week that they were there, and then people were like telling them what to do."

"There's a little bit of irritation," he added. "Irritated was the word that I was told, irritated by the commissioner pushing them. ...It may not just be LeBron, but it it it's more about LeBron's group together, so that the irritation got to the point they were like, 'Well, you know what? We'll decide when LeBron is going to tell everyone where he's going.' So they decided to hold back on making their next decision, their next move on where they want to play or where LeBron wants to play."

LeBron updates: Latest LeBron James free agency news, rumors, updates on 'Decision'

Last week, Silver said he wished James would come up with his decision to finalize the playing schedule. And he was serious.

Silver spoke at the CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit in New York City in an interview with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin. He answered a heap of questions about the NBA and its state, but not before James' free agency carousel came into question.

Silver discussed different scenarios he'd like to see James finish his career with, but his overall point was for James to hurry up and make the announcement.

"I would like him to make his announcement already, so we can finish the schedule, because, as you might imagine, the teams are calling us, the networks are calling us, and everybody wants to lock in the schedule," Silver said. "But it will influence how we set the schedule, how we set opening week, Christmas Day, etc. So I need him to make a decision."

Those comments, according to Baskin, didn't sit right with James and his camp. Seemingly in response to Silver's comments, James' agent Rich Paul said in the following days that his client's decision will not be rushed.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Did Adam Silver's remarks delay LeBron James' free agency choice?

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

It’s been just over two years since Klay Thompson shocked the basketball world and announced that he would be leaving the Golden State Warriors. It was, at the same time, extremely surprising and not surprising at all. Surprising because Thompson was a beloved franchise icon who had spent the first 13 years of his career on the Warriors, won four championships, and formed an unbreakable bond with fellow stars Draymond Green and Steph Curry. And it was unsurprising because it was clear that things had soured in the prior season, with reports of Thompson’s unhappiness swirling everywhere.

Things haven’t gone particularly well for Klay since then. He signed a three-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks with the intention of competing for a title with Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, but the latter has played just 50 games over those two years, while the former was shockingly traded for Anthony Davis, who was salary dumped last year. On top of it all, Thompson put up career-lows in points per game, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage last year, all while having a public breakup with rapper Megan Thee Stallion … a breakup that did not make Klay look very good.

And so he enters the final year of his Mavs deal with the team likely looking to move him, as they have hit the reset button and decided to build around 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. And so it caught some people’s attention last week when, at Fanatics Fest, told a fan “It’d be nice to end it in Golden State.”

That’s highly unlikely to happen this year, as the Warriors can’t really trade for Thompson’s contract, and he probably won’t get bought out. But next year, when he’s a free agent who won’t have much of a market? Or later this year if he is available on the buyout market?

Bringing back legends is always a tricky thing. It always feels like both a great idea and an awful one. How would you feel?

Ty Lawson, a former Denver Nuggets player, was arrested.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by FOX31, Lawson allegedly stole a bottle of vodka from a store in Castle Rock, Colorado on July 16.

A shop owner called police about a man who entered the store and stole a bottle of Tito’s Vodka before leaving at approximately 8:03 p.m. She told police the man took a drink from the bottle before walking to a nearby restaurant, Scileppi’s, per the arrest affidavit.

The shop owner also revealed she witnessed Lawson stumbling and believed he was intoxicated. The man then sat at the bar with the stolen Tito’s bottle.

The man was later identified as Tywon Lawson. He faces a shoplifting charge since it was a theft less than $300.

Lawson’s friend, who was found holding the Tito’s bottle, was also detained but later released after officers determined he played no role in the shoplifting.

Lawson was booked into the Douglas County Jail.

Lawson was the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected the guard, but traded his rights to the Nuggets.

The 38-year-old played six seasons in Denver. Lawson was a candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award after the 2010-11 campaign, where he averaged 11.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists in his sophomore season in the league.

The Nuggets guard was also included on the MVP ballot for the 2012-13 season. LeBron James won the award as a member of the Miami Heat that year.

Lawson played eight total seasons in the NBA, primarily in Denver. He also had stints with the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers.

While at one point a successful player, Lawson’s basketball career has been tainted by incidents off the hardwood. In 2020, Lawson was banned from the Chinese Basketball Association for making derogatory comments.

Lawson was arrested for two separate DUIs in 2015, one in Denver and another in Los Angeles.

Since LeBron James announced he wasn’t going to return to the Lakers in late June, there have been questions around the NBA whether his son, Bronny James, will follow him to his next team. 

While LeBron and Bronny could be teammates for the 2026-27 season on LeBron’s next team, it also isn’t guaranteed the Lakers will trade the younger James to his father’s next destination. 

As has been described to the California Post, there’s a real possibility the Lakers will keep Bronny on their roster going into next season, even as they continue to tinker with their roster to be compliant with the league’s roster rules before Opening Night in October. 

If the team signing LeBron is also looking to acquire Bronny, they would likely need to send the Lakers a real asset as part of a trade. 

Bronny is well-liked throughout multiple levels of the organization. 

The Athletic first reported that assumptions of Bronny and LeBron being linked moving forward being false. 

Since the Lakers drafted Bronny out of USC with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, making him and LeBron the first father-son duo in league history, the Lakers have developed the 6-foot-2 guard into a reliable shooter with defensive upside.

Bronny spent significant portions of his rookie and sophomore seasons with the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers who have been rebranded as the Coachella Valley Lakers.

He improved significantly during his second season, upping his field goal percentage (50.5% from 41.9%), 3-point percentage (37.6% from 33.6%) and assist-to-turnover ratio (4:2.6 from 4.6:3.3).

Bronny played 42 regular season games for the Lakers in 2025-26, and was a full-time rotation player after Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves suffered their regular season-ending injuries. 

He averaged 5.6 points and shot 35.7% on 3s in the final 10 games of the regular season. 

Bronny also played in eight of the Lakers’ 10 playoff games, with the highlight being the 10 straight points he and LeBron scored during the second quarter of the Lakers’ Game 3 win in their first round series victory over the Rockets.

The Lakers guaranteed Bronny’s $2.3 million salary for 2026-27 when they kept him on the roster after June 29. 

He also has a $2.5 million team option for the 2027-28 season. His salary for 2027-28 doesn’t become fully guaranteed until Jan. 10, 2028.

If the Lakers keep Bronny on the roster going into the season, he’s expected to compete with newcomer Collin Sexton, rookie Cameron Carr and recently-acquired Jaden Hardy for reserve backcourt minutes.

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

We’re trying something different with the Reacts questions in an effort to get the responses up. We’re posting the question in The Feed and in a story. Not much should change for you, and we’ll hopefully get our voting numbers up as well.

This week’s question wants to know if you expect the Rockets to be better this year, worse, or mostly the same?

Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with results!

LeBron James was reportedly prepared to make his free agency announcement last week.

Then, NBA commissioner Adam Silver publicly revealed the 41-year-old’s delayed decision is the reason why the league’s schedule hasn’t been finalized. Silver’s comments seemingly played a role in the ongoing saga.

On 92.3 The Fan’s Baskin and Phelps show, Cleveland radio host Andy Baskin revealed what a source shared about James’ free agency decision.

“Here’s what I was told yesterday about the whole LeBron situation. Last week, LeBron’s crew was probably ready to make an announcement, especially because they were in New York,” Baskin said. “The world had their eyes on New York because of the World Cup as well.

“They were probably comfortable making an announcement as early as last week. And then, people were telling them what to do. There’s a little bit of irritation… Irritated was the word I was told, by the commissioner pushing them…so they decided to hold back.”

The NBA offseason has been headlined by James, after he informed the Los Angeles Lakers he wouldn’t return for the upcoming season.

The 41-year-old quickly became the top free agent of the summer, and while he informed the Lakers of his departure in June, nobody truly knows where James will land.

That has not stopped continuous speculation about LeBron this summer, but only his camp appears to know the answer to the league’s biggest question heading into the 2026-27 season.

The supposed final four suitors for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer appear to be the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors.