Category: Basketball

Despite the identity of the Lakers undergoing a massive recent change, one of the players most consistentlylinked to the teamin the trade markethas been Walker Kessler.

The Jazz big man was once seen as the perfect complement to Anthony Davis and can now be viewed as the lob-catching, defensive anchor in the paint for the Luka Dončić version of the team.

The assumption, however, was that, with Kessler being a restricted free agent this summer, it would take a big offer sheet to lure him away from Utah. However, that may no longer be the case.

In a surprising bit of reporting on Monday night, Sam Amick of The Athletic revealed that Kessler and the Jazz front office are not seeing eye-to-eye and the big man might be making plans for his next team.

Kessler, the 24-year-old who was taken 22nd overall out of Auburn by the Memphis Grizzlies before his rights were traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and eventually the Jazz in 2022, was already known to be frustrated by Utah’s choice not to offer him an extension last summer. And now, with the Jazz choosing to leverage the realities of restricted free agency against him as a way to minimize his market, sources say he is strongly considering the prospect of a basketball future outside Utah.

It wouldn’t take much to already link the Lakers to Kessler, given their history. On top of that, though, J. Kyle Mann of The Ringer appeared on Zach Lowe’s podcast on Tuesday and connected the two parties yet again.

“I think you could see some teams across the league who are in need of maybe an asset that be ‘distressed’ that they maybe think could perform what they might end up having to pay for him. I’ve heard teams like the Lakers kicking [his name] around.”

When Kessler is healthy, he’s been one of the league’s best young rebounders and defenders. He would be a natural fit with the Lakers in their search for a big man of the future.

However, injuries have been a problem for him in his young career. Last season, he appeared in just five contests before undergoing surgery on his torn labrum. In the 2024-25 season, he played in just 58 games. However, the Jazz have been one of the most egregious tankers in the league in the last few seasons and a lot of those missed games came in the second half of the season, so that could be the reason for him missing games.

As it stands, the Jazz front court is already crowded with Kessler, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen. That comes before the potential addition of AJ Dybantsa or Cam Boozer at the top of the 2026 NBA Draft, too.

It’s hard to know what a deal for Kessler would require, particularly if he wants to leave. The Jazz still hold the cards in this situation, but it would be in their best interest to try to acquire an asset in a trade, especially given how many forwards and centers they already have on the roster.

With the draft quickly approaching, it could be something to monitor.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

In their first power rankings since the New York Knicks won the NBA Finals, ESPN is projecting the Suns to potentially take a step back in the 2026-27 season after a surprising year the season before.

Ranked 15th in their previous rankings, ESPN has the team 21st, with the Milwaukee Bucks being the only other team to experience a six-spot drop from where they sat the previous year, as Milwaukee deals with a future potentially without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The network ranks the Suns 10th in the conference.

Finishing 45-37 on the year, the Suns disappointed in postseason play. After sitting in the seventh spot for most of the regular season, they lost in the 7/8 play-in game to the Portland Trail Blazers and fell to the eighth seed, where they were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With the new tanking protocols going into effect, many teams are making moves to level up for the 2026-27 campaign, including the Utah Jazz, while teams like the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks are looking to get key players back and benefit from another year of development for their young players. As a result, the Western Conference projects to be tougher next season than it was this year, which doesn’t bode well for a Phoenix team that ended the year 7-15 in its final 22 games, including postseason contests.

With key contributors Jordan Goodwin, Collin Gillespie, and Mark Williams set to become free agents (Williams is a restricted free agent, meaning the Suns can match any offer he receives from other teams), Phoenix has a lot of decisions to make this offseason regarding whether it wants to run back the same roster it had this past season or make some changes. Additionally, Dillon Brooks is eligible for an extension after having a career year in his first season with the Suns.

On the bright side, rookies Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming now have a year under their belts in the NBA, and Jalen Green projects to be healthier than he was this past season after missing more than half the year with a hamstring injury.

With the draft next week and free agency to follow, the Suns’ (and their opponents’) rosters could look very different from what they did a season ago, and any rankings for next season at this time should be taken lightly.

Paul Pierce cut a plea deal with Los Angeles prosecutors on Tuesday to close out his DUI case, court records obtained by The California Post show.

Pierce pleaded nolo contendere to one misdemeanor count of wet reckless driving upon a highway, per the records, and was sentenced to 12 months of probation.

The Boston Celtics legend was also ordered to pay a $375 fine and complete multiple courses, including a MADD Victim Impact Program, according to the records.

Prior to striking the agreement with officials, Pierce had been facing one count of driving under the influence of alcohol and one count of driving with .08% blood alcohol content after authorities alleged they found him asleep and intoxicated at the wheel of an SUV on a busy Los Angeles highway on Oct. 7, 2025.

Both charges were dismissed following Pierce’s plea, the records show.

Pierce — an Inglewood native — was accused by the California Highway Patrol of passing out in his ride after officers closed down a portion of the 101 freeway to attend to a multi-car crash.

When lanes reopened, law enforcement officers alleged they found Pierce knocked out in the driver’s seat and “noted signs of alcohol impairment” during an ensuing investigation.

Pierce, 48, was ultimately arrested, though in a statement he posted on Threads days after the incident, he said he merely fell asleep while waiting for traffic to clear.

“Imagine being stuck in stand still traffic for 45 mins and falling asleep I took this picture that night because I never been in stand still traffic for this long,” Pierce posted Thursday to Threads. “I’m old, I’m tired, and I fell asleep I’m good y’all thanks for the love.”

Messages seeking comment from Pierce’s attorney as well as the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office on Tuesday afternoon were not immediately returned.

OG Anunoby wanted to go live.

He just did not want to lose a new phone in the process.

The Knicks forward explained Monday night during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” what happened during his viral Instagram Live from the locker room celebration after the franchise won the NBA championship on Saturday night.

Anunoby briefly went live as the Knicks celebrated their 94-90 Game 5 win over the Spurs, which secured the franchise’s first championship in 53 years.

OG Anunoby on trying to turn off his champagne-soaked Instagram live from the Knicks locker room:

“I just got a new phone and I didn’t want it to get wet.” #AlwaysKnicks
pic.twitter.com/ADMaEjCazn

— Ryan Field (@RyanFieldABC) June 16, 2026

Champagne was being sprayed around the locker room, with Karl-Anthony Towns appearing in goggles and declaring, “We live, baby, we live.”

That was when Anunoby realized he had a problem.

“I meant to go on Live, like going on Live was my goal,” Anunoby told Fallon.

OG accidentally broadcasts live from the locker room! pic.twitter.com/66lPIMFoPO

— emma (@_emmajbrown) June 14, 2026

“But then they were spraying the champagne, and I just got that phone. I didn’t want the phone to get messed up, so I was like, let’s turn this off, and I didn’t know how to do it.”

During the original stream, Anunoby could be heard repeatedly asking how to end the video before the clip cut out after roughly 25 seconds.

The explanation got a laugh from Fallon and his Knicks teammates, who were on the show as part of the team’s post-title media tour.

Anunoby said someone eventually took the phone and helped him turn off the stream.

The moment quickly became one of the funnier scenes from the Knicks’ championship celebration, partly because of how calmly Anunoby appeared to panic while the rest of the locker room was in full party mode.

It also fit the forward’s low-key reputation.

Anunoby has become a fan favorite in New York not only for his defense and clutch postseason moments, but also for his dry personality and understated postgame interviews.

His defining moment in Game 4, when he tipped in the winning shot at Madison Square Garden to give the Knicks a commanding 3-1 series lead.

But amid all the champagne and chaos after Game 5, Anunoby had a more immediate concern.

He had meant to bring fans inside the celebration.

Anunoby just had no idea how to get out of it before his new phone got soaked.

Karl-Anthony Towns shared his first NBA title with Knicks legend Patrick Ewing.

The two met on the Frost Bank Center court in San Antonio after New York won Game 5 because Towns said he knew how much the Knicks’ first championship in 53 years meant to Ewing, a legend of the team.

“It was so amazing to see how this win healed so many people in New York, fan-wise and even to the alumni, and Patrick,” Towns said on “The Howard Stern Show” on Tuesday.

“When I hugged Patrick, it was like he finally was able to exhale and see a trophy in a Knicks jersey.”

Ewing spent 15 seasons with the Knicks and made the playoffs 13 times and the Finals twice.

He was one win away from beating the Rockets in 1994, but the Knicks lost Games 6 and 7. In 1999, he was similarly close but tore his Achilles tendon in the Eastern Conference finals and missed the championship series, which the Spurs eventually won.

.@KarlTowns describes the powerful post-game embrace he shared with @nyknicks legend Patrick Ewing after bringing a title back to New York: “When I hugged Patrick it was like he was finally able to exhale.” pic.twitter.com/4TkX2MGHk0

— Stern Show (@sternshow) June 16, 2026

Ewing, a Hall of Famer, was named a Knicks basketball ambassador in 2024.

“To finally be able to see that Larry O’Brien in [Ewing’s] hands and not in Michael Jordan’s and all these other people’s hands, I mean, there was just so much healing that I was stunned,” Towns added.

“I didn’t realize how impactful it really is, and I still honestly don’t think I understand the true magnitude of what we’ve done.”

Towns was born in Edison, New Jersey, about 30 miles from New York City, and grew up a Knicks fan due to Jeremy Lin.

He said it meant a lot to him to see the impact the win had on the fans and to be a part of a memory the kids in New York will carry with them.

“You never realize a little kid watched the Knicks play, win a championship with his father, and now he’s the one with his son celebrating the same moment that him and his father,” Towns said.

Every game of the 2026 NBA Finals was a nail-biter.

And the television ratings reflected as such.

The Knicks-Spurs series was the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998 — the last gasp of the Michael Jordan Bulls dynasty — by averaging 20.6 million viewers across the five games, ESPN said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Finals, the highest-rated ABC has had, saw a 100 percent increase in viewership over the 2025 seven-game series between the Thunder and Pacers. This year’s Finals was also the top program on TV each day.

On top of all the macro-level data, Game 5 averaged 24.5 million viewers and peaked at 33 million, becoming the most-watched Game 5 since the 1998 Finals.

The peak viewership of Game 5 reached nearly 10 million more people than the Knicks’ epic 29-point comeback in Game 4, which had a viewership high of 23.2 million.

The Knicks’ title, their first in 53 years, has had New York and the rest of the tri-state area buzzing.

The team’s heroes have been making plenty of TV hits, with Finals MVP Jalen Brunson joining the “Today” show on Tuesday, one day after he and his New York teammates were feted on the “Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon and “Good Morning America” on Monday.

The celebration hasn’t ended, however, as Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to make an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” on Tuesday before New York City hosts a parade up the Canyon of Heroes on Thursday morning. The parade is expected to use an eye-popping 1.25 tons of confetti.

The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James appear to be working on a reunion. 

According to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, the Lakers and James are actively negotiating a new contract that would bring the NBA’s all-time leading scorer back to Los Angeles for a record-setting 24th season.

Speaking Tuesday on ESPN Cleveland, Windhorst said the expectation around the league remains that both sides will ultimately reach an agreement, though the next two weeks could prove critical as free agency approaches.

“I think LeBron’s intention is to play,” Windhorst said. “And I think the focus right now is making a deal with the Lakers. Right now he’s allowed to negotiate with the Lakers and I believe they are negotiating. I believe they are going back and forth.”

LeBron has been vacationing in Europe for the last few weeks.

"I think the focus right now is making a deal with the Lakers. Right now he's allowed to negotiate with the Lakers and I believe they are negotiating, I believe they're going back and forth," – @WindhorstESPN on LeBron's future. pic.twitter.com/7YT5DIlXc3

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 16, 2026

Windhorst added that the structure and value of a potential deal could be influenced by what Los Angeles hopes to accomplish in free agency. If negotiations stall, teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers could become serious contenders for James’ services. Still, the prevailing belief around the NBA is that a reunion in purple and gold remains the most likely outcome.

The partnership has already become one of the most successful eras in franchise history.

Since signing with the Lakers during the summer of 2018, James has transformed the organization from a rebuilding team into a perennial contender. He delivered the franchise’s 17th NBA championship in 2020, earned Finals MVP honors and helped restore relevance to one of the league’s most iconic brands.

In eight seasons with Los Angeles, James has appeared in more than 500 games (including playoffs) and is averaging 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. He became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in a Lakers uniform and helped lead them to a first-round upset over the Houston Rockets in the 2026 NBA Playoffs without L.A.’s top two leading scorers in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. 

Now, with Doncic positioned as the franchise’s future, the Lakers are trying to ensure James remains part of its present. The clock is ticking toward free agency, but all signs point toward both sides finding common ground and extending one of the most significant partnerships in modern NBA history.

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One of the staples of the Lakers over the last four decades has been legendary PA announcer Lawrence Tanter. However, a new voice will echo through Crypto.com Arena moving forward.

On Tuesday, the Lakers announced that Tanter would be moving to the role of Special Advisor for Game Presentation, stepping down from his PA announcer position.

Congrats on the next chapter, LT! pic.twitter.com/0jUXvNmRH3

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) June 16, 2026

The team’s statement included a quote from Jeanie Buss:

“Lawrence Tanter has been an integral part of the Lakers gameday experience for more than four decades, setting the tone for countless memorable moments with his professionalism, energy and signature booming voice. Since the 1980s, LT has narrated every chapter of Lakers basketball, connecting generations of fans, players, coaches and staff while becoming a trusted and unforgettable part of the Lakers experience. I am incredibly grateful for everything he has given to this franchise.”

Tanter did not serve as the team’s PA announcer during the playoffs. According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, that came after he suffered a stroke in March.

Tanter suffered a stroke in March, sources told ESPN, causing him to miss the Lakers’ last six home games of the regular season, plus the playoffs. Tanter continues to rehab from the health setback, sources said. Jason Barquero, the P.A. announcer for the Lakers’ G League affiliate, finished the season in Tanter’s absence.

Tanter began his time as the PA announcer in 1982 and has been the constant, booming voice in The Forum and Staples Center throughout the years. Even in 2020, Tanter recorded introductions to play in the playoffs to provide a needed sense of normalcy for fans.

The team has not announced a successor.

Speaking on behalf of all Lakers fans, here’s to the best for Tanter in life after the Lakers. Home games won’t be the same without him around.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks' 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night to capture their first NBA title in 53 years averaged 24.5 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, making it the most watched Game 5 since 1998.

The audience peaked at 33 million, as Brunson was putting the wraps on a 45-point performance as the Knicks rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

The finals averaged 20.6 million according to Nielsen, the highest since ABC and ESPN started carrying it in 2003. It is only the third time since 1999, the finals have averaged at least 20 million.

Golden State's victory over Cleveland in five games in 2017 averaged 20.47 million while the 2016 finals, where the Cavaliers defeated the Warriors in seven games, averaged 20.2 million.

Last year's finals between Oklahoma City and Indiana averaged 10.31 million across seven games.

The 1998 series between Chicago and Utah, where Michael Jordan won his sixth and final NBA title, averaged 29.04 million in six games.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

The real NBA season is about to begin.

All the on-court action is in the rearview, meaning the drama, trades, draft and free agent mayhem is coming into focus. For a league that thrives on those conversations, this is everything that fans and some teams have been waiting for.

In the meantime, the party is still raging on in New York after the Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought and that puts the NBA in an interesting spot. For the first time in a long time, the Knicks are a team that everyone wants to replicate.

There's also a chance the champions, led by Jalen Brunson, proved something else with this playoff run. Perhaps it isn't about checking off boxes in one particular order. The Knicks showed that a champion can come in all shapes and sizes as long as the collection of talent works together.

That inspiring, movie-like run could have a dramatic impact this offseason in a league that often chases stars.

LeBron James headlines the group of free agents to be, while Giannis Antetokounmpo'strade market looms large. There are other quality players like Austin Reaves who could change teams, meaning anything can happen once free agency begins.

More: What we're hearing about latest Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks

So when does it begin? Here's what to know about NBA free agency in 2026.

When does NBA free agency start?

NBA free agency starts on Tuesday, June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

It's a change the league made during the 2019 offseason that moved the start time up from 12:01 a.m. ET on July 1. Instead of a flurry of deals being revealed overnight, the change in time turned free agency into another marquee primetime event for fans.

Even though the negotiating period starts on June 30, deals cannot be signed and made official until 12:01 p.m. ET on Monday, July 6.

Best available NBA free agents

The best available free agents before free agency likely won't be the same after free agency. That is because player options will be accepted or declined prior to the opening bell on June 30.

Here's a look at the five best free agents ahead of those deadlines:

1. LeBron James, SF, Los Angeles Lakers: Unrestricted
2. Austin Reaves, SG, Los Angeles Lakers: Player option
3. James Harden, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers: Player option
4. Trae Young, PG, Washington Wizards: Player option
5. Jalen Duren, C, Detroit Pistons: Restricted

It's telling that the 41-year-old James headlines the free-agent class in 2026, but it's also a reality. NBA contracts, rule changes and more have devalued free agency in a way that has kept the biggest stars off the market. Star players are now typically traded rather than signed.

In other words, free agency is more about building depth and the roster as a whole. The transformative moves will be made in the trade market or the draft.

NBA team needs

• Atlanta Hawks: Shot creators; Backcourt depth
• Boston Celtics: Frontcourt depth; Rim protection
• Brooklyn Nets: A little bit of everything
• Charlotte Hornets: Center; Interior size and scoring
• Chicago Bulls: A star, regardless of position
• Cleveland Cavaliers: Bench depth
• Dallas Mavericks: Point guard to develop behind Kyrie Irving; Stretch big
• Denver Nuggets: Depth across the board; Point guard
• Detroit Pistons: No. 2 scorer; shooting off the bench; shot creators
• Golden State Warriors: LeBron James; Pivot to youth and athleticism
• Houston Rockets: Backcourt playmaking and shooting
• Indiana Pacers: Wing depth; scoring
• Los Angeles Clippers: Center
• Los Angeles Lakers: Rim protector that would be a lob threat with Luka Doncic
• Memphis Grizzlies: A star to be the new face of the franchise; Center
• Miami Heat: Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Milwaukee Bucks: Guards; new identity
• Minnesota Timberwolves: Point guard; shooting off the bench
• New Orleans Pelicans: Frontcourt depth; Shooting
• New York Knicks: Rim protection; shooting off the bench
• Oklahoma City Thunder: Nothing
• Orlando Magic: Outside shooting
• Philadelphia 76ers: Playmakers; bench depth; center
• Phoenix Suns: Wing depth; Shooting
• Portland Trail Blazers: Shooting
• Sacramento Kings: A star, regardless of position
• San Antonio Spurs: Backup big, outside shooting, frontcourt bench depth
• Toronto Raptors: Shooting
• Utah Jazz: Veterans to complement AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson
• Washington Wizards: Veterans to complement AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson

What is a restricted free agent?

A restricted free agent cannot sign with another team in free agency without giving their current team the opportunity to match.

It all begins when a team extends a qualifying offer to an eligible player, therefore making them a restricted free agent. The player can choose to accept the qualifying offer, negotiate a new deal with their existing team or sign an offer sheet with a different franchise. If they elect to sign an offer sheet, the current team is given a two-day window to match the contract.

Should the team decide to match the contract, the player will remain with their team from the 2025-26 season under the same terms outlined in the offer sheet.

If the team declines to match, they will join the offer-sheeting team, just like in traditional free agency.

There is no additional compensation if a team declines to match the offer.

What is an unrestricted free agent?

An unrestricted free agent can sign a contract with any team in free agency without going through the offer sheet process.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA free agency start date, time, best available players, team needs

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers announced Tuesday that Lawrence Tanter is retiring as public address announcer, ending a 43-season run behind the microphone for the franchise's home games.

The Lakers said he will continue to work with the team as a special advisor for game presentation.

Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss lauded Tanner for “setting the tone for countless memorable moments with his professionalism, energy and signature booming voice.”

“Since the 1980s, LT has narrated every chapter of Lakers basketball, connecting generations of fans, players, coaches and staff while becoming a trusted and unforgettable part of the Lakers experience," Buss said. "I am incredibly grateful for everything he has given to this franchise.”

Tanner, who is from Chicago, began his role with the Lakers in 1982 and they won 10 NBA titles during his time with the team.

When LeBron James became the first player in league history to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and postseason in 2025, the team recognized the milestone during a next timeout.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we all have just witnessed history," Tanner said.

Tanner was the voice heard at home games for many joyful moments, and a painful one in 2020.

Days after Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash, Tanter introduced each of the Lakers’ five starters as Bryant — drawing tears and cheers from the sellout crowd — before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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

The Giannis Antetokounmpo-sized elephant in the room looms not only over the Bucks’ offseason but every team’s throughout the league. One week before Milwaukee’s apparent self-imposed deadline of the draft to reach a resolution on Giannis’ future with the franchise, rumors are swirling as quickly as they’ve ever been. As has been the case for much of the last year, we’re not covering every single one of them because 1. the usual sources haven’t been very accurate and 2. a sizeable chunk of the fanbase is tired of this all. So we won’t discuss them here either.

Nevertheless, as we await a verdict one way or the other in the coming week, we’re taking one last survey to gauge how you feel about the situation. It’s possible that by the time we compile the results, a decision will have been made that wraps it up. I know I’ll feel relief either way. So let’s be very matter-of-fact: yes or no to trading the best player in Bucks history? And if it does happen, will you feel scorned by the organization?