The Los Angeles Sparks are hiring Philadelphia 76ers vice president of player personnel Ariana Andonian as their new general manager, the team announced Friday.
Andonian is replacing Raegan Pebley, whom L.A. parted ways with in July following 2 1/2 years with the organization.
The Sparks significantly built out their front office during the past offseason after failing to invest in the team’s basketball operations for several years. Many of those hires came from the NBA, and Los Angeles still lacks personnel with a significant background in women’s basketball.
The search for Pebley’s replacement was conducted by Farhan Zaidi, special advisor to Sparks owner Mark Walter. This is the third executive hire the Sparks have made out of the NBA in the past year.
They hired assistant general managers Zach Knowlton and Nate Nielsen from the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively, before the 2026 season. Andonian has been with the 76ers for two seasons after seven years with the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies. She also consulted with Duke’s basketball program while getting her MBA.
Andonian is tasked with revitalizing one of the WNBA’s legacy franchises, which has fallen out of relevance of late. The Sparks will miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, but win-now trades have left them with only two first-round picks from that stretch on their roster: Cameron Brink and Rae Burrell.
Andonian will be the public face of an organization that has been mostly quiet since Pebley’s departure, besides the seismic move to deal Kelsey Plum at the trade deadline.
Andonian will also get to decide the future of coach Lynne Roberts, who is 36-48 in her two seasons in Los Angeles. Roberts has an uneven track record developing the Sparks’ young players; while Burrell has taken significant steps forward, Brink has been relegated to a bench role and hasn’t made the same impact as other members of the highly touted 2024 draft class.
The franchise is on track to open a new practice facility in 2027, finally giving the team a home after years of being displaced across the expanse of Los Angeles County.
Mar 5, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez reacts from the sideline against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In our latest offseason fan poll, 58% of Brooklyn Nets fans predict the team will finish between the 11th and 15th seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2026-27 season. Meanwhile, 36% see a path into the Play-In Tournament, and 6% expect a top-6 guaranteed playoff berth.
We’re wrapping a three-part series asking a similar question among all Brooklyn Nets fans: Who is this team we’re about to watch? Offseason additions Mikel Brown Jr., Julius Randle, Michael Porter Jr., Moe Wagner, Keon Ellis, and Joshua Jefferson join a re-tooled depth chart. Nicolas Claxton highlights the list of summer departures.
In the first poll, we asked Nets fans how many games they’ll win, which 56% voted 30-39 range. In the second poll, we asked if the Nets will be in the postseason race and 48% of fans voted “No.”
In the third and final poll, we asked fans: What seed in the East will the Nets finish?
The 58% Majority: 11–15 Seed
Netstradamus: “I think that Randle will be an innings eater, and Day’Ron and MPJ will contribute enough to winning to lift us out of the basement. I say 31-51, 12th in the East ahead of Milwaukee, Chicago and DC.”
kno: “come on people…the NETS are not not going anywhere this season unless MARKS has some special deals/signings up his sleeve…………………”
Scoot21: “10-11 IF the extreme load management is reined in. We have plenty of back to backs to we will know pretty fast if they did it for the tank last year or if it was player protection at the expense or wins”
The Play-In Believers: 7-10 Seed
JWil5: “They’ll be in the hunt for the final play-in spot.”
Z.A.M.I: “7 – 8 but they have the potential to surprise everyone by making a deeper than expected playoff run. You gotta appreciate what Marks has done with this team.”
sannuik: “I think we’ll see enough of Stephulius Currandle vs the bad teams that he raises the floor and we can sneak into the play in as a 9-10 seed before bowing out. Against the good teams though we are sure to see plenty of his alter ego/true self, Dubious Handles”
Thanks to everybody who voted and/or participated.
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Among the painful punishments for the Clippers — such as suspending owner Steve Ballmer for a year and not letting him be around the team — nothing is as devastating as losing five first-round draft picks. Those are the lifeblood of team building in the modern NBA.
How do the Clippers not just get through this but find a path forward? What happened to the Minnesota Timberwolves when they were stripped of five first-round picks a quarter century ago? Is there a more recent roadmap for the Clippers? Let's break it all down.
What happened to Minnesota?
The only other team hit with this kind of punishment — losing five first-round picks — was the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000, when they were caught circumventing the salary cap for Joe Smith. That precedent is what Adam Silver used to take five Clippers picks away.
So what happened to Minnesota? It's not apples-to-apples, but it also foreshadows concern for Clippers fans.
Those Timberwolves had Kevin Garnett in his prime — including during his MVP season — so for the first three years after the ruling came down, they won at least 50 games and even reached the Western Conference Finals in 2004. With all due respect to Darius Garland, the Clippers don't have anyone of that caliber on their team.
Then things got ugly for Minnesota. It missed the playoffs for the next 13 consecutive seasons and 16 of 17. Garnett was traded in the middle of that. Minnesota made just two first-round picks between 2001-2005, but only one of them, Rashad McCants, really produced for them. To be fair, a lot of the years the Timberwolves continued to miss the playoffs were after they got their picks back — the NBA restored two of them for essentially good behavior — but the Timberwolves' issues went well beyond just losing picks. They were their own worst enemy for a while.
That's where things are a little better for the Clippers — they have a couple more picks in this mix, and they have been smart about picks and player development in recent years.
What do Clippers do?
Talking to league sources in the past few days, when you talk about the Clippers' path forward, one example comes up:
The Brooklyn Nets.
Back in 2013, Brooklyn traded three first-round picks and a couple of swaps to the Boston Celtics to land Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Needless to say, the Garnett/Pierce era in Brooklyn was a mess. Just as the Nets were coming out of that around 2016, all their picks were gone for years.
What did the Nets do under GM Sean Marks? They found players deep in the second round or that other teams had given up on and developed them into quality players, such as Spencer Dinwiddie. They opened up a lot of cap space and took on bad contracts to get good players along with them (for example, they took on the Lakers' Timofey Mozgov as long as the Lakers threw in D'Angelo Russell). The Nets nailed the picks they had, such as big man Jarrett Allen.
That's the Clippers' path — and they have more talent on the roster now than the 2016 Nets did. Darius Garland is a quality point guard at age 26. They just drafted Keaton Wagler, and we'll see how he develops, but he has potential as the two guard next to Garland. In the short term, they have a floor-raising two-time All-Star in Brandon Ingram that they could look to trade in the coming couple of years. They have solid veterans on the roster right now in Derrick Jones Jr., Brook Lopez and the just-signed Rui Hachimura, all players who make them respectable in the short term but could be traded for picks or players to develop into the future as well.
Plus, the Clippers have a couple of first-round picks and a swap coming via the Kawhi Leonard trade. Those are unprotected Raptors picks. The swap can help too: Next year the Thunder have the right to swap first-round picks with the Clippers and almost certainly will, but the Clippers then have the rights to swap with Toronto (which could very well be a better team than many fans realize, but is not going to rack up regular-season wins like OKC).
Brooklyn under Marks built up a core of good young players who made it to the playoffs, but they always kept their books open knowing a big free agent was the way they wanted to go. They eventually convinced Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to play for them instead of the Knicks, and that Brooklyn super-team had its moments but never reached the Finals. Still, it was an impressive turnaround.
That is a path forward for the Clippers: Find and develop players, draft well when you have the chance, be smart and patient, build a culture, and wait for your opportunities. They will come.
Just know the next seven or eight years (at least) are going to be rough. That's the point of the punishment.
HOUSTON - MAY 28: Hakeen Olajuwon #34 of the Houston Rockets and David Robinson #50 of the San Antonio Spurs battle for position in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals during the 1995 NBA Playoffs at The Summit on May 28, 1995 in Houston. The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Houston Rockets 103-81. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1995 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We’ve gotten through the first round of our quest to determine who the biggest Spurs Villain of all time is, and today, we move on to round two, beginning with the “on-court” side of the bracket (yes, there is a method to the madness). This includes Spurs Killers (players who dominated playoff series and/or made devastating shots or plays that will haunt our minds for all eternity) and Dirty Players (players who committed dirty plays against the Spurs, injured or attempted to injure a Spur, and we will never forgive them).
First, let’s take a quick look back at the results from Round 1, where both brackets saw upsets in the 4 vs. 5 seeds, but otherwise the favorites won by heavy margins:
It’s not too surprising to see the 2026 Knicks killers pass up Serge Ibaka in Spurs Killers considering it was the Finals (as opposed to the Conference Finals) and more recent by 12-14 years. On the Dirty Players side, Kevin Garnett’s notoriety, over-the-top trash talk — which allegedly included mocking Tim Duncan’s deceased mother — and physical, bordering on dirty style of play just barely beat out an admittedly singular but consequential dirty play by Juwan Howard.
So those are the two upsets, and now we move on to the next round to see who will advance to the Elite 8. (And we apologize for having polls in two places, both here and in The Feed. We know it’s confusing, but embedding Feed polls is the only way to have polls in the main articles for now. They are still the exact same poll, so you can only vote once regardless of where.)
Round 2: Spurs Killers
1. Derek Fisher vs. 5. Jalen Brunson & OG Anunoby
This is another case where recency bias and/or playoff round may or may not play a role, but if you weren’t around to experience the 2000’s Spurs, you have no idea the damage Fisher did to all our psyche back in the day. It was the peak of the Spurs/Lakers rivalry in an era of dynasties, and even though both Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant eventually won 5 championships, Lakers fans never let us forget that they repeated and we didn’t, which according to them meant the Spurs “weren’t a real dynasty”.
And Fisher — a mere role player who could barely be considered average — almost single handedly caused two of those failed repeats. His 0.4 shot and Brent Barry no-call foul were both extremely lucky and came when the Spurs were trying to defend championships, not win a first one with a very green, inexperienced roster, which was the case this year. The way the Knicks humiliated the Spurs was certainly painful, but honestly the Spurs shot themselves in the foot more than anything. At least that’s how I feel, but you may feel entirely different, and that’s okay! Vote with your heart.
2. Ray Allen vs. 3. Hakeem Olajuwon
I admitted in round 1 that The Shot remains the play that haunts my mind the most (I even remember the nightmares I had that night), while I admittedly was only 9 years old in 1995 and didn’t watch The Dream destroy The Admiral. To not let recency bias get in my own way here, let’s consider the consequences. While Ray Allen’s shot will never stop gracing our social media timelines or NBA commercials, at least it led to The Redemption in 2014: arguably one of the most impressive and satisfying championships in both Spurs and NBA history.
On the other hand, you can legitimately assert that Olajuwon’s destruction of David Robinson in the 1995 Playoffs damaged the latter’s legacy, knocking Robinson down a peg in all-time rankings for having never won a championship as the best player on his team. But, on the other-other hand, one was in the Finals and took away a championship, the other was the Conference Finals. It all comes down to the voter to decide.
Round 2: “Dirty” Players
1. Zaza Pachulia vs. 5. Kevin Garnett
Now we move on to dirty players, and this one is a case of physical vs. mental. Pachulia committed one of the two most infamous dirty plays against the Spurs in modern history when he slid under Kawhi Leonard on a closeout in 2017, ending his season (and, indirectly, his time on the Spurs’ good side) and any hopes they had in the Conference Finals against the Warriors. He even forced the NBA to make a new rule that recklessly or intentionally interfering with a player’s landing zone on a three-point attempt is subject to video review and could be upgraded to a flagrant 1 or 2 foul.
As for Garnett, his playbook was more about getting under players’ skin with over-the-top trash talk and shenanigans, sometimes crossing red lines like he did with Tim Duncan’s mother, but he admittedly doesn’t have a record of physically trying to hurt anyone (at least on the Spurs). Although, you might call stuff like yelling directly into and even touching someone’s face being too “up close and personal” for comfort. (I bet Timmy had to get a towel after that.)
2. Karl Malone vs. 3. Eduardo Najera
And here is the player who committed the other of the two most infamous dirty plays against the Spurs in modern history, when Malone elbowed Robinson directly in the temple, knocking him out cold and sending him to the hospital. (Somehow, Robinson was called for the foul and Malone wasn’t, I guess there was no video review back in 1998.) I remember watching that play live as a kid, and it traumatized me a bit. But that wasn’t all! He also whacked Duncan in the face a few weeks later and kicked him in the head another time. Possibly the dirtiest player in NBA history had no trouble living up to his reputation against the Spurs.
His opponent, Eduardo Najera, also has a history of multiple incidents against the Spurs. While his first incident in Game 1 of the 2003 WCF wasn’t necessarily a dirty play — Malik Rose hit his head on his knee, leaving him spazzing on the floor for a moment and resulting in a concussion scare — Rose grew more frustrated with Najera’s too-physical play throughout the series and got visibly frustrated with him in Game 6. And more infamously, there was the 2010 playoffs, when Najera got ejected for dangerously pulling Manu Ginobili, who already had a broken nose, down to the ground and received a flagrant 1 for poking Tony Parker in eyes, resulting in the glare of death from Pop.
Ben Simmons needed a team, any NBA team, willing to give him one more chance.
The Sacramento Kings needed a player, any player, to fill out a 2026-27 roster that, until Sept. 4, had not added a free agent from outside the organization this offseason.
In that way, the Kings always made sense as the landing spot for Simmons' NBA comeback attempt. Only a team searching for answers would think the 2016 No. 1 pick can still provide value after sitting out last season and dabbling in professional fishing. Only a desperate veteran would volunteer to join the current salary cap woes and lack of direction the Kings are enduring under current owner Vivek Ranadivé.
Simmons signed with the Kings on Friday, Sept. 4, according to multiple reports. This will be his 10th NBA season, but only his eighth playing in games as injuries and contract issues cost him two full seasons.
Here's why Simmons could revive his NBA career in Sacramento and why it still might not work:
Simmons is signing a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Kings, according to ESPN.
How Ben Simmons fits with the Kings
The Kings were one of the worst teams in the NBA last season because of their awkward roster. Sacramento has an odd mix of expensive veterans and overlapping young players with not enough salary cap space or positive assets to maneuver much from their current situation. But the version of Simmons that played in Brooklyn could help the Kings because of his defensive versatility.
The Kings have front court players like Domantas Sabonis and Maxime Raynaud with defensive limitations who could, in theory, benefit from being paired with Simmons for stretches on the court. They also have personnel suited for the up tempo style that suits Simmons' point-forward tendencies. He can leverage his strengths as a ball-handler and transition playmaker in relief of 2026 first-round pick Darius Acuff Jr. because the Kings don't need Simmons to be a primary offensive option.
If Simmons returns as something resembling the player who was twice named to the NBA's all-defensive team, the 6-foot-10 forward would become a useful role player even if his lack of outside shooting is a liability.
Simmons' health has been an issue since he entered the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers and sat out his first season with a foot injury. He also sat out the entire 2021-22 NBA campaign due to a back injury and contract dispute. The 2024-25 season was the only campaign since then in which Simmons appeared in more than 50 games, as back and knee injuries repeatedly limited his availability.
Why Ben Simmons' shooting remains a concern
Though Simmons twice averaged more than 16 points per game early in his career with the 76ers, he is a notoriously poor (and hesitant) shooter from outside the paint. He's just 5 for 36 over seven seasons from 3-point range and his reluctance to shoot the ball when teams back off him defensively became a problem during Philadelphia's postseason runs. He shot a career-worst 52% from the floor on a career-low 4.4 attempts per game during his most recent NBA season with the Nets and Los Angeles Clippers in 2024-25.
Ben Simmons stats
Simmons has career averages of 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game over seven seasons. When he last played in the NBA over 51 combined games for the Nets and Los Angeles Clippers during the 2024-25 season, Simmons set career lows by averaging 5 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds.
Simmons is a three-time NBA All-Star who won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018 and earned third team all-NBA honors for the 2019-20 season.
After a summer of crazy moves and unexpected turns across the NBA, the Pistons generally played it cool. But how do they stack up? The guys go spot by spot to rank the Eastern Conference, finding out where a lack of change has been misconstrued as a lack of improvement, or if the angst is legit! They also have a pity party for Clippers fans and their young players, and break down why Amen Thompson’s deal has no impact on Ausar Thompson’s potential deal.
We’ve got you covered for all this and more in this week’s episode!
Want to hear your voice on the Pindown? Call (313) 355-2717 and leave your question as a voicemail! The guys will play your message and answer your question on that week’s episode! All we ask is that you keep your questions to under 45 seconds.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 01: Kris Dunn #8 of the Los Angeles Clippers drives to the basket against Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 01, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the Phoenix Suns’ first preseason game a little more than a month away, there hasn’t been much to talk about when it comes to the team lately. And that’s a good thing.
I’m a fan of no drama. I’d much rather operate silently in the background than constantly find myself at the forefront of the conversation. If you gave me the choice between being a ninja, a knight, or a pirate, I’m choosing ninja every time. They’re quiet. They get the job done. They don’t seek fanfare, and half the time you don’t even know they’re there. The Suns have operated more like pirates in the recent past. Loud moves. Swashbuckling around. Stumbling through the season. That’s not the way to be.
There is plenty of drama happening around the NBA, though, and much of it is coming at the expense of the Los Angeles Clippers, who have been penalized for salary cap circumvention. They’ve lost five first-round picks beginning in 2029, which is crippling for any franchise.
And as a Phoenix Suns fan, you can’t help but ask one simple question: Which situation would you rather be in, the Suns or the Clippers? To me, the answer is easy. I’d much rather be in the situation where the organization has a top-20 player, an established culture, draft assets even if they don’t fully control all of them, and plenty of young, exciting talent waiting in the wings
Some people are contrary simply for the sake of being contrary, and I think this is a horrible take. Saying the Suns are asset-poor in any real capacity feels like being contrarian for the sake of it.
The reason the Clippers are in a far worse position than Phoenix is that they are severely limited in their ability to build. Draft picks provide two different avenues for roster construction. The first is obvious. You use them after a bad season, add young talent, and hope your developmental program can turn those players into meaningful contributors. That’s what the Clippers are hoping for after trading Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers and acquiring the fifth overall pick in last year’s draft. Keaton Wagler represents someone they hope can develop into a star. The problem is that it becomes much harder to build around that kind of player without future draft assets.
That leads to the second function of draft picks. They can be used in trades to add more talent and fortify the roster. We know that all too well in Phoenix, as the Suns gave up numerous picks in deals for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. The Clippers no longer have that flexibility because they don’t own first-round picks from 2029 through 2033. Meanwhile, the Suns, even if they don’t fully control all of their own picks in upcoming years, still possess first-round picks. They still have assets that can be included in trades, even if many of them are heavily swapped. There is a massive difference between having compromised draft capital and having none at all.
The Suns also have tradable assets. If they ever decided to move off Devin Booker, they would get a haul in return. Who on the Clippers is going to bring back that kind of value? Darius Garland? Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t be opposed to the Suns trading for him, but nobody is giving up four first-round picks for Garland. Booker could absolutely command that kind of return on the open market.
Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges? All of those players could most likely bring back some combination of draft compensation or quality players in return. How much do you think the Clippers are getting for Brook Lopez or Derrick Jones Jr.?
The Clippers are trying to build around a young core, but the Suns have one too. The difference is that Phoenix has given itself multiple ways to continue building around that youth, while the Clippers have far fewer options because of the draft capital they no longer possess.
Then there’s the free agency component. You can make the argument that Los Angeles, by itself, is always going to attract talent. I’m not going to argue with you there. There are business opportunities and ventures outside of basketball that make the city appealing, although that kind of arrangement is what got the Clippers in trouble to begin with.
Culturally, though, I think Phoenix is in a far better place. This is an organization that, despite never winning a championship, has an owner who is engaged, inspired, and willing to do what it takes to win while operating within the rules. The Suns have the fifth-best winning percentage in NBA history. The Clippers? They’ve been a black hole since moving from Buffalo to San Diego and then from San Diego to Los Angeles. They’ve never reached the Finals and have historically been one of the league’s punching bags. They have the 28th winning percentage all-time. In short? The Los Angeles Clippers are the Arizona Cardinals of the NBA. So yeah, I think the advantage goes to Phoenix.
It’s silly that I’m even sitting here defending why the Suns are in a better situation than the Clippers. It feels like a ridiculous exercise. But if that’s what Sam Quinn of CBS Sports believes, then feel free to believe it. To me, it puts his take into one of two categories. Either he wrote it to generate clicks, in which case, congratulations, it worked. Or he genuinely believes it. And if he genuinely believes the Clippers are in a better position than the Suns, then I honestly don’t trust his perception of basketball.
Maybe the Suns aren’t sitting on a treasure chest of assets. Nobody is arguing that. But there’s a massive difference between having limitations and having your future confiscated. Phoenix has Booker, tradable contracts, young talent, first-round picks, and an organizational culture that finally appears stable. The Clippers have fewer avenues available to fix whatever comes next. So call me biased. Call me a Suns homer. That’s fine. But if I’m choosing which ship I want to be on moving forward, I’m taking the one that still has a rudder.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 14: Cameron Carr #43 of the Los Angeles Lakers talks to the media after the game against the LA Clippers on July 14, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Cameron Carr.
If you rule out Dalton Knecht’s hot start in his rookie campaign before petering out pretty rapidly, the last time the Lakers got notable production from their first round draft pick was…Lonzo Ball in 2017.
In fairness, they’ve traded a number of those picks, either for Anthony Davis or Dennis Schröder or Luka Dončić or when acquiring or dealing away Russell Westbrook. But going nearly a decade without any real impact from a first round pick is putting the team behind the eight ball, especially in comparison with the likes of the Spurs and Thunder built on the back of lots of first round picks.
Fans have been yearning for a young player to get excited about, so when Cameron Carr showed out this summer, it built up a lot of excitement and anticipation. He showed an ability to score at multiple levels and is a high-flyer, qualities that would get any fanbase excited.
With the Lakers shifting to a younger, more athletic version of the team this offseason, Carr feels like a natural fit. But how quickly can he make an impact?
What is his best-case scenario?
In Summer League, Carr’s off-ball scoring stood out as one of the skills that could translate most quickly to the NBA. He was able to knock down threes coming around screens on the perimeter, connect on mid-range jumpers on pindown screens or get to the rim on curls to the basket.
With one of Luka or Austin Reaves basically a lock to be on the floor, Carr is unlikely to be on the ball much. If he can continue to be a high-level scorer off the ball, though, then he’s going to find minutes. While the Lakers have many guards on the roster, none have the skill set as a scorer that Carr does, which should very well lead to him getting time on the floor.
If he can knock down shots consistently and provide a threat all over the floor that opponents have to be aware of, then he’s going to be in the rotation. The more he’s able to be impactful offensively, the more leeway he’ll get defensively, too.
He has the length to be a chaos creator on that end. If he can do enough of that while learning how to be a consistent defender on that end as well, then it’ll also help keep him on the floor.
What is his worst-case scenario?
What if he’s just Dalton Knecht 2.0? It feels harsh to say about Knecht, but considering how far he’s fallen, it’s hard to deny it.
Knecht has always struggled defensively, but made up for it by being a flamethrower on offense. When those shots stopped falling, his minutes dropped and, now, he’s reduced to garbage time cameos.
As with basically any rookie, he’s going to be a bad defender from the jump. But if he can’t improve on that end, similar to Knecht’s struggles, then it might be déjà vu all over again.
For him to go down that track, though, it would also require his offense to disappear. Given the variety of ways he can score, it feels less likely for that to happen, or at least not in the same way it did for Knecht. Instead, it might come in the way of his indecision or hesitation about when to shoot, drive, or pass.
In short, he looks like a rookie overwhelmed by bigger, faster and stronger players in the NBA.
What is his most likely role on the team?
Carr impressed enough in Summer League that it’s hard not to envision him getting a shot. That being said, the team is full of guards and Carr is going to have to distinguish himself from the pack.
As mentioned, he has the skill set to do that, but he still has to produce. Whether by way of a bigger rotation this season or stepping up when players miss time, Carr is going to get chances. He’ll likely be on the edge of the rotation to start the season.
Whether he bucks the trend of a decade of Lakers first round picks will be up to him.
INGLEWOOD, CA - APRIL 26: Ben Simmons #25 of the LA Clippers looks on during Round One, Game Four of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets on April 26, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Earlier this offseason, Ben Simmons hinted that he was eyeing a return to the NBA after taking the 2025-26 season off. He told Clay Skipper of Men’s Health that he didn’t “have a plan on where” he would sign, before adding, “Maybe I’ll go back to Philly.”
He is not going back to Philly. Instead, he agreed to a one-year, veteran-minimum contract with the Sacramento Kings on Friday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
So, why did the Sixers let the Kings beat them to the punch? Aside from, well, you know…
Ben Simmons on passing up a dunk vs. the Hawks in Game 7 of the 2021 East Semis:
"I wasn't hitting my sh*t, so motherf*cker, you knock it down! I just gave it to somebody [Matisse Thybulle] who was shooting a higher percentage free throw at the time."
For one, they didn’t have the money to sign Simmons—or almost anyone else, for that matter.
The Sixers hard-capped themselves at the $209.0 million first apron in basically every possible way this offseason. After their flood of offseason moves, they’re roughly $1.8 million below that line at the moment.
Since Simmons is signing a one-year, veteran-minimum deal, he’ll have a cap hit of only $2.4 million—the same as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope—despite earning $3.5 million in actual salary. Still, signing him would have pushed the Sixers roughly $600,000 above the first apron, so they would have needed to clear some salary first.
Even if the Sixers did have the financial wiggle room to sign Simmons, though, it’s hard to imagine that’s how they would have spent their last open roster spot.
Since his infamous blunder against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Simmons has played a total of 108 games over the past half-decade. The Sixers already have one gigantic injury question mark in Joel Embiid. The last thing they need is to fill their last open roster spot with an even bigger one.
While the Sixers could use another rangy defensive forward, it’s unclear whether Simmons is still the type of defender who earned a pair of All-Defense first-team nods earlier in his career. We haven’t seen that version of him in a half-decade.
The Sixers used Simmons as an oversized point guard back in his heyday, but in case you weren’t aware, they landed another jumbo playmaker this offseason. Some guy named LeBron James? He’s apparently pretty good. Still need to watch the tape to confirm.
Between James, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and even rookie Labaron Philon Jr., the Sixers suddenly have more ball-handling and playmaking than they’ve had in years. Heading into the season, backup center looks like their biggest question mark. That may be the best use of their remaining open roster spot once we get into the season.
We also still have no idea what this year’s Sixers will look like—and more importantly, what their strengths and weaknesses will be. They should be a dynamo in transition, and they have the talent on paper to boast one of the league’s best offenses, but that’s all theoretical right now. As Jaylen Brown would say, they need to roll the ball out to figure out what their biggest needs are.
Once they’ve had a few months to suss that out, they can look to address those holes either at the trade deadline or on the buyout market. As weird as this is to say, they could be one of the premier destinations for ring-chasers later this year. They might have their pick of the litter on the in-season free-agent market. Would it be worth giving that up in the hopes that Simmons isn’t broken anymore?
If Simmons stays healthy and looks like his former self, perhaps the Sixers revisit acquiring him at the trade deadline. Jabari Walker and/or Justin Edwards are easy salary matches, if so. But for now, they’ll just have to watch from afar to see how Simmons’ comeback tour goes in Sacramento.
Godspeed, Kings fans. You’re always welcome to take refuge here.
Simmons stepped away from the NBA last season and purchased a controlling share in the South Florida Sails Angling Club, which is a part of the Sport Fishing Championship.
Simmons, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, flamed out with the 76ers and Nets while dealing with a number of injuries and mental hurdles.
Ben Simmons signs with the Kings. Noah K. Murray-NY Post
The 30-year-old played played 18 games with the Clippers at the end of the 2024-’25 season, averaging three points, four rebounds and three assists per game in a limited bench role.
Simmons now adds a veteran presence to a rebuilding Kings team that went 22-60 last season and drafted Darius Acuff Jr. out of Arkansas with the No. 7 pick in the draft.
It will be interesting to see if a year away from the sport will help Simmons the shooting issues that plagued him in his career — often seeming unwilling to shoot anything beyond a layup.
He certainly seemed to enjoy his time fishihing.
“It’s a very niche sport,” he told Andscape. “And if you don’t know, you don’t know. But once you experience it and get out there and see what it’s about, you’re kind of in awe of what the sport is. And that’s just something I’ve always been interested in in terms of the sport of fishing.
“The technique. And there’s so much to it that people just don’t understand. These guys are fishing on million-dollar vessels, and they’re out for days at a time. So, it’s tedious and gritty, but a lot of fun. It’s one of those worlds where you just got to kind of experience it, get into it and see what it’s about.”
Sacramento was looking for a veteran point guard to back up and mentor rookie Darius Acuff. They have their guy, and it's an eyebrow-raising choice:
Ben Simmons.
Simmons agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Kings, which is the veteran minimum, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. It's not yet clear whether this contract is fully guaranteed.
Simmons, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and a three-time All-Star, did not play in the NBA last season — he was focused more on deep sea fishing, even buying a controlling stake in the South Florida Sails of the Sport Fishing Championship. He went through a mini-camp with the Austrailian national team this summer, and while he looked good in social media workouts that is almost an annual tradition with him that has had little bearing on the regular season.
Simmons last played in the NBA in the 2024-25 season, splitting time between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. In 18 games with the Clippers, he played solid defense and showed he could run the offense for a stretch, even if he didn't put up counting stats of note (2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 16.4 minutes per game) or score much from outside the paint. He was not part of Tyronn Lue's playoff rotation, but he looked like he might be a decent veteran backup point guard.
Which is what the Kings were looking for. Sacramento also is betting on Simmons staying healthy. Simmons has dealt with back issues since the 2021-22 season, missed considerable time because of it, and has undergone a couple of surgeries to help relieve the issue. He was largely healthy with the Nets and Clippers a couple of seasons ago.
Sacramento had talked to Russell Westbrook about returning in a backup role, but he chose to retire instead. The Kings also had conversations with Victor Oladipo, and there are veteran point guards available, such as Gabe Vincent and Cameron Payne.
The Kings have decided to go with Simmons. It's an interesting choice, and not necessarily a bad one.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 18: Miles McBride speaks onstage during "Knicks Film School" podcast the Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 at Jacob Javits Center on July 18, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images for Fanatics) | Getty Images for Fanatics
Miles “Deuce” McBride arrived in New York as the 36th pick in the 2021 draft, a short-ish, square-jawed defender with a shaky jump shot. The inconsistent three-ball never worried Tom Thibodeau. The grizzled skipper loved watching a 6’2” guard stalk ballhandlers the length of the court, the basketball equivalent of a German shepherd harassing a cockapoo.
Eventually, the offense came around. Deuce put in plenty of reps with Westchester, waited behind veteran guards on the MSG depth chart and spent marathon hours in the gym rebuilding his jumper. His three-point shooting went from his greatest liability to one of his greatest strengths, rising from 25% on 1.7 attempts per game as a rookie to 41% on 6.6 attempts during the championship season. His playing time increased accordingly. Although still primarily a reserve, he went from nine minutes per game to 26.
When RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were traded to the Raptors, Leon Rose’s next order of business was locking down the promising McBride, who had so far been buried on the bench. On the day of the trade, December 30, 2023, the former West Virginia Mountaineer, then 23, agreed to a three-year, $13 million fully guaranteed contract extension. The front-loaded deal began the following season and runs through 2026–27, with his salary decreasing each year.
Deuce significantly outperformed it. He stepped into a larger rotation role, improved his efficiency, contributed as a two-way guard and posted career highs in points, minutes and assists. He became a reliable sparkplug off the bench and an occasional starter (43 so far). Better still, his contract provided the Knicks with roster flexibility under the league’s salary-cap and apron restrictions. Recent estimates have placed his market value at $10 million to $12 million per year, if not higher, while his actual cap hits remained remarkably low: approximately $4.7 million in 2024–25, $4.3 million in 2025–26 and less than $4 million in 2026–27.
McBride further proved his value during the championship run, playing through lingering pain after February hernia surgery sidelined him for roughly two months. He described the sensation as “like someone stabbing your groin, hip and ab at the same time,” yet still played anyway.
Now all that wonderful success may carry Deuce out of New York. Stefan Bondy reports in the New York Post that McBride, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart are eligible for extensions and remain unsigned. McBride’s situation is the most eyebrow-raising of the three. He did not sign before the August 11 soft deadline, after which an extension would prevent the Knicks from trading him during the season. Bondy considers a new deal unlikely and highlights McBride as perhaps the Knicks’ best expendable trade asset.
McBride has a favorable expiring contract, and the Knicks have more guards than available minutes. They also have needs that may become more urgent as the season unfolds. New York acquired Andre Drummond to back up Towns, but Drummond is on the other side of 30, with considerable mileage after a career spent wrestling NBA bigs. If Rose & Co. decide they need another center or a different kind of rotation player, they have limited ways to make a meaningful midseason move. Trading Deuce may provide the cleanest path.
With Mitchell Robinson gone, McBride is the longest-tenured Knick. He is also among the few remaining players whom the organization drafted and developed. When done well, player development creates value, and the best proof of that value is when another team craves what you produced. Which teams might be interested? Off the top of the dome: the Hornets, Grizzlies, Clippers, Nets, and Suns. If none of them has a big man the Knicks want, we already know Leon is capable of roping in a third team that does.
Nobody in the P&T bullpen wants to see Deuce go. He fits the exact profile of a player we love: gritty, team-first, defensively minded, willing to play through pain, and committed to improving year after year. Ideally, that kind of player remains a Knick for life, followed by a chair at MSG Network or a front-office position. But who knows what the Knicks’ situation at center will be around the midseason trade deadline? If this is Deuce’s last ride, let’s appreciate it.
Draymond Green has strong opinions on how the NBA handled its biggest offseason scandal — and he’s genuinely relieved about how it turned out for Kawhi Leonard.
The NBA announced severe penalties against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday following a nearly yearlong investigation into salary cap circumvention involving Leonard. The league found the organization had improperly facilitated off-court endorsement deals between Leonard and four companies doing business with the team — Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance — most notably a $28 million “no-show job” deal with Aspiration, a sustainability startup that has since collapsed into bankruptcy amid federal fraud charges against its co-founder.
The Clippers were fined $30 million, the largest penalty in NBA history, and will forfeit five first-round draft picks from 2029 through 2033. Owner Steve Ballmer was suspended one year from all league and team activities for “knowingly” helping Leonard pursue those opportunities. In contrast, team president Gillian Zucker was suspended a year without pay, and basketball operations president Lawrence Frank was suspended six months. Leonard himself was ordered to pay $700,000 for violations tied to the conduct of his business manager — his uncle, Dennis Robertson — but was not suspended.
“Kawhi Leonard has to pay $700,000, essentially in restitution for what happened in the deal,” Green said. “And Kawhi came out and said, ‘I didn’t know anything about this,’ and I’m taking his word for it.”
Green’s reasoning centered specifically on Daktronics — one of the four companies actually named in the investigation, and a business whose scoreboards appear in arenas across the league.
“Daktronics is a real company,” Green said. “If you got a deal coming in from Daktronics, you’re not running to your representation like, ‘How do I get this?’ I know that’s a very reputable company. Looking in any arena, they’re probably doing the scoreboard. I’m taking Kawhi’s word for what it is, and I’m happy the team got the bulk of the penalty and not Kawhi.”
Green then widened his critique to the league’s broader compensation structure.
“Why is there a salary cap? Why are guys being prevented from making money from team sponsors or league sponsors?” Green said. “We talk about being in a league that’s player-centric, player-focused, player-driven – and here’s a situation where a guy can make 20 to 30 extra million dollars, and we’re like, ‘Oh yeah, you’re in trouble.’ I’m happy Kawhi didn’t get the bulk of this punishment. I think that is absolutely beautiful.”
Green’s broader point about the salary cap is a conversation the league will keep having. But it’s worth separating that debate from what actually triggered this investigation. This was not a story about restrictive policy preventing players from earning outside income — it was a franchise found to have orchestrated a scheme through a company that turned out to be fraudulent, run by a co-founder now serving 14 years in federal prison for defrauding investors of more than $248 million.
Whether Leonard genuinely did not know of any of it, as Green believes, might be true. But the system that got exploited here wasn’t an unfair cap on player earnings — it was a rule meant to keep 30 different ownership groups playing by the same terms, and one team found a way around it.
26 August 2026, North Rhine-Westphalia, Cologne: A bumblebee flies into the flower of a dahlia at Flora. Photo: Oliver Berg/dpa (Photo by Oliver Berg/picture alliance via Getty Images)
I thought I had a ton of content to include in the notes, then realized there were just a handful of bullet points to it, so I needed to wait a few days to pad it further. Maybe we’re not so close to the new season as I initially thought.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has his own answer to the “King of New York” debate.
Jalen Brunson, however, wants absolutely no part of that.
“Imagine I get on this call with you, right? I’m like, ‘Yo, no king of New York’s here,’ whatever, whatever. You guys are going to look like, ‘What the f**k, this dude is so self-centered.’”
NYP’s Stefan Bondy believes Josh Hart and the Knicks remain on track to stay together long term, even if an extension does not happen immediately. He thinks, however, Karl-Anthony Towns’ next contract could become one of the Knicks’ biggest financial decisions. Meanwhile, Bondy sees Deuce McBride as an increasingly likely trade asset.
Jalen Brunson already has an eye on life after basketball.
“I would coach high school or the pros. I would not want to coach college.”
Julius Randle says he has no bitterness about watching the Knicks win a championship after his departure. Never stop liking Jules, fellas.
Josh Hart surely knows who won the Mikal Bridges trade.
Miles McBride brought the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to his old high school community. Deuuuuuuuuce!!!
Jose Alvarado is aiming significantly higher than simply remaining a useful Knicks reserve, hunting for that 6MOY award next season.
“I still haven’t done what I wanted to do with my career. I got a lot of goals that I want to push for and this is probably going to be the most hard-working summer I probably put in. I want to be in the conversation of Sixth Man of the Year one day. Obviously I got to work, obviously situations where the minutes, consistency and stuff like that is always going to be a problem because I know I’m never going to pass the eye test. If you look at me, I’m not the most tallest, most athletic to the NBA world. So I just know going into a room, I got to be the most out-working person, hardest-working person and the rest will take care of itself.”
The Knicks are still looking for a third center, and SI’s Joseph Randazzo floated Chris Boucher as a possible veteran option.
Believe it or not, OG Anunoby is headed to network television.
Jordan Clarkson has apparently been officially friend-zoned by Bebe Rexha. In a busy week for JC, he also crossed paths with rising tennis star Alex Eala at the U.S. Open, with the two bonding over their Filipino heritage.
Philadelphia keeps signing superstars, the latest being 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall.
Kevin Durant has a clear post-playing-career ambition already in mind: running Team USA.
The Los Angeles Clippers got handed arguably the worst punishment in NBA history for salary cap circumvention, fined millions of dollars as well as losing consecutive first round draft picks. Beginning in 2029, the Clippers will forfeit their top draft picks until 2033, leaving the NBA draft with less draft selections than normal. And Warriors star Draymond Green does not agree with how the draft pick forfeiture is being handled.
Green offered a proposal for what the league should do with the lost draft picks on his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show.” And he is all for making sure that the picks go to different teams so that the number of draft selections stays the same, giving incoming prospects the same opportunity to hear their names called.
“Here’s one thing I will say,” Green said. “Usually in these situations where draft picks get snatched, you look up and it’s just 29 first round picks. I think the NBA needs to do something about that. And I think the NBA needs to do something about that for a few reasons. Number one, it’s not fair to guys who have the opportunity to be one of 60 and then all of a sudden teams lose three picks somewhere in the 30 team system and you get three picks snatched and then there’s 57 draft picks this year.
“That’s not fair to three guys who can possibly get their name called, who’ve worked their whole lives for an opportunity at being one of 60. I think that sucks for guys who have worked their ass off. I think it sucks for the NBA as a whole. I think at some point the NBA has to figure out a system where when a pick gets snatched, maybe it goes into a lottery to certain teams. Maybe you can do something to where those picks didn’t go somewhere else. But just getting rid of the picks as a whole, I don’t think that’s fair, I don’t think that’s great for the NBA. You want 60 draft picks… I think those picks should go elsewhere… .”
The investigation into the Clippers began in September 2025 after a journalist reported that Kawhi Leonard and a company called Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC. — a company that went bankrupt the same year– were involved in an endorsement deal that could have broken NBA rules.
The Clippers maintained they did nothing wrong, but after the league investigation wrapped up, they found the team guilty and handed down a harsh punishment that included a one-year suspension for owner Steve Ballmer from all league and team activities, a $30 million fine and the stripped draft picks. As for Leonard, a trade back to the Toronto Raptors was halted during the investigation.
Green’s proposal hasn’t been discussed in any capacity but is interesting because it would allow the league to continue normally while still punishing the Clippers for their wrongdoings. And while there is no indication yet that Green’s thought will be taken seriously, it is an interesting one that could benefit the NBA.
Green is entering his 14th season, both in the NBA and with Golden State, and while his podcasting career is going strong, he is eager to continue playing at a high level and lead the Warriors back to the postseason. A four-time NBA champion, Green hopes he can win at least one more ring before riding off into the sunset.
The Los Angeles Sparks are hiring Philadelphia 76ers vice president of player personnel Ariana Andonian as their new general manager, the team announced Friday.
