Category: Basketball

Ramp to Camp: Which young player will have biggest impact for Celtics? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The roster overhaul that followed Banner 18 didn’t just crack open the door for the Boston Celtics’ youngest players, it launched them through it. Now Boston’s ability to remain competitive may hinge heavily on how quickly that youth grows up.

For Day 6 of our Ramp to Camp series, we asked our panel to predict which of Boston’s youngest players will have the biggest impact this season.

In full disclosure, we asked our panel to pick any “younger-ish” player. We wondered if anyone might try to make a case for 28-year-old Payton Pritchard or 27-year-old Neemias Queta, who still feel young(-ish) based on years of service.

But today’s question really boils down to Boston’s collection of wings in Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr. Down the road, rookies Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell might muscle their way into the conversation, too.

But each of the young wings on last year’s team got a chance to strut their stuff at various points of the season, and each got an opportunity on the playoff stage.

The question now is which one of them will truly distinguish and separate themselves during the 2026-27 season?

Loyal readers of this space are well aware of how bullish this writer is on Gonzalez’s future. He nearly saved Boston from itself in Game 7, particularly with a willingness to joust with Joel Embiid despite giving up a bunch of size. There’s a Marcus Smart-like quality to Gonzalez, where he thrives on hustle and chaos.

We also can’t help but think back to Brad Stevens’ end-of-the-season press conference when he offered high praise for Gonzalez’s rookie campaign.

“The reality is Hugo had a great rookie year and is, I think, a critical part of us moving forward,” Stevens said in May. “Because his athleticism can meet the moment in big games. That’s a real thing. You can see it.

“His strength is off the charts … he’s one of the strongest guys on our team, pound-for-pound, right now, as a 20-year-old. So, he’s got a bright future.”

The only question, in our mind, is whether Gonzalez’s offensive game develops fast enough for him to win the tug-of-war for minutes with Boston’s other young wings. Even in praising Gonzalez, Stevens noted the need to further distinguish himself.

“[Gonzalez] didn’t separate himself from those other guys,” Stevens said in May. “And so, as a front-office person, I can’t sit here and say that one person should have been playing over another. There was no separation.”

Scheierman’s offensive talents, coupled with a high basketball IQ and defensive versatility, helped him earn coach Joe Mazzulla’s trust last season. Walsh pledged this summer to improve his all-around game to ensure he doesn’t get labeled as just a defensive specialist and wants Mazzulla to feel comfortable playing him in any situation. Harper Jr. started Game 7 in the postseason and should get an opportunity to build off the first consistent minutes of his career (318 minutes in 29 appearances with Boston last season; 69 minutes in 11 appearances over his first three seasons with Toronto and Detroit).

Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

This could truly tip in any direction. The best possible outcome for the Celtics might be that each player makes strides in their own way and then it’s on Mazzulla to figure out how to best deploy that talent.

Walsh was seemingly on an All-Defense track for a month last season but his offensive limitations caused his minutes to fade. Scheierman could be in line for another robust role with the departure of Jaylen Brown, and if he builds off last season then he’ll be an important piece of Boston’s success. Harper Jr. showed in small glimpses how impactful he can be — particularly the night he got dispatched to defend Kevin Durant in his first career start.

We’re still going to lean towards Gonzalez here. We just think the Celtics need his chaos factor. Opponents shot 3.6 percent below expected output against Gonzalez, which ranked in the 94th percentile among all wings. His rebounding was elite for his position, including on the offensive end where his corner crashes helped generate second-chance opportunities.

The Celtics were 9.5 points per 100 possessions better with Gonzalez on the court, per Cleaning the Glass data. Even with his own limitations, Boston’s offensive rating perked up 5.9 points per 100 possessions in his floor time (a reflection of how good the young bench group was overall). The defensive rating dipped by 3.6 points and opponent turnover rate spiked by 2.6 percent in Gonzalez’s minutes.

We think there’s a big leap awaiting for Gonzalez, and it starts during the 2026-27 season.

Max Lederman, Content Producer

I’m tempted to say Scheierman but I really do think the sky is the limit for Hugo Gonzalez. His intensity and offensive rebounding should keep him on the floor as he continues to earn Mazzulla’s trust, and we’ve already seen those traits swing games for the Celtics.

Justin Leger: Producer, Multi-Platform Content

Biggest impact? Let’s go with Baylor Scheierman. He showed flashes of his potential throughout the season and topped it off with an incredible season-finale performance versus the Orlando Magic. I’m expecting him to have a key role off the bench this season. If we’re talking biggest breakout, we’ll roll with Hugo Gonzalez. Big things coming for him, especially on the defensive end.

Josh Canu: Editor

Baylor Scheierman. Once again, I think Scheierman is the pick here. His ability to both handle the ball and create shots for himself and teammates makes him a critical piece for the Celtics this season. The defense still leaves a little to be desired, but that will continue to develop with experience.

Nick Goss: Producer, Multi-Platform Content

Baylor Scheierman. I’m tempted to say Gonzalez, but Scheierman is further along in his development and actually took a nice step forward last season. He shot just under 40 percent from 3-point range and improved defensively. His playmaking ability is underrated, too. A good-sized uptick in scoring from him this coming season would not be surprising.

Michael Hurley: Producer, Multi-Platform Content

This time I won’t go with the obvious answer of Neemias Queta. Instead I’m going with Jordan Walsh, who’s definitely on the -ish end of the youngish scale as he enters his fourth year. I just think there were some stretches last season, especially early on, when he was quite simply much better than anybody thought he could be. I think back to the way he was locking down Tyrese Maxey on the defensive end early in the season, which came just after he hit a dagger 3 late in a win over Orlando. I think he can take a big step as a key bench piece if he can keep up a level of consistency. We know he has the motor.

Adam Hart: Executive Producer, Content Strategy

Younger(ish) is so ambiguous. That said, Forsberg was clearly hoping for a Hugo sweep here. Doing my part: Gonzalez is the answer.

Kevin Miller: Vice President, Content Creation and Strategy

Hugo Gonzalez

Jason Levine: Executive Producer, Content Integrations

Hugo Gonzalez

This offseason, the Boston Celtics packed up Jaylen Brown, a franchise legend, and sent him off to one of their historic rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers. In return, the Celtics are bringing in a likely future Hall of Famer in Paul George, to go along with a slew of draft picks. We don’t need to relitigate whether this was a good or bad return for Jaylen Brown; Paul George is a Celtic. The star forward arriving in Boston in the twilight of his career reminds me of another time a future Hall of Famer arrived in Boston, except in that instance it was his second arrival, Al Horford in 2021. 

Brad Stevens’ first order of business as president of basketball operations in 2021 was bringing back Al Horford. A move that foreshadowed Stevens’ brilliance as a front-office executive. Horford’s second act with Boston began in his age-35 season; Paul George will embark on his Celtics tenure in his age-36 season. I think there’s a chance that PG becomes this era’s version of Al Horford, a wing version whose blend of elite shooting and defense complements this current Celtics roster perfectly. There are two obvious barriers to Paul George reaching the lofty heights of Al Horford’s 2021-2025 Celtics stint; that dude was a playoff cheat code. Big Al could switch one through five, protect the rim, stretch the floor and was an elite connector. Those are big shoes to fill for the late-career versatile wing. The first barrier is the obvious health concerns; over the last five seasons, George has played an average of 48 regular-season games. However, it’s notable that PG has played in 125 of 131 possible career playoff games. Five were missed due to injury in 2023, and one was missed in 2022 due to COVID safety protocols. Next, when comparing Horford’s role with the Celtics and George’s potential role, there are similarities, but the Celtics will rely on George far less than they did Horford. The Celtics unfairly burdened Horford with the fate of the Celtics’ frontcourt. Rob Williams took the group to a new level, but his knees gave out; Porzingis was only able to give the team two and a half healthy playoff games, Luke Kornet was a great regular-season minutes eater, and Neemias Queta wasn’t ready yet. The centre job was Horford’s to hold down. The same will not be asked of Paul George. The 2026-2027 Celtics are overflowing with young, athletic, rangy wing depth, who will keep PG fresh throughout the season. For George to actualise his destiny as 2022 Al Horford, I will gladly accept a 48-game season if he is ready to perform as he did in the most recent playoffs, in which he tortured the Celtics on both ends of the court for an entire series. George entered his first offseason healthy in multiple years and is coming off a season in which he performed at an elite level. I expect the Celtics to limit his minutes to at most 28 minutes per game, and invoke Horford’s left big toe injury designation for back-to-backs. Call me a blind optimist, but I expect a relatively healthy season from George on a load management plan. 

When comparing Paul George and Al Horford, there are clear similarities. Ageing veterans whose All-Star days are in the rearview mirror and who are willing to embrace their late-career role-player designations. George, similar to Horford, has a skill set perfectly suited to being a superstar role player. The former MVP candidate is still one of the league’s premier shooters both off the catch and on pull-ups, a capable pick-and-roll operator, and is both a lockdown on-ball defender and a swarming off-ball defender. The Celtics just can’t ask George to do too many of those things too often. For most of the season, I expect George to operate in spot-up situations, providing elite spacing for Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard, while playing high-level team defense. With a sprinkle of on-ball creation and on-ball defense when the timing is right. It will be similar to the way Horford used to pace himself in the regular season by saving a few jumps for rebounds and contests at the rim for when it was really going to matter. Joe Mazzulla shouldn’t ask Paul George (or Jayson Tatum) to guard the league’s elite offensive weapons during the regular season. That’s a young man’s job. That’s a job for Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Ron Harper Jr. 

One piece of the Horford-George parallel that might not line up is the length of their Celtics tenure. It’s no secret that the Celtics are open to using George’s ~$55 million contract to go star hunting. However, that star may not materialise. And while the Celtics are flush with high-value draft assets and intriguing prospects, they may be outbid for this mystery star. Conventional wisdom in that scenario is that the Celtics will pick up George’s 2027-2028 $56 million player option and let it expire. I think there is a high likelihood that the Celtics and George negotiate a decline-and-extend scenario. Something similar to what the Cleveland Cavaliers just did with James Harden. Now, before some Celtics fans throw their computers at the wall, hear me out. This would only happen if we get the Paul George season I laid out above. A successful load management season that results in 50-ish regular-season games and high-level playoff play. If the Celtics make no significant roster moves until next offseason, the team is currently projected to be around $9 million over the luxury tax line going into the 2027-2028 season. Celtics owner Bill Chism has emphasised that it is not a factor when making basketball decisions. However, if the team can stay under the tax and salary cap aprons longer, that is good for the roster’s long-term health. So, a contract could look like a two-year $85 million deal. With $45 million due in the first year and $40 million in the second year. Or it could be a three-year deal somewhere in the $100 million ballpark. Yes, George would be overpaid, but maintaining the rich salary slot is important for making the future trades that will vault the Celtics back into not just contender territory, but title favourite territory. This will also allow the Celtics to use their mid level exception to bring in another free agent like Mitchell Robinson. That smells like optionality to me.

For those who are dubious that the Celtics can benefit from the services of another ageing star, I implore you to embrace the new era of sports medicine we are living in. We live in a world where players are returning from Achilles injuries in record times across all sports. There are stars playing high-level basketball deep into their 30s and early 40s. LeBron James aside, as he is a very clear alien outlier, there are still players impacting winning late into their careers. Kevin Durant turns 38 next month and was just selected to his 12th All-NBA team. Steph Curry is 38 and still one of the best offensive players in the NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers are asking 37-year-old James Harden to be one of their lead initiators again. That is a bad idea, but if Harden played a more condensed role, he could still be a superstar role player. Kawhi Leonard at age 35 is still a basketball cyborg whenever he takes the court. What stands out among all these players is the dramatic difference in the burden they will be asked to carry relative to Paul George. George is coming to Boston to be the wing version of 2024 Al Horford…or a tall version of 2024 Jrue Holiday. Either way, the nine-time All-Star is overqualified for this role and will thrive as a late-career impact role player for the Celtics. 

With preseason just around the corner and just over a month till the start of the regular season, I figured now is a great time to go over some important dates for the upcoming season, so get your calendars ready!

To start off Media Day will be Tuesday, September 22 with Rockets Training Camp starting the next day (September 23).

Then for preseason this season, the Rockets will only play three preseason games, two of which will be in China. The two games in China will be October 9 and 11 versus the Dallas Mavericks in Macao. The Rockets will then return home to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 15. Houston will then start their regular season at home on October 21 to take on the Dallas Mavericks.

The Rockets will begin NBA Cup play on October 30as they take on the Dallas Mavericks on the road. Houston then plays the Utah Jazz at home on November 13, followed by the Denver Nuggets on November 20 at home and finally the Phoenix Suns on November 25 at home. Of course, if the Rockets manage to win their group, there will likely be more games added to their cup schedule.

This year’s NBA All-Star weekend is February 19 – 21, so the NBA will be on break from the 19 to the 24 of February this upcoming year. Also in February is the NBA Trade Deadline, which occurs on February 11, 2027.

Unfortunately, this season the Rockets do not have either a Christmas Day or an MLK Day game, but there are still plenty of exciting matchups. A game I have circled on my calendar is the November 25 game versus the Phoenix Suns in Houston, as that is the one time Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks will play in Houston! I will also be looking forward to all four Rockets-Spurs matchups, with one occurring on October 23, 2026 (Austin, Texas, one on January 26, 2027 (in San Antonio), and two in March, with both games being in Houston (March 5 and March 16)

With all that said, what are you excited to see playing this upcoming season? Let us know, and make sure to check back at The Dream Shake for more Houston Rockets basketball news.

It’s not often you find a player three seasons removed from a lottery selection on an Exhibit 10 deal, yet on Monday morning, the Celtics found someone in that exact situation in Providence product Devin Carter. 

It hasn’t been easy sledding for Carter entering his third NBA season, but he couldn’t have found himself in a better situation. 

Welcome to Celtic University. 

Devin Carter's deal with the Boston Celtics is an Exhibit 10 contract, a league source told @spotrac.

If Carter earns a regular season spot, deal becomes a standard non-guaranteed contract. It can also be converted to a two-way deal. Or Carter can get a bonus for joining Maine.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) September 14, 2026

Everyone loves a redemption story. A discarded lottery pick quietly attached to a second-round pick seven years from now and dumped soon after by the second team is an intriguing setup. The thing is, despite having trouble getting his career off the ground, Carter has never really looked like a traditional bust. 

The Kings — for all their bad contracts and bizarre roster choices compounded by a poor track record of draft hits — didn’t give Carter all that much opportunity across his two seasons. For a lottery pick, there never seemed to be a clear vision of where he fit into the SacTown circus. 

His jumper has yet to translate like his 38% 3-point shooting indicated as a junior, and he can be erratic with the ball in a way that wasn’t as prevalent in his college days, but in 74 career NBA games, 25 of which he played 20 or more minutes, Carter has 11 multi-steal appearances and four with 20+ points. Those four games of 20 or more points all came with efficiency above 50% (he was a combined 60% FG in those four contests). 

Those are real flashes. For Boston, that’s all you need to see to offer an Exhibit 10. 

In particular, we’ve seen the defensive flashes that played a major role in his lottery selection. 

Boston is not lacking for defensive hounds. Far from it, in fact. This is the rich getting richer, while adding to the one position that was in need of an extra depth piece. 

Even before this move, Boston’s perimeter defense looked like one of its greatest strengths on paper. Derrick White is coming off his third All-Defensive Team honor. Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman more than held their own in a full-season sample, while Ron Harper Jr. flashed exciting potential in his brief time in Boston. And that doesn’t factor in a full season for Jayson Tatum, a true jack of all trades defensively, and the addition of Paul George and two-way rookie Dillon Mitchell.

At guard and on the wings, they have options everywhere. Carter, if he can take advantage of this move with either a two-way contract or standard deal, only adds fuel to the fire.

Carter ideally fits the archetype of a ballhandling lead guard, with legitimate slashing burst and a pick-and-roll acumen, but it’s unclear where those chances will come in the short-term. White, Tatum, and Payton Pritchard will lead multiple units bringing the ball up the floor, and the addition of Mike Conley adds another steady hand. 

Just the idea of Carter being an understudy to Derrick White should fire up the synapses. That might be the absolute perfect guard for him to take notes from. 

Garbage time or a G League setting would be where we’d really see Carter develop as a point guard, but that doesn’t have to be the sole reason to give Carter time on the floor for Boston. In his brief time in the NBA, he’s proven to be an impactful rebounding guard and a pickpocketing, lane closing menace. It’s in these two areas where Carter would get his opportunity. His offense, for all the potential it could bring, is likely the side of the floor that’d require the most patience from a developmental standpoint. 

Good thing he’s in Boston, where his shooting development can become a priority, while an avenue to minutes still remains a possibility. We saw it all last year, Joe Mazzulla is hardly afraid of rotational experimentation or the chance to throw out a new starting five on a given night. If you can defend, rebound or hit open shots, you have a chance to see the floor.

For his long-term outlook, the clearest template to follow would be that of Davion Mitchell, who survived his own ordeal as a Sacramento lottery pick, found an opportunity to run offense on a middling Raptors team, and rediscovered his identity as a defensive menace and capable shooter with the Heat, who he started 70 games with last season. 

With an already deep group of guys currently under contract, I don’t want to put too much expectation on Carter immediately carving out a significant role. That feels unfair for anyone entering a season on an Exhibit 10. Chances are, he’ll find himself on a two-way contract to start the season, with a standard deal offered later near the trade deadline.

But this is a 24-year-old, lottery-level talent we’re talking about. Someone who was rightfully considered a top talent out of a good draft class, a player the Celtics can afford to be patient with that has considerable skill already built in.  

To happen upon that without sacrificing any draft assets or players makes it the exact type of move that, if successful, looks utterly ridiculous in hindsight. 

“How did the league let him be a Celtic?” 

Don’t be afraid to get excited about the future possibilities of Carter in green. This could be a perfect marriage between a player looking for a clear path forward and a team that would embolden the things he does well and offer patience in the areas that need work.

Last week, the Utah Jazz fandom found a new, shiny object of desire. It wouldn’t be the summertime without this tradition; I’ll remember fondly the days when I would contemplate longingly the backcourt fit of Donovan Mitchell and Jrue Holiday, or how Jerami Grant’s length could potentially shore up our perimeter defense. However, the new member of this storied club is not sparking my imagination in quite the same way.

Enter Myles Turner.

Now, do not be fooled by the headline, because I do understand from where this fascination originates. The offseason is long, the tanking was arduous, the highlights are tantalizing – I get it.

Myles Turner is a center and our center is Jusuf Nurkic.

Myles Turner is a center who shoots three pointers and the two 2026 NBA finalists both had centers who shoot three pointers.

Myles Turner was the starting center on a team that very nearly won the championship.

I understand all of these points, but still – I do not want Myles Turner on my team. Some of my reasons are logical, some of them less so. And who knows? Maybe all of them will prove hilarious in hindsight when Turner is wearing Jazz purple and hoisting the Larry O’Brien.

Nevertheless, I will attempt to explain, in 4 points, why I do not think that Myles Turner is the answer to Utah’s troubles, before quickly outlining the course of action I would prefer the franchise take as they trek into their next era of relevance.

1. Myles Turner does not fit what we need on offense

While it is true that I can’t name more than a handful of centers who can hit three pointers more effectively than Myles Turner, I do not think this offensive quirk is enough to constitute a proper fit in the Utah Jazz offense. Much of my concerns with Turner stem from his physical weakness. This flaw isn’t obvious while looking at his physical profile – he’s 6’11, 250 LBs, and appears reasonably well-built – but makes itself very evident with any extended time watching his game. Combining the last two seasons, Turner is taking less than 20% of his shots near the rim, and this past season, in the minutes Giannis was on the bench and Turner was on the court, the Bucks attempted 4 less shots at the rim every 100 possessions. Additionally, Giannis-only lineups attempted more shots at the rim that Giannis+Turner lineups, and this trend extends for several years into the past. That number may not jump off the screen, but it is a huge swing for a single player to generate. Turner does not play with force (especially damaging as a center in a league once again becoming more physical), and that leads to his units not taking advantage of the most physical areas on the court. Additionally, this playstyle is harder to accommodate against elite defenses – versus the Thunder in the finals, Turner posted the 3rd worst shooting percentage in a finals series by a center post-merger, at 36.8% (credit @carsobi on Twitter for the stat). One series sample sizes aren’t worth too much, but it is indicative of the type of offensive profile Turner has demonstrated his whole career.

This is already a problem that I anticipate the Jazz to have. Jaren Jackson Jr. loves his floaters and short mid range jump-shots, and has a similar impact on his teams rim frequency (albeit less severe). Keyonte George has slimmed down across his NBA career and prefers operating from the perimeter without putting too much pressure on the rim. At least early on, Darryn Peterson will be too slight to strain defenses with his slashing. In a league where force is becoming a prerequisite amongst the contenders of the highest echelon, the Jazz are already lacking, and Turner would do nothing to but add another player who is not always looking to put consistent pressure on the defense.

However, it’s not like Nurkic is leading a steam engine to the rim with his basket pressure, so what gives? Turner’s poor offensive fit is compounded by two facts: he is a horribly poor offensive rebounder, and he doesn’t bring any semblance of passing to a lineup. His rebounding woes are well documented – except for old man Brook Lopez, Turner posted the worst total rebounding percentage among centers who started any meaningful number of games, and that is buoyed significantly by a respectable enough defensive rebounding percentage. The possession battle is key to good offenses, and Turner is a detriment in that regard while Nurkic is a bit more positive. Second-chance opportunities off of offensive rebounds are some of the most efficient possessions in basketball, so while pulling them down isn’t necessarily sexy, it is a guaranteed way to significantly bolster your overall offensive footprint. The Jazz already are lacking in this department (hopefully, Markkanen can once again be quietly pretty good at this at the small forward position), and likely cannot afford another significant negative at their center position.

Finally, the playmaking. I sometimes feel like the only one worried that the Jazz are constructing a roster that is being marketed by fans as one with top-5-in-the-league potential, and yet has very few good passers. Keyonte is a plus, Collier is a plus, and Nurkic is a plus. The rest of the roster ranges from inconsequential to actively damaging distributors. This next year, Ace and Darryn and Lauri and Jackson and Svi and Hayes and Green and Okogie and Hinson will all clearly be at their best being set up by a playmaker. These guys are play finishers, who are valuable to have, but are an archetype that starts to bring in diminishing marginal returns ESPECIALLY if your team doesn’t feature an all-world level playmaker. I anticipate Nurkic, once again, being a key hub in coach Hardy’s system – he sets up shop on top of the key while the stars run in circles around the perimeter or cut to the basket. This system will do some to limit the heavy pressure that will already be put on Keyonte’s shoulders, as well as allow Darryn Peterson to climatize to the offense in a more natural manner. I hesitate when I see proposals for lineups where Keyonte is the only passer who is better than the league-wide positional average, and I struggle even more when the players around him also can’t create for themselves off the dribble. A team of Keyonte-Darryn-Lauri-Jackson-Turner is, on the surface, tantalizing (and would likely play many minutes together) – there are 5 strong shooters, and most are solid athletes. But when you really dive into how they would function together offensively, questions start to arise. Keyonte is the only above average passer. Keyonte is the only above average ballhandler (Jackson is close, but it isn’t an uber-impressive skill either way). No one listed has shown the ability to consistently reach the basket and collapse the defense off of the dribble. That is 4 play-finishers and 1 playmaker who has playmaked positively for 1 season on a destitute roster. When the Jazz inevitably run into the Spurs or the Thunder (both of which are unavoidable if contention is the goal), the team will get torn to shreds without more positive decision makers on the floor next to George, and for that reason, I anticipate Nurkic’s DHO offense being a sneakily-important option come playoff time. So yes, Turner’s shooting is immediately appealing, but his flaws on offense overlap too harshly with flaws already present on the roster for me to be too excited about his fit in Utah.

TLDR: Myles Turner is inefficient, doesn’t take enough shots near the rim, is a poor passer and offensive rebounder, and amplifies the flaws already present on the roster. The shooting is cool, but doesn’t make up for his deficiencies.

2. Myles Turner does not fit what we need on defense

This section will be shorter, because the problem is less damning. I have never been overly impressed with Myles Turner as a defender (he always seemed to me more of a shot-blocker than a paint-defender), but that does not mean he is bad. For most years of his career, his teams have been better defensively with Turner on the court. This was not true in either of the Pacer’s deep playoff runs in 2024 and 2025, but I digress – Turner would not actively hurt the Jazz on defense.

However, due to his overlap with Jaren Jackson Jr., I think the fit of Turner on the Jazz defense is not worth the opportunity cost. Be it Steven Adams, or Zach Edey, or Jonas Valanciunas, the Grizzlies had the right idea – pair JJJ with a bruising interior presence to unlock the best version of him. I do not think Turner is that presence. I, once again, think back to his physical weakness. He is often unwilling to bash and brawl in the paint with the biggest and the baddest, and that is reflected in his poor rebounding numbers. Per my eyes, and despite his position, he functions less like a true defensive anchor and more like a shot-blocking roamer. That isn’t, in a vacuum, a bad thing – Kevin Garnett and Andrei Kirilenko are two of my favorite defensive players ever, and they functioned similarly. Additionally, Myles Turner has been a positive defensive player in his career – I am not trying to deny that. However, I do not think the type of defensive player that Myles Turner is will support or magnify the type of defensive player that Jaren Jackson Jr. is. Combined this with the fact that I think other options more additive to JJJ will become available at some point on the trade market (I’m looking at you Jarrett Allen), I think that trading for Turner would be too hasty a solution to Utah’s defensive issues.

TLDR: Myles Turner is a good defensive player, but we should hold out for a good defensive player who is a better defensive fit.

3. I do not want to pay Myles Turner in 2029

This point is short and simple. Myles Turner is 30 years old, and his birthday is in March. During any potential playoff run the Jazz will be on in 2029, Myles Turner will be 33 years old, and will be owed 29 million dollars. Historically, defensive big men display some of the worst longevity of any archetype in the league. If Turner plays anywhere near the level he did last season, his current contract appears to be an overpay, and considering his age, the contract could very well get worse before it becomes better. Above all else, I do not want to be attaching draft assets to move off of Myles Turner so we can pay our young guys when extension season comes up. This, combined with the fact that he isn’t clearly additive to our current group of players, really make the trade idea risky in my mind.

TLDR: Just read it.

4. I do not like watching Myles Turner play basketball

I told you not all of these would be logical.

At the end of the day, I trust my eye, and my eye is consistently frustrated whenever Myles Turner is on the basketball court. He’s tall, and fast, and can shoot, and can jump, and yet he always leaves me wanting something more. He’s too jumpy on defense when his wingspan doesn’t require him to be. He’s too soft on offense when his athleticism could help him be a force. His hands are big but he can’t catch. He doesn’t move the ball, except in the direction of the hoop when he is contested and behind the three point line. He whines, and whines, and whines. He’s never giving me enough.

This tweet describes my feelings well;

He’s the starting center of a finals team but Myles turner is still raw in year 10 lmfao

— Gavin (@freewave3) June 6, 2025

Part of this is an aesthetic bias – I like my big men to be big men – and maybe part of this could be waved away if I watched more Pacers and Bucks games this past decade. However, my eyes have told me the same story for the majority of Myles Turner’s career; he’s missing something. Maybe it’s strength or toughness or decision making or something else entirely, but whatever it is, it has put a cap on just how positive he can be on the basketball court.

This isn’t to say that Myles Turner is a negative player, because I don’t think that’s true. His defense is a plus and his shooting can unlock certain offenses. I do not hate Myles Turner. However, it is to say that the type of player that Myles Turner is is not a player that I want to watch for 82 games and a playoff run. He’d block some big shots and hit some big threes and maybe even get a singular offensive rebound, but his flaws prevent me from ever being excited to add him to the roster. He can continue to do his thing for the rest of his career… but just not for my team.

TLDR: Watching Myles Turner makes me mad and I like to be happy.

So…what SHOULD the Jazz do?

For this season? Likely stand pat. With the additional cap flexibility that comes from trading Walker Kessler, the team has been afforded the luxury of patience. This season can be one for development while Nurkic fills in as a flawed but only short term option at center. We can attempt Jaren Jackson Jr. at center and verify if power forward really is his ideal position. Additionally, who knows which centers are available next trade deadline? Or the offseason after that? Perhaps the Thunder think it’s time to move on from Isaiah Hartenstein, or the Cavaliers cut ties with Jarrett Allen? It could be Wendell Carter or Neemias Queta or (don’t laugh at me) Nikola Jokic. We do not need to hurry into a player who doesn’t fit and a contract with downward potential.

We do not need to expect the Jazz to be contenders this year. It’s a fun exercise, but perhaps one not quite deserved. We’ve rooted for a losing team for so long, that the moment any marginal improvements are made, we naturally over-index. I do not believe that trading for Myles Turner would make us any more likely to contend for a title, but it is nonetheless a move that a team with aspirations for a deep playoff run would make. So let’s see what we have, at least at first; no need to trade our birthright for a mess of pottage.

What do you think on Myles Turner? Would you be in favor of a trade to add him to the team? Sound off below.

Kawhi Leonard returns to Toronto as Raptors and Clippers complete long-awaited deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The trade sending Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto is finally complete, with the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers getting league approval on Monday to close the deal that was agreed to earlier this summer.

In the end, the deal was the same as what was agreed to 2 1/2 months ago: Leonard returns to the Raptors, with the Clippers getting Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and a pick swap.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto,” Raptors general manager and executive vice president Bobby Webster said. “His impact on our organization, our city, and our country is undeniable, and he embodies the competitiveness and championship mindset that we value. We believe his leadership, experience and talent will help us as we continue building toward our next championship.”

It’s a huge move for Toronto, which won the 2019 NBA title with Leonard leading the way and is expecting to contend in the Eastern Conference. But the sides put the agreement on hold in early July pending any resolution of NBA’s investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules with regard to Leonard’s compensation.

The NBA hit the Clippers earlier this month with massive penalties as a result of that probe, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the team $30 million and forcing it to forfeit five first-round draft picks, among other sanctions.

Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, was hit with a $700,000 penalty as a result of that investigation. But he was not suspended and his contract was not voided, and the Raptors evidently are certain that his status will not be affected.

Leonard, 35, spent one season in Toronto — and led the Raptors to their lone title. He is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers in 65 games.

Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (also winning in 2014 with San Antonio) and is considered one of the game’s top defensive players. He is expected to sign an extension with the Raptors once the trade is finalized.

Toronto visits the Clippers on Nov. 2 and hosts the Clippers on Jan. 1. The teams are also scheduled to meet at Vancouver in a preseason game on Oct. 10.

Kawhi Leonard returns to Toronto as Raptors and Clippers complete long-awaited deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The trade sending Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto is finally complete, with the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers getting league approval on Monday to close the deal that was agreed to earlier this summer.

In the end, the deal was the same as what was agreed to 2 1/2 months ago: Leonard returns to the Raptors, with the Clippers getting Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and a pick swap.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto,” Raptors general manager and executive vice president Bobby Webster said. “His impact on our organization, our city, and our country is undeniable, and he embodies the competitiveness and championship mindset that we value. We believe his leadership, experience and talent will help us as we continue building toward our next championship.”

It’s a huge move for Toronto, which won the 2019 NBA title with Leonard leading the way and is expecting to contend in the Eastern Conference. But the sides put the agreement on hold in early July pending any resolution of NBA’s investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules with regard to Leonard’s compensation.

The NBA hit the Clippers earlier this month with massive penalties as a result of that probe, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the team $30 million and forcing it to forfeit five first-round draft picks, among other sanctions.

Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, was hit with a $700,000 penalty as a result of that investigation. But he was not suspended and his contract was not voided, and the Raptors evidently are certain that his status will not be affected.

Leonard, 35, spent one season in Toronto — and led the Raptors to their lone title. He is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers in 65 games.

Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (also winning in 2014 with San Antonio) and is considered one of the game’s top defensive players. He is expected to sign an extension with the Raptors once the trade is finalized.

Toronto visits the Clippers on Nov. 2 and hosts the Clippers on Jan. 1. The teams are also scheduled to meet at Vancouver in a preseason game on Oct. 10.

The Toronto Raptors have welcomed Kawhi Leonard back with open arms despite a near year-long investigation by the NBA.

After it was announced on Monday afternoon that Leonard had officially been traded back to Toronto, the Raptors released a statement sharing their excitement.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto. His impact on our organization, our city, and our country is undeniable, and he embodies the competitiveness and championship mindset that we value,” Raptors general manager and executive vice-president Bobby Webster said in a statement by the team. “We believe his leadership, experience and talent will help us as we continue building toward our next championship. We also want to thank Brandon and Gradey and appreciate their work ethic, character, and basketball excellence they brought to our team every day.”

Followed by the statement, the Raptors social media team released a photo of Leonard in a Toronto uniform with the caption “He back.”

Kawhi Leonard is back. #WeTheNorthpic.twitter.com/Rja9av2UYT

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) September 15, 2026

The news of Leonard being traded to the Raptors comes after an 11-month investigation by the NBA on Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers for circumventing the NBA’s salary cap, where journalist Pablo Torree revealed Leonard made an additional $28-million endorsement from the Steve Ballmer-owned company, Aspiration.

On September 2, the Clippers and Ballmer were found guilty, and the result was the Clippers being stripped of five first-round picks and a $30 million fine, while Leonard is being fined $700,000, and his uncle and former business representative, Dennis Robertson, has been banned from all NBA business dealings for five years.

While the investigation was still ongoing, the Clippers announced in July that they were trading Leonard to the Raptors, the same team he helped reach their first NBA championship during the 2018-2019 NBA season.

But due to the ongoing investigation, the trade was put on hold until the investigation was concluded.

Leonard’s first stint with the Raptors was a one year fling, as he was traded by the San Antonio Spurs to Toronto.

After helping them win the NBA Finals, where he was crowned Finals MVP, Leonard signed a three-year, $103-million deal with the Clippers.

The Clippers, who had hopes of winning an NBA title with Leonard and were constantly adding around him, could never get over the hump as the closest they came to reaching the NBA Finals was in 2021 where they reached the Western Conference Finals and eventually lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games.

Now on his way back to Toronto following a seven-year stint in Los Angeles, Leonard will have a brand new beginning, while the Clippers will be entering a new dark chapter for the franchise.

Kawhi Leonard returns to Toronto as Raptors and Clippers complete long-awaited deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The trade sending Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto is finally complete, with the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers getting league approval on Monday to close the deal that was agreed to earlier this summer.

In the end, the deal was the same as what was agreed to 2 1/2 months ago: Leonard returns to the Raptors, with the Clippers getting Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and a pick swap.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Kawhi back to Toronto,” Raptors general manager and executive vice president Bobby Webster said. “His impact on our organization, our city, and our country is undeniable, and he embodies the competitiveness and championship mindset that we value. We believe his leadership, experience and talent will help us as we continue building toward our next championship.”

It’s a huge move for Toronto, which won the 2019 NBA title with Leonard leading the way and is expecting to contend in the Eastern Conference. But the sides put the agreement on hold in early July pending any resolution of NBA’s investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules with regard to Leonard’s compensation.

The NBA hit the Clippers earlier this month with massive penalties as a result of that probe, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the team $30 million and forcing it to forfeit five first-round draft picks, among other sanctions.

Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, was hit with a $700,000 penalty as a result of that investigation. But he was not suspended and his contract was not voided, and the Raptors evidently are certain that his status will not be affected.

Leonard, 35, spent one season in Toronto — and led the Raptors to their lone title. He is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Clippers in 65 games.

Leonard is a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, a two-time NBA champion (also winning in 2014 with San Antonio) and is considered one of the game’s top defensive players. He is expected to sign an extension with the Raptors once the trade is finalized.

Toronto visits the Clippers on Nov. 2 and hosts the Clippers on Jan. 1. The teams are also scheduled to meet at Vancouver in a preseason game on Oct. 10.

The Toronto Raptors have officially confirmed via press release that Kawhi Leonard, the 7-time All-Star, 2-time Finals-MVP, and bringer of championships to two separate teams, IS a Toronto Raptor for the 2026-2027 season.

Kawhi Leonard is back. #WeTheNorthpic.twitter.com/Rja9av2UYT

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) September 15, 2026

In the wake of a report from Shams Charania earlier today, the Toronto Raptors remained silent for a number of hours on the mater. That was a silence that left me with a sense of mild discomfort throughout the day. Yes, Shams is usually reliable about these things, and his word is basically taken as gospel amongst fans of the NBA. But, belief in the talking heads is what got the Raptors fanbase into the whirlpool of uncertainty and misery that has been the last few months as a result of the Aspiration Scandal.

Me personally? I was willing to believe it, but until the proverbial fat lady (fat dinosaur?) was to sing, I wouldn’t feel quite settled.

And now, official confirmation has come in that Kawhi Anthony Leonard will be on the court for the Toronto Raptors this season. And with Kawhi comes all of the good and the bad. The scoring and the defence come with the injury concerns and the age. With the seemingly renewed sense of commitment to Toronto comes the baggage of Aspiration and the bevy of other associated misdoings that happened or are alleged to have occurred in Los Angeles.

But, I have a feeling that for the Raptors fans, the ones who saw Kyle and DeMar fail to reach the next step, the ones who saw Leonard’s shot go in against Philadelphia, and the ones who saw the team reach heights then-unknown in 2019, will disregard the uncomfortable and fall into the familiar embrace of Toronto’s Terminator.

Kawhi is now a Raptor. That was meant to be the easy part. There are 82 games still ahead of the young squad to even re-approach the playoffs. It’s a good thing they now have someone who knows the direction to the promised land.

Mariska Hargitay brought her fandom to the Emmys, with Knicks star Jalen Brunson making a cameo in her cold open as she hosted the award show airing on NBC. 

The Emmys opened with the “Law & Order: SVU” star steaming a gold dress while talking about the pressure of hosting and asking an unseen person, “Have you ever felt like you have millions of eyes on you and it all comes down to one night?” 

The camera then cuts to Brunson, steaming his blue Knicks jersey. 

Knicks star Jalen Brunson makes cameo in #Emmys opening with host Mariska Hargitay pic.twitter.com/gJh73ExyUm

— Deadline (@DEADLINE) September 15, 2026

“Seriously?” he asks back. 

“Hey Jalen, it’s just me, alright. I don’t have anyone to tap it in for me,” Hargitay responds, poking fun at the now-iconic moment from Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs when OG Anunoby tipped in the game-winning basket in the closing seconds after Brunson’s 3-pointer hit off the front of the rim. 

The pair’s affinity for each other is well known, and Hargitay is counted among the Knicks’ tried-and-true celeb fans. She was a constant presence during the team’s championship run this spring, and Hargitay was even captured giving Brunson a big hug after Game 4 of the NBA Finals. 

“I love you so much; I’m so happy,” she told him after the dramatic Knicks win. 

Brunson has talked about his “Law & Order: SVU” fandom in the past and said on his “The Roommates Show” podcast that he grew up watching the show. 

“You just hear the iconic [theme song] ‘dun-dun’ all the time in the house,” he said. “My dad also watches the TV incredibly loud, so you hear it throughout the house.”

Brunson has also said that he was a bit starstruck the first time he met her. 

I saw [Mariska], I was like ‘Oh s–t.’ The first time we met, it was awesome. We talked and everything,” he said. 

Sometimes the best moves a team can make are the ones that aren’t the flashiest.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr appeared on the “Tom Tolbert Show” this weekend and spoke about how he’s excited about the depth that the Warriors front office acquired over the offseason.

During the offseason, the Warriors were viewed as a bridesmaid, but never a bride, as they continuously missed out on the top free agents, including LeBron James.

“Look, we did the best we could to put together the roster,” Kerr said. “I think Yaxel [Lendeborg] is going to help quite a bit.”

A few months after Lendeborg was sensational during the College Basketball March Madness tournament by leading Michigan to its second championship in school history, Golden State selected him with the No.11 pick.

Lendeborg has yet to play in an NBA game, but has already made a strong first impression on Kerr and the Warriors after leading their Summer League team to a championship and being crowned MVP of the tournament.

“He’s a really good player; he’s older, he’s mature,” Kerr said. “Watching him work out with our guys, he’s going to help us.”

Kerr went on to name Gui Santos, Brandin Poziemski, Georges Niang, and Brandon Williams as other players who aren’t “earth-shattering,” but will help them down the line.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Aside from relying on some key role players, Kerr also added that the team will get some back-end insurance from players like Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody returning to the team.

A week ago, ESPN basketball reporter Anthony Slater revealed that Butler III is expected to rejoin the team sometime between January or February next season — a year after he tore his ACL.

Last month, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reported that Moody is expected to rejoin basketball activities later this month and could return to playing in the early part of the season.

Once again, the San Antonio Spurs come into a new NBA season with a lot of new blood. They have a whopping four (4) new rookies, including two first-round picks and two second-round picks on two-way contracts.

The two rookies getting the most hype are Tarris Reed Jr. and Jayden Quaintance, who were both selected at the end of the first round. Quaintance is coming off knee surgery that will likely keep him out of the lineup to start the season. His status will be something to monitor as the season progresses. If he can play at the end of the season, he could be a lightning rod off the bench, providing athleticism, defense and size on the interior.

Reed Jr. gives them the third big man that San Antonio desperately needed last season. If Victor Wembanyama or Luke Kornet need to miss time, or if the Spurs simply need another look, Reed Jr. could fill in. With his combination of size and physicality, he could earn his way into the rotation by providing some energy off the bench.

Brown and Gillespie are likely to provide insurance at the end of the roster, but don’t forget that San Antonio has gotten important performances from two-way players in the past, like David Jones-Garcia or Dominick Barlow.

Which rookie will give San Antonio the most this season? Vote in the poll below, and we will come back later in the week with the results.

Along with Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers should send the Toronto Raptors a fruit basket and a thank you card.

Because what was already a steal when the teams first agreed to the trade in June now looks like an absolute lifesaver. Paddles for the life raft so the Clippers can change directions and make better decisions — hopefully with better decision-makers.

First, the Clippers had to move on from Leonard, who reportedly will go back to Toronto for a package that includes Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap and two second-round selections.

It’s a defibrillator of a deal. One that could keep the Clippers afloat after the NBA hammered them for all the salary-cap-circumventing they apparently did for Leonard, an oft-injured, 35-year-old who flopped even before the NBA blew the whistle on millions of dollars in off-the-books, no-show endorsements.

Read more:Steve Ballmer apologizes to fans, says Clippers will comply with NBA sanctions

With the trade finally completed after the Raptors paused it on July 9 as they awaited the results of the NBA’s investigation, and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announcing Sunday he will accept the league’s historically steep punishment without further protest, Clippers fans can finally exhale.

Forget the fines and suspensions, most hurtful to fans is the league stripping the Clippers of five first-round draft picks, from 2029 through 2033.

A death sentence? Darn near would be, if not for the Raptors, those suckers — er, that one team whose fans still associate positive feelings with Kawhi.

Remember, Leonard won an NBA title with Toronto in 2019. That was the season before he seemingly started milking the Clippers, who also traded five first-round picks and future league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Paul George — to meet the demands of a guy who wouldn’t lead the Clippers to even one NBA Finals appearance.

At present, the Clippers will have Ingram, Darius Garland, Rui Hachimura and No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler on a Tyronn Lue-coached team. They’ll be a competitive regular-season team, as usual.

Read more:Swanson: Kawhi Leonard is a Hall of Fame scam artist who deserves Clippers fans' boos

And the Clippers could have cap room going into the 2027 or 2028 offseasons — not that big stars avail themselves in free agency anymore. These days, the goal is to get traded, retain Bird rights and maximize earnings. If not for Toronto’s first-round picks, the Clippers would have little draft capital to use in trades for impact players.

Now they have some, even if it’s only enough to pursue trades for the disgruntled, the redundant, the overpaid.

The Clippers could offer to take those sorts of players off teams’ hands — if they include future draft assets as sweeteners. Even if it takes the Clippers holding their nose and restocking, there are ways forward, and having the Raptors’ two first-rounders in their pocket will help.

It’s all so Clippers, to have lined up this move that will keep them afloat, just treading water.

Fifteen consecutive seasons of .500 or better ball, y’all! Someone, raise a banner.

The Clippers still don’t have an actual championship banner to decorate the Intuit Dome — and pursuing a title will be harder now, of course.

But it will be impossible if the Clippers don’t reset in a meaningful way, if they don’t replace Lawrence Frank, their president of basketball operations, who was among the Clippers’ executives punished by the NBA, with someone with better taste in stars.

Frank is a master of the margins, but the Clippers need a lead executive who can spot it — greatness, not just on the court, but in the locker room, in the community. Someone who will steer Ballmer toward not only elite basketball talent, but players who offer the whole package: leadership, competitiveness, desire, rootability.

The New York Knicks recognized all that in Jalen Brunson. They didn’t care that Becky Hammon and many more of us were skeptical about the prospects of a team that decided to build around a 6-foot-2 guard. And now, look. Brunson just led the Knicks to a championship.

The Clippers were so desperate for a star to pick them, they didn’t pick up on the fact that they already had a budding superstar in their midst. Gilgeous-Alexander played his rookie season with the Clippers and checked all the boxes Leonard wouldn’t. After they traded him to OKC, he worked and blossomed, becoming one of the NBA’s coolest competitors, a two-time league MVP, the undisputed leader of a championship team.

Read more:Plaschke: NBA drops the hammer on The Cheatin’ Clippers, and they can't shed the stink

But who could have predicted that?

Well, ideally, the professionals being paid to make personnel decisions.

Leonard hadn’t been the leader of either of his San Antonio Spurs or Raptors championship teams. He’d had an angsty breakup with the Spurs. He had a flashing-red injury history. He certainly did not have the personality to siphon any fans from a LeBron James-led Lakers team. And he came apparently asking for way too much!

The Clippers went all-in anyway, and they’ve had nothing but grief to show for it.

Grief and, now, Toronto’s two first-round picks. The question is who will use them, and how?

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his staff had spent the last 12 months loudly insisting they’d done nothing wrong.

The podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out” first raised questions about payments star forward Kawhi Leonard received from Aspiration Partners without doing any endorsement work to benefit the company on Sept. 3, 2025. The NBA responded by starting an investigation.

In its findings — released Sept. 2 — an independent law firm reported “a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations” that benefited Leonard, who received $66 million in cash and equity from four companies through agreements facilitated by Ballmer and team executives at the request of Leonard’s uncle and then-agent. Those deals violated the league salary cap, which limits how much teams can pay players. The cap is $164.961 million for the coming season.

The Clippers released two statements that same day, protesting the finding and the stiffest sanctions in NBA history, including a $30-million fine and the loss of five future first-round draft picks. In addition, Ballmer, 69, was banned from all league activities for the next year.

Read more:Steve Ballmer apologizes to fans, says Clippers will comply with NBA sanctions

After immediately calling the NBA’s investigation “biased” and vowing to “vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us,” the Clippers were silent for 11 days.

On Sunday night, they surrendered.

“I accept responsibility as principal owner,” Ballmer said in a three-paragraph, 172-word statement released by the team. “We are committing to put this chapter behind us. We have communicated to the NBA that we are complying with the penalties assessed by the league, have paid the fine, and are moving forward.”

Mark Francis, an associate teaching professor in sports business at the University of Oregon, said Ballmer’s decision to change course was a smart one — since fighting the penalties would only serve to prolong the scandal in the media, damaging the goodwill Ballmer has built up since buying the team in 2014.

“It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “We’re living in times where people don’t take accountability any more and I was actually impressed that he came out with that.

“Once they acknowledge fault, show some remorse, those kinds of things, then sometimes the penalties will be reduced.”

Read more:Swanson: Clippers avoid a death penalty with Kawhi Leonard trade, but only if they clean house

Daniel Durbin, director of the USC Annenberg Institute of Sports Media and Society, agreed, saying the original pushback “was all lawyer speak” while the decision to accept the penalties was prudent.

“It is a pretty stiff penalty. You’ve got a problem, just pay it off and get rid of it,” Durbin said. “And in a certain respect, Ballmer can pay this and move on. So it may well be for him … it’s not worth it to keep fighting, keep wasting money on that.”

Bloomberg estimates Ballmer’s net worth at $173 billion, making the former Microsoft chief executive the world’s ninth-richest person. He earns $1.2 billion annually from his Microsoft stock dividends alone.

In addition to the loss of draft picks and the fine and suspension levied on Ballmer, the NBA suspended Gillian Zucker, the Clippers president of business operations, for one year without pay and suspended Lawrence Frank, the team’s president of basketball operations, for six months without pay.

Read more:Read the NBA's investigation of the Clippers, Steve Ballmer, Kawhi Leonard

Leonard, a seven-time all-star forward and Southern California native, was traded back to the Toronto Raptors this summer. He agreed to pay a $700,000 fine for his role in the Clippers saga and did not contest the sanctions leveled against him but issued a statement of his own in which he placed the blame squarely on the Clippers.

“I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family,” the statement read. “I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone’s part to circumvent the salary cap.”

The Raptors temporarily froze the Leonard trade after the NBA announced Toronto would inherit any penalties assessed to Leonard following its investigation. With Ballmer accepting the NBA penalties, the trade is now moving forward and the Clippers will receive All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, shooting guard Gradey Dick, two first-round draft picks, a pick swap and two second-round picks, building blocks that could help the franchise move forward amid the penalties.

Ballmer’s capitulation may actually be seen as a positive to some Clippers fans, Durbin suggested.

Read more:Plaschke: NBA drops the hammer on The Cheatin’ Clippers, and they can't shed the stink

“What did he confess to? Trying to kind of work around the rules to make the Clippers a championship team,” he said. “There’s a certain sense in which to Clippers fans the entire brouhaha is proof that he’s trying really hard. So while yes, he did break the rules … saying that you broke some rules to try to make your team a championship team is not in and of itself something that’s going to drive away the fan base.”

“It’s not a good thing,” Durbin added. “It’s an admission that maybe he went too far. … And he was willing to pay to try to make the team better.”

Francis isn’t so sure.

“I think that’s a stretch,” he said. “To violate the payroll system they have, it’s a serious offense. The owners are the ones that have pushed for these cost controls and they have to live up to them.”

Read more:Swanson: Kawhi Leonard is a Hall of Fame scam artist who deserves Clippers fans' boos

The question now becomes can the Clippers actually become better as they deal with the penalties.

L.A.’s No. 2 NBA team, well behind the Lakers in popularity and success, the Clippers have finished higher than fourth in the Pacific Division standings just once since Ballmer’s first season as owner in 2014-15 and have reached the conference finals only once. The team finished 10^th in the division last season, missing the postseason, and it hasn’t advanced beyond the first round of the NBA playoffs since 2021.

But the Lakers are in transition under new ownership and are without LeBron James for the first time since 2018, leaving the Clippers with a narrow window to win over new fans.

“They have to be able to threaten to be a championship team before you can say that they can take advantage of this moment,” Durbin said. “There’s the opportunity theoretically, but it’s really more about how smart they are on the draft picks, how smart they are on building the team.”

Times Sports Editor Iliana Limón Romero and staff writer Mirjam Swanson contributed to this report.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.