The Suns have re-signed center Mark Williams to a fully guaranteed three-year, $38 million deal, according to ESPN.
Williams played 60 games for the Suns this season, averaging 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.9 blocks.
Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams slaps hands with teammates during player introductions. AP Photo
He joined Phoenix this season after spending three years with the Hornets, where he was drafted No. 15 overall from Duke in 2022.
Despite being a starter, Williams will be the 34th-highest-paid center in the league in total value and 32nd in AAV, according to Spotrac.
This is largely because of the fully guaranteed nature of the deal, parlayed with the fact that Williams has had trouble remaining available for long stretches of his career — missing 162 games in his first four seasons in the league.
Williams has dealt with a nagging foot injury for the better part of his NBA career to this point.
It kept him out of the four-game series loss to the Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs this season.
Mark Williams of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket as Noah Clowney of the Brooklyn Nets defends. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Suns surprised many last season with a 45-37 record and only slowed down at the end because of injuries.
The Williams deal, as well as re-signing rotation guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin for four- and three-year deals, respectively, show their intent to run it back in 2026-27 with a similar core.
The Suns acquired Williams from the Hornets in a draft-day trade.
He had previously been traded to the Lakers on the 2025 deadline day, but the deal was rescinded after he failed his physical in Los Angeles.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 19: Duke Miles #2 of the Vanderbilt Commodores looks to shoot the ball during the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the McNeese Cowboys held at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Shane Bevel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Normally, a slew of undrafted free agents sign with teams at the conclusion of the second round. Things were pretty quiet though after the 2026 NBA Draft — especially for the Sixers.
That changed slightly Friday with the team reportedly adding Vanderbilt guard Duke Miles on an Exhibit 10 deal. Adam Aaronson of Philly Voice was the first to report the news.
NEWS: The Sixers are signing Duke Miles to an Exhibit 10 contract, source tells @thephillyvoice. An E10 deal is a training camp contract which gives player a signing bonus if they are waived and report to that team's affiliate in the G League. Vandy On SI reported earlier today.
Miles is a 6-foot-2 guard who played last season at Vanderbilt. He’s an undersized but feisty guard in the mold of Jose Alvarado or Jamal Shead. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.5 assists and a conference-leading 2.6 steals per game. He shot 43.5% from the field and 34.8% from three. Miles enjoyed a six-year collegiate career, spending three years at Troy before stops at High Point, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. He’s an Alabama native, just like Sixers first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr.
As a reminder, an Exhibit 10 contract is basically a glorified G League deal. Miles will likely spend the summer league and training camp with the Sixers, but will be financially incentivized to spend the 2026-27 season with the Delaware Blue Coats.
The only other name we’ve seen even linked to the Sixers is Javontae Campbell, the reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Campbell’s alma mater, Bowling Green State, shared the news. He’s yet another undersized, defensive-minded guard at 6-foot-2.
We don’t know who else will be on the Sixers’ summer league roster, but we do know they will only be making the trek to Vegas from July 9-19. Unfortunately, the team will not be participating in the Salt Lake summer league in 2026.
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 29: The sneakers worn by Jordan Walsh #27 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 29, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Cameron Boozer’s girlfriend has no doubt the forward is going to be received well in his next big career step.
Yva Lauren Cao gave fans and followers an inside look into Boozer’s NBA draft night, in which he walked away as a member of the Grizzlies after being the No. 3 overall pick out of Duke.
“Memphis, you’re going to love him,” she captioned the Instagram post, featuring various photos of the couple throughout the night.
Cao wore a stunning lowback orange dress as she posed for photos with Boozer, who was in a white suit and often seen wearing his team’s hat, which had rhinestones on it.
The University of Miami cheerleader shared a picture of the couple hugging as Boozer’s name was called and one of the two holding hands while leaving the event and again posed together at an after party location.
Cao also shared a photo of her and Boozer in front of his new locker and new No. 27 jersey in Memphis on Friday.
“Memphis just gained the best there is!!” she wrote in an Instagram story of Boozer at the draft. “So proud of you and beyond grateful to watch your dreams become reality.
“Your talent is undeniable, but who you are is what makes me proudest. I love you endlessly. This is only the beginning. Here we gooo.”
Yva Lauren Cao and Cameron Boozer sit for a photo in front of the forward’s new jersey. Instagram @yvacaoYva Lauren Cao and Cameron Boozer pictured after the NBA Draft. Instagram @yvacao
The couple has been together since high school as they both grew up in Miami, Fla.
They started dating in August 2023 and attended several proms together before they both moved onto college in 2025.
Yva Lauren Cao and Cameron Boozer hold hands as they leave the NBA draft. Instagram @yvacao
As Cao chose Miami and Boozer took his career to Duke, the two sparked a sports rivalry and both established early success.
Cao went on to cheer at the national championship football game against Indiana in January while Boozer made his name known in the college game and beyond as he averaged a double-double per game (22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds) in his only season at Duke.
Cao was also seen to support her Blue Devil at various games, and Duke went as far as the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament before a 73-72 loss to UConn.
Boozer will be tasked with making an immediate impact on the Grizzlies, who are coming off of a tough 25-57 season.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 18: Landry Shamet #44 of the New York Knicks celebrates during the New York Knicks 2026 Championship Parade and Ceremony on June 18, 2026 in New York City, New York. 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 Pamela Costello/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The life of an NBA role player is one of uncertainty.
Every year could be in a different city. You’re fighting for guaranteed contracts every offseason. It’s more a matter of survival than finding a true home.
Some of these players evolve to the point of being not easily replaceable, allowing them to worry more about team fit and overall salary than survival. Those players are the ones with solid bench roles, but not the guys who are big franchise pieces.
I don’t know if Landry Shamet has reached that second part, but he’s certainly evolved past the first, which is where he was to start 2025-26. A guy who didn’t have a guaranteed contract in the preseason for consecutive seasons, who’s already suited up for six teams in seven seasons, and someone who’s only sizable contract saw him bought out midway through, has reached the mountaintop.
And the cherry on top? He did it as a key contributor, joining the likes of “Big Shot” Robert Horry, Steve Kerr, John Paxson, and more as a role player who stepped up big time and put his name in the history books for an NBA champion.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Landry Shamet #44 of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait after winning Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Shamet was born on March, 13, 1997, in Kansas City, Missouri, to a single mother, a former Division I volleyball player at Boise State. He didn’t meet his father until he was 24, so his uncle took on an important role in his upbringing, marred by financial instability. His family lost their apartment when he was in middle school after going bankrupt.
He went to Park Hill High School, where he became one of the best players in the state of Missouri. As a three-star recruit, he held offers from multiple Big Ten programs, but decided to stay close to home at Wichita State, enrolling there in 2015.
Shamet figured to be a big part of the Shockers’ plans in 2015-16 as a true freshman alongside Fred VanVleet and OAKAAK Ron Baker in the backcourt, but sustained a season-ending foot injury in his first career start against Division II Emporia State in November. When he returned the following year, he was thrust into the starting lineup, where he led a balanced Wichita State team to the NCAA Tournament.
After a season in which he was All-MVC First-Team and MVC Rookie of the Year, he took another step forward as a redshirt sophomore in 2017-18, leading the conference in three-point percentage and assists as the leading scorer on a 25-8 team. Despite two years of eligibility remaining, he declared for the 2018 NBA Draft, where he snuck into the first round, being picked No. 26 by the Philadelphia 76ers.
He wouldn’t even last an entire season in Philly. Despite showing flashes, including a 29-point outburst in January 2019, he was used as a small piece in the Tobias Harris trade, being sent to the Clippers with two firsts and two seconds for the one-time all-star that would become one of the most hated men in the city.
In Los Angeles, Shamet would start 23 of the remaining 25 games, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team. He again played well the following season, splitting time as a starter and sixth man while being one of the best shooters on a team that was now built around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. His performance in Game 3 against the Mavericks in the bubble was a big reason they got out of the first round.
But that would be his final few games as a Clipper. He was traded to Brooklyn that offseason in a three-team deal that landed Luke Kennard and four seconds in L.A.
While it would be his third team in three years, Shamet was on yet another winner and another team that was a title contender in 2020-21. He had another typical year, averaging nine points a game on 38% from downtown, but didn’t have an impact in the playoffs and couldn’t step up after injuries to Kyrie Irving and James Harden damaged their hopes of getting past the eventual champion Bucks. That offseason, he was flipped to Phoenix for Jevon Carter and the No. 29 pick.
Four teams in four years. Despite showing himself as a valuable role player, that’s still extremely concerning. He inked a four-year, $43 million extension before the season, which seemingly gave him stability. His two years there were solid, but slightly down due to a reduction in role.
Aside from Game 3 against Denver in 2023, he didn’t produce much in the playoffs, and recurring foot injuries limited him to 40 games in the regular season. Just one year into his four-year pact, he was dealt to the lowly Wizards in the Bradley Beal trade, being left to the fishes and exiled into NBA irrelevance.
As many do, he struggled after going from perennially making the second round of the playoffs to the worst organization in basketball. The 2023-24 season was miserable for him, as he shot a career low from behind the arc, struggled with more foot injuries, and was an afterthought late in the year for a Wizards team focused on development.
Just like that, he was waived in July and spent months on the free agent market. Less than two years after being a valuable role player for a perennial playoff team and making $10 million a year, he was on the cut line. Dozens of players are stuck in that limbo every year, barely sneaking onto NBA rosters or being forced to continue their careers overseas. That’s where Shamet was in the summer of 2024.
But circumstances brought him to New York. He was brought in during September to compete for a roster spot with guys like Chuma Okeke and Marcus Morris Sr., but got a life raft when the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster went through ahead of training camp, prompting Morris to be waived for space. When he was offered to re-sign after the trade went through, he said no, so with that and the loss of Donte DiVincenzo, a role existed for a player of his archetype.
Tom Thibodeau was a fan and planned for him to get minutes in the Opening Night rotation in Boston, but a devastating dislocated shoulder in the penultimate preseason game threw a wrench in the team’s plan and one in Shamet’s career.
He was released because of the team’s limited second-apron space and his non-guaranteed contract. Once again, his NBA career was in serious jeopardy.
But the Knicks believed in him more than it looked. They fully intended on bringing Shamet back when he recovered, going as far as to pick him in the G-League draft to keep him in-house during his rehab. It all culminated in him being re-signed in late December and making his Knicks debut on December 23, 2024.
He struggled early after the long layoff, but fully shook off the rust as the team got closer to the postseason. His shooting slump with the Wizards was an aberration. He had two games of making at least six threes in April. He was ready for his triumphant return to playoff basketball.
And then, he was just removed from the rotation. Cam Payne’s electric Game 1 against the Pistons necessitated more minutes for him, and Shamet’s poor play early in the series led to him being fully benched in Game 4, the rest of the Detroit series, and the entire Boston series. Thibs ran a tight ship, and with every game being a full-blown war, he had no time to deal with the bench.
Until the Knicks went down 0-2 to Indiana, that is. For the first time all season, true desperation was settling in. Needing a spark. Thibodeau inserted Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup and unleashed Shamet and Delon Wright off the bench to add defensive intensity.
Shamet combining physical post defense with a flop. It's one of the best ways to combat a mismatch. Shamet applies a lot of force. Toppin responds in turn…flop. Turnover.
At least in the short term, it worked. Both added a needed spark to make a huge Game 3 comeback, and the team won their minutes in the first three games they played, but Indiana just simply had too many answers for what the Knicks could throw at them, ending their season in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Despite a solid season, Shamet once again had a limited market when he re-entered free agency. He once again entered September without a contract, holding out hope that he would be able to stay in New York if he were to continue his NBA career.
Well, the offer came, and he once again was in a battle for the final roster spot. Malcolm Brogdon and Garrison Matthews stood in his way, and unlike last year, he was not the perceived frontrunner to make the roster.
Until Brogdon retired at the end of the preseason. While Mike Brown was always a big fan of Shamet, the needs of the roster likely had him on the outside looking in. For a guy who’s gotten some bad luck over the years, it was some good fortune shining on him.
Unlike last season, he had a big role on the bench right away, stepping up to make some big performances when guys went in and out of the lineup.
There’d be more adversity on the way before he got there, though. Yet another shoulder injury brought about fears of a similar injury to last year, which could’ve led to Shamet’s release.
Fortunately for him and the Knicks, it was a sprain, not a dislocation. He was back soon enough and continued to make big plays throughout a season where he played the most, shot the best, and scored the most in a half-decade.
But his story didn’t end in the regular season this time. This time, he was going to put his name in the history books.
He was out of the rotation after the first few games against Atlanta due to more early-series struggles, but all he could do was stay ready. When his time came, he didn’t let it go to waste.
Landry Shamet, who's fallen out of Knicks playoff rotation, on the court running sprints postgame as Josh Hart appears on NBC pic.twitter.com/K8dyZd9AI6
Re-inserted in the rotation against Philly, it was his tremendous second quarter in Game 3 that flipped a sure Sixers win to a Knicks party in the City of Brotherly Love. His hot shooting bled over into Game 4, where he and Deuce McBride buried a franchise that gave up on him in less than a year.
Against Cleveland, he hit three titanic threes down the stretch in Game 1, being the catalyst along with Jalen Brunson for the 22-point comeback. His game-tying three that rolled around the rim felt like redemption from the Haliburton shot and gave the team the feeling of a team of destiny. His name echoed through the Garden and through the streets of New York.
Two timely triples from Landry Shamet 🔥
Shamet (3-3 3PM) delivered in big moments for the Knicks to help them complete their largest postseason comeback in franchise history!
What he did against Cleveland was otherworldly. He went an unfathomable 11-for-12 from three in four games and was a plus-53. If it were a seven-game series, there’s a chance he’d get consideration for Eastern Conference Finals MVP for his standout performance.
He played huge roles in the first two games of the NBA Finals, making six threes and averaging 31 minutes a game, but he finally went cold afterwards. The Knicks were able to manage his minutes quality deteriorating and closed things out in five games. Shamet finished the postseason 26-for-50 from downtown.
A lifetime of instability, setbacks, and unfortunate timing led him to this moment. At times, it looked like he just wasn’t meant for this. At times, it looked like he had to settle with a fine, brief career as a role player, somebody whose legacy would be defined by dudes in bars 15 years from now saying “Remember that guy?”
Well, now nobody in New York will ever forget his name.
–
(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: Mikel Brown Jr. poses for a photo before the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images BROOKLYN, NY – JUNE 23: Mikel Brown Jr. poses for a photo before the 2026 NBA Draft – Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Mikel Brown Jr. talked about a lot of things after he was selected by the Brooklyn Nets at No. 6 in the NBA Draft on Wednesday. And in talking with NetsDaily, he spoke as well as what’s important to him, faith and family as well as his Puerto Rican roots.
“Faith definitively plays a big role. I mean, that’s where I come from,” the 20-year-old from Orlando told ND, noting that it’s part of his being Puerto Rican on his mother’s side. “You know actually representing my Puerto Rican heritage, They are big in their faith.”
Brown surprised and wowed a lot of Nets fans of Puerto Rican heritage on Draft Night when he showed off the inner lining of his suit to fellow Puerto Rican, Brooklynite and NBA champion Jose Alvarado. It was a tribute to that heritage…
“You gotta explain the fit!” Mikel Brown Jr. pulls up to the Red Carpet to show off his suit to fellow Puerto Rican and New Era Player Correspondent, Jose Alvarado 🇵🇷 @NewEraCappic.twitter.com/teS1B32xpI
About 600,000 residents of the city have connections to the commonwealth, about 140,000 in Brooklyn alone.
Brown also discussed his family with NetsDaily:
“I’m just so blessed to be in this position right now and also for my family as well. this is not a one-man thing,” he said when asked about family. “It’s also me and my family as well. You know they supported me through every decision. They made so many sacrifices for me and I can’t thank them enough.”
It was a big night for Brown of course, but he seemed prepared for it all…
In his comments to ND, he also noted how proud he is to be in Brooklyn…
“You know just the past. The legends that come from this city,” he said when asked about what he’s looking forward to. “They take pride from people when you hear someone say they’re from Brooklyn. They take pride in it. To be able to represent and you want to come in and have the same mentality. It’s not just about you. It means the world.”
The team and Duren, who is a restricted free agent, are far apart on contract talks, and Duren's camp is now planning to explore sign-and-trade scenarios when free agency opens June 30, according to The Athletic. Duren, 22, is coming off of a breakout All-NBA season. But his next deal likely will fall short of the maximum the Pistons can offer – five years and $287 million – following an underwhelming postseason performance.
Duren averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game on 65% shooting for a 60-win Pistons team that lost in the second round. He earned All-NBA third team honors, qualifying him for a contract worth up to $287 million that starts at 30% of the salary cap with 8% raises.
But the "higher max criteria" only applies to the Pistons – outside teams are capped to a maximum deal starting at up to 25% of the cap with 5% raises over four years, which comes out to $177.4 million total.
Because outside teams need cap space to make a realistic offer sheet for Duren, a sign-and-trade would open more pathways for Duren to land with a new team. But Pistons still hold the upper hand in negotiations, since they can match any offer sheet or simply decline to agree to a trade. Duren's only other pathway, in that situation, would be picking up his qualifying offer for the 2026-27 to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
They repeatedly have signaled that Duren is a priority and core player they wish to build around, even after his numbers dropped across the board through 14 postseason games, averaging 10.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on 51.4% shooting.
"I want him here, that’s where I’m at with JD," team president Trajan Langdon said on June 18. "We really want JD to be here."
Despite Duren's desire to look elsewhere for a bigger contract, it appears nothing has changed for the Pistons. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Friday after Duren's decision to seek other offers that "the Detroit Pistons are conveying that Jalen Duren will not be moved and are solely focused on coming to terms on an agreement."
Ultimately, the ball is in the Pistons' court. They can match any offer from an outside team and even if Duren is signed-and-traded, he'd be capped to four years and $177.4 million with an opposing team.
NAPA, CALIFORNIA - MAY 22: Jimmy Butler appears on the culinary stage at the 2026 BottleRock festival at Napa Valley Expo on May 22, 2026 in Napa, California. (Photo by Miikka Skaffari/WireImage)
Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler shared an encouraging update regarding the torn ACL he suffered last season. During Thursday’s event announcing IREN as the team’s new jersey patch sponsor, Butler fielded questions from reporters and, while he admitted the rehab process has been challenging, said he is making “incredible progress” in his recovery.
Jimmy Butler gives an update on his ACL rehab. Said he believes he is a month and a half from running. Believes he’s able to dunk jumping off his left foot but isn’t supposed to land on right foot.
Butler is now a little over six months removed from the season-ending injury he suffered on Jan. 19 against his former team, the Miami Heat. The veteran forward said he believes he is about a month and a half away from running again and is encouraged by the progress he has made throughout his rehab, even revealing that he could still dunk a basketball if he jumped off his left leg.
Perhaps the most interesting takeaway from the session, though, was how positively Butler spoke about his time with the team thus far. He shared high praise for the Warriors’ organization, and while his name has occasionally surfaced in trade speculation due to his large, expiring contract, Butler’s comments did not sound like those of a player expecting to be moved anytime soon.
Jimmy Butler says the Warriors organization is a great organization and he doesn’t want to be anywhere else:
“It’s not good, it’s great. It legitimately is the best. You don’t realize it until you’ve been in other places, and I’m not talking down on anybody that are quite lesser… pic.twitter.com/Jr3hs7ye1X
For now, Butler appears focused solely on his recovery and his future in Golden State. He’ll be 37 years old at the beginning of next season, but he made it clear that his priority is getting back on the court and helping the Warriors compete again alongside Stephen Curry.
Jimmy Butler on his rehab and when he’s coming back:
“I got some time, but I promise I’m trying to get back to it. Basketball is what I’ve known for almost forever and it’s very hard not to be able to move and hoop anytime I want to. But as soon as I can get back on the floor… pic.twitter.com/VNMa3xOULI
As speculation lingers that the final year of Butler’s contract, worth almost $57 million, could be packaged in a deal to acquire a different star to pair with Steph Curry, Butler continues to carry himself as a man who wants to play out the rest of his career in the Bay Area.
The messaging has been consistent from both Butler and the Warriors’ front office that Butler is part of the team’s future. Sitting next to Butler on Thursday, Lacob reiterated that he is confident both Butler and the team will come back strong next season. And Butler, who will be entering his 16th NBA season this fall, expressed optimism that the Warriors have enough talent to be a difficult out.
“If we’re healthy, we’re tough,” Butler said. “We’ve just got to be healthy. … As long as we’ve got Steph, we always have a chance.”
Horford’s return is an early checkpoint for a Warriors roster that appears as if it will remain mostly stable. General manager Mike Dunleavy is in active conversations with Kristaps Porzingis‘ representation to bring back the stretch center on a short-term contract, and the Warriors have been under the recent expectation that Draymond Green is likely to return on his $27.6 million player option.
“If the group is healthy, if we’re together, I feel like we’re going to compete,” Horford said. “I don’t want to think too much ahead, but once we’re able to get Jimmy and [Moses Moody] back … we have a very competitive group and we’re going to do the best that we can.”
In one fell swoop, the Wolves have raised their ceiling, lowered their floor, addressed a long-simmering issue at point guard, and formed the most entertaining backcourt in all of basketball. Minnesota has united two of the best players from the 2020 draft, whose play, in some ways, informs the zeitgeist of the present day. Edwards is the more classic figure, an all-world swingman who has increased his scoring average in each of his six seasons and is gilded by Jordan-esque athleticism and an almost supernatural development arc in both his ballhandling and pull-up shooting capability. LaMelo is the mold-breaking savant who sees basketball in shapes and colors that exist only in his head, who intuits the physics of the game differently because no one else had a dad galaxy-brained enough to teach him how to shoot from half court by the time he was 6 years old. Ball’s presence as a creator will allow Edwards to take full advantage of his one-of-one downhill explosiveness off the ball; Ant’s offensive gravity is unlike anything LaMelo has ever played with. It’ll be exhilarating. It’ll be chaos. It’ll be what has been missing from this Wolves team: something altogether new.
An “AI cloud firm” called Iren has agreed to replace Rakuten as the jersey patch sponsor for the Golden State Warriors in a deal that’s reportedly worth $50M per season. For context, that’s enough to pay for 7 1/4 Al Horfords, 10.8 Gui Santoses, or over 58 Pat Spencers!
The Detroit Pistons knew they would have to upgrade their offense this summer, following a second-round exit in the NBA playoffs to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Joe, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, averaged 11.1 points and 2.5 rebounds, while shooting 45.5% overall and 42.3% on 3-pointers last season in 71 games, and gives the Pistons another much-needed option to space the floor. His 3-point percentage in 2025-26 was a career-best mark.
He's a high-volume 3-point shooter. and though he fell out of the Thunder's rotation during the playoffs, he will instantly help the Pistons fill their biggest need.
Along with Duncan Robinson, the Pistons now have two players to anchor their spacing. They scored 10.2 more points per 100 possessions when Robinson was on the floor last year according to Cleaning The Glass, with Cade Cunningham (+7.3) and Jalen Duren (+6.4) ranking second and third.
Outside of Robinson, they lacked reliable shooting. However, Robinson is a candidate to be waived this summer if the Pistons wish to create cap space to make a move in free agency. Only $2 million of his roughly $16 million salary next season is guaranteed, and they would have to waive him to clear enough space to be a player in the free agency market.
Joe has two years left on a reasonable four-year, $48 million contract he signed with the Thunder, with the two most expensive years already paid on a descending deal. He'll make $11.3 million each of the next two years, with the 2027-28 season a club option, according to Spotrac.
The Pistons on Tuesday night selected Stanford freshman guard Ebuka Okorie, trading up four spots with the Memphis Grizzlies to No. 17 overall in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Pistons finished 60-22 last season – the third-best record in franchise history and their best since 2005-06, and fell to the Cavaliers in seven games in their deepest postseason run in 18 years. Game 7 was a 125-94 embarrassment at home, concluding a blown 2-0 series lead.
Third-year president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has said he is building around their core three – Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson – this summer, with a repeated emphasis on adding more shooting and ball-handling.
Tom Dundon might be beloved in Charlotte (where his NHL team just hoisted the Stanley Cup), but fans in Portland have their doubts about their team's new owner. Dundon continues to live up to his penny-pinching reputation (except with players he says, although that has yet to be put to the test), and a couple of new instances have had fans — and plenty of people around the league — shaking their heads.
One was the contract for the new head coach, Mikah Nori. He is a longtime assistant in the league who most recently served as the right-hand man to Chris Finch in Minnesota. Dundon waited until there were no other open jobs on the market, then offered Nori a one-year contract with two team options after that. It's an owner-friendly contract that is radically different from the standard contract given to a first-time head coach (usually four years, with the final year a team option). In a league where status is somewhat based on contract size, you can be sure every player on that roster knows their head coach is on a lame duck deal, undercutting his authority.
Nori took the deal, but around the NBA, other coaches have been livid.
"I feel like he was put in a situation that he shouldn't be put in with having to make a choice of this nature because of the structure of what the contract is," said Pistons' coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the president of the coaches union. "It's unfortunate that you have a dream, and from our perspective, it's like someone's taking advantage of your dream and devaluing what we feel like coaches have earned over the years. You think about the sacrifice, the time, the growth that coaches have helped and done with the NBA, and then for someone to come in and attempt to devalue the work that coaches have in this league is extremely disappointing."
Nori, for his part, handled questions about the contract with grace.
"The way I look at this is: opportunity," he told reporters at his introductory press conference. "For 28 years, the first 25 years I never had an agent. I never look at money or years. I know that if I'm successful, the rest of these things will take care of themselves."
Trail Blazers arena
Portland's Moda Center, home to the Trail Blazers, is 31 years old, feels a little dated, and is in need of maintenance and upgrades. Paying for those changes has become a political fight in Oregon.
An estimated $600 million in renovations and maintenance is needed for the building, which is owned by the city of Portland with the Trail Blazers as the main tenant and a lease that runs through 2030.
There are ongoing negotiations about how to pay for this amongst Portland (which has pledged $120 million), Multnomah County, the State of Oregon, with multiple of those entities saying that Dundon and the Trail Blazers should chip in toward the cost. Dundon said don't expect that. From Kyra Buckley and Alex Zielinski of Oregon Public Broadcasting, at the Portland Metro Chamber meeting this week.
"I just know it feels like we're making a pretty big investment by staying here and paying these tax rates and agreeing to these fees for dollars that go back into the building."
"There's lots of places that don't have taxes at the same rate. So if you charge people taxes and invest it back into the thing that helps generate the money relative to the market, other places … it's a huge investment."
While the Moda Center is city-owned and it benefits from the upgrades and maintenance, nobody would benefit more than Dundon and his franchise. In Oregon, a billionaire owner saying he shouldn't have to pay for any of the renovations to the building, and a cash-strapped city should use taxpayer dollars to fund all of it, is not going to go over well.
Not that Dundon cares. He won't care until it hits him in the pocketbook. Just know his casual threat to move the team is not something that's happening (with expansion coming to the NBA, no way Adam Silver and the other owners let that happen). Dundon is going to have to work out something with the city, and he should pay his fair share.
Alex Karaban was selected No. 29 overall in the first round of Tuesday’s NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. The 6-foot 8-inch forward brings not just a wide variety of skills to the table, but a leading attitude on and off the floor.
An elite catch-and-shoot player from the perimeter isn’t the only thing that Sac-Town needs; As the all-time winningest player to put on the UConn Huskies jersey and having racked up the third most wins (15) all-time in NCAA tournament, he’s a winner in every sense of the word. The Kings finished this past season with just 22 wins, tied for last in the Western Conference. Karaban can show what it takes to build a sustainable winning culture and get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
Dan Hurley spoke to KCRA3 on Wednesday morning to dive into the selection. “I talked to BJ Armstrong (Kings assistant GM) this morning, and he asked me how I felt, and I said, ‘How I feel is we got worse last night with Alex leaving and you guys got better with Alex joining your team,’”
The two-time national champion will likely come off the bench behind DeMar DeRozan. With DeRozan entering his 18th NBA season, only time will tell when Karaban can snatch that starting spot. Karaban will play alongside No. 7 pick Darius Acuff, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis. Karaban’s elite catch-and-shoot ability provides immediate gravity on the perimeter. In an offense built around Sabonis’ high-post facilitating andDeRozan’s mid-range pressure, Karaban offers the exact floor-spacing safety valve the Kings desperately need to keep the lane open.
Sabonis is practically a walking double-double, but with Karaban spacing the floor on the wing, his passing lanes will open up significantly. Karaban’s ability to knock down kick-out jumpers could easily push Sabonis past his mark of 10 triple-doubles from last season.
Sabonis isn’t the only assist man the Kings have; Russell Westbrook is a prime example of an unselfish player. Westbrook’s ability to get downhill can allow for even more space to open up for Karaban out on the wing or find him cutting to the rim.
Alex Karaban went OFF for a career-high 27 points in UConn's 73-57 win over UCLA.
Defensively, Karaban offers the exact type of high-IQ that’s needed at the NBA level. While he may not be a lockdown isolation defender, his awareness as a weak-side helper is elite. Playing alongside Sabonis—who anchors the interior but isn’t a traditional rim protector—Karaban’s ability to read plays, box out, and execute crisp defensive rotations will give the Kings’ bench much-needed structural stability. He’ll be the first to dive for loose balls, put his body on the line to take a charge and be the first to help up a teammate when they go down.
Karaban doesn’t need for him to go out and light it up for 25 points a night to make his rookie season a success. He needs to stick to what made him a UConn legend and be the ultimate glue guy.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Mikel Brown Jr. after he is drafted sixth overall by the Brooklyn Nets during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA draft is now in the books, and while free agency doesn’t start until next week, we’ve already begun peeking at is pages. That means NBA Summer League, and our next chance to get a tangible look at the Nets, is right around the corner.
Friday morning, Brooklyn announced the first four of the five game’s they’ll play in Las Vegas, starting in the second week of July. The schedule includes the following:
July 10th vs New York @ 6 PM ET
July 11th vs Atlanta @ 8 PM ET
July 14th vs Sacramento @ 6 PM ET
July 16 vs Houston @ 4:30 PM ET
The Nets will also have three games before the traditional Summer League tournament in Sacramento. They were announced in late April and include:
July 4th vs Sacramento @ 5 PM ET
July 5th vs Milwaukee Bucks @ 3 PM ET
July 6th vs Golden State Warriors @ 8 PM ET
With games against the Kings in each slate, we’ll get two head-to-head looks at Mikel Brown Jr. vs Darius Acuff. The two guards going back-to-back has stirred a noteworthy amount of debate across the past few days regarding who’ll have the better career. These games could be the first chapters in a budding cross conference rivalry. The pair did square off at the collegiate level and in high school once as well.
January 25th, 2025, Mikel Brown Jr. faced Darius Acuff in high school.
It's the nature of the sports media but these two will be compared to each other for years to come based on the draft. pic.twitter.com/lfDAgGvdhL
All of Brooklyn’s games in Sacramento will be television on the YES Network, while the Vegas games will be split between ESPN, ESPN U, and Amazon Prime. We’re told summer league roster is expected to practice this Tuesday or Wednesday at HSS Training Center before departing for Sacramento.
PORTLAND, OREGON - FEBRUARY 03: Collin Gillespie #12 and Mark Williams #15 of the Phoenix Suns celebrate after a 130-125 win against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on February 03, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. 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 Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Questions. We all had them entering this offseason for the Phoenix Suns. What would the Suns do? How many gambles would the organization take? Could they retain their free agents? Should they? They didn’t have a long list of free agents to address, but the ones they did have mattered as the franchise prepared for the 2026-27 season. They weren’t flashy names, but in an offseason that demanded restraint rather than splashy moves, they were important.
This was never going to be an offseason about making headlines. It was about sitting on the sidelines, enhancing what was built last season, and continuing down the path the organization had already chosen.
As we walk away from the 2026 NBA Draft and the opening wave of free agency, it’s hard not to feel like the mission was accomplished. No, there wasn’t a move that sent your blood pressure through the roof. LaMelo Ball didn’t suddenly show up on your doorstep wearing purple and orange. Instead, while other franchises felt compelled to take risks in pursuit of a higher ceiling, the Phoenix Suns leaned into stability. They leaned into the cousin of 2025’s buzzword “align”, 2026’s “continuity”.
For where this franchise currently finds itself, that might have been the smartest move of all. Days after the season ended, I was as reluctant as anyone to invest in offseason content because my mindset never changed. Stay the course. That was my mantra from the beginning. Look internally. Lean into development and growth. Seek improvement from within rather than chasing something outside the Phoenix market that creates the illusion of progress while simultaneously capping your long-term potential.
Living between a rock and a hard place isn’t comfortable. When you see notifications rolling in about players changing teams and organizations making splashy moves, it’s natural to feel a little envious. Part of you wants that move. Part of you wants the excitement. Part of you wants something that makes you feel more secure about where your team stands.
But we’ve already lived that path over the past five years. We’ve felt those emotions. If hindsight has taught us anything, it’s that winning the moment doesn’t necessarily translate to winning in the long run. Instead, it makes you appreciate the value of continuity. It makes you appreciate development. It makes you appreciate the promise of what internal growth could become.
Make no mistake about it, there’s no guarantee that path leads to the ultimate outcome. But it is the responsible way to navigate your salary cap, your organizational viability, and your long-term ceiling. Especially considering where this franchise currently sits.
Risk is no longer something the Suns can recklessly lean into while hoping the margin for error works in their favor. Every decision has to be calculated. Every risk has to be measured. Every move has to fit both the short-term and the long-term vision. That’s exactly what the Phoenix Suns have done this offseason. They’ve accomplished everything they set out to do.
And it’s not even July 1.
They’ve brought back Collin Gillespie on a four-year deal. They’ve brought back Jordan Goodwin on a three-year deal. And now they’ve brought back Mark Williams on a three-year deal. All are competitive assets in the short term and, if need be, tradable contracts in the future.
These are names we know. These aren’t theories or ideas that we’ll spend the next summer projecting onto, hoping they become something they’re not. Yes, the hope is that all three continue to develop. But we already know these players. We know they understand the system. We know they understand the expectations. We know what they bring to the floor.
You then add a first-round pick with size, upside, and time to develop, and it’s easy to feel good about the short-term competitiveness of the franchise while recognizing that the organization is also accounting for its long-term future.
This is what a professionally run organization looks like. And it’s not sexy. That’s okay. That’s exactly what the Suns need right now. They don’t need to be chasing another blockbuster trade. They don’t need to attach picks in another desperate attempt to accelerate the timeline. They need to settle in and let the dust around the Western Conference settle while they focus on continuity, stability, and internal growth.
Maybe I’m looking at this through the eyes of someone who chooses to see the bright side rather than the darkness that could lie ahead. Or maybe, after everything this franchise has been through, that’s exactly the perspective the Suns need. But when you’re operating professionally, you put yourself in a position to be successful rather than throwing the dice across the craps table and hoping for a seven.
Right now, the Suns aren’t chasing miracle rolls. They’re hoping six and eight are the point, and that they can continue to cash in as time progresses. That’s where this franchise is. It’s not that they can never push their chips to the middle of the table again. It’s that now isn’t the time. Right now, they’re the team watching the table, waiting for the right opportunity, and benefiting from playing the long game rather than chasing instant gratification.
Smart. Strategic. Responsible. Those are the words I’d use to describe the Phoenix Suns this offseason.
Do I still have my doubts about certain areas of the roster? Of course. Every fan should have questions about their team. But you can question the roster while also respecting the process. And that’s exactly what the Suns have earned this offseason.
Will it ultimately pay off? Who knows. The Western Conference is a fucking gauntlet. But I’d much rather attack it from this position than from one of desperation and irresponsibility, especially when Oklahoma City and San Antonio exist. Be responsible now. Set yourself up for success later. Operate accordingly. That’s exactly what the Phoenix Suns have done this offseason cycle.
Maybe this path doesn’t end with a championship. Maybe it does. Nobody knows. What I do know is this: I’d much rather see the Suns operate with discipline than desperation.
The Western Conference isn’t getting any easier. Oklahoma City isn’t going anywhere. San Antonio is only getting better. That means Phoenix can’t afford to chase shortcuts anymore. Every decision has to serve a purpose. Every move has to fit a larger vision. That’s what this offseason has been about. The Suns identified who they wanted to keep, rewarded the players who earned it, added another young piece to their developmental pipeline, and resisted the temptation to make a headline-grabbing move simply for the sake of making one.
Professional organizations don’t win every offseason. They consistently make good decisions and trust that enough good decisions eventually lead to winning. For the first time in a long time, it feels like that’s exactly what the Phoenix Suns are doing.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The top four picks in the NBA draft are receiving marquee billing in the NBA Summer League schedule released Friday.
The Washington Wizards are expected to showcase No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa when they play the Utah Jazz and No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson on the opening day of the Summer League on July 9 in Las Vegas.
All 76 games of the Summer League from July 9-19 will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center and Pavilion. The games will be televised by Prime Video or ESPN platforms.
The regular schedule, with each team playing at least five games, ends on July 16. The semifinals are scheduled for July 18 and the championship is set for July 19.
Peterson is expected to play in the Salt Lake City Summer League that begins on July 4, so the game against Dybantsa and Washington in Las Vegas is not expected to be his first opportunity to play for the Jazz. Even so, the matchup of the top two draft picks was highlighted by the NBA.
Also notable is the matchup between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks on July 10. That will be four days after Miami's acquisition of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes official.
Memphis and No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer will play their Summer League opener against Chicago and No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson on July 10. That game also was promoted by the NBA as a “marquee” matchup.
Each of the two pairings involving the top four picks was scheduled for primetime tipoffs.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 20: A photo of the Summer League diamond basketball and championship rings after the game during the 2025 NBA Summer League Championship game on July 20, 2025 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Every summer, Las Vegas becomes the place to be in the NBA world due to the Summer League. With every team in attendance, it’s a chance to get an early look at the incoming rookie class and see how they perform in a competitive professional environment.
The Lakers starting Summer League on a back-to-back seems pretty tough.
Having games stacked together during this brief competition is common, but they could have at least spaced out the first couple of games before giving them consecutive matchups.
Overall, the games are intriguing. The Lakers want to be better than the Thunder, who have been the best regular-season team in the West for years now, and having the young players battle each other will be fun.
Clippers-Lakers is always a nice local rivalry, and clearly, Lakers-Mavericks will be a thing the NBA highlights for a while due to the Luka Dončić trade, even when he isn’t playing.
This schedule is subject to change, and the Lakers could play additional games if they advance or are added onto the final weekend for another contest.
This will be a good place for the Lakers to evaluate their young players. It’s also an opportunity to watch other teams to see if anyone stands out as a player to add to Los Angeles.
While winning is always the goal, this will be a successful Summer League for the Lakers if everyone comes out healthy and you see promising shifts from the top players.
