Category: Basketball

Basketball News

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Nuggets remove interim tag, hire David Adelman as next head coach

"He had three games to change something, and I think he changed the energy. I think the guys were woken up a little bit. The guys had more energy. He made us believe in something, and we played good, you know? We played a seven-game series with probably the best team in the NBA, and we had opportunity. We had chances. So I think he did a really good job."

That was Nikola Jokic praising the job David Adelman did as the interim coach of the Denver Nuggets, a sentiment echoed by other veterans such as Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray, with many of them saying they hoped he got the job full-time. You can guess what comes next.

"We're going to move forward with David Adelman as our head coach," Josh Kroenke, the Nuggets vice chairman and interim president of basketball operations (after Calvin Booth was fired), said to open his end-of-season press conference. The two sides have agreed to terms.

Kronke said he originally planned to start looking outside the organization for the next head coach, but as he watched how the team bonded and played through the postseason, he realized he had the guy he wanted already in house.

Adelman was thrust into a difficult position, becoming head coach with three games left in the season when Kroenke fired coach Michael Malone and Booth, a duo that had been feuding for years, casting a cloud over the organization. Kroenke hoped the firing would jolt the team out of its slump and it seemed to as they went 3-0 in the rest of the regular season, then in the playoffs beat the Clippers in seven tough games, then pushed the Thunder seven games before falling short.

Adelman held his own in tactical adjustments with two of the better Xs and Os coaches in the league in Tyronn Lue and Mark Daigneault. He also won over the players, as they told Bennett Durando at the Denver Post.

"I love DA," Aaron Gordon said. "I hope he's here next year. I hope he's our coach. I hope he gets an entire training camp and a whole offseason."

"I'm hoping he gets that job," added Michael Porter Jr. "I think he's a great, personable coach."

Adelman, the son of coaching legend Rick Adelman, got his first NBA job as a player development specialist in Minnesota under his father. After his father retired, the younger Adelman was an assistant coach in Orlando before being hired by Denver and working his way up to being a top assistant under Malone. Adelman had interviewed for multiple NBA head coaching jobs before this one fell in his lap, but he took full advantage of it and gets to keep the gig.

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Purdy teases NBA playoff game appearance to support Haliburton

Purdy teases NBA playoff game appearance to support Haliburton originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton’s public support of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is well documented, and now the NFL star is returning the favor for his former Iowa State classmate.

During an interview on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs” on Thursday, Purdy excitedly voiced his support for Haliburton after the star point guard’s epic heroics helped spark Indiana’s thrilling comeback win over the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

“We knew that was going in from the moment it left his hands, lets be real,” Purdy said regarding Haliburton’s game-tying shot at the end of regulation on Wednesday. “I’m so excited for him and what he’s done this playoff run so far. Just the competitive nature that Tyrese has, the energy that he brings to this team.

“I’m pulling for him and I hope they can pull off the whole thing, man. That would be awesome and I’m pulling for him.”

Now flush with $181 million in guarantees after signing a lucrative contract extension, could Purdy take his support to Madison Square Garden and join the row of celebrities sitting courtside in New York City?

“We’re going to have to find out,” Purdy teased. “There’s no promises right now, but this would be an amazing opportunity to go and support my guy, that’s right.”

Haliburton famously rocked Purdy’s jersey as a pregame fit the day after the 49ers clinched a berth in Super Bowl LVIII.

Might we see Purdy be the one sporting his former classmate’s jersey as they battle on the big stage in the playoffs? Stay tuned.

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Was Derrick White snubbed from NBA's All-Defense teams?

Was Derrick White snubbed from NBA's All-Defense teams? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics boasted one of the NBA’s best defenses this season, allowing just 107.2 points per game (second in the league) and posting a 110.1 defensive rating (fourth in the league).

But when the NBA unveiled its 2024-25 All-Defensive Teams on Thursday, the C’s were nowhere to be found.

Below is a look at the First and Second Teams; Derrick White was the only Boston player who received votes with 15 total points (two First-Team votes and 11 Second-Team Votes).

It’s worth noting that Jaylen Brown (63 games played) and Jrue Holiday (62 games) both didn’t meet the 65-game minimum threshold to be eligible for an All-Defense team, which is why neither player received votes.

But should White have received more consideration for at least a Second-Team nod?

White faced an uphill climb to make All-Defense thanks to a rule passed prior to the 2023-24 season that removed position restrictions from voting. Many defensive metrics favor big men while undervaluing guards, which is why this year’s teams are loaded with big men: Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, who led the league with a whopping 229 steals, is the only non-forward or center among the 10 players on this year’s list.

That said, White had made Second-Team All-Defense in each of the previous two seasons — both before and after the eligibility change. His defensive counting stats were relatively comparable year-over-year, as well; White amassed 80 blocks and 72 steals this season after tallying 87 blocks and 74 steals in 2023-24.

His defensive rating actually improved slightly from 109.9 in 2023-24 to 109.5, and he held opponents to two percent below their expected field goal percentage.

White faced stiffer All-Defense competition this year, as Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams and Portland’s Toumani Camara are both excellent young defenders. But you could probably make the case for White on the second team over players like Jaren Jackson Jr or Rudy Gobert, who have strong reputations thanks to their recent Defensive Player of the Year awards but regressed in several defensive stat categories this season. (Jackson’s Grizzlies ranked 24th in the NBA in team defense, for the record.)

White’s omission means the Celtics won’t have any representatives on the All-Defense teams for the first time since 2021, and only the second time in the last eight years.

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Why Kerr compares relationship with Steph to Popovich-Duncan

Why Kerr compares relationship with Steph to Popovich-Duncan originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

If the relationship between Warriors superstar Steph Curry and Golden State coach Steve Kerr reminds you of another famous NBA duo, you aren’t alone.

During a recent interview on “The TK Show,” Kerr explained why his bond with Curry is eerily similar to the close relationship between longtime San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and highly decorated big man Tim Duncan.

“Very similar, very similar,” Kerr told Tim Kawakami about his relationship with Curry having a strikinh resemblance to Popovich’s and Duncan’s. “I think Pop and I are a lot alike in many ways, and I think Steph and Tim are a lot alike. I would say that Tim and Steph, if you had to put down names who every coach who ever coached in the NBA, if you asked them to name a couple guys they would want to partner with, Steph and Tim would maybe be the first two guys.

“So, there’s no coincidence why this has lasted 11 years. Steph Curry is an incredible partner and an amazing guy to collaborate with. He sets the tone, culturewise for everything that we do, We have a great bond, I think we share a lot of the same values as human beings, share a similar vision for how the game should be played, and we look forward to seeing each other every day. So why wouldn’t we keep this thing going and why wouldn’t we still enjoy this.”

Kerr, who not only is close friends with Popovich, also played alongside Duncan in San Antonio from 1998 to 2003, giving Golden State’s coach a unique perspective about the similarities between the Spurs and Warriors respective dynasties and the foundational pieces that drove them.

“And I think that’s the dynamic I saw with Pop and Timmy when I played for four seasons with the Spurs. It was very similar, it was collaborative, it was genuine love and friendship. A lot of humor a lot of joy, it’s hard to find that. But Steph and Tim are very similar in that regard. They’re probably the two most collaborative superstars. the most easy to work with that I can imagine.”

Duncan, like Curry, is a two-time NBA MVP while also sharing the rare-but-distinguished honor of playing his entire professional career for one franchise, something every Warriors fan hopes the greatest shooter of all time adds to his resume as well.

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Caitlin Clark, NBA and sports world react to Tyrese Haliburton's shot, Pacers comeback win

In my house, as Tyrese Haliburton's game-tying shot hit the back of the rim, bounced 10 feet in the air, then fell softly through the net, I yelled "Are you kidding me" so loudly my family rushed into the room to make sure I was okay.

My reaction to the Pacers’ wild comeback Game 1 win is typical, and I don't have a dog in this fight. The reaction around the NBA and sports world to Haliburton and the comeback win by the Indiana Pacers was the same, starting with Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

Check out the reaction to the shot from the Inside the NBA crew, and the 76ers' Jared McCain, who was doing a live stream for Bleacher Report.

There were more reactions from around the sports world

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Kerr admits Warriors were ‘dead in the water' before the Butler trade

Kerr admits Warriors were ‘dead in the water' before the Butler trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors, sitting at 25-26 and 10th in the Western Conference on Feb. 6 were, to put it mildly, in trouble.

Golden State, after a red-hot start to the 2024-25 NBA season, cooled off significantly and struggled throughout the middle part of the campaign. That is, until one move changed everything.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr joined Tom Tolbert on the latest episode of “The Tom Tolbert Show,” where he discussed Golden State’s blockbuster trade for Jimmy Butler on Feb. 5 and how it came together after its failed trade pursuit of Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant.

“I was all for it, just because we had nothing going. We were at the point in the season where you could just feel it, we were dead in the water. We were below .500 and it had been a long enough stretch where it was like ‘alright, this isn’t working.’

“So I think it was well-documented that we were trying to get Kevin Durant, that didn’t happen. Mike [Dunleavy] calls me and he goes ‘I think we’re just going to trade for Jimmy Butler, I’m going to vouch for him, I played with him for three years in Chicago. Guy is a gamer, hell of a player. I think it’s going to work.’ I said, ‘great, let’s do it.’ But more than anything, we needed a change.

Some within the Warriors organization had initial concerns about Butler’s fit with Golden State before the trade, and while everyone knew how good of a player he was, Kerr admits that it initially was hard for him to picture Butler playing in the Warriors’ system.

“I didn’t know his game that well, obviously we only played Miami a couple times a year. I’ve watched him and have been impressed, but he doesn’t have the game that jumps off the screen to you skill-wise,” Kerr added. “You watch him and once you see him every other every day you realize why he’s so good.

“But if you’re watching him from a far, he’s not a great shooter, he’s not super athletic, so I didn’t really know what kind of impact he would have. But literally within a game or two I was like ‘this guy is really good.'”

The Warriors ultimately made the right move, and went on to win 24 of their final 32 regular-season games before escaping the NBA Play-In Tournament and taking down the young Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.

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Warriors' Moody underwent surgery on torn UCL in right thumb

Warriors' Moody underwent surgery on torn UCL in right thumb originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Warriors guard Moses Moody underwent successful surgery to repair a torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) in his right thumb, the team announced Thursday.

Moody underwent the procedure Wednesday in Los Angeles, and he is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of training camp.

The 22-year-old is coming off a career-best season with Golden State, averaging 9.8 points on 43.3 percent shooting, with 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 22.3 minutes through 74 games (34 starts).

Moody’s role with the Warriors has fluctuated since being selected No. 14 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.

But after signing a three-year contract extension with Golden State worth $39 million, per his agent, the Warriors’ commitment to the young guard was evident. And Moody’s patience paid off, with him becoming an established starter in mid-February and helping the Warriors along their arduous journey to the postseason.

It’s unclear exactly when he sustained the injury in his right shooting thumb, but he did struggle quite a bit during the Warriors’ playoff run, losing his spot in the starting lineup after two playoff games.

Through 12 playoff games, Moody shot just 35 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range with 7.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16.1 minutes.

The good news is he won’t appear to be missing any time as the Warriors prepare for the 2025-26 NBA season.

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49ers QB Purdy inspired by Haliburton's NBA playoffs success

49ers QB Purdy inspired by Haliburton's NBA playoffs success originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Perhaps nobody in the professional sports world has had a better 48 hours than 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton.

The former signed a whopping five-year, $265 million contract with San Francisco, while the latter continued his iconic NBA playoffs run with another buzzer-beating shot that sent Indiana to overtime in its eventual 138-135 win over the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

The two star players, both former Iowa State Cyclones, developed a friendship in college and continue to root for each other to this day. Haliburton has posted about Purdy numerous times on social media, and he has been seen wearing both Purdy’s college and NFL jerseys.

The Pacers guard even reacted to the news of Purdy’s 49ers extension on May 16.

Purdy joined KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Thursday, one day after Haliburton and the Pacers’ Game 1 win over the Knicks, and was asked if he had congratulated his longtime friend on his epic playoff run.

“Not yet. I said this last year, but I’m just letting him do his thing throughout the series and then after I’ll shoot him a text,” Purdy said. “But man, is he a baller and he and I are always texting and keeping in touch and I want nothing but the best for my guy.”

Purdy, who led the 49ers to a near-Super Bowl LVIII victory roughly 15 months ago, is no stranger to the spotlight himself, and has been inspired by what he’s seen from Haliburton and the Pacers, the team he’s rooting for in the NBA playoffs.

“He’s had an incredible playoff run so far and some really iconic moments, hitting shots and just being exciting, especially for the Indiana fan base and everything. And obviously, going back to Iowa State, I’ve seen him do those things in Ames, so for him to be able to do this on this level, I couldn’t be happier for him.”

While both star players likely dreamt of reaching this point in their respective careers during college at Iowa State, they never discussed it together. They had more pressing matters to focus on.

“We didn’t have those conversations,” Purdy said when asked if he and Haliburton ever talked about reaching this point in their careers. “We were just trying to get through accounting and stats together. But outside of that we were always talking and joking around from class to class and we got pretty close there, so it’s cool.”

The classmates-turned-star-professional-athletes both have come close to reaching the mountaintops in their respective sports, and with Haliburton three wins away from punching his ticket to the NBA Finals, Purdy will continue to root for his longtime friend from afar.

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SEE IT: NYC back pages react to Knicks' Game 1 collapse, OT loss to Pacers in Eastern Conference Finals

The Knicks appeared to be cruising their way to a Game 1 victory on Wednesday night.

In front of a rocking MSG crowd, they led the Pacers by as many as 17 points with just under four minutes remaining in regulation.

Clutch bucket after clutch bucket down the stretch cut into the deficit and kept Indiana within striking distance, before Tyrese Haliburton delivered the game-tying jumper as time expired.

The Pacers would go on to silence the MSG crowd, stealing the victory in overtime, capping it off with Obi Toppin's slam and a defensive stand in the closing seconds.

As expected, the NYC back pages had a field day with this one...

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Ex-Celtic Aaron Nesmith made wild NBA history in Pacers' comeback win

Ex-Celtic Aaron Nesmith made wild NBA history in Pacers' comeback win originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

If you turned off Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals with about three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter Wednesday night, you missed an ending for the ages — with a former Boston Celtics draft pick playing a crucial role.

The New York Knicks led the Indiana Pacers by 14 points (119-105) with 2:45 on the clock. Then Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith went absolutely nuclear, hitting five 3-pointers in a span of under three minutes to help Indy storm back.

Tyrese Haliburton delivered the final dagger with a 2-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime, and the Pacers outlasted the Knicks in overtime to complete a stunning 138-135 victory. But it was Nesmith’s heroics that helped Indy become the first team in NBA playoff history to overcome a 14-point deficit in the final 2:45 of a fourth quarter.

To put Nesmith’s late-game eruption into context, the fifth-year guard hit six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, which is the most by any player in a single quarter of a playoff game since 1998. And Nesmith hit all of his triples within the final five minutes.

Nesmith has had quite the basketball journey; he was one of the best shooters in college basketball entering the 2020 NBA Draft (52.2 percent from 3-point range at Vanderbilt in 2019-20), and was expected to continue that success with the Celtics, who selected him 14th overall.

But Nesmith just couldn’t make a bucket in Boston, averaging just 4.2 points per game over two seasons (98 total games) while shooting 31.8 percent from distance. After the 2021-22 season, the Celtics dealt Nesmith — along with Daniel Theis, Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, Nik Stauskas and a 2023 first-round pick — to Indiana in return for Malcolm Brogdon.

In the short term, the deal was a win for the C’s, as Brogdon earned Sixth Man of the Year honors while helping Boston reach the Eastern Conference Finals. But Nesmith since has blossomed in Indy, rediscovering his shooting stroke (43.1 percent from 3 this season) and playing with relentless energy for a perennial East contender.

Nesmith’s contributions culminated in Wednesday’s 30-point effort on 9 of 13 shooting (8 of 9 from 3) that has the Pacers three wins from an NBA Finals berth.

“It’s unreal,” Nesmith said after the game. “It’s probably the best feeling in the world for me, personally. I love it when that basket feels like an ocean and anything you toss up, you feel like it’s going to go in. Ahh, it’s just, so much fun.”

The Celtics got their own star from that 2020 draft — Boston selected Payton Pritchard 12 picks later at No. 26 overall — but it has to sting a bit watching Nesmith thrive in another uniform.

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Why Kerr believes Draymond is ‘heartbeat' of Warriors' dynasty

Why Kerr believes Draymond is ‘heartbeat' of Warriors' dynasty originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steve Kerr believes Draymond Green has been just as impactful as Steph Curry in the Warriors’ sustained run of success over the last decade.

The Golden State coach explained that he has recently been reading Sam Walker’s “The Captain Class,” and that much of what the book discusses applies to the Warriors.

“The point of the book is that it’s not always the leading scorer, it’s not always the most talented player but it’s the guys who are — literally or figuratively — the captains of the team and why they have such an impact on winning,” Kerr told Tim Kawakami on “The TK Show.”

“I think Draymond really applies in a lot of ways. I’ve always felt that Draymond is, as I’ve said, the heartbeat of the team. Steph’s obviously our best player, but Draymond has driven a lot of the winning. Now he doesn’t fit every category in the book.

“Obviously, he’s had his own ups and downs in terms of his own leadership. I think the common thread between all these championship teams is just competitive force and fire. That’s what Draymond has.”

Green’s passion for the game and stifling defense have been some of the main ingredients to Golden State’s four NBA championships over the past 10 years. Earlier this year, the 36-year-old’s impassioned speech during a team meeting set the tone for the Warriors’ Game 7 win over the Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Still, it has not been smooth sailing during Green’s tenure with Golden State. At times, his competitive nature and passion get the best of him. Between numerous flagrant and technical fouls and plenty of suspensions for his aggressive play, Green has been a lightning rod for controversy.

Kerr wouldn’t have it any other way, though. He wants to ride out this era in Golden State with Green and Curry at his side. With a full offseason to integrate Jimmy Butler into the mix, Kerr and the Warriors are feeling good about their chances to capture a fifth NBA Finals trophy next season.

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Warriors star Draymond named to 2024-25 NBA All-Defensive First Team

Warriors star Draymond named to 2024-25 NBA All-Defensive First Team originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Even though the Warriors fell short of their NBA championship aspirations this season, Draymond Green reached one of his biggest goals.

Green was among the five players selected to the 2024-25 Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team, alongside Dyson Daniels, Luguentz Dort, Amen Thompson and 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley.

It is the ninth All-Defensive Team nod of Green’s 13-year NBA career, and the fifth time he was named to the First Team. He made the All-Defensive Second team four times in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Warriors superstar Steph Curry congratulated his longtime teammate on Instagram.

Green was a finalist for NBA Defensive Player of the Year, finishing third in voting for the award. His last DPOY nod was for the 2016-17 season.

The 35-year-old also won the 2024-25 NBA Hustle Award, which “honors players who make the effort plays that don’t often appear in the traditional box score but impact winning on a nightly basis.”

He also made history as the first award winner to finish inside the top 40 in all nine hustle categories, per the NBA. Hustle stats, which the league has been tracking since the 2016 postseason, include charges drawn, deflections, screen assists, contested 2-point shots, contested 3-point shots, offensive loose balls recovered, defensive loose balls recovered, offensive box outs and defensive box outs.

Green, on a per-minute basis, ranked second in contested 3-point shots, sixth in charges drawn, 10th in defensive box outs, 13th in contested 2-point shots and 15th in deflections. The eight-time All-Defensive Team member also was one of just two players with 40-plus appearances to average at least 1.45 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently labeled Green as the “heartbeat” of the Warriors, and his most recent nod perfectly embodies just that.

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Cleveland Cavaliers 2024-25 fantasy basketball season recap: DPOY Mobley sets the tone

While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.

In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.

Today, we’re looking at the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a roster packed full of fantasy studs.

Cleveland Cavaliers 2024-2025 Season Recap

Record: 64-18 (1st, East)

Offensive Rating: 121.0 (1st)

Defensive Rating: 111.8 (8th)

Net Rating: 9.2 (3rd)

Pace: 100.31 (10th)

2025 NBA Draft Picks: 49th pick, 58th pick

The Cavs’ 2024-25 season was wildly successful from a real-life perspective, but it was tremendous from a fantasy perspective, too. Four players finished inside the top 55 in per-game value, and six finished inside the top 130.

Cleveland chose to reduce minutes across the board and go deeper into the rotation. This strategy proved beneficial to a number of players who enjoyed unprecedented efficiency and durability despite taking a hit in playing time.

Let’s recap last season’s fantasy performances and look ahead to 2025-26.

Fantasy Standout: Evan Mobley

Mobley set the tone for Cleveland on both ends of the court, and his stellar, two-way play was a huge reason for the Cavaliers' success in 2024-25.

The fourth-year man had a career season, becoming the fifth-youngest player (and first Cavalier) to win Defensive Player of the Year. Cleveland sported the eighth-best defensive rating overall and second best when Mobley was on the court.

Mobley averaged 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 triples. He knocked down 55.7% of his shots from the field, 72.5% from the foul line and 37% from beyond the arc.

It was a phenomenal season for Mobley on defense, but he was tremendous on offense, posting career highs in points, assists, three-pointers and FT%.

Mobley scored a career-high 41 points on December 7 at Charlotte while sinking a career-best six three-pointers. He provided a career-best 37 double-doubles, easily clearing his previous best of 24.

The addition of a three-point game was a boon to Mobley’s fantasy value and to Cleveland’s offense. He finished with at least one made three-pointer in 45 games this season. He knocked down multiple treys in 21 games after doing so just 15 times across his first three seasons combined.

Mobley finished the season ranked 23rd in per-game fantasy value, reaching that mark in 30.5 minutes across 71 games. Still just 23 years old, Mobley can become a consistent 20/10 guy in Year 5 if he continues to ascend. His ability to facilitate and hit shots from long range only adds to his appeal.

Consider him in the early rounds of 2025-26 fantasy drafts for his versatility and high ceiling.

Fantasy Revelation: Ty Jerome

Jerome finished 130th in per-game fantasy value, but to look solely at that finish would be doing a disservice to how impactful he was to Cleveland this season.

He provided electric scoring off the bench, averaging a career-high 12.5 points to go with 2.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.6 triples. He pushed for a 50/40/90 season, just missing it with 51.6/43.9/87.2 splits.

After appearing in just two games in 2023-24 due to injury, Jerome roared back with 70 appearances in 2024-25. He did all of his damage in just 19.9 minutes per game, primarily off the bench. In three starts, Jerome posted 25.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 triples.

Jerome’s previous career-high in scoring was 24 points across his first five seasons. After reaching that mark only once in his career prior to this season, he scored that many points nine times this season. Jerome dropped a career-high 33 points with eight triples on January 24 against the Sixers.

Jerome is set for unrestricted free agency this summer, and his career year couldn’t have come at a better time. He’s likely due for a payday, and if he lands on a team that can give him more playing time, he can be a meaningful contributor.

Keep an eye on Jerome this offseason and target him at the end of 2025-26 fantasy drafts if he signs with a team that could offer a more prominent role in the rotation.

Fantasy Disappointment: Donovan Mitchell

Mitchell finished his third season in Cleveland with averages of 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.3 triples with 44.3/36.8/82.3 shooting splits.

The production was stellar for most, but by Mitchell’s lofty standards, it was a disappointing season statistically. The points were his fewest since the 2019-20 campaign, the steals were his fewest since 2020-21, and the rebounds and assists were his fewest since arriving in Cleveland.

Mitchell’s efficiency suffered as well. His FG% was the lowest since 2020-21, and his FT% was his lowest since 2018-19. Mitchell’s 31.4 minutes per game marked a career low, but he appeared in 71 games - his most since 2018-19.

Minutes were down across the board for most of Cleveland’s players, as the team utilized a deeper rotation on the way to 64 wins. The reduction in minutes for Mitchell and his teammates obviously paid off, as Cleveland earned the No. 1 seed and Mitchell enjoyed a high level of durability.

After per-game fantasy finishes of 24, 15, and 8 across his last three seasons, Mitchell finished 30th in 2024-25. It was a solid outing, but fantasy managers likely spent a top-15 pick to draft him.

Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads

Jarrett Allen:

Like Mitchell, Allen’s playing time took a hit, and the 28 minutes per game were his lowest since 2019-20. The big man finished with 13.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks while shooting 70.6% from the field and 71.8% from the charity stripe.

The points, rebounds and blocked shots were Allen’s fewest since 2019-20, his final full season with Brooklyn. The playing time proved beneficial for Allen though as his FG% was a new career high, and he appeared in 82 games for the first time in his career.

The dip in counting stats wasn’t harmful to Allen, as he finished 46th in per-game fantasy value after finishing 45th a season ago. Allen signed a three-year extension with the Cavs last summer, and he should play a similar role for the team for as long as he’s on the roster.

Even with the ascension of Evan Mobley, Allen should push for top-50 production each season thanks to his high field goal percentage, low turnovers and ability to rack up boards and blocks.

Darius Garland:

After a down season in 2023-24, Garland bounced back nicely last season. He finished with averages of 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.8 triples. Improved efficiency was a hallmark of Garland’s 2024-25 campaign as he shot a career-high 47.2% from the field. His 87.8% mark from the foul line and 40.1% mark from beyond the arc marked the second-best marks of his career.

Garland’s playing time and games played followed a similar pattern to Mitchell’s and Allen's. He logged a career-low 30.7 minutes per game across a career-high 75 games.

Allen finished with seven double-doubles, and the highlight of his season came on January 9 when he went off for 40 points to go with two boards, nine dimes, two steals and four triples.

Garland finished 52nd in per-game fantasy value, and a finish in this range is a reasonable expectation for him moving forward. Fantasy managers in need of a point guard can target him in the middle rounds of 2025-26 drafts.

De’Andre Hunter:

Hunter started the season with Atlanta, but he was dealt to Cleveland at the trade deadline. In 27 appearances with the Cavaliers, he averaged 14.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.2 triples across 25 minutes per game.

He started just four games for his new team and posted numbers similar to those he posted off the bench. He tied a career-high with 35 points on January 27 while still with Atlanta, and he dropped 32 points, seven boards and five triples on March 2 against the Trail Blazers after landing in Cleveland.

Hunter saw his role drastically reduced during Cleveland’s playoff run, due in part to injury. He’s got two more years left on his current deal, and he figures to be a regular part of Cleveland’s rotation for the foreseeable future. Hunter finished 122nd in per-game fantasy value, and he’ll be worth a look in the final rounds of 2025-26 drafts.

Max Strus:

Strus injured his right ankle just before the start of the 2024-25 season, and he didn’t debut until December 20. In his second season with Cleveland, the sharpshooter averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 triples with 44.2/38.6/82.4 shooting splits and 1.1 turnovers.

In 50 appearances, Strus logged 25.5 minutes per game, down significantly from the 32 minutes per game he saw in 2023-24. Strus finished 161st in per-game fantasy value after a career-best 118 finish in 2023-24. A finish around 120 likely represents Strus’ ceiling. His services are best reserved for deeper league fantasy managers in 2025-26.

Isaac Okoro:

The dip in playing time wasn’t a boon for Okoro, as he finished with just 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks and 1.0 triples across 19.1 minutes. The points, boards and minutes were all career lows for Okoro, who appeared in a career-low 55 games due to injuries.

The fifth-year man saw his role greatly reduced, starting only 22 of 55 games after starting 42 of 69 last season. Okoro has proven to be a better on-court player thanks to his defense, but his contributions don’t tend to show up in the box score, which is where fantasy managers are looking.

Restricted Free Agents: Emoni Bates

Unrestricted Free Agents: Tristan Thompson, Javonte Green, Ty Jerome

Club Option: Chuma Okeke

Player Option: None

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What Spoelstra told Kerr about Butler immediately after Warriors trade

What Spoelstra told Kerr about Butler immediately after Warriors trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Despite some concern about how Jimmy Butler would fit into the Warriors’ culture, coach Steve Kerr’s mind was at ease.

That’s because his good friend and longtime Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra reassured him before Golden State acquired the six-time NBA All-Star at the February trade deadline.

“Erik Spoelstra told me immediately, ‘He’s going to be great for you.’ And I know Spo really well from the last couple of summers and I trust him,” Kerr told Tim Kawakami on “The TK Show.” “I believed him and he was right. Within a couple of days of his arrival, Jimmy was so easy to speak with.

“He reminded me of Andre [Iguodala] with the basketball intellect, but also the interest in the world perspective and the maturity. It was really fun to get to know Jimmy right away and to see the impact he had on our team and our locker room.”

There was plenty of chatter about Butler’s locker room fit in Golden State since the veteran forward’s relationship with his previous team, the Heat, and particularly team president Pat Riley, soured.

Things got so bad that Butler was suspended multiple times by Miami after missing a team flight, walking out of a shootaround, and other actions deemed as “detrimental” to the team. And given that it wasn’t the first time Butler left a team on bad terms, there were reasonable worries for the Warriors.

But those concerns immediately were put to rest upon Butler’s arrival, as his impact quite literally did the opposite as he provided a rejuvenated energy to Golden State both on and off the floor. His relationship with Buddy Hield in particular warmed the hearts of Dub Nation.

“He was an absolute dream,” Kerr said. “I know everything that happened in Miami would not have suggested that, but I can only base Jimmy’s impact and his personality and all that stuff on my experience. And he was the model citizen. Just an amazing guy to coach these last few months.”

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