Category: Basketball

Celtics check their Summer League boxes, and more midsummer thoughts originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

A few Boston Celtics thoughts while we try to stiff-arm the approaching August doldrums: 

Celtics check all their Summer League boxes

Summer League is always a lot more intriguing when you have a lottery pick on your roster, but the Celtics got just about everything they could have wanted out of their two-week stint in the Las Vegas heat. That included:

Hugo Gonzalez shook off any jet lag from recent globe-trotting and confirmed that he’s graduated from Summer League. The shooting splits weren’t great (31.8 percent from the field overall, 25.9 percent on 3s), and everyone on the roster was a bit careless with the basketball, but Gonzalez, fresh off a stint with Spain in the FIBA qualifiers, did just about everything else well.

The passing (5.7 assists per game) and rebounding (8 rebounds per game) were exceptional, and whenever Gonzalez wanted to turn up the intensity, he was a defensive monster. It’s clear he’s going to have a big role on this year’s Celtics team, and he’s probably further vibing after Spain won the World Cup on Sunday. 

First-round pick Chris Cenac Jr. (27th overall) is super raw, but the potential for the 19-year-old big man is obvious. Cenac Jr. produced a signature moment in drilling an overtime-forcing, buzzer-beating 3-pointer in his pro debut. He rebounded well, bothered shooters with his length and athleticism, and attempted some audacious putbacks.

We’ll keep saying it: Put him in Boston’s now well-established Player Development Machine and let’s see where this goes. Between Cenac Jr. and Amari Williams, the Celtics have two bigs with very divergent playstyles that they can nurture moving forward. 

Second-round pick Dillon Mitchell (40th overall) might have stolen our heart at Summer League, which is appropriate given the defensive-minded nature of a player who registered 2.7 steals per game (fifth best among players with 3+ appearances in Vegas). Yes, the Celtics need to hone his offensive game, but he’s an athletic freak. There were multiple instances where it felt like he simply defied gravity and floated his way to blocks (1.3 per game). We’re a sucker for any player where the chaos factor spikes when they hit the floor.

Last season, Gonzalez carved out time by simply defending and crashing hard from the corners. If Mitchell gets any time with the parent club this season, he should make that a priority while figuring out where his NBA scoring comes from (well, beyond tip dunks). 

John Tonje put up some solid numbers (14.8 points per game while shooting 51 percent overall from the floor and 45.2 percent on 3s) and tried hard on the defensive side. The Celtics have some interesting choices for their two remaining two-way slots. Tonje, acquired from Utah last season in the Chris Boucher trade, turned 25 in April. Do the Celtics continue to invest in his development, or use that spot on a younger player with longer-term upside?

Amile Jefferson got valuable reps in the head-coaching chair, and we liked his Joe Mazzulla-like willingness to bark at Boston’s youngest players when they made mistakes (but also lift them up whenever they made good plays). 

The Celtics will reportedly bring point guard Milos Uzan and forward Tucker DeVries to training camp. Both rode the summer roller coaster but had intriguing moments. Uzan played with Cenac Jr. at Houston last season, while DeVries has never met a 3-pointer look he didn’t like.

Second apron strikes again

The Oklahoma City Thunder traded All-Defense wing Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday as part of a three-team trade that brought back three second-round picks. The 2025 NBA champions have wiggled under the second apron this offseason by dealing away Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins.

So much of the conversation around the Celtics has centered on the financial decisions made in the aftermath of their 2024 title season — from the departures of Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porzingis last summer while shedding major money, to the trade of Jaylen Brown this month. But the entire league is scrambling to avoid the second apron and the basketball penalties it imposes. 

The Thunder are trying to delay their reckoning as younger players graduate to big-money deals. The defending champion Knicks let key reserve big man Mitchell Robinson walk this summer, and the Celtics pounced to bolster their own frontcourt. 

This is simply the new reality in the NBA. The collective bargaining agreement is making it impossible for championship-level teams to keep deep rosters intact over long periods of time. It’s forcing a priority on drafting and development. It’s also forcing teams to evaluate how they construct rosters and how they spread out available funds (and for how long).

The Celtics got ahead of the second-apron crunch when they built a talent-filled roster before the 2024 title season. They’re navigating an awkward stretch where they’re trying to remain competitive but also open a new window, all while trying to reset repeater penalties and set up another two-year window of heightened spending. 

Sure, Dort did not have a great postseason for Oklahoma City. But he was an impactful defensive presence who surely set a tone for the way the Thunder play. Teams are being forced to make unsavory decisions about roster construction and it’s often leading to teams bringing back underwhelming returns in money-saving moves.

Next up on the calendar: Hugo vs. Neemi

Spain and Portugal are scheduled to battle in a FIBA World Cup qualifying matchup on Friday, August 28. That could pit Gonzalez versus Neemias Queta in an Iberian Peninsula showdown. 

Could we see Gonzalez take on the challenge of defending the bigger Queta in that game?

“I’ll go against him — he knows that,” Gonzalez told us in Vegas last week. “He’s going to have a tough time and I’m going to try to get him in every situation that I can. He’s an amazing player, he’s for sure going to give us a [hard] time, but we’re going to try to win it for sure.”

Five Warriors players to follow after NBA Summer League championship run originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

After nine games, the last a 94-90 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the Las Vegas NBA Summer League championship game on Sunday, Warriors coach Steve Kerr and his staff have sufficient video to review. They now can devote the next 10 weeks (more like eight) to devising a plan for training camp.

We can safely project that the 2026-27 NBA season will be the fourth consecutive season in which a rookie will receive significant minutes and at least occasionally find his name in the starting lineup.

Destined to follow Brandin Podziemski (2023 draft, 28 starts), Quintin Post (2024, 14) and Will Richard (2025, 21) in getting an opportunity to make an impact as a rookie is forward Yaxel Lendeborg, the 11th overall pick in last month’s NBA draft.

The Warriors went 7-2 in summer league under coach Khalid Robinson, who mostly stayed with consistent rotations and substitution patterns. This was their second championship in Vegas summer league, as they also accomplished the feat in 2013.

Here are five players, in alphabetical order, to follow in the wake of their performances in the three-game California Classic and the six-game Vegas Summer League:

LJ Cryer

Cryer got his foot in the NBA door last season, playing 18 games with one start. He’s an excellent shooter, particularly from beyond the arc, but his scoring is somewhat offset by what he will give back on defense.

Generously listed at 6-feet, he still will be hunted on every possession. It’s possible the Warriors will bring him back, but it could be another year in which Cryer also spends time with G-League Santa Cruz.

Summer League stats (eight games, all starts): 14 points per game on 44-percent shooting from the field, including 41.3 percent from deep and 77.8 percent from the line and 4.0 assists.

Graham Ike

The Warriors snagged Ike (E-kay) with an Exhibit-10 contract seconds after he went undrafted last month. The West Coast Conference Player of the Year from Gonzaga brings good size (6-foot-10, 7-foot-5 wingspan) and is active in the paint. Despite a strong summer league showing, he’s a longshot for Golden State, which has three centers – Charles Bassey, Al Horford, Kristaps Porziņģis – under contract. There is no doubt that Golden State would like to keep Ike around for security.

Stats (nine games, all starts): 10 points per game, 48.4-percent shooting from the field, 78.9 percent from the line with 7.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 blocks while averaging 21.2 minutes per game.

Lajae Jones

The second-round pick (No. 54) started very slowly, struggling through the California Classic over the July 4 weekend. The 6-foot-7 wing showed appreciable improvement in Vegas, unveiling the gifts that prompted the Warriors to select him. His lone start in Vegas: 13 points, four rebounds and three steals over 25 minutes.

Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy last month implied he could shuttle between the G League and NBA. That outlook seems fair.

Stats (nine games, two starts): 7.0 points on 41.0-percent shooting from the field, including 20 percent from deep, 2.9 rebounds. Jones shot 22.2/14.3-percent shooting splits in the Cali Classic, 48.8/30.8 in Vegas.

Lendeborg

There are times when he floats through possessions, as if bored. And there are moments when he plays as if possessed. His basketball intellect is evident, his judgment sound, his shooting touch fabulous and his defense solid and occasionally spectacular. He submitted a spectacular fourth in the title game, playing all 10 minutes, producing nine points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and was plus-14. He was better than No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer. Lendeborg did nothing to dispel belief that he can make an impact as a rookie.

Stats (eight games, all starts): 14.9 points per game, on 48.4-percent shooting from the field, including 45.9 from distance and 71.4 percent from the line. He added 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals, averaging 27 minutes.

Richard

After a solid rookie season, Richard looks physically stronger and has a more self-assured presence. His 3-point shot, still unique, is quicker and accurate. It’s apparent he has spent the past two months in the weight room as well as on the court. He was in and out of the rotation – mostly in – but remained engaged throughout. He acknowledged being clobbered by the “rookie wall” but seems primed to make an impact in his second season.

Stats (seven games, all starts): 10.3 points per game, on 48.1-percent shooting from the field, including 48.3 percent from beyond the arc, 3.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steals over 24.9 minutes.

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Yaxel Lendeborg wins MVP as Warriors bring home NBA Summer League title originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors, led by their homegrown league MVP, once again are champions of the NBA world.

No additional context is needed, right?

Golden State was crowned NBA Summer League champions with its 94-90 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The Warriors went 5-1 in the tournament, and took home the title for the first time since 2013.

Rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who Golden State selected with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, was named the tournament’s most valuable player for his stellar performance in Vegas.

The 23-year-old scored 21 points with 10 rebounds and two assists on 50-percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range in Sunday’s win. In the tournament, Lendeborg averaged 14.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

A confident Lendeborg was asked after the game how he and Golden State pulled off the double-digit comeback against the Grizzlies on Sunday,

“Man, their butts got tight,” Lendeborg said. “They puckered up, you know what I mean? Some of us are built for the moment and some aren’t.”

While a summer league title might not have been the championship at the forefront of the Warriors’ minds this summer, it certainly is a positive development for Golden State’s youth, who figure to play a key role in the Warriors’ quest for a fifth Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in the 2026-27 NBA season.

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Former Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike adds an NBA Summer League title to his resume and made a case for a two-way contract throughout his work this summer. In the Golden State Warriors’ 94-90 double-digit comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Las Vegas, Nevada, he scored six points on 1-for-6 field goals, nine rebounds, three assists/one turnover, and one block in his ninth straight start.

In the 92-88 semifinals victory over Los Angeles Lakers forward Anton Watson, Ike put together his best outing with the Warriors. He would end up with 16 rebounds on 6-for-10 shooting and 11 assists with a +10 plus-minus.

Throughout both the California Classic at the Chase Center and in Sin City, Ike averaged 9.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. The Warriors currently have one two-way spot left to be filled and have the need for his strong post presence as well as leadership value.

Training camp in San Francisco, California, will begin in late September or early October.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

All Yaxel Lendeborg does is win championships.

Three months after his Michigan Wolverines won the NCAA Tournament, Lendeborg led the Golden State Warriors to their first NBA Summer League championship since 2013 with a 94-90 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, bringing the Warriors back from a 12-point deficit in the 4th quarter thanks to a personal 7-0 run.

Beyond his scoring prowess, Lendeborg was the key player on a Warriors defense that held No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer and the Grizzlies to just 14 4th-quarter points. That performance made him the only choice for Summer League Championship Game MVP, following in the footsteps of 2013 SLCGMVP Ian Clark.

The win was a clear team effort, but it wouldn’t have happened without an outstanding performance off the bench from Deivon Smith, who shot 9-for-14 and scored 21 points, adding nine rebounds and keeping the team in the game in the first quarter by scoring nine straight points.

Smith saved the best for last in Las Vegas, putting up 21 big points after scoring just four in the Warriors’ previous games. The Warriors also got 15 points, six assists and four three-pointers from LJ Cryer, who finished with the second-most threes in Summer League, trailing only Chaz Lanier of the Detroit Pistons. Cryer iced the game at the end of the 4th by eluding the Grizzlies attempts to foul him, then splitting his two free throws for the final four-point margin.

The game came down to the Warriors’ tough defense down the stretch, overcoming Boozer’s 19 points, 19 points and 5-for-5 three-point shooting from All-Rookie first-teamer Cedric Coward, and 16 points from rookie Carson Cooper, who Draymond Green would probably have voted for Championship Game MVP, since Cooper went to Michigan State.

Officially, this was Golden State’s second Summer League title, but the 2012 team went 5-0 and won by an average of 16 points per game. That team contained most of the young foundation of the later championship teams, with Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, and Green. The next year’s team was led by Green, 2017 champion Clark, and fan favorite/Under Armour legend Kent Bazemore, who should all retroactively get championship rings from Joe Lacob, like all Summer champs since 2022.

Summer League games may be exhibitions, but the competitiveness is real. What Lendeborg, Cryer, Smith, Will Richard, Graham Ike, Malevy Leons, Lachlan Olbrich, Lajae Jones, and Chance McMillian pulled off shows they can deliver in big moments, even if they had some brain farts down the stretch. That is going to pay off next season, even if that mostly happens in Santa Cruz.

I was convinced they could win it all after their first game due to their talent, but they won on Sunday relying on their toughness and grit. Spain may have taken home the World Cup in New Jersey earlier in the day, but for my money, it doesn’t get any better than a Summer League crown.

At least in July. Winning the Finals is still a lot better.

The Golden State Warriors earned the 2026 NBA Summer League championship on Sunday, July 19.

Yaxel Lendeborg led the Warriors in the 94-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. He scored 21 and had 10 rebounds for the Warriors in 32 minutes of play.

Lendeborg, the Warriors’ 11th overall pick in the 2026 draft, hit a jumper that helped provide a 91-87 lead for the Warriors with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter and put the game out of reach for the Grizzlies.

Lendeborg was named the Summer League championship game MVP.

In our latest Jazz Reacts survey, I asked who Jazz fans think will have the best career between Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Wilson, and Cam Boozer. Here’s how Jazz fans feel.

Probably not a surprise that Jazz fans believe that the Jazz prospect will have the best career. But it’s not a stretch to think this is a relatively easy choice. Darryn Peterson was considered the consensus #1 pick before last college season started. He’ll join a Jazz organization that has been a playoff team when it’s had high-level talent. With Darryn Peterson joining a team of high-level, complementary talent, it’s easy to see how his career is going to jump-start into contention right away. He’ll also be joining a coach who orchestrated an offense that led the Boston Celtics to the finals a few years ago. The Jazz have also shown a willingness to make tough decisions that will keep them financially stable and maintain assets that should put them in a contention window for as long as Peterson is on the Jazz. It’s a great choice by Jazz fans, and there’s no question Peterson has the best possible chance to have the best career. FanDuel agrees because they have him with the biggest odds to win the Rookie of the Year award this season.

Dillon Brooks didn’t hesitate to call out Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Steph Curry.

Brooks, who plays for the Suns, was asked who are the top-five complainers in basketball and listed Doncic, James and Curry on that list as well as Jaren Jackson and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“First one that comes to mind for me? Obviously, Luka. Luka’s obviously a big-ass complainer,” Brooks said. “Curry is one, I actually gave him a shot. I gave him a shot in his chest on a contest.”

Doncic has admitted that he believes Brooks is the NBA’s biggest trash talker and said he loves to play against him.

Doncic and Brooks used to tangle when Doncic played for the Mavericks and Brooks suited up for the Rockets.

In his career, Doncic has thrived against him, averaging 29.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.

Curry has enjoyed playing against Brooks in his historic career and considers him a friendly on-court rival. During a December game last season, Brooks earned a Flagrant 1 foul for striking Curry on a play. Curry later jokingly called the play “bush league.”

Brooks went on to think about who else he considers a complainer and quickly remembered James, saying “LeBron, for sure.”

Since the 2023 NBA playoffs, Brooks and James have had one of the NBA’s most heated feuds. They had an infamous staredown during pregame warmups.

Since then, the two have always battled against one another.

During the Western Conference semifinals, Brooks was spotted sitting courtside during Game 4 of the Lakers-Thunder matchup.

Brooks was seen laughing at James after he missed a free throw.

Next season, the Brooks-James rivalry will enter a new chapter because James is a free agent for the first time in eight years and will not return to the Lakers.

According to Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks are fielding offers for Daniel Gafford.

Stein goes on to say:

Is Daniel Gafford going to be on this team by season’s end? It’s not an answerable question at this point. We know he’s available.

This is the perfect type of move for the Utah Jazz. Gafford isn’t a star center but is a league-average player across the board and is a net positive on the defensive end. Dunks and Threes has his block percentage (4.9) in the 92nd percentile. He’s also in the 91st percentile in offensive rebounding. That type of rim pressure on both ends of the floor is a great way to replace what was lost in the Walker Kessler trade.

We also know that Gafford played a big role in the Mavericks’ run to the Finals just a few years ago, both as a reserve and sometimes as a starter. That type of competence and experience would be a nice addition to a young Jazz team that hasn’t had a lot of experience in the playoffs.

A trade like this, with the Jazz acquiring Gafford and giving up two of their young prospects, might interest Dallas, looking for more young talent to surround Cooper Flagg.

For Utah, they gain a strong backup center who gives them solid center depth behind Jusuf Nurkic and can give them time to find another long-term option at center later, possibly in future drafts.

In a surprising move, the Dallas Mavericks have shipped guard Ryan Nembhard to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade. The Oklahoma City Thunder traded wing Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for three second-round picks to Oklahoma City, and Atlanta sent forward Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

Nembhard joins fellow Zag wing Corey Kispert in Atlanta, as well as his two Canadian teammates in Dort and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

In his rookie season, Nembhard averaged 6.6 points on a shooting split of 41.5 field goal percentage/35.6 three-point percentage/80.6 free throw percentage, 5.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes across 60 appearances. He set an NBA rookie record with 23 assists in Dallas’ 2025-26 season finale against the Chicago Bulls.

The undrafted lead guard averaged 8.0 points, 8.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks over two games with the Mavericks in the NBA Summer League, before dealing with an illness that kept him out for the final three games.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

The Brooklyn Nets’ final Summer League game — two leagues in two states, eight total games over 16 days — wasn’t much of a contest as Brooklyn kept all of its eight contract players on the bench in street clothes vs. the winless Oklahoma City Thunder. The remaining eight players, several destined for the Long Island Nets, were enough to defeat OKC, 108-90 Sunday afternoon.

The win, which was up against the FIFA World Cup on local TV in New York, mean the Nets would finish the Las Vegas Summer League with a 3-2 record and their two leagues with five wins and three losses. The Nets played three games in the California Classic in Sacramento, winning two of them.

While Brooklyn did not get any bling in either league, the Nets experience had to have been an overall positive for the organization. Both last year’s lottery pick, Egor Demin, the No. 8 pick, and this year’s Mikel Brown Jr., the No. 6, played well and gave fans a first, if limited, limited look at the two. Their play, both individually, and strong personalities won them the nickname, “Aura Bros.”

In addition to the lottery picks, three other first rounders from last year — Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf — sat, as did the two two-ways already signed, Chaney Johnson and Tyler Bilodeau, plus the Nets other first rounder from June, Joshua Jefferson. Grant Nelson, who played for Long Island and Brooklyn last season, was a DNP as well. Although on the Summer League roster, the 7-footer was never scheduled to play in either league, recovering from a procedure to treat his jumper’s knee issue. He was seated with the team in both.

All that gave a number of young players, some with promises of Exhibit 10s and/or a job in Long Island, a chance and the Thunder were no match, with the Nets getting out in front, 37-22, at the end of the first quarter. OKC was the only winless team in Las Vegas at 0-5. Very few of their youngsters made the trip.

For Brooklyn, the big story was that Dion Brown, a 6’4” combo guard out of St. Louis, finished with a triple-double: 16 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to go along with two steals and shooting splits of 42/67/100.

Brown, reportedly is in line for an Exhibit 1o signing. That could include an invite to Brooklyn’s training camp and preseason come October. But it basically ensures that Brown will wind up on the Long Island roster, assuming he doesn’t get other, more lucrative offers. Brown spoke post-game, saying the accomplishment is helping the transition from college shooting guard to NBA (and/or G League) point…

Brown was one of seven young Nets who wound up in double figures by game’s end. John Ukumadu , a 6’7” wing, finished with 23 points, having scored 12 early in the Nets first quarter blowout.

Also putting up numbers were former St. John’s wing Aaron Scott with 15, starting center Dain Dainja with 14 points, nine boards, three steals and three blocks. Duke Brennan, out of Villanova had 12 points as did combo guard Hunter Sallis. Dwight Murray completed the list with 10. According to reports, at least two of the group will get to sign Exhibit 10 deals: Brennan and Sallis. Don’t be surprised if Dainja with his 260-pound frame and 7’7” wingspan, winds up at Nassau Coliseum as well. Only PF Ben Humrichous didn’t reach double digits. He had six.

Teams can sign up to six Exhibit 10 deals but can only designate four players for assignment to Long Island. In the past, the Nets have signed players to Exhibit 10s, then waived them near immediately,

The high scorer for Brooklyn in the two leagues was Demin, who averaged 23.0 points in two California Classic games and 21.0 in Vegas. He finished second in the Classic and 12th in Vegas. The big difference between last year’s summer performance and this was that the 6’9.5” guard-forward was healthy and that he used his newfound muscle to drive the paint … and finish.

The next time players wearing the Nets’ black-and-white colors will take the court will be in early October for the NBA preseason. So far, only one date has been publicized: October 14 vs. the Heat in Miami.

• Box Score: Brooklyn Nets 108, Oklahoma City Thunder 90 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 108, Oklahoma City Thunder 90 (Video) – NBA

The Lakers will look a lot different when they take the floor for the 2026-27 season.

Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Walker Kessler are Lakers. Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura and LeBron James are no longer part of the franchise.

Though much has changed, one thing the Lakers can still rely on is Austin Reaves. He remains with the Lakers and is now unequivocally the No. 2 option.

Throughout his career, whether he’s coming off the bench, starting, scoring in bunches, or doing the grunt work like taking charges, Reaves has demonstrated that he’ll do what it takes to impact winning.

In a Dave McMenamin article for ESPN, Reaves discussed the dramatic changes to the Lakers and his commitment to making any sacrifices necessary for the team’s success.

“Everybody knows it’s a completely different team,” Reaves said. “There’s going to be different things asked of different people, and if that’s what JJ [Redick] and the staff asks of me, I’ll do it to the best of my ability.”

Reaves will likely remain a high-usage player and should be in a great position for a career year. LA is compensating him as a top player, and he needs to do everything that comes with that level of pay on and off the court.

However, it’s great that he is open to any scenario now, just like he’s been before.

With so many new players, this is a different era of Lakers basketball. Reaves was around when the top guys were LeBron and Anthony Davis, survived the transition to Luka Dončić and now he is a key part of LA’s future.

Later in the story, Reaves elaborated on how pumped he is about the upcoming year.

“The pieces that are coming in, I’m very excited about and I’m happy to get started today and see where it goes,” Reaves said.

So far, Reaves’ career has been steady improvement year after year. This season, he’ll have high expectations, and every Lakers fan desires an All-Star campaign from Reaves.

Based on how well he’s done so far, that’s a very realistic goal. But beyond that, Lakers head coach JJ Redick can continue to expect him to give the full effort he’s known for.

So yes, Reaves will put up some gaudy numbers and have iconic shots. But he’ll also put his body on the line as a screener. Reaves will dive on the floor fighting for a loose ball. And he’ll speak up, rally his team when the pep in their step is missing.

Reaves is a fierce competitor and will do whatever it takes to win. He’s already demonstrated this recently by taking less money so the Lakers can have some flexibility in the future to add other players.

Whether Reaves helps raise a championship banner for the Lakers remains to be seen, but if he falls short, it won’t be due to a lack of effort.

That’s something Reaves has always been willing to do, and that’s unlikely to change just because his checks have gotten bigger.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.