Sacramento Kings guard Markelle Fultz bringing the ball up court.
A former No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft is now on his third NBA franchise in three years.
Markelle Fultz, who had been picked first overall in the 2017 draft by the 76ers, signed a 10-day contract with the Raptors, hoping for a shot to help the team down the stretch run of the season.
Sacramento Kings guard Markelle Fultz bringing the ball up court. AP
The Raptors currently sit in fifth in the Eastern Conference and seem to be looking to bolster their depth at the point guard position, with Immanuel Quickley dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
Fultz has not played in an NBA game since last season, when he suited up for 21 games with the Kings, for whom he averaged 2.9 points per game, along with one rebound and 1.3 assists.
The University of Washington product has spent some time this season playing for the Raptors’ G League affiliate, Raptors 905.
He’s averaged 9.4 points, 6.2 assists and 2.2 turnovers in five appearances with the G League team.
Fultz could be available for the Raptors in the postseason since he was not on an NBA roster after March 1.
Fultz never panned out into the player he was expected to be coming out of college.
The 76ers traded the No. 3 pick and another first-round selection in 2017 to move up to the top spot in the draft to take Fultz.
Markelle Fultz of the Raptors 905 dribbles the ball during the game against the Delaware Blue Coats on March 8, 2026 NBAE via Getty Images
Injuries have followed Fultz since he was picked, and he ended up playing in fewer than 20 games in both of his first two seasons in the NBA.
He developed into a strong defensive player and ended up playing five seasons in Orlando, with his best being the 2022-23 campaign when he shot 51.4 percent from the field and averaged 14 points.
Cincinnati has hired Utah State’s Jerrod Calhoun as its next men’s basketball head coach, multiple sources confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Monday, March 23.
The move comes one day after Calhoun’s Aggies team lost to No. 1 seed Arizona 78-66 in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Utah State finished the season 29-7, winning the Mountain West regular-season and tournament titles.
Over his two seasons with the Aggies, Calhoun’s teams went 55-15 and made the NCAA tournament twice.
Calhoun is an Ohio native who graduated from Cincinnati in 2004. He served as a student assistant under Bob Huggins from 2003-04 and later coached under Huggins as an assistant at West Virginia from 2007-12.
The 44-year-old Calhoun was previously the head coach at Youngstown State, where he went 118-106 from 2017-24, and Fairmont State, a Division II school in West Virginia where he went 124-38 from 2012-17, which included a national runner-up finish in 2017. One of Calhoun’s assistants for three seasons at Fairmont State was current Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla.
With Calhoun’s departure, Utah State continues its recent standing as a way station for top mid-major coaches in the sport. Calhoun is the fourth coach in the past six years who has left the Aggies for another job, three of which were in power conferences, joining Craig Smith (Utah), Ryan Odom (VCU) and Danny Sprinkle (Washington). Despite that turnover, Utah State has made the NCAA tournament in six of the past seven years in which it was held. During that stretch, it went 201-71 and won at least 25 games six times.
The Aggies will be heading to the reformed Pac-12 after this season. Given the recent track record of their coaches, they’ll instantly become one of the more attractive job openings in the sport.
At Cincinnati, Calhoun will inherit a program that has two national championships to its name and that was a national powerhouse under Huggins during the 1990s and 2000s, but has gone seven years without an NCAA tournament appearance, the program’s longest such drought in more than 30 years.
He’ll replace Wes Miller, who was fired earlier this month after going 100-74 in five seasons. Since joining the Big 12 ahead of the 2024-25 season, the Bearcats are 37-31 overall and 16-22 in conference play.
At five years old, crayons in hand, a young boy from Hermosillo, Mexico drew his dream on a piece of paper. It involved bright lights, a hardwood floor, and his name stitched across an NBA jersey.
On Monday, that child’s imagination took its boldest step toward reality as Karim Lopez, a 6-foot-9 forward with a wingspan built for tomorrow’s league, officially declared for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Karim Lopez looks to make history at the NBA draft. Getty Images
And not just any draft story. This one could be historic for Lopez.
Lopez, ranked No. 11 on ESPN’s big board, isn’t simply another international prospect climbing the ladder. He’s on the verge of becoming the first Mexican-born player ever selected in the first round — a seismic shift for a country that has long watched the NBA from a distance, waiting for a star it could fully claim.
“It’s been my dream… since I can remember,” Lopez said. “I was probably like five years old, making drawings of myself playing in the NBA.”
Now, the drawings are starting to look like scouting reports.
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After two seasons with the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s NBL, Lopez has forged himself in a league that doesn’t care about hype. He averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds on 49% shooting this season, setting a single-season scoring record (358 points) for NBL Next Stars while flashing the kind of versatility NBA teams chase like gold in June.
Lopez has the size, the touch around the rim, and the toughness required to play an 82-game NBA schedule. He still needs to work on his jumper and his footwork, but with the right development, he has a high ceiling.
Lopez left Mexico at 14, sharpened his game in Spain with Joventut Badalona, then endured the grind of a grown-man league in Australia. He came back from a summer back injury and dropped 32 points in January like a warning shot.
“I want to show NBA teams who I am,” he said. “There’s things people haven’t seen yet.”
Karim Lopez could be the first Mexican-born player to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft. Getty Images
That’s the intrigue. That’s the gamble. That’s the NBA draft in a nutshell.
Because if Lopez hits — truly hits — this won’t just be about one player. It will echo through gyms across Mexico, where kids are still drawing their futures, wondering if the league has room for them too.
Mar 22, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) goes in for a layup against Toronto Raptors forward Jonathan Mogbo (2) during the third quarter at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | Anna Carrington-Imagn Images
The Phoenix Suns are in the thick of the playoff race. They are teetering on that “play-in” line, with each win pulling them a bit closer to the top-6, but each loss tugging them back in the other direction. Unfortunately, of late, the losses are tugging them closer to the play-in.
If they took care of business in some very winnable games, we could be in an entirely different situation where we are breathing down the neck of the Rockets, Nuggets, and Timberwolves, all of whom are tied for the 4-6 seeds and a full four games ahead of Phoenix as things stand.
This is the reality of where we stand:
It feels like they’ve been stuck at the 7 seed forever, which, in typical NBA fashion, would be good for a tie for the 5th seed in the East with the Raptors. That’s the difference between conferences, as instead of fighting for home court advantage in the first round, they are now fighting for their playoff lives.
But as the saying goes, “if if was a fifth, we’d all be drunk.”
The Nuggets, Rockets, and Wolves are all 4.0 games ahead of Phoenix. The Suns play the Nuggets tomorrow, so there will be an opportunity to gain a full game and cut it down to three, but again, time is ticking.
The Lakers, whom the Suns thought securing the tiebreaker over (at the time) would be important, have distanced themselves from Phoenix quite a bit and are now completely out of reach at 46-25. They are currently on a 9-game win streak.
The Clippers, meanwhile, are hanging around. Phoenix looks to be a lock for the 7th seed, barring an unexpected streak in either direction.
Now, we have two questions.
Who do we want to face in the first round if they move into the top 6?
If we remain in the play-in, who do we want as the first-round matchup?
The answer to number one, to me, is the Los Angeles Lakers by a landslide compared to the alternatives. Yes, they still have Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, and they are clicking right now. That defense can be exposed, and I like that matchup compared to getting a team like OKC or San Antonio in round one. The inevitable free-throw disparity would worry me, but overall, I’d take that as a 3-6 matchup if by some miracle the Suns can get hot one last time and pass one of those three teams.
The answer to the second question is all about avoiding the “other” LA team. The Clippers have a version of Kawhi Leonard that should scare people. Miss me with them in the play-in. He’s the type of star that can carry a team to a win in an environment like that, where the Blazers don’t have anyone at that level despite their strong play of late.
Oct 24, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) guards Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Order of Play-In preference:
Portland Trail Blazers
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Clippers
Steph is still Steph, despite the injury and uncertainty in his status. I would also prefer to avoid him in a single-game elimination environment.
All signs are pointing towards a Suns-Clippers 7 vs. 8 matchup, especially with the Clippers’ light upcoming schedule, but you can’t count the Blazers out as they sit just a half-game back of Los Angeles right now. It’s going to be a wild few weeks to close things out.
Who do you want the Suns to face in the play-in? Let us know in the comments.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 30: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after a basket against Simone Fontecchio #0 of the Miami Heat in second half at Frost Bank Center on October 30, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
It’s the final stretch of the season, and your intrepid game thread writer has gone on vacation. While I’m on a boat in the middle of the ocean, you people get to watch the Spurs, and talk to each other in the game thread. No worries, I’ll be back before the playoffs. In the meantime: GO SPURS GO!!
[NOTE: while Mark is on vacation, the game prediction will be replaced by a random fact from the archives.]
Random Fact:
Dolphins believe that humans are stupid. They’re not wrong.
San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat March 23, 2026 | 6:00 PM CT Streaming: NBA League Pass TV: FanDuel Sports Southwest Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
Mar 21, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) reacts after a basket against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
It’s a good ol’ southern battle between the Atlanta Hawks (39-32) and the Memphis Grizzlies (24-46) tonight in State Farm Arena.
Jalen Johnson (left shoulder inflammation) has been ruled out of tonight’s contest for the second game in a row.
Starting lineup:
G CJ McCollum
G Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F Dyson Daniels
F Mouhamed Gueye
C Onyeka Okongwu
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Start Time: 7:30 PM EDT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)
Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)
Streaming: ESPN+, FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 30: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on December 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming off a buzzer-beating win to stretch their winning streak to nine games, the Detroit Pistons will be looking to be a buzzkill that stops the hottest team in the NBA in its tracks. That buzzer-beater came via former Piston Luke Kennard, who was eminently gettable at the trade deadline and is shooting 68% on twos and 46% since being traded to Los Angeles. Detroit was looking at a game where they might have dodged Luka Doncic, who got a 16th technical against Orlando, which would have triggered an automatic suspension, but the tech was later rescinded. Maybe he’ll get his suspension-clinching technical against Detroit tonight! As good as the Lakers are playing, they are beatable. If Detroit plays the highest level of defense they’re capable of, they can dictate the flow of the game. The Lakers are also susceptible to a few things the Pistons rely on — they turn the ball over a fair amount, they give up buckets in transition, and they allow their opponent to score a healthy dose of points in the paint. We’ll take as much of all of that as we can get.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan Watch: TV 20, FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Odds: Pistons +1.5
Michael Jordan, NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing, congratulates Tyler Reddick, center, after a NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday at Darlington Raceway. (Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)
Hours after Kevin Durant knocked him out of the top five on the NBA's all-time scoring list , Jordan was all smiles as he walked to Victory Lane to greet Tyler Reddick after the driver's win Sunday at Darlington Raceway.
Reddick — who drives for 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by Jordan and veteran driver Denny Hamlin — joined NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott as the only Cup Series drivers to win four of the first six races in a season.
To do so, Reddick had to overcome a malfunctioning battery and a large deficit in the final 50 laps. Afterward, Jordan jumped the track's safety barrier to greet Reddick and his team with some hard high fives and enthusiastic cheers.
Walk to Victory Lane with Michael Jordan and celebrate Tyler Reddick’s Darlington win! pic.twitter.com/Yf9qVeflHI
“I think the key to him winning was just keeping his head,” Jordan said after the race. “We just had to get the car right, and I think he did an unbelievable job. I just wanted everything to be good, because once he gets back out there, then I feel like his competitive juices are going to carry him all the way to the end. He earned it all week, and I’m real proud of the team.”
Earlier this year, Reddick became the first NASCAR driver to start the season with three consecutive wins. He stands atop Cup Series standings, leading second-place Ryan Blaney of Team Penske by 95 points. Reddick's 23XI teammate Bubba Wallace is currently in third place.
One night earlier, Durant scored 27 points in the Houston Rockets' 123-122 victory over the Miami Heat to overtake Jordan for fifth place on the NBA's all-time leading scorer list. In his 18th season, Durant has 32,294 points — two more than Jordan, who played 13 seasons for the Chicago Bulls and two for the Washington Wizards. Durant and the Rockets play the Bulls in Chicago on Monday.
Jordan has yet to comment publicly on the matter, but Durant had plenty of praise for the man considered by many to be basketball's GOAT on Saturday during his postgame news conference.
“I’ve been inspired by all of these players that I’m either coming close to or passing up, and MJ is in a world of his own," Durant added. "He’s in a galaxy of his own as somebody that I look up to, respect and who basically shaped the game for me.”
Durant also pointed out that Jordan would have scored many more points had he not taken multiple seasons off during the span of his playing career.
"He left a few, I want to say, thousand or so points on the table, too, with the amount of games he missed," Durant said. "... He scored points quickly, man. So he set the bar high, and it’s pretty cool to reach that bar."
Their perimeter defense and on-ball containment on drives are better. Their shifts and presence off of the ball have improved. Their collective energy and effort to make multiple-effort plays defensively – and just straight up hustle – has been evident.
Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic drives to the basket during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 21, 2026 at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers have been more consistent with executing their defensive game plans.
All of these elements, and the factors that go into them like focus, buy-in and connectedness, helped the Lakers rank seventh in defensive rating over their previous 13 games entering Monday.
But the Lakers are also benefiting greatly from opponent 3-point shooting luck – specficially opponents not shooting as well on 3s as they were earlier in the season.
In their first 58 games, opponents shot 36.6% on 3s against the Lakers, a four-way tie for the seventh-highest opponent 3-point percentage across the league.
But their opponents haven’t been as dangerous with their perimeter shooting lately.
Opponents have shot 30.3% on 3s against the Lakers over the previous 13 games, which is easily the lowest mark in the league during that stretch. Opponents have gone from averaging 40.2 points per game off 3s against the Lakers to 31.8.
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Outside of improved transition defense, this has been one of the biggest changes over the last few weeks for the Lakers, who remain one of the league’s worst teams at protecting the rim.
“I know that teams have had, for most of the season, outperformed – basically overshot 3s vs undershot threes,” coach JJ Redick said before Saturday’s road win over the Magic. “I don’t think there’s been anything egregious for the last two months. You gotta make people miss; our contests are better. Containing the drive is better, though it was terrible in Miami.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers blocks a shot from Desmond Bane of the Orlando Magic during the second half of the game at Kia Center on March 21, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) Getty Images
“As a guy on the ball, I know because I played, when you have confidence that you have a low man and you have confidence that you have everybody in their proper shift position, it gives you more confidence to guard the basketball. And it’s no different than telling a big to be up to touch in pick and roll. He’s going to be up to touch and pick and roll if he’s confident that there’s a low man and that if the roller gets behind, he’s going to have protection. That’s an ongoing process for every team. We’ve gotten better and we’ll continue to get better.”
A deeper dive shows opponents went from shooting a higher percentage on 3s classified as “open” (closest defender is 4-6 feet away) or “wide open” (closest defender is six-plus feet away) at a combined clip of 37.4% (12.3 of 32.9) in the first 58 games to 31.4% (9.9 of 31.5) over the last 13.
Yes, the Lakers are making their own luck, in a sense, by having better contests on 3-point shooters.
Making those multiple-effort plays, which can disrupt the opposing team’s rhythm.
And there were signs of improved defense from mid-January: the Lakers have had an above-average defense rating since Jan. 18.
But they’ve also been getting lucky lately – something they don’t need to apologize for but is also important to acknowledge.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots a three-point-basket against Wendell Carter Jr. of the Orlando Magic during the second half of the game at Kia Center on March 21, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) Getty Images
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lakers star guard Luka Doncic on Monday was named the Western Conference player of the week for the second consecutive week.
He averaged 42.3 points on 50.0% shooting (39% from 3s), 6.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists and three steals in the Lakers’ four wins last week, bolstering his case to be considered for league MVP honors.
Doncic has been named the player of the week a league-best four times this season.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 25: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on December 25, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors finish off their six-game road-trip with one final stop in the state of Texas as they take on the Dallas Mavericks. Tip-off is set for 6:30 PM PT in Dallas and can be watched on Peacock and NBC Sports Bay Area.
The Warriors fell to five games under .500 following Saturday night’s 126–110 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. It was a familiar script for Golden State throughout this road trip — a strong start followed by a sharp drop-off as the game progressed.
The offense held up early, with the Warriors trailing by just two points at halftime. But things unraveled coming out of the break, as Atlanta broke the game open with a dominant 39–20 third quarter.
“It's tough, tough time, for sure, for everybody, it's human nature to, you know, to kind of get down hang your head.”
Of course, much of the attention heading into the game centered on the matchup against former Warrior Jonathan Kuminga. However, Golden State kept him largely in check. Kuminga remained scoreless for most of the night, scoring his only basket on a layup midway through the fourth quarter with the game already out of reach. He finished with just two points on 1-of-9 shooting, along with four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two turnovers.
While the reunion didn’t quite live up to the hype, it was a sign that both sides have begun to move forward with no more lingering bad blood between them.
The Warriors will look to end the road trip on a positive note against a Mavericks team that has been trending in a similar direction. Just like Golden State, Dallas has lost three straight games including eight of its last 10.
The difference, however, lies in the standings, where the Mavericks sit well behind the Warriors and have little incentive to push for wins — especially with this upcoming draft marking the final year they fully control their first-round pick until 2030.
There is some good news for Golden State. Kristaps Porzingis is listed as probable and appears on track to play after missing Saturday’s game with a back injury. He’s made a noticeable impact on both ends whenever he plays but his availability has been the main concern during his Warriors’ tenure thus far.
Warriors are 1.5-point favorites tonight against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Stephen Curry/Al Horford/Quinten Post/Seth Curry out for Golden State. De’Anthony Melton/Kristaps Porzingis probable. Moses Moody questionable.
TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Raptors signed guard Markelle Fultz to a 10-day contract, the team announced Monday.
Fultz, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft, last played in the NBA in 2024-25 for the Sacramento Kings.
The 27-year-old Fultz averaged 2.7 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 8.8 minutes per game in 21 appearances for the Kings.
Fultz is averaging 9.8 points, 5.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 22.2 minutes in six games, all starts, with Toronto’s G League affiliate, Raptors 905, this season.
The 6-foot-4 209-pound guard has career averages of 10.4 points, 4.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 24.0 minutes in 255 NBA games, including 164 starts, with Philadelphia (2017-19), Orlando (2019-24) and Sacramento (2024-25).
BROOKLYN, NY - MARCH 20: Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets arrives to the arena before the game against the New York Knicks on March 20, 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 David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When the Nets traded Cam J0hnson for Michael Porter Jr. and the Denver Nuggets unprotected first rounder in 2032, there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth. Renting of garments. The whole biblical megilla. No excess verbiage was squandered. It was b-a-d, double-bad, bad.
Who can forget Bill Simmons? He seemed actually angered by the move.
“Did they have to even put Cam Johnson in the trade?” the Ringer founder said on his podcast. “I just think that trade, the more I thought about it over the last five days, is one of the worst trades of the decade. You have to attach a pick to get rid of Porter, and I also didn’t get anything for Cam Johnson? Nothing?”
Simmons also called the Nets situation among the league’s “bleakest.”
That latter conviction is still up for debate and on Monday, ESPN’s Zach Kram laddressed the former and included it on his list of “the 10 best and 10 worst moves” of the season, stretching back to the 2025 Draft. And there at No. 4 on the “best” side not the “worst” was the MPJ trade!
Why it’s on the list: Brooklyn traded Cameron Johnson to Denver for Porter and a 2032 first-round pick, and Porter has significantly outplayed Johnson this season. So Brooklyn got the best player in the trade and a future unprotected pick to add to its vast war chest.
Despite a massive increase in usage rate — Porter ranks 12th among qualified players this season with 30.4% usage, while his previous career high was 22.7% — on a worse team, Porter’s efficiency hasn’t dropped much. All those extra opportunities have boosted his scoring to a career-high 24.2 PPG, 5.2 points above his previous best.
What’s the potential playoff impact? None, with the Nets’ sights squarely on the lottery. But Brooklyn seeks to contend in 2026-27, with no control over its own draft pick next year, so Porter could be much more relevant then.
The only moves about the late June trade: Atlanta Hawks add Nickeil Alexander-Walker via sign-and-trade; Oklahoma City Thunder extend Ajay Mitchell and trade for Jared McCain; and at the top of the list: the Charlotte Hornets selection of Kon Knueppel at No. 4 in the NBA draft.
It is of course a justification for Sean Marks (not that this sort of stuff means much to him.) The pick is valuable because by the time it comes around, Nikola Jokic is likely to be admiring his statue outside Ball Arena while a group of young’uns rebuild the fanchise inside. Johnson, moreover, is having the opposite of Porter’s season. This will be the fourth straight Johnson won’t break 60 games played and is averaging a little less than half MPJ’s production at 11.9 ppg, his lowest since his second year in the league. He also 29 two years older. (Of course, if Denver winds up with the O’Brien trophy, there’ll have to be a recalculation.)
It’s the second time in about two weeks that a nationally recognized outlet has changed its mind on the deal. On the Third Apron podcast co-hosted by Yossi Gozlan of capsheets.com and Sam Quinn of CBS Sports, Quinn credited Sean Marks for his patience in making deals, waiting for a better deal, citing the MPJ deal as an example.
“They waited on Cam Johnson too. It might have cost them draft position in 2025. I think Egor Demin looks good. I’d be very excited to have him. Maybe they could have gotten higher up in that lottery, who’s to say. BUT they get an unprotected pick for Cam Johnson plus Michael Porter Jr. who’s better than Cam Johnson. That’s a killer trade,” said Quinn.
Beyond Simmons, other pundits around the league criticized the deal with one decision-maker telling ND that the Nets had chosen to go in a different direction than expected. “Where’s the seven firsts,” he said derisively at the time. He called the trade the worst of the summer.
Despite some loathsome language on various podcasts, including some earlier the month, the Nets brass seem generally pleased with Porter Jr. with more than one pundit suggesting that the Nets plan on keeping Porter Jr. as they transition from rebuild to a build this summer. There has also been media speculation that Porter could help in the wooing of the Nuggets’ 23-year-old rising star Peyton Watson who will be a restricted free agent this summer. The two were close in Denver.
The Nets did not place in the 10 worst trades (always a danger,) but the Milwaukee Bucks decision waive and stretch Damian Lillard to sign Myles Turner got top billing.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 21: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up prior to a game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center on March 21, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. 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 Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you’re wondering, “Didn’t we just have a conversation about LeBron’s future last week?” then the answer is yes.
But this ongoing discussion isn’t going away anytime soon. This won’t be the last time we wonder what the future holds for LeBron and the reasons the conversation is worth having again is that the dynamics are rapidly changing with the Lakers.
Not even a month ago, the narrative around the Lakers was that they were better without LeBron, both in the present and future. On Monday, Sam Amick of The Athletic wrote about how, as recently as six weeks ago, the assumption around the league was LeBron was playing his final games in Los Angeles.
As recently as late January, not long after an ESPN report detailed so much of the dysfunction in James’ relationship with the Lakers organization, the widely-held consensus around the league was that there’s no way he’d be back in a Lakers jersey. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors were, and are, often mentioned by league executives as his most likely destinations.
Upon his return, he’s adopted a much different role that has allowed both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to be on the ball more while still allowing him to contribute in meaningful ways.
It’s not a coincidence that the Lakers have stopped losing during that stretch either. LeBron is most certainly not the main reason for that as Luka playing some of the best basketball of his life has been the driving force. But LeBron has one of the most consistent pieces of their current win streak.
Now, the conversation feels a bit different about LeBron and the Lakers moving forward. Granted, the necessary caveat to mention is that the Lakers can’t overreact to a couple of weeks of good play. Is this sustainable for LeBron and the Lakers alike? Is he even open to this role long-term, serving as the third fiddle behind the team’s star backcourt?
If he’s willing to take a backseat role on the court, is it easier to see him getting his swan song in purple and gold?
The reality is that no situation makes clear sense for LeBron next season. While the Warriors and Cavs are mentioned, both have equal or greater reasons as to why it may not work out.
Golden State’s main selling point is a chance to team with an aging Steph Curry — and Warriors team in general — for one last ride. But does LeBron want to end his career on a team that was his main rival for years in a city he has no connection to?
He definitely has connections to the Cavs and Cleveland, but there are plenty of hurdles there, too. Cleveland would need to still do a fair amount of cap gymnastics just to open up room to offer him a contract. They’re also a team with title aspirations. Do they want to have LeBron’s retirement tour running in parallel with that? To say nothing of the team needing to adapt to him and vice versa on his send off?
That former point stands for the Lakers, too. With Luka firmly in his prime, they, too, will have title aspirations. But they don’t have to integrate LeBron into a system. They know how to play around and with him already. And they’re doing it at a high level right now.
It’s not the Lakers’ problem that LeBron doesn’t have a clear landing spot for next season and it’s not their responsibility to offer one. But President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka said the team wanted LeBron to retire as a Laker. And the team is playing well right now because of him. This wouldn’t some charity offering.
Actions speak louder than words. Pelinka said the thing that cooled temperatures most in that moment earlier this year. Do the Lakers really feel that way? Can they really move into the Luka era with LeBron on the team?
At one point this season, very recently, it felt like a foregone conclusion that LeBron was leaving. But as they barrel toward the postseason playing their best basketball of the season, have they found a solution for the present and the future?
A significant college basketball coaching shift is happening on the West Coast.
Randy Bennett will be the new Arizona State coach, leaving Saint Mary's after spending 25 seasons turning the Gaels into a respectable mid-major program. His final game was a 63-50 loss to No. 10 seed Texas A&M in the first round of the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament.
The Saint Mary's job was Bennett's first head coaching role when he took it in 2001, taking over a program that had had little success. After just three NCAA Tournaments prior to his arrival, Bennett took the Gaels to the Big Dance 12 times during his tenure, including each of the past five seasons with at least 26 wins in each campaign during the run. The most successful run of Bennett's tenure was the trip to the Sweet 16 in 2010 as a 10th seed.
During his time, Saint Mary's elevated itself as one of the most successful mid-majors, competing with fellow West Coast Conference member Gonzaga and often taking down the powerful Bulldogs. By putting out quality teams for most of his tenure, the conference was able to send two teams to March Madness consistently, a rarity for mid-majors.
Bennett's overall record is 589-228 and he won more than 75% of his conference games. The Gaels won seven West Coast Conference regular season titles and four tournament titles. He also developed future NBA championship players in Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova.
While it is a shock to see Bennett leave a role where he spent a quarter of a century, the 63-year-old coach is from Mesa, Arizona, just east of the Arizona State campus in the Phoenix metro area.
“It was going to take a special situation for us to leave Saint Mary’s, and I am energized, driven, and focused on taking over Sun Devil Basketball, a program I am very familiar with and grew up watching," Bennett said in a statement.
He will be tasked with trying to revive the Sun Devils, who were unable to sustain success in the 11 seasons under Bobby Hurley. During Hurley's time, Arizona State made the NCAA Tournament just three times — all as a No. 11 seed — and won two First Four games, with the program's last major achievement being a Sweet 16 run in 1995.
The task will only be more challenging with Arizona State in a crowded and loaded Big 12, with a losing conference record in its two seasons in the league.
"We are in the best basketball conference in the nation and I look forward to the opportunity and am excited to meet everyone who wants to help this program reach our goals in the new landscape. My staff and I will be ready for the challenge," Bennett said.
Bennett's departure also comes as Saint Mary's enters a new era of the West Coast Conference, which will be greatly affected by Gonzaga leaving for the Pac-12 next season.
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