Category: Basketball

CJ Fulton has officially signed with NBA franchise Minnesota Timberwolves.

The 23-year-old Belfast man has been in the United States for pre-season with the back-to-back Western Conference finalists in anticipation of a contract which is now confirmed.

In the coming days, Fulton is expected to be waived to Iowa Wolves in the G-League - the NBA's team-affiliated development league that begins in November - which will provide an opportunity to develop and work his way into the full Timberwolves squad.

"It's a way of keeping me around the franchise and working my way up," he explained to BBC Sport NI earlier in September.

Fulton missed out on selection at the NBA Draft in June, but debuted for the Timberwolves during the NBA Summer League.

He played four minutes in their 89-85 win against the Phoenix Suns in July, making him the third Irish-born player to take to the court at the highest level in the United States after Pat Burke and Susan Moran.

The former St Malachy's College pupil then played 17 minutes against the Houston Rockets, scoring two points with two assists and two steals.

He initially caught the attention of the Timberwolves with his displays in college basketball for Lafayette and the Charleston Cougars, averaging 7.8 points and 6.5 assists per game for the latter during his senior year.

The Minnesota club begin their six-game pre-season schedule on Sunday, 5 October against the Denver Nuggets in San Diego.

Ramp to Camp: Predicting bold midseason headlines for 2025-26 Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

We’ve spent most of our Ramp to Camp series trying to answer the big questions surrounding the Boston Celtics to open the 2025-26 season. Now, only a few days out from the first training camp practice of the year, we are really hitting the accelerator on this year’s squad.

For Day 17, and continuing our Predictions Week, we asked our panel to fast forward all the way to early February and give us one bold midseason headline about the Celtics that you might read on NBC Sports Boston before the All-Star break.

What will we be screaming about on Early Edition? What will occupy the conversations on Pregame Live?

We all know that, heading into March and April, the speculation about Jayson Tatum’s return is likely to crescendo (but we tackled that on Tuesday). So, what else will be top of mind as the Celtics make the turn to the back nine of the 2025-26 season?

Our headline: “How Payton Pritchard set the tone for overachieving Celtics.”

Good things happen when Pritchard is on the floor for the Boston Celtics. Two seasons ago, even before last season’s Sixth Man of the Year glow-up, Pritchard finished second in the NBA in net rating (+13.6, trailing only teammate Sam Hauser). 

Now the Celtics are going to heap even more on Pritchard’s plate, regardless of his role, and we think his energy and grit could define how the 2025-26 Celtics play. 

Pritchard’s playing time is going to spike, particularly if he slides into a starter role. Last season, he posted per-36 minute averages of 18.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.1 steals, all while displaying some of the best ball security in the NBA.

We’ll keep saying it: If Boston is better than the pundits expect out of the gate, then either Pritchard or Derrick White is going to claw their way to All-Star status.

After making a strong case in each of the past two seasons, it’s easy to see a pathway for White landing that elusive nod. But we can’t shake this feeling that Pritchard will thrust himself into that conversation, too.

Pritchard should serve as a bit of a role model to the younger players on Boston’s roster. He’s proven to be a professional, even when the depth chart conspired against him. He not-so-patiently waited for his opportunity and was ready when it arrived.

Now he has a chance to do the same thing yet again in the 2025-26 season. And the rest of the Celtics should follow his lead.

Heck, the NBA is tweaking its own rules based on Pritchard’s recent impact. He hit so many big heaves during Boston’s 2024 title run that the league is changing heave rule statistics to inspire more players to be like him.

The younger Celtics should want to be like Pritchard, too. If they operate with the same energy and desire as Pritchard, the 2025-26 Celtics will go a long way toward masking the talent that was lost in the overhaul brought upon by the second apron.

Let’s check out the headlines our panel came up with:

Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor

“Celtics still have playoffs in sight after Simons trade.”

I can absolutely see this group overachieving and being in the postseason mix as the Feb. 5 trade deadline nears. I can also see Brad Stevens finding a trade partner for Simons’ expiring contract as part of Boston’s goal to get out of the luxury tax.

This might be the one unpopular move Stevens makes — especially if Simons is playing well — and how Celtics players respond in this totally hypothetical scenario will be fascinating to watch.

Michael Hurley, Web Producer

“Amari Williams isn’t bad.”

Is that bold enough? I like the idea of a young 7-footer getting increased opportunities and playing well. I wouldn’t expect a rookie to have the know-how of Al Horford, but can he help replace Horford’s nightly production (9.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists) while blocking a shot or two per game?

Perhaps he’s not at all ready, but you asked me for a bold headline, Chris, so you freaking got one, buddy.

Sean McGuire, Web Producer

“Jaylen Brown is in the running to win the 2025 NBA MVP.”

What does in the running mean? Brown opened at 100-1 to win the award behind the heavily-favored Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 12 other players including Cade Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant.

When the trade deadline nears in early February, Brown will be in the top six.

Josh Canu, Media Editor

“Are the Celtics real contenders in the East?”

I think this team is capable of winning a lot of games, and odds are one of the projected top teams in the East will deal with injuries or underachieve, so I think the Celtics could be in the mix even without Tatum.

We know the East is thin, so I don’t think it is that crazy the Celtics could be perceived as real contenders.

Kevin Miller, VP, Content

“Minott Us?!”

Josh Minott becomes a fan favorite and finds a sustainable role on a good team.

Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy

“Winning DNA has Celtics in the drivers’ seat.”

Regular-season basketball is different, and this team will remain competitive for the top spot in the East.

Kayla Burton, Celtics Pregame Live host

“A new home for Hauser: The Boston Celtics trade away Sam Hauser.”

I am not going to say where because I have no idea, and as sad as this headline makes me feel, I just think they make a bold, somewhat sad move around the trade deadline and acquire a big man.

Sixers roll out official return of black jerseys for 2025-26 season  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers are officially back in black.

The team on Wednesday morning rolled out the long-teased return of the black uniforms worn by their 2000-01 Eastern Conference champion team. 

Here’s how they look on the Sixers’ current players: 

According to the Sixers’ press release, they’ll sport the black jerseys 14 times at home during the upcoming 2025-26 season and “six more times during road games against playoff contenders from the 2000-01 season.” The home dates, which will also feature a throwback court honoring the 25th anniversary of the 2000-01 team, are below. Ticketing details for those games can be found here.

• Nov. 8 vs. Raptors
• Nov. 9 vs. Pistons 
• Nov. 23 vs. Heat 
• Dec. 4 vs. Warriors 
• Dec. 7 vs. Lakers 
• Dec. 20 vs. Mavs
• Dec. 23 vs. Nets 
• Jan. 24 vs. Knicks
• Jan. 31 vs. Pelicans 
• Feb. 11 vs. Knicks
• March 3 vs. Spurs 
• March 4 vs. Jazz
• March 23 vs. Thunder 
• April 12 vs. Bucks 

The Sixers’ 2025-26 hardwood classic merchandise will first be available to buy at SixersShop.com on Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. The jerseys will be at Xfinity Mobile Arena starting Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. ahead of the Sixers’ preseason game vs. the Timberwolves. 

Sixers roll out official return of black jerseys for 2025-26 season  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers are officially back in black.

The team on Wednesday morning rolled out the long-teased return of the black uniforms worn by their 2000-01 Eastern Conference champion team. 

Here’s how they look on the Sixers’ current players: 

According to the Sixers’ press release, they’ll sport the black jerseys 14 times at home during the upcoming 2025-26 season and “six more times during road games against playoff contenders from the 2000-01 season.” The home dates, which will also feature a throwback court honoring the 25th anniversary of the 2000-01 team, are below. Ticketing details for those games can be found here.

• Nov. 8 vs. Raptors
• Nov. 9 vs. Pistons 
• Nov. 23 vs. Heat 
• Dec. 4 vs. Warriors 
• Dec. 7 vs. Lakers 
• Dec. 20 vs. Mavs
• Dec. 23 vs. Nets 
• Jan. 24 vs. Knicks
• Jan. 31 vs. Pelicans 
• Feb. 11 vs. Knicks
• March 3 vs. Spurs 
• March 4 vs. Jazz
• March 23 vs. Thunder 
• April 12 vs. Bucks 

The Sixers’ 2025-26 hardwood classic merchandise will first be available to buy at SixersShop.com on Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. The jerseys will be at Xfinity Mobile Arena starting Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. ahead of the Sixers’ preseason game vs. the Timberwolves. 

The Knicks enter the 2025-26 season with a new head coach but the same championship aspirations as a year ago, and things tipped off officially on Tuesday with the start of training camp. 

Head coach Mike Brown, as well as key players like Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges all met with the media on Tuesday, talking about the busy offseason that was and the exciting season to come. 

Here are the key takeaways...

Mike Brown on the starting lineup and rotation

The Knicks used the same starting five -- Brunson, Towns, Hart, Bridges, and OG Anunoby -- for just about all of the 2024-25 regular season. And while former head coach Tom Thibodeau was reluctant to make changes to the lineup, he ultimately did insert Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup ahead of Game 3 of Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana, moving Hart to the bench. 

With that in mind, the starting lineup heading into this season is already a topic of conversation. But according to Brown, it's too early to say who will make up the starting five.

"It will materialize throughout camp," Brown said. "I think it’s too early to go in and say ‘hey, this is what’s going to happen.’ The roster, Leon [Rose] and his group did a fantastic job putting together a talented, deep roster, and so you have to be methodical with your approach when it comes to declaring ‘Okay, these guys are going to start.’"

Thibodeau also notoriously used a very short rotation, and shrank it even more in the playoffs to around eight players.

Brown said he'll likely use more players, with everyone having a chance to contribute throughout the year. 

"If you look at what I’ve done in the past, it’s usually nine-and-a-half to 10 guys," Brown said. "I try to play as many guys as I can. Even when I was in [Sacramento] and we had an injury during the season, there was a point in time towards the end of the season where I started a two-way guy in Keon Ellis. So, I’m going to try to play who can help us win, and I’m going to try to give guys an opportunity. So, hopefully with as deep as our roster is, everybody will get an opportunity at some point during the season."

Brunson on Thibs' firing

Prior to Thibodeau's dismissal after the ECF loss to the Pacers, Brunson was one of his strongest defenders. 

Asked immediately after the Game 6 loss if Thibodeau was the right person to lead the Knicks, Brunson was adamant.

"Is that a real question right now?" Brunson said after the Game 6 loss to the Pacers. "You just asked me if I believe he's the right guy? Yes."

Asked about Thibodeau on Tuesday, Brunson expressed his gratitude to his former coach.

“Obviously it’s sad to see a man I’ve known for a long time part ways with this organization, but he’s meant a lot to me," Brunson said. "I’ve expressed that publicly and personally. But yeah, he’s meant a lot to my career, to this point."

Hart/KAT on offseason procedures, or non-procedures

On the health front, Towns disputed reports from June that he had procedure done on a finger on his left hand and his knee, saying emphatically "I did not get finger surgery or knee surgery."

One player who did undergo a procedure was Hart, who admitted to recently having a setback in his rehab while recovering from a procedure to a finger on his right hand, which will likely require him to wear a splint all season long.

"I was out for a little while. I’m just trying to get used to it and get through the season with it," Hart said.

"I don’t want to go into too much detail, but obviously got a procedure on it, and then kind of reaggravated it somewhat recently. I’ll probably just rock out with a splint this season and try to fix it again next summer."

Bridges on extension

Following an up-and-down first season in New York, Bridges signed a four-year, $150 million extension; however, he left some money on the table as he elected not to sign for the max of $156 million, saving the Knicks $6 million that went to building out the rest of the roster.

"Real excited, happy to be back, be here with everybody and be a part of this organization.," Bridges said. "Just happy we got it done, and really no issues, honestly."

He added: "The biggest thing is if I came here and preached how much I want to win and then tried to take every dollar and make it difficult for the organization, then I’d just seem like a fraud, and that’s not who I am.

"I want to win bad, and whatever it takes. Like I said, I love all the guys here, so why wouldn’t I want the next man up that needs some money, why would I not give them an opportunity to get paid as well? I think I got a good amount of money and I don’t think a couple more [millions] will change my life, so I think it would be better to help everybody else out."

One of the most anticipated Knicks seasons in the last 30 years is almost here. New York will hold its first official practice on Tuesday to open training camp. The regular season starts in less than 30 days.

Mike Brown & Co. will use the next few weeks to determine lineups, rotations and strategies that work best for his group.

The coaches and front office will also decide which players stay on for the regular season.

There are several other important decisions/issues to sort out in the coming days.

With that in mind, here is a look at the biggest storylines to keep an eye on during training camp/preseason...

HOW DO ROLES GET DEFINED?

Something that held the 2024-25 Knicks back, in my opinion, was a lack of role definition. Will the Knicks and first-year coach Mike Brown clearly define each player’s role? I’m sure organizations/coaches have different approaches to this. Maybe some leaders like to let the players figure out their own role as the season progresses. Maybe they don’t want to be too rigid in defining roles. But last season, the lack of role definition led to some confusion in the locker room about shot attempts/usage. While this may seem like a small thing, it can definitely derail a talented team.

The Knicks obviously have a ton of talent. Defining roles for the talent on this team/holding players accountable to their roles is incredibly important, I think.

YOUTH VS. EXPERIENCE

The Knicks have a tough roster decision ahead of them: in a season where the expectation is NBA Finals or bust, is the club better off with younger players at the end of the roster or with proven vets?

If the Knicks want, they can keep veterans Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon on the regular season roster. But they will probably have to sacrifice one of their young prospects in order to keep both veterans.

New York’s team salary cannot exceed $207.8 million, also known as the "second apron" in NBA team spending. The Knicks currently do not have enough room below the second apron to sign both Shamet and Brogdon.

So if they want to keep both veterans on the roster, they’ll need to shed some salary via trade. Trades involving Miles McBride, Pacome Dadiet or Tyler Kolek are the most direct paths to shedding that salary (though if the Knicks traded Kolek, kept both veterans and made no other trades, they would not be able to sign another veteran during the season).

As noted last week, I’d expect the Knicks to let things play out during camp/preseason before they made a move to keep both Brogdon and Shamet. But if I’m placing a bet at the start of training camp, I’m betting that both Brodgon and Shamet are on the regular season roster. This Knicks team is in win-now mode, and injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton give them a direct pathway to the NBA Finals. They know they have a great opportunity to be playing in late June. That’s why I think they’ll ultimately go with veteran depth in Brogdon and Shamet.  

STARTING LINEUP CHANGE?

Last season, the Knicks started Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns. The lineup showed early promise but struggled later in the regular season. That starting five had a -1.4 net rating in regular season games played on or after January 1, 2025. That starting five was also being outscored by a total of 50 points through the first 13 games of their 17-game playoff run. 

Former head coach Tom Thibodeau switched his starters after Game 2 of the Knicks-Pacers series, inserting Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup. Hart came off the bench.

Will Brown stick with the lineup that was used most often in 2024-25? Will he make a change? Before Brown was hired, the Knicks’ talks with some free agents included the idea that Towns and Robinson would be starting together in 2025-26. Obviously, Brown will make the ultimate decision on the starting lineup. It’s arguably one of the most important decisions he’ll make in his first year in New York.

Swin Cash has had a unique basketball career as both a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player before working in the front office of the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans for six seasons, including as the team’s senior vice president of basketball operations.

That basketball resume was attractive to Amazon Prime Video. Starting this fall, Cash will appear on air in a front office insider role for Prime Video’s NBA studio show during the NBA season. She’ll then transition to a studio analyst for Prime Video’s WNBA coverage. Prime Video is expected to make a formal announcement on Tuesday.

“This role is still pretty new, and I’ve got a lot of respect for those who’ve paved the way, especially my girl, Amy Trask,” Cash said, referring to the CBS analyst and former CEO of the Oakland Raiders. “I’m excited to contribute to an already stacked broadcast team and bring a perspective shaped by my time as a player, analyst and executive. My goal is to give fans more than the box score, showing how teams think, why decisions get made, and what the process really looks like.”

The NBA will begin its new 11-year, $76 billion arrangements with incumbent ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Amazon Prime Video this fall. There has been a flurry of NBA on-air hires between Amazon Prime Video and NBC/Peacock. Among those added by Amazon Prime Video are play-by-play announcers Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan and Michael Grady. The network’s analysts include Brent Barry, Blake Griffin, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Candace Parker, Stan Van Gundy and Dwyane Wade. Cassidy Hubbarth will be Amazon’s No. 1 sideline reporter when it begins NBA coverage next season. Taylor Rooks will host the studio show.

Cash, whose decorated career includes three titles over 15 WNBA seasons, two NCAA titles at the University of Connecticut, and two Olympic gold medals, said her role on Prime Video’s WNBA coverage remains a work in progress. She said what she hopes for Prime Video’s coverage, and WNBA coverage overall, is an increase in storytelling. She said she loved the attention “Stud Budz” — the popular Twitch show featuring Lynx players Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman — received during the WNBA All-Star Weekend.

“I’d love for us to go deeper with the coverage,” Cash said. “Storytelling is so important to bring fans on the journey. Not just with the superstars, but across the league.  Fans don’t just fall in love with a player’s game; they fall in love with the person, the personas. When we let people see who these women are, their stories, their grind, their humanity that’s how you build connection and grow the audience in a real way.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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Could Tatum return this season? Here's what he told the TODAY show originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

For the past few months, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has faced one of his toughest challenges yet as he works to recover from a torn right Achilles suffered in a playoff game against the New York Knicks back in May.

The six-time NBA All-Star and 2024 NBA champion was back in New York on Tuesday for his first interview on TODAY With Jenna & Friends, exactly 19 weeks from the day he was injured.

“I’m feeling better than I did yesterday,” he said when asked about his recovery. “It’s been a long, long journey. I tell people all the time, I’m getting there.”

Tatum was also asked about his mindset when the injury originally happened.

“I think just kind of going back to that day, so many things ran through my mind, especially on the ground, you just have this idea, right, I’m in New York, we’re trying to compete for our second championship, and just like that, it all changes.

“You know, for me, when I was a kid, I’ve had the same passion since I was 3. I always wanted to be kind of who I am, I could envision it, and it just kind of felt like it was taken away from me, and that was a hard pill to swallow. I was devastated, I was sad, I was emotional, and I did kind of feel betrayed by the game of basketball. Something I love so much that I gave my all to, that was just kind of like taken away. That was tough.”

Watch the full interview below:

Asked when he expects to be back on the court, Tatum was a little less open.

“That is the million dollar question,” he said. “I think for me and my team — the doctor, the organization — the most important thing is making a full recovery, being back 100 percent, not rushing it. But I haven’t said, like, ‘Yo, I’m not playing,’ or anything like that.”

“I have a goal in mind,” Tatum added. “What I will say is I’m not working out, rehabbing six days a week for no reason.”

He was also asked about his family, especially his oldest son Deuce and his mom Brandy Cole, and how much they’ve helped him during his long road to recovery.

“It’s been tremendous,” Tatum said. “Going through something none of us expected or thought would happen, having my mom, having Deuce and my youngest son Dylan, having my friends around when they didn’t know they were helping me just being around, being joyful, uplifting my spirits. Everyone knows my mom and Deuce are my best friends in the world.”

He said he actually lived with his mother for 10 weeks while rehabilitating, because he wasn’t able to go up stairs and his house doesn’t have a bedroom on the first floor.

“It was kind of like being in high school again,” Tatum said.

Tatum appeared on TODAY With Jenna & Friends to promote his partnership with Boston-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals. He is a paid spokesperson for the company and used Journavx, a non-opioid pain medication they manufacture, during his recovery.

Ramp to Camp: Predicting Jayson Tatum's return date for Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Better days ahead.

That’s the mantra Jayson Tatum delivered over the summer while detailing the early stages of his rehabilitation from Achilles surgery. We can’t help but think it might be a bit of slogan for the 2025-26 Celtics, too.

Because regardless of how the season plays out — and we still believe this team is going to surprise some pundits out of the gates — every day is one step closer to Tatum being back on the court. And that means even better days are ahead.

But when exactly do we think Tatum might be back in an NBA game?

For Day 17 of our Ramp to Camp series, we asked our panel to predict the date that Tatum will return to game action for the Celtics.

First, all the necessary disclaimers: None of our prognosticators are doctors. No one can possibly know how Tatum’s rehab will progress from this moment. But using glimpses from his first 17 weeks of recovery as a guide, we’re tossing some darts at the calendar.

The Celtics have intentionally put no timeline on Tatum’s rehab. All we know is that he’s attacked his recovery with relentless energy, and every indication suggests he’s making encouraging progress. Boston’s brass did all it could to set Tatum up for success, including getting him into surgery almost immediately after the injury with the hope of giving him every opportunity to make an expedited recovery. 

When Tatum initially ruptured his Achilles in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, we simply assumed we wouldn’t see him again until October, 2026. Why would the team rush him back? And operating with an abundance of caution might ultimately be the best plan of attack.

But we also know how hard it’s going to be for members of the Celtics organization to keep Tatum on the sidelines once he starts checking the final boxes in his rehab. He’s going to be itching to play in October, let alone March or April.

Tatum sure appears to be doing all he can to force the team to ponder whether a return this season is the best path. 

As Celtics president Rich Gotham noted over the summer: “What I know about JT is that he’s gonna do everything he can to put us in a position to make a decision [about when he plays again].”

Tatum celebrates his 28th birthday on March 3, 2026. That would be slightly more than nine months removed from his injury. If doctors are certain he wouldn’t be putting himself at risk by using late-season games to shake some rust — all while pacing himself in the early stages of that return — we could see Wednesday, March 4 being a belated birthday gift to himself.

The Hornets might not necessarily be a circle-the-date matchup on the surface, but Tatum would have a bunch of Duke fans watching the Hornets broadcast back in North Carolina.

The month of March is overflowing with intriguing matchups. If Tatum is healthy enough by that point, there’s no shortage of opportunities to make a glitzy return.

But here’s the bottom line: If we’re even simply pondering Tatum being close to a return before the end of the 2025-26 season, then that’s a win on its own. And there are most certainly better days are ahead.

Let’s see what dates our panel predicted for Tatum’s return:

Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor

March 14 vs. Washington.

Yes, there’s a case for holding Tatum out the entire season and ensuring he’s fully healthy for 2026-27. But based on how he’s been attacking his rehab, we could absolutely see him being cleared to play 10 months and one day after his surgery.

After weeks of lobbying, Tatum finally convinces the Celtics to let him play limited minutes against the lowly Wizards on the first game of a three-game homestand.

Michael Hurley, Web Producer

Late October, 2026.

I know everybody is getting excited, and that’s a good thing. Maybe I’m a worrywart, but the idea of Tatum rushing back to “save the day” sounds like a recipe for re-injury, sadness, dismay, and the like.

Even with Tatum, the Celtics were going to lose to the Knicks last postseason. I think he’d be better served letting Brad Stevens cook next summer and build a behemoth for 2026-27, and then help that team go on a championship run. I see minimal reward to the risk of rushing him back.

Josh Canu, Media Editor

March 22 vs. Minnesota.

I think the noise will start to get loud during the All-Star break and he could come back even sooner, but I’ll play a little more conservative than that and pick a homestand against Minnesota and Oklahoma City. Tatum is entering his physical prime and we know he hates to miss games, so I think he is going to surprise a lot of people. 

Kevin Miller, VP, Content

October 2026.

I want it to be this season, but if there’s a one percent chance that he’s not 100 percent, then you have to be patient.  

Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy

March 27 vs. Atlanta.

A Friday night at TD Garden could be a rocking welcome for Tatum. He then gets at least one of the next two games off with the back-to-back on the road. Ease him in, but give him a huge ovation from the fans.

Kayla Burton, Celtics Pregame Live host

February 27 vs. Brooklyn.

I would hate to see him rush back, but he’s already rehabbing so well and working incredibly hard to get back out there. Plus he hates sitting out. He’ll be too antsy to sit out the whole season, and he will be back soon after the All-Star break.

Sixers sign 4 players to Exhibit 10 deals ahead of training camp  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

With their first official practices of the season coming up over the weekend, the Sixers announced four signings Monday night.

The team has added Emoni Bates, Kennedy Chandler, Malcolm Hill and Jaylen Martin. According to a Sixers source, the players all inked Exhibit 10 deals. 

Exhibit 10 contracts are non-guaranteed, minimum-salary agreements that can be converted into two-way or standard deals before the start of the regular season. In general, Exhibit 10 signees often go on to join an organization’s G League team, since the contracts incentivize players to do so with a bonus. 

Bates is a 6-foot-8 forward and former high school sensation. Now 21 years old, Bates has 25 NBA appearances under his belt over the last two seasons with the Cavs. Bates has averaged 19.8 points and 5.6 rebounds across the past two years in the G League.

Shot selection has broadly been viewed as a weaker area for Bates, who’s a smooth player capable of hitting difficult jumpers. He went just 37.7 percent from the floor and 32.6 percent from three-point range last G League season.

Chandler is a true point guard who measured in at 5-foot-11.5 (without shoes) and 172 pounds at the 2022 NBA draft combine. The Tennessee product wound up going No. 38 overall in that draft and has yet to stick in the NBA. Chandler posted 13.2 points, 5.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 50 G League games last year for Raptors 905. 

Martin, 21, has 16 games of NBA experience and several G League stops, including with the Delaware Blue Coats. The 6-6 wing averaged 13.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals during the 2024-25 G League season. 

Hill’s also 6-6 and the veteran of the bunch at 29 years old. He’s been a high-scoring, sweet-shooting player in the G League. Hill racked up 22 points per game in the ’23-24 G League season with the Birmingham Squadron and shot 41.8 percent beyond the arc on 7.4 attempts per contest.