Category: Basketball

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Date: July 9th, 2026
Time: 2:30 PM CDT
Location: Cox Pavilion
Television Coverage: Prime Video

The Minnesota Timberwolves kick off their Las Vegas Summer League slate today against the New Orleans Pelicans, which means we have officially reached that strange portion of the NBA calendar where every fan base convinces itself that a 22-year-old who scores 18 points against a group of future EuroLeague rotation players may have just solved the franchise’s biggest problem.

Summer League is ridiculous that way, and yet it always matters just enough to keep us watching. Last year, Wolves fans entered Vegas with their eyes locked on the young trio of Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark, and Rob Dillingham. After back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals, Minnesota needed cheap internal development in the worst way. The roster was expensive and the expectations were real. The Wolves needed those young guys to show they could become actual NBA contributors, not just theoretical rotation pieces fans talked themselves into during July.

Shannon did his part, at least in the desert. He put together some of the most dominant performances of the entire summer, attacking the rim with the kind of force that made Wolves fans immediately start penciling him into the rotation like he was the answer to the NAW departure. Unfortunately, that Summer League dominance never fully translated into the major year-two leap many hoped for, with injuries slowing him down and preventing him from carving out the consistent role that seemed possible after his Vegas breakout.

Dillingham’s arc was even more complicated. He entered last summer as the presumed heir apparent to Mike Conley Jr., or at least the young player Minnesota desperately needed to become a viable answer at point guard. The roster had a glaring hole there, and Dillingham’s skill set made him the obvious player fans wanted to dream on. But after a shaky Summer League and an uneven start to his NBA career, his biggest contribution to the Timberwolves ultimately came as the trade chip Tim Connelly used to acquire Ayo Dosunmu at the deadline. That may not have been the romantic version of development anyone envisioned, but it still helped the Wolves make it past Denver in Round 1. Sometimes your young guard becomes the future. Sometimes he becomes the receipt for the guy who helps you survive the present.

Now the calendar has flipped to 2026, and the Summer League spotlight has shifted from the backcourt to the frontcourt. After trading away Julius Randle and Naz Reid, Minnesota suddenly has a crater-sized opening at power forward. For the last several seasons, the Wolves were defined by size. They were the team with too many big bodies, the team that could throw wave after wave of frontcourt strength at opponents. Now, almost overnight, that identity has been flipped on its head. The Wolves have LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards in the backcourt, Jaden McDaniels on the wing, Rudy Gobert anchoring the middle, and a whole lot of uncertainty sitting at the four.

That is what makes this Summer League intriguing. Joan Beringer, last year’s 18th overall pick, is suddenly more than just an interesting developmental prospect. He is now one of the few internal players who could theoretically help patch the frontcourt hole. During his rookie season, the young French big was not ready for prime time, but he showed enough flashes to make Wolves fans raise an eyebrow. What was missing was the polish, the consistency, and the physical readiness required to survive real NBA minutes on a team trying to contend.

That is fine for a rookie. It is less fine when the depth chart starts looking like someone forgot to finish the frontcourt section. Beringer does not need to look like a finished product in Vegas. Nobody should expect that. But he does need to look like someone who has taken a step forward. He needs to be more comfortable defensively, more decisive offensively, and more physically prepared to handle contact. The Wolves do not need him to become a starting-caliber player overnight. They need signs that he can be trusted, even in limited stretches, when the real games begin.

Rocco Zikarsky may be just as interesting. He spent much of last season either in Iowa or buried at the end of the bench, but his combination of size and shooting is exactly the kind of thing Minnesota could use after watching its frontcourt depth get stripped down. Players with legitimate size who can stretch the floor do not grow on trees. For the Wolves, Zikarsky represents a possible internal lottery ticket at a position of sudden need.

The question is whether either big can do enough this summer to give Wolves Nation something resembling comfort. Can Beringer look like a player ready to push for minutes? Can Zikarsky show that his size and shooting are more than a theoretical skill package? Can one of them step forward enough that fans stop refreshing LeBron James rumors every 11 minutes like Minnesota is waiting for the final rose in some deranged NBA version of The Bachelor?

That last part may be asking too much.

Ultimately, Summer League is not about final answers. It is about clues. A year ago, Wolves fans watched Shannon explode and Dillingham wobble, and both developments mattered in ways that carried into the season, even if not exactly as expected. This year, the focus shifts to the bigs because the roster demands it. Minnesota has made its splash. LaMelo Ball is here. The backcourt suddenly looks electric. The power forward position, meanwhile, looks like a blown fuse.

That makes today’s opener against New Orleans more than just a casual summer run. It is the first look at whether Minnesota has any internal answers.

The game will be televised on Prime, and the Canis Hoopus faithful will have the comments section ready, because if there is one thing this fan base knows how to do, it is care deeply about a July game that may or may not matter six months from now.

Summer League is here.

Let the overreactions begin.

The Knicks are bringing back Jordan Clarkson on a one-year, $3.9 million deal, SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley confirms.

The shooting guard played in 72 regular season games in his first season with the Knicks after joining them on a veteran minimum contract last offseason. He averaged 8.6 points in the regular season and 4.9 points during the playoffs.

Clarkson came to New York to be a scoring threat off the bench -- he averaged 17.5 points in the previous six seasons with the Utah Jazz, mostly in the same role. The 33-year-old even won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020-21.

His role with the Knicks quickly diminished, though, as he saw the fewest minutes per game (17.8) of his career.

Nevertheless, Clarkson shot 45.1 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from three and enjoyed success on a championship-winning team.

In his career that spans 12 seasons with the Knicks, Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, Clarkson has averaged 15.3 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game and 2.8 assist per game.

The Knicks roster is nearly complete.

Another important contributor to the Knicks’ championship run is back. Jordan Clarkson is re-signing with the team, The Post’s Stefan Bondy reported Thursday, on a one-year deal worth $3.9 million.  

Since it is a veteran minimum deal, Clarkson gets the full negotiated salary but it only counts for roughly $2.5 million against the cap for second apron purposes. The move now leaves them $3.3 million under the second apron, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, with just one spot left to fill. Owner James Dolan, at the start of the offseason, stated that he intends to stay under that second apron, and the Knicks have acted accordingly. 

The Knicks now have 13 players on the roster, one short of the mandated 14 standard contracts. Teams can temporarily dip down to 13, though it is complicated.

The move means just one main rotation player — Mitchell Robinson — from last year’s team is gone. Ariel Hukporti also departed, though he hardly played. The Knicks managed to bring back Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, Mohamed Diawara and Clarkson and replace Robinson with Andre Drummond for a total cost of just $17.5 million against the cap. 

Clarkson joined the Knicks last year and, after an up-and-down regular season, emerged as a valuable bench piece by the postseason — he averaged 10.8 minutes per game in the playoffs. A shot-happy scorer and offensive-minded player most of his career, he reinvented himself last year with the Knicks after falling out of the rotation midseason. He became a strong on-ball defender and rebounder, qualities that helped him make an impact off the bench and regain a place in coach Mike Brown’s rotation. 

And at 34 years old and having played 12 years in the league, he was an important leader and voice in the locker room. 

“You can have leadership in a lot of different ways,” Brown said at the end of the year. “As of late, the reality of it is, a guy like Jordan Clarkson is starting to separate himself and showing that he’s one of the leaders of the team. Just because you start, just because you score a ton or shoot a ton, or you’re one of the best defenders, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a leader. Because one of the things is, leaders aren’t afraid to tell the truth. They do what they say. Being a leader means you gotta be on point all the time. You can’t be worried about whether your teammate likes you at the time because you’re saying something that’s truthful or you’re holding people accountable or not. 

“So when you look at a guy like Jordan, who’s been through a lot, who’s still stayed ready, even when he was out, for him and listening to him speak up in front of the group now, that’s starting to show real leadership.”

For that 14th roster spot, the only remaining hole is a third center to replace Hukporti behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Drummond. The Knicks will have to continue to shop for free agents who would sign a veteran minimum in order to fully complete their goal of staying under the second apron. 

Second-round pick Jack Kayil was added to the team’s Summer League roster. He was not originally included on the roster, but will in fact join the team in Las Vegas. A 20-year-old guard from Germany, the Knicks drafted him with the No. 39 pick last month. 

The Knicks are set to open their Summer League slate on Friday against the Nets.

The New York Knicks are bringing back one of their champions, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported on Thursday morning.

According to Charnia, Clarkson has signed a one-year, $3.9 million deal to return New York, per Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and agent Brandon Cavanaugh.

In his first season with the Knicks, Clarkson averaged 8.6 points per game, which was a career low for the 12-year veteran out of Missouri. He was still a key part of the team’s postseason run and part of the reason why the team ended up winning it all.

“He’s a guy we can lean on. He can put the ball in the hole,” Brown said back in March. “We were struggling to do that. So I threw him out there to see if we could mix it up. He definitely helped us. But it was too big a deficit if you’re talking about 20 points to try to come back from versus a good team on their home court.”

With Clarkson back in the mix, the Knicks have 13 spots on their roster already filled. This doesn’t include Jack Kayil or Tyler Nickel, the team’s second-round draft picks. The Knicks could use their 14th and 15th spots on them, but they are also candidates for a two-way spot. Their status will likely be determined based on how they perform in the Las Vegas Summer League.

After this deal, the Knicks are around $3.2 million below the second apron, with New York still needing to fill at least one roster spot. Veteran minimum deals start at $2.18 million and only count $2.4 million max against the cap, even if they are signed for more money, depending on the years of experience (similar to what Andre Drummond did), leaving ample room for another veteran to fill that spot if the Knicks decide to do so.

Posting & Toasting community, how do you feel about Clarkson coming back to the Knicks? Let us know in the comments section below.

Raptors' trade for Kawhi Leonard on hold until Clippers investigation is done originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Kawhi Leonard’s second stint with the Toronto Raptors is officially on hold.

The Raptors announced Thursday that the trade will not be finalized until the NBA’s probe into Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers is finished.

The NBA has been investigating Leonard and the Clippers for the past 10 months after reports that he received a multi-million endorsement deal with sustainability services company Aspiration in an alleged effort to circumvent league salary cap rules.

Toronto and Los Angeles agreed to a deal involving Leonard last month, with the Raptors receiving Leonard and the Clippers getting Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and several draft picks.

“On June 30, we reached an agreement in principle to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors,” the Clippers said in a statement. “We have since been informed that the trade can only be finalized if the Raptors’ ownership group assumes the risk of penalties related to Kawhi’s contract that could theoretically result from the ongoing investigation. The investigation is ongoing, and we expect the trade to be finalized following its conclusion.

“At the heart of this investigation are Joe Sanberg and Aspiration. We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration. Like many sophisticated investors, financial institutions, and business partners, we were victims of a fraud initiated by Sanberg, who has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

“We recognize the uncertainty this has created and the impact it has had on our team, our fans, the Raptors organization, their fans, and the players whose futures remain affected while this process continues. We remain confident that, when the facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm exactly what we have said from the beginning: We have not done what we are accused of doing.”

Despite the holdup, Toronto said it is still committed to completing the trade after the investigation is over.

“The Raptors remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organization and our fans,” the team said in a statement.

Leonard, 35, spent the last seven seasons with the Clippers after signing as a free agent in 2019. He played the 2018-19 season with the Raptors before joining the Clippers, leading the team to 58 wins and a championship.

Raptors' trade for Kawhi Leonard on hold until Clippers investigation is done originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Kawhi Leonard’s second stint with the Toronto Raptors is officially on hold.

The Raptors announced Thursday that the trade will not be finalized until the NBA’s probe into Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers is finished.

The NBA has been investigating Leonard and the Clippers for the past 10 months after reports that he received a multi-million endorsement deal with sustainability services company Aspiration in an alleged effort to circumvent league salary cap rules.

Toronto and Los Angeles agreed to a deal involving Leonard last month, with the Raptors receiving Leonard and the Clippers getting Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and several draft picks.

“On June 30, we reached an agreement in principle to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors,” the Clippers said in a statement. “We have since been informed that the trade can only be finalized if the Raptors’ ownership group assumes the risk of penalties related to Kawhi’s contract that could theoretically result from the ongoing investigation. The investigation is ongoing, and we expect the trade to be finalized following its conclusion.

“At the heart of this investigation are Joe Sanberg and Aspiration. We did not funnel money to Kawhi Leonard through Aspiration. Like many sophisticated investors, financial institutions, and business partners, we were victims of a fraud initiated by Sanberg, who has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

“We recognize the uncertainty this has created and the impact it has had on our team, our fans, the Raptors organization, their fans, and the players whose futures remain affected while this process continues. We remain confident that, when the facts are evaluated fairly and thoroughly, the NBA will confirm exactly what we have said from the beginning: We have not done what we are accused of doing.”

Despite the holdup, Toronto said it is still committed to completing the trade after the investigation is over.

“The Raptors remain eager to bring Kawhi back to Toronto and look forward to a swift resolution for our players, our organization and our fans,” the team said in a statement.

Leonard, 35, spent the last seven seasons with the Clippers after signing as a free agent in 2019. He played the 2018-19 season with the Raptors before joining the Clippers, leading the team to 58 wins and a championship.

The Milwaukee Bucks are heading to Sin City for the Las Vegas Summer League.

This year, Summer League should be much more intriguing than in years’ past with a pair of lottery picks on the roster in Nate Ament and Brayden Burries. In addition, Kasparas Jakucionis is joining the Bucks in Vegas, giving him a chance to showcase some of his stuff before the second half of the offseason.

Here’s a look at the full roster:

• Nate Ament (PF, Tennessee)
• Zack Austin (SF, Pittsburgh)
• BJ Boston (SG, Kentucky)
• Brayden Burries (PG, Arizona)
• John Butler (C, Florida St)
• Rafael Castro (C, George Washington)
• Jesse Edwards (C, West Virginia)
• Kasparas Jakucionis (PG, Illinois)
• Kam Jones (PG, Marquette)
• Kuany Kuany (PF, VCU)
• Malique Lewis (SF, SE Melbourne Phoenix)
• Kira Lewis (PG, Alabama)
• Bogoljub Markovic (PF, Mega Basket)
• Boopie Miller (PG, SMU)
• Pete Nance (PF, North Carolina)
• Cormac Ryan (SG, North Carolina)
• Kobe Stewart (SG, Presbyterian)
• Earl Timberlake (SG, Bryant)
• Luke Travers (SF, Perth Wildcats)
• Aaron Williams (SG, Chicago St)

Other notable players include Brandon Boston Jr., who has 147 games of NBA experience with the Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans. He spent last season with Fenerbahce in Turkey. Boston led the Bucks in scoring in two of the three games at the California Classic.

Two-way players Kam Jones, Rafael Castro and Cormac Ryan are also players to keep an eye on. Pete Nance could also be a standout after appearing in 47 games with the Bucks this past season.

For more on the schedule and how to watch, read Jack’s Summer League primer.

Brew Hoop community, who are you most excited about seeing suit up for the Bucks in Las Vegas? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

A change is coming to the Spurs broadcast booth after shocking allegations exploded on social media.

Jacob Tobey is out as the team’s play-by-play announcer after his girlfriend accused him on social media of cheating with a relative of a Spurs player, per Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports.

Earlier this week an Instagram Story was posted on Tobey’s account alleging his cheating with Loren Waters, who is the sister of Spurs guard Lindy Waters III.

“This is my girlfriend of six years,” the post read. “But I cheated on her with Loren Waters. So feel free to continue following me if you really think I’m a good guy because I’m not. :)”

The post was soon followed by another that featured what appeared to be photo booth prints of Tobey and Loren Waters kissing.

“Me and the new girl,” was written over the photo.

Fans suggested the posts were uploaded by Tobey’s girlfriend, who may have access to the account.

Tobey’s social accounts have since been turned to private.

Tobey, who has also sang the national anthem before Spurs games, previously announced in June he signed a multi-year extension to remain in the role.

Prior to arriving in San Antonio, Tobey called play-by-play for various outlets including Fox Sports and the Pac-12 Network.

The Summer Sixers tip off in Vegas starting Thursday night against the Detroit Pistons at 5:30 p.m. on Amazon Prime and NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Here are five players to watch.

Labaron Philon, G

Just because it’s obvious doesn’t mean it can’t be true. It’s time to see if the Sixers truly struck gold again outside of the lottery. Not that Summer League is a huge barometer for that measurement, but it’s at least a start if Philon can go out and dominate, particularly against teams who had a first-round pick selected higher than he was.

Johni Broome, PF/C

Broome is probably the most intriguing name of the bunch here, and not necessarily in a good way. Having been selected at the top of last year’s second round, Broome barely saw any NBA action as a rookie and also missed time with an injury towards the end of the season. Is he simply not an NBA player or did his rookie season just go sideways and he can turn things around? If he can’t perform at a high level in summer league, Broome’s stock will continue to trend down.

Duke Miles, G

Now it’s on to the lottery tickets, which is really what Summer League is all about. Miles signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Philadelphia after not getting drafted. He was a bouncy guard at Vanderbilt who averaged 16.1 points per game last season with 3.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.6 steals. Age isn’t working in Miles’ favor though as he’s 24 and turning 25 in February. Nevertheless, he seems like someone that could have a few moments off the dribble and some nice finishes around the rim for a 6-foot-2 guard.

Drew Cisse, C

Cisse’s another player in his mid 20s but he has spent the last couple years living the nomadic G League life. For what it’s worth, he does seem like a rebounding machine and had a very impressive 20 offensive rebounds in a game for Delaware last season. For a team that’s been as bad at rebounding as the Sixers have been, maybe Cisse can open some eyes.

Nick Townsend, PF

A high-level college achiever who is still just 21 years old gets a look with Philly for the next couple weeks. Townsend was the Ivy League Player of the Year at Yale last season and also a first-team All-Ivy League selection in 2024-25. He shot a very impressive 46.3% from three-point range last season so if he can get close to that in Summer League, he would certainly garner some attention.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The crown jewel of the NBA's Summer League is set to see several top rookies grace the court in Sin City tonight, including No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa and No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson.

Their matchup leads off our NBA Summer League picks for Thursday, July 9.

NBA Summer League predictions for July 9

Pick
Jazz moneyline	-133
Kings moneyline	-150

Today's Summer League Picks

Jazz moneyline (-133 at Kalshi)

The Utah Jazz are among the teams that have already begun play this summer, and they got off to a hot start in the Salt Lake City Summer League. After going 3-0 in their home state, the Jazz's young corps will take advantage of a Washington Wizards squad playing its first game together.

Darryn Peterson has been dynamite for Utah thus far, racking up 53 points in 55 minutes on 52.7% shooting. He's not alone, with the Jazz also seeing eye-raising performances from Cody Williams (35 points on 57.8% shooting) and Max Abmas (40 points and 16 assists).

The Jazz have a lot of young talent in Vegas, including Ace Bailey and Jaxon Kohler, and should push this Wizards team.

While AJ Dybantsa is the No. 1 pick, he's making his debut and doesn't have a ton around him beyond last year's No. 6 pick, Tre Johnson.

Kings moneyline (-150 at Kalshi)

Led by No. 7 pick Darius Acuff Jr., the Sacramento Kings put up a 3-0 record in the California Classic. Acuff's scoring prowess has been on full display for Sacramento and should be the difference against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Arkansas product has scored 47 points in 52 minutes of Summer League play, and the attention he draws against Los Angeles should help open things up for fellow rookie Emanuel Sharp (31 points in 61 minutes).

Although the Clippers will be deploying fifth overall pick Keaton Wagler, Acuff already has experience beating guards selected in the lottery after defeating Brayden Burries and the Milwaukee Bucks last week.

Thursday’s NBA Summer League parlay

Jazz moneyline

Kings moneyline

+192 at Kalshi

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

NBA Summer League isn’t just the event in Las Vegas. They keep hosting these miniature Summer Leagues in California and Salt Lake City the week before everyone goes to Nevada. I’ve never heard an explanation as to why they exist, but they keep on doing them.

In any case, with Vegas Summer League starting today, I wanted to check in with Chase Ross and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, the two former Marquette men’s basketball players who were on the rosters in California and Utah respectively. It could give us an idea of what to expect from both men as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies move from one event to the other.

Chase Ross

Even though Ross was fresh off agreeing to an Exhibit 10 contract with Los Angeles, he didn’t see the court in either of the Lakers’ first two games in California. LA split the first two games, falling 104-72 to Golden State’s Gold team in the opener and then beating Miami 93-91 in the second contest. The second DNP for Ross wasn’t that surprising seeing as Golden State went up 20 before halftime and led by as many as 37 and he couldn’t get in the game.

Ross did get a chance to play in the third game of the event, which goes into the books as an 88-84 victory for the Lakers. He subbed in at the 5:44 mark of the first quarter with the Spurs up 11-4 at the time. He finished with 14:30 of playing time and recorded four points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Ross went 1-for-5 from the field, missing both of his three-point attempts, but at least the social team highlighted his one bucket:

That pulled the Lakers within two, 53-51, in the middle of the third quarter, and it was the trigger on a 10-3 burst for Los Angeles.

It’s good that he got rotation minutes in a competitive game after going DNP for the first two games. I don’t think that quite tells us anything about what to expect in Las Vegas. Maybe cross our fingers that they let him go a little bit more?

Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Memphis went 1-2 in Utah, beating Oklahoma City 111-74 in their opener before taking a nine point loss to Utah and a 14 point loss to Atlanta to wrap things up. Prosper actually led Memphis in scoring in the OKC game, putting up 17 points on 5-for-8 shooting in 23 minutes of action. He went 2-for-3 from behind the arc and added five rebounds and three assists as well. It is deeply funny that he is listed as the Grizzlies starting center in the box score when Cameron Boozer, their 2026 lottery pick, is right there with him, just at forward.

Prosper started against Utah and had another solid game. He scored 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting, which means he was 2-for-3 inside the arc along with 3-for-8 outside of it. Three rebounds, two assists, and a steal in over 28 minutes of action is pretty good stuff as well, even if the Grizz came up short at the horn. He didn’t play at all in the third game, but neither did Boozer or Cedric Coward, who played in 62 games for Memphis as a rookie this past season.

I’d wager this all means we’ll see a healthy dose of Prosper in Vegas, at least as long as the Grizzlies are in contention for the semifinals. Memphis already exercised the option on his contract for 2026-27, which they did not need to do if they didn’t plan on keeping him around all year. I wouldn’t read too much into his playing time in Nevada, but it would be nice to see him continue to be a major contributor at this level.

Backup center Charles Bassey, Warriors reportedly agree to one-year NBA contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Charles Bassey‘s five-game audition with the Warriors paid off.

The veteran center and Golden State have agreed to a one-year contract for the 2026-27 NBA season, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday, citing sources.

Bassey returns to the Warriors two days after the team declined to match the Memphis Grizzlies’ three-year, $30 million offer sheet to third-year NBA center Quinten Post.

The 25-year-old Bassey now is in line to be the Warriors’ third center behind veterans Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis.

Per ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Bassey assumes the Warriors’ 11th roster spot.

Bassey spent time last season with the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics before signing a 10-day contract with the Warriors on April 5.

In five games, Bassey averaged 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 20.0 minutes off the bench.

Overall, in five seasons with the Warriors, Celtics, 76ers, Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs, the 2021 second-round draft pick is averaging 4.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 126 games.

While the Warriors wait for LeBron James to make his decision and Draymond Green to likely sign a new contract, they secured a valuable depth piece.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Spurs forward Carter Bryant makes his second-year Summer League debut Thursday at 3:30 pm CST against San Antonio native Kingston Flemings and the Atlanta Hawks.

You’ll remember Bryant flashed as a Summer League rookie last year, motivating ESPN’s Tim Legler to say he’d win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award someday.

The Summer Spurs will play at least four games in Las Vegas after going 0-3 in the California Classic.

Around the Horn

Vegas Prep: Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor posted a list of the top 50 players to watch in Vegas. Not much love for the Spurs … Bryant is nowhere to be found (that’s a big oopsie) and Tarris Reed, Jr., is way down the list.

From Mark Zuckerberg to El Jefe? Jesse Eisenberg, an Oscar-nominated actor most known for the lead role of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, recently said his dream role is playing Gregg Popovich. Eisenberg on Pop: “I just find him to be the most fascinating person on the planet. Here’s this tough coach who cries sometimes and talks about the plight of America, and yet he’s also this terrifying figure who can be so mean to journalists. People like that are fascinating because, on the one hand, they’re known to be very nasty, and on the other hand they’re these bleeding hearts.”

Top of the Heap: Speaking of Pop, he came to mind Wednesday night when Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve became the WNBA’s all-time regular season wins leader with 380. Like Popovich in the NBA, she now holds both the WNBA’s regular season record and overall mark (including playoff victories). Interestingly, Reeve’s career winning percentage ranks behind just one person: former Spurs assistant and Silver Stars guard Becky Hammon, the head coach for the Las Vegas Aces.

Highest Bidder:Darren Rovell reports that various items from the recent NBA Finals brought in big money through a Sotheby’s auction. Various New York Knicks’ game-used jerseys collectively approached $2 million while Finals-branded court panels from Madison Square Garden and a net from Game 5 combined to eclipse $500,000.

By George: Last week’s Philadelphia-Boston blockbuster trade has some calling Paul George “the most valuable player in NBA history.” Given that he’s been traded for All-Stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaylen Brown plus other good players and a slew of valuable draft picks (we see you, OKC), it’s a compelling argument.

Word Play: On a recent NBA Radio show on Sirius XM, Zach Harper and Chris Haynes debated the words that need to disappear from the league’s vocabulary. Their picks were “optionality” and “curated.” What words do you think need to be banned from the NBA? Let us know in the comments below!

The most startling statistic for Brooklyn Nets last week in Sacramento may also be the most important going forward … not just for the 2026-27 season.

On Thursday, Brian Lewis encapsulated what others have also noticed:

After being just 1-for-4 from 2-point range in three summer league tilts last year, Dëmin’s auspicious 11-for-12 bodes well moving forward.

Demin, still only 20, has already made fools of those who said he couldn’t shoot by setting one rookie shooting record — 34 consecutive games with a three — and hitting nearly 40% (38.5%) of his attempts and with volume. Eight times he hit five or more in a game with his top game seven vs. the Golden State Warriors back on December 29. Twenty times, he made three or more.

Now it looks like he may make fools of another set of critics from last season: those who said he would only be 3-point threat not a well-rounded offensive player.

“There was definitely one of the biggest points of emphasis,” Dëmin told The Post about his off-season. “The first time I met with the Nets last year in the predraft, I said I’m not going to sit here and tell you what I’m good at. I’m going to make sure you know that I’m aware of my weaknesses. So sometimes it’s a big advantage for the players to know what their weaknesses are over what is their strength.

“So, it’s been an advantage for me for the past summer and this summer as well, just knowing what to work on, what I really want to improve. … But obviously the goal is to get higher and higher on that, and master the game.”

It’s no surprise that the plantar fasciitis that caused him to miss a lot of development time last summer than 32 games in the season factored into what he could and couldn’t do, as did his physique. Now, he says he’s good having put on 13 to 15 pounds. It’s not just his fans who have noticed, even his rookie backcourt mate who watched from afar last season has seen the change.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Mikel Brown Jr. told The Post of Dëmin’s growth. “You see the growth from him being more aggressive, playing more physical. He got adapted to that style of the ball.

“The NBA is very physical; you’re playing against grown men. So you’ve got to be able to adapt. And you can see it. He’s way more physical. He’s more adamant about getting into his spots. No matter how tough and how physical the defender is, he’s going to get to his spots regardless. So you can see the growth from that.”

So, too, have his coaches.

“He’s done an outstanding job of putting weight on,” Nets summer league coach Dutch Gaitley told The Post. “But it’s easy to just show it off while you’re walking around the gym. The hard part is now can you have carryover?

“And Egor has been able to show his ability to get into the paint, hit midrange, get into the paint and make plays for other guys. That’s probably been his most [encouraging growth]. His comfort level with his strength is just going to open up so much of his game for himself or his teammates.”

Then there’s the shift in aura, crystalized by that windmill dunk vs. the Warriors at the close of the first half Monday. As C.J. Holmes of that Daily News writes, “The hair’s different. The fits are sharper. The frame looks stronger.” 

Yes, as Lewis notes, it’s always somewhat of a fool’s errand to extrapolate Summer League performance into something sustainable. The annals of NBA Summer League is littered with MVPs who are no longer in the league or barely hanging on … and that includes Jalen Wilson and Cam Thomas.

But Demin is also someone with certain advantages. He was the tallest guard ever measured at the NBA Combine and has court vision as well as a shooting stroke and now has shown not just a skill but a willingness to drive the lane. The Nets took a lot of hits from pundits and draftniks after the Draft for taking him so high at No. 8 last uear. ESPN had him at No. 13 in their final mock, Bleacher Report at No. 19. Then again, there was griping about how he didn’t make either the first or second All-Rookie team which may or may not have been a function of him missing all those games.

But never mind all that. It’s a new season and Demin wants to re-invent his narrative once again. So far, so good.

• Egor Demin doing what he can to shore up his key Nets weakness — and it’s already showing ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post
• Nets’ Egor Demin reveals body transformation that could foreshadow sophomore leap – Erik Slater – Clutch Points
• Egor Dëmin is acting different, and the Nets should be encouraged ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Nets’ Egor Demin showing improvement in second stint of summer league – Sharif Phillips Keaton – USA TODAY

The Knicks already brought in Andre Drummond to help make up for the loss of two of their big men this offseason, and it appears they could be targeting another veteran. 

According to SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley, Jonas Valanciunas is among centers on the team’s radar as they look to continue filling out their roster. 

Valanciunas, of course, was waived by the Nuggets on Wednesday.

The 34-year-old big man will become available in free agency once he clears waivers. 

As per Begley, New York previously showed interest in Valanciunas when he hit the open market in 2024. 

He ended up joining the Wizards as part of a sign-and-trade, then was dealt to Sacramento, where he spent one season before being moved again to Denver last summer. 

Valanciunas produced 8.7 points and 5.1 boards as their backup center during the regular season, but ended up falling out of the rotation during the playoffs.

Bringing him in along with Drummond to backup All-Star starter Karl-Anthony Towns could give the Knicks strong depth at the center position. 

Valanciunas was previously a client of team president Leon Rose.