Before every Kentucky basketball home game, Big Blue Nation receives a familiar greeting from the public address announcer. “Welcome to Rupp Arena, Home of the Greatest Tradition in College Basketball!” Is that statement 100% correct? Of course it is. But what if we didn’t consider this a given? What about the Wildcats actually makes it […]
Trae Young reportedly 'frustrated' Hawks have yet to make contract extension offer
Luka Doncic got his max contract extension. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got a historic one, and the Thunder also extended and locked up his running mates Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Devin Booker got his extension.
Trae Young has yet to get his, and he's growing increasingly frustrated. He was frustrated at the pace of things a month ago.
⌛️
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) July 6, 2025
ESPN/Andscape's Marc Spears said Tuesday that Young is "disappointed" that he has yet to be offered a deal. From Spears' appearance on NBA Today:
"What I'm hearing now, at this point — you can tell by Trae's Tweet, and I saw him during the Finals — I think he's disappointed that it hasn't come, it hasn't been offered."
Atlanta can offer Young a four-year, $228.6 million max extension right now, but there also is no time crunch from the Hawks' perspective (the deadline to reach a deal is June 30, 2026).
The question becomes: Is Young a max player? If not — and the conventional wisdom around the league is he's not a full max guy — then what is the number where everyone is happy, both in terms of dollars and years?
The Hawks were aggressive this offseason, retooling their roster into one that could be a top-four team in the East. They traded for Kristaps Porzingis, who brings much-needed shot blocking to Atlanta, and he seems a natural pick-and-pop partner with Young. Nickeil Alexander-Walker brings shooting to the wing, plus he and Dyson Daniels give the Hawks an elite wing defense. Luke Kennard adds even more shooting. And that's not counting Jalen Johnson getting healthy and Zaccharie Risacher potentially making a leap in his second season.
There's some logic to the idea of Young at the point leading this roster, he averaged 24.2 points and 11.6 assists per game last season, shooting 34% from beyond the arc. He also led the league in turnovers with 355 (4.7 per game), and is a minus defender.
Does Atlanta want to see how things shake out on the court before getting serious with extension talks? More likely, they talk to Young about a two-year contract closer to his current salary (two years, $100-105 million). Whether he'd accept that is the question.
What Young wants is an offer and negotiations as a place to start. You could easily get that vibe out of his support for Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons and the drama around his contract.
This why you pay the man early, when someone will take less early to stay in a place he wanted to be forever, you do it… the price only goes up now!
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) August 1, 2025
Get what you deserve bro!
The question is, how serious are the Hawks about talking at this point?
Ex-Miami Heat employee accused of stealing jerseys worth millions — including LeBron James'
A former Miami Heat security officer has been accused in federal court of stealing millions of dollars worth of team memorabilia — including a game-worn LeBron James jersey from the 2013 NBA Finals — and selling them to online brokers.
Appearing Wednesday at U.S. Superior Court for the Southern District of Florida, retired Miami police officer Marcus Thomas Perez pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.
Perez, 62, faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. His attorney, Robert Buschel, declined to comment when asked on Wednesday by The Times.
Read more:Hernández: Lakers' commitment to Luka Doncic raises questions about LeBron James' role
According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Miami field office of the FBI, Perez worked on game-day security detail for the Heat from 2016-2021, and later worked as an NBA security employee from 2022-2025.
While employed by the Heat, the press release states, Perez "was among a limited number of trusted individuals with access to a secured equipment room" where "hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia" were being stored to be displayed at a future Heat museum.
"During his employment, Perez accessed the equipment room multiple times to steal over 400 game-worn jerseys and other items, which he then sold to various online marketplaces," the press release states. "Over a three-year period, Perez sold over 100 stolen items for approximately $2 million and shipped them across state lines, often for prices well below their market value."
Read more:LeBron James and Maverick Carter meet with Nikola Jokic's agent, who is starting a new league
One example listed in the press release is the jersey that James wore in Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals, during which the Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 to win their second straight championship. Perez allegedly sold the jersey for around $100,000; it was sold in an online auction for $3.7 million in 2023.
In executing a search warrant at Perez's home April 3, law enforcement "seized nearly 300 additional stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia," all of which the Heat confirmed had been stolen from their facility, according to the press release.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Moses Moody shares hilarious story about his first encounter with Steph Curry
Moses Moody shares hilarious story about his first encounter with Steph Curry originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry does Steph Curry things on the court and a young Moses Moody learned that the hard way.
The 23-year-old guard detailed the experience of finding out what Curry is all about when he recently joined “The Young Man & the Three” podcast.
“One of my first times, I ripped him and I’m a rookie, I’m just coming in so I’m feeling good about it,” Moody recalled. “And it’s like I just felt everybody in the room kind of like ‘ohhhh, like he don’t know.’ And then Steph did what Steph do and go crazy and all that and I’m like, ‘OK, that feeling was right.’ I knew what I felt, everybody knew what was about to go down.”
Moody, who was drafted by the Warriors in 2021, said that while Curry doesn’t do his trash talking as loud as other players, the NBA’s all-time 3-point leader definitely gets his words in.
“He’s not loud, he don’t talk crazy but like, he’s like, he’s so good that like when he’s talking, he’s helping you almost,” Moody said. “Like, he’s just playing. He don’t talk a lot, it’s not in a conniving type of way, it’s genuine.”
Just add this one to the list of Curry Flurries that have taken the NBA by storm over the past decade.
People close to Luka Doncic say 'he’s moved on' from shocking trade out of Dallas
The story of Luka Doncic signing a max three-year extension with the Lakers could not be told without discussing the shocking trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers in the first place.
What was clear from listening to Doncic at his press conference after the signing was that he was looking forward, not back. That's what his manager, Lara Beth Seager, told Dan Woike of The Athletic.
"He's moved on," she told The Athletic...
"He's only looking forward. And he's here. He wants to get the best players here. He wants to win, and he knows it starts with him. And I think that's what he proved this offseason. 'OK, everyone wants to say or people think that they know me or I'm not a leader or I'm this way, or I'm that way, I don't care. They can think and say whatever they want. I'm gonna show them who I am."
Nothing helps someone move on like $165 million. That new contract helps.
Seager compared Doncic's situation with the Lakers like a marriage, one that may have ups and downs but is built on trust and loyalty. That echoed what Doncic himself said during his press conference.
"I was kind of thinking, obviously not at the moment when I got traded, but later on when I started playing, I wanted to be here," Doncic said. "Like I said, this is an amazing organization. We have a trust in each other, so honestly, I decided pretty quick."
That commitment to the Lakers and the future may be most evident in his post-trade revenge body and newfound commitment to conditioning.
"I would just say, it was like a fresh start for me," Doncic said. "Obviously, I was on my way of doing it [already], but it was just kind of a fresh start. I had a little more time to get my mind on basketball, just doing other things. So, I would just say, like, a fresh start for me."
Doncic has moved on, and the lottery luck leading to Cooper Flagg landing in Dallas has helped that organization and its fan base move on. That's healthy for everyone involved.
It doesn't mean that a Lakers vs. Mavericks Christmas Day game wouldn't be a real showcase for the league. Sports fans aren't going to move on quite as quickly.
Rick Carlisle on building a team in modern NBA: 'The NBA game has now become a play hard league'
Part of the discussion about Luka Doncic’s extension with the Los Angeles Lakers — after LeBron James opted into his contract — was about the Lakers' potential to have max cap space as soon as next summer. That allows them to retool the roster around Luka Doncic, which sparked some speculation about the Lakers chasing Giannis Antetokounmpo or other stars to slot in where LeBron stands now, building a classic multi-star title team. Multiple superstars has always been the Lakers' ideal.
Rick Carlisle is questioning that old-school thinking and if that's the best way to build a contender in the modern NBA.
In a fantastic interview/conversation with Caitlin Cooper of “Basketball She Wrote” (a journalist every basketball fan should follow), Carlisle talked about how the Pacers were built and won, and that serving as a model for other teams (an echo of things he said during the Finals).
"The NBA game has now become a play hard league. It's not just being top heavy with stars. Roster construction is changing... It's become more important to have more good players than be top heavy with two or three great players that get all the touches."
These past NBA Finals were a testament to that. Oklahoma City boasts MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, while Indiana features an All-NBA, Olympian player in Tyrese Haliburton. However, in both cases, these were teams deep with good role players who played hard nightly and fit the teams' systems and styles — neither team rolled out a player the other team could just instantly target in their top eight. This wasn't SGA and Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren covering up for the players below them, OKC rolled out quality players in Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, and on and on down the line.
The key to those rosters was not the high ceilings of the stars but the high floor of the top eight — Indiana reached the Finals on the strength of that idea. The Pacers didn't just have Haliburton, Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam, there were quality players in Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, T.J. McConnell, Obi Toppin, Bennedict Mathurin and Ben Sheppard. There was quality depth Carlisle could trust in a way that was not happening with the New York Knicks, for example.
A year prior it was the same thing, the Celtics had stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but that roster also was eight deep with players Joe Mazzulla could lean into: Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and on down the line. Two years ago, it was an MVP in Nikola Jokic in Denver but surrounded by depth in guys such as Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, Christian Braun and more.
During the NBA Finals, Carlisle owned the idea that none of this works without the right star at the top — a team needs a transcendent star or two. However, beyond that, it becomes about depth more than stockpiling stars. It's not how strong the stars at the top are, but how weak is the weakest link in the chain? And come the playoffs, can opponents pull the chain apart by focusing on that weak link?
Fans are understandably weary of talk of the NBA and its tax aprons, but those are changing how teams are built now. Carlisle has seen the future, as have the Pacers, and they were in the Finals because of it. Expect other innovative teams to try to follow this model.
Ex-Miami Heat Security Guard Sold Stolen LeBron Jersey, Feds Say
A former Miami Heat security guard made his initial appearance in federal court for being accused of selling a stolen LeBron James Heat NBA Finals jersey and more than 100 other Heat game-worn jerseys and items, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
Marcos Perez, 62, is accused of violating Title 18 of the U.S. Code, Section 2314, which concerns interstate transportation of stolen property. A conviction would carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a fine of $250,000. The charging document was filed by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore in a Florida federal district court on Monday.
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Prosecutors say that Perez, a former Miami Police Department officer, knowingly transported stolen goods worth millions of dollars from Kaseya Center., which was previously known as American Airlines Arena and FTX Arena. He then sold the items to online brokers, pocketing about $2 million. The DOJ executed a search warrant at Perez’s Miami residence in April and seized about 300 stolen game-worn jerseys and memorabilia. According to the feds, the Heat confirmed the authenticity of the items.
Perez is depicted as selling stolen items well below their market value. For instance, he allegedly sold the James jersey for about $100,000, and it was later sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $3.7 million.
Perez worked for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and then worked as an NBA security employee from 2022 to 2025. His assignments included game-day security, which meant he had access to a secured equipment room containing, the DOJ says, “hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia that the organization intended to display in a future Miami Heat museum.”
In a statement posted on X, Miami Police Department chief Manny Morales said Perez “separated from the Miami Police in 2016.” He added that “any betrayal of the public’s trust, past or present is a stain on the badge and the oath we all take to serve with integrity and honor.”
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Jimmy Butler hilariously adds Draymond Green to Warriors' ‘Batman' universe
Jimmy Butler hilariously adds Draymond Green to Warriors' ‘Batman' universe originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Every superhero needs a sidekick. And a butler. And a multi-million-dollar military-grade supercar capable of causing mass destruction.
That’s what Warriors superstar Steph Curry has with his current ensemble of teammates.
Golden State’s veteran forward Jimmy Butler famously declared himself the “Robin” to Curry’s “Batman” after joining the Warriors midway through the 2024-25 NBA season, and then named guard Buddy Hield “Alfred,” Batman’s butler in the comic books.
Well, a new character just dropped.
Butler, who currently is traveling through China, declared in a social media post Wednesday that veteran forward Draymond Green has been cast as the Batmobile.
“Robin, he [going to] Robin the s–t out of this motherf–ker this year. Batman [going to] do his job. Draymond is uh … Draymond’s the Batmobile, you know. He’s like the one who’s got to get us to where we need to go. He do a little bit of everything: Shoot them thangs, ‘pew pew,’ somebody’s shooting at us, he rolling over [and] protecting us. You know what I’m saying?
“Golden State through, we’re on the way. We’re on the way, I’ll tell you that. Buddy was just here in China, too. I don’t know what the f–k for, but Buddy got some love out here.”
The Warriors’ “Batman” universe is expanding, but will it be enough to defeat The Joker and the other villains in the Western Conference?
Likely Jonathan Kuminga reunion with Warriors could create unwanted spectacle
Likely Jonathan Kuminga reunion with Warriors could create unwanted spectacle originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
There is time for the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga to find an arrangement that satisfies both, but the clock on their mutual desires is fast approaching JK’s jersey number: 00.
Their arranged marriage, distinguished more by turbulence than compatibility, lurched past its fourth anniversary last week. The growing belief around the NBA is they will wobble into Year 5, which would be the uneasiest by far.
On one side, the Warriors will be trying to harmonize a squad capable of squeezing one more drop of glory from the Stephen Curry era, which lifted the franchise to global icon status.
On the other side, Kuminga wants to prove he is a star and, therefore, worthy of a star’s contract, and his disposition will be monitored more closely than his statistics and impact.
The two sides have spent four seasons trying to make something of mismatched methods. Kuminga is a terrific scoring soloist, capable of getting to his spots and attacking the rim like a young Kawhi Leonard, but Golden State’s offense is designed to operate as an ensemble, with Curry as the conductor. That won’t change. Nor should it, as Curry continues to play at All-Star level.
Though a sign-and-trade deal remains a remote possibility, all indications are Kuminga will have to postpone his dreams of a life-changing payday.
“There will be some teams with money next year,” one Western Conference executive tells NBC Sports Bay Area. “Kuminga might have to just have to ride this out one more year and see what happens. It might come to fruition. Maybe he becomes more like ‘the guy’ there. There are people who believe he should play more, that he should do this more or do that more.
“But you still got Steph there. You got Jimmy (Butler) there.”
A fifth year of Warriors-Kuminga matrimony would invite all manner of vulture curiosity, as both parties will be under the brightest, and sometimes harshest, of lights. The Warriors are willing to move on, and Kuminga is eager to do the same. Living emotionally separate under the same roof, sharing the same locker room is bound to present, um, challenges.
The skills of Golden State coach Steve Kerr and the team’s veteran leaders – Draymond Green, Butler and Curry – will be tested. Can they orchestrate successful alchemy? Can Kuminga suppress his personal desires for the sake of the team? Can the Kerr-Kuminga coexistence maintain a peaceful, productive coexistence?
Kuminga wants to be a starter. That role was available last season, when he started the first three games at small forward, with Green at power forward and Andrew Wiggins at shooting guard. Butler now is entrenched at small forward since the February trade that sent Wiggins to Miami. The Warriors gained a playmaker but lost spacing. Kerr won’t tolerate the clogged spacing that would come with a Green-Kuminga-Butler frontcourt, so that option is out.
“He’s a (scoring) monster at the four,” a former NBA player-turned-analyst, referring to Kuminga, tells NBC Sports Bay Area. “But that’s Draymond position. I hate Draymond’s game. Hate his game. But his IQ makes him a Hall of Famer. It’s through the roof. And that team needs it.”
Green’s defense and court savvy were as much a part of Golden State’s 2014-15 resurrection as the gravity generated by Curry’s presence. Andrew Bogut and Green made the same impact on defense that Klay Thompson and Curry did on offense. The result was the best team in the NBA.
“They had a top-five offense, and a top-five defense,” the executive recalls. “And they were smart. The smartest team in the league. Back then, they were just smarter than you. With Jonathan, I think they’re questioning that. And they have Jimmy, Steph and Draymond, probably three of the smartest guys out there.”
Kuminga’s poor 3-point shooting (30.5 percent) makes him a misfit as a three in the Warriors’ system, but his greatest sins in the book of Kerr are mental errors. Those liabilities sometimes offset his assets. It’s one of the quickest ways in the league to fracture trust among coaches and teammates.
Is there any doubt that one glaring mistake by Kuminga will intensify the scrutiny and raise the temperature of the marriage?
At no point during these four seasons has Kuminga risen to the level of “distraction” to the greater goals of the Warriors. Even when displeased with circumstances, JK generally puts his head down and comes to work – even when he’s out of the rotation. Team leaders do what they can to keep him engaged.
But if the marriage continues into a fifth season, after a summer of unmet hopes for both parties, tranquility for all parties will be hard to achieve. A divorce is not a matter of if, but when.
Knicks assistant coach target Mike Weinar staying with Pacers; Chris Jent remains candidate
With the Knicks finding their top defensive coach in Brendan O'Connor, the focus goes to the offense, but a potential name has dropped out of the running.
Sources tell SNY's Ian Begley that the Indiana Pacers' Mike Weinar has removed himself from consideration for a top Knicks assistant job running the offense. Weinar made his decision on Tuesday to remain with the Eastern Conference champion Pacers to coach alongside head coach Rick Carlisle.
The news was first reported by The New York Post's Stefan Bondy.
Weinar has been an assistant coach under Carlisle for seven seasons from 2018 to 2025 with the Dallas Mavericks and Pacers. The 41-year-old coach is under contract with the Pacers and would presumably be allowed to leave if for a promotion/raise.
A name that remains a candidate for the position is Chris Jent, who is currently under contract with the Charlotte Hornets. As Begley notes, Jent was on Brown's staff with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jent was an assistant coach with the 76ers, Magic, Cavaliers, Kings, Hawks, Lakers and Hornets from 2003 to 2025. He was the interim coach for the Magic during the 2004-05 season, where he went 5-13.
SiriusXM's Frank Isola first reported Jent being a top candidate.
Brown will keep some coaches from Tom Thibodeau’s staff, including Darren Erman, Mark Bryant, Maurice Cheeks, Rick Brunson and Jordan Brink.
Former Miami Heat security officer charged with stealing, selling millions of dollars of memorabilia
A former, long-time Miami Heat security officer appeared in court Tuesday, charged with transporting and transferring stolen goods in interstate commerce.
Following an investigation by the FBI's Miami office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, charged Marcos Thomas Perez, 62, of Miami, with allegedly "stealing millions of dollars' worth of Miami Heat game-worn jerseys and other valuable memorabilia, which he later sold to online brokers." Perez is a 25-year veteran of the Miami Police Department who worked as a security officer for the Heat from 2016 to 2021 and then worked as an NBA security employee from 2022 until earlier this year. From the U.S. Attorney's press release:
"Perez worked on the game-day security detail at the Kaseya Center, where he was among a limited number of trusted individuals with access to a secured equipment room. This equipment room stored hundreds of game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia that the organization intended to display in a future Miami Heat museum."
Perez is accused of stealing more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia, some of which he then sold online — about 100 of those items were sold, many over state lines, which added to the charge against him. What's more, because he was trying to do this relatively low-key, he was often selling items for well below market value.
"As an example, Perez sold a game-worn LeBron James Miami Heat NBA Finals jersey for approximately $100,000. That same jersey later sold at a Sotheby's auction for $3.7 million," the U.S. Attorney's office said in a press release.
Police executed a search warrant at Perez's home on April 3 and recovered about 300 more items of memorabilia, which the Heat confirmed had come from their equipment room.
Peacock to broadcast 20 Big 12 men’s basketball games through sublicense deal
Big 12 basketball is coming to Peacock. The conference is entering a multi-year agreement with NBC to stream games on the platform, the two sides announced Tuesday. Peacock is set to air 20 Big 12 men’s basketball games this season, according to the announcement. The partnership came about through a sublicense deal between NBC and […]
Making sense of Celtics' pair of roster moves: ‘It comes down to financials'
Making sense of Celtics' pair of roster moves: ‘It comes down to financials' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
When the Boston Celtics acquired Georges Niang and Anfernee Simons this offseason in separate deals, fans and media immediately speculated whether either player would be sticking around for very long. Sure enough, Niang’s tenure with the Celtics lasted about a month, as the team traded him to Utah on Tuesday.
The trade — which will bring rookie RJ Luis Jr. to Boston — was part of a pair of Celtics moves on the day, with the other being the signing of Chris Boucher for one year at relatively short money ($3.3 million).
“It comes down to financials,” Celtics insider Chris Forsberg said on Arbella Early Edition. “I know that’s frustrating and I know people get upset about it. But if we’re just being honest about where this season is — and I will still die on this hill, I think they’re gonna be way more fun than people think, I think they’re gonna be way more competitive out of the gates. I don’t know where it’s gonna go, but I do think the most important thing is long-term, making sure this team is able to kick it back into championship mode when Jayson Tatum is healthy.”
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With Tatum most likely out for the entirety of next season as he recovers from his torn Achilles, the Celtics are now below the second apron and could still get under the first apron. Getting out of the NBA’s luxury tax entirely still remains possible, too.
“Might as well get the books right,” Forsberg added. “Might as well potentially get under that tax long-term. They’re about $12 million away now. There are pathways to get there at some point this season, and now all of a sudden you’re out of the repeater [tax], and all of a sudden you can spend bigger to build a new championship sort of nucleus around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown when it’s time to go.”
Forsberg said that with the way the second apron was designed, an offseason like this one — which saw the Celtics part ways with Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holliday, and now at least one of the returning players from those deals — was inevitable.
“I know the new ownership’s gonna get crushed coming into a year like this. This was going to happen regardless of who owned the Celtics,” Forsberg said. “Everyone understands the situation they’re going through. And whether it was Wyc [Grousbeck], whether it was Bill Chisholm, there was going to be cuts to this roster to set them up for the future.”
As for that roster, Forsberg said the team at least added an experienced player to their frontcourt in Boucher, something that’s sorely needed.
“This is the sort of guy Joe [Mazzulla] will like,” Forsberg said. “Plays hard, plays physical, stretches the floor. I’m not gonna tell you that he’s going to turn the trajectory of this team around. It’s gonna come down to what the returning guys do. But it is a guy who can at least fill some minutes at that frontcourt spot and be pretty valuable to you there.”
Boston Celtics trade Georges Niang back to Utah Jazz for R.J. Luis Jr., then sign Chris Boucher
This is a nice bit of work by the Boston Celtics to upgrade while saving money, and the Jazz get a little bonus for helping out.
First, the Celtics are trading veteran Georges Niang and two second-round picks as a sweetener to the Utah Jazz for RJ Luis Jr., a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. This was a salary dump move by the Celtics that gives them more room below the second apron of the luxury tax and saves them more than $40 million in salary and tax (due to the repeater tax), and it sends Niang back to the team he played four seasons with from 2018 through 2021.
Then the Celtics used that freed-up cap space to sign veteran big man Chris Boucher for the veteran minimum, a story also broken by ESPN’s Charania. This was an upgrade for Boston — Boucher was one of the best free agents still available. He is a veteran, rotation-level stretch four who averaged 10 points and 4.5 rebounds a game last season for Toronto, while shooting 36.3% on nearly four 3-pointers a game. On a Boston team that is a little thin across the front line, Boucher becomes a valuable player for them. Also, Boucher and Payton Pritchard were teammates for a season at Oregon.
Luis Jr. is on a two-way contract and will fill the Celtics' final open two-way slot. Last season, he played at St. John's, where he averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
Utah gets two second-round picks and brings in Niang using the John Collins trade exception they had. Niang is an expiring $8.
Niang, who is on an expiring $8.2 million contract, averaged 9.9 points a game last season between Cleveland and Atlanta, averaging 21 minutes a night off the bench (Niang ended up in Boston as part of the Kristap Porzingis to the Hawks trade). "The Minivan" is the kind of reliable veteran stretch four a playoff team likely will want to add to the roster, so look for the Jazz to flip him somewhere before the trade deadline.
Chicago Bulls bringing back historic pinstripe jerseys
How much of a statement their play will make next season is up for debate, but the Chicago Bulls' statement uniforms are winners.
The Bulls are bringing back the pinstripes.
The pinstripes are back! ⚫️
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) August 5, 2025
Introducing our 2025/26 Statement Edition uniforms.#SeeRed | https://t.co/b0cCRZErhjpic.twitter.com/8JJ3zRYn10
This design is inspired by the jerseys worn by the team during the Jordan comeback championship era from 1995-97, as well as in 2007-08 and 2012-13.
They are back ⚫️#SeeRed | https://t.co/ZWPGcjQo2wpic.twitter.com/Mj0AdOyp34
— Chicago Bulls Archive (@BullsArchive) August 5, 2025
Chicago brought back Dennis Rodman to show off the vintage look jerseys.
"This is for the new generation."
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) August 5, 2025
Dennis, Coby & Matas see the new Statement edition uniforms for the first time. pic.twitter.com/pne1TAazBV
The team will wear the jersey on select Statement Edition game nights, which will be announced at a later date (after the NBA releases the upcoming league schedule in the next few weeks).
I'll tune into those games just to see the jerseys back on the court.