Category: Basketball

The Golden State Warriors’ dream of pairing LeBron James and Anthony Davis with Stephen Curry appears to be losing steam before free agency even fully takes shape.

After days of speculation that Golden State were attempting try to sign James and trade for Davis, the Washington Wizards are reportedly not interested in moving the star big man.

According to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears, Washington is not entertaining trade offers for Davis, with one NBA executive saying Wizards general manager Will Dawkins is a major admirer of the 10-time All-Star.

That stance deals a major blow to one of the wildest rumors of the offseason.

The idea gained traction after Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option, a move that opened the door for speculation about Golden State creating more flexibility.

The Warriors hoped to reunite James and Davis, who won a championship together with the Lakers in 2020, while keeping Curry and Green in place.

That would have required several moving pieces. Golden State likely would have needed to involve Jimmy Butler’s large expiring salary to make a Davis trade work.

Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, also pushed back on the idea that Golden State would move him for Davis, telling ESPN that the Warriors have been firm in their plan to help Butler rehab his ACL injury and return with the team.

And now the momentum has shifted.

Davis’ future with the Wizards had been unclear since Washington acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks in a February trade. His age, injury history and massive contract made him an obvious name to watch. Davis is set to earn $58.5 million in 2026-27 and holds a $62.8 million player option for the following season.

He has also played in just 243 of a possible 410 games over the past five seasons.

Still, Washington appears ready to keep him. When healthy, Davis remains one of the league’s best two-way big men. He averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks last season while shooting 50.6 percent from the field.

For the Wizards, the plan now appears to be building around Davis, Trae Young and No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa.

For the Warriors, the LeBron chase may continue. They are now the front runners according to betting markets.

But the Davis part of the dream looks finished.

The Lakers’ dreams of acquiring a Jalen Duren might already be coming to an end.

According to senior ESPN NBA writer Marc J. Spears, the Detroit Pistons have reportedly offered Duren the most lucrative contract possible and do not have an interest in any sign-and-trade deals that will match any potential offer he signs.

Duren is set to be a restricted free agent for Detroit.

On Monday, the Lakers were reportedly set to meet with Duren on Tuesday to work out a sign-and-trade deal.

But with Detroit apparently no longer looking to give Duren up so easily, the Lakers’ strategy might force them to pivot.

Last year, Duren was selected to his first NBA All-Star game last season after averaging 19.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, helping the Pistons snap an 18-year playoff drought as the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

With DeAndre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes listed as two centers on the Lakers roster, they will have to look elsewhere if they want to upgrade the position.

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Two weeks ago, Luka Dončić said he wanted the Lakers to acquire more shooters and wants the team to land an A-list center, to help him run the pick and roll, like he famously did with the Dallas Mavericks, when they went to the 2024 NBA Finals.

The Market at center is rather thin this offseason, as Ayton was considered the top player at the position before he opted in to his $8.1 million option on Monday.

According to the reports of Duren meeting with the Lakers, the Sacramento Kings were also scheduled to meet with him and were reportedly set to offer 30-year-old Domantas Sabonis in order to trade for Duren.

The team has also reportedly had interest in acquiring Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz, who would be a huge upgrade over Ayton.

The Wizards plan on holding on to one of their veteran stars amid trade rumors.

Washington is not interested in trading Anthony Davis and is not even listening to trade offers on him, a source told ESPN’s Marc J. Spears on Tuesday.

Another NBA team executive said Wizards general manager Will Dawkins is a big fan of Davis, per Spears.

The report comes as trade rumors have been circulating about Davis for several weeks.

Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports previously reported that the Warriors wanted to reunite Davis and LeBron James, putting them with Steph Curry. However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Tuesday that there hadn’t been any progress in talks between Golden State and Washington.

Davis is eligible for an extension this offseason. In a thus-far active offseason, the Wizards have already extended Trae Young with a four-year, $212 million contract.

They also drafted AJ Dybantsa with the first overall pick out of BYU. Dybantsa joins Washington’s young core that also includes Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George.

Davis has yet to appear in a game for Washington. He played only 20 games last season due to injuries, and after being traded to the Wizards from the Mavericks in February, the team shut him down so he could recover fully from his groin and hand injuries.

Davis, a 10-time All-Star, averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game for the Mavericks last season, shooting 50.6 percent from the field.

Should Davis remain with the Wizards, it would throw a wrench into the Warriors’ possible plans to build a superteam with Davis, James, and Curry, with Draymond Green potentially returning as well.

The clock has struck 5:00 p.m. CT which means that NBA free agency is now officially open!

Just when you thought some of the bigger dominos had already fallen (Giannis, LaMelo, Ja, Jaylen Clark), there was more breaking news today. A pair of first ballot Hall of Fame names popped up.

The NBA news cycle really doesn’t sleep. The biggest headline now is clearly the free agency of LeBron James. Many have speculated that the Golden State Warriors would be the leader for land the 41-year-old. He has publicly shared his enjoyment of playing with Stephen Curry during the Olympics. Draymond Green, a close friend of James’, also restructured his contract with the Warriors in order to make room for the pursuit of James.

Other options that have been commonly mentioned include a return to the Miami HEAT to join Giannis Antetokounmpo, or a final swan song with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. Are the Minnesota Timberwolves in the race for the four-time MVP? Some close to the team don’t seem to think so.

That said, Jon Krawcynski is also on record saying that the Timberwolves have interest in James, just like they have for any star player. Minnesota still has a glaring hole at the power forward spot, can provide him an opportunity to play for a contending team, and James hasn’t been shy about his adoration of Anthony Edwards either.

If James chooses a non-Wolves team, life must continue for President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly. It’s been rumored that Connelly is still working on transactions to upgrade the roster, specifically at the power forward spot. Who would fit Minnesota’s need while coming at an affordable price? There are plenty of options that will be available.

Lastly, it remains to be seen if Connelly will bring back the veteran presence of Mike Conley or Kyle Anderson. It’s been speculated that there is mutual interest between the Wolves and those two potential returners. Meanwhile, Connelly has already pulled the trigger to bring back half of the Twin Turbos.

What else would you like to see?

While reports on Monday emerged that the Golden State Warriors were preparing to pursue superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis this offseason, a report by Marc J. Spears of Andscape seems to downplay the possibility Golden State could reunite the former teammates together. Per Spears, the Washington Wizards have no interest in trading Davis this offseason.

“The Washington Wizards are not interested in trading 10-time NBA All-Star forward Anthony Davis and are not listening to trade offers for him, a source told @espn @andscape,” Spears wrote in a Tweet. “Another NBA team exec says Wizards GM Will Dawkins is a huge fan of AD.”

Of course, this would be far from the first time a front office publicly downplayed their interest in a trade to try and create leverage and receive a better offer. It sure seems like the rumors were largely fueled by James and Davis’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who is consistently one of the best agents at pressuring teams into scenarios that are best for his clients. Paul is presumably leveraging the desire for Davis to want a trade to force the Wizards into a large extension, like they recently gave Trae Young. The Wizards appear to be calling that bluff since Davis is under contract for next season.

It’s important to note that even if Davis is off the table for the Warriors, which the decision to re-sign center Kristaps Porzingis seemingly signaled yesterday, that they have not been eliminated from the LeBron sweepstakes. Jake Fischer of The Steinline reported that the Warriors had not been given any mandate to acquire Davis if they wanted to sign James as a free agent.

The Milwaukee Bucks are keeping Ousmane Dieng around, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania.

“Free agent forward Ousmane Dieng has agreed to a three-year, $17.5 million deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell ESPN. Dieng had a strong finish to last season after his trade from OKC, and now Bucks officials finalize the deal with agents Michael Tellem of Excel Sports Management and Marius Rutkauskas,” Charania tweeted.

Dieng, 23, won the NBA championship in 2025 with the Oklahoma City Thunder but was traded twice in February and eventually landed with the Bucks, where he was able to get more playing time.

The former 2022 lottery pick from France averaged 11 points per game in 30 appearances for the Bucs at the tail end of last season.

Dieng has a lot of potential, which was flexed at times with the Bucks last season. On Feb. 12 against his former team, the Thunder, Dieng scored 19 points while grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out six assists. He scored a career-high 36 points with 10 assists and seven rebounds in Milwaukee’s 119-113 loss to the Houston Rockets on Apr. 1.

Dieng will likely have an opportunity to earn some minutes now that Giannis Antetokounmpo has been traded to the Miami Heat. The Bucks will have him in the mix on a team-friendly deal as they figure out how to navigate the post-Giannis waters.

Brew Hoop community, how do you feel about Dieng’s return? Let us know in the comments section below.

When Dusty May left Michigan for the Dallas Mavericks just months removed from a national title, speculation grew about how the NIL and transfer portal era in college basketball impacted his decision. He previously made his concerns clear about the landscape.

Speaking with reporters Monday during his introductory press conference, May said the landscape was not a “big reason” for his move to the pros. But he admitted how much things have changed during his coaching career and that he can focus on Xs and Os in the NBA.

May spoke highly of the people in the Mavericks’ facility and said they helped seal his decision as he gets ready to take over the franchise. As he looks ahead to his next chapter, he made it clear his desire to keep his focus on the court rather than issues away from the hardwood.

“I wouldn’t say a big reason,” May said. “The big reason are the people in this facility, first and foremost. It’s much more complicated than it used to be. I love teaching, I love coaching, I love being a part of a team. In college basketball, you don’t get to do near as much of that as you used to. So there are some things that I’m not going to miss about college basketball. But I wouldn’t be here without our players, without our staff. Had an unbelievable 25 [or] 27 years, whatever it’s been, in college athletics.

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“But excited for this opportunity and to do the things – I think we all know, as people, the things you love to do, you typically do them well. So I’m just excited to dive in, spending more time on the things that I enjoy doing every day, and work with passion on.”

Dusty May: ‘NIL era is a segue into the NBA’

By taking the Mavericks’ job, Dusty May became the first active college coach to leave for the NBA since John Beilein left Michigan for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019. As a result, he’s the first to do so in the NIL era.

But May argued the modern college landscape with NIL and the transfer portal can make for an easier transition. He also noted the similarities in playing style between the two and how that can set him up for success.

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“When I left FAU to go to Michigan, I felt like that changing landscape and the magnitude of our FAU program was a segue to Michigan,” May said. “And I feel like the last five years of the NIL era is a segue into the NBA where we weren’t coaching professional players, per se, where they’re under contract. But they were getting paid. The same problems – not at the same scale – but similar problems, similar issues, similar challenges. The game is closer than ever. College, NBA, the G-League. Stylistically, they all look very, very similar, if you’re playing modern basketball.

“And as far as all the other things, you’re never ready. It’s like being a parent. You’re never prepared, you’re never ready. But hopefully, you’ve prepared and done everything in your power to tackle all the challenges. The last five years, it’s been a very similar game on and off the court.”

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavaliers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been stuck between two timelines since the Donovan Mitchell trade back in 2022. They were a young team when that deal was made, but quickly grew into having expectations after acquiring a perennial All-Star talent.

That timeline was bumped up even more when they swapped out Darius Garland for a decade older James Harden. That move allowed the Cavs to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2018, but also significantly impacted their runway for sustained success.

Even Mobley’s ascendance as a rookie is one of the contributing factors that led to the Cavs parting with their draft capital to land Mitchell. That said, he hasn’t grown into the player Cleveland has needed him to be to get through the Eastern Conference. There were many at the time who hoped Mobley would take the reins and become the best player on a contender.

Mobley has proven to be a great player at 25 years old. You don’t accidentally become a Defensive Player of the Year and an All-NBA Player without being great. However, it’s fair to wonder if Mobley is going to keep progressing into the superstar big that many hoped he would become as recently as a year ago. And if he doesn’t, can the Cavs become a championship-level team?

This week’s question is simple. Has Evan Mobley reached his ceiling as a player? Or can his game still reach another level?

Let us know in the survey below, and tell us why you voted how you did in the comments.

The 2026 NBA Draft is over, and free agency is underway. With all the comings and goings throughout the league overall, it can be hard to keep up with who is actually on the Philadelphia 76ers roster from day to day.

So, use our tracker below to help you stay up-to-date on the Sixers’ roster as free agency (and the offseason as a whole) continues!

Current Sixers’ standard roster (14 of 15 filled)

Updated 7/6/26 at 9 a.m. ET

Dominick Barlow, F

Adem Bona, C (fully non-guaranteed)

Johni Broome, C

Jaylen Brown, F

VJ Edgecombe, G

Justin Edwards, G

Joel Embiid, C

Ariel Hukporti, C

Tyrese Maxey, G

Labaron Philon Jr., G (No. 22 pick of 2026 NBA Draft)

Anfernee Simons, G

Dalen Terry, G (fully non-guaranteed)

Dean Wade, F

Jabari Walker, F

Current Sixers’ two-way contracts (2 of 3 filled)

Caleb Love, G

Rayan Rupert, G

Breaking news just keeps coming out of Los Angeles. On the day where the topic of conversation has been LeBron James and his decision to not return to the Lakers, the other LA team got busy in the headlines.

The Los Angeles Clippers executed a deal with the Toronto Raptors to send them Kawhi Leonard in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, one pick swap and two second-round picks, according to multiple reports.

Leonard is coming off a career year where he averaged 27.4 points per game in his 14th NBA season. He returns to the Raptors, a familiar scene for Leonard, who won the 2019 championship and Finals MVP in Toronto.

As for LA, they lose a bonafide superstar but also bring back a player familiar with the area. Ingram was drafted by the Lakers as the No. 2 overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft and now returns to southern California a decade later. Additionally, they bring in Dick, who has high basketball IQ, moves without the ball and can knock down 3-pointers at an elite level.

The cherry on top is all of the picks that Clippers accumulated: two firsts, two seconds and an added pick swap.

The Clippers lose star power, but Ingram and Dick will prove to be good fits around Darius Garland and Benedict Mathurin, who arrived midseason last year following trades. Appearing in 77 games during the 2025-26 season, Ingram averaged 21.5 points on 47.7% shooting, including 38% from 3-point distance.

It's rare that trades actually benefit both team and address areas of need. This is one those rare cases. USA TODAY Sports grades the blockbuster swap.

More: Clippers roster and starting lineup after Kawhi Leonard trade

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As the basketball world awaits LeBron James' free-agency decision, NBA championship odds show which of his potential suitors have the best chance to win next season's title.

Key Takeaways

• The Golden State Warriors are the betting favorites to land James.
  
  
• Of all teams linked to the superstar, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers have the best title odds.
  
  
• The Lakers fell to +4,500 in odds after it was announced James would be departing.

James and the Los Angeles Lakers confirmed the end of their eight-year tenure Tuesday, when free-agent negotiations are allowed to begin. This marks the fourth time that James is leaving his team, following stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-10 and 2014-18), Miami Heat (2010-14), and the Lakers (2018-26).

News of James’ departure sent the Lakers plummeting to +4,500 in FanDuel's odds to win the NBA Finals - good for just 14th in the league.

Reports suggest the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Cavaliers, and Heat could be interested in his services.

"I'm told this is a happiness-led decision for LeBron James. ... Wherever he lands in free agency, it will not be driven by money."@ShamsCharania joins @malika_andrews with more details about LeBron James' decision to not play with the Lakers next season. pic.twitter.com/nvWxbAyZiw

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 30, 2026

The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski also noted that James has been a long-time supporter of Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards, with whom he won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics.

The betting favorite in LeBron James’ next team odds, the Warriors, supposedly have the strongest interest in acquiring the 41-year-old. James also reportedly has an interest in playing with former Lakers teammate Anthony Davis alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. 

Even if verbal agreements made over the next week, nothing can become contractually binding until July 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET.

Finals odds for potential suitors

The general assumption is that James will play for a team that has a real chance of securing him a fifth championship of his soon-to-be-24-year career. 

Among the teams linked to James, the Timberwolves and Cavs have the shortest title odds at +2,200. Those odds still only carry a 4.4% implied chance, albeit without James being counted on their rosters.

One of James’ former teams, the Heat, is close behind at +2,700 odds (3.6% chance) following their trade acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo. James won back-to-back titles with the Heat in 2012 and 2013.

The Warriors are immediately behind the Heat at +3,000 (3.2% chance). They were crowned NBA champs as recently as 2022.

The Wizards, a largely unexpected team that could be in the mix, have the longest odds among James' apparent suitors at +25,000 (0.4% chance). They just selected AJ Dybantsa with the first pick in the NBA draft, but they also have Anthony Davis on their roster as a means of possibly enticing James to sign on.

Tough road to title No. 5

Among NBA champions since 2015-16, the 2018-19 Raptors had the longest preseason odds, opening at +1,850, according to Sports Odds History. There are only four teams with odds shorter than that at the time of writing: the Oklahoma City Thunder (+270), San Antonio Spurs (+270), Boston Celtics (+700), and New York Knicks (+850), none of which have been linked to James.

James’ worst opening title odds in the last decade were assigned before the 2024-25 season, when his Lakers were only +2,500 (3.9% chance).

The Lakers’ +1,400 odds at this time one year ago would rank fifth among all teams presently.

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.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Austin Reaves has improved every year and is a wonderful success story not just for the Lakers, but for every undrafted player.

Thanks to his improved play each season, he was set for a big payday. While it was reported that the Lakers negotiated hard with Reaves, in the end, he agreed to a four-year, $185 million deal.

This makes Reaves a max player and the clear No. 2 for the franchise. Retaining him was always the best-case scenario, but did they nail the contract?

For our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we ask fans if the Lakers got the signing right when you look beyond the sticker price.

With reports indicating the Pistons were interested in offering Reaves a deal, perhaps all that matters is re-signing him and whatever that number ended up at is fine. After all, he is a max-level player and even if the ideal contract would be more team-friendly, players at Reaves’ level usually get paid what they want.

So, if that’s how fans are feeling, grading this as an A or a B is fair.

However, if you are skeptical that Reaves can truly be the No.2 without LeBron James on the Lakers to carry him when he falls, then maybe the deal isn’t one you like.

Not only did Reaves get a max contract, but he also has a player option for the final year. So, if it turns out he’s on a bad deal, he’ll likely opt in that summer, and LA will be stuck with the estimated $51.1 million bill. If he outplays that contract, he can opt out and get an even larger raise with the Lakers or another team.

It’s an interesting conversation, and we won’t actually know if it was a good contract for a couple of years. But what are your initial thoughts? Let us know by answering the poll above and leaving a comment below.

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

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The Lakers weren't the only team shifting the NBA landscape today. Right alongside the massive LeBron James fallout across town, the Clippers completely shook up the NBA championship odds by shipping Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto for a highly anticipated second stint with the Raptors.

While the Clippers reload with Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and a hefty haul of future draft picks, Toronto resets its deck for an all-out title push. By leaning back into their 2019 championship blueprint, the Raptors are injecting instant drama into the Eastern Conference hierarchy, laying down a direct challenge to the New York Knicks.

Despite that aspect, this move has increased the Raptors' NBA championship odds to 6% (+1566), but where does that slot them among other contenders?

Let's take a look.

NBA Championship odds 2026-27

Percentages courtesy of Kalshi, one of Covers' most trusted prediction market apps.

Raptors NBA title odds at a glance

		Win Probability
Raptors	+1566	6%

At 35 years old, Kawhi’s degenerative knee issues and chronic ankle sprains mean his availability is a permanent question mark. Even though he’s coming off a highly productive All-NBA campaign with the Clippers (averaging 27.9 PPG in 65 games), history shows he requires intensive load management just to make it to April intact.

Kawhi is entering the final year of his contract, carrying a massive $50.3 million cap hit. He is reportedly seeking a long-term contract extension beyond this season — something the Clippers refused to offer. Giving up premium foundational assets like Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and multiple draft picks for an aging, injury-prone superstar on an expiring contract could easily backfire if his health falters.

But rumors indicate that Leonard is highly receptive to the move and is open to signing an extension that would allow him to finish his career where he won his second Finals MVP. Returning to Canada wouldn't just be a temporary rental like 2018; it would be a definitive commitment to play out his remaining elite years and retire in a Raptors uniform.

"This is a real, balance-of-power shifting trade. This is the first major transaction that has changed the balance of power."@WindhorstESPN says the Raptors are ready to contend after trading for Kawhi Leonard 👀 pic.twitter.com/KYLK0IPNri

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 30, 2026

Raptors projected starting lineup

Kawhi Leonard gives Toronto a terrifyingly well-rounded core alongside Quickley, Barrett, and Barnes. Throw in the versatility of sophomore breakout Collin Murray-Boyles at small-ball center, and the Raptors instantly position themselves to hunt for a top seed in the East.

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.