Category: Basketball

Kings reportedly eyeing Russell Westbrook, Tyus Jones in NBA free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings are on the hunt for a point guard.

After trading Davion Mitchelllast offseason and then trading De’Aaron Foxto the San Antonio Spurs this past season, Sacramento’s options at the ‘one’ have been limited.

After NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Tuesday that the Kings were in the market for 31-year-old Dennis Schröder, The Athletic’s Sam Amick followed on Wednesday night that the Kings could be in the market for another pair of NBA veterans, Tyus Jones and Russell Westbrook.

“The Kings indeed have serious interest in veteran Dennis Schröder,” Amick wrote. “That is, of course, if he doesn’t get something done with the Detroit Pistons first (league sources say he’s been in talks on that front this week). Fellow free agents Tyus Jones and Russell Westbrook are also known to be options that the Kings are considering.”

Westbrook declined his option with the Denver Nuggets and Jones entered free agency after one season with the Phoenix Suns.

Jones signed a one-year deal with the Suns in 2024 and averaged 10.2 points and 5.3 assists per game – both were less than his season prior, which he played with the Washington Wizards.

The 29-year-old likely would fit in better with Sacramento given his age and the fact that the Kings still are planning to build around center Domantas Sabonis and forward Keegan Murray.

As for the former MVP Westbrook, the 36-year-old had his ups and downs with the Nuggets and averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game with Denver.

Both players could give the Kings significant help at the point guard position, as Malik Monk struggled as the designated ball-handler during the second half of last season. He had issues keeping possession of the ball and averaged a career-high 2.4 turnovers per game on the season, but an even worse 3.1 turnovers per game following the Fox trade in February.

Sacramento’s free agency hunt for a point guard is sure to be a busy one and that officially will start on June 30.

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Drummond reportedly picking up his option to stay with Sixers  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CAMDEN, N.J. — Andre Drummond’s mind didn’t change over the last couple of months.

The veteran center will exercise his $5 million player option for the 2025-26 season to stay with the Sixers, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported Friday.

Drummond indicated he’d likely return at his exit interview.

“There’s more work to do,” he said on April 13. “There’s stuff that’s missing that I haven’t completed here yet, which is winning at the highest level. And I still feel that way now. I think we still have the pieces to win at the highest level and think I can be a big part of that, too. 

“So my plan is to come back. Obviously, whatever happens in the offseason, happens. But my immediate plan is to be back here.”

The other two Sixers with player options are Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.4 million) and Eric Gordon (veteran’s minimum, $3.5 million). On Wednesday night, No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe said that he’s “teammates now” with Gordon, who he’s played alongside on the Bahamian national team. 

Drummond’s 2024-25 season was disrupted by a nagging left big toe injury. The 31-year-old big man played in 40 games and averaged 7.3 points and 7.8 rebounds.

Backup center has tended to be an important spot for the Sixers because of superstar Joel Embiid’s injury woes. Outside of Drummond, the Sixers are young at the position. Adem Bona will be entering his second NBA season next year and Johni Broome is now in the mix after going at No. 35 overall in the draft. 

Warriors, Kings 2025 NBA Summer League game dates, times, TV info released originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Following the conclusion of last night’s second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, basketball fans now can shift their focus to the NBA Summer League in the coming weeks.

The NBA released the Summer League schedule and TV broadcast information on Friday, which will take place from July 10-20 in Las Vegas.

While the Warriors will also compete in the seventh annual California Classic from July 5-8, Kings fans will have to wait until the Las Vegas event to watch new draft picks Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud take the floor in royal purple.

Golden State fans, on the other hand, will have plenty of opportunities to watch second-round draft picks Alex Toohey and Will Richard in action, though both the Warriors’ and Kings’ rosters are yet to be announced.

In addition to three California Classic matchups, the Warriors are set for the following matchups in Las Vegas:

• Friday, July 11 vs. Portland Trail Blazers at 8 p.m. PST (airing on ESPN2)
• Sunday, July 13 vs. Utah Jazz at 7 p.m. PST (ESPN2)
• Tuesday, July 15 vs. Memphis Grizzlies at 7 p.m. PST (NBA TV)
• Thursday, July 17 vs. Toronto Raptors at 7 p.m. PST (NBA TV)

Meanwhile, the Kings’ schedule is as follows:

• Thursday, July 10 vs. Orlando Magic at 4:30 p.m. PST (NBA TV)
• Saturday, July 12 vs. Chicago Bulls at 5 p.m. PST (NBA TV)
• Monday, July 14 vs. Phoenix Suns at 7 p.m. PST (ESPNU)
• Wednesday, July 16 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers at 12:30 p.m. PST (ESPN2)

Both Sacramento and Golden State will play at least one more game in Las Vegas between July 18-20, which will be determined based on their results in the four prior contests. If either team qualifies for the playoffs between the top four teams, their fifth game will be a semifinal on Saturday, July 19. A win there means a berth for an extra, sixth contest in the Summer League championship game on Sunday, July 20.

All games will take place at either the Thomas & Mack Center or Pavilion on the UNLV campus in Las Vegas.

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Assessing Warriors' roster position-by-position ahead of 2025 NBA free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Wheels already are in motion. Texts are being sent, and calls are being answered. 

Even before the conclusion of the 2025 NBA Draft on Thursday night, offseason chaos already woke up from its year-long slumber. Everybody is looking up at the champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and for the Warriors, a handful of other teams are in their way. 

Their second star was added months ago in the form of Jimmy Butler. They also can’t run back the same exact roster and see themselves as immediate contenders. As the Warriors look to land on their final answer of what Jonathan Kuminga’s future is, only nine players from last season’s squad currently are under contract. 

Kuminga will be given a qualifying offer by Sunday’s 2 p.m. PT deadline, giving them the chance to match any contract another team agrees to with him as a restricted free agent. 

Teams officially can begin negotiating with players on Monday at 3 p.m. PT. Until then, here’s a look at the Warriors’ current roster days ahead of free agency.

Guards (3)

Shortly after Butler’s arrival, Brandin Podziemski settled into the starting lineup next to Steph Curry in the backcourt. Buddy Hield remained a Sixth Man, and then started the Warriors’ final nine games in the playoffs. That wasn’t as a Podziemski replacement, though. 

Those three are the only guards under contract for the Warriors. Moses Moody can play shooting guard depending on what the roster is as well. The most notable loss from last season’s roster would be Gary Payton II, who is an unrestricted free agent.

Pat Spencer is a restricted free agent and still is two-way eligible, even after being converted to a standard contract late last season. After being signed by the Warriors to a two-way contract in February out of Australia’s NBL, Taran Armstrong is a restricted free agent who will play summer league for Golden State.

Forwards (4)

As mentioned, Moody is listed as a forward for this exercise. The Warriors’ entire offseason could be dictated by his draft classmate Kuminga, whose fit in the frontcourt remains an oddity. 

Headliners here obviously are Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, the cerebral enforcers that make the Warriors’ new Big Three alongside Curry. The lone forward left is Gui Santos. The Warriors have a team option on Santos’ contract, but they will pick that up unless he’s part of a trade. 

Kevin Knox is a name to watch at the back end of the roster. He’s a restricted free agent the Warriors could re-sign on a cheap contract. His attitude and development earned praise from the staff and front office. Braxton Key was converted to a standard contract for the playoffs and remains two-way eligible, as does Jackson Rowe, who will play summer league for the Warriors. 

Centers (2) 

Yes, Green remains the best five-man on the roster. Yes, he still will see minutes there. No, the Warriors don’t want Draymond to be their starting center.

And all of this feels like the same track on a loop. 

Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post are the Warriors’ centers under contract, giving the position a giant question mark yet again. Going into Year 3 as a second-round pick, Jackson-Davis’ contract is non-guaranteed. Post has a team option entering his second season after being taken in the second round of last year’s draft that will be picked up.

Then there’s the possible reality of saying goodbye to one of the most respected Warriors in a long, long time. Kevon Looney always is a forever Warrior and fan favorite. Looney is an unrestricted free agent after a decade with the Warriors. 

Rookies (2)

One second-round pick became two for the Warriors when general manager Mike Dunleavy traded the No. 41 overall pick to the Phoenix Suns for No. 52 and No. 59. The Warriors landed on forward Alex Toohey from the NBL at 52, but Dunleavy wasn’t done making moves. He liked Florida shooting guard Will Richard enough to move up three spots, taking him at No. 56. 

Dunleavy after the draft said Toohey, 21, and Richard, 23 in December, could both possibly have roster spots at the start of the season. There’s always a strong chance one of the two is signed to a two-way deal, but having cheap contracts on your books from young players that can crack the rotation would be a draft dream for the Warriors.

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Assessing Warriors' roster position-by-position ahead of 2025 NBA free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Wheels already are in motion. Texts are being sent, and calls are being answered. 

Even before the conclusion of the 2025 NBA Draft on Thursday night, offseason chaos already woke up from its year-long slumber. Everybody is looking up at the champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and for the Warriors, a handful of other teams are in their way. 

Their second star was added months ago in the form of Jimmy Butler. They also can’t run back the same exact roster and see themselves as immediate contenders. As the Warriors look to land on their final answer of what Jonathan Kuminga’s future is, only nine players from last season’s squad currently are under contract. 

Kuminga will be given a qualifying offer by Sunday’s 2 p.m. PT deadline, giving them the chance to match any contract another team agrees to with him as a restricted free agent. 

Teams officially can begin negotiating with players on Monday at 3 p.m. PT. Until then, here’s a look at the Warriors’ current roster days ahead of free agency.

Guards (3)

Shortly after Butler’s arrival, Brandin Podziemski settled into the starting lineup next to Steph Curry in the backcourt. Buddy Hield remained a Sixth Man, and then started the Warriors’ final nine games in the playoffs. That wasn’t as a Podziemski replacement, though. 

Those three are the only guards under contract for the Warriors. Moses Moody can play shooting guard depending on what the roster is as well. The most notable loss from last season’s roster would be Gary Payton II, who is an unrestricted free agent.

Pat Spencer is a restricted free agent and still is two-way eligible, even after being converted to a standard contract late last season. After being signed by the Warriors to a two-way contract in February out of Australia’s NBL, Taran Armstrong is a restricted free agent who will play summer league for Golden State.

Forwards (4)

As mentioned, Moody is listed as a forward for this exercise. The Warriors’ entire offseason could be dictated by his draft classmate Kuminga, whose fit in the frontcourt remains an oddity. 

Headliners here obviously are Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, the cerebral enforcers that make the Warriors’ new Big Three alongside Curry. The lone forward left is Gui Santos. The Warriors have a team option on Santos’ contract, but they will pick that up unless he’s part of a trade. 

Kevin Knox is a name to watch at the back end of the roster. He’s a restricted free agent the Warriors could re-sign on a cheap contract. His attitude and development earned praise from the staff and front office. Braxton Key was converted to a standard contract for the playoffs and remains two-way eligible, as does Jackson Rowe, who will play summer league for the Warriors. 

Centers (2) 

Yes, Green remains the best five-man on the roster. Yes, he still will see minutes there. No, the Warriors don’t want Draymond to be their starting center.

And all of this feels like the same track on a loop. 

Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post are the Warriors’ centers under contract, giving the position a giant question mark yet again. Going into Year 3 as a second-round pick, Jackson-Davis’ contract is non-guaranteed. Post has a team option entering his second season after being taken in the second round of last year’s draft that will be picked up.

Then there’s the possible reality of saying goodbye to one of the most respected Warriors in a long, long time. Kevon Looney always is a forever Warrior and fan favorite. Looney is an unrestricted free agent after a decade with the Warriors. 

Rookies (2)

One second-round pick became two for the Warriors when general manager Mike Dunleavy traded the No. 41 overall pick to the Phoenix Suns for No. 52 and No. 59. The Warriors landed on forward Alex Toohey from the NBL at 52, but Dunleavy wasn’t done making moves. He liked Florida shooting guard Will Richard enough to move up three spots, taking him at No. 56. 

Dunleavy after the draft said Toohey, 21, and Richard, 23 in December, could both possibly have roster spots at the start of the season. There’s always a strong chance one of the two is signed to a two-way deal, but having cheap contracts on your books from young players that can crack the rotation would be a draft dream for the Warriors.

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More moves coming? What's next for Celtics after roster-altering week originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics roster overhaul that many expected has begun in earnest. And it likely will continue.

The first dominoes fell earlier this week, when the Celtics parted with veterans Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis Porzingis in two reported trades that freed up roughly $27 million in cap space for next season and helped them dip under the second apron of the NBA’s luxury tax.

As of Friday, however, Boston sits just $4.5 million below the second apron and can’t go over that threshold for the remainder of the offseason and regular season. So, if the Celtics want to retain pending unrestricted free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet — or make any notable roster moves, really — they need to trim even more salary.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Boston is expected to “remain active in the trade market” going forward, as MassLive’s Brian Robb reported Friday.

So, when might these trades happen, and who might be involved? Let’s explore a timeline for possible deals, followed by three hypothetical scenarios for how the Celtics can “regain flexibility,” a phrase president of basketball operations Brad Stevens mentioned several times in his press conference following the 2025 NBA Draft.

Timeline for potential trades

NBA free agency unofficially begins Monday, June 30, when teams can begin negotiating with free agents from other clubs. If the Celtics have a strong desire to keep Horford and/or Kornet and believe there will be significant interest from other teams, they may be motivated to complete deals on or before next Monday to free up the cap space necessary to re-sign their veteran big men.

Another factor to note: The Holiday and Porzingis trades won’t become official until July 6, when the new league year officially begins. So, if the C’s want to move either Anfernee Simons (acquired in the Holiday trade) or Georges Niang (acquired in the Porzingis trade) before July 6, they could simply expand the existing framework of those deals to bring in additional teams.

Scenario 1: Trade Simons and/or Niang

As mentioned above, Boston can gain further cap savings if it finds a trade partner for either Simons or Niang.

The former is set to make $27.7 million in the final year of his contract and has value as a microwave scorer (20.7 points per game over his last three seasons), while the latter is on an $8.2 million expiring deal and could appeal to a contender looking for a versatile veteran with a strong 3-point shot (40.6 percent last season).

A deal involving Niang could be a straight salary dump, while a Simons trade likely would involve the Celtics taking back salary, since few teams can absorb a $27.7 million cap hit. The C’s need frontcourt depth after dealing Porzingis, so perhaps they’d look to bring back a big man in a Simons deal.

Scenario 2: Trade Sam Hauser

The trade market for Hauser reportedly was “robust” entering the draft, and while no deal materialized, there are plenty of teams that could benefit from a career 42 percent 3-point shooter who’s set to make $10 million in the first year of a four-year, $45 million contract extension.

With Jayson Tatum sidelined for most or all of the 2025-26 season, Hauser could provide plenty of value if he stays in Boston. But if the Celtics believe second-year wing Baylor Scheierman can give them some of that value at a lower cost ($2.6 million cap hit), then it makes sense to explore moving Hauser and saving up to $10 million against the cap.

Scenario 3: Multi-player trade

Now that the Celtics are under the second apron, they can aggregate contracts in trades, meaning they could deal both Hauser and Niang, for example, in a single trade to a team with $18 million in cap space.

Big man Xavier Tillman Sr. is another name to watch in this scenario. While he’s on a favorable deal ($2.5 million expiring contract), he averaged just 7.0 minutes per game last season as the odd man out in Boston’s frontcourt.

If the Celtics don’t plan on expanding Tillman’s role, perhaps they’d include him in a trade involving Simons, Niang or Hauser as an additional asset.

Masai Ujiri out as Raptors president and vice chairman after 13 years with team originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Toronto Raptors had a major shakeup in their front office just one day after the 2025 NBA Draft concluded.

The franchise parted ways with president and vice chairman Masai Ujiri, who spent 13 years with the organization.

“During his 13 seasons with the Raptors, Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it,” Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement. “He brought an NBA championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city, and ourselves. We are grateful for all he has done and wish him and his family the very best.”

Ujiri, 54, joined the Raptors in 2013 as executive vice president and general manager. He was promoted to team president in 2016 and surrendered his responsibilities as GM in 2017. He was entering the final year of his contract with the Raptors.

In his role, Ujiri helped guide the Raptors to their first championship in franchise history in 2019 by swinging a trade for Kawhi Leonard in July 2018.

While Leonard only stayed in Toronto for one season, he made it count. The Raptors made their first NBA Finals in 2018-19 and defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games to cement their first and only title.

The Raptors have only made the playoffs twice since Leonard left in July 2019 to join the LA Clippers in free agency. The team finished 30-52 in 2024-25, missing out on the NBA Play-In Tournament. It landed the No. 9 pick in the draft and used it on South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles.

The Raptors said their search for Ujiri’s replacement will begin immediately. Other key front office personnel will stay in place, with GM Bobby Webster getting a contract extension.

“We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby and his team, is in a great place,” Pelley said. “They have a plan in place for next season and beyond as the team continues its rebuild, and we have confidence in their ability to execute and ultimately, to excel.”

Masai Ujiri out as Raptors president and vice chairman after 13 years with team originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Toronto Raptors had a major shakeup in their front office just one day after the 2025 NBA Draft concluded.

The franchise parted ways with president and vice chairman Masai Ujiri, who spent 13 years with the organization.

“During his 13 seasons with the Raptors, Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it,” Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement. “He brought an NBA championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city, and ourselves. We are grateful for all he has done and wish him and his family the very best.”

Ujiri, 54, joined the Raptors in 2013 as executive vice president and general manager. He was promoted to team president in 2016 and surrendered his responsibilities as GM in 2017. He was entering the final year of his contract with the Raptors.

In his role, Ujiri helped guide the Raptors to their first championship in franchise history in 2019 by swinging a trade for Kawhi Leonard in July 2018.

While Leonard only stayed in Toronto for one season, he made it count. The Raptors made their first NBA Finals in 2018-19 and defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games to cement their first and only title.

The Raptors have only made the playoffs twice since Leonard left in July 2019 to join the LA Clippers in free agency. The team finished 30-52 in 2024-25, missing out on the NBA Play-In Tournament. It landed the No. 9 pick in the draft and used it on South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles.

The Raptors said their search for Ujiri’s replacement will begin immediately. Other key front office personnel will stay in place, with GM Bobby Webster getting a contract extension.

“We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby and his team, is in a great place,” Pelley said. “They have a plan in place for next season and beyond as the team continues its rebuild, and we have confidence in their ability to execute and ultimately, to excel.”

Britain's Amari Williams has been drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics after being chosen as the 46th overall pick.

The 23-year-old becomes the third English-born active player in the NBA, joining Brooklyn Nets' forward Tosan Evbuomwan and OG Anunoby of the New York Knicks.

Born in Nottingham, Williams attended Myerscough College in Lancashire before moving to Drexel University and the University of Kentucky in the United States.

The 7ft centre spent the first four of his five-year college career with the Drexel Dragons, where he was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year three times.

He then transferred to Kentucky, averaging 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Wildcats last season.

The first British-born player to feature in the NBA was Chris Harris, who represented St. Louis Hawks and Rochester Royals in the 1955-56 season.

San Antonio Spurs' Jeremy Sochan also has British links, having been born in the United States but raised in England and played for multiple English sides, most notably Southampton-based Solent Kestrels.

Williams' arrival adds some much needed front-court depth to the Celtics, who are the most successful team in NBA history having won a record 18 championships.

He is the second player to join the team in the 2025 draft after Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez, who was selected from Real Madrid as the number 28 pick in the first round on Wednesday.

Celtics' Summer League roster taking shape after three post-draft additions originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics have imported a handful of new faces over the last 48 hours.

The 2025 NBA Draft was Boston’s busiest since 2020, as the Celtics made three selections while swinging a second-round trade. The team selected Spanish guard Hugo Gonzalez in the first round at No. 28 overall, then dealt the No. 32 overall pick to the Orlando Magic for pick No. 46 (Kentucky big man Amari Williams) and pick No. 57 (VCU guard Max Shulga) in addition to two future second-rounders.

Whether Gonzalez will join the Celtics at the 2025 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is unclear, as the 19-year-old is still playing overseas for Real Madrid in Spain. But according to multiple reports, Boston did sign a trio of undrafted rookies to participate on its Summer League squad: Penn State forward Zach Hicks, Gonzaga forward Ben Gregg and St. John’s guard Aaron Scott.

Here’s a bit more detail on those three players, followed by a projected look at the Celtics’ Summer League roster:

Zach Hicks, forward, Penn State

• Age: 22
• Height, Weight: 6-foot-8, 205 pounds
• 2024-25 stats: 11.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 47.1 FG%, 41.3% 3PT

Hicks spent his first two college seasons at Temple before transferring to Penn State for his junior and senior years. He posted college career highs in several categories as a senior last season, surpassing the 40 percent 3-point threshold for the first time.

Ben Gregg, forward, Gonzaga

• Age: 22
• Height, Weight: 6-foot-10, 230 pounds
• 2024-25 stats: 9.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.3 apg, 57.1 FG%, 27.1% 3PT

Gregg spent his entire five-season college career at Gonzaga and improved his field goal percentage in each of the last four seasons. Gregg’s 3-point rate dipped from 37.7 percent to 27.1 percent as a senior, however, and he played just 19.9 minutes per game in his final season.

Aaron Scott, guard, St. John’s

• Age: 21
• Height, Weight: 6-foot-7, 205 pounds
• 2024-25 stats: 8.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 38.9 FG%, 29.3% 3PT

Scott spent the first three seasons of his college career at the University of North Texas before transferring to St. John’s prior to his senior year. The Texas native struggled with his shot during his final season with the Red Storm.

Projected Celtics Summer League roster

The team should finalize this roster in the coming days before the Summer League begins on July 10, but here’s our best guess for what the squad could look like, assuming Gonzalez joins them in Vegas at some point:

• Baylor Scheierman
• Jordan Walsh
• Miles Norris (two-way contract)
• Drew Peterson (two-way)
• Hugo Gonzalez (rookie)
• Amari Williams (rookie, two-way)
• Max Shulga (rookie, two-way)
• Zach Hicks (UDFA rookie)
• Aaron Scott (UDFA rookie)
• Ben Gregg (UDFA rookie)

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Masai Ujiri out as Raptors president and vice chairman after 13 years with team originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Toronto Raptors had a major shakeup in their front office just one day after the 2025 NBA Draft concluded.

The franchise parted ways with president and vice chairman Masai Ujiri, who spent 13 years with the organization.

“During his 13 seasons with the Raptors, Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it,” Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement. “He brought an NBA championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city, and ourselves. We are grateful for all he has done and wish him and his family the very best.”

Ujiri, 54, joined the Raptors in 2013 as executive vice president and general manager. He was promoted to team president in 2016 and surrendered his responsibilities as GM in 2017. He was entering the final year of his contract with the Raptors.

In his role, Ujiri helped guide the Raptors to their first championship in franchise history in 2019 by swinging a trade for Kawhi Leonard in July 2018.

While Leonard only stayed in Toronto for one season, he made it count. The Raptors made their first NBA Finals in 2018-19 and defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games to cement their first and only title.

The Raptors have only made the playoffs twice since Leonard left in July 2019 to join the LA Clippers in free agency. The team finished 30-52 in 2024-25, missing out on the NBA Play-In Tournament. It landed the No. 9 pick in the draft and used it on South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles.

The Raptors said their search for Ujiri’s replacement will begin immediately. Other key front office personnel will stay in place, with GM Bobby Webster getting a contract extension.

“We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby and his team, is in a great place,” Pelley said. “They have a plan in place for next season and beyond as the team continues its rebuild, and we have confidence in their ability to execute and ultimately, to excel.”

After 2025 NBA Draft, Warriors' real work begins with free agency, trades originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – One more time. One more chance to conquer the mountain. One last race to glory. The odds are long, the competition fierce, yet it’s the only goal ahead of the Warriors.

Training camp for Golden State’s front office ends Monday, when NBA free agency begins. Having browsed the draft, adding two rookies who will be spectators for what’s ahead, general manager Mike Dunleavy and his lieutenants now grab hard hats and dive into the real work.

Through trades and free agency, the Warriors will try to navigate their way to a roster capable of making an honest attempt to lift Stephen Curry & Company to the top of the league. The quest begins by addressing the question posed Thursday by former Golden State GM Bob Myers in his role as NBA analyst on ESPN:

Can you make it through the West?

Priority one for the Warriors is working through the Jonathan Kuminga conundrum. Talented player, but four seasons into his career, still a misfit on the roster. The market for him is not hot, per league sources, but it’s enough for the possibility of movement. Golden State’s surest path seems to be turning Kuminga – and more – into a couple players who might not match his gift for spectacle but are more seamless fits with the core of the roster.

The Warriors are expected to make a qualifying offer to Kuminga by 2 p.m. Sunday, as that would give them the right to match any offer coming his way in restricted free agency.

“I think for both sides, we’d like to get something figured out as soon as possible,” Dunleavy said Thursday night. “But that’s the way it goes. Sometimes, there’s restriction in free agency. So, we’re not going to stress out about it too much. The main thing is making the right decisions, figuring the whole thing out, whether that’s Day 1 or Day 10, or whatever. Got to be prepared to take it as far as it goes.”

The Warriors have more needs than Kuminga, on his best day, can provide. Gary Payton II’s point-of-attack defense slipped in the postseason, so that’s a need. Curry’s hamstring injury in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals exposed their paucity of shooting, particularly off the bench. And, yes, there is a need for an imposing presence in the paint.

These needs were reflected in Golden State’s exit from the playoffs, and they were reflected in the latest championship odds for the 2026 NBA season.

Nine teams have better odds than the Warriors, and five of them are in the West: Reigning champion Oklahoma City (favored), Houston, Denver, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota. San Antonio and Golden State are locked in a tie. Teams in the East are Cleveland, New York, Orlando – yes, the Magic – and Boston, which is auctioning off parts of a roster that eight months ago was celebrating ring night at TD Garden.

The Warriors are stuck at the distant end of the NBA’s hallway of contenders, with 30 percent of the league between them and the prize.

Glancing at the current roster, it seems altogether reasonable to forecast a sixth-place finish in the West for the Warriors.

It’s abundantly clear that today’s Golden State roster can’t be, and won’t be, the roster that shows up for training camp. The star trio of Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green fills Golden State’s glass only half full. Those who fill the other half will dictate how high this team will fly. Future draft picks are available, because they’re of no use in 2025-26.

No longer can the Warriors sell themselves as they did in the glory days, when they’d seduce coveted free agents by pitching Young Steph, their delightful vibe and the lure of a ring. They destroyed the competition for Kevin Durant, one of the more attractive free agents in American sports history. How preposterous was it that Leandro Barbosa, David West and Zaza Pachulia put their signatures on contracts for the veteran’s minimum?

Or that in March 2019, Andrew Bogut came out of semi-retirement in Australia to sign a pro-rated, vet-minimum deal to rejoin the squad with three weeks left in the regular season?

It’s a different day, and the Warriors know it.

“I think our roster will be good,” Dunleavy said, with confidence, Thursday night. “Deep.”

To achieve that, you’re going to need coveralls, boots, gloves and hard hats. Time to grind.

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