Category: Basketball

The NBA "vetted and approved" the $300 million sponsorship deal between Aspiration and the Los Angeles Clippers more than eight months before the company struck a separate endorsement agreement with Kawhi Leonard. The NBA is now investigating the latter agreement under claims of salary cap circumvention.

The latest reporting on the case comes via Baxter Holmes and Bobby Marks at ESPN and dives into the initial sponsorship deal between the Clippers and Aspiration, a "green bank" company that team owner Steve Ballmer invested $50 million in around the same time. From the report:

Two sources with direct knowledge of the arrangement said the Clippers submitted the 23-year agreement to the NBA for approval before it was announced in September 2021, as required under league rules because it contained a jersey patch component, the sources said...

"Teams vet their own sponsorship partners and negotiate their own sponsorship agreements," NBA spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement to ESPN. "Given the jersey patch's inclusion on player jerseys and its level of exposure across game telecasts, the league reviews and approves jersey patch arrangements pursuant to league rules that are intended to avoid potential brand issues or conflicts with league partnerships."

The other thing the league looks into is the viability of the company — can it live up to the financial obligations of the sponsorship deal? On paper in 2021, Aspiration looked like it could, which is why Ballmer and other billionaires were investing in it. Within a couple of years, Aspiration had fallen apart, the sponsorship deal with the Clippers had been canceled, the company had filed for bankruptcy, and its CEO Joe Sanberg had pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud.

All of this is separate from the allegation that Ballmer and the Clippers used Aspiration and its $48 million endorsement deal with Leonard to skirt the salary cap and get the Clippers star more money, an allegation investigated and made by the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast. The NBA has hired the law firm of Wachtell Lipton, Rosen & Katz to investigate the claim that this was a "no show" endorsement deal — there is no public evidence at this point of Leonard having done any work, made any appearances or done any social media posts for Aspiration — used to circumvent the NBA's salary cap and get more money to Leonard (and his family, including his uncle and business manager Dennis Rodgers). There is a lot of circumstantial evidence for the Clippers to explain, including Clippers minority owner Dennis Wong investing $2 million in Aspiration in late 2023 — when it was clear the company was failing — and Leonard getting a $1.75 million endorsement check days later.

Through all of this, the Clippers and Leonard have vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

"I mean, the NBA is going to do their job. None of us did no wrongdoing," Leonard said at Clippers media day. "And, yeah, I mean, that's it. We invite the investigation ... I understand that full contract and the services that I had to do. Like I said, I don't deal with the conspiracies or the clickbait analysts or journalism that's going on."

That same day, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said, "We feel very, very confident we're on the right side of this."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said the burden of proof is on the NBA to show there was something amiss. The league's investigation is expected to last months, very likely into 2026 (the ESPN report suggests it could take until after the 2026 NBA playoffs). Whatever the investigation finds, Silver must bring it to an independent arbitrator — agreed to by the NBA and the players' union — who will determine the next steps and whether Silver has enough to punish the Clippers or not.

Until then, expect the leaks of information to continue.

You can’t win your league in the first two rounds, but you can certainly set yourself up for success. Pairing two players that fit together is vital and will influence every pick for the rest of your draft in category leagues as you establish a build.

Using Yahoo ADP to determine the first 12 picks, I went through and drafted the best player to pair with them in round two. Since every draft will be different, I’ll also mention other options to consider, but the focus here will be on the best fit based on who is available, if all things go according to how I think they should.

Pick 12: G Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

Pair with: F Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets

The pairing may not have led to a championship for the Suns, but now that they’re no longer on the same team, they can make things work for you in fantasy. Booker should see a jump in production with Durant and Bradley Beal gone, and KD should help make up for any of Book’s inefficiencies. Both can provide well-rounded production while being among the league leaders in points, which gives you plenty of flexibility for the rest of your draft.

Other options: Donovan Mitchell, Stephen Curry, Tyrese Maxey

Pick 11: C Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

Pair with: G Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets

While I’m not a huge fan of taking Sabonis in the first round, starting your team with him and Amen and leaning into punting three-pointers gives you a strong direction. Not many centers provide the rebounds and assists that Sabonis does, and this gives you a strong field goal percentage immediately. Thompson’s defensive production makes up for Sabonis’ lack of steals and blocks, and you’ll have to figure out the free throws in later rounds, but this gives you an elite start in three categories and strong production in a handful more.

Other options: Alperen Sengun, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Williams

Pick 10: G Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

Pair with: G James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers

There aren’t many players that provide elite production in points, assists, free throws and threes like Young can. Of course, Harden is one of those players, and both have been able to provide at least one steal per game for a while, which helps. Both turn the ball over a ton and miss a ton of shots, which means it would be best to go ahead and punt those two categories; it probably isn’t worth your time to try and make up for those weaknesses. However, you can be dominant in a handful of categories.

Other options: Donovan Mitchell, Domantas Sabonis, Stephen Curry

Pick 9: C Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks

Pair with: G Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Under Mike Brown, Towns could take a hit in production if he spends more time playing alongside Mitchell Robinson, specifically on the glass. However, he’ll remain efficient and one of the best sources of three-pointers at the center spot. Add in the greatest shooter in league history, who is also able to provide value in a handful of other categories. Towns is a poor shot blocker for a center, so leaning into that as a punt build would be a good idea.

Other options: Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell

Pick 8: F Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks

Pair with: F Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers

AD doesn’t hit many threes, but he’s elite elsewhere. Pairing him with Mobley, who is also a decent passer for a big, sets you up for a nice build if you’re willing to punt triples and free throw percentage. Pairing these two bigs gives you dominance on the glass and defensively without setting you back in points and assists, which is difficult to find early on in your draft.

Other options: Chet Holmgren, Amen Thompson, Jalen Johnson

Pick 7: G Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

Pair with: G Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

Cunningham enjoyed a breakout season last year, with his main weakness being turnovers. Insert Mitchell, who doesn’t turn the ball over quite as much, but still provides plenty of points, rebounds, assists and threes. Mitchell is coming off a down season, but his bounce back should fit nicely next to Cade. Checking points and assists off this early is a great start.

Other options: Domantas Sabonis, Jalen Williams, Tyrese Maxey

Pick 6: G Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves

Pair with: G Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

Edwards adds something new every season, and last year, he became one of the most prolific shooters in the league. He provided dominant value in points and threes and was still decent everywhere else, aside from field goal percentage. Combining him with Maxey works well; the 76ers guard had a poor field goal percentage as well, but he provided elite points, threes, assists and steals. Starting with these two guards is an elite pairing to begin your draft.

Other options: Stephen Curry, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson

Pick 5: F Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Pair with: F Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks

Everyone knows how dominant Giannis can be, and his limitations are obvious; he isn’t going to provide threes, and he’s going to miss a ton of free throws. Johnson, who has been a subpar shooter, isn’t reliant on those categories to be a monster in fantasy. Pairing Giannis, who should be more productive than ever this season without as much help, with Johnson, who appears to be ready to take yet another step forward, gives you a clear direction for the rest of your draft.

Other options: Amen Thompson, Paolo Banchero, Domantas Sabonis

Pick 4: G Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers

Pair with: C Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets

Doncic provides dominant points, rebounds, assists and threes. Sengun gives you a big man that helps in three of those four categories. Both are subpar free throw shooters and pretty average providers of defensive stats. Sengun fits like a glove next to Luka, and everything from this offseason indicates that the Houston center could take a massive leap forward this year.

Other options: Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero, Kevin Durant

Pick 3: G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Pair with: F Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

SGA and JDub are an excellent fit on the court for the Thunder, and the same can be said in fantasy basketball. Both are well-rounded, which gives you a lot of flexibility for the rest of your draft. SGA is obviously one of the best players in fantasy basketball, so adding a player that doesn’t take away from any of his strengths, such as shooting percentages and steals, just helps make him more valuable.

Other options: Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Johnson, Amen Thompson

Pick 2: C Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Pair with: C Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

Why not pair one unicorn with another? Starting with these two basically gives you a win in blocks every week, but they’re both dynamic enough to still provide value in other categories and not have a clear weakness early on in your draft. Of course, you can’t really go wrong with anyone when you start with Wemby, which is why he’s a consensus top-three pick. Holmgren’s hip injury last season really limited his production, but being healthy to start this season should help him bounce back.

Other options: Evan Mobley, Jalen Williams, Scottie Barnes

Pick 1: C Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Pair with: F Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

You can’t go wrong when you start with Jokic. His well-rounded dominance allows you to build your team however you want. I’m not a huge fan of taking Banchero this early, but with a few of my other favorite options taken at this point, I think there’s a case to be made. Jokic makes up for Banchero’s shooting percentage limitations, and it leans into points, rebounds and assists, which are the strongest parts of Jokic’s game. But again, this one isn’t as strict; you can pair Jokic with anyone.

Other options: Jalen Williams, Alperen Sengun, really anyone

For the first time in NBA history, three brothers will be on the same roster.

The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to sign Alex Antetokounmpo to a two-way contract, having him join his brothers Giannis and Thanasis, who were already under contract with the team, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. This is the first time in NBA history that three brothers have been active on the same roster at the same time.

Milwaukee is familiar with Alex, who was with the team's G-League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, for two seasons, from 2022 to 2024. He played in 50 games for the Herd, coming off the bench in most games and averaging 5.8 points and three rebounds a night. Since then, he has played in Greece, Montenegro and Lithuania. Dedicated NBA fans may remember him from the 2022 All-Star Weekend, when Alex (then with the Raptors' G-League affiliate) teamed up with Giannis and Thanasis to compete in the All-Star Saturday night skills competition.

The Bucks are working hard to keep Giannis happy, as he heads into his 13th NBA season with the league watching him and his feelings about the franchise. Family is very important to Giannis, so you can bet the signing of Alex is not a coincidence, although it is defensible in that he's had G-League experience. Still, it's pretty clear what the primary goal with this signing is.

Champions, like Oklahoma City, preach continuity.

Continuity is boring. At least to many NBA fans it is — player movement is the lifeblood of the sport. The more the better. It's what drives ratings and draws eyeballs. This offseason saw a lot of players switch teams, but which of those moves will matter? Who are the players who changed teams that will have the biggest impact? Here are seven names to watch — and in the case of a few, we have fantasy basketball notes from our Rotoworld crew on how these moves can affect your teams.

Kevin Durant (Houston)

This was obviously the biggest player move of the offseason — 73% of NBA GMs voted Durant as the player acquisition that will make the biggest impact this season. Anyone who watched Houston last season — especially during their first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Warriors — realizes that for all the young athletes on their roster, the Rockets' halfcourt offense needed help.

Enter Kevin Durant. He is a walking halfcourt offense. He's one of the best pure shooters and scorers ever to play the game. As evidence, even in a down year in Phoenix last season, he averaged 26.6 points, shot 43% from 3-point range, plus grabbed six rebounds and dished out 4.2 assists a night. Durant is the guy the Rockets can run off a screen, get him the rock, and watch it rain buckets.

The only question is how much playmaking will fall to Durant with point guard Fred VanVleet out with a torn ACL? While Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard are playing the point and initiating the offense, it seems likely that Durant will handle much more of the shot creation than initially expected. He can handle it, but the Rockets are going to be better in the halfcourt with him off the ball.

Desmond Bane (Orlando)

The only more natural fit than KD in Houston this offseason was Desmond Bane going to Orlando — 17% of NBA GMs thought this was the most impactful offseason move, and it was voted the best under-the-radar acquisition by those same GMs.

The Magic lack shooting and need a bit more shot creation next to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. They get that in Bane — a career 41% shooter from beyond the arc — without giving up defense. Orlando is ready to win now, and spending to get Bane is the best sign that they are looking to take a big step forward in the East.

Myles Turner (Milwaukee)

This was the surprise move of the offseason for a couple of reasons. First, because Turner was a key part of Indiana's run to the Finals, why would ownership try to take a hard line on what they would offer one of the better stretch fives in the league? However, that surprise was nothing compared to the shock of the Bucks waiving and stretching more than $100 million of Damian Lillard's salary, then using that savings to sign Turner.

For the Bucks, at this point in their careers, Turner is an upgrade at center over Brook Lopez — but the pressure will be on him to do more. The entire league is watching Giannis Antetokounmpo and his mood, and if Turner isn't ready to be the No. 2 on this team and have them top five in the East, things get interesting.

Noah Rubin, Rotoworld: Myles Turner left Indiana after a decade with the Pacers to join the Bucks, and he'll fill out the starting center role that Brook Lopez occupied for most of the past seven seasons. During the last few years, Lopez was an elite source of three-pointers and blocks, while playing next to Giannis Antetokounmpo made up for his lack of rebounding prowess. Now insert Turner, who has similar statistical strengths and weaknesses. It's a flawless fit, but the Bucks didn't make many other moves this summer, which means Turner will likely be made more of a priority on offense. The 37-year-old Lopez played 31.8 minutes per game last season, which would be a career-high for Turner. He could easily be in for one of his most productive seasons.

Cameron Johnson (Denver)

For my money, this was one of the best pickups of the offseason. Denver doesn't give up anything on offense — Johnson put up 18.8 points a game last season while shooting 39% from 3, MPJ averaged 18.2 points and hit 39.5% from beyond the arc — but the Nuggets get a better defender and a more consistent player. Johnson is fast going to be a favorite of Nikola Jokic and Nuggets fans.

Kristaps Porzingis (Atlanta)

No team made a bigger bet on a player this offseason than Atlanta on Porzingis (except maybe Turner in Milwaukee). Atlanta needed a better rim protector in the paint and a pick-and-pop partner to pair with Trae Young. Porzingis is that, and he paired with the Hawks' other offseason additions (Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard) and getting Jalen Johnson back healthy, this is a Hawks team dreaming of a top-four seed in the East.

However, that dream hinges on Porzingis being healthy. He played in just 42 games last season, partly due to a mysterious virus (which he is reportedly over), and he has played in 65+ games twice in his 10-year NBA career. Atlanta needs him to do that again and be healthy for the playoffs.

Noah Rubin, Rotoworld: After two seasons in Boston, Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Hawks for pennies on the dollar. He battled a strange illness during the playoffs last year, and while health is certainly still a concern, Porzingis is an excellent fit next to Trae Young in Atlanta. They'll likely manage his minutes and games played, but he's had plenty of fantasy success without needing to play a heavy role. His floor-spacing ability at his size is going to open up driving lanes for both Trae and Jalen Johnson, and the entire offense will thrive as a result. This team has a chance to be incredibly dangerous in the East, and Porzingis' fit is a big part of that. He's also dynamic enough to share the floor with Onyeka Okongwu at times, which will allow both bigs to enjoy strong seasons.

Deandre Ayton (Los Angeles Lakers)

From the moment they traded for Luka Doncic, the Lakers started looking for a screen-setting, rim-running big man on offense who can also protect the paint on defense. They have signed Ayton, who has been those things in the past — he was the starting center on Phoenix's Finals team in 2021 — but has not always been consistent.

"He is gonna have a lot of responsibility this year for things that we want to do," Austin Reaves said of Ayton. "If we want to be as good as we think we can be, we need him to be at his best, whatever that looks like."

The Lakers have bet big this year that his best looks a lot like it did in Phoenix a few years back — he's averaged 7.3 points and 7.7 rebounds, plus 1.7 blocks a game and seems to be finding his way this preseason — and if it does the Lakers will have found their big man (and Ayton will have set himself up for a nice payday next summer).

Cooper Flagg (Dallas)

It feels like cheating to choose the No. 1 pick for this list (he did technically change teams from Duke to Dallas), but in a season that starts without Kyrie Irving for the Mavs, Flagg could have a massive impact.

Flagg's defense and all-around game can help Dallas not just make the playoffs this season but even make some noise once there. He's not going to be Luka Doncic out of the gate, but he can give Mavericks fans hope they can get back to the heights of this franchise.

Bonus name: Norman Powell (Miami), via Noah Rubin, Rotoworld: To start last season, Norman Powell was incredibly productive as one of the primary sources of offense for the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard sidelined. Now, he enters a similar situation, with Tyler Herro (ankle) out to start the season. Powell should get off to a hot start, and even after Herro returns, the Heat will still need Powell's offense to remain competitive. He was pushing for an All-Star appearance in the West last year, but in the East, he may actually be able to do it this season. Coming off the best season of his career, Powell may be able to replicate that production, and perhaps even improve on it.

As the NBA begins to ramp up in preseason, we have an exciting matchup on tap.

The defending NBA Champions, Oklahoma City Thunder, travel to Fiserv Forum to face the Milwaukee Bucks for a preseason game Tuesday night on Peacock at 7 p.m. ET.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Milwaukee Bucks team news, preview

The Thunder dominated the league all last season, winning 68 games in the regular season en route to an NBA Finals victory over the Indiana Pacers in seven games. Star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won MVP averaging 32.7 points and 6.4 assists per game. Young stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren shined in the postseason and earned big contract extensions this summer. Oklahoma City once again features a deep, versatile rotation with Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, Luguentz Dort, and Cason Wallace ready to defend their title in 2025-26.

The Bucks for the third straight season got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs a year ago after a 48-34 regular season, losing in five games to the aforementioned Pacers. With the Achilles injury to Damian Lillard forcing him off the floor for the foreseeable future, the Bucks' front office used every trick in the book to maximize this year's roster while still having a top three player across the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee waived and stretched Lillard's contract, the largest amount of money to stretch in league history, to sign former Pacers center Myles Turner in free agency. Other key players include Kevin Porter Jr., A.J Green, Gary Trent Jr., and Bobby Portis to provide perimeter shooting around Giannis.

How to watch Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Milwaukee Bucks - TV/stream info

• When: Tuesday, Oct. 14
• Where: Fiserv Forum — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Time: 8 PM ET
• TV Channel: Peacock

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