Category: Basketball

Madison Square Garden Sports has moved to split the New York Knicks and New York Rangers into two separate, publicly traded companies — a move analysts say could finally unlock billions in trapped franchise value tied up under James Dolan’s sprawling sports empire.

MSG Sports said it confidentially filed an initial Form 10 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday as it advances a proposed tax-free spin-off that would separate the Knicks business from the Rangers business.

The Knicks entity would include the NBA franchise and the Westchester Knicks G League affiliate, while the Rangers company would house the NHL club and the Hartford Wolf Pack.

“This move has been a long time in coming,” Derek Reisfield, co-founder of MarketWatch and a former CBS executive who worked on NFL rights negotiations, told The Post.

“There has been a persistent gap in the stock value of MSG Sports to the private market value,” Reisfield said.

Forbes valued the Knicks at $9.75 billion last year, while CNBC recently pegged the franchise above the $10 billion mark amid soaring NBA media-rights expectations.

The Rangers, meanwhile, were valued by Forbes at $4 billion — making them the NHL’s second-most valuable franchise behind only the Toronto Maple Leafs.

MSG Sports, however, currently carries a public market valuation of roughly $8.5 billion — far below the combined estimated private-market value of the Knicks and Rangers.

Investors have long argued that Dolan’s complicated corporate structure obscured the true value of the teams.

MSG Sports said the transaction, if completed, would create two separate publicly traded companies. The company cautioned there is no guarantee the separation will be completed.

Still, the filing immediately fueled speculation over whether Dolan could ultimately cash out of one or both franchises after decades of insisting the teams were not for sale.

“Will one of the teams get sold, that’s not clear,” Reisfield said. “But having separate entities will either allow partial sales of individual teams to raise money, or the entire sale of one of the teams.”

Sports franchise valuations have exploded in recent years as billionaires and private equity firms pour money into scarce marquee assets. Reisfield noted that the teams’ ties to MSG remain a complicating factor because the arena’s operating permit expires in 2028.

“The arena is a huge component of a sports franchise’s value and cash driver,” he said. “Many of the sports teams are really two businesses now, a sports team and a real estate development company.”

The Garden is owned separately through Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. — a structure that has long raised questions among investors over lease agreements, shared expenses and how cash flows between Dolan-controlled entities.

In 2023, the company renamed itself to Sphere Entertainment Co. and spun off its traditional live entertainment venues — including Madison Square Garden arena, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre and the Chicago Theatre — into a newly created company that took the name MSGE.

MSG Sports on Monday touted the proposed split of the Knicks and Rangers as a way for investors to “more clearly evaluate each company’s assets and growth prospects” while providing “enhanced strategic and financial flexibility.”

Shares of MSG Sports were trading at around 0.75% higher as of 2 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday. Sphere Entertainment’s stock price was down nearly 2%.

Shares of MSGE were up 0.51% just before the close of Monday’s trading session on Wall Street.

An MSG spokesperson declined to comment further beyond the company’s statement.

When talking to Sixers media for the first time last week, Bob Myers said he’d like to have a new front office boss in place by the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23.

Myers, a longtime executive with the Golden State Warriors and the president of sports for HBSE, is currently running basketball operations for the Sixers while searching for a candidate to lead day-to-day operations.

Over the weekend, renowned NBA insider Marc Stein put out a few names he’s hearing as candidates. (As always, we strongly suggest subscribing to Stein’s newsletter and reading it in full.)

Onsi Saleh was the first name mentioned. Saleh is currently the GM of the Atlanta Hawks, but spent time working under Myers with the Warriors. Saleh would be quite the get for Myers, but it doesn’t seem likely. The biggest hurdle is the Sixers would need to get permission from the Hawks to even get an interview. That seems highly unlikely after Atlanta’s success this past season and the foundation Saleh has built there. This feels similar to when Josh Harris and company began sniffing around Daryl Morey when he was still with the Houston Rockets. The Rockets denied the Sixers’ request for an interview.

The other two candidates are interesting for very different reasons.

One of the names brought up was Vince Rozman. Rozman was hired by Sam Hinkie all the way back in 2013 and stayed with the Sixers in various roles through much of the front-office turmoil over the last decade. In 2022, he left the franchise to pursue an opportunity working under Sam Presti for the Oklahoma Thunder. Rozman is currently still serving in his role as VP of identification and intelligence, primarily overseeing the organization’s draft evaluation and strategy.

The 2020 NBA Draft was Morey’s best night running the Sixers. He got off the contracts of Al Horford and Josh Richardson while acquiring Danny Green and Seth Curry. He also selected Tyrese Maxey, Isaiah Joe and Paul Reed. If you recall, Morey was hired mere weeks before the draft. The man charged with draft prep and getting Morey up to speed was Rozman. Of all the gettable names tossed around, Rozman might be the most intriguing. He has experience, familiarity with the organization (though he’s been detached enough to come in with clear eyes) and is currently working under arguably the best executive in the business.

The other name brought up was longtime executive Neil Olshey. Olshey boasts an impressive and varied resume, but he comes with legitimate red flags. When he was serving as the lead executive for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021, he came under investigation following reports of a toxic work environment. He was fired by the organization later that year.

He was also mired in a bit of controversy over his decision to hire Chauncey Billups as head coach in 2021. Billups was accused of raping a woman in 1997 while playing for the Boston Celtics. Billups and teammate Ron Mercer were not criminally charged, but both settled civil suits in 2000. Olshey insisted the organization did its own investigation and felt comfortable hiring Billups. During Billups’ introductory press conference, Olshey shut down any questions related to the accusations.

Aside from all that, Olshey is 61 years old and has never gotten a team to the NBA Finals. Bringing him on would feel like Morey 2.0 with unnecessary baggage. It would be a fairly uninspiring hire.

While Stein didn’t suggest he was a candidate for the main job, he did talk about Jameer Nelson as a person the organization is high on and would like to keep around — and possibly elevate. The St. Joe’s alum, who spent 14 years in the NBA, was hired by the Sixers to serve as assistant general manager of their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, back in 2020. He was promoted to assistant GM of the Sixers in May of 2025.

Depending on the future of Elton Brand, who’s still in his role as the team’s GM, it feels like there’s a possibility of a new president of basketball operations with Nelson serving under them as the team’s GM or even the VP of basketball operations.

It hasn’t even been a full week since Morey was let go, so expect more names and possibilities to be thrown out in the coming weeks. We’ll update you when any new reports surface.

Update: Stein has added two more names to the list.

Gansey has spent his entire career as an executive with the Cavaliers, beginning in 2012 as the team’s director of developmental league operations. He became GM of Cleveland’s G League affiliate, the Charge, and won league’s Executive of the Year Award in 2017. He was promoted to GM of the Cavaliers under president of basketball operations Koby Altman ahead of the 2021-22 season. Cleveland will be playing the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, a place the Sixers haven’t been in over 25 years.

U’Ren was in our initial list of possible candidates we published the day after Morey was let go. Here’s what we wrote about him:

Yet another candidate with an interesting background, U’Ren started his NBA journey as a video coordinator with the Phoenix Suns back in 2009. He then moved on to the Golden State Warriors as manager of advanced scouting and special assistant to the head coach in 2014. The team’s general manager at the time — Bob Myers. U’Ren is famously credited for the Warriors’ Death Lineup, which helped the team to a title. He was promoted to director of basketball operations in 2018, working under Myers.

In 2023, he was hired as general manager of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. He helped turn an aging team that finished 9-31 in 2003 to a WNBA Finals appearance last season. The Myers’ connection is there, but U’Ren is a pretty intriguing candidate in general. Is he ready and willing to make the leap to an NBA gig such as this? We’ll see.

The inclusion of guys like Gansey and U’Ren would make it an even bigger disappointment if they hire someone like Olshey or another retread candidate. This franchise needs fresh blood and fresh eyes to lead it into the future.

Well, it’s been several years since we did this—since 2022—but now that the Bucks will be making their highest draft pick in a decade, it’s time to bring back an old favorite: our community draft board. Back when we last undertook this project, Milwaukee was picking 24th overall and chose MarJon Beauchamp (we skipped 2024, which is my bad), so let’s hope for a better outcome this time at no. 10. We also haven’t had the opportunity to count down from no. 1 overall since 2019, which was odd since the Bucks had the 30th pick that year!

Anywho, for those who are new to the site or don’t remember, this takes a similar form to our yearly Ranking The Roster series. Each day, we’ll post a new poll asking who you’d pick among all available prospects if you were drafting at that particular spot, removing names one by one until we get to the Bucks. The following day, we’ll evaluate the winner of the poll as a player and his potential fit. But since Milwaukee is at 10 and there are a variety of names who could rise into that range based on the combine, we’ll go a little longer.

Of course, there is a chance this is all moot because the Bucks end up trading whoever is picked at 10, which they would technically have to wait to do until after it’s made. They could also trade up or down in the draft, perhaps netting more than one 2026 first-rounder if it’s the latter. And who knows, with the ongoing Giannis uncertainty, they could end up with an even higher pick somehow. For now, though, let’s go with the current state of the roster and the 10th overall selection.

Without further ado, here is our first poll. If you were drafting first overall, who would you pick? Check back tomorrow morning for the winner and tell us who you’d pick if they were drafting second. We’ll generally keep these open for 24 hours.

It’s a real hoops scream.

Die-hard Knicks fans on Long Island who were psyched up for the hometown hoopsters in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals this week are being forced to stay home or shell out big bucks — thanks to the Long Island Rail Road strike that has grounded thousands.

“You’re looking at a $1,500 night,” said Huntington Knicks superfan Julie Moss Silver, who told The Post she’s going to have to plunk down $350 for a car service just to get to MSG for the game.

“It’s a real problem,” Moss Silver said. “I wonder if at the negotiating table they’re thinking about the Knicks as well, and what kind of money [the MTA is] going to be leaving on the table.”

The Knicks’ matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers kicks off Tuesday at the Garden, the final hurdle to get to the NBA Finals with a chance to win a title for the first time in 53 years.

There is some potential “good luck” though — the Knicks won the Eastern Conference title in 1994, the same year as the last LIRR strike, a viral X post noted on Sunday.

New York ultimately lost in the NBA Finals to the Rockets in a memorable seven-game series.

But the current LIRR walkout has left many fans on the bench.

“[The MTA] has until game one of the Eastern Conference Finals to figure this s–t out,” fumed 17-year-old fan Jordan Phillips of Bay Shore, who has been dreaming of seeing his team in the playoffs.

For Knicks fan Pat Fazio, a retired NYPD cop from Commack, it’s just not worth the trouble.

“I would love to, but I just can’t,” he said. “You could have given me floor seats and I wouldn’t go.”

With the railroad shut down, Fazio said he could drive to the game, which means leaving at 3:30 p.m. for the 8 p.m. tip-off — not counting the time it could take to find a garage or parking spot in Manhattan.

Taking a bus would mean a nightmare three-hour ordeal with a stop in Queens along the way.

Either way, he estimates that would get him home exhausted after 1 a.m.

“I said, ‘No thanks,’” Fazio said. “I’d rather watch on TV.”

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In possibly the most highly anticipated series of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder kick off the Western Conference Final tonight.

To get you ready for the action, our computers have been working overtime to bring you the best NBA player prop projections.

It's all part of our full Spurs vs. Thunder predictions and NBA picks for Monday, May 18.

Spurs vs Thunder computer picks for Game 1

Spurs	Thunder
Fox o16.5 points +100	Hartenstein o7.5 points -110
Vassell o11.5 points -112	Dort o5.5 points -130
Wembanyama o1.5 threes -110	Gilgeous-Alexander u6.5 assists -105

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Spurs Game 1 computer picks

De'Aaron Fox Over 16.5 points (+100)

Projection: 17.61 points

Some books have De'Aaron Fox's scoring line listed at 15.5, but we're getting even money on him clearing 16.5 at bet365. Either way, Fox is projected to go Over the number as he's expected to flirt with 18 points tonight.

The San Antonio Spurs guard has 16+ points in nine of his last 10, and is averaging 21.6 points per game over his last five road games.

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Devin Vassell Over 11.5 points (-112)

Projection: 12.84 points

While Devin Vassell has only gone Over 11.5 points in five of his last 10 games, he fared better against the Timberwolves than the Trail Blazers, topping this number in four of six.

The Spurs have the highest-scoring offense on the road over the last 25 away games, and all hands will need to be on deck against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Victor Wembanyama Over 1.5 made threes (-110)

Projection: 2.01 made threes

Victor Wembanyama didn't take a ton of shots from deep against the Trail Blazers, but he hit 2+ threes in three of his six games against the Timberwolves.

When it comes to treys, the Spurs' remarkable 37.5% rate of converted threes when playing on the road settles in as the fifth-highest in the league over the last 20 games.

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---

Thunder Game 1 computer picks

Isaiah Hartenstein Over 7.5 points (Odds)

Projection: 9.53 points

Despite coming up short in the series-clincher vs. the Lakers, Isaiah Hartenstein has topped 7.5 points in eight of 10, including eight straight before the last game.

The Thunder will likely see a spike in opportunities in this contest from sharing the court with the fifth-speediest tempo offense in the league over the last five games.

Projections are generally bullish on Hartenstein, expecting him to also go Over his 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists line.

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Lu Dort Over 5.5 points (-130)

Projection: 7.33 points

This is such a low number, and while Lu Dort has missed it on occasion, he's still nabbed at least six points in seven of his last 10 games.

Similar to Hartenstein, the Thunder are expected to distribute scoring in a tougher matchup, looking for contributions up and down the roster against San Antonio.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 6.5 assists (-105)

Projection: 6.03 assists

This may be a bit of a sweat, especially as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has finished north of 6.5 assists in eight of his last 10.

But this is a massive step up in competition, and the Thunder's fifth-worst offensive rebounding offense may be exposed by the Spurs, while SGA becomes more of a scorer than a facilitator.

In four games against the Spurs this season, SGA finished with fewer than seven assists three times.

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How to watch Spurs vs Thunder Game 1

Location	Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Date	Monday, May 18, 2026
Tip-off	8:30 p.m. ET
TV	NBC

Not intended for use in MA.
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The best of the West are going head-to-head.

Starting Monday, May 18, NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder take on Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.

Fans hoping to get in on the action to what pundits are calling “the real NBA Finals” can still grab last-minute tickets for all seven potential Thunder and Spurs home games.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on tickets at OKC’s Paycom Center was $192 including fees on SeatGeek.

Prices start at $309 including fees at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center.

Ahead of this pressure-cooker series, the Thunder steamrolled past the Suns and Lakers in the first two rounds of the postseason, sweeping both clubs. Their closest game was when they won by a mere five points against LA to clinch the Semifinals.

As for San Antonio, they bruised their way past the Blazers and Timberwolves to advance to their first post-Popovich Western Conference Finals since 2017 when they got swept by the Warriors.

Oddly enough, they may have the upper hand this time around.

Over the course of the 2025-26 regular season, Mitch Johnson’s Spurs won four of their five meetings against Mark Daigneault’s Thunder.

“We know what they’re capable of,” Daigneault said. “It’s an opponent that is incredibly worthy. We’re going to need to be our best to beat and we understand that.”

Still, oddsmakers are giving OKC the edge.

“Despite their success in the regular season against the defending champs, the Spurs are heavy +210 underdogs to upset the Thunder, who are -260 to get back to the NBA Finals at DraftKings Sportsbook,” The Post reported.

That being said, reporter Dylan Svoboda did note “this series has the makings of a much tighter battle than the odds suggest.”

Don’t miss this one live. You just might witness hardwood history.

For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs 2026 Western Conference Finals.

Oklahoma City Thunder playoff home game tickets

A complete calendar, including all announced Thunder Western Conference Finals home game dates and the best prices on tickets, can be found here:

San Antonio Spurs playoff home game tickets

All Spurs Frost Bank Center playoff home game dates and the cheapest tickets available can be found below.

How to watch the Thunder vs. Spurs on TV

Fans hoping to catch SGA and Wemby duke it out on the tube can watch all first-round playoff games on MSG, ABC, ESPN, TNT, Prime Video, NBC, and NBA TV.

Just make sure to review your local listings before tuning in.

If you don’t have cable, your best bet may be DIRECTV.

About Thunder-Spurs

As noted above, the Thunder and Spurs played five times in the 2025-26 season.

The first game, which went down on Dec. 13, was the only one that was close.

In that contest, San Antonio won 111-109 after coming back from a 31-20 deficit at the end of the first quarter and dealt OKC their second loss of the year.

Wemby and co. continued their winning ways in games 2 and 3 with statement 130-110 and 117-102 victories.

On Jan. 13, the Thunder notched their sole win against the Spurs when SGA led the club to a commanding 119-98 victory. The 6’6 guard scored 34 points, snagged five rebounds, dished five assists and, perhaps most impressively, recorded four blocks.

San Antonio rebounded and won the fifth game 115-105on Feb. 4.

2026 NBA playoff schedule

Been meaning to see how the postseason has shaken out?

Check out the NBA’s 2026 playoff bracket here to catch up.

Huge artists on tour in 2026

Not sure what to do once the final buzzer sounds on the 2025-26 NBA season?

We’ve got you covered.

Many of the biggest names in music will be out and about all summer long.

Here are just five of our favorites you won’t want to miss live.

• J. Cole

• Earth, Wind, and Fire with Lionel Richie

• Daniel Caesar

• Don Toliver

• A$AP Rocky

Want to see who else is Big Apple-bound? Check out our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2026 to find the show for you.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

OG Anunoby is practicing. Whether he plays in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals is still uncertain.  

The New York Knicks forward was a full participant in Monday’s practice, coach Mike Brown told reporters. He stopped short of saying Anunoby would be available for Game 1 on Tuesday, May 19 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brown deflected when asked about his availability by saying he takes his cues from the medical staff.  

The Knicks have reason to be cautious.  

Anunoby hurt his left hamstring late in a win over Indiana in the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals. He missed the next four games before returning for Game 7, only to be pulled after just five minutes when it became clear he lacked mobility. The Knicks seemed to have learned their lesson about rushing him back.  

NBA conference finals predictions, odds: Experts pick series winners

Donovan Mitchell puts Game 7 Jarrett Allen over Warriors' Game 6 Klay Thompson originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The NBA playoffs have countless historic performances, and according to Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen’s play in win-or-go-home games is up there with the best.

For the Warriors, “Game 6 Klay” is a highly regarded moniker given to Klay Thompson following his 41-point explosion against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference semifinals.

Thompson knocked down a then single-game playoff-record 11 3-pointers as he helped lead the Warriors from the brink of elimination and eventually onto the NBA Finals.

While that’s all fine and dandy, Mitchell didn’t hesitate after Cleveland’s 125-94 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday when asked whose performance was better – Thompson’s Game 6 or Allen’s Game 7.

“I mean Game 7 [Jarrett Allen],” Mitchell said. “Come on, he’s two-for-two.”

Allen finished the semifinal series against the Detroit Pistons with 23 points and seven rebounds to help lead the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference finals.

Prior to that, the 28-year-old big man had a 22-point, 19-rebound night in the first round to send the Toronto Raptors home.

That stat line only has been accomplished by six players since 1996, with Allen joining the ranks of Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki and Dikembe Mutombo.

Two heroic performances, a decade apart. NBA fans will have to wait and see if Allen can have another one of those games – if needed – to help Cleveland move on.

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The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder open their Western Conference finals series. Oklahoma City, the defending NBA champion, has yet to lose a game in these playoffs, sweeping the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers in the first two rounds. San Antonio beat the Portland Trail Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games and six games, respectively, to advance to the West finals.

How to watch San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

• Date: Monday, May 18

• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT

• Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

• TV Channels: NBC, Pea

• Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Odds

• Spread: Oklahoma City Thunder -6.5

• Moneyline: Oklahoma City Thunder -241 (67.7%) / San Antonio Spurs +196 (32.3%)

• Over/Under: 219.5

Series schedule

Game 1: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Monday May 18, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)
Game 2: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Wednesday May 20, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)
Game 3: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (Friday May 22, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)
Game 4: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (Sunday May 24, 8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)
Game 5: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Tuesday May 26, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)*
Game 6: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (Thursday May 28, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)*
Game 7: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (Saturday May 30, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)*

* if necessary

A slice of pizza from Joe’s, a bagel from Zabar’s, a dirty water dog — only in New York. Getting gouged $100,000 for a ticket to a basketball game — also, only in New York. Knicks fans who are dying to see their team return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 are facing some of the most astonishing prices imaginable on the secondary market. Prices for the first home game of the finals at Madison Square Garden have gone through the stratosphere, and even nosebleed seats are selling for an eye-watering price.

Tickets for the Eastern Conference Finals are going for upwards of $500 in the upper deck against the Cavaliers, but <a href="https://www.stubhub.com/new-york-knicks-new-york-tickets-6-3-2026/event/160286427/?backUrl=%2Fnew-york-knicks-tickets%2Fperformer%2F2742that’s chump change compared to a prospective NBA Finals game.

Some of the worst seats in the house are selling for over $4,000, with a seat (almost) courtside selling for a ludicrous $77,371. The worst part: Tickets are selling at these prices. This isn’t simply some scalpers trying to get their bag, as a ticket on the right side of courtside sold over the weekend for over $102,000.

The sickening prices are a product of the secondary market gone mad, which has become all too common for, well, everything. Sites that once existed as a way for fans to re-sell tickets to games they could attend have become the breeding ground for grifters, working as part of large computer farms to buy up tickets as soon as they go on sale to everything and then re-list at a higher price. It’s all well and good to enjoy the schadenfreude when a game’s value collapses and they have to eat a loss, but unfortunately, this is the exception and not the rule.

The volume with which resellers operate at means that in the long run, they come out ahead, especially when it comes to the courtside seat example, which would have sold at approximately $7,000 when first listed, ridiculous in its own right, but who cares when someone is willing to re-buy at $100K due to FOMO.

It’s just nice to know that amidst rampant inflation, food insecurity, soaring housing prices, and families struggling to afford childcare, there are people who can spend $100,000 on a ticket to a basketball game. It’s truly the glorious future the founding fathers envisioned for us.

Houston Rockets phenom Amen Thompson is eligible for a contract extension this offseason for up to five years at $251 million.

That’s the most the Rockets can offer, but there’s reason to believe Houston would not want to give him that much money, given how much they have to spend elsewhere. Houston Chronicle reporter Varun Shankar believes the Rockets won’t offer a full max contract to Thompson this offseason.

“Do not expect Amen Thompson to get a max contract extension. Such a contract would pay him a quarter of the salary cap over the next few seasons, but the impressive guard/forward still faces enough questions about his shot and eventual offensive profile. That, combined with the Rockets’ precedent of getting relatively team-friendly extensions, should keep him in the ballpark of 20-23% of the salary cap,” Shankar wrote.

Thompson and his camp have a right to push for a max extension, scoring 15 points in all six games of the playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, including 26 points in Game 3.

During the season, Thompson averaged a career-high 18.3 points per game while also establishing himself as one of the best defenders in the league. He is only 23 years old, so the sky is truly the limit for him and what he can achieve as he continues to grow in the NBA.

The Rockets value him highly and should look to pay him a max contract, or very close to it.

TDS community, should Thompson get the max this offseason? Chime off in the comments section below.

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In a matchup that felt inevitable, the top two seeds will clash in the Western Conference Final, and Game 1 tips off tonight.

The MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and their runners-up will all be on the floor tonight as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder host Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center.

Our Spurs vs. Thunder props break down some of the night’s most favorable values, giving you my best NBA picks for Monday, May 18.

It's all part of our full Spurs vs. Thunder predictions for Game 1 of the Western Conference Final.

Best Spurs vs Thunder props for Game 1

Player	Pick
Stephon Castle	Over 5.5 assists	-160
Devin Vassell	Over 2.5 made threes	+150
Isaiah Hartentstein	Over 18.5 PRA	-120

Game 1 Prop #1: Stephon Castle Over 5.5 assists

-160 at bet365

Stephon Castle has found the ball in his hands a lot this postseason, and he ranks second on the San Antonio Spurs in usage rate and first in assists.

Among players with at least 10 games played, Castle’s 6.1 assists per game are tied with Jalen Brunson for fifth-most, and his 28.9% assist percentage is 10th among players with 30+ minutes per game.

Castle has hit 6+ assists in six of 11 games overall and three of five road games, and with De'Aaron Fox banged up, the second-year man could see an uptick in playmaking responsibilities.

Game 1 Prop #2: Devin Vassell Over 2.5 made threes

+150 at bet365

Devin Vassell is only shooting 32.3% from beyond the arc this postseason, but his career 37.2% mark from deep means that there is room for positive regression in the Western Conference Final. 

Vassell can enjoy improved efficiency against a Thunder team that’s allowed the seventh-most efficient 3-point shooting (36%) and fifth-most made 3-pointers (12).

The volume is there for Vassell, whose 65 triples are the 10th-most in the playoffs. If he can improve his shooting percentage in this favorable matchup, Vassell can reach three triples and cash this plus-money prop.

Game 1 Prop #3: Isaiah Hartenstein Over 18.5 points + rebounds + assists

-120 at bet365

The Spurs, and Victor Wembanyama in particular, limited Chet Holmgren in the regular season. Holmgren’s 16.5 Usage Rate and 10.5 points per game against the Spurs were his lowest marks against any team.

Conversely, Isaiah Hartenstein’s 19.7 Usage Rate against the Spurs was his fourth-best mark.

Wembanyama’s defensive attention will likely remain focused on his rival, Holmgren, who can stretch the floor. Hartenstein, as a result, should see less of Wemby, allowing him to stay productive in the paint.

Hartenstein has gone for 19+ PRA in five straight games and six of his last seven.

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.

The Washington Wizards have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. They recently acquired Trae Young and Anthony Davis who will be around a young core that features Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and the No. 1 pick. But let’s say that the Wizards are a team that players do NOT want to get traded to. In fact, when polled about the No. 1 team they wish they would NOT go to, the Wizards ranked No. 2. The Memphis Grizzlies were the runaway … winners with 35.8 percent of the vote of a 120 player survey.

You can read more about it here by Sam Amick, Josh Robbins and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

Despite the Wizards’ front office trying to rebuild the team from the ground up, it’s clear that Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger and Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins have work to do. Here are some hypothetical reasons why players wouldn’t want to be traded to the Wizards:

• The Wizards have a losing culture (until I hope the 2026-27 season) — Washington hasn’t won 50 games since 1978-79. They have gone through their worst three year losing stretch since Winger came to town. Even if the tear down WAS intentional, the end result is a team that loses and loses. We’re optimistic that that changes next season. But given the last few years, it’s harder to argue that Washington doesn’t have a losing culture.
• A player who gets traded to the Wizards is likely a stepping stone for someone or something else — Since Winger took over, there have been some notable players in Wizards uniforms like Jonas Valanciunas or CJ McCullom. But they were traded out when a pick became available. If you’re an existing NBA player and you get traded, you want to feel valued by the team who acquires you. Given Washington’s tank-at-all-costs philosophy over the last three years, if you’re a veteran or even a player in his mid 20s who gets traded to Washington, you already have a feeling that you’re only playing here for a few weeks to a season before Dawkins trades you again for something else. Players, even role players, want to feel valued for more than as a tuture trade chip.
• Political environment of DC — Well, there is always the perception that D.C. is about political drama.

Now, look. Do I honestly think that the Washington area is undesirable to live in or work in? No. But there are costs to the strategy the Wizards took since Winger and Dawkins took over. And here’s an excerpt of the Amick/Robbins/Vardon article on that:

The Wizards finishing second [in this survey] is not a surprise. The team has not won 50 games in a season or reached the Eastern Conference finals since 1978-79. Its 17-65 record as it tanked this season likely perpetuated the losing-franchise narrative.

Washington’s current front office has attempted to change perceptions over the last three years, investing heavily in basketball-operations staffing and franchise infrastructure and overseeing a long-overdue renovation of Capital One Arena, beginning with the home and visitors’ locker rooms.

Anthony Davis, who was traded to the Wizards in February, said during a news conference last month that outside views of the franchise are inaccurate.

“I can personally say now it’s not what people think or what people make it seem,” Davis said. “Yes, the losing is part of it, so people kind of tie that with the organization. But the organization within itself is totally different from what people think they’re seeing.”

Hopefully, the Wizards will be a team players want to play for (or get traded to) in the not-too-distant future.