Category: Basketball

Bob Pettit, the first man to receive the NBA's MVP (most valuable player) award, has died aged 93.

Pettit won the award twice, in its first year in 1955-56 and again in 1958-59, when he topped the scoring charts in both seasons.

The Basketball Hall of Fame confirmed Pettit's death, describing him as "a true giant of the game" and "a sleek, skilled big man who revolutionised the forward position during his career."

He was also named an NBA All-Star in all 11 of his seasons and was the first player to reach 20,000 points.

"He raised the bar for excellence as the league's first MVP, first 20,000-point scorer and first four-time All-Star Game MVP," said the NBA.

Having starred for Louisiana State University (LSU), Pettit was signed by Milwaukee Hawks in the draft in 1954.

The team then moved to St Louis, and Pettit stayed with them for the rest of his career which included winning the NBA title in 1958 with victory over the Boston Celtics.

He reached two more finals with the Hawks in 1960 and 1961, and retired in 1965 with a career average of 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds per game.

Pettit was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971 and had his number 50 jersey retired at LSU in 1954. He was the first of their athletes to ever receive the honor.

LSU paid tribute to Pettit on their website, saying: "Pettit defined what the modern power forward should be in the NBA and set standards that have been hard to duplicate in professional basketball."

No cause of death was given.

The Spurs got to the Finals last season mostly on the strength of their core players. It’s typically how things go for contenders, since they are not expected to field a deep rotation as the playoff rounds go on. The strange thing is that the reigning Sixth Man of the Year was one of the guys who just couldn’t contribute as much as he was counted on to when on the floor.

Keldon Johnson played under 20 minutes in both the Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, and the Spurs were better with him off the floor against Oklahoma City while doing better with him playing in a much smaller role than he had in the regular season in the Finals. Something just wasn’t right for the longest-tenured Spur, and the timing of the struggles couldn’t have been worse.

Johnson is eligible for an extension but has not received one yet. It feels unlikely one is in the cards, but that was probably the case no matter what, as the Spurs deal with potentially getting past the tax line next season and need all the flexibility they can muster. Still, having a breakout year in a new role made Johnson seem like a core piece instead of a likely future casualty to the cap. The postseason issues, along with other developments, might have changed that equation.

The first thing to clarify is that Johnson didn’t do anything differently on offense in the playoffs. His shot chart is almost identical to the one he had in the regular season; his rebounding was good; he shot about the same from beyond the arc. His main problem came when he attacked the rim. He was atrocious from the restricted area, shooting a paltry 46 percent, a gigantic gap from the very solid 65 percent he shot in the regular season. The simple explanation is that he faced better rim protectors, and what worked against lesser competition didn’t work against top teams.

The tape is kinder to Johnson. Watching his forays to the rim, it’s clear that he couldn’t find the right touch, but he still used his body to try to create separation and some good looks, by his standards. A few of those shots just rimmed out. The problem for Johnson is that if he’s not having success attacking the rim, there’s nothing special about his game. He’s a good but not exceptional rebounder. He tries on defense but will never be a major plus on that end. The three-pointer averages out to being solid, but it’s anything but consistent, with some looks hitting nothing but net and others the side of the backboard. When the battering ram aspect of his game is missing, he loses his best trait.

Luckily for the Spurs (and probably bad for Johnson), Dylan Harper took over as the rim pressure provider off the rim. The rookie took 233 shots in the postseason, and 115 of them came in the restricted area, where he converted at a 66 percent clip. It was a breakout performance for Harper, who looked ready for a bigger role next season. Positionally, he doesn’t overlap with Johnson, but his driving ability, along with the other guards’, could move Keldon to even more of an off-ball role, as Harper likely becomes the new sixth man.

It could all work out for the best for Johnson and the Spurs. He shot 40 percent on threes in his third year in the league on good volume, so he could take advantage of the looks the guards create for him and get close to that number again. He’s also much better at attacking when he catches on the move than from a standstill, so he could turn kick-out passes into drives to maintain his threes-and-shots-at-the-rim-only diet. His role might get smaller, but he could become more efficient. Johnson has proved to be adaptable in the past, after all.

The question is, if his role does shrink, how good would he need to be both in the regular season and the playoffs to become a priority next offseason? Especially considering San Antonio has Julian Champagnie, Tobias Harris, and Carter Bryant in the books to compete with him for minutes now, and those three will be in the books next season, while Johnson’s contract expires after this one. His leadership gives him an edge over the others, at least in the locker room, but the money already committed to players could force Keldon to either take a smaller deal or leave the franchise that drafted him.

The 2026/27 season hasn’t even started yet, so it might seem premature to think about the free agency that comes after it, but with the current cap rules, it’s hard not to look ahead. Still, more important than figuring out how Johnson fits on the books in the future is determining what role he plays while he’s still under contract. The abundance of wings, the emergence of Harper as a potentially elite bench piece that would move Johnson down on the pecking order, and how well Johnson once again adjusts could impact his place in the rotation and, eventually, in the team’s plans going forward.

Looking at next year, Johnson could either be a key piece off the bench who thrives next to guards who push the pace and draw the attention of the defense or a bit player if Harris’ more well-rounded offensive game and Bryant’s defense and athleticism endear them more to the coaching staff. Either scenario seems just as likely. And even if Johnson plays well in the regular season, he’ll need to prove he can also get it done in the playoffs, or retaining him on anything but a very team-friendly deal would be hard to justify.

The contending Spurs have not faced many tough decisions yet. What happens with Johnson, a fan favorite and the team’s emotional leader, both this season and after it, could make the ugly aspects of trying to build a championship team finally become clear.

There was a point this summer when keeping track of the Celtics roster started to require an unreasonable amount of concentration.

Jaylen Brown is in Philadelphia. Paul George and Mitchell Robinson are in Boston. Mike Conley is somehow beginning Year 20 in a Celtics uniform. Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell joined through the draft, while Brad Stevens spent part of July locking up several young players already in the system.

Boston will also enter camp with one standard roster spot and one two-way spot unclaimed. For the five guys coming in on Exhibit 10 deals, there are actual chairs left when the offseason music stops.

So, before Media Day next week, let’s sort through who’s here and what any of them are actually competing for.

The sure things

• Jayson Tatum
• Derrick White
• Paul George
• Payton Pritchard
• Sam Hauser
• Neemias Queta
• Mitchell Robinson

Joe Mazzulla can probably write these seven names in pen.

On nights when they’re healthy, Tatum, White and George are locks to start. Queta should have the inside track at center after earning a new deal this summer. Robinson gives Boston a second real center and, more importantly, an offensive rebounder who can turn a missed shot into another possession by himself.

The fifth starter is less obvious.

Pritchard started plenty last season, but his scoring and sparkplugability (am I the first to use this word?) also make him valuable as a sixth man. Hauser has started alongside Boston’s core plenty of times before, and several younger wings will have a chance to make their case, too.

To me, it feels like Hauser probably has the most fragile grip on “sure thing” status here. The shooting will keep him around, but if González or Walsh gives Boston enough offense alongside better defensive versatility, or Scheierman starts bringing comparable shooting with more creation, his minutes could get squeezed pretty quickly.

George is the sure thing with the biggest asterisk. He won’t be expected to replicate Brown’s game despite being the return in the trade for him (plus picks), and at 36, Boston probably doesn’t want him trying. What the Celtics need is a healthy secondary creator who can shoot, defend and take some pressure off Tatum.

The center rotation should be deeper, too. Queta brings continuity, rebounding and steadily improving offensive skill. Robinson adds elite offensive rebounding, rim protection and a level of interior physicality Boston hasn’t consistently had in years.

The first seven names are easy. Figuring out who gets minutes eight through ten? Not so easy.

The young guys ready to fly

• Hugo González
• Baylor Scheierman
• Jordan Walsh
• Ron Harper Jr.
• Chris Cenac Jr.

There probably aren’t five rotation spots available here. There might only be two come playoff time. Which makes this less about whether Boston’s young players are ready and more about which of them makes it hardest for Mazzulla to keep him on the bench.

González has an obvious path to minutes. His defense, size, physicality and motor already made him useful as a rookie. The question is whether his offense improves enough to keep him on the floor for longer stretches.

Scheierman probably enters camp with the clearest offensive case. His shooting is already an NBA skill, and he showed more last season as a rebounder and quick decision-maker.

Walsh remains one of the more intriguing players on the roster. The tools have always made sense: long, athletic, switchable and capable of guarding several positions. Boston’s decision to extend him suggests the organization still believes there’s another level there.

Harper also turned his opportunity into a multi-year deal after working his way up from Maine.

Then there’s Cenac, who probably has the widest range of possible outcomes this season. He’s 19, 6-foot-11 and loaded with developmental upside. He may spend plenty of time in Maine, but if he develops faster than expected, Mazzulla suddenly has a long, mobile big who can do things Queta, Robinson and Garza simply aren’t built to do.

Boston doesn’t need all five of these guys to break through. If even two become dependable rotation players, the roster starts to look significantly deeper.

The break-glass-in-case-of-emergency crew

• Mike Conley
• Luka Garza

Conley probably isn’t here to play 20 minutes a night.

At 38, a lot of Conley’s value may come from everything that happens before he ever checks into a game. Boston lost a lot of veteran presence over the last two offseasons, and Conley gives Mazzulla someone he can trust to organize an offense when injuries, rest nights or foul trouble create a need.

Garza fills a similar role up front.

Queta and Robinson should absorb most of the center minutes, but Garza gives Boston a proven third option who can screen, move the ball and stretch the floor in ways the other two don’t.

If Conley and Garza spend most nights watching from the sideline, Boston will probably consider that good news.

The development group

• Amari Williams, two-way
• Dillon Mitchell, two-way

If you’re wondering how much Williams and Mitchell will play in Boston this year, you may be asking the wrong question. Their more important minutes are probably going to come about two hours north in Portland, Maine.

Williams returns on a two-way deal after spending his rookie year bouncing between Boston and the G League.

Mitchell arrives as the No. 40 pick, bringing explosive athleticism and defensive potential at 6-foot-8. His immediate challenge is developing enough offensively to turn those tools into a long-term NBA role.

A quiet year in Boston wouldn’t necessarily be a bad year for either of them. This season will likely involve substantial time in Maine with occasional NBA opportunities mixed in.

Boston knows this path can work. Queta originally arrived on a two-way, and Harper played his way from Maine into a multi-year NBA contract. Williams and Mitchell get the next crack at it.

The guys fighting to stay

• Devin Carter
• Milos Uzan
• Tucker DeVries
• Hayden Gray
• Gabe McGlothan

Boston has two open seats and five guys trying not to be the ones standing when camp ends.

Carter is the biggest name. The former No. 13 pick and Big East Player of the Year hasn’t yet found his footing in the NBA, but Boston gives him a fresh opportunity to compete for either opening. A former lottery pick fighting an undrafted rookie for the same two-way contract is exactly the kind of weird little subplot we love during preseason basketball.

Uzan and DeVries both arrived on Exhibit 10 deals after going undrafted, while Gray and McGlothan round out the camp group.

McGlothan is particularly notable because Maine already acquired his G League rights, making the potential path easy to see: compete for a spot in Boston, then continue developing in Maine if one doesn’t materialize.

For the sure things, preseason basketball is mostly an elaborate way to get sweaty. For this group, it can determine where they live come November.

What’s actually left to figure out?

Most of Boston’s roster questions aren’t really roster questions anymore. They’re pecking-order questions.

Nobody is walking into camp wondering whether Tatum, White or George has a job. The uncertainty lives farther down the depth chart.

Paul George is extension-eligible, while Payton Pritchard becomes eligible on Oct. 1. Boston also still has the $27.7 million trade exception created in the Anfernee Simons deal. Keith Smith has the Celtics sitting $1.7 million below the luxury tax and $10.3 million below the first-apron hard cap.

Brad Stevens has spent two summers getting Boston out of second-apron hell and back into something resembling financial flexibility. The books finally look calmer. Joe’s problem now is figuring out which version of this roster actually works.

We know who the Celtics are bringing to camp. Now we get to find out which of them Joe actually trusts.

While the Los Angeles Lakers added a bevy of guards and wings this offseason, they’ll certainly be hard-pressed to replace Marcus Smart, whose defense and playmaking on both ends of the floor were integral to their success last year.

Smart agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Houston Rockets during free agency. Varun Shankar of the Houston Chroniclerecently spoke with Smart about that decision, which Smart said, among other factors, was influenced by plenty of friends and family being in Houston, just four hours south of his hometown in Flower Mound, Texas.

More than that, however, Smart described the Lakers’ offer — which was larger than Houston’s (Smart declined to specify the terms) — as “disrespectful.”

“First off, I played so well that the offer that was ultimately given didn’t match the way that I played,” Smart told Shankar, “especially when you see guys who played way worse than I did, the offers they’re getting. And then it wasn’t any security that we wanted that they were willing to do.”

Shankar also reported, “Smart always had a feeling that when he got deeper into his career, he’d try and come home.” A sentiment like that, plus Smart’s belief the contract presented was “disrespectful”, suggests Los Angeles’ offer would’ve had to be substantially higher to retain the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year.

Smart played very well for the Lakers last season and it’s absolutely possible they’ll regret not being able (or willing, at a certain cost) to re-sign him. They’ll hope that doesn’t prove true, with Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton likely expected to fill Smart’s void in 2026-27.

Each is a different type of player than Smart but Grimes will be relied upon to replace some of his perimeter defense while the hope is that Sexton can bring juice offensively as a reserve, just as Smart did with his passing/driving.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.

The Lakers enter training camp with coach JJ Redick feeling “pretty confident” in three of the five spots.

Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler will make up 60% of the first unit as the team’s “Big Three”.

As for the final two starters? 

Those are up for grabs.

Redick doesn’t know who will fill those slots, but was confident in making a declaration with what won’t happen with the roster.

“The other two spots will not be two white guys,” Redick quipped during Thursday’s joint media availability with general manager Rob Pelinka. “Those are the two things that’s not changing.”

So that counts out the final two starters being a combination of Jake LaRavia, Sandro Mamukelashvili and/or Dalton Knecht. 

But that also leaves room for at least one of them to join the first unit.

Redick’s comment came after an offseason in which there were several jokes about the racial breakdown of the Lakers’ 2026-27 roster, which includes six white players. 

Matt Barnes, the former Lakers forward and current “All the Smoke” co-host, joined in on the jokes, saying to the California Post in an exclusive interview earlier in September, “They’re calling them the ‘Snowtime Lakers’ – a play on the Lakers’ successful “Showtime” era.

But even with Redick joking about how his team’s starting lineup won’t look, there are still plenty of options for how the first unit will be around Doncic, Reaves and Kessler. 

LaRavia and Mamukelashvili will compete for a starting spot – albeit it sounds like only one of them could actually earn the nod. 

Newcomers Quentin Grimes, Matissa Thybulle and Ziaire Williams will also factor into the starting lineup competition. 

With nine new players on the roster, there are a lot of directions the Lakers could go with the final two starting spots. 

“We have great wing depth, and I’m really excited for camp to start next week and for us to go through the preseason process,” Redick said. “There’s a lot of minutes, there’s starting spots that are up for grabs. We’re going to have a highly competitive camp.”

And even with the competition, it’s apparent what direction the Lakers won’t go in with the two starters alongside Doncic, Reaves and Walker.

The Celtics training camp roster is set, and it includes 21 players — and plenty of familiar faces.

The Celtics have 14 players under standard contract

The Celtics have 14 players under contract to begin the season. That includes 10 returners: Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, Hugo Gonzalez, Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, Neemias Queta, Ron Harper Jr., and Jordan Walsh.

That also includes four additions: Paul George, who was acquired via trade; Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley, who were both signed via free agency; and Chris Cenac Jr., who was selected 27th overall in the draft.

The Celtics have 2 two-way players under contract

Center Amari Williams, who was drafted with the 46th pick in the 2025 draft, returns for his second consecutive year on a two-way contract. Williams spent most of last year with the Maine Celtics, but had stints in Boston as well.

Dillon Mitchell, who was the 40th pick in the 2026 draft, is also on a two-way contract after a strong Summer League in Las Vegas.

The Celtics’ third two-way spot is open to begin the year.

The Celtics have 5 Exhibit-10 players under contract

In addition to the 16 players under contract this season, the Celtics have signed five players to training camp deals, all of whom are two-way eligible and will compete for the final two-way spot. Those players are Milos Uzan, Tucker DeVries, Gabe McGlothan, Hayden Gray, and Devin Carter.

Uzan and DeVries were both on the Celtics 2026 Summer League team, while Gray was on last year’s Summer League team (and was also a member of the Maine Celtics last year).

Carter, meanwhile, was a 2024 lottery pick drafted by the Sacramento Kings, who the Celtics picked up via waivers earlier this month, while Spotrac’s Keith Smith reported that McGlothan signed his own Exhibit-10 contract on Wednesday night.

The Celtics’ training camp officially opens up on Monday, though most players have been in the building for weeks.

Hall of Famer Bob Pettit, the first NBA player to reach 20,000 points and one of five players to make the All-Star team in each season of his career, died Wednesday, Sept. 23. He was 93.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Pettit's passing in a post on social media, but did not provide any additional details. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.

"The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame mourns the passing of Bob Pettit, a sleek, skilled big man who revolutionized the forward position during his career," the post read. "The 11-time NBA All-Star and 2-time MVP retired as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and left an enduring legacy. He led the St. Louis Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship over the Boston Celtics. The Basketball Hall of Fame salutes this true giant of the game."

During his 11-year career with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks, Pettit won Rookie of the Year in 1955 and MVP in 1956, the first time the award was ever furnished, and 1959.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame mourns the passing of Bob Pettit, a sleek, skilled big man who revolutionized the forward position during his career. The 11-time NBA All-Star and 2-time MVP retired as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and left an enduring legacy. He… pic.twitter.com/YNtR5axLNZ

— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) September 24, 2026

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native was named to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team and is one of four players to make all four NBA anniversary teams — 25th, 35th, 50th and 75th.

He was also one of five players in NBA history to make an All-Star team every season of his career, joining Paul Arizin, Jerry West, Julius Erving and Yao Ming. Pettit was also voted All-Star Game MVP a record four times.

Pettit averaged 26.4 points per game in his career and is the Hawks' all-time leader in rebounds (12,849). His career 16.2 rebounds per game is the third highest in league history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. He also is the franchise leader in free throws made and attempts. 

Pettit is also among the Top 3 in franchise history in career games played, field goals, assists and triple-doubles.

Pettit became the first NBA player to score 20,000 points on Nov. 13, 1964, and won his lone NBA championship in 1958. He entered the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970.

Pettit played college basketball for LSU and was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1954.

The LSU family mourns the loss of Tiger legend and Naismith Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bob Pettit.

🔗 - https://t.co/T6HcRKfh9fpic.twitter.com/uWNNKLt3B9

— LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) September 24, 2026

Pettit helped the Tigers reach the 1953 NCAA Final Four. He was named an All-American in 1953 and 1954 before being drafted with the No. 2 overall pick by the Milwaukee Hawks in 1954. LSU retired his jersey the same year, the first Tigers' jersey retired in any sport.

Pettit was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1973 and in February 2016, he was was honored with a statue on the basketball plaza of the Maravich Center at LSU.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame mourns the passing of 1973 inductee Bob Pettit.

A Baton Rouge native and LSU legend, Pettit was an 11-time NBA All-Star, two-time MVP and NBA champion with the Hawks.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/GuSwFnx4qz

— Louisiana Sports HOF (@LaSportsHall) September 24, 2026

LSUsports.net recounts how Pettit was not an immediate basketball star as a teenager, and as a sophomore at Baton Rouge High School, he was cut from the varsity team. By the time he was a senior, he had led Baton Rouge High to its first state championship in more than 20 years and received offers from numerous colleges, including hometown LSU.

“I never played basketball until I was … a junior in high school,” Pettit once told NBA.com. “I practiced at night with a lamp in the window in my back bedroom, shooting baskets hour after hour. I just learned trial-and-error. Repeat it, repeat it, repeat it. Finally, I learned something.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bob Pettit, Pro Basketball Hall of Famer and two-time MVP, dies at 93

After opening media availability with a moment of silence for Lawrence Tanter, the Lakers thanked LeBron James for his eight seasons in Los Angeles.

“I thought it would be appropriate, at the front, just to express gratitude for the LeBron era here,” general manager Rob Pelinka said to open Thursday’s news conference.

“Clearly, new team, new players, and that’s what we’re going to talk about today, but we just as an organization are so grateful for the run that we had with him here. The Lakers have become, as they should, a perennial playoff team.

“It was a great era, and we’re grateful for it. I just think it’s important to say that at the onset as we turn into a new chapter.”

After opening the media availability with a moment of silence in honor of Lawrence Tanter, Rob Pelinka expressed gratitude for LeBron James, who left the Lakers after 8 seasons for the 76ers during the offseason: pic.twitter.com/FLWo1B38m4

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) September 24, 2026

This summer, James informed the Lakers he would not return for the 2026-27 season and would enter free agency. The 41-year-old’s decision kicked off the saga of the summer as NBA teams attempted to snag James.

The veteran ultimately joined the 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal.

Meanwhile, the Lakers completely revamped the roster headlined by the signing of center Walker Kessler to a four-year, $130 million deal. Pelinka and coach JJ Redick spoke to the media for the first time Thursday about the roster overhaul.

It’s a new era in Los Angeles as Luka Doncic shoulders the Lakers as captain and leader.

Gregg Popovich coached the San Antonio Spurs from 1996 to 2025, winning a league-record 1,390 regular-season games, 170 postseason games and five NBA championships.

For four of those championships and quite a few of the other victories, one of Popovich’s assistant coaches was his new wife’s ex-husband.

Popovich, 77, married Mary Barth Budenholzer on Sept. 16, the Bexar County, Texas, clerk’s office has confirmed.

Read more:The SoCal night Gregg Popovich's Hall of Fame career nearly died before it began

Budenholzer is a 61-year-old native of Corpus Christi, according to multiple media outlets, and was once married to Mike Budenholzer, who was a Spurs assistant coach under Popovich from 1996 to 2013. He went on to become the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, winning an NBA championship with the Bucks in 2021.

The Budenholzers are said to share four children and to have divorced in 2016.

Popovich was married to Erin Popovich for four decades until her 2018 death at age 67. They have two children and multiple grandchildren.

Read more:Beloved Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter dies at 76

On Nov. 2, 2024, Popovich suffered a stroke before a game at Frost Bank Center, the Spurs’ home arena. Assistant coach Mitch Johnson was named interim coach. That title became permanent on May 2, 2025, when Popovich stepped down after 29 years as San Antonio’s coach.

A member of the Spurs’ front office since 1994, Popovich currently serves as the team’s president of basketball operations. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Ah, training camp. Finally back into the swing of things with basketball. It really is a lot more peaceful as defending champions, isn’t it?

Let’s see what’s going on as Media Day nea-

Reporting for NBA Today — extension negotiations have stagnated between the reigning champion Knicks and All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns: pic.twitter.com/JbeNpz9TJP

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 23, 2026

Ah, I guess we were overdue for something negative.

Karl-Anthony Towns is eligible for a contract extension this offseason. It’s been assumed, especially after a championship, that Towns and the Knicks were going to be tied at the hip going forward, but the complicated mechanisms of the salary cap and second apron will of course serve as a boogeyman for roster building.

Now, what Shams has reported seems to be a bit dramatic based on what several Knicks reporters have said about the situation, but the consensus seems to be that the two sides are not nearing any sort of agreement as of yet.

As we know, Towns is eligible for a four-year, $276 million extension, but he will not receive that figure. It’s nothing personal, he could absolutely argue he’s worth it considering guys like De’Aaron Fox and Trae Young make north of $200 million, it’s just not practical for roster construction.

With James Dolan seemingly adamant about not exceeding the second apron, this negotiation will be walking a tightrope. The Knicks undoubtedly want to chop down the $61 million that Towns is currently due on a player option in 2026-27 because that figure would make things extremely awkward next offseason.

By current projections, the Knicks have $221.3 million on the books in 2027-28 if we assume KAT opts into his player option, they pick up Josh Hart and Tyler Kolek’s team options, and decline Pacome Dadiet’s. That would put the team $12.5 million beneath the second apron with five mandatory roster spots to fill. There is a way to do that; it would just ensure that Deuce McBride walks, and the team can’t use anything other than a vet min.

Cutting that number to, say, $50 million (Ian Begley suggests that’s on the table) for a new extension would give them $23.5 million in space beneath the apron, giving the team significantly more flexibility. Anything lower? They’d feasibly be able to give McBride a market-value extension.

So you can see what the vision is for Leon Rose and company to keep this contention window open, but Towns is going to have to play ball.

From his vantage point, why should he play ball? He’s an NBA champion, was arguably the most important piece of the team’s 13-game playoff winning streak, and played exceptional defense on Victor Wembanyama. Why should he have to be cut the same checks as Trae Young and De’Aaron Fox, two guys who’ve shown they can’t be winning players?

Jalen Brunson taking his pay cut may have opened an organizational Pandora’s Box, expecting everyone to take less, but it has nothing to do with him or the team, it has everything to do with the aprons.

It’s simple. The only way to have a sustainable winner in this CBA is to have a plethora of draft capital and high draft picks, or have guys take pay cuts. Option 1 closed as soon as Brunson got to New York and ended any potential tank talk, so there’s only one option.

If the two sides can’t hash anything out by October, it’s not the end of the world. They can agree to terms at any time; there’s no deadline like there is for rookie-scale extensions, but you get concerned because in-season extensions for All-Stars are rare. If we get to Opening Night with no deal, this might just bleed into next summer, something that you want to avoid.

Next summer, Towns has a player option. Now, many times when a player has the option to opt into a huge salary like that, they take it, but there’s a chance he doesn’t. After all, he could sign a deal of up to $264 million across four years in free agency next summer with someone else, or could even get as much as a baffling five-year, $357.3 million supermax in a sign-and-trade or extremely late extension. That’s a lot of cash, all of which the Knicks can’t feasibly match.

The risk that you take is that a team with cap space next offseason can just try to scoop up Towns next offseason, but how much of a risk is that? After all, stars rarely change teams in free agency anymore. Who even has cap space?

Some way-too-early 2027 cap space projections:

1. Nets: $68.6M
2. Bulls: $55.6M
3. Clippers: $53.8M (could be $92.2M w/o Kawhi trade)
4. Pistons: $43.9M (w/o long-term deal for Duren)
5. Bucks: $43.3M
6. Hawks: $37.8M
7. Grizzlies: $36.5M
8. Kings: $31.5M
9. Warriors: $28.1M

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 23, 2026

That’s more teams with room than usual, but $50 million gets you a lot less than it used to. As of right now, only the Nets have true max salary space, with the Bulls and Clippers close behind. None of those teams are competitive, so signing there indicates you just want a bag and don’t want to win. I know KAT loves New York, but I don’t think he loves Brooklyn that much.

Obviously, a sign-and-trade would be the most likely thing to happen if the relationship deteriorates that much, but things just shouldn’t go there. A big reason why this Knicks team succeeded was because of the good vibes that persisted in a team that always believed in each other. Ego is the downfall of every good team, and the Knicks can’t afford that.

That’s the bigger risk of letting this bleed out than the risk of losing Towns. I’d be utterly stunned if an extension wasn’t eventually agreed to, whether today, tomorrow, or in June 2027, both sides need it.

Towns deserves to be a Knick for the rest of his career and see his No. 32 lifted into the rafters, but the two sides are going to have to find a middle ground. There are non-negotiables here, both with Towns getting a max and the Knicks getting him to take a ridiculous pay cut.

The staring contest will continue, but someone has to blink. Neither side can afford eye drops.

In his first real move running the Sixers, new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey took Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. out of Alabama with the 22nd pick.

His first free agency move was to reunite with Dean Wade, a player Gansey helped find as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ front office. He moved quickly on signing former New York Knick Ariel Hukporti, a young big man with some upside. Then, after pulling the trigger on the Jaylen Brown blockbuster, he inked guard Anfernee Simons to a deal.

Upon successfully recruiting LeBron James to the Sixers, Gansey then signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a former LeBron teammate and two-time NBA champ.

While Gansey has (rightfully) been praised for his splashy offseason moves, don’t overlook what he did to fortify the Sixers’ bench. Now the question becomes — how will head coach Nick Nurse use his bench pieces?

The starting lineup is set with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, James and Joel Embiid all locked into their spots. Based on their experience and when they were signed, you’d have to imagine Wade and Simons will be the first guys off the bench. Wade provides defensively versatility, good decision-making and decent spot-up shooting. Simons is arguably the best shooter on the roster and will provide some supplemental ball-handling and shot creation. It’s easy to see how both will play alongside the team’s starters.

With those two seemingly locked into the sixth and seventh spots in the rotation, the rest of the rotation is a bit murkier, with multiple competitions taking place.

One of the most intriguing competitions will be for the chance to back up Embiid. Adem Bona returns for his third season after the Sixers selected him in the second round in 2024. The team also signed third-year big man Hukporti away from the defending champion New York Knicks. It’s fair to say both players have their flaws and are to this point largely unproven. Can Bona improve his hands, finishing, defensive rebounding and fouling enough for his defensive impact to be felt? Will Hukporti unlock some untapped potential he didn’t get to show as the third-string big man with the Knicks? No matter who gets the first crack, the Sixers will need both big men to play — or perhaps Gansey will be looking for a more proven Embiid backup around the deadline.

Maybe a more under-the-radar competition could be for wing minutes. Justin Edwards also returns for his third season after signing a two-way deal with the Sixers after going undrafted in 2024. After signing LeBron, the Sixers quickly signed Caldwell-Pope. Edwards has long been a favorite of Nick Nurse. He plays hard, can get hot from three and isn’t a liability defensively. KCP is a proven veteran and two-time NBA champion, but he’s struggled with injuries and inconsistency the last two seasons. The guess here is the veteran gets the early nod, but Edwards will be in the mix.

It’s tricky to forecast Philon’s place. Before the blockbuster moves, Philon looked poised to take on a massive role. Things change. Still, the rookie should have a chance to earn minutes. All of Maxey, Edgecombe and Simons will miss time here and there. Plus, there still could be room for another lead ball-handler to take a few minutes. The big thing for Philon is finding the balance of his two seasons at Alabama. As a freshman, he was a guard stopper. As a sophomore, he took on a massive offensive role. Defense will be what gets him on the floor this season.

And don’t forget about Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker.

Surely Barlow won’t start 59 games like he did last season, but he can be a valuable player. His size, defensive versatility, cutting and rebounding could be enormous assets. Barlow has also been lauded for his basketball IQ, something that should endear him to a player like James quickly. There isn’t an obvious role for Barlow, but Nurse will likely find spots for him to contribute. If his three-ball improves — something he knows he needs to work on — it could change his trajectory entirely.

Walker is the one guy it’s probably safe to assume will be firmly on the outside of the rotation looking in. Still, guys like Walker have value. As the 14th man, you know he’ll be ready when his number is called. He’ll play hard, rebound, make some open shots and will never complain about his role. By all accounts, he’s also a great teammate.

This is unfamiliar territory for the Sixers. Yes, they’re still top-heavy, but this might be the best bench they’ve had during the Embiid era. They’re deep, versatile and have optionality.

The starting group will be exciting to watch, but don’t sleep on this bench.

We are just two weeks away from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first preseason game. But first, they’ll be conducting training camp in Spain. The Cavs announced their roster for camp today.

The standard roster, headlined by stars like James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley, will, of course, be there. Newcomer Peyton Watson, as well.

In total, 21 players will be in Spain. This includes the full standard roster, as well as three two-way players and a handful of training camp invites.

📝 Our Training Camp roster is here! @ClevelandClinic | #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/pgeVvcM0tk

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) September 24, 2026

Tristan Enaruna, Riley Minix, and Ernest Udeh Jr. make up the two-way spots. Minix and Enaruna have been with the organization since last year, while Udeh is their newest two-way player.

Rashaun Agee, Zack Austin, Curtis Jones and Kadary Richmond are the camp invitees.

Training camp is an opportunity to set the tone for the upcoming season. The building blocks of who this team will become should be laid during their trip to Spain. This not only allows them to learn the systems but also to form a closer bond as teammates.

Cleveland reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season after winning 52 games. The Cavs hope to replicate that success and go even further this year.

A full offseason of integrating Harden should help them. The 17-year veteran hardly had time to unpack his bags before the playoff run began. This season allows him more time to adapt and learn his role. That should help everyone around him.

Trading for Watson was Cleveland’s biggest move of the summer. The franchise is excited about the potential for Watson to help them in the immediate short term and in the future. Training camp will give them their first glimpse of how he fits with the roster.

As for the others, younger prospects such as Meleek Thomas and Tyrese Proctor have a chance to prove they belong. Training camp and preseason will be their time to step up. Nae’Qwan Tomlin, as well.

The Cavs are hosting media day for Koby Altman and Kenny Atkinson on Friday afternoon. The players will have their own media day on Monday. After that, it’s off to Spain for Training Camp.

Cleveland’s first preseason game is October 8th.

Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Luka Dončić.

Luka Dončić keeps playing at a ridiculous level season after season. He has a slew of accolades in his NBA, European and international careers, but one thing is missing.

He still hasn’t won an MVP award.

Last season, he finished fourth in MVP voting, receiving one first-place vote. We’ve seen him lead his former team to the NBA Finals in 2024, winning Western Conference Finals MVP along the way. He finished as the leading scorer during the 2024 and 2026 seasons, and pulled off incredible performances like scoring 100 points in 24 hours last season.

He also helped the Lakers put together an incredible March last season, finishing the month with a 15-2 record.  Now, with a team full of new faces and him holding the keys to the franchise, is this the season he finally gets the actual MVP? 

What is his best-case scenario?

In August, Luka arranged a trip to Slovenia for his teammates, where they not only played basketball and golfed, but also bonded in other ways. Luka’s best-case scenario would be building on the chemistry he created with the team, which would, in turn, strengthen his MVP case.

We’ve seen how well he plays alongside his BFF Austin Reaves, as they finished last season as the league’s highest-scoring duo, averaging 56.8 points per game. Luka also turned Jaxson Hayes into a serviceable backup big, mostly by connecting on alley-oops. LA’s new big, Walker Kessler, is significantly better and will be part of the future to develop something special with Luka.

Opposing teams will always focus on stopping Luka, leaving teammates open for plenty of scoring opportunities. Luka averaged 8.3 assists per game last season. That number could rise as he’ll have the ball more after LeBron James’s departure and with a team built to get the best out of him.

The team has many new players, several of whom haven’t been under the bright lights before. If Luka can turn a Lakers team that many don’t see as legit championship threats into a contender, his MVP case won’t be ignorable.

What is his worst-case scenario?

Luka’s worst-case scenario would be having to do too much heavy lifting, causing him to miss an extended period of time… just like last season. The talent surrounding him now is built to take some of the pressure off his workload, which could hopefully give him an extended stay on the bench when he’s taken out for rest.

However, he has a history of hamstring injuries. The Lakers didn’t have a bench that could produce enough to give Luka more rest.

They’re going into a new season with a younger bench, but the pressure still remains on Luka. Even if they have more ball handlers this season, like Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes, Luka determines the Lakers’ ceiling. And if some of those bench players aren’t up to snuff and the minutes start piling up for Luka again, it could be déjà vu all over again.

He’s a superstar, so it’s not shocking that he will always have a heavy workload, as all MVPs do. But if it doesn’t result in the Lakers having a good record, that will his worst-case for MVP.

What is his most likely role on the team?

Well, that’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? He’s the leader. The MVP, if you will. 

For all eight of LeBron’s years in the purple and gold, he was always considered the leader. Now Luka enters his first season tasked with guiding LA back to the promised land. He’s got a team with players signed to multi-year deals that will create continuity,and his sidekick in Reaves, so the ball is in his court to do something exceptional. 

Luka is the point guard and maestro of the team. He’ll have the scoring responsibilityon his shoulders. He will facilitate. He’ll knock down insane triples and do whatever else is asked of him.

If he can do that while leading the Lakers toward the top of the Western Conference, then an MVP might finally be added to his trophy cabinet.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

Every friend group has that one couple. You can see the red flags from a mile away. The two sides seem miserable together, but insist there is still love there. Or each person stews in silence publicly and tells you how miserable they are privately. You never push too hard because it’s not your place.

That feels like the stage we have reached with the Detroit Pistons and free agent big man Jalen Duren.

Maybe all this animosity leaking through press sources is just gamesmanship and negotiating tactics, and none of it resembles reality. But from my limited vantage point, I think it’s time to break up this toxic relationship.

Nothing about the actions from the Duren camp nor the Pistons camp indicates that either is seriously invested in a long-term relationship. Every single move seems like a form of self-sabotage designed to force the other side to formally declare this union dissolved.

In a matter of days, maybe both sides will secretly get what they want, but neither side is willing to admit — Jalen Duren playing for a basketball team that is not the Detroit Pistons.

It might seem like the hostilities began on the eve of free agency when it became known that Duren was interested in talking to other teams with the potential cap space to sign him to the max contract he sought. However, the issues stretch back a year prior, when the Pistons weren’t interested in signing him to a post-rookie extension and were comfortable entering into restricted free agency.

It seems that, to paraphrase Michael Jordan, Duren took that personally.

Since then, we’ve had a seemingly endless series of leaks from Duren’s camp about various teams’ interest, and his interest in other teams. Nobody ever said, “Duren has no interest in playing for the Pistons,” but maybe that’s where we’ve always been.

The Pistons are not blameless. The post-rookie extension numbers they were interested in seemed low at the time and are laughably low in hindsight; reportedly, closer to $20 million per year than the $40 million per year Duren was seeking. Duren then delivered the best season of his career as a 22-year-old and earned an All-Star berth and All-NBA honors. Detroit upped offers into the low $30 millions while Duren was technically eligible for a $287-million, five-year extension.

Detroit has moved, but seemingly done so kicking and screaming. It’s almost like they like Duren, but they’re not in love with Duren.

Certainly not to the level they love Ausar Thompson. To the discerning Pistons fan, Ausar is the team’s second most important player behind Cade Cunningham. Unlike with Duren, Detroit was much more eager to secure the defensive wing on a post-rookie max, and announced a five-year, $155 million pact even while the Duren drama drags on.

Thompson is far from a perfect player, and his paycheck is counting on a level of needed improvement on the offensive end. I think he’ll improve offensively to the point he can’t be paid off the floor. When that happens, this deal will look like a steal. But from Duren’s perspective, it seems like just one more slight.

The latest salvo comes from recent reports that Detroit is looking at adding a weight clause as an incentive to Duren’s deal. Duren, reportedly, finds it disrespectful. Now, sometimes these incentive clauses are more face-saving moves. Either unlikely incentives so a player (and his agent) can say he got a deal higher than he did in reality, or a clause to give the Pistons the plausible deniability of smart fiscal management.

This might be that. Or it might be the kind of ultimatum that is the hallmark of the late stages of a relationship doomed to end.

The Pistons feel like a team that knows intellectually that investing gigantic sums of money in a player who lacks range and defensive dominance is risky. Doubly so if you’ve already committed to Ausar Thompson during what could be your entire title window.

Perhaps Trajan Langdon is a guy who, all else being equal, would have been much more interested in a center who fit the scheme and was the fifth-best player on the floor. Instead, he inherited a great young prospect. It’s the kind of talent that’s hard to walk away from, even as every move you’re making gives away that your heart just isn’t into it like it should be.

We are going to know where the truth lies in a matter of days. Duren is either going to sign a long-term deal with Detroit, or he is going to get sign-and-traded for a return that includes a more workmanlike center.

We’ll see if this was the kind of relationship where people are working the media for favorable coverage or if this is a truly dysfunctional couple headed for divorce. I’m finally starting to think it’s the latter.