Category: Basketball

Why free agent LeBron James could opt to chase new NBA history with Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

When LeBron James decides where he will play next season, he will not repeat the lie frequently told at introductory news conferences.

He can say, with all sincerity, that “it’s not about the money.”

Because it’s not.

That’s why the Golden State Warriors know they have a legitimate chance to sign James in free agency.

James’ announcement Monday that he was ready to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, who could have paid him more than any other NBA team, is a commentary on his state of mind. A 41-year-old billionaire is exercising his power and privilege to choose his next destination. With the sun setting on his legendary career, he is granting himself the freedom to pursue his personal joy.

If LeBron decides to join the Warriors, bitter rivals a few years ago, it will satisfy his abiding curiosity about playing with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III — three men he respects on and off the court. This would be an opportunity for James to nourish his basketball soul in ways he no longer could alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves in LA.

At this point in his career, James needs something new to chase. Something he has not already captured. Though he was professional enough in the 2025-26 NBA season with the Lakers, a new chapter with Golden State’s alluring circumstances could be invigorating.

LeBron to the Warriors would meet all the conditions for tremendous theater. They would be, depending on one’s point of view, lovable protagonists or a show limping past its expiration date. LeBron would be positioned to inject fresh energy into a franchise that, over the years, has devolved from contender, if not favorites, to a play-in tournament perennial. He could stand alongside Curry, Green and eventually Butler to face the howling crowd of doubters with a unique goal of doing something unheard of, much less realized.

No NBA team with its core four players all past their 35th birthday has won a championship. Or even reached the NBA Finals. 

History tells us that very good young teams traditionally run very good mature teams off the floor and toward their epilogue.

But it is instructive to know that James, Curry and Green have built fabulous careers on their desire to silence skeptics. To prove they can do what others say they can’t. Their careers are so richly decorated that they firmly believe no feat is impossible.

The Lakers could have paid James exponentially more than what he could get from the Warriors. James could have stayed in Los Angeles, close to his family, in the nest of his various business ventures. He could have remained teammates with his son, Bronny, whose contract for the 2026-27 NBA season was guaranteed on Monday.

James can now chase everything that moves his spirit, because there is nothing left to prove. The NBA record book is an ode to his individual greatness. All-time leading scorer. Most games played. Most minutes. Most All-NBA selections. Most All-Star Games. Four MVP awards, with 10 other top-five finishes. And four NBA Finals MVP awards.

The Warriors surely realize adding James alone would not automatically vault them toward the top of the Western Conference. To even have a chance at threatening the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, they would need to support the veteran core with impact talent.

Which would further entice LeBron.

The Warriors have long admired James’ skill and, moreover, his savant-like processing of the game. Coach Steve Kerr, a longtime admirer, raves about LeBron’s basketball IQ and coachability, getting a first-hand feel during their time with Team USA. The relationship between Curry and James has evolved from testy to one of mutual appreciation. Golden State CEO Joe Lacob, an inveterate chaser of superstars, is an unabashed fan.

Then, too, no one has a better nose than Lacob for the potential financial and promotional impact of 1) adding James and 2) pairing him with Curry.

Ultimately, though, LeBron’s decision will be the one that best suits his innate desire.

What might a man who has everything want for himself? A chance to do what no one has done before — and the possibility of sharing such an astonishing achievement with people who are brothers from the same hoop generation.

A moment like that might well be priceless.

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Steph Curry has watched the NBA rearrange itself like furniture in someone else’s house. Meanwhile he didn’t move; he didn’t have to. While the whole league has been playing musical chairs at the superstar table, the guy with four rings has been right where you left him. Golden State. The Bay. His throne built from splash, from suffering, from seventeen years of institutional trust that almost nobody in professional basketball has ever matched. LeBron packed up Los Angeles. Kawhi circled back to Toronto. Giannis headed to Miami. LaMelo came west. Ja is now in Portland. Somewhere along the way the NBA woke up looking like somebody had shaken a snow globe. But Steph never changed his address.

Here’s the thing about watching someone stay put while everything moves around them: it can look passive until you understand what it costs. Patience through chaos with a mind to solve it is what Curry exhibits year after year, and it produces a different kind of player, and a different kind of legacy. Loyalty at this level isn’t sentimental. It’s sacrificing optionality when optionality is the most valuable currency in the sport. It means absorbing rebuilding years without manufacturing drama to speed up the timeline. It means watching Klay Thompson leave, watching Draymond Green keep his options open, and trusting the foundation anyway. That’s a foundation he helped build after all, something that translates off the court as well.

That’s why it’s pretty cool that Curry has been nominated as a finalist for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award. renamed in 2017 to honor Ali’s legacy of using his platform for principle. Steph and his wife Ayesha Curry have been building their own way to that since founding “Eat. Learn. Play.” in Oakland since 2019.

Steph Curry has been named a finalist for the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, an incredibly special honor https://t.co/AKwTuc6RPM

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) July 1, 2026

We’re talking thirty-five million nutritious meals delivered to children and families facing food insecurity. Also, more than $20 million committed to literacy programs across Oakland public schools, including high-impact tutoring, teacher coaching, restocked libraries, and free book fairs at 47 elementary schools. Additionally, that’s over one million books placed directly into the hands of Oakland students. And before I forget, I gotta mention there’s also twenty-four schoolyards and six gyms physically transformed into safe spaces where kids can move, compete, and just be kids.

And the detail that separates “Eat. Learn. Play.” from the average celebrity foundation: Steph and Ayesha personally cover every operating expense. Every donated dollar goes directly to Oakland’s kids.

We’ve spent all summer talking about Steph as the fixed point while the NBA reshuffled itself around him. Turns out basketball was only part of the story. The same instinct that kept him anchored to one franchise also kept him anchored to one community. Oakland didn’t get the version of Steph Curry who was passing through. It got the version who decided this place was worth investing in long after the cameras stopped rolling.

The Lakers’ chase for a big man is not limited to just Walker Kessler, but also the other top big man on the market, Jalen Duren.

After meeting with the Lakers on Tuesday, Duren is set for a second meeting with the team on Wednesday, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. During the first meeting, the Lakers reportedly told Duren they see him as a max-level player, which the Pistons clearly do not.

Detroit Pistons restricted free agent center Jalen Duren had a productive meeting with the Lakers on Tuesday and is scheduled to meet with them again on Wednesday morning, league sources told The Athletic.

Duren was told by the Lakers in the meeting that they view him as a maximum-salary level player, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations. The 22-year-old received a similar message of strong interest from the Sacramento Kings, who also met with Duren on Tuesday and indicated that they will continue to explore sign-and-trade scenarios to land him.

The Pistons and Duren have been at odds during the offseason, which has led the big man to meet with other teams in search of an offer he finds fair.

However, as is the case with restricted free agency, the ball is in Detroit’s court, no matter what happens. And all reports leading up to free agency indicated that the Pistons had no interest in a sign-and-trade and would match any deal he signed.

The Detroit Pistons have offered what the franchise believes is the most lucrative contract possible for their All-Star restricted free agent Jalen Duren, are not interested in any sign and trade deals and will match any potential offer sheet he signs, sources @espn@andscape.

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) June 30, 2026

There is quite a bit of irony here in the Lakers going hard after the Pistons’ top free agent after Detroit was gearing up for a run at Austin Reaves.

The balance for the Lakers is determining which of Duren and Walker Kessler:

1. Is more worth signing to an offer sheet
2. Has a team is more likely not to match the deal

Restricted free agency is a very tricky path to take, but it’s also the only way the team is going to find the A-list that Luka wants this offseason.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Kawhi Leonard is a Toronto Raptor again?! Whoaaa, eight years after he delivered the championship that shut Oracle Arena’s lights off forever, he’s headed back north for what could be the final chapter of his career.

It’s rather Shakespearean about the way his current chapter with the Warriors dynasty decided to end. Not with another Finals matchup or one last signature series, but with Draymond Green stealing the ball right out of his hands in the closing seconds of a Play-In game, sending him into the offseason and ultimately back to Toronto.

The Warriors have a strange habit of outlasting every villain in their story. Eventually, somehow, they get the last word. Kawhi Leonard was never supposed to be one of them.

The era of Kawhi Leonard in Los Angeles has officially come to an end:

2020: Blew a 3–1 series lead
2021: Lost in the Western Conference Finals
2022: Missed the playoffs
2023: 1st Round exit
2024: 1st Round exit
2025: 1st Round exit
2026: Missed the playoffs

They gambled and… pic.twitter.com/VfvJqXu11q

— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) June 30, 2026

Go back to the 73-win season. San Antonio was the respectability test for the dynasty, the team that made everyone who doubted the Warriors sharpen their pencils and reconsider. Kawhi Leonard was already becoming something dangerous, a two-way freight train who moved with mechanical patience and struck with violence. Then there was that February showdown, the kind that felt more like a Western Conference Finals preview than a Tuesday night in the regular season. Steph Curry hit a stepback that blew the roof off Oracle and made you feel the weight of what Golden State was becoming in real time. You could feel both franchises circling each other, understanding exactly what the other represented. The Warriors were ascending. The Spurs were the last empire standing between them and permanent dynasty status.

The rivalry never got its full resolution on the court. The injury to Kawhi in the 2017 Western Conference Finals derailed the Spurs’ best chance at contesting the Warriors on a level playing field, and it denied us the chess match we deserved. Depending on who you ask and how you feel about the circumstances, that moment either leveled the dynasty’s path or exposed the dynasty’s luck. Either way, the conversation never got finished.

Kawhi came back for his revenge as a Toronto Raptor. And he delivered one of the coldest postseason performances in NBA history against these Warriors, who were already broken and bleeding through an injury crisis unraveling in real time. Game Six was in Oracle Arena aka the house that built the dynasty, the most intimidating building in basketball. And with the Warriors set to move to San Francisco the next season, this was the last dance for Oakland.

Alas, Kawhi and the Raptors walked in and turned the lights off forever. Kevin Durant’s Achilles and Klay Thompson’s ACL were afterthoughts as the Raptors celebrated in front of a devastated Dub Nation. The last image Golden State’s faithful had of Oracle wasn’t the Splash Bros high fiving and pouring champagne. Instead it was Kawhi Leonard’s stone face unbothered, watching their dream die. As Finals MVP he ended the Oracle era, the threepeat, and the Oakland chapter of the Warriors dynasty.

The rivarly between Kawhi and the Dubs continued across the Bay. Chase Center opened and on opening night, the Los Angeles Clippers arrived as a superteam with Kawhi Paul George, and the specific energy of an organization that believed its moment had finally arrived. They walked into that building and won by 19, cruising to the finish over a proud but mortally wounded Golden State squad. Afterwards Patrick Beverley told Curry that the next five years belonged to him. Insane hyperbole? Absolutely. But that’s the confidence Kawhi’s presence against the Warriors warranted. The Clippers genuinely believed they were coming for the throne with “The Klaw” as their instrument of conquest. He had already buried Oracle. Now he had christened Chase with a victory and planted a flag in the new era.

Fast forward seven years to this year in the springtime where, in a Play-In game in Los Angeles the Warriors had no business winning, Draymond Green put Kawhi in handcuffs. Leonard finished with 21 points on 17 shots, committed 5 turnovers, and left that game with his own postgame assessment as the most revealing verdict of all: that Draymond was a Hall of Fame defender and it was hard to even get shots up against him.

With 49 seconds left and the Warriors clinging to a three-point lead, Green stole the inbound pass intended for Leonard, immediately found Brandin Podziemski streaking to the basket for an and-1 that crippled the Clippers for good, then ripped Leonard’s dribble in the final moments to seal it. The Klaw, who had haunted this franchise across two uniforms and a decade of history, got his cookies taken in the most consequential game of the Clippers’ season, on his home floor, with everything on the line.

Draymond Green’s solitary confinement of Kawhi Leonard compilation, final 3 minutes: pic.twitter.com/tNabKVpLOX

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 16, 2026

Draymond Green says he had to live with the fear of being embarrassed by Kawhi Leonard the last 2 days coming into the game, but prides himself on his work and being prepared heading into a matchup like this.

When told Kawhi’s praise for him being an all-world defender, Draymond…

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 16, 2026

I’m loving the symmetry. Kawhi stole the final championship game ever played inside Oracle Arena. And then he won the first regular season game ever played inside Chase Center. And the final possession of his Clippers career ended with Draymond snatching the ball away from him.

Nearly a decade after Toronto borrowed him to end the Warriors’ first act, Golden State sent him back to Toronto having written the ending to his L.A. story.

Power forward/center Zach Collins has agreed to a two-year, $17 million contract extension to stay with the Chicago Bulls through the 2027-28 season, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Collins’ agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, worked with the organization continuously over the last two days to keep his client off the free agency market and beat the July 1 deadline at midnight.

The 10th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft appeared in just 10 games with the Windy City organization in 2025-26, averaging 9.7 points per game on a 57.8 field goal percentage/42.9 three-point percentage/77/5 free throw percentage, plus 5.6 rebounds per game, and 1.5 assists per game.

Collins had a season-ending toe surgery just after the NBA All-Star break in February of 2026. Unfortunately, countless different injuries and surgeries have derailed the trajectory of his career over and over again.

Across nine campaigns with the Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, and Bulls, Collins has suited up for only 388 of the 738 possible regular-season games.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

Dean Wade is heading to the City of Brotherly Love.

The free agent forward has agreed to a four-year, $39 million deal with the 76ers on Tuesday night, according to ESPN.

Wade, 29, is leaving the Cavaliers, a team where he established himself as a critical defending and shooting piece in the frontcourt. He spent the first seven years of his career in Cleveland after going undrafted and signing a two-way contract with the team in 2019.

Wade was the longest tenured Cavalier.

Until Tuesday, the Cavs and Wade had been in ongoing negotiations trying to work out a new deal before the start of free agency.

But by late Tuesday afternoon, it became clear that Wade would hit the free agency market, and now Philly scopped him up on the first day.

NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that Philadelphia was expected to be one of several teams interested in acquiring Wade last week.

Wade’s defense made him an important piece of Cleveland’s rotation and allowed him to retain a consistent role there. His 6-foot-9 height and 6-foot-10 wingspan made it difficult for opposing guards and forwards to work around him.

Wade averaged 5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds alongside 1.5 assists per game during the 2025-26 season, shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from 3-point territory.

Wade started in 14 of the Cavaliers 18 playoff games this past season, where they reached their first Eastern Conference finals in eight years before being swept by the Knicks.

Wade only put up 4.4 points in 22.6 minutes per game in the playoffs, but his defense on stars like Scottie Barnes and Cade Cunningham made him a valuable piece of the Cavs’ run.

His plus-5.0 net rating was the highest among all Cavs players throughout the playoffs.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost defensive-first starting small forward Dean Wade in free agency. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that he will be joining former Cavs general manager Mike Gansey with the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year, $39 million deal.

Not being able to retain Wade’s services isn’t all that surprising on its own. The Cavs were the only team over the second apron last regular season and are making a concerted effort to get well under it this offseason so that they can reshape their roster. Considering the number of suitors it was reported Wade had, it was likely that one of them could offer more than the Cavs.

What is surprising is the amount Wade signed for. His new contract with Philadelphia has an average annual value of $9.75 million, and could be structured to pay less money the first year. That isn’t an outrageous amount or one that would significantly hinder the Cavs from getting under the second apron if they had matched it.

The Cavs’ choice to presumably not match that amount would be curious if they don’t have other moves or possibilities lined up. The small and power forward positions are the groupings with the least amount of depth on the team. Wade was a stopgap at both positions and was by far the best perimeter point-of-attack defender on the team. Losing such a valuable defender is a tough blow on the night they lost defensive specialist Keon Ellis as well.

Cleveland was already in need of additional help at the three and four spots. Now, that is even more true, and they don’t necessarily have an easy path of finding a replacement. With how the salary cap works, just because the Cavs didn’t offer Wade that money doesn’t mean they can offer a different free agent that amount. Cleveland could have exceeded the salary cap to sign Wade because they had his Bird rights. They can’t do so with free agents coming from other teams.

There is a former Cavalier out there who could sure up the wing that would make everyone forget about the loss of Wade. But if they aren’t able to procure LeBron James’s services, they will have an uphill struggle to find both an additional wing and help at backup power forward.

As it stands now, the Cavs are $41.7 million below the second apron and $29.1 million below the first. Cleveland only has 11 players under contract. That number doesn’t include James Harden and recent second-round pick Meleek Thomas. Harden opted out of his player option for next season, but is expected to re-sign with the team.

Wade first signed with the Cavs on a two-way deal as an undrafted rookie during the 2019-2020 season. He progressively earned more minutes and cracked into the starting lineup for stretches of the last several seasons. Wade started 38 of his 59 games with the Cavs last regular season and 14 of the team’s 18 playoff games.

This past season, Wade averaged 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game on .439/.362/.711 shooting splits.

The Western Conference is running a youth experiment, and the results are getting harder to ignore. Victor Wembanyama is already rewriting the defensive record books. Anthony Edwards is appointment television. Cooper Flagg just landed in Dallas. Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Şengün are all guys proving the best teams in the West are increasingly being built around players who weren’t legally allowed to drink four years ago.

And as rumors swirl Golden State is about to sign LeBron James, a man in his 40s, the Warriors just used the 11th pick on 23-year-old Yaxel Lendeborg, re-signed 30-year-old center Kristaps Porzingis, and brought back 40-year-old Al Horford.

Franchise stalwart Draymond Green went on record calling Lendeborg a great pick, and his reasoning was more interesting than the endorsement itself. He argued that a veteran-heavy roster needs players who can contribute immediately, and that Lendeborg’s age is exactly what makes him fit.

Draymond says to let rookies be rookies and stop putting pressure on Yaxel Lendeborg to become the Warriors’ savior immediately:

“Let me say something. Can we please stop putting this pressure on Yaxel, a rookie, to come in like he’s supposed to save the day? It seemed like… pic.twitter.com/2PMGs35eER

— aly ✶ (@jinthirty) June 30, 2026

Young franchises get to be patient. Just like how the Spurs took their time with Wembanyama and the Thunder built their depth over years of painful losing. They could absorb growing pains because their timeline had room for them. The Warriors’ timeline doesn’t have that luxury, and they’ve structured their entire front office philosophy around that reality. Winning has a hidden cost, and Golden State paid it without reading the fine print. Every year they spent chasing championships was another year they couldn’t prioritize long-term development the way rebuilding franchises could. They were winning and the bill just took a while to arrive.

And when we talk about the Warriors’ current draft philosophy I feel we should name the moment it changed. James Wiseman had every physical trait that modern front offices chase in terms of length, athleticism, upside that scouts described in superlatives. The Warriors bet on potential and watched three years dissolve into a trade. Wiseman wasn’t just a miss. He was the last time (unless you count Jonathan Kuminga) Golden State tried to draft for the next decade instead of the next postseason. Since then their approach has moved steadily toward floor over ceiling, toward the known quantity over the projection. Whether that’s wisdom or overcorrection is still genuinely unclear, but the philosophical pivot is undeniable.

“There’s basically never been a player this good at his age.”

Asked Mike Dunleavy what ultimately led to the Warriors drafting Yaxel Lendeborg pic.twitter.com/mq2NwXz4fI

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) June 24, 2026

Then came Porzingis. An established veteran whose immediate value lies in what he can do next April, not what he might become three Aprils from now. And don’t forget about Al Horford re-signing for two more years to become just the 13th player in NBA history to reach a 20th season. The Warriors aren’t keeping him around out of sentimentality. Stack those two next to Jimmy Butler now Lendeborg, and run it through the same filter: does this increase Steph Curry’s chances before the window closes?

Two years from now, we’ll know whether Golden State spotted an inefficiency everyone else ignored or simply spent its last draft capital chasing Steph Curry’s final championship window. Either way, this much is already clear: while the rest of the Western Conference is raising young draft pieces into bonafide stars, the Warriors have decided to focus on experience.

The Los Angeles Clippers have officially moved on from Kawhi Leonard after seven seasons.

Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, June 30 for forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks (2031, 2033), two second-round picks (2030, 2033) and a 2027 first-round swap.

The move puts an end to a real pursuit of an NBA title for the near future, as the Clippers opt for a younger roster while building assets.

Leonard originally came to Los Angeles in July 2019 along with Paul George, in what was a homecoming of sorts, with both being Southern California natives. The Oklahoma City Thunder had traded George and a first-round pick to L.A. for a haul that included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks and two swaps.

The duo did lead the Clippers to their first Western Conference finals appearance in 2021. Still, the pairing did not pan out, while the Thunder managed to construct a championship-winning roster following the trade, using one of those draft picks to select Jalen Williams.

Despite Leonard's departure, an investigation by the NBA still lingers.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, Leonard and his uncle/advisor Dennis Robertson were allegedly involved in a “no-show” agreement with a company, Aspiration, to funnel extra compensation to the player as part of a salary cap circumvention.

Here’s where things stand for the Clippers, who are looking to reconstruct their roster this season:

What does the Clippers’ starting lineup look like currently?

The Clippers' starting lineup would consist of Darius Garland and rookie Keaton Wagler making up the backcourt.

Ingram would join forward Derrick Jones Jr. and center Brook Lopez.

Ingram is no stranger to Los Angeles, having originally been drafted by the Lakers with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He was once viewed as the untouchable asset that the Lakers were going to build a future around.

Clippers offseason moves

While Lopez did have his team option picked up by the Clippers, the team declined the options for Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nicolas Batum before the start of free agency.

The Clippers also fully guaranteed guard Kris Dunn’s $5.68 million contract for the 2026-27 NBA season.

Jordan Miller received a qualifying offer, and Kobe Sanders agreed to a new four-year, $11.2 million deal to return.

Will Bennedict Mathurin return to Clippers?

Bennedict Mathurin would serve as the Clippers’ sixth man after the team extended a qualifying offer to him earlier this week, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. Mathurin averaged 17.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 54 games last season.

Who will Clippers target next in free agency?

The Clippers still have roster spots to fill. The team will have several options available, including re-signing forward John Collins. He tallied 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season in 69 games played.

Forward DeMar DeRozan could be considered a veteran target the team will reconsider. He averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists in 77 games played for the Sacramento Kings.

If center Mitchell Robinson doesn't return to the New York Knicks, he could be another interesting option for L.A. to consider. Robinson averaged 5.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in 60 games played.

Raptors roster following Kawhi Leonard trade

The Toronto Raptors had to trade a couple key pieces to execute a deal for Kawhi Leonard, but they kept enough of their roster intact to be considered one of the top Eastern Conference contenders during the 2026-27 season.

Here's a breakdown of what the roster looks like with Leonard on the team heading into the start of the NBA's free agency period:

• G RJ Barrett
• G Jaden Bradley**
• G Immanuel Quickley
• G Jamal Shead
• G Garrett Temple*
• G Ja'Kobe Walter
• F Scottie Barnes
• F Kawhi Leonard
• F Allen Graves**
• F Collin Murray-Boyles
• F Jamison Battle
• F Sandro Mamukelashvili*
• F Jonathan Mogbo*
• F/C Trayce Jackson-Davis
• C Jakob Poeltl
• G Chucky Hepburn^
• G A.J. Lawson^
• G Alijah Martin^

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's next for Clippers? What Kawhi Leonard trade means for roster

In Mike Gansey’s first free agency move running the Sixers, he’s bringing in a familiar face in Dean Wade.

The 6-foot-9 forward, who was initially signed by Gansey and the Cavaliers’ front office as an undrafted free agent in 2019, has spent his entire seven-year NBA career in Cleveland. He now comes to Philadelphia on four-year, $39 million deal, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Wade’s calling card is his perimeter defense. With a 7-foot wingspan, a 228-pound frame and good lateral quickness, he’s able to guard multiple positions at a high level. We heard a lot of talk about the Sixers needing to find an identity this offseason. With a trio of Wade, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe handling the tough perimeter assignments, and Tyrese Maxey digging for steals while Joel Embiid protects the rim, forming a defensive identity feels possible.

Nothing about his raw numbers will impress you, but Wade is far from a zero on the offensive end. He can make open looks. He’s shot 36.7% from three for his career, though you’d maybe like to see an uptick in his volume. He’s not a shot creator by any means, but he’s a good connector and is comfortable putting the ball on the floor when needed. He’s a solid rebounder, but that could still remain an area of weakness for the Sixers overall.

With that said, Gansey and the front office still have avenues to improve. The Sixers are likely signing Wade using a portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which comes in at roughly $15 million for 2026-27. They’ll now be hard capped at the first apron, but it also means they’ll have some of the NTMLE left over (likely around $6 million) for another player above the minimum. They also could access the bi-annual exception ($5.5 million).

Free agency is just beginning, so there should be plenty of business remaining. The Sixers could still use more depth across the board. Make sure to follow our tracker and we’ll update you as much as we can.

In need of three-point shooting, the Lakers lost the league’s best sharpshooter on the first day of free agency.

Guard Luke Kennard has agreed to a two-year, $13-million deal with the Phoenix Suns, The Times confirmed Tuesday.

Kennard was an unrestricted free agent after he was traded to the Lakers last February from the Atlanta Hawks. His arrival coincided with a dramatic offensive uptick for the Lakers, who went from 34.9% shooting from three in games before Kennard and 37.7% in games after. Kennard was on a one-year, $11-million contract last season, his ninth year in the NBA.

Read more:Plaschke: LeBron James got out before Lakers could throw him out

The former Duke star averaged nine points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Lakers while shooting 44.8% from three-point range. He showed his influence beyond just shooting when he took on more ballhandling duties late in the season to fill in during injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. In a starting role during the last six games of the regular season, Kennard averaged 6.4 assists.

The Lakers already lost LeBron James on the first day of free agency after the 22-time All-Star informed the team he intended to sign somewhere else for his NBA-record 24th season. Kennard could have provided a critical floor-spacing piece around Doncic, who thrives when surrounded by lob-catching centers, athletic wings and knockdown shooters.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Knicks’ path to the NBA title involved contributions from everyone on the roster — even if they did not play a single postseason minute.

Head coach Mike Brown revealed that forward Dillon Jones, who appeared in just seven regular season games for the Knicks, played a key role in the team’s playoff preparation.

“Throughout the course of this run, I got help with the messaging from different people,” Brown said to Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart during a new episode of the “Roommates Show” released on Tuesday.

“I’m gonna tell you guys, you may know this or may not, Dillon [Jones] was fabulous.”

Most fans didn’t even know Jones was part of the organization until an ill-conceived banner outside City Hall that bore his name and Patrick Ewing’s sacred No. 33, sparking some unexpected parade-day outrage.

The 24-year-old played a total of 39 minutes for New York, but it was his experience before joining the Knicks that proved invaluable.

As a rookie, the 26th overall pick spent the 2024-25 campaign with the Thunder, who defeated the Pacers in seven games to win the NBA Finals.

The Weber State product appeared in 54 regular season games and saw some sporadic action in the postseason as Oklahoma City sought to avenge a second-round postseason exit a year prior.

Crazy.

Mike Brown revealed he leaned on DILLON JONES for advice throughout the Knicks’ championship run after Jones won a title with OKC, and that it was his idea to show the team their faces after the loss of the ECF to the Pacers.

Another subtle Leon Rose win. pic.twitter.com/L9lgCk81Sb

— Knicks Nation (@KnicksNation) June 30, 2026

“I spoke to Dillon often during this playoff run because he had just gone through it with Oklahoma City,” Brown added. “I said, ‘Hey, when you guys were in this position, what was [head coach] Mark [Daigneault] saying? What was [general manager] Sam Presit saying? What were you guys saying to each other? What do you think here?”

In his first season as Knicks head coach, Brown preached collaboration and communication, a philosophy that led to 13 straight postseason wins and the organization’s first title in 53 years.

One of Jones’ most prudent suggestions, according to Brown, was to have the Knicks relive their own postseason disappointment shortcomings.

Before the Knicks opened the Eastern Conference finals against the Cavaliers, Brown had the team’s video department produce a short film focusing on players’ reactions a year prior, when New York fell in six games to the Pacers.

“Mike Brown said that he showed the film and asked the guys, ‘How did you feel in that moment,” ESPN’s Lisa Salters said during a Game 4 report. “Just to remind them of what it felt like to come up short.”

Brown revealed that he was not the mastermind of that motivation tactic.

“That was [Jones’] idea,” Brown said. “He wanted to show still shots of you because [OKC] did something similar to that because they had lost the year before. We took it to another level, we put together a video just to remind everybody that this is what it felt like.”

As the Knicks enter free agency, the club has already agreed to deals to bring back key contributors Landry Shamet and Mohamed Diawara.

A reunion with Mitchell Robinson appears unlikely as the Knicks look to stay below the second apron.

It’s unclear what type of role, if any, Jones would have next season, but the Knicks could do worse than a player with two NBA championships in his first two seasons.

The Lakers’ top priority this summer is finding a center of the future, so it’s no surprise their top target this summer is a big man.

The restricted free agent market is always tricky to navigate, but the two best centers available this summer fall both fall in that category. While Jalen Duren is feuding with the Pistons — and taking a meeting with the Lakers, to be fair — Kessler is also feuding with the Jazz and LA is ready to take advantage.

On Tuesday evening, longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein provided an update on the Lakers’ free agency. On top of reporting of likely deals for Sandro Mamukelashvili and Quentin Grimes, he also noted that Kessler will be the team’s top free agent target this summer.

The growing anticipation leaguewide is that the Lakers ultimately secure commitments on new contracts from Toronto free agent Sandro Mamukelashvili and Philadelphia free agent Quentin Grimes while still pursuing their top summer target: Utah restricted free agent Walker Kessler. https://t.co/pYMRcSyvrn

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 1, 2026

Kessler held meetings with teams on Tuesday and, while none of the teams were reported, the assumption is the Lakers were among them. The Jazz and Kessler are quite far apart on their next contract, leading to the Lakers believing they can swoop in on a deal.

Unlike Detroit, the Jazz have not signaled a willingness to match any offer made to Kessler. They already have a host of big men in their front court, including Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Jusuf Nurkic.

Chasing a player in restricted free agency is a gamble and the Lakers are putting a lot of chips in that basket. But if it works, it could be a huge win for the purple and gold.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Take a breath, people. This article is a momentary bubble of safety from the ongoing Walker Kessler free agency debacle. I will not be adding my fingerprints to the growing collection of my peers’ on the big red illuminating “PANIC” button. I don’t need that kind of anxiety in my life, so I opt to write about Utah’s fertile garden of blossoming youth.

Let’s instead emphasize what is good and happy in the Salt Lake Valley, and that is the second overall pick, Darryn Peterson.

In his first days in the Beehive State, Peterson is quickly familiarizing himself with his teammates, coaches, and the systems that Will Hardy has installed.

“I think the quickest thing is how quick he’s learning,” Third-year Jazzman Cody Williams shared during a media availability. “Even from yesterday to today, you can see he’s a lot more comfortable in the offense, making his reads and getting to his spots. He has a high IQ.”

Cody Williams and Ace Bailey discuss what they’ve seen from Darryn Peterson in his first few days with the Utah Jazz and reflect on their own rookie transitions to show what it takes to find your role in the NBA. #darrynpeterson#takenotepic.twitter.com/Op1Ultf0lm

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 1, 2026

The (big air quotes here) “veterans” will join Peterson on Utah’s Summer League team this season, and clearly hold plenty of sage wisdom and vital advice for a youngster still finding his footing on a new stage.

Williams and Bailey have survived the rookie experience, and continue to find what they do well and how they can contribute to winning in this exciting new era of Utah Jazz basketball.

What has Cody Williams been working on? pic.twitter.com/P7AwiBtypE

— JP Chunga (@JP_Chunga) June 30, 2026

On top of ball-handling and court vision, I’d love to see Cody Williams absorb some of the nutrients radiating from Darryn Peterson’s celestial jump shot. This clip of Utah’s rookie putting up a shot is so satisfying it melted me into a heap on my office chair.

One uninterrupted motion, smooth like Carlos Santana, and delicately grazing the net on its way through the cylinder, this is the type of tape you’ll see from a million players of varying skill levels, but not to this degree. This is the type of consistency of a generational shooter — the Utah Jazz somehow came away with this guy without the number-one pick.

Darryn Peterson threes 👌 pic.twitter.com/Bk7nK1iomS

— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) June 30, 2026

Williams likewise arrived in Utah without the benefit of the number-one overall pick, but you get my point.

Disturbing content warning here, but Cody has only eclipsed three-point shooting clips of 25.9% as a rookie and 21.4% as a sophomore. These are abysmal metrics for a player who shot 40% at Colorado (on an admittedly limited sample size). He’ll need to find the range for at least 30% at his position, or his role on the team will be extremely situational. I can think of another wing who prided himself on how well he could see the floor, and that player is no longer in the NBA despite being the number-one pick in 2016.

This image is an omen, Cody; give heed, for heaven’s sake.

Williams and Bailey have experience on their sides and should absolutely feel comfortable in showing DP the ropes in his first days with the team. But make no mistake, Peterson will be the best player on the court from the first minute of Summer League. There’s a lot he’ll need to figure out, but it won’t be long before he’s teaching his elders.