Category: Sports News

With the 2026 NBA Draft officially in the books, it’s time to round up the grades and see how the collective media thinks your Dallas Mavericks did. The Mavericks draft can best be described as perhaps, polarizing? Morez Johnson Jr., for how good he is, was not ninth on most boards (13^th on the consensus board), leading to the fair assumption that Dallas reached on the pick. But, grabbing Sergio de Larrea where they did was a very shrewd move.

All in all, on our live show Tuesday night, I gave the Mavericks a C+ for the work they did. I almost feel as if an incomplete grade is more suitable for the work they did, however. The rest of the roster is awfully redundant with Johnson Jr., and to a degree, Cooper Flagg. There are still transactions that need to be done over the coming days and weeks, and until that’s done, it is a bit unfair to judge the front office. However, if the roster looks and is balanced this way in October, it’ll be a different conversation.

Now that my amateur grading is out of the way, let’s see how the assembled media graded the Mavs.

SB Nation

Morez Johnson Jr.: B+

Our first shocker of the draft! The Mavericks just stole Dusty May away from Michigan, and now he’s bringing one of the top players from his national championship team to his new pro home. Johnson is super long and super strong, he’s an awesome play finisher, a good rebounder, and I believe he might be the best defender in the class. You can make the argument that his upside is capped because he’s a little short for a center, and he doesn’t yet shoot threes, but I think he’s a dog who is additive at either the four or the five. The Mavs just got a lot tougher around Cooper Flagg.

Sergio de Larrea: B

Tall pick-and-roll ball handler who can throw some really nice passes when he’s not sloppy with his turnovers. He shot it well this year, and gives the Knicks another guy who can run offense to take some pressure off Jalen Brunson. Update: De Larrea is going to Dallas.

Odds to win Rookie of the Year

The Fanduel Sportsbook currently has Morez Johnson at +10000 to win Rookie of the Year. Your favorites are Cam Boozer (+240), AJ Dybantsa (+400) and Darryn Peterson (+400). Are these odds telling you how good each of these guys will be as a pro? Perhaps not. But it is a good representation of what oddsmakers feel like they will produce in year one. If you had to pick someone to win, who would it be? And of Morez in particular, do you feel these odds are fair?

The Athletic

Morez Johnson Jr.: C+

Hollinger’s analysis: Surprise! I’m a fan of Johnson but not quite at this level. I think his offensive limitations are a bit much to select him in the top 10 in such a strong draft. He also has some positional questions on this roster since the frontcourt is so loaded already. Shockingly, he goes ahead of his two Michigan teammates (Aday Mara and Lendeborg), both of whom most had rated higher throughout the draft cycle. Obviously, you wonder how much influence newly hired coach (and former Michigan head coach) Dusty May had on all this. 

Sergio de Larrea: A

Hollinger’s analysis: I love this pick for Dallas. I had De Larrea in my top 15 and think teams slept on him while he was hugely productive in Spain the past two years. The Mavs gave up two seconds to move up from No. 30 and make sure they got him, which I see as a justifiable investment given the talent cliff that hit basically right after this pick. He’s a Bogdan Bogdanović-type guard with good size who can shoot and pass and should help Cooper Flagg whether he’s on or off the ball. 

CBS Sports

Morez Johnson Jr.: C+

New Mavs coach Dusty May brings in a Michigan player to Dallas. Morez Johnson was one of the biggest winners of the combine, measuring bigger than expected with massive length, well-rounded athleticism, and simultaneously reaffirming the shooting gains we saw this year. Johnson is long and powerful with an NBA-ready body and rugged physicality to match. He is a two-way rebounder and a versatile defender who can not only guard ball-screens in multiple ways but also be switchable inside-and-out.

Johnson is not a creator and doesn’t project as being more than a complementary piece offensively. Shooting is also still largely unproven with a total of 12 3-pointers in two college basketball seasons. He can provide some secondary rim protection, but doesn’t project as a primary shot-blocker at the NBA level. 

Sergio de Larrea: B

A big guard and advanced passer with excellent perimeter size, de Larrea has the potential to play multiple positions. He has a good feel for the game and ability to navigate and make reads off ball-screens. Dictates his own pace and rarely gets sped up. Made notable strides as a shooter and became a reliable floor-spacer, albeit with a fairly elongated release that is powered primarily through his upper body.

De Larrea has some athletic limitations that are exacerbated by playing upright with limited bend or flexibility in his body mechanics. He struggles to get all the way to the rim, especially in the half-court. Also a limited finisher in traffic. Relies on his size and IQ defensively, but has had similar struggles to hold his own on that end of the floor in EuroLeague play.

Team report card: C+

The single most important goal for Dallas this offseason was to give Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg a long-term running mate. By selecting Johnson, the Mavs added toughness, familiarity and size in a forward who played for new Mavs coach Dusty May last season at Michigan. There was debate about who would be the first Michigan player off the board, and it ended up being Johnson — who was one of the biggest risers of the draft cycle. But does he have the upside to justify the No. 9 pick? De Larrea, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Spain who played important minutes for a Valencia team that was one of the EuroLeague’s best, should fit well as a complementary piece around Flagg and Kyrie Irving. Lawal is a freakish athlete who can run the floor and finish at the rim. He will have to embrace a defensive identity to stick in the NBA.

ESPN

Team report card: B+

The “Michigan Mavericks” added Johnson one day after hiring former Wolverines coach Dusty May.

Johnson’s relentless energy as a defender and rebounder was crucial to Michigan’s NCAA championship run, and he has tried to expand his scoring profile by experimenting with a 3-point shot.

If that progress sticks, this pick could look amazing in hindsight. Dallas desperately needed more young talent to reorient its roster around last year’s No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg, and Johnson fits the bill as a player who can capitalize when defenses load up on Flagg.

De Larrea, a big guard who played professionally in Spain last season, and Lawal, a forward from Virginia Tech, fall into the flier category. May will have multiple years to turn around the Mavericks, but Tuesday was a good start.

Bleacher Report

Team report card: D

Despite this likely being the Dallas Mavericks’ best chance to pair Cooper Flagg with a star given the ownership and swaps of their future first-round picks, the Mavs ignored their biggest need.

Flagg and Dereck Lively II should be viewed as the franchise’s frontcourt moving forward, especially if the latter can stay healthy. Dallas suffered from horrible guard play all year and needed a playmaker to help set the table for Flagg, not force him out of position.

Johnson, although a good defender, is limited offensively and is going to need to take a frontcourt spot. With Brayden Burries going one spot later and a run of four potential All-Star guards in front of them, the Mavs should have done all they could to move up a spot or taken the Arizona product instead.

De Larrea potentially fills this need, although he was talked about as a draft and stash option when the New York Knicks originally made the selection at No. 25. This was the Mavericks best chance to add a high-upside guard to grow alongside Flagg and they messed it up so new head coach Dusty May could take one of his Michigan players, a move that’s not going to age well.

Jaylen Brown has been passed over yet again.

Just a few days after the Bucks chose the Heat’s trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo over the Celtics’ offer headlined by Brown, the Timberwolves traded for another player instead of Brown. 

Minnesota discussed the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, but instead pivoted to Charlotte guard LaMelo Ball since it felt he fit the roster better and would require less compensation, according to The Athletic.

The Timberwolves acquired Ball and Josh Green for Naz Reid, one first-round pick and three first-round pick swaps and three second-round picks.

The Bucks’ previously opted for Miami’s offer built around young players and first-round draft picks over the Celtics’ package centered on Brown.

That Brown would be mentioned in another trade in such quick fashion only raises questions about whether he will be with the team come Opening Night this fall.

Boston President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens did not give a concrete answer on whether the guard would remain with the team earlier in the week. 

“Jaylen Brown is a big part of us,” Stevens told reporters Tuesday night. “I don’t want to predict the future. I look at it as this is our team.”

Brown shined this past season while serving as the team’s No. 1 option for most of the year with Jayson Tatum sidelined, calling it his favorite season of his career.

He finished fourth most in the NBA with 28.7 points per game. 

There is at least one possible trade partner that could still make sense for the Celtics, though.

The Celtics have long been interested in the Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, according to SI’s Chris Mannix, and could use a good frontcourt presence to help deepen the roster. 

Brown would provide Cleveland with another capable scorer alongside Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.

Now that the 2026 NBA Draft is behind us, scouts and executives fully shift their evaluation focus to the 2027 NBA Draft and a new crop of players.

12 months away from when these prospects will actually hear their names called, it is nearly impossible to predict which players will emerge at the top of the next class. Experts feel the upcoming class is not nearly as loaded at the top as 2026 was with AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer.

However, there are still plenty of talented prospects who will soon make a name for themselves at the next level in college basketball and overseas.

NBA Draft analysis: 2026 NBA Draft team grades: Which front offices did the best in both rounds?

It’s basically pretty simple. All the rebuilding, all the losses, all the trades, all the disappointments over the past two years came down to the moment that Adam Silver stepped to the stage Tuesday night and intoned those words, “with the sixth pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Brooklyn Nets select… MIKEL BROWNJR!”

Sure, the selection of Egor Demin at No. 8 a year ago and his (mostly) positive season matter, but the sixth pick in what could be a generational Draft was also the franchise’s highest pick since 2010 when they took Derrick Favors with construction barely underway at Barclays Center and HSS Training Center just an idea. More than that, the 2010 Draft was mediocre at best.

Indeed, the pick that became a thin 20-year-old lead guard from Orlando was arguably the franchise’s biggest decision since John Calipari muffed 1996 Draft and wimped out by deciding against taking Kobe Bryant. No, no, we’re not saying Brown is the next Kobe, nor are we dissing the pick of Brook Lopez at No. 10 in 2008. We’re just measuring the call’s potential impact.

Brian Lewis on Friday put Sean Marks decision this way:

The Nets have had a busy month of decisions, from the Julius Randle trade to Michael Porter Jr. extension to how to use the rest of their cap room. But down the road, whether Marks is still Brooklyn’s GM or not, his legacy may well be remembered by the call he made Tuesday night.

Might well be choosing Mikel Brown Jr. over Darius Acuff Jr., just as The Post projected he would.

That’s probably reductive. Technically, Marks picked Brown over not just Acuff but a litany of prospects — including Kingston Flemings and Brayden Burries, Nate Ament and Aday Mara. But realistically? Brown and Acuff are going to be linked because Marks drafted the Louisville freshman sixth overall, and Acuff came off the board one spot later to Sacramento.

Frankly, a big win on Brown would also help fans forget what happened with the Clean Sweep. Without saying so, Marks gets that. In his post-Draft presser, he noted:

“We’ve all talked about, and the media talked about, how good this draft was and how deep this draft is. You never quite know until four or five years down the road,” he told reporters.

“I’ve said the things that stood out about Mikel, the high character, the competitive fire that he has, the physical skills he has, the ability to shoot from deep, the range that he has, play with his teammates, make quick decisions, his athletic ability. A lot of those things will definitely translate to our league. Those are definitely things that stood out, being able to play on and off the ball and his versatility.”

Those or five years will also likely be filled with comparisons to the other lead guards who were available at the time No. 6 spot, particularly Acuff. So be it. Marks gets that, adding “Look, I don’t know that I need to get into who we didn’t draft and so forth.”

Others surely will, as Lewis writes.

Right now we’re just in the prologue. But by then, the Big 3 era will be a decade in the rearview, a distant memory. Porter and Randle — both of whom can be free agents next summer — may each be gone. Meanwhile, these rookies will be entering their prime. And Marks’ call will be either vindicated or vilified.

• Why ‘dynamic’ Mikel Brown Jr. was Sean Marks’ choice to push Nets’ rebuild forward – Erik Slater – Clutch Points

Allen Graves and Jaden Bradley have been wrapped up in the whirlwind of the draft, seeing the two players make their way north to Canada to speak to media ahead of the Summer League’s beginning.

Graves entered flanked by family, his brother a prominent presence on the sidelines as the rookie took a seat at the OVO Athletic Centre. The former Louisiana Mr. Basketball was collected and relaxed as he spoke about the outpouring of support from his Ponchatoula community – 8000 strong – where “literally the whole town” was picking up the phone to wish him well.

He called Toronto “amazing,” and spoke positively about the city’s greenery as similar to that of his native US south. The connection to home is strong, noting that his father worked four jobs – as a bus driver, in a mechanic shop, and as a minister – and brings that ethos of working hard to his play on the court. “I got to take my job as serious as he does,” said the forward. And indeed, Graves seems to have a good understanding of his place on the team, and in the league.

He said that his year one focus would be on defence, “being able to switch, being able to guard,” with that side of the ball being how he would “keep getting contracts.” Graves was confident about his abilities, saying that the latter half of the season, especially his matchup with Gonzaga, marked when the NBA dream felt real. “I feel ready, I wouldn’t have took it if I didn’t think that I was ready, and I was able to play at this level.”

Bradley, drafted just last night, was a bit more subdued after flying in to Toronto from North Carolina. Bradley was born in Rochester, New York, and lived in Charlotte for much of his life. Similarly to Graves, he spoke about his defensive responsibilities as paramount to his play. “I knew I had to hang my hat on the defensive end,” he said. “My freshman year at Alabama, I had some great, great players and I knew I had to… kind of earn minutes.”

That unselfish perspective from the former Big 12 Player of the Year suggests he’ll fit in well on a Raptors squad alongside the roster of other points guards. Having faced off against Jamal Shead in college, Bradley called it “a crazy game,” and complimented Shead, calling him “a great player defensively,” and that “offensively, he had it going as well.” Having the two hard-nosed guards on the same team now could be a dangerous weapon in the hands of this Raptors organization.

There were moments of levity from Bradley as well. When asked about strange questions that he was asked by teams during the draft, he was asked “what is it like growing up with a fed in the house?” This, in reference to his father’s work in the federal government, which he joked was a matter of his father “know[ing] every movement”.

Bradley was the only second round draft pick not traded last night, and spoke about what that meant to him.

“It means the world to me,” he said. “I’m going to show them that it’s gonna, it’s gonna work out.”

The NBA Summer League will begin on July 9th, 2026, running until the 19th. Keep an eye out for the rookies to show off their stuff soon!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The NBA offseason is in full swing, and we’ve already seen teams like the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves making moves to get better. The Lakers have also made some additions, but not as splashy as trading for Giannis or LaMelo Ball.

Instead, the Lakers have re-signed Austin Reaves to a max deal and drafted Cameron Carr with the No. 24 pick. There’s still plenty of time left to get things done, but this summer has big expectations for the Lakers’ front office, considering the amount of cap space and roster spots they have available.

For our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we asked fans how much confidence they have in the Lakers’ front office, and the results weren’t glowing.

Most fans selecting “a little” feels fair, but it’s not exactly a huge vote of confidence. It signals that even with money to spend and roster spots potentially open, fans don’t know whether Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka can make the right moves to turn the team into true title contenders.

That’s also reflected in second place being the no-confidence option, and last place getting 13% of the vote being the a lot of confidence pick.

At this point, after many years in the position, Pelinka is in the show me stage with fans. They want to see the front office build out a championship roster around Luka Dončić, who is an MVP-caliber player. And this is the summer to do it.

Lakers fans love Cameron Carr

On the plus side, the Lakers moving up to select Carr in the draft has been a popular choice. Draft experts gave the selection rave reviews, and fans agree that it was a good pick.

Carr is exactly the kind of young athletic player the Lakers have been lacking. Obviously, it’s way too early to know how good he will be, but his selection points towards the Lakers working to address their lack of athleticism.

Hopefully, Carr and Adou Thiero can both have positive seasons and suddenly, the Lakers will have some second-unit guys who can really push the tempo and be an injection of energy for the team.

And if Pelinka does his job, there will be other great options on the bench and in the starting unit, making the Lakers a fun team that will win a ton in the West, both in the regular season and during the playoffs.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

The Lakers managed to re-sign star guard Austin Reaves on a four-year deal worth $185 million.

Re-signing Reaves was one of the Lakers’ biggest priorities during free agency this offseason, and they had to break the bank to get him back.

Reaves’ longtime girlfriend, Jenna Barber, posted a photo of Reaves laying down in what appeared to be disbelief on a golf course in the wake of receiving the deal from Los Angeles.

As if this photo wasn’t proof enough, a June 24 article from ESPN’s Shams Charania conveyed the emotions that Reaves felt upon signing this deal.

“Great relief,” a source close to Reaves told Charania regarding how the star guard felt upon getting this deal.

Perhaps the reason for Reaves’ relief is that he nearly would have had no choice but to join another team, given the offers he was set to receive.

Charania conveyed this with a June 24 X post that noted the Detroit Pistons were planning to offer Reaves a maximum-level salary, which is ultimately what led the Lakers to step up their offer and keep Reaves around, as they were nervous they’d lose him.

Reaves has spent his entire NBA career with the Lakers and clearly considers LA home. That’s why it’s no surprise to see and hear about his relief that the Lakers matched the contract he would have received from other teams including Detroit, thus making his decision to stick around an easy one.

With Reaves now locked down, the big question for the Lakers now regards what LeBron James will do.

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The Golden State Warriors have signed Gonzaga undrafted free agent forward Graham Ike to an Exhibit 10 contract, per the Gonzaga’s men’s basketball team. Ike was actually ranked higher in Sam Vecenie’s draft rankings for The Athletic than Warriors second-round pick Lajae Jones (70 vs. 99). Exhibit 10 deals are non-guaranteed but include small bonuses (less than $100,000) designed to incentive players to join a team’s G-League affiliate when they likely do not make the team. Exhibit 10 contracts primarily function to help NBA teams fill out their rosters, which expand to 21 in the offseason for summer league and the preseason. Each team is allowed up to six Exhibit 10 contracts. They may be converted to a two-way deal prior to the start of the regular season as well.

Ike was one of the most productive players in college basketball last season, averaging 19.9 points (leading the West Coast Conference), 8.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game on 56.3%/33.8%/79.7% shooting in 31.2 minutes per game (31 games). Ike was the best player on a Gonzaga team that finished the season ranked 18th in the country with a 31-4 record and a West Coast Conference championship. Ike was named an AP and NABC third-team All-American.

Ike began his collegiate career back in the 2020-21 season at Wyoming. A knee injury had hampered his recruitment and kept him sidelined early in the year, but he was immediately a quality rotation player across 11 games once he was able to play. As a sophomore, he led Wyoming in scoring (19.5 points per game) and rebounding (9.6 rebounds per game).

A leg injury led Ike to take an injury redshirt for the entire 2022-23 season and enter the transfer portal, were he landed at Gonzaga. He immediately slotted into the Bulldogs starting lineup, where he remained for the next three seasons. Over his college career, Ike averaged 17.6 points and 7.8 rebounds in 26.8 minutes per game on 56.8%/34.8%/76.5% shooting.

The biggest question facing Ike is how his game will translate to the NBA, where scouts worry he may be a tweener wing/big caught in no man’s land (think Eric Paschall), lacking the creation ability to score against stronger & more athletic NBA defenders without the refined post game to handle responsibilities as a five. As Vecenie wrote in his draft guide about Ike, “Massive, long post player who needs to change play style for NBA.”

With that said, there’s a lot to like about Ike’s potential fit with the Warriors, who currently have an open two-way spot next to Malevy Leons and LJ Cryer. Ike will be 24 in August and has an impressive frame. At the combine he measured 6’9.75” barefoot with a wingspan north of 7’5” at around 250 lbs. In fact, his combine measurements closest comp, according to DraftExpress is Steven Adams.

Ike’s path to an NBA career will be much easier if he is a viable three-point shooter at the next level. His free-throw efficiency (79.6% on 451 attempts at Gonzaga) demonstrates he has some touch on his shot, but he never attempted a three per game before this past season (when he shot 33.8% on 71 attempts).

With the Warriors re-signing Al Horford, likely re-signing Kristaps Porzingis, they will need young depth at center next season. With a guard and wing already filling two-way contracts, Ike could be the early favorite to take the third and final spot if second-round pick Lajae Jones is going to be an immediate member of the Warriors roster.