Category: Sports News

Headed into this past regular season, the Rockets offered Tari Eason a four-year, $100 million extension with protections tied to injuries given Eason’s already extensive injury history. Eason kindly rejected that offer and chose to bet on himself. Now that the dust has settled on the 2025-2026 season, we can begin to answer the question of whether he won that bet or not.

The 6’8” Forward out of LSU made himself a fan favorite immediately in his rookie season with his intense effort and tenacity on the court, specifically on the defensive end. Eason played all 82 games that season, and it appeared that Rafael Stone may have gotten the steal of the 2022 NBA Draft. While there is a chance that can still be the case, unfortunately Tari Eason hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season since his rookie campaign.

In 2023, he suffered from a lower leg stress reaction and benign bone growth issue. From 2023-2025 he continued to have soreness and would miss a multitude of games for injury management. In 2024, he missed two games due to concussion. He’s missed time this past season with both ankle and oblique strains and only played in 60 games, which was the most he’s played since his rookie season. The positive for Eason is that both of those injuries are not the kind of soft tissue injuries that wouldn’t throw up too many red flags under normal circumstances, like an ACL or Achilles injury would. However, with Eason’s previous health issues it raises some cause for concern.

Aside from the health portion of the question of whether Tari was right to bet on himself, when he was on the court, did he play well enough to earn a max contract as a restricted free agent? In the 60 games Eason played, he logged 25.8 minutes per game, scored 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. Eason shot 41.6 percent from the field including 35.8 percent from the three-point line, 77.6 percent from the free-throw line, and a true shooting score of 51.4 percent. Granted, that Eason is the kind of player that puts up numbers strictly with effort and hustle, having zero plays drawn up to specifically get him a shot, those numbers do not add up to a max contract, which for Eason would be in the range of about five years $240-245 million from the Rockets and four years $178-180 million should another team offer it to him.

For Eason to win this bet he made on himself, he will need to get more than the Rockets initially offered him, either from another team or from the Rockets if they decide to match the offer, but one thing I do know, Tari Eason is not getting a five-year max contract from the Rockets. If I’m wrong, then I will resign my post as a staff writer on this beloved website. There is no chance. However, can he get more than the Rockets initial offer? Well, sure… it’s the NBA, and there is always one team that is willing to overpay or at least pretend to be willing overpay to put the pressure on the Rockets to match in order to keep the player they drafted. But if I am being honest, I don’t believe Tari Eason deserves much more than the initial contract the Rockets offered him. It’s possible he will get less.

The thing I would point out if I were Eason’s agent is that his soft tissue injuries were not severe, and that Tari stepped up his scoring output in the playoffs. He scored 13.8 points per game in 32.5 minutes played per game. He shot 47.7 percent from the field, (I’d point to his career and regular season three-point percentages) 84.6 percent from the free-throw line and a 58.7 true shooting percentage. The one thing I do like is a guy who steps his game up when the stakes are higher. Tari Eason is going to have to convince either the Rockets or another NBA team that he is that exact type of player, that he will continue to be that type of player, and that he is going to be healthy if he wants any shot out pacing the extension he turned down last summer. If not, 2025-2026 will be the season Tari Eason bet on himself and lost.

It’s clear that for right now, the Western Conference belongs to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the San Antonio Spurs are next up, trying to take them down.

That leaves the Lakers just out of the conversation and trying to improve enough to be a threat to these two young teams. One clear weakness the Lakers have is a lack of depth.

The Thunder were able to play more players for longer stretches in their series against the Lakers. The Spurs have also played nine-plus players for 10 or more minutes in most of their playoff contests.

Meanwhile, LA’s rotation continued to shrink in the postseason, and few players cracked double-digit minutes. In Game 4 against OKC, Lakers head coach JJ Redick essentially played just seven players. The only other players who saw the court were Adou Thiero and Jarred Vanderbilt, and they both played just three minutes.

It’s not sustainable to only play seven guys for months of playoff basketball, but that was the situation Redick was in.

However, now that the postseason is over, the Lakers can assess their roster and bring in guys who can be part of their rotation and contribute to winning basketball.

Redick spoke about depth, continuity and where the Lakers stack up against the best in the West during his exit interview.

“I don’t necessarily view depth as a rotation thing,” Redick said. “Whether you play eight, nine, whether you play 11, 12, you need to have depth and that depth typically comes in the roster spots 10-15. Whether that’s internal development, draft, trade, free agency, whatever that is, we need to build depth beyond just an eight- or nine-man rotation because you’re naturally going to have injuries…It really is about just building that depth.

“We can figure out, as coaches, what a rotation looks like. But you look at OKC’s roster, you look at San Antonio’s roster, those guys, they have 13 high-level rotation players, minimum. That’s a luxury to have in the NBA and it’s one of the reasons those teams are really good.”

Based on how Redick used his roster, it’s clear the Lakers don’t have 13 high-level rotation players. OKC and San Antonio do, and that’s why they are still playing and Los Angeles is not.

Sure, Luka Dončić was out, and he would’ve absolutely helped, but not enough to turn a sweep into a series win.

The tricky part for the Lakers is that they were a very good team, but need to make moves to become great. How can they balance keeping all the things that made them a 50-win team while making enough changes to take a leap?

“I believe in continuity, but…If you’re trying to win a championship, which this organization is, and I’m trying to win a championship, ” Redick said. “I know [Rob Pelinka] is trying to win a championship. I know Jeanie is. I know Mark is.

“We’re trying to win a championship and so you have to be realistic and assess where you’re at. We’re not good enough right now. There probably will be some continuity. There probably won’t be. But that’s what the next two months are for.”

Redick left room for some continuity, but he said it as clear as day that LA isn’t good enough. If they’re trying to win a title, change is needed.

Sure, the Lakers would like to retain Marcus Smart, and bringing back Austin Reaves is a priority, but this is not a run-it-back roster.

Over the summer, we’ll see what that change looks like, but if the Lakers front office does its job, they’ll bring in the players Redick needs so that this time next year, he has enough guys to take on the Spurs and Thunder and have a legitimate shot at beating them.

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

The saga surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with the Milwaukee Bucks got another curveball this week when one of his teammates aired out some behind-the-scenes details about this past season that weren't flattering for former Bucks coach Doc Rivers or the franchise's Greek superstar.

Myles Turner revealed on an episode of his "Game Recognize Game" podcast with WNBA star Breanna Stewart that Rivers had a policy in which he didn't fine any players and "guys were late all the time. Guys were showing up to film whenever they want. Guys were missing meetings. It was one of the craziest things I've personally experienced."

"We literally, if the plane took off 2 o'clock, we weren't leaving until 4:30," Turner continued in comments that were published on Thursday, May 14. "I'm being so serious, bro. It was crazy, dog. Guys were hours late to the plane. It got to the point where I just knew not to show up until like an hour after they said the plane was going to take off. It was crazy."

Stewart asked Turner to name to worst culprit for being late. Turner responded without hesitation: "Giannis."

Steve Kerr reveals how much input Steph Curry, Draymond Green had on return originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Plenty of factors were at play in the decision of whether or not Steve Kerr would return as Warriors coach this offseason.

And while Kerr’s allegiance to Steph Curry and Draymond Green likely played a significant role from the coach’s side of things, the Golden State stars didn’t meddle in the decision-making process within the organization.

At his first press conference since his new Warriors contract became official, Kerr was asked Friday about his communication with Curry and Green during the weeks of uncertainty, as well as how much input the players had.

“I was in touch with both of them,” Kerr told reporters. “They did not have any impact or influence on whether I was going to be the coach, and that’s a credit to them.

“You know, I think one of the strong points of our organization is that our best player, who is one of the greatest players in the history of the game, is not telling [general manager Mike Dunleavy or owner Joe Lacob] what to do. He understands the repercussions of that if he wanted to go down that path, and it’s not healthy.

“It usually doesn’t work out well when a player tries to dictate what an organization does. So Steph has always recognized the sanctity of that wall that should exist, but we had a lot of discussions and talked about everything, talked about our team and some of the things I’ve just mentioned where we can get better.”

As Kerr stated, Curry has been heralded throughout his career for not interfering with major organizational decisions, despite his superstardom. In the end, though the Warriors haven’t been as successful recently as they have desired, Kerr emphasized the long-standing trust between players and coach in his ultimate decision.

“I know [Curry] wanted me to coach,” Kerr continued. “I know I wanted to coach him, and that mattered, but ultimately we have a really special, strong bond that should carry over into our success as a team. I think I have a better chance of coaching this team than anybody else because of that relationship, my relationship with Draymond, my intimate knowledge of our team and our organization.

“And, as I said from the beginning, I still love what I do. If I were tired and burned out, then I would not be doing this, but I love my job, I love coaching the Warriors, being in this city, being in the Bay. It all worked out.”

So, it seems as though Kerr’s return was the outcome everyone wanted. But now, what remains is whether or not Kerr, Curry and Green can compile one last deep run together in the NBA playoffs.

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Isaiah Thomas last suited up in a Boston Celtics uniform nine years ago, facing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals. He spent the remainder of his career playing for eight different teams, all while never relinquishing his desire to return to Boston.

At the same time, the respect and reverence Thomas had and left behind in Boston never faded. In 2019, as a member of the Denver Nuggets, he was honored with a tribute video at TD Garden midway through the first quarter of a regular-season matchup. This past season, as part of the organization’s “Legendary Moments” campaign, Thomas was welcomed back and sat courtside next to team owner Bill Chisholm on Dec. 19 — a night again marked by a video tribute during a game against the Miami Heat.

Now, that connection has come full circle. According to The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, Thomas will return to the Celtics as a professional and college scout, contributing primarily from the Seattle area, and reuniting him with the franchise where he became a two-time All-Star and MVP candidate.

Himmelsbach also reported that Thomas has already gotten started, joining team executives at the NBA Combine this week in Chicago.

Thomas, now 37 and two years removed from his last NBA appearance, has long awaited an opportunity to contribute to the Celtics once again. Before signing a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns in March 2024 for his final run as a player, Thomas floated the idea of signing with the Celtics, vowing to provide leadership and not needing a single minute on the floor. Boston, at the time, had an open roster spot following February’s trade deadline and before the team began exploring the buy-out market.

The front office passed on Thomas, and four months later, the Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals.

Boston acquired Thomas in a trade with Phoenix in 2015. Then-head coach Brad Stevens didn’t start Thomas until the following season, playing him off the bench for the final 21 games of the 2014-15 season. Even on a rebuilding, 40-42 roster led by Jeff Green and Avery Bradley, the Celtics made Thomas earn his spot.

He made his first All-Star Game in his first full season with the Celtics, averaging 22.2 points in 72 starts. The following year, Thomas wrote his legacy in Boston. He earned a second straight All-Star selection, averaged a career-high 28.9 points, and finished fifth in MVP voting behind Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and LBJ — and ahead of Stephen Curry.

In the 2017 NBA playoffs, Thomas elevated his game even further. He helped the Celtics rally from an 0–2 deficit in the first round against the Chicago Bulls, then delivered a 53-point performance in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Washington Wizards, a series Boston went on to win in seven games.

Thomas fell short in the conference finals, departing after 18 minutes in Game 2 versus Cleveland with a right hip injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the series. That was the catalyst for then-president of basketball operations Danny Ainge to trade Thomas for Kyrie Irving months later in the offseason.

That was the beginning of the end for Thomas, who in Boston was at the peak of his career and had done everything to earn a max contract.

His contributions weren’t enough to raise a banner, but they were among the organization’s most pivotal stepping stones. Just before the arrivals of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Thomas helped make the Celtics an exciting, watch-worthy team again. They weren’t the overwhelming favorites in the East like Cleveland, but they were a fearless underdog capable of hanging with the league’s top dogs.

In April 2016 against the Warriors, Thomas scored 22 points as the Celtics ended Golden State’s 54-game home winning streak. Against the Heat in December 2016, he set a then-career high with 52 points and cemented himself as the “King of the Fourth,” scoring a franchise record 29 points in the final quarter alone.

“I’ve opened my arms to try to come back in so many ways,” Thomas told reporters four years ago as a member of the Charlotte Hornets. “It’s not even about playing and trying to pick up where I left off, I’m past that moment, but I know there’s been times where I can help in that locker room. I’m not in there every day, so I can’t speak on what’s going on. This is from the outside looking in, but I’ve felt there’s been times where Brad could make a call and give me an opportunity and it hasn’t happened.”

Thomas added: “That’s disappointing in a lot of ways because I love Boston. I love everything about the city of Boston and the people who showed me the most love is obviously from Boston.”

Over the years, the team has kept its doors wide open to Celtics of the past. Paul Pierce is a frequent visitor at practices and a regular presence at games. Sam Cassell and Phil Pressey are members of Joe Mazzulla’s coaching staff. Rajon Rondo made a visit three years ago after receiving an invite from Mazzulla, as did former Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau just before Opening Night this past season.

During his run with the Celtics, Thomas wasn’t surrounded by a star-studded cast — and it still didn’t matter. At 5-foot-9, he consistently overcame physical limitations, just as he did in Boston, where he helped turn a post–Big Three rebuild into immediate gratification before handing the reins to Tatum and Brown.

In the history book of Celtics basketball, Thomas has a chapter of his own. It’s arguably the most sentimental, making a reunion long overdue for one of the franchise’s most beloved all-time legends.

Just like in the 1st round against the Orlando Magic, the Pistons have reached the point of win or go home as they face elimination against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland. If there is one positive for the Pistons it is that they only have to win two games in a row to steal the series rather than the three they had to against Orlando.

Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland came with a bit of controversy as what many thought was a missed foul on Ausar Thompson at the end of the game kept the game tied before the Pistons lost in Overtime. The Last Two Minute Report by the NBA has since disproven the controversy by confirming the correct call was made, but it has still led to a ton of discourse.

The bottom line about Game 5 is that the Pistons put themselves in a position to win multiple times during the game and couldn’t seal the deal. You can complain about the foul and free throw discrepancy, and those are valid things, but the Pistons blew a 15-point lead in the 1st half and also a 9-point lead with two minutes left.

Now, they have to go to Cleveland with their season on the line where the Cavaliers have not lost a game during the postseason so far.

Vitals

Where: Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH
When: Friday, May 15 at 7 pm EST
Watch: Prime Video
Odds: Cavaliers (-3.5)

Analysis

The big takeaway from the last three games amongst Pistons fans is the foul discrepancy and how many more free throws the Cleveland Cavaliers have taken. In Cleveland’s three straight wins, they have shot a total of 100 free throws while the Pistons have only shot 52. I don’t think I really need to say much more about it here that hasn’t already been talked about to death online.

The biggest reason why the Cavaliers have taken control of the series is because their stars have stepped up while the Pistons have gotten very minimal contributions out of anybody but Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris. It reached a breaking point in Game 5 as Jalen Duren was benched for the whole 4th quarter and overtime in favor of Paul Reed, who is one of the few bright spots outside of Cunningham and Harris.

In Games 1 and 2, the Pistons were able to successfully hold James Harden in check to the point where despite 23 and 31 point games by Donovan Mitchell, they were still able to come out on top. Since those first two games, Donovan Mitchell has kicked it up to another level and James Harden has gotten things rolling. It has scrambled the Pistons defense as they have to sell out more to stop both player’s dribble penetration and it has allowed the Cavaliers to get players like Evan Mobley, Max Strus, and Jarrett Allen rolling with easy looks.

You can say it is due to an uneven whistle, but the bottom line is that unless the Pistons make adjustments to how they are defending Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, this series will be ending tonight.

The Pistons have done a bad job defending the three point line as the Cavaliers have gotten quite a few open threes after long possessions because the Pistons lose focus or rotate off somebody too much. The Cavs are too good of a shooting team to consistently allow that to happen.

The Cavaliers have successfully matched the Pistons physicality on defense and are able to bring doubles on Cade to force other players to beat them. That did not happen on Wednesday down the stretch. All the Pistons had to do was make one of the wide-open shots that Cade generated off of a pass out of a double and the controversial call doesn’t matter and we are discussing the Pistons closing out a series tonight.

You can blame the refs all you want, but the bottom line is despite the foul and free throw discrepancy, the Pistons have held leads in 2 of the last 3 games in the 4th quarter and could not seal the deal in either one. Young teams have to learn how to win in the playoffs and the Pistons were able to get the job done against the Orlando Magic, but the Cavaliers are an older, more experienced team with a ton of players that have played a lot of playoff games.

They know how to game the system whether you like it or not. And those plays around the margins can make all the difference in winning or losing a playoff series.

The Pistons are not dead in the water. But, if they want any hope at winning this game and returning home for Game 7, their execution down the stretch has to be much better. The amount of free throws each team have shot won’t matter if you execute your offense and do a better job at defending and creating turnovers. The Cavaliers are prone to doing it as they proved in Games 1 and 2.

JB Bickerstaff and the players can discuss the uneven whistle all that they want, but it is clear at this point that the team that led the league in fouls during the regular season is going to foul a lot. The Cavs know it and have put together a gameplan that focuses on it. Now, the Pistons have to put together a gameplan of their own to counteract it.

Lineups

Cleveland Cavaliers (3-2): James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Detroit Pistons (2-3): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Question of the Day

Do the Pistons get it done and force another Game 7?