Category: Sports News

Warriors reportedly discussed Jaylen Brown trade with Celtics near NBA deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors might have been in the mix for Jaylen Brown much sooner than the Philadelphia 76ers.

Five months before the Boston Celtics stunningly dealt the five-time NBA All-Star to Philadelphia on July 1 for Paul George, two first- and two second-round picks, Golden State was a team Boston considered moving one of its stars to.

ESPN’s Shams Charania joined Stephen A. Smith on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on Monday, where he discussed the Warriors’ failed pursuit of LeBron James, who ultimately signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, and detailed trade conversations, centered around Brown, between Golden State and the Celtics before the league’s Feb. 5 trade deadline and how the James pursuit might have been different had the Warriors pulled off a move for Brown earlier in the season, rather than him falling into the 76ers’ laps this summer.

“The Warriors could’ve got in the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes if they wanted to give up four first-round picks-ish, in that range,” Charania told Smith. “They decided not to from my understanding. Those two teams, the Warriors and Celtics did talk about a Jaylen Brown trade around the trade deadline, and it was around several first-round draft picks, potential swaps, and seconds.

“The Warriors decided not to go down that route, and so that’s on them. That’s the decision they made.”

Had Golden State added Brown at the deadline, or James’ longtime Los Angeles Lakers teammate Anthony Davis this offseason, Charania believes those moves could have propelled the Warriors to the front of the line for James.

“If they had went out and got that done, does that make LeBron James more viable?” Charania added. “What if the Warriors had gone out and been willing to give up several draft capital to go get an Anthony Davis from Washington, does LeBron James follow suit? My understanding was, if the Warriors were able to get Anthony Davis, they had as good of a chance, if not better than anyone, to get a LeBron James, and I think you have to look at that in the calculus of everything.”

Now, Golden State has neither star — and as of Monday, zero new additions at all to its roster almost one month into free agency.

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The largest and fairest criticism levied against sports video games is a lack of imagination and innovation. It’s perceived by a majority of gamers that each year developers make some small tweaks, update rosters, and trot out the same game — knowing full well that FOMO will carry them over the finish line, as players become desperate to have the newest title. Subverting those expectations is a large part of what makes NBA The Run special. Sure, it has its roots based in the NBA Street franchise, which was a modernization of NBA Jam’s DNA, but developer Play by Play Studios has created an exciting, unique foundation unlike anything else in sports gaming, which could blossom into something truly special, provided they can garner the support.

It’s been over a month since NBA The Run was released, and the choice to hold off before reviewing the game was part circumstance and part intentionality to see how it would settle in for the long run. This game is inherently an online-only experience, with the only available offline mode (for now) being practice. That is the design of this game. It’s supposed to be competitive, 3v3 street basketball, which might look purely arcade-focused from afar, but it has serious chops when it comes to being an online game, complete with a burgeoning metagame that makes the experience unlike anything else in sports video games right now.

The fundamental format of the game is baked into its title. Players embark on “runs,” a series of tournaments that end after four wins by taking home the championship against other teams of real players. Lose early and you’ll be bounced back to the menu to start another run, with the reward for winning it all being more XP to level up your account and more in-game currency used to unlock players, jerseys, dunks, taunts, and more. The major wrinkle to this format is that every game in a tournament is subject to a roulette spin that determines the ruleset for the game. You might roll up a standard “first-to-15” game, but there’s also a chance to hit something like “Dunk City,” where all dunks are worth three points, with every other bucket being worth one — and the same exists for three-pointers and alley-oops. These rule differentiations are critical because it ensures there’s no singular strategy that results in an easy win. Field a team of Steph Curry, Damian Lillard, and Kevin Durant and yeah, you’re going to have the edge in those three point game modes, but hit one that rewards points for dunks, or deducts the opponent’s points for blocked shots and you’ll be in trouble.

Every major NBA star you could ask for is in the game. There are currently 40 NBA players in the game, with almost every team having at least one star player. In addition, there are throwback versions of LeBron James (Cavs rookie), Kevin Durant (Sonic rookie), Steph Curry (rookie), Luka Doncic (Mavs rookie), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Clippers rookie) with unique stats that better reflect where they began their NBA journey, compared to right now. Each of these players is defined not only by their stats, but unique animations that wildly change the makeup of a game. Sure, everyone has the same animation for a running three — but only Dame has a fadeaway from beyond the arc that’s very difficult to block.

These nuances are what make the game special. Composing a team is random unless you run with friends, but a solid team composition is everything to having success. Initially, I tried almost every player in the game to find someone who represented my style, finally settling on Amen Thompson as my go-to player. Thompson operates like a supporting piece, using his lockdown defense and solid passing to be a glue guy on a team with established scorers. I’m not looking to stuff the box score with scoring, but my success is measured through how I can effect the game with steals, blocks, and assists.

Spend more time with the game and the player nuance really lifts the experience to another level. It hurts when you’re up against a good Victor Wembanyama player who knows their block timing, and a good SGA player can be a nightmare on both ends of the floor — breaking ankles with his handling before driving to the bucket, then swiping the inbound pass for another easy bucket.

For all this praise there are unquestionably some pain points to the experience along the way. The decision not to have goaltending is fine, because it keeps games moving quickly — but this has been an area players have learned to exploit with Wemby, parking themselves under the hoops to snatch any three-point attempts that come their way. Last week the game released its first major roster update, adding AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer to the game — with all three being extremely problematic. Developers were so generous with their stats that they are immediately three of the best players in the game, with Dybantsa especially being so overpowered that he towers over every forward in the game.

Developers have been quick to listen to the community and patch the game where needed, and right now these three rookies all need to be toned way, way back. It’s understandable to want to make them good enough to entice people to play as them, but there’s no excuse to make Dybantsa better than Durant and LeBron out of the gate, make Peterson functionally better than Steph Curry in every way, or Boozer to be the best offensive big man next to Nikola Jokic.

Regardless, it’s fun to see these discussions unfolding on Reddit and inside the community. This is the first time I can recall a sports game being discussed in the same vein as League of Legends or Rainbow Six Siege — deep, hardcore esports titles. Not that the input requirements are as taxing, or it’s quite to that level, but this is a competitive game with a chance to really mave waves long term, which is also the achilles heel here.

It’s impossible to discuss the future of NBA The Run without addressing the 10,000-pound elephant in the room: NBA 2K27 is coming. It’s the yearly sports title that no matter how much it can frustrate people, still absolutely dominates the space when it comes to breadth of modes. Ideally there would be a competitive niche that NBA The Run can dominate alongside 2K — but the roadmap for updates feels a little too slow and ponderous when a juggernaut is baring down on the already small community The Run has built. Players are clamoring for NBA legends, opportunities to add the greats from the past into this new format — but it might be another month or two before any meaningful changes are made. Compound this with growing frustration at a slower-than-average progression system and the imbalance of the rookies (which can only be unlocked at rank 25) and it makes for a questionable impression picking the game up late.

If you look at NBA The Run as a game right now then it’s just okay. It’s a fun experience that feels good with its fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay. When looking at the game as a foundation for something in the future, that’s where this gets really special. Developers have built a game which really is unlike anything else we’ve seen in sports games for some time — opening the opportunity to blend real-world athletes with online metagames to make a fascinating tournament game that has real esports potential.

The question is whether this game has the gas to bring in enough players to establish itself by the time that reality is fully realized. I truly hope it does, because the game is a blast — but that is the unknown part of this equation.

Bold Steph Curry contract extension idea for Warriors floated by Brian Windhorst originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Could Steph Curry conceivably play the 2026-27 NBA season without a contract for the 2027-28 campaign?

In the mind of ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, that’s the only way for the Warriors to retool the roster.

The 38-year-old Curry has one season left on his current Warriors contract, and on Aug. 29, he becomes eligible to sign a two-year, $136.7 million extension with Golden State.

On Monday’s episode of ESPN’s “Get Up,” Windhorst made the case for the Warriors telling Curry NOT to sign an extension before the start of the upcoming season.

“He is 38 years old,” Windhorst told host Mike Greenberg and fellow panelists Monica McNutt and Jay Williams. “He has said that he wants to play several more seasons. The Warriors are not giving up. They are missing and swinging a lot, but they are still swinging. The idea that the Warriors are a championship contender this year is ridiculous. They are not. But the idea that the Warriors are finished and cooked and never competing again, I give you the 76ers. They are going to keep trying.

“And one of the ways they can keep trying, quite frankly, is if Steph Curry doesn’t sign a contract extension this summer. Everyone’s watching to see if he will sign a contract extension.

“I submit [that] the Warriors should say, ‘Don’t sign a contract extension, let yourself become a free agent next summer. We’ll do a one-year deal with Draymond Green. Let’s clear $90 million in cap space and see what we can do in the market next year.’ You can’t win every year. Steph is going to try every year. The Warriors are going to keep trying. I don’t want to hear boo-hoo about an organization that went to six Finals in 10 years and won four championships, and is still working with a 38-year-old star.”

Windhorst’s thinking is that tying up $65-70 million per year with Curry’s expected extension limits what the Warriors can add around him.

But if Green re-signs for just the 2026-27 season, and Curry doesn’t sign his extension, they would become free agents next season, along with All-Star wing Jimmy Butler, giving the Warriors flexibility to add one or two big-time stars through free agency or via trades.

Then they could bring Curry back on a smaller contract.

The Warriors have swung and missed on numerous high-profile free-agent and trade pursuits over the last two years, including LeBron James last week, and as of July 27, they likely will return exactly the same roster they finished last season with.

So a roster overhaul in the next few years is almost assuredly going to happen, though it might have to wait until after Curry has retired.

Windhorst has been known to see the bigger picture, but it’s hard to envision Curry turning down $136.7 million when it’s unclear what that might lead to next summer.

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While Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was celebrating his 59th birthday on Friday, the rest of the NBA universe went into a frenzy following the news that LeBron James will be signing with Philadelphia.

With The King comes a new batch of lofty expectations.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James said in a post on X.

As we are all aware, the Sixers have not made even the conference finals since 2001. Outside of the pressure to stay healthy throughout the playoffs, most of the pressure will land on Nurse throughout the season to ensure a championship run.

Nurse and the Sixers have avoided true contender expectations over the past two seasons, whether by design or necessity.

Entering the 2024-25 season, the Sixers had objectively the best offseason with the Paul George signing, yielding sky-high expectations. But they got hit by the injury plague the moment the season began, ushering in their worst record (24-58) since 2015-16.

Last season saw the Sixers enter with very reasonable expectations, likely a play-in team but possibly a 4-6 seed in the conference, early exit. They finished the season being swept by the Knicks in the second round, but completed a thrilling 3-1 comeback against the Boston Celtics in the first round.

Thus, the upcoming campaign will be only the second season Nurse has had to realistically deal with championship expectations. The first was his first season with the team in 2023-24, where they lost to the Knicks in the first round after making the playoffs as a play-in team. But even that season featured a James Harden holdout and another Joel Embiid meniscus tear.

This season, the Sixers field one of, if not the best roster in the NBA on paper, and are receiving the national pressure to perform. As long as the players are healthy, lots of the pressure will be directed at Nurse.

The problem to solve will be how to effectively utilize the Sixers’ four playmakers on offense. We saw at the end of the season various moments where Tyrese Maxey was struggling to be as impactful with Embiid being the centerpiece of the offense. It threw Maxey off the rhythm he established through the first 3/4 of the season which earned him All-Star starter honors.

Bringing in Jaylen Brown, who put up career-best figures in scoring (28.7 ppg), assists (5.1) and usage rate (32.5%) will not only force Nurse to stabilize Embiid and Maxey in his game plan, but add another layer in the shape of an All-NBA player.

James will absolutely help ease the pressure off Nurse at times thanks to his infinite basketball IQ and playmaking. There may also be times where James’ gravitas increases the pressure on coach. We have seen multiple iterations of “LeCoach” from a far throughout his career, so it will be of great curiosity to see whether Nurse meets the Philly version over the next two seasons.

Even with the monstrous acquisitions of Brown and James, Mike Gansey has delivered Nurse a pool of role players he will have to weave into the mix. Led by second-year guard VJ Edgecombe as the fifth starter, Nurse leaning into a transition-heavy gameplan could reap benefits during the regular season from the bench mob as well.

Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon Jr., Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti and even new addition Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all have something to bring, especially in a fast-paced environment. And as long as James’ legs remain under him, we know what he can do with a full head of steam.

The pressure for Nurse will be how he marries that clear shift of priority from a team-building standpoint with the slow-paced nature of Embiid and James’ halfcourt game.

Can Nurse effectively convince Embiid to trade post ups for more threes to help space the floor? Can the coaching staff shift Embiid’s focus from majority offense to majority defense and avenge the dismal season we saw from him as a rim protector and rebounder last go-around? Will Nurse, and the organization at large, keep Jaylen Brown fulfilled in the wake of the ugly Celtics split and looming contract extension? Will Nurse establish that working relationship with James to avoid any “LeCoach” drama? Who will rebound the basketball?

Safe to say it will be exhilarating pondering these questions throughout August and as we approach training camp. What about Nurse or the strategy this season are you excited to have answered? Leave it in the comments below.

Entering his fifth year as the Sixers coach, it would be hard to argue more pressure has been on the Iowa native than there will be this upcoming season. The good news is, he will not be wearing as heavy of a load as the sole Finals-experienced main character for the Sixers. Five seasons of championship winning experience has just landed in Philadelphia.

LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers does not directly change anything for the Dallas Mavericks. Philadelphia added him on a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, giving LeBron another championship opportunity while allowing the Sixers to add him without dismantling the expensive core they had already assembled. He now joins Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid in what may be the most star-studded starting lineup in basketball.

On the surface, this is entirely Philadelphia’s story.

By February, however, it could become extremely relevant to Dallas.

The Sixers now have a legitimate championship ceiling, but they also have a top-heavy roster built around two aging or injury-prone stars and very little financial breathing room. Their five biggest non-LeBron contracts account for roughly $176.6 million this season, with Embiid, Brown and Maxey alone making nearly $156 million. Philadelphia’s total listed payroll was already approximately $207.9 million before accounting for LeBron’s new deal. Behind its stars, the roster quickly reaches players such as Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon Jr., Dominick Barlow, Ariel Hukporti, Adem Bona and Johni Broome.

There are useful players in that group, but the Sixers did not sign LeBron to patiently evaluate whether their young reserves are ready for high-leverage playoff minutes. They built this roster to win immediately. If their depth becomes a problem during the regular season, Dallas possesses several veterans who could provide exactly what Philadelphia needs.

Philadelphia’s biggest battle may be reaching April intact

When healthy, Philadelphia’s starting five should overwhelm most opponents with talent. The problem is that the Sixers cannot responsibly assume everyone will remain healthy.

Embiid’s availability has shaped nearly every recent Philadelphia season. Even when he is active, the Sixers must manage his workload with the postseason in mind. LeBron is entering his 24th season at age 41 after seriously considering retirement, and although he remained productive last year, Philadelphia should not expect him to carry an exhausting 82-game workload. (AP News)

That is before considering the normal injuries that affect every team. Brown, Maxey or Edgecombe could also miss time. Philadelphia does not merely need seven or eight players it trusts in May. It needs enough capable veterans to protect its stars between October and April.

The Mavericks have accumulated those kinds of players, even if their own roster remains strangely imbalanced.

Daniel Gafford could protect Embiid during the regular season

Daniel Gafford is probably the most obvious connection.

Philadelphia’s reserve centers are young and largely unproven. Gafford would give the Sixers a dependable starting-caliber option who could protect the rim, screen, rebound and provide vertical spacing without demanding touches. More importantly, he could start whenever Embiid rests and help Philadelphia avoid chasing regular-season wins by overworking its franchise center.

Gafford does not need to close every playoff game to justify the acquisition. His value would come from helping Embiid reach those games healthy.

Dallas has Gafford under contract for roughly $17.3 million this season, followed by approximately $18.1 million and $19 million over the next two years. That is not cheap, but it is reasonable for a proven center entering his prime. With Dereck Lively II, Morez Johnson Jr. and Moussa Cisse also on the roster, center may be the easiest position from which Dallas can trade.

Dallas has the exact wings contenders chase

Naji Marshall might be an even easier basketball fit. Philadelphia already has plenty of star power. It needs players who can defend multiple positions, survive physical playoff possessions and contribute without dominating the ball.

Marshall can do all of that. He could defend alongside Brown and LeBron, attack mismatches and keep the offense moving when one of Philadelphia’s stars rests. His approximately $9.4 million salary also makes him much easier to incorporate into a deal than some of Dallas’ more expensive veterans.

Klay Thompson would offer a more specialized skill. The Sixers will need shooting around Embiid’s post touches and LeBron’s drives, especially in playoff series where opponents aggressively load the paint. Klay no longer needs to be treated as an All-Star to hold value. On this roster, he could be a movement shooter whose presence creates space for everyone else.

P.J. Washington would likely be Philadelphia’s ideal target, but he would also be the most expensive. Washington can defend across the frontcourt, rebound, space the floor and close games without requiring the offense to run through him. Those are championship-level complementary skills. He is also entering the first season of a four-year extension worth nearly $89 million, so Dallas should demand legitimate young talent or draft compensation before considering a deal.

Santi Aldama occupies a slightly different category because Dallas just acquired him and could view him as part of Cooper Flagg’s long-term supporting cast. Still, his combination of size, shooting and passing would make him attractive to Philadelphia. Aldama could play beside Embiid, cover frontcourt minutes when LeBron sits and give the Sixers a more offensively versatile reserve big. His 2027-28 team option also provides contractual flexibility.

Kyrie Irving is the massive possibility in the background

There is also the Kyrie Irving factor.

Before LeBron chose Philadelphia, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor reported that James had been angling to reunite with Irving in Cleveland and that the Cavaliers and Mavericks had explored whether a deal could be constructed. Dallas reportedly did not make Kyrie available, but the interest confirms that LeBron still wants to play with his former championship teammate.

That does not mean Kyrie will be traded to Philadelphia. His approximately $39.5 million salary would make a deal complicated, and the Sixers already employ several high-usage perimeter players. Dallas should not move him simply because LeBron wants a reunion.

Still, LeBron’s interest matters. If Philadelphia reaches the deadline believing it needs another elite half-court creator, Kyrie could become the ambitious version of this conversation. The more realistic outcome remains the Sixers targeting one or two of Dallas’ role players.

Philadelphia’s urgency can become Dallas’ leverage

The Mavericks should not trade productive players simply to clear their crowded roster. They should wait for contenders to become desperate enough to pay.

Philadelphia could become exactly that kind of buyer.

LeBron’s contract is inexpensive, but his timeline is not patient. Embiid’s health does not allow for patience either. Every injury, losing streak or exposed weakness will increase the pressure on Philadelphia’s front office to improve a roster built specifically to chase a championship now.

Dallas is operating on a completely different schedule. Cooper Flagg is 19. Morez Johnson Jr. is 20. Zaccharie Risacher is 21. The Mavericks can afford to turn older veterans into picks or younger players without abandoning their long-term direction. Their abundance of forwards and centers may look awkward today, but it could become valuable inventory once contenders begin shopping for help.

LeBron James did not sign with the Mavericks.

His decision may still help them.

Philadelphia now has the stars required to win a championship, but it may eventually need Dallas’ depth to survive long enough to do it. The Mavericks should be ready to take advantage when that need becomes urgency.

With LeBron James signing in Philadelphia, it felt like the last major piece of a wild offseason. For the Knicks, their rotation has been long settled, with the team doing little but retaining their championship core early, signing Andre Drummond as a replacement for Mitchell Robinson, and drafting a couple of new prospects. 

But there are still some straggling questions before we enter training camp. 

Here’s three we’ll need answers to before New York kicks off its attempted repeat run...

Who gets the last roster spot?

The Knicks have one open roster spot they can fill using a minimum contract without encroaching on the second apron. They already took a shot at signing restricted free agent Moussa Cisse, but the Mavericks matched their offer sheet. 

Third-string center is their biggest need, with options like Nick Richards, Tony Bradley, Drew Eubanks, and Kevin Love still available. They could bring back Jeremy Sochan as a small-ball five, or live with OG Anunoby sliding up a position more often to take a swing at a better player elsewhere.

Bruce Brown, Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook, Nicolas Batum, and DeMar DeRozan are still free agents, but New York has yet to be linked to them. Signs point to a big, and the question remains which one ends up in the blue and orange.

Who gets the two-way deals?

Along with the last roster spot, the Knicks get three two-way slots to fill. These are often granted to developmental prospects or fringe veterans, but a couple may be up for grabs in New York’s case.

Their two rookies -- Tyler Nickel and Jack Kayil -- impressed enough at Summer League to warrant two-way deals. However, Kayil is more of a project and would be deep behind a packed guard rotation. Combine that with the earlier reports of the Knicks wanting to stash him overseas, and it’s possible somebody else gets his spot. 

Depending on Kayil, there’s still one or two two-ways to fill. One option is bringing back Kevin McCullar Jr., whom the Knicks drafted in 2024 and saw sparse minutes last season.

They could also return other members of their 2026 championship squad, like Dillon Jones or Trey Jemison III. Another option is bringing in new blood from this year’s Vegas Summer League squad like Liam Robbins, another center. 

How will Karl-Anthony Towns' extension talks play out?

The Knicks have already shown an aversion to going into the second apron by allowing Robinson to walk, and now they’re faced with another tough decision. Towns, a key piece of their championship run, is due for an extension worth up to $68 million annually, with an October deadline and player option for 2027-28 looming.

New York will obviously want a haircut off a maximum offer to retain flexibility and the rest of this core, especially with a new Jalen Brunson payday coming shortly after. How does Towns react to that, and is there middle ground when he could be looking to maximize value on possibly his last large contract in the NBA? 

Fans better hope they can come to a resolution, as the alternative means potentially losing him to free agency as soon as next summer. Worse yet, it could serve as a distraction during this season, which could end in the Knicks trading him instead of risking losing him for nothing, much like they did with Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley.