Category: Sports News

July 1, 2024, was a triumphant day for the Philadelphia 76ers. Their year-long plan of preparing cap space had paid off by landing Paul George, the top free agent in his class, to play with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in a renewed effort to dominate the Eastern Conference. Two years to the day, George was shipped out of Philadelphia in the most unexpected way possible.

The disastrous start to George’s tenure in Philly was more predictable than many Sixers fans had realized at the time. An injury in his first preseason game kicked off a year one that never got off the ground. George was never able to get his body right, he was constantly rushing to get back on the floor to aid an Embiid who was also struggling with just being available to play.

After just the first year, George’s contract was widely regarded as one of the worst in the league and a massive anchor around the Sixers’ future. That fact wasn’t helped when George suffered another injury in the offseason, and would once again miss the first few weeks of the regular season.

When he was on the floor in 2025-26, he looked more like the Paul George the Sixers thought they were signing. Just as he and the team were gaining momentum it was again halted, as George got hit with a 25-game suspension for drug use.

The time off was certainly a detriment to the team’s seeding — they would end up having to fight through the Play-In tournament to secure a playoff appearance. The 25 games away was just the refresher the 36-year-old needed, though. In the last 10 games of the regular season he averaged 21 points and 5.7 rebounds a game shooting 47% from the field and 41% from three-point range.

That strong play extended into the postseason. In their round one series win over the Boston Celtics, George averaged 17.4 points per game shooting 55% from three-point range while playing stout defense on the likes of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

He was so productive for the Sixers there was hope they wouldn’t have to attach too many assets to dump George’s contract. The Sixers weren’t just able to do that, they were able to get an All-NBA player in return for George in the form of Brown himself.

The acquisition for Brown is so exciting and such a win on paper that it’s easy to write off George’s time as a Sixer entirely. He’ll go down as one of the biggest reasons the Sixers had to transition out of this Joel Embiid-centric era. He’ll be remembered as the guy whose attempts to quit podcasting were ultimately useless in saving the 24-win season of 2024-25.

He can also be remembered as a key cog in the Sixers’ most exciting playoff win in over four decades. He can be remembered as a guy who helped end an era of Celtics basketball and kickstart a new one for Philly in the process.

It’s tough to remember a guy as instrumental in the Sixers’ worst season of the decade fondly, but it’s also tough to look on anyone who helped a 3-1 series comeback harshly. George’s legacy in Philadelphia should be as complicated as parsing through his production with the Sixers. The swing taken on him in 2024 sure as hell didn’t work out, but at the end of the day, it got them Jaylen Brown.

LAS VEGAS — Joe Mazzulla sits back in his chair at the corner of practice as music blasts. It’s Celtics Summer League, and a new crop of players are beginning their journey to the pros.

Some, like first-round draft picks Hugo Gonzalez and Chris Cenac Jr, come in with plenty of expectations and fanfare. Others are hoping to break through, to make some sort of name for themselves, to get their dream opportunity.

As the 16-player Summer League squad wraps up practice, Neemias Queta is partaking in a rigorous workout with the Celtics assistant coaches. The Portuguese center is just a few days removed from signing a life-changing contract, a 4-year, $56 million extension that is the result of years of tireless work.

Fittingly, as he walks into the gymnasium, he shakes nearly every reporter’s hand. We each shower him with congratulations. After all, it’s not every day that a player who jumped around from two-way contract to two-way contract gets that kind of long-term payout. Just two years ago, Queta was a Summer League player himself, hoping to one day become an impactful rotation player.

Outside of Queta’s entrance, it feels like a normal day of practice: Mazzulla is in the background, chatting with some staff members. Queta is working on his post moves with assistant coach Tony Dobbins. A smattering of assistants work with players on their skill development.

But the reality is that it’s been anything but a normal couple of weeks for the NBA’s most storied franchise.

Just over a week ago, the front office made the difficult and highly-scrutinized decision to trade Jaylen Brown, the team’s longest-tenured player, the Finals MVP who over the years became a staple in the Boston community. It’s a decision that Brad Stevens fielded dozens of questions about in a 40-minute press conference earlier in the week.

“This is the decision we came to,” Stevens said, “and obviously, in many circles that’s not popular, and we understood that coming into it.”

But lost in the shuffle of the Brown trade was everything else that took place over the last few weeks — the Celtics signed veteran free agents Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley, acquired Paul George, and extended Neemias Queta and Ron Harper Jr long-term, two tenacious players who began their tenures with the organization in the G-League.

They also drafted two rookies — Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell — whose additions to the franchise got buried amid all the trade hysteria.

I sat down with Mazzulla to talk through it all: through the defining move that sent Jaylen Brown to the rival Philadelphia 76ers, through the offseason additions he hopes help the team ultimately achieve its loftiest goals, and through his own journey as, believe it or not, one of the NBA’s longer-tenured coaches.

This is the first in a two-part series diving into the Celtics coach’s mindset on the heels of a disappointing playoff exit, his thoughts on the team’s newest additions, and much more.

Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics coaching staff looked inwards

The reality is that the Jaylen Brown trade came on the heels of a season that ended in undeniable disappointment. The Celtics held a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Philadelphia 76ers, but lost three straight games, becoming the first group in franchise history to blow a 3-1 lead.

As such, he and his coaching staff have been handily criticized all summer.

When I ask about that flood of criticism — a sharp departure from the flowers they received during an unexpected 56-win campaign — Mazzulla interrupts me.

“As we should be,” Mazzulla said. “That’s deserved criticism. One, you don’t end your season on a loss. Two, you’re up three games to one. You have to be able to win a game, and we don’t. So that starts with me.”

The Celtics notably have the exact same coaching staff back for a third consecutive year. That staff, headlined by coaches like Sam Cassell, Dobbins, DJ MacLeay, Matt Reynolds, and others, has been working tirelessly this summer to figure out where things went wrong in the playoffs, and how they can grow from there. It’s a process that began almost immediately after the playoff exit.

“It starts with me,” Mazzulla said. “Where can I get better? Where did I fail in the last two postseasons? Where do I have to be better? And then it trickles down to asking them the same questions.”

“You have to be honest with yourself. You have to have people who are honest around you, and I don’t think I’ve ever been around a group of guys who are more honest with each other. And we argue constantly. The most important thing is getting to the right answer.“

Aside from the self-reflection, the Celtics coaching staff had a busy summer of their own, with several emerging as finalists for NBA head-coaching jobs. Dobbins was a finalist for the Dallas Mavericks head coach job, and fellow assistant coach Tyler Lashbrook was a finalist for the Portland Trail Blazers job, among others.

Mazzulla welcomed it all.

“We had four coaches have head coaching interviews this summer, and two other guys have interviews at other jobs,” Mazzulla said. “And so I think those are little affirmations that the process of what we’re doing is good.”

Joe Mazzulla emphasizes Jaylen Brown’s competitiveness

Mazzulla smiled when I asked him about Brown, whom he worked with for four seasons as head coach. Together, they won almost 300 games and ultimately hoisted the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy.

More than anything, Mazzulla credits the five-time All-Star for making him better. Speaking to a group of reporters just a few minutes earlier for the first time since the trade, Mazzulla shared how difficult the trade was and stressed that Brown made him a better coach: “I know that for a fact.”

“Something like that is going to be difficult,“ Mazzulla said. “But I think if you could just get through it and act as if nothing happened, then that’s when I think that you’re not in it for the right reasons.”

As we later sat on the gymnasium sidelines, I asked Mazzulla to elaborate on the notion that Brown made him better.

“The biggest thing was just his competitiveness,” Mazzulla said. “He wasn’t afraid to push you. That was for teammates. That was for me. That was for people. He wasn’t afraid to hold you accountable to a higher standard. And when you have the opportunity to coach guys like that, it just makes you better.”

What does Mazzulla hope Celtics fans don’t miss when they reflect on Brown’s tenure in Boston?

There’s the well-chronicled off-court work that will forever define his tenure. There’s the 2024 championship, in which Brown raised nearly every aspect of his game to its best version.

There’s the 2025-2026 season, in which he built a legitimate MVP case for the first time in his career.

“I really hope people saw the competitiveness,” Mazzulla said. “I hope people saw the leadership. The leadership jump that he took this year… I hope people [were able to] see that.”

“What you see is what you get from Jaylen: it’s competitiveness, it’s respect. And he wants to win.”

Making the most of the Celtics’ offseason additions

With Jaylen Brown in Philadelphia, the Celtics coaching staff has been tasked with figuring out how to get the most out of players like Mitchell Robinson and Paul George.

Brown isn’t going to be replaced — that’s not the goal — but Mazzulla’s job is to figure out how to get the most of the players they did add.

“You’re getting rid of strengths [in Jaylen], but you’re bringing in new strengths,” he said. “And that’s the part that we have to leverage as a staff and as a team.”

“Bringing in the strength of Paul George, bringing in the strength of Mike Conley, guys that have beaten us in games, and guys that have played high-level basketball for a long time. Bringing in the strength of Mitchell Robinson, who has been one of the most impactful players when he’s on the floor. And so we just have to have an understanding of what those guys’ strengths are, and how do we give them an opportunity to make us better?”

Robinson is the Celtics’ marquee free agency signing; the longtime New York Knicks center is a historic rebounder who has long been a thorn on the Celtics’ side.

When the Knicks and Celtics faced off in the 2025 playoffs, Joe Mazzulla ordered his players to routinely send Robinson — a notoriously poor free-throw shooter — to the foul line to try and get him off the court. Regardless of that strategy, the Knicks outscored the Celtics by 46 points in Robinson’s minutes that series.

So, when it came time to offer Robinson a contract last week, it was a full-circle moment. In that free agency call, the two discussed Mazzulla’s Hack-a-Mitch approach.

“I told him [the fouling] was a compliment,” Mazzulla said. “He was so effective when he’s on the floor. We had to do what we could to take him off the floor. So, now we have to be able to use his effectiveness to make us better. And I think it gives us a ton of depth at the center spot where two guys have done so many great things for us, Neemi and Luka [Garza]. And now we have another guy that can help us.”

Neemias Queta, Ron Harper Jr. see their work get rewarded

For Celtics fans, some of the best news of the offseason came when Queta signed his extension, and Ron Harper Jr. signed his own 4-year, $14 million contract.

It’s something that was gratifying to Mazzulla, too.

“They put their head down, and they work,” he said. “And I think it’s a testament to the front office for finding guys that can impact winning, and then it’s a testament to the player development staff, and then it’s a testament to the players with how hard they work.”

There were distinct moments in which it became clear to the Celtics head coach that Queta and Harper Jr. had what it took to make it in this league. For Harper Jr., it was the way he was able to crash the glass and defend in a February road game against the Houston Rockets in which he was tasked with guarding Kevin Durant.

For Queta, it was the way he embraced the illustrious responsibility of being the Celtics’ starting center from the get-go.

“They both just showed moments,” Mazzulla said.

Now, both players will be Celtics long-term.

On top of those additions, the Celtics added two rookies via the draft: Chris Cenac Jr and Dillon Mitchell. They weren’t projecting Cenac would be available at pick No. 27, but he had slipped through the first round.

“Obviously, didn’t expect to get him at this point, and I think that’s the conversation that you have with Chris of like, ‘Hey, you’re here for a reason,’” he said. “One, you need to find out why you got to us, and you need to use that as leverage, and you need to use that as information to become the best player that you possibly can.”

Mazzulla pointed out that Cenac and Mitchell come to him after being coached by “high-level” coaches: Cenac was led by Kelvin Sampson at Houston and Mitchell by Rick Pitino at St. John’s. He expects that will make their adjustment to the NBA’s intensity a little smoother.

“I think that really helps guys at the next level, when you’ve been coached by great coaches,” Mazzulla said. “I think it makes it easier for them.”

Looking ahead at Year 5 in Boston

As Mazzulla prepares for his fifth season as head coach of the Celtics, he feels more gratitude for the job than ever before.

“The gratitude [grows] the longer you get to stay, because you know there’s so much turnover,” he said.

He’s not wrong: remarkably, only seven NBA coaches have been with their franchise for longer than Mazzulla has.

As such, he’s been studying veteran coaches like Erik Spoelstra, Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr — decorated coaches who spent their entire coaching careers with one organization — as well as New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown, who has moved around a few times, but found success wherever he’s gone.

What’s allowed them to be effective for so long?

“It’s not supposed to go one way,” Mazzulla said. “You just have to get better, and you have to be around great people. And I’m fortunate enough to do that here.”

The second part of my exclusive conversation with Joe Mazzulla will be out on Monday — a deeper dive into the unique way the Celtics head coach has spent his offseason.

As our focus shifts to next season, the Knicks enter unfamiliar territory as they prepare to defend a championship. While visions of championship celebrations will forever live on in our minds, New York’s front office continues navigating the realities of a salary cap and that second apron nonsense. The most notable casualty of that reality is Mitchell Robinson. The longest-tenured Knick now plays for the Boston Celtics, leaving New York with a massive void at backup center. To fill that spot, Leon Rose traveled the veteran, low-cost route, bringing aboard Andre Drummond.

It is tempting to view this particular roster movement as a simple one-to-one replacement of a traditional backup center. In a conversation with media personality Mika Ortiz on X, Drummond openly stated he brings a “similar talent” and “similar energy” to the floor. However, if you take a statistical deep dive into both centers, the picture becomes a bit more complex. Swapping Robinson for Drummond fundamentally changes the Knicks’ offensive spacing, rebounding approach, and defensive geometry.

Rebounding is a key component of New York’s identity. However, how they secure rebounds is about to change. Robinson’s primary value is his ability to generate offensive possessions. He did not just secure rebounds; he dismantled defensive schemes. A matchup from last season that demonstrates this best is a game against the Indiana Pacers in March. In 31 minutes of action, Robinson recorded 22 total rebounds and registered a remarkable Offensive Rebounding Percentage of 29%. For those of you wondering, this means that while Robinson was on the floor, he recorded nearly a third of his team’s offensive rebounds. His ability to create second-chance opportunities bailed out inefficient possessions and was one of the reasons the Knicks won Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Drummond is equally dominant on the glass. His impact is largely on defensive rebounds. While Robinson’s focus is on possession extension, Drummond’s is on possession elimination. During a high-usage contest against the Clippers in November, he secured 18 rebounds and registered a phenomenal 30% Defensive Rebounding Percentage. While his greatest value lies in ending opposing possessions, he is still a highly talented offensive rebounder, even posting a 22.2% Offensive Rebounding Percentage against the Knicks this May.

Replacing Mitchell with Drummond makes the strategic trade-off clear. New York is sacrificing elite second-chance creation for an equivalent in second-chance prevention. Although they may suffer a similar fate, opponents will take on many one-and-done possessions.

The structural changes become even clearer on the offensive end. Robinson is a low-usage backup. His Usage Rate rarely went over 15% and often dropped into the single digits. Also, he provides no floor spacing whatsoever and never takes any three-point shots. Serving simply as a lob threat and putback specialist, Robinson does not require any plays designed for him. Though this kept the ball in the primary creators’ hands, it shrunk the floor, allowing defenders to collapse into the paint.

Drummond, on the other hand, can be deployed as a high-usage backup. This past season, his usage rate showed much higher peaks than Robinson, even logging a 23.7% in a postseason tilt against the Knicks. While Robinson is not a threat from the perimeter, Drummond does take the occasional three. He commands the ball more frequently and operates from various areas. Defenses must respect Drummond a bit more, altering the spacing geometry for guards.

Of course, increased usage means more responsibility. Drummond, dissimilar to Robinson, serves as a far more active passing option. With a practically non-existent Assist Percentage, Robinson is essentially a playmaking vacuum. When he catches the ball, his action either results in a dunk attempt or a reset to a guard. Drummond brings a completely different dynamic. Typically recording an Assist Percentage around 7%, he can operate out of the high post or the short roll. Consequently, this opens the playbook up a bit more while he is on the court. Still, just because Drummond is more of an asset in passing, his playmaking comes with a liability. When Drummond’s usage increases, his ball security almost always plummets. In games when asked to facilitate more regularly, his Turnover Percentage climbed, going as high as 35.3% in a contest against the Pistons.

In Drummond, the Knicks gain a center who provides opportunities for more diverse offensive sets. On the flip side, they are incurring a turnover risk that did not exist with Robinson.

As Knicks fans, we cannot complete any comparison involving Robinson without discussing free throws. Everyone knows the “Hack-a-Mitch” tactic, but Drummond has historically been targeted with intentional fouls as well. Yet, when it comes to foul shots, Drummond has a slight edge. Of course, anyone familiar with Robinson’s work should not be overly shocked by this. Mitch is a severely awful free throw shooter. Drummond is no Reggie Miller, but he can connect at a higher efficiency, especially when his opportunities are less frequent. Drummond is still a liability from the line and will likely face a few “Hack-an-Andre” moments. He is not on Robinson’s level of horrendous.

Defensively, action around the paint will look very different. Providing consistent disruption with blocks and steals, Robinson is a traditional vertical rim protector. Though Drummond matches Robinson’s effectiveness in passing lanes, he is far less of a blocking threat. Drummond relies on clogging the lane, grabbing errant passes, and grabbing rebounds.

Replacing Mitchell Robinson with Andre Drummond is not a lateral move. The Knicks are transitioning from a specialized vertical anchor to a playmaking center who eats up space and creates more offensive variety. The floor spacing is set to shift, the turnover margins will change, and the rebounding will have a much more eliminating-than-creating philosophy. As Mike Brown and company prepare for a title defense, adjusting the half-court offense and defensive rotations to maximize Drummond’s skill set will be a fascinating tactical storyline to follow.

All advanced stats are courtesy of Cleaning the Glass.

When the Dallas Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri, Mike Schmitz, and eventually Dusty May, it felt like the franchise had finally turned a corner.

For the first time in years, there appeared to be a clear plan. Nico Harrison was gone; one of the league’s most respected executives was running basketball operations; one of the NBA’s best talent evaluators joined him; and Dallas hired arguably the hottest coaching candidate in basketball. Considering everything the organization had gone through over the previous year, it finally felt like competent basketball people were making basketball decisions.

Then the roster-building started.

And honestly, it’s been difficult to figure out exactly what the Mavericks are trying to become.

The roster already entered the offseason with obvious flaws. Dallas had almost no reliable guard play outside of Kyrie Irving, an abundance of wings who all occupy similar roles, several centers with lengthy injury histories, very little draft capital, and one of the most important roster-building windows in franchise history beginning around Cooper Flagg. That context matters because the Mavericks don’t have the luxury of experimenting. They only control a handful of future first-round picks during Flagg’s rookie contract, meaning almost every major move carries significant weight.

Which makes the direction they’ve chosen even more confusing.

The ninth pick was supposed to answer Dallas’ biggest question

Coming into the draft, most people assumed Dallas would target a guard.

Not because guards are inherently more valuable than forwards, but because of Cooper Flagg.

Flagg just completed one of the best rookie seasons we’ve seen in years. He proved he can score at every level, defend multiple positions, create for teammates, and function as the offensive engine of a franchise. The next step isn’t finding another version of Cooper Flagg.

It’s finding the players that maximize Cooper Flagg.

That’s why so many people viewed the ninth pick as an opportunity to find his long-term backcourt partner.

Instead, Dallas selected Morez Johnson Jr.

To be clear, this isn’t really about Johnson as a prospect. I actually like Morez Johnson Jr. He plays incredibly hard. He’s physical, athletic, rebounds everything, protects the rim, and still has legitimate upside. He was also coached by Dusty May at Michigan, giving Dallas a level of familiarity that very few prospects could match. If you’re drafting the best player available, I completely understand the selection.

But if you’re drafting specifically for this Mavericks roster, I still struggle to understand the fit.

The fit is where the confusion begins

The Mavericks didn’t draft a bad basketball player.

They drafted another player whose best position overlaps with their roster’s strengths.

Dallas already has Cooper Flagg. PJ Washington is still under contract. Naji Marshall remains one of the team’s better rotation players. Caleb Martin is still on the roster. Now they’ve added Morez Johnson Jr., another forward who wins with physicality, energy, and interior play.

Those players all have different strengths and bring different skill sets.

But they’re still competing for many of the same minutes while Dallas’ biggest weakness remains exactly what it was before draft night.

Guard play.

Free agency has only made the questions louder

The draft wasn’t necessarily the end of the world.

Brayden Burries was really the only guard many considered worthy of the ninth pick once Dallas was on the clock, and free agency presented several opportunities to address the backcourt afterward. That’s why patience initially made sense.

To the Mavericks’ credit, they have actually done a good job preserving flexibility. Rather than locking themselves into bad long-term money, they’ve accumulated sizable trade exceptions that can be used at virtually any point this offseason. Those exceptions are valuable tools. They give Dallas the ability to absorb contracts, facilitate trades, and improve the roster without being backed into a financial corner.

The problem is that flexibility only matters if you eventually use it.

So far, the Mavericks haven’t.

Yes, they drafted Sergio de Larrea, but he’s widely viewed as a long-term developmental prospect who is unlikely to contribute immediately.

They’re also reportedly adding Marcus Sasser. I actually like Sasser. He’s a capable shooter, competes defensively, and has shown flashes as a secondary creator in limited NBA minutes.

But that’s exactly the point.

Sasser isn’t the type of player who fundamentally changes the offense. Like Kyrie Irving, he’s probably better playing off another creator than running everything himself. He helps the roster, but he doesn’t solve the roster’s biggest problem.

The one meaningful veteran addition has been Santi Aldama, whom Dallas acquired by using one of the few tradable first-round picks it controls over the next several years. Aldama is a good player. He spaces the floor, moves the ball well, and gives Dallas another versatile frontcourt option.

But once again, it’s difficult to understand the positional priorities.

The Mavericks used one of their most valuable trade assets to acquire another forward while the roster’s biggest weakness remained untouched. Aldama can absolutely help this team, but he doesn’t answer the question that has followed Dallas since the season ended.

Who is going to organize the offense?

Creators win the modern NBA

This is where the offseason starts becoming genuinely frustrating.

I want to make something very clear.

Kyrie Irving is absolutely capable of playing point guard.

For the 30 to 50 games he’ll likely play this season while returning from his Achilles injury, he’ll probably be very good. Watching Kyrie and Cooper Flagg share the floor should be one of the most entertaining parts of next season.

But asking Kyrie to function as your primary offensive organizer in 2026 misses what makes him special.

Throughout his career, Irving has been at his best when he can score, attack tilted defenses, and play off another creator.

The same thing is true for Cooper Flagg.

Flagg can absolutely initiate offense, but his ceiling becomes even higher when someone else can organize possessions, get him the ball in advantageous situations, and allow him to attack instead of creating every action from scratch.

That’s why this roster construction feels backward.

The Mavericks don’t just need a point guard because they don’t currently have one.

They need one because it maximizes the value of their two best players.

The modern NBA isn’t won by one creator anymore.

It’s won with multiple decision-makers who can handle, pass, score, and keep defenses constantly rotating. Look around the league. Nearly every serious contender has multiple players capable of organizing offense.

Dallas currently doesn’t.

The clock is already ticking.

This also isn’t a rebuilding team with unlimited assets. With already limited draft assets, and a league where building around expensive superstars is harder than ever, and the Mavericks having a player who has a chance to be a true superstar on the cheapest contract of his career, they have to prioritize at least building a brand around Cooper Flagg.

Dallas owes its 2027 first-round pick. There isn’t much incentive to lose games anymore. This season is supposed to be about taking the first real step toward building a playoff team around Cooper Flagg.

Instead, it feels like the Mavericks are building on top of Flagg instead of around him.

Maybe the Mavericks are simply waiting for the right opportunity.

Maybe those trade exceptions are being saved for a move that hasn’t materialized yet.

Maybe Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz know exactly which guard they’re targeting, and they’re refusing to rush into the wrong deal.

I hope that’s the case.

Because if this roster is anywhere close to what Dallas opens training camp with, it’s fair to wonder what the overall vision actually is.

No matter how you spin it, the answer feels the same.

Whether you’re thinking about Cooper Flagg’s long-term development, Kyrie Irving’s short-term fit, or simply trying to win basketball games in today’s NBA, the Mavericks need another legitimate playmaker.

A real one.

Someone who can organize offense, create advantages for others, and lessen the burden on both Flagg and Kyrie.

The flexibility is there.

The trade exceptions are there.

The front office has the resources to make another move.

Now they have to use them. And yes, there is a LOT of time left in this summer for things to change.

However, if the Mavs do not start to build SOMETHING, what began as one of the league’s most promising offseasons from a leadership standpoint could quickly turn into a very long winter on the court.

Amidst the uncertainty of the latest chapter in the Kawhi Leonard saga, the Toronto Raptors have a Summer League circuit to tackle. Game one tips-off against the Boston Celtics on Friday at 9:00 p.m. EST on NBA TV Canada.

Here are three storylines worth your attention ahead of the matchup.

Will Allen Graves make an immediate impact?

It was like clockwork. Allen Graves is the latest Raptor rookie to be greeted by a combination of resistance, indifference, and disappointment. But after the success story that Collin Murray-Boyles authored last season, there’s a reality that Raptors General Manager and Vice-President Bobby Webster strikes gold for the second year in a row.

Assuming Murray-Boyles plays with a minutes or game restriction, expect the Raptors to lean on Graves to play the roles of defensive savant and offensive Swiss Army knife. The 19-year-old has similar defensive instincts to Murray-Boyles, but Graves can also deploy his reliable jump shot on the offensive end.

The mystery that shrouds Graves’ game can begin to dissipate based on how he fares against elevated athleticism and speed. While the Celtics were among the slowest teams in pace last year, expect their Summer League roster to get out and run.

Stat line prediction: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

The rest of the youth movement

When Leonard was traded to the Raptors in 2019, he was surrounded by budding stars and elite role players. During Toronto’s championship run, Head Coach Nick Nurse often turned to youngsters like OG Anunoby (21), Fred VanVleet (24), Pascal Siakam (24) and Norman Powell (25).

By the start of this season, these will be the current Raptors aged 25 or under who are expected to play rotational minutes:

• Scottie Barnes (25)
• Jamison Battle (25)
• Allen Graves (20)
• Collin Murray-Boyles (21)
• Jamal Shead (24)
• Ja’Kobe Walter (22)

Jaden Bradley (23), Alijah Martin (24) and Chucky Hepburn (23) will also battle for minutes, with their journey beginning in the Summer League opener.

Leonard doesn’t have much time left before he sunsets into retirement. The Raptors moved off rotational pieces like Jonas Valanciunas, CJ Miles and Delon Wright in 2019, and fans can expect the front-office to do the same with this group if the correct vision doesn’t manifest early.

The evaluation process begins now.

Celtics’ chaotic energy present challenges

The Celtics are 43-29 all-time in Summer League action. Boston’s deepest run occurred in 2021, when the team reached the Summer League finals before losing to the Sacramento Kings.

Raptors fans are familiar with sophomore Hugo Gonzales.

Gonzales became the second-youngest Celtic to record a double-double when he finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds in a 112-96 win over the Raptors last season. The energetic forward also recorded two steals and one block. Expect Gonzalez to have the green light to wreak havoc, especially in a Summer League environment.

After falling to the bottom of the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, Chris Cenac Jr. has the rest of his rookie season to prove skeptics wrong. The idea of Cenac is far more alluring than what he currently is or realistically projects to be. Cenac has the physical tools and mindset of a dynamic big man who thrives in the modern NBA. Unfortunately, the shooting touch and development are behind where they should be.

Celtics Summer League roster:

G Mohammad Amini (6’7, undrafted in 2026)
F/C Chris Cenac Jr. (6’11, drafted 27th in 2026 by Celtics)
F Tucker DeVries (6’7, undrafted in 2026)
G/F Hugo Gonzalez (6’6, drafted 28th in 2025 by Celtics)
G Caleb Grill (6’3, undrafted in 2025, played for the Windy City Bulls in 2025-26)
G Curtis Jones (6’3, undrafted in 2025, played for the Grand Rapids Gold in 2025-26)
G Kyle Mangas (6’4, undrafted in 2021, played for Austin Spurs in 2025-26)
F Dillon Mitchell (6’8, drafted 40th in 2026 by Celtics)
F Hank Morgan (6’5, undrafted in 2025, played for the Maine Celtics in 2025-26)
F Nick Pringle (6’10, undrafted in 2026)
G Day Day Thomas (6’1, undrafted in 2026)
G John Tonje (6’4, undrafted in 2025, played for Main Celtics in 2025-26)
G Milos Uzan (6’3, undrafted in 2026)
F Chauncey Wiggins (6’10, undrafted in 2026)
G Alondes Williams (6’4, undrafted in 2022, played for the Capital City Go-Go in 2025-26)
C Amari Williams (6’11, drafted 46th in 2025 by Orlando Magic)

For teams interested in signing LeBron James via free agency, they have a chance to contact him indirectly to make their pitch for the four-time NBA MVP.

James has not met with any teams in person, so the pitch will have to be made another way.

According to a report from ESPN.com, Rich Paul, James' agent, has made it easier for executives to pitch by sending James a voice note. That note will be sent to Paul, who then will pass it on to his client.

Bob Myers, a Philadelphia 76ers executive, even appeared on the "Game Over" podcast with Paul and co-host Max Kellerman to make his plea to James.

"If you're talking about the Sixers, if he was here, I would say, 'I honestly believe this is your best chance to win.' You have to decide all the other things, that are equally important, because it's his life," Myers said. "He has to play, he has to face the scrutiny of his decision. Half the people will say, 'You should have done this, you should have done that.' Criticize him, or whatever, which is his life, so he's been through all that."