Category: Sports News

The Dallas Mavericks are going into the season with a projected starting lineup of Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, PJ Washington and Dereck Lively II.

While this should be the starting five for the first game of the season (barring injury), it might not be how the Mavs finish the year.

“This starting five could look very different by the 2027 trade deadline, or even the start of the 2026-27 season.

A 34-year-old Irving coming off a torn ACL doesn’t fit a franchise now built around the 19-year-old Flagg. Washington, 27, is on the borderline as well and could be shopped to a contender to create more opportunities for No. 9 overall pick Morez Johnson Jr,“ Bleacher Report contributor Greg Swartz wrote.

“For now, this is the Mavs’ most likely outcome as they hope the 22-year-old Lively can return from foot surgery after playing just seven games last season.”

The Mavs will start Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg as long as they are on the roster, but other players can be swapped in and out.

Christy is expected to be the starting shooting guard, but there are opportunities for former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and Naji Marshall to take his spot if they feel that it is a better group for Dallas.

While Washington has a strong grasp on the starting power forward spot, Risacher, Santi Aldama or rookie Morez Johnson Jr. could get some looks in the first unit. Aldama could also slide in at center to take over for Lively, as well as Daniel Gafford.

Ultimately, the Mavs have several different configurations Dusty May can work with, which makes things exciting for the upcoming season.

Mavs Moneyball community, how do you think the team should start in the upcoming season? Drop your potential lineups in the comments section below.

Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2025-26 player reviews! The series will look at the players who finished the season with the San Antonio Spurs on guaranteed contracts and who played consequential minutes and/or a vital role (so no two-way players because we hardly saw them this year, no players who were traded away, and none of the deep bench centers, since they were both irrelevant and are now all gone).

Carter Bryant

2025-26 stats: 71 games played, 11.5 MPG, 4.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 33.5 3FG%

Contract Status: 3-year, rookie contract (team option for 2027-28 and 2028-29)

Age: 20

It wasn’t a guarantee that Carter Bryant would be a contributor for the San Antonio Spurs in his rookie season. The fourteenth-overall-pick in the 2025 NBA Draft entered a talented wing room with veterans like Harrison Barnes, Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson taking up a large share of the minutes. Bryant had to earn his way into the rotation. His usage was sporadic early in the season as Mitch Johnson tried to get a feel for his roster. But slowly, as the season went on, Bryant got more opportunities and a longer leash, becoming a legitimate contributor late in the season and a factor in the playoffs.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Bryant. He missed so many dunks early in the year that his veteran teammates threatened to shave his head. He looked lost at times off the ball defensively, and made some silly rookie mistakes with the ball in his hands. But something clicked after Bryant played a single game for the Austin Spurs on January 9th (he had 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks in a win). When he returned to the NBA team, he looked confident and more deliberate with his decision-making. He used his strength and athleticism to make impact plays on defense and stopped forcing so much on offense. His playing time increased as a result.

Over the course of the season, Bryant showed glimpses of what he could be: a two-way wing who wins defensively with his superior size, athleticism and strength, and an offense cutter who can hit the occasional three-pointer. He plays with an extremely high motor and a level of aggression that’s pretty rare for a player of his age. His eagerness comes with its downsides as well, as Bryant would sometimes find himself out of position or foul while trying to stop an opposing player.

That weakness was put on display in the NBA playoffs, where players like Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson exposed Bryant defensively. Without adding much on the offensive end, Bryant was left with a sparkplug energy role off the bench that sometimes hurt the Spurs more than it helped them in the postseason.

Playoff woes aside, it’s hard not to see Bryant’s rookie season as a success. He carved out a role for himself on an NBA Finals team, and showed promise of being a long-term piece of San Antonio’s core. His numbers won’t blow you away, but he looked worthy of a lottery pick in a stacked 2025 class. He developed so much over the course of just one season. It would be foolish to doubt he can’t get better from here.

Looking ahead

Bryant should continue to factor into San Antonio’s rotation next season, if not earn more minutes. Even with the addition of Tobias Harris, Bryant still has a role as a rangy defensive wing who can potentially play some small-ball five. With Harris joining, Julian Champagnie can probably go back to playing more of an off-ball wing role rather than a stretch four alongside Victor Wembanyama in the starting lineup, leaving some minutes to be had for Bryant as the backup forward. He’ll be fighting Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes for that spot.

Bryant will likely come into the season next year as the Spurs’ second-best perimeter defender behind Stephon Castle. That fact alone should earn him minutes. San Antonio will need to see him improve on the offensive end. Bryant needs to knock down open threes and learn how to attack a closeout. He showed signs of doing both in the NBA Summer League this year. He doesn’t need to be able to “cook” defenders off the bounce, just score on straight-line drives when the defense overcommits. But first, he has to shoot better than 33.5% from three to make defenses respect him outside of the paint.

I am particularly excited about Bryant’s future. Guys with his size, motor, and athleticism don’t grow on trees. His shot looks sound, and we’ve seen it go in when he’s on a roll. He could develop into the key three-and-D wing that San Antonio needs next to Wembanyama and its star guards. We’ll need to see him make steps toward becoming that player in his sophomore season.

Top performance

17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists while shooting 5-6 from deep, providing an offensive spark in a game without Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.

Final grade: C+

Next up: Luke Kornet

Previous:

• Jordan McLaughlin

Moving on: Four reasons for optimism about what comes next for Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It’s been a rough couple of months to be a Celtics fan.

Boston fumbled away a 3-1 lead in Round 1 against Philadelphia, spoiling what had otherwise been a highly enjoyable 2025-26 season. The Knicks won a championship and haven’t stopped parading around in the aftermath. The Celtics traded former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to a division rival, and those Sixers signed LeBron James in the aftermath to create a potential super team. The East as a whole looks as good on paper as it has in decades. 

The duck boats that flowed through downtown Boston just two years ago now feels like two lifetimes ago.

You’ve got two choices, though. You can sit here and wallow in self-pity. Or you can accept that what’s done is done, and move on. We all ran the emotional gamut and navigated the stages of grief that are inevitable when trading a franchise pillar. Some got through it quicker than others. Now it’s time to shift the focus from what happened to what comes next.

This is us channeling our inner Veronica Vaughn. We’re dragging any Billy Madison-looking Celtics fans into the pool and trying to roust you from July’s pity party. I believe in you, Billy (Chisholm). And Brad, too. 

Here are four reasons to be optimistic about what comes next for the Celtics:

MVP season loading?

Roster construction and money allocation in the apron era played a major role in Boston’s decision to pivot away from Brown, but we thought it was telling that when Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens discussed the trade, he almost immediately pointed to having such a high percentage of usage tied up in two superstars.

Brown finished 36.1 percent of Boston’s possessions during his floor time last season. That wasn’t just a career high, it was the 18th-highest single-season mark in NBA history since usage tracking began in 1978, per Basketball Reference. It was the highest mark in Celtics history and well north of the previous top usage rate set by Isaiah Thomas (33.8 percent) during his magical 2016-17 season.

Maybe Brown would have happily downshifted his usage with a healthier Jayson Tatum on the court this season. Maybe the advanced metrics that showed Boston performed better with Brown off the court in each of the last four seasons would have stabilized. But the Celtics evidently weren’t waiting to find out.

What’s clear now, while the team plots the next iteration of its roster, is that Tatum is going to shoulder the offensive load for the 2026-27 season and probably beyond. If the Celtics were to outkick the downsized expectations amid the departure of Brown, then Tatum is going to thrust himself directly into the same MVP conversation that Brown lingered in last season.

Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

This will be the first time that Tatum has been the sole focal point of the Celtics’ offense. There will be instances where he needs to use that attention to create opportunities for teammates. But Tatum is going to finish a lot of possessions. And his stat line could soar because of it.

Tatum already owns the Celtics’ record for single-season scoring average from the 2022-23 season, when he averaged 30.1 points to go along with 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists over 36.9 minutes per game. He finished fourth in MVP voting that year. 

Tatum’s rebounding was off the charts after his return last season (10 rebounds per game in 16 regular-season appearances). He’s averaged a career-best 8.2 assists per 100 possessions in each of his last two seasons. It’s not hard to imagine a particularly glitzy stat line next season. 

In much the same way that Brown thrived as the focal point last year and earned heavy MVP chatter when Boston bested outsider expectations, it feels like Tatum will have the chance to do the same this year. Maybe Victor Wembanyama will simply have a stranglehold on the award moving forward — with Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander unlikely to cede their spots at the top of balloting as well. But Tatum will be in the conversation with plenty of possessions available to state his case.

In a big country

Overshadowed by all the Brown drama, the Celtics shored up maybe their biggest area of need last season by signing center Mitchell Robinson. It also created a void for a primary rival by signing away the Knicks’ longest-tenured player and a key piece of their championship bench.

Robinson is a glass-cleaning, country music-loving machine who will turn a whole bunch of Boston’s missed 3-pointers into the second-chance opportunities that Joe Mazzulla so dearly covets. Robinson corralled 21.2 percent of his team’s missed shots last season. That wasn’t just the highest mark in the NBA, it was nearly six percent higher than the next closest player with 1,000+ minutes played (Donovan Clingan, 15.3 percent).

The Celtics know full well how valuable Robinson can be. Mazzulla routinely deployed a Hack-a-Mitch strategy in hopes that New York would take Robinson off the court due to his free-throw woes. Opposing teams will do the same against Boston this year, but Robinson’s impact is undeniable if he stays on the court.

The Knicks’ offensive rebound rate spiked by 9.8 percent per 100 possessions during Mitchell’s floor time last season.  He corralled 31.9 percent of his own misses. His kickouts created some of the most efficient looks that New York got last season.

Can Robinson stay on the floor — both in terms of health and teams targeting his free-throw shooting weakness? That’s a major question for a player who averaged just 19.6 minutes per game over 60 appearances last season, and missed 116 games over the previous two campaigns. 

But his ability to impact winning when he’s on the court is undeniable. He’ll add much-needed depth to a spot that got exposed as Boston fumbled away that 3-1 series lead against the Sixers. His impact could greatly outkick the 9.1 percent of the cap he signed for while inking a 3-year, $47 million deal with Boston.

Kick the player development team into overdrive

Maybe the biggest storyline from last season was the way many of Boston’s youngest players thrived in elevated roles. From Neemias Queta and Payton Pritchard shuffling into starter spots, to recent draftees like Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, and Jordan Walsh all thriving in elevated minutes at various points throughout the 2025-26 campaign, to Luka Garza carving out a role after barely playing at two previous stops, it’s clear the Celtics can maximize their young talent.

Now all those players need to make another leap — or at least find the sort of consistency that the best players in the league bring on a night-to-night basis.

Sure, it would help if Derrick White finds his shot after a rough offensive season. But Pritchard will get every opportunity to be the No. 2 scoring option on the team. Can he eliminate some of the variance in his output, especially when the 3-point shot defies him? His numbers when sharing the floor with Tatum are particularly intriguing.

Can Neemias Queta avoid the sort of foul trouble that forced him off the court too often in the postseason? How many of Boston’s wings will make the sort of leap that makes it easy for Mazzulla to pencil them in for heightened minutes each night?

One thing that could help: The addition of veteran point guard Mike Conley. While Conley’s on-court role might be limited in his age-39 season, he brings 37,588 minutes of regular-season experience. He’s played in 120 playoff games.

To put it another way: Celtics rookie Chris Cenac Jr. was four months old when Conley Jr. was drafted in June 2007. His ability to guide young players could certainly aid Boston’s young nucleus.

The Celtics need to continue to nurture and develop from within.

In Brad We Trust: Optionality and clean books

Look, no one is going to hang a banner for resetting repeater penalties. Or creating optionality. But navigating the second apron and creating windows for increased spending certainly matters in this new apron era. The Celtics are putting themselves in a position to be opportunistic while much of the league is steamrolling towards a reckoning that Boston has already started navigating.

Stevens talked a lot about that optionality in the aftermath of the Brown trade. It’s not fun having to wait for the next shoe to drop, but all the pain points the Celtics have endured the past two summers — from the departures of core championship pieces like Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Jrue Holiday, and Luke Kornet last year; to the shocking Brown trade — have positioned the team to be aggressive with roster construction moving forward.

The next disgruntled NBA star is only a news cycle away. Maybe Denver implodes under the weight of the second apron. Is Anthony Edwards going to stay happy in Minnesota with LaMelo Ball added to the mix? Stars get moved every season, and yet we never stop being surprised when it happens.

The Celtics have the parts to at least get in on the conversation for any players that become available. The team can be judicious in hunting the next star it yearns to pair with Tatum. Maybe the team prioritizes depth and tries to find high-value players on mid-tier salaries to put around Tatum.

Stevens has quietly been locking up depth pieces on team-friendly deals. Queta (four years, $60 million) got a big extension, and Pritchard could soon sign a three-year, $67 million extension. The Celtics inked both Ron Harper Jr. and Jordan Walsh to long-term deals. Neither that duo, nor recent draftees Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez will earn more than 3 percent of the cap through their current pacts. 

The Celtics need to maximize their optionality. They need to be willing to spend when free of the repeater shackles next summer. But they’ve created more pathways than previously existed through their often painful maneuvering over the past two summers.

Stevens has thrust himself into a harsh spotlight by trading Brown. There’s going to be pressure to hit a home run on whatever big move comes next. Patience is in short supply in these parts. But Stevens has to show that the Brown trade, painful as it was, was a necessary step in getting the Celtics back to a spot where they can truly compete for a title.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are going into the upcoming season with a new starting lineup to boast after making a pair of offseason trades.

Ayo Dosunmu, Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert are projected to start for the Wolves, which Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz places at No. 12 in his starting lineup rankings.

“There’s perhaps no greater positional need from any team than the Minnesota Timberwolves have for a starting power forward right now,” Swartz wrote.

“After trading away both Julius Randle and Naz Reid, the Wolves are looking at a small lineup with the 185-pound McDaniels playing the four unless further roster moves are made. Ball takes over the starting point guard duties in Minnesota and Dosunmu, though undersized, has played his share of small forward in the past for a guard-heavy Chicago Bulls team. The Wolves still need a real power forward who won’t be blown over by a stiff breeze before the season begins.“

In this perspective lineup, the Wolves are essentially running with three guards: Ball, Edwards, and Dosunmu. Ball stands 6-7, which will give him the opportunity to defend more wings, but he won’t be a wing on the offensive end of the floor.

The Wolves could swap out Dosunmu and have him come off the bench, but there isn’t necessarily a strong option off the bench that would give Minnesota the size they need.

Until they make a trade for another forward, the Wolves are better off sticking with this quintet.

Canis Hoopus community, do you think the Wolves are too small in the starting lineup? Let us know in the comments section below.

With Stephen Curry reportedly taking a ’don’t-get-too-excited-so-you-don’t-get-hurt’ approach to the final chapters of his Golden State Warriors’ tenure, it makes sense to think about alternative options that are on the table for the 12-time All-Star.

One destination that has surprisingly circulated in online discussions is the Toronto Raptors.

But is it a good fit for both parties? We think so and here are three reasons why:

The Raptors have the assets

Even with the reported Kawhi Leonard trade package – which includes a 2031 and 2033 first-rounder – Toronto still owns a first-round pick for the next four years. Other popular options, like the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Denver Nuggets, can’t say the same thing. The San Antonio Spurs do own a first-rounder through the next four seasons, but they can’t offer a better package without sacrificing their young (and special) talent on controllable contracts.

Is that something the Spurs want to do for a 38-year-old on an expiring contract?

At the moment, a realistic offer could include De’Aaron Fox, another piece to bring the salaries within reach, and draft picks. The issue with Fox’s contract is that he has four years remaining on his deal, with the last year paying the guard over $61 million.

Meanwhile, the most popular Raptors offer (at least through online discourse), consists of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and draft picks. Quickley is owed $32.5 million each season for the next three years, while Barrett’s value is attached to a nearly $30 million expiring contract.

The Raptors are the best fit

There isn’t another team that is best suited to absorb a version of Curry that is in the back end of his career. Last year, Toronto ranked fifth in defensive rating (112.1) and has seemingly added Leonard to its defensive attack. Surrounded by Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead and Allen Graves, Curry can focus on doing what he does best, and that’s being an otherworldly shooting threat. On defence, expect an endless amount of pre-switching from multiple positions, forcing opposing ball-handlers to have to deal with what they can get, while on a short clock.

Other than Leonard, there isn’t another player on the roster who truly demands the ball in their hands. While Barnes graduated to superstar status in the playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he’s always been at his best as a jumbo-wing-bully-hub.

Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajakovic’s offensive system is predicated on ball-movement and quick processing. Even with the offensive build-up that Brandon Ingram required to deploy his mid-range brilliance, Toronto still ranked third in assists (29.5) and potential assists (52.6) last season. A potential assist is defined by the NBA as ‘any pass to a teammate who shoots within one dribble of receiving the ball’. For comparison, the Warriors ranked sixth in assists (28.9) and first in potential assists (56.5). Theoretically, Curry would be walking into a system that emphasizes his elite skillset.

The Raptors offer the best narrative

While donning a Charlotte Hornets or Cavaliers jersey would most accurately tell a homecoming story, Curry ending up in Toronto would also lean into a ‘prodigal son’ narrative. The greatest-shooter-of-all-time spent several of his formative years in Canada, where his father Dell Curry, played for the Raptors.

In addition to experiencing the NBA world against the backdrop of the formerly known Air Canada Centre, Curry also played school ball in the Greater Toronto Area. His wife, Ayesha Curry, is famously noted for being born and growing up in a suburb of Toronto.