Category: Sports News

CHICAGO — The person who now controls the direction the 2026 NBA Draft will take began to go through his memory while inside Wintrust Arena on Tuesday, May 12.

Washington Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins remembers initially hearing about A.J. Dybantsa for the first time when Dybantsa was only 14 years old. They are both from Massachusetts and Dawkins, a former Division-III player, kept hearing about the basketball prospect who would be the next big thing from his area.

Dawkins said he initially saw Cameron Boozer when Boozer was only 15 years old at the NBPA Top 100 camp. Team USA practices, national high school showcases and Nike's EYBL events had Darryn Peterson on the Wizards' radar by the time he was 16.

"We knew we wanted to go on an intentional rebuild," Dawkins explained from the NBA Draft Scouting Combine in Chicago, two days after the Wizards received the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery, "so we loaded up on the grassroots spaces, and made sure we were in those gyms watching these guys so you could best predict how deep the talent would be. ... I think pound-for-pound it's one of the best drafts I've seen in a long time."

The Sixers on Tuesday made the decision to part ways with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey after six seasons.

Morey’s tenure had plenty of highs and lows, but he ultimately failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, something the franchise hasn’t done in over 25 years now.

Bob Myers, who serves as president of sports for HBSE, will be charged with filling the role. Here are five candidates who could make sense.

Note: It’s possible Myers hires himself or re-elevates Elton Brand, but those possibilities don’t seem as likely as hiring a new voice.

Dennis Lindsey

We’ll start with some of the hotter names on the market at large. Lindsey is the most experienced of the bunch. He started as a scout with the Utah Jazz way back in 1996, working his way all the way up to VP of basketball operations by 2002. He moved on to the San Antonio Spurs, eventually serving as the team’s vice president before making his way back to Utah as general manager. He oversaw a very successful Jazz run led by Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, eventually being promoted to executive president of basketball operations.

Lindsey did find himself embroiled in controversy after former Jazz player Elijah Millsap accused Lindsey of making racist remarks back in 2015. Lindsey has vehemently denied the allegations, and though the league took no action after an investigation couldn’t confirm Millsap’s story, Lindsey did step down in 2021, moving into an advisory role.

He briefly served as an advisor for the Dallas Mavericks (notably before the team traded Luka Doncic) before stepping into his current role with the Detroit Pistons as Senior VP of basketball operations since 2024. He has a track record of success, but he’s 57 — four years older than Morey. A lot will depend on what the franchise is valuing in its next leader.

Dave Telep

Telep took an unconventional path to becoming an important part of the Spurs’ front office. Telep worked for ESPN as a recruiting analyst, also serving as a sideline reporter and studio analyst for ESPNU. In 2013, he was hired by San Antonio as the team’s scouting coordinator. He’s been with the Spurs ever since, serving as director of scouting then director of player personnel then VP of basketball operations.

Ahead of the 2025-26 season, he was promoted to assistant general manager. The Spurs are one of the best-run organizations in all of sports. Their ability to draft and develop players is nearly unmatched. Telep could conceivably continue the Sixers’ recent success in the draft thanks to his scouting background while potentially bringing in fresh ideas.

Matt Lloyd

Lloyd seemed like an obvious pick for the Chicago Bulls’ recent vacancy, but the organization decided to pluck Bryson Graham from the New Orleans Pelicans for the role. Like Telep, Lloyd’s path was atypical, beginning his career in Chicago as media coordinator back in 1999. He rose to the role of director of college scouting before moving on to the Orlando Magic as assistant general manager in 2012, serving in the role for a decade.

He was then hired by the Minnesota Timberwolves to work under renowned executive Tim Connelly. He was hired as senior VP of basketball operations and then promoted to general manager in 2024. All of Lindsey, Telep and Lloyd have been candidates for high-profile jobs. Lloyd’s unique background could make him stand out for this role.

Nick U’Ren

Yet another candidate with an interesting background, U’Ren started his NBA journey as a video coordinator with the Phoenix Suns back in 2009. He then moved on to the Golden State Warriors as manager of advanced scouting and special assistant to the head coach in 2014. The team’s general manager at the time — Bob Myers. U’Ren is famously credited for the Warriors’ Death Lineup, which helped the team to a title. He was promoted to director of basketball operations in 2018, working under Myers.

In 2023, he was hired as general manager of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. He helped turn an aging team that finished 9-31 in 2003 to a WNBA Finals appearance last season. The Myers’ connection is there, but U’Ren is a pretty intriguing candidate in general. Is he ready and willing to make the leap to an NBA gig such as this? We’ll see.

Vince Rozman

If you like a lot of the work the Sixers have done in the draft in recent years, you can trace a good bit of it back to Rozman. He was hired by Sam Hinkie way back in 2013 as scouting coordinator and climbed all the way up to VP of scouting. He left the organization in 2022, joining the Oklahoma City Thunder as VP of identification and intelligence (whatever the hell that means).

Again, Rozman offers an option with a background in scouting, which should allow the team to keep functioning well around the draft. He also has plenty of familiarity with the organization and surely has many fans still in the building. Rozman would feel like a breath of fresh air as a younger executive while still being a candidate who offers comfortability to ownership.

Two years removed from an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Wagner men’s basketball program got a high-profile addition this week — just not one that can directly help it on the court.

Former NBA superstar and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady has joined the Seahawks as a strategic advisor, the university announced on Wednesday, May 13.

According to a release, McGrady’s role with the Staten Island school will include “development of sustainable structures related to Name, Image and Likeness investment…providing strategic guidance to the men's basketball program in areas including marketing, player development, and expanding Wagner's reach beyond its traditional areas of engagement on and off the court.”

Adding a legend to the program🏀⭐️

Wagner College has named Tracy McGrady Strategic Advisor to men’s basketball. McGrady will advise the College on the development of sustainable structures related to NIL.

🔗 Read more at https://t.co/dKbDLMTw3N#Toughnesspic.twitter.com/OlFaDui2ec

— Wagner Men's Basketball (@Wagner_MBB) May 13, 2026

REQUIRED READING: March Madness gets bigger. Some fear it got weaker: 'I don’t want to see it diluted'

The move will unite the 46-year-old McGrady with his son, Laymen, a 6-foot-4 freshman forward who transferred to Wagner last month after redshirting last season at Oral Roberts.

A seven-time NBA All-Star as a player, McGrady becomes the latest former NBA standout to join a college basketball program as an advisor. Last month, John Wall was named the president of basketball operations at Howard. Last year, Shaquille O’Neal joined Sacramento State as its general manager, Steph Curry returned to Davidson, which he led to an Elite Eight appearance in 2008, as its assistant general manager and Trae Young accepted a position as the assistant general manager at Oklahoma, where he played his lone college season in 2017-18.

McGrady will balance his responsibilities at Wagner with his work in the media as an NBA analyst for NBC and on his podcast, “Cousins,” with former Toronto Raptors teammate and cousin Vince Carter.

Wagner, which competes in the Northeast Conference, went 14-17 last season under first-year head coach Dwan McMillan.

"The challenges college athletics face today, especially at the mid-major level in a city like New York, can be very difficult, and I am looking forward to helping coach McMillan and his staff in every way possible to raise the profile, the level of talent and the business opportunities both on and off the court for his young athletes as they grow not just in basketball but as leaders,” McGrady said in a statement. “My hope is to help create an environment where all involved can stay, grow together, and really master their game and life skills over time. Stepping into this role is really personal for me since I did not go to college. 

“Being around this community, where gritty coaches like P.J. Carlesimo and Dan Hurley got their start, excites me just as much as basketball. It is a priority for me that goes well beyond wins and losses in the NEC. It is about making sure potential is realized both for the short and the long term for these dedicated athletes and the staff."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tracy McGrady joins Wagner basketball as strategic advisor

The 2026 NBA draft has been hyped up for its depth of exciting guard talent, with 5 or 6 guards projected to go in the top 10. This of course has excited Mavericks fans, as there is no other team with a more desperate need at guard.

But due to multiple meaningless late season wins, the Mavericks could be in an unenviable position where none of those great guard prospects are available.

But what if there was a guard who posted a rim FG% higher than Kingston Flemings. Shot better from three than Darryn Peterson and had more assists per game than Keaton Wagler. A guard who will surely be available wherever the Mavericks select.

That guard, would be none other, than LaBaron Philon Jr.

The basics

LaBaron Philon Jr. was born Nov. 24 2005 in Mobile, Alabama. He would attend Baker high school in Mobile county, where he would become a consensus 4-star recruit and ON3’s number 5 point guard in the 2024 recruiting class.

He would sign with the University of Alabama, where he would end up starting 29 games as a true freshman.

His freshman season was up-and-down, as he regularly showed flashes of elite two-way upside, but was held back by poor shooting efficiency.

Philon would declare for the 2025 NBA draft, but would return to school after a lackluster combine performance.

This decision was the correct one, as Philon would show marked improvement in almost every aspect, average 22 point and 5 assists per game, while leading the Crimson Tide to the Sweet 16.

For his efforts, Philon was recognized as a Third-team All-American, and First-team all SEC.

Now, he will return to the combine, and most likely become a top-15 pick.

The good

• The biggest improvement for Philon in his sophomore season was the massive improvement in efficiency. Philon posted a below average TS% of just 54.9% as a freshman, compared to an elite mark of 62.9% as a sophomore. Philon was efficient at every level, shooting 65% at the rim, and nearly 40% from three, as seen below.

• His shot diet was also elite, as a vast majority of his shots came from either behind-the-arc, or at the rim. leading to 80th percentile MOREY percentage. Furthermore, most of his shots were unassisted, meaning he was creating almost all of his three’s and layups. These three’s came from a variety of platforms, as he was simultaneously deadly off-the-catch, and on his dribble jumpers, as seen below.

• Unlike some other’s in this class, Philon has a truly refined handle, with counters to almost anything a defense can throw at him. He also possesses real first-step quickness which allows him to beat defenders with one move. This handle extends to his paint scoring, as he utilizes a variety of strep-throughs and euro-steps to slither around rim protectors. All-in-all, Philon possesses the best handles in this class, and combined with real athletic juice, gives him an elite scoring profile.

• The final piece of the Philon puzzle is his size, standing at 6’4 in shoes, with a nearly 6’7 wingspan. These measurables lead to real defensive upside, especially if you look at his freshman statistics. Philon posted a 3.3 DBPM as a freshman, which was 81st percentile. This was one of his big strengths as a prospect last year, and gives me hope that he could become a real weapon on both sides of the court in the future.

The bad

• Philon’s primary weakness is his frame and lack of strength, which shows up on both sides of the court. Offensively Philon can struggle with bigger, stronger defenders, often settling for tough threes or layups. But this lack of strength really shows defensively, as he can simply become a target for bigger slashers. This will become a much bigger issue in the NBA, with bigger wings being able to hunt Philon whenever they please. This leads to the interesting conundrum with his defense; is he year 1 Philon? Or year 2 Philon?
• With his offensive load massively increasing, it led to less effort and focus defensively. His defensive numbers were just plain bad, posting a drastically reduced DBPM, STL%, and OREB%. This has brought up an interesting question about whether the year 1 metrics were inflated due to him defending weaker offensive players, or did the increase in role lead to the decrease in production. Either way, the physical limitations will make his defense a massive question at the very least.

• While Philon shot 39.9% from three, his FT% was only 79.8%, which makes his three point shooting a little bit questionable. Usually, a players FT% is a great indicator for three-point shooting in the NBA, and since Philon is just Ok, it makes his shooting a small concern.
• Finally, Philon lacks the elite physical tools that are often required in a star guard. Whether this be: elite vertical athleticism, a lighting quick first step, or overwhelming positional size. This forces Philon to be entirely reliant on his craft and skill, which can become a problem for guard like him in the postseason.

Fit with the Dallas Mavericks

Of all the guards in this class, Philon might have the most versatility in how he could be used. In the Mavericks context, I think he would fit perfectly, as he could both start next to Kyrie Irving, or be a sparkplug off the bench.

In the long-term context, Philon is the exact type of guard that would be perfect next to Cooper Flagg, as Philon’s size will allow him to compete on the defensive end, which is a requirement in today’s NBA. Furthermore, he is not a player who requires constant touches to be effective, as he can be just as deadly off the ball as he is on.

The ability to learn from Irving is an underrated part of any guards transition with the Mavericks, but Philon would benefit extra from the tutelage.

No matter where, or how Philon plays, he would be a seamless fit for the Dallas Mavericks, both now, and for the future.

Player comparison

Philon is a very interesting player, but a player comparison I love is Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers. Not only do they have incredibly similar measurables, but their play-styles are also very similar. Nembhard is a very versatile two-way combo guard who can fill a variety of roles, which is exactly what I think Philon will do in the NBA. Obviously Nembhard isn’t the flashiest player, nor is he a true #2 option, but he’s a great player, and one that every NBA team would covet.

Final thoughts

LaBaron Philon Jr. doesn’t have any one skill that outshines his other guard contemporaries, but he may be the most well-rounded guard in the class.

He possesses an NBA-ready skillset, while also having tremendous upside as an offensive creator. His length and defensive priors show a player that is at least willing to defend, even if he isn’t the most physically gifted.

While physical tools are flashy, betting on: feel, skill and effort usually work out in the long run.

I can’t say I was surprised that the Detroit Pistons dropped Game 4 in Cleveland and saw their 2-0 series lead tighten to 2-2. The Pistons are a talented but incredibly imperfect team, the Cavaliers have loads of dangerous players, and Cleveland is undefeated at home in these playoffs. A seven-game series suddenly becoming a three-game series? Not shocking. What was shocking was just how lost Detroit looked on the offensive end in a decisive third quarter that saw Cleveland go on a 22-0 run and take full control of the game. The Pistons looked unsure, unconfident, and for the first time in these playoffs, Cade Cunningham seemed like he didn’t really trust his teammates. Needless to say, that can’t happen again as the series shifts back to Detroit for Game 5. If Detroit holds serve at home, which would keep the Cavs winless on the road, they will take the series. If the Pistons drop the game tonight, I wouldn’t have much hope of a rebound in a potentially series-clinching game in Cleveland.

Game Vitals

When: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: ESPN
Odds: Pistons -3.5

Analysis

Cade Cunningham needs to learn how to navigate the hard trap. Ausar Thompson needs to not have his worst game on both ends of the floor. A Detroit Pistons big man needs to step up in a big way on either offense or defense — Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Paul Reed, I don’t care who, it just has to be somebody. Also, it’d be nice if the team could scheme some open looks for Duncan Robinson and it’d be even nicer to see Tobias Harris score 20-plus again. All of those are the key ingredients for a Pistons victory tonight. It isn’t complicated.

We know what this team is, and we know what this team is not. We know where it will struggle the most and what can happen when it is able to leverage its many strengths. Cade can be a killer. Defense can lead to early offense. The Pistons can dominate the paint.

Detroit doesn’t really need any magic tricks, it just needs several players to perform up to their own standards. Or, to put it more crassly, important players need to stop puking all over their own shoes.

Frankly, I don’t need to see Jalen Duren be a 30-point, 15-rebound beast and flip the narrative on what has been a bad playoffs for him. I need him to defend, rebound, and score a few opportune baskets and second-chance opportunities. I don’t need Ausar Thompson to become a perimeter threat that he is not. He just need to not find himself in foul trouble and stay on the floor to be impactful on both ends the way we know he can be. I don’t need Cade Cunningham to go shot-for-shot with Donovan Mitchell. I need him to set the tone and pace of the game, orchestrate the offense, and stop turning the ball over. His offense will be there. It always is. I do need Paul Reed, I think. I just do.

Finally, let’s talk about free throws briefly. Detroit got a terrible whistle in Cleveland, and it wasn’t much better in Game 2. In the past three games, the Cavs have shot 35 more free throws than the Pistons in the past three games. That feels pretty important in a series where the margin of victory on either side hasn’t eclipsed 10 points.

JB Bickerstaff did after Game 4 exactly what Kenny Atkinson did after Game 1 — complained about the officiating. It worked for Kenny. Will it work for JB? My crystal ball says the Pistons are going to get to the line much more tonight than they did in Game 4. The Cavs weren’t called for a single foul in the first quarter. That’s just weird. But I don’t expect Detroit to stop fouling. They foul a lot. It’s part of their game plan and DNA to not give the opponent easy buckets. But there can’t be such a wild disparity for Detroit to have a chance.

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (2-2)

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Cleveland Cavaliers (2-2)

James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Question of the Game

How many minutes should Paul Reed play in tonight’s game?