It ain’t over till it’s over

If a single, overarching lesson can be taken from this year’s NBA postseason, it’s this one: no game is over until the clock hits 00:00. Whether it was the New York Knicks stealing victory from the jaws of defeat against the Celtics in Boston in round two, Aaron Gordon’s buzzer-beating dunk sealing a crucial win for the Nuggets against the Clippers in Los Angeles in round one, or the Indiana Pacers defeating the odds over and over again with their clutch time brilliance throughout the playoffs, a lead has never felt less safe in the NBA.

The depth era is here

Once upon a time in the NBA, it was pretty much agreed upon that a team needed at least a big two, if not a big three, to reach the promised land. But in a post “apron” era, where it’s increasingly difficult to afford to keep more than one top-tier player on your roster, it’s become more important than ever to have a bench that’s not just playable, but excellent. The playoffs are as fast, physical, and exhausting as they’ve ever been. Having the luxury of fresh legs is a superpower.

You can live by the three, but you may die by it

We are indisputably living in the three-point era, much to the chagrin of the internet. But one thing hasn’t changed: you still have to have other options. The Celtics found this out the hard way, as their blind allegiance to chucking ‘em up from beyond the arc, which proved a winning formula last season, came back to bite them against the Knicks in round two.

Related: Does Tom Thibodeau really run his players into the ground? The data says ... not exactly

No job is safe

This trend technically kicked off before the playoffs, when the Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets fired their coaches with a handful of games left to play in the regular season. But it was truly crystallized with the abrupt firing of Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau just days after he helped lead the team to their first Eastern Conference Finals in decades, plural. Sure, Thibs had faced (warranted) criticism before. But if upsetting the defending champs and breaking generational playoff curses can’t ensure coaching job security, it’s fair to assume that nothing can.

Justice for Doris Burke

Burke was only added to the “A-team” at ESPN in recent years, a job that includes being a part of the voice of the NBA finals. But Burke put in time on her way to the top of the basketball broadcasting pyramid. In her 12 years at ESPN alone, she worked her way up the ladder from sideline reporter, to color commentary in less high-profile games, to, eventually, her current seat. The way the internet has been discussing her aptitude during these finals was nothing short of disrespectful – if anyone knows ball, it’s Doris Burke.

Oklahoma loves its basketball team

Every team has in-arena chants. Every team, at this point, gives away matching T-shirts to their fans to wear during playoff games in a show of solidarity. But the Oklahoma City Thunder’s fanbase has demonstrated an allegiance to their team in a tier all its own. Everyone in the building knows the chants, no prompts on the jumbotron necessary. And you’d be hard-pressed to find a single soul in Paycom Center not wearing that evening’s T-shirt giveaway: no one is too cool to show their support and fall in line. I’ve been to a lot of NBA arenas; I’ve never heard screaming at that decibel, so consistently. Thunder fans are, as the kids say, built different.

Speed is a superpower

It is, admittedly, a little on the nose that the defining characteristic of the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers is that they play really, really fast – but their speed has proven to be their superpower. The Pacers left a graveyard of drained, hands-on-knees stars in their wake: even MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked worn down by the end of the first few games when his Thunder, a fast-paced team in their own right, met Indiana in the NBA finals. It’s hard to make shots in the clutch when you’re dead tired, and the Pacers and their unique stamina capitalized on that beautifully.

Related: The Lakers’ Luka-LeBron era begins with a stumble, not a statement

The changing of the guard

LeBron James suffered a first-round exit, Stephen Curry was sidelined with a hamstring injury before round two even really started, and Kevin Durant’s team didn’t even make the play-in-tournament. While I’m not ready to write off the NBA’s elder statesmen just yet, it was glaringly obvious in this postseason that the young guns, including the eventual champion Thunder (the youngest NBA champions ever) are coming for the crown, not tomorrow, but right now.

Rick Carlisle is a Hall of Famer

Carlisle has long been held in high esteem by basketball fans, especially in light of his stewardship of the Dallas Mavericks squad that upset the three-headed juggernaut Miami Heat to win the title in 2011. But what he’s done with this year’s Pacers, who are without a top five (or, arguably, even a top 10) superstar, is nothing short of remarkable. His group is incredibly poised, confident, and well prepared, and most importantly, they never say die. Carlisle deserves a lot of credit for that identity, and he will be etched into the annals of the highest echelon of coaching because of it.

It’s time for the Heat to set it on fire

It is strange to say that the East is wide open and, at the same time, that the Heat need to blow it up in the same breath, but it feels right. Seeing Miami’s “performance” in round one, if you can even call it that, distilled just how far they are from contention with their bizarre, post-Jimmy-Butler but pre-another-superstar roster. As nice of a contributing piece as Andrew Wiggins can be on a contending team, Butler he is not, and the Heat are sorely lacking in talent and identity. Assuming a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade isn’t on the horizon (and, really, how could it be? What would Miami offer?) blowing it up seems like the shrewd move.

Giannis should stay in the East (but maybe leave Milwaukee)

The East has been the weaker of the two NBA conferences for ages. But it feels more wide open than ever heading into the 2025-2026 season: The Celtics are all but eliminated for next year with the loss of Jayson Tatum to injury, the Knicks are in the middle of a potentially disastrous coaching search, and while the conference champion Pacers are excellent, they certainly don’t feel unbeatable, especially after Tyrese Haliburton’s injury. Milwaukee don’t have a clear path to put a contending team around Antetokounmpo, so it would probably be wise of him to move elsewhere, but he’d be well served to stay in the same timezone or eastward.

The Clippers may truly be cursed

If you buy a plot of land that’s an ancient burial ground, it doesn’t really matter, ultimately, how nice the house is that you build on it. Steve Ballmer is an exemplary NBA owner: deep pockets, smart hires, boundless enthusiasm. The word “ball” is in his name: that’s how much he’s about this life. But he bought a franchise that, for whatever reason, seems to be destined to fail in the most spectacular fashion. This year, it was getting annihilated, with little to no resistance, by the Nuggets in Game 7 of their first-round meeting. This came after the Clippers showed flashes of being a true contender, with one of the best defenses in basketball. Kawhi Leonard was healthy, and the excuses were slim: the Clippers just clipped.

Championship windows can close in a blink

There’s already talk of a budding “dynasty” in Oklahoma City, due to the youth of the team’s core. But if anything came to light in this year’s playoffs, it’s that championship windows are fleeting – and fragile. After their victory last year, many predicted the Celtics were about to start a dynasty, but they were staring down the barrel of a 1-3 deficit against the Knicks in round two even before their best player, perennial MVP candidate Tatum, went down with an achilles tear that will sideline him for most, or even all, of next season. And the Pacers went from being on the doorstep of a championship to facing a year without their star player, Haliburton. Time is of the essence for teams seeking out the Larry O’B: you never know when even the most wide-open windows will slam shut.

Related: A year ago Tyrese Haliburton was a punchline. Now he’s the NBA’s finest punch-out artist

If anything, Tyrese Haliburton is underrated

It’s not hyperbolic to say that no individual player has ever had a clutch run through the playoffs like Haliburton had this year. It was truly heartbreaking to see the guard go down with an achilles rupture in Game 7 of the finals, especially considering that he was having a brilliant first quarter, coming out with all the aggression his detractors have been clamoring for. But the lore from the 2025 playoffs will be one that leads with Haliburton for ever – he (and his underdog Pacers squad) have etched themselves into NBA history, and he’s earned a ton of due respect along the way.

The KAT/Randle trade was a net neutral

We spent much of this season deliberating who “won” the Karl Anthony Towns for Julius Randle trade between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Knicks. The battle took some wild swings, with Towns having a hellacious start to the season (warranting him both an All-NBA and All-Star roster spot), and Randle shaping into form towards the end of the season and into a damned impressive start to the postseason. But both players, too, showed their significant flaws in the postseason, and ultimately, the answer to the question of who “won” the trade is muddy. They are two flawed players with tremendous highs and forehead-slapping lows, and for now, at least, it appears to be a draw.

Related: Thunder’s thrilling nerd juggernaut ushers in NBA’s nice guy era

Nikola Jokić is still the best player on Earth …

To be fair, I knew this before the playoffs. But watching Jokić drag a ramshackle Nuggets team to Game 7 against the eventual champion Thunder, while serving, in many ways, as their honorary interim head coach, was impressive even by the Serb’s impossibly high standards. He’s the kind of spectacular, once in a generation talent who can render context irrelevant, who can make the craziest pass you’ve ever seen appear routine, who is such a ridiculous offensive force that he’s almost an offense unto himself. He may not be the most valuable player this year, but he is the best.

… But SGA deserved his MVP award

If there has been one constant this postseason, it’s Gilgeous-Alexander and his dependable, humming offensive output. You could set a clock to it. That’s been the case since day one of the regular season, and it really didn’t wane in the postseason, either. The Canadian had one of the greatest single statistical seasons ever by a guard, and yes, that includes all those on the NBA’s Mount Rushmore. In this season alone, he won the scoring title, league MVP, Western Conference finals MVP, and NBA finals MVP. That’s a historical run, and makes him a truly generational player by any measure.

Houston were a piece away (and it’s Kevin Durant)

As impressive of a season as the upstart Houston Rockets had this year, it came as no surprise to anyone who’d been paying attention that the Western Conference No 2 were sent packing in round one. The team were on a string defensively, and play hard (kudos to Coach of the Year candidate Ime Udoka), but there was a glaringly apparent hole on the offensive end, especially late in game, when it mattered. Hopes were high for young guard Jalen Green, but he flamed out in a real way in his first postseason. Enter stage right: Kevin Durant, one of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen. It should be exciting for all basketball fans to see how this age-gap marriage turns out come October.

The NBA has an injury problem

The evidence is, at this point, beyond anecdotal. According to Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes, the eight (eight!) achilles tendon ruptures this season are an NBA record, clearing the previous mark of five easily. What was shaping up to be a fascinating NBA finals Game 7 ended with a depressing whimper as Haliburton went down in a heap in the first quarter, sobbing and yelling “No! No! No!” as he banged his fist on the hardwood in anguish. The rest of us could only watch helplessly, having all become injury experts after watching Damian Lillard and Tatum meet the same fate in this postseason alone. The NBA can no longer afford to ignore the pressing issue: the game is faster and more difficult, the season is far too long, and the injuries are mounting.

Faith is a skill

It’s a rare occasion when the team who ultimately hoists the trophy is not what we, as a collective, will remember about a given season. But this version of the Pacers, who came just two quarters shy of a championship, will live on in the hearts and minds of basketball fans for years to come. In true Hoosiers fashion, this team was all heart, no fear. They taught us perhaps the most valuable lesson of all: unwavering belief may very well be the most powerful skill. Chips down, odds long, down double digits with a minute to go. There was no challenge too big, no order too tall, for the never say die Pacers. Even though their season ended in horrible fashion, with a devastating injury to Haliburton and an everlasting “what if” along with it, their identity as one of the most resilient and joyful teams in recent memory will for ever be the stuff of legend.

Six center options Warriors should consider in NBA offseason search for size originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Now that summer is upon us, the smart money is betting Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and his front-office lieutenants will cook up something to add a dash of curiosity to training camp.
Consider the history. Dunleavy turned Jordan Poole into Chris Paul in the summer of 2023, and then basically flipped Klay Thompson for Buddy Hield last summer. That Dunleavy broke character at the 2025 trade deadline, making a seismic move to acquire Jimmy Butler III, raises the stakes this summer.

“There’s a lot of different ways we can go,” Dunleavy said Monday. “We’ve got some free agents that are priorities. We’ve got to handle that. But some of that stuff may lead into trades and other things.”

The smart money also says Dunleavy will go big. Big names are a longshot, but big men are now essential to compete at the upper levels of the Western Conference.

And then there is the free-agent market, which Dunleavy says is the most likely route to a plug-and-play veteran in accordance with a core – Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Butler – that will average 36.3 years of age when camp opens in September.

And remember, the Warriors have four first-round picks, next summer, to offer in trade.

Here are six players, four potentially available vets and two in the draft, that are worthy of Golden State’s consideration:

Veterans

Clint Capela (free agent): At age 31, the 6-foot-10 native of Switzerland has lost some of his bounce but remains a lob threat and one of the strongest rebounders in the league. The Warriors value Kevon Looney, but Capela is appreciably more athletic. He made $20.6 million last season with the Hawks, but likely understands he’ll earn less at his next stop. How much of a pay cut would he accept?

Daniel Gafford (trade candidate): He’s 26, a legit 6-foot-10, averaged two blocks per game over the past three seasons and is offensively efficient in the paint. As one of four big men under contract in Dallas – along with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Dwight Powell – there is a chance he moves. Rampant speculation has him landing with the Lakers. That would be a missed opportunity for the Warriors. Having reportedly agreed to a three-year extension worth $39 million over the weekend, he’s a good value.

Brook Lopez (free agent): At 7-foot-1, 280 pounds, he is an imposing paint presence on defense and an elite stretch-5 on offense. With the Bucks losing Damian Lillard to a torn Achilles’ tendon, they likely will engage in roster reshuffling. Lopez, 37, is older than Butler and Green but 17 days younger than Curry, so that is cause for a bit of caution. He made $25 million last season. Would he accept a huge cut to finish his career in his home state?

Ben Simmons (free agent): He might be the league’s worst finisher at the rim. Just awful. But hear me out. He’s 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, still has some of his once-stunning athleticism and remains a strong, switchable defender. He entered the NBA in 2016 as a point guard but has transitioned to center, finishing last season as a backup to Ivica Zubac with the Clippers. If Simmons aches for a redemption season, he could be a good value.

Others

Myles Turner and Naz Reid are too costly and likely to re-sign with their current teams. Al Horford is interesting, but he loves Boston and, at age 39, probably will finish his career there. When scanning the middle tier and lower, the Warriors would be wise to remember the failed Willie Cauley-Stein experiment.

In the draft

Quality size is available in every draft, often in the second round, where the Warriors are holding the 41st overall pick. Consider a few big men selected in the second round and making an impact: Nikola Jokić (No. 41, 2014), Zubac (No. 32 in 2016), Isaiah Hartenstein (No. 43, 2017), Nic Claxton (No. 31, 2019) and Gafford (No. 38, 2019).

Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Penn State): A two-year starter, first at Northern Illinois and then as a junior with the Nittany Lions, the Switzerland native is a shade under 7 feet with plus athleticism who led the Big Ten in blocks in each of the last two seasons. He’s 22 and still developing, but might be able to earn minutes as a change-of-pace rim runner and rim protector.

Amari Williams (Kentucky): A three-year starter – the first two at Drexel before finishing at Kentucky last season – who is not much of a shooter but brings something to both ends of the floor. At 6-foot-11, 260 pounds, he’s a good athlete whose impressive feel for the game is something the Warriors value. At age 23, he doesn’t project as a future All-Star, but possesses enough desirable qualities to have a solid NBA career.

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Indiana Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton could miss the entire 2025-26 NBA season after having surgery on a torn right Achilles tendon.

The 25-year-old fell to the court without any contact as he attempted to drive to the basket seven minutes into the first quarter of the decisive game seven of the NBA Championship play-off finals at the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He was in obvious distress as he was helped from the court and missed the rest of the game, which his side lost 103-91 to end their hopes of a first NBA title.

The Pacers confirmed he would have surgery on Monday on the injury, which has a likely recovery time of eight to 10 months.

The two-time All Star is the third high-profile player to suffer a ruptured Achilles tendon in this season's play-offs, following Boston's Jayson Tatum and Milwaukee's Damian Lillard.

The injury is similar to one that kept Kevin Durant out for a full season when he was hurt in the 2019 NBA Finals while playing for the Golden State Warriors.

Haliburton had played in Sunday's decider despite suffering a calf strain in game five of the finals.

It followed an amazing run where he hit a tying or winning shot in the final seconds in all four rounds of the play-offs.

"I'd do it again, and again after that, to fight for this city and my brothers," he posted on X after the surgery. "For the chance to do something special.

"Words cannot express the pain of this letdown. The frustration is unfathomable. I've worked my whole life to get to this moment and this is how it ends?"

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle paid tribute to Haliburton after Sunday's game.

"What happened with Tyrese, all of our hearts dropped," he said. "But he will be back in time, and I believe he'll make a full recovery."

The first domino? Reacting to Holiday trade, Simons addition for Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The first domino has fallen for the Boston Celtics. It won’t be the last.

The Celtics started the anticipated overhaul of their championship core late Monday night by dealing Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons and a pair of second-round picks, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The Celtics get off the three seasons and $100-plus million remaining on Holiday’s contract but save just $4.7 million for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Boston now sits $18 million over the second apron line, which suggests there’s more dealing in the team’s future.

That the Celtics were able to trade Holiday back to the Blazers, the team that essentially redirected him from Milwaukee before Boston’s 2023-24 title season, is amusing. That president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was able to acquire draft assets as part of the deal, after heavy speculation that Boston would have to attach a first-round pick to move Holiday, is even more noteworthy.

🔊 Celtics Talk Podcast: Jrue Holiday TRADED?! Celtics instant reaction & what’s next! | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

If Simons sticks in Boston, he feels like the type of player the Celtics can take a hard look at over the first months of the season. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard turned 26 earlier this month and has averaged 20.7 points per game over the last three seasons.

Simons averaged 19.3 points per game in 70 appearances for the Blazers last season, and despite a downturn in his shooting efficiencies, he has shot 38.1 percent from beyond the 3-point arc for his career. He could potentially help fill some of the scoring void while Jayson Tatum recovers from Achilles surgery.

If the Celtics don’t see Simons as a long-term fit, or if they eventually need to explore a subsequent deal to trim more money, he could have value to other contenders as an expiring contract.

Holiday was a key part of Boston’s success over the past two seasons. He saved some of his finest basketball for the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers, where he routinely made the sorts of winning plays that helped Boston produce a harder-than-it-looked sweep of a team that made the NBA Finals this year.

But it was obvious entering the summer that Holiday’s time in Boston was coming to a close.

The Celtics got ahead of the new collective bargaining agreement by acquiring Holiday on the eve of training camp in 2023. Stevens rewarded him with a long-term extension before Boston’s title run. The Celtics will miss Holiday’s defensive versatility. He paired well with Derrick White in the defensive-minded “Stock Exchange” backcourt.

Simons is a solid playmaker who averaged a career-best 5.5 assists two seasons ago. He ranked in the 80th percentile in assist percentage among all combo guards this past season, per Cleaning The Glass data.

The question is whether he can play defense to a level that allows Joe Mazzulla to confidently lean on him. Opponents shot 50.6 percent against Simons last season, or 4.4 percent higher than expected output, per the NBA’s tracking data.

Celtics trade Holiday to Blazers for Anfernee Simons, draft picks: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jrue Holiday’s brief but very successful tenure with the Boston Celtics has come to an end.

The C’s traded the veteran point guard to the Portland Trail Blazers in return for guard Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported late Monday night.

🔊 Celtics Talk Podcast: Jrue Holiday TRADED?! Celtics instant reaction & what’s next! | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

Holiday has three years and around $104 million left on his contract. The Celtics, as one of the few teams in the second apron of the luxury tax, are saving around $4.7 million by completing this trade and are saving $40 million in luxury tax payments for next season, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Boston is now $18 million over the second apron line, so there could potentially be more moves to come; Charania reports the Celtics “remain engaged in trade talks surrounding multiple key players on the roster.”

Simons isn’t the best defensive guard, but he’s a dynamic offensive player who can shoot well from 3-point range. The 26-year-old veteran averaged 19.3 points, 4.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 36.3 percent from beyond the arc in 70 games for the Blazers last season. He’s entering the final season of his four-year, $100 million contract previously signed with Portland.

The Celtics acquired Holiday in October of 2023 in a trade with the Blazers. Holiday made an immediate impact as a scorer, an elite defender, a great leader and someone with championship experience.

He played a key role in the Celtics’ run to their 18th championship with a 2024 NBA Finals triumph over the Dallas Mavericks.

Holiday made a lot of clutch plays in the 2024 playoffs, including a game-winning steal in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final versus the Indiana Pacers.

In two seasons with the Celtics, Holiday averaged 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 39.2 percent from 3-point range.

Holiday was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020 and helped lead them to a title the following season. He did the same after being dealt to the Celtics. Accomplishing that feat in Portland will be pretty tough, but Holiday can definitely help a young Blazers team that finished last season strong and is seeking to end its playoff drought in 2026.