Worldwide Sports News

Who: Summer Suns vs. Summer Trail Blazers

When: 8:00pm Arizona Time

Where: Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, Nevada

Watch: Arizona Family Sports, ESPNU

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Summer.
Summer who?
Summer Suns basketball baby!!!!!!

That’s right. It’s time to watch some Phoenix Suns basketball! It’s time to see purple and orange back on the court! For an organization with so much youth pushing to the front of the line, that makes Summer League feel different. It feels exciting. It feels worth paying attention to.

I think back a few years, when the only thing we really had to latch onto was Jalen Smith. He gave us something to cheer for. He earned All Summer League First Team honors in 2021, and that was enough to keep us watching. Then they paired him with Jaleen Smith, which always felt like someone in the Suns’ front office was running an elaborate practical joke on the fan base.

This year carries real intrigue.

Khaman Maluach is taking the floor after being selected as the tenth overall pick a year ago. Koa Peat is making his professional debut. Rasheer Fleming is slated to be a part of the Suns’ rotation this season. Koby Brea is ready to let it fly every time daylight appears. While the NBA roster is built to compete today, the franchise’s future checks into the game tonight in Las Vegas. These are the players we want to watch. These are the players who need every possession they can get.

Summer League has always been its own strange little carnival. I watched number one overall pick AJ Dybantsa last night turn into a one-man scoring expedition on his way to 27 points last night. Chemistry comes and goes. Offensive flow disappears without warning. Everybody wants to prove they belong, and sometimes that means the ball sticks like it owes somebody money.

The hope with Phoenix is that you see the fingerprints of the organization. A strong system leaves clues as roles become recognizable. The ball finds the open man. Defensive rotations happen instinctively, not in panic. Three of these players are expected to spend most of the season with the Suns. Another will be filling it up in the Valley. Tonight is an opportunity to see whether that foundation already exists.

No matter what happens, expectations need to stay grounded. Never too high, never too low…the Ricky Rubio philosophy. I know myself well enough to admit I probably won’t follow that advice.

Summer League is the last neon sign before the highway disappears into the endless desert of the NBA offseason. After this, the landscape turns into heat shimmer, podcast hypotheticals, and counting the days until October. That’s why nights like this matter. It’s basketball. It’s hope. It’s the first glimpse of whatever strange ride this franchise has planned for us next.

Probable Starters

Here’s my best guess…

Injury Report

Suns

• Nothing reported

Trail Blazers

• Nothing reported

What to Watch For

There are plenty of things to watch tonight against the Trail Blazers, and it all starts at the center position. While the Suns were busy drafting Khaman Maluach last summer, Portland selected its own center in the first round. Yang Hansen was taken 16th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, setting up an intriguing opening matchup for Maluach in Summer League.

These two have met before.

Last November in the G League, the two first-round centers met for the first time. It was clear Hansen had the physical advantage. Although both are listed at 7’1”, Hansen outweighs Maluach by roughly 20 pounds, and he used that strength to bully his way to 14 rebounds. Maluach finished with only three boards in the 107-104 loss to the Rip City Remix.

Defensively, however, Maluach did a solid job. He held Hansen to 4-of-11 shooting and only eight points. The problem was foul trouble. Maluach fouled out after scoring nine points of his own.

Both players were underutilized by their big league clubs last season, and the hope for progression begins with their performances in Las Vegas. This makes this a fascinating Summer League rematch. Hansen is a polished offensive prospect but has had a hard time getting his footing in the NBA. Maluach’s calling card is his rim protection. We have a pretty good idea of what that battle could look like.

What interests me more is the other end of the floor. How does Maluach attack Hansen defensively? Can he show growth offensively against a physical player who has already given him problems? That’s one of the biggest things I’ll be watching tonight.

I’ll also be keeping a close eye on Rasheer Fleming. During last year’s Summer League, you could clearly see the physical tools. The feel for where he needed to be on the court still had room to grow. As the season progressed, both with the Valley Suns and Phoenix, you could see that development taking shape. I’m hoping he looks like a true NBA player this time around. When you watch Summer League, certain players pop. Fleming has the chance to be one of those players.

Then there’s Koa Peat. I simply want to see what he looks like next to NBA-caliber talent. We know he’s a big wing, but you never truly appreciate a player’s size until you see him standing next to everyone else. Watching him alongside Fleming should provide a much better perspective. More importantly, I want to see how he moves, how he processes the game, and how comfortable he looks in this environment.

And, of course, there’s Koby Brea. We already know he can shoot the basketball. I’d like to see a little more than that. Maybe it’s creating off the dribble. Maybe it’s applying more pressure defensively. Maybe it’s showing a little more athleticism with the ball in his hands. Right now, he’s a very one-dimensional prospect. Hopefully, he can show there’s another layer to his game. He’s also the oldest player in this group, so the developmental runway isn’t quite as long. That’s what makes these Summer League minutes so valuable for him.

Prediction

My prediction? Overreaction.

I think Maluach is going to have a difficult time against Hansen because of the size and strength mismatch. We might not get the performance we’re hoping for in Game 1. It’s a tough way to begin Summer League because he’s facing someone who also has something to prove and has the physicality to move him off his spots.

I do think we’re going to be pleasantly surprised by how Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat look together on the floor. That’s where my attention will be. The box score doesn’t matter nearly as much as how comfortable these young players look within the flow of the game.

I predict we’ll walk away a little underwhelmed by Maluach’s production, but pleasantly pleased with what we see from Fleming and Peat. And Koby Brea? He’ll knock down four three pointers, and everyone will be convinced he’s the next Grayson Allen.

Summer Suns 108, Summer Blazers 97

It has been an oddly slow week on the Spurs’ free agency front. Ever since the moratorium period ended at 11 AM on Monday, everyone has been waiting for Victor Wembanyama to sign has max rookie contract extension, which would be worth up $251 million (25% of the salary cap) over five seasons, beginning in the 2027-28 season. The wait for it to happen has been odd but of not of concern, mainly being chalked up to him being on vacation in France.

Now, we’re getting news that there might be a reason for the hold up, but it isn’t for anything concerning, such as the Spurs are holding back or he’s unsure if he wants to commit. On the contrary, rumor is starting to swirl that he may actually be considering signing for less than the max to provide the Spurs more financial flexibility in the future, as was first reported by Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. This came after Wemby had tweeted for the first time since March and only 69th time ever, sending a promising but cryptic message of, “Spurs Family, I am here to stay. Whatever it takes.”

This likely won’t be confirmed until they officially announce the new contract, but RC Buford, Brian Wright and Mitch Johnson are reportedly in France, so news could come any minute now. No one was expecting Wemby to pull a Tim Duncan on his first ever contract extension of his career, but it’s possible he is seeing teams having to break up star cores or strip their depth to avoid second apron ramifications and wants to assure they can keep their young core together, with Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper likely set for big paydays (even if not max extensions) in the coming years.

His extension can be upgraded to a supermax worth $300 million (30% of the salary cap) if he earns All-NBA honors or wins MVP or Defensive Player of the Year in the 2026-27 season.  It is unclear how that would be applied if he signs for less than the maximum.

Detroit Basketball is back.

Ebuka Okorie’s first game in a Pistons uniform saw him score 20 points to go along with four assists and two steals. He shot 8-for-16 (50%) from the field including 2-for-5 (40%) from deep.

Scoring

The guy can flat out score.

You can see how easily he can get to the rim with his speed and quickness. He’s too fast to full-court press or try and catch in possession. He makes splitting the roll defender look way easier than it should. He looked calm, cool, and collected as he never looked rushed the entire night.

Shooting

Okorie’s two threes were both off-the-dribble. The first game after he split a pick-and-roll where Johni Broome was too far away to help and Ebuka made him pay. The second was a shot he created himself where he got the defender to bite on a pump fake before hitting the step-back.

Defense

Ebuka was active in the passing lanes last night. Both steals came from him jumping into a lane to force a turnover, and his second steal ended in a great up-and-under finish at the rim.

I wanted to highlight his playmaking, though, it’s difficult to find clips of Summer League games. He had a couple of fantastic passes out of pick-and-roll sets to find open shooters although their shots didn’t fall. While he didn’t get to show off his playmaking abilities as much given his supporting cast at Stanford, I think he has real ability to be a true point guard and I hope we continue to see more of that throughout Summer League.

Game 2 will take place on Sunday, July 12th against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 4PM EST.

Go Stones.

Michigan basketball has a new full-time head coach.

The Wolverines did so by simply removing the interim tag of Mike Boynton, who was the de facto leader of the program following the departure of Dusty May to take over the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.

Boynton, who has previous head coaching experience after leading Oklahoma State from 2017-24, served as May's assistant and defensive coordinator for two seasons at Michigan. He also has done a good job of retaining Michigan's talent following Mays' exit for the NBA, with several top players, incoming transfers and recruits maintaining their commitment to the Wolverines.

"Mike is a veteran assistant with strong head coaching experience and a clear understanding of the standard we expect at Michigan," Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement announcing the move. "Over the past two seasons, he has been an invaluable member of our staff, bringing stability, leadership and perspective during an important period of success. Our players and staff believe in his vision, are committed to his leadership and are excited for the opportunity to pursue great success together this season."

REQUIRED READING: Michigan basketball loses assistant to Dusty May and Dallas Mavericks

LeBron James is golfing. The NBA is guessing. Rich Paul is telling everyone to relax.

As teams continue making their best pitch to the 41-year-old star, James has been spending his time with family and friends, including a golf outing with Draymond Green that immediately sent the rumor mill into overdrive.

But according to Paul, James is on his own timeline.

Appearing on the latest episode of Game Over with Max Kellerman, James’ longtime agent made it clear that the 41-year-old star is operating on his own timeline as he weighs where he will play in his 24th NBA season.

“There is none. I wish I knew,” Paul said when asked about a timeline. “He’s taking his time. He’s really evaluating things. I’ve really left him alone. Play golf, do the things you need to do. He understands where things are. When he’s ready, he’ll let me know.”

That answer captures the state of the NBA offseason right now.

James is the biggest name left on the market, but his free agency does not look like his previous turns in 2010, 2014 or 2018.

This time, he is not expected to command a max contract or force teams to preserve massive cap space. For the most part, his suitors are already built. James is expected to choose based on fit, title odds and what Paul described as “complete happiness.”

That has left several contenders trying to make their case.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that leading suitors have been sending voice notes to Paul, who then forwards them to James. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers have all been linked to the four-time MVP.

Golden State offers the dream basketball pairing with Stephen Curry, but Paul framed the Warriors’ appeal in more practical terms. If James is judging strictly by postseason danger, Paul said Golden State is the kind of team “you definitely don’t want to play” in a playoff series.

Cleveland offers the obvious emotional pull. It is home, and a third stint with the Cavaliers would give James a storybook ending where his career began.

Miami offers familiarity and another chance to chase a title in a place where he already won two

Philadelphia has become a more serious wild card after adding Jaylen Brown to a core with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

The Timberwolves are a ready-made contender built around Anthony Edwards that could desperately use one veteran superstar to steady the wheel come playoff crunchtime.

Even at 41, James remains more than a ceremonial addition. He averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season while still showing he can tilt high-level games.

But Paul’s message was clear.

James is not rushing.

Teams can send their pitches. Fans can search for clues. But, ultimately, we will all have to wait.

When LeBron is ready, Rich Paul will know.

And not a minute before.

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Steph Curry excited to play with ‘confident' Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors added some much-needed youth this offseason when they selected forward Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft.

Warriors superstar Steph Curry expressed his excitement about playing with the 23-year-old rookie, who has been one of Golden State’s standout performers so far during the 2026 NBA Summer League.

“I watch all the summer league games. I haven’t been there in person, but he looked very confident, poised and competitive,” Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole at the 2026 American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe.

“He’s a champion. And I’m excited to get out there and figure it out with him. Rookies are awesome because they bring such good energy to the locker room, especially guys with the talent like him, so that’s what we need.”

Lendeborg posted a double-double on Thursday in a Summer League matchup against the Dallas Mavericks with 21 points and 10 rebounds. This showcase came days following his 19-point performance during his Summer League debut against the Los Angeles Lakers on July 3 and his 11-point showing in the Warriors’ win over the San Antonio Spurs on July 5.

So far this NBA Summer League, Lendeborg has proven himself to be a scoring threat who can complement Curry and fit nicely into coach Steve Kerr’s system.

The 6-foot-9, 241-pound forward is bringing his championship pedigree from Michigan to a Golden State team that also knows a thing or two about winning titles.

During the 2025-26 NCAA season with the Wolverines, Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in 40 contests and shot 51.5 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from 3-point range.

Once NBA training camp begins, Lendeborg will get to share the court with the player he used to “hate” in Curry when he was growing up as a fan of NBA star Kyrie Irving.

It certainly will be a full-circle moment when the two players start working together as teammates ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.

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July 6 came and went and the Brooklyn Nets trade sending Nick Claxton to Chicago and Julius Randle to Brooklyn didn’t get officially approved. The reason was mundane: a late add to the trade, the Bulls Mouhamadou Gueye, couldn’t be dealt until July 9 because he had been acquired by the Bulls on April 9 and this couldn’t be moved for 90 days under the CBA rules.

Then July 9 came and again, nothing. While the delay only currently affects rookie Joshua Jefferson’s availability for the Vegas Summer League — the Nets acquired his Draft rights in that deal, the reasons why nothing happened this time were not so easy to explain. Was it possible that the trade is being expanded or that the Nets were trying to determine how the trade will affect other issues going forward?

Finally, on Friday, just before the Nets and Knicks were to tip off in a Las Vegas Summer League contest, the deal is done. The Nets announced it themselves…

Marks welcomed Randle, now on his fifth team since being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers out of Kentucky in 2014 with the seventh pick in the first round.

“Julius is an extremely accomplished player who will raise our level of physical toughness and competitiveness,” said General Manager Sean Marks. “His veteran leadership and big game experience will be immensely impactful to our young players as we continue to grow as a team. We’re excited to welcome Julius and his family and look forward to making them part of our Brooklyn community.

Marks also wished Nic Claxton, the team’s longest serving player, well.

“The decision to part with Nic was not an easy one. Over his seven seasons with our team, Nic was an exemplary representative of our organization and the borough of Brooklyn. It’s been rewarding to witness Nic’s growth as both a player and a person throughout his time with the Nets and we wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future. We are thankful for the impact Nic had here and he’ll always remain part of the Nets family.”

Claxton was drafted at No. 31, the first pick of the second round, in 2019, just days before the Nets made their Clean Sweep by getting commitments from Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan. So he survived all the ups and downs of the organization over the next seven seasons, including the trade for James Harden, the collapse of the Big Three after only 16 games, the trades of all three, four head coaching changes and the rebuild.

The Nets celebrated the completion of the deal by welcoming Randle, one of the games top power forwards, to the organization…

Randle will turn 32 years old in November, making him the oldest player on the roster by nearly three years. He just averaged 21/7/5 in his second and final season with the Wolves, during which there was noise about his fit (or lack thereof) in the locker room. With the Nets, Randle gets to return to New York City, where he wore a Knick uniform for five seasons, and attempt to help lead the Nets toward a playoff spot.

His most productive seasons in terms of individual stats came with the Knicks where over his tenure he put up better 22 points a game, grabbed nearly 1o boards and nearly five assists, winning the Most Improved Player award in 2021 and being selected both to the NBA All-Star team and All-NBA. But the Knicks did not win with him and Leon Rose sent him to Minnesota in a blockbuster trade that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to MSG.

The first on-court effect of the trade is that Jefferson is now on the Brooklyn Summer League roster. He will not play vs. the Knicks Friday evening but will be be available on Saturday when the Nets play the Atlanta Hawks at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The announcement ends speculation that the trade could be expanded beyond the original teams. There was one minor wrinkle. Gueye will now move from the Bulls to the Hornets rather than the Timberwolves as originally reported. No new assets were moved. The number of guaranteed roster spots on the Brooklyn roster remains at 15 with the Nets payroll jumping $8.75 million, the result of a $5.78 million difference between Randle and Claxton’s salaries and the $2.97 million guaranteed rookie salary for Jefferson. Evans as a second rounder does not have a guarantee.

The Nets absorbed the Randle contract into cap space, dramatically reducing what’s now available for any significant move in free agency, barring a trade…

Prior to the announcement, Jake Fischer of The Steinline suggested that the Nets were reviewing their cap space, etc., and other financials. He put it in the context of various teams’ pursuit of Peyton Watson, the 6’9” Denver Nuggets power forward who’s a restricted free agent and has been rumored to be a Nets target.

Brooklyn does still possess the cap space to furnish Watson with an offer sheet in his desired salary range, but I’m told that the Nets have been internally assessing how to utilize their available spending power before officially completing their multi-team trade with Minnesota, Charlotte and Chicago that will bring Julius Randle to Barclays Center and transport LaMelo Ball from the Hornets to the Timberwolves.

The Nets have not been keen, though, on plying Watson with an offer sheet in that $25-plus million range. It’s a ballpark, remember, that stems from Nuggets swingman Christian Braun’s five-year, $125 million rookie scale extension last October.

If Brooklyn did value Watson in that range, Denver surely would have seen an offer sheet for the 23-year-old by now. Unless the Nets’ stance changes, Memphis’ offer sheet to Quinten Post that Golden State declined to match would remain the lone offer sheet tendered to a restricted free agent to date this offseason.

That’s a bit more specific than Fischer’s comments two days ago when he said that the Nets were nothing more than a “conceptual suitor” for Watson indicating that Sean Marks & co. weren’t that interested in the 23-year-old at least at the price tag he preferred. (Fischer also stated that while the Clippers pursuit of PWat is complicated by the still unresolved Kawhi Leonard scandal, the Hawks may be ready to enter a sign-and-trade discussion.)

There remain some housekeeping matters for the Nets as well. They have yet to officially sign Moe Wagner. They can pay the 6’11” center either out of that remaining cap space or sign him out of the $9.4 million room MLE they have access to. According to a report by Mike Scotto, Nets and Wagner agreed to a two-year, $19 million deal so his first year would fit neatly in the MLE. Timing, it should be noted, is critical to managing cap space. The Nets currently have or could easily access up to $25 million.

Malachi Smith, the rookie guard, is in the second year of a two-year, totally non-guaranteed deal. Indeed, on Friday afternoon, Smith posted a promotion for his annual youth camp in his hometown of Belleville, Ill. He contained no reference to the Nets, not in the text or in the accompanying photos…

It also seemed odd that Smith didn’t accompany the Nets Summer League team to either Sacramento or Las Vegas despite being one of the team’s youngest players. Later Friday, the Nets requested waivers on Smith.

Then, there’s the big ticket: extending Michael Porter Jr. Porter is eligible — and has been eligible for weeks — to sign an extension up to four years and $234 million. No one expects the deal to reach those heights but there’s been speculation that he could wind up with a deal for four at $160 million that would include a jump in his salary next season from $40.8 million to $49 million then a drop-off in years after that.

That contract signing could easily be the final inking of free agency.

There’s no indication that MPJ wants to leave and a number of indications that the Nets would like to keep him. It’s not just that he averaged 24.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists and shot 46/36/86 last season. He has also become a mentor to the team’s youngsters. Just last week, video of him hosting four of last year’s rookies at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri in May recirculated…

And as noted, he recently hosted Watson, his former Nuggets teammate, on a yacht in the Mediterranean. Does that mean anything other the two, who have been close, remain friends?

There’s also a possibility that the Nets could try to move him, as Brian Lewis suggested Thursday on Erik Slater’s Locked on Nets podcast, but at this point that seems unlikely.