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Welcome to our annual Lakers season in review series, where we’ll look back at each player on the team’s roster this season and evaluate if they should be part of the future of the franchise. Today, we take a look at Deandre Ayton.

Deandre Ayton was easily considered the Lakers’ most intriguing signing last offseason. It was a bold move by Rob Pelinka to gamble on the center who had developed a notorious reputation for himself over the last few years. Pelinka and Luka Dončić — who recruited Ayton as well over the summer — felt that the big man was the missing piece in the Lakers’ rotation.

Coming into this season, there was a lot of pressure on Ayton to do well. That’s because his previous stints with the Suns and Blazers didn’t end in the best way possible and he hadn’t played more than 67 games since the 2022-2023 season. There was also a clear decrease in his production over the last two years, so the concerns as to why the Lakers signed him were valid.

But in fairness to the first overall pick in the 2018 draft, his first season with the Lakers turned out better than expected. Ayton played 72 games in the regular season, which was a career-high for him. He averaged 12.5 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block per game on 67.1% shooting and had his fair share of memorable games. He was reliable for most of the season but there were also times when he underperformed and was benched for it.

Ultimately, the 27-year-old veteran lived up to the expectations set for him, but there’s no certainty as to whether or not that’s enough to make him the Lakers’ starting center for years to come.

How did he play?

Ayton’s performance in the playoffs this season pretty much sums up his time as a Laker: Outstanding in the first round versus the Rockets and then disappointing en route to getting swept by the Thunder. Against Houston, he averaged 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game and even outplayed Alperen Şengün, but then he tallied just 7.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game against OKC.

While DA’s performance in the second round could’ve been better, what he proved in the regular season was that he definitely still has a place in this league. Although there were times when he made it known that he wasn’t thrilled with his role, the big man was still key in the team’s success this year. He found a way to fit alongside Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves by being a serviceable big man for most of those games.

Ayton’s role was simple: Be the team’s fourth scoring option while being a high-impact big in the paint. He isn’t a high-flying center like Hayes nor a bruiser. He had his own game, which was more post- and mid-range-oriented.

There were nights when Ayton just didn’t have the motor, which was why JJ Redick opted to play Jaxson Hayes over him. But that didn’t affect the relationship between the player and coach as the former was always vocal about how much of an honor it was to be coached by Redick and his staff. Redick also commended Ayton’s ability to adjust to his system so it seemed like they were often on the same page.

What is the contract situation moving forward?

Last summer, Ayton signed a two-year contract worth $16 million with a player option for the second season. So technically, he’s still under contract with the Lakers and the decision to stay will ultimately be his.

Should he be back?

If Ayton is still willing to buy into Redick’s system and the role that they want for him, then there’s certainly a place for him. His underwhelming performance in the second round series against the Thunder shouldn’t define who he is as a player. The Lakers, by now, know his strengths and weaknesses, which is why there’s no definite plan as to whether or not he’s going to remain as the team’s starting center next season.

But if DA feels that he deserves more than his current salary and wants the All-Star treatment in terms of priority on the rotation and touches, then perhaps he’d be better off on another team.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

Washington Wizards guard Trae Young has a decision to make.

The 27-year-old has a June 23 deadline to exercise his $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season, which is considered by many as an unlikely move.

Here are the options Young and the Wizards have if he declines his option:

What an extension looks like

If Young opts out, which multiple reports expect, he has until June 30 to sign an extension with Washington that holds a maximum value of three years and $156 million.

While a three-year extension makes sense, it will likely be for less money, with multiple reports projecting a $120 million deal that takes him through the 2028-29 campaign.

Wizards general manager Will Dawkins has extended two players during his tenure, both of which were rookie-scale extensions. He gave Deni Avdija $55 million and Corey Kispert $54 million over four years.

Both extensions were descending value, which means the cap hit started higher and ended lower than the contract’s average annual value (AAV). Considering Dawkins’ history, a potential Young extension would likely follow a similar structure.

Here’s what that cap hit would look like if Young signs a three-year, $120 million extension at descending value, as noted in an episode of the Third Apron podcast with Yossi Gozlan.

2026-27: $43,478,261

2027-28: $40,000,000

2028-29: $36,521,739

For reference, the Toronto Raptors gave Brandon Ingram a three-year, $120 million extension almost immediately after they acquired him via trade last season. After sitting the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign, Ingram averaged 21.5 points as he led Toronto to the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference this season.

Young wants to be a Wizard

The Wizards acquired Young in a January trade that sent CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to the Atlanta Hawks.

On a recent podcast appearance on “The Pivot,” Young made clear his desire to get dealt to Washington — a place he believes is on the verge of something special.

“I wanted to go [to Washington]. It’s not like [Atlanta] just shipped me there. That wasn’t the case,” Young said. “… I know our team is gonna be ready. We have young guys that have been through the rebuilding stage. They went through a lot of losing the last few years and they’re tired of losing. I want to be there with them when we’re winning.”

Young said he plans to bring several Wizards teammates to train with him this summer, which serves as another indicator of his offseason plans to remain in Washington.

A chip on his shoulder

It’s no secret many sold their Young stock after he played just 15 games last year amid a slew of injuries, which included a quad contusion, MCL sprain and back irritation.

But that’s only fueled Young’s motivation to prove those doubters wrong.

“This is the most slept on I’ve been in my whole life … Imagine the Wizards as the No. 1 team in the East next year. What [are] people gonna be saying?” Young said. “I haven’t played much in a year and a half, but trust me, I’m just entering my prime.”

An in-depth breakdown of Young’s pending decision on “The Wizards Podcast”

Our Greg Finberg broke down what a potential extension could look like and what the former All-Star could bring to next year’s Wizards squad.

The Knicks didn’t do enough to protect Jalen Brunson in Draymond Green’s eyes.

Brunson was shoved in the neck by Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in the first quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.

According to Green, the reaction by the rest of the Knicks was less than ideal.

“He pushed him down, and none of the guys on the Knicks team did anything,” Green said on “The Kevin O’Connell Show.”

“Don’t not for one second think that didn’t matter. Oh, that mattered.”

O’Connell then asked what Green would have done in that situation. 

“I’m probably gonna get thrown out right there, and it may cost us Game 3,” Green said.  

Green is known for his controversial style that has made one of the NBA’s biggest villains with the Warriors. But the edge he brings to the team has played a significant role in the team’s recent dynasty led by Steph Curry.

Jay Williams on ESPN also agrees that the Knicks’ response was not strong enough and expects that to change during Game 4 on Wednesday night. 

“There is a certain aspect of your team when our star player gets mushed like that and gets sonned like that. You have to respond, and you are going to respond with physicality,” Williams said. “It can’t just come from [Jose] Alvarado; it has to come from Karl-Anthony Towns, OG [Anunoby], it has to come from everybody. Look for multiple shots to be delivered to Wemby (Wednesday night) in Game 4.”

Alvarado warned Wembanyama when speaking with the media on Tuesday.

“I think that’s not basketball,” the backup guard said. “That’s something that they gotta look at. But he got away with one. That’ll be the last one.”

The NBA reviewed Wembanyama’s push on Tuesday night. If it were deemed a Flagrant 2 foul, he would have been suspended for one game due to accumulating four flagrant points. 

However, the NBA decided not to do so after missing the call altogether during the game.

Former NBA star Carmelo Anthony is mistakenly trending.

There seems to be confusion between the 42-year-old Anthony and the young Texas native Karmelo Anthony, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison by a Texas jury on Tuesday, June 9, following a 2025 fatal stabbing of a fellow student.

This isn't a case of that Spider-Man meme. The two are not related and have zero connection to each other.

Anthony spent 19 seasons in the NBA, playing with the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Lakers.

The one we call "Melo" is a 10-time All-Star, a six-time All-NBA team member, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the NBA's 75 greatest players of all time. Now, he serves as a lead studio analyst for NBC Sports and Peacock during their national NBA broadcasts alongside Maria Taylor, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter.

Karmelo Anthony was convicted of killing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf over a disagreement about Anthony's presence under a team tent at a track meet at Memorial High School in Frisco, Texas. The trial drew national attention that raised questions of race and school safety in Frisco.

But there could be a few baseless conclusions as to why people connected the young man to a future Basketball Hall of Famer. The obvious is the name. Not just the last name, but the first name is phonetically the same.

The former NCAA champion also has a son that plays at Syracuse whose name is Kiyan Anthony. But make no mistake, Karmelo and Kiyan aren't siblings. Carmelo only has two children: Kiyan and a daughter named Genesis.

Is Carmelo Anthony related to Karmelo Anthony?

There's no relation whatsoever between Carmelo Anthony and Karmelo Anthony.

Carmelo Anthony career highlights

In case you're unfamiliar with his game, check out these career highlights from Carmelo Anthony's career.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carmelo Anthony trending after mistaken identity with Texas case

As the Sixers’ search for a new president of basketball operations zeroed in on Mike Gansey, a corresponding promotion for Jameer Nelson became increasingly likely. Nelson slowly rose through the organization, starting with the G League affiliate Delaware Blue Coats. Nelson became a lot more involved with the big club last season. He was on the road a lot, interacting with players and coaches, according to Bob Myers.

It’s likely the path the organization originally had in mind for Elton Brand before a collars related incident accelerated that timeline. When Gansey was hired, he said that a promotion for Nelson was a “sticking point” for him.

“It’s actually a surreal moment,” Nelson told reporters. “When I started this journey six years ago, I had no idea where it would take me.”

Nelson admitted that when he started he thought he would become a coach, not an executive, but discovered that working in the front office is a type of coaching in its own way. As he’s risen up the ranks from scout to executive VP, Nelson has had plenty of offers from plenty of places along the way.

Having the opportunity to do the job in the place he is from for the team he grew up rooting for was an opportunity Nelson was willing to wait for. He admitted that the fact that he’s able to do so now gives him goosebumps.

“Things that matter here most to me is I’m home, right? My family’s here,” he said. “I’m a Sixers fan. My favorite basketball player of all time is Charles Barkley, and [Allen] Iverson and Kobe [Bryant]. So people from this area or played in this area, I feel like some responsibility to help this organization move forward.”

Nelson’s ties to the region came up quite a bit in his introductory press conference. His most From Here trait was the reminder he gave that he didn’t grow up within the city limits.

“Growing up in Chester — everybody keeps saying Philly, I’m Chester native,” Nelson said, “but Philadelphia has adopted me.”

Getting a higher up in the organization that is from the area was a clear priority in this hiring process.

“I think it’s important that somebody from this community is in a leadership role with this team,” Myers said later that day. “Not being from here, you recognize the importance of connecting to the community and the fanbase and Jameer has that.”

A follow-up was thrown at Myers as to whether the organization felt there was a disconnect with the community that the Sixers organization felt the need to correct. While Myers didn’t say that was the case, it’s definitely criticism that has been leveled at an ownership group that owns two teams in rival cities. Much like Josh Harris’ answer to a luxury tax question a month ago, it’s something the new leadership group wanted to address.

“This is a uniquely spirited community and the history of the organization, ” Myers said. “ I think having someone, just that knows that and grew up here and feels that and the responsibility that comes with that. I just love that Jameer is in the place that he’s in and he deserves it, he’s earned it, and bottom line, I think he’s going to help us win.” 

Between the local roots they’re trying to cultivate with Nelson and the fact that he, Gansey and Myers all played the game at at least the collegiate level, the Sixers have made sure that their new front office has a different presentation than the previous regime. Gansey and Nelson literally go back to their days playing against each other in the Atlantic-10.

“I was 0-2 against him when I was at St. Bonaventure’s and he was at St. Joe’s,” Gansey said at his introduction, “but I think I got the win now because I got him on my side.”

So with less than a month left before their big first test in the draft, the Sixers have their new front office in place. Now it’s time to see just how much they’ll be able to reconnect this team to the community.

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For all his late-game heroics, Jalen Brunson has a notable blemish on his NBA Finals resume.

The New York Knicks guard has committed as many turnovers (13) as he has recorded assists through three games with the San Antonio Spurs.

His five miscues in Game 3 played a big role in New York’s loss, and were also why Brunson finished Under his assist prop for the fifth straight game.

My Spurs vs. Knicks predictions take note of the Jalen Brunson odds and a dropping assist total, tempting my NBA picks to take the Over 5.5 dimes with Brunson focused on cleaning up his sloppy play on June 10.

Jalen Brunson prop pick for Game 4

Jalen Brunson best bet: Over 5.5 assists (-155 at bet365)

Jalen Brunson wrapped up Game 3 with five assists on nine potential helpers, but the table was set for more dimes in the second half. His turnovers as well as ice-cold shooting from the rest of the New York Knicks soured those set-ups. 

The San Antonio Spurs have dialed up the pressure on Brunson, picking him up sooner in the halfcourt and playing tighter on-ball defense while showing double teams at times. They’re packing the paint when Brunson drives, leaving open hands on the outside for kickouts.

Brunson also has a bad habit of dribbling away seconds on the shot clock, leading to a bad look — either from him or off a hurried pass — as the clock ticks down.

Those troubles and a lack of playmaking wasn’t lost on Brunson after the Game 3 loss, pinpointing his play when asked about what the Knicks offense needs to correct in Game 4.

“Most importantly, not turn the ball over. Give my team an opportunity,” Brunson told the media.

New York head coach Mike Brown is preaching more activity from his entire team heading into Game 4, asking for sharper off-ball action and aggressive cuts. That means less useless dribbling from the point guard and better situational shooting from the team overall.

With Brunson getting a ton of touches and limiting his mistakes, the opportunities that evaporated on Monday will be there tonight.

He’s averaging nine potential assists for the series, panning out to 4.3 actual dimes. His assist prop has slid to 5.5 Over/Under but Game 4 projections still all sit north of six helpers, ranging from 6.4 to a ceiling of 7.2. 

My number comes out to 6.8 assists from Brunson, which should have the Over 5.5 priced around -190, which makes the vig easier to swallow. You can find this prop result as short as -140, while some books have gone to 6.5 O/U.

Jalen Brunson same-game parlay

The Knicks were playing with a lot of outside pressure in Game 3, beyond just winning an NBA Finals game. Their winning streak and a packed Madison Square Garden (with Donald Trump in attendance) piled on the loss.

Game 4 comes with less baggage.

New York’s issues Monday were self-inflicted, with turnovers sparking the Spurs transition attack. The Knicks have a focus on playing cleaner with better offensive activity, forcing San Antonio into halfcourt sets. 

Brunson got a good look at the Game 3 film and I expect the Knicks’ point guard to be more active as a facilitator, not just finding his teammates but putting them in better situations to shoot the basketball. His potential assists are at 9.0 but with less turnovers and more off-ball action, that metric ticks up and gets him Over his assist total for the first time in six games.

Projections all call for six or more assists.

Brown’s call for more action on offense was pointed at Karl-Anthony Towns, who couldn’t get into a flow in Game 3. He passed up shots and was also passed up on passes. Towns is drawing smaller defenders and will utilize his size to attack and shoot over the top.

His game models all sit above 18 points with most at 20+ points in Game 4.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

It didn’t take long for Chris Russo to go after Victor Wembanyama.

During “First Take” on Wednesday morning, “Mad Dog” ripped into the Spurs’ young superstar for shoving Jalen Brunson in Game 3 of the NBA Finals Monday night in what he described as a “dirty play.”

“This was out of line,” Russo said. “This I don’t like. Brunson did nothing wrong and a very good job of avoiding a technical in this spot.”

Russo’s reaction comes after Wembanyama wasn’t assessed a flagrant foul for shoving Brunson in the back of the head with 4:44 remaining in the first quarter of Monday’s game.

Brunson tried setting a screen on the 7-foot-4 big man near the free-throw line, and once Wembanyama turned around, he shoved Brunson to the ground.

Despite immediate protests from the Knicks, no foul was called on the play.

Even after NBA senior vice president of referee development and training Monty McCutchen told ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Tuesday that at least a normal foul should’ve been called, the league still decided not to give Wembanyama a flagrant foul.

“Let’s take it easy if you’re the Spurs. You’re 2-1 down on the road and still have to win a road game,” Russo added. “The idea now that you’re going to beat them four in a row, Wembanyama’s going to show how tough he is … bring it down. Don’t rile ’em up.”

“And now you have the Knicks all annoyed now because they go and look at the highlights and say the NBA should’ve said it was a flagrant foul … you’re giving the Knicks a lot of juice tonight. And that’s not what San Antonio needed to do.”

With no flagrant foul assessed, Wembanyama remains at two flagrant points this postseason following an ejection in the second round against the Timberwolves for an elbow on Naz Reid.

Four flagrant points trigger a suspension, so if the referees called a Flagrant 2, Wembanyama would’ve missed a game.

After beating the Knicks 115-111 in Game 3, Wembanyama and the Spurs can tie the series at two games apiece Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.