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As the New York Knicks made an incredible 29-point comeback to beat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night, there were rumblings of a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to the Boston Celtics starting to resurface. A clip from the new episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast on Spotify started to circulate where he changed his tune on Boston potentially being interested in the Bucks superstar.

“I thought Boston was out of this. I know Boston is out of this and I was wondering if they were playing possum or not,” Simmons said. “I think they were playing a little possum, I think they’re in on Giannis.”

He continued to speculate on Boston potentially seeing the offer from the Miami Heat for Antetokounmpo and thinking they could beat it or just wanting to drive up the price against a conference rival. The Heat’s offer is not really a secret since they have waived around the same trade package for a superstar for years now, mostly consisting of Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. plus draft capital.

According to his intel, Giannis “really wants to end up in Boston because he would have the best chance to win a title and I think Boston is not ruling out the idea.” He also mentioned the $27.7 million trade exception Boston got in the Anferenee Simons trade and the press conference Brad Stevens had at the end of the season after the Celtics were knocked out of the playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers as a potential reason for Boston to make big changes to the roster.

“I thought they were sitting out this Giannis thing and I no longer think that,” Simmons concluded.

We saw more speculation started to arise on this morning from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. He added an amendment on his reporting from his Bleacher Report stream on Tuesday where he said the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers were the only two teams active in the Giannis trade market, but the Boston Celtics seem to be lurking in the shadows.

Fischer reported: “Earlier in the week, league sources with knowledge of the situation maintained that Boston had not yet seriously engaged Milwaukee on an Antetokounmpo trade … but they also declined to rule out the possibility of the Celtics eventually entering the fray. Rival teams, furthermore, continue to point to Boston’s various assets as illustrating its ability to become a factor here. They also note that Antetokounmpo shares a skills coach with Jayson Tatum (Drew Hanlen) and is believed to have a level of interest in landing with the Celtics on top of his well-chronicled affinity for Miami.”

He continued by saying the Celtics have not engaged in any trade talks with Jaylen Brown after his breakout 2025-26 season where he finished All-NBA Second Team and 6th in NBA MVP voting, but it also hasn’t been ruled out as a possibility. Portland is skeptical Giannis will sign an extension with them and Miami is banking on his previous interest from reports all the way back in 2020 offseason.

Regardless of the outcome, it feels funny to think that Brad Stevens is this mysterious monster from the Backrooms that could swoop in out of nowhere to steal Giannis away. It wouldn’t be the first time Pat Riley went blow for blow with a Celtics executive for the same player during the offseason. From all the reporting. it still doesn’t seem likely but Stevens has never leaked anything to the public when it comes to his moves so you never really know.

A response from the far east?

Jaylen Brown is currently on a trip traveling through China, but this morning put out a tweet that may have been a response to the Simmons and Fischer rumors that were circulating saying: “The neighbors rice always smells better.”

Although the idea of Jaylen subtweeting about the reports with a response of “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side” is an interesting idea, it could most likely just be something related to his current trip. Based on the previous reporting we have seen, Boston doesn’t seem very eager to get a deal for Antetokounmpo and move off of Brown in any way.

Previous Reporting

On Tuesday June 9th, CelticsBlog put out an article highlighting the interview Bobby Manning of CLNS did with Brian Windhorst of ESPN where he talked about what he had heard on the Giannis to the Celtics front. When Manning asked Windhorst his thoughts on the trade, he said “I have not heard that Boston is on Giannis’ list…I have not heard that Giannis is prepared to sign an extension with Boston. So frankly, the Jaylen Brown part is moot to me.”

This interview did come out two days ago but reports travel fast in the NBA world and if the reports from Simmons and Fischer are true, it feels like Boston could be really moving in silence. In my mind, I still don’t see the Celtics making a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo. The fact Giannis is going to be in his mid-30s, the injury toll that he has accrued in the last few seasons, and the possibility of him not wanting to sign an extension could be the difference maker in Boston’s decision.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Stevens and the Celtics front office just decided to just add smaller pieces around the already established core of Jayson Tatum with a full offseason of rest, Jaylen Brown coming off the best season of his career, and Derrick White potentially having a bounce back season. It is critical that they add a big man this offseason, but it doesn’t have to be the biggest fish on the market unless they really wanted to. Brad Stevens has kept everything silent in his tenure as the Celtics President of Basketball Operations so we will only really know if these reports are true if we see Giannis given an actual Celtics uniform in a press conference.

They’re still going to work at HSS Training Center, still working out prospects, interviewing them too. They’re talking to agents, too, about their clients. Whatever happens on the other side of the East River isn’t going to stop the process. Carry on.

Obviously, the NBA Draft, now 12 days and a great deal of fan anxiety away, tops the list of priorities. We try to keep track of who’s been in — or in the case of Mikel Brown Jr., who’s been visited — at this point, various reports have identified a total of 26. Here’s the latest, courtesy of USA Today’s Rookie Wire and Hoophype workout trackers.

• Tre White, Kansas 6’7” sharpshooting wing who had splits of 45/40/87 and proved himself a workhorse of the Jayhawks, playing 31.5 minutes per in 35 games.

• Michael Ajayi, a 6’7”, 235 pound power forward at Butler, he averaged a double-double: 16.4 points and 11.1 boards while playing solid defense for the Bulldogs.
• Seth Trimble, North Carolina, another 6’7” senior like White and Ajayi, he’s more of a combo guard.
• Milos Uzan, a 6’4” 23-year-old point guard for the Houston Cougars with remarkable durability, having played 77 games over the past two years while averaging 11.1 points and 4.0 assists.
• Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana’s 6’6” shooting guard who’s been one of the NCAA’s top scorers the last two years, averaging better than 20 points a game both years while shooting better than 40% from deep.

Of that group, only White is on anyone’s Top 100 Big Board, at No. 65.

Also scheduled is Kingston Flemings, the Houston lead guard who of course has long been tagged as a possible pick between Nos. 5 and 8. Brett Siegel is reporting both the Clippers picking at No. 5 and Nets are brining him in this week. No word on when he’ll be in.

Flemings is the most diminutive of the four guards seen as possible Nets picks at No. 6, measuring 6’2.5” at the NBA Combine, a half inch taller than Danius Acuff but with a wingspan almost three inches shorter. Where Flemings exceled at the Combine was in the athletic measures. He was first around the four in shuttle run, standing vertical and max vertical — an impressive 40.5^ — and second, by one one-hundredth of a second, to Acuff in the 3/4-court sprint. That as well as his defense is what sets him apart. His shooting isn’t bad either. He was first in the 3-point star drill (19/25) and second in shooting off the dribble. Can he convince the Nets brass to look beyond his size?

Of course, as many have suggested, Jalen Brunson’s exploits in New York have many re-thinking small guards in general. Acuff has been quoted repeatedly that he has has been studying Brunson and a league decision maker told ND after their second year of bad lottery luck their best option might be “take one of the guards and for the best. Maybe Acuff if you think he can be like Brunson for you.”

No word (yet) on how the two bigs — Nate Ament and Karim Lopez — fared in their faceoff Tuesday, but the very fact that the Nets set up such a 1-on-1 is a pretty good indicator there’s interest either at No. 6 or if the team succeeds in adding a second pick close enough to the top of the Draft to snag them. Going back as far as last fall, a Nets insider expressed interest in getting another pick in the loaded 2026 Draft while that same league decision-maker quoted above told ND that there is only one reason a GM accumulates as many picks. “The only reason you bank so many firsts like that is to be able to strike opportunistically,” he said.

As for moving down, that seems less likely with multiple sources saying it appears that the Nets will stay at No. 6. The most recent such report came Thursday with Jake Fischer of The Steinline writing that the Nets are “indicating at this juncture” that they intend to stay where the Lottery put them.

Will other chess pieces move between now and 7:30 p.m. ET on June 23? Fischer devotes a lot of his latest report to that question (after suggesting that the Celtics may join the Heat in pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo.)

Most teams picking behind the Clippers are currently operating under the assumption that LA will stand pat and keep their No. 5 overall selection … with Wagler as a strong candidate to be taken with the pick that the Clippers only acquired when the May 10 lottery dropped Indiana’s pick out of the top four. The Pacers were then compelled to send it to Clipperland as part of their February trade to acquire Ivica Zubac.

If the Nets decide that they prefer to keep the No. 6 overall selection — as they are indicating at this juncture — that could mean that Dallas at No. 9 proves to be the highest-slotted team willing to move down.

Sacramento, which holds the No. 7 selection, has been widely connected to Acuff due largely to the fact Kings general manager Scott Perry once coached Acuff’s father at Eastern Kentucky in the 1990s. That connection has also sparked considerable chatter about Sacramento wanting to move up to ensure that it can land Acuff, but sources tell The Stein Line that the Kings are comfortable staying where they are.

As for the oft-rumored possibility that the Thunder might be willing to move either the 12th or 17th picks, Fischer wrote this:

The Thunder, as we’ve covered on numerous occasions recently, simply don’t have roster room to make (and keep) all of their current draft selections: Nos. 12, 17 and 37. They already have 15 players under contract for next season.

What a lot of fans don’t realize is that the next Nets move may not wait until June 23 and the Draft. It could come in days. As Bobby Marks reminded people in a tweet Thursday, teams can start negotiating with their own free agents the day after the NBA crowns its 2025-26 champion. That could be as early as this weekend if the Knicks beat the Spurs in San Antonio Saturday night.

The big name for the Nets, of course, is Michael Porter Jr., seen four days ago enjoying the ruins at Machu Picchu in Peru.

Mike Scotto of Hoopshype wrote Wednesday about his status, suggesting that while the Nets seem willing to extend him, that could change.

Porter Jr., who turns 28 on June 29th, drew trade interest from teams, including the Golden State Warriors, as the deadline neared. The Warriors considered parting with a first-round pick for Porter Jr. hours before the deadline, league sources told HoopsHype. In addition, Terance Mann was brought up in expanded discussions involving Porter Jr., but there were complications regarding his involvement, which would’ve necessitated a potential third team, HoopsHype has learned. Brooklyn also values Mann, who was a starter last season and is considered a strong veteran presence in their young locker room.

With Porter Jr. entering the prime of his career and the Nets in the midst of a rebuild, executives across the league have always questioned if their timelines would fit beyond his current contract. If the Nets don’t agree to an extension with Porter Jr., teams around the league are expected to poke around on his trade availability.

Historically, when the Nets want to keep one of their veteran players, they have a tendency to move quickly. Over the last several years, they’ve signed Kevin Durant, Joe Harris, Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson to big deals without much fuss. (Interesting side note Scotto had on Mann who will be eligible for his own extension on October 1.)

Also, Thursday, Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron provided an example of how an MPJ contract could work within the Nets salary cap.

Third Apron has gone back and forth on Porter Jr.’s value on his current contract, but something in the mid-$30 million range, like Bridges’ recent deal, makes sense. The Nets could use roughly $9 million of their cap space to raise his $40.8 million salary to his $49.5 million maximum salary. They could then add up to four additional seasons with his 2027-28 salary reduced by 40 percent.

Here’s an example of a framework that could make sense:

2026-27: $40,806,150 $49,500,000 (30 percent of the salary cap)

2027-28: $29,700,000 (18 percent)

2028-29: $32,076,000 (18.5 percent)

2029-30: $34,452,000 (18.9 percent)

2030-31: $36,828,000 (19.3 percent)

Such a framework could pay Porter Jr. a lucrative deal over multiple years while keeping his annual salary lower in the later seasons. That could increase his trade value in the future if he continues playing well on a team-friendly contract.

There will be other free agency decisions for Sean Marks & co. in the near future, Gozlan wrote, the most prominent and most likely being Day-Ron Sharpe.

Day’Ron Sharpe has a $6.25 million team option that he’s outplayed. The Nets could decline it and make him an unrestricted free agent while retaining Bird rights, and they could begin negotiating a new contract with him once the Finals end. Both sides could agree to a deal that gives him a higher annual salary while locking in multiple years.

There’s a lot of digest there, as there is after Wednesday’s Knicks-Spurs game that has to be considered one of the best basketball games ever played anywhere. As we noted in a tweet, good for those fans who followed the Knicks through their deepest, darkest days. Hoping we can do the same … some day.

The Spurs may have been their own heel on Wednesday night.

A historic 29-point collapse in Game 4 against the Knicks — a 107-106 loss that left them on the brink of NBA Finals runner-up status — perhaps left too much on the extremely high shoulders of 7-foot-4 phenom Victor Wembanyama.

“Second half he plays all but 57 seconds… I feel like he totally ran out of gas,” ESPN insider Brian Windhorst said on “Get Up” on Thursday morning. “I don’t understand why he was not getting more rest in the game. At the end of the third quarter he’d played five more minutes than he played in Game 3 and that was a one-point game this was a 15-point game.

“He couldn’t move defensively, that made it easier for the Knicks and offensively, he was unable to get anything. At one point he went 1 of 10. When he gets fatigued he starts flopping around.”

In Game 3, Wembanyama cemented himself as a force and a Knicks villain, posting 32 points with eight rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes during the 115-111 win at the Garden. He seemed destined to follow it up on Wednesday as he trolled the hometown team throughout the first half as the Spurs built up a 29-point lead, scoring 16 of his own with six rebounds and a pair of massive blocks.

In return, Windhorst believes coach Mitch Johnson did him no favors, playing him 23:02 of a possible 24 minutes as he went 3 of 14 from the field for eight points as San Antonio helplessly watched its lead dwindle.

He finished the night with 43:55 played, well above is postseason average of 34 and his highest non-overtime total of the playoffs with 24 points — his lowest output of the NBA Finals.

“I gotta say, if you are going to talk trash and you are going to do some of the stuff that he does — which he does — you can’t let this happen at the end of the game,” the longtime reporter said. 

With just 1:47 left in the fourth quarter, Wenbanyama stepped up to the foul line looking to extend the Spurs’ one-point lead. But the possible fatigue and the overwhelming arena atmosphere appeared to get to him. The center, usually very composed at the line, missed both of his free throws attempts. 

The Knicks seized the opening, with Jalen Brunson driving hard to the basket, scoring a layup that gave the Knicks a 105-104 lead — their first of the game.

“I think it began before that,” the Frenchman said of the fourth-quarter collapse. “I can’t really explain it right now. I don’t know. I think it’s just execution, greediness of some sort. We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half.”

For Wembanyama and the Spurs, now their backs are against the wall. The Spurs will now have to win three straight games to win the NBA championship. 

Game 5 tips off Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. 

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A grueling first half of foul trouble limited Karl-Anthony Towns' impact in Game 4 of the NBA Finals

But with everything on the line in tonight's Knicks vs. Spurs predictions, my expert projections favor a disciplined bounce-back for KAT in Game 5.

Look for the 7-foot star to anchor the interior and blow past his current prop totals as he tries to secure a championship for the Knicks, who are 5.5-point underdogs.

Find out why in my NBA picks for Saturday, June 13, and don't miss tip-off at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

For more on this game, read Douglas Farmer's Knicks vs. Spurs props.

Knicks vs Spurs Game 5 prediction

Who will win Knicks vs Spurs Game 5?

Spurs: This series is much tighter than the 3-1 count would lead you to believe. San Antonio goes home to recover from the massive gut punch that was another blown lead, but has an extra day between games to rest up and shake off the stink of that 29-point implosion. So many little things have bounced New York’s way in this series – and in the playoffs overall – that there has to be regression. A letdown spot after a magical night in MSG and traveling to Texas could allow reality to bubble to the surface. I’ll side with the oddsmakers and say San Antonio survives Game 5.

Knicks vs Spurs best bet: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 17.5 points (+100)

Karl-Anthony Towns sat for most of the first half of Game 4 but was ready to roll in the second half, playing 18 of 24 minutes.

His offense, however, was understandably spotty, and much like Game 3, Towns couldn’t get into a rhythm. Mike Brown’s plan for Game 4 was to get Towns going early, but that went out the window.

I’m not backing off KAT in Game 5. He salvaged 13 points Wednesday, not too short of his total of 17.5, considering the circumstances. 

Projections sit as high as 21+ with my number at 18.7 points, which should have Over 17.5 listed at -118.

COVERS INTEL:Towns’ usage was at 23.5% in his limited time in the first half of Game 4, in which he scored six points in just eight minutes. That’s higher than his average usage of 19.9% in the first two games in San Antonio, when KAT finished with 18 and 21 points.

Knicks vs Spurs Game 5 same-game parlay

The San Antonio Spurs’ inexperience has them backed into a 3-1 hole, but that youth could also be a strength in this spot. San Antonio is just young and dumb enough to shake Game 4.

The extended two-day break also works in their favor, especially when it comes to recharging Victor Wembanyama’s draining batteries. He looked tired and passive in the second half on Wednesday. 

The Spurs have had the New York Knicks by the throat several times in the series and have shown resiliency enough in the playoffs, going 7-2 SU and ATS off a loss. They might not cover a bigger number, but can stay alive in Game 5.

Towns was passive in Game 3 and then got two quick whistles to ice his offense in Game 4. Mike Brown wants to run his offense through KAT, and we’ll see that in Game 5... as long as the refs don’t get trigger-happy.

Towns looked great in San Antonio in the opening two games, and his scoring prop is providing great value, with projections calling for 21+ points on Saturday.

Much like KAT, Stephon Castle got into foul trouble and couldn’t find his stroke in Game 4, shooting just 2-for-7 from the field. He kept attacking and knocked down all eight of his free-throw attempts.

Castle finished with 13 points in just 26 minutes — tying his second-lowest action in the postseason. Game 5 models sit as high as 19 points from the Spurs guard, given his standard floor time.

Knicks vs Spurs SGP

• Spurs moneyline
• Karl-Anthony Towns Over 17.5 points
• Stephon Castle Over 16.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Luck Number Seven (Footers)

Game 5 could be a battle of the bigs. Karl-Anthony Towns was a beast on the boards in the second half of Game 4, and his Game 5 forecasts call for as many 21+ and 14+ rebounds.

Victor Wembanyama carries the hopes of Texas basketball fans Saturday. The two days of downtime will help “The Alien” rest up, with his projections as high as 29 points.

Wembanyama will be contesting everything – from 3-pointers to layups. Expect an incredible two-way effort from him with the season on the line.

Knicks vs Spurs SGP

• Victor Wembanyama Over 27.5 points
• Victor Wembanyama Over 3.5 blocks
• Karl-Anthony Towns Over 17.5 points
• Karl-Anthony Towns Over 11.5 rebounds

Knicks vs Spurs odds for Game 5

• Spread: New York +5.5 (-110) | San Antonio -5.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: New York +170 | San Antonio -205
• Over/Under: Over 216.5 (-110) | Under 216.5 (-110)

Knicks vs Spurs betting trend to know

The Under is 1-3 in the 2026 NBA Finals heading into Game 5, with the total sitting at 216.5 O/U. The Under has been the correct side of the total, with finals games going 45-69 O/U since the 2005-06 season (60.5%). Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Spurs.

How to watch Knicks vs Spurs Game 5

Knicks vs Spurs latest injuries

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NEW YORK (AP) — A brutal night for Victor Wembanyama continued even after he returned to his hotel on Wednesday, as he was pelted with boos from jeering Knicks fans and nearly struck by a flying egg.

A video shared online showed at least one egg tossed in the direction of the San Antonio Spurs superstar as he entered his hotel, flanked by security, following the team's game 4 loss to the Knicks.

It was not clear who threw the egg. The video showed taunting fans swarming the hotel, a few blocks south of Madison Square Garden.

A few seconds after the egg cracks on a street sign, Wembanyama turns around and confronts a person standing near the hotel's entrance, before continuing inside.

The Spurs did not immediately respond to a request seeking clarity on whether the object struck Wembanyama.

The confrontation followed a historic collapse by the Spurs, who now find themselves on the brink of elimination after blowing a 29-point lead to the Knicks. Wembanyama missed two key free throws in the game's final minutes.

The Knicks victory prompted scenes of bedlam and jubilation across New York City, as ecstatic fans packed the streets, set off fireworks, scaled lampposts and at times clashed with police.

According to the New York Police Department, 56 people were taken into custody for charges that ranged from assault to disorderly conduct.

“Once again, there were large crowds of people who engaged in incredibly reckless and dangerous behavior last night both during and after the game,” the police department said in a statement.

An NYPD spokesperson said they had nothing on file about the egg incident.