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Eighteen months ago, it was hard to imagine Dallas Mavericks fans feeling genuinely optimistic about the future. If you’ve followed my work for the better part of a decade, you know how serious a statement that is, because one thing I’ve never had anyone tell me is that I’m not optimistic enough.

The baffling decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t just pull the rug out from underneath the franchise. It fractured the trust between the organization and one of the NBA’s most passionate fan bases. Every move that followed was viewed mostly with frustration instead of excitement. There was far more skepticism than there was hope. It was more than just losing Luka. A team that so many had invested so much into had all of a sudden completely lost its identity.

It has taken several months of three-level organizational reconstruction to bring back a genuine sense of excitement and hope to the fan base, but the Mavericks are finally fully back on track. Cooper Flagg has the potential to be the best player in the NBA for the next decade-plus, and the roster has been filled out with intriguing young talent with upside. There is a clear sense of direction now that the two-timelines approach has been left behind. There are still questions that need to be answered, of course, but at least the hope and excitement that the fan base is feeling going into this season doesn’t feel forced like it did last year.

Here are five reasons why Mavericks fans should be excited about the 2026-27 season.

1. It Starts At The Top

On a surface level, saying the Mavs improved their front office wouldn’t seem like much, given how far the bar had been lowered by the end of the Nico Harrison era. Even with that being the case, though, it really feels like the Mavs hit it out of the park with the hirings of new president Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz. That’s not to say that both of those guys are perfect NBA executives–Ujiri, despite his championship pedigree, had some questionable moves at the end of his Toronto Raptors tenure–but for the most part, both have an elite scouting eye for talent and are well-respected around the NBA. That last part might be just as important as identifying talent as the Mavs continue to build back toward being a championship contender again.

2. Coop’s Second-Year Leap

This one was a given, but if you’re a Mavs fan or even just a basketball fan, it’s hard not to be excited for what we could see from Flagg in year two. The reigning Rookie of the Year dazzled in his first season, averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.1 stocks while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor, and if there’s any player I wouldn’t be worried about having a potential “sophomore slump,” it would be Flagg.

Consider this: over the last 14 games of his rookie year when he played at least 30 minutes per game, Flagg averaged 25.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.7 stocks. To me, that felt like an indicator of what Flagg’s overall stat line might look like during the 2026-27 season. I think it’s a reasonable expectation to have, given that he’s a gym rat and still just 19 years old–which is younger than nine of this year’s 14 NBA Draft lottery picks.

3. Intriguing Young Talent

The Mavs have an influx of new, young talent this year, and it starts with Morez Johnson Jr., who was the No. 9 overall pick for Dallas and is coming off an impressive sophomore year at Michigan that ended with a national championship. In 40 games for the Wolverines, Johnson averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 62.3 percent overall. The area Johnson might end up helping the Mavs the most, though, might not actually be within the stat sheet. His relentless energy, physicality and overall defensive influence will likely be felt from day one.

Two other additions I’m personally excited about are 20-year old Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea and 25-year-old Bosnian/Turkish sharpshooter Tarik Biberovic, both of whom Dallas acquired during this year’s draft. De Larrea opened a lot of eyes during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with his natural, Doncic-like feel for throwing lobs.

It was an extremely complicated situation for Biberovic to be bought out of his Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul contract in order to join the Mavs for this coming season, but it all got worked out, and now Dallas can find out if Biberovic’s 42.3-percent 3-point shooting over eight seasons in Europe can translate to the NBA.

Getting 25-year-old stretch-big Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies for essentially next to nothing via trade might end up being the most underrated Mavs move of the offseason before it’s said and done. One big area the Mavs were lacking in last season was floor spacing, and having a 7-footer who can do normal 7-footer things while also providing some floor spacing certainly helps the cause. Last season, Aldama averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 stocks while shooting 47.6 percent overall and 35.0 percent from deep. If you can’t beam ’em, trade for ’em. After years of giving the Mavs fits, here’s to hoping he can do the same against Mavs’ opponents.

One other addition to keep an eye on is Zaccharie Risacher. Some might not have super high hopes for him, at least when it comes to him living up to being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. However, just because he hasn’t lived up to that billing doesn’t mean he’s a bad player. At the end of the day, he’s a 21-year-old 6-8 wing coming off a season in which he shot 45.5 percent overall and 36.8 percent on 3s. The Mavs don’t need Risacher to be who the Hawks needed him to be; they just need him to be a serviceable role player. This was yet another low-risk, potentially high-reward move from the Mavs’ front office.

4. New and Hungry NBA Head Coach

It has yet to be seen how it will translate to the NBA, but the college game has been becoming more and more pro-like for the last several years, and I’d be shocked if Dusty May doesn’t become one of the better head coaches in the league over the next 3-5 years. May’s coming off winning a national championship with Michigan, and he’ll have some instant chemistry with Johnson, who was a major part of that Wolverines roster.

On paper, May checks all the boxes for what you want in an NBA head coach: championship pedigree, player development, offensive creativity, ability to build a strong culture, and a relatable personality. It also helps a lot when you start your NBA coaching career with Cooper Flagg as your franchise player. Helping Flagg develop into an MVP-caliber player and, hopefully, an NBA champion as well, may ultimately become May’s defining legacy. He has a long way to go to get to that point, but the potential is certainly there.

5. Kyrie is Back, Baby!

There are several returning players to be excited about, but a handful of them–PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, for example–have been in trade rumors all summer, so who knows if they’ll actually be on the roster by the time the season opener rolls around. But above all, the returning player everyone should be most excited about is Kyrie Irving.

Irving missed the entire 2026-27 season due to tearing his ACL the season prior, but he’s reportedly made a full recovery and is 100 percent ready to roll for this coming season. I mentioned earlier about how floor spacing was such a grind for the Mavs last year, and not having Irving on the floor played a big part in that. During his 128 games played in Dallas over a three-year span, Irving averaged 25.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists while having near-50/40/90 shooting splits–49.0 percent overall, 40.4 percent from deep and 91.7 percent from the free-throw line. Even if he can come back and give the Mavs 75 percent of that kind of production, it will be a massive shot in the arm for this offense.

Obviously, we don’t know how many games Irving will end up playing this year–the last time he played more than 60 games in a season was in 2018-19. But if he can find a way to play 55 games or more, I feel like that, in addition to Flagg taking a big Year 2 leap and all the other offseason additions, will have the Mavs in a good position to surprise a lot of critics by being a playoff team in 2026-27. The offseason is a time when everyone across the league believes they can do something special, but the Mavs have real reasons to believe they can take a decent-sized jump this year due to making some great moves at every level of the organization since last November.

Are the Mavs so back? Maybe not all the way, but it’s sure starting to feel like getting to that point sooner rather than later is inevitable.

One of the surest signs that we’ve entered the NBA’s annual dog days: The Ringer’s Zach Lowe has gone on vacation. The only major piece of unfinished business on the league’s to-do list is a ruling on the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard allegedly conspiring to circumvent the salary cap.

I guess Jalen Duren being currently without contract is something of a big deal too, but it’s fairly foregone that he’ll re-sign with the Detroit Pistons. They’re just haggling at this point.

The Washington Wizards have a few bits of potential business — guys who could return but probably won’t, and three players who are eligible for contract extensions (or soon will be). The extension eligible: Anthony Davis, Bilal Coulibaly, and Cam Whitmore.

Whitmore is the easiest. The team won’t offer an extension, and he wouldn’t accept an extension at any number they’d conceivably offer. It’s more likely the team would decline the fourth year option on Whimore than give him a new deal.

Beginning Aug. 6, Davis could sign a four-year extension worth $275 million. It would pay him $76 million in his age 37 season.

He could also choose to decline his player option for the 2027-28 season and become an unrestricted free agent.

Media reports indicate the Wizards and Davis will begin talks on an extension in the weeks ahead.

My message to the Wizards would be to exercise caution. Davis has been an elite defensive player when healthy. But health has been an issue, and he’s at an age where declines are the norm. Plus, he seems to have lost the ability to shoot since a hot streak in the bubble, which corresponded to the championship run he had with LeBron James and the Lakers.

To my mind, the Wizards dealt for Davis and Trae Young last season to serve as veteran bridges to the next era. The acquisition cost for each was low, and each had expensive contracts that ended soon. Then the front office went and gave Young a maximum extension, so I’m less sure that I understand the front office’s thinking.

I think it would be lunacy to give Davis the ginormous extension. But I thought the same about Young, and he’s the proud owner of a ginormous extension.

My best guess: Davis will decline to sign an extension and preserve his opportunity to become a free agent next summer. Several teams are expected to have substantial cap space in 2027, and Davis could benefit from someone willing to overpay the out years of a new deal in hopes of getting a couple years of championship contending before the aging curve really gets sharp.

A Coulibaly extension could be interesting. My salary formula pegs his value last season at around the midlevel exception (just over $15 million). Here’s the extension math (assuming a starting point of $15 million with annual raises of 8%):

• 2 years, $31.2 million | average annual value: $15.6 million
• 3 years, $48.6 million | AAV: $16.2 million
• 4 years, $67.2 million | AAV: $16.8 million
• 5 years, $87.0 million | AAV: $17.4 million

Now, I was in favor of the team picking Coulibaly in the first place. I see improvement in the numbers and in watching the games, and I still think he could be a very good player. But I also note that he hasn’t progressed as quickly or as much as I would have hoped. And the persistent deficits — shooting, extended stretches of offensive passivity — are a concern.

More specifically, Coulibaly’s defensive impact (or at least what I think it could be in a competitive environment) and athletic tools are genuine assets in the regular season. Those deficits could make him borderline unplayable in the postseason. The league has figured out how to deal with wings who aren’t threats to shoot. Specifically, sag off to crowd the paint and have a ready help defender and dare the non-shooter to take any three he wants.

Can any team be competitive paying MLE money to someone who can’t play extended postseason minutes? I’m dubious.

That said, he just turned 22, which indicates he has some runway. He was more active and aggressive offensively last season, though I have to note that his usage was higher later in the season when a) more established teammates were on the sidelines, and b) the team was trying to lose. Was the aggressiveness real?

He also shot the three better later in the season — 40 makes in his last 109 attempts of the season, which works out to 36.7%. That’s about league average. Better, but a) still not good (unless it’s at a high enough volume that opponents have to defend him at the three-point line, b) defenses weren’t exactly taking the Wizards very seriously in February, March, and April, and c) 109 attempts isn’t enough to say one way or the other if his shooting actually improved. It’s encouraging that he shot better, but this is another “it it real” category?

During the “aggressive” phase of Coulibaly’s 2025-26 season, opposing defenders seemed to have a lot of trouble staying in front of him. His length, burst, and just good enough ball handling seemed to get him into the paint almost any time he wanted. The finishing was an adventure, but this development suggests the possibility of an effective second-side attacker. Was it real, though?

The “is it real” question is one of the problems with tanking. Another is bad habits and not learning what kind of effort it takes to truly compete in the NBA. I’m less concerned with the latter because winning habits are something everyone needs to learn.

The need to question nearly everything about a player after three seasons is a bigger issue because the team needs to make significant decisions. In Coulibaly’s case, an extension decision must be made by Oct. 31 — before the season starts. At least they’ll have training camp to evaluate.

The team has a wager to make. They can skip an extension and wait until next summer when they’ll have a season of (hopefully) competitive basketball to evaluate.

They could offer Coulibaly what he’s shown he’s probably worth to this point. Would he be willing to take the long-term financial security of a three-year, $48.6 million deal that would make him a free agent at age 26? Maybe. What if the Wizards make that third year a mutual option and give him a shot at a more lucrative deal a year earlier?

I’d be reticent to go longer than three years for either side. Many of these midlevel deals become bad contracts pretty quick. The Wizards don’t need to be saddled with a cap-clogging deal going into the distant future.

If Coulibaly believes he can shoot better and maintain his level of aggressiveness with better teammates and in a more competitive environment, he’d be foolish to lock himself up until he’s 27 or 28 years old.

My best guess: The Wizards and Coulibaly engage in friendly extension discussions and agree to pick up talks in 2027. So much is still unknown — on both sides — that it would be smarter to wait and see.

The Hawks could have gone ‘big whale fishing’ for a bona fide star over the past 12 months — but every step of the way, they’ve indicated they prefer their youth and continuity.

They were heavily rumored to be a suitor for the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, and surely they could have gotten in the mix for the Jaylen Brown sweepstakes (although it would have been difficult without a Paul George-sized salary in return).

In the end, Atlanta never seemed particularly interested in luring in a big-salaried fish.

So with the Hawks instead making moves around the edges for Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and drafting Kingston Flemings while retaining a lot of their spring rotation, they’ve indicated that they believe in the current makeup of the team.

With the Eastern Conference now extremely deep, the likelihood of the Hawks making the Finals in 2027 are rather small. But the clear focus is on maintaining flexibility for the long haul.

But what if the ‘big whale’ superstar already exists on the roster?

Jalen Johnson finally put together a healthy season in his fifth year in the NBA at the age of just 24. Johnson was thrust into being the central focus of the offense in the wake of Trae Young sustaining an injury then summarily being traded to the nation’s capital.

He was rewarded by averaging an astounding 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game in 72 contests in 2025-26 and being named both an All-Star and an All-NBA player. Only five players have ever averaged at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists per game in a season in NBA history: Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Russell Westbrook, and Nikola Jokic.

Any time you’re on an exclusive list with only former MVPs, you’re doing something right.

Still, individual counting stats don’t equal impact on team success. This much we should know by now in NBA discourse.

But why is it that Johnson is seen as more of a top 20 player but not an MVP candidate? Well, for a lot of reasons that also plagued the reputation of Jaylen Brown, for example — a player who, despite finishing sixth in MVP voting, was shipped off for two first-round picks and a well past his prime Paul George. Of course, Brown makes roughly twice the salary as Johnson, so it’s not quite an apples-to-apples comparison, but I digress.

Has scaling Johnson’s offensive usage up over the past few seasons really improved his impact on winning? He’s obviously an elite transition player, but how effective is he really in the halfcourt? How big a negative is his defense?

Well, for starters, Johnson showed some struggles in the postseason. His true shooting percentage dipped a bit from 58% in the regular season to 55% in the six-game series against the Knicks. Even more alarming was his passivity, going from 17.5 field goal attempts per 36 minutes to 15.5 from the regular season to the postseason.

Team pace does also dip between the two, of course, but it was evident the player the Knicks feared the most down the stretches of games was 34-year-old CJ McCollum and not Johnson.

He shot 39% on pull up shots during the regular season, just a smidge below McCollum. But that mark capsized in the postseason to just 25%. For Johnson to be an elite player in this league, he has to find ways to get his shot off against halfcourt ball pressure.

He also dished out 10.6 assists against 4.6 turnovers per 100 possessions in the regular season, but against the Knicks in the first round those two figures were 7.2 and 3.3 respectively.

Defensively, Johnson’s tape from last season is a mess. Steals and blocks aren’t everything, but his steal percentage slipped a tad (2.0% in 2024-25 to 1.7% in 2025-26) and his block percentage careened off a cliff (2.6% in 2024-25 to 1.1% in 2025-26).

DunksAndThrees estimated his defense to be worth +0.1 points per 100 possessions against the average NBA player last season — good for the 64th percentile. But there’s clearly still some fat left on the bone there.

But for all his exploits, his offense only came in at +1.4 points per 100 possessions, in the vicinity of Devin Vassell and Jrue Holiday — outside of the top 10 percent (or roughly 50 players) of the NBA.

What gives?

Jalen Johnson’s simply isn’t a game-breaking offensive player in the halfcourt. His handle — while quite good for his size — doesn’t create advantages like the elite ball-handling forwards in the league. His pull up shooting is still not that much of a threat despite his 35% shooting mark from deep.

I’ve long maintained that his malleability and versatility is truly his best asset — the ability to do everything well to shift in an out of offensive roles. And that quality makes him a great 1B to a 1A in the mold of Jalen Williams of the Thunder or Scottie Barnes of the Raptors.

But, man, I sure hope I’m wrong here. Because that could change everything.

The Hawks are at risk of backsliding after a 46-36 season where they secured a top 6 seed in the East for the first time since 2020-21. Many in the media have remarked that this is a great roster of roles players just waiting for the next superstar to become available, especially after the moves for Dort and others.

But there’s no guarantee that an attainable superstar matches the timeline. And the Hawks aren’t likely to get a top 4 pick — a possible ticket to a homegrown star — soon given the changing lottery odds and the franchise’s desire to stay relatively competitive (unless the Pelicans want to gift them another superpick).

If Johnson can hit another gear with one more developmental leap as he enters his age 25 season, maybe that star already calls Atlanta home. He has improved at every step of his basketball journey to this point, so it’s much too early to say that the incredible season we saw from him last season is his true peak.

Even in a stacked Eastern Conference, the Hawks just may be able to make some noise if Jalen Johnson can ascent from All-NBA caliber player to MVP caliber player.

Hakeem Olajuwon.

The patron saint of Houston Rockets basketball. A man whose legacy is being drafted number one ahead of Michael Jordan, and actually, it wasn’t even that bad of a decision.

Olajuwon in a Toronto Raptors jersey. Ew. It happened, though. Olajuwon played 17 seasons for the good guys and took his talents north of the border for his swan song.

Kevin Durant. The patron saint of mercenariness. You can picture Durant in any NBA jersey, and there’s no visceral reaction. It would make sense. He could play anywhere.

Baba Oladotun. The 17-year-old NBA prospect who has a connection to both of them.

Baba Oladotun could be destined for the Rockets

Oladotun’s dad, Ibrahim, is Nigerian. He played for the Nigerian national basketball team. Olajuwon was his boyhood hero, and he taught Baba the Dream Shake (not to be mistaken with The Dream Shake, which either Oladuton may or may not read).

That’s cool, but the Durant connection is a bit more tangible.

Maryland’s Oladotun plays for Team Durant in EYBL. Durant is his mentor. That’s at least partly because he’s 6’11” with fluid shooting mechanics and ball-handling chops.

How can this kid not be a future Rocket?

Oladuton needs to improve his game

Well, the fact that he’s kind of not very good yet could be problematic.

Yes, the shooting mechanics look fluid. You watch Oladotun shoot, and it’s hard not to think of Durant. You watch more closely, observe that just 26.7% of his shots are going in the basket in EYBL, and suddenly you’re seeing shades of Michael Beasley.

Or Brandon Ingram, or Bruno Caboclo. The Durant archetype is the siren’s song (I thought Nolan’s Odyssey was quite good; let me know how you felt in the comments), and it often leaves teams crashing into the jagged rocks of a draft mistake.

Although none of those guys had the opportunity to be directly mentored by Durant during his rookie season.

Rockets have a myriad of options

Listen – nobody knows how it’s all going to work out. The Odyssey motif could be continued here…let’s move on.

The Rockets may trade Durant before the 2027 draft. Oladotun could explode, and the Rockets’ best pick could be too low to grab him. He could implode, and the Rockets will have better options.

It’s fun to think about, OK? Confession: It is August 2, and there is absolutely nothing Houston Rockets-related to talk about.

As a matter of fact: Tell me what to write. Help me! I’ll write the two best ideas presented in the comments. This is not a joke.

But sometimes, it feels like destiny has the wheel. The machinations of the stars may reveal themselves to those who are looking in the right place. Keep an eye on Oladotun as the draft cycle continues cyling:

Just don’t expect a Hakeem Olajuwon-level prospect.

Jordan Walsh believes new contract will ‘propel my growth to a different level' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Celtics wing Jordan Walsh inked a new three-year, $15 million contract extension this summer and believes that long-term security could help unlock a more impactful version of the player who made a name for himself on the defensive end throughout the 2025-26 season.

Walsh was in Duncanville, Texas this weekend to host his third annual youth basketball camp. NBC Sports Boston caught up with him on his new deal, surprise visits from coach Joe Mazzulla, and making sure rookies are on top of their Catan duties. 

Questions below have been edited for clarity and brevity. Watch the full interview on NBC Sports Boston’s YouTube page or listen on the Celtics Talk Podcast.

Q: It’s Year 3 of your youth camp back in the Dallas area, what’s it like going back home and being with the kids? 

Jordan Walsh: “It’s super cool. Like I always say, if you can give back, it doesn’t have to be something like money or anything physical, but giving back an experience is what I’m trying to give these kids. Something that I didn’t really have. I think that’s the biggest part, especially with kids locally around here and kids who were in the same situation that I was growing up, I feel like it’s huge to be able to give back in a way where it brings them together and kind of has everybody come together over one love for basketball.”

Q: Kids tend to ask crazy questions. What’s this year’s most popular question when you walk into the gym?

JW: “Randomly, they asked me about me doing a stream with [Taiwanese streamer] Rayasianboy — my boy, Ray. So, randomly, that’s been the topic of conversation today.”

Q: Are you all in on streaming now?

JW:“Yeah, I mean, I’m not quite in this space like [former teammate Jaylen Brown] or Ray is. I try to dabble here and there.”

Q: Why was now the right time for you to extend, and are you excited about the security the new contract brings?

JW: “I think it was perfect for me at the moment. Like you said, it does give a level of security, and a level of belief that the organization has for me. So I think it’s a big step. I think it will propel my growth to a different level. Because now I’m here; I’m here with the Celtics. Now it just feels — not that it didn’t feel real before — but now it feels more real, more secure, more kind of like I’m in it, you know? And so I think that’s the greatest peace of mind that it kind of gave me, like that’s that’s the biggest thing.

Q: Is there a sense of relief that comes with getting that second contract, and now being able to put all your energy into focusing on the next step in your career?

JW: “Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s a new starting point, kind of checkpoint for my career. I think that the first three years of my career was trying to prove that I could play in the league. I think that I’ve proven that I can play in the league and I’m an NBA player. Now it’s about getting better at the areas that I’m weak, so I can continue to get better and earn more, and produce more, kind of those type of things.”

Q: What are the next steps for Jordan Walsh?

JW: “Just trying to build. Like I’d said before at summer league, trying to build my offensive game, trying to redefine myself offensively. I feel like I’ve gained respect when it comes to being an on-ball defender, being a help-side defender. I feel like I’ve gained that respect, and that’s where I’ve made my mark, so to say.

“But I also felt like there were a lot of times where we decided — the Celtics decided —  to go a different way or direction mid-game because of the situation. And because I didn’t fit that situation. I wasn’t the best option for that situation. So my focus now is to be the best option for every situation. Whether we need a bucket, whether we need a stop, whether it’s crunch time in the fourth quarter — I don’t want to give anybody a reason for me not to be in the game. And so that’s kind of the focus. I want to I want to be able to be that performer in those moments every time. 

Q: Coach Joe Mazzulla visited you at home in Texas earlier this summer. Does he give you any sort of notice before he shows up on your doorstep?

JW: “Yeah, it was probably the day before that I got a text and he was like, ‘Yo, I’ll be there, you working out?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ [He said], ‘OK, I’ll be there.’ It’s kind of that type of thing. It was last minute, but it wasn’t just like, ‘I’ll pop up.’” 

Q: When Joe shows up, what do you want to show him? What does he want to see? 

JW: “I’m not in the mind of Joe, I have no idea what he wants. He probably just wanted to say hi and get a meal. I don’t really know. But I know that he wanted to connect with me. We had some good conversations. So I know he wanted to connect with me on a deeper level, because we’re kind of trying to build something new this year. And this is his way of involving me and showing that he cares and that he’s thinking about me.

“So I think that that’s a big thing. I talked to him again after the contract. So I feel like it’s his way of saying that he’s in it with you, and that he’s going through the same struggle, the same fight with you, and he knows that we’re together in that.”

Q: Any pressure to pick the right dinner spot? Where did you take him?

JW: “I mean it’s Texas, you got to get Texas barbecue. Like you have to … But I’ve been going to this place called Terry Black’s. You go in there, 5 minutes, you’re out with your food. It’s great. I love it … The last two times I went I did mac and cheese, creamed corn, with a beef rib. Oh my gosh — delicious.”

Q: You sat next to Jaylen Brown on the team plane. What will you miss most about him and who gets that spot next season? 

JW: “I’m thinking I’m going to take that seat. [The spot next to me], they got to figure that out. I don’t know who’s going to be. Whoever takes it first, it’s all yours. But, on missing [Jaylen’s] presence though, or having that not felt, it is different because it’s one of the guys that I was probably the closest with, maybe the second guy I was the closest with. But for him to do so many things for me that he’s done, on and off the court, like I’ve always got to show love and appreciate that because he is the realest. He is one of the realest people I know. And so, obviously, having him gone, that’s a blow.

“Obviously, [Xavier Tillman] was another guy who was I was super close with. And I still talk to him. He has a house in Dallas now, so I’ll be seeing him often. But, yeah, JB being gone, it sucks, it’s tough, it’s a business. We all know this, we all understand that. But just it being a business doesn’t make it any more easier, them leaving. It’s tough. I think the organization feels like they’ve done what they’ve done and it’s gonna help us to win. So we’re all just kind of trusting in their build and in their position and try to make the best of it.”

Q: Ron Harper Jr. also got a new deal this summer. The wing spot is loaded with young talent. How much fun is it for you guys to push each other but also celebrate each other’s successes?

JW: “I think all of us play a very important role in this system. I think all of us are very competitive in that role and trying to maximize it. Because we are competing against each other, in a sense, but we’re also all still striving for the same things. So it’s always support. It’s always love between us. But it’s always competition, which I think that competition kind of pushes everybody in a direction that makes all of us better. And I think that’s what the Celtics see because everybody does a little bit different things. But together we can all cause havoc on the court, which is, I think, exactly what Joe wants.”

Q: Have you told the incoming rookies about their Catan duties on the team plane?

JW: “I haven’t introduced them to that yet. I’m hoping that Hugo [Gonzalez] just passes it down. But if they have to be reminded, I’ll be glad to remind them. ‘This is Catan, protect it with your life.’” 

Quinn Cook became a fan favorite at Duke because he played hard, was a charismatic leader, and loved being a Blue Devil.

At just 6-2, and relatively slight of build, a long NBA career was always going to be difficult. There just aren’t many small players in the NBA anymore (it’s funny to call a guy who is 6-2, well above average height, small, but there you go).

He struggled to latch on, and didn’t have a long career, but his teammates repeatedly showed respect for him and his work ethic, and everyone seemed to pull for him. He was very popular with the guys he played with. And the only former Blue Devil who also has two NBA rings is Shane Battier.

Here are some of his better NBA highlights. He is quick and elusive, but as noted, his size probably worked against him.

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When Mark Pope arrived at Kentucky, he wanted his teams to attempt at least 30 3-pointers per game, but that has not happened through his first two seasons.

During the 2024-25 season, Kentucky averaged 25.3 3-point attempts per game, which ranked No. 78 nationally. This past season, the Wildcats averaged just 23.9 3-point attempts per game, ranking No. 154 in the country.

Now, with Pope essentially having a brand-new team in Year 3, the goal remains the same: attempt 30 or more 3-pointers per game. With the roster he has assembled, that goal could finally become a reality, thanks to shooters such as Milan Momcilovic, Kam Williams, and Trent Noah.

Last season, Momcilovic shot a blistering 48.7% from 3-point range while averaging 7.5 3-point attempts per game. Meanwhile, Williams had a bit of a down year, shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc on 3.3 attempts per game, largely because of the transition from the AAC at Tulane to the SEC at Kentucky. Another factor was his foot injury, which limited him before he returned late in the season.

As for Noah, he shot 33.3% from 3-point range, the same percentage he posted as a freshman. Although it appeared to be a down shooting season, it really wasn’t, and he looks poised for a breakout junior campaign.

Previously, Pope told Momcilovic that he has the green light to shoot, even if his 3-point percentage drops, because he wants him taking more shots than he did at Iowa State.

The same approach applies to Williams and Noah, who should not be afraid to let it fly.

“He kind of tells us that, me and (Milan Momcilovic), pretty much every day. And Trent as well,” Williams told reporters last week. “He’s kind of telling us all the time, you want our percentages to look differently. If our percentage is too high, then that’s a problem. Just different things like that.”

While Kentucky has yet to average more than 30 3-point attempts per game under Pope, Williams believes this year’s roster has the talent to accomplish that goal.

“I’m pretty sure,” he said when asked about hitting that mark. “I feel like we have a great shooting team and there’s definitely a strong emphasis that we can use this year and take advantage of this year, because we have a lot more shooters on this year’s team than last year’s team. We can make a lot of noise, for sure.”

NBA history spans 80 seasons, and as CelticsBlog readers well know, the Boston Celtics have won a league-high 18 championships. This month, we are recapping each of those title years.

In the beginning

For the first ten years of their existence, the Boston Celtics were an average team at best. They won 330 regular season games, lost 328, and never won a division title. They made the playoffs seven times, compiled an 11-19 won-lost record, and advanced to zero Finals. Meanwhile, the Minneapolis (not yet Los Angeles) Lakers won five titles.

Boston’s best player was point guard Bob Cousy, who was a New England icon after his All-American career at Holy Cross, which he led to the NCAA championship in 1947. “The Cooz” was the NBA’s perennial assists leader, and he once scored 50 points in a postseason game. Nevertheless, head coach Red Auerbach was still searching for elite big-man talent that would make the Celtics legitimate championship contenders.

He found him in the 1956 NBA Draft.

Bill Russell was a two-time All-American center who had led the University of San Francisco to a 55-game win streak and back-to-back NCAA titles. He would surely be selected before Boston could take him with the sixth overall pick. But Auerbach and Celtics owner Walter Brown worked some magic that resulted in the most impactful trade ever seen.

The Rochester Royals (today’s Sacramento Kings) had the first pick and planned to take All-American guard Sihugo Green. To ensure that the Royals didn’t reconsider Russell, Brown reportedly offered Royals owner Les Harrison the rights to book the popular Ice Capades into his Rochester arena. In those early years of the league, ticket sales that contributed to financial survival were more important than potential titles.

The second overall pick belonged to the St. Louis (now Atlanta) Hawks. Auerbach offered Boston’s all-star center Ed Macauley (a St. Louis native) and rookie Cliff Hagan in exchange for the pick, and the Hawks went for it. Why? Here’s how Dan Shaugnessy explained it in the Boston Globe in 2020:

“Red was the first NBA executive to draft a Black player, Duquesne forward Chuck Cooper in 1950. Six years later, Auerbach exploited racism in the St. Louis Hawks front office, trading two white players for the Hawks’ No. 1 draft pick. Red used the pick on Bill Russell. He knew St. Louis had no interest in building its franchise around a Black center.”

Macauley and Hagan both had Hall of Fame careers, but Boston won 11 titles with Russell, so there’s no disputing who won that trade. Furthermore, Auerbach used the Celtics’ own sixth overall pick to choose Tom Heinsohn of Holy Cross as a territorial selection. Heinsohn won eight rings as a player and two more as the Celtics’ head coach, making the Hall of Fame in both roles. (Of course, Heinsohn also became the beloved homer on Celtics local market TV broadcasts and, honestly, he could be in the Hall of Fame for that work, too.)

A footnote to the ’56 draft is that it produced a third future Hall of Fame enshrinee for Boston. Point guard K.C. Jones was picked in the second round, 14th overall, but didn’t join the team until 1958 due to military service. Like Heinsohn, Jones won eight rings playing on the parquet floor of Boston Garden and coached the team to two more. Boston’s 1956 selections were probably the greatest draft haul of all time.

The regular season

Opening Night of the 1956-57 season was in late October, but Russell’s Celtics debut was delayed until just before Christmas. He missed the first 24 games while winning an Olympics gold medal in Melbourne, Australia, then played in all of the Celtics’ 48 remaining games. Russell led the NBA in rebounding average with 19.6.

Cousy had one of his finest seasons, averaging 20.6 points per game and leading the league in assists for the fifth straight season at 7.5 per game. Heinsohn added 16.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and guard Bill Sharman averaged 21.1 points, joining Cousy on the All-NBA first team. All three were chosen to play in the All-Star Game. Cousy was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player and Heinsohn was Rookie of the Year.

Finishing at 44-28 (.611), the Celtics won the Eastern Division for the first time and had the best record among the league’s eight teams. Six squads qualified for the playoffs; notably, the Royals were not one of them.

Eastern playoffs

Boston received a bye for the first round, then took on the Syracuse Nationals (today’s Philadelphia 76ers) in a best-of-five Eastern Division finals. For the first time ever, the Celtics advanced via a 3-0 sweep, and only the third game was close. In a good omen for the NBA Finals, the rookies were key: Heinsohn averaged 20 points and 10 boards, while Russell delivered 15 and 28.

In yet another first, the Boston Celtics were moving forward to play for the NBA championship.

NBA Finals

The Celtics quickly learned that getting their first title would be anything but easy. Their opponents were their off-season trading partners, the St. Louis Hawks, with Ed Macauley, Cliff Hagan and the league’s best power forward, 6-foot-9 scoring machine and future Hall of Famer Bob Pettit.

Sure enough, the Hawks stole Game 1 in Boston, 125-123, in double overtime, behind Pettit’s 37 points and 14 rebounds. Macauley added 23 and 9. The Celtics recovered in Game 2, winning by 20 at home with seven players scoring in double figures.

In St. Louis, Game 3 was wild even before tipoff (see sidebar), ending in a Hawks victory and a 2-1 series lead.

Don’t mess with Red

During warmups for Game 3 in St. Louis, some of the Celtics told Red Auerbach that the basket appeared higher than the standard 10 feet. Officials measured and found the rim was precisely at 10 feet. Hawks owner Ben Kerner thought Auerbach was pulling a bush-league trick to rattle the Hawks. The confrontation grew heated until Auerbach ended it by punching Kerner in the mouth.

The Celtics coach was not ejected or suspended, but he was fined $300 by the NBA. (How times have changed.) Auerbach later regretted the punch, especially since a few years earlier he’d been hired by Kerner to coach the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, a team that eventually became the St. Louis Hawks. But the incident illustrated Auerbach’s competitive fire in defense of his players.

Down 2-1, Game 4 was a must-win for Boston, and MVP Cousy came through with 31 points and 8 assists to even the series. The Cs returned to the parquet to win the pivotal Game 5 behind their all-NBA backcourt. Sharman emerged from a shooting slump, making 13 of 24 field goals and scoring 32 points, aided by Cousy’s 19 assists. Back in St. Louis, Game 6 was excruciatingly tight, with no more than two points separating the teams at each quarter break, but Pettit had his own superstar performance, scoring 32 with 16 of 22 free throws, and adding 23 rebounds.

With both franchises still alive to win their first championship, the series returned to Boston for Game 7. It turned out to be a classic double OT battle with a stunning ending.

Once again, Bob Pettit led the Hawks with 37 points and 19 boards in 56 minutes. Meanwhile, Boston’s veteran backcourt of Cousy and Sharman were ice cold, shooting a wretched 5 of 40 combined. Fortunately, the rookies proved to be clutch: Heinsohn grabbed 23 rebounds and dropped 37 points while shooting 17 of 33. Russell added 19 points and 32 rebounds, and made a chase-down block that saved the game.

It wasn’t over until…

…Literally the final buzzer of Game 7, after 356 minutes, including two double OT games, when a Pettit tip-in attempt rolled off the rim. Boston escaped, 125-123. In the video below, Heinsohn called it the greatest game in NBA history, and Russell’s block the most memorable play ever.

The heroes we needed

Heinsohn and Russell made all the big plays throughout the 1957 Finals, securing Banner Number One and setting the tone for their vital roles in the Celtics dynasty of the Fifties and Sixties. If the Finals MVP award had existed then, choosing between them for a winner would’ve been a tough task.

Notable facts and stats

Bill Russell’s first experience with Game 7 occurred in the Hawks series. As one of the most clutch competitors in sports history, Russell compiled a 10-0 record in Game 7s during his 13-year career. According to research from Stat Muse, here are his statistical averages for those 10 games:

• 48.8 minutes
• 18.8 points
• 29.3 rebounds
• 3.7 assists
• 44.7% field goal shooting

Banner Years continues tomorrow with a review of the 1958-59 season and the road to winning Banner #2.

Eagles training camp notebook: Welcoming King James to Philly originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

After the first training camp practice of the summer, Jordan Davis stepped to the microphone with a giant smile on his face and turned the tables on reporters.

“How are we feeling about LeBron being in town? Come on, give me something!”

LeBron James’ decision to join the 76ers is one of the biggest sports stories in recent Philadelphia history and it has created plenty of buzz across the street at the Jefferson Health Training Complex.

Many Eagles are excited about the arrival of King James.

“I think for what he represents in sports and sports culture, it’s huge,” Jalen Hurts said. “I think it’s huge for the City of Philadelphia. It’ll be exciting to have a figure like that in the city. What he’s done, one of the greatest to ever do it. I’m excited to be a part of that.”

The 41-year-old James is one of the greatest basketball players ever. He’s a four-time MVP, a four-time NBA champion and a 22-time NBA All-Star.

James played his first NBA game in October of 2003, just eight months after Cooper DeJean was born.

“Big fan, obviously,” DeJean said. “He’s been my favorite player since I was a kid. I think it’s pretty cool. I’ll be at a lot of the games. Get to watch him right there, hopefully pretty close. I’m excited. I think it’s going to bring a lot of joy to this city.”

While DC Vic Fangio said the Eagles had a “great sequence” this offseason to get Jaylen Brown and then James, he didn’t think it’s the greatest signing in the city’s sports history. That, Fangio says, came when the Phillies signed Pete Rose back in 1979.

Many of his players probably wouldn’t agree.

“I’m excited,” Saquon Barkley said. “I think the City of Philadelphia is a super cool place to be for sports and how involved the fans are. Having Bron here is just great for the culture.”

DeVonta Smith is a noted Boston Celtics fans and the move that precipitated James’ arrival to Philly was the trade that sent Brown from the Celtics to the Sixers. Smith chalked that up to the business of professional sports.

What does Smith think of the big news?

“Looks like the Sixers are trying to go win one,” Smith said. “Can’t be mad at that.”

More trades this summer?

Howie Roseman had a busy August last year, making five trades in the month. Here’s a refresher:

Aug. 5: Acquired CB Jakorian Bennett from the Raiders for DT Thomas Booker IV

Aug. 18: Acquired WR John Metchie III and a 6th-round pick from the Texans for TE Harrison Bryant and a fifth-round pick

Aug. 24: Acquired QB Sam Howell and a 6th-round pick from the Vikings for a 5th-round pick and a future 7th

Aug. 25: Acquired OT Fred Johnson from the Jaguars for a 7th-round pick.

Aug. 25: Acquired future 6th-round pick from the Packers for OL Darian Kinnard

Are there more trades coming this offseason? There’s always a good chance of that.

“The roster’s always a work in progress,” Roseman said. “Every day we’re coming in, we’re trying to find ways to get better. We’re communicating with every team in the league to try to find fits, to see if there’s opportunities to make ourselves better. It’s certainly incomplete at this time. It will be incomplete throughout the course of the season. Any opportunity we have– and you look at our roster, it reminds me of just all the rooms that we have that evolve over the course of time. That’s not a reflection of how we feel about our players now, excited about it, can’t wait to see them out there, but any time we have a chance to get better, to improve our team, we’re going to look at that.”

Saquon getting deep

Saquon Barkley got into the weeds a little bit on Day 1 of training camp, talking about how deep he’s going to line up when the Eagles are under center in 2026.

And a lot more goes into it than you might think.

“Depends. Depends who you are,” Barkley said. “I remember I talked to AP (Adrian Peterson), he liked to be at 8 (yards).

“ More times than not, you’re around 7, 7 1/2. Some guys like to be at 7. You get a feel with it. I might cheat it a little bit if it’s 3rd-and-3. Depends on what the defense is doing. I might step back a little bit if I feel like they’re penetrating. That’s kind of like the fun part of playing football. You can play around with that and get a feel for it.”

Where will Mannion be?

As Sean Mannion goes through his first training camp as an offensive coordinator, there’s one big decision about the season that’s lingering: Where will he be stationed?

Some coordinators and play callers like to be on the field for face-to-face communication, while others like to be in the booth for a better view.

“We’re still working through all of that,” Mannion said. “We have some simulated games here at practice where I’ll get to get a feel for both of them, but I think either way, it’s going to be a good experience. There’s certainly– that’s something we’ve already charted out a couple days to kind of work through both of those options.”

High praise for Hunt

Jalyx Hunt had a big season in 2025 and the expectations are even higher in 2026. After just a couple of practices in training camp, Hunt is off to a good start.

Just ask the guy who has to try to block him

“Tremendous growth. Super proud of Jalyx,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “Very smart player. He’s learning from every year he gets to play against us. Super dynamic, super explosive. He had a great day yesterday. He has some great moves. He’s starting to pick up on a few cues of mine and he let me know. And so I was like, ‘I really appreciate that, brotha.’ I watched the film and I was like, ‘Ah, he’s such a liar.’ I didn’t even do what he was talking about. I just got beat. 

“He’s come a long way and iron sharpens iron is how I see it. I’m excited for this year. It’s going to be a good battle in camp between us. He showed that yesterday.”

Hunt, 25, had a really good second season in 2025. He led the Eagles in sacks with 6 1/2 and interceptions with 3. He became the first player in Eagles history to lead the team in both categories in a season. What’s next for Hunt? Vic Fangio thinks a big season could be coming.

“Yeah, I am looking for that,” Fangio said. “He’s very capable of it.”

Taking some losses

This offseason was a bit of a tough one for Howie Roseman. He lost three trusted members of his front office this offseason with the departures of former assistant GM Alec Halaby, former senior VP/tertiary football executive Bryce Johnston and former VP of football operations Jeff Scott.

While the Eagles have overcome front office losses before, it still stings a bit.

“It’s bittersweet because all of those guys have put themselves in position to make career choices, to improve their lot in life, which you hope for, for people that you’re really close to,” Roseman said. “I remember I was out to dinner with my wife at one point and just said, ‘It’s going to be an adjustment for me.’ The relationships that I have with those guys, the ability to communicate, really the language, to be able to say things very short and sweet and them understand what I’m looking for, that comes with time. 

“They’re three incredibly valuable members, all of those guys. When I came in on Monday, it was obvious to me those are three of the four offices that surround me, so it’s a transition. For me, I have to evolve. I have to continue to get better and learn and to continue to develop people that are here, and I plan on doing that.”

The Eagles have since promoted Adam Berry to assistant GM, Grant Reiter to director of football administration, among other promotions and hires. It’s up to Roseman to keep the pipeline going.

Beside LeBron James choosing the 76ers, the Jazz trading Walker Kessler to the Lakers for a crazy amount of picks was probably the biggest surprise of the offseason.

Utah received two future unprotected picks as well as two pick swaps from the Lakers. The pick swaps are in 2028 and 2030 while the PIcks are in 2031 and 2033. Those swaps may not deliver much to the Jazz unless something happens to Luka Doncic. We’ll see if this is finally the season where Doncic stays healthy/in-shape (something said by every national pundit every season about Doncic).

For all those picks and that risk, the Lakers got a super star, right?

Well, no.

Did they get a player that will absolutely be better than whoever the Jazz draft in 2031 and 2033?

Probably?

At least they got a player better thant whoever the Jazz have left at center.

…

Wait, what?

So about that.

If you look at what the Jazz got from Jusuf Nurkic last season, they might have a very comparable player in terms of impact. Walker Kessler is the better rim protecter, yes, but Jusuf Nurkic might bring similar production in the areas the Jazz need and is a better player in others.

If you look at a comparison of Jusuf Nurkic and Walker Kessler at Dunks and Threes, Jusuf Nurkic is just slightly less impactful than Walker Kessler according to their Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM – an all-in-one player metric that predicts a player’s contribution to the team in points per 100 possesions). Here is their comparison.

You can see that Kessler’s impact is where it really counts in his true shooting percentage and his block rate percentile. Nurkis has a surprisingly good steal rate for his position and is a legitmate weapon assisting the ball in the Jazz offense.

When you consider that Jaren Jackson Jr. provides the blocks and weakside shot blocking that they’ll miss in Kesselerm the trade makes a ton of sense. Utah will also have Nurkic as an offensive hub at times and Jackson can play off of him at multiple spots on the floor. Here’s Jackson’s EPM profile for reference.

There’s no doubt that Utah will miss some of the elements of Kessler’s game, mostly on the defensive end. Although, Utah has set themselves up to be one of the most lethal offenses in the league and Jusuf Nurkic will be a major part of it.

You also have to consider that adding Darryn Peterson will be one of the most fascinating additions any team will make this season. Utah likely couldn’t believe how much they were getting in the Kessler trade knowing that playing Nurkic would likley soften the landing for Peterson as he enters the league. Nurkic elite assists rate will allow Peterson to receive a wide array of off-the-ball shots and won’t force him into too much on-ball playmaking responsibility too soon. Now, Peterson might be so good it doesn’t matter, but this will allow him to do things like take more catch-and-shoot threes than he might have playing with Kessler.

The more you dive in, the more the trade makes sense for Utah and gives a window into how they plan to play this season, and in the future. Congrats, Lakers, you got your guy. But if you look at what the Jazz are left with, they’re in as good a spot as they were before, if not better.