Worldwide Sports News

NEW YORK — NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the punishment of the Los Angeles Clippers for their role in circumventing the salary cap is final and was meant as a deterrent for other teams not to engage in breaking league rules.

Silver discussed some of the league's pressing matters as they concluded the two-day Board of Governors meeting in midtown Manhattan, while preparing for their 81st season starting Oct. 20, when the New York Knicks begin their defense of the championship against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Los Angeles had five first-round picks taken away, was fined $30 million, and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was suspended from all league and team activities for one year for what the NBA said was the team "knowingly seeking to help" star forward Kawhi Leonard obtain off-court income opportunities.

Two other Clippers executives were suspended, and Leonard was fined $700,000 for their roles in the scheme; they were not represented at this Board of Governors meeting. Ballmer apologized to the team's fans and said in a statement he won't fight the salary-cap circumvention penalties.

Silver said during a press conference that there was difficulty in punishing the team, but there had to be "competitive consequences" for rule violations, and he doesn't think that he has done permanent damage to the franchise.

"We still want to be a 30-team league, and we recognize that, in some ways, we're unfortunately punishing the fans of that team as well. And so that's the balance we're trying to seek," Silver said. "The ultimate goal, in terms of these type of sanctions, are to ensure that other teams don't have to engage in this type of behavior, in the future, so there has to be something beyond suspensions and financial consequences, and that has to be to regulate competition"

The Clippers concluded the June 30 trade that sent Leonard back to the Toronto Raptors, where he helped win the NBA championship in 2019, for forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, as well as two unprotected first-round picks, one first-round pick swap, and two second-round selections. That deal had been on hold at the team's discretion while the NBA concluded its investigation into the Clippers.

For a few glorious weeks in 2024, Lindy Waters III looked like an incredible free-agent find for the Golden State Warriors. He sank seven of his first 12 three-point attempts to start the season and went 20-for-52 from deep in his first 15 games as the Warriors started the season 12-3. It sounds crazy in hindsight, but there was genuine discussion about whether the Warriors had too much depth for a functional rotation.

He hit some big shots, though his sickest one came to win a preseason game, which kicked off a huge celebration. Don’t tell these guys exhibition games don’t matter!

Eventually Waters cooled off, shooting 33.1% for the Warriors overall, and was part of the mega-trade that brought Jimmy Butler to Golden State. Waters ended up with the Detroit Pistons, where he played sparingly and didn’t appear in the playoffs, before spending last season with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs.

Now he’s doing just what Victor Wembanyama did last summer: Heading to China to further his career.

Waters will join the Beijing Shougang Ducks, a Chinese Basketball Association team best known in America for winning three titles with Stephon Marbury from 2012-15, who starred in a musical about his life called “I Am Marbury” in the middle of that run. Marbury has a bronze statue in his honor, his face on a postage stamp, and a museum dedicated to him in China.

The Ducks also have former Warrior Omari Spellman, who played alongside another former Warrior, JaVale McGee, during the end of last season in Beijing. McGee has not yet retired at age 38, splitting his time last season between the Ducks and Australia’s Illawarra Hawks.

With Waters ineligible to sign a two-way deal, there simply aren’t a lot of NBA roster spots available, even for a solid outside shooter like Waters. He has a chance to make more money and start a second career in China at age 29. Sure, there will be some culture shock, but after Waters spent most of the past five years in San Antonio and Oklahoma City, he’s probably getting a serious lifestyle upgrade.

There simply wasn’t a place for Waters on the Spurs roster with the team adding two first-round picks, Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed, Jr., while also adding Tobias Harris in free agency. Plus, the already-stocked Spurs backcourt still has David Jones Garcia on a two-way deal and newly-drafted Tennessee star Ja’Kobi Gillespie.

It was a weird summer for Waters, who was accidentally part of a Spurs controversy. The team dismissed announcer Jacob Tobey after someone (almost certainly his girlfriend) posted on Tobey’s Instagram that he had cheated on her with Loren Waters, the sister of the Spurs guard. However, after two months, the Spurs welcomed Tobey back last week.

Good luck to this Forever Warrior as he heads overseas! And be careful, Beijing Ducks broadcast team.

Laying out expectations for Paul George, Mike Conley and Jayson Tatum originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Tuesday marked the first day of a new chapter in Celtics history, when the team introduced Paul George and Mike Conley at the Auerbach Center in Brighton.

George entered the league as the 10th overall pick in 2010, and he’s played in 945 regular-season games and 125 playoff games, making nine All-Star teams along the way. Few active players in the NBA could top that kind of experience, but Conley is one of them, with 1,226 regular-season games and 120 playoff games under his belt after being selected fourth overall way back in 2007.

And while the city and the organization is obviously still transitioning out of the Jaylen Brown era, Tuesday’s introduction to George and Conley helped move the process along.

“These are two guys who have been in the league, have incredible legacies when it comes to the NBA, but neither has won a championship yet. And that was something that they each brought up themselves multiple times,” Abby Chin told Chris Forsberg on the latest Celtics Talk Podcast. “And there is no question a sense of urgency with both of those guys.”

Abby then shared her expectations for both George and Conley in the upcoming season while also sharing an outlook on Jayson Tatum.

Expectations for Paul George

“Coming off of this press conference, I’m expecting more from Paul George than I think I was initially,” Abby said. “I think Paul George is gonna bring a lot, and he expects himself to bring a lot.”

Abby added: “He’s saying all the right things. He’s also saying that he feels great physically. … As of late, all of his offseasons have been about rehab and getting back to health. Having that time off has allowed his body to heal naturally, and he feels ready to go and is — there is no question in my mind — motivated for this season.”

George has only averaged 49 games per season, but Forsberg shared that the veteran is setting a goal to simply be more available this coming season.

“I think that’s really refreshing. The guy wants to be out there,” Forsberg said. “And he’s still gotta balance it. He’s gotta make sure he’s the best version of himself when the games matter the most. If the Celtics get that playoff version of Paul George, though, it’s gonna be interesting to see. And his willingness to try to make everyone else around him better could be really good for this team.”

Expectations for Mike Conley

“The leadership,” Abby said. “Using his experience to kind of coach guys along as well. I think you get another coach out there on the floor. I think Joe Mazzulla is very excited to have a Mike Conley around, someone who can kind of be his guy on the floor directing traffic and just kind of explaining what he’s seeing and the decisions that he’s making, why he’s making them to help this team evolve.”

Expectations for Jayson Tatum

“I’m expecting a 100 percent Jayson Tatum. Are you not?” Abby said. “You can’t put a ceiling on Jayson. He has fulfilled any sort of expectation that anyone has put on him. If last season was the challenge to Jaylen Brown to step up and be the guy for this team, this is Jayson Tatum’s season. And I have absolutely no reason to doubt him.”

Forsberg anticipates that the team will still tread with caution when it comes to managing Tatum’s workload, but the potential for a monster season is clearly present.

“Look,” Forsberg said, “last time I saw him when he had two healthy legs, he was top four in MVP voting, he was averaging 30 points per game a couple of seasons before that.”

BRIGHTON — At age 38, Mike Conley is entering his 20th NBA season. Two years Conley’s junior, Paul George is entering his 17th campaign.

Together, the Celtics’ two veteran players have accomplished a boatload: they’ve combined for 10 All-Star appearances and collectively scored more than 36,000 career points. They’ve each made the NBA playoffs 12 times.

Still, despite their long list of accolades, neither Celtics offseason addition has achieved the thing they want most: an NBA title.

As such, on Tuesday afternoon, when Conley and George sat side-by-side at the Auerbach Center podium for their introductory press conference with the Celtics, the two made clear how desperately they wanted that to change.

“I believe I’m a winning guy,” George said. “And so that’s always gonna be a chip on my shoulder.”

Mike Conley explained he chose to sign with the Celtics as a free agent in pursuit of his first-ever championship, while George stressed that joining such a banner-filled organization only increased his own desire to win one.

“You look around the league, there are very few organizations and teams that you look at that honestly are trying to win every year,” Conley said. “The culture here in Boston speaks for itself — the championships, the banners, the fanbase.”

Conley, who will likely serve as the team’s backup point guard, noted he still feels he has plenty to give on the court this year. But it’s his off-court leadership that might end up being most impactful when it’s all said and done — and a burning desire to win his first-ever NBA championship at age 38.

“It’s that sense of urgency that maybe reignites that for the guys who have been on this team who’ve already won it,” Conley said. “To kind of continue to push them every day, continue to show them how bad we want to win in practices and try to translate that to games.”

In a similar vein, when George was asked about his overall impressions of the Celtics, he emphasized his own desire to win a title: “When you think of Boston, it’s winning.”

“I haven’t won yet, so I’m on the other side of that,” George said. “So the chip on my shoulder is — I believe I’m a winning player. I believe I’m all about winning, being a winning teammate, a winning locker room guy.”

And, both players stressed that they planned to bring desperation and urgency to a Celtics squad that is just two years removed from a title.

Many on the current Celtics roster do have championship experience

Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, and Jordan Walsh were all on the 2024 title team, as was the majority of the current coaching staff, minus a few exceptions.

On top of that, Mitchell Robinson, who has yet to be formally introduced in Boston, joins the Celtics just a few months removed from his first-ever championship with the Knicks,

Joe Mazzulla said the Celtics will tap into all of the different experiences that the new additions bring to the roster, both Robinson’s newfound championship pedigree and Conley and George’s pursuit of a first-ever title.

“We have Mitch, who’s coming off a win, so we have to take that wisdom and experience. He was around great coaches and great players,” Mazzulla said. “And Mike alluded to it — Mike and Paul have a different perspective on not getting there yet, and that desperation, and we need to be able to leverage that as a team, and that’s where they could lead and help us.”

Paul George is a 9-time All-Star, a 6-time All-NBA member, and a 4-time All-Defense team member. He’s won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA. He’s scored nearly 20,000 points in his regular-season career.

Still, he’s well-aware of the one thing his resume lacks, and he’s eager to change that.

“I’m a guy that, when it’s all said and done, where my legacy falls [when] being compared to guys in my category, I’ve yet to have something to show for it.”

Let’s face it, last June’s big move, the three-team deal that brought Julius Randle to Brooklyn, was a salary dump on behalf of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Nets got the 31-year-old Randle — and a second first round pick in the next night’s draft — for Nic Claxton who wouldn’t even be sent to Minnesota.

Claxton would wind up with the Chicago Bulls. The T’Wolves got a second rounder from the Nets, along with cap space and a big trade exception. The deal permitted Minnesota to sign Ayo Dusumu to a five-year $112 million deal hours later. Clearly, the T’Wolves valued the young Dusumu over the veteran Randle.

Still, it should wind up as a good deal for Sean Marks & co., just like last year’s big salary dump with Denver Nuggets that brought them Michael Porter Jr. Randle is one of a handful of players to average 20+points, grab 6+ rebounds and hand out 5+ assists last season … and he played in 79 games.

There are a lot of people though who look past that stat and the three NBA All-Star selections and two All-NBA selections and see a relic of another era, someone who makes his money pounding in the paint. Most of all they wonder how Randle can fit with MPJ. Those two will be getting the bulk of the minutes upfront along with Day’Ron Sharpe.

Steve Lichtenstein writing for his Steve’s Newsletter laid out the basics.

It can be tricky for a HC to have two players who consider themselves the team’s alpha, especially when one, in this case Porter, will be playing on an expiring contract (barring the remote event an extension agreement is reached before the season). Randle has a $35.8 million player option for 2027-28.

Porter is coming off the most prolific season of his seven-year career in nearly every raw category, not to mention breaking his previous high usage percentage by a large margin. With the exception of the 18 games he played with Cam Thomas, Porter was typically Brooklyn’s sole available offensive force, which he seemed to relish by performing at an All-Star level (even if he was robbed of the honor).

That offense was the worst in the NBA in both offensive efficiency and points scored last season. Any help would be welcomed and Randle could be a big help. He’s seen as having done a good job deferring to Anthony Edwards in Minny after being “the man” with the New York Knicks. And in a talk with the media at the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center a few days back, he dismissed any concerns. Two different games that can mesh, he said in essence.

“I told him that like players like him, I love playing with because of how well he can space the floor,” Randle said of MPJ’s forte. “He loves big shots, big moments, and, like, they always seem to know exactly like where to be. He does it at an extremely high level, so I’m excited.”

Lichtenstein said he can see how Jordi Fernandez could stagger the two player (perhaps giving the overage to Noah Clowney?) and utilize Randle’s underrated passing. He’s averaged better than five assists per game over the past six years. Here’s how Lichtenstein envisioned the fit when the two are on the court together:

Fernandez used a variety of screen techniques and dribble handoffs to free Porter last season and that was with non-shooting center Nic Claxton often acting as the hub. NBA.com tracking had Porter leading the team in offensive miles run per game, an absolute necessity given all the attention he received from opposing defenses. It may take a while for Randle to replicate that chemistry, but his superior scoring prowess should make things easier because opponents will have to think harder about the consequences from ignoring him with the ball in his hands like they routinely did with Claxton.

Lichtenstein also debunks the notion that Randle takes too many dribbles, writing “his average dribbles per touch generally a little over 2.0. That’s not a ton, maybe a little over the league median.”

Brian Lewis tackled the same issue today for the Post. He pointed out that the combination could help the Nets get to that nirvana of quick shots and quick decision-making they’ve prioritized in their personnel choices during the rebuild.

Randle averaged 4.02 seconds per touch last season, which would have trailed only backup point guards Ben Saraf and Nolan Traoré on the Nets. Meanwhile, Porter got off the ball quickly, his scant 2.17 seconds per touch the quickest of all the Brooklyn regulars.

Lewis also mentions that should the two mesh, that could make for better trade packages in return for MPJ, come the early February deadline.

That ability to play off a ball-dominant scorer should make Porter a good fit to scale into any offense and alongside any star, making him all the more valuable to a contender before the trade deadline. But while the Nets still have both he and Randle together, it should make the duo effective.

Of course, there’s the other end of the court where neither Porter Jr. nor Randle are seen as stalwarts on D. Far from it.

“Jordi’s gonna want to play with a high pace and the right way, but you’re gonna hang your hat on the other end of the court as well,” said Marks in Las Vegas. “Defensively — not only Julius and MPJ, but the entire roster — our expectations are diving on the floor for loose balls, being a disruptor, hands in the passing lane, and just playing a brand of basketball that the borough can get behind.”

As Lichtenstein wrote:

However, we all should be horrified at the prospect of a defensive nightmare with the two on the court. Just among the Atlantic Division’s forwards, which one is guarding Philadelphia’s LeBron James, Boston’s Jayson Tatum, and Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard? Randle tried his hand at taking New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns in their two meetings last season—it didn’t go well, per NBA.com’s tracking. Towns scored 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting with Randle as the nearest defender.

But if you assessed Randle’s defensive metrics as substandard, they looked stellar in comparison to Porter, whose effort on that end is often lacking on and off the ball. Neither player is known for sprinting back in transition either, so that’s going to be a major problem.

Or as Lewis noted, it’s not beyond Fernandez’s desire for D to suggest that the Nets could occasionally bench his two scorers. Bottom line, though, for Randle will be able to put points on the board. The Flatbush 5’s growth should help and Mikel Brown Jr. proved he could score in a number of different ways while at Louisville.

Randle told Lewis that having two established scorers should help the youngest team in the NBA grow. He was asked if he and Porter Jr. have talked about the fit since Randle was traded back on June 23.

“A lot. We talked a lot and spent some time together for a few days,” Randle said of Porter. “And he’s cool. We’ve been around for a minute, and understand each other’s games very well and how we can really complement each other, honestly.

“[We are] two guys who can obviously both score the ball, but do it very different ways; his ability to be able to catch and shoot and move being a big wing, move off the ball. And me, my ability to be able to create off the dribble and with my passing.”

Every day, we’ll take a closer look at another member of the 2026-27 Phoenix Suns, examining what they bring to the roster and what their role could mean for the season ahead as we count down to training camp and the preseason.

Rasheer Fleming

Power forward, 6’9”, 240 pounds, 22 years old, 2nd season

Ah, Rasheer Fleming. He’s a player with much promise, and someone you can’t help but get excited about when you project who and what he could be. Expectations must be tempered, of course. He was taken with the 31st pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, meaning 30 teams passed on him for a reason. But when we watch him play, as he glides with his condor-like wings, your heartbeat starts to spike. He looks like an NBA player, which sounds like half-assed scouting. But when you see it, you know it.

After a freshman year in which he showcased promise, the true test begins. The sophomore year is typically when we see the largest developmental jump, as prospects no longer are taken aback by the inaugural sights and sounds of the Association and have had an entire summer to focus on strength training, film study, and routine.

For an organization that needs its young talent to pop, Fleming represents the possibilities for the next phase of Phoenix Suns basketball. While the expectations that sit upon his broad shoulders aren’t nearly as heavy as those of his fellow draftmate Khaman Maluach, a season in which he plateaus developmentally would hurt the long-term viability of the franchise.

Last Season

Rasheer made his NBA debut last season in the second game of the season, and scored his first NBA points in the team’s third. And while the stat sheet says he played in 55 games last season, his usage in the rotation was sporadic. Such is life for a rookie drafted in the second round. It wasn’t until late February that we began to see Felming with regularity, and with repetitions, we began to see what he could be as a player.

In the Suns’ final 25 games, Fleming played in 24 of them, averaging 18.9 minutes, 6.6 points, and 3.4 rebounds. He shot 40.2% from three-point range while averaging 1.3 stocks (steals + blocks). He was displaying his ability as a true 3-and-D player, impacting both sides of the floor. You couldn’t help but smile seeing him deny someone on one end and pump a three-ball in on the other.

He scored 10+ points in only 5 of his appearances, which is fine when you consider the role he was being asked to fulfill as a reserve. If you’re looking at box scores in an effort to define the productivity of a rookie, you’re certainly going to walk away disappointed. If you were to look at his only start of the season, game 82 when the team rested all of their regulars, there was a fortification of the promise Fleming brings. He scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 4-of-7 from deep, adding 6 rebounds, 3 stocks, and 2 assists.

Fleming was pretty much a non-factor in the postseason as the Suns were swept by the Thunder, although he could have been if he had been provided more opportunities. I know, I know…the ‘Disease of What If’. What if he had more run? It would’ve made sense, as one of the ways to jam up two-time MVP is to throw length at him at the point of attack. It’s something the Suns chose not to do, and SGA made them pay. When Collin Gillespie guarded him for 71.9 partial possessions, he scored 30 points on 58.8% shooting and 40% from deep. Fleming guarded him for just 1.8 possessions. The result? A block.

We’ll never know what would have happened if Fleming played more than 18 minutes in the postseason. And at this point in time, we don’t have to. What’s done is done, and we’re looking forward to what he could be, not at a series that was ultimately sealed before the tip ever occurred.

Contract and Roster Context

Fleming is entering year two of a four-year, $8.7 million contract. It is guaranteed through the end of next season, with 2028-29 being a team option.

What He Brings

Hope. That is, from a fanalyst perspective, what Fleming brings first and foremost. Effective rosters are built upon the prospects that flourish within the system. These are the players who become fan favorites. Not the mercenaries, not the veteran minimums. It is the players you draft and develop who have your heart the most. Mikal and Cam. Rasheer and Khaman. That thread of “they are ours” is what endears them to a fanbase.

Exploring the traits Fleming possesses fortifies that hope. He can shoot. He can defend. He has length, athleticism, the ability to rebound, the ability to play small-ball five, and adds size. From a prospect perspective, you salivate over the upside. From a realist perspective, you know that continued development and patience must be practiced in order for him to maximize when you believe he ultimately could be.

He should see more opportunities this season, slotting in as the backup power forward. And I assume that his versatility will put him in some unique rotations where he will shine as an ancillary player. The injury to Mark Williams should open the door for him to play center in lineups when speed and spacing are prioritized. I’m interested to see him in as a small forward as well, in lineups that emphasize size and rebounding.

What Needs to Improve

For any sophomore, the goal is not to plateau. To continue to grow and develop. What does this look like for Fleming? It starts with consistency and decision-making.

Consistency can only occur when opportunity is provided, and we witnessed this in the final 25 games of last season. That needs to carry over into this season. Consistency in shooting, consistency in positioning, consistency in rebounding, effort, and defensive discipline. If you look at who Rasheer was during Summer League in 2025 and who he was a season later, you see growth. But that needs to carry over into the minutes he will be provided this season.

Decision-making is another opportunity for Fleming. There are times you can feel him thinking just a half-second too long, and processing speed needs to become instantaneous rather than processed. That ability to react quickly is the difference between a rotation player and someone sitting on the bench.

Prediction

This is a big year for Fleming, with plenty of opportunities. His versatility should give him numerous looks in different lineup combinations, and I believe he will thrive. What does thrive mean? It’s not necessarily statistical dominance, rather, it’s someone who can contribute to the greater good of the team in a multitude of ways. The skill set is there. It’s time to see the execution.

I feel that we’ll look back at the 2026-27 campaign for Fleming as one in which growth occurred. Where confidence grew. Where he impacted the game with regularity. Will there be hiccups and mental lapses? Of course. But by the end of this season, we will have confidence that this is a rotational piece moving forward, if not a core piece.

Stat Prediction: 71 games, 7.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 48/37/72 splits

Final Word

If there is one thing that is clear, it is that I am a Rasheer Fleming Stan. I believe he has the ability to be the Suns’ version of Kawhi Leonard, without all the cap-circumvention crap. He may be quiet and unassuming, but he’s an absolute beast on the hardwood. He can lock you up and hit you with a dagger three on the other end. Does he possess the upside that Kawhi does? Probably not. He possesses the intangibles that every team needs in order to be successful. It now comes down to what happens between the ears.